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:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 10, 1999
Takatoshi Ashizawa, Yokohama, JP;
Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, Tokyo, JP;
Mitsuhiro Okazaki, Soka, JP;
Kazuyasu Oone, Urawa, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An ultrasonic actuator to suppress or eliminate pitching vibration arising in a vibration element when driving the ultrasonic actuator and to increase driving efficiency and reduce noise. The ultrasonic actuator includes a vibration element; an electromechanical conversion element mounted on the vibration element to generate a drive force in the vibration element by excitation of the electromechanical conversion element; drive force output members to extract a drive force obtained by excitation of the electromechanical conversion element; a relative motion member in contact with the drive force output members and driven in relative motion with respect to the vibration element by the drive force; a base member; and a fixed member to fix the vibration element to the base member. The vibration element generates, by excitation of the electromechanical conversion element, a first vibration in a first direction, and a second vibration in a second direction different from the first direction, and the fixed member is located in at least two (2) positions along the vibration direction of the first vibration and includes a first restriction member to restrict the vibration element in a vibration direction of the first vibration, and a second restriction member to restrict the vibration element in a vibration direction of the second vibration.