Patent ID: 6175169
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: G05B,H02K,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A precision closed-loop planar motor comprising:(a) stator means established by a platen comprising a plurality of ferromagnetic teeth spaced regularly in an orthogonal grid surrounded by nonmagnetic material and having a flat surface;(b) forcer means establishing a movable rigid body comprising a plurality of linear motor segment means in operative juxtaposition with said ferromagnetic teeth and within a housing having a flat surface supporting air bearing means in juxtaposition with the said flat surface of said stator means and incorporating translational and rotational alternating current magnetic sensor means for detecting the presence of said ferromagnetic teeth and providing signals indicative of their mutual planar geometric relationships;(c) electronic processing means operatively interposed between said translational and rotational alternating current magnetic sensor means and a controller means (d), whereby position and orientation information of said forcer means with respect to said orthogonal grid is obtained and conveyed by wires to said controller means;(d) controller means operatively connecting said linear motor segment means with position and orientation information from said electronic processing means so as to provide motive power to said linear motor segment means in response to programmed commands from a user of said closed-loop planar motor, thereby establishing feedback control means which is closed-loop;whereby precise translational motion and precise limited rotational motion in the plane is affected.