Vibration actuator and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337346-B2
Application number	US-202117802548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

This vibration actuator comprises a fixed body including a coil, a movable body including a magnet, and an elastic support part that supports the movable body so as to be freely moveable with respect to the fixed body, wherein the coil to which power is supplied and the magnet cooperate to cause the movable body to vibrate with respect to the fixed body. The elastic support part has an outer circumferential part bonded to the fixed body, an annular inner circumferential part disposed inside in the radial direction of the outer circumferential part and bonded to the movable body, and a deforming arm part that couples the outer circumferential part and the inner circumferential part and is elastically deformable. The elastic support part has a sealing part provided in a bonding part between the inner circumferential part and the movable body to seal the bonding part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vibration actuator, comprising:
a movable body that centrally includes a magnet having a columnar shape and in which spring retaining parts are disposed respectively on front and back surfaces of the magnet in an axial direction of the magnet;
a fixing body for accommodating the movable body, the fixing body having a cylindrical shape and including a pair of annular coils disposed radially outside of the movable body;
a pair of elastic supporting parts for supporting the movable body such that the movable body is capable of reciprocating vibration in a vibration direction along the axial direction, each of the elastic supporting parts being joined to the fixing body at an outer circumferential portion and being joined to a corresponding one of the spring retaining parts at an inner circumferential portion; and
a sealing part that is disposed at a joint portion between the inner circumferential portion and the movable body and that seals the joint portion, wherein
the spring retaining parts include recess forming portions continuous with a joining surface with the inner circumferential portions and having a flat bottom,
the inner circumferential portion has a recessed portion which is cut out on an outer circumference of the inner circumferential portion in the circumferential direction and located on the joining surface, and
the sealing part is capable of connecting and sealing the recessed portion and the recess forming portion ( 25 ) in communication with each other, and seals the joint portion.

2. The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the inner circumferential portion ( 802 ) is joined to an outer circumference of at least one end portion of opposite end portions of the movable body (20) separate from each other in the vibration direction, and
the sealing part ( 90 ) is disposed to externally cover a joint portion between the inner circumferential portion ( 802 ) and the at least one end portion without any gap.

3. The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein
the sealing part is formed of an adhesive having at least one of a thermosetting property, UV curability, and an anaerobic property, and seals a gap at the joint portion.

4. The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the inner circumferential portion is continuous to a boundary of the joint portion when being joined to the movable body, the inner circumferential portion including a recessed portion having a cutout shape that is exposed to an outside, and
the sealing part closes and seals the recessed portion and the boundary of the joint portion.

5. The vibration actuator according to any one of claim 1 , wherein:
the fixing body includes a cylindrical coil holding part for holding the coil, and a case for accommodating the cylindrical coil holding part, and
the case includes, in an outer circumferential surface, a flat surface portion extending parallel to the vibration direction.

6. The vibration actuator according to claim 5 , wherein
a coil connection part is disposed at the flat surface portion.

7. The vibration actuator according to claim 5 , wherein
the case includes, in the outer circumferential surface, another flat surface portion extending parallel to the flat surface portion.

8. The vibration actuator according to any one of claim 5 , wherein:
at a position corresponding to the flat surface portion, an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical coil holding part and an outer circumferential surface of the magnet respectively include an inner circumferential flat surface portion and an outer circumferential flat surface portion facing each other, and
the outer circumferential flat surface portion is narrower than the inner circumferential flat surface portion in a direction perpendicular to the vibration direction.

9. The vibration actuator according to any one of claim 6 , wherein:
an outer shape of the cylindrical coil holding part as seen in the vibration direction is circular, and
the cylindrical coil holding part as seen in the vibration direction is disposed eccentrically with respect to an outer-shape center of the case or an outer-diameter arc center of the case.

10. The vibration actuator according to claim 9 , wherein
a coil connection part is disposed on an outer-shape side of the case, the outer-shape side being on a side where a center of the cylindrical coil holding part is located with respect to the outer-shape center of the case of the cylindrical coil holding part.

11. The vibration actuator according to claim 9 , wherein
a coil connection part is disposed on the flat surface portion side formed in the outer circumferential surface of the case of the cylindrical coil holding part.

12. An electronic device in which
a vibration actuator according to any one of claim 1 is mounted.

Assignees

• Takahashi Yuki
• Sekiguchi Chikara
• Shimomura Shigeyuki
• Kumanomido Yoshihiro
• Kodama Daisuke
• Yoshii Yuta
• Inamoto Shigenori
• Minebea Mitsumi Inc

Inventors

• Takahashi Yuki
• Sekiguchi Chikara
• Shimomura Shigeyuki
• Kumanomido Yoshihiro
• Kodama Daisuke
• Yoshii Yuta
• Inamoto Shigenori

Classifications

• H02K33/02

  with armatures moved one way by energisation of a single coil system and returned by mechanical force, e.g. by springs · CPC title

• B06B1/14

  the masses being elastically coupled · CPC title

• B06B1/0223

  for generating signals continuous in time · CPC title

• H02K33/16

  with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system · CPC title

• B06B1/04 Primary

  operating with electromagnetism (dynamo-electric motors with vibrating magnet, armature or coil system H02K33/00) · CPC title