A vibration actuator includes a vibrator including an elastic body and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element; a contact body provided so as to be brought into contact with the vibrator; a flexible printed board configured to feed power to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element; and a temperature detection unit provided on a region of the flexible printed board, in which the flexible printed board and the electro-mechanical conversion element overlap each other.

The present invention provides a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor in a wide operating temperature range. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1):
(Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 (1.00≦a≦1.01, 0.125≦x<0.155, and 0.041≦y≦0.074)
as a main component. The metal oxide contains Mn in a content of 0.12 parts by weight or more and 0.40 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis.

There is provided a piezoelectric material not containing any lead component, having stable piezoelectric characteristics in an operating temperature range, a high mechanical quality factor, and satisfactory piezoelectric characteristics. The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide that can be expressed using the following general formula (1), and subcomponents containing Mn, Li, and Bi. When the metal oxide is 100 parts by weight, the content of Mn on a metal basis is not less than 0.04 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.36 parts by weight, content α of Li on a metal basis is not less than 0.0013 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.0280 parts by weight, and content β of Bi on a metal basis is not less than 0.042 parts by weight and is not greater than 0.850 parts by weight
(Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-y-zZr.sub.ySn.sub.z)O.sub.3  (1)
(in the formula (1), 0.09≦x≦0.30, 0.074<y≦0.085, 0≦z≦0.02, and 0.986≦a≦1.02).

Provided is a piezoelectric material that is free of lead and potassium, has satisfactory insulation property and piezoelectricity, and has a high Curie temperature. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1): General formula (1) (Na.sub.xM.sub.1-y)(Zr.sub.z(Nb.sub.1-wTa.sub.w).sub.y(Ti.sub.1-vSn.sub.v).sub.(1-y-z))O.sub.3 where M represents at least any one of Ba, Sr, and Ca, and relationships of 0.80≦x≦0.95, 0.85≦y≦0.95, 0<z≦0.03, 0≦v<0.2, 0≦w<0.2, and 0.05≦1−y−z≦0.15 are satisfied.

Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having satisfactory piezoelectric constant and mechanical quality factor in a device driving temperature range (−30° C. to 50° C.) The piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula 1, a first auxiliary component composed of Mn, and a second auxiliary component composed of Bi or Bi and Li. The content of Mn is 0.040 parts by weight or more and 0.500 parts by weight or less based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. The content of Bi is 0.042 parts by weight or more and 0.850 parts by weight or less and the content of Li is 0.028 parts by weight or less (including 0 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the metal oxide on a metal basis. (Ba.sub.1-xCa.sub.x).sub.a(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 . . . (1), wherein, 0.030≦x<0.090, 0.030≦y≦0.080, and 0.9860≦a≦1.0200.

An actuator (100) powered by photonic energy comprises a rotor including a material (101) which deforms from a first underformed state when exposed to electromagnetic radiation to a second deformed state and begins to return to the first state when the electromagnetic radiation is removed. A stationary element (102) is affixed to the rotor. A moving element (105) engaging the stator at least when the rotor is in the second deformed state. Deformation of the deformable material in response to applied electromagnetic radiation is transmitted by the stator to the moving element by friction between the stationary element and the moving element for causing motion of the moving element.

A vibration wave motor comprises a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating body, a friction member including a first surface configured to come into contact with the vibrator, and a second surface, which is a surface on the opposite side of the first surface, the vibrator and the friction member moving relative to each other in a driving direction by a vibration generated by the vibrator, a supporting member configured to support the friction member on the second surface side; and a pressure member configured to bring the vibrator and the friction member into pressure contact with each other. A fixing portion configured to fix the friction member to the supporting member is provided in the friction member. The vibrator can move to a position where at least part of the vibrator and the fixing portion overlap each other in a pressure direction of the pressure member.

A piezoelectric material which is low in load on the environment, and also satisfies both the requirements of a high piezoelectric constant and a high mechanical quality factor. The piezoelectric material comprises a plurality of crystal grains containing Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Mn, and O. An average equivalent circle diameter of the crystal grains is not smaller than 1.0 μm and not larger than 10 μm. The crystal grains include crystal grains A each having a first domain with a width of not smaller than 300 nm and not larger than 800 nm, and crystal grains B each having a second domain with a width of not smaller than 20 nm and not larger than 50 nm.

The invention relates to a piezoelectric motor with bending travelling wave, comprising a rotary shaft (4) connected to a rotor (3), a piezoelectric element (2) attached to a vibrating stator (1), and a decoupling web (5) for attaching the vibrating stator to a mounting (7). The mounting (7) is mechanically connected to a base (9) by means of at least one deformable element (10) and at least one piezoelectric actuator (11), so that the support can be deformed angularly relative to the base in order to rotate the shaft when the vibrating stator is no longer electrically powered. The motor is particularly suitable for applications that require micrometre or nanometre accuracies, for example in positioning tools in industrial processes, precise medical robotics or optical applications.

A piezoelectric ultrasonic motor including: a columnar body having two opposite bottom surface portions and a plurality of side surface portions surrounding a region between the two bottom surface portions, and having a through hole that penetrates between the two bottom surface portions; a driving shaft inserted through the through hole of the columnar body; and a flexible printed circuits (FPC) on which a plurality of sheet-like piezoelectric elements are mounted, wherein the FPC has an FPC main body bringing the plurality of piezoelectric elements into contact respectively with the plurality of side surface portions of the columnar body and wound around the columnar body, and can supply driving electric power to the plurality of piezoelectric elements.