Vibration actuator, wearable terminal, and incoming-call notification function device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018367019-A1
Application number	US-201615775499-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oscillatory actuator has: a fixed body that has a planar part and a flat coil disposed on the planar part; and a movable body that has a magnet facing the coil and oscillates in a reciprocating manner in one direction relative to the fixed body above the planar part via cooperation between the coil and the magnet. The fixed body has a pair of linear bearings that are respectively disposed along both side surfaces extending in said one direction of the movable body and are equipped with balls capable of rolling and coming into contact with the respective side surfaces. The movable body is supported via the balls of the linear bearings so as to be able to oscillate in said one direction.

First claim

1 . A vibration actuator comprising:
a fixing body including a planar part and a flat coil disposed in the planar part; and a movable member including a magnet disposed opposite to the coil, the movable member being configured to vibrate back and forth in one direction with respect to the fixing body above the planar part by cooperation of the coil and the magnet, wherein: the fixing body includes a pair of linear bearings disposed along two side surfaces of the movable member, the two side surfaces being extended along the one direction, the pair of linear bearings including a ball capable of freely rolling and making contact with the two side surfaces, and the movable member is held through the ball of the pair of linear bearings such that the movable member is allowed to freely vibrate in the one direction.

2 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein one of the pair of linear bearings includes two or more balls, and the other of the pair of linear bearings includes one or more balls.

3 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the balls are provided in each of the pair of linear bearings such that a number of the balls of one of the linear bearings and a number of the balls of the other of the linear bearings are equal to each other.

4 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the magnet includes an opposing surface facing the coil, wherein an S pole and an N pole are disposed along the one direction in the opposing surface; the movable member is elastically supported to the fixing body by a machine spring disposed along the one direction on at least one of two sides of the opposing surface in the one direction; and the movable member vibrates back and forth with a Lorentz force generated by the coil fed with power.

5 . The vibration actuator according to claim 4 , wherein the machine spring is a coil spring.

6 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the magnet includes an opposing surface facing the coil, wherein an S pole and an N pole are disposed along the one direction in the opposing surface; the planar part includes a second magnet facing the S pole and the N pole of the opposing surface of the magnet, wherein magnetic poles of the second magnet are disposed such that polarities of the magnetic poles of the second magnet are opposite to respective polarities of the magnetic poles of the opposing surface; and the second magnet forms a magnetic spring that elastically supports the movable member with a magnetic attractive force generated between the magnets together with the movable member.

7 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 further comprising a center core composed of a magnetic substance projected from the planar part in a center portion of the coil, the center core being configured to form a magnetic spring together with the magnet.

8 . The vibration actuator according to claim 7 , wherein:
an outer core composed of a magnetic substance is provided on the planar part and outside the coil in the one direction; and the outer core forms the magnetic spring that elastically supports the movable member together with the planar part, the center core and the magnet.

9 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the planar part is composed of a magnetic substance.

10 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the movable member includes a magnet holding part that holds the magnet; and the magnet holding part is made of a material whose specific gravity is greater than 7.8.

11 . The vibration actuator according to claim 1 , wherein an external shape of the vibration actuator is a flat shape having an arcuate shape in cross section.

12 . A wearable terminal including the vibration actuator according to claim 1 .

13 . The wearable terminal according to claim 12 , wherein an external shape of the wearable terminal is a ring shape.

14 . An incoming notification device including the vibration actuator according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Takahashi Yuki
• Sekiguchi Chikara
• Sakaguchi Kazutaka
• Kitamura Yasutaka
• Kagami Masaharu
• Inamoto Shigenori
• Mitsumi Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Yuki
• Sekiguchi Chikara
• Sakaguchi Kazutaka
• Kitamura Yasutaka
• Kagami Masaharu
• Inamoto Shigenori

Classifications

• B06B1/045

  using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system · CPC title

• H02K33/16 Primary

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

• H04M19/04

  the ringing-current being generated at the substations · CPC title

• H04M19/047

  Vibrating means for incoming calls · CPC title

• H02K5/173

  using bearings with rolling contact, e.g. ball bearings · CPC title