A contact body that makes it possible to easily verify whether or not the resin has been properly impregnated in the pores. A metallic sintered body having a plurality of pores, as a main body, is in contact with a vibration element in a vibration actuator. The contact body includes a sliding portion that has a sliding surface in contact with the vibration element, and a non-sliding portion adjacent to the sliding portion and not in contact with the vibration element. The non-sliding portion is provided with a resin lump containing hard particles and resin, and the resin lump is formed to be lower in height in a vertical direction than the sliding surface. In the sliding portion, part of hard particles and resin is exposed on the sliding surface.

A vibration-type driving apparatus is capable of, in a case where a sintered body is impregnated with resin, preventing the resin that has hardened from interfering with other members. A movable body is brought into pressure contact with a vibrating body having an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic body. The vibrating body and the movable body are moved relatively to each other through vibrations excited in the vibrating body. The movable body has a frictional surface including the sintered body impregnated with the resin and comes into contact with the vibrating body. The movable body has a sloped surface adjacent to the frictional surface in a cross section perpendicular to a direction in which the vibrating body and the movable body move relatively to each other. An angle formed by the frictional surface and the sloped surface is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees.

A vibration type actuator uses a friction material of which a depth of impregnation with a resin can be easily measured in a non-destructive manner. The vibration type actuator has a vibrating body including an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic body; and a contact body configured to come into contact with the vibrating body. The vibration type actuator has a structure in which at least one of a friction portion of the contact body coming into contact with the vibrating body and a friction portion of the vibrating body coming into contact with the contact body has a metallic portion including a pore that is impregnated with a resin containing a fluorescent material.

The invention relates to a method for joining a ceramic friction element (11) to a piezoelectric element (1), comprising, among other things, the following steps: pressing (14) a joining surface (10) of the friction element and a contact surface (9) of the piezoelectric element against each other with a low-melting glass mass (12) arranged therebetween and maintaining the pressing force for all subsequent steps; heating (17) the piezoelectric element and the friction element to a defined temperature above the Curie point of the piezoceramic material of the piezoelectric element and above the melting point of the low-melting glass mass; thereafter, while maintaining the temperature, applying an electric polarization voltage Up to electrodes of the piezoelectric element; removing the polarization voltage after the Curie point has been fallen below; and cooling the piezoelectric element and the friction element to room temperature without an electric voltage being applied to the electrodes.

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 contact body that makes it possible to easily verify whether or not the resin has been properly impregnated in the pores. A metallic sintered body having a plurality of pores, as a main body, is in contact with a vibration element in a vibration actuator. The contact body includes a sliding portion that has a sliding surface in contact with the vibration element, and a non-sliding portion adjacent to the sliding portion and not in contact with the vibration element. The non-sliding portion is provided with a resin lump containing hard particles and resin, and the resin lump is formed to be lower in height in a vertical direction than the sliding surface. In the sliding portion, part of hard particles and resin is exposed on the sliding surface.

A vibration-type actuator capable of suppressing reduction in holding torque or holding force under influence of humidity. A vibration-type actuator 10 includes a vibrating body 2 and a driven body 1. The vibrating body 2 has a piezoelectric element 2c and an elastic body 2b. The driven body 1 is in contact with the vibrating body 2. The vibration-type actuator 10 moves the vibrating body 2 and the driven body 1 relatively to each other by vibration excited to the vibrating body 2. At least one of a first contact portion of the vibrating body 2 and a second contact portion of the driven body 1 includes a stainless-steel sintered body with pores and at least some of the pores are impregnated with a resin.

A linear piezoelectric motor and a slider drive system thereof are disclosed. The linear piezoelectric motor includes a piezoelectric ceramic element and a base structure. The piezoelectric ceramic element includes a first region, a second region and an interval region located between the first and the second region, wherein the first and the second region may be formed by a first and a second power signal supplied by a power supply to form a first and a second standing wave, respectively. The interval region is a quarter wavelengths. The first and the second standing wave have a phase difference so as to form a traveling wave. The base structure disposes the piezoelectric ceramic element and has a pectinate structure to increase the amplitude of the first and the second standing wave, thereby enabling the piezoelectric motor to be driven.

A vibration actuator that is easy to manufacture and has good driving performance, and a lens-barrel and a camera provided with the same. The vibration actuator is provided with an oscillator that generates oscillations; and a relative movement member that is pressure contacts the oscillator, and moves relative to the oscillator due to the oscillation. Either a contact face of the oscillator with respect to the relative movement member or a contact face of the relative movement member with respect to the oscillator is a thermosetting resin film that is formed of polyamide-imide resin and fluororesin, and the other contact face is an anodic oxide film.

A vibration-type actuator capable of suppressing reduction in holding torque or holding force under influence of humidity. A vibration-type actuator 10 includes a vibrating body 2 and a driven body 1. The vibrating body 2 has a piezoelectric element 2c and an elastic body 2b. The driven body 1 is in contact with the vibrating body 2. The vibration-type actuator 10 moves the vibrating body 2 and the driven body 1 relatively to each other by vibration excited to the vibrating body 2. At least one of a first contact portion of the vibrating body 2 and a second contact portion of the driven body 1 includes a stainless-steel sintered body with pores and at least some of the pores are impregnated with a resin.