Vibration-Wave Motor Balanced Pressing Force Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vibration-wave motors face challenges in achieving a balance between generated power and efficiency due to unbalanced pressing forces, leading to asymmetrical deformations and reduced conversion efficiency, while also being prone to larger sizes and unnecessary vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A vibration-wave motor design featuring a vibrator with two protruding parts, a holding member, a movable member, a rotating unit, an urging member, and a restricting unit, which allows for rotational freedom around three axes and balanced pressing forces, optimizing the contact between the vibrator and friction member to enhance stability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a large pressing force is applied to increase generated power, then the power output increases, but the driving vibration of the vibrator is restrained causing increased consumption power and lowered electromechanical conversion efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing force is made dynamically adjustable through the elastic pressing member rather than being fixed. This allows the pressing force to adapt to different operating conditions, optimizing the balance between generated power and consumption power. The elastic member enables the system to maintain appropriate pressing force without excessive restraint on vibration, thereby improving electromechanical conversion efficiency while still achieving sufficient power output.
2Device complexity
If two pressing parts provide unbalanced pressing forces, then the structure can be simplified, but deformations become asymmetrical causing lowered conversion efficiency and increased differences in driving direction characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing force parameters are made adjustable and adaptable through the elastic pressing member. By changing the elastic properties and pre-compression parameters of the elastic member, balanced pressing forces can be achieved without requiring complex dual pressing part structures. This parameter adjustment capability ensures symmetrical deformations and maintains high conversion efficiency while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
3Strength
If a double structure is used in the plane direction to provide rigidity, then sufficient rigidity is achieved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic pressing member combines multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides the necessary pressing force, maintains rigidity in the pressing direction, and enables dynamic adjustment of pressing parameters. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate double structures in the plane direction, achieving sufficient rigidity while keeping the device size compact.
4Device complexity
If a thin flat spring is used as a holding member, then the structure is simplified, but unnecessary vibrations and noises occur due to the shape and vibration mode of the holding member
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic pressing member is designed as a flexible component with optimized geometry that provides the necessary elasticity for pressing force while minimizing unwanted vibration modes. The flexible member's shape and material properties are selected to suppress harmful vibrations and noises, eliminating the need for complex rigid holding structures while maintaining structural simplicity.
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
The design achieves a compact size with stable performance, improved efficiency, and reduced vibrations by ensuring balanced pressing forces and symmetrical contact, thereby enhancing the motor's ability to generate thrust without unnecessary forces.
Implementation Method 1
A friction drive type vibration-wave motor (ultrasonic motor) that acquires a driving force from a deformation in a piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric effect
Implementation Method 2
an urging member configured to urge the holding member and the movable member so that the holding member and the movable member translationally move together
Implementation Method 3
a rotating unit configured to allow the holding member to rotate around each of three axes relative to the movable member
Implementation Method 4
A friction drive type vibration-wave motor (ultrasonic motor) that acquires a driving force from a deformation in a piezoelectric effect
Data Source
AI summary
A vibration-wave motor includes a vibrator having two protruding parts, a holding member configured to hold the vibrator, a movable member configured to translationally move together with the holding member, a rotating unit configured to allow the holding member to rotate around each of three axes relative to the movable member and to restrict the holding member from translating in each of the three axes relative to the movable member, a urging member configured to urge the holding member and the movable member so that the holding member and the movable member translationally move together, and a restricting unit configured to restrict the holding member from rotating around the rotating unit as a center by the urging member.