Apparatus for effecting fine movement by impact force produced by piezoelectric or electrostrictive element

Abstract

Abstract An apparatus for effecting a fine movement of an object for making use of impact produced by a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element having a moving member, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element attached to said moving member, means for driving the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, and an inertia member operative in response to the driving of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element so as to impart an impact to the moving member. As an electric field is applied to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element, a strain is caused by a stress which acts to expand or contract the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element to a length determined by the level of the electric field. By making use of this phenomenon, impact is produced by the inertia member which operates in response to the stress, thereby effecting a step-like fine movement of the moving member. Thus, the inertia member is impactingly driven by elongation or contraction of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element so that a reactional force overcomes the friction acting between the moving member and a base so as to realize a fine movement of the moving member.

Inventors

• 👤 Toshiro Higuchi
• 👤 Masahiro Watanabe

Bibliographic Details