Abstract: A vibration type motor includes a limiter configured to limit a distance between a movable guide member and a fixed guide member. The limiter has first, second, and third limiting areas. The first limiting area is disposed between a first roll member and a second roll member in one direction. The second limiting area is disposed on the same side as the second roll member with respect to the first roll member and distant from the second roll member in the one direction. The third limiting area is disposed on an opposite side of the second roll member with respect to the first roll member in the one direction. A length of the first limiting area in another direction orthogonal to the one direction is equal to or longer than that of each of the second limiting area and the third limiting area in the one direction.

Abstract: A vibration type motor relatively moves, in a first direction, a vibrator whose vibration is excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element and a contact member configured to contact the vibrator, and includes a vibrator holder configured to hold the vibrator, a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator holder so as to restrict a displacement of the vibrator holder in the first direction and to enable the vibrator holder to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, a press mechanism configured to press the vibrator against the contact member in a second direction, and a damper configured to contact a plurality of components among the vibrator holder, components of the holding mechanism, and components of the press mechanism.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate; a friction member, which includes a friction-contact surface to be brought into contact with the vibrator, and is configured to perform relative movement with respect to the vibrator by vibration generated by the vibrator; and a guide mechanism, which includes a first guide member, a second guide member, and a rolling member arranged between the first guide member and the second guide member, and is configured to guide the relative movement, wherein the first guide member includes a groove portion formed of a first surface and a second surface to be brought into contact with the rolling member, and wherein the first surface is longer than the second surface in a direction of the relative movement.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibrator; a friction member, which is in friction contact with the vibrator; a pressurizing unit, which is configured to pressurize the vibrator against the friction member; and a guiding unit, which is configured to guide relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member, wherein the relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member is caused by vibration generated by the vibrator, and wherein the guiding unit holds the friction member and has fixing portions, and the fixing portions are formed in the guiding unit in vicinities of both ends of the guiding unit sandwiching the friction member.

Abstract: In a vibration type motor, a vibrator unit including a vibrator configured to vibrate, and a friction member unit including a friction member which the vibrator contacts relatively moving in a first direction. The vibrator unit is displaceable relative to the friction member unit in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and presses the vibrator against the friction member in the second direction. The friction member unit includes a stopper that contacts the vibrator unit so as to restrict the vibration unit from displacing, by an amount exceeding a predetermined amount, in the second direction. The stopper extends in the first direction, a distance greater than a length, in the first direction, of an area of the friction member which the vibrator contacts, and the stopper projects from the friction member toward the vibrator in the second direction when viewed from the first direction.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a vibrator, a friction member having a sliding surface, a guide member, a flexible substrate, and a fixing member configured to fix the friction member, the guide member, and the flexible substrate. The vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other in a predetermined direction. The fixing member includes a substrate-fixing portion configured to fix the flexible substrate, which includes a joint portion, an extending portion extending along the predetermined direction, a bent portion configured to reverse and turn back the extending portion, and a fixed portion to be fixed to the substrate-fixing portion. The flexible substrate is fixed on a surface of the substrate-fixing portion provided in a direction opposite to a direction in which the vibrator is brought into pressure-contact with the friction member.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a first holding member; a second holding member; a first regulating region; and a second regulating region, wherein a position of a first contact region of the first holding member, which comes into contact with the first regulating region, is different from a position of a second contact region of the second holding member, which comes into contact with the second regulating region, and wherein a position of the first regulating region is different from a position of the second regulating region in the relative movement direction so that, in the relative movement direction, a difference between a distance from the first contact region to the first regulating region and a distance from the second contact region to the second regulating region is shorter than a difference between the position of the first contact region and the position of the second contact region.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a vibrator; a friction member that comes into frictional contact with the vibrator; a press member that pressurizes the vibrator and the friction member into frictional contact with each other; a first guide member and a second guide member that guide the vibrator and the friction member so as to allow relative movement of the vibrator and the friction member; a hold member that holds the friction member and the first guide member; and a fixing member. The friction member and the first guide member are fixed to the hold member with the fixing member.

Abstract: A vibration motor includes a vibrator, a friction member, and a pressurizing unit. The vibrator includes projecting portions and is vibrated by application of a driving voltage. The projecting portions are arranged in vicinities of nodes of the vibration, respectively. The friction member has a sliding surface formed of a curved surface with which the projecting portions come into contact. The pressurizing unit pressurizes the vibrator against the friction member with a pressurizing force. When the vibrator is vibrated, a driving force is generated in a tangential direction of the sliding surface by the vibration to drive the friction member relative to the vibrator, and each of the projecting portions generates an elliptic motion by the vibration. The elliptic motion is generated with an inclination at a predetermined angle with respect to the curved surface of the sliding surface.

Abstract: A vibration type motor includes a vibrator that includes a piezo element, a contacting portion, and a holding portion, and generates a first vibration and a second vibration, a friction member that makes frictional contact with the contacting portion of the vibrator, a holding member that holds the holding portion of the vibrator, and a biasing member that biases the holding portion of the vibrator to the holding member, and a condition of A3/A1<A4/A2 is satisfied where A1 and A2 are respectively amplitudes of the contacting portion in the first vibration and the second vibration, and A3 and A4 are respectively amplitudes of the holding portion in the first vibration and the second vibration in a state where the vibrator is not held by the holding member.

Abstract: In a vibration type motor, a vibrator unit including a vibrator configured to vibrate, and a friction member unit including a friction member which the vibrator contacts relatively moving in a first direction. The vibrator unit is displaceable relative to the friction member unit in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and presses the vibrator against the friction member in the second direction. The friction member unit includes a stopper that contacts the vibrator unit so as to restrict the vibration unit from displacing, by an amount exceeding a predetermined amount, in the second direction. The stopper extends in the first direction, a distance greater than a length, in the first direction, of an area of the friction member which the vibrator contacts, and the stopper projects from the friction member toward the vibrator in the second direction when viewed from the first direction.

Abstract: A small-sized vibration motor. The vibration motor includes a vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a contact member brought into friction contact with the vibrator, and a fixing member to which the contact member is fixed. The vibrator and the contact member are moved relative to each other in a driving direction by high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric element. The contact member includes a sliding portion brought into friction contact with the vibrator when the vibrator and the contact member are moved relative to each other in the driving direction, and fixed portions via which the contact member is fixed to the fixing member. The fixed portions are formed at respective locations alongside the sliding portion in a second predetermined direction orthogonal to the first predetermined direction, and also inward of opposite ends of the contact member in the first predetermined direction.

Abstract: A vibration type motor relatively moves in a first direction a vibrator whose vibration is excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element and a contact member configured to contact the vibrator and includes a vibrator holder configured to hold the vibrator, a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator holder so as to restrict a displacement of the vibrator holder in the first direction and to enable the vibrator holder to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, a press mechanism configured to press the vibrator against the contact member in the second direction, and a damper configured to contact a plurality of components among the vibrator holder, components of the holding mechanism, and components of the press mechanism.

Abstract: A vibration type motor includes a limiter configured to limit a distance between a movable guide member and a fixed guide member. The limiter has first, second, and third limiting areas. The first limiting area is disposed between the first roll member and the second roll member in the second direction. The second limiting area is disposed on the same side as the second roll member with respect to the first roll member and distant from the second roll member in the second direction. The third limiting area is disposed on an opposite side of the second roll member with respect to the first roll member in the second direction. A length of the first limiting area in the first direction is equal to or longer than that of each of the second limiting area and the third limiting area in the first direction.

Abstract: A vibration type actuator includes a first member that has a vibrator; a second member that extends in a predetermined direction and has a friction sliding surface where the vibrator is press-contacted; a third member that rotatably holds the second member with respect to an axis parallel to the predetermined direction; and a pressing unit that generates a first force for rotating the second member with respect to the axis relative to the third member. The first member is sandwiched between the second member and the third member by the first force. The first member is driven in a driving direction parallel to the predetermined direction relative to the second member by the vibration of the vibrator.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a vibrator; a friction member having a sliding surface; a guide member; a flexible substrate; and a fixing member configured to fix the friction member, the guide member, and the flexible substrate, wherein the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other in a second direction, wherein the fixing member includes a substrate-fixing portion configured to fix the flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate includes: a joint portion; a first extending portion extending along the second direction; a bent portion configured to reverse and turn back the first extending portion; and a fixed portion to be fixed to the substrate-fixing portion, and wherein the flexible substrate is fixed on a surface of the substrate-fixing portion provided in a direction opposite to a direction in which the vibrator is brought into pressure-contact with the friction member.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate; a friction member, which includes a friction-contact surface to be brought into contact with the vibrator, and is configured to perform relative movement with respect to the vibrator by vibration generated by the vibrator; and a guide mechanism, which includes a first guide member, a second guide member, and a rolling member arranged between the first guide member and the second guide member, and is configured to guide the relative movement, wherein the first guide member includes a groove portion formed of a first surface and a second surface to be brought into contact with the rolling member, and wherein the first surface is longer than the second surface in a direction of the relative movement.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a first holding member; a second holding member; a first regulating region; and a second regulating region, wherein a position of a first contact region of the first holding member, which comes into contact with the first regulating region, is different from a position of a second contact region of the second holding member, which comes into contact with the second regulating region, and wherein a position of the first regulating region is different from a position of the second regulating region in the relative movement direction so that, in the relative movement direction, a difference between a distance from the first contact region to the first regulating region and a distance from the second contact region to the second regulating region is smaller than a difference between the position of the first contact region and the position of the second contact region.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a vibrator; a friction member that comes into frictional contact with the vibrator; a press member that pressurizes the vibrator and the friction member into frictional contact with each other; a first guide member and a second guide member that guide the vibrator and the friction member so as to allow relative movement of the vibrator and the friction member; a hold member that holds the friction member and the first guide member; and a fixing member. The friction member and the first guide member are fixed to the hold member with the fixing member.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibrator; a friction member, which is in friction contact with the vibrator; a pressurizing unit, which is configured to pressurize the vibrator against the friction member; and a guiding unit, which is configured to guide relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member, wherein the relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member is caused by vibration generated by the vibrator, and wherein the guiding unit holds the friction member and has fixing portions, and the fixing portions are formed in the guiding unit in vicinities of both ends of the guiding unit sandwiching the friction member.