Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member, provided on one end side of the electro-mechanical conversion element, that moves in response to extension and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member, so as to cause the driven member to travel along the driving member, wherein the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member are connected to each other by an adhesive; and wherein a treatment for intensifying adhesive force is applied to an adhesive surface, which is to be attached to the adhesive, on at least one of the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member that reciprocates in response to an extension and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driven member, frictionally engaged with the driving member, that moves by reciprocating the driving member, wherein the driving member comprises a shaft portion which extends in a direction of extension and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element in a position which lies on a side of the electro-mechanical conversion element, and the driven member is frictionally engaged with the shaft portion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element comprises: a first non-extendible and non-contractible portion which neither extend nor contract, the first non-extendible and non-contractible portion being provided at one end of the piezoelectric element; an extendible and contractible portion which extends and contracts; at least one electrode which is provided on a surface of the extendible and contractible portion and is provided so as to extend to a position where a surface of the first non-extendible and non-contractible portion lies; and at least one connecting terminal which is connected to said at least one electrode and is provided in a position where the first non-extendible and non-contractible portion lies.

Abstract: A drive unit for performing precise linear movement of a driven object comprises a motor having a cylindrical stator and a cylindrical rotor that is coaxially put in the cylindrical stator and capable of rotating relatively to the cylindrical stator, a movable barrel for holding a driven object mounted for rotation in the cylindrical rotor, a motion transformation mechanism comprising an internal helical groove formed in the cylindrical rotor and an external helical thread formed on the movable barrel which engage with each other so as to cause relative rotation between the cylindrical rotor and the movable barrel when the cylindrical rotor rotates, thereby transforming rotational movement of the rotor into a linear movement of the movable barrel, and a head-on striking structure provided between the helical groove and the helical thread to restrict the relative rotation at an intended extreme end of an axial path of the movable barrel.

Abstract: A lens driving device provided with a stator having a cylindrical shape, for generating a magnetic field therein; a rotor located within the stator and being rotation-driven by a magnetic field created by the stator; a lens holder located further inside the rotor, for holding a plurality of lenses with a small lens thereof being located at an arrangement end of the plurality of lenses; a converting mechanism for converting the direction of force of rotation driving of the rotor into direction along the optical axes of the lenses and transmitting the force in the direction thus converted to the lens holder; and a rotation stopper mechanism formed beside the small lens, for preventing the rotation of the lens holder.

Abstract: An imaging device comprises a first lens unit and a second lens unit. A first fixed barrel of the first lens unit movably holds a first lens frame, which holds a first lens group, in an optical-axis direction. A second fixed barrel of the second lens unit movably holds a second lens frame, which holds a second lens group, in the optical-axis direction. The first and second fixed barrels are secured in series in the optical-axis direction. The first and second lens units are adapted to be easily assembled in series in the optical-axis direction. Misalignment of the plural lens groups is prevented, and the first and second lens groups are accurately and individually moved in the optical-axis direction.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driving member which moves according to elongation and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member; and (iii) a case, wherein the actuator allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the actuator is supported by the case laterally in elongating and contracting directions of the electro-mechanical conversion element.

Abstract: An actuator comprises: an electromechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member mounted onto one side in an extension/contraction direction of the electromechanical conversion element, the driving frictional member being frictionally engaged with a driven member; and a weight member mounted onto the other side in the extension/contraction direction of the electromechanical conversion element, wherein at least a part of the weight member is disposed at the one side from an end face of the other side of the electromechanical conversion element.

Abstract: An actuator comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member that is mounted onto one side in an extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; a driven member that is frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; a fixed frame; an elastic supporting member that is mounted onto the other side in the extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element and displaceably supports the other side of the electromechanical conversion element with respect to the fixed frame; and a pressing member that presses the elastic supporting member in the extension/contraction direction to maintain the elastic supporting member in an elastically deformed state.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member which is connected to one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element and moves according to elongation or contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a weight member provided on the other end of the electro-mechanical conversion element; (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member; and (iii) a driving circuit that drives the actuator, wherein the actuator allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the driving circuit drives the electro-mechanical conversion element at a driving frequency f which gives f?21/2·f0 when resonance frequency of a 1-freedom system is f0 in which the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member are designated as a mass and the weight member is designated as a spring, and driving frequency of the electro-mechanical conversion element is f.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driving member which moves according to the elongation or contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member, wherein the actuator which allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the driving member is a graphite composite.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member which is connected to one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element and moves in accordance with elongation or contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a weight member provided on the other end of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member, wherein the actuator allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the weight member comprises a member which reduces a resonance frequency of the actuator.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an electromechanical conversion element comprising: an elongating and contracting portion that elongates and contracts; and a dummy layer that does not contribute to elongation and contraction of the electromechanical conversion element, in which one end of the dummy layer is attached to one end, in elongating and contracting direction, of the elongating and contracting portion; (ii) a driving friction member directly or indirectly attached to the other end of the elongating and contracting portion of the electromechanical conversion element; and (iii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving friction member, wherein a center of gravity of the entire electromechanical conversion element is not made coincident with a geometric center of the elongating and contracting portion in the elongating and contracting direction.

Abstract: A stepping motor comprises first to third coil portions and first to second rotors. The first rotor has a cylindrical shape and a circumferential surface thereof is magnetically-polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The first rotor is disposed inside the first and second coil portions, and is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the first and second coil portions are energized. The second rotor has a disk shape and a surface thereof is magnetically polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The second rotor is disposed such that edge areas of both surfaces thereof are interposed between the second and third coil portions. The second rotor is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the second and third coil portions are energized.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator having a frame portion includes a drive shaft for frictional engagement with an engageable barrel arm of a lens unit. First and second piezoelectric elements are supported on the frame portion, and provided with first and second ends of respectively the drive shaft. A drive pulse generator supplies the piezoelectric elements with a drive signal to expand or contract the piezoelectric elements, and moves the engageable barrel arm in an axial direction by an alternately repeating sequence of shifting the drive shaft at low and high speeds in the axial direction. In the shifting at the high speed, the piezoelectric elements shift the drive shaft in a backward direction quickly, to move the drive shaft in the backward direction relative to the engageable barrel arm being stationary with inertial force.

Abstract: An imaging device moves a taking lens in an optical-axis direction by a hollow stepping motor of a claw-pole type comprising a disk-shaped hollow magnet and stators. The magnet is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The stators are respectively adjacent to both surfaces of the magnet in the optical-axis direction. When the magnet is rotated, attractive force caused by the respective stators is applied in the optical axis direction. It is prevented that the magnet and a rotary barrel are attracted in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Thus, electric power consumption is prevented from increasing due to friction with upper and lower covers, and abnormal noise is prevented from occurring due to the friction.

Abstract: A lens frame holding a taking lens is movably connected to a driving shaft via a connector. A guide member is disposed at a lower portion of the lens frame so as to separate from the connector by about 180 degrees around an optical axis. The guide member is movably attached to a guide rod. A light emitter is disposed on a lateral side of the lens frame so as to separate from the connector by about 90 degrees around the optical axis. The light emitter applies the light to a light receiver of a line sensor confronting the light emitter. The line sensor sends a light-reception signal, which is outputted from the light receiver, to a lens-position controller. Positional information of the taking lens is obtained on the basis of the light-reception signal so that a position of the taking lens is accurately detected.

Abstract: A first lens holder is connected with a rotary barrel through a helicoid mechanism, and moves in an optical axial direction when the rotary barrel rotates. A second lens holder is connected with the rotary barrel through a cam mechanism. The cam mechanism is constituted of a cam portion that is disposed on a front end surface of the rotary barrel and cam followers that are disposed on a rear end surface of the second lens holder. The cam portion is formed to have sloped surfaces inclined along a circumferential direction and these sloped surfaces are in contact with the cam followers. When the rotary barrel rotates, the cam followers shift in the optical axial direction along the sloped surfaces, thereby moving the second lens holder back and forth in the optical axial direction.

Abstract: A drive unit for performing precise linear movement of a driven object comprises a motor having a cylindrical stator and a cylindrical rotor that is coaxially put in the cylindrical stator and capable of rotating relatively to the cylindrical stator, a movable barrel for holding a driven object mounted for rotation in the cylindrical rotor, a motion transformation mechanism comprising an internal helical groove formed in the cylindrical rotor and an external helical thread formed on the movable barrel which engage with each other so as to cause relative rotation between the cylindrical rotor and the movable barrel when the cylindrical rotor rotates, thereby transforming rotational movement of the rotor into a linear movement of the movable barrel, and a head-on striking structure provided between the helical groove and the helical thread to restrict the relative rotation at an intended extreme end of an axial path of the movable barrel.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element, having first and second ends, for expansion or contraction to shift in response to a drive signal. A drive shaft is frictionally engaged with an engageable portion of a lens unit, has first and second axial ends, for shifting together with the piezoelectric element by contact between the first end and the first axial end, to move the engageable portion linearly upon expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element with a difference between its expanding and contracting speeds. A retaining frame includes a first support panel, provided with the second end secured thereto, for supporting the piezoelectric element. A second support panel is provided with the second axial end secured thereto, for supporting the drive shaft. A biasing panel portion of the second support panel biases the drive shaft to press the first axial end on the first end of the piezoelectric element.