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. 18, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 23, 2009
Michael Hermann, Tacherting, DE;
Karsten Sändig, Palling, DE;
Michael Hermann, Tacherting, DE;
Karsten Sändig, Palling, DE;
Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH, Traunreut, DE;
Abstract
An arrangement for generating phase-shifted incremental signals characterizing relative positions of two objects moving with respect to each other along a measuring direction. The measuring arrangement includes a light source emitting bundles of beams, a measurement grating, a plurality of optional gratings and a scanning unit. The scanning unit includes a grating in a scanning plane, wherein the grating includes a plurality of blocks arranged periodically along the measuring direction with a grating periodicity equaling a fringe pattern periodicity, and each block includes n grating sections arranged along the measuring direction, each of the n grating sections having a periodic grating structure, deflecting the bundles of beams propagated through each of the n grating sections in several different spatial directions. The scanning unit further includes a plurality of detector elements arranged downstream of the grating, wherein the detector elements are arranged in the spatial directions in the detector plane, and wherein the detector plane is located where the bundles of beams coming from the grating are spatially separated. The fringe pattern is formed in the scanning plane by the bundles of beams emitted by the light source interacting with the measurement grating and the optional gratings.