JPH11285276A - Manufacture of actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture an actuator having high productivity and accuracy even if it uses a drive plate and a driven plate of thin and rigid type. SOLUTION: In this actuator 10, vibration of a drive lever 32 in the in-plane direction is transmitted to a driven plate 500 via a contact portion between side end surfaces 320, 520. A recessed part formed at the side end surfaces 320 of a drive plate 32 is formed automatically with high accuracy by means of side etching generated in cutting a plate 11, which forms the lever 32 from a metal plate by means of wet etching.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an actuator in which in-plane vibration of a driving plate is transmitted to a driven plate. More specifically, the present invention relates to a manufacturing technique for forming a driving plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a wristwatch or the like, a calendar display mechanism for displaying the day, the day of the week, etc., intermittently transmits the rotational driving force of a step motor to a date wheel or the like via a wheel train for hand movement and sends it. It is common to drive.

[0003]

However, in order to reduce the thickness of the timepiece, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the mechanism for feeding the calendar. However, such a conventional mechanism cannot reduce the thickness. . In recent years, actuators using piezoelectric elements have been used for shutters of cameras, inkjet heads of printers, and the like. However, these conventional actuators mechanically reduce the bending vibration of the piezoelectric elements in the out-of-plane direction. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange various components in the out-of-plane direction of the piezoelectric element. Further, in the type in which the piezoelectric elements are stacked, it is difficult to reduce the thickness in terms of strength, and the cost is increased. Therefore, there is a problem that it cannot be mounted on a thin device.

A clock having a calendar display mechanism,
In order to share a mechanical system with a timepiece without such a display mechanism, it is necessary to configure a calendar display mechanism on the dial side. However, with an electromagnetic step motor, it is so thin that it can be configured on the dial side. Is impossible.

Here, the inventor of the present application has used a driven plate whose side end face abuts against each other as a thin actuator which can be used as a driving device of a calendar display mechanism mounted in a thin timepiece. An actuator has been devised that transmits the in-plane vibration of the driving plate to the driven plate via the contact portion between the side end surfaces. Such an actuator has an advantage that a calendar display wheel as a driven plate can be rotationally driven by a driving plate which is extremely thin in terms of gears. However, in this actuator, although the drive plate is required to have high rigidity, the drive plate is formed from a considerably thin metal plate. Therefore, the metal material constituting the drive plate is subjected to a hard treatment. Because of the use of hard or hard metal materials, manufacturing the drive plate by machining requires considerable effort. In addition, the precision of machining a thin metal plate with high accuracy itself is considerably low in productivity.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an actuator using a thin and hard driving plate or driven plate.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an actuator that can manufacture a driving plate or a driven plate with high productivity and with high accuracy.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, there is provided a vibrating plate having at least one end that repeats displacement in an in-plane direction as a movable end for displacement transmission by vibration; An excitation means for performing vibration; and a drive plate connected to the movable end and amplifying and outputting displacement in an in-plane direction of a connection portion with the movable end as in-plane vibration, the drive plate comprising: A method of manufacturing an actuator, wherein the vibration in the in-plane direction is transmitted via a contact portion between side end faces to a driven plate disposed in a plane with respect to the driving plate, wherein the driving plate and the When manufacturing at least one plate-shaped member of the driven plate from a metal plate, an etching process is used.

In the actuator according to the present invention, when the excitation means drives the diaphragm, the vibration of the diaphragm causes
At least one of the ends is a movable end for transmitting displacement, and repeats in-plane displacement. Here, a drive plate is connected to the movable end for transmitting the displacement, and this diaphragm amplifies the displacement of the movable end in the in-plane direction and outputs it as in-plane vibration. Therefore, the actuator having such a configuration is a new type of actuator that extracts vibration of the diaphragm as in-plane vibration, and can be configured with a small number of components, and has a thickness dimension at which the diaphragm vibrates in an out-of-plane direction. It can be configured in space. Here, although the drive plate is required to have high rigidity, it is a considerably thin metal plate. Therefore, as a metal material for forming the drive plate, a material subjected to hard treatment or a hard metal material is used. Will be. Therefore, when the drive plate is manufactured by machining, the productivity is low and the accuracy is low, but in the present invention, since the etching process is used for manufacturing the drive plate, the drive plate can be manufactured regardless of the hardness of the metal plate. Processing can be performed easily, and processing can be performed with high accuracy. Regarding the driven plate,
In the same way, despite the high rigidity required, it is a very thin metal plate, so the metal material that composes it is a hard treated metal or a hard metal material. Become. Therefore, when the driven plate is manufactured by machining, the productivity is low and the accuracy is low.However, in the present invention, since the etching process is used for manufacturing the driven plate, the driven plate can be formed regardless of the hardness of the driven plate. Processing can be performed easily, and processing can be performed with high accuracy.

In the present invention, the etching process comprises:
For example, this is performed in a step of performing etching on the metal plate along the outer peripheral shape of the drive plate or the driven plate and cutting out the drive plate or the driven plate from the metal plate. With this configuration, the drive plate or the driven plate can be easily and accurately cut out regardless of the hardness of the metal plate used for manufacturing the drive plate or the driven plate.

When an etching process is used to cut out a driving plate or a driven plate from a metal plate, side etching (etching in a lateral direction with respect to the metal plate) occurs in the metal plate. Therefore, a concave portion for receiving the side end surface of the driven plate is automatically formed on the side end surface of the drive plate with high accuracy. Accordingly, the driving plate and the driven plate are plate members that are extremely thin when viewed from gears and the like. However, since the side end surface of the driving plate is formed with a concave portion that receives the side end surface of the driven plate, the driving plate and the driven plate are driven. Even when the plate is thinned, the side end surface of the driven plate is always held by the concave portion formed on the side end surface of the drive plate. Therefore, even if a disturbance such as an impact is externally applied to the contact portion between the side end surfaces of the drive plate and the driven plate, the side end surface of the driven plate is located in the recess formed in the side end surface of the drive plate. The contact between the driving plate and the driven plate does not come off. Therefore, the actuator to which the present invention is applied can maintain high reliability even if the thickness is reduced. The same operation and effect can be obtained also when a concave portion for receiving the side end surface of the driving plate is formed on the side end surface of the driven plate by using side etching when manufacturing the driven plate.

In the present invention, the etching process comprises:
The driving plate may be formed in a step of forming a thin joint portion to be joined to the movable end of the diaphragm by half etching. If such thin joints are also etched, they can be manufactured efficiently and with high precision, and when the diaphragm is joined to the thin joint, the connecting portion (overlapping portion) between the diaphragm and the drive plate is thinned. Can be configured.

In the present invention, for example, a piezoelectric element is laminated on the diaphragm to be joined to the joining portion as an element used for the excitation means.

In the present invention, the etching process comprises:
This may be performed in a step of forming the diaphragm as a thin portion of the metal plate by half-etching the metal plate constituting the driving plate. If such a thin joint portion is etched, it can be efficiently manufactured with high accuracy. Further, the number of components can be reduced by configuring the diaphragm as a thin portion formed on the same plate-like member as the drive plate. Furthermore, when the vibration plate and the driving plate are formed on the same plate-shaped member, there is no joining portion via an adhesive or the like in the vibration transmission path from the vibration plate to the driving plate, so that vibration absorption does not occur, and the vibration plate There is also an advantage that the efficiency of vibration transmission from the motor to the drive plate is improved.

In the present invention, after the diaphragm is formed as a thin portion of the metal plate with respect to the metal plate constituting the driving plate, the piezoelectric plate is used as an element used for the excitation means. Are laminated.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 (Overall Configuration) FIGS. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a main part of an actuator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, respectively.

The actuator 10 shown in these figures is:
Generally, a metal plate 11 having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, which is screwed and fixed at three places to a base (not shown) on which it is mounted, is disposed in a plane with respect to the plate 11, A metal diaphragm 12 having a thickness of about 0.05 mm supported at both ends by a plate 11 so as to be capable of bending vibration in an out-of-plane direction, and excitation means 20 for causing the diaphragm 12 to perform bending vibration. It is configured. Further, in the actuator 10 of the present embodiment, the vibration output system 30 is configured to amplify and output the out-of-plane bending vibration of the diaphragm 12 as in-plane vibration by using the plate 11, 12 and the excitation means 20 function as a vibration source that inputs vibration to the vibration output system 30.

The diaphragm 12 has a thickness of 0.2 mm on the upper surface side.
And a rectangular portion 120 on which a unimorph-type piezoelectric element 21 is formed, and one end 125 that is to be a movable end of both sides of the rectangular portion 120 is connected via a first narrow portion 121. And the second narrow portion 12 at the other end 126 to be a fixed end.
2 and a second diaphragm-side connection portion 124 that is connected via the second diaphragm 2.

The excitation means 20 includes a unimorph type piezoelectric element 21 formed on the upper surface side of the vibration plate 12, electrodes (not shown) formed on the piezoelectric element 21, and the vibration plate 12.
And a drive circuit 22 (see FIG. 1B) for applying a drive signal between them as both poles.
The drive circuit 22 applies a drive signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system of the actuator 10 to the piezoelectric element 21.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the driving circuit 22 converts the signal output from the oscillation circuit 221 into a driving signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system by a frequency conversion circuit 222. Separately excited type applied to
As shown in FIG. 2B, a filter 224 of a variable frequency and a switching circuit 225 of the frequency are provided for the Colwitz oscillation circuit 223, and only a signal of a predetermined frequency is fed back by the switching circuit 225. Alternatively, a self-excited type that applies a drive signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system to the piezoelectric element 21 can be used.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the plate 11 includes a main body portion 111 disposed in parallel with the diaphragm 12 and having both sides screwed to the base, and both end portions of the main body portion 111. Of the diaphragm 12 from the side located on the side of the one end 125 which is the movable end of the diaphragm 12
And a lever 32 (drive plate) extending below the diaphragm 12 to the opposite side to the main body portion 111 with respect to the diaphragm 12, and the other end 126 serving as a fixed end of the diaphragm 12. The main body portion 11 passes through the lower side of the second diaphragm side connection portion 124 of the diaphragm 12 and
A plate-side connection 115 is formed which extends on the side opposite to 1 and is screwed to said base.

In the plate 11, a constricted portion 31 is formed at a base portion between the lever 32 and the main body portion 111,
A portion of the diaphragm 12 slightly below the constricted portion 31 and below the first diaphragm-side connection portion 123 of the diaphragm 12 is the diaphragm 1
2 is a thin joint portion 117. Therefore, since the diaphragm 12 is connected by the thin portion of the plate-like member (plate 11) constituting the lever 32, the connecting portion (overlapping portion) between the diaphragm 12 and the lever 32 can be made thin. . In this manner, the lever 32 is
1 and the movable end of the diaphragm 12 are connected to a proximal end 321 from which the distal end extends as a free end 322 (vibration output end).

In this embodiment, when the diaphragm 12 bends and vibrates in an out-of-plane direction as described later, one end portion 125 (of the diaphragm 12) is formed by the connection structure between the lever 32 and the diaphragm 12 in this embodiment. The vibration output system 30 is configured to amplify the displacement of the movable end (in the plane) in the in-plane direction and to output the vibration from the free end 322 of the lever 32 as in-plane vibration. In this vibration output system 30, when the constricted portion 31 is used as a fulcrum, one end 125 of the diaphragm 12 is on the same side as the fulcrum.
(Movable end) and a free end 322 of the lever 32 are arranged.

In the actuator 10 configured as described above, the driving circuit 22 causes the piezoelectric element 2
When a drive signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system is applied to the first piezoelectric element 1, the first and second narrow portions 121 and 122 are formed between the rectangular portion 120 and the plate 11. Due to the stretching vibration of 21 (indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1B), the diaphragm 12 bends and vibrates in an out-of-plane direction. Although the diaphragm 12 and the base end 321 of the lever 32 are completely joined, a deformable constricted portion 31 is formed between the joint 117 and the main body 111 of the plate 11. Therefore, when the diaphragm 12 bends and vibrates in the out-of-plane direction, the one end 125 that is to be a movable end of the diaphragm 12 repeats displacement in the in-plane direction of the diaphragm 12 due to elastic deformation at the constricted portion 31. As a result, the lever 32 whose base end side 321 is connected to the one end 125 which is the movable end is free end 32 with the constricted portion 31 as a fulcrum.
2 vibrates in the in-plane direction of diaphragm 12 and transmits it to driven plate 500 as indicated by arrow C.

As described above, the actuator 10 of the present embodiment
Is a new type of actuator 10 that takes out the out-of-plane bending vibration of the diaphragm 12 as in-plane vibration at the free end 322 of the lever 32, and can be configured with a small number of components. In addition, since the actuator 10 does not need to arrange members above and below the diaphragm 12, the actuator 10 can be configured in a space having a small thickness in which the diaphragm 12 performs bending vibration in an out-of-plane direction. Can be mounted inside. In the present embodiment, since the lever 32 is connected to the diaphragm 12, the lever 3
2, the resonance frequency is low. Therefore, the current consumption of the drive circuit 22 can be kept low. In addition, even when the date dial (the driven plate 500) is directly moved in a calendar mechanism of a wristwatch, which will be described later, a speed reduction mechanism is not required. Further, as the vibration output system 30, a plate 11 (plate-like member) arranged in a plane with respect to the diaphragm 12 is used, and the end of the diaphragm 12 is displaced in the in-plane direction by the constricted portion 31 of the plate 11. This is suitable for reducing the thickness of the actuator 10 because a thick spring or the like is not used. In addition, since the vibration is output from the plate-like lever 32 (plate-like lever), this is also suitable for making the actuator 10 thinner.
Furthermore, since the unimorph type piezoelectric element 21 is formed on the upper surface side of the vibration plate 12 as the excitation means 20, the strength can be maintained and the capacity can be easily increased even if the piezoelectric element 21 is thinned. Electric energy becomes easy to enter. Further, it is suitable for reducing the thickness of the actuator 10.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example in which the actuator 10 of the present embodiment is used as a driving device of a calendar display mechanism 50 of a wristwatch. The calendar display mechanism 50 includes a ring-shaped date dial 5 in a substantially same plane as the diaphragm 12 so as to surround the diaphragm 12 and the lever 32.
1 (calendar display car) is arranged, and the date wheel 51
Two guides 501, 50 contacting the inner peripheral edge 511
2 and the free end 3 of the lever 32 of the actuator 10
22. In this state,
1 is a vibration output system 30 (lever 3) of the actuator 10.
The vibration from 2) is received by the inner peripheral edge 511, and rotates in the circumferential direction. That is, when the actuator 10 operates and the free end 322 of the lever 32 vibrates in the in-plane direction of the diaphragm 12 around the constricted portion 31, the free end 322 of the lever 32
Since the inner peripheral edge 511 of the date indicator 51 is repeatedly hit in the direction indicated by the arrow C for a predetermined period, the date indicator 51 is fed and driven by the predetermined rotation angle in the direction indicated by the arrow D.

In such a calendar display mechanism 50, the actuator 10 of the present embodiment can drive the date wheel 51 with a small number of parts, and the actuator 10 is narrow enough for the diaphragm 12 to perform out-of-plane bending vibration. Only occupies space. In addition, the date dial 51 is thin and is disposed substantially in the same plane as the diaphragm 12. Therefore, the actuator 10 of the present embodiment and the calendar display mechanism 50 using the same can be housed in a watch case even if the wristwatch is thinned. For example, a watch having a calendar display mechanism and such a display mechanism When a mechanical system is shared with a timeless watch and a watch with a calendar display mechanism is constructed, a calendar display mechanism 50 is provided on the side of the dial.
Can be incorporated. In addition, since the calendar display mechanism 50 mechanically independent of the wheel train for driving the hands can be configured, a drive signal is output from the drive circuit 20 at a predetermined timing based on data recorded in a ROM or the like. By itself, a perpetual calendar can be easily configured, eliminating the need to manually correct dates for small months, large months, and leap years.

(Structure of Contact between Lever 32 and Follower Plate 500) Referring to FIG. 3A, contact between the free end 322 of the lever 32 and the follower plate 500 in the actuator 10 configured as described above. The structure of the part will be described.

FIG. 3A shows an actuator 1 of the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a contact portion between a free end 322 of a lever 32 and a driven plate 500 at 0.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 (the date wheel 51) are plate members which are extremely thin in view of gears and the like, and have a side end surface 320 of a free end 322 of the lever 32. , The side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 abuts. The contact portion 60 between the side end surfaces 320 and 520
, The lever 32 is thicker than the driven plate 500, and the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 is
0 abuts a substantially central portion in the thickness direction. here,
The side end surface 320 of the lever 32 has overhang portions 325, 3 at the upper and lower positions of the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500, respectively.
26 are formed, and these overhang portions 325, 326 are formed.
A concave portion 327 for receiving the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 is formed between them.

Therefore, in the actuator 10 of this embodiment, even if the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 are thinned, the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500
It is always held by a concave portion 327 formed at zero. Therefore, in the actuator 10 and the calendar display mechanism 50 using the same, the contact portion 60 between the side end surfaces 320 and 520 of the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 is provided.
In addition, even if external disturbance such as impact is applied from outside, the driven plate 50
0 side end surface 520 remains held inside the concave portion 327 formed in the side end surface 320 of the lever 32,
The contact state between the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 does not come off. Therefore, the actuator 10 of the present embodiment can maintain high reliability even if the thickness is reduced.

3A, the lever 32 (drive plate) is thicker than the driven plate 500, and a recess 327 is formed to receive the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 on the side end surface 320 of the lever 32. FIG. 3 (B)
As shown in FIG. 7, the driven plate 500 is thicker than the lever 32 (drive plate), and the same applies to the case where the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 is formed with a concave portion 327 'for receiving the side end surface 320 of the lever 32. Function and effect. Also,
The shape of the side end surface of the thinner plate-shaped member may be concave or convex.

In the manufacturing method and the second embodiment described below, as shown in FIG.
2 is thicker than the driven plate 500, and an example will be described in which a concave portion 327 for receiving the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 is formed on the side end surface 320 of the lever 32.

(Method of Manufacturing Plate 11) In this embodiment,
As described with reference to FIG. 4, the plate 11 is cut out, the concave portion 327 is formed in the side end surface 320 of the free end 322 of the lever 32, and the joint portion 1 to the plate 11 is formed.
An etching technique is used for any of the formations 17.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, a resist mask RM1 is formed on the front and back surfaces of the hard-treated metal plate M constituting the plate 11 by using a photolithography technique. In the resist mask RM1, a region where the bonding portion 117 is to be formed on the surface of the metal plate M is a window opening portion RM10.

Next, the metal plate M is subjected to half-etching using an etchant through a window opening portion RM10 of the resist mask RM1, and as shown in FIG.
A thin joint portion 117 is formed on the metal plate M.

Next, as shown in FIG.
A resist mask RM2 is formed on the front surface and the back surface by using photolithography technology. The resist mask RM2 has a window opening portion RM2 along a cut line LC for cutting the plate 11 from the metal plate M.
0 is formed.

Next, the metal plate M is etched using an etchant through the window opening RM20 of the resist mask RM1, and the plate 11 is cut out from the metal plate M as shown in FIG. . After a while, Figure 1
As shown in (A) and (B), the first diaphragm-side connection portion 123 of the diaphragm 12 having the piezoelectric element 21 formed on one surface is joined to the thin joint portion 117 of the plate 11.

In the method of cutting out the plate 11 by using the etching technique and forming the thin joint portion 117 by using half-etching in this manner, unlike the machining, the plate 11 is subjected to a hard treatment. Even when the plate 11 is made of a metal material or a hard metal material, the plate 11 is cut out and the thin joint portion 11 is formed.
7 can be efficiently formed with high accuracy.

When the plate 11 was cut out by wet etching, the etched end face of the plate 11 (the side end face 320 of the free end 322 of the lever 32) was subjected to wet etching in the step shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 4D, the center portion of the side end surface 320 is also etched in the lateral direction by side etching (etching in the lateral direction indicated by the arrow E), and the overhang portion 325 is formed. , 326 and recess 327 are automatically formed. Therefore, the free end 322 of the lever 32
Is pressed to the edge of the recess 327 in the side end surface 320.
Unlike the method of forming the groove, even when the lever 32 is hard and thin, the concave portion 327 can be efficiently formed on the side end surface 320 with high accuracy.

Second Embodiment (Overall Configuration) FIGS. 5A and 5B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a main part of an actuator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

The actuator 10 shown in FIGS.
Generally, a plate 11 having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, which is screwed and fixed at two places to a base (not shown) on which it is mounted, and a thickness arranged in a plane with respect to the plate 11 The diaphragm 12 having a thickness of about 0.05 mm and the diaphragm 1
Excitation means 20 for performing a vertical vibration (indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 5B) is provided at 2. Also in the present embodiment, a vibration output system 30 that amplifies and outputs longitudinal vibration of the diaphragm 12 as in-plane vibration by using the plate 11 is configured, and the diaphragm 12 and the excitation unit 20 include:
It functions as a vibration source that inputs vibration to the vibration output system 30.

In this embodiment, the diaphragm 12 is provided with a unimorph type piezoelectric element 21 having a thickness of about 0.2 mm on both sides. Therefore, in the excitation unit 20, the drive circuit 22 is configured to connect the electrodes (not shown) of the unimorph type piezoelectric element 21 formed on both surfaces of the diaphragm 12 to the diaphragm 12.
And a driving signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system of the actuator 10 is applied.

One end 125 of the diaphragm 12 is connected to the vibration output system 30 as a movable end, while the other end 126 is a completely free end.

In the vibration output system 30, the plate 11 is provided with a main body portion 111 disposed parallel to the vibration plate 12 and having both sides screwed to the base.
A lever 32 (drive plate) extending from the side located on one end 125 serving as the movable end of the diaphragm 12 to the side opposite to the main body portion 111 with respect to the diaphragm 12 among the two end portions of the diaphragm 1. Have been. In the plate 11, a constricted portion 31 is formed at a base portion between the lever 32 and the main body portion 111. Therefore, the lever 32 has a structure in which the base end side 321 is connected to the constricted portion 31 side and the movable end side of the diaphragm 12, and the distal end side extends therefrom as a free end 322.

Further, in the actuator 10 of the present embodiment,
Lever 32 and diaphragm 1 for one plate 11
Two are built. That is, the thin portion formed on the same plate member (plate 11) as the lever 32 is
We use as 2.

In the actuator 10 configured as described above, the driving circuit 22 uses the piezoelectric element 2
When a drive signal having a frequency corresponding to the resonance frequency of the vibration system is applied to the piezoelectric device 1, the piezoelectric element 21 causes the vibration plate 12 to vibrate in the vertical direction. Here, although the diaphragm 12 and the proximal end 321 of the lever 32 are completely connected, the plate 1
Since the constricted portion 31 is formed between the diaphragm 12 and the main body portion 111, when the diaphragm 12 vibrates in the vertical direction, the diaphragm 1
The one end 125 to be the movable end of No. 2 repeats displacement in the in-plane direction of the diaphragm 12 due to elastic deformation at the constricted portion 31. As a result, the lever 32 whose base end 321 is connected to the one end portion 125 which is the movable end, has the free end 322 vibrating in the in-plane direction of the diaphragm 12 with the constricted portion 31 as a fulcrum. Is transmitted to the ring-shaped driven plate 500 as shown by the arrow C.

The actuator 10 configured as described above
Is used as a driving device for the ring-shaped date dial 51 (driven plate 500) of the calendar display mechanism 50 of the wristwatch in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the actuator 10 operates and the free end 322 of the lever 32 is When the lever 32 vibrates in the in-plane direction of the diaphragm 12 about the constricted portion 31, the lever 32 repeatedly strikes the inner peripheral edge of the date indicator 51 in the direction of arrow C, so that the date indicator 51 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow D. Then, the same effect as in the first embodiment is obtained, such as that the date is shifted.

The actuator 1 to which the present invention is applied
0, the same plate-shaped member as the lever 32 (plate 11)
Since the thin portion formed as described above is used as the diaphragm 12, the number of parts can be reduced. Further, since the vibration transmission path from the vibration plate 12 to the lever 32 has no joint portion via an adhesive or the like, vibration does not occur. Accordingly, since the Q value of the piezoelectric vibrator is high, the lever 3
There is also an advantage that the efficiency of transmitting vibration to the second member is improved.

(Structure of Contacting Part between Lever 32 and Follower Plate 500) As in the first embodiment, referring to FIG.
The structure of the contact portion between the free end of the lever and the driven plate 500 in the actuator 10 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG.
As shown in (A), also in the actuator 10 of the present embodiment, the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 (the date wheel 51) are plate members that are extremely thin in view of gears and the like.
Side end surface 320 of free end 322 and side end surface 520 of driven plate 500 are in contact with each other. This side end surface 320, 520
In the contact portion 60 between the two, the lever 32 is
00, the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 abuts a substantially central portion of the side end surface 320 of the lever 32 in the thickness direction. Here, overhang portions 325 and 326 are formed on the side end surface 320 of the lever 32 at upper and lower positions of the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500, respectively, and between these overhang portions 325 and 326, the driven plate 500 Side end face 5
A recess 327 is formed for receiving the recess 20.

Therefore, in the actuator 10 of the present embodiment, even if the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 are thinned, the side end surface 520 of the driven plate 500 is
It is always held by a concave portion 327 formed at zero. Therefore, in the actuator 10 and the calendar display mechanism 50 using the same, the contact portion 60 between the side end surfaces 320 and 520 of the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 is provided.
In addition, even if external disturbance such as impact is applied from outside, the driven plate 50
0 side end surface 520 remains held inside the concave portion 327 formed in the side end surface 320 of the lever 32,
The contact state between the lever 32 and the driven plate 500 does not come off. Therefore, the actuator 10 of the present embodiment can maintain high reliability even if the thickness is reduced.

(Method of Manufacturing Plate 11 with Lever 32) In this embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 6, the plate 11 is cut out and a recess 327 is formed in the side end surface 320 of the free end 322 of the lever 32. , And plate 11
The etching technique is used for any of the formation of the vibration plate 12 with respect to FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 6A, a resist mask RM1 is formed on the front and back surfaces of the hard-treated metal plate M constituting the plate 11 by using a photolithography technique. This resist mask RM1 includes
A region where the diaphragm 12 is to be formed on the front and back surfaces of the metal plate M is a window opening portion RM11.

Next, both the front surface and the back surface of the metal plate M are half-etched with an etching solution through the window opening portion RM11 of the resist mask RM1, and as shown in FIG. The thickness of the plate M is reduced to form the diaphragm 12.

Next, as shown in FIG.
A resist mask RM2 is formed on the front surface and the back surface by using photolithography technology. The resist mask RM2 has a window opening portion RM21 so as to be along a cut line LC that cuts the plate 11 from the metal plate M.
Are formed.

Next, the metal plate M is etched using an etchant through the window opening portion RM21 of the resist mask RM1, and the plate 11 is cut out from the metal plate M as shown in FIG. . After a while, FIG.
As shown in (A) and (B), piezoelectric elements 21 are formed on both surfaces of diaphragm 12.

In the method of cutting out the plate 11 by using the etching technique and forming the diaphragm 12 by using half-etching, unlike the machining,
Even when the plate 11 is made of a hard-treated metal material or a hard metal material, the cutting of the plate 11 and the formation of a thin portion (diaphragm 12) can be efficiently performed with high accuracy. .

When the plate 11 was cut out by wet etching, the etched end face of the plate 11 (the side end face 320 of the free end 322 of the lever 32) was subjected to wet etching in the step shown in FIG. Due to the side etching (etching in the horizontal direction indicated by arrow E), the central portion of the side end surface 320 is also etched in the horizontal direction as shown in FIGS. , 326 and recess 327 are automatically formed. Therefore, the free end 322 of the lever 32
Is pressed to the edge of the recess 327 in the side end surface 320.
Unlike the method of forming the groove, even when the lever 32 is hard and thin, the concave portion 327 can be efficiently formed on the side end surface 320 with high accuracy.

[Other Embodiments] In each of the above embodiments, the date indicator 51 of the calendar display mechanism 50 of the wristwatch is rotated by the actuator 10 of the present embodiment. May be rotated. In addition, the actuator 10 to which the present invention is applied not only has a calendar mechanism of a wristwatch, but also has a time,
The present invention can be used as a driving device for a device that displays the moon, year, age, sun position, water depth, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, direction, speed, and the like. Furthermore, it is needless to say that the present invention can be used as a driving device for various devices other than the display device.

In the above embodiment, a unimorph type piezoelectric element 21 is used as the piezoelectric element 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a bimorph type piezoelectric element 21 may be used.

The actuator according to the present invention is not limited to an application in which the driven plate is a ring-shaped calendar display wheel, and is applicable to an actuator that reciprocates linearly and an actuator that generates vibration. Can also be used.

[0062]

As described above, in the method of manufacturing the actuator according to the present invention, the driving plate and the driven plate are required to have high rigidity, but are formed of a considerably thin metal plate. As the metal material, a material subjected to a hard treatment or a hard metal material is used, but in the present invention, an etching process is used for manufacturing a driving plate or a driven plate, so unlike a machining process. Regardless of the hardness of the metal plate, the drive plate or the driven plate can be easily processed, and can be processed with high accuracy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B) are a plan view of an actuator according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and a plan view of a case where the actuator is used for driving a date indicator in a calendar display mechanism of a wristwatch. FIG.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are circuit block diagrams each showing an example of a drive circuit for driving an actuator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B are an enlarged sectional view of a contact portion between a free end of a lever and a driven plate in the actuator shown in FIG. 1, and an enlarged sectional view of a contact portion according to a modified example thereof. It is.

FIGS. 4A to 4D are process cross-sectional views showing a process of manufacturing a plate including a lever and a joint portion with a diaphragm in the manufacturing process of the actuator shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are a plan view and an essential part, respectively, showing an actuator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and a case where the actuator is used for driving a date indicator in a calendar display mechanism of a wristwatch. FIG.

6 (A) to 6 (D) are process cross-sectional views showing a process of manufacturing a plate including a lever and a diaphragm in the manufacturing process of the actuator shown in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Actuator 11 Plate 12 Vibration plate 20 Exciting means 30 Vibration output system 21 Unimorph type piezoelectric element 22 Drive circuit 31 Narrow part (elastic part) 32 Lever (drive plate) 50 Calendar display mechanism 51 Ring-shaped date dial (calendar display wheel) 121) First narrow portion of diaphragm 122 Second narrow portion of diaphragm 125 One end of diaphragm 126 The other end of diaphragm 320 Side end surface of free end of lever 321 Base end of lever Side 322 Lever free end 325, 326 Overhanging portion of lever side end surface 327, 327 'Recess of side end surface of lever 500 Follower plate 520 Side end surface of follower plate

Claims (7)

[Claims] A vibration plate having at least one end that repeats displacement in an in-plane direction as a movable end for transmitting displacement by vibration; an exciting unit that causes the diaphragm to vibrate; and an excitation unit connected to the movable end. A drive plate that amplifies and outputs in-plane displacement of an in-plane direction of a connection portion with the movable end as in-plane vibration, wherein the in-plane vibration of the drive plate is planar with respect to the drive plate. A method for manufacturing an actuator transmitted via a contact portion between side end surfaces to a driven plate disposed on a drive plate, wherein at least one of the drive plate and the driven plate is manufactured from a metal plate. A method of manufacturing an actuator, wherein an etching process is used. 2. The etching process according to claim 1, wherein the etching is performed on the metal plate along an outer peripheral shape of the driving plate or the driven plate to cut out the driving plate or the driven plate from the metal plate. A method for manufacturing an actuator, which is performed in a process. 3. The side end surface of a thicker plate-like member of the drive plate and the driven plate by side etching when performing the etching process according to claim 2,
A method for manufacturing an actuator, comprising forming a concave portion for receiving a side end surface of a thinner plate member. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the etching process is performed in a step of forming a thin joining portion to be joined to the movable end of the diaphragm by half etching when manufacturing the driving plate. A method for manufacturing an actuator, comprising: 5. The method for manufacturing an actuator according to claim 4, wherein a piezoelectric element used for said excitation means is laminated on said diaphragm to be joined to said joining portion. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein
The method of manufacturing an actuator according to claim 1, wherein the etching process is performed in a step of forming the diaphragm as a thin portion of the metal plate by half-etching a metal plate forming the driving plate. 7. The piezoelectric element according to claim 6, wherein the vibration plate is formed as a thin portion of the metal plate with respect to the metal plate forming the driving plate, and then the vibration plate is used as the excitation unit. And a method of manufacturing an actuator.