JP7548751B2 - ACTUATOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an actuator that moves a movable body relative to a fixed body, and a method for manufacturing the actuator.

The actuator includes a fixed body, a movable body, and a magnetic drive mechanism that vibrates the movable body relative to the fixed body, and the movable body and fixed body are connected by a gel-like material that has elasticity and viscoelasticity. Patent Document 1 discloses an actuator in which a movable body is placed inside a rectangular parallelepiped cover and vibrates the movable body in the longitudinal direction of the cover. The movable body includes a yoke to which a magnet is fixed, and the fixed body includes a holder that holds a coil and a cover that houses the movable body. One surface of the gel-like material in the thickness direction is bonded to the yoke, and the other surface is bonded to the cover.

JP 2019-13086 A

The gel-like material used as the connector that connects the movable body and the fixed body can be manufactured by hardening a gel material made from a mixture of multiple ingredients. The vibration characteristics of the actuator are determined by the spring constant and frequency characteristics of the gel-like material.

When designing a new actuator or modifying its design, a gel-like material with different properties than before may be required. However, it is not easy to adjust the properties of the gel-like material so that the vibration characteristics of the actuator achieve the target values. For this reason, it is not easy to design a new actuator or modify its design.

In view of the above problems, the objective of the present invention is to make it possible to easily adjust the characteristics of a gel-like material in an actuator that connects a movable body and a fixed body with a gel-like material.

In order to solve the above problems, the actuator of the present invention has a support and a movable body, a gel-like material connected to the support and the movable body, and a magnetic drive mechanism that moves the movable body relative to the support, and is characterized in that the gel-like material contains an additive, and the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates change depending on the content of the additive.

According to the present invention, the gel-like material contains an additive, and the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates change depending on the amount of the additive contained. Therefore, the characteristics of the gel-like material can be changed by the additive without changing the raw material of the gel material, so the characteristics of the gel-like material can be easily adjusted. Therefore, gel-like materials with the required characteristics can be easily manufactured, making it easy to design new actuators or change their designs.

In the present invention, the additive contains fine particles made of an elastic resin. By adding an elastic resin with different properties from the gel, the properties of the gel-like material can be adjusted. For example, by adding an elastic resin with a different hardness from the gel, the hardness of the gel-like material can be adjusted, and the spring constant can be adjusted. Therefore, a gel-like material with the required properties can be easily manufactured.

In the present invention, the gel-like material is a silicone gel, and the elastic resin is silicone fine particles. If the gel material and the additive are both silicone-based, the characteristics of the gel-like material can be adjusted without significantly changing properties such as the thermal expansion coefficient and heat resistance.

In the present invention, the additive includes a filler. For example, the filler is preferably a silica filler. By adding a filler, the breaking strength of the gel-like material can be improved, and therefore the durability of the actuator can be increased. Furthermore, by adding a filler, the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates can be adjusted.

In the present invention, the gel-like member is manufactured by thermally curing a gel material, and the additive is preferably heat-resistant. In this way, the effect of the additive is not lost by thermally curing the gel material. Therefore, the properties of the gel-like member can be adjusted by the additive.

Next, the present invention is a method for manufacturing an actuator having a support and a movable body, a gel-like member connected to the support and the movable body, and a magnetic drive mechanism for moving the movable body relative to the support, which includes a gel-like member manufacturing process for manufacturing the gel-like member, and an assembly process for connecting the support and the movable body via the gel-like member, and is characterized in that in the gel-like member manufacturing process, a gel material containing additives is filled into a mold, hardened, and then released from the mold, and the type and amount of additives are determined based on the target value of the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates.

According to the present invention, the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates are adjusted by the amount of additive added to the gel material. Therefore, the characteristics of the gel-like material can be changed by the additive without changing the raw material of the gel material, so the characteristics of the gel-like material can be easily adjusted. Therefore, gel-like materials with the required characteristics can be easily manufactured, making it easy to design new actuators or change their designs.

In the present invention, the type and amount of the additive are determined based on the target value of the breaking strength of the gel-like material. For example, when a filler is used as the additive, the breaking strength of the gel-like material can be adjusted by the amount of the filler added.

According to the present invention, the gel-like material contains an additive, and the vibration characteristics when the movable body vibrates change depending on the amount of the additive contained. Therefore, the characteristics of the gel-like material can be changed by the additive without changing the raw material of the gel material, so the characteristics of the gel-like material can be easily adjusted. Therefore, gel-like materials with the required characteristics can be easily manufactured, making it easy to design new actuators or change their designs.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator shown in FIG. 1 (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1). 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gel-like member to which an inner frame member and an outer frame member are fixed. FIG. 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams of a method for producing a gel-like member. 1 is a list of test specimens. 13 is a graph showing changes in vibration characteristics of an actuator due to additives. 13 is a graph showing a change in spring constant of a gel-like member due to an additive. 1 is a table showing changes in breaking strength due to additives.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the central axis of the movable body 3 extends is referred to as the axis L direction, one side of the axis L direction is referred to as L1, and the other side of the axis L direction is referred to as L2. In the actuator 1 to which the present invention is applied, the movable body 3 vibrates in the axis L direction relative to the support body 2.

In the embodiment described below, the movable body 3 is disposed on the inner periphery of the support 2, but the present invention may adopt an aspect in which the movable body 3 is disposed on the outer periphery of the support 2. In the embodiment described below, the magnetic drive mechanism 6 that vibrates the movable body 3 relative to the support 2 includes a magnet 61 disposed on the movable body 3 and a coil 62 disposed on the support 2, but the present invention may adopt an aspect in which the magnet 61 and the coil 62 are disposed in reverse. That is, the magnetic drive mechanism 6 may include a coil 62 disposed on the movable body 3 and a magnet 61 disposed on the support 2. In the embodiment described below, the movable body 3 and the support 2 surrounding the outer periphery of the movable body 3 are connected by a cylindrical connector 10, but the present invention may adopt an aspect in which the movable body 3 is disposed inside a rectangular parallelepiped case, and connectors are disposed between the top plate of the case and the movable body 3, and between the bottom plate of the case and the movable body 3, to connect the movable body 3 and the support 2.

(Overall composition)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the actuator 1 shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. The actuator 1 includes a support 2, a movable body 3, a connecting body 10 connected to the support 2 and the movable body 3, and a magnetic drive mechanism 6 for moving the movable body 3 relative to the support 2. The connecting body 10 has at least one of elasticity and viscoelasticity. The magnetic drive mechanism 6 includes a magnet 61 disposed on the movable body 3 and a coil 62 disposed on the support 2, and moves the movable body 3 relative to the support 2 in the direction of the axis L. As shown in FIG. 3, the movable body 3 is connected to the support 2 via the connecting body 10 at each of an end on one side L1 in the direction of the axis L and an end on the other side L2 in the direction of the axis L.

(Support)
The support body 2 has a cylindrical case 20, a first cover member 21 that closes an opening on one side L1 of the case 20 in the axial direction L, a second cover member 22 that closes an opening on the other side L2 of the case 20 in the axial direction L, and a coil holder 4 that is disposed between the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 on the inner periphery side of the case 20. In this embodiment, the case 20, the first cover member 21, the second cover member 22, and the coil holder 4 are made of resin. The support body 2 also has a first outer frame member 51 that fits on the inner periphery side of the coil holder 4, and a second outer frame member 52 that fits on the inner periphery side of the case 20 at a position spaced from the first outer frame member 51 on the other side L2 in the axial direction L. The first outer frame member 51 and the second outer frame member 52 have the same shape and are disposed in opposite directions in the axial direction L.

(Connector)
The connecting body 10 includes an annular first connecting body 11 joined to the inner circumferential surface of the first outer frame member 51, and an annular second connecting body 12 joined to the inner circumferential surface of the second outer frame member 52. The first connecting body 11 is disposed at one end side of the movable body 3 in the axial L direction (i.e., the vibration direction of the movable body), and the second connecting body 12 is disposed at the other end side of the movable body 3 in the axial L direction. The first connecting body 11 and the second connecting body 12 have the same shape and are disposed in opposite directions in the axial L direction.

The first connecting body 11 and the second connecting body 12 are gel-like members, and are joined to the first outer frame member 51 and the second outer frame member 52 by the adhesiveness of the gel-like member itself. The first connecting body 11 and the second connecting body 12 are made of, for example, a silicone gel having a penetration degree of 90 degrees to 110 degrees. In this embodiment, the first outer frame member 51 is press-fitted into the coil holder 4 and fixed thereto, thereby connecting the first connecting body 11 to the support body 2. Moreover, the second outer frame member 52 is press-fitted into the case 20 and fixed thereto, thereby connecting the second connecting body 12 to the support body 2.

(coil holder)
2, the coil holder 4 includes an annular first outer frame member fixing portion 41 and a body portion 42 protruding from the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 to the other side L2 in the direction of the axis L, and a coil 62 is disposed around the body portion 42. Ends of a coil wire 63 drawn out from the coil 62 are entangled with two terminal pins 64 protruding radially outward from the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 of the coil holder 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal pins 64 protrude to the outside of the case 20 and are connected to the wiring board 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, the coil holder 4 has a first step 44 that positions the first outer frame member 51 in the axial direction L. The first outer frame member fixing portion 41 surrounds the outer periphery of the first outer frame member 51. The inner periphery of the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 is provided with a first recess 43 that is recessed toward the other side L2 in the axial direction L, and the first outer frame member 51 is press-fitted into the first recess 43. The first step 44 is provided at the end of the first recess 43 on the other side L2 in the axial direction L. In this embodiment, an annular step 511 formed on the outer periphery of the first outer frame member 51 abuts against the first step 44 in the axial direction L.

(case)
The case 20 includes a cylindrical case body 24 and a second outer frame member fixing portion 25 disposed on the inner circumferential side of the case body 24. As shown in Fig. 2, the second outer frame member fixing portion 25 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the case body 24 toward the inner circumferential side, and is molded integrally with the case body 24. As shown in Fig. 3, the second outer frame member fixing portion 25 is disposed at a position spaced from the coil holder 4 on the other side L2 in the axial L direction.

The case 20 has a second step 45 that positions the second outer frame member 52 in the axial direction L. As shown in FIG. 3, a second recess 46 recessed toward one side L1 in the axial direction L is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second outer frame member fixing portion 25, and the second outer frame member 52 is press-fitted into the second recess 46. The second step 45 is provided at the end of the second recess 46 on one side L1 in the axial direction L. In this embodiment, an annular step 521 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second outer frame member 52 abuts against the second step 45 in the axial direction L.

The case 20 also includes a third step 47 that positions the coil holder 4 in the axial direction L. As shown in FIG. 3, the third step 47 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the case body 24. A plurality of grooves 29 extending in the axial direction L are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the case body 24, and the third step 47 is formed at the end of each groove 29 on the other side L2 in the axial direction L. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the coil holder 4 includes a plurality of protrusions 49 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the first outer frame member fixing portion 41. When assembling the support body 2, each protrusion 49 of the coil holder 4 is fitted into each groove 29 of the case body 24 from one side L1 in the axial direction L, and abuts against the third step 47 in the axial direction L. As a result, the coil holder 4 is pressed into and fixed in the case body 24, and the coil holder 4 is positioned in the axial direction L.

(Cover member)
As shown in Fig. 3, the first cover member 21 is fixed to the case body 24 from one side L1 in the axial direction L of the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 provided on the coil holder 4. The second cover member 22 is fixed to the case body 24 from the other side L2 in the axial direction L of the second outer frame member fixing portion 25. As shown in Fig. 2, the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 each include a circular cover portion 26 when viewed from the axial direction L, and a plurality of locking portions 27 arranged at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the cover portion 26. In this embodiment, the first cover member 21 and the second cover member 22 each include three locking portions 27. The locking portions 27 are claw portions that extend at an angle from the cover portion 26 in a direction expanding toward the outer periphery.

The locking portion 27 elastically deforms in the radial direction and is pushed into the inner periphery of the case body 24 together with the lid portion 26. The case 20 is provided with a restricting portion 28 that restricts the locking portion 27 from coming off from the inside of the case 20. The restricting portion 28 is a convex portion that protrudes from the end of the case body 24 toward the inner periphery. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the restricting portions 28 are arranged at equal intervals in three locations on each of the ends of one side L1 and the other side L2 in the axial L direction of the case body 24. The restricting portions 28 abut against the tips of the locking portions 27 in the axial L direction.

The first lid member 21 is fixed to the case 20 by a combination of a locking structure using the locking portion 27 and the restricting portion 28, fixing with an adhesive, and welding. The adhesive is applied so that after hardening, it becomes a sealant that seals the gap between the end of one side L1 of the case 20 and the first lid member 21. Therefore, in the assembled support body 2, the gap between the first lid member 21 and the case 20 is sealed with an adhesive (not shown).

The first cover member 21 is fixed to the coil holder 4 by welding, and is fixed to the case 20 via the coil holder 4. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the first cover member 21 has a plurality of welding protrusions 210 protruding from the cover portion 26 to the other side L2 in the axial L direction. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, the coil holder 4 has a plurality of welding recesses 410 facing the cover portion 26 in the axial L direction. In this embodiment, the welding protrusions 210 and the welding recesses 410 are arranged at three locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. When the first cover member 21 is fixed to the case 20, as shown in Fig. 3, each welding protrusion 210 is welded to the welding recesses 410 of the coil holder.

The second lid member 22, like the first lid member 21, is fixed to the case 20 by a combination of a locking structure using the locking portion 27 and the restricting portion 28, fixing with adhesive, and welding. The adhesive is applied so that after hardening, it becomes a sealant that seals the gap between the end of the other side L2 of the case 20 and the second lid member 22. Therefore, in the assembled support body 2, the gap between the second lid member 22 and the case 20 is sealed with adhesive (not shown).

The second cover member 22 is fixed to the second outer frame member fixing portion 25 of the case 20 by welding. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the second cover member 22 has a plurality of welding protrusions 220 protruding from the cover portion 26 to one side L1 in the axial L direction. Meanwhile, the second outer frame member fixing portion 25 has a plurality of welding holes 250 facing the cover portion 26 in the axial L direction. In this embodiment, the welding protrusions 220 and the welding holes 250 are arranged at three locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. When the second cover member 22 is fixed to the case 20, as shown in Fig. 3, each welding protrusion 220 is welded to the welding hole 250 of the second outer frame member fixing portion 25.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 of the coil holder 4 has groove portions 48 cut out on the inner periphery at the portions that overlap with the three restricting portions 28 provided on the case body 24 in the axial direction L. Therefore, when the coil holder 4 is inserted into the case body 24, interference between the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 and the restricting portions 28 is avoided.

(Wiring pull-out section)
1, the support 2 includes a wiring pull-out portion 60 for pulling out a terminal pin 64 around which a coil wire 63 pulled out from a coil 62 of the magnetic drive mechanism 6 is wound. The wiring pull-out portion 60 is a gap provided between a notch 65 formed by cutting out an edge of one side L1 in the axial direction of the case 20 toward the other side L2 in the axial direction, and a cover 66 extending from a circumferential portion of the outer circumferential edge of the first lid member 21 toward the other side L2 in the axial direction.

The first outer frame member fixing portion 41 of the coil holder 4 is disposed on the inner periphery side of the cutout portion 65. In this embodiment, two terminal pins 64 extending from the first outer frame member fixing portion 41 to the outer periphery side are disposed in the wiring pull-out portion 60. A coil wire 63 drawn from a coil 62 is wound around the base of each terminal pin 64.

The case 20 has a board fixing portion 69 formed on the other side L2 of the cutout portion 65. An end of the wiring board 7 fixed to the board fixing portion 69 is disposed in the wiring pull-out portion 60. The terminal pin 64 is positioned in a holding groove 71 provided on the edge of the wiring board 7, and is electrically connected to a land formed on the edge of the holding groove 71. A lead wire 8 for supplying power to the coil 62 is connected to the wiring board 7.

(Movable body)
2 and 3, the movable body 3 has a support shaft 30 extending in the direction of the axis L at the radial center of the support 2. A magnet 61 and a third yoke 35 are fixed to the support shaft 30 by a cylindrical first inner frame member 36 and a cylindrical second inner frame member 37. The support shaft 30 is a metal round bar. The first inner frame member 36 and the second inner frame member 37 are metal cylinders, and the first inner frame member 36 and the second inner frame member 37 are provided with circular through holes. The first inner frame member 36 and the second inner frame member 37 have the same shape and are arranged in opposite directions in the direction of the axis L.

The first inner frame member 36 faces the first outer frame member 51 in the radial direction, and the first connector 11 is disposed between the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51. The second inner frame member 37 faces the second outer frame member 52 in the radial direction, and the second connector 12 is disposed between the second inner frame member 37 and the second outer frame member 52. As described above, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are gel-like members, and the first connector 11 is bonded to the first inner frame member 36 and the second connector 12 is bonded to the second inner frame member 37 by the adhesiveness of the gel-like member itself. The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are connected to the movable body 3 by pressing and fixing the support shaft 30 into the first inner frame member 36 and the second inner frame member 37.

As shown in FIG. 3, an annular protrusion 361 that protrudes radially inward is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first inner frame member 36 at the end on the other side L2 in the axial direction L. When the first inner frame member 36 is pressed into the support shaft 30, the support shaft 30 is pressed into the annular protrusion 361. Also, an annular protrusion 371 that protrudes radially inward is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second inner frame member 37 at the end on one side L1 in the axial direction L. When the second inner frame member 37 is pressed into the support shaft 30, the support shaft 30 is pressed into the annular protrusion 371.

The magnet 61 is provided with an axial hole 610 through which the support shaft 30 passes, and is fixed to approximately the center of the support shaft 30 in the axial L direction. The third yoke 35 includes a first yoke 31 that overlaps the magnet 61 on one side L1 in the axial L direction, and a second yoke 32 that overlaps the magnet 61 on the other side L2 in the axial L direction. The first yoke 31 is disc-shaped with an axial hole 310 through which the support shaft 30 passes, and the magnet 61 and the first yoke 31 have the same outer diameter. The second yoke 32 is made up of two members: a cup-shaped first magnetic member 33 and a disc-shaped second magnetic member 34. The first magnetic member 33 has a circular end plate portion 331 provided with an axial hole 330 through which the support shaft 30 passes, and a cylindrical portion 332 extending from the outer edge of the end plate portion 331 to one side L1 in the axial L direction. In this embodiment, the end plate portion 331 of the first magnetic member 33 is fixed to the end face of the other side L2 in the axial direction L of the magnet 61. The second magnetic member 34 has an axial hole 340 through which the support shaft 30 passes, and is fixed to the end plate portion 331 of the first magnetic member 33 from the side opposite the magnet 61.

The movable body 3 fixes the first inner frame member 36 and the second inner frame member 37 to the support shaft 30 on both sides of the axis L direction of the magnet 61 and the third yoke 35 with the support shaft 30 passing through the shaft holes 310, 610, 330, 340 of each member constituting the magnet 61 and the third yoke 35. As a result, the first inner frame member 36 supports the magnet 61 and the third yoke 35 from one side L1 in the axis L direction, and the second inner frame member 37 supports the magnet 61 and the third yoke 35 from the other side L2 in the axis L direction, so that the magnet 61 and the third yoke 35 are fixed to the support shaft 30.

(Method of manufacturing the connection body)
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a gel-like member to which an inner frame member and an outer frame member are fixed. Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of a first connecting body 11 to which a first inner frame member 36 and a first outer frame member 51 are fixed, and Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of a second connecting body 12 to which a second inner frame member 37 and a second outer frame member 52 are fixed. In Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), LA is the central axis of the first inner frame member 36, the first outer frame member 51, the second inner frame member 37, and the second outer frame member 52.

The first inner frame member 36 has a length (height) in the direction of the central axis LA greater than that of the first outer frame member 51, and protrudes from the first outer frame member 51 to one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA. Similarly, the second inner frame member 37 has a length (height) in the direction of the central axis LA greater than that of the second outer frame member 52, and protrudes from the second outer frame member 52 to one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA. When the actuator 1 is assembled, the central axis LA coincides with the axis L of the movable body 3. In addition, the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 are assembled so that one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA and the other side L2 in the direction of the axis L face the same direction, and the second inner frame member 37 and the second outer frame member 52 are assembled so that one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA and one side L1 in the direction of the axis L face the same direction.

The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are gel-like members molded from a gel material, and are manufactured by casting. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the first connector 11 is made into a component by joining the first outer frame member 51 and the first inner frame member 36 when it is molded. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the second connector 12 is made into a component by joining the second outer frame member 52 and the second inner frame member 37 when it is molded. Therefore, when assembling the actuator 1, the support 2 and the movable body 3 can be connected without performing a process of gluing the gel-like member.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the manufacturing method of the connection body 10. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the first connection body 11 will be described with reference to Figure 5. The manufacturing method of the second connection body 12 is the same as the manufacturing method of the first connection body 11, so the description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 5, in the first step, a pin 92 protruding from the center of a circular recess 91 provided in a manufacturing jig 90 is inserted into the first inner frame member 36, and the first inner frame member 36 is abutted against the bottom surface 94 of the circular recess 91. In addition, the first outer frame member 51 is inscribed on the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 91, and the first outer frame member 51 is abutted against the bottom surface 94 of the circular recess 91. As a result, the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 are positioned, and an annular gap S is formed between the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51.

In this embodiment, the first inner frame member 36 has an annular protrusion 361 for fixing the support shaft 30. When positioning the first inner frame member 36 in the manufacturing jig 90, a pin 92 is inserted from the side opposite to the side where the annular protrusion 361 is arranged, and the end face opposite to the side where the annular protrusion 361 is arranged is abutted against the bottom surface 94 of the circular recess 91.

In the second step, the gap S between the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 is filled with gel material G from a dispenser 93. Before filling the gap S with the gel material G, an adhesion aid 13 such as a primer is applied to the outer peripheral surface 360 of the first inner frame member 36 and the inner peripheral surface 510 of the first outer frame member 51. The application of the adhesion aid 13 may be performed before or after positioning the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 on the manufacturing jig 90.

In this embodiment, a two-liquid gel material G is used, which is a mixture of two types of raw materials (a first material and a second material) in a predetermined mixing ratio. The first material is a base material, and the second material is a hardener. Before the second process, the first material and the second material are weighed and mixed by stirring in a mixer. The stirred gel material G is then placed in a syringe and degassed, and the syringe is set in a dispenser 93 to dispense a fixed amount into the gap S to fill it.

In the third step, the gel material G is heated together with the manufacturing jig 90 and hardened by maintaining it at a specified temperature for a specified time. As a result, the first connector 11, which is a gel-like member, is formed in the gap S. When the gel material G is heated and hardened, the portion that comes into contact with the adhesive auxiliary 13 reacts with the adhesive auxiliary 13 and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface 360 of the first inner frame member 36 and the inner peripheral surface 510 of the first outer frame member 51. Therefore, the first connector 11 is fixed to the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 by the adhesive force of the first connector 11 itself.

In the fourth step, the completed first connector 11 is removed from the manufacturing jig 90 together with the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51. For example, a through hole (not shown) for placing an ejector pin is provided in the bottom surface 94 of the circular recess 91, and the first connector 11 is removed from the manufacturing jig 90 together with the first inner frame member 36 and the first outer frame member 51 using the ejector pin.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the first connector 11 has a first gel end surface 111 facing the other side LA2 in the direction of the central axis LA, and a second gel end surface 112 facing one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the second connector 12 has a first gel end surface 121 facing the other side LA2 in the direction of the central axis LA, and a second gel end surface 122 facing one side LA1 in the direction of the central axis LA. When the actuator 1 is assembled, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are arranged in opposite directions in the direction of the axis L, so that the second gel end surface 112 of the first connector 11 and the second gel end surface 122 of the second connector 12 face each other.

The first gel end faces 111, 121 are formed by the bottom surface 94 of the circular recess 91. Therefore, the first gel end faces 111, 121 are flat surfaces. On the other hand, the second gel end faces 112, 122 are concave surfaces. The second gel end faces 112, 122 are formed into a concave shape by the surface tension of the gel material G during molding.

Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 in their component state before the actuator 1 is assembled. In their component state, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are not shear deformed. In this embodiment, the actuator 1 is configured so that when it is assembled, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are shear deformed in opposite directions in the direction of the axis L (see Figure 2). This reduces the stress applied to the inner periphery of the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 when the movable body 3 vibrates in the direction of the axis L, thereby improving the durability of the actuator 1.

(Additives)
The first connecting body 11 and the second connecting body 12 (gel-like member) contain an additive. The vibration characteristics and durability of the actuator 1 change depending on the type and content of the additive. In this embodiment, when preparing the gel material G, the additive is added to a mixture of the first material and the second material and stirred, thereby dispersing the additive in the gel material G.

The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member) contain two types of additives. The second additive is fine particles made of elastic resin. In this embodiment, fine particles (silicone balls) made of silicone rubber with a diameter of several μm are used as the second additive. The elastic resin may be acrylic rubber or other rubber. In this embodiment, scaly silica filler with a length of several μm is used as the first additive. Carbon black or various types of fibers may be used as the filler.

The inventors manufactured test specimens of gel-like materials containing the above two types of additives, and verified the vibration characteristics of actuator 1 and the breaking strength of the gel-like materials using the manufactured test specimens (gel-like materials). Figure 6 is a list of test specimens. In the six types of test specimens (Gel 1 to Gel 6), the mixture ratio of the first material to the second material is 1:1. Gel 1 is a test specimen of a conventional product that does not contain additives. Gel 2 and Gel 3 are test specimens that contain silica filler. Gel 2 contains 1 weight percent of silica filler, and Gel 3 contains 3 weight percent of silica filler. Gels 4 to 6 are test specimens that contain silicone balls. Gels 4, 5, and 6 have a mixture ratio of the first material and the second material (i.e., gel material G without additives) to the silicone balls of 5:1, 5:2, and 5:3, respectively.

Figure 7 is a graph showing the change in vibration characteristics of the actuator due to additives. When any additive is added, the resonant frequency of actuator 1 shifts to the higher side. When the first additive (silica filler) is added, the resonant frequency shifts, but the acceleration of movable body 3 does not change, and the vibration strength does not change. When the second additive (silicone balls) is added, the resonant frequency shifts and the acceleration of movable body 3 increases, increasing the vibration strength. As the amount of the second additive (silicone balls) added increases, the amount of shift in resonant frequency and the amount of increase in acceleration become greater.

Figure 8 is a graph showing the change in spring constant of the gel-like member due to additives. The horizontal axis is the deformation (distance) of the gel-like member, and the vertical axis is force. By adding the first additive (silica filler), the slope of the graph increases, and the spring constant increases. Furthermore, as the amount of the first additive (silica filler) added increases, the increase in the spring constant increases. By adding the second additive (silicone balls), the slope of the graph increases, and the spring constant increases. Furthermore, as the content of the second additive (silicone balls) increases, the increase in the spring constant increases.

Figure 9 is a table showing the change in breaking strength due to additives. When the first additive (silica filler) is added, the breaking strength of the gel-like material increases. Furthermore, as the content of the first additive (silica filler) increases, the breaking strength of the gel-like material increases.

From the above data, the vibration characteristics of the actuator 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the type and amount (content) of additives added to the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like material). For example, by adjusting the content of silica filler, the resonance frequency of the movable body 3 can be adjusted, and the vibration characteristics of the actuator 1 can be adjusted. Also, by adjusting the content of silica filler, the breaking strength of the gel-like material can be adjusted, and the durability of the actuator 1 can be adjusted. Furthermore, by adjusting the content of silicone balls, the resonance frequency and vibration strength of the movable body 3 can be adjusted, and the vibration characteristics of the actuator 1 can be adjusted.

(Main effects of this embodiment)
As described above, the actuator 1 of this embodiment includes the support body 2, the movable body 3, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like material) connected to the support body 2 and the movable body 3, and the magnetic drive mechanism 6 that moves the movable body 3 relative to the support body 2. The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like material) contain an additive. The additive used changes the vibration characteristics of the movable body 3 when it vibrates depending on the additive content.

The manufacturing method of the actuator 1 of this embodiment includes a gel-like member manufacturing step of manufacturing the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member), and an assembly step of connecting the support 2 and the movable body 3 via the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member). In the gel-like member manufacturing step, the gel-like member is manufactured by casting. That is, the gel material G to which the additive is added is filled into a mold, cured, and then released from the mold. At this time, the type and amount of the additive are determined based on the target value of the vibration characteristic when the movable body 3 vibrates. Alternatively, the type and amount of the additive are determined based on the target value of the breaking strength of the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member).

In this manner, in this embodiment, the properties of the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member) are changed by the additive without changing the raw material of the gel material G, so that the properties of the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member) can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member) with the required properties can be easily manufactured, so that new designs and design changes of the actuator 1 are easy.

In this embodiment, the additive includes a first additive and a second additive. The first additive is a filler, and the second additive is fine particles made of an elastic resin. In this way, by adding a filler, the breaking strength of the gel-like member can be improved, and therefore the durability of the actuator 1 can be increased. In addition, by adding a filler, the vibration characteristics when the movable body 3 vibrates can be adjusted. In addition, by adding particles of an elastic resin with different characteristics from the gel, the characteristics of the gel-like member can be adjusted. For example, by adding an elastic resin with a different hardness from the gel, the hardness of the gel-like member can be adjusted, and the spring constant can be adjusted. Therefore, a gel-like member with the required characteristics can be easily manufactured. Note that an additive other than the first additive and the second additive may be added. Also, only one of the first additive and the second additive may be added.

In this embodiment, since the first connector 11 and the second connector 12 (gel-like member) are silicone gel, the elastic resin used as the second additive is silicone resin. Also, silica filler is used as the first additive. In this way, if the gel material G and the additive are both silicone-based, the characteristics of the gel-like member can be adjusted without significantly changing properties such as the thermal expansion coefficient and heat resistance.

In this embodiment, both the first additive and the second additive are heat-resistant additives. Therefore, the effect of the additives is not lost by thermally curing the gel material G, and the properties of the gel-like member can be adjusted by the additives.

Reference Signs List 1...actuator, 2...support, 3...movable body, 4...coil holder, 6...magnetic drive mechanism, 7...wiring board, 8...lead wire, 10...connector, 11...first connecting body, 12...second connecting body, 13...adhesive assistant, 20...case, 21...first cover member, 22...second cover member, 24...case main body, 25...second outer frame member fixing portion, 26...cover portion, 27...locking portion, 28 ...regulating portion, 29...groove portion, 30...support shaft, 31...first yoke, 32...second yoke, 33...first magnetic member, 34...second magnetic member, 35...third yoke, 36...first inner frame member, 37...second inner frame member, 41...first outer frame member fixing portion, 42...body portion, 43...first recess, 44...first step portion, 45...second step portion, 46...second recess, 47...third step portion, 48...groove portion, 4 9...protruding portion, 51...first outer frame member, 52...second outer frame member, 60...wiring lead-out portion, 61...magnet, 62...coil, 63...coil wire, 64...terminal pin, 65...notch portion, 66...cover, 67...groove portion, 68...locking portion, 69...substrate fixing portion, 71...holding groove, 90...manufacturing jig, 91...circular recess, 92...pin, 93...dispenser, 94...bottom surface, 1 11, 121...first gel end surface, 112, 122...second gel end surface, 210, 220...welding protrusion, 250...welding hole, 310, 330, 340...shaft hole, 331...end plate portion, 332...cylindrical portion, 360...outer peripheral surface, 361...annular protrusion, 370...outer peripheral surface, 371...annular protrusion, 410...welding recess, 510...inner peripheral surface, 511, 521...annular step portion, 610
...shaft hole, G...gel material, L...axis, L1...one side in the axial direction, L2...other side in the axial direction, LA...central axis, LA1...one side in the central axial direction, LA2...other side in the central axial direction, S...gap

Claims (7)

A support and a movable body;
a gel-like member connected to the support and the movable body;
a magnetic drive mechanism for moving the movable body relative to the support;
the gel-like material contains a first additive and a second additive ;
the first additive changes a resonant frequency when the movable body vibrates, but does not change a vibration intensity, depending on a content of the first additive;
An actuator, characterized in that the second additive changes the resonance frequency and the vibration intensity when the movable body vibrates depending on the content of the second additive . The first additive is a filler,
2. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the second additive is fine particles made of an elastic resin . the gel-like material is a silicone gel,
the first additive is a silica filler;
3. The actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the second additive is a silicone ball made of silicone resin . 4. The actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the first additive increases the breaking strength of the gel material in accordance with the content thereof. The gel member is manufactured by thermally curing a gel material,
5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the additive is heat resistant. A method for manufacturing an actuator having a support and a movable body, a gel-like material connected to the support and the movable body, and a magnetic drive mechanism for moving the movable body relatively to the support, comprising the steps of:
a gel-like member manufacturing step of manufacturing the gel-like member;
an assembly step of connecting the support body and the movable body via the gel-like material;
In the gel-like member manufacturing step, a gel material containing a first additive and a second additive is filled into a mold, cured, and then released from the mold;
the first additive changes a resonant frequency when the movable body vibrates, but does not change a vibration intensity, depending on a content of the first additive;
the second additive changes a resonant frequency and a vibration intensity when the movable body vibrates depending on a content thereof;
A method for manufacturing an actuator, characterized in that the types and amounts of the first additive and the second additive are determined based on target values for the resonant frequency and vibration intensity when the movable body vibrates. the first additive changes the breaking strength of the gel-like member depending on the content thereof,
7. The method for manufacturing an actuator according to claim 6 , wherein the type and amount of the first additive are determined based on a target value of the breaking strength of the gel material.

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