Motor and an optical apparatus having such motor

Claim 2

A motor for driving a moving member with respect to a member which serves as a reference of the movement, said motor comprising: engaging means supported by one of said reference member and said moving member, and including at least two first piezoelectric actuators for selectively operating a contact portion of said piezoelectric actuators such that said contact portion selectively is brought into contact with or is moved away from the other one of said reference member and said moving member; and at least one second piezoelectric actuator operable to change a distance between said a least two first piezoelectric actuators, wherein at least one of said at least two first piezoelectric actuators employs a bimorph type piezoelectric element.

Claim 3

A motor according to claim 1, wherein said reference member comprises a cylindrical member, and said moving member moves along a peripheral surface of said cylindrical member.

Claim 4

A motor according to claim 2, wherein said at least two first actuators are aligned in an axial direction so that said moving member is movable in the axial direction.

Claim 5

A motor according to claim 1, wherein said moving member comprises an optical element.

Claim 6

A motor according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of said at least two first piezoelectric actuator operates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of movement of said moving member.

Claim 7

A motor according to claim 5, wherein said moving member comprises an optical element.

Claim 8

An optical apparatus, comprising: a movable lens movable in a direction of an optical axis; and a driving means for driving said movable lens in the direction of the optical axis, said driving means including a motor for driving said movable lens with respect to a member which serves as a reference of the movement, said motor including engaging means supported by one of said reference member and said movable lens, and including at least two first piezoelectric actuators for operating a contact portion of said piezoelectric actuators such that said contact portion selectively is brought into contact with or is moved away from the other one of said reference member and said movable lens, and at least one second piezoelectric actuator operable ot change a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators, at least one of said at least two first piezoelectric actuators employing a bimorph type piezoelectric element.

Claim 9

An optical apparatus, comprising: a movable lens movable in a direction of an optical axis; and a driving means for driving said movable lens in the direction of the optical axis, said driving means including a motor for driving said movable lens with respect to a member which serves as a reference of the movement, said motor including engaging means supported by one of said reference member and said movable lens, and including at least two first piezoelectric actuators for operating a contact portion of said piezoelectric actuators such that said contact portion selectively is brought into contact with or is moved away from the other one of said reference member and said movable lens, and at least one second piezoelectric actuator operable ot change a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators, at least one of said at least two first piezoelectric actuators employing a bimorph type piezoelectric element.

Claim 10

A motor according to claim 7, wherein said reference member comprises a cylindrical member, and said moving member moves along a peripheral surface of said cylindrical member.

Claim 11

A motor according to claim 7, wherein said at least two first actuators are aligned in the axial direction so that said moving member is movable in the direction of the optical axis.

Claim 12

An optical apparatus, comprising: a first movable lens which is movable in a direction of an optical axis for zooming; a second movable lens which is movable in the direction of the optical axis, said second movable lens serving as a compensator for focusing and zooming; and a driving means for driving at least one of said first movable lens or said second movable lens in the direction of the optical axis, said driving means including a motor for moving said movable lens with respect to a member which serves as a reference of the movement, said motor including engaging means supported by one of said reference member and said driven movable lens, and including at least two first piezoelectric actuators for operating a contact portion of said piezoelectric actuators such that said contact portion selectively is brought into contact with or is moved away from the other one of said reference member and said driven movable lens, and at least one second piezoelectric actuator operable to change a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators, at least one of said at least two first piezoelectric actuators employing a bimorph type piezoelectric element.

Claim 13

An optical apparatus, comprising: a first movable lens which is movable in a direction of an optical axis for zooming; a second movable lens which is movable in the direction of the optical axis, said second movable lens serving as a compensator for focusing and zooming; and a driving means for driving at least one of said first movable lens or said second movable lens in the direction of the optical axis, said driving means including a motor for moving said movable lens with respect to a member which serves as a reference of the movement, said motor including engaging means supported by one of said reference member and said driven movable lens, and including at least two first piezoelectric actuators for operating a contact portion of said piezoelectric actuators such that said contact portion selectively is brought into contact with or is moved away from the other one of said reference member and said driven movable lens, and at least one second piezoelectric actuator operable to change a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators, at least one of said at least two first piezoelectric actuators employing a bimorph type piezoelectric element.

Claim 14

An optical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said reference member comprises a cylindrical member, and said moving member moves along a peripheral surface of said cylindrical member.

Claim 15

An optical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said at least two first actuators are aligned in the axial direction so that said moving member is movable in the direction of the optical axis.

Claim 16

A motor according to claim 1, further comprising control means for varying a travelling speed of said moving member.

Claim 17

A motor according to claim 13, wherein said control means varies the travelling speed of said moving member by adjusting an amount of expansion/contraction of said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 18

A motor according to claim 14, wherein said control means adjusts the amount of expansion/contraction by varying a voltage applied to said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 19

An optical apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising control means for varying a travelling speed of said movable lens.

Claim 20

An optical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means varies the travelling speed of said movable lens by adjusting an amount of expansion/contraction of said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 21

An optical apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means adjusts the amount of expansion/contraction by varying a voltage applied to said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 22

An optical apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising control means for varying a travelling speed of said at least one driven movable lens.

Claim 23

An optical apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means varies the travelling speed of said driven movable lens by adjusting an amount of expansion/contraction of said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 24

An optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said control means adjust the amount of expansion/contraction by varying a voltage applied to said at least one second piezoelectric actuator.

Claim 25

A motor having a reference member, a moving member movable relative to the reference member, and an actuator portion provided on one of the reference member and the moving member, said motor comprising: at least two first piezoelectric actuators of a bimorph type provided in said actuator portion, each said first piezoelectric actuators performing a bending motion which selectively produces a first state in which one end thereof is fixed and a free end is contacted to the other of said reference member and said moving member, to fix said moving member relative to said other member, and a second state in which said free end is not contacted to said other member; and at least one second piezoelectric actuator for effecting an expansion/contraction motion, said expansion/contraction motion varying a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators in a direction of travel of said moving member; and control means for varying a travelling speed of said moving member in accordance with the expansion/contraction motion.

Claim 26

A motor having a reference member, a moving member movable relative to the reference member, and an actuator portion provided on one of the reference member and the moving member, said motor comprising: at least two first piezoelectric actuators of a bimorph type provided in said actuator portion, each said first piezoelectric actuators performing a bending motion which selectively produces a first state in which one end thereof is fixed and a free end is contacted to the other of said reference member and said moving member, to fix said moving member relative to said other member, and a second state in which said free end is not contacted to said other member; and at least one second piezoelectric actuator for effecting an expansion/contraction motion, said expansion/contraction motion varying a distance between said at least two first piezoelectric actuators in a direction of travel of said moving member; and control means for varying a travelling speed of said moving member in accordance with the expansion/contraction motion.

Claim 27

A motor according to claim 22, wherein said moving member is an optical element.

Claim 28

A motor according to claim 22, wherein the free end of said first piezoelectric member performs a bending motion in a direction of thickness thereof.

Claim 29

A motor according to claim 22, wherein the expansion/contraction motion of said second piezoelectric member is varied by adjusting an applied voltage.