Intermediate linear positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891612-B2
Application number	US-201514704050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2015
Priority date	May 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A system is described for positioning a load in of multiple positions disposed over a linear axis. A linear actuator moves the load into each of the positions. A first position is at an end of the movement, with a second position opposite. A third position is intermediate between the first and the second positions. A stop actuator is made of a configurable material switchable selectively between an engaged configuration, in which the load is positioned in the at least third position, and a disengaged configuration, in which the load is freely movable between the first and the second positions.

First claim

What is claimed, is:

1. A system operable for positioning a load in each of a plurality of positions disposed over a linear axis of a movement of the load, the system comprising:
a linear actuator component operable for the movement of the load into each of the plurality of positions, which comprise:
a first position disposed at a first end of the movement;
a second position disposed at a second end of the movement, opposite from the first end;
a plurality of intermediate positions disposed intermediately between the first position and the second position;
a stop actuator component comprising a configurable material switchable selectively between an engaged configuration, in which the load is positioned in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions, and a disengaged configuration, in which the movement is unconstrained between the first position and the second position; and
a stop actuator linear positioning system operable for moving the stop actuator from a first position about the linear axis to at least one additional position about the liner axis, the number of positions about the linear axis for the stop actuator corresponding to the number of intermediate positions constituting the plurality of intermediate positions.

2. The linear positioning system as described in claim 1 wherein the switchably configurable material comprises a shape-memory alloy (SMA).

3. The linear positioning system as described in claim 2 wherein the SMA material comprises a formed gate structure.

4. The linear positioning system as described in claim 2 wherein the SMA material comprises a wire structure.

5. The linear positioning system as described in claim 1 wherein the switchably configurable material comprises an electroactive polymer (EAP).

6. The linear positioning system as described in claim 1 wherein the linear actuator component comprises a tiny ultrasonic linear actuator (TULA) device.

7. The linear positioning system as described in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a movable lens in a zoom focus element of an optical apparatus, the zoom focus element operable selectively over a standard focus range (SR), an extended focus range (ER), and an ‘HD’ focus range operable for high definition or near-field and far-field reading of high-density graphic data.

8. The linear positioning system as described in claim 7 , wherein the zoom focus element comprises:
a first lens fixed in proximity to the second position; and
a second lens fixed in proximity to the first position.

9. The linear positioning system as described in claim 8 , wherein:
upon a stop of the movable lens in the first position, the zoom element is operable over the ER focus range;
upon a stop of the movable lens in the second position, the zoom element is operable over the HD focus range; and
upon the stopping the motion of the load, fixedly, in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions, the zoom element is operable over the SR focus range.

10. An optical assembly adjustable selectively over at least three focus ranges, the optical assembly comprising:
a first lens fixed in proximity to a first position;
an image sensor-side lens fixed in proximity to a second position, which is disposed at an opposite end of a linear axis of the optical assembly from the first position;
a movable lens movable controllably over the linear axis between the first position and the second position; and
a system operable for positioning the movable lens in the first position, the second position, or any of a plurality of intermediate positions disposed between the first position and the second position, and comprising:
a linear actuator component operable for moving the movable lens over the linear axis;
a stop actuator component operable, selectively, for positioning the movable lens in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions, or for allowing the moveable lens to move freely between the first position and the second position, the stop actuator component comprising a material switchably configurable between an engaged configuration corresponding to the positioning of the movable lens in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions, or a disengaged position corresponding to allowing the moveable lens to move freely; and
a stop actuator linear positioning system operable for moving the stop actuator from a first position about the linear axis to at least one additional position about the linear axis, the number of positions about the linear axis for the stop actuator corresponding to the number of intermediate positions constituting the plurality of intermediate positions.

11. The optical assembly as described in claim 10 , wherein the optical assembly is operable, selectively, over one or more of:
an ‘HD’ range of high definition and near-field and far-field range reading of high-density graphic data corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in the second position;
an extended focus range (ER), corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in the first position; or
a standard focus range (SR) corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions.

12. The optical assembly as described in claim 10 , wherein the linear actuator device comprises a tiny ultrasonic linear actuator (TULA).

13. The optical assembly as described in claim 10 , the switchably configurable material comprises an electroactive polymer (EAP).

14. The optical assembly as described in claim 10 , wherein the switchably configurable material comprises a shape-memory alloy (SMA).

15. The optical assembly as described in claim 14 , wherein the SMA material comprises at least one of a formed gate structure, or a wire structure.

16. A method for adjusting a focus range of an optical apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
activating a linear actuator operable for causing a motion of a movable lens of the optical apparatus over a linear axis between a first position on the linear axis and a second position opposite therefrom, the first position and the second position each comprising limits of the motion of the movable lens in opposite directions over the linear axis; and
disengaging a stop actuator, wherein the motion of the load is unconstrained between the first position and the second position; or

engaging the stop actuator, wherein the engaged stop actuator is operable for positioning the movable lens in any of a plurality of intermediate positions disposed between the first position and the second position, wherein engaging the stop actuator comprises activating a stop actuator linear positioning system operable for moving the stop actuator from a first position about the linear axis to at least one additional position about the linear axis, the number of positions for the stop actuator about the linear axis corresponding to the number of intermediate positions constituting the plurality of intermediate positions, and wherein the optical apparatus is operable over a plurality of focus ranges, the plurality of focus ranges comprising:
an ‘HD’ range of high definition and near-field and far-field range reading of high-density graphic data corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in the second position;
an extended focus range (ER), corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in the first position; and
a standard focus range (SR) corresponding to a positioning the movable lens in any one of the plurality of intermediate positions.

17. The method as described in claim 16 , wherein the switchably configurable material comprises a dimorphic c

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Charpentier Anthony Raymond
• Gillet Alain

Classifications

• G05B19/40 Primary

  Open loop systems, e.g. using stepping motor · CPC title

• G06K7/10831

  Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms (optical elements per se G02B) · CPC title

• G05B2219/42203

  Using a counter and a limit switch · CPC title

• G02B15/14 Primary

  by axial movement of one or more lenses or groups of lenses relative to the image plane for continuously varying the equivalent focal length of the objective · CPC title

• F03G7/065

  using a shape memory element · CPC title