For a piezoelectric
actuator used to linearly drive a
driven element by inducing elliptical motion in a vibrating element through vibration of the piezoelectric element, a drive device is provided that improves control at very low speeds and / or enables the use of a smaller boost circuit to provide the drive
voltage for the piezoelectric
actuator. According to one embodiment, a drive device for axially driving a
driven element is provided. The driving device includes: a piezoelectric
actuator, wherein the piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating element in contact with a
driven element and one or more sets of piezoelectric elements attached to the vibrating element; and a controller, wherein each set of piezoelectric elements includes one or more piezoelectric elements, and in each set of piezoelectric elements, a first
electrode for expanding or contracting a first region of the piezoelectric element in the set of piezoelectric elements and a second
electrode for expanding or contracting a second region of the piezoelectric element in the set of piezoelectric elements are arranged along the axial direction, wherein in each set of piezoelectric elements, a common third
electrode or a separate third electrode paired with the first electrode and the second electrode is provided, such that the vibrating element of the piezoelectric actuator has: a bending mode, wherein the middle portion along the axial direction becomes convex or concave, thereby causing the ends of the vibrating element to move along the axial direction at both ends; and an expansion / contraction mode, wherein one end expands / contracts at both ends of the axial direction, while the other end expands / contracts with opposite phases over time, thereby causing the ends of the vibrating element to move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The controller is used to cause the vibrating element to vibrate by applying oscillating
voltage signals of the same frequency to the first and second electrodes, thereby driving the driven element in contact with the vibrating element along the axial direction. When the oscillating
voltage signals applied to the first and second electrodes are in phase, a first mode of
vibration based on the bending mode is generated in the vibrating element; when the oscillating voltage signals applied to the first and second electrodes are in opposite phase, a second mode of
vibration based on the expansion / contraction mode is generated in the vibrating element, wherein the controller is used to control the speed of the driven element by controlling the
phase difference between the voltage signals applied to the first electrode and the voltage signals applied to the second electrode. Another aspect of the invention provides a small boost circuit for providing a drive voltage for a piezoelectric actuator.