Olympus Corporation

Kiyoshi Tosaka

Yasuo Sasaki

Tomoki Funakubo

Toshihiro Nakao

Kazutoshi Shiratori

Heiji Ogino

Takashi Kawashima

A vibrator of a vibration wave linear motor comprises two and one driving contacting parts respectively on top and bottom surfaces. A first guide member contacts the two driving contacting parts on the top surface, and both ends of a second guide member are pressed upward by spiral springs, and pressing forces are applied respectively between the driving contacting parts and the first and the second guide members. The three driving contacting parts convert elliptical vibrations, which are generated by applying a voltage to a vibrator unit, into driving force, whereby the vibrator self-runs in a direction indicated by a bidirectional arrow d with reference to the first and the second guide members. The self-running of the vibrator is conveyed, via a pin member and an engaging protruding part, to the lens frame, which then slides.

Vibration wave linear motor

An ultrasonic linear motor according to the present invention has a configuration wherein driving elements are glued at portions on faces of an ultrasonic transducer, facing one another, where rotational directions of elliptic vibrations generated on the faces are reverse one to another, a pair of guides are provided for being pressed into against the driving elements so as to hold the ultrasonic transducer therebetween, and leaf springs serving as pressing part are provided so as to narrow a spacing between the one pair of guides, whereby the ultrasonic transducer is configured as an self-moving ultrasonic linear motor which can drive by itself. Thus, driving properties of the ultrasonic transducer itself is improved, and also the size of the ultrasonic linear motor can be reduced.

Ultrasonic linear motor

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kiyoshi Tosaka