Vibration-Type Actuator Convex Support for Damping Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibration-type actuators face issues with undesired vibration and variations in vibration damping properties due to misalignment and dimensional variations in the vibration damping member, leading to performance inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
The vibration-type actuator incorporates a support member with a convex portion that contacts the vibration damping member, ensuring a constant contact area regardless of assembly variations, and optionally features groove or penetrating portions in the vibration damping member to maintain consistent vibration damping properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a vibration damping member is used to reduce undesired vibration, then abnormal noise is reduced, but variations in contact area due to assembly misalignment cause variations in vibration damping properties
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with a localized convex portion that creates a defined contact point with the vibration damping member. This local structural feature ensures that the contact area is determined by the convex portion geometry rather than the overall alignment between components, thereby maintaining consistent vibration damping properties across different assemblies while effectively reducing abnormal noise.
2Ease of manufacture
If the vibration damping member is manufactured by cutting a rubber sheet, then manufacturing is simplified, but dimensional variations increase leading to performance inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The convex portion on the support member is designed in advance with specific dimensional tolerances that compensate for variations in the vibration damping member dimensions. By pre-configuring this contact geometry, the system ensures consistent contact area and vibration damping performance even when the rubber sheet cutting dimensions vary within acceptable ranges, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving dimensional consistency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively reduces the generation of abnormal noise and variations in vibration damping properties, enhancing the reliability and performance consistency of the vibration-type actuator.
Implementation Method 1
a vibrating body including an electro-mechanical energy conversion element
Implementation Method 2
a vibration damping member extending in the first direction and configured to be in contact with a surface of the contact body
Data Source
AI summary
A vibration-type actuator includes a vibration damping member extending in the first direction and configured to be in contact with a surface of a contact body on an opposite side of another surface of the contact body in contact with a vibrating body, and a support member extending in the first direction and configured to support the contact body via the vibration damping member, wherein a support member includes a convex portion on a surface of the support member in contact with the vibration damping member, and the convex portion extends in the first direction and is in contact with the vibration damping member, and wherein, in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, a width of the convex portion is smaller than a width of the contact body and a width of the vibration damping member.