Mechano Transformer Corporation

Akio Yano

Takeshi Yano

Sze Keat Chee

Kazuo Yakuwa

A displacement magnifying mechanism includes a base portion serving as a substrate; a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion which are provided on a surface on one side of the base portion; a first piezoelectric element and a second piezoelectric element of which one ends are attached to the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion; an operating portion which is connected to the other ends of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element and generates a displacement due to expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element; and a link portion which is disposed at the center between the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element, links the operating portion and the base portion, and is made of a material having a higher Young's modulus than that of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element.

Displacement magnifying mechanism, polishing device, actuator, dispenser, and air valve

To provide a valve control device, a drive control device, and a fluid control device, which are suitable for adjusting a valve. The valve control device comprises: a rod-shaped rotor provided so as to rotate about a rotation axis, wherein one end of the rotor is directly or indirectly connected to a valve body, at least a part of the valve body being positioned in a flow path for fluid, wherein the rotor changes a relative position between the valve body and a valve seat that is closed by the valve body or a contact force between the valve body and the valve seat; a pair of contacts for sandwiching the rotor and for rotating the rotor; a moving unit comprising a piezoelectric element for causing the pair of contacts to perform relative movement; and a drive control unit for controlling the relative position between the valve body and the valve seat or the contact force between the valve body and the valve seat by applying a voltage waveform having a rising slope and a falling slope different from the rising slope to the piezoelectric element so as to cause the pair of contacts to rotate the rotor in a desired direction, wherein a steeper slope of the rising slope and the falling slope causes a slip between the rotor and the pair of contacts.

Valve control device, drive control device, and fluid control device

The present invention relates to a method of measuring and evaluating rigidity of a target object or mechanical output, such as force, displacement, and mechanical energy generated by a piezoelectric actuator and applied to the target object, according to only a measured value of electric quantity without use of a mechanical sensor, and a method of controlling the piezoelectric actuator, and a device using these methods. Steps of finding equivalent circuit constants of the piezoelectric actuator; applying a voltage to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring electrical quantity flowing into the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied voltage, or applying an electric charge to the piezoelectric actuator and measuring voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator due to the applied electric charge; and measuring and evaluating one or more of force, displacement, or mechanical energy generated by the piezoelectric actuator and applied to a target object, or rigidity of a target object are included. While these values are measured and evaluated minutely, applied voltage and electrical quantity are adjusted and controlled.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Akio Yano