Claims
- 1. A position measurement device comprisinga first and a second reference member a plurality of elastic connections extending between said first and second reference member and generating elastic forces in such a way that said second reference member is supported with respect to said first reference member entirely by said elastic connections and is displaceable with respect to said first reference member with six degrees of freedom such that said elastic connections change in length when said second reference member is displaced with respect to said first reference member, wherein at least some, but not all, of said elastic connections comprise measuring elements, wherein each measuring element comprises a spring, and measuring means connected to said springs of said measuring elements, said measuring means being adapted to determine a relative position of said reference members in at least three degrees of freedom by measuring inductivities of the springs of said measuring elements.
- 2. The position measurement device of claim 1 wherein said springs are extension springs.
- 3. The position measurement device of claim 1 wherein said springs arc coil springs.
- 4. The position measurement device of claim 1 wherein said springs are mutually non-parallel.
- 5. The position measurement device of claim 1 further comprising a column structure rigidly connected to the first reference member at a first end, a second end thereof extending to the second reference member, wherein at least pan of said elastic connections extend between said second end and said second reference member for exerting elastic forces between said second end and said second member for holding said second member.
- 6. The position measurement device of claim 5, wherein said connections convey pulling forces from springs for receiving a weight of said second member.
- 7. The position measurement device of claim 5, wherein said second reference member is a handle.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2983/96 |
Dec 1996 |
CH |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
“This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/319,123, filed Jul. 6, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,812 B1, which application is incorporated herein by reference.”
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3 303 738 |
Aug 1984 |
DE |
0 235 779 |
Sep 1987 |
EP |
0 240 023 |
Oct 1987 |
EP |
0 244 497 |
Nov 1987 |
EP |
0 383 663 |
Aug 1990 |
EP |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/319123 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/915732 |
|
US |