Rectilinear Flexure-based Translation Stage Family with Minimized Parasitic Shift, High Support Stiffness and Large Range of Motion

Abstract

This article presents a novel family of exactly-rectilinear translation mechanisms, called the "QUADRISTAGE family", based on one-degree-of-freedom planar kinematics exclusively using pivot joints and rigid segments. Several variants are presented, some providing exactly rectilinear motions and other nearly-rectilinear motions. These kinematic architectures can advantageously be physically implemented using flexure-joints, to achieve accurate and repeatable motion, as well as to overcome the conventional trade-offs in flexure mechanism design, enabling higher mechanical performance. This leads to large-stroke highly rectilinear mechanisms with highly linear force vs displacement characteristics, high load capacity and high support stiffness. Theses mechanisms can be machined monolithically at centimeter or milliliter scale for a broad range of high precision engineering applications or for MEMS devices.