Abstract: A low cost portable dosing apparatus enables the dispensing rate to be changed while enabling solution to be continuously dispensed to the body. The solution to be dispensed into the body is stored in a tank unit. A pump unit pumps the solution from the tank unit into the body of the patient. A controller controls pump unit operation. The tank unit, pump unit, and controller are attached to a wrist strap so that they can be easily connected and disconnected from each other. A compact, thin ultrasonic motor with high output per unit size drives the pump unit. A smaller pump unit is thus available, improving the portability of the apparatus. The ultrasonic motor is also substantially free of misoperation resulting from exposure to magnetic fields because the ultrasonic motor is not magnetically driven. Reliability is therefore improved.

Abstract: A highly reliable optical communications equipment is offered, which can control light more accurately than heretofore (i.e., less restrictions are imposed on the amount of attenuation and on the resolution) and which is equipped with a latching function. The optical communications equipment includes a piezoelectric actuator, a moving body moved by the piezoelectric actuator as a drive source, a multi-coating filter for controlling light that is a signal medium by movement of the moving body, a drive circuit for controlling the position of the multi-coating filter via the actuator, and a control circuit. The piezoelectric actuator uses bending vibrations produced in a piezoelectric vibrating body as a power source. If the moving body is not moved for a given time, the control circuit sends a function keeping signal to drive the actuator to such an extent that the moving body does not move. Thus, the function of the actuator is maintained.

Abstract: To provide an actuator that has a compact structure and a large driving force and is not affected by a disturbance such as vibrations and environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity. A piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention uses a piezoelectric element which is small in size and large in generative force as a driving source so that a bending displacement is generated, and a member to be driven is supported at a point where an angular displacement thereof is maximum, or a force couple is given to a support point of the member to be driven to obtain a large displacement. In addition, the driving mechanism is structured by a combined mechanism that can be rotatably driven with respect to two axes that cross each other, to realize a mechanism that is capable of directing the member to be driven in a desired direction.

Abstract: In frequency-admittance characteristics of a stator, the frequency with a resonance point at which the admittance value is minimum and that with a resonance point adjacent thereto are set to be apart from each other and thereby an ultrasonic motor having less variations and high output power is provided. In addition, an ultrasonic motor is provided in which support and pressing structures and a conduction structure are improved for the purpose of achieving a size reduction. Two elastic bodies are disposed in upper and lower positions and have grooves at their respective surfaces. These grooves are provided at regions corresponding to nodes of standing waves that are stress concentration zones so as to cause large torsional displacement. The grooves are provided in places other than the upper and lower surfaces of the elastic members. In addition, these grooves have a smaller angle than 90 degrees.

Abstract: In a self-excited oscillator circuit, a buffer is connected to an electrode or electrodes, and a buffer and an inverter are connected to an electrode or electrodes. Each of the inverters and and the buffer has a tri-state configuration and is capable of setting an output terminal in a high-impedance state, i.e., turning off an output signal, according to a signal input to a control terminal. Therefore, it is possible to turn off a drive circuit and the ultrasonic motor by setting the inverter in the high-impedance state. It is also possible to change the direction of movement of the moving member by setting one of the buffer and the inverter in the high-impedance state.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an ultrasonic motor and an electronic appliance equipped with the ultrasonic motor, wherein an input signal to a control circuit which is a command signal for driving a moving body of the ultrasonic motor or a driven body driven in response to the moving body is restricted by a signal processing circuit. The frequency component of the input signal equal to or exceeding a specified frequency is cut by means of a filter circuit or an output from a control circuit is controlled in response to a fluctuation width thereof.

Abstract: A drive mechanism has an ultrasonic motor having a rotor which is rotationally driven by vibration of a vibrating member having a piezoelectric element. The rotor has a projecting portion for rotation therewith. A driven member is connected to the rotor for undergoing movement along a surface extending in a radial direction of the rotor. A guide member restricts movement of the driven member and guides movement of the receiving member in a given direction. A receiving member contacts the projecting portion of the rotor to limit a range of rotation of the rotor and limit a range of movement of the driven member.

Abstract: The optical spatial switch of the present invention is has a small size and a large capacity to switch optical signals between a plurality of optical fibers in the field of optical communications.

Abstract: In order to ensure that a starting point of the position detection means is not subjected to the influence of noise, etc in electronic equipment equipped with position detection means for detecting the position of a moving body using an incremental type encoder, in electronic equipment for controlling the deciding of a position of a moving body using an ultrasonic motor comprised of piezoelectric material, an oscillating body, a moving body, pressing means, a pair of electrodes for applying a high-frequency voltage to the piezoelectric material, an oscillator drive circuit for generating the high-frequency voltage, and a control unit, a location detected by the incremental type encoder as a position detection starting point is set to be a position most frequently passed through by the moving body or a position decided upon the most frequently as a starting point, with the incremental type counter being reset to zero by a starting point signal of a starting point signal producing circuit.

Abstract: A control portion always monitors a present-position signal from a position sensor and monitors whether the present position of a moving body is a desired position, or not (Step 101). In the case where the control portion detects that the present position of the moving body reaches the desired position, the control portion generates a stop command signal and gives the stop command signal to an oscillation drive circuit (S102). Then, the control portion checks whether overshooting occurs, or not (S103), and in the case where the control portion judges that overshooting occurs, the control portion retains a stop command signal as it is for a stop command retaining time t (S104). After the stop command retaining time t elapses, the control portion gives a reverse command signal to the oscillation drive circuit to conduct reverse operation (S105). After Step S105, the control is returned to Step S101 and the above operation is repeated.

Abstract: A method of determining a sound localization filter for approximation of a head related transfer function. The method comprises storing a plurality of sets of initial parameters with respect to a plurality of predetermined direction angles about a front position of a listener into a memory, reading one of the sets of initial parameters from the memory in accordance with a localization shift signal, calculating an optimum filter parameter based on the read initial parameters, the optimum filter parameter needed to approximate desired frequency characteristics of the head related transfer function, determining filter coefficients of the sound localization filter based on the optimum filter parameter and supplying the determined filter coefficients to a coefficient buffer provided for the sound localization filter.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor has a self-excited oscillation circuit comprised of a vibrating body having a piezoelectric element and an amplifier circuit for amplifying an output signal of the piezoelectric element for oscillating the vibrating body in a predetermined natural mode. A moving body is disposed in contact with the vibrating body and is driven in response to oscillation of the vibrating body. A control signal generating circuit outputs to the self-excited oscillation circuit a drive command signal or a stop command signal to bring the self-excited oscillation circuit into a drive state to drive the moving body or a stop state, respectively. The control signal generating circuit is set so that a length of the drive command signal is a time period required for the self-excited oscillation circuit to start oscillating at a frequency corresponding to a given frequency for driving the moving body.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus is offered which has a function of detecting the position of a driven member with high reliability while achieving power saving. The apparatus comprises an electric motor an object that is a member driven by the motor, a gear reducer for transmitting the power of the motor to the object, an optical sensor for detecting the rotational position of the gear reducer and indirectly detecting the rotational position of the object, and an optical sensor control circuit for varying the state of drive of the optical sensor according to the circumstance of operation of the object, i.e., the rotational speed of the motor. The optical sensor is intermittently driven by the optical sensor control circuit. The frequency of the intermittent drive and the duty ratio are varied according to the rotational speed of the motor.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor with an increased driving force is provided.

Abstract: To provide an optical switch which is compact and having high productivity. An optical switch including an input section for inputting a light beam, optical parts having an optical path changing characteristic movable to positions of blocking the light beam, output sections provided respectively in correspondence with a case in which an optical path is changed by the optical part and a case in which the optical path is not changed by the optical part, driving means for separately driving the optical parts and driving control means for controlling to arrange the optical parts via the driving means and selecting the output sections constituting output destinations of the light beam.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor with increased output power per unit volume is provided by simultaneously driving all of a plurality of polarized segments of a piezoelectric element having a circular disk shape and divided into a multiple of four polarized segments in a circumferential direction. Projections are provided at upper faces of the polarized segments of the piezoelectric element and spaced apart by an odd number of polarized segments. Polarities of adjacent polarized segments are the same and polarities of adjacent pairs are reverse to each other. A first polarized segment group comprises every other polarized segment and a second polarized segment group comprises the remaining polarized segments. By selecting whether phases of alternating voltages supplied to the first and second polarized segment groups are the same or are 180 degrees out of phase, the direction of the motor is determined.

Abstract: A long-life ultrasonic motor is provided which increases the output and efficiency and reduces the wear on a moving body. By mounting such an ultrasonic motor on an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus is improved in performances including the size-reduction, thickness-reduction, power saving, etc. By configuring a stable self-excited oscillation circuit between first and third electrodes of a piezoelectric element and applying a drive signal to a second electrode through a phase selection circuit for changing the phase of a self-excited oscillation signal, two signals different in phase are supplied to the ultrasonic motor while using the self-excited oscillation circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor has a vibrating body polarized in a given direction. The vibrating body comprises a first piezoelectric body and a second piezoelectric body laminated to the first piezoelectric body in a preselected direction generally parallel to the polarized direction. Each of the first piezoelectric body and the second piezoelectric body has a first polarized portion and a second polarized portion. The first polarized portion of the first piezoelectric body is aligned in the preselected direction with the second polarized portion of the second piezoelectric body. The second polarized portion of the first piezoelectric body is aligned in the preselected direction with the first polarized portion of the second piezoelectric body.

Abstract: To provide a medical module apparatus for moving a moving body such as an ultrasonic vibrator with excellent characteristics of the response and making a sectional area in an inserting direction of the moving member smaller than that of a conventional product, the medical module apparatus includes a piezoelectric vibrator substantially in a rectangular shape for producing ultrasonic vibration, a rotating body rotated with ultrasonic vibration produced at an end portion of the piezoelectric vibrator as power, a guide wire for supporting the piezoelectric vibrator and the rotating body such that an end portion of the piezoelectric vibrator is directed in a direction of inserting the medical module apparatus and moving the medical module apparatus to an aimed portion and a skin for protecting the piezoelectric vibrator and the rotating body against outside.

Abstract: A compact ultrasonic motor is made easy to assemble and replace in an electronic apparatus by providing various electronic circuit components on a connector formed integrally with the ultrasonic motor. In one embodiment, a piezoelectric element is in contact with a vibrating body for undergoing vibration along with expansion-and-contraction movement of the piezoelectric element. A moving member is in contact with the vibrating body for undergoing movement in a desired direction in response to vibration of the vibrating body. A support member supports the piezoelectric element, the vibrating body, the moving member, along with a driving circuit for driving the ultrasonic motor and a connector for connecting the piezoelectric element to the driving circuit. The driving circuit is an AC signal generating circuit for supplying an AC signal to the piezoelectric element and a phase adjusting device for adjusting phase characteristics of the AC signal generating circuit.