Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic motor, comprising a piezoelectric ultrasonic actuator (1) having four friction elements (4) disposed thereon, a friction surface (6) which is in frictional contact with the friction elements, and an electrical excitation device (16), wherein the ultrasonic actuator is in the shape of a ring or hollow cylinder, having an inner circumferential surface (14), an outer circumferential surface (12) and two planar end surfaces (5) connecting the inner and the outer circumferential surfaces.

Abstract: A piezoelectric stepper drive includes a piezoelectric drive apparatus with at least two drive sections, each acted upon by at least two piezoelectric actuators, and a driven member which is advanced by at least one of the drive sections when control voltages are applied to the actuators. The drive apparatus is configured approximately in the shape of a triangle, at the tip of which the drive sections are arranged. At least one of the drive sections is biased against the driven member, in the absence of control voltages applied to the actuators, such that the drive section blocks advance of the driven member, where each of the drive sections is mounted individually resilient relative to a base of the triangle.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes at least two piezoelectric actuators. Each actuator includes two piezoelectric elements on opposite sides of a coupling element, the sides being main sides of the piezoelectric actuators and having a larger area than other surfaces or sides of the piezoelectric actuators. The main surfaces of each of the piezoelectric actuators connect with at least four side surfaces of the piezoelectric actuator. The motor includes an elastic element coupled to and spacing the first and second piezoelectric actuators from each other and there is also a frictional element that couples the first and second piezoelectric actuators for frictional contact for driving an object. The first and the second piezoelectric actuators are adapted to deform in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the side surface to which the elastic element is attached using a longitudinal piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic motor comprising a plate-shaped piezoelectric ultrasonic actuator (2) and a of friction element (5) arranged on a side surface thereof, wherein the connection line (V) through the friction point and the focal point (S) of the ultrasonic actuator defines an operating direction, and a perpendicular plane intersecting the ultrasonic actuator defines an operating plane (W). A holder (6) has two force inlet sections (7) in order to move the holder and thereby the ultrasonic actuator in a direction parallel to the operating direction, and to press same against an element to be driven. The force inlet sections, preferably based on permanent magnets (8, 9) are each arranged in the operating plane and laterally next to and at a distance from the the ultrasonic actuator, and the intersection point (SP) of the connection line (V) with the operating plane (W) either coincides with the focal point (S) or lies between the focal point and the side surface having the friction element.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly for an ultrasonic motor, comprising an actuator body, an actuator retainer that accommodates the actuator body, an actuator bearing, and a friction element driven by the actuator body, wherein there is planar frictional contact between the actuator body and the friction element and the assembly has an optimized tilt axis, about which the actuator retainer and/or the friction element can be pivoted and which is arranged at a distance from the center of gravity of the actuator body and is shifted in the direction of the section of the friction element touched by the actuator body.

Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric rotary drive for a shaft, which includes a piezoelectric actuator, a deformable frame that can be coupled with a coupling section to the shaft in a force-fit manner in order to accomplish a stick-slip drive, and a loading device which can apply a preloading force to the coupling section and/or the actuator and/or the shaft. To facilitate production and assembly, the loading device can be a leaf spring which in the relaxed state extends substantially in a plane, such as along a straight line.

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for actuating a piezoelectric motor by two driving electrodes by applying periodic control voltages to the driving electrodes. A simplified closed-loop control of the piezoelectric motor is realized by reducing the static friction of a friction contact between a friction element of the piezo-electric motor and an output element to be driven by the friction element without a propulsion of the output element at the same time. In exemplary embodiments, the periodic control voltages are applied with a phase shift to the driving electrodes in a first step of the method, and in a second step of the method, the amplitude ratio of the periodic control voltages is changed with respect to the first step.

Abstract: An exemplary ultrasonic motor includes an ultrasonic actuator, functioning as a waveguide resonator, formed as a rectangular piezo-electrical plate having two main surfaces and side surfaces that join the main surfaces together, an element to be driven and an electrical excitation device. At least one friction element is arranged on at least one side surface of the ultrasonic actuator and is in frictional contact with the element to be driven. The piezo-electrical plate is divided into three parts. The central part forms a generator for an acoustic longitudinal standing wave, and the peripheral parts bordering the central part form generators for an acoustic bending standing wave. Each generator is electrically connected to the electrical excitation device-can be electrically controlled, and can be divided into two equally-sized and electrically individually controllable sub-generators.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator made of polarized piezoelectric material in the form of a single-layer or multilayer flat rectangular plate with two main faces, at least four lateral faces joining the main faces, and a thickness T, which is defined by the distance between the main faces in the direction of their surface normals, and wherein on both the one main face and the other opposite main face at least one layer including two triangular electrodes imposingly arranged and separated by a diagonal separating region, the electrodes on the one main face being offset relative to the electrodes on the other main face by 90°. The ultrasonic actuator is characterized in that on at least one of the lateral faces there are two mutually spaced friction elements designed to contact at least one element that is to be driven by the ultrasonic actuator.

Abstract: An inertial drive is disclosed, comprising a length-changeable actuator element (I), a frame element (4) with a support section and with a deformation section, against the contact surfaces of which the actuator element bears, wherein the deformation section has an articulation section (13), a flat spring element (5) which is arranged on the deformation section and has a friction section (3) at the free end thereof, and a friction body (2), which can be driven, in mechanical contact with the friction section. A change in length (S) of the actuating element causes a rotatory movement (D) of the deformation section about the articulation section, which movement is transmitted via the spring element to the friction section for driving the friction body which can be driven.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for operating a dynamic nano focusing system for use thereof in the field of microscopy, interferometry or similar applications, wherein the nano focusing system comprises a lever-transmission piezo actuator and a frictionless guide based on a resiliently deformable solid body joint which is connected to a mounting unit, in particular for a lens, in order to implement the desired adjustment paths for the focusing. According to the invention, in order to increase the dynamics during the focusing process, a secondary fine adjustment movement is superimposed on the primary adjustment movement, said secondary fine adjustment movement having a smaller adjustment path but higher frequency than the primary adjustment movement, wherein, when the fine adjustment is carried out, a determination is made as to whether the focusing result changes, in order to specify according thereto the amount and/or the direction of the primary adjustment movement.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic motor, comprising a piezoelectric ultrasonic actuator (1) having four friction elements (4) disposed thereon, a friction surface (6) which is in frictional contact with the friction elements, and an electrical excitation device (16), wherein the ultrasonic actuator is in the shape of a ring or hollow cylinder, having an inner circumferential surface (14), an outer circumferential surface (12) and two planar end surfaces (5) connecting the inner and the outer circumferential surfaces.

Abstract: A high-resolution positioning device has a stator and a rotor, a coil array, arranged on the stator, and having at least three groups of flat coils, wherein each group has at least two single coils and the coil array encloses a free space on the stator, also having permanent magnetically-excited circuits that are situated on, against or in the rotor and form a magnet array which likewise encloses a free space, wherein the free spaces accommodate a position measuring system which has a measuring head having sensors, and an area scale. The device is in the form of a freely suspended, magnetically controlled six-dimensional drive, wherein the measuring head is situated in the coil array free space and the area scale is situated in the magnet array free space, and the rotor is free of drive-related electrical or electronic and, in this regard, live parts.

Abstract: A method for electrically exciting a piezoelectric actuator of an ultrasonic motor is described. The ultrasonic motor has at least one acoustic standing wave generator, including an exciter electrode and a general electrode, wherein a capacitance C0 is developed between the exciter electrode and the general electrode. The method includes: applying a rectangular exciter voltage Ug to the exciter electrode and the general electrode of the acoustic standing wave generator; providing a voltage Ug with the aid of a feedback element; separating a voltage up from a voltage uc with the aid of a pulse filter; and changing the frequency of the rectangular exciter voltage in such a way that the phase shift between the piezoelectric current Ip and the rectangular exciter voltage Ug is substantially zero. A device for electrically exciting a piezoelectric actuator of an ultrasonic motor is also described.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor having an ultrasound actuator in the form of a piezoelectric hollow cylinder with friction elements on at least one of its end surfaces, and having a rotor in effective contact with the friction elements and an electric excitation device. The actuator is subdivided in the circumferential direction in an even number of sectors Sa and Sb with the sectors Sa and Sb alternating and being adjacent in circumferential direction, and the friction elements being arranged in the range of adjacency of neighboring sectors. Each of the sectors Sa and Sb is formed by exciter electrodes and general electrodes alternatingly arranged in the axial direction of the hollow cylinder, wherein a layer of piezoelectric material is arranged between neighboring excitation electrodes and general electrodes.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator includes at least one primary waveguide resonator, with each primary generator being in flat, at least one auxiliary waveguide resonator, with each auxiliary generator being in contact in order to form an acoustic standing wave, at least one crosspiece that connects one of the at least one primary waveguide resonators and one of the at least one auxiliary waveguide resonators to each other at least in sections, and wherein at least one friction track or friction rail is arranged on the crosspiece wherein the at least one primary waveguide resonator and the at least one auxiliary waveguide resonator is an open linear waveguide, and the at least one crosspiece functions as a totalizing device of the acoustic standing waves propagated in the primary and auxiliary waveguide resonators, so that the at least one crosspiece functions as the generator of a simulated travelling wave.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor is described. The ultrasonic motor includes a plurality of plate-shaped piezoelectric ultrasonic actuators. Each of the ultrasonic actuators includes at least one friction element allocated thereto. Each ultrasonic actuator or each of one or more pairs of ultrasonic actuators is assigned an element to be driven. The ultrasonic motor also includes a housing. The ultrasonic motor also includes an electric excitation device. The elements to be driven are movable independently of each other, and each ultrasonic actuator or each of the one or more pairs of ultrasonic actuators is arranged in a holder. The holders are pressed against each other by housing side covers. The friction elements on the ultrasonic actuators are pressed against a friction layer of the corresponding element to be driven by an elastic interlayer that is in contact with edge surfaces of the ultrasonic actuators that are arranged opposite the friction elements.

Abstract: A motion control system that includes a base, a stage supported by the base and movable with respect to the base, and a motor coupled to the base and operable to move the stage. The motor includes a mounting base arranged to connect the motor to the base, a friction pad engageable with the stage, and a coupling portion including a first end connected to the mounting base and a second end. The friction pad is connected to the coupling portion between the first end and the second end. A piezoelectric element is disposed between the mounting base and the second end and is operable in response to an electrical signal to move the friction pad and the stage. A mounting screw is accessible from an exterior of the base and engages the coupling portion. The mounting screw is the sole attachment mechanism between the motor and the base.

Abstract: A piezoelectric rotary drive for a shaft, is disclosed which can include a piezoelectric actuator and a coupling portion for driving the shaft as a stick-slip drive. To transmit greater contact forces between the frame and the shaft, at least one piezoelectric actuator and an adjustable and/or deformable frame with at least one coupling portion can be coupled to the shaft in a force-locked manner so as to accomplish a stick-slip drive, wherein the frame translates a piezoelectric deformation of the actuator mechanically such that the coupling portion rotates about the axis of the shaft over at least a part of the circumference of the shaft.

Abstract: An exemplary actuator in the form of a plate is disclosed, which includes, at least two generators for exciting an acoustic standing wave in the actuator. The actuator can have at least two main surfaces and a plane of symmetry S running perpendicularly to the main surfaces, with respect to which the generators are arranged symmetrically. A first lateral surface area can have a length L that substantially corresponds to the wavelength of the acoustic standing wave excited in the actuator. A second lateral surface area of the actuator can have a length (B) that is greater than the wavelength of the acoustic standing wave excited in the actuator, and that is not equal to a multiple of half the wavelength of the excited acoustic standing wave.