Abstract: An ultrasonic motor for driving a driven object with a multi-degree of freedom includes a vibrator configured to simultaneously excite two vibration modes to generate an elliptic vibration on an output surface thereof, a driven object configured to be driven by the elliptic vibration generated on the output surface, and a driving element interposed between the output surface and the driven object. The driven object includes a spherical portion to be brought into contact with at least the output surface via the driving element. The elliptic vibration exhibits different vibration amplitudes at different positions on the output surface. The output surface includes a plurality of regions which exhibit greater vibration amplitudes than other regions on the output surface. The driving element includes a contact portion with at least two regions exhibiting greater vibration amplitudes than other regions of the contact portion, and is provided on the output surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-dimensional micro-actuator comprising a stator having a plurality of symmetrically arranged electrode piezoelectric plates, a rotator disposed near the stator, and a plurality of contacting elements. Each of the symmetrically arranged electrode piezoelectric plates comprises a piezoelectric plate, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The first and second electrodes are symmetrically arranged on a first surface of the piezoelectric plate. A second surface of the piezoelectric plate is coupled to the ground. The contacting elements are disposed on the electrode piezoelectric plates for rotation of the rotator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes: a base; first and second piezoelectric elements that are provided symmetrically on the base to face with each other, the first and second piezoelectric elements actuating in opposite directions; first and second displacement enlarging mechanisms that respectively enlarge actuating displacements of the first and second piezoelectric elements through first and second levers that rotate around first and second fulcrums fixed to the base; first and second leaf springs that are respectively coupled to action points of the first and second levers at one ends thereof; and an actuating portion that is coupled to the other ends of the first and second leaf springs and swings in accordance with actuation of the first and the second piezoelectric elements, the actuating portion being urged against a driven member to actuate the driven member with a frictional force.

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: An ultrasonic motor is configured as follows. Namely, the ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator, a rotor, a press mechanism, a frame, and a regulating unit. The vibrator's section perpendicular to a central axis has a rectangular shape, in which a ratio of a short side to a long side that form the rectangular shape is set to a predetermined value. And the vibrator generates an elliptic vibration by simultaneously exciting a longitudinal vibration stretching along the central axis, and a torsional vibration. The rotor mechanism abuts against an elliptic vibration generating surface of the vibrator and is driven by the elliptic vibration to rotate using the central axis as an axis of rotation. The press mechanism presses the vibrator against the rotor mechanism. The frame supports the rotor mechanism and the vibrator. The regulating unit regulates rotation of the vibrator by clamping the vibrator together with the frame.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator having reduced sizes, a lens barrel and an optical device. A piezoelectric actuator is provided with: a first actuator including first piezoelectric elements to be displaced in a first direction; a second actuator, which includes second piezoelectric elements to be displaced in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and is arranged in a direction intersecting with the first direction with respect to the first actuator; and a relative displacement member, which is arranged between the first actuator and the second actuator and can be relatively displaced in the first direction with respect to the first actuator.

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: 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 actuator (3) includes an actuator body (4) performing a plurality of vibrations including a bending vibration, and a driver element (5) which is attached to a long side surface (40b) of the actuator body (4), and outputs a driving force by making an orbit motion in response to the vibrations of the actuator body (4). The driver element (5) is provided with an attachment surface (51), and is attached to the long side surface (40b) with the attachment surface (51) in surface contact with the long side surface (40b). A width of the attachment surface (51) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b) is smaller than a maximum width of the driver element (5) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b).

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: An ultrasonic actuator includes: a piezoelectric element 1 for generating a bending vibration and a stretching vibration; and a driver element 2 attached to a surface of the piezoelectric element 1 facing the direction of the bending vibration in point contact with the piezoelectric element 1 and actuated in accordance with the vibration of the piezoelectric element 1 to output driving force.

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: Elliptical vibrations are generated by combining longitudinal primary resonance vibrations resulting from expansion and contraction of a vibrator in a direction of a central axis and torsional secondary resonance vibrations or torsional tertiary resonance vibrations resulting from twisting of the vibrator around the central axis. A dimension ratio of a rectangle of the vibrator is set such that a resonance frequency of the longitudinal primary resonance vibrations and a resonance frequency of the torsional secondary resonance vibrations or the torsional tertiary resonance vibrations almost match. The vibrator includes a plurality of piezoelectric sheets. The longitudinal primary resonance vibrations and the torsional secondary resonance vibrations or the torsional tertiary resonance vibrations are generated because of formation of activation regions by polarization in a thickness direction of the piezoelectric sheets.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator, a mobile unit, a holding mechanism, and a pressing mechanism. The vibrator generates elliptical vibration by degenerating different vibration modes and having a phase difference between the different vibration modes. The mobile unit is configured to be movable relative to the vibrator. The holding mechanism holds and fixes the vibrator in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of the relative movement of the mobile unit. The pressing mechanism presses the vibrator against the mobile unit. The holding mechanism includes an adjustment unit for adjusting the resonant frequencies of the different vibration modes of the vibrator to substantially match each other when the ultrasonic motor is driven.

Abstract: Disclosed are a piezoelectric drive unit (10) and a method for operating such a drive unit in order to adjust movable parts (11), especially in a motor vehicle. Said piezoelectric drive unit (10) comprises at least one piezo motor (12) that is fitted with at least one piezo actuator (18). At least one frictional element (30) of the piezo motor (12) makes it possible to generate a relative movement in relation to a frictional surface (14) located across from the frictional element (30). Said at least one frictional element (30) is disposed on a bridging web (28) of the motor (12). The bridging web (28) places the frictional element (30) at a distance (2) from the central axis (89) of the at least one piezo actuator (18), said central axis (89) extending in a longitudinal direction (19).

Abstract: The invention relates to a piezoelectric drive device for adjusting movable parts (11), particularly in a motor vehicle, having a piezo motor (12) having at least one piezo actuator comprising an electric piezo element, wherein at least one friction element (30) is disposed on the piezo motor (12), said element interacting with a friction surface (14) of at least one guide rail (16) opposite said friction element (30) for creating a relative movement, wherein the friction surface is positioned opposite of the friction element (30), wherein the at least one piezo motor (12) is supported on a first side (94) of a bearing bracket (8) and a counter element (98) is disposed on a second opposite side (95) of the bearing bracket (8), which exerts a counter force (97) to the friction element (30) onto the at least one guide rail (16).

Abstract: To provide a vibration actuator, a lens barrel, a camera, a manufacturing method for a vibration body and a manufacturing method for a vibration actuator, which have a high driving efficiency and can lead to easy manufacture. A vibration actuator of the present invention is provided with an elastic body and an electromechanical transducer element sintered onto the elastic body in the state that the element is divided into a plurality of areas by a groove-shaped border portion.

Abstract: A prestress-adjustable piezoelectric gripping device is provided, in which a prestressing device adjusts a prestressing force applied to a piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric unit on the basis of a feedback signal from a force-sensing unit, so as to adjust the friction between the piezoelectric unit and a gripping unit. By utilizing the deformation of the piezoelectric element to drive the gripping unit many times, the gripping velocity and gripping force of the gripping unit can be controlled, and the prestress-adjustable piezoelectric gripping device of the invention can achieve a long driving displacement while maintaining high precision.

Abstract: It is an subject of the present invention to provide a vibration actuator in which a plurality of rotors can be driven by a single vibration unit. When a composite vibrator (2) is driven to generate a composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations, a first stator (3) and a second stator (4) vibrate, thereby causing elliptical movements in corner portions (8) and (9) of the first stator (3) and the second stator (4), respectively. As a result, a first rotor (A) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion (8) of the first stator (3) and a second rotor (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion (9) of the second stator (4) are rotated at the same time. Further, in this case, by selecting vibration modes of the plurality of vibrations constituting the composite vibration, the two rotors (A) and (B) can be rotated in the same direction or in opposite directions with respect to each other.

Abstract: An actuator unit including a friction drive actuator, a driving device for information recording/reading head, an information recording/reading apparatus and a method for driving the actuator unit which can achieve both high precision and high speed is provided by waiting the residual vibration to attenuate or forcibly attenuating the residual vibration to achieve high speed positioning by driving the friction drive actuator in the expansion and contraction mode after a high speed movement in the resonant drive mode.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer, and a first and a second electrodes, the first electrode provided on one surface side of the piezoelectric layer, and the second electrode provided on the other surface side of the piezoelectric layer; a piezoelectric actuator having a vibrating member anchored to the first electrode of the piezoelectric element; and a rotational shaft with which the vibrating member makes contact and is rotated thereby.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes: a piezoelectric actuator; and a driven portion. The piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element and a vibration member. The piezoelectric element has a piezoelectric layer and a first and a second electrode provided on both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer, respectively, and the vibration member is fixed on the first electrode side of the piezoelectric element. The driven portion which is rotated by the protrusion portion of the vibration member vibrated by the piezoelectric element, while the driven portion being abutted thereon. In the piezoelectric motor, a plurality of grooves which are open at a tip end surface of the protrusion portion and penetrate in a thickness direction are provided on a plurality of points of the protrusion portion along a rotation direction of a rotation shaft of the driven portion.

Abstract: In a polymer actuator provided with a first polymer structural member having a conductive property, an electrolyte retention layer electrically connected to the first polymer structural member, and a second polymer structural member electrically connected to the first polymer structural member through the electrolyte retention layer interposed therebetween and having a conductive property, and by applying a potential difference between the first polymer structural member and the second polymer structural member, the first polymer structural member and the second polymer structural member are allowed to expand and contract, by displacement of the second polymer structural member, the potential difference between the first polymer structural member and the second polymer structural member is changed.

Abstract: A driving system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes a structure and a vibration system. The structure has at least one point to frictional couple to and drive a movable element in one of at least two directions. The structure also has at least two bending modes which each have a different resonant frequency. The vibration system applies two or more vibration signals which are at a vibration frequency to each of the bending modes of the structure. The vibration frequency is substantially the same as one of the resonant frequencies. At the vibration frequency one of the bending modes of the structure is vibrating substantially at resonance and the other of the bending modes of the structure is vibrating at partial resonance. The vibration system adjusts a phase shift between the two or more applied vibration signals to control which one of the at least two directions the moveable element is moved.

Abstract: A multilayered piezoelectric element in which first internal electrodes include first exposed portions formed at the end portion of a first piezoelectric material. And the second internal electrodes include second exposed portions formed at the end portion of a second piezoelectric material.

Abstract: The drive efficiency of a vibratory actuator is improved without increasing a weight of a driver element. An ultrasonic actuator (2) includes an actuator body (4) for generating longitudinal vibration and bending vibration, and driver elements (8), provided on a mounting surface (40a) which is one of side surfaces of the actuator body (4), for making an orbit motion according to the vibrations of the actuator body (4) to output driving force. In the driver element (8), a through hole (80) is provided.

Abstract: When a piezoelectric ceramic sheet is divided into two equal parts in a longitudinal direction and two equal parts in a width direction to form four regions, internal electrodes are disposed over each region and are disposed so that surface areas occupied in each region are substantially the same, and a longitudinal vibration is detected based on a potential difference between the internal electrodes.

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 piezoelectric drive device includes a piezoelectric actuator and a rotation transfer device. The piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrator and a rotor that is rotated in one specific direction by the vibrator. The rotation transfer device transmits rotational energy from the rotor to a driven rotating body, and includes an elastic device that stores rotational energy and a rotation limiting device having a drive wheel and a driven wheel. The rotation transfer device allows the driven wheel to rotate a specific angle, and restricts driving the drive wheel. The elastic device and the rotation limiting device are disposed so that rotational energy transmitted from the rotor is transmitted through one to the other of the elastic device and the rotation limiting device. The rotor, the elastic device, and the rotation limiting device render a serial path for transmitting rotational energy.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor includes a piezoresonator body (3) having opposing front and back surfaces and opposing first and second end surfaces. The front (17) and the back (18) surfaces are substantially parallel to first (15) and second (16) longitudinal axes of the piezoresonator body. The end surfaces (2) are substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis and substantially parallel to the second longitudinal axis and are separated by a length (L) of the piezoresonator body. The motor also includes at least one common electrode (6) disposed on the back surface and at least 6n excitation electrodes (7-12) disposed across the front surface in two symmetric rows extending along L, where n is an integer ?1. In the motor, the piezoelectric body has an nth order longitudinal vibration frequency (?1) along L and a 3nth order bending vibration frequency (?2) along L, and where ?1 and ?2 are substantially equal.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor in which longitudinal vibration and flexural vibration are induced at the same time to generate elliptical vibration and driving force is obtained from the elliptical vibration to drive a driven body relatively. The ultrasonic motor includes a piezoelectric device, friction contact members which are disposed on the piezoelectric device to transmit the driving force to the driven body, a holding member which is disposed on the piezoelectric device and positioned and held within a case, a pressure member which is formed integrally with the holding member to press the friction contact members to the driven body via the piezoelectric device so that the driven body is capable of being driven under friction, and a pressure adjusting mechanism which adjusts the pressure of the pressure member to be applied to the piezoelectric device.

Abstract: A ultrasonic motor includes a piezoelectric device, and friction contact members moves a driven body by a elliptical vibration. And the ultrasonic motor includes a holder member which is disposed corresponding to a node of a longitudinal vibration or in the vicinity thereof on the face of the piezoelectric device and a node of a flexural vibration or in the vicinity thereof, the holder member having an engagement convex portion and being provided with a pair of sliding contact projection portions, a position limiting member which has accommodation holes each constituted of a sliding contact concave portion for accommodating the sliding contact projection portion such that it makes a sliding contact therewith freely and an engagement concave portion for accommodating the engagement convex portion, and a pressure member which presses the holder member so as to bring the friction contact members into pressure contact with the driven body.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator (3) includes an actuator body (4) performing a plurality of vibrations including a bending vibration, and a driver element (5) which is attached to a long side surface (40b) of the actuator body (4), and outputs a driving force by making an orbit motion in response to the vibrations of the actuator body (4). The driver element (5) is provided with an attachment surface (51), and is attached to the long side surface (40b) with the attachment surface (51) in surface contact with the long side surface (40b). A width of the attachment surface (51) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b) is smaller than a maximum width of the driver element (5) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b).

Abstract: A prestress-adjustable piezoelectric gripping device is provided, in which a prestressing device adjusts a prestressing force applied to a piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric unit on the basis of a feedback signal from a force-sensing unit, so as to adjust the friction between the piezoelectric unit and a gripping unit. By utilizing the deformation of the piezoelectric element to drive the gripping unit many times, the gripping velocity and gripping force of the gripping unit can be controlled, and the prestress-adjustable piezoelectric gripping device of the invention can achieve a long driving displacement while maintaining high precision.

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: In a friction drive actuator 1 according to the invention, a rotor 2 and a stator 4 are held in contact at a plurality of positions by a plurality of vibrators 3, and at least one of the vibrators 3 vibrates to rotate the rotor 2 relative to the stator 4. Accordingly, the rotor 2 is supported without using a bearing and, hence, the rotor 2 can be more easily elastically deformed as compared with the case where the rotor 2 and the stator 4 are held in contact over the entire circumference. Therefore, a frictional force between the stator 4 and the rotor can be stabilized.

Abstract: A vibration type driving apparatus includes a vibrating member configured to simultaneously generate a plurality of standing wave vibrations to cause an elliptic motion on surfaces located at nodes of the standing wave vibration, a driving unit formed on the surface located at the node to perform the elliptic motion, and a moving member configured to contact the driving unit and to be driven by the elliptic motion. The driving unit protrudes from a surface of the vibrating member, and includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit that are formed to sandwich the moving member in a perpendicular direction to the surface. The first driving unit and the second driving unit are located at the nodes that are separated by odd-number times a half-wave length of the standing wave vibration, and located where the directions of the elliptic motions are opposite to each other.

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 actuator (3) includes an actuator body (4) performing a plurality of vibrations including a bending vibration, and a driver element (5) which is attached to a long side surface (40b) of the actuator body (4), and outputs a driving force by making an orbit motion in response to the vibrations of the actuator body (4). The driver element (5) is provided with an attachment surface (51), and is attached to the long side surface (40b) with the attachment surface (51) in surface contact with the long side surface (40b). A width of the attachment surface (51) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b) is smaller than a maximum width of the driver element (5) in the longitudinal direction of the long side surface (40b).

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: Piezoelectric vibrators provided with an electrode that includes a drive electrode and adjustment electrodes formed in advance on part of the electrode; the drive electrode and adjustment electrodes that are initially electrically connected to each other are electrically cutoff and insulated from each other by cutting conductive parts between the drive electrode and adjustment electrodes, or the mutually insulated drive electrode and adjustment electrodes are electrically connected using solder, a wire, or another electrically conductive member, whereby the characteristic frequencies are adjusted.

Abstract: A driving system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes a structure and a vibration system. The structure has at least one point to frictional couple to and drive a movable element in one of at least two directions. The structure also has at least two bending modes which each have a different resonant frequency. The vibration system applies two or more vibration signals which are at a vibration frequency to each of the bending modes of the structure. The vibration frequency is substantially the same as one of the resonant frequencies. At the vibration frequency one of the bending modes of the structure is vibrating substantially at resonance and the other of the bending modes of the structure is vibrating at partial resonance. The vibration system adjusts a phase shift between the two or more applied vibration signals to control which one of the at least two directions the moveable element is moved.

Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator includes: a piezoelectric element 10 producing stretching and bending vibrations; driver elements 2, 2 placed on the piezoelectric element 10 so as to be actuated in accordance with the vibrations of the piezoelectric element 10, thereby outputting a driving force; a case 12 for supporting the piezoelectric element 10; and wall-surface supporters 6A and 6B, top-surface supporters 7A and 7B and a bottom-surface supporting part 8 all placed between the case 12 and the piezoelectric element 10 to previously apply compressive forces to non-node parts of the vibrations of the piezoelectric element 10 along the directions of the vibrations.

Abstract: An ultrasonic linear motor includes a substrate; a vibrator disposed on the substrate having an oblique or curved face at two sides thereof forming concave receiving portions with the surfaces of the substrate; and a slider having clamping portions at two sides thereof for correspondingly clamping to the receiving portions, wherein the vibrator is for generating a driving force to the slider while connecting with a power supply, such that the clamping portions of the slider move within the receiving portions, thereby generating a linear translation. The present invention adopts a simple structure having few elements that enables easy manufacturing and integration with other elements, thus reducing manufacturing cost.

Abstract: An ultrasonic motor according to an aspect of the invention includes at least a piezoelectric element that is an oscillator whose section perpendicular to a central axis has a rectangular length ratio, and a rotor that is rotated about the central axis as a rotation axis while being in contact with an elliptic oscillation generating surface of the oscillator. The central axis is orthogonal to the elliptic oscillation generating surface of the oscillator. The elliptic oscillation is formed by combining first longitudinal resonance oscillation in which expansion and contraction are performed in a rotation axis direction of the piezoelectric element and second twisting resonance oscillation in which the rotation axis is a twisting axis.

Abstract: A piezoelectric element is formed by stacking piezoelectric layers and internal electrode layers. The internal electrode layers are positive and negative electrode layers. The positive electrode layers are first and second positive electrode layers. The negative electrode layers are first and second negative electrode layers. Each of the first positive and negative electrode layers includes four divided electrodes and a connecting electrode for connecting a pair of the four divided electrodes formed on diagonally opposite two areas along a first diagonal direction on a principle surface of the associated one of the piezoelectric layers. Each of the second positive and negative electrode layers includes four divided electrodes and a connecting electrode for connecting a pair of the four divided electrodes formed on diagonally opposite two areas along a second diagonal direction on a principle surface of the associated one of the piezoelectric layers.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration actuator in which a plurality of rotors can be driven by a single vibration unit. Two rotors (A) and (B) are attracted toward corresponding stators to be contacted with and pressurized against the corresponding stators (3) and (4), respectively, through a tension of a wire member (8). A composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations is generated by a composite vibrator (2) to cause elliptical movements in corner portions of the stators (3) and (4). As a result, the two rotors (A) and (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the two stators (3) and (4) are rotated about rotation centers (C1) and (C2) thereof, respectively, at the same time.

Abstract: To provide a vibrating element which can be driven by a low voltage, a vibration actuator, a lens barrel, a camera system and a method for driving a vibration actuator. A vibrating element (10) is provided with an elastically deformable tube-like member (11) having a hollow section (15); and an input sections (13 (13-1 to 13-4)), which are arranged on the outer surface of the tube-like member (11) and/or the inner surface of the tube-like member on the side of the hollow section (15), are divided into n (n is an integer of 3 or more) in the circumference direction of the tube-like member (11), and permit the tube-like member (11) to input a physical signal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor has a stator module 1, comprising two pairs of piezoelectric actuators Ia, Ib and 2a, 2b inside this stator module. The stator module is fixed by a central fixing point (A). The piezoelectric actuators 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b are connected to the stator module via flexible or biasing elements 3, such as for instance hinges, for instance elastic hinges. The stator module 1 comprises a tuning mechanism 4, comprising at least one mass 4a, 4b and at least one flexible or biasing element 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, for instance leaf springs. The stator module 1 is contacted to a driven part 6, for instance a slider, at the contact point (A). The piezoelectric motor is designed such that contact point (B) is able to produce a closed trajectory, thereby inducing a relative motion of the driven part 6. The contact point (B) is moved by applying an electric field to actuators Ia and Ib and/or by applying an electric field to actuators 2a and 2b.

Abstract: Provided is a vibration actuator in which a plurality of rotors can be driven by a single vibration unit. Two rotors (A) and (B) are attracted toward corresponding stators to be contacted with and pressurized against the corresponding stators (3) and (4), respectively, through a tension of a wire member (8). A composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations is generated by a composite vibrator (2) to cause elliptical movements in corner portions of the stators (3) and (4). As a result, the two rotors (A) and (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the two stators (3) and (4) are rotated about rotation centers (C1) and (C2) thereof, respectively, at the same time.