A vibration wave motor comprises a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating body, a friction member including a first surface configured to come into contact with the vibrator, and a second surface, which is a surface on the opposite side of the first surface, the vibrator and the friction member moving relative to each other in a driving direction by a vibration generated by the vibrator, a supporting member configured to support the friction member on the second surface side; and a pressure member configured to bring the vibrator and the friction member into pressure contact with each other. A fixing portion configured to fix the friction member to the supporting member is provided in the friction member. The vibrator can move to a position where at least part of the vibrator and the fixing portion overlap each other in a pressure direction of the pressure member.

A vibration actuator that is reduced in the change of posture of a vibration element with respect to a contact body. The vibration element unit and the contact body are movable relative to each other. The vibration element unit includes a vibration element in contact with the contact body, a first holding member that holds the vibration element, a base, a first supporting member that is fixed to the base, and movably supports the first holding member in a direction orthogonal to a friction sliding surface of the contact body in slide contact with the vibration element, while maintaining the vibration element in a predetermined posture with respect to the contact body, and an urging unit that is arranged on the base independently of the first supporting member and presses the vibration element in a direction orthogonal to the friction sliding surface of the contact body.

A vibration actuator capable of adjusting the position of a vibration element with respect to a contact body. The vibration actuator includes a vibration element unit and a contact body capable of relative movement to each other. The vibration element unit includes a first vibration element in contact with the contact body, an urging unit that brings the first vibration element and the contact body into contact with each other with predetermined pressure force, a first holding member that holds the first vibration element, a base, a first supporting member that slidably supports the first holding member in a direction in which the first vibration element is pressed against the contact body, and a first connection member that is rotatably connected to the first supporting member and rotatably connected to the base about an axis parallel to a direction of the relative movement.

The application describes systems for deriving haptic and audio drive signals from an input signal received via a single channel such as an audio channel.

A piezo actuator comprises a piezo material having a first, top surface, a second, bottom surface, and a third, circumference surface. The piezo material has a polarity and the piezo material includes one or more mounting holes in the piezo material, the one or more mounting holes being positioned substantially central in at least the top surface or the bottom surface of the piezo material. The actuator also comprises at least one contact point for contacting a load to be actuated, the at least one contact point being positioned on the third, circumference, surface of the piezo material, and a set of electrodes being positioned on the top surface of the piezo material and at least one electrode being positioned at the bottom surface of the piezo material.

A method is disclosed for closed-loop motion control of an ultrasonic motor having at least one actuator with an excitation electrode and at least one common electrode, an element to be driven, a controller and at least one electrical generator for generating at least first and second excitation voltages U1 and U2 to be applied to the electrodes of the actuator for vibration of the actuator. A friction element of the actuator, due to its vibration, intermittently contacts the element to be driven with a driving force. The method includes providing the at least two excitation voltages U1 and U2 with different resemblance frequencies, a frequency difference deviating from a servo sampling frequency of the controller by 5 kHz at the most, and simultaneously applying the excitation voltages to the electrodes of the actuator.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided in the present disclosure, including a fixed portion, a movable portion, and a driving assembly. The movable portion is connected to an optical assembly. The driving assembly drives the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion. The driving assembly includes a piezoelectric element.

A vibration type actuator capable of reducing a change in force generated between a contact body and a vibrating body. The vibration type actuator comprising a vibrating body unit including a vibrating body and a holding portion that holds the vibrating body, a pressurizing unit, a contact body that contacts with the vibrating body by a pressurizing force by the pressurizing unit, and a connecting portion, wherein when predetermined vibration is excited in the vibrating body, the contact body and the vibrating body unit move relative to each other in a first direction, and wherein the connecting portion connects the holding portion to a connection object in the first direction, such that the vibrating body unit is displaced at least in a pressurizing direction by the pressurizing unit when the contact body and the vibrating body unit move relative to each other in the first direction.

An actuator with a rectangular shape] is made of polarized electromechanical material having two large main surfaces and at least four side surfaces, two of which being longer than the other two side surfaces. At least one friction element is arranged on at least one of the shorter side surfaces. At least two active electrodes are arranged on one of the main surfaces, with one common electrode arranged on the other of the main surfaces The electromechanical material of the actuator is excitable to perform standing wave deformations due to an electric field generated therein for moving the friction element to drive an element. The actuator aspect ratio for its length to its thickness is between 3.9 and 4.1 and an aspect ratio for the length relative to width is between 2 and 5.

A control apparatus is capable of improving responsiveness in a minute movement of a vibration-type actuator that has a vibration body (a piezoelectric device and an elastic body) and a driven body that pressure contacts with the vibration body. A driving unit moves the driven body by causing a thrust-up vibration in a pressurizing direction and a conveyance vibration in a perpendicular direction in the vibration body by applying alternating voltages to the piezoelectric device. A control unit feedback-controls a position of the driven body by using a first operational parameter that defines an amplitude ratio of the conveyance vibration to the thrust-up vibration and a second operational parameter that defines amplitudes of the conveyance vibration and the thrust-up vibration. A correction unit corrects a control amount of the first or second operational parameter so as to increase as the amplitude ratio decreases.