Abstract: A method of manufacturing a laminated ceramic material having internal electrodes and the object thereof is to provide a method of manufacturing a laminated ceramic material using inexpensive metal material for internal electrodes. A method of manufacturing a laminated ceramic material includes printing or baking a metal member (foil) to ceramic layers thereby forming electrodes, stacking such a plurality of ceramic layers attached with electrodes and then integrating them by applying hot press bonding. The internal electrodes can be formed easily and, since various kinds of metals can be used as the metal for the electrodes, it is possible to provide an inexpensive laminated ceramic material at a reduced production cost.

Abstract: An ultrasonic linear motor including a traveling member having a columnar leg portion abutting at its one end against a traveling surface, and a piezoelectric element mounted on the traveling member for vibrating the leg portion in a direction intersecting an axis of the leg portion. A cover is provided around the traveling member for covering the traveling member and a protecting member is filled inside the cover in such a manner as to fully cover the piezoelectric element for protecting the piezoelectric element from an external environment, whereby the piezoelectric element can be protected from the external environment, and the separation of the piezoelectric element from the traveling member can be prevented.

Abstract: An X-Y stage including a fixed plate, a moving plate adapted to linearly reciprocatively move relative to the fixed plate, and an ultrasonic linear motor provided on either the fixed plate or the moving plate. The ultrasonic linear motor is provided with at lest two leg portions oriented in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the moving plate, a body portion for connecting base ends of the leg portions, and vibration sources for vibrating the leg portions and the body portion. The leg portions have free ends pressed against the other of the fixed plate on which the motor is not provided and the moving plate.

Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a stepping motor comprising a laminate type torsion actuator having a pair of cylindrical outer peripheries to be torsionally displaced relative to each other, a cylindrical fixed member surrounding said laminate type torsion actuator with certain space therebetween, first longitudinally vibrating elements placed between said fixed member and one of the cylindrical outer peripheries of said laminate type torsion actuator for selectively connecting or separating the fixed member and the torsion actuator through its elongation or contraction, second longitudinally vibrating elements placed between said fixed member and the other cylindrical peripheries of said torsion actuator with certain space therebetween for selectively connecting or separating the fixed member and the torsion actuator through its elongation or contraction with a phase inverse to that of the first elements.

Abstract: An automotive motor-driven device controlling and driving system for controlling and driving the respective ultrasonic linear motors of a plurality of automotive motor-driven devices, such as power seats, power windows and power antenna. The automotive motor-driven device controlling and driving system comprises a power circuit connected to the battery of an automobile, a single ultrasonic oscillator, a plurality of power amplifiers having input terminals connected to the power circuit and the ultrasonic oscillator, and output terminals connected through motor control switches to the ultrasonic linear motors, respectively, and a control unit for controlling the power circuit, the ultrasonic oscillator and the power amplifiers.

Abstract: In a vibration preventing apparatus, there are provided a supporting plate on which an object to be supported is mounted; and a member fixed on the supporting plate, for supporting the supporting plate. In this apparatus, a piezoelectric effect element, to which electrodes a resistor is connected, is attached to a surface of the supporting plate. This piezoelectric effect element is a bimorph.

Abstract: A linear motor is arranged to have two legs each of which have a different resonance frequency, when one of the legs is induced to resonate by applying a vibration having a frequency which corresponds to the resonance frequency of one of the legs, to the chassis of the motor, the motor proceeds in a first direction, while when a vibration having a second frequency which corresponds to the resonance frequency of the other leg is applied, the motor is propelled linearly in the other direction.