A thin film actuator having transversely oriented structural stiffeners that serve to increase actuation stroke that results from longitudinal curvature. The thin film actuator may be deployed within electromechanical devices such that an actuatable deflection of a tip of the actuator plate produces the actuation stroke. The thin film actuator may include an actuator plate affixed to a substantially rigid frame structure. The actuator plate protrudes along a longitudinal axis away from the frame structure such that the actuator plate is cantilevered from the frame structure by some distance along this longitudinal axis. The thin film actuator includes a piezoelectric film on a surface of the actuator plate. Activation of the piezoelectric film generates tensile stress or compressive stress at the surface, thereby inducing a bending moment that causes the actuator plate to undergo longitudinal curvature and some lesser degree of transverse curvature.

A driver for a circuit with a capacitive load is configured for coupling to a voltage source which provides a DC input voltage, and is configured to generate an output voltage at an output. The driver includes a bidirectional synchronous power converter with a first switch, a second switch, and an inductive device connected to the first and/or second switch. A controller is configured to control the first switch and the second switch. The bidirectional synchronous power converter generates a switching voltage from the input voltage at a switching node and generates the output voltage having an analog voltage waveform with a peak amplitude of at least twice the input voltage.

A piezoelectric actuator control device comprising a first voltage converter supplying a DC voltage on a DC power supply bus to which is connected a second voltage converter capable of generating a variable excitation voltage under the control of a control computer, the second voltage converter comprising two switch half-bridges mounted in parallel with the terminals of a bus capacitor, the control computer being suitable for controlling the two switch half-bridges according to a first control configuration, in which they are controlled independently in order to each supply a voltage in a range between zero and a maximum positive value and according to a second control configuration, in which they are jointly controlled as a full-bridge for supplying a voltage between a minimum negative value and said maximum positive value.

A driving element includes: a base; a movable part spaced apart from the base in a direction parallel to a rotation axis; a connection part connecting the base and the movable part; a pair of first arm parts extending in a first direction parallel to the rotation axis with the rotation axis located therebetween; a pair of second arm parts extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, with the rotation axis located therebetween; a coupling part coupling the pair of first arm parts and the pair of second arm parts to the connection part; and a piezoelectric driver disposed on at least either the pair of first arm parts or the pair of second arm parts.

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

A driving circuit for driving a piezoelectric load, can include: an energy-storage capacitor; a first power stage circuit configured to convert an input voltage into a first voltage, and to store the first voltage in the energy-storage capacitor; a second power stage circuit configured to receive the first voltage to charge the piezoelectric load during a first operation interval of an operation period, such that a power supply voltage signal provided to the piezoelectric load in the first operation interval corresponds to a reference voltage in a first interval; and a discharging circuit configured to discharge the piezoelectric load during a second operation interval of the operation period, such that the power supply voltage signal in the second operation interval corresponds to the reference voltage in a second interval.

An electrical connection structure for connecting a piezoelectric element and an electrical circuit to each other with a conductive adhesive is described. The electrical connection structure includes an epoxy, a conductive component surrounded by the epoxy, and a trace feature implemented on top of the electrical connection structure. At least one depression feature can be implemented on top of the electrical connection structure to constrain the epoxy and the at least one conductive component.

The present invention provides a vibrator made of a non-lead-based piezoelectric material and capable of being driven at a sufficient speed with low power consumption, and provides a vibration wave drive device and an electronical device each using the vibrator. To that end, the vibrator according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric material and electrodes, and an elastic body, wherein a Pb component contained in the piezoelectric material is less than 1000 ppm, and a resonance frequency f.sub.A in a vibration mode A and a resonance frequency f.sub.B in a vibration mode B satisfy a relation of an absolute value of (f.sub.B−f.sub.A)>2 (kHz), the vibration mode A and the vibration mode B generating vibration waves in the elastic body with wave fronts of the vibration waves intersecting each other.

A vibration driving device includes a vibration actuator including a vibrating body and a contact body, the vibrating body including an elastic body and an electromechanical energy conversion element, the contact body being in contact with the vibrating body and movable relatively to the vibrating body; and a control device including a signal generating circuit and a boosting circuit, the boosting circuit including an air-core transformer electrically connected to the signal generating circuit. The vibration actuator is configured to receive a signal output by the control device.