# US 2013/0278179 A1 · Drive unit

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- Number: US 2013/0278179 A1
- Document ID: US20130278179A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/926,469
- Filed: 2013-06-25
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-02-09
- Assignees: Panasonic Corporation
- Applicants: Panasonic Corporation
- Inventors: Yusuke ADACHI; Hideaki MUKAE; Masaru HIGASHIONJI; Eiichi NAGAOKA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278179A1

## CPC

- H02N 2/008: {Means for controlling vibration frequency or phase, e.g. for resonance tracking}
- H02N 2/004: {Rectangular vibrators}
- H02N 2/026: {by pressing one or more vibrators against the driven body}
- H02N 2/062: {Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. for removing hysteresis}
- H02N 2/103: {by pressing one or more vibrators against the rotor}
- H02N 2/142: {Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. speed, torque, starting, stopping, reversing}
- H10N 30/202: {using longitudinal or thickness displacement combined with bending, shear or torsion displacement}
- H10N 30/2023: {having polygonal or rectangular shape}
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A drive unit includes an ultrasonic actuator having an actuator body formed using a piezoelectric element, and a driving element provided on the actuator body and configured to output a driving force by moving according to the vibration of the actuator body, and a control section configured to induce the vibration in the actuator body by applying a first and a second AC voltages having a same frequency and different phases to the piezoelectric element. The control section adjusts the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage so that the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage have different voltage values from each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drive unit, comprising:
a vibratory actuator having an actuator body formed using a piezoelectric element, and configured to output a driving force by inducing vibration in the actuator body, and
a control section configured to induce the vibration in the actuator body by applying a first and a second AC voltages having a same frequency and different phases to the piezoelectric element,
wherein
the control section adjusts the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage so that the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage have different voltage values from each other, and a first AC current flowing in response to the first AC voltage is different from a second AC current flowing in response to the second AC voltage.

### Claim 2

A drive unit, comprising:
a vibratory actuator having an actuator body formed using a piezoelectric element, and configured to output a driving force by inducing vibration in the actuator body, and
a control section configured to induce the vibration in the actuator body by applying a first and a second AC voltages to the piezoelectric element, where a frequency of the first AC voltage is equal to a frequency of the second AC voltage,
wherein
the control section adjusts the frequencies of the first and second AC voltages with the frequencies kept equal to each other, and independently adjusts voltage values of the first and second AC voltages in accordance with the frequencies.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The drive unit of claim 2, wherein
the control section adjusts the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage so that the voltage values are different from each other in accordance with the frequencies of the first and second AC voltages

### Claim 4

A drive unit, comprising:
a vibratory actuator having an actuator body formed using a piezoelectric element, and configured to output a driving force by inducing vibration in the actuator body, and
a control section configured to induce the vibration in the actuator body by applying a first and a second AC voltages to the piezoelectric element, where a frequency of the first AC voltage is equal to a frequency of the second AC voltage,
wherein
the control section adjusts the frequencies of the first and second AC voltages, and
a difference between a voltage value of the first AC voltage and a voltage value of the second AC voltage changes in accordance with the frequencies of the first and second AC voltages.