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Abstract

A method of positioning an object relative to a plane, and apparatus therefor. According to the method, the plane is swept by the axis of a light-beam between a source assembly and a detection assembly, and the object is translated approximately perpendicularly to the plane, the detection assembly emitting a signal representative of the light received and therefore, the position of the object relative to the plane. The signal emitted by the detection assembly is measured as a function of time, the translation of the object being halted when the signal has a particular form. The particular form of the signal corresponds to the position of the object in which the shoulder masks a predetermined fixed part of the light-beam during part of its sweep. The apparatus comprises the source assembly for producing the light-beam, a deflecting member for angularly deflecting the light-beam, a first optical system for causing the deflected light-beam to sweep a plane parallel to the light-beam, the detection assembly, a second optical system for focusing the deflected light-beam onto the detection assembly. An electronic processor processes the signal emitted by the detection assembly as a function of time. The deflecting member is placed at the focus of the first optical system and the detection assembly is placed at the focus of the second optical system.

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