A vibration wave motor includes a vibrator including an electrical-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member, a contact member in contact with the elastic member, and a supporting member that supports the vibrator, wherein the supporting member supports an outer periphery portion of the vibrator so as to be movable along a direction in which the vibrator is pressed toward the contact member, and selectively supports a node of a vibration of the vibrator.

A vibration actuator, which is capable of being miniaturized or obtaining stable drive performance, moves a vibration body and a contact body relatively. The vibration actuator includes a support member that supports the vibration body. The support member includes a vibration section joined to the vibration body, a first fixing section and a second fixing section that are provided on opposite sides of the vibration body for fixing the support member at a predetermined position, a first support section that connects the vibration section with the first fixing section to support the vibration body, a second support section that connects the vibration section with the second fixing section to support the vibration body, and conduction members that extend from the vibration body to the first fixing section, extend from the vibration body to the second fixing section, and supply electric power to the vibration body.

A vibration actuator that is capable of reducing differences in vibration phase and vibration amplitude without rising a voltage of a drive circuit when driving a contact member using a plurality of vibrators connected in series. A vibration actuator includes a vibrator device and a contact member that moves relative to the vibrator device. The vibrator device includes transformers of which primary coils are connected in series, and vibrators that are respectively connected in parallel to secondary coils of the transformers.

A vibration actuator that is capable of reducing difference of vibration velocities when a contact member is driven using a plurality of vibrators. The vibration actuator includes a vibrator device and a contact member that moves relative to the vibrator device. The vibrator device includes a plurality of vibrators that are connected in series, and a plurality of inductors that are connected in parallel to the respective vibrators.

A value obtained by adding an output of a speed feedforward calculation unit that uses a speed calculated from a change over time in an instruction value to a stage downstream from a feedback calculation unit that uses a positional deviation is used as a control amount, and at least one of an elliptic ratio of elliptical motion and a driving direction is controlled.

A method of manufacturing a vibration type actuator providing a satisfactory actuator performance even when an increase in speed is achieved and having a contact spring. The actuator includes an elastic member and a hollow protrusion having a side wall portion protruding with respect to a surface of the elastic member, a contact portion configured to come into contact with a body, and a first connection portion connecting the side wall portion and the contact portion, the method includes, forming the hollow protrusion including the side wall portion and a distal end portion by performing drawing on an elastic plate and forming the contact portion and the first connection portion by performing drawing or squeezing on the distal end portion, wherein the contact portion is surrounded by the first connection portion.

An ultrasonic electromechanical stator includes two vibration bodies, a link member connecting the two vibration bodies along a connection direction and a stator support. Each of the vibration bodies includes a respective electromechanical element and is configured to perform bending vibrations in a bending direction when an alternating voltage is applied to the electromechanical elements. The link member has a contact portion intended for contacting a surface of a body to be moved. The link member has a respective mechanical link connecting portion to the vibrating bodies. Each of the vibration bodies is mechanically attached to the stator support by at least two attachment tabs on at least one side, in a direction transverse to both the connection direction and the bending direction, of the respective vibration bodies. Also an ultrasonic electromechanical motor having such an ultrasonic electromechanical stator is disclosed.

An electromechanical stator includes an actuator section, a support section and a spring section. A continuous sheet of elastic material constitutes at least a part of each of these sections. The actuator section includes a vibration body and a moved-body interaction portion. The vibration body includes an electromechanical volume. The spring section is elastic, with a spring constant, enabling provision of a normal force in the vibration direction upon displacement of the fixation point. Also an electromechanical motor and a method of operating such an electromechanical motor are disclosed.

A vibration type actuator including vibrating elements and a contact element that is brought into contact with each other in a first direction. The vibration of the vibrating elements includes vibration in a first vibration mode in the first direction and vibration in a second vibration mode in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In the vibrating elements, a minimum value of a resonance frequency in the second vibration mode is greater than or equal to a maximum value of a resonance frequency in the first vibration mode, and a ratio of a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the resonance frequency in the second vibration mode to the minimum value of the resonance frequency in the second mode is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

A driving apparatus of a vibration-type actuator includes a driving circuit configured to drive a vibration unit including a plurality of vibrators, a detection unit configured to detect a sum of power consumption consumed by the plurality of vibrators, and a driving frequency setting unit configured to set a driving frequency within a frequency range depending on the sum of power consumption detected by the detection unit.