Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a housing, a driving device, and a detecting device. The housing internally includes an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit, the housing sealing ultrasonic propagation liquid. The driving device includes a driving motor and an intermediate member. The driving device is configured to transmit a rotary driving force from the driving motor to swing the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The detecting device includes a detecting member and is configured to detect an origin position serving as a reference in control of the swing of the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The driving device is configured to transmit the rotary driving force to the intermediate member, extract a rotation of the intermediate member, decelerate the rotation of the intermediate member and transmit the rotation to the detecting member thereof in a route different from the driving device, and detect the rotation of the detecting member by a sensor to detect an origin position.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a housing, a driving device, and a detecting device. The housing internally includes an ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit, the housing sealing ultrasonic propagation liquid. The driving device includes a driving motor and an intermediate member. The driving device is configured to transmit a rotary driving force from the driving motor to swing the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The detecting device includes a detecting member and is configured to detect an origin position serving as a reference in control of the swing of the ultrasound transmitting/receiving unit. The driving device is configured to transmit the rotary driving force to the intermediate member, extract a rotation of the intermediate member, decelerate the rotation of the intermediate member and transmit the rotation to the detecting member thereof in a route different from the driving device, and detect the rotation of the detecting member by a sensor to detect an origin position.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe having: an ultrasonic transmission and reception unit provided inside housing; and a drive device provided therein that encases a main sound transmission medium and swings the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit. The ultrasonic probe is characterized by: the drive device being a drive transmission mechanism that converts the rotation of a drive motor to swinging of the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit; all or part of the drive transmission mechanism comprising a gear mechanism; and preventing backlash in a meshing section of at least a pair of gears in the gear mechanism, by elastically impelling and pressing one pair of gears on to the other pair of gears by using compression springs.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is provided and includes: an ultrasonic transmission and reception unit, being provided inside a housing; an acoustic transmission medium, being sealed in the housing; and a drive device for oscillating the ultrasonic transmission and reception unit. The housing is an injection-molded article by plastic material, and has a container shape with an opening in one direction. The container shape includes: a bottom surface portion through which ultrasonic waves transmit, and a peripheral portion being engaged with a probe body. The housing is injection-molded by providing the peripheral portion having a thickness thicker than a thickness of the bottom surface portion, providing a vertical groove parallel to a direction of mold release at a part of the peripheral portion; and providing a gate for flowing a molten resin at the peripheral portion apart from the vertical groove.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving portion, a housing, a driving device, a casing, a first volume compensation mechanism, a ventilating portion, a diaphragm, and a component. The housing houses the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving portion, and the housing seals ultrasonic propagation liquid. The driving device is configured to drive the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving portion. The casing houses the driving device. The first volume compensation mechanism is configured to absorb a volume change of the ultrasonic propagation liquid. The diaphragm divides an internal space of the casing into at least a first internal space and a second internal space. The ventilating portion is configured to ventilate the first internal space to outside of the casing. The component is disposed in a space other than the first internal space in the internal space and includes a frame ground that electrically connects to an electrical circuit.

Abstract: The shapes of reflecting parts in a hermetically sealed container are inclined to prevent generation of an unnecessary echo. In a short-axis oscillating ultrasonic probe, a piezoelectric element group arranged along a long-axis direction and having an acoustic lens on an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface, is provided on a rotary holding table housed in a hermetically sealed container. An ultrasonic wave transmitted and received to/from the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface of the piezoelectric element group is mechanically scanned in the short-axis direction of the piezoelectric element group by rotating and oscillating the rotary holding table in the short-axis direction, and a liquid serving as an acoustic medium is filled in the hermetically sealed container.

Abstract: The shapes of reflecting parts in a hermetically sealed container are inclined to prevent generation of an unnecessary echo. In a short-axis oscillating ultrasonic probe, a piezoelectric element group arranged along a long-axis direction and having an acoustic lens on an ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface, is provided on a rotary holding table housed in a hermetically sealed container. An ultrasonic wave transmitted and received to/from the ultrasonic wave transmitting/receiving surface of the piezoelectric element group is mechanically scanned in the short-axis direction of the piezoelectric element group by rotating and oscillating the rotary holding table in the short-axis direction, and a liquid serving as an acoustic medium is filled in the hermetically sealed container.

Abstract: A stepping motor comprises first to third coil portions and first to second rotors. The first rotor has a cylindrical shape and a circumferential surface thereof is magnetically-polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The first rotor is disposed inside the first and second coil portions, and is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the first and second coil portions are energized. The second rotor has a disk shape and a surface thereof is magnetically polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The second rotor is disposed such that edge areas of both surfaces thereof are interposed between the second and third coil portions. The second rotor is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the second and third coil portions are energized.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element, having first and second ends, for expansion or contraction to shift in response to a drive signal. A drive shaft is frictionally engaged with an engageable portion of a lens unit, has first and second axial ends, for shifting together with the piezoelectric element by contact between the first end and the first axial end, to move the engageable portion linearly upon expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element with a difference between its expanding and contracting speeds. A retaining frame includes a first support panel, provided with the second end secured thereto, for supporting the piezoelectric element. A second support panel is provided with the second axial end secured thereto, for supporting the drive shaft. A biasing panel portion of the second support panel biases the drive shaft to press the first axial end on the first end of the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator having a frame portion includes a drive shaft for frictional engagement with an engageable barrel arm of a lens unit. First and second piezoelectric elements are supported on the frame portion, and provided with first and second ends of respectively the drive shaft. A drive pulse generator supplies the piezoelectric elements with a drive signal to expand or contract the piezoelectric elements, and moves the engageable barrel arm in an axial direction by an alternately repeating sequence of shifting the drive shaft at low and high speeds in the axial direction. In the shifting at the high speed, the piezoelectric elements shift the drive shaft in a backward direction quickly, to move the drive shaft in the backward direction relative to the engageable barrel arm being stationary with inertial force.

Abstract: A lens frame holding a taking lens is movably connected to a driving shaft via a connector. A guide member is disposed at a lower portion of the lens frame so as to separate from the connector by about 180 degrees around an optical axis. The guide member is movably attached to a guide rod. A light emitter is disposed on a lateral side of the lens frame so as to separate from the connector by about 90 degrees around the optical axis. The light emitter applies the light to a light receiver of a line sensor confronting the light emitter. The line sensor sends a light-reception signal, which is outputted from the light receiver, to a lens-position controller. Positional information of the taking lens is obtained on the basis of the light-reception signal so that a position of the taking lens is accurately detected.

Abstract: An imaging device moves a taking lens in an optical-axis direction by a hollow stepping motor of a claw-pole type comprising a disk-shaped hollow magnet and stators. The magnet is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The stators are respectively adjacent to both surfaces of the magnet in the optical-axis direction. When the magnet is rotated, attractive force caused by the respective stators is applied in the optical axis direction. It is prevented that the magnet and a rotary barrel are attracted in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Thus, electric power consumption is prevented from increasing due to friction with upper and lower covers, and abnormal noise is prevented from occurring due to the friction.

Abstract: A first lens holder is connected with a rotary barrel through a helicoid mechanism, and moves in an optical axial direction when the rotary barrel rotates. A second lens holder is connected with the rotary barrel through a cam mechanism. The cam mechanism is constituted of a cam portion that is disposed on a front end surface of the rotary barrel and cam followers that are disposed on a rear end surface of the second lens holder. The cam portion is formed to have sloped surfaces inclined along a circumferential direction and these sloped surfaces are in contact with the cam followers. When the rotary barrel rotates, the cam followers shift in the optical axial direction along the sloped surfaces, thereby moving the second lens holder back and forth in the optical axial direction.

Abstract: An imaging device comprises a first lens unit and a second lens unit. A first fixed barrel of the first lens unit movably holds a first lens frame, which holds a first lens group, in an optical-axis direction. A second fixed barrel of the second lens unit movably holds a second lens frame, which holds a second lens group, in the optical-axis direction. The first and second fixed barrels are secured in series in the optical-axis direction. The first and second lens units are adapted to be easily assembled in series in the optical-axis direction. Misalignment of the plural lens groups is prevented, and the first and second lens groups are accurately and individually moved in the optical-axis direction.

Abstract: A first drive shaft is disposed with a first piezoelectric element at one end and a second piezoelectric element at the other end. A second drive shaft is disposed with the second piezoelectric element at one end and a third piezoelectric element at the other end. First and second lens holding frames are frictionally engaged with the first and second drive shafts respectively in a slidable manner. The first, second and third piezoelectric elements are expanded and contracted according to a drive signal and move the first and second lens holding frames in an axial direction respectively. When the moving velocity of the first and second lens holding frames are reduced, the phase difference between the drive signals, which are output to the respective piezoelectric elements, is adjusted so that the moving velocity becomes higher.

Abstract: A receiving apparatus includes a receiving section for receiving image data output from an autonomously traveling robot at a predetermined output position and a storage section for storing the image data received from the robot at the receiving section.

Abstract: A stepping motor comprises first to third coil portions and first to second rotors. The first rotor has a cylindrical shape and a circumferential surface thereof is magnetically-polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The first rotor is disposed inside the first and second coil portions, and is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the first and second coil portions are energized. The second rotor has a disk shape and a surface thereof is magnetically polarized so as to alternately arrange south poles and north poles. The second rotor is disposed such that edge areas of both surfaces thereof are interposed between the second and third coil portions. The second rotor is rotated by magnetic fields generated at a time when the second and third coil portions are energized.