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:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 23, 1998
Akira Kosaka, Yao, JP;
Tetsuro Kanbara, Sakai, JP;
Minolta Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An actuator using an electromechanical transducer suitable for an apparatus where the magnitude of the load differs depending on drive directions. An apparatus using the actuator in which the actuator is arranged such that a direction of a further advantageous and further efficient displacement characteristic in elongation displacement characteristic and contraction displacement characteristic of the electromechanical transducer, is made to coincide with a drive direction where the load is larger. In the case of a mechanism of a camera for driving a correcting lens, an X-axis actuator and a Y-axis actuator are arranged at a base frame. The correcting lens is driven in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The Y-axis actuator is arranged such that a direction of a further advantageous displacement characteristic of an electromechanical transducer of the Y-axis actuator is made to coincide with a positive direction of the Y-axis where the load is larger in order to drive the correcting lens in the positive direction of the Y-axis against gravitational force.