Seiko Epson Corporation

Osamu Miyazawa

Koichi Kamijo

Yasuharu Hashimoto

Yutaka Arakawa

Akio Konishi

Makoto Furuhata

Tsukasa Funasaka

Kiichi Kajino

Tomohisa Iwazaki

Tsuneaki Furukawa

Joji Kitahara

Akihiro Sawada

Reiko Nagahama

Daisuke Yamada

Kiyoto Takedo

Jouji Kitahara

Akira Matsuzawa

Osamu Takahashi

Nobuyuki Mizushima

Motomu Hayakawa

Akihiko Maruyama

Nobuo Karaki

Akihito Matsumoto

Yoshiteru Nishimura

Mamoru Miyasaka

Noboru Yamada

Yuichiro Tsuyuki

Nobuo Ishikawa

Tomoo Ueda

Kenichi Hirota

Tomohiko Abe

A piezoelectric actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate a driving force to be transmitted to a driven portion; and a power supply portion that supplies power to the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The plurality of piezoelectric elements are electrically connected to the power supply portion in parallel.

Piezoelectric actuator, piezoelectric motor, robot, hand, and pump

A driving device includes a plurality of motive power generators that receive electric power supply and generate motive power, the plurality of motive power generators form a plurality of sets of motive power generators in which two or more of the motive power generators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of motive power generators are electrically series-connected. A driving device includes a plurality of vibrators that receive electric power supply and vibrate and provide drive power for driving a driven member to the driven member, the plurality of vibrators form a plurality of sets of vibrators in which two or more of the vibrators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of vibrators are electrically series-connected.

Driving device, piezoelectric motor, electronic component conveyance apparatus, and robot

A piezoelectric drive device includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrating portions that drive a driven member. A difference between the maximum resonance frequency and the minimum resonance frequency in each resonance frequency of the plurality of piezoelectric vibrating portions falls within a range of 0.001% to 5% of an average resonance frequency of the plurality of piezoelectric vibrating portions.

Piezoelectric drive device and robot

A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate, and a piezoelectric vibrating body including a substrate, and piezoelectric elements provided on the substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order on the substrate. The piezoelectric vibrating body is installed on the vibrating plate so that the piezoelectric element is interposed between the substrate and the vibrating plate. A wiring pattern including a first wiring corresponding to the first electrode and a second wiring corresponding to the second electrode is formed on the vibrating plate, the first electrode and the first wiring are connected to each other through a first laminated conducting portion, and the second electrode and the second wiring are connected to each other through a second laminated conducting portion.

Piezoelectric driving device, robot, and driving method of the same

A piezoelectric drive device includes a vibrating body, a support portion formed integrally with the vibrating body, and a piezoelectric element formed of a first electrode film, a piezoelectric body film, and a second electrode film on at least one surface of the vibrating body.

Piezoelectric drive device, robot, and method for driving piezoelectric drive device

A piezoelectric drive device includes a vibrating plate and multiple piezoelectric drive units that are disposed in the vibrating plate, and that respectively have a contact portion which can come into contact with a driven body.

Piezoelectric drive device, robot, and drive method thereof

A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate and a piezoelectric vibrator provided on the vibrating plate. The piezoelectric vibrator has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body located between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a thickness of the piezoelectric body is within a range from 50 nm to 20 &#x3bc;m.

Piezoelectric driving device and driving method therefor, and robot and driving method therefor

A piezoelectric drive device includes multiple piezoelectric drive units that have a contact portion which can come into contact with a driven portion, and that have a piezoelectric substance. The number of the multiple piezoelectric drive units is 10 or more, an overall output from the multiple piezoelectric drive units is 0.3 W or greater, and a weight of the piezoelectric drive unit is 1 &#x3bc;g to 5 g.

A finger assistive device is formed by connecting a second member to a first member so as to be rotatable in a bending direction of a finger. Further, either one of the first member and the second member is provided with a relative position changing section adapted to change a relative position of the second member to the first member in a direction different from the rotatable direction. According to this configuration, by changing the relative position of the second member to the first member in accordance with a length and a shape of the finger of the wearer, the finger assistive device can be customized (adjusted) so that the first member and the second member fit the mounting positions of the finger. As a result, it becomes possible to appropriately mount the finger assistive device to the finger and appropriately assist in bending the finger.

Finger assistive device

A robot includes a first arm unit and a second arm unit. The robot includes a first drive part provided within the first arm unit and rotating the first arm unit about a first axis, and a second drive part provided within the first arm unit and rotating the second arm unit about a second axis. At least one of the first drive part and the second drive part contains a piezoelectric body.

Robot

A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element, a vibrating plate configured to vibrate according to application of a signal to the piezoelectric element, and a driven body driven by the vibration of the vibrating plate. The vibrating plate vibrates in a first mode according to a signal having a first frequency, vibrates in a second mode according to a signal having a second frequency, and vibrates in a third mode according to a signal having a third frequency. The first frequency and the second frequency are different. The first frequency and the third frequency are different.

Piezoelectric actuator and robot

A piezoelectric drive device includes a piezoelectric drive portion which includes a contact portion capable of coming into contact with a driven body and a piezoelectric material, and a drive circuit which drives the piezoelectric drive portion. The drive circuit sets an allowable maximum output torque Tlim or less to an allowable output torque range, sets output torque Td of the piezoelectric drive portion so as to be within the allowable output torque range, and operates the piezoelectric drive portion. The allowable maximum output torque Tlim is expressed by the following Expression (1).1&#xd7;&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)In the expression, ris a distance between a rotation center of the driven body and a contact position of the contact portion, &#x3bc;k is a dynamic friction coefficient between the driven body and the contact portion, Ns is a pressing force by which the contact portion presses the driven body when an operation of the piezoelectric drive portion stops, and fs is a coefficient of 1 or less.

Piezoelectric drive device, driving method thereof, robot, and driving method thereof

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a piezoelectric vibrating body which includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements each formed of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and is disposed at least one surface of the first surface and the second surface of the vibrating plate, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are connected in series.

Piezoelectric driving device and driving method thereof, robot and driving method thereof

A finger assist device is formed by rotatably connecting a plurality of units in a finger bending direction and a finger spreading direction. The unit is worn on a finger by nipping the finger with a nipping part from the pad and the back of the finger, and a drive force is controlled by detecting a first contact force between the finger pad and the nipping part and a second contact force between the finger back and the nipping part. Since the intention of the wearer of the finger assist device appears in the first contact force and the second contact force, the drive force of the finger assist device is appropriately controlled according to the wearer's intention, and thereby, bending and spreading of the finger may be appropriately assisted.

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Shimosuwa, Japan

Osamu Miyazawa