Kyocera Corporation

Satoshi Fukami

Seiji Horii

Hiroshi Taimura

Atsuo Chiba

Takashi Ikegami

Akinori Wada

Daisuke Tsuiki

Kazuchika Suzuki

Kazuya Sono

Yuta Sakamoto

Hideaki Fujimoto

A sound generator includes at least one piezoelectric vibrator including a piezoelectric element, a vibration unit in one of a non-contact state not contacting the at least one piezoelectric vibrator and a contact state contacting the at least one piezoelectric vibrator. While in the contact state, the at least one piezoelectric vibrator generates vibration in response to a signal, and causes a contact surface contacted by the vibration unit to vibrate and generate a sound to be emitted from the contact surface. The sound generator can detect driving allowed and driving denied states, and control application of a sound signal in accordance with the two states to the piezoelectric element.

Sound generator and sound generation system

A sound generator includes a housing (), a piezoelectric vibrator () including a piezoelectric element (), at least a portion of the piezoelectric vibrator () protruding from the housing (), and an anchor () applying a load to the piezoelectric vibrator (). A portion or all of the piezoelectric vibrator () withdraws into the housing () under a force of a predetermined load or greater. While the load from the anchor () is being applied to the piezoelectric vibrator (), the piezoelectric vibrator () deforms in response to a sound signal, and deformation of the piezoelectric vibrator () vibrates a contact surface contacted by the piezoelectric vibrator (), causing sound to be emitted from the contact surface.

Sound generator

A sound generator includes a piezoelectric vibrator () including a piezoelectric element (), an anchor applying a load to the piezoelectric vibrator (), and a control unit () configured to control an input voltage based on a frequency characteristic, the input voltage being applied to the piezoelectric element () as a sound signal. While the load from the anchor is being applied to the piezoelectric vibrator (), the piezoelectric vibrator () deforms in accordance with the input voltage applied to the piezoelectric element () from the control unit (), and deformation of the piezoelectric vibrator () vibrates a contact surface () contacted by the sound generator, causing sound to be emitted from the contact surface ().

A Braille-character display device includes a movable pin array, a plurality of movable pin pressing parts, a Braille-character generating part and a movable pin controlling part. The movable pin array has a plurality of movable pins arranged in a matrix form. The plurality of movable pin pressing parts presses the plurality of movable pins, respectively. The Braille-character generating part generates Braille characters. The movable pin controlling part allows the movable pin pressing parts to press the movable pins corresponding to a pattern of the generated Braille characters.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Satoshi Fukami