초록 ▼

An apparatus and accessories are disclosed for a flexible support apparatus 100, 900 using elongated support members 110 to support a face of a workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The elongated support members 110 are arranged through at least one plane of perforated material 120, where the

An apparatus and accessories are disclosed for a flexible support apparatus 100, 900 using elongated support members 110 to support a face of a workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The elongated support members 110 are arranged through at least one plane of perforated material 120, where the elongated support members 110 are profiled against the workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The profile of the elongated support members 110 is created by contacting forces 132 generated by bringing the workpiece 330 and the plurality of elongated support members 110 together. A holding force is then applied to the elongated support members 110 to support the workpiece 10 against forces applied by a workstation. Fluid 902 is used to raise expansion members to raise the plurality of elongate support members 110. A perforated plate 920 is used to control the flow of fluid 902 between a fluid cavity 910 and the plurality of expansion members 904. Accessories to improve performance and reliability include a protective collar for protection from foreign materials 870 (solder paste) and a reinforcing member 40, 44 to reinforce thin, flexible workpieces 10.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus and accessories are disclosed for a flexible support apparatus 100, 900 using elongated support members 110 to support a face of a workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The elongated support members 110 are arranged through at least one plane of perforated material 120, where the

An apparatus and accessories are disclosed for a flexible support apparatus 100, 900 using elongated support members 110 to support a face of a workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The elongated support members 110 are arranged through at least one plane of perforated material 120, where the elongated support members 110 are profiled against the workpiece 10 and respective protrusions 335. The profile of the elongated support members 110 is created by contacting forces 132 generated by bringing the workpiece 330 and the plurality of elongated support members 110 together. A holding force is then applied to the elongated support members 110 to support the workpiece 10 against forces applied by a workstation. Fluid 902 is used to raise expansion members to raise the plurality of elongate support members 110. A perforated plate 920 is used to control the flow of fluid 902 between a fluid cavity 910 and the plurality of expansion members 904. Accessories to improve performance and reliability include a protective collar for protection from foreign materials 870 (solder paste) and a reinforcing member 40, 44 to reinforce thin, flexible workpieces 10. ms each include a lateral extension extending therefrom in the orthogonal direction; and the at least one constraining beam extends between the lateral extensions of the floating beams. 11. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 10, in which: the floating beam includes a connecting portion; the flexural devices each additionally include flexible beams extending from the connecting portion of the floating beam; at least one of the floating beams includes a linear extension extending in the direction of travel from the connecting portion thereof; and the lateral extension extends from the linear extension. 12. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 10, in which both of the floating beams include a linear extension. 13. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 10, in which: the floating beam includes a connecting portion; the flexural devices each additionally include: a fixed support, and flexible beams extending from the connecting portion of the floating beam, two adjacent ones of the flexible beams extending to the movable element and the fixed support; and the lateral extension extends from a point in the floating beam intermediate between the two adjacent ones of the flexible beams. 14. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 13, additionally comprising a perimeter frame that includes the fixed support and at least one additional fixed support. 15. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 1, in which: the floating beams each include a lateral extension extending therefrom substantially in the orthogonal direction; and the constraining means includes: an elongate linking beam disposed substantially in the orthogonal direction, and elongate constraining beams extending substantially in the direction of travel between the linking beam and the lateral extensions. 16. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 15, in which: the constraining beam has a compliance in the direction of travel and a compliance in the orthogonal direction; and the compliance in the orthogonal direction is orders of magnitude greater than the compliance in the direction of travel. 17. The flexural device-based suspension of claim 1, in which: the flexural devices are first flexural devices, include first floating beams and are located on a first side the movable element; the flexural device-based suspension additionally comprises two second flexural devices located on a second side of the movable element, opposite the first side, the second flexural devices each including an elongate second floating beam disposed substantially in the direction of travel; and the constraining means is additionally for constraining relative motion of the second floating beams in the direction of travel and is additionally for allowing the second floating beams to move freely relative to one another in the orthogonal direction. 18. A micromachined device, comprising: a movable element; a first flexural device and a second flexural device located on opposite sides of the movable element and permitting movement of the movable element in a direction of travel, each of the flexural devices including an elongate floating beam substantially parallel to the direction of travel; and a constraining element extending between the floating beams, the constraining element having a low compliance in the direction of travel and a high compliance in a direction orthogonal to the direction of travel. 19. The micromachined device of claim 18, in which: the micromachined device additionally comprises a device layer; and at least the movable element, the flexural devices and the constraining element constitute portions of the device layer. 20. The micromachined device of claim 18, in which each of the flexural devices additionally includes: a fixed support; and flexible beams extending from the floating beam, two adjacent ones of the flexible beams extending to the movable element and the fixed sup port. 21. The micromachined device of claim 18, in which the constraining element includes at least one elongate constraining beam extending substantially in the direction of travel between the floating beams. 22. The micromachined device of claim 21, in which: the constraining beam has a compliance in the direction of travel and a compliance in the orthogonal direction; and the compliance in the orthogonal direction is orders of magnitude greater than the compliance in the direction of travel. 23. The micromachined device of claim 21, in which: the floating beams each include a lateral extension extending therefrom in the orthogonal direction; and each of the at least one constraining beam extends between the lateral extensions of the floating beams. 24. The micromachined device of claim 23, in which: the floating beam includes a connecting portion; the flexural devices each include flexible beams extending from the connecting portion of the floating beam; at least one of the floating beams includes a linear extension extending in the direction of travel from the connecting portion; and the lateral extension extends in the orthogonal direction from the linear extension. 25. The micromachined device of claim 23, in which both of the floating beams include a linear extension. 26. The micromachined device of claim 23, in which: the floating beam includes a connecting portion; the flexural devices each additionally include: a fixed support, and flexible beams connected extending from the connecting portion of the floating beam, two adjacent ones of the flexible beams extending to the movable element and the fixed support; and the lateral extension extends from a point in the floating beam intermediate between the two adjacent ones of the flexible beams. 27. The micromachined device of claim 26, additionally comprising a perimeter frame that includes the fixed support and at least one additional fixed support. 28. The micromachined device of claim 18, in which: the floating beams each include a lateral extension extending therefrom substantially in the orthogonal direction; and the constraining element includes: an elongate linking beam disposed substantially in the orthogonal direction, and elongate constraining beams extending substantially in the direction of travel between the linking beam and the lateral extensions. 29. The micromachined device of claim 28, in which: the constraining beam has a compliance in the direction of travel and a compliance in the orthogonal direction; and the compliance in the orthogonal direction is orders of magnitude greater than the compliance in the direction of travel. 30. The micromachined device of claim 18, in which: the flexural devices are first flexural devices and include first floating beams; the micromachined device additionally comprises two second flexural devices located on opposite sides of the movable element and offset from the first flexural devices in the orthogonal direction, the second flexural devices each including an elongate second floating beam disposed substantially in the direction of travel; the constraining element is a first constraining element and extends between the floating beams of the first and second flexural devices located on one side of the movable element the micromachined device additionally comprises a second constraining element extending between the floating beams of the first and second flexural devices located on the other side of the movable element, the second constraining element having a low compliance in the direction of travel and a high compliance in the orthogonal direction.