Driving circuit for vibration-type actuator

• US 8,552,619 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sumioka, Jun, Kataoka, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US12/905,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 31031601-31603, 310/317, 310/318, 310/319
• US Class Current: 310/317
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/008 Means for controlling vibration frequency or phase, e.g. for resonance tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/142 Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. speed, torque, starting, stopping, reversing

Abstract

A driving circuit is configured to drive a vibration-type actuator including a vibration member and a moving member. The vibration member includes an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and may generate a vibration wave in response to an alternating voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element. The moving member is in contact with the vibration member and may move in response to the vibration wave relative to the vibration member. The driving circuit includes a capacitor and an inductor connected in series with the capacitor to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element. Parameters of the driving circuit may be set such that when a series resonance frequency of the inductor and the capacitor is denoted by fs and a resonance frequency of the vibration member is denoted by fm, a condition 0.73·fm<fs<1.2·fm is satisfied.

Claims

1. A driving circuit configured to drive a vibration-type actuator including a vibration member and a moving member, wherein the vibration member includes an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and is configured to generate a vibration wave in response to an alternating voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and wherein the moving member is in contact with the vibration member and is configured to move in response to the vibration wave relative to the vibration member, the driving circuit comprising:

a capacitor; and

an inductor connected in series with the capacitor to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, wherein

parameters of the driving circuit are set such that, when a series resonance frequency of the inductor and the capacitor is denoted by fs and a resonance frequency of the vibration member is denoted by fm, a condition 0.73·

fm<

fs<

1.2·

fm is satisfied.

2. The driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein, if a peak frequency of the alternating voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element is denoted by fe and a driving frequency of the vibration member is denoted by fd, a condition fe<

1.5·

fd is satisfied.

3. A driving circuit configured to drive a vibration-type actuator including a vibration member and a moving member, wherein the vibration member includes an electro-mechanical energy conversion element and is configured to generate a vibration wave in response to an alternating voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and wherein the moving member is in contact with the vibration member and is configured to move in response to the vibration wave relative to the vibration member, the driving circuit comprising:

a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil and connected in parallel to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, wherein an alternating voltage is configured to be applied to the primary coil; and

an inductor and a capacitor located at least one of a primary side and a secondary side of the transformer such that the inductor and the capacitor are connected in series to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element, wherein

parameters of the driving circuit are set such that, when a series resonance frequency of the inductor and the capacitor is denoted by fs and a resonance frequency of the vibration member is denoted by fm, a condition 0.73·

fm<

fs<

1.2·

fm is satisfied.

4. The driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein the inductor is a leakage inductance of the transformer.

5. The driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein, if a peak frequency of the alternating voltage applied to the electro-mechanical energy conversion element is denoted by fe and a driving frequency of the vibration member is denoted by fd, a condition fe<

1.5·

fd is satisfied.