An electromechanical actuator includes an oscillation resonator having the shape of a rod. The oscillation resonator is divided by a dividing plane that is not parallel to the longitudinal direction of the oscillation resonator into a first resonator portion and a second resonator portion. At least the first resonator portion includes electromechanical means which, when activated, are configured to generate a 3-dimensional acoustic bulk wave are with a mode shape asymmetric with respect to the dividing plane.

The light adjustment apparatus includes a rotation axis body that supports a rotation arm part that removes/places a light adjustment part from/on a light path, and has a magnet installed therein, a support member that supports the rotation axis body rotatably, a turning force that forms a magnetic circuit including the rotation axis body on the circuit, and rotates the rotation axis body by causing a magnetic flux generated by a drive current on which a high-frequency wave is superimposed to act on a magnet, and an electromagnetic drive source that supplies a minute vibration on a sliding portion between the rotation axis body and the support member, in which a frictional resistance at the sliding portion changes from a static friction to a kinetic friction, which reduces the frictional resistance upon rotation activation of the rotation axis body.

A vibrating device includes a tubular vibrating body and a lens cover coupled to a first surface of the tubular vibrating body. The tubular vibrating body includes a tubular member and piezoelectric vibrators. The lens cover includes a mode changing coupler and a light transmitting body unit disposed in front of a lens of a camera. The mode changing coupler includes a thin portion having a thickness smaller than a thickness of the tubular member.

A small-sized vibration motor. The vibration motor includes a vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a contact member brought into friction contact with the vibrator, and a fixing member to which the contact member is fixed. The vibrator and the contact member are moved relative to each other in a driving direction by high-frequency vibration of the piezoelectric element. The contact member includes a sliding portion brought into friction contact with the vibrator when the vibrator and the contact member are moved relative to each other in the driving direction, and fixed portions via which the contact member is fixed to the fixing member. The fixed portions are formed at respective locations alongside the sliding portion in a second predetermined direction orthogonal to the first predetermined direction, and also inward of opposite ends of the contact member in the first predetermined direction.

There is provided a wafer making it possible to stably break off the piezoelectric vibrator element. The wafer includes a piezoelectric vibrator element, a frame part, and a connection part adapted to connect the piezoelectric vibrator element and the frame part to each other, and the connection part is provided with a guide part adapted to guide force, which is applied to the connection part from one surface side in the thickness direction of the connection part when breaking off the piezoelectric vibrator element from the frame part at the connection part, to at least one side in the width direction of the connection part.

A driving device includes a plurality of motive power generators that receive electric power supply and generate motive power, the plurality of motive power generators form a plurality of sets of motive power generators in which two or more of the motive power generators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of motive power generators are electrically series-connected. A driving device includes a plurality of vibrators that receive electric power supply and vibrate and provide drive power for driving a driven member to the driven member, the plurality of vibrators form a plurality of sets of vibrators in which two or more of the vibrators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of vibrators are electrically series-connected.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrator having a vibrating part including a piezoelectric element and a transmitting portion provided in the vibrating part and transmitting drive power to a driven part, and an energizing part that may energize the vibrator toward the driven part, wherein the energizing part has a base portion connected to the vibrator and a pair of spring portions integrally formed with the base portion.

A piezoelectric drive device including: laminated piezoelectric element including a first end face and a second end face opposed to the first end face; a weight member attached to the first end face; and a shaft attached to the second end face, in which a moving member, engaged to the shaft movable in an axial direction, is moved by activating the laminated piezoelectric element. Inside the laminated piezoelectric element, a first internal electrode and a second internal electrode, respectively having a plane surface approximately perpendicular to the first end face and the second end face, are laminated in Y axial direction, approximately perpendicular to the first internal electrode and the second internal electrode with a piezoelectric layer in-between. The piezoelectric drive device, in which the laminated piezoelectric element is difficult to bend, even when the load is applied to the shaft from a lateral direction, is provided.

A piezoelectric motor with improved efficiency and improved specific power is disclosed. The piezoelectric motor has two frictionally engaged components mounted in such a way that they can move relative to each other. One component is a piezoelectric element in the form of a rectangular plate with metal coatings on its main planar surfaces. This component defines electrodes, where either some or all of the electrodes have leads for connection to a source of alternating voltage. The piezoelectric element is pressed by either its peripheral surfaces or by some parts of its peripheral surfaces at least by one of its sides or a section of one of its side against a cylindrical or planar surface of the other frictionally engaged component. The shape of the piezoelectric element, the arrangement and the number of the electrodes are configured to satisfy the condition of resonant excitation in the piezoelement of the first order mode of bending vibration along the length in the plane of the piezoelement during operation of the motor in one direction, and resonant excitation of the first order mode of longitudinal vibrations along the length during operation of the motor in the opposite direction.

An ultrasonic actuator made of polarized piezoelectric material in the form of a single-layer or multilayer flat rectangular plate with two main faces, at least four lateral faces joining the main faces, and a thickness T, which is defined by the distance between the main faces in the direction of their surface normals, and wherein on both the one main face and the other opposite main face at least one layer including two triangular electrodes imposingly arranged and separated by a diagonal separating region, the electrodes on the one main face being offset relative to the electrodes on the other main face by 90. The ultrasonic actuator is characterized in that on at least one of the lateral faces there are two mutually spaced friction elements designed to contact at least one element that is to be driven by the ultrasonic actuator.