Driving apparatus for vibration type actuator apparatus
First Claim
1. A driving apparatus for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said driving apparatus comprising:
- a variation detection circuit that detects a variation in an output state of the actuator apparatus or a variation in the cyclic signal during a driving operation under a predetermined driving condition; and
an evaluation circuit that evaluates a condition of the friction surface of the vibration member, based on an amount of variation in the output state or the cyclic signal detected by said variation detection circuit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A driving apparatus is provided with an evaluating device for evaluating a wear state in a friction surface between a vibration member and a movable member in a vibration type actuator apparatus.
The evaluating device accurately and automatically evaluating the wear state of the friction surface by detecting a fluctuation amount of a driving speed under driving conditions of the vibration type actuator apparatus selected so as to achieve a fixed speed.
38 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A driving apparatus for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said driving apparatus comprising:
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a variation detection circuit that detects a variation in an output state of the actuator apparatus or a variation in the cyclic signal during a driving operation under a predetermined driving condition; and
an evaluation circuit that evaluates a condition of the friction surface of the vibration member, based on an amount of variation in the output state or the cyclic signal detected by said variation detection circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A driving apparatus for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said driving apparatus comprising:
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an evaluation circuit that evaluates a condition of the friction surface of the movable member; and
a recovery operation control circuit that drives said actuator apparatus in a predetermined mode when said evaluation circuit determines that a condition of the friction surface of the movable member is in a predetermined state, thereby effecting a recovery operation of the friction surface of the movable member. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
a recovery operation counter circuit that determines when said recovery operation control circuit has performed a predetermined number of recovery operations for an actuator apparatus; and
a notification circuit, responsive to a determination by said recovery operation counter circuit that said recovery operation control circuit has performed a predetermined number of recovery operations for an actuator, that informs a user that the actuator apparatus needs to be replaced.
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16. The driving apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a notification circuit that informs a user that an actuator apparatus needs to be replaced when said recovery operation control circuit performs a recovery operation for a predetermined time and the desired condition of the friction surface of the movable member is not recovered.
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17. The driving apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:
a controller that actuates said recovery operation control circuit prior to a start of a driving operation of the actuator apparatus by said driving apparatus or at a time when a number of driving operations of the actuator apparatus reaches a predetermined number, independent of an evaluation result of said evaluation circuit.
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18. A driving apparatus for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration, said driving apparatus comprising:
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an evaluation circuit that evaluates a condition of the friction surface of the movable member; and
a notification circuit, responsive to an evaluation by said evaluation circuit that a condition of the friction surface of the movable member requires maintenance, for performing a notifying operation informing a user that a condition of the friction surface of the movable member requires maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An image forming apparatus having a plurality of vibration type actuator apparatuses, in each of which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, each actuator apparatus being used as a driving source, said image forming apparatus comprising:
an evaluation circuit that evaluates a condition of the friction surface of a movable member of at least one actuator apparatus of said plurality of actuator apparatuses; and
a recovery operation control circuit that drives at least said one actuator apparatus of said plurality of actuator apparatuses in a predetermined mode for effecting a recovery operation of the friction surface of the movable member of said at least one actuator apparatus when said evaluation circuit determines that the friction surface of the movable member of said at least one actuator apparatus is in a predetermined state.- View Dependent Claims (21, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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22. A vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said actuator apparatus comprising:
a driver, connected to the movable member, that drives the movable member relative to the vibration member, said driver being operable by a motor provided separately from said actuator apparatus or by hand.
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23. An apparatus housing a vibration type actuator in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electro-mechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said apparatus comprising:
a case; and
a confirmation window formed in said case for visually monitoring a condition of a contact surface interface between the vibration member and the friction surface of the movable member.
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28. A drive control method for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said drive control method comprising the steps of:
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detecting a variation in an output state of the actuator apparatus or a variation in the cyclic signal during a driving operation under a predetermined driving condition;
evaluating a condition of the friction surface of the vibration member based on an amount of variation in the output state or the cyclic signal detected in said detecting step; and
performing a recovery driving operation of the actuator based on an evaluation result in said evaluating step. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A drive control method for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said drive control method comprising:
- evaluating a condition of the friction surface of the movable member; and
performing a recovery operation by driving the actuator apparatus in a predetermined mode when it is determined in said evaluating step that a condition of the friction surface of the movable member is in a predetermined state. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
determining when a predetermined number of recovery operations for an actuator apparatus have been performed; and
notifying a user that the actuator apparatus needs to be replaced when it has been determined in the determining step that the predetermined number of recovery operations have been carried out.
- evaluating a condition of the friction surface of the movable member; and
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43. The drive control method according to claim 41, further comprising the step of:
notifying a user that an actuator apparatus needs to be replaced when the step of performing a recovery operation is carried out for a predetermined time and the desired condition of the friction surface of the movable member is not recovered.
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44. The drive control method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of:
performing a recovery operation prior to a start of a driving operation of the actuator apparatus or at a time when a number of driving operations of the actuator apparatus reaches a predetermined number, independent of an evaluation result in said evaluating step.
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45. A drive control method for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration, said drive control method comprising the steps of:
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evaluating a condition of the friction surface of the movable member; and
notifying a user when it is determined in said evaluating step that a condition of the friction surface of the movable member requires maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. A drive control method for an image forming apparatus having a plurality of vibration type actuator apparatuses, in each of which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, each actuator apparatus being used as a driving source, said drive control method comprising the steps of:
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evaluating a condition of the friction surface of a movable member of at least one actuator apparatus of the plurality of actuator apparatuses; and
performing a recovery operation by driving at least the one actuator apparatus of the plurality of actuator apparatuses in a predetermined mode to effect a recovery operation of the friction surface of the movable member of the at least one actuator apparatus when it is determined in said evaluating step that the friction surface of the movable member of the at least one actuator apparatus is in a predetermined state. - View Dependent Claims (48, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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49. A drive control method for a vibration type actuator apparatus in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said drive control method comprising the steps of:
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driving the actuator by applying a cyclic signal thereto; and
performing a recovery operation by driving the movable member relative to the vibration member using a motor provided separately from the actuator apparatus or by hand.
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50. A drive control method for an apparatus housing a vibration type actuator in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said drive control method comprising the steps of:
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driving the apparatus by applying a cyclic signal thereto; and
monitoring a condition of a contact surface interface between the vibration member and the friction surface of the movable member through a confirmation window in a case housing the vibration type actuator.
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55. An apparatus using, as a driving source, a vibration type actuator in which vibration is generated in a vibration member by applying a cyclic signal to an electromechanical energy conversion element provided at the vibration member, and a movable member having a friction surface in contact with the vibration member is driven relative to the vibration member by vibration generated in the vibration member, said apparatus comprising:
a signal forming circuit which generates a signal indicating when the vibration actuator requires maintenance. - View Dependent Claims (56)
Specification