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:
Dec. 26, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1998
Charles F Miller, Anaheim Hills, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A micro-manipulator apparatus for precisely positioning the tip of an ultrasonic bonding tool or similar implement relative to a work piece includes a pantograph-like input manipulator mechanism coupled by a downward depending ball joint coupling to the rear end portion of a tool support plate comprising part of a follower mechanism. The follower mechanism comprises a vertically cascaded series of members linearly rollable in orthogonal directions with respect to a work piece by means of three pairs of linear roller bearings, consisting of an upper, primary bearing slide structure mounted to a lateral side wall of a vertically disposed support plate by a vertically disposed pair of longitudinally opposed linear bearings permitting vertical, Z-axis motion relative to the support plate, a secondary bearing slide structure mounted to the lower side of a flange member which protrudes laterally outwardly from the primary slide structure by a pair of laterally disposed longitudinally opposed linear bearings permitting lateral, x-axis motion, and a pair of longitudinally disposed, laterally opposed linear bearings which depend downwardly from the lower side of the secondary bearing slide structure permitting longitudinal, y-axis motion of the tool support plate and a tool which may depend downwardly from the front portion of the tool support plate. With this arrangement, the lowest surface of the apparatus may be the tool tip, providing a work space of potentially unlimited lateral extent beneath the apparatus and thereby allowing the work piece to be located on a conveyor belt below the apparatus.