JP7034770B2 - Vibration wave motor and lens device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vibration wave motor and a lens device using the vibration wave motor.

The vibration wave motor is a motor that has the characteristics of high output and quietness while being relatively small, and is used for driving a lens in a lens device attached to an image pickup device such as a camera, for example. As such a vibration wave motor, a vibrating body provided with a protrusion is vibrated to cause an elliptical motion at the tip of the protrusion, and a driving force is generated for a friction member that frictionally slides with the protrusion. .. In this vibration wave motor, the driven body is linearly driven by using the obtained driving force.

Patent Document 1 discloses such a vibration wave motor and a lens device using the vibration wave motor as a lens driving device. This vibration wave motor is composed of a movable portion including a vibrating body and a movable guide member, and a fixed portion including a friction member and a fixed guide member and a holding member for holding the friction member. The movable guide member and the fixed guide member are provided with long grooves at positions facing each other, and the driving of the movable portion is guided by sandwiching the rolling member between the long grooves. Further, in this vibration wave motor, the friction member and the fixed guide member are individually screw-fixed to the holding member.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-200400 Public Relations

In the vibration wave motor disclosed in Patent Document 1, the friction member and the fixing guide member are individually screw-fixed to the holding member. When fixing the screw, it is necessary to secure a space in the vicinity of the screw fixing portion where the volume of the screw itself and the volume of the wall structure around the prepared hole can be arranged. Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the vibration wave motor, it is preferable to use a common screw fixing portion in these members.

However, when the friction member and the fixed guide member are fixed to the holding member with the same screw, the fixed portion of the friction member and the fixed guide member are adjacent to each other, and the vibration of the oscillator is easily transmitted to the fixed guide member via the friction member. Become. This may induce resonance of the fixed guide member and generate abnormal noise. Further, for the same reason, in a lens device using such a vibration wave motor, there is a concern that abnormal noise may occur when the lens is driven.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and provides a vibration wave motor that reduces abnormal noise caused by vibration of a guide member, and a lens device using the vibration wave motor.

In order to solve the above problems, the vibration wave motor according to the embodiment of the present invention is
An oscillator that vibrates when a voltage is applied,
A friction member that comes into contact with the vibrator on a friction surface, is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration, and extends in the drive direction.
A guide member extending in the drive direction to guide the relative drive of the oscillator, and
A fixing member for fixing each of both ends of the guide member to the friction member in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member in the driving direction is provided.
The member with which the guide member abuts at the plate-shaped end portion fixed to the fixing member is in the width direction perpendicular to the drive direction and the drive direction in the friction surface with respect to the end portion of the guide member. At least in any one of them, the outer edge is provided so as to be aligned or located on the outer side.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vibration wave motor that reduces abnormal noise due to vibration of a guide member, and a lens device that reduces abnormal noise when driving a lens using the vibration wave motor.

It is an exploded perspective view which shows the structure of the vibration wave motor of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the feature of the vibration wave motor of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the feature of the vibration wave motor of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the structure of the vibration wave motor of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the feature of the vibration wave motor of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the lens drive device of the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the effect of this invention. It is a figure explaining the resonance of a guide member.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, relative positions of the components, etc. described in the following embodiments are arbitrary and can be changed according to the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied or various conditions. Also, the same reference numerals are used between drawings to indicate elements that are the same or functionally similar.

(First Embodiment)
The configuration of the vibration wave motor 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), which are exploded perspective views of the vibration wave motor 1. The vibration wave motor described below is a linear motion type, and the drive direction of the driven portion by the vibration wave motor 1 is defined as A1, and the drive direction is A1 in the plane of the friction member with which the vibrator, which will be described later, comes into contact. The orthogonal direction is defined as the width direction A2. Further, each component constituting the vibration wave motor 1 described later is stacked in a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2. FIG. 1A is a view of this stacked state from above, and FIG. 1B is a view from below.

The vibration wave motor 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an oscillator 111, a friction member 112, a holding member 113, and a guide member 114 as main configurations. Further, the oscillator 111 constitutes a movable portion together with the oscillator holding frame 115, the movable frame 116, the pressurizing member 117, the pressurizing plate 118, the pressurizing buffer member 119, the movable guide member 120, and the rolling member 121. The holding member 113 holds the friction member 112. The guide member 114 movably guides the oscillator 111 in the drive direction A1. Each component constituting the movable portion pressurizes the oscillator 111 against the friction member 112 while holding the oscillator 111.

The oscillator 111 can be obtained, for example, by attaching an elastic member 111b to a plate-shaped piezoelectric element 111a. Two columnar protrusions 111c are provided on the surface of the elastic member 111b opposite to the attachment surface, and held portions 111d are provided at both ends in the drive direction A1. The piezoelectric element 111a is made of, for example, PZT (lead zirconate titanate), and the elastic member 111b is made of a metal such as stainless steel. By applying an appropriate AC voltage to the piezoelectric element 111a, the piezoelectric element 111a can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and an elliptical motion can be generated at the tip of the protrusion 111c which is a contact portion with the friction member 112.

The friction member 112 is made of a plate-shaped member extending along the drive direction A1 and is made of a metal such as stainless steel. Further, in the present embodiment, the holding member 113 is a resin housing, and the friction member 112 is fixed to and held by the holding member 113 by a fixing member 122 described later. The tip of the protrusion 111c is in contact with the surface of the friction member 112 with a pressing force, and the friction member 112 is sent out by the elliptical movement of the tip, so that the vibrator 111 moves in the driving direction A1 with respect to the friction member. Relative movement.

In the present embodiment, the guide member 114 has a pair of elongated grooves 114a arranged at both ends in the width direction A2 and extending in the drive direction A1. Then, like the friction member 112, it is fixed to and held by the holding member 113 by the fixing member 122. More specifically, the friction member 112 and the guide member 114 are sandwiched between the holding member 113 and the fixing member 122 in the vicinity of both ends in the driving direction A1 by a fastening member such as a screw. The friction member 112, the holding member 113, and the guide member 114 function as fixed portions that are not linearly driven in the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the movable portion is configured to actually drive in the drive direction A1 with respect to the fixed portion described above. This movable portion includes a configuration in which the vibrator holding frame 115, the pressure buffer member 119, and the pressure plate 118 are arranged in this order above the vibrator 111 that abuts on the friction member 112. The movable portion also includes a movable guide member 120 arranged on the opposite side (lower side) of the vibrator and 111 with the friction member 112 and the guide member 114 interposed therebetween. The pressure member 117, which is one component of the movable portion, is composed of a plurality of tension coil springs having both ends fixed to the pressure plate 118 and the movable guide member 120 and arranged so as to sandwich the friction member 112 in the width direction A2. Will be done.

The tension coil spring, which is the pressurizing member 117, generates a pressing force F1 that pressurizes the oscillator 111 against the friction member 112. The pressing force F1 acts on the vibrator 111 via the pressure plate 118 and the pressure cushioning member 119, and the protrusion 111c of the vibrator 111 is brought into pressure contact with the friction member 112. By arranging the pressurizing buffer member 119 between the pressurizing plate 118 and the vibrator 111, only the pressing force F1 can be transmitted to the vibrator 111 without disturbing the vibration of the vibrator 111. As the pressure buffer member 119, for example, felt or the like is used.

The oscillator holding frame 115 is fixed to the held portion 111d of the oscillator 111 in a manner such as adhesion. Further, the movable frame 116 is a frame-shaped member, and the oscillator holding frame 115 arranged in the frame is movably accommodated in the pressing force F1 direction and constrained in the driving direction A1. By arranging the oscillator holding frame 115, the movable frame 116, and the pressurizing buffer member 119, the oscillator 111 is held in the movable portion while transmitting the pressing force F1 generated by the pressurizing member 117 to the oscillator 111 without damaging it. can do.

The movable guide member 120 has a long groove 120a at a position facing the long groove 114a of the guide member 114, and is screw-fixed to the movable frame 116. A rolling member 121 such as a ball is sandwiched between the long grooves 114a and 120a provided in the guide member 114 and the movable guide member 120. These long grooves, rolling members, and the like guide the guide member 114 to drive along the drive direction A1 of the movable portion including the vibrator 111.

As described above, in these configurations, when the vibrator 111 vibrates and an elliptical motion is generated in the protrusion 111c, a driving force is generated in the driving direction A1 at the contact surface between the protrusion 111c and the friction member 112. At this time, the oscillator 111, the oscillator holding frame 115, the movable frame 116, the pressurizing member 117, the pressurizing plate 118, the pressurizing buffer member 119, and the movable guide member 120 are integrated as a movable portion and driven straight in the drive direction A1. To. In the present embodiment, the configuration including the oscillator 111 is the movable portion and the configuration including the friction member 112 is the fixed portion. However, the movable portion and the fixed portion are reversed, and the configuration including the friction member 112 is configured. It may be a moving part. Further, the material constituting each member is an example, and may be replaced with another known material having the same function.

Next, the features and effects of the vibration wave motor 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A shows a front view of the vibration wave motor 1, and FIG. 2B shows a bottom view. Further, FIG. 2C is an enlarged view of the vicinity of both ends of the guide member 114 in the drive direction A1 in FIG. 2B, that is, an enlarged view of a fixed portion with respect to the holding member 113 such as the guide member 114.

In the vibration wave motor 1 of the present embodiment, both ends of the friction member 112 and the guide member 114 in the drive direction A1 are held by being sandwiched between the holding member 113 and a fixing member 122 made of a known fastening member such as a screw. There is. At this time, the friction member 112 and the fixing member 122 are in contact with the guide member 114. In this vibration wave motor 1, each longitudinal dimension is further located in the vicinity of the holding position so that the end E1 of the drive direction A1 of the friction member 112 coincides with or is located outside the end E2 of the guide member 114. It has been decided. Further, in this vibration wave motor 1, each short dimension is set so that the end E3 of the friction member 112 in the width direction A2 coincides with or is located outside the end E4 of the guide member 114 in the vicinity of the holding position. It has been decided.

The effect of such a configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7A is an enlarged view and a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of both ends in the drive direction A1 of the guide member 914 of the vibration wave motor of the conventional aspect, which does not have the characteristics of the vibration wave motor 1 described above. Further, FIG. 7B is an enlarged view and a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of both ends in the drive direction A1 of the guide member 114 of the vibration wave motor 1 described above. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the resonance generated in the guide members 114 and 914.

In FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the guide members 114 and 914 are attached to the holding members 113 and 913 by the fixing members 122 and 922 so that the friction members 112 and 912 are sandwiched between the holding members 113 and 913. On the other hand, it is fixed. Due to the structure described above, the friction members 112, 912 and the guide members 114, 914 are substantially in contact with each other in the vicinity of both ends in the drive direction A1. Therefore, there is a concern that the vibration of the vibrator 111 or the like is transmitted to the guide members 114, 914 via the friction members 112, 912, and the resonance of these guide members 114, 914 is induced.

The resonance most likely to occur in a plate-shaped member such as the guide members 114 and 914 is illustrated in FIG. 8A, and the resonance most likely to occur next is illustrated in FIG. 8B. FIG. 8A corresponds to, for example, bending vibration of the guide member 114 (same for 914), and FIG. 8B corresponds to, for example, torsional vibration of the guide member 114 (same for 914). In the bending vibration shown in FIG. 8A, the end portion of the guide member 114 in the driving direction A1 vibrates particularly greatly as shown by M1. Further, in the torsional vibration shown in FIG. 8B, the end of the guide member 114 in the width direction A2 vibrates particularly greatly as shown by M2.

In the conventional vibration wave motor 9 having no feature of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the end of the drive direction A1 of the friction member 912 is located inside the end of the drive direction A1 of the guide member 914. ing. As a result, the guide member 914 protrudes in the drive direction A1, and the protruding portion P1 is not held because it does not come into contact with the friction member 912. Therefore, when the bending vibration shown in FIG. 8A is generated, the vibration shown by M1 is generated in the protruding portion P1, and there is a possibility that an abnormal noise is generated due to the tapping sound between the protruding portion P1 and the friction member 912.

On the other hand, in the vibration wave motor 1, as shown in FIG. 7B, the end of the friction member 112 in the drive direction A1 direction is located outside the end of the guide member 114 in the drive direction A1, and the protruding portion is located. There is no. Therefore, even when the bending vibration shown in FIG. 8A occurs, the protruding portion alone does not vibrate because the portion that will vibrate greatly is in contact with other members. The generation of abnormal noise can be reduced.

Further, in the vibration wave motor 9, the guide member 914 has a protruding portion P2 that is not held in the width direction A2 direction. Therefore, when the torsional vibration shown in FIG. 8B is generated, the vibration shown by M2 is generated in the protruding portion P2, and there is a possibility that an abnormal noise is generated. On the other hand, in the vibration wave motor 1, the protruding portion in the width direction A2 of the guide member 114 does not exist. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that an abnormal noise is generated even when the torsional vibration shown in FIG. 8B is generated. Further, in the present embodiment, the friction member 112 and the guide member 114 are brought into contact with each other and fixed by using a single screw as a fixing member 122. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the space for arranging the configuration for fixing, and it is possible to obtain a secondary effect that the vibration wave motor 1 can be miniaturized.

As described above, the end of the friction member 112 that abuts on the guide member 114 in both the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 has a longitudinal dimension so as to be aligned with or outside the end of the guide member 114. Is stipulated. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and a structure may satisfy this condition only in the drive direction A1. With this structure as well, the possibility of abnormal noise generated by the bending vibration of the guide member 114 shown in FIG. 8A can be reduced, and the effect of the present invention can be obtained. However, at the same time, it is preferable to set the short dimension so that the end of the friction member 112 coincides with or is located outside the end of the guide member 114 also in the width direction A2. As a result, the possibility of abnormal noise due to the torsional vibration of the guide member 114 shown in FIG. 8B can also be reduced.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the friction member 112 which is one of the members in contact with the guide member 114, the ends in the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 are arranged so as to coincide with or outside the end of the guide member 114. ing. However, in the fixing member 122 which is another member that abuts on the guide member 114, the fixing member so that the ends in the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 coincide with or are located outside the end of the guide member 114. The same effect can be obtained by defining the shape of 122.

As described above, the vibration wave motor 1 according to the present embodiment includes an oscillator 111, a friction member 112, a guide member 114, and a fixing member 122. The oscillator 111 vibrates by applying a predetermined voltage, and generates a driving force that drives the friction member 112 relative to the friction member 112. The friction member 112 comes into contact with the vibrator 111 on the friction surface and is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration described above. This friction member is defined by the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 described above, and is configured to have a friction surface 112a extending in the drive direction A1. The width direction A2 can also be defined as a width direction perpendicular to the drive direction A1 in the friction surface of the friction member 112. The guide member 114 is composed of a plate-shaped member extending in the drive direction A1 in the above-mentioned relative movement, and guides the relative drive performed by the vibrator 111.

The fixing member 122 fixes both ends of the guide member 114 to the friction member 112 in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member 112 in the drive direction A1. It should be noted that the vicinity of both ends of the friction member 112 in which the fixing member 122 fixes the guide member 114 is outside the drive range when the vibrator 111 is relatively driven with respect to the friction member 112, and the end portion of the friction member 112. Means the area inside. In the vibration wave motor 1 having the above configuration, the member that abuts at the plate-shaped end portion where the guide member 114 is fixed to the fixing member 122 is characterized by the outer edges of both end portions thereof. That is, the abutting member is provided with an outer edge so as to coincide with or be located outside in at least one of the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 with respect to the end portion of the guide member 114.

In the above-described embodiment, the vibration wave motor 1 further includes a holding member 113 in which the friction member 112 is fixed by the fixing member 122 to hold the friction member 112. In this case, the guide member 114 may be sandwiched between the friction member 112 and the fixing member 122, and the friction member 112 may act as the above-mentioned abutting member. At the same time, it is better that the fixing member 122 also acts as a contacting member. In the above-described embodiment, a single fixing member 122 is arranged at each end so as to be screwed into a screw hole formed in the holding member 113 that abuts on the friction member 112. An example using a screw is shown. However, the aspect of the fixing member 122 is not limited to this. That is, if the guide member 114 and the friction member 112 can be fixed in contact with each other in a single configuration, or can be fixed with some member sandwiched between them, any known fastening means can be used. Can be used. Further, the end portion described in the first embodiment and the like corresponds to the outside of the moving range of the relative moving member such as the vibrator 111 in the friction member 112, the guide member 114 and the like. Alternatively, it corresponds to a region from a position where the above-mentioned screws or the like do not interfere with the vibrator 111 or the like to the end of each member, and the region where these members can be fixed by the screws or the like.

(Second embodiment)
The configuration of the vibration wave motor 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 showing this in the same manner as that of FIG. 2 in the first embodiment. In the following description, the drive direction A1, the width direction A2, and the like are also defined as the same directions as in the case of the first embodiment described above.

Similar to the vibration wave motor 1, the vibration wave motor 2 of the present embodiment includes an oscillator 211, a friction member 212, a holding member 213, and a guide member 214 as main configurations. The holding member 213 holds the friction member 212, and the guide member 214 movably guides the oscillator 211 in the drive direction A1. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the arrangement order of these main configurations in the stacking direction is different from that of the first embodiment. However, the oscillator holding member, the movable frame, the pressurizing member, the pressurizing plate, the pressurizing buffer member, the movable guide member, etc., which pressurize the friction member 212 while holding the oscillator 211, correspond to the first embodiment. There is no particular difference in composition and structure. Therefore, the description here will be omitted.

FIG. 3A shows a front view of the vibration wave motor 2, and FIG. 3B shows a bottom view. Further, FIG. 3C is an enlarged view of the vicinity of both ends of the guide member 214 in the drive direction A1 in FIG. 3B, that is, an enlarged view of a fixed portion with respect to the holding member 213 such as the guide member 214. The vibration wave motor 2 is similar to the vibration wave motor 1 in that the friction member 212 and the guide member 214 are sandwiched between the holding member 213 and the fixing member 222 near both ends of the drive direction A1. However, the vibration wave motor 2 of the present embodiment is arranged in the order of the holding member 213, the friction member 212, the guide member 214, and the fixing member 222 in the order of stacking from above. In this stacking order, the vibration wave motor 2 is different from the vibration wave motor 1 described above, and the guide member 214 is sandwiched between the holding member 213 and the friction member 212 and comes into contact with these members.

In the vibration wave motor 2, in the vicinity of both ends in the drive direction A1, in addition to the friction member 212, the end E1 of the drive direction A1 of the holding member 213 coincides with the end E2 of the guide member 214, or the end is outward. positioned. Further, in the vibration wave motor 2, the end E3 of the friction member 212 in the width direction A2 coincides with or is located outside the end E4 of the guide member 214 in the vicinity of both ends of the drive direction A1 of the guide member 214. Further, the holding member 213 extends to the outside of the end E4 of the guide member 214.

In the present embodiment, due to the configuration described above, abnormal noise is generated even when the bending vibration shown in FIG. 8A and the torsional vibration shown in FIG. 8B are generated as in the vibration wave motor 1. The possibility of doing so can be reduced. Further, in the present embodiment, in all the members that come into contact with the guide member 214, the ends of the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 coincide with the ends of the guide member 214 in the vicinity of both ends of the drive direction A1 of the guide member 214. Alternatively, the external dimensions are determined so that the end is located on the outside. Therefore, it can be expected that the effect of reducing the vibration due to the resonance of the guide member 214 is larger than that of the vibration wave motor 1 shown in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ends of all the members in contact with the guide member 214 coincide with or match the ends of the guide member 214 in both the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2. The edges are located on the outside. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and a structure may satisfy this condition only in the drive direction A1. With this structure as well, the possibility of abnormal noise due to bending vibration of the guide member 114 shown in FIG. 8A can be reduced. However, also in the width direction A2, it is preferable that the ends of all the members in contact with the guide member 214 coincide with the ends of the guide member 214 or the ends are located on the outside. As a result, the possibility of abnormal noise due to the torsional vibration of the guide member 114 shown in FIG. 8B can be reduced.

That is, the vibration wave motor 2 according to the present embodiment includes a vibrator, a friction member 212, a guide member 214, a fixing member 222, and further includes a holding member 213. In the holding member 213, the friction member 212 is fixed by the fixing member 222, thereby holding the friction member 212. Then, in the present embodiment, the guide member 214 is sandwiched between the friction member 212 and the holding member 213, and at least one of the friction member 212 and the holding member 213 acts as a contacting member described in the first embodiment. do. In this embodiment as well, an example is shown in which a single screw arranged at each end so as to be screwed into a screw hole formed in the holding member 213 is used as the fixing member 222. ing. However, the aspect of the fixing member 222 is not limited to this, and various known fastening members can be used as long as an accurate fixing state can be obtained while achieving space saving.

(Third embodiment)
The configuration of the vibration wave motor 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing this in the same manner as in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the first embodiment. do. In the following description, the drive direction A1, the width direction A2, and the like are also defined as the same directions as in the case of the first embodiment described above.

The vibration wave motor 3 shown in FIG. 4 includes an oscillator 311, a friction member 312, and a guide member 314 as main configurations. Further, the oscillator 311 constitutes a movable portion together with the oscillator holding frame 315, the movable frame 316, the pressurizing member 317, the pressurizing plate 318, the pressurizing buffer member 319, the movable guide member 320, and the rolling member 321. The guide member 314 holds the friction member 312 and guides the oscillator 311 (movable portion) in the drive direction A1 so as to be movable. Further, the vibration wave motor 3 further includes a cushioning member 323 arranged between the friction member 312 and the guide member 314 so as to form a fixed portion together with the friction member 312 and the guide member 314.

Here, the vibration wave motors 1 and 2 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment and the vibration wave motor 3 of the third embodiment are different in the following points. That is, the guide member 314 holds the friction member 312, and the above-mentioned holding members 113 and 213 are omitted. Further, a cushioning member 323 is arranged between the friction member 312 and the guide member 314. The cushioning member 323 is made of a material having a Young's modulus lower than that of the friction member 312 and the guide member 314, such as a resin film. Further, a known fastening member such as a screw which is a guide member 314 and a fixing member 322 sandwiches the friction member 312 and the cushioning member 323, and fixes them to the guide member 314. In the present embodiment, the movable member including the oscillator 311 and the friction member 312 are configured in the same manner as the vibration wave motor 1 and the vibration wave motor 2 described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

Next, the features and effects of the vibration wave motor 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A shows a front view of the vibration wave motor 3, and FIG. 5B shows a bottom view. Further, FIG. 5 (c) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of both ends of the guide member 314 in the drive direction A1 in FIG. 5 (b), that is, an enlarged view of the state of being fixed by the fixing member 322 to the guide member 314 and the like.

In the vibration wave motor 3 of the present embodiment, both ends of the drive direction A1 of the friction member 312 and the cushioning member 323 are held by being sandwiched between the guide member 314 and the fixing member 322. At this time, the cushioning member 323 and the fixing member 322 are in contact with the guide member 314. In the vicinity of this holding position, the outer diameter dimension of the cushioning member 323 is determined so that the end E1 of the driving direction A1 of the cushioning member 323 coincides with the end E2 of the guide member 314 or is located outside the end. There is. Further, in this vibration wave motor 3, the cushioning member 323 so that the end E3 in the width direction A2 of the cushioning member 323 coincides with the end E4 of the guide member 314 or is located outside the end in the vicinity of the holding position. The outer diameter dimension of is specified. Therefore, since the portion of the guide member 314 that is likely to vibrate greatly is in contact with another member, the guide member 314 does not vibrate by itself.

In the present embodiment, when the bending vibration shown in FIG. 8A and the torsional vibration shown in FIG. 8B are generated as in the vibration wave motor 1 or the vibration wave motor 2 due to the configuration described above. It is also possible to reduce the possibility of abnormal noise. Further, in the present embodiment, the cushioning member 323 having a low Young's modulus is arranged between the guide member 314 and the friction member 312. As a result, vibration transmission to the guide member 314 via the friction member 312 can be reduced, and even when the guide member 314 vibrates, the elasticity of the cushioning member 323 can absorb the vibration. Therefore, it can be expected that the effect of reducing the vibration due to the resonance of the guide member 314 is larger than that of the vibration wave motors 1 and 2 shown in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

In the third embodiment, the end of the cushioning member 323 that abuts on the guide member 314 coincides with the end of the guide member 314 in both the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 as in the first embodiment and the like. Or it is located outside the end. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and a structure may satisfy this condition only in the drive direction A1. With this structure as well, the possibility of abnormal noise due to bending vibration of the guide member 314 shown in FIG. 8A can be reduced. However, also in the width direction A2, it is preferable that the end of the cushioning member 323 coincides with the end of the guide member 314 or is located outside the end. As a result, the possibility of abnormal noise due to the torsional vibration of the guide member 314 shown in FIG. 8B can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the ends of the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 of the cushioning member 323 that abuts on the guide member 314 coincide with the end of the guide member 314 or are located outside the end. However, in the present embodiment, the ends in the drive direction A1 and the width direction A2 of the fixing member 322, which is another member that abuts on the guide member 314, coincide with the end of the guide member 314 or are located outside the end. You may try to do it. Alternatively, the fixing member 322 may satisfy this condition together with the cushioning member 323. Thereby, it can be expected that the same or larger effect as the above-mentioned form can be obtained.

That is, the vibration wave motor 3 according to the present embodiment includes a vibrator, a friction member 312, a guide member 314, a fixing member 322, and further includes a cushioning member 323. The cushioning member 323 is fixed so as to be in contact with the guide member 314 by the fixing member 322. It acts as a member that comes into contact with the above-mentioned guide member 314. The configuration in which the cushioning member 323 is arranged is not limited to the third embodiment, and may be arranged with respect to the configuration exemplified in the first embodiment. Further, as described above, it is desirable that the cushioning member 323 is made of a material having a Young's modulus lower than that of the friction member 312 and the guide member 314. Further, also in the present embodiment, as the fixing member 322, a single screw is arranged at each end so as to be screwed into a screw hole formed in the guide member 314 that abuts on the friction member 312. Is shown as an example using. However, the mode of the fixing member 322 is not limited to this, and various known fastening members can be used as long as an accurate fixing state can be obtained while achieving space saving.

By configuring the friction member 112, 212, 312 and the guide member 114, 214, 314 in the vicinity of the fixed portion as described in the above embodiment, the resonance of the guide member is reduced and abnormal noise is generated. It is possible to reduce the possibility. The configurations of the vibration wave motors 1, 2, and 3 described above are merely examples of the embodiment of the present invention. For example, the pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the vibrators 111, 311 and the friction members 112, 212, 312 and the guiding mechanism that guides the movement of the movable portion are not limited to the configuration of the present embodiment. That is, the driving principle of the vibrator, the holding guide structure of the vibrator and the friction member, the material of each member, and the like are not limited to the above-mentioned matters, and can be replaced with known substitutable ones.

(Fourth Embodiment)
As a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a lens device using the above-mentioned vibration wave motor 1 as a lens driving device will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically showing a cross-sectional structure of a photographing device including a lens device 41 incorporating the above-mentioned vibration wave motor 1 and a camera body 42 equipped with the lens device 41. Further, FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view showing the vibration wave motor 1 and the related configuration for driving the lens by the vibration wave motor 1.

The photographing device shown in FIG. 6A includes a camera body 42 and a lens device 41 detachably attached to the camera body 42. An image sensor 42a is provided in the camera body 42. A bayonet portion for attaching the lens device 41 to the camera body 42 is further arranged on the mount 421 of the camera body 42.

The lens device 41 includes a vibration wave motor 1, a fixed cylinder 411, a front lens barrel 412, a rear lens barrel 413, a focus lens holding frame 414, a guide bar 415, a mount 421, and lenses G1, G2, and G3. The fixed cylinder 411 comes into contact with the flange portion of the mount 421 arranged at the end on the camera body 42 side, and the fixed cylinder 411 and the mount 421 are fixed to screws (not shown). Further, the front lens barrel 412 holding the lens G1 and the rear lens barrel 413 holding the lens G3 are fixed to the fixed cylinder 411. The front lens barrel 412 is arranged on the subject side end of the lens device 41, and the rear lens barrel 413 is arranged on the subject side of the mount 421. The focus lens holding frame 414 arranged between the lens G1 and the lens G3 holds the lens G2 for focusing. The focus lens holding frame 414 is further held so as to be movable in a straight line by a guide bar 415 held in the front lens barrel 412 and the rear lens barrel 413. The vibration wave motor 1 is fixed to the rear lens barrel 413 with a fastening member such as a screw (not shown).

FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of the vibration wave motor 1, the focus lens G2, the focus lens holding frame 414, and the guide bar 415. The movable frame 116 of the vibration wave motor 1 is provided with a shaft 116a that transmits the driving force obtained from the vibration wave motor 1 to the outside. The shaft 116a engages with the engaging portion 414a provided on the focus lens holding frame 414. When the vibration wave motor 1 is driven with the above configuration, the driving force thereof is transmitted to the focus lens holding frame 414 via the movable frame 116. The focus lens holding frame 414 is held so as to be linearly movable by a guide bar 415 arranged in parallel with the driving direction of the vibration wave motor 1. Therefore, the focus lens holding frame 414 is guided by the guide bar 415 and linearly moved by the vibration wave motor 1.

As described above, by using the vibration wave motor according to the present invention in the lens device 4, it is possible to reduce the possibility of abnormal noise being generated when the vibration wave motor is driven. This leads to suppressing abnormal noise from the lens device when driving the focus lens at the time of shooting, and by extension, it is possible to provide a lens device capable of quieter lens driving.

As described above, the present invention can be used for a configuration in which a lens is driven or the like in a lens device of a photographing device that requires a compact and high-output motor. In the present embodiment, the mode in which the driven portion including the lens G2 for focusing is driven by the vibration wave motor 1 has been described, but the usage mode of the vibration wave motor 1 is not limited to the examples here, and other configurations are used. It may be used in a configuration for driving a driven portion or another member. Further, as the vibration frequency of the vibration wave motor, it is preferable to use a frequency in the ultrasonic region from the viewpoint of operating speed, responsiveness, etc., and it is desirable that the vibration frequency is a so-called ultrasonic motor. Further, the lens or other driven portion of the image pickup device integrated with the lens device may be driven by the above-mentioned vibration wave motor. Further, the present embodiment is not limited to the lens device and the image pickup device as the device on which the vibration wave motor is mounted, but also includes the electronic device and the optical device on which the vibration wave motor is mounted.

1, 2, 3 Vibration wave motor 111, 311 Oscillator 112, 212, 312 Friction member 113, 213 Holding member 114, 214, 314 Guide member 122, 222, 322 Fixing member G1, G2, G3 Lens

Claims (12)

An oscillator that vibrates when a voltage is applied,
A friction member that comes into contact with the vibrator on a friction surface, is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration, and extends in the drive direction.
A guide member extending in the drive direction to guide the relative drive of the oscillator, and
A fixing member that fixes both ends of the guide member to the friction member in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member in the driving direction.
A holding member in which the friction member is fixed by the fixing member and holds the friction member is provided.
The member with which the guide member abuts at the plate-shaped end portion fixed to the fixing member is in the width direction perpendicular to the drive direction and the drive direction in the friction surface with respect to the end portion of the guide member. At least in any one of them, the outer edges are provided so as to match or be located on the outside.
A vibration wave motor characterized in that the guide member is sandwiched between the friction member and the fixing member, and the friction member acts as the abutting member. An oscillator that vibrates when a voltage is applied,
A friction member that comes into contact with the vibrator on a friction surface, is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration, and extends in the drive direction.
A guide member extending in the drive direction to guide the relative drive of the oscillator, and
A fixing member that fixes both ends of the guide member to the friction member in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member in the driving direction.
A cushioning member , which is fixed so as to be in contact with the guide member by the fixing member, is provided.
The member with which the guide member abuts at the plate-shaped end portion fixed to the fixing member is in the width direction perpendicular to the drive direction and the drive direction in the friction surface with respect to the end portion of the guide member. At least in any one of them, the outer edges are provided so as to match or be located on the outside.
The vibration wave motor, characterized in that the cushioning member acts as the abutting member. The vibration wave motor according to claim 2 , wherein the cushioning member is made of a material having a Young's modulus lower than that of the friction member and the guide member. An oscillator that vibrates when a voltage is applied,
A friction member that comes into contact with the vibrator on a friction surface, is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration, and extends in the drive direction.
A guide member extending in the drive direction to guide the relative drive of the oscillator, and
A fixing member for fixing each of both ends of the guide member to the friction member in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member in the driving direction is provided.
The member with which the guide member abuts at the plate-shaped end portion fixed to the fixing member is in the width direction perpendicular to the drive direction and the drive direction in the friction surface with respect to the end portion of the guide member. At least in any one of them, the outer edges are provided so as to match or be located on the outside.
The fixing member is a vibration wave motor characterized by acting as the abutting member. Claims 1 to 1, wherein the fixing member comprises a single screw arranged at each end thereof so as to be screwed into a screw hole formed in a member in contact with the friction member. 4. The vibration wave motor according to any one of 4. An oscillator that vibrates when a voltage is applied,
A friction member that comes into contact with the vibrator on a friction surface, is driven relative to the vibrator in a predetermined drive direction by the vibration, and extends in the drive direction.
A guide member extending in the drive direction to guide the relative drive of the oscillator, and
A fixing member that fixes both ends of the guide member to the friction member in the vicinity of both ends of the friction member in the driving direction.
A holding member in which the friction member is fixed by the fixing member and holds the friction member is provided.
The member with which the guide member abuts at the plate-shaped end portion fixed to the fixing member is in the width direction perpendicular to the drive direction and the drive direction in the friction surface with respect to the end portion of the guide member. At least in any one of them, the outer edges are provided so as to match or be located on the outside.
A vibration wave motor characterized in that the guide member is sandwiched between the friction member and the holding member, and at least one of the friction member and the holding member acts as the abutting member. The vibration wave according to claim 6 , wherein the fixing member comprises a single screw arranged at each end thereof so as to be screwed into a screw hole formed in the holding member. motor. The vibration wave motor according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the vibration wave motor is an ultrasonic motor using vibration having a frequency in the ultrasonic region. A lens device including the vibration wave motor according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . An imaging device including the lens device according to claim 9 . An electronic device comprising the vibration wave motor according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . An optical device comprising the vibration wave motor according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .

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