The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 19, 1991
Filed:
May. 09, 1989
Philippe Graindorge, Crimolois, FR;
Photonetics, S.A., Marly Le Roi, FR;
Abstract
A method of positioning an object relative to a plane, and apparatus therefor. According to the method, the plane is swept by the axis of a light-beam between a source assembly and a detection assembly, and the object is translated approximately perpendicularly to the plane, the detection assembly emitting a signal representative of the light received and therefore, the position of the object relative to the plane. The signal emitted by the detection assembly is measured as a function of time, the translation of the object being halted when the signal has a particular form. The particular form of the signal corresponds to the position of the object in which the shoulder masks a predetermined fixed part of the light-beam during part of its sweep. The apparatus comprises the source assembly for producing the light-beam, a deflecting member for angularly deflecting the light-beam, a first optical system for causing the deflected light-beam to sweep a plane parallel to the light-beam, the detection assembly, a second optical system for focusing the deflected light-beam onto the detection assembly. An electronic processor processes the signal emitted by the detection assembly as a function of time. The deflecting member is placed at the focus of the first optical system and the detection assembly is placed at the focus of the second optical system.