A driving apparatus includes a movable portion, a fixed portion configured to hold the movable portion, and a controller configured to control a position of the movable portion relative to the fixed portion. At least part of the outer surface of the movable portion is a spherical surface. The fixed portion includes a plurality of vibrators configured to press and contact the spherical surface of the movable portion and to rotate the movable portion, and a pressure receiver configured to hold pressure contact states of the plurality of vibrators against the movable portion. The movable portion is held by the plurality of vibrators and the pressure receiver, and a spherical center of the spherical surface of the movable portion is located between a plane passing through the plurality of vibrators and the pressure receiver.

A contact body that makes it possible to easily verify whether or not the resin has been properly impregnated in the pores. A metallic sintered body having a plurality of pores, as a main body, is in contact with a vibration element in a vibration actuator. The contact body includes a sliding portion that has a sliding surface in contact with the vibration element, and a non-sliding portion adjacent to the sliding portion and not in contact with the vibration element. The non-sliding portion is provided with a resin lump containing hard particles and resin, and the resin lump is formed to be lower in height in a vertical direction than the sliding surface. In the sliding portion, part of hard particles and resin is exposed on the sliding surface.

A vibration type drive device capable of maintaining stable drive performance and controllability. The vibration type drive device comprises a vibration type actuator comprising a vibrator and a contact body, and a drive control device. The drive control device applies two-phase alternating current voltages to the energy conversion element of the vibrator by a drive portion, converts a control amount of feedback control based on the relative position/speed into a phase difference between the two-phase alternating current voltages, and outputs the phase difference to the drive portion by using, for the relative movement, a phase difference of a first or second quadrant at a coordinate (in a first direction) and a phase difference of a third or fourth quadrant (in a second direction), wherein vertical axis: SIN , horizontal axis: COS , : phase difference.

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 motor capable of holding a vibrator without increasing a dimension thereof in a traveling direction (driving direction) and without having looseness. The motor includes a vibrator and a holding unit that holds the vibrator, and moves the vibrator and a sliding member in frictional contact with the vibrator relative to each other by vibrating the vibrator. A pressurizing unit pressurizes the vibrator against the friction member, and holding springs generate a holding force for causing the holding unit to hold the vibrator. The holding unit is not disposed between the pressurizing unit and the vibrator. A holding direction of the holding force generated by the holding springs and a pressurizing direction of a pressurizing force generated by the pressurizing unit are substantially parallel to each other.

A vibration type actuator includes a first member that has a vibrator; a second member that extends in a predetermined direction and has a friction sliding surface where the vibrator is press-contacted; a third member that rotatably holds the second member with respect to an axis parallel to the predetermined direction; and a pressing unit that generates a first force for rotating the second member with respect to the axis relative to the third member. The first member is sandwiched between the second member and the third member by the first force. The first member is driven in a driving direction parallel to the predetermined direction relative to the second member by the vibration of the vibrator.

An oscillation actuator of the present disclosure includes an oscillation body, a contact body configured to be in contact with the oscillation body, a holding member configured to hold the oscillation body, the holding member having a through hole, a pressing member configured to press the oscillation body through the through hole, and an oscillation damping member configured to be in contact with the holding member and the pressing member between the holding member and the pressing member.

A vibration actuator is capable of bringing a vibration body into press contact with a driven body stably for an extended period while reducing obstruction of excitation of vibration in the vibration body by the pressing force. The driven body is in contact with the vibration body by a pressing force given by a pressing member. A vibration isolation member is arranged between the vibration body and the pressing member. The vibration body and the driven body move relatively by vibrations in first and second vibration modes that are excited in the vibration body by applying alternating voltage to a piezoelectric device on the vibration body. Face pressure that acts on the piezoelectric device by the pressing force from the pressing member in first and second areas that respectively include nodal lines in the first and second vibration modes and their vicinities is higher than that in other areas.

A manufacturing method of a vibrator includes processing a tip of a contact part arranged on an elastic body of the vibrator by lapping or grinding processing so that part of the tip has a plane shape in part of a spherical shape.

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.