Abstract: A planetary gear speed reduction device may include a magnetic sun gear; a plurality of magnetic planetary gears which each revolve around the magnetic sun gear while rotating; and a magnetic internal gear arranged surrounding the multiple magnetic planetary gears from an outer circumferential side. An outside diameter of the magnetic sun gear and an outside diameter of the magnetic planetary gears may be equal.

Abstract: A planetary gear speed reduction device may include a magnetic sun gear; a plurality of magnetic planetary gears which each revolve around the magnetic sun gear while rotating; and a magnetic internal gear arranged surrounding the multiple magnetic planetary gears from an outer circumferential side. An outside diameter of the magnetic sun gear and an outside diameter of the magnetic planetary gears may be equal.

Abstract: A lens driving device may include a movable lens body which holds a lens, and a driving mechanism for moving the movable lens body in an optical axis direction. The driving mechanism includes coils attached to the movable lens body, and a magnet opposed to the coils. When a gap between the coils and the magnet is expressed as A, and the width of the coil is expressed as B, a conditional expression of 0.3B?A?B is satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a photographing optical device, which is able to reliably correct an unintentional movement by hand of a user by improving the constitution of a camera unit driving mechanism for correcting the deflection of a camera unit. In order that a camera unit is made to be rocked to correct the unintentional movement, a photographing optical device includes a first camera unit drive mechanism and a second camera unit drive mechanism, which are so disposed at two side portions sandwiching a pivot portion therebetween as to make a pair. In these camera unit drive mechanisms, camera unit driving magnets are held on the side of the camera unit as a movable body side, and camera unit driving coils are held on the side of a stationary body. The camera unit is pushed toward the pivot portion by a gimbal spring.

Abstract: An optical imaging device, wherein an imaging unit is displaced to correct the vibrations, and the imaging unit is supported on a stationary object by a total of four suspension wires. A first imaging unit drive mechanism and a second imaging unit drive mechanism are provided as a pair at two positions on either side of the optical axis L. In the imaging unit drive mechanisms, imaging unit drive magnets, are held on the imaging unit side, which is the movable side, and imaging unit drive coils, are held on the stationary object side.

Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body provided with a lens and a drive mechanism for driving the movable body in the optical axis direction. The drive mechanism may include a substantially triangular prism-shaped drive magnet part disposed in at least one of four corners of the lens drive device, and a drive coil wound around a substantially triangular tube shape and whose inner peripheral face is oppositely disposed to an outer peripheral face of the drive magnet part through a gap space. In at least another embodiment, a lens drive device may include a flat spring provided with a plurality of arm parts which connect a movable body fixed part with a fixed body fixed part. The arm part is formed with a low spring constant part whose spring constant is smaller than a spring constant of other portion of the arm part.

Abstract: Provided is a photographing optical device, which is able to reliably correct an unintentional movement by hand of a user by improving the constitution of a camera unit driving mechanism for correcting the deflection of a camera unit. In order that a camera unit is made to be rocked to correct the unintentional movement, a photographing optical device includes a first camera unit drive mechanism and a second camera unit drive mechanism, which are so disposed at two side portions sandwiching a pivot portion therebetween as to make a pair. In these camera unit drive mechanisms, camera unit driving magnets are held on the side of the camera unit as a movable body side, and camera unit driving coils are held on the side of a stationary body. The camera unit is pushed toward the pivot portion by a gimbal spring, which is provided with a plurality of arm portions extending mutually in the same circumferential direction.

Abstract: Provided is an optical imaging device which improves the structure of an imaging unit drive mechanism for vibration correction in an imaging unit and can reliably correct the vibrations. An optical imaging device, wherein an imaging unit is displaced to correct the vibrations, and the imaging unit is supported on a stationary object by a total of four suspension wires. A first imaging unit drive mechanism and a second imaging unit drive mechanism are provided as a pair at two positions on either side of the optical axis L. In the imaging unit drive mechanisms, imaging unit drive magnets, are held on the imaging unit side, which is the movable side, and imaging unit drive coils, are held on the stationary object side.

Abstract: A lens driving device may include a movable lens body which holds a lens, and a driving mechanism for moving the movable lens body in an optical axis direction. The driving mechanism includes coils attached to the movable lens body, and a magnet opposed to the coils. When a gap between the coils and the magnet is expressed as A, and the width of the coil is expressed as B, a conditional expression of 0.3B?A?B is satisfied.

Abstract: A lens drive device may include a movable body provided with a lens and a drive mechanism for driving the movable body in the optical axis direction. The drive mechanism may include a substantially triangular prism-shaped drive magnet part disposed in at least one of four corners of the lens drive device, and a drive coil wound around a substantially triangular tube shape and whose inner peripheral face is oppositely disposed to an outer peripheral face of the drive magnet part through a gap space. In at least another embodiment, a lens drive device may include a flat spring provided with a plurality of arm parts which connect a movable body fixed part with a fixed body fixed part. The arm part is formed with a low spring constant part whose spring constant is smaller than a spring constant of other portion of the arm part.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body having a lens and a drive magnet that is moveable with the lens in an optical axis direction of the lens, and a fixed body that moveably supports the moving body in the optical axis direction. The fixed body includes a first drive coil and a second drive coil that are disposed in the optical axis direction and form magnetic circuits with the drive magnet, and a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member that are disposed opposite the first drive coil and the second drive coil, respectively. The moving body is retained at a first position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the first magnetic member when energization of the first drive coil is stopped. The moving body is also retained at a second position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the second magnetic member when energization of the second drive coil is stopped.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body having a lens and a drive magnet that is moveable with the lens in an optical axis direction of the lens, and a fixed body that moveably supports the moving body in the optical axis direction. The fixed body includes a first drive coil and a second drive coil that are disposed in the optical axis direction and form magnetic circuits with the drive magnet, and a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member that are disposed opposite the first drive coil and the second drive coil, respectively. The moving body is retained at a first position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the first magnetic member when energization of the first drive coil is stopped. The moving body is also retained at a second position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the second magnetic member when energization of the second drive coil is stopped.

Abstract: An optical switch device (1) of such a type that the COUPLED state of light guides is switched by moving a light reflective member capable of securely preventing a movable body with the light reflective member from being displaced and allowing a reduction in thickness, comprising a pressing member (41) switching the movable body (2) with a prism mirror (10) mounted thereon between a clamped state and an unclamped state, a twisted spring (60) energizing the pressing member in a clamping direction, and a magnetic drive circuit (45) for clamping driving the pressing member (41) in the unclamped state against the torsion spring (60). The magnetic drive circuit (45) for clamping further comprises a clamp coil (72) on the fixed member (13) side and clamp magnets (70, 71) on the pressing member (41) side. The clamp magnets (70, 71) are disposed so as to hold the clamp coil (72) from the inside and outside of the opening thereof with the different poles thereof opposed to each other.

Abstract: A permanent magnet embedded motor including a rotor which is provided with a plurality of slits and a plurality of permanent magnets embedded into the slits and a stator which is provided with an iron core having a plurality of slots to which a coil is wound and is arranged to face the rotor via a gap. The slit includes a permanent magnet embedded part into which the permanent magnet is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotor and an “L”-shaped air gap part integrally provided on both ends of the permanent magnet embedded part. An angle “?1” for one pole of the rotor and an angle “?2” of the “L”-shaped air gap part are set to be 0.1??2/?1?0.3. Further, a radius “R” of a circumscribed circle of the rotor and a radius “R1” for forming an outer peripheral face of the rotor at a portion of the “L”-shaped air gap part are preferably set to be 0.1?(R?R1)/R?0.3.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body equipped with a lens and a driving magnet attached to the lens, and a fixed body that is equipped with a driving coil that forms together with the driving magnet a magnetic circuit and moves the moving body in an optical axis direction of the lens between a first lens retaining position and a second lens retaining position, and at least one magnetic member disposed adjacent to at least one of two end sections in the optical axis direction of the driving magnet. The moving body is retained at the first lens retaining position by magnetic attraction caused by the driving magnet and the magnetic member when energization of the driving coil is stopped. Accordingly, the driving coil does not need to be energized while the lens is retained at the first lens retaining position.

Abstract: A permanent magnet embedded motor including a rotor which is provided with a plurality of slits and a plurality of permanent magnets embedded into the slits and a stator which is provided with an iron core having a plurality of slots to which a coil is wound and is arranged to face the rotor via a gap. The slit includes a permanent magnet embedded part into which the permanent magnet is embedded in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotor and an “L”-shaped air gap part integrally provided on both ends of the permanent magnet embedded part. An angle “&thgr;1” for one pole of the rotor and an angle “&thgr;2” of the “L”-shaped air gap part are set to be 0.1≦&thgr;2/&thgr;1≦0.3. Further, a radius “R” of a circumscribed circle of the rotor and a radius “R1” for forming an outer peripheral face of the rotor at a portion of the “L”-shaped air gap part are preferably set to be 0.1≦(R−R1)/R≦0.3.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body having a lens and a drive magnet that is moveable with the lens in an optical axis direction of the lens, and a fixed body that moveably supports the moving body in the optical axis direction. The fixed body includes a first drive coil and a second drive coil that are disposed in the optical axis direction and form magnetic circuits with the drive magnet, and a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member that are disposed opposite the first drive coil and the second drive coil, respectively. The moving body is retained at a first position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the first magnetic member when energization of the first drive coil is stopped. The moving body is also retained at a second position by magnetic attraction working between the drive magnet and the second magnetic member when energization of the second drive coil is stopped.

Abstract: A lens driving device includes a moving body equipped with a lens and a driving magnet attached to the lens, and a fixed body that is equipped with a driving coil that forms together with the driving magnet a magnetic circuit and moves the moving body in an optical axis direction of the lens between a first lens retaining position and a second lens retaining position, and at least one magnetic member disposed adjacent to at least one of two end sections in the optical axis direction of the driving magnet. The moving body is retained at the first lens retaining position by magnetic attraction caused by the driving magnet and the magnetic member when energization of the driving coil is stopped. Accordingly, the driving coil does not need to be energized while the lens is retained at the first lens retaining position.

Abstract: A small-sized hydroelectric power generating apparatus includes a body case having a fluid passage, a water wheel provided at the above fluid passage and rotating with passing of the fluid having the predetermined flowing amount, a rotator coupled to this water wheel, and rotating with the water wheel, the rotator serving as a rotor portion arranged opposed to a stator portion, the rotor portion being relatively rotated in relation to the stator portion by passing the fluid to generate electric power, the stator portion having comb-shaped pole teeth which are arranged in the circumferential direction at regular intervals so as to be opposed to the peripheral surface of a rotor magnet of the above rotor portion, and a circumferential gap between the adjacent pole teeth is set to 1.5 times or less the size of a radial gap between each pole tooth and the rotor magnet.

Abstract: A small-sized hydroelectric power generating apparatus includes a body case having a fluid passage, a water wheel provided at the above fluid passage and rotating with passing of the fluid having the predetermined flowing amount, a rotator coupled to this water wheel, and rotating with the water wheel, the rotator serving as a rotor portion arranged opposed to a stator portion, the rotor portion being relatively rotated in relation to the stator portion by passing the fluid to generate electric power, the stator portion having comb-shaped pole teeth which are arranged in the circumferential direction at regular intervals so as to be opposed to the peripheral surface of a rotor magnet of the above rotor portion, and a circumferential gap between the adjacent pole teeth is set to 1.5 times or less the size of a radial gap between each pole tooth and the rotor magnet.