Drive unit

Abstract

To provide a work module with a camera configured to change a direction of a work tool, which can be reduced in size and reduced in weight.SOLUTION: A work module 100 with a camera comprises: a photographing device 300 that photographs a work area of a gripper 200; a tool rotating device 700 that supports the gripper 200 and rotates the gripper 200 with respect to the work area; and a pedestal member 450 that supports the tool rating device 700 and the photographing device 300. The photographing device 300 is unrotatably held on the pedestal member 450 and is arranged on a rotation shaft of the gripper 200 by the tool rotating device 700.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides Drive unit Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, micromanipulators have been used for picking up and assembling minute parts, manipulating cells, and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The micromanipulator in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a microgripper having multiple gripping arms that can be opened and closed as a working tool to grip a minute object to be grasped. In addition to the microgripper, other working tools that can be used for the micromanipulator include, for example, a pipette and a syringe needle.

[0003] In addition, in Patent Document 1, because the object to be grasped is minute, a camera is provided that captures an image of the object to be grasped through a microscope, and the operator can operate the grasping arm by referring to the image output on a display. Also, the manipulator in Patent Document 1 is equipped with an attitude change mechanism that can move the microgripper in an arc around the tip of the grasping arm as the center, and an XYZ movement mechanism that moves the microgripper and attitude change mechanism in three dimensions, and is configured so that the attitude of the tip of the grasping arm can be changed within the field of view of the microscope.

[0004] Meanwhile, there is a driving device that uses a piezoelectric element as a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical work. The present applicant has proposed a driving device in which a piezoelectric element is attached to one end of a drive shaft supported by a guide member and a restraining member, and the drive shaft is moved axially by expanding and contracting the piezoelectric element (see Patent Document 2). In such a driving device, a sawtooth wave single pulse or continuous pulse is applied to the piezoelectric element, changing the state of the contact surface between the drive shaft and a moving body or support that frictionally engages with the drive shaft between a stick state and a slip state, thereby moving the drive shaft and the moving body or support relative to each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-342844 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-128360 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to improve the design freedom and versatility of use of a drive device having a support unit with a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft and a moving body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the support unit.

[0007] [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] reference The technical objective of the invention is to realize a compact and lightweight work module with a camera that can change the orientation of a work tool.

[0009] reference The camera-equipped work module of the invention comprises an imaging device that images the working area of ​​a work tool, a tool rotation device that supports the work tool and rotates it relative to the working area, and a base member that supports the tool rotation device and the imaging device, wherein the imaging device is held non-rotatably on the base member and is positioned on the rotation axis of the work tool caused by the tool rotation device. Here, the configuration in which "the imaging device is arranged on the rotation axis of the work tool" includes not only a configuration in which the optical axis of the imaging device and the rotation axis of the work tool are aligned, but also a configuration in which the optical axis of the imaging device and the rotation axis of the work tool are not aligned (shifted).

[0010] referenceAccording to the camera-equipped work module of the invention, the tool rotation device can change the attitude (orientation) of the work tool, improving the reliability and accuracy of work. Furthermore, since the tool rotation device and imaging device are mounted on the base member and the imaging device is positioned on the axis of rotation of the work tool caused by the tool rotation device, a mechanism for moving the imaging device relative to the axis of rotation of the work tool is not required, resulting in a compact, lightweight, and highly workable camera-equipped work module. By making the camera-equipped work module compact and lightweight in this way, it can be attached to a small robot with low driving force. Furthermore, since the imaging device is held non-rotatably by the base member, even if the work tool is rotated by the tool rotation device, the image captured by the imaging device does not rotate, providing excellent operability for the operator.

[0011] Also, reference According to the camera-equipped work module of the invention, the work tool, tool rotation device, and image capture device are assembled into a single base member to form a module, making it easy to incorporate the work tool, tool rotation device, and image capture device into various robots with movement mechanisms. reference In the camera-equipped work module of the invention, the work tool can be operated while viewing the image captured by the imaging device. By preparing a camera-equipped work module with the optical axis of the imaging device and the working area of ​​the work tool (for example, the tip of the work tool) already adjusted, the work tool and imaging device can be quickly and easily attached to the robot. reference The camera-equipped work module of the invention can be made smaller and lighter, making it possible to attach it to a small robot with a small driving force. Also, by passing the optical axis of the lens of the imaging device through the working area of ​​the work tool, the working area of ​​the work tool can be observed in an image area that is less affected by lens aberration.

[0012] reference In the camera-equipped work module of the invention, the imaging device may include a lens driving device that moves the lens along the optical axis by vibrating a piezoelectric element for driving the lens, and an imaging element that receives light that has passed through the lens.

[0013] According to this aspect, since the lens is moved by the vibration of the lens-driving piezoelectric element, the configuration of the lens driving device can be simplified, and the lens driving device can be made smaller and lighter, which in turn can realize a smaller and lighter imaging device, and ultimately a smaller and lighter camera-equipped work module.

[0014] In an aspect equipped with the above-mentioned lens driving device and image pickup element, the wiring member extending from the image pickup element may be arranged to avoid the rotational range of the work tool, and the lens driving shaft of the lens driving device may be arranged to the side of the image pickup element.

[0015] According to this aspect, the wiring member can be prevented from interfering with the rotation of the work tool by the tool rotation device, while the lens driving device can be placed by effectively utilizing the empty space to the side of the imaging element, thereby realizing a more compact work module with a camera.

[0016] In addition, in an aspect equipped with the above-mentioned lens driving device and image sensor, the lens driving shaft of the lens driving device may be arranged on an extension of the optical axis of the lens at a position opposite the lens with respect to the image sensor.

[0017] According to this aspect, the planar size of the imaging device can be reduced, and therefore the planar size of the camera-equipped work module can be reduced.

[0018] reference In the camera-equipped work module of the invention, an example of the work tool is a gripper having gripping arms that open and close.

[0019] According to this aspect, the gripper can grip and operate the object to be gripped, and the gripper's posture (orientation) can be changed using the tool rotation device, making it possible to realize a compact, lightweight, and more workable camera-equipped work module.

[0020] The gripping arm of the gripper may extend obliquely downward so that the optical axis of the imaging device intersects with the extending direction of the gripping arm.

[0021] According to this aspect, the gripper and the imaging device can be arranged compactly, and the length of the gripping arm can be shortened as much as possible to ensure the strength of the gripping arm. Also, since the gripping arm extends diagonally downward, a space is formed below the gripper (below the base end of the gripping arm), so that parts other than the tip end of the gripping arm (the part that grips the object to be gripped) can be prevented from colliding with the object to be gripped, improving the operability of the gripper device. Note that the direction from the imaging device toward the work area along the optical axis of the imaging device is downward.

[0022] The lens and the imaging element of the imaging device may be a first lens and a first imaging element, and the imaging device may further include a second lens and a second imaging element that images the working area with an optical axis tilted relative to the optical axis of the first lens, and the second lens may be fixed in position relative to the second imaging element.

[0023] According to this aspect, the imaging device includes two imaging elements that capture images of the work area of ​​the work tool. This allows the user to perform a gripping operation while viewing a stereo image of the work object placed in the work area, improving operability. Furthermore, for example, the image captured by one imaging element can be used to locate the work object, and when manipulating the work object with the work tool, the user can perform the gripping operation while viewing the stereo images captured by the two imaging elements, resulting in excellent operability. Furthermore, because the second lens is fixed in position relative to the second imaging element, the imaging device including the second lens and the second imaging element can be formed with a simple configuration. This allows the present embodiment to achieve a compact camera-equipped work module while still being capable of capturing stereo images. Note that this embodiment does not exclude a configuration in which the second lens is movable relative to the second imaging element and has a variable focal length. Furthermore, the second lens may be composed of multiple lenses.

[0024] The wiring member extending from the first imaging element may be arranged to avoid the rotational range of the work tool, and the second lens and the second imaging element may be arranged in a position overlapping with the wiring member in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the work tool.

[0025] According to this aspect, the second lens and the second imaging element can be disposed by utilizing dead space without reducing the rotational range of the work tool, and an increase in the size of the camera-equipped work module can be suppressed.

[0026] reference The working device with a camera of the invention is reference The device comprises a camera-equipped work module of the invention and a movement mechanism for moving the base member of the camera-equipped work module.

[0027] reference According to the camera-equipped work device of the present invention, reference Because it is equipped with the camera-equipped work module of the invention, the entire camera-equipped work device can be made smaller and lighter, and the camera-equipped work module can be moved while the imaging device of the camera-equipped work module captures an image of the object to be grasped, thereby aligning the object to be grasped in the working area of ​​the work tool.

[0028] reference In the camera-equipped work device of the invention, the movement mechanism may include a drive device having a first support unit having a pair of piezoelectric elements fixed to both ends of a drive shaft, and a first movable body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the first support unit, and the base member of the camera-equipped work module may be connected to the first movable body unit, and the first movable body unit may be moved in the axial direction of the drive shaft by driving both or one of the pair of piezoelectric elements.

[0029] The moving mechanism may also include a drive device having a second moving body unit having a pair of piezoelectric elements fixed to both ends of a drive shaft, and a second support unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the second moving body unit to support the second moving body unit, and the base member of the camera-equipped work module may be connected to the second moving body unit, and the second moving body unit may be moved in the axial direction of the drive shaft by driving both or one of the pair of piezoelectric elements.

[0030] In the above two embodiments, the drive device vibrates the drive shaft in the axial direction by vibration of a piezoelectric element that converts an electrical signal (drive pulse) into mechanical vibration, thereby moving with high resolution and positioning with high precision the first movable body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the first support unit, or the second movable body unit that has a drive shaft that is frictionally engaged and supported by the second support unit.

[0031] Furthermore, in these embodiments, since the drive device has a piezoelectric element fixed to each end of the drive shaft, it is possible to, for example, drive the piezoelectric elements simultaneously to improve the movement speed and drive force of the movable unit, or drive only one of the piezoelectric elements to improve the controllability and accuracy of the movable unit. Therefore, in this embodiment, by connecting the base member of the camera-equipped work module to the movable unit directly or via another member or mechanism, it is possible to move and position the work tool of the camera-equipped work module to a desired position quickly and accurately with high resolution.

[0032] The drive device may include a device holding section that connects the first support unit to a base while holding the first support unit so that it can vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft, a unit positioning body that faces an end of the first support unit on an extension of the axial direction of the drive shaft, and an elastic body that urges the other end of the first support unit toward one end so that the other end of the first support unit is urged toward the unit positioning body.

[0033] According to this aspect, the drive shaft of the first support unit can be connected to the base in a state in which it can vibrate in its axial direction, and vibrations generated by driving the piezoelectric element can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft. Furthermore, the first support unit can be held in position by the repulsive force (elastic force) of the elastic body and can be vibrated in the axial direction of the drive shaft, and vibrations generated by driving the piezoelectric element can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft.

[0034] The drive device may include a device holding portion that connects the first support unit to a base while holding the first support unit so that it can vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft, and the device holding portion may include a holding portion-side convex portion or concave portion that engages with a unit-side concave portion or convex portion provided on the first support unit.

[0035] According to this aspect, the drive shaft of the first support unit can be connected to the base in a state in which it can vibrate in its axial direction, and vibrations generated by driving the piezoelectric element can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft. Furthermore, by engaging the holder-side convex or concave portion with the unit-side concave or convex portion, the first support unit can be positioned with a simple configuration.

[0036] The driving device may drive the pair of piezoelectric elements simultaneously or selectively depending on the positional relationship between the moving body unit and the support unit.

[0037] According to this aspect, in the above embodiment in which the first movable body unit is frictionally engaged with the drive shaft of the first support unit, the movement speed and drive force can be varied and controllability and accuracy can be improved depending on the position of the first movable body unit within the range in which the first movable body unit can reciprocate on the drive shaft. Also, in the above embodiment in which the drive shaft of the second movable body unit is frictionally engaged with the second support unit, the movement speed and drive force can be varied and controllability and accuracy can be improved depending on the position of the second movable body unit relative to the second support unit.

[0038] The movable body unit moves within a predetermined stroke range along the axial direction of the drive shaft, and when it is located in the central region of the stroke, both of the pair of piezoelectric elements are driven, when it is located in one end region of the stroke near one of the piezoelectric elements, only one of the piezoelectric elements is driven, and when it is located in the other end region of the stroke near the other piezoelectric element, only the other piezoelectric element is driven.

[0039] According to this aspect, when the movable body unit is located in the stroke center region, both piezoelectric elements are driven simultaneously, thereby improving the movement speed and driving force of the movable body unit. Furthermore, when the movable body unit is located in the stroke end region closer to one or the other piezoelectric element, only the piezoelectric element closer to the movable body unit is driven, thereby preventing the drive (vibration) of the piezoelectric element farther from the movable body unit from impeding the movement of the movable body unit. Furthermore, since the movement of the movable body unit is controlled only by driving the piezoelectric element closer to the movable body unit, it becomes easier to design the circuit and drive waveform of the drive unit that supplies drive waveforms to the piezoelectric elements, and it is possible to improve the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the movable body unit in the stroke end region.

[0040] One of the pair of piezoelectric elements may be used as a driving piezoelectric element, and the two terminals of the other piezoelectric element may be short-circuited.

[0041] According to this aspect, one of the piezoelectric elements acts as a vibration absorber, thereby reducing the influence of reflected waves from the end opposite to the end of the drive shaft to which the other driving piezoelectric element is connected, thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the moving body unit.

[0042] One of the pair of piezoelectric elements may be a driving piezoelectric element, and may be provided with a switch that short-circuits two terminals of the other piezoelectric element when the first moving body unit or the second support unit approaches the other piezoelectric element.

[0043] According to this aspect, when the first moving body unit or the second support unit is located in a stroke region distant from the driving piezoelectric element, the switch shorts the two terminals of the other piezoelectric element, thereby reducing the influence of reflected waves from the end of the drive shaft on the side of the other piezoelectric element when the driving piezoelectric element is driven (vibrated). This improves the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the first moving body unit or the second support unit in the stroke region distant from the driving piezoelectric element. For example, it is possible to achieve a long stroke by increasing the axial length of the drive shaft and thereby increasing the stroke of the first moving body unit or the second support unit.

[0044] The moving mechanism includes a drive device having a support unit having a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft, and a moving body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the support unit, and the drive device has a portion of the support unit closer to the piezoelectric element that is cantilevered on a base, and a cylindrical output member covering the other end of the support unit is connected to the moving body unit, and the base member of the camera-equipped work module is connected to the moving body unit via the output member, so that the moving body unit and the output member are moved in the axial direction of the drive shaft by driving the piezoelectric element.

[0045] According to this aspect, the rigidity of the output member can be increased by making the output member cylindrical. For example, if the output member has an end face portion that faces the end face on the other end side of the support unit and closes the tip-end opening of the output member, the rigidity of the cylindrical output member can be further increased. Note that the support unit may also have a piezoelectric element fixed to the other end side of the drive shaft. In this case, the output member is arranged to cover the piezoelectric element on the other end side.

[0046] The present invention A driving device having a support unit with a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft, and a moving body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the support unit. And The drive shaft is cantilevered on a base at a portion closer to the piezoelectric element. ,beforeThe piezoelectric element is driven to move the moving unit in the axial direction of the drive shaft. It is something .

[0047] The present invention According to the present invention, the support unit has a cantilever support on the base at the portion of the drive shaft closest to the piezoelectric element, thereby expanding the space in which the object to be moved connected to the moving body unit can be placed, thereby improving design freedom and versatility of use. Furthermore, since the moment applied to the drive shaft by an external force is not applied to the joint between the piezoelectric element and the drive shaft, the vibration of the piezoelectric element can be stably transmitted to the drive shaft, ensuring the driving stability of the drive device.

[0048] Furthermore, the device holding portion that cantilevers the portion of the drive shaft closest to the piezoelectric element may be configured to include a fixing portion that fixes the drive shaft, and a regulating portion that extends from the fixing portion in the opposite direction to the piezoelectric element and is positioned opposite the side of the drive shaft.

[0049] According to this aspect, the device holding part securely connects the portion of the drive shaft closest to the piezoelectric element to the base material at the fixed part, and when an external force moment is applied to the drive shaft, the fixed part and regulating part suppress the rotation of the drive shaft, thereby preventing damage to the device holding part and drive shaft due to force concentration on the fixed part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0050] The present invention provides A driving device having a support unit with a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft and a moving body unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the support unit, which improves the degree of freedom in design and versatility of use. can. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0051] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a gripper device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a control system of the gripper device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an extension / retraction drive device in the gripper device. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B show a gripper module, where (A) is a left side view and (B) is a front view. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the gripper module. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gripper module. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the lens driving device of the gripper module. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the gripper module. [Figure 9] 1A, 1B, and 1C are a plan view, a side view, and a bottom view, respectively, of an imaging device. [Figure 10] 1A is an exploded perspective view of the imaging device, FIG. 1B is a plan view of the lens driving device, and FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of the lens driving device. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a gripper, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a front view. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the inside of the gripper. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are plan views showing modified examples of the gripper. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining the friction engagement structure between the arm-driving vibration unit and the gripping arm, in which (A) is a separated perspective view and (B) is a perspective view of the assembled state. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B show another embodiment of the gripper module, in which FIG. 10A is a side view and FIG. 10B is a front view with a partial cross section. [Figure 16] 1A shows an imaging device according to the embodiment, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a side view showing a partial cross section, and (C) is a bottom view. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a modified example of the gripper device. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a modified example of the driving device, in which (A) is a front view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 19] 10 is a side view showing a modified example of the connection configuration between the piezoelectric element and the drive shaft in the drive device. FIG. [Figure 20] 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the drive control of the drive device. FIG. [Figure 21]FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining another example of the drive device. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining still another example of the drive device. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining still another example of the drive device. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining still another example of the drive device. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining still another example of the drive device. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining still another example of the drive device. [Figure 27] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of a drive device. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining another example of an embodiment of a drive device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] Below, reference A gripper module and a gripper device, which are embodiments of the camera-equipped work module and camera-equipped work device of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the gripper device. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the control system of the gripper device. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the extension drive device in the gripper device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the gripper module, with (A) being a left side view and (B) being a front view. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the tool rotation device of the gripper module. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gripper module. FIG. 7 is an enlarged conceptual view showing the gripper module from a side view, with (A) showing the imaging state of a close-range field of view and (B) showing the imaging state of a long-range field of view. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the gripper module. FIG. 9 is a view showing the imaging device, with (A) being a plan view, (B) being a side view, and (C) being a bottom view. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an imaging device, in which (A) is an exploded perspective view of the imaging device, (B) is a plan view of a lens driving device, and (C) is an exploded perspective view of the lens driving device.

[0053] In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (such as "left and right," "front and back," and "up and down") are used as necessary, but these terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the gripper is an example of a work tool, and other work tools such as a pipette or syringe needle can also be provided on the work module with a camera.

[0054] 1, gripper device 1000 of this embodiment includes three-axis operation drive device 500 (an example of a movement mechanism) that moves gripper module 100 in three orthogonal axis directions. Gripper module 100 is attached to the tip of drive shaft 504 (drive shaft 504 of telescopic drive device 501C) of three-axis operation drive device 500 that can move in three axes.

[0055] As also shown in Figures 2 and 4 to 8, the gripper module 100 includes a gripper 200 (an example of a work tool) having a pair of gripping arms 220 that open and close due to the vibration of an arm-driving piezoelectric element 210, an imaging device 300 that images the working area of ​​the gripping arms 220 of the gripper 200 (the position where the gripping arms 220 grip the object to be gripped), a tool rotation device 700 that supports the gripper 200 and rotates the gripper 200 relative to the working area, and a base member 450 that supports the tool rotation device 700 and the imaging device 300.

[0056] The base member 450 is fixed to the tip of the drive shaft 504 of the telescopic drive device 501C. The gripper 200 has a pair of gripping arms 220 that open and close in response to the vibration of the arm-driving piezoelectric element 210. The imaging device 300 is held non-rotatably by the base member 450, and is disposed on the rotation axis of the gripper 200 rotated by the tool rotation device 700.

[0057] 8 and other figures, base member 450 is made of metal or resin and has a downwardly convex shape, with tool rotation device 700 attached to base front portion 451 and imaging device 300 attached to base lower portion 452 that protrudes downward. Gripper module 100 is attached to three-axis operation drive device 500 by fitting and fixing a tip end of drive shaft 504 of telescopic drive device 501C into mounting hole 453 with front and rear openings provided in the center of base member 450. Note that the method of connecting base member 450 and the tip end of drive shaft 504 may be, for example, adhesive or screw fastening, but is not particularly limited thereto.

[0058] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tool rotation device 700 has a rotation device main body 701 fixed to the base front portion 451, a motor 710 attached to the rotation device 701 main body with the motor output shaft 711 facing downward, and a tool mounting member 720 attached to the motor output shaft 711 so as not to be able to rotate relative to it and which rotates around the motor output shaft 711.

[0059] The rotating device main body 701 is made of metal or resin, has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is firmly fixed to the base front surface 451 of the base member 450 by left and right screws 730 inserted from the front into front and rear opening screw insertion holes provided on the left and right edges.

[0060] The motor 710 is, for example, equipped with a reducer, has a cylindrical shape, and is inserted into a motor holder 702 having a circular hole with top and bottom openings provided in the rotation device main body 701 and fixed therein, for example, with an adhesive. The tip end of the motor output shaft 711 is rotatably supported in a shaft support hole 704 provided in a forward-facing L-shaped output shaft support part 703 that hangs down from the rear edge of the underside of the rotation device main body 701. The motor output shaft 711 is inserted in a non-rotatable output shaft insertion hole 722 that is provided with top and bottom openings in a rotation base end part 721 of a tool mounting member 720 that is disposed between the underside of the rotation device main body 701 and the output shaft support part 703 and fixed therein, for example, with an adhesive.

[0061] Tool mounting portion 723 provided at the tip of tool mounting member 720 has the shape of a generally trapezoidal pillar with a front surface inclined diagonally downward, and is formed wider than rotation base end portion 721. Gripper 200 is attached to a front surface 724 of tool mounting portion 723 with gripper mounting screws 205, and a pair of left and right gripping arms 220 that can be opened and closed in the left-right direction extend diagonally downward. The tips of the left and right gripping arms 220 are positioned below motor output shaft 711 when closed.

[0062] The tool mounting member 720 is not fixed to the rotation device main body 701, and rotates around the motor output shaft 711 as the motor output shaft 711 rotates. In other words, the rotation axis of the gripper 200 fixed to the tool mounting member 720 coincides with the axis of the motor output shaft 711. The allowable rotation range of the tool mounting member 720 is restricted by the output shaft support portion 703 of the rotation device main body 701. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the tool mounting member 720 is provided so as to be rotatable within a range of approximately 180 degrees.

[0063] 6 to 10 , the imaging device 300 includes an imaging device main body 302 fixed to a lower base 452 of a base member 450, a lens driving device 310 that moves the lens 301 along the optical axis L, and an imaging element 330 that receives light that has passed through the lens 301. A pair of left and right fixing parts 303 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided upright upward at rear positions on the left and right edges of the upper surface of the metal or resin imaging device main body 302, and the left and right fixing parts 303 sandwich the lower base 452 of the base member 450 between them, and the fixing parts 303 and the lower base 452 are connected to each other by left and right screws 308, thereby firmly fixing the imaging device main body 302 to the base member 450.

[0064] The front half of the imaging device main body 302 extends below the rotation device main body 701, and the imaging element 330 held by the imaging device main body 302 is disposed below the motor output shaft 711. A lens 301 is disposed below the imaging element 330 and is movable up and down by the operation of a lens driving device 310 held by the imaging device main body 302. In this embodiment, the optical axis L of the lens 301 is provided on the rotation axis of the gripper 200 (on the axis of the motor output shaft 711). In other words, the imaging device 300 is held non-rotatably by the base member 450, and the lens 301 and the imaging element 330 are disposed on the rotation axis of the gripper 200 (work tool) rotated by the tool rotation device 700. The gripping arm 220 of the gripper 200 is rotatable about the optical axis L by the drive of the tool rotation device 700.

[0065] Furthermore, in the imaging device 300, a second imaging element 340 and a second lens 341 are provided on a second camera mount seat 304 that extends downward from the rear part of the lower surface of the imaging device main body 302. The second lens 341 is fixed in position with respect to the second imaging element 340. The optical axis LA of the second lens 341 passes through the working area of ​​the gripper 200, and the second imaging element 340 and the second lens 341 are provided so as to focus on the working area of ​​the gripper 200.

[0066] According to the gripper module 100 of this embodiment, the tool rotation device 700 can change the attitude (orientation) of the gripper 200, improving the reliability and accuracy of work. Furthermore, the tool rotation device 700 and the imaging device 300 are mounted on the base member 450, and the imaging device 300 is positioned on the axis of rotation of the gripper 200 caused by the tool rotation device 700. This eliminates the need for a mechanism to move the imaging device 300 relative to the axis of rotation of the gripper 200, resulting in a compact, lightweight, and highly user-friendly camera-equipped work module. By making the gripper module 100 compact and lightweight, it can be mounted on a small robot with low driving force. Furthermore, because the imaging device 300 is non-rotatably held by the base member 450, even if the gripper 200 is rotated by the tool rotation device 700, the image captured by the imaging device 300 does not rotate, providing excellent operability for the operator.

[0067] In this embodiment, by extending the gripping arm 220 diagonally downward so that the optical axis L of the imaging device 300 intersects with the extension direction of the gripping arm 220 of the gripper 200, the gripper 200 and the imaging device 300 can be arranged compactly, and the length of the gripping arm 220 can be made as short as possible to ensure the strength of the gripping arm 220. Furthermore, by extending the gripping arm 220 diagonally downward, a space is formed below the gripper 200 (below the base end of the gripping arm 220), and therefore, parts other than the tip end of the gripping arm 220 (the part that grips the object to be gripped) can be prevented from colliding with the object to be gripped, improving the operability of the gripper device 1000.

[0068] Furthermore, with the gripper module 100, the gripper 200 and the tool rotation device 700 are assembled together with the imaging device 300 onto one tool mounting member 720 to form a module, which makes it easy to incorporate the gripper 200, the tool rotation device 700, and the imaging device 300 into various robots having movement mechanisms (in this embodiment, the three-axis operation drive device 500). Furthermore, with the gripper module 100, the position of the gripping arm 220 of the gripper 200 can be adjusted while viewing the image captured by the imaging device 300. Then, by preparing a gripper module 100 in which the optical axis L of the imaging device 300, the rotation axis of the gripper 200 defined by the tool rotation device 700, and the position of the gripper 200's gripping arm 220 have already been adjusted, the gripper 200, the tool rotation device 700, and the imaging device 300 can be quickly and easily attached to a robot (for example, the three-axis operation drive device 500).

[0069] In addition, in the gripper module 100, the optical axis L of the lens 301 of the imaging device 300 passes through the working area of ​​the gripping arm 220, so the working area of ​​the gripping arm can be observed in an image area where the influence of the aberration of the lens 301 is small, improving the ease and accuracy of gripping work by the gripping arm 220.

[0070] Furthermore, since the imaging device 300 of the gripper module 100 is equipped with two imaging elements 330, 340 that capture images of the working area of ​​the gripper 200, a gripping operation can be performed while viewing a stereo image of an object to be grasped placed in the working area, improving operability. Furthermore, the image captured by the imaging element 330, whose optical axis L is aligned in the vertical direction, is used to search for the object to be grasped, and when gripping the object with the gripper 200, the gripping operation can be performed while viewing the stereo images captured by the two imaging elements 330, 340.

[0071] Next, the three-axis operation drive device 500 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the three-axis operation drive device 500 includes an extension drive device 501A for the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) that is fixed at one end on a base 550, an extension drive device 501B for the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) that is fixed to the other end that serves as the output side of the extension drive device 501A, an extension drive device 501C for the front-back direction (X-axis direction) that is fixed to the output side of the extension drive device 501B, and an output member 502 that is fixed to the output side of the extension drive device 501C. The extension drive devices 501A to 501C each have the same configuration, and extend and retract by sliding a drive shaft 504 of a moving body unit 503 in the axial direction relative to a housing 505.

[0072] Telescopic drive device 501A is disposed such that the axial direction of drive shaft 504 runs along the vertical direction, and the lower end of housing 505 is fixed to base 550, standing upright from base 550. By sliding movable body unit 503 up and down from the upper end side of housing 505, output member 502 connected via telescopic drive devices 501B and 501C moves up and down. That is, telescopic drive device 501A moves gripper module 100 fixed to output member 502 along optical axis L of imaging device 300. As a result, while imaging the object to be grasped with imaging device 300, gripper module 100 can be moved up and down, and the tip of gripping arm 220 of gripper 200 can be aligned with the object to be grasped.

[0073] The extension drive device 501B has the output side (right side) of the housing 505 fixed to the output side of the upper end of the movable body unit 503 of the extension drive device 501A, and is disposed horizontally in the left-right direction relative to the base 550, and moves the output member 502 connected via the extension drive device 501C in the left-right direction by sliding the movable body unit 503 left and right from the right end of the housing 505. The extension drive device 501C has the output side (front side) of the housing 505 fixed to the output side of the upper end of the movable body unit 503 of the extension drive device 501B, and is disposed horizontally in the front-rear direction relative to the base 550, and moves the output member 502 connected to the front end of the movable body unit 503 in the front-rear direction by sliding the movable body unit 503 back and forth from the front end of the housing 505.

[0074] Next, the schematic configuration of the extension / retraction drive devices 501A to 501C will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Hereinafter, the extension / retraction drive devices 501A to 501C will be simply referred to as extension / retraction drive device 501. The extension / retraction drive device 501 includes a moving body unit 503, a support unit 506 that supports the moving body unit 503, and a piezoelectric element 507 that converts an electrical signal into mechanical vibration. The moving body unit 503 moves relative to the support unit 506 due to the vibration of the piezoelectric element 507. The extension / retraction drive controller 508 supplies a sawtooth wave drive pulse to the piezoelectric element 507 to vibrate the drive shaft 504 in the axial direction.

[0075] The movable body unit 503 has an axial configuration, and a piezoelectric element 507 is fixed to one end of a drive shaft 504, while an output member 502 is fixed to the other end of the drive shaft 504. The movable body unit 503 is disposed inside the cylindrical housing 505 such that the output member 502 fixed to the other end of the drive shaft 504 is disposed outside the housing 505, and is supported by a support unit 506 inside the housing 505 so that the drive shaft 504 has a degree of freedom only in the axial direction (sliding direction). The output member 502 moves along the axial direction of the drive shaft 504 in accordance with the sliding movement of the movable body unit 503, outside the extension direction (axial direction) of the housing 505.

[0076] 2, each of the extension / retraction drive devices 501A to 501C is electrically connected to an extension / retraction drive controller 508. The gripper 200 of the gripper module 100, the lens drive device 310 of the imaging device 300, and the motor 710 of the tool rotation device 700 are electrically connected to a module controller 101 that supplies sawtooth wave drive pulses to the arm drive piezoelectric element 210 and the lens drive piezoelectric element 311, and supplies drive power to the motor 710.

[0077] These controllers 101 and 508 are electrically connected to a PC 1001, which is a personal computer that constitutes the control device. Also, the imaging element 330 of the imaging device 300 of the gripper module 100 is electrically connected to the PC 1001. The PC 1001 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes various arithmetic processes and controls, a storage device including a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores control programs and various data and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores the control programs and various data, an input interface, etc. The PC 1001 controls the gripper 200 and the telescopic drive devices 501A to 501C via the controllers 101 and 508 so that they perform the desired operations.

[0078] The PC 1001 is configured to be able to display images acquired by the image sensors 330 and 340 of the imaging device 300 on a monitor 1002 as a display device. The PC 1001 also drives a lens driving device 310 that moves the lens 301 via the module controller 101 to perform autofocus control so that the image acquired by the image sensor 330 of the imaging device 300 is in focus. This allows the object to be focused on no matter what height the object is located at between the near field of view Fs around the working area of ​​the gripper 200 as shown in FIG. 7(A) and the far field of view Fl below the working area as shown in FIG. 7(B).

[0079] Furthermore, when adjusting the height position of the object to be grasped relative to the gripper module 100, the image acquired by the second image sensor 340 and the second lens 341, whose optical axis LA passes diagonally through the working area and is focused on the working area, is used to move the gripper module 100 and the object to be grasped relative to each other so that the object to be grasped is in focus, thereby enabling the object to be accurately and reliably positioned in the working area of ​​the gripper 200. Note that a lens driving device may be provided that moves the second lens 341 along the optical axis LA, so that the images acquired by the second image sensor 340 and the second lens 341 are in focus even at positions other than the working area. As the lens driving device that moves the second lens 341, for example, one having a configuration similar to that of the lens driving device 310 may be used.

[0080] To explain an example of the gripping operation of the gripper device 1000 to grasp an object to be grasped, while operating the imaging device 300, the gripper module 100 is moved by driving the three-axis operation drive device 500 to search for the object to be grasped in the long-distance field of view Fl. Then, while focusing on the found object to be grasped, the gripper module 100 is moved by driving the three-axis operation drive device 500 so that the object to be grasped is positioned in the working area (near-distance field of view Fs) of the gripper arm 220 of the gripper 200, and after the tool rotation device 700 has changed the gripper arm 220 of the gripper 200 to a desired posture (orientation), the gripper arm 220 is driven to grasp the object to be grasped.

[0081] It is also possible to poke, move, or rotate the object to be gripped with the tip of gripper 200. It is also possible to attach a needle-shaped member such as a capillary instead of the gripping arm of the gripper, and perform the operation of puncturing the object with the needle-shaped member while viewing the image captured by imaging device 300 by focusing on the object to be punctured, such as a cell.

[0082] As described above, the gripper device 1000 includes the gripper module 100, which can be made smaller and lighter, thereby achieving a reduction in size and weight of the entire gripper device 1000. The gripper device 1000 also includes the telescopic drive device 501B as a linear motion mechanism that moves the gripper module 100 linearly along the optical axis L of the imaging device 300. This allows the gripper module 100 to be moved up and down while the imaging device 300 of the gripper module 100 captures an image of the object to be gripped, thereby aligning the tip of the gripping arm 220 of the gripper 200 with the object to be gripped.

[0083] As shown in Figures 4 to 10, the imaging device 300 includes an imaging device main body 302, a lens driving device 310 that moves the lens 301 up and down along the optical axis L by vibration of a lens driving piezoelectric element 311, an imaging element 330 that receives light that has passed through the lens 301, and a second imaging element 340 that receives light that has passed through a second lens 341 that is fixed in position.

[0084] The lens driving device 310 includes a shaft-shaped lens driving vibration unit 313 having a lens driving shaft 312 fixed to one end of a lens driving piezoelectric element 311, a lens support 314 that frictionally engages with the lens driving shaft 312 and moves in the axial direction of the lens driving shaft 312, and a support case 317 that has a drive shaft support piece 315 and a piezoelectric element support piece 316 that support both ends of the lens driving vibration unit 313. The lens driving device 310 is fixed, for example with an adhesive, to a drive device placement section 305 that has a downward opening provided by cutting out one of the right and left sides (the left side in this embodiment) of the imaging device main body 302.

[0085] The support case 317 includes a plate-shaped support base 318 that connects the plate-shaped drive shaft support piece 315 and the piezoelectric element support piece 316, and is disposed with the piezoelectric element support piece 316 on the upper side and the drive shaft support piece 315 on the lower side. The drive shaft support piece 315 and the piezoelectric element support piece 316 extend in the same direction (forward in this embodiment) from the upper and lower ends of the support base 318, and the support case 317 has a C-shape. The drive shaft support piece 315 and the piezoelectric element support piece 316 are provided with notched recesses 315a and 316a. The support case 317 holds the end of the lens drive shaft 312 in the notched recess 315a, while holding the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311 in the notched recess 316a, thereby holding the lens-driving vibration unit 313 at a distance from the support base 318.

[0086] The support case 317 is fixed to the rear of a notched recessed drive device arrangement portion 305 provided in the image capture device body 302, with the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311 facing upward. The image capture device body 302 is formed with a notched recessed portion 305a that houses the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the piezoelectric element support piece 316 of the support case 317, and the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311 is arranged with a gap between it and the image capture device body 302.

[0087] The lower end of the lens driving shaft 312 of the lens driving vibration unit 313 is fitted into a notched recess 315a of the drive shaft support piece 315 and fixed thereto with an adhesive (not shown). On the other hand, the lower part of the lens driving piezoelectric element 311 (the part near the joint with the lens driving shaft 312) is fitted into a notched recess 316a of the piezoelectric element support piece 316 and fixed thereto with an adhesive (not shown). The upper end of the lens driving shaft 312 is disposed close to the lower surface of the piezoelectric element support piece 316.

[0088] In this way, by fitting and fixing both ends of the lens-driving vibration unit 313 into the notched recesses 315a, 316a provided in the pair of support pieces 315, 316 of the support case 317, both ends of the lens-driving vibration unit 313 can be reliably fixed to the support case 317, and the thickness of the support pieces 315, 316 can be reduced, so that the length dimension (the length dimension along the axial direction of the lens-driving vibration unit 313) of the support case 317 can be reduced while ensuring the movable range (up and down stroke) of the lens support 314, thereby realizing a reduction in the size and weight of the support case 317 and, ultimately, the size and weight of the lens driving device 310. Furthermore, by fixing the lower end of the lens drive shaft 312 to the drive shaft support piece 315 and arranging the upper end of the lens drive shaft 312 in proximity to the piezoelectric element support piece 316, the movable range of the lens support 314, which frictionally engages with the lens drive shaft 312, can be restricted by the support pieces 315, 316.

[0089] Furthermore, by reducing the thickness of the drive shaft support piece 315 of the support case 317, the lens support 314 can move close to the lower end of the lens drive device 310 (the lower surface of the drive shaft support piece 315), so a compact lens drive device 310 can be realized in which the protruding dimension of the lower end of the lens drive device 310 relative to the end of the movable range of the lens support 314 on the drive shaft support piece 315 side (the lower limit of the movable range of the lens support 314) is small.

[0090] In a configuration in which the lower end of the lens drive shaft 312 is fixed to the drive shaft support piece 315 with an adhesive, the adhesive may flow around to the side surface of the lens drive shaft 312. The same applies to a configuration in which the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311 is fixed to the piezoelectric element support piece 316 with an adhesive.

[0091] 4 to 10, the lens support 314 of the lens driving device 310 includes a support substrate 319 that frictionally engages with the lens driving shaft 312, and a lens holding plate 320 that is connected to the support substrate 319. The lens 301 is fixed to the lens holding plate 320 with, for example, an adhesive so as to overlap a light transmitting hole 320a formed in the lens holding plate 320. A downward-opening hollow portion 306 is provided in the front of the imaging device main body 302, and the lens 301 and the lens holding plate 320 are provided within the hollow portion 306 so as to be able to move up and down.

[0092] 4 and 6 to 10 show a simplified configuration of the support base material 319, which is frictionally engaged with the lens drive shaft 312, for example, by a structure similar to the frictional engagement structure (see FIG. 14) between the gripping arm 220 and the arm drive shaft 211 described below. Note that the structure for frictionally engaging the lens support 314 with the lens drive shaft 312 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 14, and may be any frictional engagement structure in which the lens support 314 moves along the lens drive shaft 312 by repeatedly going between a stick state (fixed state) and a slip state (sliding state) due to vibration of the lens-driving piezoelectric element 311.

[0093] 6, 10, etc., a circuit arrangement groove 307 is formed on the top surface of the imaging device main body 302, extending in the front-to-rear direction from a front portion of the top surface to a rear edge portion. The front portion of the circuit arrangement groove 307 communicates with the cavity 306, and the rear portion of the circuit arrangement groove 307 opens to the rear surface of the imaging device main body 302. The imaging element 330 is mounted on one end of a flexible substrate 331, which is disposed along the circuit arrangement groove 307 with the imaging element 330 facing downward, and the imaging element 330 is disposed above the lens 301. Light that enters the lens 301 from below and passes through the lens 301 enters the imaging element 330 via the light transmission hole 320a.

[0094] The flexible substrate 331 extends rearward from the imaging device main body 302 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the gripper 200 by the tool rotation device 700. A backing plate (not shown) may be attached to the surface of the front end of the flexible substrate 331 opposite the imaging element 330 to increase the rigidity of the flexible substrate 331 and suppress shaking of the imaging element 330.

[0095] As shown in Figures 4, 6, 9, etc., an end of a second flexible substrate 342 carrying a second imaging element 340 is fixed to a second camera mounting seat 304 provided on the rear of the underside of the imaging device main body 302. The second imaging element 340 is covered by a box-shaped camera case 343. The second lens 341 is supported by the camera case 343 with its optical axis LA directed toward the working area of ​​the gripper 200. The second flexible substrate 342 extends rearward from the second camera mounting seat 304 of the imaging device main body 302 so as not to interfere with rotation of the gripper 200 by the tool rotation device 700.

[0096] In the gripper module 100 of this embodiment, the imaging device 300 includes a lens driving device 310 that moves the lens 301 along the optical axis L by the vibration of the lens driving piezoelectric element 311, and an imaging element 330 that receives light that has passed through the lens 301, and since the lens 301 is moved by the vibration of the lens driving piezoelectric element 311, the configuration of the lens driving device 310 can be simplified, and it is possible to achieve a reduction in the size and weight of the lens driving device 310. This makes it possible to achieve a reduction in the size and weight of the imaging device 300, and ultimately a reduction in the size and weight of the camera-equipped work module.

[0097] Furthermore, flexible substrate 331 (an example of a wiring member) extending from imaging element 330 is arranged to avoid the rotatable range of gripper 200, and lens drive shaft 312 of lens drive device 310 is arranged to the side of imaging element 330. This prevents flexible substrate 331 from interfering with the rotation of gripper 200 by tool rotation device 700, while allowing lens drive device 310 to be arranged by effectively utilizing the empty space to the side of imaging element 330, thereby realizing a more compact work module with a camera.

[0098] In addition, the gripper module 100 is equipped with a gripper 200 having a gripping arm 220 that opens and closes as a work tool, so that the gripper 200 can grip and operate the object to be gripped, and the gripper's posture (orientation) can be changed using the tool rotation device 700, making it possible to realize a compact, lightweight, and more workable work module with a camera.

[0099] Next, the gripper 200 of the gripper module 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 11 to Fig. 14. In Fig. 6, the cross section of the gripper 200 corresponds to the position XX in Fig. 11(A).

[0100] The gripper 200 includes an arm-driving vibration unit 212 having left and right arm drive shafts 211 fixed to both left and right ends of an arm-driving piezoelectric element 210, and left and right gripping arms 220 that frictionally engage with the left and right arm drive shafts 211 and move in the axial direction of the arm drive shafts 211. The left and right gripping arms 220 open and close by being moved in directions away from or toward each other by the vibration of the arm-driving piezoelectric element 210. Because the gripper 200 opens and closes the gripping arms 220 by the vibration of the arm-driving piezoelectric element 210, the configuration of the gripper 200 can be simplified, and the gripper 200 can be made smaller and lighter.

[0101] 12, the arm-driving vibration unit 212 is fixed to the left-right long gripper base plate 201. One side of the arm-driving piezoelectric element 210 is fixed with adhesive 202a to a base plate mounting base 201a that protrudes from the center of the gripper base plate 201. In addition, end faces of the left and right arm drive shafts 211 are fixed with adhesive 202b to tip faces of left and right base plate support pieces 201b that protrude from the left and right ends of the gripper base plate 201.

[0102] Note that, as shown in Fig. 13(A), the end faces of the left and right arm drive shafts 211 may be disposed so as to abut against the base plate support piece 201b and fixed thereto with an adhesive (not shown). Also, the end faces of the left and right arm drive shafts 211 do not have to be fixed to the gripper base plate 201. For example, in the configuration shown in Fig. 13(A), if the arm drive shafts 211 and the base plate support piece 201b are not bonded to each other, the base plate support piece 201b functions as a protective member that protects the arm drive shafts 211. In this case, a gap may be formed between the arm drive shafts 211 and the base plate support piece 201b.

[0103] 13(B), a stopper member 227 may be provided to limit the movable range of the gripping arm 220 toward the tip end (laterally outward) of the arm drive shaft 211. For example, the stopper member 227 is formed of an adhesive attached to a portion of one side (or two or more sides) of the arm drive shaft 211 near the tip end (a portion near the end opposite the arm drive piezoelectric element 210). The stopper member 227 limits the movable range of the gripping arm 220 toward the base end (laterally inward) of the arm drive shaft 211. The movable range of the gripping arm 220 toward the base end (laterally inward) of the arm drive shaft 211 is limited by the plate mounting base 201a of the gripper plate 201.

[0104] In this modified example, stopper members 227 are provided on the left and right arm drive shafts 211, respectively, but the left and right positions at which the stopper members 227 are provided are different for the left and right arm drive shafts 211. As a result, the left and right gripping arms 220 have different strokes (left and right lengths of the movable range).

[0105] Because the strokes of the left and right gripping arms 220 are different, when the left and right gripping arms 220 move from a fully open state to a closing state, the gripping arm 220 with the shorter stroke reaches the left and right inner stroke end (the stroke end on the arm drive piezoelectric element 210 side), and the gripping arm 220 with the longer stroke reaches the left and right inner stroke end later. In this way, by making one gripping arm 220 reach the left and right inner stroke end earlier than the other gripping arm 220, it is possible to improve the reproducibility of the positions of the gripping arms 220 when the left and right gripping arms 220 are closed.

[0106] Furthermore, by having one of the gripping arms 220 reach the left / right inner stroke end first, it becomes easier to predict the position at which the left and right gripping arms 220 will grip the target when gripping a small object, and the target can be prevented from moving too much before the left and right gripping arms 220 have completed gripping the target. In this way, it is possible to reduce the displacement of the target before the gripping operation is completed, and improve the repeatability and reliability (accuracy) of the gripping operation.

[0107] Furthermore, when moving the object to be grasped in a desired direction or position, if the gripping arm 220 with the shorter stroke reaches the inner stroke end on the left or right, the movement of the object to be grasped can be completed before the other gripping arm 220 comes into contact with the object to be grasped. This improves the repeatability and reliability (accuracy) of the operation of moving the object to be grasped.

[0108] Even when the shape and stroke of the gripping arms 220 are set so that a gap is formed between the tips of the gripping arms 220 (the tips of the finger members 225) when both the left and right gripping arms 220 are positioned at the left and right inner stroke ends, the same effect as above can be obtained by making the strokes of the left and right gripping arms 220 different from each other.

[0109] It is also possible to make the strokes of the left and right gripping arms 220 different from each other by providing a stopper member 227 on only one of the left and right arm drive shafts 211. Also, it is possible to set the left and right inner stroke ends of the gripping arms 220 by providing a stopper member on a portion of the arm drive shaft 211 near the base end (a portion near the end on the arm drive piezoelectric element 210 side). It goes without saying that the configuration in which the strokes of the left and right gripping arms 220 are made different from each other can be applied to the configuration shown in FIG. 13(A). It is noted that the stopper member that determines the stroke end of the gripping arm 220 is not limited to a configuration provided on the arm drive shaft 211, and may be a configuration that comes into contact with the gripping arm 220 and limits the movable range of the gripping arm 220, such as a configuration formed by a protrusion provided on the gripper base plate 201 or the gripper case 203.

[0110] The left and right gripping arms 220 that frictionally engage with the left and right arm drive shafts 211 are frictionally engaged with the arm drive shafts 211 by attaching elastic arm fixing members 222 to the arm body base ends 223 of the arm bodies 221 that are in contact with the arm drive shafts 211. The left and right gripping arms 220 have a symmetrical configuration. In Figures 4, 6, 7, etc., the arm body base ends 223 of the arm bodies 221 and the arm fixing members 222 and their surroundings are illustrated in a simplified manner.

[0111] A specific configuration example of the frictional engagement between the gripping arm 220 and the arm drive shaft 211 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Note that Fig. 14 shows a simplified illustration of the finger attachment portion 224 of the arm main body 221 of the gripping arm 220, and does not show the finger member 225.

[0112] The arm body base end portion 223 of the arm body 221 has an L-shape that is bifurcated in a side view, one of which becomes an upper fixing portion 223A extending rearward, and the other of which becomes a front fixing portion 223B extending downward. The arm fixing member 222 is made up of an elastic body such as a plate-shaped friction spring that is bent into an L-shape in a side view, and one end (rear upper edge side) of the arm fixing member 222 is connected to the upper fixing portion 223A of the arm body base end portion 223, while the other end (lower front edge side) of the arm fixing member 222 is connected to the front fixing portion 223B of the arm body base end portion 223.

[0113] The arm body 221 has a finger attachment portion 224 extending forward from the arm body base end 223. The finger attachment portion 224 is provided on one of the left and right edges of the upper fixing portion 223A of the arm body base end 223, and extends forward from the front surface of the front fixing portion 223B. The arm body base end 223 has an upper locking portion 223X protruding upward from the rear edge of the upper fixing portion 223A, and a front locking portion 223Y protruding forward from the lower edge of the front fixing portion 223B. In other words, the arm body base end 223 is configured by branching into the upper fixing portion 223A having the upper locking portion 223X that is hook-shaped in side view at its rear edge, and the front fixing portion 223B having the front locking portion 223Y that is hook-shaped in side view at its lower edge.

[0114] The arm fixing member 222 has a rear plate portion 222A extending upward from the rear lower end, and a lower plate portion 222B extending forward from the lower edge of the rear plate portion 222A, with an upper locking portion 222X bent into an L shape provided on the upper edge of the rear plate portion 222A, and a front locking portion 222Y bent into an L shape provided on the front edge of the lower plate portion 222B. The arm fixing member 222 has a vertical midpoint of the rear plate portion 222A protruding forward and a front-to-rear midpoint of the lower plate portion 222B protruding upward, with the connecting portion between the rear plate portion 222A and the lower plate portion 222B being U-shaped in side view. In addition, the upper locking portion 222X is configured to extend forward from the upper edge of the rear plate portion 222A and then bend downward, and the front locking portion 222Y is configured to extend upward from the front edge of the lower plate portion 222B and then bend backward.

[0115] The arm body 221 is attached to the arm driving vibration unit 212 so that the arm body base end 223 abuts against a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the arm drive shaft 211. At this time, at the arm body base end 223, the lower surface of the upper fixing portion 223A contacts the upper surface of the arm drive shaft 211, and the rear surface of the front fixing portion 223B of the arm body base end 223 contacts the front surface of the arm drive shaft 211. In other words, the arm body 221 is attached to the arm driving vibration unit 212 so that the arm body base end 223 covers part of the upper and front surfaces of the arm drive shaft 211 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the rear edge of the upper fixing portion 223A protrudes rearward beyond the rear edge of the arm drive shaft 211, and the lower edge of the front fixing portion 223B protrudes downward beyond the lower edge of the arm drive shaft 211.

[0116] The arm fixing member 222 is attached to the arm driving vibration unit 212 to which the arm body 221 is attached, so as to cover the exposed outer peripheral surface of the arm drive shaft 211 covered by the arm body base end portion 223. At this time, the arm fixing member 222 abuts the front surface of the protruding portion of the rear plate portion 222A against the rear surface of the arm drive shaft 211, and abuts the upper surface of the protruding portion of the lower plate portion 222B against the lower surface of the arm drive shaft 211. In other words, the arm fixing member 222 is attached to the arm driving vibration unit 212 so as to cover the rear surface and lower surface of the portion of the arm body 221 of the arm drive shaft 211 that is covered by the arm body base end portion 223. In addition, the arm fixing member 222 has the upper edge of the rear plate portion 222A protruding upward from the top surface of the arm main body base end 223 of the arm fixing member 222, thereby engaging the upper locking portion 222X with the upper locking portion 223X of the arm main body base end 223, while the front edge of the lower plate portion 222B protruding forward from the front surface of the arm main body base end 223 of the arm fixing member 222, thereby engaging the front locking portion 222Y with the front locking portion 223Y of the arm main body base end 223.

[0117] The upper locking portions 223X and front locking portions 223Y at both ends of the arm main body base end portion 223 of the arm main body are hooked onto the upper locking portions 222X and front locking portions 222Y at both ends of the arm fixing member 222, and the arm main body 221 presses down on the arm driving shaft 211 at two contact portions with the arm driving shaft 211, generating a frictional force between the arm main body 221 and the arm fixing member 222. That is, the arm main body 221 is attracted in the direction of the arm driving shaft 211 by the arm fixing member 222, and generates a frictional force between the arm main body 221 and the arm driving shaft 211 at the two surfaces (top surface and front surface) that are in contact with the arm driving shaft 211. In this way, the gripping arm 220, which is a combination of the arm main body 221 and the arm fixing member 222, is brought into frictional engagement with the arm driving vibration unit 212.

[0118] An arm body base end 223 of the arm body 221, which serves as a moving body, has a shape that covers part of the outer periphery of the arm driving vibration unit 212 when viewed from the axial direction of the arm driving vibration unit 212, i.e., a shape that covers part of the outer periphery of the arm driving vibration unit 212 on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the arm driving vibration unit 212. The arm body base end 223 is aligned along the outer periphery of the arm driving vibration unit 212 and both ends of the arm body base end 223 are connected by arm fixing members 222, which are elastic bodies, so that the arm body 221 engages with the arm driving vibration unit 212. In other words, the arm body base end 223 of the arm body 221 is installed so as to cover the upper front side of the arm drive shaft 211 and abut against the front surface and upper surface of the arm drive shaft 211. Thereafter, the arm fixing member 222 is spread out so as to sandwich both ends of the arm main body base end portion 223 from below the rear side of the arm drive shaft 211, and the upper locking portion 223X and the front locking portion 223Y are respectively locked with the upper locking portion 222X and the front locking portion 222Y, thereby frictionally engaging the arm main body base end portion 223 of the arm main body 221 with the arm drive shaft 211.

[0119] In this way, the gripping arm 220 is installed on the arm driving vibration unit 212 so that the arm driving shaft 211 is sandwiched between the arm main body base end portion 223 of the arm main body 221 and the arm fixing member 222 which is an elastic body, and therefore the gripping arm 220 can be easily incorporated into the arm driving vibration unit 212 and can be frictionally engaged with the arm driving vibration unit 212 with an appropriate force. At this time, the frictional force of the gripping arm 220 with respect to the arm driving vibration unit 212 may be changed by changing the elastic force of the arm fixing member 222, or the frictional force of the gripping arm 220 with respect to the arm driving vibration unit 212 may be changed by changing the contact area of ​​the arm fixing member 222 with the arm driving shaft 211.

[0120] Furthermore, the gripping arm 220 has a configuration in which the finger attachment portion 224 of the arm body 221 is extended forward, but by forming the arm drive shaft 211 into a quadrangular prism shape and by configuring the arm body base end portion 223 of the arm body 221 and the arm fixing member 222 into an L shape, it is possible to restrict the gripping arm 220 from rotating relative to the arm drive vibration unit 212 due to the rotation moment caused by the finger attachment portion 224. In other words, the arm body base end portion 223 and the arm fixing member 222 of the arm body 221 each come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the arm drive shaft 211 while pressing against it, thereby preventing the arm body 221 from rotating relative to the arm drive shaft 211. At this time, the arm body base end portion 223 of the arm body 221 and the arm fixing member 222 are frictionally engaged with the arm driving shaft 211 by sandwiching the front and rear of the arm driving shaft 211 between the front fixing portion 223B and the rear plate portion 222A, and by sandwiching the top and bottom of the arm driving shaft 211 between the upper fixing portion 223A and the lower plate portion 222B.

[0121] In this way, the gripping arm 220 is frictionally engaged with the arm drive shaft 211. Note that the configuration for frictionally engaging the gripping arm 220 with the arm drive shaft 211 is not limited to the configuration described with reference to Fig. 14, and any frictional engagement structure may be used as long as the gripping arm 220 moves along the arm drive shaft 211 by repeating a stick state (fixed state) and a slip state (sliding state) due to vibration of the arm drive piezoelectric element 210.

[0122] 11 to 13, etc., the description of the gripper 200 will continue. A finger attachment groove 224a for holding a plate-shaped finger member 225 is formed at the tip of the finger attachment portion 224 of the gripping arm 220. The finger attachment groove 224a opens at the tip surface, upper surface, and lower surface of the finger attachment portion 224. A finger fixing screw hole 224b is formed at the tip of the finger attachment portion 224, penetrating from the left and right outer surfaces of the tip to the finger attachment groove 224a.

[0123] The base ends of the finger members 225 are inserted into the finger mounting grooves 224a, and the base ends of the finger members 225 are pressed against the inner wall surfaces of the finger mounting grooves 224a by finger fixing screws 226 that are screwed into the finger fixing screw holes 224b from the left and right outside, thereby removably attaching the finger members 225 to the arm main body 221. The finger fixing screws 226 are, for example, hexagon socket set screws. The tip sides of the finger members 225 extend diagonally inward in the directions in which the tips of the left and right finger members 225 approach each other, making it easy to grip microcomponents with the tips of the finger members 225.

[0124] The base end sides of the arm-driving vibration unit 212 and the gripping arm 220 are covered by a substantially box-shaped gripper case 203 fixed to the gripper base plate 201. An arm fixing member 222 of the gripping arm 220 and an arm body base end portion 223 of the arm body 221 are disposed inside the gripper case 203, and a finger attachment portion 224 of the arm body 221 is disposed outside the gripper case 203. Left and right gripping arm insertion holes 203a, through which the left and right arm bodies 221 are inserted, are formed in the end faces of the gripper case 203. The gripping arm insertion hole 203a is formed to be elongated horizontally, and is configured so that the gripping arm 220 can move left and right.

[0125] Mounting screw insertion holes 203b are formed in the center of each of the upper and lower surfaces of the gripper case 203. The mounting screw insertion holes 203b are provided at positions such that the gripper mounting screws 205 inserted into the mounting screw insertion holes 203b do not interfere with the gripper arms 220 and the arm-driving vibration units 212 inside the gripper case 203. Openings provided on the left and right side surfaces of the gripper case 203 are closed by side covers 204 attached to the left and right side surfaces of the gripper case 203 and the left and right side surfaces of the gripper base plate 201. In addition, the gripper case 203 is formed with wiring insertion holes 203c for leading out, from inside the gripper case 203, electrical wiring 206 that supplies electrical signals to the arm-driving piezoelectric elements 210.

[0126] The gripper 200 is detachably attached to the tool attachment part 723 by screwing the gripper attachment screw 205 inserted into the attachment screw insertion hole 203b into the tool attachment screw hole 725 provided in the front surface 724 of the tool attachment part 723. The gripper 200 is fixed to the tool attachment part 723 in an obliquely downward position so that the finger members 225 of the gripping arms 220 are positioned below the tool attachment part 723 when the left and right gripping arms 220 are closed.

[0127] As described above, according to gripper module 100, gripping arm 220 of gripper 200 is opened and closed by vibration of arm-driving piezoelectric element 210, which simplifies the configuration of gripper 200 and enables reduction in size and weight of gripper 200. Furthermore, since gripper 200 and imaging device 300 are attached to the same base member, gripper 200 and imaging device 300 can be arranged compactly, enabling reduction in size and weight of gripper module 100.

[0128] In the gripper module 100, the imaging device 300 includes a lens 301, a lens driving device 310 that supports and moves the lens 301, and an imaging element holder 332 that holds the imaging element 330. The lens driving device 310 and the imaging element holder 332 are individually attached to the tool mounting portion 723. This allows the area occupied by the imaging device 300 in the gripper module 100 to be smaller than when a modularized imaging device is attached to the tool mounting portion 723, making the gripper module 100 more compact and achieving a reduction in size and weight of the gripper module 100. Note that the lens 301 may be composed of multiple lenses. In this case, one or more of the multiple lenses may be configured to be movable for focus adjustment.

[0129] Furthermore, by separately attaching the lens driving device 310 and the imaging element holder 332 to the tool attachment portion 723 to which the gripper 200 is attached, the degree of freedom in the layout of the lens driving device 310 and the imaging element holder 332 relative to the gripper 200 is improved. Furthermore, by arranging the gripper 200 and the lens driving device 310 in close proximity to the imaging element holder 332, the gripper 200 and the imaging device 300 can be arranged compactly, contributing to a reduction in size and weight of the gripper module 100. Note that the gripper 200 and the lens driving device 310 can also be arranged in close proximity as long as the lens driving device 310 does not interfere with the opening and closing operation of the gripping arm 220.

[0130] Next, another embodiment of the gripper module 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 shows another embodiment of the gripper module, with (A) being a side view and (B) being a front view with a partial cross section. FIG. 16 shows an imaging device, with (A) being a plan view, (B) being a side view with a partial cross section, and (C) being a bottom view. In FIG. 16(A), the upper cover body 354 is not shown, and in FIG. 16(C), the lower cover body 356 is not shown. In FIGS. 15 and 16, parts similar to those of the gripper module 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 are designated by the same reference numerals, and description of those parts will be omitted.

[0131] In the imaging device 300A in the gripper module 100 of this embodiment, the lens drive shaft 312 of the lens drive device 310, which moves the lens 301 along the optical axis L by vibration of the lens drive piezoelectric element 311, is positioned on the opposite side of the lens 301 from the imaging element 330, on an extension of the optical axis L of the lens 301.

[0132] Imaging device main body 302A of imaging device 300 has a rectangular parallelepiped base made of metal or resin, with left and right fixing portions 303 on the upper surface of the base and second camera mounting seat 304 on the lower surface. A square cylindrical camera holder 351 with top and bottom openings is fixed to the front of imaging device main body 302A, and lens 301, lens drive device 310, and imaging element 330 are arranged inside camera holder 351. Camera holder 351 is made of metal or resin.

[0133] A backing plate 333 is attached to the tip of the flexible substrate 331 on the surface opposite to the surface on which the imaging element 330 is mounted. The imaging element 330, flexible substrate 331, and backing plate 333 are disposed within the camera holder 351, with the imaging element 330 facing downward, through wiring holes 352 provided midway between the top and bottom of the rear side surface of the camera holder 351, and are fixed in position to the camera holder 351 by adhesively adhering left and right edges of the backing plate 333 to stepped portions 353 provided on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the camera holder 351. The flexible substrate 331 extends in the front-rear direction along the underside of the imaging device main body 302A, and a midway portion of the flexible substrate 331 is inserted and held in wiring holding holes 309 with front and rear openings provided in the base of the second camera mounting seat 304 of the imaging device main body 302A.

[0134] The lens driving device 310 is disposed above the backing plate 333 (above the imaging element 330). An upper cover body 354 that covers the upper opening of the camera holder 351 is fixed to the upper end of the camera holder 351 with an adhesive. One end (upper end) of the lens driving shaft 312 extending in the vertical direction is fixed to the lower surface of the upper cover body 354 via a driving device holder 355.

[0135] The drive unit holder 355 is box-shaped with an open top, one left and right side (here, the left side), and one front and rear side (rear side), and has a notch 355a formed midway between the front and rear of the bottom, extending left and right. The lens drive piezoelectric element 311 fixed to the upper end surface of the lens drive shaft 312 is inserted vertically into the notch 355a, and the upper end of the lens drive shaft 312 is fixed to the bottom surface of the drive unit holder 355 with an adhesive. The lower surface of the upper cover 354 is formed with a recess 354a facing the lens drive piezoelectric element 311, so that the lens drive piezoelectric element 311 and the upper cover 354 do not come into contact with each other.

[0136] Lens drive device 310 is provided with lens support 314 extending in the front-to-rear direction, which frictionally engages with lens drive shaft 312 and moves in the axial direction (here, the up-and-down direction) of lens drive shaft 312. The front end of lens support 314 is located in front of image pickup element 330, flexible substrate 331, and backing plate 333 in a plan view, and the front end of lens holding plate 320 is fixed to the lower end of connecting member 321 hanging down from the front end of lens support 314.

[0137] Plate-shaped lens holding plate 320 extends backward from connecting member 321 toward below image pickup element 330 so as to overlap with image pickup element 330 in a plan view, and has light transmission hole 320a below image pickup element 330. Cylindrical lens holder 322 is fixed to the upper surface of lens holding plate 320, surrounding the periphery of light transmission hole 320a.

[0138] Lens 301 is held in lens holder 322 and disposed below image pickup element 330. The lower opening of camera holder 351 is covered with a light-transmitting lower cover body 356 made of, for example, transparent resin or transparent glass. Light enters image pickup element 330 from below, passes through lower cover body 356 and light-transmitting hole 320a, enters lens 301, and is transmitted through lens 301.

[0139] The imaging device 300A is configured to move the lens support 314, which is frictionally engaged with the lens drive shaft 312 of the lens drive device 310, up and down by the vibration of the lens drive piezoelectric element 311, thereby moving the lens 301 up and down relative to the imaging element 330 and focusing on the object to be grasped located in the working area of ​​the gripper 200.

[0140] In gripper module 100 of this embodiment, lens drive shaft 312 of lens drive device 310 of imaging device 300A is disposed on the extension of optical axis L of lens 301, at a position opposite lens 301 with respect to imaging element 330. This allows the planar size of imaging device 300A, particularly the width dimension in the left-right direction, to be reduced, thereby allowing the planar size of gripper module 100 to be reduced. Furthermore, by reducing the width dimension in the left-right direction of imaging device 300A, it is also possible to increase the range in which gripper 200 can be rotated by tool rotation device 700.

[0141] Next, a modified example of the three-axis operation drive device 500 will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18. As shown in Figure 17, the three-axis operation drive device 500, which moves the gripper module 100 in three orthogonal axis directions, includes a drive device 800 for the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) that is fixed at one end to a base 550 and stands upright, an extension drive device 501B for the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) that is connected to an output member 800a of the drive device 800, an extension drive device 501C for the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) that is fixed to the output side of the extension drive device 501B, and an output member 502 that is fixed to the output side of the extension drive device 501C. The extension drive devices 501B and 501C and the gripper module 100 are the same as those shown in Figure 1, etc.

[0142] 18, driving device 800 includes a shaft-shaped support unit 801 having a pair of piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B fixed to both ends of a drive shaft 812, and a mover unit 802 that frictionally engages with support unit 801 and moves in the axial direction of support unit 801. In support unit 801, piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B are fixed to the end of drive shaft 812 via transmission member 814. Note that FIG. 18 shows a simplified configuration of mover unit 802, and mover unit 802 frictionally engages with drive shaft 812 in a structure similar to the frictional engagement structure between grip arm 220 and arm drive shaft 211 described with reference to FIG. 14, for example.

[0143] The support unit 801 and the movable body unit 802 are disposed inside a rectangular box-shaped housing 803, and the support unit 801 is supported by the housing 803 by fixing the transmission member 814 to the inner wall of the housing 803. An elongated hole 803a is formed in one side of the housing 803 along the drive shaft 812. An output member 800a disposed outside the housing 803 is connected to the movable body unit 802 via the elongated hole 803a. The housing 803 is a base that supports the drive device 800.

[0144] A sawtooth wave drive pulse is supplied to the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B to vibrate the drive shaft 812 in the axial direction, causing the movable body unit 802 and the output member 800a to move along the drive shaft 812. The transmission member 814 has an outer dimension larger than that of the drive shaft 812, and therefore functions as a stopper that limits the range of movement of the movable body unit 802.

[0145] The transmission member 814 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape or an H-shape in side view, and includes an output shaft end accommodating recess 814a that accommodates the end 812a or 812b of the drive shaft 812, and a piezoelectric element end accommodating recess 814b that accommodates one end of the piezoelectric element 811A or 811B. The material of the transmission member 814 is, for example, metal, ceramic, or resin.

[0146] Ends 812a, 812b of drive shaft 812 are accommodated in output shaft end accommodating recess 814a of transmission member 814 and are fixed to transmission member 814 with, for example, an adhesive. Note that the method of fixing drive shaft 812 and transmission member 814 may be other methods, such as fixing with an adhesive.

[0147] Furthermore, one end side of the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B is accommodated in a piezoelectric element end accommodating recess 814b of the transmission member 814 and is fixed to the transmission member 814 with, for example, an adhesive. The piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B are configured, for example, as a laminated type in which piezoelectric materials are laminated in the axial direction of the drive shaft 812. A pair of terminals is provided on the side surface of each of the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B, and a lead wire 813 is connected to each terminal with solder, a conductive adhesive, or the like.

[0148] In this embodiment, the vibrations of the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B are transmitted to the drive shaft 812 via the transmission member 814, and therefore, compared to a configuration in which the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the drive shaft 812 are directly connected with an adhesive, the load on the adhesive between the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the transmission member 814 can be reduced, and a decrease in the adhesive strength of the adhesive can be suppressed, thereby stabilizing the operation of the drive device 800. Furthermore, by interposing the transmission member 814 between the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the drive shaft 812, it is possible to select an adhesive not only that has a high adhesive strength to both the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the drive shaft 812, but also after selecting the material of the transmission member 814, and therefore the range of adhesive choices is broadened, and the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the drive shaft 812 can be strongly bonded to the transmission member 814 using an appropriate adhesive. Here, the adhesive that bonds the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the transmission member 814 and the adhesive that bonds the drive shaft 812 and the transmission member 814 may be the same, or may have different components.

[0149] Furthermore, by providing a transmission member 814, the natural frequency of the drive shaft 812 that receives vibrations from the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B can be adjusted, and the vibrations from the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft 812, thereby improving the efficiency and performance of the drive device in terms of speed and driving force.

[0150] 19A and 19B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of the connection configuration between the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the drive shaft 812. As shown in FIG. 19A, a plate-shaped transmission member 815 may be interposed between the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the end face of the drive shaft 812, and the transmission member 815 may be connected to a base 820 to support the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the drive shaft 812. The end faces of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the end face of the drive shaft 812 are connected to the transmission member 815 by, for example, an adhesive. In this embodiment, the transmission member 815 is formed of an L-shaped member made of metal, ceramic, or resin.

[0151] The connection configuration between piezoelectric element 811A and drive shaft 812 may be different from the connection configuration between piezoelectric element 811B and drive shaft 812. For example, as shown in Fig. 19(B), a transmission member 815 may be interposed between one piezoelectric element 811A and drive shaft 812, and a transmission member 814 (see also Fig. 18) may be interposed between the other piezoelectric element 812B and drive shaft 812. With this configuration, the support unit 801 can be firmly supported by the transmission member 814, while the transmission member 815, which has a simple configuration, can function as a vibration rest to prevent shaking (vibration) of the support unit 801, thereby achieving weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0152] 19(C) and 19(D), a joint 817 between the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the end face of the drive shaft 812 may be bonded with an adhesive, and a fixing member 816 surrounding the outer circumferential surfaces of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the drive shaft 812 may be bonded with an adhesive to straddle the joint 817. The fixing member 816 may be connected to a base protrusion 820a protruding from a base 820 to support the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the drive shaft 812 (support unit 801). In this embodiment, the fixing member 816 is formed of a metal, ceramic, or resin member with a square cross section. The drive shaft 812 has the same cross-sectional shape (rectangular) as the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B. Note that FIG. 19(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 19(C).

[0153] 19(E) and 19(F), joints 817 between the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the end face of the drive shaft 812 may be bonded with adhesive, and fixing members 818 may be bonded with adhesive to both the left and right sides of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B and the drive shaft 812 so as to straddle the joints 817, and the fixing members 818 may be connected to a base 820 to support the support unit 801. In this embodiment, the fixing member 818 is formed of a metal, ceramic, or resin member with a U-shaped cross section. The drive shaft 812 and the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B have the same width dimension in the left-right direction (their height dimensions may be the same or different from each other). Note that FIG. 19(F) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. 19(E).

[0154] 19(A) and 19(B), compared to a configuration in which piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and drive shaft 812 are simply directly bonded with an adhesive, the load on the adhesive between piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and transmission members 814, 815 can be reduced, preventing a decrease in the adhesive strength of the adhesive and stabilizing the operation of drive device 800. Furthermore, transmission members 814, 815 can adjust the natural frequency of drive shaft 812, which receives vibrations from piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B, improving the efficiency and performance of the drive device in terms of speed and drive force.

[0155] 18, an adhesive can be selected after selecting the material of the transmission members 814, 815 or the fixing members 816, 818, thereby widening the range of adhesive choices and enabling the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the drive shaft 812 to be firmly bonded to the transmission members 814, 815 or the fixing members 816, 818 using an appropriate adhesive. Of course, it is also possible to use different adhesive components on the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B side and the drive shaft 812 side.

[0156] 17, the axial direction of drive shaft 812 is arranged along the vertical direction, and the lower end side of housing 505 is fixed to base 550 and stands upright from base 550. Drive device 800 causes movable body unit 802 and output member 800a to slide up and down along drive shaft 812, thereby moving output member 800a and output member 502, which are connected via telescopic drive devices 501B and 501C, and gripper module 100 in the vertical direction.

[0157] Next, the drive control of the drive device 800 will be described below with reference to Fig. 20. As described above, the drive device 800 includes a moving body unit 802, a support unit 801 that supports the moving body unit 802, and a pair of piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B that convert an electrical signal into mechanical vibration. The piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B are fixed to both ends of a drive shaft 812 that constitutes the support unit 801. Note that in Fig. 19, the moving body unit 802 moves relative to the support unit 801 due to the vibration of the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B.

[0158] The drive controller 808 supplies sawtooth wave drive pulses to the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B to vibrate the drive shaft 812 in the axial direction, and moves the movable body unit 802, which is frictionally engaged with the drive shaft 812, along the drive shaft 812. When moving the movable body unit 802, the drive controller 808 drives the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B simultaneously or selectively depending on the position of the movable body unit 802 within the stroke S (range in which the movable body unit 802 can reciprocate).

[0159] Specifically, when moving the movable body unit 802, the drive controller 808 supplies drive pulses to both piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B when the movable body unit 802 is located in the stroke central region SC, supplies drive pulses only to piezoelectric element 811A when the movable body unit 802 is located in the stroke end region SA closer to piezoelectric element 811A, and supplies drive pulses only to piezoelectric element 811B when the movable body unit 802 is located in the stroke end region SB closer to piezoelectric element 811B. The position of the movable body unit 802 is detected by a position detection device such as an encoder. For example, when at least a portion of the movable body unit 802 is located in the stroke end region SA, the movable body unit 802 is moved only by driving of piezoelectric element 811A, and when at least a portion of the movable body unit 802 is located in the stroke end region SB, the movable body unit 802 is moved only by driving of piezoelectric element 811B.

[0160] When the movable body unit 802 is positioned in the stroke central region SC, both piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B are simultaneously driven, thereby improving the movement speed and driving force of the movable body unit 802. The same driving waveform may be supplied to the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B, or different driving waveforms may be supplied to them.

[0161] On the other hand, when the mover unit 802 is positioned in the stroke end region SA closer to the piezoelectric element 811A, there is a large difference in time between the time when the vibration of the closer piezoelectric element 811A is transmitted to the frictional engagement portion between the mover unit 802 and the drive shaft 812 and the time when the vibration of the farther piezoelectric element 811B is transmitted. Therefore, by controlling the movement of the mover unit 802 in the stroke end region SA only by driving the piezoelectric element 811A, it is possible to prevent the drive (vibration) of the piezoelectric element 811B farther from the mover unit 802 from hindering the movement of the mover unit 802. In other words, by controlling the movement of the mover unit 802 only by driving the piezoelectric element 811A closer to the mover unit 802, it is possible to simplify the circuit design and drive waveform design of the drive controller 808 that supplies drive waveforms to the piezoelectric elements 811A and 811B, and improve the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the mover unit 802 in the stroke end region SA.

[0162] Similarly, when the movable body unit 802 is positioned in the stroke end region SB closer to the piezoelectric element 811B, the movement of the movable body unit 802 is controlled only by driving the piezoelectric element 811B, which makes it easier to design the circuit and drive waveform of the drive controller 808 and improves the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the movable body unit 802 in the stroke end region SB.

[0163] Furthermore, when moving the movable body unit 802 by driving only one of the piezoelectric elements 811A or 811B, the two terminals of the other piezoelectric element 811B or 811A may be short-circuited. In this case, the other piezoelectric element 811B or 811A acts as a vibration absorber, reducing the influence of reflected waves from the end of the drive shaft 812 opposite to the end to which the driving piezoelectric element 811A or 811B is connected, thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the movable body unit 802.

[0164] 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a driving device. The driving device 900 includes a moving body unit 902, a support unit 901 that supports the moving body unit 902, and a pair of piezoelectric elements 903 and 904. A driving piezoelectric element 903 is connected to one end of a driving shaft 912 that constitutes the support unit 901, and a vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 is connected to the other end. Two terminals 904a and 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 are short-circuited via, for example, a lead wire 905.

[0165] In the driving device 900, the moving body unit 902 moves relative to the support unit 901 by driving (vibrating) the driving piezoelectric element 903. The driving controller 908 supplies a sawtooth wave driving pulse to the driving piezoelectric element 903 via a lead wire 913 to vibrate the driving shaft 912 in the axial direction, and moves the moving body unit 902, which is frictionally engaged with the driving shaft 912, along the driving shaft 912.

[0166] The driving device 900 supplies a driving waveform to the driving piezoelectric element 903, of the piezoelectric elements 903, 904 connected to both ends of the driving shaft 912, to drive (vibrate), while shorting the two terminals 904a, 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904.This reduces the influence of reflected waves from the end of the driving shaft 912 on the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 side when the driving piezoelectric element 903 is driven (vibrated), thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the moving body unit 902.

[0167] In the driving device 900, the joining and supporting structure of the piezoelectric elements 903, 904 and the driving shaft 912 can be the same as the joining and supporting structure of the piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and the driving shaft 812 shown in FIGS.

[0168] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 22, the configuration in which piezoelectric elements are provided on both ends of an axis that vibrates when driven by the piezoelectric elements can also be applied to a drive device 950 in which a support unit 952 that frictionally engages with a drive axis 955 is fixed to a base 960, piezoelectric elements 953 and 954 are connected to both ends of the drive axis 955, and the drive axis 955 and the piezoelectric elements 953 and 954 are moved as a moving unit 951 by driving one or both of the piezoelectric elements 953 and 954.

[0169] 22A, the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955 may be joined with an adhesive (not shown) via a transmission member 914 that is approximately rectangular or H-shaped in side view as shown in FIG. 22B, or with a plate-like transmission member 915 as shown in FIG. 22C. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 22D and FIG. 22E, a joint 917 between the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the end face of the drive shaft 955 may be joined with an adhesive, and a pair of U-shaped fixing member pieces 916a, 916b may be butted against each other and a fixing member 916 may be joined with an adhesive to surround the outer peripheral surfaces of the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955 across the joint 917. The materials for the transmission members 914, 915 and the fixing member 916 may be, for example, metal, ceramic, or resin.

[0170] 22(B) to 22(E), by providing transmission members 914, 915 and a fixing member 916 at the joint between the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955, the same actions and effects as those of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 can be achieved. That is, compared to a configuration in which the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955 are simply directly bonded with an adhesive (see FIG. 22(A)), it is possible to suppress a decrease in the adhesive strength between the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the transmission members 914, 915 or the fixing member 916, thereby stabilizing the operation of the drive device 950. Furthermore, the transmission members 914, 915 can adjust the natural frequency of the drive shaft 955 that receives vibrations from the piezoelectric elements 953, 954, and improve the efficiency and performance of the drive device in terms of speed and drive force. Furthermore, with regard to adhesive bonding between the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955, an adhesive can be selected after selecting the material of the transmission members 914, 915 or the fixed member 916, which widens the range of adhesive choices and also enables the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 and the drive shaft 955 to be strongly bonded to the transmission members 914, 915 or the fixed member 916 using an appropriate adhesive. Here too, it is possible to use different adhesive components on the piezoelectric elements 953, 954 side and on the transmission members 914, 915 or the fixed member 916 side.

[0171] 22(D) and (E) may be configured as a single piece with a square cross section. The configuration in which a pair of square-shaped cross-section fixing member pieces 916a and 916b are butted together to form the square-shaped cross-section fixing member 916 can also be applied to the fixing member 818 shown in FIGS. 19(C) and (D). Instead of the fixing member 916 shown in FIGS. 22(D) and (E), a square-shaped cross-section transmission member may be bonded with an adhesive to both the left and right side surfaces (or both the top and bottom side surfaces) of the piezoelectric elements 953 and 954 and the drive shaft 955 so as to straddle the joint 817. Furthermore, the connection configuration between the piezoelectric element 953 side and the drive shaft 955 on the piezoelectric element 953 side may be different from that on the piezoelectric element 954 side. For example, the transmission member 914 may be provided on the piezoelectric element 953 side, while the piezoelectric element 954 side may be directly bonded to the drive shaft 955.

[0172] 20 , in such a drive device 950, when the mover unit 951 is located in the stroke central region, a drive pulse is supplied to both piezoelectric elements 953 and 954, when the mover unit 951 is located in the stroke end region closer to one piezoelectric element 953, a drive pulse is supplied only to piezoelectric element 953, and when the mover unit 951 is located in the stroke end region closer to the other piezoelectric element 954, a drive pulse is supplied only to piezoelectric element 954, thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the mover unit 951. Furthermore, when moving the mover unit 951 by driving only one of the piezoelectric elements 953 or 954, the two terminals of the other piezoelectric element 954 or 953 are short-circuited to cause the other piezoelectric element 954 or 953 to act as a vibration absorber, thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the mover unit 951.

[0173] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23(A), by shorting the two terminals 954a, 954b of one piezoelectric element 954 with a lead wire 905 or the like to make it a vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element, and using the other piezoelectric element 953 as a driving piezoelectric element, the influence of reflected waves from the end of the driving shaft 955 on the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 954 side can be reduced when the driving piezoelectric element 953 is driven (vibrated), thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the moving body unit 802.

[0174] 23(B), at least one of output members 950a and 950b may be provided at both ends of a moving body unit 951 having piezoelectric elements 953 and 954 fixed to both ends of a drive shaft 955. The output member 950a attached to the piezoelectric element 954 is provided so as not to interfere with the electrical characteristics of the terminals 954a and 954b and the lead wire 905. The output member 959b attached to the piezoelectric element 953 is provided so as not to interfere with the electrical characteristics of the terminal of the piezoelectric element 953 and the lead wire 913.

[0175] By connecting the base member 450 (see FIG. 2, etc.) of the camera-equipped work module 100 to the output members 950a, 950b directly or via other members or mechanisms, the gripper 200 (work tool) of the camera-equipped work module 100 can be moved and positioned accurately to a desired position quickly and with high resolution. Note that the configuration in which output members 950a, 950b are provided on both ends of the moving body unit 951 can also be applied to a configuration in which both piezoelectric elements 953, 954 can be used as driving elements (see, for example, the embodiment in FIG. 22).

[0176] Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating yet another example of a driving device. Driving device 900A of this embodiment differs from driving device 900 shown in Fig. 21 in that two terminals 904a, 904b of vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 are connected via switch 909 provided in the middle of lead wire 905. The other configurations of driving device 900A are the same as those of driving device 900. Furthermore, in driving device 900A, the joining and supporting configurations of piezoelectric elements 903, 904 and drive shaft 912 can be the same as those of piezoelectric elements 811A, 811B and drive shaft 812 shown in Figs. 18 and 19, as in driving device 900.

[0177] The switch 909 is configured to short-circuit the terminals 904a, 904b of the vibration absorbing piezoelectric element 904 when the moving body unit 902 is located in a stroke region Sclose closer to the vibration absorbing piezoelectric element 904 within the stroke S. The switch 909 is also configured to open the terminals 904a, 904b of the vibration absorbing piezoelectric element 904 when the moving body unit 902 is located in a stroke region Sopen (a region of the stroke S excluding the stroke region Sclose) that includes the central region within the stroke S and the end region closer to the driving piezoelectric element 903.

[0178] In this embodiment, the switch 909 includes a conductive movable piece 909a and a fixed piece 909b. The movable piece 909a is located between the fixed piece 909b and the drive shaft 912. As shown in FIG. 24(A), when the movable body unit 902 is located in a region away from the stroke region Sclose, the fixed piece 909b and the drive shaft 912 are spaced apart from each other. In other words, the terminals 904a and 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 are not electrically connected, and the electrical circuit between the terminals 904a and 904b is open.

[0179] On the other hand, when the movable unit 902 approaches the stroke region Sclose, the tip of the movable piece 909a of the switch 909 is pushed by the movable unit 902 and displaced in a direction away from the drive shaft 912. When at least a portion of the movable unit 902 enters the stroke region Sclose, the movable piece 909a comes into contact with the fixed piece 909b, and the terminals 904a and 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 are short-circuited (see FIG. 24(B)). In this embodiment, when the tip of the movable piece 909a of the switch 909 is pushed by the movable unit 902 and displaced maximally toward the fixed piece 909b, the tip of the fixed piece 909b is pushed by the movable piece 909a and displaced slightly in a direction away from the drive shaft 912. The size of the range of the stroke region Sclose can be changed as appropriate.

[0180] In the driving device 900A, a driving controller 908 supplies a sawtooth wave driving pulse to the driving piezoelectric element 903 to drive (vibrate) the driving piezoelectric element 903 and vibrate a drive shaft 912 in the axial direction, thereby moving a mover unit 902 frictionally engaged with the drive shaft 912 along the drive shaft 912. When the moving body unit 902 is located in a stroke region Sclose away from the driving piezoelectric element 903, the driving device 900A shorts out two terminals 904a, 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 using a switch 909, thereby reducing the influence of reflected waves from the end of the drive shaft 912 on the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 side when the driving piezoelectric element 903 is driven (vibrated). This improves the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the mover unit 902 in the stroke region Sclose away from the driving piezoelectric element 903. For example, by lengthening the axial length of the drive shaft 912, it becomes possible to increase the stroke S of the moving body unit 902, thereby realizing a long stroke.

[0181] The switch 909 is not limited to a configuration having a movable piece 909a and a fixed piece 909b, and may have any configuration as long as it is capable of shorting the terminals 904a and 904b of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 when the moving body unit 902 is positioned in the stroke region Sclose, and opening the terminals 904a and 904b when the moving body unit 902 is positioned in the stroke region Sopen.

[0182] 23, a switch 909 may be connected to a midpoint of the lead wire 905 connecting two terminals 954a, 954b of the piezoelectric element 954. In this case, the switch 909 may be configured to short-circuit the terminals 954a, 954b of the piezoelectric element 954 when the drive shaft 955 frictionally engaged with the support unit 952 moves to the left in the plane of the paper in FIG. 23, the piezoelectric element 953 for driving the support unit 952 moves away from the support unit 952, and the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 954 approaches the support unit 952. This reduces the influence of reflected waves from the end of the drive shaft 955 on the piezoelectric element 954 side, thereby improving the controllability and accuracy of the movement of the mover unit 951, even when the distance between the driving piezoelectric element 953 and the support unit 952 is large.

[0183] 25 and 26 are schematic diagrams illustrating yet another example of the drive unit. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 represents an example of the support configuration of the drive unit 900. FIGS. 25(A), (B), 25(C), (D), 25(E), (F), 26(A), (B), 26(C), (D), 26(E), (F) each show a different embodiment. Note that FIG. 25(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the XX position in (A), FIG. 25(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along the YY position in (C), and FIG. 25(F) is a cross-sectional view taken along the ZZ position in (E). FIG. 26(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the PP position in (A), FIG. 26(D) is a cross-sectional view taken along the QQ position in (C), and FIG. 26(F) is a cross-sectional view taken along the RR position in (E).

[0184] 25(A), (B), 25(C), (D), 25(E), (F), and 26(A) and (B), a joint 917 between the end faces of the piezoelectric elements 903, 904 and the end face of the drive shaft 912 is joined with an adhesive, and a fixing member 918 having a U-shaped cross section is fixed with an adhesive to the outer circumferential surfaces of the piezoelectric elements 903, 904 and the drive shaft 912 so as to straddle the joint 917, thereby forming the support unit 901. The material of the fixing member 918 is, for example, metal, ceramic, or resin.

[0185] The drive unit 900 is mounted inside a U-shaped or box-shaped base 920 via a pair of device holders 930. The base 920 has a first base portion 921 facing the end face of the drive piezoelectric element 903, a second base portion 922 facing the end face of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904, and a third base portion 923 extending in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 and supporting the first base portion 921 and the second base portion 922. The device holder 930 holds the piezoelectric elements 903 and 904, the drive shaft 912, and the fixed member 918 so that they can vibrate in the axial direction. The base 920 and the device holder 930 are made of materials such as metal, ceramic, or resin. The shape of the base 920 is not limited to a U-shaped or box-shaped configuration, and may be any configuration capable of supporting the device holder 930. The base 920 may also be formed of multiple members.

[0186] The device holding portion 930 includes a holding base member 931 having a recess 931a that accommodates the fixing member 918, and a holding cover member 932 that closes the opening of the recess 931a. The holding cover member 932 is connected to the holding base member 931 with a pair of cover mounting screws 933. The holding base member 931 is fixed to the third base portion 923 with base fixing screws 934. In this embodiment, the holding base member 931 has a substantially L-shape in which the portion that is fixed to the third base portion 923 is longer in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 than the portion where the recess 931a is formed.

[0187] The inner wall of the recess 931a is not fixed to the fixed member 918, and the holding cover member 932 is not fixed to the piezoelectric elements 903, 904, or the fixed member 918. As a result, the fixed member 918 is held so as to be able to vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 while being constrained from moving in the radial direction of the drive shaft 912 (a direction perpendicular to the axial direction), and therefore the support unit 901 is held so as to be able to vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 while being constrained from moving in the radial direction of the drive shaft 912. The device holding part 930 functions as a stopper member that limits the movable range of the movable body unit 902.

[0188] 25(A) and (B) includes an elastic body 940 interposed between an end face of the driving piezoelectric element 903 and the first base portion 921. The end face of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 is in contact with the second base portion 922. That is, the support unit 901 is urged toward the second base portion 922 by the elastic body 940 and positioned therein. In this way, by holding the support unit 901 in a position that is positionable by the repulsive force (elastic force) of the elastic body 940 and allowing it to vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912, vibrations generated by driving the driving piezoelectric element 903 can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft 912.

[0189] The elastic body 940 may be interposed between the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 and the second base portion 922, or may be interposed between both end portions of the support unit 901 and the base 920. In this embodiment, the elastic body 940 is formed of a compression coil spring, but the elastic body may be any elastic body that can bias the support unit 901 in the axial direction of the support unit 901 with a repulsive force, and may be formed of rubber, for example.

[0190] Furthermore, the first base portion 921 and the second base portion 922 constitute a unit positioning body that faces the end of the support unit 901 on an extension of the axial direction of the drive shaft 912. The unit positioning body may be formed of a member different from the base 920, and may be formed of, for example, another part attached to the base 920 or the device holding portion 930.

[0191] Even if the inner wall of recess 931a and fixed member 918 are fixed together with an adhesive or the like, it is possible for the vibrations generated by driving piezoelectric element 903 to be transmitted to drive shaft 912 and move movable body unit 902. However, by providing a small degree of freedom (gap) between the inner wall of recess 931a and fixed member 918, the vibrations of piezoelectric element 903 can be transmitted more efficiently to drive shaft 912, and the moving speed and driving force of movable body unit 902 can be increased, for example.

[0192] 25(C) and (D), piezoelectric elements 903, 904 are arranged at a distance from base 920. A holding base member 931 of device holder 930, which supports fixed member 918 on the driving piezoelectric element 903 side, has a pin holding hole 931b that penetrates from the third base portion 923 side to recess 931a. One end of positioning pin member 935 disposed in pin holding hole 931b protrudes into recess 931a and fits into positioning pin fitting recess 918a provided in fixed member 918. The pin member 935 is made of a material such as metal, ceramic, or resin, for example.

[0193] The inner wall of the pin holding hole 931b is not fixed to the side surface of the pin member 935, and the pin member 935 is not fixed to the pin fitting recess 918a. As a result, the support unit 901 is held so as to be vibrable in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 while being positioned relative to the base 920 and the device holding part 930. In this way, by holding the support unit 901 so as to be vibrable in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 while being positioned by the pin member 935 and the pin fitting recess 918a, vibrations generated by driving the driving piezoelectric element 903 can be efficiently transmitted to the drive shaft 912, and the support unit 901 can be positioned with a simple configuration.

[0194] Note that the pin member 935 may be integrally formed with the holding base member 931, so that a protrusion formed on the inner wall of the recess 931a fits into the pin fitting recess 918a. Alternatively, instead of the pin member 935, a protrusion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member 918 may be fitted into the pin holding hole 931b.

[0195] Furthermore, even when the pin member 935 and the pin fitting recess 918a are fixed together with, for example, an adhesive, the vibration of the piezoelectric element 903 is transmitted to the drive shaft 912. However, by providing a small degree of freedom (gap) between the pin member 935 and the pin fitting recess 918a, the vibration of the piezoelectric element 903 can be transmitted to the drive shaft 912 more efficiently, and the movement speed and driving force of the moving body unit 902 can be increased, for example.

[0196] Furthermore, depending on the shape, dimensions, material properties, and drive waveform frequency of the drive shaft 912 and piezoelectric elements 903 and 904 that constitute the support unit 901, it is possible to position the vibration node of the support unit 901 at or near the joint 917. Fixing the vibration node or its vicinity has little effect on vibration. In this case, the inner wall of the recess 931a and the fixing member 918 in one or both device holders 930 may be fixed with an adhesive or the like. Alternatively, at least one of the piezoelectric elements 903 and 904, drive shaft 912, and fixing member 918 may be fixed to the holding cover member 932. Fixing the pin member 935 to the pin-insertion recess 918a may also be performed. In this way, positioning the vibration node of the support unit 901 at or near the joint 917 requires the design of conditions such as the shape, dimensions, material properties, and drive waveform frequency of the support unit, but it increases the rigidity of the entire device.

[0197] 25(C) and (D), the embodiment shown in Figures 25(E) and (F) includes a pressure spring member 936 instead of the holding cover member 932. The pressure spring member 936 is formed, for example, from a metal leaf spring, and both left and right end portions are connected to the holding base member 931 by cover mounting screws 933, and the convex central portion is in contact with the piezoelectric element 903 and the drive shaft 912.

[0198] In this embodiment, the support unit 901 is held so as to be able to vibrate in its axial direction by pressing the fixing member 918 toward the bottom side (third base portion 923 side) of the recess 931a of the holding base member 931 with the repulsive force of the pressing spring member 936. Then, by adjusting the degree to which the cover mounting screw 933 is screwed into the holding base member 931, the repulsive force of the pressing spring member 936 against the support unit 901 can be adjusted, and the ease with which the support unit 901 vibrates can be adjusted.

[0199] It goes without saying that the configuration in which the support unit 901 is held on the device holder 930 by the pressure spring member 936 can be applied to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 25(A) and 25(B).

[0200] 26(A) and (B), compared to the embodiment shown in Figures 25(A) and (B), the support unit 901 does not include a vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904, and the end face of the drive shaft 912 is in contact with the second base part 922. A fixing member 918 supported by a device holding part 930 is fixed to a portion of the drive shaft 912 near the end on the second base part 922 side.

[0201] In this way, the support configuration in which the support unit 901 is positioned by the repulsive force of the elastic body 940 while the drive shaft 912 is held so as to be vibrable in the axial direction is also applicable to a configuration in which the driving piezoelectric element 903 is joined to one end of the drive shaft 912. Note that the configuration in which the drive shaft 912 of the support unit 901 not provided with the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 is supported by the device holding part 930 is also applicable to the embodiments shown in Figures 25(C) and (D) and the embodiments shown in Figures 25(E) and (F).

[0202] 26(C) and (D), compared to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 25(A) and (B), the support unit 901 is not provided with a fixing member 918, and is supported by a pair of device holders 930A having a holding base member 931 with a recess 931c that accommodates a joint 917. The inner wall of the recess 931c is not fixed to the piezoelectric elements 903 and 904 or the drive shaft 912, and the holding cover member 932 is not fixed to the piezoelectric elements 903 and 904. As a result, the support unit 901 is held by the device holder 930 so as to be vibrable in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912. The device holder 930A functions as a stopper member that limits the movable range of the movable unit 902.

[0203] The device holding portion 930A may be configured to hold a portion of the drive shaft 912 near the end thereof without holding the joint portion 917. Also, instead of the holding cover member 932, the support unit 901 may be held on the device holding portion 930 by a pressure spring member 936 (see FIGS. 25(E) and (F)).

[0204] 26(C) and (D), the embodiment shown in FIGS. 26(E) and (F) differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 26(C) and (D) in that the piezoelectric elements 903, 904 are arranged at a distance from the base material 920. The holding base member 931 of the device holding section 930A on the driving piezoelectric element 903 side has a pin holding hole 931b that holds a positioning pin member 935, similar to the holding base member 931 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 25(C) and (D). One end of the pin member 935 protrudes into the recess 931a and fits into a pin fitting recess 912a provided near the end of the drive shaft 912. The drive shaft 912 is restrained within the recess 931a of the holding base member 931 by the repulsive force of the pressing spring member 936.

[0205] The inner wall of the pin holding hole 931b is not fixed to the side surface of the pin member 935, and the support unit 901 is held so as to be vibrable in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 while being positioned relative to the base 920 and the device holding part 930. In this way, the support unit 901 can be held so as to be vibrable in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 by the recess or protrusion provided on the drive shaft 912 and the device holding part 930A having the protrusion or recess that engages with it.

[0206] 25 and 26, the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 may be a driving piezoelectric element connected to a drive controller 908 (see FIG. 23) via a lead wire 913. Furthermore, the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications (notes, etc.) may be combined, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible.

[0207] Figure 27 shows the drive unit Embodiment 27 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration. The embodiment shown in Fig. 27 represents an example of a cantilever support configuration of a support unit 901. Fig. 27(A) and (B) show the same embodiment, with (A) showing a state in which a moving body unit 902 is positioned on the side of a driving piezoelectric element 903, and (B) showing a state in which the moving body unit 902 is positioned closer to the end on the opposite side from the piezoelectric element 903.

[0208] In this embodiment, a support unit 901 of a drive device 900 has a driving piezoelectric element 903 fixed to one end of a drive shaft 912. A portion of the support unit 901 closer to the piezoelectric element 903 is cantilevered on a box-shaped base 920 by a device holder 930A. A stopper member 919 having a larger diameter than the drive shaft 912 is fixed to the other end of the drive shaft 912 (the end opposite the piezoelectric element 903). A movable body unit 902 that frictionally engages with the drive shaft 912 is configured to be slidable along the axial direction of the drive shaft 912 between the device holder 930A and the stopper member 919.

[0209] A cylindrical output member 970 that covers the other end of the support unit 901 is connected to the mover unit 902. The cylindrical output member 970 has, for example, a square cylindrical shape with an opening on one end side closed, and has a square cylindrical side portion 971 that covers the outer periphery of the drive shaft 912, and a tip surface portion 972 that closes the opening of the side surface portion 971. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the side surface portion 971 of the output member 970 is joined to a spacer member 902a provided on the outer periphery of the mover unit 902 with a fastener 973, thereby connecting the mover unit 902 and the output member 970. The tip surface portion 972 of the output member 970 is disposed opposite the stopper member 919.

[0210] In this way, by making the output member 970 cylindrical, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the output member 970. Furthermore, the output member 970 is provided with a tip surface portion 972 that faces the stopper member 919 provided on the end surface on the other end side of the support unit 901 and closes the tip-side opening of the side surface portion 971, thereby further increasing the rigidity of the cylindrical output member 970. Furthermore, by providing the output member 970 in a cylindrical shape, it is possible to connect a moving object to multiple surfaces of the side surface portion 971 or to connect a moving object to the tip surface portion 972, for example, thereby improving the versatility of use.

[0211] Although the movable body unit 902 that frictionally engages with the drive shaft 912 is illustrated in a simplified manner in Figure 27 and other figures, it is frictionally engaged with each of the four side surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped drive shaft 912. For example, the movable body unit 902 may include four members provided on each of the four side surfaces of the drive shaft 912, or two L-shaped members provided on each of two adjacent side surfaces of the drive shaft 912, and these members are pressed against the drive shaft 912 to frictionally engage with the drive shaft 912. If both of the two portions of the movable body unit 902 that frictionally engage with two opposing side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the drive shaft 912 are fixed to the output member 970, the shape, dimensions, rigidity, etc. of the output member 970 may affect the frictional engagement force between the drive shaft 912 and the movable body unit 902. Therefore, in this embodiment, one of the two portions of the moving body unit 902 is fixed to the output member 970 by a fixing member 973, and the other portion is not fixed to the output member 970.

[0212] 27 illustrates spacer members 902a provided at two portions of the movable body unit 902 that frictionally engage with two opposing side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the drive shaft 912, but the spacer member 902a provided at one of the two portions of the movable body unit 902 that frictionally engage with two opposing side surfaces of the drive shaft 912 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 27 may be fixed to the output member 970. Note that by interposing a spacer member 902a that is not fixed to the output member 970 between the other portion of the movable body unit 902 and the output member 970, it is possible to reduce displacement of the output member 970 relative to the movable body unit 902 when an external force is applied to the output member 970.

[0213] Furthermore, the fixing member 973 may be any member capable of joining the movable body unit 902 and the output member 970, and may be, for example, a screw member or an adhesive. Furthermore, the spacer member 902a may be formed integrally with a member of the movable body unit 902 that frictionally engages with the drive shaft 912, or may be fixed thereto with an adhesive, a screw member, or the like.

[0214] Next, the cantilever support structure of this embodiment will be described. Similar to the device holder 930A of the embodiment shown in Figures 26(E) and (F), the device holder 930A that holds the portion of the support unit 901 closer to the piezoelectric element 903 has a holding base member 931 provided with a recess 931c that houses the drive shaft 912, and the drive shaft 912 is positioned by fitting a pin member 935 into a pin fitting recess 912a provided in the drive shaft 912. The drive shaft 912 housed in the recess 931c is restrained by a holding cover member 932 that is attached to the holding base member 931 with a cover attachment screw 933.

[0215] In this way, by supporting the support unit 901 with the portion of the drive shaft 912 closer to the piezoelectric element 903 supported at one end by the base 920, the space available for arranging the object to be moved (for example, the base member 450 of the working module 100 or other drive devices) connected to the movable body unit 902 can be expanded, improving the freedom of design and versatility of use. Furthermore, because the moment applied to the drive shaft 912 by an external force is not applied to the joint 917 between the piezoelectric element 903 and the drive shaft 912, the vibration of the piezoelectric element 903 can be transmitted stably to the drive shaft 912, ensuring the driving stability of the drive device 900.

[0216] The device holding unit 930A also includes a fixing portion 937 that fixes the drive shaft 912, and a restricting portion 938 that extends from the fixing portion 937 in the opposite direction to the piezoelectric element 903 and is disposed opposite the side surface of the drive shaft 912. In this embodiment, a cover mounting screw 933 that fixes the holding cover member 932 to the holding base member 931 is screwed into the holding base member 931 at a position close to the piezoelectric element 903. As a result, the portion of the recess 931c that is close to the piezoelectric element 903 forms the fixing portion 937 that firmly fixes the drive shaft 912, and the portion away from the piezoelectric element 903 forms the restricting portion 938.

[0217] In this embodiment, the device holder 930A securely connects the portion of the drive shaft 912 closer to the piezoelectric element 903 to the base 920 with the fixing portion 937, and also restricts rotation of the drive shaft 912 by the fixing portion 937 and the restricting portion 938 when an external force moment is applied to the drive shaft 912, thereby preventing damage to the device holder 930A and the drive shaft 912 due to force concentration on the fixing portion 937. Furthermore, the restricting portion 938 has a smaller restraining force on the drive shaft 912 (adhesion force between the drive shaft 912 and 930A) than the fixing portion 937, and therefore can restrict a decrease in vibration of the drive shaft 912 caused by driving the piezoelectric element 903. The device holder 930A is configured to be able to firmly position the drive shaft 912 while restricting a decrease in the movement speed and drive force of the movable body unit 902.

[0218] The device holding part 930A and the drive shaft 912 may be fixed to each other with an adhesive at the fixing part 937. In this case, the same functions and effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained by not fixing the device holding part 930A and the drive shaft 912 to each other at the restricting part 938. The configuration for cantilevering the support unit 901 may be a configuration in which the joint part 917 is restrained to the device holding part 930A directly or via the fixing member 918.

[0219] 27(C), a vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904 may be joined to the other end of the drive shaft 912. Note that instead of the vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904, a piezoelectric element that can be driven by an electric signal from a drive controller may be provided at the other end of the drive shaft 912. In this case, the wiring extending from the piezoelectric element can be connected to a drive controller disposed outside the output member 970 by passing it through, for example, an elongated hole or groove provided along the drive shaft 912 on one side surface of a side portion 971 of the output member 970.

[0220] 27(C), the moving body unit 902 that frictionally engages with the drive shaft 912 may be divided into a plurality of moving body unit constituents 902b that are separated from one another in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912, and each moving body unit constituent 902b may frictionally engage with the drive shaft 912. These moving body unit constituents 902b are connected to one another via spacer members 902a and output members 970.

[0221] The longer the length of the frictional engagement portion between movable body unit 902 and drive shaft 912 in the axial direction of drive shaft 912, the more the vibrations transmitted from piezoelectric element 903 to the frictional engagement portion are averaged, resulting in more stable driving of movable body unit 902. However, since the frictional engagement portion requires a high degree of flatness in the joint surface between drive shaft 912 and movable body unit 902, forming a frictional engagement portion that is long in the axial direction requires advanced processing technology and increases manufacturing costs.

[0222] Therefore, as in this embodiment, by dividing the movable body unit 902 into multiple movable body unit constituent bodies 902b in the axial direction, it is possible to divide the frictional engagement portion between the movable body unit 902 and the drive shaft 912 and reduce the axial length of each frictional engagement portion. This allows the axial length of each frictional engagement portion to be designed to be small, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, while also increasing the total axial length of the frictional engagement portions between the movable body unit 902 and the drive shaft 912, thereby improving the driving stability of the movable body unit 902.

[0223] The moving body unit 902 may be composed of three or more moving body unit components 902b that are separate from one another. A configuration in which the frictional engagement portion between the drive shaft and the moving body unit or the support unit is divided into two or more parts in the axial direction (separately provided) can be applied to any of the above-described embodiments. The configurations described in the above-described embodiments and modified examples (notes, etc.) may be combined, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible.

[0224] 28, the holding base member 931 of the device holding unit 930A may be fixed to the base 920 by base fixing screws 934 at multiple locations (for example, two locations) spaced apart in the axial direction of the drive shaft 912. This more firmly connects the device holding unit 930A and the base 920, making it possible to more reliably reduce the displacement of the drive shaft 912 when an external force is applied to the drive shaft 912 via the output member 970 or the like, and improving the positioning accuracy of the movable body unit 902 and the output member 970.

[0225] Note that the configuration in which the device holder and the base are fastened with screws at multiple locations spaced apart from each other (the locations may be spaced apart in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the drive shaft) can be applied to any of the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, the means for fastening the device holder and the base is not limited to fasteners such as screws, but may also be adhesive, or the device holder and the base may be fastened with both fasteners and adhesive. Furthermore, each piezoelectric element may be composed of multiple stacked piezoelectric elements joined in series in the stacking direction.

[0226] That's all, Reference inventions and Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the materials, shapes, arrangements, numbers, etc. in the above embodiments are merely examples. Reference inventions and The present invention can be embodied in various other ways. For example, reference The camera-equipped working device to which the camera-equipped working module of the invention is attached may be a three-axis operation drive device, a one-axis operation drive device, a two-axis operation drive device, or a combination with a drive device that performs rotational motion. Furthermore, the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications (notes, etc.) may be combined, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible. [Note] In the micromanipulator of Patent Document 1, the microgripper is configured so that the gripping arm opens and closes using an electromagnetic drive system, which results in a complex structure and makes it difficult to reduce the size and weight.In addition, the camera that captures images of the area around the tip of the gripping arm of the microgripper is supported by a member separate from the member that supports the microgripper, which results in an increase in the size and weight of the microgripper device. In the micromanipulator of Patent Document 1, the camera that captures the working area of ​​the microgripper (work tool) is attached to the microscope, and an XYZ movement mechanism is provided to move the tip of the microgripper's gripping arm into the field of view of the microscope, which causes the problem of increased size and weight. [Appendix 1] an imaging device that images a working area of ​​the work tool; a tool rotation device that supports the work tool and rotates the work tool relative to the work area; a base member supporting the tool rotation device and the imaging device, A camera-equipped work module, wherein the imaging device is held non-rotatably on the base member and is arranged on the axis of rotation of the work tool by the tool rotation device. [Appendix 2] The camera-equipped working module described in Appendix 1, wherein the imaging device includes a lens driving device that moves the lens along the optical axis by vibrating a piezoelectric element for driving the lens, and an imaging element that receives light that has passed through the lens. [Appendix 3] A wiring member extending from the imaging element is provided so as to avoid a rotatable range of the work tool, 3. The camera-equipped work module according to claim 2, wherein a lens drive shaft of the lens drive device is arranged to the side of the imaging element. [Appendix 4] The camera-equipped work module described in Appendix 2, wherein the lens drive shaft of the lens drive device is positioned on the opposite side of the lens from the imaging element and on an extension of the optical axis of the lens. [Appendix 5] 5. The camera-equipped work module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the work tool is a gripper having a gripping arm that opens and closes. [Appendix 6] The gripping arm of the gripper extends obliquely downward so that the optical axis of the imaging device intersects with the extension direction of the gripping arm. 10. A camera-equipped working module as described in Appendix 5. [Appendix 7] the lens and the imaging element of the imaging device are a first lens and a first imaging element, the imaging device further includes a second lens and a second imaging element that capture an image of the work area with an optical axis that is inclined with respect to the optical axis of the first lens, the second lens is fixed in position relative to the second imaging element; 7. A camera-equipped working module according to any one of claims 1 to 6. [Appendix 8] A wiring member extending from the first imaging element is provided so as to avoid a rotatable range of the work tool, The second lens and the second imaging element are disposed at a position overlapping with the wiring member in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the work tool. 8. A camera-equipped working module as described in Appendix 7. [Appendix 9] A camera-equipped operation module according to any one of appendices 1 to 8; a movement mechanism for moving the base member of the camera-equipped operation module, Work equipment with camera. [Appendix 10] the movement mechanism includes a drive device having a first support unit having a pair of piezoelectric elements fixed to both ends of a drive shaft, and a first moving body unit frictionally engaged with the drive shaft of the first support unit; The base member of the camera-equipped work module is connected to the first moving body unit, The first moving body unit is moved in the axial direction of the drive shaft by driving both or one of the pair of piezoelectric elements. 10. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 9. [Appendix 11] the movement mechanism includes a drive device having a second moving body unit having a pair of piezoelectric elements fixed to both ends of a drive shaft, and a second support unit that frictionally engages with the drive shaft of the second moving body unit to support the second moving body unit, The base member of the camera-equipped work module is connected to the second moving body unit, The second moving body unit is moved in the axial direction of the drive shaft by driving both or one of the pair of piezoelectric elements. 10. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 9. [Appendix 12] The drive device includes a device holder that connects the first support unit to a base while holding the first support unit so that the first support unit can vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft, and a unit positioning body that faces an end of the first support unit on an axial extension of the drive shaft, and an elastic body that urges one end of the first support unit toward the unit positioning body so that the other end of the first support unit is urged toward the one end. 11. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 10. [Appendix 13] The drive device includes a device holder that connects the first support unit to a base while holding the first support unit so that the first support unit can vibrate in the axial direction of the drive shaft, and the device holder has a holder-side convex or concave portion that engages with a unit-side concave or convex portion provided on the first support unit; 11. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 10. [Appendix 14] the drive device simultaneously or selectively drives the pair of piezoelectric elements depending on the positional relationship between the movable body unit and the support unit. 14. A camera-equipped working device according to any one of claims 10 to 13. [Appendix 15] When the movable body unit moves within a predetermined stroke range along the axial direction of the drive shaft and is located in a central region of the stroke, both of the pair of piezoelectric elements are driven, when the movable body unit is located in one end region of the stroke near one of the piezoelectric elements, only one of the piezoelectric elements is driven, and when the movable body unit is located in the other end region of the stroke near the other piezoelectric element, only the other piezoelectric element is driven. 15. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 14. [Appendix 16] One of the pair of piezoelectric elements is used as a driving piezoelectric element, and two terminals of the other piezoelectric element are short-circuited. 14. A camera-equipped working device according to any one of claims 10 to 13. [Appendix 17] One of the pair of piezoelectric elements is a driving piezoelectric element, a switch that short-circuits two terminals of the other piezoelectric element when the first moving body unit or the second support unit approaches the other piezoelectric element; 14. A camera-equipped working device according to any one of claims 10 to 13. [Appendix 18] the moving mechanism includes a drive device having a support unit having a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft, and a moving body unit frictionally engaged with the drive shaft of the support unit; the drive device is configured such that a portion of the support unit closer to the piezoelectric element is cantilevered on a base, and a cylindrical output member covering the other end of the support unit is connected to the movable body unit; the base member of the camera-equipped work module is connected to the movable unit via the output member, The piezoelectric element is driven to move the movable unit and the output member in the axial direction of the drive shaft. 10. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 9. [Appendix 19] the moving mechanism includes a drive device having a support unit having a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft, and a moving body unit frictionally engaged with the drive shaft of the support unit; The driving device is supported by a cantilever on a base at a portion of the driving shaft that is closer to the piezoelectric element, The base member of the camera-equipped work module is connected to the moving body unit, The piezoelectric element is driven to move the movable unit in the axial direction of the drive shaft. 10. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 9. [Appendix 20] The device holder, which cantilevers the drive shaft at a portion closer to the piezoelectric element, includes a fixing portion that fixes the drive shaft, and a restricting portion that extends from the fixing portion in a direction opposite to the piezoelectric element and is disposed opposite to a side surface of the drive shaft. 19. A work device with a camera as described in Appendix 19. [Explanation of symbols]

[0227] 100 Gripper module (work module with camera) 200 Gripper (Work Tool) 220 Grasping Arm 300,300A imaging device 301 Lens (1st lens) 310 Lens drive unit 311 Piezoelectric element for lens drive 312 Lens drive shaft 330 imaging element (first imaging element) 331 Flexible PCB 340 Second imaging element 341 Second Lens 450 Base material 500 3-axis operation drive unit 501 Telescopic drive unit 700 Tool Rotation Device 800 Drive Unit 800a output member 801 Support Unit 802 Mobile Unit 803 Case 808 Drive Controller 811A Piezoelectric element 811B Piezoelectric element 812 Drive shaft 812a Drive shaft end 812b Drive shaft end 814 Transmission components 814a Output shaft end receiving recess 814b Piezoelectric element end accommodating recess 815 Transmission components 816 Fixing member 817 Joint 818 Fixing member 820 Material 900 Drive Unit 901 Support Unit 902 Mobile Unit 903 Drive Piezoelectric Element 904 Vibration-absorbing piezoelectric element 904a terminal 904b terminal 905 Lead wire 908 Drive Controller 909 Switch 912 drive shaft 920 Material 922 Second base part (unit positioning body) 923 Third base part (unit positioning body) 930,930A Device holding part 937 Fixed part 938 Regulatory Department 940 Elastic Body 950 Drive Unit 950a, 950b Output member 951 Mobile Unit 952 Support Unit 953 Piezoelectric element 954 Piezoelectric element 954a terminal 954b terminal 955 output shaft 960 Material 970 Cylindrical output member 1000 Gripper Device L optical axis LA optical axis S stroke SA stroke end area SB Stroke end area SC Stroke center region

Claims

1. A drive device having a support unit having a piezoelectric element fixed to at least one end of a drive shaft, and a moving body unit frictionally engaged with the drive shaft of the support unit, the moving unit is frictionally engaged with the outer surface of the drive shaft; a portion of the drive shaft close to the piezoelectric element is cantilevered on a base by a device holding part, The piezoelectric element is driven to move the movable unit in the axial direction of the drive shaft. Drive unit.

2. The device holder, which cantilevers the drive shaft at a portion closer to the piezoelectric element, includes a fixing portion that fixes the drive shaft, and a restricting portion that extends from the fixing portion in a direction opposite to the piezoelectric element and is disposed opposite to a side surface of the drive shaft. The drive device according to claim 1 .

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