Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.

Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.

Shigeru Wada

Manabu Inoue

Junichi Tanii

Michihiro Iwata

Yoshihiro Hara

Yoshinobu Kudo

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Akira Kosaka

Nobuyuki Taniguchi

Ikushi Nakamura

Katsuyuki Nanba

Yoshihiro Tanaka

Sadafusa Tsuji

Hiroshi Ueda

Masataka Hamada

Masaaki Nakai

Yoshiaki Hata

Kohtaro Hayashi

Hiroyuki Okada

Hiroyuki Matsumoto

Yoshiharu Tanaka

Hirokazu Yagura

Junya Wakahara

Nobuya Miki

Atsuhiro Noda

Kouji Hamaguchi

Kazuhiko Kojima

Junji Mori

Masamichi Oohara

Nobuharu Murashima

Akira Funahashi

Yoshie Shimizu

Ken Tanino

Yoshito Konishi

Natsuko Shiota

Takuya Ueno

Naoki Kubo

Shinichi Yokoyama

The present invention discloses an arrangement provided with a chip body having a fluid channel and configured such that an end portion of the fluid channel is opened in a surface of the chip body, and a sheet-like seal member which covers at least the opening in the surface of the chip body for bringing the inside of the fluid channel to a sealed state. The seal member is constituted of laminated sheet members including a first sheet member having a ductility and an elasticity capable of forming a hole therein with use of a nozzle member, and a second sheet member having a lower ductility than the first sheet member. The sheet members adjoining each other are adhered to each other by an adhesive or a tackifier. The second sheet member is disposed on the chip body side than the first sheet member.

Test chip and test chip unit incorporated with test chip

In the present invention, a specimen is made to flow on a metal film on a prism, and excitation light (&#x3b1;) is emitted in a predetermined direction. By changing the position of a reflective member that reflects the excitation light (&#x3b1;), and adjusting the orientation of a reflective surface of the reflective member, the incident angle (&#x3b8;) is changed while maintaining a state in which the excitation light (&#x3b1;) that enters the prism is reflected at a specific position on the metal film. The intensity of light to be generated on the metal film is measured, and the reflective member is positioned to match the position of the reflective member and the orientation of the reflective surface when a maximum amount of light is measured.

Surface plasmon resonance fluorescence analysis device and surface plasmon resonance fluorescence analysis method

Provided is a driving device having a rod-like terminal capable of stably fixing an SMA and connecting a conductive member without preventing the size of the driving device from being reduced and affecting the performance of the SMA. Also provided is an imaging device. The driving device is equipped with a string-shaped shape-memory alloy as a driving source and includes: a base member serving as the base of the driving device; and the rod-like terminal made of a metal penetrating the base member and secured to the base member. One end side of the rod-like terminal is caulked to interpose and hold the shape-memory alloy, and the other end side of the rod-like terminal has a crimp portion where the conductive member for supplying current to the shape-memory alloy is crimped and fixed.

Driving device and imaging device

An optical unit and image pickup apparatus capable of performing 'auto focus function' and 'image shake correction function' and characterized by easy assembling, compact configuration, high performance and reduced costs is provided. The optical unit and image pickup apparatus are provided with a polymer actuator to move an optical device, whereby performing auto focus function and image shake correction function can be performed. The polymer actuator is provided with electric wirings for image pickup device, thereby reducing the number of circuit board used for electric wiring of the image pickup device, with the result that an optical unit and image pickup apparatus characterized by easy assembling, compact configuration, high performance and reduced costs are provided.

Optical unit and image pickup apparatus having an optical device and a polymer actuator for moving the optical device

A driving device is adapted to drive a driven member, and includes a driving member, and a linear shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. The driving member has a displacement output portion which is movable in a first axis direction, and a displacement input portion for moving the displacement output portion in the first axis direction in response to an application of a moving force in a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction. The driving member is engaged with the driven member at the displacement output portion. The SMA actuator is disposed in contact with the driving member at least at the displacement input portion to apply the moving force to the displacement input portion.

Driving device, driving mechanism, and image sensing apparatus

A driving device and driving device manufacturing method that ensure stable fixing of an SMA, without causing difficulties in downsizing the device, and without adversely affecting the performance of the SMA. A driving device equipped with a string-shaped shape memory alloy as a drive source includes a base member constituting a basis of the driving device, and a rod-like member which penetrates the base member and is made of the metal fixed onto this base member. The rod-like member is caulked on one end of this rod-like member so that the aforementioned shape memory alloy is pinch-held in-between, whereas power-feeding members to apply current to the shape memory alloy are arranged on the other end of the rod-like member.

Driving device and method of manufacturing the same

An art of a driving device for appropriately improving a response of an SMA actuator will be provided. A portable telephonehas an image stabilization systemfor driving an image pickup unitby a pair of driving membersandfunctioning as actuators, thereby performing image stabilization. Driving membersandare formed as a wire of shape memory alloy (SMA) and when a voltage is applied to both ends and a current is supplied, driving force is generated in the contraction direction. With respect to the wire diameter of the SMAs, the wire diameter of the SMAs is set between 10 &#x3bc;m and 80 &#x3bc;m, thus the mountability and response are improved appropriately.

Driving device and image stabilizing system

An actuator driving device includes: an actuator made of a shape metal alloy having a property that a predetermined shape is memorized in advance, and that the predetermined memorized shape is recovered when the actuator is heated to a predetermined temperature; an applier for applying, to the actuator, a pulse current or a pulse voltage at least having a predetermined current value or a predetermined voltage, and a predetermined duty ratio to heat the actuator; and a determiner for determining the current value or the voltage value, and the duty ratio of the pulse current or the pulse voltage to be applied to the actuator by the applier, wherein the determiner is operative to determine the pulse current or the pulse voltage having: the current value larger than a current value of a constant current required for displacing the actuator by a predetermined targeted displacement amount, or the voltage value corresponding thereto; and the duty ratio of making an applied current amount smaller than an applied current amount corresponding to an integrated value of the constant current in applying the constant current to the actuator.

Actuator driving device

A small-sized and highly efficient drive apparatus, an image pickup unit and an image pickup apparatus are provided, by using a polymer actuator that is small in size and has high speed of response and has high degree of freedom for arrangement, and by realizing an actuator having excellent assembly simplicity. By being provided with a polymer actuator and by moving objects to be driven such as an image pickup device, a lens, an image pickup optical system and a lens barrel unit by the use of the actuator, an actuator that is small in size and has the high speed of response, a high degree of freedom for arrangement and excellent assembly simplicity can be provided, which makes it possible to provide a small-sized and highly efficient drive apparatus, an image pickup unit and an image pickup apparatus.

Drive apparatus, image pickup unit and image pickup apparatus

First, a position control mechanism having a fixed part and a movable part, and a driver that changes position of the movable part relative to the fixed part is prepared. Next, a manufacturing unit having first and second holders and a coupler that couples the first and second holders is prepared. A conductive actuator is held in tension between the first and second holders. Further, the first holder is attached to the movable part and the second holder is attached to the fixed part. After that, the coupler is cut from the manufacturing unit, the first and second holders are separated from each other.

Manufacturing unit of position controller

An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer actuator that does not need a special member for determining the output direction of the drive force or a support member, and which is simply configured with a small number of parts and is compact and low-cost. The present invention provides a polymer actuator that includes electrodes which are inelastic in a planar direction and sandwich a stretching portion of a dielectric polymer with a gradient in thickness, and also provides an optical system including the polymer actuator.

Polymer actuator and optical unit

An arrangement of the invention includes a base block, a cylindrical cam, as a rotary member, which is rotatably supported on the base block, and includes a contact portion on an outer periphery thereof for outputting a rotating force, a drive gear, as an oscillatory ring, which includes a contact portion on an inner periphery thereof, and is oscillated on a plane perpendicular to a rotation axis of the cylindrical camin contact with the contact portion of the cylindrical cam, parallel springsthrough, as a position retainer, for retaining the position of the drive gear, and three or more shape metal alloy actuators (SMA) wiresthrough, as expandable and contractible actuators, with both ends of the each SMA wire being fixed to the base blockfor contact with the drive gear

Motor, motor device, and lens drive mechanism using the same

A drive apparatus having: a shape memory alloy having a property such that a temperature transformation sensitivity in a temperature range from a starting point of austenite transformation (As) at a predetermined stress to an end point of austenite (Af) is higher than a temperature transformation sensitivity in other temperature range, and a temperature transformation sensitivity in a temperature range from a starting point of martensite transformation (Ms) at a predetermined stress to an end point of martensite transformation (Mf) is higher than a temperature transformation sensitivity in other temperature range; and a driven member which is moved by a transformation of the shape memory alloy; wherein the driven member is moved in a temperature range of higher temperature transformation sensitivity.

Drive apparatus and lens drive apparatus

A shake correction mechanismhas an elastic support memberfor elastically and oscillatingly supporting a lens barrelat one point, and first and second actuatorsandfor applying oscillating forces to the lens barrel. When a moment is applied to the lens barrelby the first and second actuatorsand, the elastic support memberis subjected to elastic deformation. Thereby, the lens barrelis oscillated to tilt the optical axis thereof in a desires direction. Thus, the lens barrelis oscillatingly driven without use of a rotary joint or the like as employed in the conventional gimbal mechanism. This arrangement enables to miniaturize the shake correction mechanism.

Shake correction mechanism and image sensing apparatus using the same

A compensator for correcting a possible blur of image caused by a shake of an image pickup apparatus in which the compensator is arranged, and in which a downsize circuit board having a diminished area thereof and holding an image taking component is swung or moved. The compensator includes the circuit board with the diminished area for holding the image taking component, in which the circuit board is moved together with the image taking component. On the circuit board, there are arranged the image taking component and at least one other component. The at least one other component can be a component which is associated with reading of the signal(s) of the image outputted from the image taking element, and/or can be a component which is associated with the control to correct the possible blur of the image caused by the shake of the image pickup apparatus.

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Kishiwada, Japan

Shigeru Wada