Patent ID: 7810901
Filing Date: 2010-10-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A driving apparatus, comprising: a driving device which moves an object along a predetermined path; a linear encoder including a linear scale and a detector at least one of which is moved relatively to an other of the linear scale and the detector when the object is moved along the predetermined path by the driving device; a control device which controls, based on an output of the detector, the driving device to move the object along the predetermined path; and wherein the linear scale includes (a) at least one first scale portion having a plurality of first detectable portions provided at a first predetermined pitch, and (b) at least one second scale portion having a plurality of second detectable portions including at least one first pair of adjacent second detectable portions which are adjacent to each other and which are distant from each other by a first predetermined distance smaller than the first predetermined pitch, wherein said at least one first scale portion and said at least one second scale portion are located relative to each other such that when the object is moved toward said at least one stopper, the detector first detects the first detectable portions and then detects the second detectable portions, while sequentially outputting a plurality of detection signals each of which indicates a detection of a corresponding one of the first detectable portions and the second detectable portions, and the control device controls, based on the detection signals sequentially outputted by the detector, the driving device to move the object along the predetermined path, such that the object is moved at at least one first actual velocity in at least one first path portion of the predetermined path that corresponds to said at least one first scale portion and is moved at at least one second actual velocity lower than said at least one first actual velocity, in at least one second path portion of the predetermined path that corresponds to said at least one second scale portion until the object impacts on said at least one stopper at a reduced velocity less than said at least one first actual velocity wherein the linear scale is provided along the predetermined path, such that said at least one second scale portion of the linear scale is nearer to said at least one stopper than said at least one first scale portion of the linear scale, so that when the object is moved to said at least one stopper, the object is moved from said at least one first path portion into said at least one second path portion, and wherein the second detectable portions include, in addition to at least one first pair of adjacent second detectable portions as said at least one pair of adjacent second detectable portions which are distant from each other by the first predetermined distance, at least one second pair of adjacent second detectable portions which are distant from each other by a second predetermined distance smaller than the first predetermined distance and which are nearer to said at least one stopper than said at least one first pair of adjacent second detectable portions.