Abstract: A lens barrel includes first and second yokes each having a length in an optical axis direction, a third yoke that has a length in the optical axis direction and is disposed between the first and second yokes, first and second magnets disposed on the first and second yokes, respectively, a coil that is penetrated by the third yoke and is movable in the optical axis direction by magnetic forces of the first and second magnets, and a lens holding frame that holds a lens and is movable together with the coil in the optical axis direction, wherein a first plane including a first side surface, which is farther from the third yoke, of the first yoke intersects with a second plane including a second side surface, which is farther from the third yoke, of the second yoke.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes an element displaced by application of voltage; an elastic body having a contact surface coming into contact with the element, a drive surface to produce a vibration wave by displacement of the element, and a plurality of grooves; a moving element come into contact with the drive surface and rotated by the vibration wave; an annular ring rotated by rotating of the moving element; and a lens moved in an optical axis direction by rotating of the annular ring; wherein the element mainly contains a material having potassium sodium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate, or barium titanate, wherein a value of [(T/B)÷W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the contact surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes an element displaced by application of voltage; an elastic body having a contact surface coming into contact with the element, a drive surface to produce a vibration wave by displacement of the element, and a plurality of grooves; a moving element come into contact with the drive surface and rotated by the vibration wave; an annular ring rotated by rotating of the moving element; and a lens moved in an optical axis direction by rotating of the annular ring; wherein the element mainly contains a material having potassium sodium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate, or barium titanate, wherein a value of [(T/B)÷W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the contact surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.

Abstract: A vibrator includes an electromechanical transducer which is a piezoelectric ceramic made of sodium-potassium niobate metal oxides and whose temperature characteristics of a relative permittivity is 500 [ppm/° C.] or less in absolute value in a temperature range from ?40° C. to 170° C., wherein excitation of the electromechanical transducer produces a vibration wave. Another vibrator includes an electromechanical transducer which is a piezoelectric ceramic made of sodium-potassium niobate metal oxides and whose temperature characteristics of a relative permittivity is 390 [ppm/° C.] or less in absolute value in a temperature range from 0° C. to 60° C., wherein excitation of the electromechanical transducer produces a vibration wave.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes an element displaced by application of voltage; an elastic body having a contact surface coming into contact with the element, a drive surface to produce a vibration wave by displacement of the element, and a plurality of grooves; a moving element come into contact with the drive surface and rotated by the vibration wave; an annular ring rotated by rotating of the moving element; and a lens moved in an optical axis direction by rotating of the annular ring; wherein the element mainly contains a material having potassium sodium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate, or barium titanate, wherein a value of [(T/B)÷W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the contact surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes: an electromechanical conversion element; an elastic body having a joining surface, a drive surface, and grooves; a motion member rotating by vibration wave of the drive surface; a rotating ring having a recess part and rotating by rotation of the motion member; a moving ring engaged to the recess part and moving to an optical axis direction by rotation of the rotating ring; and a lens held in the moving ring; wherein the element is made of a material having sodium potassium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate or barium titanate, wherein a value of T/(B+C) is within a range of from 1.3 to 2.8 when: length from the drive surface to a base unit of the groove is defined as T; length from the base unit of the groove to the joining surface is defined as B; and thickness of the element is defined as C.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes an element configured to be displaced by application of voltage, and an annular elastic body having a bottom surface coming into contact with the element and a drive surface having a groove, configured to drive a moving element by a vibration wave produced on the drive surface by displacement of the element. The element has a density of 4.2 to 6.0×103 kg/m3. A value of [(T/B)÷W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the bottom surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes: an electromechanical conversion element; an elastic body having a joining surface, a drive surface, and grooves; a motion member rotating by vibration wave of the drive surface; a rotating ring having a recess part and rotating by rotation of the motion member; a moving ring engaged to the recess part and moving to an optical axis direction by rotation of the rotating ring; and a lens held in the moving ring; wherein the element is made of a material having sodium potassium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate or barium titanate, wherein a value of T/(B+C) is within a range of from 1.3 to 2.8 when: length from the drive surface to a base unit of the groove is defined as T; length from the base unit of the groove to the joining surface is defined as B; and thickness of the element is defined as C.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor comprises: an electromechanical conversion element; an elastic body which has a drive surface on which a vibration wave is generated due to vibration of the electromechanical conversion element; and a relative motion member which makes contact with the drive surface of the elastic body and is configured to rotationally drive by the vibration wave, the electromechanical conversion element having a density of from 4.2 to 6.0×103 kg/m3, a plurality of grooves being provided on the drive surface side of the elastic body, and a value of T/(B+C) being within a range of from 1.3 to 2.8 when: depth of at least one groove of the plurality of grooves is defined as T; thickness from a base unit of the groove to a first surface is defined as B; and thickness of the electromechanical conversion element is defined as C.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes an element configured to be displaced by application of voltage, and an annular elastic body having a bottom surface coming into contact with the element and a drive surface having a groove, configured to drive a moving element by a vibration wave produced on the drive surface by displacement of the element. The element has a density of 4.2 to 6.0×103 kg/m3. A value of [(T/B)÷ W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the bottom surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.

Abstract: A vibration wave motor comprises: an electromechanical conversion element; an elastic body which has a drive surface on which a vibration wave is generated due to vibration of the electromechanical conversion element; and a relative motion member which makes contact with the drive surface of the elastic body and is configured to rotationally drive by the vibration wave, the electromechanical conversion element having a density of from 4.2 to 6.0×103 kg/m3, a plurality of grooves being provided on the drive surface side of the elastic body, and a value of T/(B+C) being within a range of from 1.3 to 2.8 when: depth of at least one groove of the plurality of grooves is defined as T; thickness from a base unit of the groove to a first surface is defined as B; and thickness of the electromechanical conversion element is defined as C.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel (controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel includes a vibration actuator that drives a focusing lens which brings a subject image into focus; an amplifying section that applies a pair of driving signals amplified to the vibration actuator; a phase shifting section that changes a phase difference between the pair of the driving signals; and a control section that, when a signal for giving an instruction to drive the vibration actuator is input, executes a first processing of causing the phase shifting section to perform an operation which periodically changes the phase difference of the pair of the driving signals.

Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU (15) for a lens barrel (10) controls a drive apparatus (14) that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor (12) by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU (15) uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit (152) and a duty-cycle change unit (153) to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU (15) is provided with a phase-difference change unit (154) that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor (12), the lens-side MCU (15) changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit (154) is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a linear vibration actuator and a lens ring. The linear vibration actuator includes a vibrating element, relative motion member and pressurizing mechanism. The vibrating element generates a driving force at a driving face in parallel with an optical axis by oscillation of an electromechanical conversion element. The relative motion member is in pressure contact with the driving face and linearly moves in parallel with the optical axis with respect to the vibrating element. The pressurizing mechanism applies a pressure force between the driving face and the relative motion member. The lens ring holds a photographic lens and is linearly moved by the relative motion member in parallel with the optical axis. The linear vibration actuator includes a first linear guide receiving the pressure force applied to the relative motion member, and the lens ring includes a second linear guide guiding the lens ring to linearly move.