Piezoelectric driving device and driving method thereof, robot and driving method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757857-B2
Application number	US-201514824350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2014
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a piezoelectric vibrating body which includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements each formed of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and is disposed at least one surface of the first surface and the second surface of the vibrating plate, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are connected in series.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piezoelectric driving device comprising:
a vibrating plate including a first surface and a second surface; and
a piezoelectric vibrating body which includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements including first and second piezoelectric elements, each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements being formed of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric member positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the plurality of piezoelectric elements being disposed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the vibrating plate,
wherein the first and second piezoelectric elements are connected in series by the second electrode of the first piezoelectric element being connected to the first electrode of the second piezoelectric element.

2. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a size of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is the same.

3. A robot comprising:
a plurality of linking portions;
joints connected to the plurality of linking portions; and
the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 2 which rotates the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

4. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a direction of polarization of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is the same, when a driving voltage is applied to the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

5. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the direction of polarization is a direction from the second electrode to the first electrode.

6. A robot comprising:
a plurality of linking portions;
joints connected to the plurality of linking portions; and
the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 5 which rotates the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

7. A robot comprising:
a plurality of linking portions;
joints connected to the plurality of linking portions; and
the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 4 which rotates the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

8. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second electrode of the first piezoelectric element and the second electrode of the second piezoelectric element form one continuous electrode.

9. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the piezoelectric vibrating body is disposed on both surfaces of the first surface and the second surface of the vibrating plate.

10. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 9 ,
wherein one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements of the piezoelectric vibrating body disposed on the first surface and another of the plurality of piezoelectric elements of the piezoelectric vibrating body disposed on the second surface are connected in series by the second electrode of the one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements being connected to the first electrode of the another of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

11. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first electrode is configured with a plurality of first electrodes, and
a substrate is formed between the plurality of first electrodes and the vibrating plate.

12. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the substrate contains silicon.

13. The piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vibrating plate includes a protrusion which comes in contact with a body to be driven.

14. A robot comprising:
a plurality of linking portions;
joints connected to the plurality of linking portions; and
the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 which rotates the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

15. A driving method of the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 1 , comprising:
applying an undulating voltage which is a voltage which periodically changes and in which a direction of an electric field applied to the piezoelectric member of one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is one direction from one electrode to another electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode of the one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

16. A driving method of the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 2 , comprising:
applying an undulating voltage which is a voltage which periodically changes and in which a direction of an electric field applied to the piezoelectric member of one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is one direction from one electrode to another electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode of the one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

17. A driving method of the piezoelectric driving device according to claim 4 , comprising:
applying an undulating voltage which is a voltage which periodically changes and in which a direction of an electric field applied to the piezoelectric member of one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is one direction from one electrode among the electrodes to another electrode, between a fiat electrode and a between the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric elements.

18. A driving method of the robot according to claim 14 , comprising
driving the piezoelectric driving device by applying a voltage which periodically changes, between the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric driving device, to rotate the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

19. A driving method of the robot according to claim 3 , comprising
driving the piezoelectric driving device by applying a voltage which periodically changes, between the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric driving device, to rotate the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

20. A driving method of the robot according to claim 7 , comprising
driving the piezoelectric driving device by applying a voltage which periodically changes, between the first electrode and the second electrode of the piezoelectric driving device, to rotate the plurality of linking portions using the joints.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Miyazawa Osamu

Classifications

• B25J9/12 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• H02N2/004

  Rectangular vibrators · CPC title

• H02N2/103

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

• Y10S901/23

  Electric motor · CPC title

• F04B43/082

  the tubular flexible member being pressed against a wall by a number of elements, each having an alternating movement in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the tubular member and each having its own driving mechanism · CPC title