Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Masaki Takasan

Yasuharu Odachi

Yoshikazu Koike

Kazuo Seiki

Sadayuki Ueha

Hirohiko Ishikawa

Norimoto Minoshima

Tadashi Kondo

Tatsuya Uematsu

Kitaru Iwata

Tsuyoshi Kodera

Kentaro Nakamura

Hiroyuki Takei

Mikiya Kurita

Katsuyuki Morita

Shinya Asai

Koji Maeda

Yoichi Saito

Mitsuhiro Mabuchi

Naoki Maruyama

A vibration actuator includes a roller, a vibrating element having a contact portion that is in contact with the roller, a vibrator for vibrating the vibrating element, a pressing device for pressing the roller against the vibrating element, and a lubricator disposed close to the contact portion and in contact with the roller.

Vibration actuator

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 () is driven to generate a composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations, a first stator () and a second stator () vibrate, thereby causing elliptical movements in corner portions () and () of the first stator () and the second stator (), respectively. As a result, a first rotor (A) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion () of the first stator () and a second rotor (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the corner portion () of the second stator () 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.

Provided is an ultrasonic motor capable of realizing high torque. When two terminals are selected from a first terminal (), a second terminal (), and a third terminal () of a vibrator (), and AC voltages whose phases are shifted by 90 degrees relative to each other are respectively applied through both of those two terminals, vibration is generated in the stator vibration body (S), and elliptical vibration in a plane corresponding to the selected two terminals is generated at each of a step () of a first stator () and a corner () of a second stator (), which are in contact with a rotor (). Since the first stator () and the second stator () form the single stator vibration body (S), the step () of the first stator () and the corner () of the second stator () vibrate in the same vibration mode, rotational force is transmitted from both the step () of the first stator () and the corner () of the second stator (), and the rotor () rotates with high torque.

Ultrasonic motor

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 () and (), respectively, through a tension of a wire member (). A composite vibration combining a plurality of vibrations is generated by a composite vibrator () to cause elliptical movements in corner portions of the stators () and (). As a result, the two rotors (A) and (B) abutting onto and pressurized against the two stators () and () are rotated about rotation centers (C) and (C) thereof, respectively, at the same time.

A vibrating transducer is coupled to one end of an elongated vibrating plate and a receiving transducer is coupled to the other end of the vibrating plate. Langevin transducers are used for the vibrating and receiving transducers. Each transducer includes a pair of annular piezoelectric elements. The vibrating transducer is connected to an oscillator. A controller controls the oscillator. Detection signals of a voltage sensor, which detects the vibrating state of the receiving side of the vibrating plate, are fed back to the controller. The controller controls the oscillator such that the phase difference between the vibration of the vibrating side and the receiving side is within a predetermined range and that the receiving side is vibrated by amplitude greater than or equal to a predetermined amplitude.

Driving unit for transducer

A non-contact electric power supply system for a rail-guided vehicle includes a main line having fixed rails for guiding the vehicle. A movable rail body is provided for changing the course of the vehicle moving along the main line. A first high frequency power supply apparatus supplies electric power to the main line along an electric feed line. A second high frequency power supply apparatus supplies electric power to the movable rail body along an electric feed line. Portions of the electric feed line on the movable rail body may be fixed in place.

Non-contact electric power supply system for a rail-guided vehicle

An apparatus levitates and transports an object. The apparatus levitates the object above the surfaces of a plurality of vibrators by air pressure of sound waves that are generated by the vibrators. The apparatus has a plurality of vibration devices, each of which corresponds to one of the vibrators. Each vibration device includes a first transducer for vibrating the corresponding vibrator. Each transducer includes a super-magnetostrictive material. A common power source is connected to at least two of the first transducers for actuating the first transducers.

Apparatus for transporting levitated objects

An apparatus for levitating objects has an elongated diaphragm and a transducer. The diaphragm has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is fixed to a horn and the second end portion is fixed to a supporting member. The transducer is connected to only the horn. The transducer vibrates the diaphragm and an object is levitated above a surface of the diaphragm by radiation pressure of a sound wave generated from the diaphragm. Therefore, the elongated diaphragm can be vibrated by one transducer in a stable condition with a simple structure.

Apparatus for levitating objects and apparatus for transporting objects

An apparatus for levitating and transporting an object includes a pair of elongated vibrators, a pair of oscillators and a pair of flection limiting rods. Each oscillator includes a horn and a transducer and corresponds to one of the vibrators. Each transducer vibrates the corresponding vibrator through the corresponding horn to generate sound waves from the vibrator. The object is levitated by radiation pressure of the sound waves. Each flection limiting rod corresponds to one of the vibrators. Each rod contacts the lower surface of the corresponding vibrator at a position where the displacement due to vibration is relatively small and reduces the flection of the vibrator due to the weight of the vibrator and the weight of the transported object.

Apparatus for levitating and transporting object

A method of controlling an object levitating apparatus is disclosed. The levitating apparatus levitates an object on a plurality of vibrating bodies with air pressure generated from sound waves produced by the vibrating bodies. Each vibrating body is vibrated by a corresponding vibrating apparatus. Each vibrating apparatus has an oscillator and a transducer. The transducer is actuated by the oscillator to vibrate the corresponding vibrating body. The method includes determining impedance of each transducer, and controlling each oscillator in accordance with the determined impedance to restrict displacement of the levitated object.

Object levitating apparatus and method for controlling the same

A method for transferring an object levitated by sound waves from a transporting device to an unloading device. The transporting device includes a transporting vibrator, which levitates the object with sound waves. The unloading device includes an unloading vibrator mounted on a platform. The platform is arranged at a predetermined position below the object, at which the distance between the top surface of the unloading vibrator and the bottom surface of the object is less than one half the wavelength of a standing wave generated by the unloading vibrator. The platform is then moved upward toward the object from the predetermined position to levitate the object. The unloading vibrator generates sound waves to levitate the object. The object is then levitated by the platform to a position at which the levitating force of the transporting vibrator does not affect the object.

Method for transferring levitated objects

In a non-contacting power supply system for a rail-guided vehicle which can move along a plurality of power supply lines connected to respective power sources and receive a supply of electric power required for moving from the plurality of power supply lines, the rail-guided vehicle comprises a plurality of power receiving cores for receiving a supply of electric power from the plurality of power supply lines. The gaps between the plurality of power supply lines in the portions between the power supply lines are set to be equal to or longer than the length of each of the power receiving cores in the direction of the power supply lines, thereby eliminating the bad influence on the non-contacting power supply system due to the difference between the phases or frequencies of the power sources of the power supply lines.

Non-contacting power supply system for rail-guided vehicle

An apparatus for feeding electric power to a movable body in a non-contact manner. Power lines on which electric power is transmitted are laid on a guide rail. The movable body is powered by the electric power from the power lines. A plurality of pick-up coils are positioned in the movable body for generating induced electromotive force as a drive voltage according to the electric power. The plurality of coils generate different voltages. A motor and a controller are connected to the coils. A motor is driven by a high voltage while the controller is driven by a low voltage.

Non-contact power supply device and method for conveyor carriage

A rail is arranged along a predetermined route of a movable body. The movable body is moved by electric power fed through an electric cable wired along the rail. The rail is constituted by a plurality of rail segments. Each segment includes a body having a predetermined length and a channel-like cross section and an electric cable segment supported by the body extending in the axial direction of the body. The electric cable segment is one of a plurality of segments obtained by dividing the electric cable.

Rail segments

A communication system for a plurality of carriages that travel along a rail. A power cable extends along the rail. The cable is used to convey electric current that drives the movable bodies and is also used to carry information between the carriages. The carriages communicate with one another by superimposing communication signals on the current flowing through the cable to transmit information and by extracting communication signals from the current flowing through the cable to receive information. A control unit at a fixed station relays communication signals transmitted between different carriages. The control unit receives communication signals, which the carriages transmit, from the cable, amplifies the signals, and returns the signals to the cable. The recipient carriage receives an amplified communication signal from the cable.

Growing community of inventors

Kariya, Japan

Masaki Takasan