Adjustment device and processing device provided with same

Abstract

The present invention provides an adjustment device and processing device capable of regulating the movement of a second plate relative to a first plate and the movement of a third plate relative to the second plate. An alignment stage 10, which constitutes the adjustment device, is provided with: a first plate 20 having a first concave surface 21 which extends in a first direction X; a second plate 30 having a first convex surface 31 and a second concave surface 32 which extends in a second direction Y; a third plate 40 having a second convex surface 41; a plurality of first biasing means for connecting the second plate 30 and the first plate 20 to each other; and a plurality of second biasing means for connecting the third plate 40 and the second plate 30 to each other; wherein at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means are leaf springs 60.

Description

Adjustment device and processing device equipped with same

[0001] The present invention relates to an adjustment device that can be used as an alignment stage for aligning a workpiece to be machined by a rotary tool with the rotary tool, and to a machining apparatus equipped with the adjustment device.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes an alignment stage comprising: a first plate having a first concave surface; a second plate disposed on the first plate and having a first convex surface and a second concave surface; a third plate disposed on the second plate and having a second convex surface; a first biasing means that connects the second plate and the first plate to each other and biases the second plate to return to its initial position relative to the first plate; and a second biasing means that connects the third plate and the second plate to each other and biases the third plate to return to its initial position relative to the second plate.

[0003] The first and second biasing means are tension springs each consisting of a wound portion made of a wound wire and hook-shaped engaging portions provided on both ends of the wound portion.

[0004] Patent No. 6825812

[0005] However, depending on the use, purpose, machining accuracy, etc. of the workpiece to be machined, it may be desirable to allow the second plate to oscillate relative to the first plate and the third plate to oscillate relative to the second plate, but restrict the movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and the movement of the third plate relative to the second plate.

[0006] In this case, in the alignment stage of Patent Document 1, the first and second biasing means are tension springs, which can not only expand and contract in the axial direction of the winding portion but also deform in the radial direction, and because of the high degree of freedom of deformation, it is not possible to restrict the movement of the second plate relative to the first plate, or the movement of the third plate relative to the second plate.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment device and a processing device equipped with the same that can restrict the movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and the movement of the third plate relative to the second plate, while allowing the second plate to swing relative to the first plate and the third plate to swing relative to the second plate.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is an adjustment device for supporting or holding an object and adjusting the position of the object relative to a reference position and / or the angle of the object relative to a reference plane, the adjustment device comprising: a first plate having a first concave surface that is concavely curved and extends in a first direction; a second plate that is arranged above or below the first plate and has a first convex surface on the first plate side that is shaped along the first concave surface and a second concave surface on the opposite side to the first plate that is concavely curved and extends in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction; a third plate that is arranged above or below the second plate and has a second convex surface on the second plate side that is shaped along the second concave surface; and a third plate that connects the second plate and the first plate to each other and connects the first plate to the third plate. and a plurality of second biasing means that connect the third plate and the second plate to each other and bias the third plate to return to its initial position relative to the second plate when the third plate moves, swings, or moves and swings relative to the second plate, wherein at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means is a leaf spring, and the leaf spring is arranged so that its width direction is along the direction of movement of the second plate relative to the first plate, or along the direction of movement of the third plate relative to the second plate.

[0009] According to the above invention, at least one of the multiple first biasing means and the multiple second biasing means is a leaf spring, and is arranged so that its width direction is along the movement direction of the second plate relative to the first plate, or is arranged so that it is along the movement direction of the third plate relative to the second plate.Therefore, it is possible to restrict movement of the second plate or the third plate in a direction along the width direction of the leaf spring, and while allowing the second plate to swing relative to the first plate and the third plate to swing relative to the second plate, it is possible to restrict movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and movement of the third plate relative to the second plate.

[0010] In the adjusting device of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and at least one of the plurality of second biasing means may be a leaf spring.

[0011] According to the above aspect, at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and at least one of the plurality of second biasing means are leaf springs, so that movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and movement of the third plate relative to the second plate can be regulated.

[0012] In the adjustment device of the present invention, the leaf spring may be configured to include a bulging portion that bulges out from the outer surface of each plate when viewed in a plane, and a pair of fixing portions that extend from both ends of the bulging portion and are each fixed to the corresponding plate.

[0013] According to the above aspect, the leaf spring is made up of the bulging portion and the pair of fixing portions, and therefore these can be integrally formed, making it possible to reduce the number of parts of the first biasing means and the second biasing means.

[0014] In addition, the shape of the bulge can be selected as appropriate, so for example, if the bulge is curved in an arc, the radius of curvature can be appropriately set to adjust the elastic deformation performance of the bulge. Furthermore, a space is defined between the outer surface of the plate and the bulge, i.e., inside the bulge, so this internal space can be used effectively.

[0015] In the adjusting device of the present invention, the leaf spring may be flat, and both ends thereof may be fixed to the corresponding plates via fixing brackets.

[0016] According to the above-described embodiment, the flat leaf spring can be used without any special processing, thereby enhancing versatility. Furthermore, the spring force of the entire leaf spring can be adjusted appropriately by changing the thickness of the leaf spring or stacking multiple leaf springs. Furthermore, the strength and rigidity of the entire biasing means, including the leaf spring, can be increased by adjusting the shape and structure of the fixing bracket.

[0017] The adjustment device of the present invention may further include a plurality of third biasing means that connect the third plate and the first plate to each other and, when the third plate moves, oscillates, or moves and oscillates relative to the second plate, indirectly bias the third plate back to its initial position relative to the second plate via the first plate, and at least one of the plurality of first biasing means, the plurality of second biasing means, and the plurality of third biasing means may be a leaf spring, and the leaf spring may be configured so that its width direction is aligned with the movement direction of the second plate relative to the first plate, or so that it is aligned with the movement direction of the third plate relative to the second plate.

[0018] According to the above aspect, the third plate is not only connected to the second plate by the second biasing means, but also to the first plate by the third biasing means, so that movement of the third plate relative to the second plate can be more sufficiently restricted.

[0019] In the adjustment device of the present invention, the plurality of first biasing means may be composed of the leaf springs and tension springs, or the plurality of second biasing means may be composed of the leaf springs and tension springs, or the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means may each be composed of the leaf springs and tension springs.

[0020] According to the above aspect, since the biasing means is a combination of a leaf spring and a tension spring, the degree of restriction on movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and the degree of freedom of swinging, etc., and the degree of restriction on movement of the third plate relative to the second plate and the degree of freedom of swinging, etc., can be easily adjusted appropriately depending on the use, purpose, processing accuracy, etc. of the workpiece to be processed.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is a processing apparatus comprising a rotationally driven rotary tool and the adjustment device, and characterized in that the adjustment device is used as an alignment stage that supports and automatically aligns a workpiece to be processed by the rotary tool.

[0022] According to the above invention, by using the adjustment device of the above invention as an alignment stage, it is possible to obtain a processing device that has the function of supporting and automatically aligning a workpiece to be processed by a rotary tool.

[0023] In the present invention, at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means is a leaf spring, and its width direction is arranged along the direction of movement of the second plate relative to the first plate, or along the direction of movement of the third plate relative to the second plate, so that movement of the second plate relative to the first plate and movement of the third plate relative to the second plate can be regulated.

[0024] The present invention relates to an adjustment device, an adjustment apparatus for adjusting a position of a workpiece, an adjustment stage for adjusting a workpiece ...

[0025] (One Embodiment of Adjusting Apparatus and Processing Apparatus) Hereinafter, one embodiment of an adjusting apparatus according to the present invention and a processing apparatus that uses the adjusting apparatus as an alignment stage will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] In this embodiment, the adjustment device according to the present invention is used as an alignment stage 10 for supporting or holding and automatically aligning a workpiece W (see FIG. 3), which is an object. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the alignment stage 10 in this embodiment includes a first plate 20 having a first concave surface 21, a second plate 30 disposed above the first plate 20 and having a first convex surface 31 and a second concave surface 32, and a third plate 40 disposed above the second plate 30 and having a second convex surface 41.

[0027] In this embodiment, the adjustment device can be used as an alignment stage 10 and can be applied to a processing device 100, such as that shown in Figure 3, which processes a workpiece W using a rotating tool 102 that is driven to rotate.However, in addition to this processing device 100, the adjustment device can also be attached to the top of the mounting head (bonding head) of a semiconductor mounting device (flip-chip mounting device, etc.) and used as an angle adjustment mechanism for the mounting head (in this case, the substrate to be bonded, etc., constitutes the "object" in this invention), and is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to support or hold the object and adjust the position of the object relative to a reference position and / or the angle of the object relative to a reference plane.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the alignment stage 10 is configured to support the workpiece W above the stage, but the adjustment device may also be configured, for example, to have a second plate placed below the first plate and a third plate placed below the second plate, in a so-called upside-down hanging state, to hold the object so that it does not fall.

[0029] The first plate 20 is an approximately rectangular plate formed with a predetermined width, depth and thickness, and has a flat lower surface, while a first concave surface 21 is formed on the upper surface, i.e., the surface side (opposing surface side) opposite to which the second plate 30 is arranged.

[0030] More specifically, flat surfaces 22, 22 are provided on both ends of the upper surface of the first plate 20 in the width direction (which can also be referred to as the left-right direction on the paper surface of FIG. 1 ), and extend in the depth direction (which means the direction extending to the front and back sides of the paper surface of FIG. 1 ; which can also be referred to as the front-to-back direction) of the first plate 20. When the first plate 20 is viewed from above, the width direction and the depth direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0031] On the upper surface of the first plate 20, between the pair of flat surfaces 22, 22, a first concave surface 21 is formed, which has a concave curved surface that is concave downward (toward the lower end of the thickness direction of the first plate 20).

[0032] Specifically, the first concave surface 21 has a bottom 21a that is the lowest recess in the center of the width direction of the first plate 20, and is a curved surface that is curved in a substantially arc shape while describing a curve with a predetermined curvature so as to gradually rise from the bottom 21a toward the pair of flat surfaces 22, 22. The first concave surface 21 is formed so as to extend from one end to the other end of the first plate 20 in the depth direction, that is, it is formed over the entire depth direction of the first plate 20.

[0033] The direction in which the first concave surface 21 extends, i.e., the direction along the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the first plate 20, constitutes the "first direction" in the present invention, and is referred to as the "first direction X."

[0034] Furthermore, a line segment (a line segment parallel to the first direction X) that passes through the bottom 21a of the first concave surface 21 and extends in the depth direction of the first plate 20 becomes the first oscillation axis C1 when the second plate 30 oscillates relative to the first plate 20.

[0035] The above-mentioned "width direction," "left-right direction," "depth direction," and "front-rear direction" have the same meanings for the second plate 30, the third plate 40, and the like.

[0036] The second plate 30 is an approximately rectangular plate of a shape that matches the shape of the first plate 20 (same outer peripheral shape and same width and depth dimensions) and a predetermined thickness, and a first convex surface 31 is formed on its underside, i.e., the surface that the first plate 20 faces.

[0037] The first convex surface 31 is a convex curved surface that protrudes from the lower surface of the second plate 30 so as to have a shape that conforms to (fits) the first concave surface 21 .

[0038] Specifically, the first convex surface 31 has an apex 31a that protrudes most downward in the center of the width direction of the second plate 30, and is a convex curved surface that is curved in a substantially arc shape while describing a curve with a predetermined curvature so that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases from the apex 31a toward both ends of the width direction of the second plate 30. Furthermore, the first convex surface 31 is formed over the entire width direction and the entire depth direction of the second plate 30.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the first convex surface 31 of the second plate 30 is inserted into the first concave surface 21 of the first plate 20 and is positioned opposite the first concave surface 21 via an air layer (not shown) formed by compressed air or a lubricant.

[0040] As described above, an air layer or a lubricant is present between the first convex surface 31 and the first concave surface 21, and an air layer or a lubricant is also present between the second concave surface 32 and the second convex surface 41. These air layers and lubricants are described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-14871 (Patent No. 6825812) filed by the present applicant, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] As a result of the arrangement of the first convex surface 31 and the first concave surface 21 as described above, the second plate 30 is movable relative to the first plate 20 along the first direction X and is also swingable in the direction of arrow R1 around the first swing axis C1. Note that the swinging of the second plate 30 can also be considered as movement of the second plate 30 in a direction along the curved surfaces of the first concave surface 21 and the first convex surface 31.

[0042] On the other hand, a second concave surface 32 is formed on the upper surface side of the second plate 30, that is, on the surface side opposite to the third plate 40.

[0043] More specifically, flat surfaces 33 , 33 are provided on the upper surface side of the second plate 30 at both ends in the depth direction, and extend in the width direction of the second plate 30 .

[0044] On the upper surface of the second plate 30, between the pair of flat surfaces 33, 33, a second concave surface 32 is formed, which has a concave curved surface that is concave downward (toward the lower end of the thickness direction of the second plate 30).

[0045] Specifically, the second concave surface 32 has a bottom 32a that is the lowest recess in the center of the second plate 30 in the depth direction, and is a curved surface that is curved in a substantially arc shape with a predetermined curvature so as to gradually rise from the bottom 32a toward the pair of flat surfaces 33, 33. The second concave surface 32 is formed so as to extend from one end to the other end in the width direction of the second plate 30, that is, it is formed across the entire width direction of the second plate 30.

[0046] The direction in which the second concave surface 32 extends, i.e., the direction along the width direction (left-right direction) of the second plate 30, is the "second direction" in the present invention, and is referred to as the "second direction Y." The second direction Y is also perpendicular to the first direction X when the plate is viewed from above.

[0047] Furthermore, a line segment (a line segment parallel to the second direction Y) that passes through the bottom 32a of the second concave surface 32 and extends in the width direction of the second plate 30 becomes the second oscillation axis C2 when the third plate 40 oscillates relative to the second plate 30.

[0048] The third plate 40 is an approximately rectangular plate of a shape that matches the second plate 30 (same outer peripheral shape and same width and depth dimensions) and a predetermined thickness, and while the upper surface side is flat, the lower surface side, i.e., the surface side that the second plate 30 is positioned opposite, has a second convex surface 41 formed thereon.

[0049] The second convex surface 41 is a convex curved surface that protrudes from the lower surface of the third plate 40 so as to have a shape that conforms to (fits) the second concave surface 32 .

[0050] Specifically, the second convex surface 41 has an apex 41a that protrudes most downward in the center of the third plate 40 in the depth direction, and is a curved surface that is curved in a substantially arc shape while describing a curve with a predetermined curvature so that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases from the apex 41a toward both ends in the depth direction of the third plate 40. Moreover, the second convex surface 41 is formed over the entire width and depth directions of the third plate 40.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2, the second convex surface 41 of the third plate 40 is inserted into the second concave surface 32 of the second plate 30 and is positioned opposite the second concave surface 32 via an air layer (not shown) formed by compressed air or a lubricant.

[0052] As a result, the third plate 40 is movable relative to the second plate 30 along the second direction Y and is also swingable in the direction of arrow R2 around the second swing axis C2. The swinging of the third plate 40 can also be considered as movement of the third plate 40 in a direction along the curved surfaces of the second concave surface 32 and the second convex surface 41.

[0053] The alignment stage 10 also includes a plurality of first biasing means that connect the second plate 30 and the first plate 20 to each other, a plurality of second biasing means that connect the third plate 40 and the second plate 30 to each other, and a plurality of third biasing means that connect the third plate 40 and the first plate 20 to each other.

[0054] The first biasing means biases the second plate 30 to return to its initial position relative to the first plate 20 when the second plate 30 moves along the first direction X and oscillates in the direction R1 relative to the first plate 20, as described above, or when the second plate 30 moves along the first direction X and oscillates in the direction R1.

[0055] In addition, the second biasing means biases the third plate 40 to return to its initial position relative to the second plate 30 when the third plate 40 moves along the second direction Y and oscillates in the R2 direction relative to the second plate 30, as described above, or when the third plate 40 moves along the second direction Y and oscillates in the R2 direction.

[0056] Furthermore, the third biasing means biases the third plate 40 indirectly, via the first plate 20, to return it to its initial position relative to the second plate 30 when the third plate 40 moves along the second direction Y and oscillates in the R2 direction relative to the second plate 30, as described above, or when the third plate 40 moves along the second direction Y and oscillates in the R2 direction.

[0057] Each of the above-mentioned biasing means will now be described in detail.

[0058] A pair of upper and lower engaging portions 55, 55 are protruded from both outer depth surfaces 24, 24 of the first plate 20 and both outer depth surfaces 35, 35 of the second plate 30 in positions that align with each other at both widthwise ends of both plates 20, 30.

[0059] One of the biasing means is two types of tension springs (pulling springs) 50, 50A of different dimensions. Each tension spring 50, 50A has a wound portion 51 made of tightly wound wire and hook-shaped locking portions 52, 52 provided on both axial ends of the wound portion 51. The wound portion 51 of the tension spring 50A has a larger diameter than the wound portion 51 of the tension spring 50, and the locking portions 52, 52 of the tension spring 50A are also larger than the locking portions 52, 52 of the tension spring 50.

[0060] Then, by engaging both locking portions 52, 52 of the tension spring 50 with locked portions 55, 55 fixed to the first plate 20 and the second plate 30, respectively, the first plate 20 and the second plate 30 are connected to each other by the tension spring 50, and the second plate 30 is urged in a direction approaching the first plate 20. In other words, the first convex surface 31 of the second plate 30 is urged in a direction approaching the first concave surface 21 of the first plate 20.

[0061] As a result, when the second plate 30 moves along the first direction X or swings in the R1 direction relative to the first plate 20 and the wound portion 51 of the tension spring 50 is pulled, the wound portion 51 elastically returns to its initial shape due to its own spring force (which can also be called elastic force, elastic return force, elastic restoration force, etc.; the same applies in the following explanations), so that the second plate 30 returns to its initial position relative to the first plate 20.

[0062] That is, in this embodiment, the multiple tension springs 50 (four tension springs 50 in total) interposed on both outer depth-wise surfaces of the first plate 20 and the second plate 30, at both width-wise ends, constitute the "first biasing means" of the present invention.

[0063] In addition, a pair of upper and lower engaging portions 55, 55 are protruded from both widthwise outer surfaces 23, 23 of the first plate 20 and both widthwise outer surfaces 42, 42 of the third plate 40 at positions aligned with each other in the widthwise center of both plates 20, 30.

[0064] Then, by engaging both locking portions 52, 52 of the tension spring 50A with locked portions 55, 55 fixed to the first plate 20 and the third plate 40, respectively, the first plate 20 and the third plate 40 are connected to each other by the tension spring 50A, and the third plate 40 is indirectly biased in a direction approaching the second plate 30 via the first plate 20. In other words, the second convex surface 41 of the third plate 40 is biased in a direction approaching the second concave surface 32 of the second plate 30.

[0065] As a result, when the third plate 40 moves along the second direction Y or swings in the R2 direction relative to the second plate 30, and the wound portion 51 of the tension spring 50A is pulled, the wound portion 51 elastically returns to its initial shape, and the third plate 40 indirectly returns to its initial position relative to the second plate 30 via the first plate 20.

[0066] That is, in this embodiment, the plurality of tension springs 50A (two tension springs 50A in total) interposed on both outer widthwise surfaces of the first plate 20 and the third plate 40, respectively, in the center of the depth direction, constitute the "third biasing means" of the present invention.

[0067] In this alignment stage 10, at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means is a leaf spring 60.

[0068] The leaf spring 60 in this embodiment is composed of a bulge portion 61 that bulges out from the outer surface of each plate 20, 30, 40 when viewed in a plane (when each plate 20, 30, 40 is viewed from a planar direction), and a pair of fixing portions 62, 62 that extend from both ends of the bulge portion 61 and are each fixed to the corresponding plate.

[0069] Specifically, the bulging portion 61 is curved to form a substantially circular arc shape with a predetermined curvature, and bulges outward so as to be spaced apart from the outer surfaces (the outer surfaces in the width direction and the outer surfaces in the depth direction) of the plates 20, 30, 40. A pair of fixing portions 62, 62 extend from both circumferential ends of the bulging portion 61 so as to be spaced apart from each other. The pair of fixing portions 62, 62 extend so as to be positioned on the same plane.

[0070] The leaf spring 60 is formed with a constant thickness and width from one fixed portion 62 through the bulging portion 61 to the other fixed portion 62, and the bulging portion 61 and the pair of fixed portions 62, 62 are integrally formed. The leaf spring 60 can be manufactured by appropriately bending a metal plate made of stainless steel spring steel such as SUS304, SUS301, or SUS316.

[0071] A pair of fixing portions 62, 62 of the leaf spring 60 are fixed to the two widthwise outer surfaces 23, 23 of the first plate 20 and the two widthwise outer surfaces 34, 34 of the second plate 30 at positions that align with each other at both depthwise ends of both plates 20, 30 by welding, bonding, fixing with fasteners such as bolts, or adhesion with adhesive or adhesive tape, etc., and the first plate 20 and the second plate 30 are connected to each other by the leaf spring 60.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, the leaf spring 60 is arranged such that its width direction (the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the leaf spring 60 when viewed in a plan view) is aligned with the movement direction of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20, i.e., the first movement direction X.

[0073] As a result, when the second plate 30 moves relative to the first plate 20 along the first direction X, the pair of upper and lower fixing portions 62, 62 of the leaf spring 60 shifts position in the direction along the first direction X, causing mainly the bulge portion 61 to deform diagonally in its width direction, and this bulge portion 61 quickly elastically returns to its initial shape due to its own spring force, so that the second plate 30 returns to its initial position relative to the first plate 20.

[0074] On the other hand, when the second plate 30 swings in the R1 direction relative to the first plate 20, the upper fixing portion 62 moves in and out of the plate width direction relative to the lower fixing portion 62 (protruding and retracting), and the bulge portion 61 mainly deforms radially outward or radially inward (this can also be said to deform in a direction away from or approaching the outer surface of the plate; the same applies to the following explanation), so that the bulge portion 61 elastically returns to its initial shape and the second plate 30 returns to its initial position relative to the first plate 20.

[0075] That is, in this embodiment, the plurality of leaf springs 60 (four leaf springs 60 in total) arranged and fixed to both widthwise outer surfaces of the first plate 20 and the second plate 30, at both ends in the depth direction, constitute the "first biasing means" of the present invention.

[0076] The "first biasing means" in this embodiment is configured by a combination of the above-mentioned plurality of tension springs 50 and the above-mentioned plurality of leaf springs 60.

[0077] Furthermore, the initial position of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20 means the state shown in Figure 2, i.e., a position where the widthwise outer surfaces 23, 23 of the first plate 20 and the widthwise outer surfaces 34, 34 of the second plate 30 are aligned, the depthwise outer surfaces 24, 24 of the first plate 20 and the depthwise outer surfaces 35, 35 of the second plate 30 are aligned, and further, the bottom 21a of the first concave surface 21 of the first plate 20 and the top 31a of the first convex surface 31 of the second plate 30 are aligned.

[0078] Furthermore, a pair of fixing portions 62, 62 of the leaf spring 60 are fixed by welding, bonding, fixing with fasteners such as bolts, or adhesion with adhesive or adhesive tape at positions that align with each other in the center of the width of both plates 30, 40 on both outer surfaces 35, 35 in the depth direction of the second plate 30 and both outer surfaces 43, 43 in the depth direction of the third plate 40, and the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 are connected to each other by the leaf spring 60.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the leaf spring 60 is disposed so that its width direction is along the direction of movement of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30, that is, the second movement direction Y.

[0080] When the third plate 40 moves relative to the second plate 30 along the second direction Y, the pair of upper and lower fixing portions 62, 62 of the leaf spring 60 shifts position in the direction along the first direction X, causing mainly the bulge portion 61 to deform diagonally in its width direction, and this bulge portion 61 quickly elastically returns to its initial shape due to its own spring force, so that the third plate 40 returns to its initial position relative to the second plate 30.

[0081] On the other hand, when the third plate 40 swings in the R2 direction relative to the second plate 30, the upper fixing portion 62 moves in and out of the plate depth direction relative to the lower fixing portion 62, and the bulging portion 61 mainly deforms radially outward or radially inward, so that the bulging portion 61 elastically returns to its initial shape and the third plate 40 returns to its initial position relative to the second plate 30.

[0082] That is, in this embodiment, the plurality of leaf springs 60 (two leaf springs 60 in total) arranged and fixed to the center of the width direction on both outer depth-wise surfaces of the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 constitute the "second biasing means" of the present invention.

[0083] The initial position of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30 means the state shown in Figure 2, i.e., a position where the widthwise outer surfaces 34, 34 of the second plate 30 are aligned with the widthwise outer surfaces 42, 42 of the third plate 40, the depthwise outer surfaces 35, 35 of the second plate 30 are aligned with the depthwise outer surfaces 43, 43 of the third plate 40, and further where the bottom 32a of the second concave surface 32 of the second plate 30 and the top 41a of the second convex surface 41 of the third plate 40 coincide.

[0084] The leaf spring 60 described above has a shape in which the bulge portion 61 and a pair of fixed portions 62, 62 are integrally formed, but the shape, structure, layout, etc. of the leaf spring are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0085] For example, the leaf spring may have a flat plate shape as shown in Fig. 4 (this will be described in detail in the embodiment described later). Also, when viewed from the side of the leaf spring, the bulging portion of the leaf spring may have a shape such as a substantially U-shape, a substantially C-shape, a substantially V-shape, a substantially W-shape, a substantially ω-shape, a substantially semicircular shape, a shape like a half-sectioned ellipse, or a substantially bell-shape like a Gaussian function (these shapes are symmetrical with respect to a line segment that is perpendicular to a line segment that passes through the pair of fixing parts and that passes through the apex of the bulging portion), or a shape that is asymmetrical with respect to a line segment that is perpendicular to a line segment that passes through the pair of fixing parts and that passes through the apex of the bulging portion. Preferably, the bulging portion has a curved or bent shape that bulges out from the outer surface of the plate.

[0086] Furthermore, the width and thickness of the leaf spring may be appropriately changed at predetermined locations. For example, the bulging portion may be made thicker or thinner than the fixed portion, or may be made wider or narrower when viewed from the front of the leaf spring (when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction). Also, the spring force may be adjusted by forming slits, making cuts, or applying grooves or embossing to predetermined locations of the bulging portion.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, all of the tension springs 50, 50A and leaf springs 60 are arranged and fixed to the designated plates 20, 30, 40 so that their posture is vertical, but for example, the tension springs and leaf springs may be arranged and fixed to the designated plates so that their posture is oblique.

[0088] Furthermore, the leaf spring 60 in this embodiment is one of the first biasing means and one of the second biasing means, but the leaf spring may constitute only the first means or only the second means.

[0089] In this embodiment, the tension spring 50 connecting the first plate 20 and the second plate 30 is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical about the second oscillation axis C2 in a plan view of both plates 20, 30. Furthermore, the leaf spring 60 connecting the first plate 20 and the second plate 30 is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical about the first oscillation axis C1 in a plan view of both plates 20, 30.

[0090] The leaf spring 60 connecting the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical about the second oscillation axis C2 in a plan view of both plates 30, 40. Furthermore, the tension spring 50A connecting the first plate 20 and the third plate 40 is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical about the first oscillation axis C1 in a plan view of both plates 20, 40.

[0091] However, the layout of the tension springs 50, 50A and the leaf springs 60 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the centers (centers of gravity) of the plates 20, 30, 40, arranged diagonally to the centers of the plates 20, 30, 40, arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to a first vertical plane and a second vertical plane that pass through the centers of the plates 20, 30, 40 and have the first direction X and the second direction Y as their perpendicular directions, or may even be arranged without any regularity.

[0092] In addition, a tension spring may be placed at one end of a specified plate in the depth direction or width direction, while a leaf spring may be placed at the other end of the plate in the depth direction or width direction (different types of springs may be placed at both ends of the plate).

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the "first biasing means" is configured to be a combination of a plurality of tension springs 50 and a plurality of leaf springs 60, but the "second biasing means" may be configured to be a combination of a tension spring and a leaf spring, or both the "first biasing means" and the "second biasing means" may be configured to be a combination of a tension spring and a leaf spring.

[0094] 3 shows a processing apparatus 100 that employs the alignment stage 10 having the above-described configuration. The processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a motor 101 that serves as a rotation drive means, a rotary tool 102 that is rotationally driven by the motor 101 and performs cutting or other processing on a workpiece W, the alignment stage 10 having the above-described configuration, and a fixture 103 that fixes the workpiece W.

[0095] The rotary tool 102 is, for example, a roller burnishing tool, and is movable in the vertical direction. The fixture 103 is, for example, a lever chuck, and is placed on the upper surface of the third plate 40 that constitutes the alignment stage 10 to fix the workpiece W.

[0096] (Operational Effects) Next, operational effects of the alignment stage 10 and processing apparatus 100, which are adjustment apparatuses configured as described above, will be described.

[0097] That is, in this alignment stage 10, at least one of the multiple first biasing means and the multiple second biasing means, here at least one of the multiple first biasing means and the multiple second biasing means, is a leaf spring 60, and the leaf spring 60 is arranged so that its width direction is along the movement direction of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20, or is arranged so that it is along the movement direction of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30.

[0098] Incidentally, the tension spring 50 has a structure in which the wound portion 51 is formed by winding a wire rod, and therefore is capable of not only expanding and contracting deformation in the axial direction but also deformation in the radial and torsional directions.

[0099] In contrast, the leaf spring 60 is in the form of a plate with a predetermined width in its width direction, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to (or orthogonal to) the extension direction of the leaf spring 60, and does not have any gaps like the wound portion 51 of the tension spring 50. Therefore, when an external force acts in the width direction of the leaf spring 60, the leaf spring 60 does not deform or is very resistant to deformation.

[0100] Therefore, it is possible to restrict movement of the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 in a direction along the width direction of the leaf spring 60. In other words, even if the second plate 30 moves in the first direction X relative to the first plate 20, or the third plate 40 moves in the second direction Y relative to the second plate 30, the leaf spring 60 quickly elastically returns by its own spring force, and the third plate 40 and the second plate 30 quickly return to their initial positions, so that the movement of the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 can be substantially restricted.

[0101] Therefore, while allowing the second plate 30 to swing relative to the first plate 20 and the third plate 40 to swing relative to the second plate 30, it is possible to restrict the movement of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20 and the movement of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30.

[0102] Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means are leaf springs 60, so that the plates 30, 40 that have moved or swung can be quickly returned to their initial positions. As a result, automatic centering can be achieved so that a predetermined position of the target workpiece W (for example, the center of the workpiece W) is aligned (matched) with the center of each plate (in this embodiment, the center in the depth direction and the center in the width direction of each plate), which is the reference position.

[0103] Furthermore, since the leaf spring 60 in this embodiment consists of a bulge portion 61 and a pair of fixing portions 62, 62 extending from both ends thereof, the bulge portion 61 and the pair of fixing portions 62, 62 can be formed integrally, thereby reducing the number of parts in the first and second biasing means.

[0104] In addition, the shape of the bulge portion 61 can be selected as appropriate. For example, if the bulge portion 61 is shaped like an arc, the radius of curvature can be set as appropriate to adjust the elastic deformation performance of the bulge portion 61.

[0105] Furthermore, since the leaf spring 60 has the above-described shape, a space is defined between the outer surfaces of the plates 20, 30, 40 and the bulge portion 61, i.e., inside the bulge portion 61, and this internal space can be effectively utilized.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, in addition to the first and second biasing means, a plurality of third biasing means are provided.

[0107] According to this aspect, the third plate 40 is not only connected to the second plate 30 by the second biasing means, but is also connected to the first plate 20 by the third biasing means, so that movement of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30 can be more sufficiently restricted.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the "first biasing means" is configured as a combination of a plurality of tension springs 50 and a plurality of leaf springs 60, so that the degree of restriction on the movement of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20 and the degree of freedom of swinging can be easily adjusted appropriately depending on the use, purpose, processing accuracy, etc. of the workpiece W to be processed.

[0109] In addition, the processing device 100 of the present invention is equipped with a rotating tool 102 that is driven to rotate and an adjustment device, and is configured to be used as an alignment stage 10 that supports and automatically aligns the workpiece W to be processed by the rotating tool 102.

[0110] By using the adjustment device having the above configuration as an alignment stage 10, a processing device 100 can be obtained that has the function of supporting and automatically aligning the workpiece W being processed by the rotary tool 102.

[0111] (Another embodiment of the adjusting device) Another embodiment of the adjusting device according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 4. Note that parts that are essentially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0112] The adjustment device of this embodiment is used as an alignment stage, similar to the previous embodiment, but the alignment stage 10A has a different structure of the leaf spring 70 that constitutes the first and second biasing means from the structure of the leaf spring 60 in the alignment stage 10 of the previous embodiment.

[0113] That is, in this embodiment, the leaf spring 70 is flat, and both ends thereof are fixed to the corresponding plates via fixing brackets 72. More specifically, the leaf spring 70 is flat and extends with a constant width and thickness. The fixing bracket 72 comprises a fixing portion 73 which is fixed to the outer surface of the selected plate 20, 30, 40 by welding, bonding, fixing with fasteners such as bolts, or bonding with adhesive or tape, and a clamping portion 74 which is disposed opposite the fixing portion 73 and clamps the end of the leaf spring 70 between the fixing portion 73 and the fixing portion 73.

[0114] Leaf springs 70 are arranged on both widthwise outer surfaces 23, 23 of the first plate 20 and both widthwise outer surfaces 34, 34 of the second plate 30, at both depthwise end portions of the plates 20, 30, and the first plate 20 and the second plate 30 are connected to each other by these leaf springs 70 and fixed brackets 72. The leaf springs 70 are arranged such that their width direction is aligned with the movement direction (first movement direction X) of the second plate 30 relative to the first plate 20.

[0115] Furthermore, a pair of leaf springs 70 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval on both outer side surfaces 35, 35 in the depth direction of the second plate 30 and both outer side surfaces 43, 43 in the depth direction of the third plate 40, in the center of the width direction of both plates 30, 40, and the second plate 30 and the third plate 40 are connected to each other by these leaf springs 70 and a fixed bracket 72. The leaf springs 70 are arranged so that their width direction is along the movement direction (second movement direction Y) of the third plate 40 relative to the second plate 30.

[0116] In this embodiment, the leaf spring 70 is flat and both ends are fixed to corresponding plates via fixed brackets 72, so the flat leaf spring 70 can be used without any special processing, thereby increasing its versatility.

[0117] The spring force of the entire leaf spring can be adjusted appropriately by changing the thickness of the leaf spring 70 or by stacking multiple leaf springs 70. Furthermore, the strength and rigidity of the entire biasing means including the leaf spring 70 can be increased by changing the shape and structure of the fixing bracket (for example, by increasing the thickness of the fixing portion 73 or the clamping portion 74).

[0118] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0119] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10A... alignment stage (adjustment device), 20... first plate, 21... first concave surface, 30... second plate, 31... first convex surface, 32... second concave surface, 40... third plate, 41... second convex surface, 50, 50A... tension spring, 60... leaf spring, 61... bulge portion, 62... fixing portion, 70... leaf spring, 72... fixing bracket, 100... machining device, 102... rotary tool, W... work (object)

Claims

1. An adjustment device for supporting or holding an object and adjusting the position of the object relative to a reference position and / or the angle of the object relative to a reference plane, comprising: a first plate having a first concave surface that is concavely curved and extends in a first direction; a second plate arranged above or below the first plate and having a first convex surface on the first plate side that is shaped along the first concave surface and a second concave surface on the opposite side to the first plate that is concavely curved and extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a third plate arranged above or below the second plate and having a second convex surface on the second plate side that is shaped along the second concave surface; and a plurality of first biasing means that connect the second plate and the first plate to each other and bias the second plate to return to an initial position relative to the first plate when the second plate moves, swings, or moves and swings in the first direction relative to the first plate. and a plurality of second biasing means that connect the third plate and the second plate to each other and bias the third plate to return to an initial position relative to the second plate when the third plate moves, oscillates, or moves and oscillates relative to the second plate, wherein at least one of the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means is a leaf spring, and the leaf spring is arranged such that its width direction is along the movement direction of the second plate relative to the first plate, or along the movement direction of the third plate relative to the second plate.

2. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of first biasing means and at least one of said plurality of second biasing means are leaf springs.

3. An adjustment device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the leaf spring comprises a bulge portion shaped to bulge from the outer surface of each plate when viewed in a plane, and a pair of fixing portions extending from both ends of the bulge portion and each fixed to a corresponding plate.

4. An adjusting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said leaf spring is flat and both ends are fixed to the corresponding plates via fixing brackets.

5. An adjustment device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a plurality of third biasing means for connecting the third plate and the first plate to each other and for biasing the third plate indirectly via the first plate to return to an initial position relative to the second plate when the third plate moves, oscillates, or moves and oscillates relative to the second plate, wherein at least one of the plurality of first biasing means, the plurality of second biasing means and the plurality of third biasing means is a leaf spring, and the leaf spring is arranged so that its width direction is along the movement direction of the second plate relative to the first plate, or along the movement direction of the third plate relative to the second plate.

6. An adjustment device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of first biasing means are composed of the leaf spring and a tension spring, or the plurality of second biasing means are composed of the leaf spring and a tension spring, or the plurality of first biasing means and the plurality of second biasing means are each composed of the leaf spring and a tension spring.

7. A machining apparatus comprising: a rotary tool that is rotated; and an adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment device is utilized as an alignment stage that supports and automatically centers a workpiece to be machined by the rotary tool.

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