System for generating the movement of a support plate in six degrees of freedom

Abstract

The invention relates to a system ( 1 ) for moving a support plate ( 2 ), the support plate ( 2 ) being, in a so-called neutral position, substantially parallel to an XY plane defined by a so-called X direction and a so-called Y direction, said the system comprising at least two control stages (E 1, E 2 ) which are superimposed in a direction Z orthogonal to said the X and Y directions, the two control stages (E 1, E 2 ) being secured to each other, at least one of said the control stages (E 1, E 2 ) comprising a control module (M 1, M 2 ), the control module (M 1, M 2 ) comprising only movement units designed so as to each generate a translational movement in an XY plane, respectively in different directions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for generating movement of a support plate in a neutral position, substantially parallel to an XY plane defined by along an X direction and a Y direction relative to an XY plane, said system configured to move said support plate in at least one of six degrees of freedom, corresponding, respectively, to an Xi translation along the X direction and a θX rotation around said X direction, to a Yi translation along the Y direction and a θY rotation around said Y direction, to a Zi translation along a Z direction and a θZ rotation around said Z direction, with the Z direction being orthogonal to said X and Y directions, said system comprising:
 at least two control stages carrying the support plate, the control stages superimposed in the Z direction and being secured to each other, at least one of said control stages comprising a first control module configured to generate a translational movement of the support plate in only parallel to the XY plane, wherein the first control module comprises: 
 a first lower plate having an upper face; 
 a first upper plate having a lower face spaced a distance apart from and opposing the upper face, the first upper plate movingly associated with the support plate; 
 at least two movement units having a movable portion capable of reciprocal configured to generate translational movement along a reciprocating direction of movement, the at least two movement units fixed on the upper face of the first lower plate; 
 a straight guide rail coupled to the movable portion of each one of said movement units, such that the straight guide rail moves with the reciprocal movement of the movable portion movement unit, each straight guide rail having a sliding direction arranged orthogonally to the reciprocating direction of movement; and 
 a mobile carriage slidably coupled to each one of the straight guide rails and configured to freely slide along the associated straight guide rail in the sliding direction, each mobile carriage coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate, such that the reciprocal translational movement of the movable portions movement units creates the translational movement of the first upper plate and, thereby, translational movement of the support plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the movement units are arranged such that the reciprocating direction of each movable portion is in the XY plane having and positioned to have different directions of translation that form, respectively an angle of 120° therebetween. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first control module is configured to generate Xi and Yi movement of the support plate, the system further comprising:
 a third movement unit having a movable portion capable of reciprocal configured to generate translational movement along a reciprocating direction of movement, the third movement unit fixed on the upper face of the first lower plate; 
 a straight auxiliary guide rail coupled to the movable portion of the third movement unit, such that the straight auxiliary guide rail moves with the reciprocal translational movement of the movable portion of the third movement unit, the straight auxiliary guide rail having an auxiliary sliding direction different from both of the reciprocating directions direction of the two movement units; and 
 an auxiliary mobile carriage slidably coupled to the straight auxiliary guide rail and configured to freely slide in the auxiliary sliding direction, the auxiliary mobile carriage fixed to the lower face of the first upper plate. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein each one of said mobile carriages comprising is provided with a rotations system coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate and configured to generate θZ rotation in the first upper plate and, thereby, generate θZ rotation in the support plate. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein each one of said mobile carriages comprise is provided with a rotation system coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate and configured to generate θZ rotation in the first upper plate and, thereby, generate θZ rotation in the support plate. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , further comprising an auxiliary control stage configured to generate an Xi movement of the first control module. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second control module configured to generate θX, θY, and Zi movements, the second control module comprising:
 a second lower plate having an upper face; 
 athe second upper plate having a lower face spaced a distanceapart from and opposing the upper face of the second lower plate, the second upper plate movingly associated with the support plate; 
 three movement units each having a movable portion capable of reciprocal configured to generate translational movement along a reciprocating direction of movement, the three movement units fixed on the upper face of the second lower plate; 
 an inclined guide rail coupled to the movable portion of each one of the movement units such that each inclined guide rail moves with the reciprocal translational movement of the movable portion of the three movement units, each inclined guide rail having a sliding direction arranged longitudinally to the reciprocating direction of movement and disposed at an angle with respect to the XY plane; and 
 a mobile carriage slidably coupled to each one of the inclined guide rails and configured to freely slide along the associated inclined guide rail in the sliding direction, each one of said mobile carriages comprising a ball configured to rotate with respect to the associated mobile carriage, each ball articulated to the lower face of the first upper plate, such that reciprocal movement of the movable portions the translational movement of the three movement units generates the θX, θY, and Zi movements of the second upper plate and, thereby, θX, θY, and Zi movement of the support plate. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 . further comprising at least one of the following three auxiliary control stages:
 an auxiliary control stage configured to generate an Xi movement of the first and second control modules; 
 an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a Yi movement of the first and second control modules; and 
 an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a θZ movement of the first and second control modules. 
 
     
     
       9. A system for generating Xi and Yi movements of a first upper plate relative to an XY plane, the Xi and Yi movements parallel to the XY plane, the system comprising:
 a first control module configured to generate a translational movement in the XY plane, wherein the first control module comprises:   a first lower plate having an upper face;   the first upper plate having a lower face spaced apart from and opposing the upper face of the lower plate;   two movement units fixed to the upper face of the first lower plate, each movement unit configured to generate translational movement along a direction of movement;   a straight guide rail coupled to each of the movement units, such that the straight guide rail moves with the movement of the movement unit, each straight guide rail having a sliding direction arranged orthogonally to the direction of movement; and   a mobile carriage slidably coupled to each of the straight guide rails and configured to be freely mobile along the associated straight guide rail in the sliding direction, each mobile carriage coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate, such that translational movement of the movement units creates the translational movement of the first upper plate.   
     
     
       10. The system of claim 9, wherein the movement units are arranged in the XY plane and positioned to have different directions of translation that form, respectively, an angle of 120° therebetween. 
     
     
       11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first control module is configured to generate Xi and Yi movement, the system further comprising:
 a third movement unit configured to generate translational movement along a direction of movement, the third movement unit fixed on the upper face of the first lower plate;   a straight auxiliary guide rail coupled to the third movement unit, such that the straight auxiliary guide rail moves with the translational movement of the third movement unit, the straight auxiliary guide rail having an auxiliary sliding direction different from both the direction of movement of the two movement units; and   a mobile carriage slidably coupled to the straight auxiliary guide rail and configured to be freely mobile in the auxiliary sliding direction, the mobile carriage fixed to the lower face of the first upper plate.   
     
     
       12. The system of claim 11, wherein each one of the mobile carriages is provided with a rotation system coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate and configured to generate θZ rotation in the first upper plate. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim 9, wherein each one of the mobile carriages is provided with a rotation system coupled to the lower face of the first upper plate and configured to generate θZ rotation of the first upper plate. 
     
     
       14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary control stage configured to generate an Xi movement of the first control module. 
     
     
       15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second control module configured to generate θX, θY, and Zi movements relative to an XY plane, the second control module comprising:
 a second lower plate having an upper face; 
 a second upper plate; 
 three movement units fixed to the upper face of the second lower plate, each movement unit configured to generate translational movement along a direction of movement; 
 an inclined guide rail coupled to each one of the movement units such that each inclined guide rail moves with the translational movement of the associated movement unit, each inclined guide rail having a sliding direction arranged longitudinally to the direction of movement and disposed at an angle with respect to the XY plane; and 
 a mobile carriage slidably coupled to each one of the inclined guide rails and configured to be freely mobile along the associated inclined guide rail in the sliding direction, each one of the mobile carriages being provided with a ball configured to rotate with respect to the associated mobile carriage, each ball articulated to a lower face formed on the second upper plate, such that translational movement of the three movement units generates the θX, θY and Zi movements of the second upper plate. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one of the following auxiliary control stages:
 an auxiliary control stage configured to generate an Xi movement of at least one of the first or second control modules;   an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a Yi movement of at least one of the first or second control modules; and   an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a θZ movement.   
     
     
       17. A system for generating θX, θY and Zi movements relative to an XY plane, the θX movement around an X direction parallel to the XY plane, the θY movement around a Y direction parallel to the XY plane, the Zi movement along a Z direction orthogonal to the XY plane, the system comprising:
 a lower plate having an upper face; 
 an upper plate; 
 three movement units fixed to the upper face of the lower plate, each movement unit configured to generate movement along a direction of movement parallel to the XY plane; 
 an inclined guide rail coupled to each one of the movement units such that each inclined guide rail moves with the translational movement of the associated movement unit, each inclined guide rail having a sliding direction arranged longitudinally to the direction of movement and disposed at an angle with respect to the XY plane; and 
 a mobile carriage coupled to each one of the inclined guide rails and configured to be freely mobile along the associated inclined guide rail in the sliding direction, each one of the mobile carriages comprising a ball configured to rotate with respect to the associated mobile carriage, each ball articulated to the upper plate, such that translational movement of the three movement units generates the θX, θY and Zi movements. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of claim 17, wherein the movement units are arranged in the XY plane and positioned to have different directions of translation that form, respectively, an angle of 120° between them. 
     
     
       19. The system of claim 17, wherein the inclined guide rail is coupled to each of the movement units via a beveled support element. 
     
     
       20. The system of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the following auxiliary control stages:
 an auxiliary control stage configured to generate an Xi movement of the system, wherein the system is carried by the auxiliary control stage;   an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a Yi movement of the system, wherein the system is carried by the auxiliary control stage; and   an auxiliary control stage configured to generate a θZ movement, wherein the auxiliary control stage configured to generate a θZ movement is mounted on the upper plate of the system.   
     
     
       21. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary control stage configured to generate the Xi movement is carried by the auxiliary control stage configured to generate the Yi movement. 
     
     
       22. The system of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary control stage configured to generate the Yi movement is carried by the auxiliary control stage configured to generate the Xi movement.