Actuator

Claim 2

An actuator to drive a driven member (11), comprising: a base (17); a first driving member (1) fixed to said base (17) and having one vibrating direction; a second driving member (2) having one vibrating direction and fixed to said base (17) in such a fashion that the vibrating direction thereof crosses that of said first driving member (1); a resultant motion mechanism (18;60;90;160) coupled to said first and second driving members (1,2) and generating resultant vibration having circular orbit by combining their unidirectional vibrations with each other; a driving elemeht (10) disposed at the vibrating end of said resultant motion mechanism and transmitting the resultant displacement to said driven member (11); and means (12-16) for supplying excitation force to said first and second driving members (1,2).

Claim 3

The actuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second driving members (1,2) consist of piezo-electric devices.

Claim 4

The actuator as defined in claim 2 wherein said resultant motion mechanism (18) is equipped with a connecting member (18a,b) connecting said driven element (10) for said first and second driving members (1,2), and said connecting member is equipped with a slit extending in the vibrating direction of each of said driving members (1,2).

Claim 5

The actuator as defined in claim 2 wherein said resultant motion mechanism (60) comprises: a first connecting member (63) having one of the ends thereof functioning as a resultant vibration end; a first joint (62) connecting the other end of said first connecting member to the vibration end of said first driving member (1); a second connecting member (67); a second joint (65) connecting one of the ends of said second connecting member (67) to the vibration end of said second driving member; and a third joint (66) connecting the other end of said second connecting member to the resultant vibration end of said first connecting member (Fig. 6).

Claim 6

The actuator as defined in claim 2 wherein said resultant motion mechanism (90) comprises: an L-shaped fist connecting member (95) having one of the ends thereof functioning as a resultant vibration end; a first joint (94) connecting the other end of said first connecting member (95) to the vibration end of said second driving member (2); a second connecting member (97); a second joint connecting one of the ends of said second connecting member (97) to the vibration end of said first driving member (1); and a third joint (96) connecting the other end of said second connecting member to the bent portion of said first connecting member (Fig. 9).

Claim 7

The actuator as defined in claim 2 wherein said resultant-motion mechanism comprises parallel connecting members (161) and joints (160) that connect said driving element (10) to said first and second driving members (1,2) (Fig. 15).

Claim 8

The actuator as defined in any of claims 3 through 6 wherein each of said joints consists of a flexure hinge.

Claim 9

An actuator for driving a driven member (11), comprising: a base (17); a first driving member (1) fixed to said base and having one vibrating direction; a second driving member (2) having one vibrating direction and fixed to said base (17) in such a fashion that the vibrating direction thereof is in parallel with that of said first driving member (1); a resultant motion mechanism (100) coupled to said first and second driving members (1,2) and combining their unidirectional vibrations to form resultant vibration having a circular orbit; a driving element (10) disposed at the vibration end of said resultant motion mechanism (100;140) and transmitting the resultant vibration of said resultant motion mechanism to said driven member (11); and means (12-16) for supplying excitation force to said first and second driving members (1,2) (Fig. 10).

Claim 10

An actuator for driving a driven member (11), comprising: a base (17); a first driving member (1) fixed to said base and having one vibrating direction; a second driving member (2) having one vibrating direction and fixed to said base (17) in such a fashion that the vibrating direction thereof is in parallel with that of said first driving member (1); a resultant motion mechanism (100) coupled to said first and second driving members (1,2) and combining their unidirectional vibrations to form resultant vibration having a circular orbit; a driving element (10) disposed at the vibration end of said resultant motion mechanism (100;140) and transmitting the resultant vibration of said resultant motion mechanism to said driven member (11); and means (12-16) for supplying excitation force to said first and second driving members (1,2) (Fig. 10).

Claim 11

The actuator as defined in claim 8 wherein said first and second driving members (1,2) consist of piezo-electric devices, respectively.

Claim 12

The actuator as defined in claim 9 wherein said resultant motion mechanism (10D) includes: a support member (101) disposed between said first and second driving members (1,2); a first connecting member (111) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said first driving member (1) and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member, and having one of the ends thereof connected to said support member (101) by a joint (104) and the other end connected to said first driving member (1) by another joint (106); a second connecting member (112) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said second driving member (2) and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member, and having one of the ends thereof connected to said support member (101) by a joint (105) and the other end connected to said second driving member (2) by another joint (110); a third connecting member (114) having one of the ends thereof connected to the other end of said.-second connecting member (112) by a joint (109) and the other end forming a resultant vibration end; and a fourth connecting member (113) having one of the ends thereof connected to the other end of said first connecting member (111) by a joint (107) and the other end connected to the resultant vibration end of said third connecting member (114) by another joint (108) .(Fig. 10).

Claim 13

The actuator as defined in claim 9 wherein said resultant motion mechanism includes: a support member (101) disposed between said first and second driving members (1,2); a first connecting member (111) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said first driving member (1) and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member, and having one of the ends thereof connected to said support member (101) by a joint (104) and the other end connected to said first driving member (1) by another joint (106); a second connecting member -(112) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said second driving member (2) and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member, and having one of the ends thereof connected to said support .(101) member by a joint (105) and the other end connected to said second driving member (2) by another joint (110); and parallel third connecting members connecting the other ends of said first and second connecting members to said driving element by joints, respectively.

Claim 14

The actuator as defined in claim 10 or 11 wherein each of said joints consists of a flexure hinge.

Claim 15

An actuator for driving a driven member, comprising: a base (17); a first driving member (1) fixed to said base and having one vibrating direction; a second driving member (2) having one vibrating direction, and fixed to said base (17) in such a fashion that the vibrating direction thereof is in agreement with that of said first driving member, and said second driving member (2) faces said first driving member (1); a resultant motion mechanism (140) coupled to said first and second driving members (1,2) and combining their unidirectional vibrations to form resultant vibration having a circular orbit; a driving element (10) disposed at the vibration end of said resultant motion mechanism (140) and transmitting the resultant vibration of said resultant motion mechanism to said driven member (11); and means (12-16) for supplying excitation force to said first and second driving members (1,2).

Claim 16

An actuator for driving a driven member, comprising: a base (17); a first driving member (1) fixed to said base and having one vibrating direction; a second driving member (2) having one vibrating direction, and fixed to said base (17) in such a fashion that the vibrating direction thereof is in agreement with that of said first driving member, and said second driving member (2) faces said first driving member (1); a resultant motion mechanism (140) coupled to said first and second driving members (1,2) and combining their unidirectional vibrations to form resultant vibration having a circular orbit; a driving element (10) disposed at the vibration end of said resultant motion mechanism (140) and transmitting the resultant vibration of said resultant motion mechanism to said driven member (11); and means (12-16) for supplying excitation force to said first and second driving members (1,2).

Claim 17

The actuator as defined in claim 13 wherein said first and second driving members (1,2) consist of piezo-electric devices, respectively.

Claim 18

The actuator as defined in claim 14 wherein said resultant motion mechanism includes: a first connecting member (148) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said driving member and connected to said first driving member (1) by a joint (113) and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member and having one of the ends thereof connected to said base (17) by another joint (141); a second connecting member (149) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said second driving member (2) and connected to said second driving member by a joint (147), and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member and having one of the ends thereof connected to said base (17) by another joint (142); a third connecting member (151) having one of the ends thereof connected to the other end of said second connecting member (149), and having the other end thereof connected to the resultant vibration end; and a fourth connecting member (150) having one of the ends thereof connected to the other end of said first connecting member by a joint (144) and the other end thereof connected to the resultant vibration end of said third connecting member (151) by another joint (145).

Claim 19

The actuator as defined in claim 14 wherein said resultant motion mechanism includes: a first connecting member (148) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said first driving member (1) and connected to said first driving member by a joint (143), and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member (1) and having one of the ends thereof connected to said base (17) by another joint (141); a second connecting member (149) having a first member extending in the vibrating direction of said second driving member (2) and connected to said second driving member (2) by a joint (147), and a second member extending in a direction at a right angle with the extending direction of said first member and having one of the ends thereof connected to said base (17) by another joint (142); and parallel third connecting members connecting the other ends of said first and second connecting members to said driving members by joints, respectively.

Claim 20

The actuator as defined in claim 15 or 16 wherein each joint consists of a flexure hinge.