# US 7,745,971 B2 · Driving device and optical apparatus

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- Number: US 7,745,971 B2
- Document ID: US7745971B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/502,834
- Filed: 2009-07-14
- Published: 2010-02-25
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-19
- Assignees: Fujinon Corporation
- Inventors: Hideo Yoshida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745971B2

## CPC

- H02N 2/067: {generating drive pulses}
- H02N 2/028: {along multiple or arbitrary translation directions, e.g. XYZ stages}
- G02B 7/102: {controlled by a microcomputer (cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14)}
- H02N 2/025: {Inertial sliding motors}
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Disclosed is a driving device capable of stably operating a plurality of actuators. Control units supply driving signals to piezoelectric elements to control actuators such that the actuators repeatedly change their operational states between a driving state and a stop state. In addition, the control units control the actuators to enter the stop state at different timings. As such, since the actuators enter the stop state at different timings, it is possible to reduce or prevent the situation that all of the actuators stop at the same time by shifting the use timing of a power supply circuit. In addition, it is possible to reduce or prevent the situation that all of the actuators are driven at the same time and a current is supplied to all the actuators at the same time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driving device comprising:
a first actuator including a first piezoelectric element that is expanded and contracted in response to a driving signal and a first driving shaft that is attached to the first piezoelectric element and is reciprocated by the expansion and contraction operation of the first piezoelectric element, the first actuator moving a first driven member frictionally engaged with the first driving shaft;
a second actuator including a second piezoelectric element that is expanded and contracted in response to a driving signal and a second driving shaft that is attached to the second piezoelectric element and is reciprocated by the expansion and contraction operation of the second piezoelectric element, the second actuator moving a second driven member frictionally engaged with the second driving shaft; and
a driving signal control unit that supplies the driving signals to the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element such that each of the first actuator and the second actuator repeatedly changes its operational state between a driving state and a stop state,
wherein the driving signal control unit supplies the driving signals such that the first actuator and the second actuator start to be driven or stop at different timings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An optical apparatus comprising:
the driving device according to claim 1; and
an optical member or a photoelectric conversion element that is driven by the driving device.