Nikon Corporation

Mina Kobayashi

Kazuyasu Oone

Mamoru Inoue

Takatoshi Ashizawa

Mitsuhiro Okazaki

Daisuke Saya

Michihiro Tobe

Tunemi Gonda

Mine Sumitomo

A vibration actuator that is easy to manufacture and has good driving performance, and a lens-barrel and a camera provided with the same. The vibration actuator is provided with an oscillator that generates oscillations; and a relative movement member that is pressure contacts the oscillator, and moves relative to the oscillator due to the oscillation. Either a contact face of the oscillator with respect to the relative movement member or a contact face of the relative movement member with respect to the oscillator is a thermosetting resin film that is formed of polyamide-imide resin and fluororesin, and the other contact face is an anodic oxide film.

Vibration actuator, and lens barrel and camera provided with same

An oscillatory wave motor, a lens barrel, and a camera system are provided, which have long service lives and which are stable. An oscillatory wave motor includes an oscillator which generates oscillation on an elastic member in accordance with excitation of an electromechanical conversion element, and a relative movement member which is pressurized to make contact with the oscillator and which moves relative to the oscillator in accordance with the oscillation. The oscillatory wave motor has an epoxy resin film formed of silicon beads and an epoxy resin and which is formed on at least one of frictional contact surfaces of the oscillator and the relative movement member.

Motor, lens barrel, camera system, and method for producing motor

A vibrational actuator includes an oscillator that generates vibrational energy; a mover that is rotationally driven around a first axis by the vibrational energy; an output shaft that rotates around a second axis by using a rotational force communicated from the mover; and a flange portion projecting out from the output shaft along a direction intersecting the second axis, that rotates together with the output shaft. Pressure is applied to the mover at a position between the flange portion and the oscillator. A distance from the first axis to an outer portion of the mover over an area where the mover is pressed against the flange portion is set to a value large enough to prevent the first axis and the second axis from becoming tilted relative to each other.

Vibrational actuator and method for driving vibrational actuator

A vibration actuator having improved drive efficiency by preventing the generation of noise and unnecessary vibrations. The vibration actuator includes a vibration member to generate vibration in contact with a relative movement member and a supporting member to support the vibration member. The supporting member includes a plurality of position determining members in contact with vibration member at different locations. At least one of the plurality of position determining members provides the vibration member with an energy imparting force.

Vibration actuator having a supporting member to support a vibration

A vibration actuator produces a driving force by generating elliptic motion in the surface of an elastic member through electromechanical converting elements. The vibration actuator then generates relative motion between the elastic member and a relative moving member which is in compressive contact with the elastic member The electro-mechanical converting elements, in the form of piezoelectric elements, generate longitudinal vibrations and bending vibrations in the elastic member. The elastic member has a rectangular plate shape and includes a plurality of driving force output units which contact the relative moving member. Plural sliding members are respectively mounted on portions of the plurality of driving force output units such that the sliding members do not fully extend across the driving force output units in a short side direction.

Vibration actuator

A vibration actuator is provided having a vibration element having an elastic member that generates driving force and a relative moving member pressed in contact with the driving force members. The sliding member is composed of a polyethernitrile matrix resin and is interposed in the contact areas of the elastic member and the relative moving member.

A vibrator actuator provides a drive force by vibrating a vibration element in response to an input signal. The vibration element includes a piezoelectric element which imparts vibration to the vibration element in response to an electrical signal. The vibration element is in compressive contact with and moves with respect to a relative moving member. The relative moving member may be planar, circular or toroidal. The relative moving member has first and second surfaces with said first surface being an adherent material removal surface. The adherent material removal surface removes wear particles which become adhered to the vibration element and the relative moving member. The relative moving member may have a number of first and second alternating surfaces to increase effectiveness. The second surfaces may be non-perpendicular with respect to a movement trajectory of the vibration element to decrease resistance during contact with the vibration element.

A vibration actuator has a vibration element which generates vibrations and has a contact surface. The vibration actuator further has a relative motion member which moves in a movement direction with respect to the vibration element upon generation of vibrations by the vibration element. The relative motion member has a contact surface which is in compressive contact with the contact surface of the vibration element. At least one of the contact surface of the vibration element and the contact surface of the relative motion member is polished to have a plural streaky scratches. The plural streaky scratches may be in a principle direction which is in a direction other than a direction at a right angle with respect to the movement direction. In this case, the principle direction may be at angle with respect to the movement direction. Alternatively, the principle direction may be approximately parallel to the movement direction. As an alternative to being formed in the principle direction, the plural streaky scratches may be formed in irregular directions or formed in irregular circular arcs. The at least one contact surface polished to have streaky scratches may have center line average height Ra which is a maximum in a rough direction and is within the range 0.05 .mu.m.ltoreq.Ra.ltoreq.1.0 .mu.m.

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Yokohama, Japan

Mina Kobayashi