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AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroyuki Seki
Estimating the term…
A vibration actuator difficult to be affected by an external force. A vibration element is held by a shaft. A driven element is held in pressure contact with an elastic body, and a bearing member is joined to the driven element in a manner rotatable about the shaft as a rotational axis. Vibrations excited in the vibration element cause the vibration element and the driven element to rotate relative to each other about the shaft. In the driven element, a connecting portion connects between a main body and a gear provided outside the main body. The degree of freedom of the main body with respect to the bearing member is restricted in other directions than a direction of rotation thereof and a thrust direction of the shaft. The connecting portion has a lower flexural rigidity in a direction parallel to the rotational axis than the main body and the gear.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portion has a smaller thickness in the thrust direction of said shaft member than said outer peripheral portion, and is formed into a flange shape.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said outer peripheral portion is formed of a material different from said main body and said connecting portion.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portion and said outer peripheral portion are formed of the same material different from a material of said main body.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said bearing member is formed of a material higher in vibration damping rate than a material forming said outer peripheral portion.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said bearing member is a slide bearing.
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said pressure applying member presses said main body against said vibration element, and
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning member which is fixed to said bearing member, for positioning said bearing member in the thrust direction of said shaft member, and is diametrically fitted to said bearing member, and
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said outer peripheral portion has a toothed wheel shape meshing with an external gear, and
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein part or a whole of said outer peripheral portion is fixed, and said vibration element and said shaft member are rotated in unison, whereby a rotational driving force is applied from said shaft member.
An electronic apparatus including:
The vibration actuator according to claim 1, wherein said bearing member is disposed on an extension line of a force vector of a pressing force acting on said outer peripheral portion in a radial direction of said shaft member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.