Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft mounted on one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that supports the electromechanical conversion element and comprises a bearing portion for the driving shaft; and an inclination adjusting mechanism, disposed in the bearing portion, that adjusts inclination of the driving shaft with respect to the fiducial line.

Abstract: A lens assembly is provided and includes: a plurality of lenses; a lens frame having a hollow part which includes an opening on each of an object side and an image forming side of the lens assembly and into which the plurality of lenses are inserted with their optical axes aligned; and a first coating film provided on an image forming side surface of a first lens that is located nearest to the object side among the plurality of lenses inserted into the hollow part, the first coating film being more hydrophilic than that of a base body of the first lens.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft that is fixed to one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven body that is frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that holds, through an adhesive, the electromechanical conversion element from lateral sides with respect to the extending direction; and a flange member that is provided on the driving shaft between (i) a moving region of the driven body on the driving shaft and (ii) the electromechanical conversion element.

Abstract: A lens assembly made of porous ceramic is provided with concave sections into which an adhesive for fixing lenses inserted into a lens frame is injected. Each of the concave sections has an outward opening and a spacing wall provided between a hollow part of the lens frame and the opening. The adhesive injected into the concave sections passes through multiple pores in the lens frame made of porous ceramic, and reaches the periphery of each of the lenses, thereby fixing the lenses to an inner wall of the hollow part of the lens frame.

Abstract: A lens frame is made of ceramic having a linear expansion coefficient that is about the same as the linear expansion coefficient (5 to 10×10?6) of glass lenses. Preferably, a pressing ring and spacing rings are also made of ceramic. A lens assembly produced by using the lens frame, the pressing ring and the spacing rings is installed in an automobile or the like.

Abstract: A lens assembly includes a barrel having an object-side opening and an image-forming-side opening. The barrel further has a positioning section that positions an image-forming-side surface of a lens by having line contact around an optical axis at a center. The positioning section is disposed at a position that is closer to an object side than the image-forming-side opening of the barrel is. The barrel also has an image-forming section that extends from the positioning section to a center of the optical axis along the image-forming-side surface of the lens and forms an edge of the image-forming-side opening of the barrel.

Abstract: An actuator is provided and has an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member attached at one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element with respect to a direction of expansion and contraction thereof; a plurality of driven members frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; a plurality of biasing units, each biasing one of the plurality of driven members to be frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; and a biasing-force adjusting unit that adjusts respective biasing-forces of the plurality of biasing units.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driving member which moves according to elongation and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member; and (iii) a case, wherein the actuator allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the actuator is supported by the case laterally in elongating and contracting directions of the electro-mechanical conversion element.

Abstract: A gas phase polymerization apparatus 100 of the present invention is configured so as to include: a gas phase polymerization reactor 1; a gas separator 110 into which a mixture of a polymer powder and a gas is introduced; and a transfer tube 3 connecting the polymerization reactor 100 and the separator 110, the separator 110 including: an inlet port 2a through which the mixture is introduced; a replacement gas inlet 4a through which a replacement gas is introduced; an outlet port 2b through which the polymer powder is discharged; and a tank 2 in which the gas contained in the mixture is replaced with the replacement gas, the tank 2 being a columnar tank having one end section which is configured in a conical shape whose cross sectional area decreases toward a tip of the section, and the outlet port 2b being provided at the tip of the conically-shaped section of the tank 2.

Abstract: A driving mechanism comprises: (i) an actuator comprising: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member which is connected to one end of the electro-mechanical conversion element and moves in accordance with elongation or contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a weight member provided on the other end of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and (ii) a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member, wherein the actuator allows the driven member to move along the driving member, and the weight member comprises a member which reduces a resonance frequency of the actuator.

Abstract: An actuator which drives a lens frame in an optical axis direction is constructed by piezoelectric elements, driving members, and a pressing spring. The piezoelectric elements are placed at opposite sides with a driven plate therebetween, and the driving members are fixed to the respective piezoelectric elements. The driving members are pressed against the driven plate from both sides by the pressing spring.

Abstract: An actuator comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member mounted onto one side in an extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; and a weight member affixed to the other side in the extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element and extending along sides of the electro-mechanical conversion element.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving member, provided on one end side of the electro-mechanical conversion element, that moves in response to extension and contraction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; and a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving member, so as to cause the driven member to travel along the driving member, wherein the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member are connected to each other by an adhesive; and wherein a treatment for intensifying adhesive force is applied to an adhesive surface, which is to be attached to the adhesive, on at least one of the electro-mechanical conversion element and the driving member.

Abstract: A lens assembly is provided and includes: a plurality of lenses; a lens frame having a hollow part which includes an opening on each of an object side and an image forming side of the lens assembly and into which the plurality of lenses are inserted with their optical axes aligned; and a first coating film provided on an image forming side surface of a first lens that is located nearest to the object side among the plurality of lenses inserted into the hollow part, the first coating film being more hydrophilic than that of a base body of the first lens.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft mounted on one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that supports the electromechanical conversion element from lateral sides with respect to extending direction; and an urging member that urges the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft mounted on one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that supports the electromechanical conversion element and comprises a bearing portion for the driving shaft; and an inclination adjusting mechanism, disposed in the bearing portion, that adjusts inclination of the driving shaft with respect to the fiducial line.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises: an electromechanical conversion element that expands and contracts in an extending direction of a given fiducial line; a driving shaft that is fixed to one end of the electromechanical conversion element in the extending direction; a driven body that is frictionally engaged with the driving shaft; a holder that holds, through an adhesive, the electromechanical conversion element from lateral sides with respect to the extending direction; and a flange member that is provided on the driving shaft between (i) a moving region of the driven body on the driving shaft and (ii) the electromechanical conversion element.

Abstract: An actuator is provided and includes: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member attached at one end of the electromechanical conversion element with respect to a direction of expansion and contraction of the electromechanical conversion element; and a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member. The driving frictional member has a rod-like shape, and a cross section of the driving frictional member orthogonal to a longitudinal direction thereof is changed along the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An actuator comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member mounted onto one side in an extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; an urging section that urges the driven member to frictionally engage the driven member with the driving frictional member; and an urging force adjusting section that adjusts an urging force of the urging section.

Abstract: An actuator comprises: an electro-mechanical conversion element; a driving frictional member mounted onto one side in an extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element; a driven member frictionally engaged with the driving frictional member; and a weight member that comprises an adhesive agent and is attached to the other side in the extension/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical conversion element.