Air bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119565-B2
Application number	US-201715464552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

The air bearing includes a main body part having a bearing surface opposed to a guide face, first and second flow path parts, which are provided in the main body part, for allowing compressed air supplied from outside to flow, an air supply hole, which is provided in the flow path part, for supplying compressed air to the guide face to form an air film between the bearing surface and the guide face, and a negative pressure generating part, which is provided in the second flow path part intersecting with the first flow path part, for generating a negative pressure for sucking air between the guide face and the main body part by increasing the flow velocity of the compressed air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air bearing, comprising:
a main body part that includes a bearing part opposed to a guide face;
two first flow path parts and a second flow path part to which compressed air supplied from outside flows after being branched by a branch part, the first flow path parts and the second flow path part being provided in the main body part;
an air supply hole for supplying compressed air to the guide face to form an air film between the bearing surface and the guide face, the air supply hole being provided in the first flow path parts; and
a negative pressure generating part for generating a negative pressure for sucking air between the guide face and the main body part by increasing flow velocity of the compressed air, the negative pressure generating part being provided in the second flow path part, wherein
the first flow path parts are provided so as to be branched from the branch part in directions symmetrical to each other.

2. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein
the bearing surface has a suction region communicating with the negative pressure generating part and generating a vacuum preload.

3. The air bearing, according to claim 2 , wherein
the suction region is a recessed part region formed in the bearing surface of the main body part.

4. The air bearing according to claim 2 , wherein
the suction region is a region surrounded by an annular groove that is flush with the bearing surface of the main body part.

5. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein
the negative pressure generating part includes a nozzle part for narrowing the flow path of the second flow path part to increase the flow velocity of the compressed air, and
the second flow path part includes a suction hole for sucking air between the guide face and the main body part using a negative pressure generated on a tip side of the nozzle part.

6. The air bearing according to claim 5 , wherein
the nozzle part is detachably mounted.

7. The air bearing according to claim 5 , wherein
a tip of the nozzle part is located right above the suction hole, and
the negative pressure generating part generates the negative pressure around the suction hole.

8. The air bearing according to claim 5 , wherein
the suction hole is connected to an annular groove formed on the same surface as the bearing surface of the main body part.

9. The air bearing according to claim 5 , wherein
the suction hole sucks air in a suction region on the center region of the bearing surface, and
the air supply hole supplies compressed air to an air supply region outside the suction region.

10. The air bearing according to claim 5 , wherein
the air supply hole supplies compressed air to an air supply region on the center region of the bearing surface, and
the suction hole sucks air in a suction region outside the air supply region.

11. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein
a restricting part that narrows a flow path of the first flow path parts is provided between the branch part and the air supply hole.

12. The air bearing according to claim 11 , wherein
an air chamber that is an expanded flow path is provided between the restricting part and the air supply hole.

13. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein
the second flow path part includes a flow straightening part for straightening air flow.

14. The air bearing according to claim 13 , wherein
the flow straightening part includes a plurality of protrusions along a longitudinal direction of the second flow path part.

15. The air bearing according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening-closing valve that is movably provided in the first flow path parts and opens and closes an opening through which compressed air supplied to the air supply hole passes;
a biasing member that presses the opening-closing valve to open the opening; and
an electromagnetic coil that opposes the bias force of the biasing member to attract the opening-closing valve and closes the opening when being energized, wherein
when the negative pressure generating part generates the negative pressure in a state where the opening-closing valve closes the opening, the main body part is sucked to the guide face due to a suction force.

16. The air bearing according to claim 15 , wherein
the opening-closing valve includes:
a valve body that can open and close the opening; and
a pressed part that is connected to the valve body by a connecting shaft and is pressed by the biasing member.

17. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow path parts and the second flow path part are positioned at the same position in a thickness direction of the main body part.

18. The air bearing according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two first flow path parts comprises a vertical flow path and a horizontal flow path being orthogonal to the vertical flow path, the vertical flow path extending from the branch part and connected to the horizontal flow path,
the second flow path part has a center line extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which the horizontal flow path extends, and
the vertical flow path and the horizontal flow path of one of the two first flow path parts are symmetrical to the vertical flow path and the horizontal flow path of another one of the two first flow path parts with respect to the center line of the second flow path part.

19. An air bearing, comprising:
a main body part that includes a bearing part opposed to a guide face;
a first flow path part and a second flow path part to which compressed air supplied from outside flows after being branched by a branch part, the first flow path part being provided in the main body part;
an air supply hole for supplying compressed air to the guide face to form an air film between the bearing surface and the guide face, the air supply hole being provided in the first flow path part;
a negative pressure generating part for generating a negative pressure for sucking air between the guide face and the main body part by increasing flow velocity of the compressed air, the negative pressure generating part being provided in the second flow path part;
an opening-closing valve that is movably provided in the first flow path part and opens and closes an opening through which compressed air supplied to the air supply hole passes;
a biasing member that presses the opening-closing valve to open the opening; and
an electromagnetic coil that opposes the bias force of the biasing member to attract the opening-closing valve and closes the opening when being energized, wherein
when the negative pressure generating part generates the negative pressure in a state where the opening-closing valve closes the opening, the main body part is sucked to the guide face due to a suction force.

20. The air bearing according to claim 19 , wherein
the opening-closing valve includes:
a valve body that can open and close the opening; and
a pressed part that is connected to the valve body by a connecting shaft and is pressed by the biasing member.

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Ueda Kenji
• Sakai Hisayoshi

Classifications

• G01B5/0009

  Guiding surfaces; Arrangements compensating for non-linearity there-of · CPC title

• F16C2240/44

  Hole or pocket sizes · CPC title

• F16C32/0625

  via supply slits · CPC title

• F16C32/0622 Primary

  via nozzles, restrictors · CPC title

• F16C2370/00

  Apparatus relating to physics, e.g. instruments · CPC title