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. 16, 2005
Filed:
Jan. 15, 2002
Takayuki Tsukimoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Maruyama, Tokyo, JP;
Kiyoshi Nitto, Tokyo, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a vibration wave driving apparatus including a vibration element having an electro-mechanical energy conversion element that is disposed between a first elastic member and a second elastic member, characterized in that the vibration element can have a plurality of vibration modes which are different in relative displacement ratio between respective ends of the vibration element. Specifically, a third elastic member is disposed between the first elastic member and the second elastic member, and the vibration element is allowed to have two portions which are different in dynamic stiffness from each other and are arranged in the axial direction thereof with the third elastic member interposed therebetween. According to this structure, the length of the vibration wave driving apparatus in the axial direction can be reduced and internal loss of vibration energy can be suppressed to be small.