Piezoelectric actuator and electronic equipment with piezoelectric actuator

• US 7,583,564 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kitahara, Joji, Sawada, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US11/473,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 368/29, 368/157, 368/255, 310/323.01, 310/323.02, 310/323.12, 310/323.16
• US Class Current: 368/157
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/12 driven by piezoelectric means; driven by magneto-strictive means
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/004 Rectangular vibrators
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/0055 Supports for driving or driven bodies; Means for pressing driving body against driven body
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/103 by pressing one or more vibrators against the rotor

Abstract

To provide a piezoelectric actuator whereby impact resistance can be greatly improved without complicating the design or causing a reduction in drive efficiency.

When a piezoelectric actuator 31 is incorporated into a main plate 14, an arm part 513 of a vibrator 50 is disposed across from a protrusion 144 via spaces SP1, SP2 having specific dimensions. With the presence of these spaces SP1, SP2, a free end FR moves freely within the spaces SP1, SP2 during driving, but a vibrating part 511 is captured at the free end FR by the protrusion 144 when external impact is applied, and the vibrating part 511 can therefore be prevented from moving beyond the dimensions of the spaces. Resistance against impact from falling can thereby be easily and greatly improved without reducing the drive efficiency, and the usual difficulty of reconciling both drive efficiency and impact resistance can be resolved.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric actuator, comprising:

a vibrator configured to vibrate by application of voltage, the vibrator having the piezoelectric elements and a reinforcing member that are stacked on each other,

the reinforcing member having a free end that has the piezoelectric elements disposed thereon and that has a protuberance in contact with a driven object, and the reinforcing member having a fixed part that is fixedly attached to an attachment part to which the piezoelectric actuator is attached,

the free end, when in a state in which no impact is applied to the attachment part from the outside, being disposed apart from to a first protrusion via prescribed first spaces that have specific dimensions, in order to limit displacement of the free end in the stacking direction of the piezoelectric elements and the reinforcing member,

the fee end having an arm part on which a hole is formed,

the attachment part having a second protrusion that extends towards the hole and that is inserted through the hole,

the free end, when in a state in which no impact is applied from the outside, being disposed apart from the second protrusion via prescribed second spaces that have specific dimensions, in order to limit displacement of the free end in a planar direction being perpendicular to the stacking direction,

the second spaces being formed between the second protrusion and the inner peripheral edge of the hole in the arm part.

2. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1, wherein

the free end has a vibrating part that is provided with the fixed part on one side in the longitudinal direction, is formed into a flat substantially rectangular shape, and is made to vibrate in a mixed mode involving both longitudinal vibration that expands and contracts in a longitudinal direction, and bending vibration that bends in a transverse direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction,

the arm part extends from the other side of the vibrating part in the planar direction of the vibrating part and is disposed on the attachment part via the spaces, and

the arm part absorbs impact from outside to the piezoelectric actuator.

3. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 2,

wherein

characteristic frequency of the arm part is different by a specific value from characteristic frequency of the longitudinal vibration of the vibrating part, and

the characteristic frequency of the arm part is set in order not to interfere with the longitudinal vibration of the vibrating part.

4. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 3,

wherein

the dimensions of the arm part are set so that the length of the arm part in the longitudinal direction of the vibrator is less than the length of the vibrator in the longitudinal direction;

and

the dimensional ratio for the length of the arm part is set so that the ratio of the length of the arm part to the width of the arm part in the transverse direction of the vibrating part is less than the ratio of the length of the vibrating part to the width of the vibrating part in the transverse direction.

5. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 3, wherein

the surface area obtained by multiplying the length of the arm part in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating part by the width of the arm part in the transverse direction of the vibrating part is less than the surface area of the vibrating part.

6. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 2, wherein

the arm part is provided in the vicinity of a node of the bending vibration in the vibrator.

7. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 2,

wherein

the arm part is provided to the vibrating part via a constricted neck part that is on the side of the arm part and that connects to the vibrating part;

and

the neck part on the side of the arm part is provided in the vicinity of the node of ending vibration in the vibrating part.

8. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 7,

wherein

the fixed part is provided to the vibrating part via a constricted neck part that is on the side of the fixed part and that connects to the vibrating part;

and

the neck part on the side of the fixed part is provided in the vicinity of the node of bending vibration in the vibrating part, at a position that faces the neck part on the side of the arm part in the transverse direction of the vibrating part.

9. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1,

wherein

the protrusion has a stepped part in the middle of the direction of protrusion;

and

the spaces are formed between the mutually opposing surfaces of the stepped part and the arm part.

10. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1,

wherein

the attachment part has an opposing part that faces the free end from a direction aligned with the stacking direction of the vibrator;

and

the spaces are formed between the opposing part and the vibrator.

11. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 10,

wherein

the attachment part has a base member to which the vibrator is fixedly attached, and also has a plate member disposed on the other side of the vibrator across from the base member;

and

the opposing parts are provided at positions where the base member and the plate member face each other.

12. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1,

wherein

the driven object has a contact surface that is in contact with the protuberance, and

the contact surface is formed into a substantially flat shape.

13. An electronic device, comprising the piezoelectric actuator according to claim 1.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13,

wherein

the electronic device is a timepiece having timekeeping means and a timekeeping information display unit for displaying the information timed by the timekeeping means.

15. A piezoelectric actuator, comprising:

a pair of piezoelectric elements having electrodes; and

a reinforcing member configured between the pair of the piezoelectric elements, the reinforcing member having a protuberance in contact with a driven body, the protuberance configured to vibrate by application of voltage to the electrodes in order to drive the driven body, the reinforcing member having a free end and a fixed part,

the free end extending away from the pair of piezoelectric elements in a first direction,

the fixed part extending away from the pair of piezoelectric elements in a second direction being different from the first direction, the fixed part fixedly attached to an attachment part,

the free end being adjacent to a first protrusion via a prescribed first space, in order to limit displacement of the free end in a stacking direction of the pair of the piezoelectric elements and the reinforcing member, the free end having a arm part,

a hole being formed in the arm part,

the attachment part having a second protrusion that extends towards the hole and that is inserted through the hole,

in a state in which no impact is applied to the attachment part from the outside, being disposed apart from the second protrusion via a prescribed second space, in order to limit displacement of the fee end in a planar direction being perpendicular to the stacking direction,

the second space being formed between the second protrusion and the inner peripheral edge of the hole in the arm part.

16. The piezoelectric actuator according to claim 15, wherein

the displacement of the free end in the stacking direction is not limited, until the fee end touches the first protrusion, and

the displacement of the free end in the planner direction is not limited, until the fee end touches the second protrusion.