Abstract: A foreign substance removal unit includes an optical member, disposed in an optical path, which is rectangular-shaped and in which an optical effective area for a light flux to pass through is set, and a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric member, and a driving electrode, and a sensor electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric member. The piezoelectric element is stuck to a surface of the optical member outside the optical effective area and along one side of the optical member. The sensor electrode is formed on the surface of the piezoelectric member to be positioned within a range of the optical effective area in a side direction of the optical member to which the piezoelectric element is stuck.

Abstract: A vibrating device includes a vibrator having multiple electromechanical energy converting elements, with the vibrating device generating a first standing wave and a second standing wave in the vibrator with a predetermined time phase difference. The first standing wave and the second standing wave having multiple nodal lines aligned in the same direction and being different in terms of an order. A first electromechanical energy converting element is disposed at a first portion, and a second electromechanical energy converting element is disposed at a second portion. The first portion extends in a first direction parallel to one of the multiple nodal lines, and the second portion extends in a second direction which crosses the first direction.

Abstract: A vibration member driving method is provided which can efficiently move driven objects, including dust, in a predetermined direction with vibrations. In the vibration member driving method of applying at least two driving voltages to at least one electro-mechanical energy conversion element, which is disposed in a vibration member, and generating a plurality of standing waves, which are different in order from each other, in the vibration member with a time phase difference set between the standing waves, thereby producing a composite vibration resulting from the plurality of standing waves, the driving method includes changing at least one of a voltage amplitude ratio and a time phase difference between the at least two driving voltages such that an amplitude distribution of the composite vibration is changed.

Abstract: A vibration-wave driving device includes a vibrator having an electromechanical-energy converting element, and a moving mechanism configured to allow the vibrator to move relative to a movable body, in a plane parallel to a plane where the vibrator and the movable body are in contact, in a second direction intersecting with a first direction being a direction of a driving force produced by the vibrator. The moving mechanism includes a guide member that regulates a moving direction of the vibrator, and the guide member includes a member having a rollable curved portion.

Abstract: A driving method causes a vibrator to generate standing waves different in order with a predetermined time phase difference. The vibrator has a first vibration mode in which plural nodal lines are arranged in a first direction, a second vibration mode in which a number of first-direction nodal lines is different from that in the first vibration mode and its natural frequency is higher than that of the first vibration mode, and a third vibration mode having a natural frequency between those of the first and second vibration modes. The vibrator is driven on condition that an excitation force applied to one of the first and second vibration modes, in which a difference between its natural frequency and the natural frequency of the third vibration mode is smaller, is made larger than that applied to the other thereof, in which a difference between its natural frequency and the natural frequency of the third vibration mode is larger.

Abstract: A vibration apparatus includes a vibrating body that includes a piezoelectric material having a lead content of less than 1000 ppm, and has an electromechanical energy converting element having an electrode; and a control unit that applies at least two driving voltages to the electromechanical energy converting element, and generates a combined vibration by providing a time phase difference to the vibrating body and generating multiple stable waves having mutually different orders; wherein the control unit changes at least one of the voltage amplitude ratio and time phase difference of at least two driving voltages, so as to change the amplitude distribution of the combined vibration.

Abstract: An oscillatory wave drive unit includes at least one vibrator having an electromechanical energy converting element, and at least one supporting member configured to support the at least one vibrator. The oscillatory wave drive unit excites oscillation in the at least one vibrator and moves a moving body in contact with the at least one vibrator by frictional force. The oscillatory wave drive unit includes at least one moving mechanism configured to support the at least one vibrator movably in a plane parallel to the plane where the at least one vibrator and the moving body are in contact with each other, in a second direction intersecting with a first direction in which the at least one vibrator drives the moving body.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stacked piezoelectric element that can suppress periodic damping on miniaturization of a vibration wave motor and improve its performance. A stacked piezoelectric element comprises piezoelectric layers and electrode layers alternately stacked to have a shape of a cylinder. The electrode layers are divided into a plurality of electrode layer regions along a circumferential surface of the shape of a cylinder.

Abstract: There is provided a foreign substance removing device which is capable of moving a foreign substance in a desired direction at a high removing efficiency. The foreign substance removing device removes a foreign substance on an object. A vibrator has first and second piezoelectric elements provided on the object. Power supplies applies alternating voltages to the respective first and second piezoelectric elements. A control circuit controls the alternating voltages applied by the power supplies. The control circuit changes the frequency of the alternating voltage and at the same time makes respective phases of the alternating voltages applied to the first and second piezoelectric elements different from each other, so as to concurrently generate a first standing wave and a second standing wave different in order.

Abstract: A foreign substance removal unit includes an optical member, disposed in an optical path, which is rectangular-shaped and in which an optical effective area for a light flux to pass through is set, and a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric member, and a driving electrode, and a sensor electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric member. The piezoelectric element is stuck to a surface of the optical member outside the optical effective area and along one side of the optical member. The sensor electrode is formed on the surface of the piezoelectric member to be positioned within a range of the optical effective area in a side direction of the optical member to which the piezoelectric element is stuck.

Abstract: Provided is a method of driving a piezoelectric device including a piezoelectric material having at least two phase transition temperatures and is polarized in one of thickness directions, and electrodes disposed on both end surfaces of the piezoelectric material in a direction orthogonal to the polarized direction, the method including: applying an alternating electric field to the piezoelectric device by an electric field applying unit; and applying a bias electric field in accordance with a variation of a coercive electric field due to temperature variation so that an absolute value of an electric field in a direction opposite to the polarized direction in the alternating electric field applied by the electric field applying unit becomes smaller than the coercive electric field and so that a polarization of the piezoelectric material is not reversed by the electric field in the direction opposite to the polarized direction.

Abstract: A dust removing device includes an oscillation body including at least an elastic member and an electromechanical energy conversion element which is fixed to the elastic member, wherein the electromechanical energy conversion element is configured to excite oscillation in the elastic member to remove dust. A rigidity-increasing member configured to enhance rigidity of the oscillation body in the direction of a node line of the oscillation is provided on at least one of the elastic member and the electromechanical energy conversion element.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a vibrated member and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element vibrates the vibrated member at a predetermined vibration mode to remove a foreign substance adhered to a surface of the vibrated member. A drive electrode, a first vibration detection electrode and a second vibration detection electrode are provided on a first face of the piezoelectric element, and a ground electrode is provided on a second face of the piezoelectric element. The first vibration detection electrode and the second vibration detection electrode have an axis-symmetrical shape, and are arranged on the first face of piezoelectric element so as to be symmetrical with respect to an axis along which a predetermined vibration node occurs when the vibrated member vibrates at the predetermined vibration mode.

Abstract: A driving method causes a vibrator to generate standing waves different in order with a predetermined time phase difference. The vibrator has a first vibration mode that plural nodal lines are arranged in a first direction, a second vibration mode that number of first-direction nodal lines is different from that in the first vibration mode and its natural frequency is higher than that of the first vibration mode, and a third vibration mode that its natural frequency is between those of the first and second vibration modes. The vibrator is driven on condition that excitation force to one of the first and second vibration modes that a difference between its natural frequency and the natural frequency of the third vibration mode is smaller is made larger than that to the other thereof that a difference between its natural frequency and the natural frequency of the third vibration mode is larger.

Abstract: Provided is a foreign substance removing apparatus including: an optical element disposed on a light incident side of an image pickup element; an electro-mechanical energy converting element disposed on the optical element; and a drive circuit for applying an electric signal to the electro-mechanical energy converting element, the foreign substance removing apparatus generating an elastic vibration in the optical element through application of the electric signal to the electro-mechanical energy converting element by the drive circuit, to thereby remove or move a foreign substance adhering to a surface of the optical element by the elastic vibration, in which the drive circuit applies a voltage corresponding to the electric signal with a period which is a natural nember multiple of a natural period of the elastic vibration, to the electro-mechanical energy converting element.

Abstract: Provided is a vibrating device including: a vibrator including multiple electromechanical energy converting elements; a power supply for applying an alternating voltage to the multiple electromechanical energy converting elements; and a control circuit for controlling the alternating voltage to be applied by the power supply, the vibrating device generating, by the control circuit, a first standing wave and a second standing wave in the vibrator with a predetermined time phase difference, the first standing wave and the second standing wave having multiple nodal lines aligned in the same direction and being different in terms of an order, in which the vibrator includes at least one of the multiple electromechanical energy converting elements disposed in the same direction as the multiple nodal lines, and also includes at least another one of the multiple electromechanical energy converting elements disposed in a direction in which the multiple nodal lines are aligned.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a vibrated member and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element vibrates the vibrated member at a predetermined vibration mode to remove a foreign substance adhered to a surface of the vibrated member. A drive electrode, a first vibration detection electrode and a second vibration detection electrode are provided on a first face of the piezoelectric element, and a ground electrode is provided on a second face of the piezoelectric element. The first vibration detection electrode and the second vibration detection electrode have an axis-symmetrical shape, and are arranged on the first face of piezoelectric element so as to be symmetrical with respect to an axis along which a predetermined vibration node occurs when the vibrated member vibrates at the predetermined vibration mode.

Abstract: There is provided a foreign substance removing device which is capable of moving a foreign substance in a desired direction at a high removing efficiency. The foreign substance removing device removes a foreign substance on an object. A vibrator has first and second piezoelectric elements provided on the object. Power supplies applies alternating voltages to the respective first and second piezoelectric elements. A control circuit controls the alternating voltages applied by the power supplies. The control circuit changes the frequency of the alternating voltage and at the same time makes respective phases of the alternating voltages applied to the first and second piezoelectric elements different from each other, so as to concurrently generate a first standing wave and a second standing wave different in order.

Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric element comprising that can suppress periodic damping on miniaturization of a vibration wave motor and improve its performance. A stacked piezoelectric element comprises piezoelectric layers and electrode layers alternately stacked to have a shape of a cylinder. The electrode layers are divided into a plurality of electrode layer regions along a circumferential surface of the shape of a cylinder.

Abstract: A stacked piezoelectric element comprising that can suppress periodic damping on miniaturization of a vibration wave motor and improve its performance. A stacked piezoelectric element comprises piezoelectric layers and electrode layers alternately stacked to have a shape of a cylinder. The electrode layers are divided into a plurality of electrode layer regions along a circumferential surface of the shape of a cylinder.