| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090002500 | DRIVE DEVICE AND IMAGE STABILIZER - A drive device includes an actuator, a fixed member, a movable member, rotating members, and a guide member. The actuator is arranged on the fixed member, and includes a piezoelectric element and at least two drivers on the piezoelectric element in parallel with the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The movable member moves by the drivers on the fixed member. The rotating members are located between the fixed member and the movable member to support the movable member. The guide member is arranged on at least one of the fixed member and the movable member, and guides movement of the rotating members in a direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element. The drivers are located between the rotating members in the direction parallel to the central axis of the piezoelectric element. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090003812 | IMAGE STABILIZER - An image stabilizer includes a fixed member, a first movable member, a second movable member, and a position sensor. The fixed member includes a first actuator arranged near a first side of an imaging device in parallel with the first side. The first movable member includes a second actuator arranged near a second side perpendicular to the first side in parallel with the second side and moves, when driven by the first actuator, in the direction of the first side. The second movable member has the imaging device mounted thereon and moves, when driven by the second actuator, in the direction of the second side. The position sensor detects the relative position of the imaging device moved by the first and second actuators. The first and second actuators are located near an intersection of the longitudinal axes of them not to interfere with each other. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090009657 | DRIVE APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An anti-vibration unit has: an X-axis transducer generating elliptical vibration in drivers; a frame which is a fixing member having a holding portion for holding the X-axis transducer; an X frame having fixed thereto a slide element to which the drivers of the X-axis transducer are pressed and which moves in the X-axis direction with respect to the frame; a Y-axis transducer held by a holding portion provided in the X-frame and generating elliptical vibration in drivers; and a Y frame having fixed thereto a slide element to which the drivers of the Y-axis transducer are pressed and which moves in the Y-axis direction with respect to the X frame. The X-axis transducer and the Y-axis transducer have substantially same resonant frequency, and the slide elements differ in at least one of rigidity and density thereof, thereby providing a drive apparatus down-sized, large in driving force and high in efficiency. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090051803 | CAMERA HAVING A DUST-PROOFING MEMBER THAT IS VIBRATED TO REMOVE DUST, THE DUST-PROOFING MEMBER BEING PRESSED BY A SPRING PRESSING MEMBER TOWARD A SEALING PART THAT SEALS A SPACE BETWEEN THE DUST-PROOFING MEMBER AND AN IMAGE PICKUP-DEVICE - A camera includes a dust-proofing member which has a transparent portion through which a visible light component is transmitted. The transparent portion is opposed to the front of an image pick-up device at a predetermined interval. A vibration member is arranged at a peripheral portion of the dust-proofing member and vibrates the dust-proofing member. A sealing part seals a space between the image pick-up device and the dust-proofing member. And a spring pressing member presses the dust-proofing member at a periphery thereof toward the sealing part. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090268042 | DRIVING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An X-axis driving mechanism section as one of driving sources of a driving apparatus including: a transducer for generating an elliptical vibration on a driving section in response to application of a predetermined frequency voltage signal; a bottom case having a holding section for holding the transducer; a pressing mechanism arranged on the bottom case to press the driving section of the transducer; and a rod relatively driven by the elliptical vibration of the transducer while being pressed by the pressing mechanism and with a moving direction being restricted by a guiding section of the holding member; wherein a weight is fixed to an end portion of the rod. The X-axis driving mechanism section constitutes the driving apparatus which is small and provides a large driving force, is capable of stable driving with higher efficiency without producing audible noise, and can retain the rod position and has high responsiveness with high accuracy. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20100091121 | DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera of the invention includes: an image pickup device; a dust-proof filter including an area disposed so as to face an image pickup surface of the image pickup device with a predetermined distance; a piezoelectric device for vibration application for vibrating not only a surface of the dust-proof filter but also inside of the dust-proof filter; and a piezoelectric device for vibration absorption for absorbing a part of vibration of the dust-proof filter in a predetermined cycle. When a wavelength of vibration generated in the dust-proof filter by vibration of the piezoelectic device for vibration application is defined as λ, and an odd number as k, the piezoelectric device for vibration application and the piezoelectric device for vibration absorption are arranged separately from each other at positions on the dust-proof filter such that a distance between centers of the devices is expressed by k×λ/4. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100157074 | DRIVING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A driving apparatus includes: a first member including a first linear groove; a second member including a second linear groove; a plurality of first rolling bodies held between the first and the second linear grooves; a pressing member for pressing the first and second members; a pressing force applying member for pressing the pressing member; and second rolling bodies arranged on the same plane between the second member and the pressing member. A third linear groove for guiding the second rolling bodies is formed on one of the second member and the pressing member. At least one or more of the second rolling bodies are arranged on both sides of the central axis of the first rolling bodies, and the pressing force applying member applies a pressing force to the second rolling bodies such that rotational moment around the axis line is zero. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100220394 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes: an image-forming element; an optical element including a light-transmitting portion disposed so as to face an image surface of the image-forming element; a vibration-application member arranged at a position other than a position of the light-transmitting portion of the optical element, for vibrating a surface of the optical element and inside of the optical element; and a vibration-absorption member arranged at a position opposed to the vibration-application member, for absorbing a part of vibration of the optical element in a predetermined cycle, wherein when a wavelength of vibration generated in the optical element by vibration of the vibration-application member is defined as λ, and an odd number as k, the vibration-application member and the vibration-absorption member are arranged separately from each other at positions on the optical element such that a distance between centers of the members is expressed by k×λ/4. | 09-02-2010 |