Vibration Actuator Support Structure for Compact Stable Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vibration actuators face challenges in miniaturization due to the need for maintaining specific distances between components, leading to instability in vibration direction and difficulty in achieving a compact, high-output design.
Innovation Solution
A vibration actuator configuration featuring a movable stacked body with a magnet and yokes, supported by a fixed body via elastic parts, connected through tubular and shaft members, allowing reciprocating motion without contact, and a magnetic circuit for stable vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the distance between the magnet and coil and between the yoke and coil is made larger than the distance between the yoke and the inner circumferential wall of the frame, then the coil is protected from damage during external impact, but the vibration actuator cannot be miniaturized
Solution Approach 1:
The movable body is divided into separate components (magnet, yoke, protective body) that can be independently positioned. The protective body is segmented to provide coverage while minimizing space occupation, allowing the magnet and coil to be positioned closer together without direct contact risk.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective body is introduced as an intermediary component between the magnet/yoke and the coil. This protective body prevents direct contact during impact while allowing the magnet and coil to be positioned closer together, thus enabling miniaturization without sacrificing coil protection.
2Device complexity
If a single spiral-shaped plate-like elastic body is used to support the movable body, then the structure is simplified, but the vibration direction becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple plate-like elastic bodies are combined to form a integrated support structure. The elastic bodies are arranged symmetrically and connected to work together, providing stable vibration direction control while maintaining structural simplicity through their combined configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate-like elastic bodies are configured with asymmetric thickness distribution (thicker at fixed end, thinner at movable end) to optimize both support stability and vibration characteristics. This asymmetric design allows the structure to maintain simplicity while achieving stable vibration direction.
3Reliability
If multiple components are used to connect the movable body to the elastic supporting parts, then the connection is more reliable, but the structure becomes more complex and larger
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting part integrates multiple functions into a single component structure. The tubular member and shaft member are combined in a nested configuration where the shaft member is inserted into the tubular member, providing both connection and positioning functions simultaneously, thus reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft member is nested within the tubular member, with the flange of the shaft member providing connection to the elastic supporting part while the tubular member provides structural support and alignment. This nested arrangement reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining connection reliability.
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
Enables a compact, stable, and high-output vibration actuator suitable for electronic devices, addressing miniaturization and vibration direction stability issues.
Implementation Method 1
a coil and a magnetic field generator, in which the magnetic field generator includes the magnet and the yokes, and the coil is disposed inside the magnetic field of the magnetic field generator
Implementation Method 2
the pair of plate-like elastic bodies are selectively resonated to generate vibrations by application of switched currents of different frequencies through an oscillation circuit to the coil
Implementation Method 3
a fixed body including a coil and being configured to support the movable stacked body inside the coil such that the movable stacked body is capable of a reciprocating vibration in an axial direction via a pair of elastic supporting parts
Data Source
AI summary
This vibration actuator has: a movable stacked body including a magnet and a pair of yokes which are respectively fixed to the front surface and the rear surface of the magnet; a fixed body which has a coil and supports the movable stacked body on the inside of the coil with a pair of elastic support parts; and a pair of connection parts. While the leading ends of shaft members are in contact with the front surface or the rear surface of the magnet in openings of the pair of yokes, the pair of connection parts cause the movable stacked body to be connected to the pair of elastic support parts by clamping the pair of elastic support parts by means of a flange of the shaft members and the base end-side end surface of a cylindrical member.