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.

A driving device includes a plurality of vibrating bodies including transmitting sections configured to transmit vibration to a driven section and a control section configured to change vibration tracks of the transmitting sections of at least a pair of the vibrating bodies independently from one another. When a direction in which the driven section and the vibrating bodies are arranged is represented as a first direction and a direction orthogonal to the first direction is represented as a second direction, at least the two vibrating bodies have a plurality of vibration modes in which amplitudes in at least one of the first direction and the second direction of the transmitting sections are different, and the control section drives the at least two vibrating bodies in any one vibration mode among the plurality of vibration modes.

A lead screw actuator device includes a base configured to support a plurality of actuators. A first bridge is supported by one of the plurality of actuators and a second bridge is supported by another one of the plurality of actuators. A nut is supported by the first bridge and the second bridge and is rotatably coupled to a screw with a sliding contact friction between the screw and the nut. The plurality of actuators generate small movements of the first bridge, the second bridge, and the nut that produce relative rotation between the nut and the screw. A method of making a lead screw actuator device is also disclosed.

A transducer for an ultrasonic scalpel, which comprises, from distal end to proximal end of a connecting feature, a fixing feature, a horn, a piezoelectric converting body, a rear-end ring, and a connecting member. By following a design principle of constraints in the parameter relationships between the piezoelectric converting body and the horn in the transducer, a transducer having both appropriate gain and stable performance can be achieved.

A vibrator includes a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric ceramic having an electrode, a vibration plate, and an adhesive layer between the piezoelectric element and the vibration plate, wherein the adhesive layer is obtained by a resin containing 50 parts by mass or more and 80 parts by mass or less of organic particles having a number average particle size of 5 m or more and 15 m or less, relative to 100 parts by mass of the resin.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements that generate a driving force to be transmitted to a driven portion; and a power supply portion that supplies power to the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The plurality of piezoelectric elements are electrically connected to the power supply portion in parallel.

A method is disclosed for closed-loop motion control of an ultrasonic motor having at least one actuator with an excitation electrode and at least one common electrode, an element to be driven, a controller and at least one electrical generator for generating at least first and second excitation voltages U1 and U2 to be applied to the electrodes of the actuator for vibration of the actuator. A friction element of the actuator, due to its vibration, intermittently contacts the element to be driven with a driving force. The method includes providing the at least two excitation voltages U1 and U2 with different resemblance frequencies, a frequency difference deviating from a servo sampling frequency of the controller by 5 kHz at the most, and simultaneously applying the excitation voltages to the electrodes of the actuator.

A piezoelectric device includes a body provided with a first region and a second region lined along a first direction. The first region deformably extends/contracts along the first direction. The second region deformably curves in such a manner that one or the other side in a second direction intersecting the first direction curves outward.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrator having a vibrating part including a piezoelectric element and a transmitting portion provided in the vibrating part and transmitting drive power to a driven part, and an energizing part that may energize the vibrator toward the driven part, wherein the energizing part has a base portion connected to the vibrator and a pair of spring portions integrally formed with the base portion.

A transducer for an ultrasonic scalpel, which comprises, from distal end to proximal end of a connecting feature, a fixing feature, a horn, a piezoelectric converting body, a rear-end ring, and a connecting member. By following a design principle of constraints in the parameter relationships between the piezoelectric converting body and the horn in the transducer, a transducer having both appropriate gain and stable performance can be achieved.