A vibrotactile actuator includes a network of flat electromagnetic coils positioned contiguously in a plane, the network of coils being able to generate a Laplace force under the effect of an electric current passing through the network of coils, a network of permanent magnets assembled linearly in a plane parallel to the plane of the network of coils and forming a Halbach network generating magnetic field lines oriented towards the network of coils, an electromagnetic interaction between the current lines passing through the network of coils and the magnetic field lines giving rise, as a result of the Laplace force, to relative translational movement between the network of coils and the network of magnets, and an elastic guide device for generating haptic vibrations from the relative translational movements of the network of coils and the network of magnets.

An operation on a vibration device presenting a force sense based on vibration to a human body is simplified. The vibration device includes: a base mechanism; an actuator configured to perform a physical motion based on a supplied control signal; a slide mechanism configured to perform a periodic reciprocating slide motion in a predetermined direction and an opposite direction to the predetermined direction with respect to the base mechanism based on the physical motion of the actuator and to give a force based on the reciprocating slide motion to a part of a human body with which the slide mechanism comes into direct or indirect contact; and a detection unit located in the predetermined direction with respect to the slide mechanism and configured to detect displacement of a specific portion included in the slide mechanism. The specific portion is movable in the predetermined direction by a width greater than an amplitude at the time of the reciprocating slide motion when a force is given to the slide mechanism from the part of the human body with which the slide mechanism comes into direct or indirect contact. Driving control is performed on the actuator when the detection unit detects the specific portion moved in the predetermined direction by the width greater than the amplitude at the time of the reciprocating slide motion.

An operation on a vibration device presenting a force sense based on vibration to a human body is simplified. The vibration device includes: a base mechanism; an actuator configured to perform a physical motion based on a supplied control signal; a slide mechanism configured to perform a periodic reciprocating slide motion in a predetermined direction and an opposite direction to the predetermined direction with respect to the base mechanism based on the physical motion of the actuator and to give a force based on the reciprocating slide motion to a part of a human body with which the slide mechanism comes into direct or indirect contact; and a detection unit located in the predetermined direction with respect to the slide mechanism and configured to detect displacement of a specific portion included in the slide mechanism. The specific portion is movable in the predetermined direction by a width greater than an amplitude at the time of the reciprocating slide motion when a force is given to the slide mechanism from the part of the human body with which the slide mechanism comes into direct or indirect contact. Driving control is performed on the actuator when the detection unit detects the specific portion moved in the predetermined direction by the width greater than the amplitude at the time of the reciprocating slide motion.

Provided is a vibration actuator that includes: a fixing part including a coil, and a core around which the coil is wound, the core including both ends projecting from the coil; a movable part disposed adjacent and opposite to the both ends of the core with a gap provided therebetween in a direction crossing with a winding axis of the coil, the movable part including a yoke formed of a magnetic material, the movable part being fixable to an operation contact surface part that is operated by contact; and a plate-shaped elastic part fixed between the movable part and the fixing part, the plate-shaped elastic part including an elastically deformable bellows-shaped part, the plate-shaped elastic part elastically supporting the movable part to be movable with respect to the fixing part in a direction opposite to at least one of the both ends.

A linear vibration generating device. The linear vibration generating device includes a vibrator including an annular magnet and a weight surrounding the magnet; a stator including a coil disposed at a center of the magnet and a yoke surrounding the coil; an elastic member disposed between the vibrator and the stator to elastically support the vibrator; and an anti-tilting unit coaxially coupled to a top of the yoke in a predetermined height. The anti-tilting unit is a non-magnetic body with a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter equal to or greater than a diameter of an outermost portion of the yoke and smaller than an inner diameter of the magnet.

A linear vibration generating device. The linear vibration generating device includes a vibrator including an annular magnet and a weight surrounding the magnet; a stator including a coil disposed at a center of the magnet and a yoke surrounding the coil; an elastic member disposed between the vibrator and the stator to elastically support the vibrator; and an anti-tilting unit coaxially coupled to a top of the yoke in a predetermined height. The anti-tilting unit is a non-magnetic body with a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter equal to or greater than a diameter of an outermost portion of the yoke and smaller than an inner diameter of the magnet.

A linear vibration motor includes: a casing having an upper casing whose bottom is open and a lower casing coupled to the upper casing to form an internal space therein; a stator disposed on top of the lower casing in the internal space formed by the casing; an elastic member disposed around the stator in the internal space formed by the casing in such a manner as to allow one surface thereof to be coupled to the lower casing; an oscillator mounted on the other surface of the elastic member and having a ring-shaped magnet disposed around the stator; and a magnetic fluid applied to top of the ring-shaped magnet, wherein the upper casing includes a ring-shaped protrusion formed on the inner surface facing the lower casing, and an inner diameter of the ring-shaped protrusion is greater than an outer diameter of the ring-shaped magnet.

A linear vibration motor includes: a casing having an upper casing whose bottom is open and a lower casing coupled to the upper casing to form an internal space therein; a stator disposed on top of the lower casing in the internal space formed by the casing; an elastic member disposed around the stator in the internal space formed by the casing in such a manner as to allow one surface thereof to be coupled to the lower casing; an oscillator mounted on the other surface of the elastic member and having a ring-shaped magnet disposed around the stator; and a magnetic fluid applied to top of the ring-shaped magnet, wherein the upper casing includes a ring-shaped protrusion formed on the inner surface facing the lower casing, and an inner diameter of the ring-shaped protrusion is greater than an outer diameter of the ring-shaped magnet.

A vibration motor includes a stationary portion, a vibrating body, an elastic member, and a damper member. The elastic member includes a first extending portion, a second extending portion, a first connection portion, a second connection portion, a third extending portion, a fourth extending portion, a third connection portion, a fourth connection portion, and a fifth connection portion. The damper member includes a first longitudinal portion and a second longitudinal portion. An inner section including the first extending portion, the third extending portion, and the fifth connection portion directly opposes an upper surface of a weight in plan view in an up-down direction.

Provided is a vibration actuator that includes: a coil; a core around which the coil is wound, the core including both ends projecting from the coil; a yoke formed of a magnetic material and disposed opposite to the both ends of the core at a position adjacent to the both ends of the core with a gap provided between the yoke and the both ends of the core in a direction orthogonal to a winding axis of the coil; and an elastic part fixed between the core and the yoke and configured for elastic support to enable a movement between the core and the yoke in a direction opposite to at least one of the both ends of the core.