Provided is a vibration wave motor including: a vibrator; a pressurizing member configured to pressurize the vibrator against a friction member; a holding member configured to hold the vibrator; and a buffering member provided between the vibrator and the holding member. The vibrator and the friction member are moved relatively to each other in a relative movement direction by vibration of the vibrator, and the holding member holds the vibrator in such a manner that an extending part extending in a pressurizing direction of the pressurizing member sandwiches the vibrator and the buffering member.

In a MEMS device in which a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer are stacked in this order from a first surface side of a substrate, a first wiring layer is stacked on a second surface on a side opposite to a first surface of the substrate and the first electrode layer and the first wiring layer are connected to each other via a through wiring passing through the substrate.

Provided is a control apparatus of a vibration-type actuator for generating an elliptical motion of contact portions by a common alternating current including a frequency determining unit for setting a frequency of the alternating current. The frequency determining unit sets the frequency of the alternating current for changing an ellipticity of the elliptical motion, within a frequency range such that ellipticity changing frequency ranges set for the vibrators are overlapped, and the ellipticity changing frequency ranges are set for the vibrators as frequency ranges between an upper limit and a lower limit, such that the lower limit is a maximum resonant frequency at a time of changing the ellipticity, and the upper limit is larger than the lower limit and is a maximum frequency for the relative movement of the driving member.

A vibration wave motor includes: a vibrator including a piezoelectric element; a friction member with which the vibrator comes into contact by receiving pressurizing force; and a guide member that holds the vibrator, wherein the guide member includes: an input portion on one end portion, the input portion receiving force from outside; and a pressurizing portion on another end portion positioned on an opposite side of the one end portion, the pressurizing portion providing the pressurizing force to the vibrator, and a first guide portion extending in a direction of relative movement of the vibrator and the friction member is formed between the input portion and the pressurizing portion.

A vibration-type actuator capable of suppressing reduction in holding torque or holding force under influence of humidity. A vibration-type actuator 10 includes a vibrating body 2 and a driven body 1. The vibrating body 2 has a piezoelectric element 2c and an elastic body 2b. The driven body 1 is in contact with the vibrating body 2. The vibration-type actuator 10 moves the vibrating body 2 and the driven body 1 relatively to each other by vibration excited to the vibrating body 2. At least one of a first contact portion of the vibrating body 2 and a second contact portion of the driven body 1 includes a stainless-steel sintered body with pores and at least some of the pores are impregnated with a resin.

A control method for a piezoelectric motor having a vibrating portion including a piezoelectric element and a transmitting portion transmitting vibration of the vibrating portion to a driven member, and synthesizing longitudinal vibration and flexural vibration by energization of the piezoelectric element to vibrate the vibrating portion and elliptically move the transmitting portion and moving the driven member by the elliptical motion, includes changing an orbit of the elliptical motion according to a load received by the transmitting portion.

A drive control circuit restores a holding force when a vibrator and a driven body have been left at a standstill for a long time period and when they are used in a high-humidity environment. A drive circuit outputs an alternating-current signal, which is to be applied to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element, based on an output from a control unit. The control circuit controls the drive circuit with first timing such that elliptical motion produced in the vibrator takes a path of which a component parallel to a driving direction of the driven body is large as compared to such a path that a speed at which the driven body is driven is the maximum. The first timing is different from second timing with which relative positions of the vibrator and the driven body are changed.

A camera module and an array camera module based on an integral packing process are disclosed. The camera module or each of the camera module units of the array camera module includes a circuit board, an integral base, a photosensitive element operatively connected to the circuit board, a lens, a light filter holder installed at the integral base and a light filter installed at the light filter holder. The light filter is not required to be directly installed to the integral base, so that the light filter is protected and the requiring area of the light filter is reduced.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic motor having a bracket, a plate-shaped ultrasonic actuator arranged in the bracket, said ultrasonic actuator having two opposing main surfaces and at least four side surfaces connecting the main surfaces to one another, and an element to be driven, wherein the ultrasonic actuator is pressed against the element to be driven, and the bracket comprises a first frame that supports the ultrasonic actuator and a second frame in which the first frame is supported and guided by bearing elements, and the bearing elements are pressed elastically against the first frame by the second frame. According to the invention, the first frame is pressed against the main surfaces of the ultrasonic actuator via the bearing elements, thus preventing or reducing movements of the ultrasonic actuator in a direction vertical to the main surfaces.

An aspect of the present invention relates to a vibration element comprising: a substrate; a ceramic layer containing glass and provided on the substrate; and a piezoelectric element comprising an electrode layer fixed to the substrate with the ceramic layer therebetween and a piezoelectric layer, wherein the piezoelectric layer, the electrode layer, the substrate, and the ceramic layer are integrated by the piezoelectric layer, the electrode layer, the substrate, and the ceramic layer being sintered together at a sintering temperature of from 800° C. or higher to 940° C. or lower.