A vibration actuator capable of adjusting the position of a vibration element with respect to a contact body. The vibration actuator includes a vibration element unit and a contact body capable of relative movement to each other. The vibration element unit includes a first vibration element in contact with the contact body, an urging unit that brings the first vibration element and the contact body into contact with each other with predetermined pressure force, a first holding member that holds the first vibration element, a base, a first supporting member that slidably supports the first holding member in a direction in which the first vibration element is pressed against the contact body, and a first connection member that is rotatably connected to the first supporting member and rotatably connected to the base about an axis parallel to a direction of the relative movement.

A fine-displacement adjusting device is constructed to have a first base portion and a second base portion spacedly encircled therewithin. The fine-displacement adjusting device further includes a first retractable element biased between the first and second base portions, and a first resilient element biased between the first and second base portions. The first retractable element is configured to extend and retract its length along a first axis to move the second base portion in a reciprocating manner. When the second base portion is moved by the first retractable element, the first resilient element moves the second base portion along the first axis to restore the second base portion. Therefore, the second base portion is fine-moved along the first axis in a reciprocating manner for adjusting the fine-displacement of an optical lens relative to an optical light source of a light engine in the first axis.

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 wave motor includes a vibrator; a first holding member configured to hold the vibrator; a second holding member; an elastic coupling member configured to couple the first holding member and the second holding member to each other; a friction member; and a pressurizing unit, wherein the vibrator and the friction member relatively move due to vibration of the vibrator, wherein the elastic coupling member includes a first coupling portion and a second coupling portion, and wherein one of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion is arranged on a straight line that is parallel to a direction of the relative movement and passes through a pressurizing gravity center and another of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion is arranged on a straight line that is orthogonal to the direction of the relative movement and passes through the pressurizing gravity center.

A control method for a piezoelectric drive device having a vibrating portion including a piezoelectric element and a transmitting portion, synthesizing longitudinal vibration and flexural vibration by energization to the piezoelectric element to vibrate the vibrating portion and make elliptic motion of the transmitting portion, and moving a driven member by the elliptic motion of the transmitting portion, includes controlling a movement amount of the driven member by changing amplitude of the longitudinal vibration with amplitude of the flexural vibration kept constant.

A vibration actuator suppressed in generating abnormal noise while realizing size reduction. The vibration actuator includes a vibration element having a piezoelectric element and an elastic member, and a contact body in contact with the vibration element. The contact body has a direction in which the vibration element and the contact body move relative to each other as a longitudinal direction and a square bar shape substantially uniform in width and thickness in the longitudinal direction, and includes a first section and a second section which are formed with respective R surfaces different in curvature radius on an edge extending in the longitudinal direction, in an area where the contact body performs frictional sliding on the vibration element.

A control method for a piezoelectric drive device having a vibrating portion including a piezoelectric element and a transmitting portion, synthesizing longitudinal vibration and flexural vibration by energization to the piezoelectric element to vibrate the vibrating portion and make elliptic motion of the transmitting portion, and moving a driven member by the elliptic motion of the transmitting portion, includes controlling a movement amount of the driven member by changing amplitude of the longitudinal vibration with amplitude of the flexural vibration kept constant.

Provided is a low frequency vibrating actuator device including an actuator configured to generate a vibration by receiving a voltage, a spring structure disposed on the actuator, and a vibrating mass part disposed on the spring structure. Here, the spring structure includes a first thin-film, a first spacer disposed between the first thin-film and the actuator, and a second spacer disposed between the first thin-film and the vibrating mass part. Also, the first spacer and the second spacer are horizontally offset from each other.

An ortho-planar spring/flexure, a suspension assembly having such a flexure, and a vibration energy harvester including such a suspension assembly, suitable for long term usage in harsh vibrational environments. The flexure provides one or more slots to thereby create parallel springs with a smaller width that will have much lower stress levels when subjected to longitudinal vibrations or shock waves creating large shear forces, and still have a one piece flexure for easy mounting.

Provided is a vibration wave motor, including: a vibration body; a friction member; a press member configured to pressurize the vibration body against the friction member; a base member configured to fix the friction member; and a damping member configured to damp vibration, wherein the vibration body and the friction member are configured to move relative to each other, wherein the friction member includes: a first surface having a first region held in abutment against the vibration body; and a second surface, which is a back surface of the first surface, and has a second region held in abutment against the base member, wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface has a third region held in contact with the damping member, and wherein positions of the first region and the third region in a pressurizing direction of the press member are different from each other.