Vibration wave motor and driving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245343-B2
Application number	US-201916440388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2019
Priority date	Jun 20, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A vibration wave motor includes a vibrator, a friction member having a sliding surface, a guide member, a flexible substrate, and a fixing member configured to fix the friction member, the guide member, and the flexible substrate. The vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other in a predetermined direction. The fixing member includes a substrate-fixing portion configured to fix the flexible substrate, which includes a joint portion, an extending portion extending along the predetermined direction, a bent portion configured to reverse and turn back the extending portion, and a fixed portion to be fixed to the substrate-fixing portion. The flexible substrate is fixed on a surface of the substrate-fixing portion provided in a direction opposite to a direction in which the vibrator is brought into pressure-contact with the friction member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration wave motor comprising:
a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate;
a friction member having a sliding surface with which the vibrator is held in pressure-contact in a first direction by a pressurizing force;
a guide member, which is disposed on a side opposite to a side being the sliding surface of the friction member, and is configured to guide relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member;
a flexible substrate configured to apply voltage to the vibrator; and
a fixing member configured to fix the friction member, the guide member, and the flexible substrate,
wherein the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other in a second direction,
wherein the fixing member includes a flexible substrate-fixing portion configured to fix the flexible substrate,
wherein the flexible substrate includes:
a joint portion to be joined to the piezoelectric element;
a first extending portion extending along the second direction;
a bent portion configured to reverse and turn back the first extending portion; and
a fixed portion to be fixed to the flexible substrate-fixing portion, and

wherein the flexible substrate is fixed on a surface of the flexible substrate-fixing portion provided in a direction opposite to a direction in which the vibrator is brought into pressure-contact with the friction member.

2. The vibration wave motor according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate-fixing portion is disposed between the first extending portion and the fixed portion in the first direction.

3. The vibration wave motor according to claim 1 , wherein the first extending portion extends along the second direction to be apart from the joint portion in a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the bent portion is configured to reverse and turn back the first extending portion in the second direction.

4. The vibration wave motor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flexible substrate includes a second extending portion extending along the second direction between the bent portion and the fixed portion,
wherein the flexible substrate-fixing portion includes a flexible substrate-positioning protrusion protruding in the first direction, and the flexible substrate-positioning protrusion engages with a hole formed in the fixed portion,
wherein the vibration wave motor further includes a second fixing member configured to retain the fixing member,
wherein the second fixing member facing the flexible substrate-fixing portion has a second flexible substrate-fixing portion,
wherein the fixed portion is sandwiched between the flexible substrate-fixing portion and the second flexible substrate-fixing portion, and
wherein the second flexible substrate-fixing portion extends in the second direction, and the second flexible fixing portion has a flexible substrate-abutment portion which is brought into abutment against the second extending portion in the first direction.

5. The vibration wave motor according to claim 4 , wherein, in a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, a plurality of springs are disposed on both sides of the friction member, the joint portion is disposed inside the plurality of springs, and the first extending portion, the bent portion, the second extending portion, the fixed portion, and the flexible substrate-fixing portion are respectively disposed outside the plurality of springs.

6. The vibration wave motor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a movable guide member which is movable in the second direction together with the vibrator; and
a rolling ball, which is disposed on a side opposite to the sliding surface, and is sandwiched between the guide member and the movable guide member by the pressurizing force,
wherein the flexible substrate-fixing portion is disposed between the sliding surface and the rolling ball in the first direction.

7. The vibration wave motor according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is excited by application of the voltage, and the vibration wave motor comprises an ultrasonic wave motor.

8. A driving device comprising:
a vibration wave motor; and
a driven member driven by the vibration wave motor,
wherein the vibration wave motor includes:
a vibrator including a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate;
a friction member having a sliding surface with which the vibrator is held in pressure-contact in a first direction by a pressurizing force;
a guide member, which is disposed on a side opposite to a side being the sliding surface of the friction member, and is configured to guide relative movement between the vibrator and the friction member;
a flexible substrate configured to apply voltage to the vibrator; and
a fixing member configured to fix the friction member, the guide member, and the flexible substrate,

wherein the vibrator and the friction member move relative to each other in a second direction,
wherein the fixing member includes a flexible substrate-fixing portion configured to fix the flexible substrate,
wherein the flexible substrate includes:
a joint portion to be joined to the piezoelectric element;
a first extending portion extending along the second direction;
a bent portion configured to reverse and turn back the first extending portion; and
a fixed portion to be fixed to the flexible substrate-fixing portion, and

wherein the flexible substrate is fixed on a surface of the flexible substrate-fixing portion provided in a direction opposite to a direction in which the vibrator is brought into pressure-contact with the friction member.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Oikawa Makoto
• Yamasaki Ryo
• Osawa Kazuharu
• Ninomiya Shunsuke
• Abe Ryo
• Takai Kenta

Classifications

• H02N2/0055

  Supports for driving or driven bodies; Means for pressing driving body against driven body · CPC title

• H02N2/026 Primary

  by pressing one or more vibrators against the driven body · CPC title

• H02N2/0085

  Leads; Wiring arrangements · CPC title

• G02B7/08

  adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism · CPC title

• H02N2/0015 Primary

  using only bending modes · CPC title