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:
Jan. 17, 2006
Filed:
Oct. 15, 2002
Alton H. Phillips, Saitama, JP;
Hideaki Sakamoto, Saitama, JP;
Michael B. Binnard, Belmont, CA (US);
Alton H. Phillips, Saitama, JP;
Hideaki Sakamoto, Saitama, JP;
Michael B. Binnard, Belmont, CA (US);
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Devices are disclosed for placement between first and second masses for attenuating transmission of motions from one of the masses to the other. A general embodiment of such a device includes a fluid isolator and a lateral fluid bearing situated along a support axis. The fluid isolator includes a housing defining an isolator chamber pressurized with a gas at pressure P. The fluid isolator is situated such that motion of the masses relative to each other along the support axis is at the fluid isolator, and lateral motion is at the lateral fluid bearing. The lateral fluid bearing includes first and second bearing surfaces that are transverse to the support axis. At least one such surface defines three channels: pressure channel, atmospheric pressure channel, and vacuum channel. In order from the isolator chamber, the pressure channel (at pressure P≈P) is first, the atmospheric pressure channel (at pressure P) is second, and the vacuum channel (at pressure P) is third. From this general embodiment, a number of configurations are possible.