Abstract: A magnetic coupled actuator includes a lens which is movable in an optical axis direction AX, a lens frame which is coupled with the lens, a lens barrel which seals and accommodates the movable lens and the lens frame to be airtight, a permanent magnet which is disposed at an outer side of the lens barrel, facing the lens frame, and is disposed to be movable in the optical axis AX direction, and a wire of which, one end is coupled with the permanent magnet, and which moves the permanent magnet in the optical axis AX direction. At least one of the lens frame and the permanent magnet is a magnetic field generating means.

Abstract: An inertial driving actuator includes a fixing member, a moving element that is fixed to the fixing member and generates a small displacement by extension and contraction, an oscillation substrate that is fixed to the moving element and is moved linearly reciprocally by the small displacement, and a moving body that is moved by reciprocal movement of the oscillation substrate. The moving body has a first electrode. The oscillation substrate has a second electrode, the area of the facing portion of the second electrode and the first electrode changing continuously as the moving body moves. The actuator further includes a frictional force controller that controls a frictional force generated between the oscillation substrate and moving body, and a position detector that detects the position of the moving body on the basis of the electrostatic capacitance of the facing portion of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: An inertial driving actuator includes a fixing member, a moving element that is fixed to the fixing member and generates a small displacement by extension and contraction, an oscillation substrate that is fixed to the moving element and is moved linearly reciprocally by the small displacement, and a moving body that is moved by reciprocal movement of the oscillation substrate. The moving body has a first driving electrode. The oscillation substrate has a second driving electrode and a detection electrode, the area of the facing portion of the detection and first driving electrodes changing continuously as the moving body moves. The actuator further includes a frictional force controller that controls a frictional force generated between the oscillation substrate and moving body, and a position detector that detects the position of the moving body from the electrostatic capacitance of the facing portion of the first driving and detection electrodes.

Abstract: An electret actuator comprising a fixed substrate having driving electrodes of a plurality of phases arranged therein, a movable element arranged on the fixed substrate and made electret in similar polarity at predetermined pitches in portions which face the driving electrodes, and a driving control section configured to generate driving voltage patterns of a plurality of phases set at stages to move the movable element relative to the fixed substrate and a floating voltage pattern of a plurality of phases to float the movable element from the fixed substrate, and to apply the voltage patterns to the driving electrodes. The floating voltage pattern output from the driving control section has voltages similar to the electret charged polarity of the movable element.

Abstract: An actuator includes a vibrating substrate having a first electrode on a surface thereof and configured to be reciprocally moved according to a minute displacement of a vibrator, a moving body arranged on the surface of a vibrating substrate and having a second electrode on a surface thereof which faces the first electrode with an insulating layer disposed therebetween, and a controller configured to move the moving body by applying voltage between the first and second electrodes to exert electrostatic adsorptive force therebetween and controlling frictional force between the vibrating substrate and the moving body. The actuator further includes an electric field reduction area configured to shield an electric field occurring between the first and second electrodes by the voltage applied therebetween in a portion which lies outside the first electrode on the surface of the vibrating substrate and faces the moving body.

Abstract: An inertial drive actuator includes a vibrating substrate configured to be reciprocally moved by small reciprocally displacements generated by a displacement generating unit arranged on a fixing member. The vibrating substrate has a first electrode on a plane of the vibrating substrate and an insulating layer on the first electrode. The inertial drive actuator further includes a mobile object arranged on the plane of the vibrating substrate and having a second electrode on a plane facing the first electrode through the insulating layer, a frictional force control unit configured to control frictional force between the vibrating substrate and the mobile object such that a potential difference is applied across the first electrode and the second electrode to cause electrostatic adsorptive force to act, and a frictional force applying unit configured to frictionally couple the mobile object and the vibrating substrate to each other by magnetic adsorptive force.

Abstract: An impact drive actuator comprises a vibrator fixed to a fixing member and configured to generate slight displacement in a first direction and a second direction, a vibration member configured to reciprocate by the slight displacement of the vibrator, a motion object set on the vibration member, an adsorption power control part configured to control adsorption power between the motion object and the vibration member, and a guide member having an end fixed to the fixing member, and provided along the vibration member. The motion object is supported clamped between the vibration member and the guide member so as to be engaged with each of the vibration member and the guide member. The adsorption power controlled by the adsorption power control part creates a difference between frictional force between the motion object and the vibration member and frictional force between the motion object and the guide member.

Abstract: A mirror apparatus has a reflecting surface to reflect an incident luminous flux. A fixed member has a plurality of driving electrodes on a surface of the fixed member. A movable member is formed with the reflecting surface on one side, and capable of escaping out of the optical path of the incident luminous flux along the fixed member. A driving circuit is capable of applying a voltage to the driving electrodes to generate an electrostatic force between the driving electrodes and movable members. A control circuit supplies a control signal to the driving circuit to change the electrostatic force acted on the movable member.

Abstract: An impact drive actuator comprises a fixing member, a vibrator, a vibrating member, a movable body, a drive circuit, and a friction adjustment section. The friction adjustment section includes a first electrode disposed on a surface of the movable body that faces the vibrating member and a second electrode disposed on a surface of the vibrating member that faces the movable body and electrically isolated from the first electrode. An electrostatic force is caused to act between the first and second electrodes to change an electrostatic force between the vibrating member and movable body so as to change the frictional force acting between the movable body and vibrating member.

Abstract: A surface profile measuring instrument for measuring a surface profile of a workpiece has: a probe having a stylus provided with a measuring portion for measuring a surface of a workpiece at a tip end thereof and a detector for outputting a detection signal which varies depending on a measurement condition between the surface of the workpiece and the measuring portion; a scanning mechanism for relatively moving the measuring portion along the surface of the workpiece; a memory (46) that stores a position information of the contact portion when the detection signal reaches a predetermined reference signal value; a vibration inclination angle calculator (51) that calculates a response variation factor (vibration inclination angle ?) that applies variation to the detection signal from the surface of the workpiece; and a profile processor (53) that corrects the position information to obtain an actual profile of the surface of the workpiece using the response variation factor.

Abstract: A shutter device comprising a fixed member which has a plurality of electrodes arranged on a surface, a light-transmitting region which is provided in the fixed member, a light-shielding member which is able to move between two positions where the light-transmitting region is closed and opened, respectively, and which have a plurality of electret parts, and a drive circuit which periodically applies a voltage to the electrodes provided on the fixed member, thereby to generate an electrostatic force acting on the electret parts of the light-shielding member and to drive the light-shielding member.

Abstract: An electret actuator comprising a fixed substrate having driving electrodes of a plurality of phases arranged therein, a movable element arranged on the fixed substrate and made electret in similar polarity at predetermined pitches in portions which face the driving electrodes, and a driving control section configured to generate driving voltage patterns of a plurality of phases set at stages to move the movable element relative to the fixed substrate and a floating voltage pattern of a plurality of phases to float the movable element from the fixed substrate, and to apply the voltage patterns to the driving electrodes. The floating voltage pattern output from the driving control section has voltages similar to the electret charged polarity of the movable element.

Abstract: A surface profile measuring instrument for measuring a surface profile of a workpiece has: a probe having a stylus provided with a measuring portion for measuring a surface of a workpiece at a tip end thereof and a detector for outputting a detection signal which varies depending on a measurement condition between the surface of the workpiece and the measuring portion; a scanning mechanism for relatively moving the measuring portion along the surface of the workpiece; a memory (46) that stores a position information of the contact portion when the detection signal reaches a predetermined reference signal value; a vibration inclination angle calculator (51) that calculates a response variation factor (vibration inclination angle ?) that applies variation to the detection signal from the surface of the workpiece; and a profile processor (53) that corrects the position information to obtain an actual profile of the surface of the workpiece using the response variation factor.

Abstract: A mirror apparatus has a reflecting surface to reflect an incident luminous flux. A fixed member has a plurality of driving electrodes on a surface of the fixed member. A movable member is formed with the reflecting surface on one side, and capable of escaping out of the optical path of the incident luminous flux along the fixed member. A driving circuit is capable of applying a voltage to the driving electrodes to generate an electrostatic force between the driving electrodes and movable members. A control circuit supplies a control signal to the driving circuit to change the electrostatic force acted on the movable member.

Abstract: A stylus structure (40) integrally incorporating a stylus (2), a vibrator (4), a detector (6), a first secondary magnetic circuit (12) and a second primary magnetic circuit (21), and a stylus support (30) integrally incorporating a first primary magnetic circuit (11) and a second secondary magnetic circuit (22) are mutually fittable, thereby achieving signal transmission by the respective magnetic circuits using no electrical contact.

Abstract: A stylus 20 is mounted directly on detector 32 and the detector 32 is mounted directly on a holder 10. Thus, an vibration-type contact detection sensor 1 is formed in a state in which the holder 10 and the stylus 20 are placed out of contact with each other and the stylus 20 and the detector 32 are placed in contact with each other. Therefore, attenuation of vibration and status change of the stylus 20 by the holder 10 can be circumvented and vibration and status change of the stylus 20 can be propagated directly to the detector 32, so that the detector 32 can detect vibration and status change of the stylus 20 with high sensitivity, and contact with a workpiece can be detected with high sensitivity.

Abstract: A movement control mechanism of contact-type vibrating probe is provided, where the contact-type vibrating probe can be used as a probe for profiling measurement and continuous measurement and configuration of a workpiece can be measured with high accuracy. The movement control mechanism for controlling movement of a support body (23) which moves a contact-type vibrating probe (100) having high detection accuracy includes a vibrator for vibrating the stylus in an axial direction, a detector (5) for detecting a vibration of the stylus by the vibrator, second vibrator for vibrating the stylus in a direction approximately parallel to an end surface of the workpiece, and a controller (31) for controlling movement of the support body (23) so that change in state quantity of a detection signal detected by the detector is constant.

Abstract: A stylus structure (40) integrally incorporating a stylus (2), a vibrator (4), a detector (6), a first secondary magnetic circuit (12) and a second primary magnetic circuit (21), and a stylus support (30) integrally incorporating a first primary magnetic circuit (11) and a second secondary magnetic circuit (22) are mutually fittable, thereby achieving signal transmission by the respective magnetic circuits using no electrical contact.

Abstract: A stylus 20 is mounted directly on detector 32 and the detector 32 is mounted directly on a holder 10. Thus, an vibration-type contact detection sensor 1 is formed in a state in which the holder 10 and the stylus 20 are placed out of contact with each other and the stylus 20 and the detector 32 are placed in contact with each other. Therefore, attenuation of vibration and status change of the stylus 20 by the holder 10 can be circumvented and vibration and status change of the stylus 20 can be propagated directly to the detector 32, so that the detector 32 can detect vibration and status change of the stylus 20 with high sensitivity, and contact with a workpiece can be detected with high sensitivity.

Abstract: A contact location detecting mechanism (1) of a touch signal probe (10) includes a rotary motion generator (30) for scanningly moving a stylus (102) on a plane (A), a phase value detector (50) for detecting a phase value (&thgr;) indicating a rotation position of the scanning rotary motion, and a contact location detector (70)for detecting a contact location of a contact portion (102A) based on a detection signal value (V) detected by the detector (103B) and the phase value (&thgr;). Since the contact location of the contact portion (102A) can be detected by the contact location detector (70), the touch signal probe (10) can be used for a profiling measurement and continuous measurement of a workpiece.