The harvester comprises a pendular unit comprising a beam that is elastically deformable in bending, a mount clamping a proximal end of the beam, and an inertial mass mounted at a free, distal end of the beam. The beam converts into an oscillating electric signal a mechanical energy produced by oscillations of the pendular unit. The piezoelectric beam comprises a flexible structure including: a central core; a piezoelectric layer on at least one face of the central core; and at least one surface electrode on an external face of the piezoelectric layer. The central core of the flexible structure is a semiconductor material adapted to form an integrated circuit substrate, and the flexible structure includes at least part of components of an electric or electronic unit, said components being monolithically integrated within the semiconductor material substrate.

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.

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 vibration actuator, which can be stably driven and has high durability, is provided with a vibrating body having an elastic body, including a ferrous metal, and an electro-mechanical energy conversion device bonded to the elastic body, and a driven member frictionally contacting the vibrating body and moving relatively with respect to the vibrating body. The elastic body has a nitrided layer contacting the driven member, and the elastic body is electrically grounded without going through a nitrided layer.

A vibration wave drive device includes an annular piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric material and multiple electrodes provided sandwiching the piezoelectric material, the annular piezoelectric element being configured to vibrate by a traveling wave of a wavelength ; and a power feeding member including at least an electric wire for supplying electric power to the element, the feeding member being provided at a first surface of the element. The element includes at least two driving regions, and a non-driving region arranged between two of the at least two driving regions and having an average annular length of n/4, n being an odd number. At least one electrode provided on the first surface is arranged across the driving region and the non-driving region, and is electrically connected to the feeding member only in the non-driving region.

A vibration actuator that is capable of miniaturizing or obtaining stable drive performance. The vibration actuator moves a vibration body and a driven 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 both 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.

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.

The present invention provides a vibration-type actuator that makes it possible to improve and stabilize yields. A vibration-type actuator includes a vibrator including an elastic body with a protrusion having a contact portion, and an electromechanical transducer attached to a surface of the elastic body; and a flexible printed circuit board having an electrode portion and attached to the electromechanical transducer. There is a space between the contact portion and the electromechanical transducer. No end portion of the electrode portion of the flexible printed circuit board is overlapped with the space in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the elastic body.

A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate, and a piezoelectric vibrating body including a substrate, and piezoelectric elements provided on the substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order on the substrate. The piezoelectric vibrating body is installed on the vibrating plate so that the piezoelectric element is interposed between the substrate and the vibrating plate. A wiring pattern including a first wiring corresponding to the first electrode and a second wiring corresponding to the second electrode is formed on the vibrating plate, the first electrode and the first wiring are connected to each other through a first laminated conducting portion, and the second electrode and the second wiring are connected to each other through a second laminated conducting portion.

A piezoelectric driving device includes a vibrating plate, and a piezoelectric vibrating body including a substrate, and piezoelectric elements provided on the substrate. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body, and the first electrode, the piezoelectric body, and the second electrode are laminated in this order on the substrate. The piezoelectric vibrating body is installed on the vibrating plate so that the piezoelectric element is interposed between the substrate and the vibrating plate. A wiring pattern including a first wiring corresponding to the first electrode and a second wiring corresponding to the second electrode is formed on the vibrating plate, the first electrode and the first wiring are connected to each other through a first laminated conducting portion, and the second electrode and the second wiring are connected to each other through a second laminated conducting portion.