A driving device includes a vibrator; a friction member; a first guide portion that guides the vibrator or the friction member in a first direction when the vibrator vibrates so that the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other, the first guide portion enabling rotation of the vibrator and the friction member around an axis in the first direction; a moving member that moves when the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other, the moving member being connected to the member to be driven; and a second guide portion that guides the member to be driven in a second direction when the moving member moves. The moving member is connected to the member to be driven such that the moving member is rotatable and movable in a direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the member to be driven.

Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibrator; a friction member, which is in friction contact with the vibrator; a pressurizing unit, which is configured to pressurize the vibrator against the friction member; and a guiding unit, which is configured to guide relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member, wherein the relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member is caused by vibration generated by the vibrator, and wherein the guiding unit holds the friction member and has fixing portions, and the fixing portions are formed in the guiding unit in vicinities of both ends of the guiding unit sandwiching the friction member.

In a vibration type motor, a vibrator unit including a vibrator configured to vibrate, and a friction member unit including a friction member which the vibrator contacts relatively moving in a first direction. The vibrator unit is displaceable relative to the friction member unit in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and presses the vibrator against the friction member in the second direction. The friction member unit includes a stopper that contacts the vibrator unit so as to restrict the vibration unit from displacing, by an amount exceeding a predetermined amount, in the second direction. The stopper extends in the first direction, a distance greater than a length, in the first direction, of an area of the friction member which the vibrator contacts, and the stopper projects from the friction member toward the vibrator in the second direction when viewed from the first direction.

A vibration-type driving apparatus includes a vibrator unit including a vibrator in which vibration is excited by an electro-mechanical energy convertor and a holder configured to hold the vibrator, and a contact body in contact with the vibrator. The vibrator and the contact body move relative to each other when vibration at a frequency higher than an audible range is excited in the vibrator. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

A vibration type actuator includes a vibrator, including a protrusion and a piezoelectric element, that is arranged to vibrate in response to a voltage, and a contact member having a contact surface which the protrusion contacts. The vibrator and the contact member rotate relative to each other around a first axis. The vibrator is tilted to the contact surface by a predetermined angle.

A piezoelectric drive device includes a vibrating part which has a piezoelectric element, and drives a driven part using the piezoelectric element, and a first plate spring part configured to bias the vibrating part in a first direction from the vibrating part toward the driven part. The first plate spring part extends toward a second direction crossing the first direction, the first plate spring part is disposed so as to be opposed to the vibrating part in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and when dividing the first plate spring part into a first portion and a second portion farther from the vibrating part than the first portion so that a length along the third direction is equally divided, a volume of the second portion is larger than a volume of the first portion.

A multi-spoke-type ultrasonic motor has: a rotating shaft (1), a fastening sleeve cylinder (2), a spring (3), a rotor (4), a stator (5), a fastening screw (6), and piezoelectric ceramics (7). The rotor (4), the stator (5), the spring (3), and the fastening sleeve cylinder (2) are sequentially connected via the rotating shaft (1). The stator (5) is an annular metal plate having internal spoke-like teeth. The upper surface and the lower surface of the stator (5) are provided with identical stator spoke-like teeth for contacting the rotor (4). The rotor (4) and the stator (5) are in close contact under the effect of prestressing of the spring (3). The piezoelectric ceramics (7) are annular plates; upper and lower plates respectively are affixed on the upper and lower surfaces of the stator (5). The motor is capable of increasing the output power of the ultrasonic motor.

A lens barrel includes: an electromechanical conversion element; an elastic body having a joining surface, a drive surface, and grooves; a motion member rotating by vibration wave of the drive surface; a rotating ring having a recess part and rotating by rotation of the motion member; a moving ring engaged to the recess part and moving to an optical axis direction by rotation of the rotating ring; and a lens held in the moving ring; wherein the element is made of a material having sodium potassium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate or barium titanate, wherein a value of T/(B+C) is within a range of from 1.3 to 2.8 when: length from the drive surface to a base unit of the groove is defined as T; length from the base unit of the groove to the joining surface is defined as B; and thickness of the element is defined as C.

A vibration actuator includes an elastic body on which at least one projection is formed and a vibrating body including an electromechanical conversion device, and drives a driven member that is in contact with a contact portion of the projection by causing an end portion of the projection to perform an ellipsoidal movement in response to a combination of two vibration modes generated in the vibrating body when an alternating driving voltage is applied. The elastic body is formed integrally with the projection and a bonding portion between the projection and the electromechanical conversion device. A space is provided between the contact portion and the electromechanical conversion device to which the projection is bonded. The spring portion is provided between the bonding portion and the contact portion and causes the projection to exhibit a spring characteristic when the contact portion is pressed by the driven member.

The invention relates to an annular or hollow cylindrical ultrasonic actuator, on the end faces of which are arranged n≥2 friction elements, and on the outer peripheral surface of which are arranged 2 n excitation electrodes, spaced apart from one another in each case by a separating gap, each of the friction elements being arranged in the region of a separating gap, wherein, between friction elements that are adjacent with respect to the periphery of the ultrasonic actuator and are located on different end faces, two excitation electrodes are arranged such that, when the ultrasonic actuator is electrically excited, the friction elements of both end faces simultaneously perform a movement which is suitable for driving an element to be driven to rotate in the same direction. The invention further relates to an ultrasonic motor having an ultrasonic actuator of this kind and having a holding device in which the ultrasonic actuator is inserted.