The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 29, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1997
Minolta Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A driving apparatus using a transducer. The apparatus comprises an electromechanical transducer, a driving shaft, a moving member and a pushing member. The driving shaft is coupled with the electro-mechanical transducer; the moving member is pushed against the driving shaft for frictional coupling therewith, the pushing member being interposed between the driving shaft and the moving member. The moving member is connected with the target moving object such as a lens mechanism. In operation, the electromechanical transducer is fed with driving pulses of a frequency of at least 18 kHz so that the transducer and the driving shaft will be displaced slowly in one direction and rapidly in the opposite direction, whereby the moving member coupled frictionally with the driving shaft is driven axially in a reciprocating manner at two different velocities. Repeating these operations allows the moving member to move slowly in the same axial direction in which the driving shaft is driven, whereby the lens mechanism or the like connected to the moving member is moved up to the desired position.