Vibration-Type Driving Apparatus with Segmented Vibrator Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibration-type driving apparatuses with low support rigidity suffer from tilting and non-uniform contact pressure between the vibrator and rotor, leading to reduced output and abnormal noise due to low rotation rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A vibration-type driving apparatus with a vibrator holder design that maintains low rigidity in the pressing direction while providing high rigidity for rotational moments, ensuring stable contact between the vibrator and driving member through a combination of plate-shaped vibrators, a pressing spring, and a ring-shaped base, which cancels out tilting and maintains uniform contact pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the vibrator is independently supported with low support rigidity, then the vibrator can maintain flexibility and ease of manufacture, but the vibrator tilts easily under rotational moment causing non-uniform contact pressure and reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting member is divided into a pressing spring portion and a holder portion, separating the functions of applying pressing force and providing structural support. This segmentation allows the pressing spring to maintain low rigidity for ease of manufacture while the holder portion provides the necessary rigidity to prevent tilting and maintain reliable contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-dimensional support structure to a multi-dimensional structure by adding the holder portion that extends in multiple directions. This dimensional expansion provides rotational moment resistance while maintaining the low-rigidity pressing function, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and contact stability.
2Reliability
If the supporting member is designed with high rigidity, then the vibrator maintains stable contact with the rotor, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting member is designed to perform multiple functions: the pressing spring portion applies pressing force while the holder portion provides structural support and rotational moment resistance. This multi-functionality allows a single component to achieve both stability and simplicity, avoiding the need for separate complex structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the rigidity parameter of different portions of the supporting member. The pressing spring portion maintains low rigidity for ease of manufacture, while the holder portion has high rigidity for stability. This localized parameter change resolves the contradiction between device complexity and contact stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the vibrator has low rotation rigidity, then the structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the vibrator tilts under driving force generating abnormal noise and reduced output
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the supporting member into pressing spring and holder portions, the invention isolates the low-rigidity pressing function from the high-rigidity support function. This prevents tilting and abnormal noise while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder portion acts as an intermediary between the vibrator and the external environment, providing rotational moment resistance that prevents tilting and abnormal noise, while the pressing spring maintains the simple, low-rigidity structure needed for ease of manufacture.
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 stabilizes the contact state between the vibrator and driving member, enhances output characteristics, and reduces noise caused by unstable contact, ensuring effective and quiet operation.
Implementation Method 1
a vibrator having at least an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member
Implementation Method 2
a pressing spring, and a ring-shaped base, which cancels out tilting and maintains uniform contact pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A vibration-type driving apparatus includes a vibrator holder, wherein a plurality of vibrators each having at least an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and an elastic member having a contact portion formed therein are connected to a vibrator holding member, for generating an ellipsoidal movement of the contact portion, to move, relative to the vibrator, a driving member contacting the contact portion. The plurality of vibrators are connected to a surface of the holding member at a side at which the contact portion contacts the driving member, and on a surface of the vibrator holding member opposite to the side at which the contact portion contacts the driving member, a pressing member is placed to set the contact portion to be pressed and contacted to the driving member.