Vibration generation device

Abstract

The present invention comprises a stationary body equipped with at least three hollow coils, and a movable body equipped with a magnet and provided so as to be capable of vibrating relative to the stationary body. In the hollow coils, a pair of wire bundles are positioned in parallel, and the magnet is positioned facing the hollow coils. In a neutral position where the movable body is not vibrating, the magnetic poles of the magnet are arranged in an alternating pattern such that a first magnetic pole of the magnet faces the wire bundle at one end side of the hollow coil at one end side among the at least three hollow coils, and a second magnetic pole of the magnet faces the wire bundle at the other end side of the hollow coil on the one end side, as well as the wire bundle of the hollow coil adjacent to that coil. The hollow coils are each constituted of a plurality of winding layers, and are positioned such that a crossover section, which crosses over one inner layer, is positioned on one of the pair of wire bundles constituting the hollow coil, whereby the other wire bundle of the pair is a narrowed section, and the narrowed sections of two adjacent hollow coils are contiguous.

Description

Vibration generating device

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

[0002] Conventionally, a vibration generating device that generates vibration by Lorentz force using a magnet and a coil is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such a vibration generating device, a hollow coil is used as the coil, for example.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-16238

[0004] Since the hollow coil is composed of a plurality of winding layers, it has a crossing portion that crosses over one inner layer. Therefore, in the portion having the crossing portion, a gap occurs between the layers, and the current density becomes small, so there is a problem that the Lorentz force is difficult to effectively occur. In addition, since the diameter of the hollow coil in the portion having the crossing portion increases, the interval between the coils is set with a margin, and thereby the interval between the coils widens, which also causes a problem that the Lorentz force is difficult to effectively occur.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and an object thereof is to provide a vibration generating device that can effectively generate a Lorentz force using a hollow coil and a magnet to obtain a large driving force.

[0006] A vibration device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a fixed body having at least three hollow coils, and a movable body having a magnet and being provided to vibrate in a first direction relative to the fixed body, wherein the bundle portions of the at least three hollow coils are arranged along the first direction such that they are parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and current flows in the same direction between adjacent bundle portions of adjacent hollow coils of the at least three hollow coils. The magnet is positioned opposite the hollow coil, and in the neutral position where the movable body is not vibrating, the first magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at one end of the hollow coil at one end in the first direction, the second magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at the other end of the hollow coil at one end and the adjacent central hollow coil, the first magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at the other end of the central hollow coil and the adjacent other end of the hollow coil at one end, and the second magnetic pole of the magnet faces the other end of the hollow coil at the other end, with the first and second magnetic poles of the magnet arranged alternately. The hollow coil is composed of multiple winding layers, and the intersections that cross over the innermost layer are grouped together and arranged on one of the pair of bundled sections that make up the hollow coil, so that the other of the pair of bundled sections becomes a narrow section, and the narrow sections of two adjacent hollow coils are arranged to be adjacent to each other.

[0007] According to the present invention, a large driving force can be obtained by effectively generating a Lorentz force using a hollow coil and a magnet.

[0008] This is a perspective view of the vibration generator. This is an exploded perspective view of the vibration generator. This is an exploded perspective view of the vibrating part and the non-vibrating body. This is a perspective view of the non-vibrating body. This is a diagram showing the configuration of one coil. This is a schematic diagram to explain the method of manufacturing the coil shown in Figure 5. This is a diagram to explain the effects that occur when manufacturing the coil. This is a diagram showing the configuration of the coil considering the intersection. This is a diagram to explain the arrangement of the three coils shown in Figure 4. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base member and the elastic support member. This is a perspective view of the vibrating part and the non-vibrating body. This is a perspective view of the driving means. This is a perspective view of the leaf spring. This is a perspective view of the base member and the bracket. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lower yoke and the base member. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lower yoke and the base member. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the lower yoke and the base member. This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the lower yoke and the lower magnet. These are top views and cross-sectional views of the base member, bracket, coil, and vibrating body. This is a diagram to explain the effect of the protrusion provided on the base member. This is a diagram to explain the size of the coil used in this verification. This is a diagram showing the orientation and arrangement of the three coils when the thrust of the vibrating body was measured.

[0009] The following describes a vibration apparatus VE including a vibration generator 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vibration apparatus VE including the vibration generator 101 and the control unit CTR. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vibration generator 101 connected to the control unit CTR, and the lower part of Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vibration generator 101 with the cover member 1 removed. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vibration generator 101.

[0010] In Figures 1 and 2, X1 represents one direction of the X-axis in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and X2 represents the other direction of the X-axis. Similarly, Y1 represents one direction of the Y-axis in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and Y2 represents the other direction of the Y-axis. Likewise, Z1 represents one direction of the Z-axis in the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and Z2 represents the other direction of the Z-axis. In this embodiment, the X1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the front side of the vibration generator 101, and the X2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the rear side of the vibration generator 101. Furthermore, the Y1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the left side of the vibration generator 101, and the Y2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the right side of the vibration generator 101. Also, the Z1 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the upper side of the vibration generator 101, and the Z2 side of the vibration generator 101 corresponds to the lower side of the vibration generator 101. The same applies to the other figures.

[0011] Note that the X-axis direction is just one example of the first direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the center indicates the central position of the vibration generator 101 when viewed from the Z direction.

[0013] The vibration device VE includes a control unit CTR and a vibration generator 101. The vibration generator 101 includes a housing HS, a vibrating part VP housed within the housing HS, and a non-vibrating body NV held within the housing HS.

[0014] The housing HS is an example of a component that constitutes part of the fixed body in the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the housing HS has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this embodiment, the housing HS is made of a non-magnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel. The housing HS is composed of a cover member 1 and a base member 2.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the cover member 1 is configured to form the side and top surfaces of the housing HS, and the base member 2 is configured to form the bottom surface of the housing HS. In the illustrated example, the base member 2 is configured to function as a base for supporting the vibrating part VP.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the cover member 1 has a substantially rectangular cylindrical outer peripheral wall portion 1A and a flat plate-shaped top plate portion 1T that is continuous with the upper end (Z1 side end) of the outer peripheral wall portion 1A and extends in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0017] The outer peripheral wall portion 1A comprises four flat side plate portions. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the outer peripheral wall portion 1A has a first side plate portion 1A1 and a third side plate portion 1A3 that face each other, and a second side plate portion 1A2 and a fourth side plate portion 1A4 that are perpendicular to and face each other, respectively, the first side plate portion 1A1 and the third side plate portion 1A3.

[0018] The base member 2 has a flat bottom plate portion 2B extending in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and a support portion 2P rising from the peripheral edge of the bottom plate portion 2B. The support portion 2P includes first support portion 2P1 to fourth support portion 2P4. The bottom plate portion 2B has protruding portions 31 formed in the Z1 direction in regions along both ends in the X-axis direction, and a hole 32 is formed adjacent to the protruding portions 31. The bottom plate portion 2B also has a hole 33 for yoke joining used when assembling the vibration generating device 101.

[0019] The control unit CTR is configured to realize the movement of the vibrating unit VP. In the illustrated example, the control unit CTR includes an arithmetic circuit and a memory, and is configured to supply an alternating current to the vibrating unit VP to cause it to vibrate. In the illustrated example, the control unit CTR is installed outside the housing HS, but it may also be installed inside the housing HS. In this case, the control unit CTR may be one of the components of the vibration generator 101.

[0020] The vibrating unit VP is configured to vibrate the housing HS by vibrating itself. In the illustrated example, the vibrating unit VP is mounted inside the housing HS and configured to vibrate the housing HS.

[0021] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the details of the vibrating section VP will be described. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the vibrating section VP. The vibrating section VP is configured to include a vibrating body VB, a driving means DM, and an elastic support member ES.

[0022] The vibrating body VB, as a movable body, has a predetermined natural frequency and is configured to vibrate relative to the housing HS along a vibration axis VA (see Figure 2) extending in a predetermined direction. In the illustrated example, the vibrating body VB has a predetermined natural frequency and is configured to vibrate relative to the base member 2 along a vibration axis VA (see Figure 2) extending in the X-axis direction (front-rear direction, first direction).

[0023] The driving means DM is configured to vibrate the vibrating body VB along the vibration axis VA. In the illustrated example, the driving means DM is configured to vibrate the vibrating body VB, which is elastically supported by the elastic support member ES, along the vibration axis VA in response to the alternating current supplied through the control unit CTR.

[0024] The elastic support member ES is an example of a support member, and is configured to be interposed between the housing HS and the vibrating body VB so as to elastically support the vibrating body VB, thereby supporting the vibrating body VB relative to the housing HS so as to be able to vibrate along the X-axis direction.

[0025] Specifically, the vibrating part VP and the non-vibrating body NV are composed of a yoke 10, a bracket 11, a coil 12, a wiring board 13, a magnet 15, and a leaf spring 17. The vibrating part VB includes a vibrating body VB, a driving means DM, and an elastic support member ES. The vibrating body VB is composed of the yoke 10 and the magnet 15, the driving means DM is composed of the coil 12 and the magnet 15, and the elastic support member ES is composed of a leaf spring 17. The non-vibrating body NV is an example that constitutes a part of the fixed body in the present invention, and includes a bracket 11, a coil 12, and a wiring board 13, and does not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB. Since the non-vibrating body NV is integrally held in the housing HS, it vibrates together with the housing HS when the housing HS vibrates, but since it is connected to the vibrating body VB via the leaf spring 17, it does not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0026] The yoke 10 is a component that constitutes the magnetic circuit. In this embodiment, the yoke 10 is made of a magnetic material including iron. In the illustrated example, the yoke 10 is composed of two components, an upper yoke 10U and a lower yoke 10D, and is made of cold-rolled steel sheet (SPCC).

[0027] The upper yoke 10U is a component that constitutes the upper surface of the vibrating body VB and includes a left plate portion LW, a right plate portion RW, and a top plate portion TW. Specifically, protrusions PR are formed on the Z2-side end faces of the left plate portion LW and the right plate portion RW so as to engage with recesses RC formed in the lower yoke 10D. Holes 24 are formed in the top plate portion TW in regions along both ends in the X-axis direction, and protrusions 23 are provided between both ends in the X-axis direction and the holes 24. The protrusions 23 are formed by the deformation of the top plate portion TW so as to protrude in a mountain shape in the Z2 direction. The shape of the protrusions 23 is not limited to a mountain shape, but may be U-shaped or the like. Also, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the holes 24 are rectangles with rounded corners, and the edges adjacent to the protrusions 23 extend in the Y-axis direction.

[0028] The lower yoke 10D is a component that constitutes the lower surface of the vibrating body VB and includes a bottom plate BW. Specifically, recesses RC are formed on the Y1 side (left side) and Y2 side (right side) end faces of the lower yoke 10D so as to engage with protrusions PR formed on the upper yoke 10U. Holes 22 are formed in the bottom plate BW in regions along both ends in the X-axis direction, and protrusions 21 are provided between both ends in the X-axis direction and the holes 22. The protrusions 21 are formed by deforming the bottom plate BW so as to protrude in a mountain shape in the Z1 direction, i.e., on the side where the first permanent magnet is located. Note that the shape of the protrusions 21 is not limited to a mountain shape, but may be U-shaped or the like. Also, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the hole 22 is a rectangle with rounded corners, and the edge adjacent to the protrusions 21 extends in the Y-axis direction.

[0029] The bracket 11 is configured to support the coil 12 in a position where the coil 12 is facing the magnet 15 without contact. In other words, the bracket 11 is configured to function as a coil holder that supports the coil 12. The bracket 11 is also attached and fixed to the base member 2 so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the bracket 11 is a plate-shaped member made of a non-magnetic material such as copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof, and has a mounting plate portion 11A and a main plate portion 11B. Specifically, the bracket 11 is fixed to the base member 2 by fastening members, welding, adhesive, or crimping via four mounting plate portions 11A that protrude outward from the main plate portion 11B, in a position where the bracket 11 and coil 12 do not come into contact with the vibrating body VB even when the vibrating body VB vibrates. In other words, the bracket 11 to which the coil 12 is attached is configured not to vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0030] The coil 12 is configured to generate a magnetic field when an electric current is supplied. In the example shown in Figure 3, the coil 12 includes three coils connected in series (first coil 12A, second coil 12B, and third coil 12C). Each of the first coil 12A, second coil 12B, and third coil 12C has a substantially elliptical shape (rounded rectangle) with a major axis along the Y-axis direction. The coil 12 has a first end 12S on the winding start side and a second end 12E on the winding end side. The coil 12 is fixed to the Z2 side (lower side) surface of the bracket 11 with adhesive or the like. Therefore, the coil 12 is positioned above the lower yoke 10D and the lower magnet 15D, spaced apart in the Z-axis direction, and is also indirectly positioned on the base member 2 via the bracket 11. In other words, the coil 12 is indirectly positioned on the base member 2 on the opposite side of the bottom plate portion 2B (lower side) of the lower yoke 10D and lower magnet 15D, that is, on the upper side of the lower yoke 10D and lower magnet 15D. The conductor (wire material made of copper or copper alloy, etc.) that makes up the coil 12 has an insulating coating on its surface. In Figure 3, for clarity, the coil 12 is shown in a simplified state, and a detailed illustration of the winding state is omitted. The same applies to the other figures.

[0031] The wiring board 13 is a component to which the first end 12S and the second end 12E of the coil 12 are connected. In the illustrated example, the wiring board 13 is fixed with adhesive to the Z2 side (lower side) surface of the bracket 11, as shown in the lower part of Figure 4. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 4 is an upward perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV, and the lower part of Figure 4 is a downward perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV.

[0032] In the illustrated example, the wiring board 13 is a flexible wiring board and includes a left wiring board 13L and a right wiring board 13R. The ends of the left wiring board 13L and the right wiring board 13R are fixed to the X1 side (front side) end of the bracket 11 with adhesive or the like. As shown in the lower part of Figure 4, the first end 12S of the coil 12 is connected to the inner conductor pattern PI of the left wiring board 13L with solder or conductive adhesive, and the second end 12E of the coil 12 is connected to the inner conductor pattern PI of the right wiring board 13R with solder or conductive adhesive. The outer conductor patterns PE of the left wiring board 13L and the right wiring board 13R are connected to the wires from the control unit CTR with solder or conductive adhesive.

[0033] The first coil 12A, the second coil 12B, and the third coil 12C are each hollow coils having an air core AC. The first end 12S, the first coil 12A, the second coil 12B, the third coil 12C, and the second end 12E are connected by a conductor section CP. Specifically, the conductor section CP includes the first conductor section CP1 to the fourth conductor section CP4, as shown in Figure 3. The first end 12S and the first coil 12A are connected by the first conductor section CP1, the first coil 12A and the second coil 12B are connected by the second conductor section CP2, the second coil 12B and the third coil 12C are connected by the third conductor section CP3, and the third coil 12C and the second end 12E are connected by the fourth conductor section CP4. Thus, the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C may be connected in series or in parallel.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 4, the coil 12 includes a bundled portion MW extending along the Y-axis direction and a curved portion SW connecting two adjacent bundled portions MW. In the illustrated example, the bundled portion MW has a rectangular shape when viewed from above and includes a plurality of conductors extending in the Y-axis direction (left-right direction), and the curved portion SW has a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from above and includes a plurality of conductors extending concentrically. Specifically, the first coil 12A has a front bundle portion 12A1, a rear bundle portion 12A2, a left curved portion 12A3, and a right curved portion 12A4; the second coil 12B has a front bundle portion 12B1, a rear bundle portion 12B2, a left curved portion 12B3, and a right curved portion 12B4; and the third coil 12C has a front bundle portion 12C1, a rear bundle portion 12C2, a left curved portion 12C3, and a right curved portion 12C4. Furthermore, the bundle portion MW includes a front bundle portion 12A1, a rear bundle portion 12A2, a front bundle portion 12B1, a rear bundle portion 12B2, a front bundle portion 12C1, and a rear bundle portion 12C2. Furthermore, the curved section SW includes the left curved section 12A3, the right curved section 12A4, the left curved section 12B3, the right curved section 12B4, the left curved section 12C3, and the right curved section 12C4. In the lower diagram of Figure 4, a dot pattern is added to the bundled section MW of the coil 12 for clarity.

[0035] Here, the configuration of the coil 12 in this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0036] Figure 5 shows the configuration of one coil 12. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for manufacturing the coil 12 shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the effects that occur during that process.

[0037] As described above, the coil 12 is a hollow coil. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, it has a shape in which a conductor 51, which is covered with an insulating layer, is wound around the air core AC. Such a coil 12 can be manufactured by winding the conductor 51 around the core 60 in a aligned multi-layer winding manner, as shown in Figure 6. Specifically, as indicated by the arrows, a first winding layer 52a is wound spirally around the core 60, for example from left to right, and then a second winding layer 52b is wound spirally on top of the first winding layer 52a, on the opposite side of the first winding layer 52a, that is, from right to left, and so on, with each layer being wound spirally around the core 60 and overlapping on the outer circumference.

[0038] In this case, the circumferential dimension of the coil 12 is long, and as shown in Figure 6, most of the wires of the second winding layer 52b are stacked so that they fit into the valleys between the wires of the first winding layer 52a. However, the gaps (valleys) between the wires of the first winding layer 52a are spirals from left to right, and the wires of the second winding layer 52b are spirals from right to left. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, for example, in the second winding layer 52b, an intersection 53 occurs every turn where the wires cross over the first winding layer 53a, which is the layer one layer inside. This is not limited to the second winding layer 52b, but also occurs in layers outside the second winding layer, where the wires cross over the layer one layer inside. In the region where the intersection occurs, the diameter portions of the wires 51 overlap, so if there are two layers of wires 51, the height in the stacking direction of the wires, i.e., the width of the coil, becomes twice the diameter of the wires 51. On the other hand, in areas other than the intersection, the outer layer's conductors fit into the gaps between the rows of conductors in the inner layer, so if there are two layers of conductors 51, the coil width becomes less than twice the diameter of the conductors 51. Thus, the coil width is wider in the area where the intersection 53 occurs compared to the area where the intersection 53 does not occur. Also, in the area where the intersection 53 occurs, the gaps between the lower and upper conductors are larger compared to when the upper conductors are in the gaps between the lower conductors, and therefore the current density is lower.

[0039] Figure 8 shows the configuration of the coil 12 considering the intersection 53.

[0040] In the present embodiment, in the coil in which a pair of bundled wire portions 12M1 and 12M2 extend along the Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. 8, the intersection portion 53 shown in FIG. 7 is collectively arranged in one of the bundled wire portions 12M1 and 12M2, i.e., in the bundled wire portion 12M1. Then, as described above, since the width of the coil in the region where the intersection portion 53 occurs becomes wider than the width of the coil in the region where the intersection portion 53 does not occur, the width W1 of the bundled wire portion 12M1 becomes wider than the width W2 of the bundled wire portion 12M2. Hereinafter, the bundled wire portion 12M1 will be described as the wide-width portion 12W1 with a wide width W1, and the bundled wire portion 12M2 will be described as the narrow-width portion 12W2 with a narrow width W2.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C shown in FIG. 4.

[0042] Regarding the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C shown in FIG. 4 as well, the intersection portion 53 shown in FIG. 7 is collectively arranged in one of the pair of bundled wire portions extending along the Y-axis direction.

[0043] Specifically, for the coil 12A, the intersection portion 53 shown in FIG. 7 is collectively arranged in the bundled wire portion 12A1 among the pair of bundled wire portions 12A1 and 12A2 extending along the Y-axis direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, in the coil 12A, the bundled wire portion 12A1 becomes the wide-width portion 12W1 with a wide width, and the bundled wire portion 12A2 becomes the narrow-width portion 12W2 with a narrow width.

[0044] Also, for the coil 12B, the intersection portion 53 shown in FIG. 7 is collectively arranged in the bundled wire portion 12B1 among the pair of bundled wire portions 12B1 and 12B2 extending along the Y-axis direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, in the coil 12B, the bundled wire portion 12B1 becomes the wide-width portion 12W1 with a wide width, and the bundled wire portion 12B2 becomes the narrow-width portion 12W2 with a narrow width.

[0045] Also, for the coil 12C, the intersection portion 53 shown in FIG. 7 is collectively arranged in the bundled wire portion 12C2 among the pair of bundled wire portions 12C1 and 12C2 extending along the Y-axis direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, in the coil 12C, the bundled wire portion 12C1 becomes the narrow-width portion 12W2 with a narrow width, and the bundled wire portion 12C2 becomes the wide-width portion 12W1 with a wide width.

[0046] This configuration results in the narrow sections 12W2 of two adjacent coils 12B and 12C being positioned adjacent to each other.

[0047] Then, the gap between the adjacent bundled sections 12A2 and 12B1 of coil 12A and coil 12B is made equal to the gap between the adjacent bundled sections 12B2 and 12C1 of coil 12B and coil 12C. As a result, the bundled section 12A2 of coil 12A, the bundled section 12B2 of coil 12B, and the bundled section 12C1 of coil 12C are each narrow sections 12W2, and the bundled section 12B1 of coil 12B is a wide section 12W1, so the pitch P1 between coil 12B and coil 12C becomes smaller than the pitch P2 between coil 12A and coil 12B. In other words, the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C are arranged such that the pitch between two adjacent coils 12B and 12C, where the narrow section 12W2 is adjacent to each other, is smaller than the pitch between other adjacent coils 12A and 12B. Note that the pitch indicates the spacing between adjacent coils 12A, 12B, and 12C, and represents the distance between the centers in the X-axis direction of the air core section AC of adjacent coils 12A, 12B, and 12C.

[0048] The magnet 15 is an example of a magnetic flux generating member and, together with the coil 12, constitutes the driving means DM. In the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 3, the magnet 15 includes an upper magnet 15U and a lower magnet 15D. Each of the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D is an 8-pole magnetized permanent magnet having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. Specifically, the upper magnet 15U includes first to fourth upper magnet portions 15U1 to 15U4 formed along the X-axis direction, and the lower magnet 15D includes first to fourth lower magnet portions 15D1 to 15D4 formed along the X-axis direction. Each of the first to fourth upper magnet portions 15U1 to 15U4 and the first to fourth lower magnet portions 15D1 to 15D4 includes one N-pole portion and one S-pole portion vertically. In the illustrated example, the upper surfaces of the first upper magnet portion 15U1, the third upper magnet portion 15U3, the first lower magnet portion 15D1, and the third lower magnet portion 15D3 are each N-poles, and the upper surfaces of the second upper magnet portion 15U2, the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4, the second lower magnet portion 15D2, and the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4 are each S-poles. Also, the lower surfaces of the first upper magnet portion 15U1, the third upper magnet portion 15U3, the first lower magnet portion 15D1, and the third lower magnet portion 15D3 are each S-poles. Also, the lower surfaces of the second upper magnet portion 15U2, the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4, the second lower magnet portion 15D2, and the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4 are each N-poles. In FIG. 3, for clarity, a dot pattern is attached to the N-pole of the 8-pole magnetized permanent magnet, and a cross pattern is attached to the S-pole. The same applies to other figures. Note that each of the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D may be a combination of four 2-pole magnetized permanent magnets or a combination of two 4-pole magnetized permanent magnets. Further, a permanent magnet magnetized with the first upper magnet portion 15U1 as the S-pole and the second upper magnet portion 15U2 as the N-pole and a permanent magnet magnetized with the third upper magnet portion 15U3 as the S-pole and the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4 as the N-pole may be combined to form the upper magnet 15U. The same applies to the lower magnet 15D. Also, in the description of the magnet 15 above, the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D are provided, but either one of them may be omitted. Further, the N-pole and S-pole of the magnet 15 above may be reversed.

[0049] The leaf spring 17 is an example of an elastic support member ES that is interposed between the housing HS and the vibrating body VB to elastically support the vibrating body VB. In this embodiment, the leaf spring 17 is made of a non-magnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel and has a connecting portion 17A, a vibrating body support portion 17B, and an elastic arm portion 17C, as shown in Figure 3.

[0050] Specifically, the leaf spring 17 is formed, for example, by punching and bending a metal plate made of austenitic stainless steel with a thickness of 0.2 mm. More specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the connecting portion 17A of the leaf spring 17 is welded to the bottom plate portion 2B of the base member 2. The leaf spring 17 is attached to the base member 2 only via the connecting portion 17A, with a gap GP in the Z-axis direction formed between the bottom plate portion 2B of the base member 2 and the vibrating body support portion 17B, so that the vibrating body support portion 17B and the elastic arm portion 17C do not come into contact with the base member 2.

[0051] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of the base member 2 and the elastic support member ES (leaf spring 17). Specifically, the upper part of Figure 10 is a perspective view of the base member 2 to which the elastic support member ES (leaf spring 17) is attached. The lower part of Figure 10 is a front view of the base member 2 to which the elastic support member ES (leaf spring 17) is attached, and corresponds to an enlarged view of the area R1 enclosed by the dashed line in the upper part of Figure 10. Note that in Figure 10, a dot pattern is added to the elastic support member ES (leaf spring 17) for clarity.

[0052] In this embodiment, the connection portion 17A of the leaf spring 17 includes the first connection portion 17A1 to the fourth connection portion 17A4, as shown in the upper figure of Figure 10, and the elastic arm portion 17C of the leaf spring 17 includes the first elastic arm portion 17C1 to the fourth elastic arm portion 17C4. In addition, a notch 41 is provided by cutting out a portion of the region along both ends of the vibrating body support portion 17B in the X-axis direction.

[0053] As shown in the upper part of Figure 10, each of the first connection part 17A1 to the fourth connection part 17A4 is fixed to the bottom plate part 2B of the base member 2 by welding. At this time, the notch 41 of the leaf spring 17 and the hole 32 of the bottom plate part 2B overlap in part of their outer shape. Also, as shown in Figure 11, the vibrating body VB is welded to the vibrating body support part 17B of the leaf spring 17. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the vibrating body VP and the non-vibrating body NV. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 11 is a perspective view of the vibrating body VP and the non-vibrating body NV (elastic support member ES, vibrating body VB and magnet 15) in a state where the non-vibrating body NV (bracket 11, coil 12, and wiring board 13) is omitted from the illustration, and the lower part of Figure 11 is a perspective view of the non-vibrating body NV and the vibrating body VP. In the lower diagram of Figure 11, a dot pattern is added to the vibrating parts (vibrating body VB and elastic support member ES) for clarity. The presence or absence of the dot pattern indicates that the non-vibrating body NV, which does not have a dot pattern, is fixed to the base member 2 (not shown in the lower diagram of Figure 11) so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB, which does have a dot pattern. The lower diagram of Figure 1 shows the non-vibrating body NV fixed to the base member 2 so as not to come into contact with the vibrating body VB.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in the upper diagram of Figure 11, the vibrating body VB is composed of an upper yoke 10U, an upper magnet 15U, a lower magnet 15D, and a lower yoke 10D. The Z2 side (lower side) of the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D is welded to the Z1 side (upper side) of the vibrating body support portion 17B of the leaf spring 17. As a result, the leaf spring 17 is fixed to the base member 2 such that the vibrating body support portion 17B is positioned between the base member 2 and the lower yoke 10D in the Z-axis direction.

[0055] In the state shown in the lower part of Figure 11, when an alternating current is applied to the coil 12 via the wiring board 13, the vibrating body VB vibrates along the vibration axis VA.

[0056] Here, referring to Figure 12, the positional relationship of the components of the driving means DM when the vibrating body VB vibrates along the vibration axis VA will be explained. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the components of the driving means DM. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 12 shows the positional relationship between the non-vibrating body NV (coil 12) and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) when current flows in one direction of the coil 12 and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) moves furthest towards X2 (rear). The middle part of Figure 12 shows the positional relationship between the non-vibrating body NV (coil 12) and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) when no current flows through the coil 12. The lower part of Figure 12 shows the positional relationship between the non-vibrating body NV (coil 12) and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) when current flows in the other direction of the coil 12 and the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) moves furthest towards X1 (front).

[0057] When no current flows through coil 12, coil 12 is not subjected to a Lorentz force. Therefore, as shown in the central diagram of Figure 12, magnet 15 is positioned in a neutral position such that its center faces the center of coil 12. Specifically, any vibrating body VB (magnet 15) that is in a position other than the neutral position is biased by the elastic support member ES (leaf spring 17) to return to the neutral position.

[0058] In this state, of the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C, the bundled portion 12A1 at one end of coil 12A in the X-axis direction faces the first upper magnet portion 15U1 and the first lower magnet portion 15D1. Also, of the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C, the bundled portion 12A2 at the other end of coil 12A in the X-axis direction, and the bundled portion 12B1 adjacent to bundled portion 12A2, face the second upper magnet portion 15U2 and the second lower magnet portion 15D2. Furthermore, the other bundled portion 12B2 of coil 12B having bundled portion 12B1, and the bundled portion 12C1 adjacent to bundled portion 12B2, face the third upper magnet portion 15U3 and the third lower magnet portion 15D3. Furthermore, the other bundled portion 12C2 of the coil 12C having the bundled portion 12C1 faces the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4 and the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4.

[0059] Furthermore, in the neutral position where the vibrating body VB is not vibrating, the lower surface of the first upper magnet portion 15U1 is the south pole and faces the bundle portion 12A1 at one end of the coil 12A. Also, the lower surface of the second upper magnet portion 15U2 is the north pole and faces the bundle portion 12A2 at the other end of the coil 12A, and the bundle portion 12B1 of the coil 12B (the central hollow coil) adjacent to the bundle portion 12A2. Furthermore, the lower surface of the third upper magnet portion 15U3 is the south pole and faces the bundle portion 12B2 at the other end of the coil 12B, and the bundle portion 12C1 at one end of the coil 12C adjacent to the bundle portion 12B2. Furthermore, the lower surface of the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4 is the north pole and faces the bundle portion 12C2 at the other end of the coil 12C.

[0060] Furthermore, in the neutral position where the vibrating body VB is not vibrating, the upper surface of the first lower magnet portion 15D1 is the north pole and faces the bundled portion 12A1 at one end of the coil 12A. Also, the upper surface of the second lower magnet portion 15D2 is the south pole and faces the bundled portion 12A2 at the other end of the coil 12A, and the coil 12B (the central hollow coil) adjacent to the bundled portion 12A2. Also, the upper surface of the third lower magnet portion 15D3 is the north pole and faces the bundled portion 12B2 at the other end of the coil 12B, and the bundled portion 12C1 at one end of the coil 12C adjacent to the bundled portion 12B2. Also, the upper surface of the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4 is the south pole and faces the bundled portion 12C2 at the other end of the coil 12C.

[0061] Thus, the magnet 15 is constructed such that the faces of the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C are arranged alternately with north poles and south poles. One of the north poles corresponds to the first magnetic pole, and the other corresponds to the second magnetic pole.

[0062] When current flows from the first end 12S to the second end 12E of coil 12, current flows through the first coil 12A, the second coil 12B, and the third coil 12C in the direction indicated by arrow DR1 in the center view of Figure 12. The vibrating body VB (magnet 15) receives a reaction force from the Lorentz force and moves towards X2 (rear side) as indicated by arrow AR1 in the upper view of Figure 12.

[0063] Conversely, when current flows from the second end 12E to the first end 12S of coil 12, current flows through the first coil 12A, the second coil 12B, and the third coil 12C in the direction indicated by arrow DR2 in the center view of Figure 12. The vibrating body VB (magnet 15) receives a reaction force from the Lorentz force and moves towards X1 (front side) as indicated by arrow AR2 in the lower view of Figure 12.

[0064] The control unit CTR can alternately reverse the direction of the Lorentz force acting on the bundled portion MW of the coil 12 by alternately reversing the direction of the current flowing through the coil 12 (for example, by flowing a sinusoidal current or a square wave current), and consequently, can vibrate the vibrating body VB (magnet 15) along the vibration axis VA (X-axis direction).

[0065] Next, referring to Figure 13, the movement of the elastic arm 17C when the vibrating body VB vibrates will be explained. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the leaf spring 17. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 13 shows the state of the leaf spring 17 when no current is flowing through the coil 12, that is, when the vibrating body VB is in the neutral position (not vibrating). The lower part of Figure 13 shows the state of the leaf spring 17 when the vibrating body VB moves towards the X2 side (rear side).

[0066] As shown in the upper diagram of Figure 13, the elastic arm portion 17C is provided between the connecting portion 17A and the vibrating body support portion 17B. Specifically, the first elastic arm portion 17C1 is provided between the first connecting portion 17A1 and the vibrating body support portion 17B, the second elastic arm portion 17C2 is provided between the second connecting portion 17A2 and the vibrating body support portion 17B, the third elastic arm portion 17C3 is provided between the third connecting portion 17A3 and the vibrating body support portion 17B, and the fourth elastic arm portion 17C4 is provided between the fourth connecting portion 17A4 and the vibrating body support portion 17B.

[0067] When the vibrating body VB (not shown in Figure 13) is moved in the direction indicated by arrow AR3 by the driving means DM, the elastic arm 17C bends as shown in the lower part of Figure 13, allowing the vibrating body VB to translate in the X2 direction. In Figure 13, for clarity, a dot pattern is added to the parts of the elastic arm 17C that have a relatively large amount of bending.

[0068] Conversely, when the vibrating body VB is moved by the driving means DM in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by arrow AR3 (X2 direction) (X1 direction), the elastic arm portion 17C bends in the direction opposite to the deflection direction shown in the lower diagram of Figure 13, enabling translation of the vibrating body VB in the X1 direction.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 3, the details of the upper yoke 10U will be explained. The upper yoke 10U has a top plate portion TW, a right plate portion RW, and a left plate portion LW. Specifically, the left plate portion LW extending in the Z2 direction is formed at the Y1 end of the top plate portion TW, and the right plate portion RW extending in the Z2 direction is formed at the Y2 end of the top plate portion TW. In addition, a convex portion PR is formed at the lower end of the left plate portion LW and the right plate portion RW so as to interlock with a recess RC formed in the lower yoke 10D. The upper part of Figure 11 shows the state in which the recess RC formed in the lower yoke 10D and the convex portion PR of the upper yoke 10U are interlocked.

[0070] When assembling the vibrating body VB, the upper magnet 15U is attached to the top plate portion TW (see Figure 3) of the upper yoke 10U, and the lower magnet 15D is attached to the bottom plate portion BW (see Figure 3) of the lower yoke 10D. Furthermore, the convex portion PR of the upper yoke 10U and the concave portion RC of the lower yoke 10D are interlocked. In this embodiment, the upper yoke 10U and the lower yoke 10D surrounding the magnet 15 are made of separate components to simplify the assembly of the vibrating body VB.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of Figure 11, the Z1 side (upper side) of the upper magnet 15U is held by magnetic force to the Z2 side (lower side) of the top plate portion TW of the upper yoke 10U, and the Z2 side (lower side) of the lower magnet 15D is held by magnetic force to the Z1 side (upper side) of the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D. At this time, the upper magnet 15U is positioned in a predetermined position between two protrusions 23 formed on the top plate portion TW of the upper yoke 10U, and the lower magnet 15D is positioned in a predetermined position between two protrusions 21 formed on the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D. Furthermore, in the space enclosed by the upper yoke 10U and the lower yoke 10D, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 11, a coil 12 fixed to the bracket 11 is installed on the Z2 side of the upper magnet 15U and on the Z1 side of the lower magnet 15D, in a state of non-contact with the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D.

[0072] As shown in Figure 14, the bracket 11 is attached to the base member 2 by engaging the mounting plate portion 11A provided on the bracket 11 with the support portion 2P provided on the base member 2. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base member 2 and the bracket 11. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 14 is a perspective view of the bracket 11, the middle part of Figure 14 is a perspective view of the base member 2, and the lower part of Figure 14 is a perspective view of the bracket 11 attached to the base member 2.

[0073] As shown in Figure 14, the mounting plate portion 11A includes the first mounting plate portion 11A1 to the fourth mounting plate portion 11A4. The support portion 2P also includes the first support portion 2P1 to the fourth support portion 2P4. The first mounting plate portion 11A1 interlocks with the first support portion 2P1, the second mounting plate portion 11A2 interlocks with the second support portion 2P2, the third mounting plate portion 11A3 interlocks with the third support portion 2P3, and the fourth mounting plate portion 11A4 interlocks with the fourth support portion 2P4. The mounting plate portion 11A and the support portion 2P may be joined by welding. Specifically, each of the first mounting plate portion 11A1 to the fourth mounting plate portion 11A4 has a through hole 11H, and each of the first support portion 2P1 to the fourth support portion 2P4 has a convex portion 2Q that protrudes upward. Furthermore, the joining of the first mounting plate portion 11A1 and the first support portion 2P1 may be achieved by inserting the protrusion 2Q in the first support portion 2P1 through the through hole 11H in the first mounting plate portion 11A1 and irradiating the protrusion 2Q with a laser. The same applies to the joining of the second mounting plate portion 11A2 and the second support portion 2P2, the joining of the third mounting plate portion 11A3 and the third support portion 2P3, and the joining of the fourth mounting plate portion 11A4 and the fourth support portion 2P4. However, the mounting plate portion 11A and the support portion 2P may be joined by fastening members, adhesives, or crimping, or the bracket 11 may be attached to the housing HS by sandwiching the mounting plate portion 11A between the support portion 2P and the cover member 1.

[0074] Here, the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 will be explained. Figures 15 to 17 show examples of the configuration of the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 15 is a perspective view of the lower yoke 10D, the middle part of Figure 15 is a perspective view of the base member 2, and the lower part of Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2. The upper part of Figure 16 shows the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 as seen from the Y2 direction, the middle part of Figure 16 shows the positional relationship between the protrusion 21 and hole 22 of the lower yoke 10D and the protrusion 31 and hole 32 of the base member 2 as seen from the Y2 direction, and the lower part of Figure 16 shows the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 as seen from the X1 direction. The upper part of Figure 17 shows the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 as viewed from the Z1 direction, and the lower part of Figure 17 shows the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 as viewed from the Z2 direction. Note that in Figures 15 to 17, the leaf spring 17 is omitted from the illustration to make the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 easier to understand. Also, Figures 15 to 17 show the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 when no current is flowing through the coil 12, that is, when the vibrating body VB is in the neutral position as shown in the center of Figure 12.

[0075] The bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D has holes 22 formed in the region along both ends in the X-axis direction, and a projection 21 is provided between both ends in the X-axis direction and the holes 22. The projection 21 is formed by the region between both ends in the X-axis direction of the bottom plate portion BW and the holes 22 being deformed in a mountain shape in the Z1 direction. As a result, the projection 21 is highest in the center in the Y-axis direction and gradually decreases in height toward both sides in the Y-axis direction, with the portion adjacent to both ends of the holes 22 in the Y-axis direction forming the base. The hole 22 is a rectangle with rounded corners, where the edge 22a on the end side of the bottom plate portion BW along which the hole 22 is placed, i.e., the edge on the projection 21 side, extends in the Y-axis direction.

[0076] On the other hand, the bottom plate portion 2B of the base member 2 has protruding portions 31 formed in the Z1 direction in regions along both ends in the X-axis direction, and a hole 32 is formed adjacent to the protruding portions 31. The protruding portions 31 are formed by the region between both ends in the X-axis direction of the bottom plate portion 2B and the hole 32 being deformed into a mountain shape in the Z1 direction. As a result, the protruding portion 31 is highest in the center in the Y-axis direction and gradually decreases towards both sides in the Y-axis direction, with the portions adjacent to both ends in the Y-axis direction of the hole 32 forming the base. The hole 32 has a rounded rectangular shape, with the edge portion 32a on the end side of the bottom plate portion 2B along which the hole 32 is located, i.e., the edge portion 32a on the protruding portion 31 side, extending in the Y-axis direction.

[0077] The lower yoke 10D is attached to the base member 2 via a leaf spring 17. Specifically, the leaf spring 17 is attached to the base member 2 via a connecting portion 17A, and the lower yoke 10D is attached to the vibrator support portion 17B of the leaf spring 17 by welding or the like.

[0078] In this configuration, when the lower yoke 10D is attached to the base member 2 via the leaf spring 17, the protrusions 21 and 31 are arranged in such a height relationship that, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 16, the protrusion 31 can fit into the lower part of the protrusion 21. This height relationship allows the protrusion 31 to fit into the lower part of the protrusion 21. Therefore, when no current flows through the coil 12 and no repulsive or attractive force is generated between the coil 12 and the magnet 15, as shown in Figure 16, a part of the protrusion 31 fits into the lower part of the protrusion 21, and the protrusions 21 and 31 partially overlap in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the protrusion 31 is provided in a region where at least a part of it overlaps with the protrusion 21 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the height of the protrusion 31 is such that it can contact the end face of the bottom plate BW of the lower yoke 10D, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 16. Furthermore, the width W2 of the protrusion 31 in the X-axis direction is wider than the width W1 of the protrusion 21 in the X-axis direction.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17, the holes 22 and 32 are provided such that a portion of their outer shape overlaps when the lower yoke 10D is attached to the base member 2 via the leaf spring 17. Specifically, in terms of position, the holes 22 and 32 are formed in positions that overlap each other when the lower yoke 10D is attached to the base member 2 via the leaf spring 17. Note that in this state, no current flows through the coil 12, and no repulsive or attractive force is generated between the coil 12 and the magnet 15. In terms of size and shape, both are rounded rectangles with rounded corners, and their lengths in the longitudinal and transverse directions are approximately equal, so that a portion of the holes 22 and 32 have the same shape. Note that the holes 22 and 32 may have the same shape.

[0080] The lower magnet 15D is placed on the bottom plate BW of the lower yoke 10D configured in this way.

[0081] Figure 18 shows the positional relationship between the lower yoke 10D and the lower magnet 15D. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 18 is a view from the Z1 direction of the lower magnet 15D placed on the bottom plate BW of the lower yoke 10D, and the lower part of Figure 18 is a view from the Y2 direction of the lower magnet 15D placed on the bottom plate BW of the lower yoke 10D.

[0082] The lower magnet 15D is superimposed on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D so as to fit between the two protrusions 21 formed on the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D. Preferably, the distance between the end faces 21a on the hole 22 side of the two protrusions 21 formed on the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D is equal to the length of the lower magnet 15D in the X-axis direction. As a result, as shown in Figure 18, the lower magnet 15D is aligned with the lower yoke 10D by the end faces 21a on the hole 22 side of the two protrusions 21, that is, it is aligned to a predetermined position defined according to the position of the two protrusions 21. Note that alignment to a predetermined position does not only refer to alignment to a specific point (position determined), but also includes alignment to a specific range.

[0083] The lower magnet 15D is then held to the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D by magnetic force, while being aligned between two protrusions 21 formed on the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D. Alternatively, the lower magnet 15D may be held to the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D using an adhesive or the like.

[0084] The lower magnet 15D is then held between the end faces 21a on the hole 22 side (the central side of the vibration generator) of the two protrusions 21 provided on both ends of the bottom plate BW in the X-axis direction.

[0085] Here, the protrusion 21 is formed by deforming a part of the base plate BW so that it protrudes in a mountain shape in the Z1 direction. Therefore, compared to the case where the protrusion is formed as a rod-shaped dowel extending in the Z-axis direction, it is less likely to tilt diagonally in the Z-axis direction in the X-axis direction, and because the protrusion 21 is mountain-shaped, there is space below it. As a result, even if the height in the Z-axis direction is increased, the lower magnet 15D is supported only at the highest point in the X-axis direction, which is the direction of vibration, thus improving the accuracy of the positioning of the lower magnet 15D in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the magnet 15 in the X-axis direction relative to the coil 12 can be increased, and the Lorentz force can be increased. Furthermore, since the protrusion 21 is formed by deforming a part of the base plate BW so that it protrudes in a mountain shape in the Z1 direction, the strength can be easily improved by widening the width W1 of the protrusion 21 in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, because the protruding portion 21 has a mountain-like shape, with the highest height in the center in the Y-axis direction and gradually decreasing towards both sides in the Y-axis direction, and the portions adjacent to both ends of the hole 22 in the Y-axis direction forming the base, the strength can be improved compared to a design where both ends of the protruding portion 21 in the Y-axis direction are connected perpendicularly to the bottom plate portion 2B.

[0086] Similarly, the upper magnet 15U is held in a predetermined position, determined according to the position of the two protrusions 23, by the end faces of the two protrusions 23 on the hole 24 side of the upper yoke 10U.

[0087] Next, with reference to Figure 19, the magnetic flux generated by the magnet 15 will be explained. Figure 19 shows an example configuration of the base member 2, bracket 11, coil 12, and vibrator VB. Specifically, the upper part of Figure 19 is a top view of the base member 2, bracket 11, and vibrator VB. The lower part of Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the base member 2, bracket 11, coil 12, and vibrator VB. Specifically, the lower part of Figure 19 is a view of the cross-section of the base member 2, bracket 11, coil 12, and vibrator VB from the Y2 side in a virtual plane parallel to the XZ plane containing the dashed line L2 in the upper part of Figure 19. More specifically, the lower diagram of Figure 19 shows a vibrating body VB composed of an upper yoke 10U, an upper magnet 15U, a lower magnet 15D, and a lower yoke 10D, and a coil 12 installed inside the space enclosed by the upper yoke 10U and the lower yoke 10D (the space sandwiched between the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D). The magnet 15 generates magnetic flux represented by magnetic field lines MF, as shown by the dotted lines in the lower diagram of Figure 19. In the example shown in the lower diagram of Figure 19, the magnetic field lines MF include the first magnetic field line MF1 to the sixth magnetic field line MF6.

[0088] Specifically, when no current is flowing through coil 12, the first magnetic field line MF1 emerges from the north pole portion of the first lower magnet portion 15D1 of the lower magnet 15D, passes through the front bundle portion 12A1 of the first coil 12A, and enters the south pole portion of the first upper magnet portion 15U1 of the upper magnet 15U. The second magnetic field line MF2 emerges from the north pole portion of the second upper magnet portion 15U2 of the upper magnet 15U, passes through the rear bundle portion 12A2 of the first coil 12A, and enters the south pole portion of the second lower magnet portion 15D2 of the lower magnet 15D. The third magnetic field line MF3 emerges from the north pole portion of the second upper magnet portion 15U2 of the upper magnet 15U, passes through the front bundle portion 12B1 of the second coil 12B, and enters the south pole portion of the second lower magnet portion 15D2 of the lower magnet 15D. The fourth magnetic field line MF4 emerges from the north pole portion of the third lower magnet portion 15D3 of the lower magnet 15D, passes through the rear bundle portion 12B2 of the second coil 12B, and enters the south pole portion of the third upper magnet portion 15U3 of the upper magnet 15U. The fifth magnetic field line MF5 emerges from the north pole portion of the third lower magnet portion 15D3 of the lower magnet 15D, passes through the front bundle portion 12C1 of the third coil 12C, and enters the south pole portion of the third upper magnet portion 15U3 of the upper magnet 15U. The sixth magnetic field line MF6 emerges from the north pole portion of the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4 of the upper magnet 15U, passes through the rear bundle portion 12C2 of the third coil 12C, and enters the south pole portion of the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4 of the lower magnet 15D. In other words, the lower magnet 15D generates a first magnetic flux from the lower magnet 15D toward the bundled portion of the coil 12 by the first magnetic field line MF1, the fourth magnetic field line MF4, and the fifth magnetic field line MF5, and generates a second magnetic flux from the bundled portion of the coil 12 toward the lower magnet 15D by the second magnetic field line MF2, the third magnetic field line MF3, and the sixth magnetic field line MF6. Furthermore, the upper magnet 15U generates a third magnetic flux from the upper magnet 15U toward the bundled portion of the coil 12 by the second magnetic field line MF2, the third magnetic field line MF3, and the sixth magnetic field line MF6, and generates a fourth magnetic flux from the bundled portion of the coil 12 toward the upper magnet 15U by the first magnetic field line MF1, the fourth magnetic field line MF4, and the fifth magnetic field line MF5.

[0089] Therefore, in the space enclosed by the upper yoke 10U and the lower yoke 10D, magnetic field lines are concentrated in the subspace between the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D, resulting in a high magnetic flux density, and the coil 12 is installed in this subspace. As a result, this configuration allows for the efficient generation of a Lorentz force by passing an electric current between the first end 12S and the second end 12E of the coil 12, and enables the vibrating body VB to vibrate efficiently along the X-axis direction.

[0090] For example, when current flows from the first end 12S to the second end 12E of the coil 12, the vibrating body VB moves towards X2 (rear). Also, when current flows from the second end 12E to the first end 12S of the coil 12, the vibrating body VB moves towards X1 (front). Therefore, the control unit CTR can vibrate the vibrating body VB along the vibration axis VA by flowing current through the coil 12 in such a way that the direction of the current flowing through it alternately reverses. Note that the bracket 11 to which the coil 12 is attached is fixed to the base member 2 and not to the vibrating body VB, so the bracket 11 and the coil 12 do not vibrate together with the vibrating body VB.

[0091] Furthermore, when the vibrating body VB vibrates along the vibration axis VA, the magnetic flux extending in the Z-axis direction (hereinafter referred to as "effective magnetic flux") generated between the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D contained in the vibrating body VB also vibrates along the vibration axis VA. That is, the effective magnetic flux that crosses the bracket 11, which is a non-magnetic and conductive member located between the upper magnet 15U and the lower magnet 15D, vibrates along the vibration axis VA while maintaining its relationship of crossing the bracket 11. As a result, eddy currents flow in the main plate portion 11B of the bracket 11. In the illustrated example, the upper magnet 15U, the lower magnet 15D, and the bracket 11 are arranged so that the effective magnetic flux and the main plate portion 11B are perpendicular to each other.

[0092] The vibrating body VB is constantly subjected to a braking force, which is a force caused by eddy currents acting in the opposite direction to the direction of vibration. Specifically, while the vibrating body VB is vibrated by the Lorentz force generated by the driving means DM, it is subjected to a braking force that acts to decelerate the vibration. The braking force increases in proportion to the vibration velocity of the vibrating body VB. Therefore, the vibration acceleration at the natural frequency of the vibrating body VB and frequencies near it is reduced by this braking force. Furthermore, even after the supply of sinusoidal or square wave current to the coil 12 is stopped, the vibrating body VB continues to vibrate while being dampened by inertial force, but it stops quickly due to this braking force.

[0093] Furthermore, the braking force caused by eddy currents increases with increasing eddy current strength. Also, eddy currents increase with decreasing resistivity of the conductive member (bracket 11), increasing conductivity of the conductive member (bracket 11), and increasing thickness of the conductive member (bracket 11) (thickness of the main plate portion 11B). Therefore, the material and thickness of the bracket 11 are selected to obtain the desired braking force. In the illustrated example, the bracket 11 is made of tough pitch copper, the same material as the wire material of the coil 12, and has a thickness of approximately 0.3 mm.

[0094] This configuration allows the vibration generator 101 to have improved durability compared to the case where a viscoelastic member for generating braking force is installed between the vibrating body VB and the non-vibrating body NV. This is because viscoelastic members are susceptible to ambient temperature, dimensional variations, deterioration, peeling, or tearing, while the bracket 11 is less susceptible to these effects.

[0095] Here, if the vibration generator 101 is subjected to a large impact, such as a fall, and the vibrating body VB collides with the elastic arm portion 17C of the leaf spring 17 with a large force, there is a risk that the leaf spring 17 will be subjected to an excessive load and deformed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 31 of the base member 2 is configured to receive the impact from the vibrating body VB. The action of the protruding portion 31 provided on the base member 2 will be described below.

[0096] Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating the function of the protrusion 31 provided on the base member 2.

[0097] As explained with reference to Figure 16, the projection 31 provided on the base member 2 is positioned and height-wise such that it can fit into the lower part of the projection 21 when the lower yoke 10D is attached to the base member 2 via the leaf spring 17. Furthermore, the height of the projection 31 is such that it can contact the end face of the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D.

[0098] In this configuration, as shown in the upper part of Figure 20, the protrusion 31 provided on the base member 2 is recessed into the lower part of the protrusion 21 provided on the lower yoke 10D.

[0099] In this state, if a large impact, such as a drop impact, is applied to the vibration generator 101, the vibrating body VB moves significantly in the direction of arrow AR4 in the lower diagram of Figure 20. As a result, the height of the protrusion 31 becomes such that it can contact the end face of the bottom plate portion BW of the lower yoke 10D. This causes the inner edge surface 22b of the hole 22 provided in the lower yoke 10D, opposite to the protrusion 21, to come into contact with the end face 31a of the protrusion 31 provided in the base member 2, which is on the hole 32 side that is on the central side of the base member 2 in the X-axis direction. When the inner edge surface 22b and the end face 31a are in contact, the vibrating body VB and the elastic arm portion 17C are positioned so that there is a gap between them and they do not come into contact in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, in the vibration state, the inner edge surface 22b and the end face 31a do not come into contact.

[0100] The contact between the inner edge surface 22b and the end surface 31a prevents the vibrating body VB, including the lower yoke 10D, from moving further in the X1 direction, thus preventing excessive load on the leaf spring 17 and avoiding deformation of the leaf spring 17. In this way, the contact between the inner edge surface 22b on the side of the hole 22 in the lower yoke 10D that is opposite to the protrusion 21 and the end surface 31a on the hole 32 side of the protrusion 31 in the base member 2, which is on the central side of the base member 2 in the X-axis direction, restricts the movement of the vibrating body VB, including the lower yoke 10D, in the X-axis direction.

[0101] Furthermore, since the lower magnet 15D is held in a predetermined position by the protrusion 21 of the lower yoke 10D, the movement of the lower magnet 15D in the X-axis direction relative to the lower yoke 10D is also restricted by the protrusion 21 of the lower yoke 10D. Similarly, since the upper magnet 15U is held in a predetermined position by the protrusion 23 of the upper yoke 10U, the movement of the upper magnet 15U in the X-axis direction relative to the upper yoke 10U is also restricted by the protrusion 23 of the upper yoke 10U.

[0102] Here, the restriction on the movement of the lower magnet 15D in the X-axis direction relative to the lower yoke 10D only needs to be such that it can support the load of the lower magnet 15D alone. Similarly, the restriction on the movement of the upper magnet 15U in the X-axis direction relative to the upper yoke 10U only needs to be such that it can support the load of the upper magnet 15U alone. On the other hand, in restricting the movement of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction, it is necessary to support the loads of the lower yoke 10D, lower magnet 15D, upper yoke 10U, and upper magnet 15U that constitute the vibrating body VB. Therefore, as explained using Figure 16, the width W2 in the X-axis direction of the protrusion 31 is wider than the width W1 in the X-axis direction of the protrusion 21.

[0103] As a result, even if the vibrating body VB moves significantly in the direction of arrow AR4 in the lower diagram of Figure 20 when a large impact such as a fall is applied to the vibration generator 101, the movement of the vibrating body VB, including the lower yoke 10D, in the X-axis direction can be reliably restricted. Furthermore, the protrusion 31 is formed by deforming a part of the bottom plate portion 2B so that it protrudes in a mountain shape in the Z1 direction. As a result, the limit position where the vibrating body VB can no longer move in the X-axis direction can be set with greater precision than when the end edge of the bottom plate portion 2B in the X-axis direction is bent in the Z1 direction to restrict the movement of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction, and the strength can be easily improved. In addition, the movement of the vibrating body VB, including the lower yoke 10D, in the X-axis direction is restricted when the inner edge surface 22b of the hole 22 provided in the lower yoke 10D on the side opposite to the protrusion 21 and the end surface 31a of the protrusion 31 provided in the base member 2 on the side of the hole 32 come into contact with each other. This allows for a smaller size of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction compared to a design where a stopper mechanism is provided on the outer edges of both ends of the lower yoke 10D in the X-axis direction to restrict the movement of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction. Furthermore, the movement of the vibrating body VB, including the lower yoke 10D, in the X-axis direction is restricted by the contact between the end faces of the plate material, specifically by the contact between the inner edge surface 22b of the hole 22 and the end face 31a of the protrusion 31 on the hole 32 side. Therefore, the strength of the stopper mechanism for restricting the movement of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction can be improved.

[0104] Thus, in this embodiment, in order to restrict the movement of the vibrating body VB in the X-axis direction, the base member 2 has protrusions 31 in the regions along both ends in the X-axis direction. A portion of these protrusions 31 overlaps with a protrusion 21 provided on the lower yoke 10D in the Z-axis direction and extends into the lower part of the protrusion 21. This allows for effective use of the space created below the protrusion 21, improving space efficiency. Furthermore, because the protrusion 31 has a mountain-like shape, with the highest height in the center in the Y-axis direction and gradually decreasing towards both sides in the Y-axis direction, and the parts adjacent to both ends of the hole 32 in the Y-axis direction forming the base, its strength can be improved compared to a design where both ends of the protrusion 31 in the Y-axis direction are connected perpendicularly to the bottom plate 2B.

[0105] Furthermore, similar to the hole 22 in the lower yoke 10D, the hole 32 is provided adjacent to the protruding portion 31, making it easy to align the lower yoke 10D and the base member 2 using the hole 22 in the lower yoke 10D and the hole 32 in the base member 2.

[0106] The following describes the effects of the arrangement of the coil 12 in the vibration generating device 101 of this embodiment.

[0107] A simulation was conducted to verify the effect of arranging the intersections together in one of the pair of bundled sections of the coil 12 in the vibration generating device 101 of this embodiment.

[0108] Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the size of the coil 12 used in this verification.

[0109] As shown in Figure 21, the coil size used in this verification was set such that the length L1 of the coil 12 in the direction in which the bundled portion MW extends (Y-axis direction) was 13.55 mm, the length L2 of the air core portion AC in the direction in which the bundled portion MW extends (Y-axis direction) was 9.4 mm, and the length L3 of the air core portion AC in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the bundled portion MW extends (X-axis direction) was 1 mm. Furthermore, for the wide portion 12W1, the width W3 from the center of the air core portion AC to the opposite end was set to 3.1 mm, and for the narrow portion 12W2, the width W4 from the center of the air core portion AC to the opposite end was set to 2.8 mm.

[0110] We measured the thrust of the vibrating body VB by changing the orientation and arrangement of three coils of this size (coil 12).

[0111] Figure 22 shows the orientation and arrangement of the three coils when the thrust of the vibrating body VB was measured.

[0112] Three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C, having the sizes shown in Figure 21, are arranged as shown in Figure 22, such that the bundled portions MW of coils 12A, 12B, and 12C are parallel to each other, and are arranged in the order of coils 12A, 12B, and 12C in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the bundled portions MW of coils 12A, 12B, and 12C extend. In this arrangement, the first upper magnet portion 15U1 (see Figure 12) and the first lower magnet portion 15D1 (see Figure 12) of the magnet 15 face each other vertically, respectively, with the bundled portion MW of coil 12A that is not adjacent to coil 12B. Also, the second upper magnet portion 15U2 (see Figure 12) and the second lower magnet portion 15D2 (see Figure 12) of the magnet 15 face each other vertically, respectively, with the bundled portions MW of coils 12A and 12B that are adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the third upper magnet portion 15U3 (see Figure 12) and the third lower magnet portion 15D3 (see Figure 12) of the magnet 15 face each other vertically with respect to the adjacent bundle portions MW of coils 12B and 12C, respectively. Also, the fourth upper magnet portion 15U4 (see Figure 12) and the fourth lower magnet portion 15D4 (see Figure 12) of the magnet 15 face each other vertically with respect to the bundle portion MW of coil 12C on the opposite side that is not adjacent to coil 12B, respectively.

[0113] As condition 1, the widest part 12W1 was defined as the bundled portion MW of coil 12A on the opposite side not adjacent to coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12A, and the widest part 12W1 was defined as the bundled portion MW of coil 12C adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B. In addition, the narrowest part 12W2 was defined as the narrowest part 12W2 was defined as the bundled portion MW of coil 12A adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12C, and the narrowest part 12W2 was defined as the bundled portion MW of coil 12C on the opposite side not adjacent to coil 12B. In this case, by setting the gap between coil 12A and coil 12B to 0.1 mm, and the gap between coil 12B and coil 12C to 0.1 mm, the pitch P4 between coil 12A and coil 12B and the pitch P3 between coil 12B and coil 12C are the same at 6 mm.

[0114] As condition 2, the bundled portion MW on the opposite side of coil 12A that is not adjacent to coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B that is adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12A, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C that is not adjacent to coil 12B were each designated as wide portions 12W1. In addition, the bundled portion MW of coil 12A that is adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B that is adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12C, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C that is adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B were each designated as narrow portions 12W2. As a result, under condition 2, the narrow portions 12W2 of two adjacent coils 12B and 12C are arranged to be adjacent to each other. In this case, by setting the gap between coil 12A and coil 12B to 0.1 mm and the gap between coil 12B and coil 12C to 0 mm, the pitch P5 between coil 12B and coil 12C becomes 5.6 mm, which is smaller than the 6 mm pitch P6 between coil 12A and coil 12B. In other words, condition 2 is as shown in this embodiment. Note that the dimensions of the narrow section 12W2 hardly vary, but the dimensions of the wide section 12W1 do vary, so the gaps between coils are set taking this into consideration, with a gap of 0 mm when the narrow sections 12W2 are adjacent, a gap of 0.1 mm when the narrow section 12W2 and wide section 12W1 are adjacent, and a gap of 0.2 mm when the wide section 12W1 is adjacent.

[0115] As condition 3, the bundled portion MW of coil 12A adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12A, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B were each designated as wide portions 12W1. In addition, the bundled portion MW of coil 12A on the opposite side that is not adjacent to coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12C, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C on the opposite side that is not adjacent to coil 12B were each designated as narrow portions 12W2. In this case, by setting the gap between coil 12A and coil 12B to 0.2 mm and the gap between coil 12B and coil 12C to 0.1 mm, the pitch P8 between coil 12A and coil 12B becomes 6.4 mm, which is larger than the pitch P7 of coil 12B and coil 12C, which is 6 mm.

[0116] As condition 4, the bundled portion MW of coil 12A adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12A, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C on the opposite side that is not adjacent to coil 12B were each designated as wide portions 12W1. In addition, the bundled portion MW of coil 12A on the opposite side that is not adjacent to coil 12B, the bundled portion MW of coil 12B adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12C, and the bundled portion MW of coil 12C adjacent to the bundled portion MW of coil 12B were each designated as narrow portions 12W2. In this case, by setting the gap between coil 12A and coil 12B to 0.2 mm and the gap between coil 12B and coil 12C to 0 mm, the pitch P10 between coil 12A and coil 12B becomes 6.4 mm, which is larger than the pitch P9 between coil 12B and coil 12C, which is 5.6 mm.

[0117] As condition 5, although the arrangement was the same as in condition 2, the pitch P12 between coil 12A and coil 12B, and the pitch P11 between coil 12B and coil 12C were set to 6 mm, making them the same. In this case, the gap between coil 12A and coil 12B became 0.1 mm, and the gap between coil 12B and coil 12C became 0.4 mm.

[0118] For conditions 1 to 5 described above, the thrust of the vibrating body VB was determined and compared with the thrust under condition 1 as the baseline.

[0119] As a result, under condition 2, a greater thrust was obtained than under condition 1. Also, under condition 4, the thrust was almost the same as under condition 1. Under condition 5, the thrust was slightly lower than under condition 1. And under condition 3, the thrust was considerably lower than under condition 1.

[0120] As described above, in this embodiment, the intersections that occur when manufacturing the hollow coil are grouped together and arranged on one of the pair of bundled sections that constitute the coil, so that the other of the pair of bundled sections becomes a narrow section. In such a configuration, if multiple coils are arranged so that the narrow sections are adjacent to each other, as in conditions 2, 4, and 5, the current density increases in the region where the narrow sections are adjacent, so that the Lorentz force is effectively generated using the hollow coil and magnet and a large driving force can be obtained. In particular, as in condition 2, if the pitch between two coils 12B and 12C adjacent to each other in the narrow section 12W2 is smaller than the pitch between other two coils 12A and 12B adjacent to each other, the current density in the region where the narrow sections are adjacent becomes even larger. As a result, the Lorentz force is effectively generated using the hollow coil and magnet and an even larger driving force can be obtained. In this case, the region where the narrow sections are adjacent is located in the central region where the magnetic field from the magnet 15 is strong, so as well, the Lorentz force is effectively generated and an even larger driving force can be obtained.

[0121] Furthermore, as in condition 2, it is preferable that the bundled wire portions MW located at both ends in the X-axis direction of coils 12A and 12C, which are among the three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C, be wide portions 12W1. In this case, even greater driving force can be obtained because the narrow portions 12W2 are located in the central region where the magnetic field from the magnet 15 is strong, not only for the adjacent coils 12B and 12C, but also for coil 12A.

[0122] Furthermore, as in condition 2, by reducing the pitch P5 between coil 12B and coil 12C while also keeping the pitch P6 between coil 12A and coil 12B from the pitch P4 in condition 1, the size of the vibration generator 101 in the X-axis direction can be suppressed.

[0123] In this embodiment, a configuration having three coils 12A, 12B, and 12C was described as an example. However, even with a configuration having four or more coils, the same effect can be obtained by arranging the intersections together in one of the pair of bundled sections that make up the coil, making the other of the pair of bundled sections a narrow section, and arranging multiple coils so that the narrow sections are adjacent to each other.

[0124] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-006683, filed on 17 January 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0125]

Claims

1. The device comprises a fixed body having at least three hollow coils, and a movable body having a magnet and being vibrable relative to the fixed body in a first direction, wherein the bundles of the at least three hollow coils are arranged along the first direction such that they are parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and current flows in the same direction between adjacent bundles of adjacent hollow coils of the at least three hollow coils. The magnet is positioned opposite the hollow coil, and in the neutral position where the movable body is not vibrating, the first magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at one end of the hollow coil at one end in the first direction, the second magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at the other end of the hollow coil at one end and the adjacent central hollow coil, the first magnetic pole of the magnet faces the bundle of wires at the other end of the central hollow coil and the adjacent other end of the hollow coil at one end, and the second magnetic pole of the magnet faces the other end of the hollow coil at the other end, with the first and second magnetic poles of the magnet arranged alternately. The aforementioned hollow coil is composed of multiple winding layers, and the intersections where the layers cross over the innermost layer are grouped together and arranged on one of a pair of bundled sections that make up the hollow coil, thereby making the other of the pair of bundled sections a narrow section, and the narrow sections of two adjacent hollow coils are arranged to be adjacent to each other, in a vibration generating device.

2. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow coils are arranged such that the pitch between two adjacent hollow coils is smaller than the pitch between any other adjacent hollow coils.

3. The vibration generating device according to claim 2, wherein, of the at least three hollow coils, the hollow coils located at both ends in the first direction have their intersections grouped together at each of the bundled portions located at both ends in the first direction.

4. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow coil is composed of a coil with aligned multilayer windings.

5. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the magnet has the first magnetic pole provided in the first magnetic pole portion and the second magnetic pole provided in the second magnetic pole portion, and the first magnetic pole portion and the second magnetic pole portion are composed of different magnets.

6. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is configured such that the first magnetic pole is provided in the first magnetic pole portion, the second magnetic pole is provided in the second magnetic pole portion, and one magnet is magnetized in the first magnetic pole portion and the second magnetic pole portion, respectively.

7. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the at least three coils are connected in series.

8. The vibration generating device according to claim 1, wherein the at least three coils are connected in parallel.

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