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:
Mar. 29, 2011
Filed:
Jul. 08, 2008
Mahito Negishi, Tachikawa, JP;
Takao Yokomatsu, Yokohama, JP;
Ken Meisho, Yokohama, JP;
Seiichi Hata, Yokohama, JP;
Akira Shimokohbe, Yokohama, JP;
Dongming Sun, Yokohama, JP;
Sheng Wang, Yokohama, JP;
Mahito Negishi, Tachikawa, JP;
Takao Yokomatsu, Yokohama, JP;
Ken Meisho, Yokohama, JP;
Seiichi Hata, Yokohama, JP;
Akira Shimokohbe, Yokohama, JP;
Dongming Sun, Yokohama, JP;
Sheng Wang, Yokohama, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A cylindrical piezoelectric element is arranged to share an axis with a cylindrical vibrator having different diameters at central and end portions to fix the vibrator forming a gap at the central portion. Vibration voltages are applied across first electrodes on the piezoelectric element and the vibrator, namely, a second electrode, to vibrate the vibrator and bring a wave front of a traveling wave into contact with a tubular member, i.e., a supporting member fitted to the vibrator. Friction at a contact portion of the vibrator moves a mover including the vibrator and the piezoelectric element in an axial direction of the tubular member. By amplifying the vibration amplitude using the vibrator provided separately from the piezoelectric element, a small actuator capable of performing high-speed driving is realized.