Vibration Generator

Abstract

To provide a vibration generator which can inhibit vibration in a vertical direction while sufficiently securing a vibration width in a lateral direction.SOLUTION: A vibration generator 101 includes: a plate spring 17 which is fixed to a housing HS and supports a vibrator VB in a manner that the vibrator VB may vibrate; and driving means DM which applies vibration force to the vibrator VB. The plate spring 17 has: a diaphragm part 17V supporting the vibrator VB; a front fixing plate part 17F disposed at the front (X1 side) relative to the diaphragm part 17V and fixed to the housing HS; a rear fixing plate part 17B disposed at the rear (X2 side) relative to the diaphragm part 17V and fixed to the housing HS; a left elastic plate part 17L which connects one end (a Y1 side end) of the diaphragm part 17V with the front fixing plate part 17F; and a right elastic plate part 17R which connects the other end (a Y2 side end) of the diaphragm part 17V with the rear fixing plate part 17B. The left elastic plate part 17L and the rear fixing plate part 17B are separated, and the right elastic plate part 17R and the front fixing plate part 17F are separated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibration generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a vibration generating device that uses a magnetic field generated by a coil and a magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet to vibrate the permanent magnet as a movable part (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-283201 A [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2006-133218 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vibration generating device described in Patent Document 1, the permanent magnet is fixed to a base member as a fixed body via a leaf spring. Specifically, the leaf spring has a pair of opposing elastic plate parts having a substantially M-shape, a front fixed plate part connecting one ends of the pair of elastic plate parts, a rear fixed plate part connecting the other ends of the pair of elastic plate parts, and a vibration plate part connecting the lower ends of the central parts of the pair of elastic plate parts. The vibration plate part supports the permanent magnet and is arranged so as not to come into contact with the base member. The front fixed plate part is fixed to the base member at two points by crimping. Similarly, the rear fixed plate part is fixed to the base member at two points by crimping. In this configuration, since the leaf spring is firmly fixed to the base member via the front fixed plate part and the rear fixed plate part, there is a risk that the vibration width in the left-right direction of the permanent magnet attached to the vibration plate part cannot be sufficiently secured.

[0005] In the vibration generating device described in Patent Document 2, the permanent magnet is fixed to a base member as a fixed body via a leaf spring. Specifically, the leaf spring has a pair of opposing elastic plate parts having a substantially inverted U shape, a front fixed plate part connecting one ends of the pair of elastic plate parts, and a vibration plate part connecting the other ends of the pair of elastic plate parts. The vibration plate part supports the permanent magnet and is arranged so as not to come into contact with the base member. The front fixed plate part is fixed to the base member at two points by crimping. In this configuration, since the leaf spring is fixed to the base member only via the front fixed plate part, there is a risk that the permanent magnet attached to the vibration plate part will vibrate significantly in the vertical direction.

[0006] It is therefore desirable to provide a vibration generator that can suppress vibration in the up-down direction while ensuring a sufficient vibration amplitude in the left-right direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vibration generator according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing, a vibrating body housed in the housing, and a vibration unit fixed to the housing. Left and right The vibrator is provided with an elastic support member that supports the vibrator so that the vibrator can vibrate, and a driving means that applies a vibration force to the vibrator. The elastic support member supports the vibrator. The plate surface extends in the left-right direction and in the front-back direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. A diaphragm portion for In the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the left-to-right direction, a front fixing plate portion disposed forward of the diaphragm portion and fixed to the housing; In the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the left-to-right direction, a rear fixed plate portion disposed rearward of the diaphragm portion and fixed to the housing; a flat first elastic plate portion connecting one end of the diaphragm portion, which is one of the left end and the right end, to the front fixed plate portion; and a flat second elastic plate portion connecting the other end of the diaphragm portion, which is the other of the left end and the right end, to the rear fixed plate portion, The elastic support member is configured so as not to have any creases along the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, The first elastic plate portion and the rear fixed plate portion There is no direct connection The second elastic plate portion and the front fixed plate portion Not directly connected . Effect of the Invention

[0008] The vibration generator described above can suppress vibration in the up-down direction while ensuring a sufficient vibration amplitude in the left-right direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vibration generating device. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vibration generator with the cover removed. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of components of the drive means; [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a top view of each component constituting the vibration generating device. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a top view of each component constituting the vibration generating device. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating device. [Figure 12B] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generating device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the vibration device. [Figure 14A] FIG. [Figure 14B] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A vibration device VE (vibration generator 101) according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the vibration device VE (vibration generator 101). Specifically, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the vibration generator 101 connected to a control unit CTR, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the vibration generator 101 with the cover 1 removed. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vibration generator 101.

[0011] 1A, 1B, and 2, X1 represents one direction of the X axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and X2 represents the other direction of the X axis. Y1 represents one direction of the Y axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and Y2 represents the other direction of the Y axis. Similarly, Z1 represents one direction of the Z axis constituting the three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, and Z2 represents the other direction of the Z axis. In this embodiment, the X1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the front side (front side) of the vibration generator 101, and the X2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the rear side (rear side) of the vibration generator 101. The Y1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the left side of the vibration generator 101, and the Y2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the right side of the vibration generator 101. The Z1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the upper side of the vibration generator 101, and the Z2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the lower side of the vibration generator 101. The same applies to the other figures.

[0012] The vibration device VE has a control unit CTR and a vibration generator 101. The vibration generator 101 has a housing HS and a vibration unit VP housed in the housing HS.

[0013] 1A, the housing HS has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and is configured so that the areas of the faces parallel to the XY plane (upper and lower faces) are larger than the areas of the other faces (front, rear, left side, and right side). In this embodiment, the housing HS is made of a non-magnetic material such as stainless steel. The housing HS is composed of a cover 1 and a case 2.

[0014] 2, the cover 1 is a flat member and is configured to form the top surface of the housing HS. The case 2 is a member capable of housing the vibrating part VP and is configured to form the side and bottom surfaces of the housing HS. The case 2 is configured to function as a base that supports the vibrating part VP.

[0015] In this embodiment, the case 2 has a rectangular cylindrical outer circumferential wall portion 2A, and a flat bottom plate portion 2B provided so as to be continuous with the lower end (the end on the Z2 side) of the outer circumferential wall portion 2A.

[0016] The outer peripheral wall portion 2A has four side plate portions formed in a flat plate shape. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the outer peripheral wall portion 2A has a first side plate portion 2A1 and a third side plate portion 2A3 that face each other, and a second side plate portion 2A2 and a fourth side plate portion 2A4 that are perpendicular to the first side plate portion 2A1 and the third side plate portion 2A3 and face each other.

[0017] The control unit CTR is configured to be able to control the movement of the vibration unit VP. In this embodiment, the control unit CTR is a device including an electronic circuit and a non-volatile storage device, and is configured to generate a drive signal for vibrating the vibration unit VP and output the drive signal to the vibration unit VP. The drive signal is, for example, a current signal or a voltage signal. The control unit CTR may be configured to generate the drive signal in response to a control command from an external device such as a computer, or may be configured to generate the drive signal without receiving a control command from an external device. In this embodiment, the control unit CTR is installed outside the housing HS, but may also be installed inside the housing HS.

[0018] The vibration unit VP is configured to be able to vibrate the housing HS. In this embodiment, the vibration unit VP is configured to be attached inside the housing HS and to be able to vibrate the housing HS.

[0019] Next, details of the vibration part VP will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the vibration part VP.

[0020] The vibrating section VP has a predetermined natural frequency, and is configured to include a vibrating body VB, a driving means DM, and an elastic support member ES.

[0021] The vibrating body VB is configured to vibrate relative to the housing HS along a vibration axis VA (see FIG. 2) extending in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the vibrating body VB is configured to vibrate relative to the case 2 along a vibration axis VA (see FIG. 2) extending in the Y-axis direction (left-right direction).

[0022] The driving means DM is an example of a vibration force generating unit, and is configured to vibrate the vibrating body VB along the vibration axis VA in response to a drive signal. In this embodiment, the driving means DM is configured to vibrate the center of gravity of the vibrating body VB elastically supported by the elastic support member ES along the vibration axis VA in response to a drive signal output by the control unit CTR.

[0023] The elastic support member ES is configured to be interposed between the housing HS and the vibrating body VB so as to elastically support the vibrating body VB. Specifically, the elastic support member ES is configured to be interposed between the case 2 and the vibrating body VB so as to elastically support the vibrating body VB.

[0024] More specifically, the vibrating part VP including the vibrating body VB, the driving means DM, and the elastic support member ES is composed of an upper yoke 10, a bracket 11, a coil 12, a circuit board 13, a conductor 14, a magnet 15, a lower yoke 16, and a leaf spring 17. The vibrating body VB is composed of the upper yoke 10, the magnet 15, and the lower yoke 16, the driving means DM is composed of the coil 12 and the magnet 15, and the elastic support member ES is composed of the leaf spring 17. The bracket 11, the coil 12, the circuit board 13, and the conductor 14 constitute a non-vibrating body NV that does not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB. The non-vibrating body NV vibrates together with the housing HS, but does not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0025] The upper yoke 10 is a member that constitutes the top plate portion of the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the upper yoke 10 is made of a magnetic material containing iron or the like. Specifically, a recess RC is formed on each of the Y1-side end face and the Y2-side end face of the upper yoke 10 so as to be able to mesh with a protrusion PR formed on the lower yoke 16. The upper yoke 10 is fixed to the lower yoke 16 by welding, brazing, bonding (with an adhesive), or the like (hereinafter referred to as "welding, etc.").

[0026] The bracket 11 is configured to support the coil 12 with the coil 12 facing the magnet 15 without contacting it. The bracket 11 is fixed to the case 2 so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the bracket 11 is made of a non-magnetic material such as stainless steel. Specifically, the bracket 11 is fixed to the case 2 by welding or the like via the four connecting parts 11A in such an arrangement that the bracket 11 and the coil 12 do not come into contact with the vibrating body VB even when the vibrating body VB vibrates. In other words, the bracket 11 to which the coil 12 is attached is configured not to vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0027] Coil 12 is configured to be able to generate a magnetic field when supplied with a current. In the example shown in Fig. 3, coil 12 has a generally elliptical contour with a major axis along the X-axis direction. Coil 12 has a first end 12S at the winding start side and a second end 12E at the winding end side. Coil 12 is fixed to the Z2 side (lower side) surface of bracket 11 with an adhesive or the like.

[0028] The circuit board 13 is a member to which the first end 12S and the second end 12E of the coil 12 are connected. In this embodiment, the circuit board 13 is fixed to the Z1 side (upper side) surface of the bracket 11 with an adhesive, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. Figure 4A is a top perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV, and Figure 4B is a bottom perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV.

[0029] The conductor 14 is a member for supplying a current to the coil 12. In the present embodiment, a portion of the conductor 14 is disposed on the Z1 side (upper side) of the circuit board 13, as shown in Fig. 4A, and is electrically connected to the coil 12 via the circuit board 13. Specifically, the conductor 14 includes a left conductor 14L electrically connected to the first end 12S of the coil 12, and a right conductor 14R electrically connected to the second end 12E of the coil 12.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4A, one end 14S of the right-side conductor 14R is soldered to the right-side penetrating conductor 13R on the Z1 side (upper side) of the circuit board 13, and one end 14E of the left-side conductor 14L is soldered to the left-side penetrating conductor 13L on the Z1 side (upper side) of the circuit board 13. Then, as shown in Fig. 4B, the right-side penetrating conductor 13R is soldered to the first end 12S of the coil 12 on the Z2 side (lower side) of the circuit board 13, and the left-side penetrating conductor 13L is soldered to the second end 12E of the coil 12 on the Z2 side (lower side) of the circuit board 13.

[0031] The other ends of the left conducting wire 14L and the right conducting wire 14R are connected to a connector CN, and are connected to a control unit CTR via the connector CN.

[0032] The magnet 15 and the coil 12 constitute the driving means DM. In this embodiment, the magnet 15 is a four-pole permanent magnet having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. In FIG. 3, for clarity, a cross pattern is applied to the N pole of the four-pole permanent magnet, and a dot pattern is applied to the S pole. This is the same in other figures. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the magnet 15 has an N pole on the Y1 side and an S pole on the Y2 side on the Z1 side, and an S pole on the Y1 side and an N pole on the Y2 side on the Z2 side.

[0033] The lower yoke 16 is a member that constitutes the bottom wall and side wall of the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the lower yoke 16 is made of a magnetic material containing iron, similar to the upper yoke 10. Specifically, a protrusion PR is formed on the Z1 side end surface of each of the two side walls of the lower yoke 16 so as to be able to mesh with a recess RC formed in the upper yoke 10.

[0034] The leaf spring 17 is an example of an elastic support member ES that is interposed between the housing HS and the vibrating body VB and is configured to elastically support the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the leaf spring 17 is formed by punching and bending a single nonmagnetic stainless steel metal plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm, for example.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the leaf spring 17 has a rear fixed plate portion 17B, a front fixed plate portion 17F, a left elastic plate portion 17L, a right elastic plate portion 17R, and a diaphragm portion 17V.

[0036] The diaphragm portion 17V is configured to support the vibrating body VB. In the illustrated example, the vibrating body VB is fixed to the Z1 side (upper side) surface of the diaphragm portion 17V by welding or the like.

[0037] The rear fixing plate portion 17B is disposed rearward of the diaphragm portion 17V and is configured to be fixed to the housing HS. In the illustrated example, the rear fixing plate portion 17B is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 by welding or the like.

[0038] The front fixing plate portion 17F is disposed forward of the diaphragm portion 17V and is configured to be fixed to the housing HS. In the illustrated example, the front fixing plate portion 17F is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 by welding or the like.

[0039] The left elastic plate portion 17L is configured to extend upward from one end of each of the diaphragm portion 17V and the front fixing plate portion 17F. In the illustrated example, the left elastic plate portion 17L includes a left inner plate portion 17LV that extends upward from the left end of the diaphragm portion 17V via a fold line FL1 formed along the front-rear direction at the left end of the diaphragm portion 17V, a left outer plate portion 17LF that extends upward from one end (left end) of the front fixing plate portion 17F via a fold line FL2 formed along the front-rear direction at one end (left end) of the front fixing plate portion 17F, and a left connecting portion 17LC that connects the left inner plate portion 17LV and the left outer plate portion 17LF. The left elastic plate portion 17L is configured so that the left inner plate portion 17LV, the left outer plate portion 17LF, and the left connecting portion 17LC are located on the same plane. In FIG. 3, for clarity, a fine cross pattern is applied to the left connecting portion 17LC.

[0040] The right elastic plate portion 17R is configured to extend upward from the other end of each of the diaphragm portion 17V and the rear fixed plate portion 17B. In the illustrated example, the right elastic plate portion 17R includes a right inner plate portion 17RV that extends upward from the right end of the diaphragm portion 17V via a fold line FR1 that is formed along the front-rear direction at the right end of the diaphragm portion 17V, a right outer plate portion 17RF that extends upward from one end (right end) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B via a fold line FR2 that is formed along the front-rear direction at one end (right end) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B, and a right connecting portion 17RC that connects the right inner plate portion 17RV and the right outer plate portion 17RF. The right elastic plate portion 17R is configured so that the right inner plate portion 17RV, the right outer plate portion 17RF, and the right connecting portion 17RC are located on the same plane. In FIG. 3, for clarity, a fine cross pattern is applied to the right connecting portion 17RC.

[0041] 5, the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F of the leaf spring 17 are fixed to a raised portion 2G formed on the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 by welding or the like. That is, the leaf spring 17 is attached to the case 2 via the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F with a gap formed between the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 and the diaphragm portion 17V so that the diaphragm portion 17V, the left elastic plate portion 17L, and the right elastic plate portion 17R do not come into contact with the case 2.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a diagram of the case 2. Specifically, the upper left diagram of FIG. 5 is a top view of the case 2 without the leaf spring 17 attached, and the upper right diagram of FIG. 5 is a top view of the case 2 with the leaf spring 17 attached. The lower diagram of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the case 2 with the leaf spring 17 attached. Specifically, the lower diagram of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the case 2 and the leaf spring 17 in a plane parallel to the XZ plane including the dashed line (cutting line VV) in the upper right diagram of FIG. 5, as viewed from the Y1 side as indicated by the arrow. Note that in FIG. 5, for clarity, a coarse dot pattern is applied to the case 2, and a fine dot pattern is applied to the leaf spring 17.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in the upper left diagram in FIG. 5, the raised portion 2G includes a left front raised portion 2GLF, a right front raised portion 2GRF, a left rear raised portion 2GLB, and a right rear raised portion 2GRB.

[0044] 5, the front fixed plate portion 17F of the leaf spring 17 is welded to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 at two locations, the left front raised portion 2GLF and the right front raised portion 2GRF. Similarly, the rear fixed plate portion 17B of the leaf spring 17 is welded to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2 at two locations, the left rear raised portion 2GLB and the right rear raised portion 2GRB.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, the vibrating body VB is welded to the diaphragm portion 17V of the leaf spring 17. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vibrating part VP. Specifically, the upper view of FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vibrating part VP in a state where the non-vibrating body NV (bracket 11, coil 12, circuit board 13, and conductor 14) is omitted, and the lower view of FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vibrating part VP in a state where the non-vibrating body NV is illustrated. In addition, in the lower view of FIG. 6, a dot pattern is applied to the vibrating parts (vibrating body VB and elastic support member ES) for clarity. This indicates that the non-vibrating body NV is fixed to the case 2 (not shown in FIG. 6) so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB. FIG. 1B shows the non-vibrating body NV fixed to the case 2 so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB.

[0046] Specifically, as shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 6, the vibrating body VB is composed of an upper yoke 10, a magnet 15, and a lower yoke 16. The Z2 side (lower side) surface of the lower yoke 16 is welded to the Z1 side (upper side) surface of the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0047] When a voltage is applied to the coil 12 via the conductor 14 and the circuit board 13 in the state shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 6, the vibrating body VB vibrates along the vibration axis VA.

[0048] Here, referring to Fig. 7, the positional relationship of the components of the driving means DM when the vibrating body VB vibrates along the vibration axis VA will be described. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the components of the driving means DM. Specifically, the upper part of Fig. 7 shows the positional relationship between the coil 12 and the magnet 15 when the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) has moved to the furthest Y1 side (left side). The middle part of Fig. 7 shows the positional relationship between the coil 12 and the magnet 15 when the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) is stationary (when no current flows through the coil 12). The lower part of Fig. 7 shows the positional relationship between the coil 12 and the magnet 15 when the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) has moved to the furthest Y2 side (right side).

[0049] When no voltage is applied to coil 12 and no current flows through coil 12, coil 12 does not generate a magnetic field, and therefore no repulsive or attractive force occurs between coil 12 and magnet 15. Therefore, magnet 15 is positioned so that its center faces the center of coil 12, as shown in the middle part of FIG.

[0050] When a current flows from the second end 12E of the coil 12 to the first end 12S, the coil 12 generates a magnetic field such that the Z1 side is an S pole and the Z2 side is an N pole. As a result, the S pole portion of the Z1 side surface of the magnet 15 is attracted to the coil 12, and the N pole portion of the Z1 side surface of the magnet 15 is moved away from the coil 12, and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) moves to the Y1 side (left side) as indicated by the arrow AR1 in the upper part of FIG.

[0051] Conversely, when a current flows from the first end 12S to the second end 12E of the coil 12, the coil 12 generates a magnetic field such that the Z1 side is the N pole and the Z2 side is the S pole. As a result, the N pole portion on the Z1 side surface of the magnet 15 is attracted to the coil 12, and the S pole portion on the Z1 side surface of the magnet 15 is moved away from the coil 12, and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) moves to the Y2 side (right side) as indicated by the arrow AR2 in the lower part of FIG.

[0052] The control unit CTR can alternately reverse the direction of the magnetic field generated by the coil 12 by alternately reversing the direction of the current flowing through the coil 12, thereby causing the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) to vibrate along the Y-axis direction.

[0053] Next, the movement (deformation) of the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R when the vibrating body VB vibrates will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the leaf spring 17. Specifically, the upper diagram of Fig. 8 shows the state of the leaf spring 17 when no current flows through the coil 12, that is, when the vibrating body VB is not vibrating. The lower diagram of Fig. 8 shows the state of the leaf spring 17 when the vibrating body VB moves to the Y2 side (right side).

[0054] As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 8, the left elastic plate portion 17L is provided between the front fixed plate portion 17F and the diaphragm portion 17V, and the right elastic plate portion 17R is provided between the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0055] When the vibrating body VB (not shown in Figure 8) is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow AR3 by the driving means DM, the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R bend as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 8, enabling the vibrating body VB to translate in the Y2 direction.

[0056] Conversely, when the vibrator VB is moved by the driving means DM in the direction opposite (Y1 direction) to the direction indicated by the arrow AR3 (Y2 direction), the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R bend in the direction opposite to the bending direction shown in the lower diagram of Figure 8, enabling the vibrator VB to translate in the Y1 direction.

[0057] In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is configured to bend most at the left connection portion 17LC and the right connection portion 17RC, but it may also be configured to bend most at the left outer plate portion 17LF and the right outer plate portion 17RF, or it may be configured to bend most at the left inner plate portion 17LV and the right inner plate portion 17RV.

[0058] Here, referring again to FIG. 3, the details of the lower yoke 16 will be described. The lower yoke 16 has a bottom wall portion BP, a right side wall portion RW, and a left side wall portion LW. Specifically, a left side wall portion LW extending in the Z1 direction is formed at the end of the bottom wall portion BP on the Y1 side, and a right side wall portion RW extending in the Z1 direction is formed at the end of the bottom wall portion BP on the Y2 side. Furthermore, a protrusion portion PR is formed at the upper end of each of the left side wall portion LW and the right side wall portion RW so as to be able to mesh with a recess portion RC formed in the upper yoke 10. The upper view of FIG. 6 shows a state in which the recess portion RC formed in the upper yoke 10 and the protrusion portion PR of the lower yoke 16 are meshed with each other.

[0059] When assembling the vibrating body VB, the magnet 15 is attached to the bottom wall portion BP of the lower yoke 16, and further, the convex portion PR of the lower yoke 16 and the concave portion RC of the upper yoke 10 are engaged with each other. Thus, in this embodiment, the lower yoke 16 and the upper yoke 10 surrounding the magnet 15 are separate members to facilitate assembly of the vibrating body VB. Note that the magnet 15 is fixed to the bottom wall portion BP of the lower yoke 16 by its magnetic force, but may be fixed to the bottom wall portion BP by welding or the like.

[0060] 6, the Z2 side surface of the magnet 15 is joined to the Z1 side surface of the lower yoke 16. In the space surrounded by the upper yoke 10 and the lower yoke 16, the coil 12 fixed to the bracket 11 is placed on the Z1 side of the magnet 15 without contacting the magnet 15, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG.

[0061] The bracket 11 is attached to the case 2 by engaging a connecting portion 11A (see the lower diagram in FIG. 6) provided on the bracket 11 with a supporting portion 2P (see the upper right diagram in FIG. 5) provided on the case 2. Specifically, the connecting portion 11A includes a first connecting portion 11A1 to a fourth connecting portion 11A4. The supporting portion 2P includes a first supporting portion 2P1 to a fourth supporting portion 2P4. The first connecting portion 11A1 is engaged with a first supporting portion 2P1 provided on a first side plate portion 2A1 constituting the outer circumferential wall portion 2A of the case 2, and the second connecting portion 11A2 is engaged with a second supporting portion 2P2 provided on the first side plate portion 2A1. Similarly, the third connecting portion 11A3 engages with a third support portion 2P3 provided on the third side plate portion 2A3 that constitutes the outer peripheral wall portion 2A of the case 2, and the fourth connecting portion 11A4 engages with a fourth support portion 2P4 provided on the third side plate portion 2A3.

[0062] Next, the magnetic force generated by the magnet 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a front view of the vibrating body VB. Specifically, Fig. 9 shows the vibrating body VB composed of an upper yoke 10, a magnet 15, and a lower yoke 16, and the coil 12 installed inside the space surrounded by the upper yoke 10 and the lower yoke 16. The magnet 15 generates a magnetic force as shown by magnetic field lines MF represented by dotted lines in Fig. 9. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the magnetic field lines MF include a first magnetic field line MF1 to a fourth magnetic field line MF4.

[0063] Specifically, on the Y1 side of the magnet 15, the first magnetic field line MF1 exits from the N-pole portion on the Z1 side, passes through the space between the N-pole portion on the Y1 side of the magnet 15 and the upper yoke 10, the upper yoke 10, and the left side wall portion LW and bottom wall portion BP of the lower yoke 16, and enters the S-pole portion on the Z2 side of the magnet 15. On the Y2 side of the magnet 15, the second magnetic field line MF2 exits from the N-pole portion on the Z2 side, passes through the bottom wall portion BP and right side wall portion RW of the lower yoke 16, the upper yoke 10, and the space between the upper yoke 10 and the S-pole portion on the Z1 side of the magnet 15, and enters the S-pole portion on the Z1 side of the magnet 15. On the Z1 side of the magnet 15, the third magnetic field line MF3 exits from the N-pole portion on the Z1 side of the magnet 15, and enters the S-pole portion on the Z1 side of the magnet 15. Furthermore, on the Z2 side of magnet 15, the fourth magnetic field line MF4 exits from the N-pole portion of magnet 15 on the Z2 side and enters the S-pole portion of magnet 15 on the Z2 side.

[0064] Therefore, in the space surrounded by the upper yoke 10 and the lower yoke 16, magnetic flux density is high due to magnetic field lines being concentrated in the partial space between the upper yoke 10 and the magnet 15, and the coil 12 is placed in this partial space. Therefore, by passing a current between the first end 12S and the second end 12E of the coil 12, the vibrating body VB can be efficiently vibrated along the Y-axis direction.

[0065] For example, when a current flows from the first end 12S to the second end 12E of the coil 12, the vibrating body VB moves to the Y2 side (right side). When a current flows from the second end 12E to the first end 12S of the coil 12, the vibrating body VB moves to the Y1 side (left side). Therefore, the control unit CTR can vibrate the vibrating body VB along the vibration axis VA by passing a current through the coil 12 so that the direction of the current alternately reverses. Note that the bracket 11 (not shown in FIG. 9) to which the coil 12 is attached is fixed to the case 2 and is not fixed to the vibrating body VB, so that the bracket 11 and the coil 12 do not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0066] Next, the positional relationship between each member constituting the vibration generator 101 and the center of gravity CG of the vibrating body VB will be described with reference to Figs. 10, 11, 12A, and 12B. Fig. 10 is a top view of each member constituting the vibration generator 101, and includes four figures from Fig. 1 at the top to Fig. 4 at the bottom. Figs. 1 to 4 show how the members are attached in order. The same is true for Fig. 11. In the illustrated example, the vibration axis VA of the vibrating body VB passes through the center of gravity CG. For clarity, in Figs. 10 and 11, dot patterns are added to the newly attached members in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0067] Specifically, Figure 1 of Figure 10 (the topmost figure) is a top view of case 2, Figure 2 of Figure 10 (the second figure from the top) is a top view of case 2 with leaf spring 17 attached, Figure 3 of Figure 10 (the third figure from the top) is a top view of case 2 with lower yoke 16 further attached, and Figure 4 of Figure 10 (the bottommost figure) is a top view of case 2 with magnet 15 further attached.

[0068] Also, Fig. 1 of Fig. 11 shows the arrangement of the coil 12 inside the case 2. However, in Fig. 1 of Fig. 11, the coil 12 is not attached to any member. Fig. 2 of Fig. 11 is a top view of the case 2 to which a bracket 11 for holding the coil 12 is further attached. The coil 12 is attached to the lower surface of the bracket 11. Fig. 3 of Fig. 11 is a top view of the case 2 to which an upper yoke 10 and a circuit board 13 are further attached. Fig. 4 of Fig. 11 is a top view of the case 2 to which a cover 1 is further attached.

[0069] 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of the vibration generator 101. Specifically, FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generator 101 in a plane parallel to the YZ plane including the dashed line (cutting line XIIA-XIIA) in FIG. 4 of FIG. 11, as viewed from the X1 side as indicated by the arrow. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the vibration generator 101 in a plane parallel to the XZ plane including the dashed line (cutting line XIIB-XIIB) in FIG. 4 of FIG. 11, as viewed from the Y1 side as indicated by the arrow. In addition, in FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, for clarity, a coarse dot pattern is applied to the case 2, and a fine dot pattern is applied to the leaf spring 17. In addition, in FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, for clarity, the circuit board 13 and the conductor 14 are omitted from illustration.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 12A, and 12B, the vibrating body VB is configured so that the center of gravity CG is located on the vibration axis VA.

[0071] In this embodiment, the vibrating body VB is attached to the case 2 via the leaf spring 17 and the raised portion 2G so that the center of gravity CG is located at the center point of the magnet 15 and the vibration axis VA extends parallel to the Y axis through the center point of the magnet 15.

[0072] Moreover, the vibration generator 101 is configured so that its center of gravity is located at the center of gravity CG of the vibrating body VB.

[0073] Next, a configuration example of the vibration device VE will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a functional block diagram of the vibration device VE. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the control unit CTR includes a control circuit 50, a memory 51, and a waveform generating circuit 52. The control unit CTR may include a signal amplifier circuit, a digital-to-analog conversion circuit, an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, and the like, as necessary.

[0074] The control circuit 50 is configured to be able to control the movement of the vibration generator 101. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the control circuit 50 is configured to be able to refer to information stored in a memory 51 and cause the waveform generating circuit 52 to start or stop generating a waveform.

[0075] The control circuit 50 may be configured to operate in response to a control command from an external device ED such as a computer outside the vibration device VE. The external device ED may be a push button switch or the like. The external device ED and the control circuit 50 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0076] The memory 51 is configured to store information used when vibrating the vibration generator 101. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the memory 51 is a non-volatile memory. However, the memory 51 may be a volatile memory.

[0077] The information stored in the memory 51 may include, for example, information about the voltage signal generated by the waveform generating circuit 52. Specifically, the information stored in the memory 51 may include information about the voltage signal generated by the waveform generating circuit 52. The information about the voltage signal may include, for example, the frequency and amplitude of the voltage signal.

[0078] The waveform generating circuit 52 is configured to generate a voltage signal to be output to the coil 12 of the vibration generator 101. In the example shown in Fig. 13, the waveform generating circuit 52 is configured to start outputting a voltage signal when receiving a start command from the control circuit 50, and to stop outputting the voltage signal when receiving a stop command from the control circuit 50.

[0079] In the example shown in FIG. 13, the control unit CTR is configured to control one vibration generator 101, but may be configured to control two or more vibration generators 101.

[0080] Next, the leaf spring 17 serving as the elastic support member ES will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B. Fig. 14A is a left side view of the leaf spring 17 when the vibration generator 101 is in the initial state, and Fig. 14B is a top view of the leaf spring 17 when the vibration generator 101 is in the initial state. The initial state of the vibration generator 101 refers to the state of the vibration generator 101 when the vibrating body VB is stationary, i.e., when no power is supplied to the coil 12.

[0081] As described above, the leaf spring 17 is made of a non-magnetic material such as stainless steel, and has the rear fixed plate portion 17B, the front fixed plate portion 17F, the left elastic plate portion 17L, the right elastic plate portion 17R, and the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0082] The left elastic plate portion 17L includes a left inner plate portion 17LV extending upward from the left end of the diaphragm portion 17V via a fold FL1 formed along the front-to-rear direction at the left end of the diaphragm portion 17V, a left outer plate portion 17LF extending upward from one end (left end) of the front fixed plate portion 17F via a fold FL2 formed along the front-to-rear direction at one end (left end) of the front fixed plate portion 17F, and a left connecting portion 17LC connecting the left inner plate portion 17LV and the left outer plate portion 17LF.

[0083] The right elastic plate portion 17R includes a right inner plate portion 17RV extending upward from the right end of the diaphragm portion 17V via a fold FR1 formed along the front-to-rear direction at the right end of the diaphragm portion 17V, a right outer plate portion 17RF extending upward from one end (right end) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B via a fold FR2 formed along the front-to-rear direction at one end (right end) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B, and a right connecting portion 17RC connecting the right inner plate portion 17RV and the right outer plate portion 17RF.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 14B, the left elastic plate portion 17L is configured so that the outer surfaces (left side surface) of the left inner plate portion 17LV, the left outer plate portion 17LF, and the left connecting portion 17LC are positioned on the same plane, and the right elastic plate portion 17R is configured so that the outer surfaces (right side surface) of the right inner plate portion 17RV, the right outer plate portion 17RF, and the right connecting portion 17RC are positioned on the same plane.

[0085] In the example shown in Fig. 14A, the left inner plate portion 17LV has a left overhanging portion OHL and a left base portion BPL that overhang rearward from the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V, and the right inner plate portion 17RV has a right overhanging portion OHR and a right base portion BPR that overhang forward from the front end (end on the X1 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V. In Fig. 14A, for clarity, a coarse dot pattern is applied to the leaf spring 17, and a fine dot pattern is applied to the left overhanging portion OHL and the right overhanging portion OHR.

[0086] Specifically, the left overhanging portion OHL is configured to overhang rearward by an overhang amount PT1 from the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V. In the example shown in Fig. 14A, the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the left overhanging portion OHL is configured to be located forward of the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the right outer plate portion 17RF. However, the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the left overhanging portion OHL may be configured to coincide with the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the right outer plate portion 17RF in a left side view, or may be configured to be located rearward of the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the right outer plate portion 17RF.

[0087] Similarly, the right overhanging portion OHR is configured to overhang forward by an overhang amount PT2 from the front end (end on the X1 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V. In the example shown in Fig. 14A, the front end (end on the X1 side) of the right overhanging portion OHR is configured to be located rearward from the front end (end on the X1 side) of the left outer plate portion 17LF. However, the front end (end on the X1 side) of the right overhanging portion OHR may be configured to coincide with the front end (end on the X1 side) of the left outer plate portion 17LF in a left side view, or may be configured to be located forward of the front end (end on the X1 side) of the left outer plate portion 17LF.

[0088] 14A, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that the protrusion amount PT1 of the left protrusion portion OHL and the protrusion amount PT2 of the right protrusion portion OHR are the same. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured so that the protrusion amount PT1 of the left protrusion portion OHL and the protrusion amount PT2 of the right protrusion portion OHR are different from each other.

[0089] As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 5, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that, when fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2, a gap GP1 is formed between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B and the lower surface of the diaphragm portion 17V. The leaf spring 17 is also configured such that a gap GP2 is formed between the lower surface of the front fixing plate portion 17F, which is fixed to the upper surface of the left front protuberance 2GLF formed on the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2, and the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B. The leaf spring 17 is also configured such that a gap GP3 is formed between the lower surface of the rear fixing plate portion 17B, which is fixed to the upper surface of the left rear protuberance 2GLB formed on the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2, and the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B. The leaf spring 17 is configured such that the gap GP1 is larger than each of the gaps GP2 and GP3. In the illustrated example, the case 2 is configured such that the left front protuberance 2GLF, the right front protuberance 2GRF, the left rear protuberance 2GLB, and the right rear protuberance 2GRB have the same protuberance amount. That is, case 2 is configured so that the interval GP2 and the interval GP3 are the same.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14A, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that a gap GP4 larger than the thickness TK of the leaf spring 17 is formed between the lower surface of the vibration plate portion 17V and the lower surfaces of the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F.

[0091] In addition, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that the distance (height) between the underside of the diaphragm portion 17V and the upper end of the left base part BPL, and the distance (height) between the underside of the diaphragm portion 17V and the upper end of the right base part BPR are each the same height HT1.

[0092] In addition, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that the distance (height) between the underside of the front fixed plate portion 17F and the upper end of the left outer plate portion 17LF, and the distance (height) between the underside of the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the upper end of the right outer plate portion 17RF are each the same height HT2.

[0093] In addition, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that the distance (height) between the upper end and the lower end at the center of the left connection portion 17LC and the distance (height) between the upper end and the lower end at the center of the right connection portion 17RC are each the same height HT3.

[0094] Furthermore, the leaf spring 17 is configured so that the distance (height) between the upper end and lower end of the left overhanging portion OHL and the distance (height) between the upper end and lower end of the right overhanging portion OHR are the same height HT4.

[0095] 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the depth DP1 of the front fixing plate portion 17F in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) is smaller than the depth DP2 of the diaphragm portion 17V, and the depth DP3 of the rear fixing plate portion 17B in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) is smaller than the depth DP2 of the diaphragm portion 17V. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the depth DP1 and the depth DP3 are the same. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that the depth DP1 and the depth DP3 are different from each other. The leaf spring 17 may be configured such that at least one of the depth DP1 and the depth DP3 is larger than the depth DP2.

[0096] 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that, in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), a gap GP5 is formed between the front fixed plate portion 17F and the diaphragm portion 17V, and a gap GP6 is formed between the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the diaphragm portion 17V. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the gap GP5 and the gap GP6 are the same. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that the gap GP5 and the gap GP6 are different from each other. The leaf spring 17 may be configured such that the diaphragm portion 17V overlaps at least one of the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F in a non-contact state when viewed from above.

[0097] Also, as shown in FIG. 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the width W1 of the front fixed plate portion 17F in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) is smaller than the width W2 of the diaphragm portion 17V, and the width W3 of the rear fixed plate portion 17B in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) is smaller than the width W2 of the diaphragm portion 17V. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the front fixed plate portion 17F extends to the right beyond the dashed line L1, and the rear fixed plate portion 17B extends to the left beyond the dashed line L1. The dashed line L1 is a line parallel to the X-axis that passes through the center point CP of the leaf spring 17. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the width W1 and the width W3 are the same. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that the width W1 and the width W3 are different from each other.

[0098] 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that a gap GP7 is formed between the dashed line L2 and the front fixed plate portion 17F, and a gap GP8 is formed between the dashed line L2 and the rear fixed plate portion 17B. The dashed line L2 is a line that passes through the center point CP of the leaf spring 17 and is parallel to the Y-axis. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the gap GP7 and the gap GP8 are the same. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that the gap GP7 and the gap GP8 are different from each other.

[0099] The natural frequency of the vibrating portion VP can be adjusted to any value by changing the thickness TK, the protrusion amount PT1, the protrusion amount PT2, the heights HT1 to HT4, the intervals GP1 to GP8, and the widths W1 to W3.

[0100] In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17 is formed to have two-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the center point CP in the top view as shown in Fig. 14B. However, the leaf spring 17 may be formed to have rotational asymmetrical with respect to the center point CP.

[0101] The leaf spring 17 is configured such that the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R are perpendicular to the rear fixed plate portion 17B, the front fixed plate portion 17F, and the vibration plate portion 17V, respectively. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that at least one of the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R is non-perpendicular to the rear fixed plate portion 17B, the front fixed plate portion 17F, and the vibration plate portion 17V, respectively. For example, the leaf spring 17 may be configured such that at least one of the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R extends obliquely upward relative to the rear fixed plate portion 17B, the front fixed plate portion 17F, and the vibration plate portion 17V, respectively.

[0102] As described above, the vibration generating device 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing HS, a vibrating body VB housed within the housing HS, an elastic support member ES fixed to the housing HS and supporting the vibrating body VB so that it can vibrate, and a driving means DM that applies a vibration force to the vibrating body VB, as shown in, for example, Figures 2 and 3.

[0103] The leaf spring 17 as the elastic support member ES has a vibration plate portion 17V supporting the vibrator VB, a front fixed plate portion 17F arranged forward (X1 side) of the vibration plate portion 17V and fixed to the housing HS, a rear fixed plate portion 17B arranged rearward (X2 side) of the vibration plate portion 17V and fixed to the housing HS, a left elastic plate portion 17L as a flat first elastic plate portion connecting one end (Y1 side end) of the vibration plate portion 17V to the front fixed plate portion 17F, and a right elastic plate portion 17R as a flat second elastic plate portion connecting the other end (Y2 side end) of the vibration plate portion 17V to the rear fixed plate portion 17B. The left elastic plate portion 17L as the first elastic plate portion and the rear fixed plate portion 17B are separated, and the right elastic plate portion 17R as the second elastic plate portion and the front fixed plate portion 17F are separated. That is, the left elastic plate portion 17L and the rear fixed plate portion 17B are not directly connected, and the right elastic plate portion 17R and the front fixed plate portion 17F are not directly connected.

[0104] This configuration provides the effect of suppressing the vibration of the vibrating body VB in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) while ensuring a sufficient vibration width of the vibrating body VB in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction). This is because one end of the vibrating plate part 17V is fixed to the housing HS (bottom plate part 2B of the case 2) forward of the vibrating plate part 17V via the left elastic plate part 17L and the front fixing plate part 17F, and the other end of the vibrating plate part 17V is fixed to the housing HS (bottom plate part 2B of the case 2) rearward of the vibrating plate part 17V via the right elastic plate part 17R and the rear fixing plate part 17B. In other words, this is because one end of the vibrating plate part 17V is not directly connected to the rear fixing plate part 17B, and the other end of the vibrating plate part 17V is not directly connected to the front fixing plate part 17F.

[0105] Here, the effect of the leaf spring 17 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the difference between the leaf spring 17 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the leaf springs 27 and 37 as comparative examples. Specifically, the upper part of FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of the leaf spring 17 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The middle part of FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of the leaf spring 27 as a comparative example, and the lower part of FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of the leaf spring 37 as another comparative example. Note that the rear fixed plate part 27B, the front fixed plate part 27F, the left elastic plate part 27L, the right elastic plate part 27R, and the vibration plate part 27V of the leaf spring 27 correspond to the rear fixed plate part 17B, the front fixed plate part 17F, the left elastic plate part 17L, the right elastic plate part 17R, and the vibration plate part 17V of the leaf spring 17, respectively. In addition, the front fixed plate portion 37F, the left elastic plate portion 37L, the right elastic plate portion 37R, and the vibration plate portion 37V of the leaf spring 37 correspond to the front fixed plate portion 17F, the left elastic plate portion 17L, the right elastic plate portion 17R, and the vibration plate portion 17V of the leaf spring 17, respectively.

[0106] 15, welded portions WD1, WD2, WD11 to WD14, WD21, and WD22 indicate portions where welding is performed between the leaf spring and the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2. As shown in FIG.

[0107] Leaf spring 27 differs from leaf spring 17 mainly in that the left elastic plate portion 27L is connected not only to the front fixed plate portion 27F but also to the rear fixed plate portion 27B, and that the right elastic plate portion 27R is connected not only to the rear fixed plate portion 27B but also to the front fixed plate portion 27F.

[0108] That is, the leaf spring 27 is configured such that one end of the vibration plate portion 27V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B forward of the vibration plate portion 27V via the left elastic plate portion 27L and the front fixed plate portion 27F, and one end of the vibration plate portion 27V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B rearward of the vibration plate portion 27V via the left elastic plate portion 27L and the rear fixed plate portion 27B, and the other end of the vibration plate portion 27V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B forward of the vibration plate portion 27V via the right elastic plate portion 27R and the front fixed plate portion 27F, and the other end of the vibration plate portion 27V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B rearward of the vibration plate portion 27V via the right elastic plate portion 27R and the rear fixed plate portion 27B.

[0109] Therefore, the vibration generator including the leaf spring 27 has excessively high spring rigidity compared to the vibration generator 101 including the leaf spring 17, and there is a risk that the vibration amplitude of the vibrating body VB in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) will be excessively small. This is because the characteristic of the leaf spring 27 to suppress the vibration of the diaphragm part 37V in the left-right direction is strengthened compared to the leaf spring 17.

[0110] Furthermore, the leaf spring 37 differs from the leaf spring 17 mainly in that the leaf spring 37 does not have a rear fixed plate portion. Specifically, the leaf spring 37 differs from the leaf spring 17 mainly in that the right elastic plate portion 37R is connected to the front fixed plate portion 37F instead of the rear fixed plate portion.

[0111] In other words, the leaf spring 37 is configured such that one end of the vibration plate portion 17V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B forward of the vibration plate portion 37V via the left elastic plate portion 37L and the front fixed plate portion 37F, and the other end of the vibration plate portion 37V is fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B forward of the vibration plate portion 37V via the right elastic plate portion 37R and the front fixed plate portion 37F.

[0112] Therefore, the vibration generator including the leaf spring 37 has excessively small spring rigidity compared to the vibration generator 101 including the leaf spring 17, and there is a risk that the vibration body VB will vibrate excessively in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). This is because the leaf spring 37 is fixed to the bottom plate 2B only at the front of the diaphragm 37V, and is not fixed to the bottom plate 2B at the rear of the diaphragm 37V. In other words, the characteristic of the leaf spring 37 to suppress the vibration of the diaphragm 37V in the vertical direction is more limited than that of the leaf spring 17.

[0113] Furthermore, in the vibration generating device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the left elastic plate portion 17L may have, as shown in FIG. 3, a left inner plate portion 17LV extending upward (in the Z1 direction) from the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the vibration plate portion 17V via a fold FL1 formed along the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) at the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the vibration plate portion 17V, a left outer plate portion 17LF extending upward (in the Z1 direction) from one end (end on the Y1 side) of the front fixed plate portion 17F via a fold FL2 formed along the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) at one end (end on the Y1 side) of the front fixed plate portion 17F, and a left connection portion 17LC connecting the left inner plate portion 17LV and the left outer plate portion 17LF. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3, the right elastic plate portion 17R may have a right inner plate portion 17RV extending upward (in the Z1 direction) from the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V via a fold FR1 formed along the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) at the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the diaphragm portion 17V, a right outer plate portion 17RF extending upward (in the Z1 direction) from one end (end on the Y2 side) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B via a fold FR2 formed along the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) at one end (end on the Y2 side) of the rear fixed plate portion 17B, and a right connecting portion 17RC connecting the right inner plate portion 17RV and the right outer plate portion 17RF.

[0114] This configuration has the effect of facilitating the formation of the elastic support member ES, because the leaf spring 17 serving as the elastic support member ES can be formed, for example, by punching and bending a single metal plate made of nonmagnetic stainless steel or the like.

[0115] 14A, the left inner plate portion 17LV of the left elastic plate portion 17L may have a left overhanging portion OHL that overhangs rearward (in the X2 direction) beyond the diaphragm portion 17V. Similarly, the right inner plate portion 17RV of the right elastic plate portion 17R may have a right overhanging portion OHR that overhangs forward (in the X1 direction) beyond the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0116] This configuration brings about the effect of facilitating adjustment of the spring constant of the elastic support member ES, because it becomes easy to adjust the lengths of the left connecting portion 17LC and the right connecting portion 17RC in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction).

[0117] In the illustrated example, the vibration generator 101 is configured such that the left elastic plate 17L connects the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the vibration plate 17V to the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the front fixed plate 17F, and the right elastic plate 17R connects the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the vibration plate 17V to the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the rear fixed plate 17B. However, the vibration generator 101 may be configured such that the left elastic plate 17L connects the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the vibration plate 17V to the left end (end on the Y1 side) of the rear fixed plate 17B, and the right elastic plate 17R connects the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the vibration plate 17V to the right end (end on the Y2 side) of the front fixed plate 17F. In this case, the left overhang portion OHL may be configured to extend forward (in the X1 direction) beyond the diaphragm portion 17V, and the right overhang portion OHR may be configured to extend rearward (in the X2 direction) beyond the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 5, the vibration generating device 101 may be configured so that the distance GP1 between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B of the housing HS (case 2) and the lower surface of the vibration plate portion 17V is larger than the distance GP2 between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B of the housing HS (case 2) and the lower surface of the front fixing plate portion 17F, and also larger than the distance GP3 between the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B of the housing HS (case 2) and the lower surface of the rear fixing plate portion 17B.

[0119] This configuration provides the effect of suppressing or preventing contact between the lower yoke 16 and the rear fixed plate 17B. In particular, even in a configuration in which the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the lower yoke 16 protrudes rearward beyond the rear end (end on the X2 side) of the diaphragm 17V as shown in Fig. 12B, this configuration provides the effect of suppressing or preventing contact between the lower yoke 16 and the rear fixed plate 17B. Therefore, this configuration provides the effect of suppressing or preventing the generation of noise caused by contact between the lower yoke 16 and the rear fixed plate 17B.

[0120] This configuration also provides the effect of suppressing or preventing contact between diaphragm portion 17V and bottom plate portion 2B of case 2. Therefore, this configuration provides the effect of suppressing or preventing the generation of noise caused by contact between diaphragm portion 17V and bottom plate portion 2B of case 2.

[0121] The first elastic plate may include a plurality of parts, and the surfaces of the plurality of parts may be configured to be located on the same plane. Similarly, the second elastic plate may include a plurality of parts, and the surfaces of the plurality of parts may be configured to be located on the same plane. Specifically, the left elastic plate 17L as the first elastic plate may include a left inner plate 17LV, a left outer plate 17LF, and a left connecting portion 17LC, as shown in FIG. 3, and the surfaces of the left inner plate 17LV, the left outer plate 17LF, and the left connecting portion 17LC may be configured to be located on the same plane, as shown in FIG. 14B. Similarly, the right elastic plate 17R as the second elastic plate may include a right inner plate 17RV, a right outer plate 17RF, and a right connecting portion 17RC, as shown in FIG. 3, and the surfaces of the right inner plate 17RV, the right outer plate 17RF, and the right connecting portion 17RC may be configured to be located on the same plane, as shown in FIG. 14B.

[0122] This configuration has the effect of reducing the width of the vibration generator 101 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) because the width of the space occupied by each of the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) is approximately the same as the thickness TK of the leaf spring 17 (see FIG. 14A).

[0123] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications or substitutions may be applied to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, each of the features described with reference to the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined as long as there is no technical contradiction.

[0124] For example, in the above embodiment, the magnet 15 is a component of the vibrating body VB and the coil 12 is a component of the non-vibrating body NV, but the magnet 15 may be a component of the non-vibrating body NV and the coil 12 may be a component of the vibrating body VB. That is, in the vibration generator 101, for example, the coil 12 may vibrate together with the upper yoke 10 and the lower yoke 16, and the magnet 15 may be fixed to the bracket 11.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the front fixing plate portion 17F and the rear fixing plate portion 17B are located between the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R in a top view as shown in Fig. 14B. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured as shown in the upper part of Fig. 16.

[0126] Fig. 16 is a top view of another example of the configuration of the leaf spring 17, and corresponds to Fig. 14B. Specifically, the upper part of Fig. 16 is a top view of a leaf spring 17a which is another example of the configuration of the leaf spring 17.

[0127] More specifically, the leaf spring 17a shown in the upper part of Figure 16 differs from leaf spring 17 in that a front fixed plate portion 17F1, which is an example of a front fixed plate portion 17F, is located to the left (Y1 side) of the left elastic plate portion 17L, and a rear fixed plate portion 17B1, which is an example of a rear fixed plate portion 17B, is located to the right (Y2 side) of the right elastic plate portion 17R, but is otherwise the same as leaf spring 17.

[0128] The leaf spring 17a may be configured so that either the front fixed plate portion 17F1 or the rear fixed plate portion 17B1 is located between the left elastic plate portion 17L and the right elastic plate portion 17R.

[0129] 14B, the leaf spring 17 is configured such that the width W1 of the front fixed plate portion 17F and the width W3 of the rear fixed plate portion 17B are each larger than half the width W2 of the diaphragm portion 17V. However, the leaf spring 17 may be configured as shown in the middle and lower parts of FIG.

[0130] 16 is a top view of a leaf spring 17b which is yet another example of the leaf spring 17, and the bottom view of FIG. 16 is a top view of a leaf spring 17c which is yet another example of the leaf spring 17.

[0131] The leaf spring 17b shown in the middle of Fig. 16 is configured so that the width W11 of the front fixing plate 17F2, which is another example of the front fixing plate 17F, and the width W12 of the rear fixing plate 17B2, which is another example of the rear fixing plate 17B, are each less than half the width W2 of the diaphragm 17V. In the illustrated example, the leaf spring 17b is configured so that the width W11 and the width W12 are the same, but the width W11 and the width W12 may be configured so that they are different from each other. Furthermore, the width W11 and the width W12 may be configured so that they are half the width W2 of the diaphragm 17V.

[0132] 16 is configured so that the width W21 of a front fixed plate portion 17F3, which is yet another example of the front fixed plate portion 17F, and the width W22 of a rear fixed plate portion 17B3, which is yet another example of the rear fixed plate portion 17B, are the same as the width W2 of the diaphragm portion 17V. Note that the leaf spring 17c may be configured so that at least one of the width W21 of the front fixed plate portion 17F3 and the width W22 of the rear fixed plate portion 17B3 is greater than the width W2 of the diaphragm portion 17V.

[0133] In the above embodiment, the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F of the leaf spring 17 are fixed to the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2. However, the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F may be fixed to the ceiling surface of the cover 1 or the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 2A of the case 2 by welding or the like.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F of the leaf spring 17 are configured to extend parallel to the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B of the case 2. However, the rear fixed plate portion 17B and the front fixed plate portion 17F may be configured to be non-parallel to the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2B. For example, the front fixed plate portion 17F may be configured to extend parallel to the inner surface of the first side plate portion 2A1 of the case 2, and the rear fixed plate portion 17B may be configured to extend parallel to the inner surface of the third side plate portion 2A3 of the case 2.

[0135] In the above embodiment, the rear fixing plate 17B and the front fixing plate 17F of the leaf spring 17 are welded to the upper surface of the raised portion 2G formed on the bottom plate 2B of the case 2. However, if a gap GP4 (see FIG. 14A) is formed between the lower surface of the diaphragm 17V and the lower surfaces of the rear fixing plate 17B and the front fixing plate 17F, the raised portion 2G may be omitted. This is because the gap GP4 prevents the lower surface of the diaphragm 17V from contacting the upper surface of the bottom plate 2B of the case 2 even without the raised portion 2G. In this case, the rear fixing plate 17B and the front fixing plate 17F may be fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 2B by welding or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0136] 1 Cover 2 Case 2A Outer wall 2A1 First side plate 2A2 Second side plate 2A3 Third side plate 2A4 Fourth side plate 2B Bottom plate 2G Raised portion 2GLB Left rear raised portion 2GLF Left front raised portion 2GRB... Right rear raised part 2GRF... Right front raised part 2P... Support part 2P1... First support part 2P2... Second support part 2P3... Third support part 2P4... Fourth support part 10... Upper yoke 11... Bracket 11A... Connection part 11A1... First connection part 11A2...Second connection part 11A3...Third connection part 11A4...Fourth connection part 12...Coil 12E...Second end 12S...First end 13...Circuit board 13L...Left through conductor 13R...Right through conductor 14...Conductor 14E...One end 14L...Left conductor 14R... Right conductor 14S... One end 15... Magnet 16... Lower yoke 17, 27, 37... Leaf spring 17B, 17B1~17B3, 27B... Rear fixing plate part 17F, 17F1~17F3, 27F, 37F... Front fixing plate part 17L, 27L, 37L...Left elastic plate part 17LC...Left connection part 17LF...Left outer plate section 17LV...Left inner plate section 17R, 27R, 37R...Right elastic plate section 17RC...Right connection section 17RF...Right outer plate section 17RV...Right inner plate section 17V...Vibration plate section 50...Control circuit 51...Memory 52...Waveform generating circuit 101...Vibration generator BP...Bottom wall section CG...Center of gravity CN...Connector CTR...Control section DM...Drive means ED...External device ES...Elastic support member FL1, FL2, FR1, FR2...Folds HS...Housing LW...Left side wall section MF...Magnetic field line MF1...First magnetic field line MF2...Second magnetic field line MF3...Third magnetic field line MF4 Fourth magnetic field line NV Non-vibrating body OHL Left protrusion OHR Right protrusion PR Convex part RC Concave part RW Right side wall VA Vibrating axis VB Vibrating body VE Vibrating device VP Vibrating part WD1, WD2, WD11 to WD14, WD21, WD22 Welded parts

Claims

1. A housing and A vibrator housed in the housing; and an elastic support member fixed to the housing and supporting the vibrator so as to be vibrable in the left-right direction; A driving means for applying a vibration force to the vibrating body, The elastic support member is a diaphragm portion that supports the vibrator and has a plate surface that extends in a left-right direction and a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction; a front fixing plate portion that is disposed forward of the diaphragm portion in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and is fixed to the housing; a rear fixing plate portion that is disposed rearward of the diaphragm portion in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and is fixed to the housing; a first elastic plate portion having a flat shape connecting one end of the vibration plate portion, which is one of a left end and a right end, and the front fixing plate portion; a flat second elastic plate portion connecting the other end of the vibration plate portion to the rear fixing plate portion, The elastic support member is configured so as not to have any creases along the up-down direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, The first elastic plate portion and the rear fixing plate portion are not directly connected to each other, and the second elastic plate portion and the front fixing plate portion are not directly connected to each other. A vibration generating device characterized by:

2. A housing, A vibrator housed in the housing; and an elastic support member fixed to the housing and supporting the vibrator so as to be vibrable in the left-right direction; A driving means for applying a vibration force to the vibrating body, The elastic support member is a diaphragm portion that supports the vibrator and has a plate surface that extends in a left-right direction and a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction; a front fixing plate portion that is disposed forward of the diaphragm portion in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and is fixed to the housing; a rear fixing plate portion that is disposed rearward of the diaphragm portion in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and is fixed to the housing; a first elastic plate portion having a flat shape connecting one end of the vibration plate portion, which is one of a left end and a right end, and the front fixing plate portion; a flat second elastic plate portion connecting the other end of the vibration plate portion to the rear fixing plate portion, The first elastic plate portion and the rear fixing plate portion are not directly connected to each other, and the second elastic plate portion and the front fixing plate portion are not directly connected to each other. The first elastic plate portion is a left inner plate portion extending upward from the left end of the diaphragm portion in a vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction via a fold formed in the left end of the diaphragm portion along the front-rear direction; a left outer plate portion extending upward from one end of the front fixing plate portion or the rear fixing plate portion via a fold line formed in one end of the one of the front fixing plate portion or the rear fixing plate portion along a front-rear direction; a left connection portion that connects the left inner plate portion and the left outer plate portion, The second elastic plate portion is a right inner plate portion extending upward from the right end of the diaphragm portion via a fold formed in the right end of the diaphragm portion along the front-rear direction; a right outer plate portion extending upward from the other end of the front fixing plate portion and the rear fixing plate portion via a fold line formed in the other end of the front fixing plate portion and the rear fixing plate portion along the front-rear direction; a right connection portion that connects the right inner plate portion and the right outer plate portion, A vibration generating device characterized by:

3. the left inner plate portion has a left protruding portion that protrudes forward or rearward beyond the diaphragm portion, The right inner plate portion has a right protruding portion that protrudes forward or rearward from the diaphragm portion. The vibration generating device according to claim 2 .

4. A distance between an upper surface of the bottom plate portion of the housing and a lower surface of the diaphragm portion is larger than a distance between an upper surface of the bottom plate portion of the housing and a lower surface of the front fixing plate portion, and is also larger than a distance between an upper surface of the bottom plate portion of the housing and a lower surface of the rear fixing plate portion. The vibration generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The first elastic plate portion is configured to be positioned on one plane, The second elastic plate portion is configured to be positioned on one plane. The vibration generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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