Vibration-type driving apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9705428-B2
Application number	US-201414324371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2010
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A vibration-type driving apparatus includes a vibrator holder, wherein a plurality of vibrators each having at least an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member having a contact portion formed therein are connected to a vibrator holding member, for generating an ellipsoidal movement of the contact portion, to move, relative to the vibrator, a driving member contacting the contact portion. The plurality of vibrators are connected to a surface of the holding member at a side at which the contact portion contacts the driving member, and on a surface of the vibrator holding member opposite to the side at which the contact portion contacts the driving member, a pressing member is placed to set the contact portion to be pressed and contacted to the driving member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration-type driving apparatus comprising:
a vibrator holding member; and
a vibrator comprising:
an electro-mechanical energy conversion element; and
an elastic member comprising:
a vibrating portion to which the electro-mechanical energy conversion element is attached;
a contact portion protruding from a face of the vibrating portion; and
a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion arranged at opposite ends of the vibrating portion in a relative movement direction of the vibrator, so as to sandwich the vibrating portion therebetween,

wherein the vibrating portion is connected to the vibrator holding member through the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion.

2. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator comprises:
a first fixing portion between the first supporting portion and the vibrator holding member; and
a second fixing portion between the second supporting portion and the vibrator holding member.

3. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrating portion is in direct contact with the electro-mechanical energy conversion element.

4. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a relative position of a portion of a driving member which is in contact with the contact portion changes by an ellipsoidal movement of the contact portion.

5. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second supporting portions each have a shape of smaller bending rigidity than that of the vibrating portion.

6. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator holding member is formed of a member having a larger mass than a sum of a mass of the vibrating portion, a mass of the first supporting portion and a mass of the second supporting portion.

7. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of vibrators are arranged in a circle on the vibrator holding member, and
wherein the relative movement direction is a circumference direction of the circle.

8. A lens barrel comprising:
a lens; and
the vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , configured to drive the lens.

9. A camera comprising the lens barrel according to claim 8 .

10. A vibrator comprising:
an electro-mechanical energy conversion element;
a vibrating portion;
contact portions provided on the electro-mechanical energy conversion element via the vibrating portion; and
a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion arranged at opposite ends of the vibrating portion in a direction along which the contact portions are aligned, so as to sandwich the vibrating portion therebetween,
wherein the vibrating portion is connected to a vibrator holding member through the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion.

11. The vibrator according to claim 10 , wherein
each of the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion is arranged, in a direction normal to contact surfaces of the contact portions, between a plane containing the contact surfaces of the contact portions and a plane containing a surface of the electro-mechanical energy conversion element opposite to a surface of the electro-mechanical energy conversion element contacting the vibrating portion.

12. The vibrator according to claim 10 , further comprising a pressing member,
wherein the electro-mechanical energy conversion element is arranged between the vibrating portion and the pressing member.

13. The vibrator according to claim 12 , further comprising a felt arranged between the electro-mechanical energy conversion element and the pressing member.

14. The vibrator according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second supporting portions each have a shape of smaller bending rigidity than that of the vibrating portion.

15. A vibration-type driving apparatus comprising:
a vibrator holding member; and
the vibrator according to claim 10 , fixed to the vibrator holding member.

16. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein a plurality of the vibrators are arranged in a circle on the vibrator holding member, and
wherein a driving direction is a circumference direction of the circle.

17. A lens barrel comprising:
a lens; and
the vibrator according to claim 10 , configured to drive the lens.

18. A camera comprising the lens barrel according to claim 17 .

19. A vibrator comprising:
an electro-mechanical energy conversion element;
a vibrating portion;
a contact portion provided on the electro-mechanical energy conversion element via the vibrating portion; and
a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion arranged at opposite ends of the vibrating portion in a relative movement direction of the vibrator, so as to sandwich the vibrating portion therebetween,
wherein the vibrating portion is connected to a vibrator holding member through the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion.

20. The vibrator according to claim 19 , wherein
each of the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion is arranged, in a direction normal to a contact surface of the contact portion, between a plane containing the contact surface of the contact portion and a plane containing a surface of the electro-mechanical energy conversion element opposite to a surface of the electro-mechanical energy conversion element contacting the vibrating portion.

21. The vibrator according to claim 19 , further comprising a pressing member,
wherein the electro-mechanical energy conversion element is arranged between the vibrating portion and the pressing member.

22. The vibrator according to claim 21 , further comprising a felt arranged between the electro-mechanical energy conversion element and the pressing member.

23. The vibrator according to claim 19 , wherein the first and second supporting portions each have a shape of smaller bending rigidity than that of the vibrating portion.

24. A vibration-type driving apparatus comprising:
a vibrator holding member; and
the vibrator according to claim 19 , fixed to the vibrator holding member.

25. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 24 ,
wherein a plurality of the vibrators are arranged in a circle on the vibrator holding member, and
wherein the relative movement direction is a circumference direction of the circle.

26. A lens barrel comprising:
a lens; and
the vibrator according to claim 19 , configured to drive the lens.

27. A camera comprising the lens barrel according to claim 26 .

28. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressing member, the electro-mechanical energy conversion element being arranged between the vibrating portion and the pressing member.

29. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 28 , further comprising a felt arranged between the electro-mechanical energy conversion element and the pressing member.

30. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the vibrating portion, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion are formed from a same plate-shaped member.

31. The vibration-type driving apparatus according to claim 1 ,

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Seki Hiroyuki
• Tsukimoto Takayuki

Classifications

• H02N2/12 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H01L41/053

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02N2/0055

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

• H02N2/103

  by pressing one or more vibrators against the rotor · CPC title

• G02B7/102 Primary

  controlled by a microcomputer (cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14) · CPC title