Vibration wave during apparatus

Details Vibration wave during apparatus Vibration wave during apparatus

2000-06-09

2004-03-23

Dougherty, Thomas M. (Department: 2834)

Electrical generator or motor structure

Non-dynamoelectric

Piezoelectric elements and devices

Reexamination Certificate

active

06710516

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vibration wave driving apparatus having an output shaft.
2. Related Background Art
Several vibration motors (vibration wave driving apparatuses) having output shafts are known. For example, as shown in
FIG. 4
of the accompanying drawings, there is a motor disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-38170. This motor is such that piezoelectric elements
142
and
144
are disposed between metallic blocks
150
and
152
as hollow cylindrical elastic members and the two metallic blocks
150
and
152
are coupled together into a vibration member
140
by a cylindrical coupling bolt
154
disposed on the inner peripheral side of these metallic blocks
150
and
152
. On the other hand, a motor housing (outer case)
170
is such that the cylindrical portion of the central portion of a motor forms a motor supporting portion and a bearing
172
is disposed in the motor supporting portion and supports an output shaft
134
, and a ring-shaped flange portion
175
provided on the inner diametral portion of a coupling bolt
154
is fixed to the motor supporting portion and supports the vibration member
140
. Also, a rotor portion
130
as a contact member is disposed on one side of the vibration member
140
, and this rotor portion
130
is of a construction in which a spring
133
is disposed between a fixed rotor body (disc)
132
and a support plate
136
in the direction of rotation of the output shaft
134
, and the rotor body
132
is brought into pressure contact with the end surface of the metallic block
152
by the spring force of a spring
133
.
In the above-described example of the prior art, however, only a single bearing is used. Therefore, when a force is applied to the output shaft from a radial side, the output shaft may become inclined with the aforementioned bearing acting as a fulcrum, whereby the rotor portion deviates relative to the vibration member. As a result, a frictional contact state of a rotor contact surface
160
, where the rotor body
132
contacts the metallic block
152
, becomes non-uniform; this may result in problems such as a reduction in the efficiency of the motor, the occurrence of noise, and wear of the contact surface (a reduction in the life of the motor).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of this invention is to provide a vibration type driving apparatus in which a vibration member is supported in a case thereof by a support member, an output shaft is supported by bearings at opposite end portions of the case, where the output shaft is extended through a through-hole in the axial center portions of the vibration member and a rotating member, and the through-hole of the vibration member is used as a sliding bearing for the output shaft. In this manner, the motor may be stably driven even if extraneous forces act on the output shaft from various directions.


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