For tuning a vibrating conveyor having an electric vibrator that drives a vibration element connected to a conveying unit of the vibrating conveyor for oscillating the conveying unit to a mechanical resonance frequency f.sub.R of the vibrating conveyor, an electric drive unit varies the frequency f.sub.v of a AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) in a given frequency range, measures a current consumption of the electric vibrator unit for different applied frequencies f.sub.v of the AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) and using the frequency f.sub.v with the lowest current consumption of the electric vibrator unit as frequency f.sub.v of the AC drive voltage (u.sub.v) for operating the vibrating conveyor.

An inertial piezoelectric actuator driven by symmetrical sawtooth wave is symmetrical in structure and includes a seat, a slider, a piezoelectric stack and an elliptical ring. A pair of leaf-shaped flexible beams are arranged at a front end of a base, and a guide rail is connected between the pair of leaf-shaped flexible beams. The slider is placed on the guide rail. The piezoelectric stack is arranged in the elliptical ring with an interference fit. A front end of the elliptical ring is in contact with the guide rail, and a pre-stressed contact force between the elliptical ring and the guide rail is controlled by adjusting a screw at a rear end of the elliptical ring. A method for method for actuating bi-directional motion of the inertial piezoelectric actuator is further provided.

A vibration type motor includes a vibrator that includes a piezo element, a contacting portion, and a holding portion, and generates a first vibration and a second vibration, a friction member that makes frictional contact with the contacting portion of the vibrator, a holding member that holds the holding portion of the vibrator, and a biasing member that biases the holding portion of the vibrator to the holding member, and a condition of A3/A1<A4/A2 is satisfied where A1 and A2 are respectively amplitudes of the contacting portion in the first vibration and the second vibration, and A3 and A4 are respectively amplitudes of the holding portion in the first vibration and the second vibration in a state where the vibrator is not held by the holding member.

An ultrasonic motor, is disclosed having an ultrasonic actuator in the form of a rectangular piezo-electric plate, which has two generators for acoustic standing waves and on which at least two friction elements are arranged, an element to be driven, and an electric excitation device. The piezoelectric plate of the actuator is divided into two pairs of diagonally oppositely disposed sections by two virtual planes which extend perpendicularly to each other and which extend through the center line of the main surfaces of the actuator, wherein each of the generators includes two parts which can be operated in an antiphase manner and each of which is arranged in a diagonal section of the piezoelectric plate, and the friction elements are arranged on one or two end faces of the piezoelectric plate.

An actuator including a beam configured to support an object to be driven, and a drive source to which a drive signal is input, wherein the drive signal includes a drive waveform in a shape of sawtooth waveform, a rising of the drive waveform in the shape of sawtooth waveform includes a first staircase waveform and a second staircase waveform continuing from the first staircase waveform, the first staircase waveform generates oscillation of a ringing suppressing waveform for suppressing a ringing waveform to be generated in the second staircase waveform, and the object to be driven is driven to swing in a direction of rotating around the predetermined axis by driving the drive source.

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.

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.

An inertial piezoelectric actuator driven by symmetrical sawtooth wave is symmetrical in structure and includes a seat, a slider, a piezoelectric stack and an elliptical ring. A pair of leaf-shaped flexible beams are arranged at a front end of a base, and a guide rail is connected between the pair of leaf-shaped flexible beams. The slider is placed on the guide rail. The piezoelectric stack is arranged in the elliptical ring with an interference fit. A front end of the elliptical ring is in contact with the guide rail, and a pre-stressed contact force between the elliptical ring and the guide rail is controlled by adjusting a screw at a rear end of the elliptical ring. A method for method for actuating bi-directional motion of the inertial piezoelectric actuator is further provided.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce power consumption in a drive circuit that drives a capacitive load. A drive circuit includes: a positive-side circuit; and a negative-side circuit. The positive-side circuit causes current supplied from a power source to a predetermined node to flow to a positive-side terminal of a capacitive load in a first drive mode and causes current from the capacitive load to flow from the positive-side terminal to the predetermined node in a second drive mode. The negative-side circuit causes current from a negative-side terminal of the capacitive load to flow to the predetermined node in the first drive mode and causes current supplied from the power supply to the predetermined node to flow to the negative-side terminal in the second drive mode.

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. The bidirectional synchronous power converter includes a boost-buck converter configured to generate the analog voltage waveform from the input voltage by transferring increments of energy to the capacitive load in a forward-boost mode and from the load in a reverse-buck mode.