US 12,134,185 B2
Compact 6-axis positioning system
Christian Sander, Karlsruhe (DE); Rainer Gloess, Karlsruhe (DE); and Christian Rudolf, Karlsbad (DE)
Assigned to PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE (PI) GMBH & CO. KG, (DE)
Appl. No. 17/800,310
Filed by PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE (PI) GMBH & CO. KG, Karlsruhe (DE)
PCT Filed Feb. 24, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/054492
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 17, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/170604, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 104 731.2 (DE), filed on Feb. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0064477 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 17/02 (2006.01); B23Q 1/54 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 17/0216 (2013.01) [B23Q 1/5462 (2013.01); B25J 9/0045 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A 6-axis positioning system, comprising:
a base;
a movable unit; and
six variable-length actuators, one end of each actuator being connected to the base and another end of each actuator being connected to the movable unit,
wherein the six actuators are divided into two groups each having three actuators, and the actuators of the first group are arranged on the base within a region bounded by the actuators of the second group, and the actuators of the first group are arranged on the movable unit within a region bounded by the actuators of the second group;
wherein a lower end and an upper end of each of the three actuators of the second group are connected to the base and to the movable unit, respectively, by respective pivot fastening systems;
wherein an upper end of each of the three actuators of the first group is connected to the movable unit by a pivot fastening system;
wherein a lower end of each of the three actuators of the first group is connected to the base by a pivot fastening system that pivots during an adjustment operation of the 6-axis positioning system;
wherein the three actuators of the first group are variable in length and pivotably connected to the base and the movable unit so that each of the three actuators of the first group is movable only in an angular range of a maximum of ±30° relative to a first virtual line extending perpendicular to a plane spanned by the base; and
wherein the three actuators of the second group are a variable in length and pivotably connected to the base and the movable unit so that each of the three actuators of the second group is arranged to be movable only in an angular range of ≥0 to a maximum of 45° relative to a second virtual line extending parallel to the plane spanned by the base.