US 11,879,587 B2
Positioning apparatus
Tomoya Tsutsui, Osaka (JP); and Eiji Fujita, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/775,476
Filed by Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/032982
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/095327, PCT Pub. Date May 20, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-204647 (JP), filed on Nov. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0397231 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. F16M 11/20 (2006.01); F16M 11/22 (2006.01)
CPC F16M 11/2021 (2013.01) [F16M 11/22 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A positioning apparatus comprising:
an upper unit that includes a spherical body, a retainer part that retains the spherical body, and an upper plate part provided on the retainer part and adapted to carry a carried object;
a lower unit that includes a lower plate part on which the upper unit is mounted and a guide part that marks a region of movement of the upper unit on the lower plate part; and
a tilting structure that tilts the region of movement relative to a horizontal plane and guides the upper unit, on which the carried object is not mounted, toward a reference position located on a lower side of a tilt,
wherein the guide part has a frame shape, extends on a peripheral edge of an upper surface of the lower plate part, and surrounds an outer perimeter of the region of movement in the lower plate part,
wherein the upper unit moves within the region of movement as the spherical body rolls on the upper surface of the lower plate part, and
wherein the upper unit is prevented from moving outside the region of moving by coming into contact with the guide part.