Patent · US Expired

Stiff actuator active vibration isolation system

US5823307A · kind A · utility

66Cited by
22References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 2, 1997
Grant dateOct 20, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/41191
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An active vibration isolation system (10) includes a plurality of stiff actuators, such as piezoelectric motors (12a-c; 284, 350) which support a small mass (18) inside of a case (300). A passive isolator (20) is interposed between the small mass (18) and the payload mass (M.sub.p). In the instance where the stiff actuators are piezoelectric motors, the sidewalls of the case (300) are used to provide compressive force along the variable length of each of the horizontal piezoelectric motor elements (284, 350) to prevent damage to same. Compensation circuitry (24) is connected between velocity sensors (17) and the stiff actuators to control the variable length thereof in this move-out-of-the-way system (10) and to compensate for resonating modes. Optionally, a payload mass velocity sensor (26) and associated circuitry may be used to provide additional control. Shear decouplers (282a-c; 352, 360) are used in conjunction with the piezoelectric motor elements (12a-c; 284, 350) to minimize the amount of shear force acting on the motor elements.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.