A vibration drive device can suppress separation between members thereof when an external force is applied thereto. The vibration drive device excites vibration in a vibrating body to move the vibrating body and a driven body relative to each other. The vibrating body has a piezoelectric element joined to a first surface of an elastic body. Protrusions for pressure contact with the driven body are formed on a second surface of the elastic body. The elastic body is supported by support plates, and the support plates are held on a base. An equalizing stage is disposed on a side facing the first surface of the elastic body. A vibration damping member disposed between the vibrating body and the equalizing stage suppresses transmission of vibration from the vibrating body to the equalizing stage.

A vibrator which is constructed by bonding a piezoelectric element and an elastic body together via a bonding layer. The piezoelectric element has a piezoelectric ceramic and electrodes. The bonding layer has an unbonded region that is located close to a nodal line of a vibration in a primary out-of-plane vibration mode when the vibration is excited in the vibrator, and in the unbonded region, the piezoelectric element and the elastic body are not bonded together.

A control device for a vibration actuator includes a detection signal acquisition section adapted to obtain an alternating-current detection signal corresponding to a vibration of the resonator body from the resonator bodies, a phase difference detection section adapted to detect a phase difference between the drive signal and the detection signal with respect to the resonator bodies, a resonator body selection section adapted to select one from the resonator bodies, and a drive signal control section adapted to adjust a frequency of the drive signal so that the phase difference in the resonator body selected comes closer to a target value.

In a piezoelectric driving device, a load due to flection deformation of a flexible substrate can be prevented from being applied to a piezoelectric element and decrease in driving efficiency of the driving device can be prevented. The flexible substrate of the driving device includes a first fixing portion fixed to the piezoelectric element, a second fixing portion fixed to a holding member, and a bending portion in which the flection deformation is formed with movement of a vibrating plate. The second fixing portion is provided between the first fixing portion and the bending portion along the flexible substrate.

A piezoelectric drive device includes a piezoelectric actuator which includes a vibration portion that vibrates and a protruding portion that protrudes from the vibration portion, a driven member, an optical scale, a sensor which receives transmitted light or reflected light from the optical scale and outputs a signal in accordance with intensity of the received light, in which a facing area of the optical scale and the sensor is disposed to be deviated to one side in a direction in which the optical scale and the sensor are aligned with respect to a contact portion between the protruding portion and the driven member.

A control device controls driving of a vibration actuator that moves a vibrating body and a contacting body in contact with the vibrating body relative to each other by vibration of the vibrating body excited when a plurality of signals having a phase difference are applied to an electromechanical energy conversion element. The control device includes a first control unit that controls the phase difference between the signals to a first phase difference when the vibrating body and the contacting body do not move relatively and starts moving the vibrating body and the contacting body relatively. The first phase difference is such that the positive/negative sign of the relative position or the relative speed of the vibrating body and the contacting body immediately after the vibrating body and the contacting body start moving relatively is not opposite to the positive/negative sign of the target position or the target speed.

A display apparatus is disclosed. The display apparatus includes a display panel, a supporter attached to a rear surface of the display panel, and a piezoelectric vibration unit including a fixing portion attached to the supporter and a cantilever portion overhanging from the supporter.

This invention prevents an adhesive portion between a piezoelectric element and a conducting member of a small vibrator from peeling off. In a vibrator, a conducting member includes at least one first adhesive portion adhered to an electrode, at least one second adhesive portion adhered to an elastic member, and a feed portion electrically connected to means for applying an external voltage. In the conducting member, a path length from the feed portion to the first adhesive portion is longer than a path length from the feed portion to the second adhesive portion.

A piezoelectric actuator (1) includes: a piezoelectric element (3); and a first frictional portion (10) and a second frictional portion (12) that are disposed on one principal surface (2d) of the piezoelectric element (3). The first frictional portion (10) is disposed at a position other than the antinodes of the piezoelectric element (3) at which a distance from one of the end surfaces (2a) is less than L, where L represents a length in the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element (3). The second frictional portion (12) is disposed at a position other than the antinodes of the piezoelectric element (3) at which a distance from the other of the end surfaces (2b) is less than L.

A vibration type driving apparatus includes a first vibrator including an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and configured to be in pressure contact with a driven member, a second vibrator including an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and configured to be in pressure contact with the driven member, and a first electric element connected in series with the second vibrator. The first vibrator is connected to a driving circuit, the second vibrator and the first electric element are connected in parallel with the first vibrator, the second vibrator is connected to the driving circuit via the first electric element, and a resonance frequency f of the first vibrator and a resonance frequency f2 of the second vibrator satisfy a relationship f1<f2.