Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a stepping motor having a lead screw, a rack, and a rack-retaining bar, a barrel, a barrel-retaining bar, and a connecting spring for connecting the rack to the barrel. The connecting spring includes an engaging portion that engages with a spherical output member of the rack. The stepping motor in which the lead screw and the rack are integrated with each other and the barrel are connected to each other with provides a structure that absorbs relative positioning error and backlash.

Abstract: An electrically commutated motor for a fuel pump having a rotor connected to a shaft and having plastic-bonded ferrite, with a fuel-resistant shaped body formed by the plastic-bonded ferrite, and a magnetic return element adjustable in relation to the shaped body.

Abstract: A bicycle electric power unit supplies electric power to a bicycle motor unit having a power source, a power source controller, a power source voltage detector, a first power source switch and a second power source switch. The power source controller turns off the first power source switch when the power source voltage detector detects a voltage of a specific value or less. The first power source switch supplies electric power to the power source controller when the power source is on and blocks the electric power to the power source controller when the power source is off. The first power source switch is turned off by the power source controller when the power source is on. The second power source switch is disposed between the power source and the motor unit. The second power source is turned on and off by the power source controller.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator 1 capable of being driven with a high electric field intensity, obtaining a larger displacement and being high in electric conducting reliability of electrodes, and comprising: at least one cell 3 defined by two side walls 6, a substrate 2 and a ceiling wall 7; the two side walls being disposed on the substrate and being covered with the ceiling wall to define one cell, at least the two side walls 6 comprising piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4, and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 being capable of changing a volume of the cell 3 by displacement of the walls. Each of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 and electrodes 18, 19 which are alternately stacked, and end portions of the electrodes 18, 19 are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 in at least the internal side of the cell 3.

Abstract: There is disclosed a diaphragm structure that includes: a ceramic substrate 3 in which at least one opening 2 is formed, and a thin diaphragm portion 4 having a shape protruding on a side opposite to the opening 2 and constituted of a ceramic fired integrally with the ceramic substrate 3 in such a manner as to cover the opening 2. An opening shape of the opening 2 is a shape including at least one tip portion 5 in a longitudinal direction, having a curved shape, and a tapered portion 6 whose opening width gradually narrows toward the tip portion 5 and which is constituted of a curve or a straight line, and a portion of the diaphragm portion 4 corresponding to the tapered portion 6 has such a shape that a protruding height gradually lowers toward the tip portion 5.

Abstract: A moving mechanism using a piezoelectric actuator is attached by an adhesive with adhesive parts of a constant area between a piezoelectric element and a slider and between the piezoelectric element and a suspension. A movable part, serving as the slider, is moved by the piezoelectric actuator. A support part, serving as a gimbal part of a suspension, supports the piezoelectric actuator. At least one of the movable part and the support part is fixed to the piezoelectric element. At least one of the piezoelectric element, the movable part and the support part has a bonding surface that is defined by a level difference.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive including a pair of mutually opposing vibration plates, each having a first portion and a second portion, a fixation section joined to the first portion of each of the vibration plates, and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive element arranged on at least one of the vibration plates. A surface of the device between the fixation section and the second portion of at least one of the vibration plates is curved.

Abstract: A moving magnet type linear actuator is provided, which can solve a problem of linear guide life even in case that magnetic attraction force between a magnet and an armature is reduced to perform a high-frequent acceleration and deceleration operation.

Abstract: A piezoelectric resonator includes a substrate, a lower electrode provided on or above the substrate, a piezoelectric member provided on or above the lower electrode, an upper electrode provided on or above the piezoelectric member, and a cavity provided below a vibration member including the lower electrode, the piezoelectric member, and the upper electrode. In a case where a resonance frequency of vibration with a thickness of the vibration member being a half of a wavelength is taken as fr1, an average of ultrasonic velocity in a material forming the cavity is taken as Vc2, and a value determined based on the resonance frequency fr1 and the average of ultrasonic velocity Vc2 is ?c (=Vc2/fr1), a depth t2 of the cavity is set as, ( 2 ? n - 1 ) × ? ? ? c 4 - ?c 8 ? t2 ? ( 2 ? n - 1 ) × ? ? ? c 4 + ? ? ? c 8 , where n is an arbitrary natural number.

Abstract: A piezoelectric switch for tunable electronic components comprises piezoelectric layers, metal electrodes alternated with the layers and contact pads. Cross voltages are applied to the electrodes, in order to obtain an S-shaped deformation of the switch and allow contact between the contact pads. Additionally, a further electrode can be provided on a substrate where the switch is fabricated, to allow an additional electrostatic effect during movement of the piezoelectric layers to obtain contact between the contact pads. The overall dimensions of the switch are very small and the required actuation voltage is very low, when compared to existing switches.

Abstract: In a method and a device according to the present invention, two piezo-elements are driven with two voltages having a phase difference. One of the piezo-elements is charged by an inductive step-up means to a voltage exceeding an available power supply voltage. Subsequently charge, i.e. energy is transferred from the one piezo-element to the other piezo-element by an inductive element. The same inductive element is used in an inductive step-up means and in the transfer of the charge between the two piezo-elements.

Abstract: The piezoelectric motor (6) comprises a stator (1) and a runner (4) which form a gap (7) as well as comprising a piezoelectric transducer (3) which is connected to the stator (1) or the runner (4) and which with the stator (1) or the runner (4) forms a resonator (1,3;4,3), wherein the resonator (1,3; 4,3) may be excited in a main oscillation direction (H), characterised in that the stator (1) comprises an engagement surface (1a) facing the runner (4), or the runner (4) an engagement surface which faces the stator (1), and that the stator (1) or the runner (4) comprises an elastic advance element (5) which bridges the gap (7) between the stator (1) and the runner (4) in a manner such that the advance element (5) at least temporarily lies on the engagement surface (1a). The advance element (5) comprises a first part-section (5c) as well as a second part-section (5d), wherein the part-sections (5c, 5d) have a different resonant frequency.

Abstract: A small-sized motor of a structure not requiring any metal holder frame in a surface mounting process to a printed circuit board by reflow soldering, wherein the motor case is provided with a level flat part, a pair of left and right first side parts bent downward from this substantially perpendicularly and parallel to each other, a pair of left and right second side parts bent inward from these at an inclination of about 45°, and a pair of left and right third side parts bent down from these and parallel to each other, and a level bottom part connecting these bottom ends and extending substantially parallel to the level flat part.

Abstract: An electroactive device comprises at least two layers of material, wherein at least one layer is an electroactive material and wherein at least one layer is of non-uniform thickness. The device can be produced in various sizes, ranging from large structural actuators to microscale or nanoscale devices. The applied voltage to the device in combination with the non-uniform thickness of at least one of the layers (electroactive and/or non-electroactive) controls the contour of the actuated device. The effective electric field is a mathematical function of the local layer thickness. Therefore, the local strain and the local bending/torsion curvature are also a mathematical function of the local thickness. Hence the thinnest portion of the actuator offers the largest bending and/or torsion response. Tailoring of the layer thicknesses can enable complex motions to be achieved.

Abstract: A scanning and image forming lens system in an optical scanning apparatus optical scans a surface to be scanned by deflecting a luminous flux emitted from a light source in a direction corresponding to a main scanning direction via an optical deflector at equiangular velocity. The scanning image forming lens system transmits the luminous flux deflected by the optical deflector so as to condense the luminous flux into an optical beam spot on the surface to be scanned and to scan the surface to be scanned with the optical beam spot. The scanning image forming lens system includes one or more image forming optical elements including at least one lens. At least one lens surface of the at least one lens of the scanning image forming lens system has a non-arc shape in a sub scanning cross section.

Abstract: A mirror assembly security system for a vehicle includes an exterior mirror assembly and a light module removably positioned within the exterior mirror housing. The light module is moisture impervious and includes an enclosure, a light-emitting opening in the enclosure, a light source in the enclosure radiating light through the light-emitting opening, and a cover for the light-emitting opening adapted to direct the light from the light source to an area adjacent the vehicle to create a security area. The light source may be supported by a pair of electrical contacts provided on the inner surface of the enclosure. The enclosure wall supporting the electrical contacts is preferably flexible, in order to allow the light source to be captured by the contacts. Attachment of the cover adds rigidity to the enclosure to prevent further flexure of the enclosure wall in order to firmly retain the light source.

Abstract: There is provided a hologram with excellent heat resistance. The hologram comprises a hologram film (10) in which a diffraction grating has been recorded, a substrate (11) situated on one side of the hologram film (10) via a bonding material (13), and a polymer film (12) situated on the other side of the hologram film (10) via a bonding material (13), wherein the thickness of the polymer film (12) is no greater than 100 .mu.m. Otherwise, the polymer film (12) is subjected to prior heat treatment. There is further provided a production process for holograms with minimal appearance defects.

Abstract: In an optical system used for observing a virtual image, in which a Lippman volumetric hologram is used as a reflection type holographic optical element, the generation of aberration needs to be minimized to enable an optimum virtual image to be viewed. To this end, at least one optical element and the Lippman volumetric hologram 10 are provided for cooperating to form a virtual image of the display image on an image display device 6. The Lippman volumetric hologram 10 is contoured so that its curvature is in the same direction as the curvature of interference fringes operating for generating a refractive power in this Lippman volumetric hologram 10.

Abstract: A holographic grating is written into a photorefractive erasable holographic member and a light beam having a first wavelength which includes the joint power spectrum of a pair of joint images to be correlated is directed at the photorefractive member to partially erase the grating. A phase conjugate signal from the partially erased grating is then readout and Fourier transformed to produce the correlation output spots.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for determining a condition of aging for an optical fiber grating. This method comprises a step of setting the aged deterioration curve of the optical fiber grating as a form proportional to t.sup.-n, where t represents time, and n represents a parameter dependent on temperature; and a step of determining the condition of the aging according to the aged deterioration curve.