[54] POSITIONING DEVICE COMPRISING
PRE-STRESSED CONTACTLESS BEARINGS
[75] Inventors: Hendricus F. G. Smulders; Johannes L. M. Hagen; Marinus J. J. Dona, all
of Eindhoven, Netherlands
[73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New York, N.Y.
[21] Appl. No.: 741,057
[22] Filed: Jun. 5,1985
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Mar. 29, 1985 [NL] Netherlands 8500930
[51] Int. CIS G05B 1/06
[52] U.S. CI 318/653; 318/135;
318/687
[58] Field of Search 318/517, 653, 38, 135,
318/687
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Re. 27,436 7/1972 Sawyer 318/38
3,466,514 9/1969 Brunner et al 318/517
4,485,339 11/1984 Trost 318/653 X
4.506.204 3/1985 Galburt 318/653
4.506.205 3/1985 Trost et al 318/653
A positioning device having a plate-shaped carrier (5) which is displaceable in a horizontal plane and which is journalled on a table (1) and on which is exerted a pressure and tensile force, respectively, by means of at least two translation drives (11, 13). The translation drives (11,13) are coupled to the carrier (5) by means of horizontally operating static thrust and tensile bearings, respectively (33 to 41,49), which transfer via a viscous medium in a contactless manner pressure and tensile forces respectively, between the carrier (5) and the translation drives (11,13). The contactless bearings (33 to 41, 49) are pre-stressed with a force which is larger than the maximum occurring tensile force between the drives (11,13) and the carrier (5). Thus, a substantially frictionless coupling is obtained between the drives (11, 13) and the carrier (5). This coupling acts at the same time as a guide for the carrier (5).
15 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures
