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:
Nov. 23, 1993
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1991
Hendrikus H Cox, Eindhoven, NL;
Jan Van Eijk, Eindhoven, NL;
U.S. Philips Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A device for positioning a body (5) by means of at least one pair of electromagnets (13, 15). A position sensor (29) measures the size of an air gap (23) between one of the electromagnets (13, 15) and a guide beam (1). An output signal of the position sensor (29) is applied to an electronic control unit (35) which passes a control current through the electromagnets (13, 15) in dependence on a difference between the measured and a desired size of the air gap (23). In one embodiment an electrical switch (53) is connected between the control unit (35) and the two electromagnets (13, 15) controlled by the control unit (35), applying the control current to only one of the two electromagnets (13, 15) in dependence on the polarity of a control signal from the control unit (35). The use of the switch insures that the control current flows through only one of the two electromagnets at a time so that in a simple manner a difference necessary for supporting the body is achieved between the forces exerted on the guide beam (1) by the electromagnets (13, 15). the electrical resistance losses in the electromagnets (13, 15) in such a device are low, the device is eminently suitable for use as an electromagnetic bearing in an optical lithographical device for the irradiation of semiconductor substrates, or in other precision machines.