An electromechanical actuator includes a base part and an oscillation resonator having the shape of a rod. The electromechanical actuator further includes amount for mounting the oscillation resonator to the base part. The mount is configured to bear the oscillation resonator so as to be rotatable around an axis of the oscillation resonator rod relative to the base part. A driver member is mechanically coupled to the oscillation resonator. A slider or a rotator is configured to be moved by the driver member when the oscillation resonator is excited.

A linear actuator has a base, a linear guide coupled to a flat, planar side of the base and extending in a travel length of an object to be moved, a contact plate extending along the flat, planar side of the base, and a carriage. The carriage includes an enclosure formed of an acoustically isolating material, a moving element configured to move along the guide and is coupled to the enclosure, a piezoelectric element including a contact site in physical contact with the contact plate, and a housing elastically holding the piezoelectric element, the housing coupled to the enclosure with no direct contact with the moving element. An electrical power source is in electrical communication with the piezoelectric element, wherein the power source energizes the piezoelectric element to effectuate movement of the carriage along the linear guide via the physical contact between the contact site and the contact plate.

Electrical connections are created between the actuator frame of a piezoelectric MEMS scanning mirror system and the substrate separate from the structural adhesive creating the mechanical bond between the actuator frame and the substrate. A structural bond (with no conducive properties) is formed between the actuator frame and the substrate. After the bond is fully formed, separate electric connections can be created by one or both of: 1) coating the actuator frame with a coating that enables a surface of the actuator frame to be wire bondable and creating a wire bond between the actuator frame and the substrate; or 2) depositing a trace of conductive material on the outside edge of the mechanical bond between the actuator frame and the substrate and a final protection layer may be applied over the conductive trace to protect the trace from mechanical or environmental damage.

A motor includes a first vibrator, a plurality of biasing parts that are disposed around the first vibrator and that presses the first vibrator onto a contacting member in contact with the first vibrator, a first pressing member that is biased by the plurality of biasing parts and that includes a pressing part pressing the first vibrator by biasing force of the plurality of biasing parts, and a second pressing member that is biased by the plurality of biasing parts. The first vibrator and the contacting member move relatively by vibrations that occur in the first vibrator. The first and second pressing members integrally moves while the first vibrator moves. The first pressing member and the first vibrator are tiltable around a first direction orthogonal to both of a moving direction of the first vibrator and a biasing direction of the plurality of biasing parts.

A motor includes a pressing member pressing a vibrator onto a contacting member, first and second holding members respectively holding the vibrator and a transmission member, which transmits pressing force by the pressing member to the vibrator, and a coupling member coupling the first and second holding members. The vibrator and the contacting member move by vibrations occurring in the vibrator. The coupling member includes a rolling member moving the first and second holding members in a pressing direction of the pressing member, and an urging member, which is held by the second holding member, urging the first and second holding members in parallel with a moving direction of the vibrator and the contacting member. The rolling member is sandwiched between the first and second holding members, and abuts against the first holding member on a center side of the vibrator in the moving direction.

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.

A rotary ultrasonic motor includes an ultrasonic actuator, a driven element, an inner casing member and an outer casing member. A piezoelectric or electrostrictive or magnetostrictive material is arranged between an excitation electrode and at least one general electrode. The ultrasonic actuator is between the inner and outer casing members of a casing, and is directly or indirectly in contact with the element to be driven, so that periodic deformations generated in the ultrasonic actuator by electrical excitation are transferable to the drive element. The ultrasonic actuator is mounted by a retaining device arranged on the casing with at least one retaining section which engages in a recess associated with a respective retaining section.

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.

An optical driving mechanism is provided, configured to force an optical element, including a base, a movable portion, and a driving portion. The movable portion is disposed and connected to the base. The movable portion includes a holder configured to sustain the optical element, a magnetic element, and a fixing member. The magnetic element and the fixing member are affixed to the holder, wherein the fixing member has a permeable material. The driving portion is configured to force the movable portion to move relative to the base, wherein the driving portion includes a piezoelectric element and a support member connecting thereto. The piezoelectric element and the support member are disposed on the base and connected to the movable portion. The fixing member makes contact with the support member via a magnetic attraction force between the magnetic element and the fixing member.

An actuator and tactile sensation providing apparatus include an actuator including a piezoelectric element, a vibration plate, and a support. The vibration plate has the piezoelectric element joined thereto and vibrates in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The support supports the vibration plate and is configured so that an end of the vibration plate is displaced more in a longitudinal direction than in a normal direction of the vibration plate in accordance with displacement of the piezoelectric element. The angle between the vibration plate and the support is acute. The tactile sensation providing apparatus can further include an object of vibration configured to provide a tactile sensation to a user by vibration of the vibration plate being transmitted to the object of vibration.