Actuated height adjustable optical table

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266231-B2
Application number	US-202017077289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

An actuated, height adjustable optical table or workstation for use in microscopy, optical research laboratories and similar environments includes fixed and moving parts which combine to create a rigid, height adjustable table structure on which to mount an optical breadboard or similar platforms via optional passive or active vibration isolation mounts. The height adjustment is performed by multiple compact actuators with associated control hardware and software, and allows the user or an application system to perform activities with the table at any heights.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A height adjustable optical table or workstation for use in research or industrial applications, comprising:
a flat surface;
a plurality of legs subassemblies configured to support the flat surface, each leg subassembly comprising an actuator configured to extend or retract the length of the leg subassembly;
a processor configured to control the actuators; and
a passive or active vibration isolator coupled to at least one of: the flat surface, and the leg subassemblies;
wherein the passive or active vibration isolator is configured to isolate vibrations caused by ambient background;
wherein the processor is configured to control the actuators to synchronously extend or retract the lengths of the plurality of leg subassemblies, such that the flat surface remains level during the extension or retraction.

2. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the actuator are rack-and-pinion-type actuators, motorized actuators; pneumatic actuators, hydraulic actuators, screw threads actuators, or direct drive actuators.

3. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is integrated in the leg subassembly.

4. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is external to the leg subassembly.

5. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the processor is integrated in the leg subassembly.

6. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the processor is external to the leg subassembly.

7. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense the extension or retraction position of the plurality of leg subassemblies.

8. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 7 , wherein the processor uses the sensed positions to provide a closed loop control of the actuator, so that the table remains level before, during and after a height adjustment.

9. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control an acceleration and deceleration of the extension and retraction movements.

10. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to avoid unbalanced operation by stopping the height adjustment operation when the processor detects a power interruption or a fault in any of the actuators.

11. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , further comprising an input device coupled to the processor, the input device being configured to receive inputs for height adjustments.

12. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , further comprising a collision sensor configured to detect an obstacle in a path of a moving part of the optical table or workstation during a height adjustment, or to detect a collision caused by the moving part of the optical table or workstation.

13. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of legs subassemblies comprises a housing, a shaft within the housing, the shaft being supported by a number of guide pillars and bearing assemblies, and the actuator is configured to extend or retract the shaft relative to the housing.

14. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein each of the leg subassembly further comprises a guidance system configured to maintain the movement of the actuator in the vertical direction.

15. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 14 , wherein each of the guidance system comprises a first guidance part having one or more pillars and a second guidance part having one or more corresponding tubes that are sized to fit the one or more pillars, such that the first guidance part can slide relative to the second guidance part.

16. An assembly of optical tables or workstation comprising a plurality of height adjustable optical tables according to claim 1 , wherein the processor of one of the plurality of height adjustable optical tables is configured to perform a height adjustment in synchronous with a height adjustment by the processor of at least one other of the plurality of height adjustable optical tables.

17. The height adjustable optical table or workstation of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of leg subassemblies are mounted to one or more support frame.

Assignees

• Thorlabs Inc

Inventors

• Dhese Keith
• Grimwade Dave
• Subramani Poobalan
• Arauz Lina

Classifications

• G01N21/01 Primary

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title

• B25H1/16

  in height · CPC title

• A47B2200/0061

  Height-adjustable desk, electronically regulated with no mechanical link between the legs · CPC title

• A47B87/002

  Combination of tables; Linking or assembling means therefor · CPC title

• A47B2200/0058

  with synchronized motors · CPC title