A light intensity modulator includes an input optical fiber; an output optical fiber; an optical arrangement having a lens, where the optical arrangement is configured to receive light from the input optical fiber, pass the light through the lens, and direct the light to the output optical fiber; and a piezoelectric device coupled to the lens, where the piezoelectric device is configured for moving the lens to alter overlap of the output optical fiber and the light directed to the output optical fiber to modulate intensity of light in the output optical fiber.

A vibration type motor includes first and second vibrators, a friction member configured to contact the first and second vibrators, a pressure member configured to press the first and second vibrators against the friction member, and first and second guide members configured to guide a relative movement between the first and second vibrators and the friction member. The first and second vibrators are spaced in a direction different from a relative movement direction between the first and second vibrators and the friction member. The first and the second guide member are provided between the first vibrator and the second vibrator in a direction different from the relative movement direction. A pressure center of a pressure applied to the first vibrator and the second vibrator by the pressure member is located between the first guide member and the second guide member.

A vibration type motor includes first and second vibrators, a friction member configured to contact the first and second vibrators, a pressure member configured to press the first and second vibrators against the friction member, and first and second guide members configured to guide a relative movement between the first and second vibrators and the friction member. The first and second vibrators are spaced in a direction different from a relative movement direction between the first and second vibrators and the friction member. The first and the second guide member are provided between the first vibrator and the second vibrator in a direction different from the relative movement direction. A pressure center of a pressure applied to the first vibrator and the second vibrator by the pressure member is located between the first guide member and the second guide member.

Included are a vibrator including a protruding portion that performs high frequency vibration; a friction member, the vibrator being pressed to cause the protruding portion to abut to the friction member; a fixing member to which either the vibrator or the friction member; a movable member that moves integratedly with either the vibrator or the friction member; a plurality of rotating members enabling relative movement between the friction member and the movable member; and a falling off restriction portion that prevents the rotating members provided in either the fixing member or the movable member from falling off, wherein the falling off restriction portion abuts to an opposed portion opposed to the falling off restriction portion to restrict a movable range of the movable member in a pressing direction and to prevent the rotating members from falling off.

Included are a vibrator including a protruding portion that performs high frequency vibration; a friction member, the vibrator being pressed to cause the protruding portion to abut to the friction member; a fixing member to which either the vibrator or the friction member; a movable member that moves integratedly with either the vibrator or the friction member; a plurality of rotating members enabling relative movement between the friction member and the movable member; and a falling off restriction portion that prevents the rotating members provided in either the fixing member or the movable member from falling off, wherein the falling off restriction portion abuts to an opposed portion opposed to the falling off restriction portion to restrict a movable range of the movable member in a pressing direction and to prevent the rotating members from falling off.

The invention relates to a method for activating at least one portion, to be specific a change portion, of an electromechanical element (3), comprising the following steps: providing an electromechanical element, wherein at least the change portion has at least two electrodes, which are spaced apart from one another, and arranged between the electrodes a polycrystalline and ferroelectric or ferroelectric-piezoelectric material with a multiplicity of domains, wherein, in an initial state, at least some of the domains have directions of polarization that are different from one another; generating an electrical field between the electrodes of the change portion by applying an electrical voltage in the form of at least one voltage pulse with a defined amplitude and a defined duration; transforming some of the domains with directions of polarization that are different from one another into a state of the same direction of polarization as a result of the at least one voltage pulse, and thereby producing an increase in the extent of the electromechanical element along a direction of extent V that is defined and persists without the presence of an electrical voltage, or transforming some of the domains with the same direction of polarization into a state with directions of polarization that differ from one another as a result of the at least one voltage pulse, and thereby producing a decrease in the extent of the electromechanical element along the direction of extent V that is defined and persists without the presence of an electrical voltage. The invention also relates to the use of an electromechanical element activated by this method as an adjusting element and to the arrangement of an electromechanical element activated by this method between two elements (1, 2) that are to be moved with respect to one another.

Diaphragms (4, 5, 6, 7) each include laminated layers including a piezoelectric layer. The diaphragms (4, 5, 6, 7) are each warped to oscillate due to expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric layer or due to an oscillatory force from the outside. The diaphragms have mutually different resonance frequencies. A casing (2) has an internal space (2C) for accommodating the diaphragms (4, 5, 6, 7) and a fixing part (2D) for fixing a portion of each of the diaphragms (4, 5, 6, 7). The casing (2) transmits oscillations between the diaphragms (4, 5, 6, 7) and the outside via the fixing part (2D).

A driving device includes a vibrator; a friction member; a first guide portion that guides the vibrator or the friction member in a first direction when the vibrator vibrates so that the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other, the first guide portion enabling rotation of the vibrator and the friction member around an axis in the first direction; a moving member that moves when the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other, the moving member being connected to the member to be driven; and a second guide portion that guides the member to be driven in a second direction when the moving member moves. The moving member is connected to the member to be driven such that the moving member is rotatable and movable in a direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the member to be driven.

For tuning a vibrating conveyor having an electric vibrator that drives a vibration element connected to a conveying unit of the vibrating conveyor for oscillating the conveying unit to a mechanical resonance frequency f.sub.R of the vibrating conveyor, an electric drive unit varies the frequency f.sub.v of a AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) in a given frequency range, measures a current consumption of the electric vibrator unit for different applied frequencies f.sub.v of the AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) and using the frequency f.sub.v with the lowest current consumption of the electric vibrator unit as frequency f.sub.v of the AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) for operating the vibrating conveyor.

Provided is a novel actuator that can easily achieve movement with multiple degrees of freedom. An actuator includes a flexible electrode, a first base electrode disposed to face the flexible electrode on the Y-axis and provided with a first insulating layer on an opposite face, a second base electrode disposed to face the flexible electrode on the X-axis and provided with a second insulating layer on an opposite face, and a first output member and a second output member adapted to be displaced according to deformation of the flexible electrode. A first space is formed between the first insulating layer and the flexible electrode, in which the flexible electrode deforms toward the first insulating layer by an applied voltage. A second space is formed between the second insulating layer and the flexible electrode, in which the flexible electrode deforms toward the second insulating layer by an applied voltage.