Abstract: An ultrasonic motor which exhibits stable performances by suppressing irregularities of magnitudes of two standing waves excited by a piezoelectric element is provided.

Abstract: A motor device includes a base portion; a transmission portion that is formed with the base portion as one member and is wound around at least a part of an outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving portion which is supported by the base portion, moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion, and returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released.

Abstract: A piezoelectric composition includes a compound represented by a general expression Bi4Ti3O12—SrBi4Ti4O15 as a main component; and Mn or a Mn compound as an additive. A Mn content is less than 1.0% by mass based on a main component amount.

Abstract: A drive device in which the frequency of a drive waveform applied to a piezoelectric element is easily settable with less obligation to consider resonance in a stationary member. The device includes a piezo element that expands and contracts according to a drive voltage, a transmission shaft that receives vibration produced by the element, a stationary member that holds the transmission shaft in a slidable state along the longitudinal direction of the transmission shaft, and a lens holder that is displaced together with the piezo element and transmission shaft relative to the stationary member according to drive of the piezo element. The piezo element and the transmission shaft move in the moving direction of the lens holder in synchronization with the lens holder according to drive of the piezo element in the state where the piezo element is spaced from the stationary member.

Abstract: A motor device comprises a transmission substrate formed with a transmission portion that is wound around at least part of the outer periphery of a rotator; and a driving substrate that has a driving portion which moves the transmission portion by a certain distance in a state in which a rotational force is transmitted between the rotator and the transmission portion returns the transmission portion to a predetermined position in a state in which the rotation force transmission state is released, and is connected to the transmission substrate so that the driving force due to the driving portion acts on the transmission portion.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a vibrator, the vibrator including a vibrating body on which a protrusion having a spring characteristic is formed and an electromechanical energy conversion element, wherein the vibrator performs an elliptical motion so as to drive an object that is in contact with the protrusion, and wherein the protrusion is integrally formed with the vibrating body from one member in a partial area of the vibrating body with respect to a longitudinal direction and a width direction via a plurality of slits or cutouts.

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator arrangement (50) comprises an electromechanical motor (10) and a rail arrangement (35). The rail arrangement (35) has a rail (30) relative which the electromechanical motor drives in a main displacement direction (3). The electromechanical motor has electromechanically active actuators attached to a motor block (20) and are arranged to provide an actuating action against the rail. The rail arrangement has further at least one guide member (31) provided parallel to the main displacement direction. The guide members have a guiding surface (36) facing the motor block. The motor block in turn has guidance surfaces (37) facing the guiding surface of the guide members. The guiding surface or the guidance surface has a tangent line parallel to the main displacement direction.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for the movement of an object along an axis of motion comprises two clamping elements and a drive element disposed between the two clamping elements which enables a relative movement of the two clamping elements along the axis of motion. Each clamping element comprises a base body and two clamping jaws, wherein a piezo-actuator is disposed between the base body and at least one of the two clamping jaws, which can produce a clamping force acting on the object which is directed transversely to the axis of motion. The base bodies of the two clamping elements are connected by at least two expansible elements. The drive element comprises a further piezo-actuator, which enables the relative displacement of the two clamping elements along the axis of motion. The drive mechanism is suitable for application in a micro-valve.

Abstract: A linear drive ultrasonic motor includes at least an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a driven member which is driven by a frictional force between the driven member and the ultrasonic vibrator, a pressing member which presses the ultrasonic vibrator such that a frictional force is generated between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member, a guiding mechanism which movably supports the driven member, and a case member which accommodates the ultrasonic vibrator, the pressing member, and the guiding means. The case member includes a first opening portion for making the driven member pass through, and a second opening portion which opens in a direction different from a direction in which the first opening portion opens and a direction of pressing by the pressing member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a piezoelectric linear motor that can make relatively low abrasion and accurate linear movement since stationary AC voltages are applied to two piezoelectric elements with a phase difference. The present invention provides a piezoelectric linear motor, comprising: a piezoelectric substrate having a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element, wherein AC voltages are applied to the first and second piezoelectric elements with a phase difference; a metallic elastic body having first and second elastic bodies coupled to the piezoelectric elements and a central protrusion protruded at the central portion connecting the first and second elastic bodies, wherein the central protrusion oscillates elliptically during an application of the voltage; and a mover brought into contact with the central protrusion of the metallic elastic body for a linear movement, and wherein the movement of the mover is orthogonal to the central protrusion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric element; a stator comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the piezoelectric element is disposed on the first surface and a plurality of projections are formed on the second surface; a rotor comprising an operating portion that contacts the plurality of projections and that rotates via waves of the stator generated by the piezoelectric element, wherein a part of each of the plurality of projections that contacts the operating portion comprises a curved contact portion.

Abstract: In a universal drive with a rotatable or linearly movable drive member and piezo actuators supported on a carrier for acting on a leg supported on the drive member and moving the leg in a high-frequency stepping sequence in a drive direction, wherein the carriers are jointly supported on a stator by a pretension member which biases them elastically toward the drive member via an elbow lever mechanism including a first elbow lever and at least a second elbow lever which are both connected to an actuator by a coupling member and this arrangement is such that, with the first elbow lever stretched, the second elbow lever is kinked and vice versa.

Abstract: A motor which includes two drive elements, especially piezoelectric bending actuators, having effective directions that are perpendicular to each other. These actuators act upon a drive ring to thereby rotate a shaft. Two tension-compression bars, which are parallel to an effective direction, are connected to the drive ring, have respective joints at their ends and are connected to the ends of a diagonal bar, relative to which the ring can be displaced in the other effective direction. The diagonal bar itself can be displaced relative to fixing elements to an effective direction via a diagonal suspension. The drive is compact, having actuators that are non-radially hinged to the ring.

Abstract: A drive unit includes an ultrasonic actuator having an actuator body generating vibration, and diver elements attached to the actuator body to output drive force by generating orbit motion in response to the vibration of the actuator body; and a movable body contacting the driver elements, and relatively moving with respect to the ultrasonic actuator. In a surface of the movable body, which contacts the driver elements, smoothed portions are interleaved with recessed portions which are recessed with respect to the smoothed portions.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator may be provided in which generation of a stress is prevented in the connection face of the piezoelectric element between the electrodes and the conductive members. The ultrasonic actuator includes a piezoelectric element (P1) and flexible cables (F1). The piezoelectric element (P1) includes: a piezoelectric layer (1); a power supply electrode (2) provided on a principal surface of the piezoelectric layer (1); a counter electrode (3) provided to face the power supply electrode (2) with the piezoelectric layer (1) interposed therebetween; a power supply external electrode (4) which is provided on a short-side surface of the piezoelectric element (P1), and is electrically coupled to the power supply electrode (2); and a counter external electrode (5) which is provided on a short-side surface of the piezoelectric element (P1), and is electrically coupled to the counter electrode (3).

Abstract: An electromechanical actuator comprises a bimorph element (10) of an electromechanical material. The bimorph element (10) is controllably bendable in a first direction (15) by application of three voltage potentials to electrodes (41, 42, 43) of the bimorph element (10). The electromechanical actuator further comprises three conductive film areas (55, 56, 57) provided at a first side (51) of the bimorph element (10), which first side (51) is parallel to the first direction (15). The three conductive film areas (55, 56, 57) are electrically decoupled from each other. Furthermore, each of the three conductive film areas (55, 56, 57) is connected to at least one respective one of the electrodes (41, 42, 43). A method for manufacturing such an electromechanical actuator is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is provided a linear drive ultrasonic motor which is capable of achieving a stable thrust, and which has fewer restrictions regarding a relationship with an external apparatus. The linear drive ultrasonic motor includes at least an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a driven member which is driven by a frictional force between the driven member and the ultrasonic vibrator, a pressing member which presses the ultrasonic vibrator such that a frictional force is generated between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member, a case member which accommodates the ultrasonic vibrator and the pressing member, and a base member which movably supports the driven member, and the case member is assembled with the base member, in a state of a central portion of the pressing member making a contact with the ultrasonic vibrator, and two end portions sandwiching at least the central portion, from among the end portions of the pressing member making a contact with the case member.

Abstract: A linear drive ultrasonic motor includes at least an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a driven member which is driven relatively by a frictional force between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member, a plurality of coupling members which are coupled with the driven member, a frame body which is coupled with the coupling member, a bias applying member which applies a bias to the driven member by the ultrasonic vibrator, a base member which movably supports the driven member, and a rolling member having a spherical shape which movably supports the driven member with respect to the base member. The plurality of coupling members include a positioning portion which determines a position of the respective frame body, and which have a shape which enables to fix by a point contact, sandwiching the frame body.

Abstract: The piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element structure (100) which has at least one piezoelectric element (120), and a working edge (130) for directing driving force on a driven body (MB), wherein the working edge (130) oscillates in response to deformation of the piezoelectric element (120). The piezoelectric actuator further includes a driver circuit (300) for applying voltage to the piezoelectric element (120); and a drive control circuit (200) for inducing oscillation of the working edge (130) by supplying a drive signal (DV, #DV) of rectangular waveform to the driver circuit (300). The drive control circuit (200) is capable of reversing the drive direction of the driven body (MB) by changing the duty ratio of the drive signal (DV, #DV).

Abstract: An exemplary piezoelectric driving module includes a movable barrel, a fixed barrel receiving the movable barrel, a piezoelectric actuator, and a spring member. The piezoelectric actuator is configured for moving the movable barrel relative to the fixed barrel. The piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric body mounted on the sidewall of the fixed barrel and a friction member mounted on the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body is configured for driving the friction member to generate elliptical vibration. The friction member is in frictional contact with the movable barrel. The spring member connects the movable barrel to the fixed barrel. The spring member is configured for providing an resilient force to make the movable barrel be in frictional contact with the friction member such that the friction member can be driven by the piezoelectric body to move the movable barrel along the central axis of the fixed barrel.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator has a piezoelectric element and a frictional portion. The piezoelectric element simultaneously generates first and second vibration modes in response to a voltage applied thereto. The frictional portion is arranged on an outer surface of the piezoelectric element and adapted to come into contact with a body to be driven and cause a frictional force therewith. The frictional portion has a glass-containing portion containing a glass material and being aimed such as to project from the outer surface of the piezoelectric element. Without restricting the size of the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric actuator inhibits its driving state from fluctuating.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic actuator, preferably for use in an ultrasonic motor, in the form of a piezoelectric plate with a length L, height H and thickness t, wherein the piezoelectric plate has a lateral plane of symmetry Sq, a longitudinal plane of symmetry Sl and at least two main surfaces, and the piezoelectric plate comprises at least two generators symmetrically disposed with respect to plane of symmetry Sq for generating ultrasonic standing waves.

Abstract: An SIDM device 1 is provided with a columnar piezoelectric element 2 which expands and contracts in the axial direction by the application of a voltage, a columnar-shaped driving rod 3 which is fixed to the end surface of the piezoelectric element 2 in the axial direction and is displaced by the expiation and contraction of the piezoelectric element 2, a supporting member 4 which has a fixed portion 40 fixed to the driving rod 3 and supports the piezoelectric element 2 and the driving rod 3 with the fixed portion 40 between the supporting member 4, and the piezoelectric element 2 and the driving rod 3, and a moving body 5 which is frictionally engaged with the driving rod 3 and moves in the axial direction of the driving rod 3. A central axis L2 of the piezoelectric element 2 and a central axis L3 of the driving rod 3 are offset to each other, and the central axis L3 of the driving rod 3 and a central axis L4 of the driving rod 3 in the axial direction in the entire fixed portion 40 are offset to each other.

Abstract: A driving apparatus is capable of efficiently transmitting a reciprocating displacement of an electromechanical transducer element to a movement member and of effectively utilizing a vacant space. The driving apparatus includes an electromechanical transducer element having first and second end faces opposed to each other in a direction of expansion and contraction thereof, a vibration friction portion attached to the second end face of the electromechanical transducer element, and a movement member friction-bonded to the vibration friction portion. The movement member is movable along the direction of expansion and contraction of the electromechanical transducer element. The driving apparatus includes a vibration transmission member arranged between the second end face of the electromechanical transducer element and an end face of the vibration friction portion. A central axis of the electromechanical transducer element and a central axis of the vibration friction portion are not on the same line.

Abstract: A drive device includes an actuator, a fixed member, a movable member, rotating members, and a guide member. The actuator is arranged on the fixed member, and includes a piezoelectric element and at least two drivers on the piezoelectric element in parallel with the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The movable member moves by the drivers on the fixed member. The rotating members are located between the fixed member and the movable member to support the movable member. The guide member is arranged on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member, and guides movement of the rotating members in a direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The drivers are located between the rotating members in the direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic linear motor (1) comprising a plate-type ultrasonic oscillator (2) with two planar parallel main faces, two end faces and two lateral faces and a displaceable element (9) that engages with at least one guide rail (10) and has two friction parts, said element interacting with the ultrasonic oscillator to cause friction via the lateral faces of the friction parts. The lateral faces of the ultrasonic oscillator are planar and are inclined at the same angle in relation to a longitudinal plane of symmetry, in such a way that the intersection lines between the planes of the lateral faces and the longitudinal plane of symmetry run parallel to the main faces of the ultrasonic oscillator. The friction parts of the displaceable element are interconnected by springs.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic actuator, piezoelectric layers and internal electrode layers are stacked. External electrodes are formed on a principal surface exposed to an outside of the outermost piezoelectric layer. Side electrodes connected to the internal electrode layers and the external electrodes are formed on side surfaces of a body including the piezoelectric layers and the internal electrode layers. A first divided electrode and a first external electrode are connected together by a plurality of side electrodes. A second divided electrode and a second external electrode are connected together by a plurality of side electrodes. A minus electrode layer and a third external electrode are connected together by a plurality of side electrodes.

Abstract: A stator and a piezo ultrasonic motor including the same. The piezo ultrasonic motor includes a stator including an elastic body having a flat portion at its outer surface and a central hole penetrating the center of the stator with a predetermined size, and a piezoelectric body including a first internal piezoelectric body and a second internal piezoelectric body integrally disposed parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the flat portion and providing an external force deforming the elastic body when an AC voltage is applied, a rotor inserted in the central hole and including a contact frictionally contacting an inner surface of the central hole, an elastic part providing an elastic force maintaining close attachment of the contact to the stator. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost decreases by reducing the number of elements and simplifying a structure, and a stable driving characteristic can be achieved.

Abstract: A stator and a piezo ultrasonic motor including the same. The piezo ultrasonic motor includes a stator including an elastic body having a flat portion at its outer surface and a central hole penetrating the center of the stator with a predetermined size, and a piezoelectric body including a first internal piezoelectric body and a second internal piezoelectric body integrally disposed parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the flat portion and providing an external force deforming the elastic body when an AC voltage is applied, a rotor inserted in the central hole and including a contact frictionally contacting an inner surface of the central hole, an elastic part providing an elastic force maintaining close attachment of the contact to the stator. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost decreases by reducing the number of elements and simplifying a structure, and a stable driving characteristic can be achieved.

Abstract: A vibration wave driving device comprises a vibrator having an electromechanical conversion device, a supporting member for supporting the vibrator, and a driven member brought into contact with a part of the vibrator driven frictionally by vibration excited in the vibrator: the supporting member comprising a vibration portion vibrating together with the vibrator, a fixation portion for fixing the supporting member, and a support portion for connecting the vibration portion with the fixation portion and supporting the vibrator; and the support portion being comprised of a laminate of sheets.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator including a piezoelectric element and an elongate transducer mounted on the piezoelectric element. The transducer is formed from an elongate cylindrical member, and at least one helical slot is provided around the outer surface of the cylindrical member to enable coupling of resonance modes of the transducer when actuated by the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor produces elliptical vibration by inducing longitudinal vibration and flexural vibration at the same time and drives a driven body by obtaining a drive power from the elliptical vibration. The ultrasonic motor includes a piezoelectric device, reinforcing members which are provided at the antinodes of the flexural vibration on the top side of the piezoelectric device, friction contact members which are provided at the antinodes of the flexural vibration on the bottom side of the piezoelectric device so as to transmit the driving force to the driven body, a holding member which is provided on the piezoelectric device and positioned and held by a case, and a pressure member which presses the holding member so that the friction contact members are brought into a pressure contact with the driven body such that the driven body can be driven by friction.

Abstract: A driving method is for a driving apparatus including an electro-mechanical transducer having first and second end surfaces opposite to each other in an expansion/contraction direction, a vibration friction portion mounted to the second end surface of the electro-mechanical transducer, a moving member frictionally coupled to the vibration friction portion, and a vibration transfer member disposed between the second end surface of said electro-mechanical transducer and an end surface of said vibration friction portion, whereby moving the moving member in the expansion/contraction direction of the electro-mechanical transducer. The driving method includes subjecting the electro-mechanical transducer to reciprocating displacement in a sawtooth waveform and transferring the reciprocating displacement of the electro-mechanical transducer to the vibration friction portion through the vibration transfer member, thereby linearly driving the moving member in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: A piezoelectric ceramic that includes barium titanate and 0.04 mass % or more and 0.20 mass % or less manganese relative to barium titanate. The piezoelectric ceramic is composed of crystal grains. The crystal grains include crystal grains A having an equivalent circular diameter of 30 ?m or more and 300 ?m or less and crystal grains B having an equivalent circular diameter of 0.5 ?m or more and 3 ?m or less. The crystal grains A and the crystal grains B individually form aggregates and the aggregates of the crystal grains A and the aggregates of the crystal grains B form a sea-island structure.

Abstract: An inertial driving actuator includes a fixing member, a moving element that is fixed to the fixing member and generates a small displacement by extension and contraction, an oscillation substrate that is fixed to the moving element and is moved linearly reciprocally by the small displacement, and a moving body that is moved by reciprocal movement of the oscillation substrate. The moving body has a first electrode. The oscillation substrate has a second electrode, the area of the facing portion of the second electrode and the first electrode changing continuously as the moving body moves. The actuator further includes a frictional force controller that controls a frictional force generated between the oscillation substrate and moving body, and a position detector that detects the position of the moving body on the basis of the electrostatic capacitance of the facing portion of the first electrode and the second electrode.

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: Damage of a piezoelectric element due to deformation of a piezoelectric element beyond an elastic limit is prevented. An ultrasonic actuator (2) includes an actuator body (4), a case (5), and a support unit (6). The support unit (6) includes two support rubbers (61) and a connection rubber (63), provided between the case (5) and the actuator body (4), for applying compression force to the actuator body (4) in advance at non-node portions of the vibrations of the actuator body (4) from both sides in the vibration direction of longitudinal vibration. The connection rubber (63) includes center portions (64a), end portions (64b), and reduced-material portions (67) having a lower stiffness than those of the center portions (64a) and the end portions (64b). When the support unit (6) is placed between the case (5) and the actuator body (4), at least the connection rubber (63) is compression-deformed at the reduced-material portions (67).

Abstract: A drive device includes a stator; a rotatably provided drive member; a piezoelectric element, which is nipped between the stator and the drive member in a tangential line direction of a rotation locus circle of the drive member, and expands and contracts in the tangential line direction at an expansion speed at the time of the expansion and a contraction speed at the time of the contraction, respectively, the expansion speed and the contraction speed different from each other; and a rotor provided concentrically with the drive member to touch the drive member with a pressure.

Abstract: In a linear driving device 7, in which a driving shaft 21 vibrates in an axial direction by a vibration member 17, as a result of which a movable body 3 that is frictionally contact with the driving shaft 21 slides along the axial direction of the driving shaft 21, the vibration member 17 includes a piezoelectric element 23 and a vibrator 19 made of a metal plate having elasticity; the vibrator 19 is fixed to the piezoelectric element 23 by superimposing plate faces thereof; the driving shaft 21 has a trunk 25 along which the movable body 3 slides, and an end portion 26 to be fixed to the vibrator 19; a base surface 24 of the end portion 26 abuts with and is fixed to the vibrator 19; and an area of the base surface 24 is smaller than a cross sectional area of the trunk 25.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a piezoelectric motor. The piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric vibrating body, a dummy piezoelectric sheet layer and a contact member. The piezoelectric vibrating body is configured such that piezoelectric sheets on which electrode patterns are printed are stacked on one on another. The dummy piezoelectric sheet layer is provided on the piezoelectric vibrating body. The contact member is provided on the outer surface of the dummy piezoelectric sheet layer. The contact member transmits vibrations generated from the piezoelectric vibrating body to the outside. Therefore, the piezoelectric motor can minimize a problem in which vibration characteristics vary attributable to contact between a contact member and an electrode pattern of a piezoelectric vibrating body.

Abstract: In the invention, each piezoelectric element for a vibrator for an ultrasonic motor has electrode regions for exciting stretching vibration and flexural vibration separately. Thus, the invention provides a vibrator for an ultrasonic motor, in which electrodes are provided for applying voltage to each of the polarized region, and further provides a stack-type piezoelectric vibrator for an ultrasonic motor, consisting of a stack of the said vibrators and having an extraction electrode pattern provided for short circuit with an external electrode. The vibrator of the invention has high controllability, especially in a fine movement region and is useful as a driving source in a positioning device, in which enhanced vibration efficiency can be obtained.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor has a cylindrical rotor for performing a mechanical output, a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators each having two points in internal contact with the rotor, and a preload mechanism for pressing the ultrasonic vibrators from an inside toward an outside of the rotor, and the ultrasonic vibrators are provided to be rotatable relative to the preload mechanism. With this configuration, an internal contact type ultrasonic motor capable of performing efficient drive by using a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators each in contact with a cylindrical rotor at two points and allowing contact at all contact points without requiring a high machining accuracy can be provided.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer that excites longitudinal vibration has a piezoelectric element, and a reinforcing member that is laminated with and affixed to the piezoelectric element and has a first void part. The first void part includes the center part of a location where strain produced by longitudinal vibration in the piezoelectric transducer or the reinforcing member or piezoelectric element is greatest.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor, which drives a driven member using an elliptical vibration produced by synthesizing a longitudinal vibrational mode and a flexural vibrational mode as a drive force, is configured as follows. Namely, the ultrasonic motor includes a piezoelectric device, and a feed member feeding the piezoelectric device. An extensional axis of the feed member is set to an axis different from main vibrational axes of the longitudinal vibrational mode and the flexural vibrational mode.

Abstract: A cylindrical piezoelectric element is arranged to share an axis with a cylindrical vibrator having different diameters at central and end portions to fix the vibrator forming a gap at the central portion. Vibration voltages are applied across first electrodes on the piezoelectric element and the vibrator, namely, a second electrode, to vibrate the vibrator and bring a wave front of a traveling wave into contact with a tubular member, i.e., a supporting member fitted to the vibrator. Friction at a contact portion of the vibrator moves a mover including the vibrator and the piezoelectric element in an axial direction of the tubular member. By amplifying the vibration amplitude using the vibrator provided separately from the piezoelectric element, a small actuator capable of performing high-speed driving is realized.

Abstract: A drive (1) for driving an object to be driven (14) in a predetermined direction comprises a plurality of guide means (18) which are fixed to a substrate (11) and extend in a predetermined direction, respectively, output means (2) for outputting the driving force in the direction along the direction in which the plurality of guide means extend from an output terminal section (20) to at least one of the plurality of guide means and advancing with the object to be driven in parallel by being coupled to the object to be driven, and a control means (100) for controlling each of a plurality of output means so that the plurality of output means output the drive force at a desired time.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator includes an actuator body configured by alternately stacking piezoelectric layers, and a positive and a negative electrode layers. The positive electrode layer includes a first through a fourth positive split electrodes and a positive diagonal-connection electrode connecting together the first and the third positive split electrodes. The second and the fourth positive split electrodes are connected together outside the positive electrode layer. The negative electrode layer includes a first through a fourth negative split electrodes and a negative diagonal-connection electrode connecting together the first and the third negative split electrodes. The second and the fourth negative split electrodes are connected together outside the negative electrode layer.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor mechanism includes an ultrasonic vibrator that includes a piezoelectric element; a driven member that is driven relative to the ultrasonic vibrator because of a frictional force generated between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member; a coupling member that is coupled to the driven member; a first urging member that urges the ultrasonic vibrator with the driven member; a base member that movably supports the driven member; and a spherical rolling member that movably supports the driven member with respect to the base member. By interposing a second urging member between the driven member and the coupling member, the driven member is urged in a longitudinal direction. The driven member and the coupling member are coupled to each other by causing the driven member to abut the coupling member.

Abstract: Piezoelectric motor that provides high speed and bi-directional operation. A first rotor is disposed about a first shaft, and a second rotor separate from the first rotor is disposed about the first shaft and a second shaft. Each of the rotors and shafts are centered on a common axis. An annular shaped first piezoelement is centered on the axis and fixed to the housing. First and second annular piezoelements are disposed within the first rotor, configured to motivate rotation of the second shaft in a first rotation direction when stimulated with a first exciter voltage. The third and fourth piezoelement are disposed within the second rotor, configured to motivate rotation of the second shaft in a second direction (opposed from the first direction) when stimulated with an exciter voltage.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic motor having a multilayer actuator in the form of a multilayer plate, having one or more friction elements or friction layers on its side surfaces and having an electrical exciter apparatus for the actuator. According to the invention, the multilayer plate has two intersecting, mirror-imaged asymmetrical generators for ultrasonic vibrations, to be precise in the form of layers of exciter electrodes and general electrodes which are alternately arranged with layers of piezoelectric ceramic, wherein a two-dimensional asymmetrical acoustic standing wave is generated in the multilayer actuator.