JP2014060846A - Piezoelectric motor, robot hand, robot, electronic component transport device, electronic component inspection equipment, liquid feed pump, printing equipment, electronic clock, projection apparatus, and transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a piezoelectric motor having a vibrator case that can ensure high drive accuracy and can distribute wires easily while suppressing the enlargement of the piezoelectric motor.SOLUTION: A vibrator case is made up by a first side part and a second side part disposed both sides thereof against a vibrator in a bending direction, and a coupling part for connecting the first side part and the second side part, with a through hole for wiring disposed at the first side part or the second side part. As a result, the rigidity of the vibrator in the bending direction becomes higher and the distortion of the vibrator case can be minimized. As the structure also can downsize the vibrator case if the same rigidity is maintained, the vibrator case can be downsized with high rigidity. Therefore, a piezoelectric motor ensuring sufficiently high driving accuracy while suppressing the enlargement of the piezoelectric motor can be achieved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a piezoelectric motor, a robot hand, a robot, an electronic component transport device, an electronic component inspection device, a liquid feed pump, a printing device, an electronic timepiece, a projection device, and a transport device.

  There is a piezoelectric motor of a type that generates a stretching vibration and a bending vibration at the same time by applying a driving voltage to a vibrating body including a piezoelectric material and frictionally drives an object with a convex portion provided on an end face of the vibrating body. Known (Patent Document 1). The piezoelectric motor vibrates the vibrating body with a small amplitude and a high frequency to drive the object, so that the object can be positioned with high resolution and the object can be driven quickly. Have.

  Since this type of piezoelectric motor drives an object with a frictional force between the concave part and the concave part, it needs to be used with the convex part pressed against the object. Further, in order to obtain a large driving force, it is necessary to press the convex portion against the object with a strong force. For this purpose, it is desirable to hold the vibrating body firmly. On the other hand, in view of the driving principle, it is necessary to hold the vibrating body so as not to disturb the vibration.

  Therefore, the vibrating body is housed in the vibrating body case and the vibrating body case is housed in the outer case, and the piezoelectric motor is configured to have a double case by a spring provided between the vibrating body case and the outer case. A method of pressing the vibrating body (and the convex portion of the vibrating body) against the object together with the vibrating body case has been proposed (Patent Document 2). In this method, by making the vibrating body case slidable with respect to the outer case, the vibrating body case (and the vibrating body) are securely held by the outer case so that the vibrating body case moves only in the direction of the object. In addition, the vibrating body can be held by the vibrating body case so as not to disturb the vibration of the vibrating body.

JP 2008-187768 A JP 2009-33788 A

  However, in a piezoelectric motor of a type that accommodates a vibrating body case containing a vibrating body in an outer case, it is not known what structure the vibrating body case should be. In other words, if the rigidity of the vibrating body case is insufficient, the vibrating body case is distorted due to the vibration of the vibrating body or the reaction force during driving of the target object, and the driving accuracy of the target object is reduced, or sliding with the outer case is performed. Or the convex portion of the vibrating body cannot be pressed against the object. On the other hand, if the rigidity of the vibrating body case is simply increased, the vibrating body case becomes larger, and the enlarged vibrating body case must be accommodated in the outer case, so that the piezoelectric motor becomes larger and larger. Furthermore, it is also necessary to consider the routing of the wiring for applying the driving voltage to the vibrating body, and it is not preferable to sacrifice the rigidity of the vibrating body case for the routing of the wiring. As described above, the structure of the vibrating body case has a great influence on the size, driving accuracy, and routing of the wiring to the vibrating body, and the structure of the vibrating body case from these viewpoints is still considered. There was no problem.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and ensures a driving accuracy while suppressing an increase in size of the piezoelectric motor, and can easily route the wiring. It aims at providing the piezoelectric motor provided with.

In order to solve at least a part of the problems described above, the piezoelectric motor of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is,
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
The gist is that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  In such a piezoelectric motor of the present invention, the vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body includes the first side portion and the second side portion provided on both sides in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body, the first side portion, and And a connecting portion that connects the second side portions. As described above, it is known that the structure in which the first side portion and the second side portion provided on both sides in the bending direction are connected by the connecting portion increases the cross-sectional secondary moment in the bending direction. For this reason, since the vibrating body case can increase the rigidity of the vibrating body in the bending direction, the vibrating body case can be prevented from being distorted. In addition, as will be described in detail later, the structure in which the first side portion and the second side portion are connected by the connecting portion is the same because, according to the teaching of material mechanics, almost no portion that contributes to rigidity is generated. If rigidity is ensured, a vibrating body case can be made small. In addition, the vibrating body can be accommodated in a portion surrounded by the first side portion, the second side portion, and the connecting portion. Furthermore, since the first side portion or the second side portion is provided with a through hole, the vibrating body can be wired by passing through the through hole. Moreover, since only the through holes are provided in the first side portion or the second side portion, the rigidity of the vibrating body case hardly decreases. For this reason, it is possible to realize a piezoelectric motor that can ensure the driving accuracy while suppressing the enlargement of the piezoelectric motor and can also route the wiring.

  In the above-described piezoelectric motor of the present invention, the through hole may be provided at a position corresponding to a vibration node when the vibrating body vibrates in the bending direction. Here, the “position corresponding to the vibration node” means a position overlapping with the vibration node in the bending direction when viewed from the thickness direction of the vibrating body (a direction orthogonal to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction of the vibrating body). Point to.

  In this way, in order to prevent the vibration of the vibrating body from being affected as much as possible, the wiring can be provided at the center in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating body where the vibration node exists.

  Moreover, in the piezoelectric motor of the present invention described above, the through hole may be provided inclined with respect to the bending direction of the vibrating body.

  In some cases, it may be necessary to pull out the wiring cable diagonally due to layout reasons when mounting the piezoelectric motor. In such a case, if the through hole is inclined with respect to the bending direction of the vibrating body, the wiring cable can be pulled out in the direction of the through hole without forcibly bending.

  In the above-described piezoelectric motor of the present invention, the first side portion or the second side portion provided with the through hole is formed by a plurality of members, and the through hole is provided between the plurality of members. It is good to be.

  In this way, for example, it is possible to form grooves in the members and form through holes by combining the members. Therefore, the degree of freedom when forming the through holes or the shape of the through holes is free. The degree can be improved.

  In the piezoelectric motor of the present invention described above, a recess may be provided at a position corresponding to the through hole on the side of the connecting portion facing the vibrating body. Here, the “position corresponding to the through hole” refers to a position overlapping the through hole with respect to the extending direction of the vibrating body.

  In this way, when wiring to the vibrating body from the outside of the vibrating body case, the wiring cable that has passed through the through hole can be guided to the recessed portion and wired from the recessed portion to the vibrating body. For this reason, even if the clearance gap between a vibrating body and a connection part is narrow, wiring becomes easy.

  Further, in the above-described piezoelectric motor of the present invention, a chamfered portion or a curved portion may be provided at a corner portion where the through hole is opened.

  When the piezoelectric motor drives an object or when a device equipped with the piezoelectric motor moves, the wiring cable may vibrate. Even in such a case, if a chamfered portion or a curved portion is provided at the corner portion where the through hole of the first side portion or the second side portion is opened, the wiring cable is rubbed and damaged by the corner portion. You can avoid that.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A robot hand that includes a plurality of fingers and grips an object,
A base body erected so that the finger portion is movable;
A piezoelectric motor that moves the finger relative to the substrate;
With
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as a robot hand characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  In such a robot hand of the present invention, the rigidity of the vibrating body case in the bending direction of the vibrating body can be increased, so that the vibrating body case can be prevented from being distorted. Moreover, if the same rigidity is ensured, a vibrating body case can be made small. For this reason, since it is possible to ensure driving accuracy while suppressing an increase in size of the piezoelectric motor, it is possible to realize a high-performance robot hand.

Further, the present invention can be grasped in the following robot mode. That is,
An arm provided with a rotatable joint, and
A hand portion provided on the arm portion;
A main body provided with the arm,
A robot equipped with
It has a piezoelectric motor that is provided at the joint and drives the joint to bend or rotate,
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as a robot characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  According to the present invention as described above, since the piezoelectric motor with a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, a high-performance robot with a small size and high positioning accuracy can be realized.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A gripper for gripping electronic components;
A piezoelectric motor that drives the gripping part that grips the electronic component;
An electronic component transport device comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
The first side part or the second side part can be grasped as an electronic component transporting device provided with a through hole.

  According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric motor with a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, it is possible to realize a small electronic component conveying device with high positioning accuracy and high conveying accuracy.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A gripper for gripping electronic components;
A piezoelectric motor that drives the gripping part that grips the electronic component;
An inspection unit for inspecting the electronic component;
An electronic component inspection apparatus comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as an electronic component inspection apparatus characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric motor having a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, it is possible to realize a small electronic component inspection device having high positioning accuracy and high conveyance accuracy.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A liquid tube through which the liquid can flow;
A blocking portion that contacts a part of the liquid tube and closes the liquid tube;
A moving unit that moves the closed position of the liquid tube by moving in a state of holding the closed unit;
A piezoelectric motor for driving the moving unit;
A liquid feed pump comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as a liquid feed pump characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side part or the second side part.

  According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric motor with a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, a small-sized liquid feeding pump with high liquid feeding accuracy can be realized.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A print head for printing an image on a medium;
A piezoelectric motor for moving the print head;
A printing apparatus comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as a printing apparatus characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  According to the present invention as described above, since the piezoelectric motor having a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, a small and high-quality printing apparatus can be realized.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A coaxial rotating gear is provided, and a rotatable disc,
A gear train including a plurality of gears;
A pointer connected to the gear train and indicating the time;
A piezoelectric motor for driving the rotating disk;
An electronic timepiece comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as an electronic timepiece characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric motor with a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, it is possible to realize a small-sized electronic timepiece with high timing accuracy.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A projection unit including an optical lens and projecting light from the light source;
An adjustment unit for adjusting a projection state of the light by the optical lens;
A projection apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric motor that drives the adjusting unit;
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
It can also be grasped as a projection device characterized in that a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

  According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric motor with a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, it is possible to realize a small-sized projection device that can accurately adjust the projection state of light by the optical lens.

Moreover, this invention can also be grasped | ascertained in the following aspects. That is,
A transport device for transporting an object,
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A through-hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion, and can be grasped as a transport device.

  According to the present invention as described above, since the piezoelectric motor having a small size and high driving accuracy is mounted, a small size and high conveying device can be realized.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the rough structure of the piezoelectric motor of a present Example. It is an exploded view which shows the structure of the main-body part of a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation principle of a piezoelectric motor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the vibrating body case of a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the reason for the rigidity of the vibrating body case of a present Example being high. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated a mode that the power cable was pulled out to the side of the piezoelectric motor of a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the reason that the power supply cable can be pulled out to the side of a piezoelectric motor, without the vibration body case of a present Example impairing rigidity almost. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the vibrating body case of the modification formed by combining the 2nd side part with the some member. It is explanatory drawing which shows the vibrating body case of the modification which provided the wiring recessed part in the connection part. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the vibrating body case of the modification in which the through-hole was inclined and formed with respect to the 2nd side part. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the through hole of the modification in which the chamfered part or the curved surface part was provided in the corner | angular part of the location where a through hole opens. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the robot hand incorporating the piezoelectric motor of the present Example or the modification. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the single arm robot provided with the robot hand. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the robot of the multiple arms provided with the robot hand. It is the perspective view which illustrated the electronic component inspection apparatus comprised by incorporating the piezoelectric motor of a present Example or a modification. It is explanatory drawing about the fine adjustment mechanism incorporated in the holding | grip apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the liquid feeding pump incorporating the piezoelectric motor of a present Example or the modification. It is the perspective view which illustrated the printing apparatus incorporating the piezoelectric motor of the present Example or the modification. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the electronic timepiece incorporating the piezoelectric motor of the present Example or the modification. It is the perspective view which illustrated the projection device incorporating the piezoelectric motor of this example or a modification.

A. Device configuration :
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a rough configuration of the piezoelectric motor 10 of the present embodiment. FIG. 1 (a) shows an overall view of the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment, and FIG. 1 (b) shows an exploded view. As shown in FIG. 1A, the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment is roughly composed of a main body 100 and an outer case 200. The main body 100 is attached in the outer case 200 and can move in one direction in that state. In the present specification, the moving direction of the main body 100 is referred to as the X direction. Further, as shown in the figure, directions orthogonal to the X direction are referred to as a Y direction and a Z direction, respectively.

  The main body 100 and the outer case 200 are each configured by combining a plurality of parts. For example, the outer case 200 is configured by fastening the first side wall block 210 and the second side wall block 220 with set screws 240 on both sides of the upper surface of the substantially rectangular substrate 230 (FIG. 1B). checking). In addition, a through hole 220h is provided on a substantially central side surface in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the second side wall block 220. The role of the through hole 220h will be described later. When assembling the piezoelectric motor 10, the first side wall block 210 and the second side wall block 220 are attached to the substrate 230 from above the main body 100 using the set screw 240.

  In addition, the first side wall block 210 is formed with three concave portions of a front housing 212, a central housing 214, and a rear housing 216. When the first side wall block 210 is attached to the substrate 230, the front side pressure spring 212 s is accommodated in the front housing 212 and the rear side pressure spring 216 s is accommodated in the rear housing 216. As a result, the main body 100 is pressed against the second side wall block 220 by the front pressure spring 212s and the rear pressure spring 216s. A front roller 102r and a rear roller 106r are attached to the side of the main body 100 facing the second side wall block 220. Further, a pressure spring 222 s is provided on the side surface of the main body 100. The pressurizing spring 222s presses the main body 100 in the X direction at a location behind the front roller 102r.

  A pressing roller 104r is provided on the side surface of the main body 100 opposite to the side on which the front roller 102r and the rear roller 106r are provided in the Z direction (upward in the drawing). With the first side wall block 210 attached, the pressing roller 104r is housed in the central housing 214 of the first side wall block 210. A pressing spring 232 s is provided between the back surface side of the portion of the main body 100 where the pressing roller 104 r is provided and the substrate 230. For this reason, the pressing roller 104r is pressed against the inner surface of the central housing 214 in the Z direction (upward in the drawing).

  FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the structure of the main body 100 of this embodiment. The main body 100 generally has a structure in which the vibration part 110 is housed in the vibration body case 120. The vibrating unit 110 includes a vibrating body 112 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by a piezoelectric material, a ceramic driving convex 114 attached to an end face in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the vibrating body 112, and one of the vibrating bodies 112. It is composed of four surface electrodes 116 provided by dividing the side surface into four. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a back electrode covering almost the entire side surface is provided on the side surface opposite to the side on which the four front electrodes 116 are provided. This back electrode is connected to the ground. Grounded. Further, as will be described later, a power cable (not shown) is drawn out from the front electrode 116 and the back electrode, and a through hole 120 h for passing the power cable is provided in a side portion of the vibrating body case 120. The power cable passing through the through hole 120h is drawn out of the piezoelectric motor 10 through the through hole 220h (see FIG. 1) of the second side wall block 220.

  The vibration part 110 is formed of a material having dynamic viscoelasticity (polyimide resin, rubber, elastomer, or the like) from both side surfaces (both side surfaces in the Z direction in FIG. 2) where the front electrode 116 and the back electrode are provided. The vibrating body case 120 is housed in a state of being sandwiched between the buffer portions 130. Further, a plate-like pressing plate 140 made of a metal material, an elastic portion 142, and a pressing lid 144 are placed on the buffer portion 130 on the surface electrode 116 side, and the pressing lid 144 is a vibrating body with a set screw 146. Fastened to case 120. For this reason, the vibration part 110 is housed in a state in which the vibration body 112 can vibrate in the vibration body case 120 when the resin-made buffer part 130 is sheared and deformed while being pressed by the elastic force of the elastic part 142. . In this embodiment, a disc spring is used as the elastic portion 142. In addition, the direction in which the buffer unit 130 clamps the vibrating body 112 from both sides (Z direction) is a direction that intersects the direction in which the vibrating body 112 bends and vibrates (bending direction), as will be described later.

B. Principle of operation of piezoelectric motor:
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation principle of the piezoelectric motor 10. The piezoelectric motor 10 operates when the driving convex portion 114 of the vibration unit 110 moves elliptically when a voltage is applied to the surface electrode 116 of the vibration unit 110 at a constant period. The drive convex part 114 of the vibration part 110 moves elliptically for the following reason.

  First, as is well known, a piezoelectric material has a property of expanding when a positive voltage is applied. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3A, when applying a positive voltage to all the four surface electrodes 116 and then releasing the applied voltage repeatedly, the vibrating body 112 formed of the piezoelectric material becomes longitudinal ( The operation of expanding and contracting in the X direction is repeated. The operation in which the vibrating body 112 repeatedly expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction (X direction) is referred to as “stretching vibration”. Further, when the frequency at which the positive voltage is applied is changed, the amount of expansion / contraction suddenly increases when a certain frequency is reached, and a kind of resonance phenomenon occurs. The frequency at which resonance occurs due to stretching vibration (resonance frequency) is determined by the physical properties of the vibrating body 112 and the dimensions (width W, length L, thickness T) of the vibrating body 112.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B or FIG. 3C, a pair of two surface electrodes 116 that are diagonal to each other (a set of the front electrode 116a and the front electrode 116d, or a front electrode 116b and a front electrode 116c). A positive voltage is applied at a constant cycle. Then, the vibrating body 112 repeats an operation in which the front end portion (the portion to which the driving convex portion 114 is attached) in the longitudinal direction (X direction) swings the head in the right direction or the left direction on the drawing. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a positive voltage is applied to the set of the front electrode 116a and the front electrode 116d at a constant period, the vibrating body 112 operates to swing the tip portion to the right in the drawing. repeat. Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, when a positive voltage is applied to the set of the front electrode 116b and the front electrode 116c at a constant period, the operation of swinging the tip portion leftward in the drawing is repeated. Such an operation of the vibrating body 112 is referred to as “bending vibration”. Also for such flexural vibration, there exists a resonance frequency determined by the physical properties of the vibrating body 112 and the dimensions (width W, length L, thickness T) of the vibrating body 112. Therefore, when a positive voltage is applied to the two front electrodes 116 that are diagonal to each other at the resonance frequency, the vibrating body 112 vibrates with a large swing in the right or left direction (Y direction). In the following description, the direction of stretching vibration (X direction) is sometimes referred to as “stretching direction” and the direction of bending vibration (Y direction) is sometimes referred to as “bending direction”. In addition, a direction (Z direction) orthogonal to both the expansion / contraction direction and the bending direction may be referred to as the “thickness direction” of the vibrating body 112.

  Here, both the resonance frequency of the stretching vibration shown in FIG. 3A and the resonance frequency of the bending vibration shown in FIG. 3B or FIG. It is determined by the dimensions (width W, length L, thickness T). Therefore, if the dimensions (width W, length L, thickness T) of the vibrating body 112 are appropriately selected, the resonance frequencies can be matched. When a voltage in the form of flexural vibration as shown in FIG. 3B or FIG. 3C is applied to such a vibrating body 112 at the resonance frequency, FIG. 3B or FIG. 3), the stretching vibration shown in FIG. 3A is also induced by resonance. As a result, when a voltage is applied in the manner shown in FIG. 3B, the tip portion of the vibrating body 112 (the portion to which the driving convex portion 114 is attached) starts an elliptical motion clockwise on the drawing. . When a voltage is applied in the manner shown in FIG. 3C, the tip of the vibrating body 112 starts an elliptical motion counterclockwise on the drawing.

  The piezoelectric motor 10 drives the object using the above-described elliptical motion. That is, the elliptical motion is generated in a state where the driving convex portion 114 of the vibrating body 112 is pressed against the object. Then, when the vibrating body 112 contracts, the driving convex portion 114 moves from the left to the right (or from the right to the left) while being pressed against the object when the vibrating body 112 extends. The operation of returning to the original position while being away from the object is repeated. As a result, the object is driven in one direction by the frictional force received from the drive convex portion 114. Further, since the driving force received by the object is equal to the frictional force generated between the driving convex part 114, the magnitude of the driving force is determined by the friction coefficient between the driving convex part 114 and the target object and the driving convex part. 114 is determined by the force pressed against the object.

  As is apparent from the operation principle of the piezoelectric motor 10 described above, the piezoelectric motor 10 moves the vibrating body 112 in the expansion / contraction direction (X direction) and the bending direction (Y direction) in a state where the driving convex portion 114 is pressed against the object. ) Is used by vibrating. For this reason, the vibrating body 112 needs to be stored in the vibrating body case 120 in a state in which vibration in the expansion / contraction direction and the bending direction is allowed. Further, when the object is moved by vibrating the vibrating body 112, a reaction force from the object is applied to the drive convex portion 114. When the vibrating body 112 moves in the vibrating body case 120 due to the reaction force, a sufficient driving force cannot be transmitted to the object, and the amount of movement of the driving convex portion 114 is reduced. Becomes smaller. Furthermore, since the escape amount of the main body 100 is not always stable, the drive amount of the object becomes unstable.

  Further, in the structure in which the vibrating body 112 is accommodated in the vibrating body case 120 as described above, the reaction force due to driving the object is transmitted to the vibrating body case 120 via the drive convex portion 114 and the vibrating body 112. And since the vibrating body case 120 is assembled | attached to the outer side case 200 in the aspect which can move to an expansion-contraction direction (X direction), if the vibrating body case 120 is distorted by the reaction force from a target object, it will expand / contract in the outer case 200 The movement in the direction is hindered, and as a result, the driving convex portion 114 of the vibrating body 112 cannot be pressed against the object. Further, when the vibrating body case 120 is distorted, the position of the vibrating body case 120 in the outer case 200 is shifted, so that the position of the driving convex portion 114 is also shifted, and the driving accuracy of the object is lowered. Furthermore, since the vibrating body 112 is held by the vibrating body case 120 via the buffer portion 130, a reaction force caused by bending vibration (and stretching vibration) of the vibrating body 112 also acts in a direction that distorts the vibrating body case 120. . For this reason, the vibrating body case 120 needs to have sufficient rigidity in at least the bending direction of the vibrating body 112. On the other hand, if the rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 is simply increased, the vibrating body case 120 becomes larger, and the vibrating body case 120 must be accommodated in the outer case 200, so that the piezoelectric motor becomes larger. Therefore, the following configuration is adopted in the vibrating body case 120 of the piezoelectric motor 10 of the present embodiment.

C. Structure of vibrating body case:
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the vibrating body case 120 from the viewpoint of rigidity of the vibrating body 112 in the bending direction. From the viewpoint of rigidity in the bending direction, as shown in FIG. 4A, the vibrating body case 120 of this embodiment is provided in the bending direction (Y direction) with respect to the vibrating body 112 (see FIG. 2). The first side portion 120a and the second side portion 120b provided on the opposite side of the first side portion 120a across the vibrating body 112 are coupled to the vibrating body 112 by a connecting portion 120c provided in the Z direction. Can be thought of as a structure.

  The first side portion 120a and the second side portion 120b are not a simple flat plate shape, and a structure for attaching the front roller 102r, the rear roller 106r, or the pressing roller 104r (see FIG. 1) is provided. (See FIG. 1 for the front roller 102r, the rear roller 106r, and the pressing roller 104r). However, these structures do not contribute to rigidity from the viewpoint of rigidity in the bending direction. Therefore, the structure of the vibrating body case 120 of the present embodiment can be simplified as shown in FIG. And the structure shown in FIG.4 (b) is a structure with the high rigidity to a bending direction.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the reason why the vibrating body case 120 of this embodiment has high rigidity. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, consider a structure in which two plate-like members A and B are arranged in parallel. This structure is weak because the individual members A and B receive the load in a shared manner with respect to the load in the direction indicated by the white arrow in the figure, but the individual members easily bend ( It can be said that the rigidity in the direction of the arrow is low). In view of this, it is now considered that the individual members are arranged in a direction that is difficult to bend with respect to the load in the arrow direction.

  FIG. 5B shows a structure in which two plate-like members C and D are arranged in a direction that is difficult to bend with respect to the load indicated by the white arrow. Since this structure makes it difficult for individual members to bend, it can be said that the structure has higher rigidity in the direction of the arrow than the structure of FIG. However, according to the teaching of material mechanics, in the structure shown in FIG. 5 (b), there is a portion in the members C and D that hardly contributes to rigidity (portion surrounded by a broken line in the drawing), which is wasteful. It can be said that it is a structure.

  On the other hand, consider the structure of FIG. 5C in which the two plate-like members A and B shown in FIG. 5A are joined via another plate-like member E. In this structure, since the two members A and B are joined, the individual members A and B are not bent separately. For example, when the member A tries to bend due to the load indicated by the white arrow in the figure, the member B generates a tensile or compressive force. For this reason, unless the load becomes very large, the member A will not bend. Similarly, when the member B tries to bend about the member B, a tensile or compressive force is generated on the member A. For this reason, unless the load becomes so large, the member B will not bend. After all, the structure shown in FIG. 5C can be said to be a structure that is difficult to bend (high rigidity) with respect to the load indicated by the arrow in the figure. In addition, since the member E simply joins the two members A and B and does not actively receive a load, the plate thickness of the member E can be made thinner than those of the members A and B. . Accordingly, it is possible to realize higher rigidity than the structure of FIG. 5B without generating a portion that does not contribute to rigidity, such as a portion surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 5B.

  And the structure of FIG.5 (c) is equivalent to the structure of the vibrating body case 120 of a present Example mentioned above using FIG.4 (b). For convenience of understanding, FIG. 4 (b) is shown again as FIG. 5 (d). As is clear from a comparison between FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D, the first side portion 120a of the vibrating body case 120 corresponds to the member A in FIG. 2 side part 120b respond | corresponds to the member B of FIG.5 (c), and the connection part 120c of the vibrating body case 120 respond | corresponds to the member E of FIG.5 (c). Furthermore, the load direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5C corresponds to the Y direction (bending direction) of the vibrating body case 120. For this reason, it can be said that the vibrating body case 120 shown in FIG. 5D has a structure having high rigidity in the Y direction (bending direction).

  Moreover, almost all of the vibrating body case 120 of FIG. 5D contributes to the rigidity when the cross section is taken along the YZ plane in the drawing. For this reason, if the same rigidity is realized, the structure shown in FIG. 5D can reduce the size of the vibrating body case 120. Moreover, the vibrating body 112 can be accommodated in a portion surrounded by the first side portion 120a, the second side portion 120b, and the connecting portion 120c. As a result, the structure of the vibrating body case 120 of this embodiment has high rigidity in the bending direction of the vibrating body 112, and can further reduce the size of the vibrating body case 120.

  Note that, as described above, the vibrating body case 120 of the present embodiment has the first side portion 120a and the first side portion 120a on both sides of the vibrating body 112 in the bending direction from the viewpoint of securing rigidity in the bending direction and reducing the size of the vibrating body case 120. A second side portion 120b is provided, and the first side portion 120a and the second side portion 120b are coupled by a connecting portion 120c. For this reason, as has been adopted in conventional piezoelectric motors, it is difficult to hold the vibrating body 112 from both sides in the bending direction with a resin member or the like. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the vibrating body case 120 of the present embodiment, a novel method is adopted in which both sides of the vibrating body 112 are sandwiched and held by the buffer portion 130 from the thickness direction (Z direction). Yes. In other words, the structure of the vibrating body case 120 of this embodiment is a unique structure in that it requires the development of a novel method of holding the vibrating body 112 sandwiched from the thickness direction (Z direction). It can be said.

  Here, since the piezoelectric motor 10 operates when the vibrating body 112 is deformed by applying a driving voltage, it is necessary to wire a power cable for applying the driving voltage to the vibrating body 112. In some cases, it is necessary to draw a power cable to the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 due to layout restrictions when the piezoelectric motor 10 is mounted on various devices. Even in such a case, the following method is employed in the present embodiment in order to allow the power cable to be pulled out to the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 without impairing the characteristic that the vibrating body case 120 is highly rigid. ing.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view illustrating a state in which a power cable is pulled out to the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment, positive voltage cables 118a and 118b are drawn from the front electrode 116 (see FIG. 2) of the vibrating body 112, and the back electrodes of the vibrating body 112 (not shown). The ground cable 118g is drawn out from. These power cables (positive voltage cables 118a and 118b and ground cable 118g) are arranged at the center in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating body 112 where a vibration node exists so as not to affect the vibration of the vibrating body 112 as much as possible. It is pulled out from the position.

  These power cables (positive voltage cables 118 a and 118 b and ground cable 118 g) include a through hole 120 h (see FIG. 2) formed in the second side portion 120 b of the vibrating body case 120, and the second of the outer case 200. It is pulled out from the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 through a through hole 220h (see FIG. 1) formed in the side wall block 220. In the description of the present embodiment, the through hole 120h is provided in the second side portion 120b, but may be provided in the first side portion 120a. In that case, a through hole 220 h is also provided in the first side wall block 210 of the outer case 200. As described above, if the power cable is pulled out from the through hole 120h provided in the second side portion 120b (or the first side portion 120a) of the vibrating body case 120, the rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 is almost reduced for the following reason. The power cable can be pulled out to the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 without damage.

  Suppose that a notch for passing a power cable from the vibrating body 112 is provided in the second side portion 120b of the vibrating body case 120. FIG. 7A illustrates a vibrating body case 120 in which a notch 120f for passing a power cable is provided on the second side portion 120b. For convenience of understanding, in FIG. 7A, the rough shape of components other than the vibrating body case 120 (for example, the vibrating body 112 and the pressing lid 144) is shown by thin broken lines. Further, as described above, since the power cable is drawn out from substantially the center in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating body 112, the notch 120f of the vibrating body case 120 is also provided at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the second side portion 120b.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the notch 120f is provided in the second side portion 120b of the vibrating body case 120, the second side portion 120b has a front side portion (front side second side portion 120d having substantially the same size). ) And a rear portion (rear second side portion 120e). As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, a vibration mode is generated in which the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e are deformed in opposite directions with the notch 120f interposed therebetween, The rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 is significantly reduced.

  On the other hand, when the through hole 120h is provided in the vibrating body case 120 as in the present embodiment, the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e are deformed in opposite directions. Occurrence of the vibration mode (see FIG. 7B) is suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to pull out the power cable to the side of the piezoelectric motor 10 in a state where the decrease in rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 is suppressed.

  In the above description, the through hole 120h is described as being formed in the integrally formed second side portion 120b. However, the second side portion 120b may be a combination of a plurality of members, and a plurality of members may be combined to form the second side portion 120b, resulting in the formation of the through hole 120h. good.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8A, the coupling member 120o is fitted from above into the notch 120f between the front second side part 120d and the rear second side part 120e. The front side second side portion 120d and the rear side second side portion 120e are coupled by welding, brazing, or bonding. As a result, the front side second side portion 120d, the rear side second side portion 120e, and the coupling member 120o form a second side portion 120b. A through hole 120h is formed in a portion of the notch 120f surrounded by the front second side portion 120d, the rear second side portion 120e, and the coupling member 120o. Even in this case, since the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e are coupled by the coupling member 120o, as shown in FIG. 7B, the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e are coupled. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a vibration mode in which the second side portion 120e is deformed in opposite directions. For this reason, it can suppress that the rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 falls.

  Further, the coupling member 120o does not necessarily need to be fitted between the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e, and as illustrated in FIG. 8B, straddles the notch 120f. The coupling member 120o may be provided above the front second side part 120d and the rear second side part 120e. In this case, the coupling member 120o can be coupled to the front second side portion 120d and the rear second side portion 120e by welding, brazing, bonding, or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 8C. Alternatively, screws 120s may be used for screwing.

  Further, the connecting portion 120c of the vibrating body case 120 may be provided with a recess (wiring recess 120g) as shown in FIG. By doing so, the wiring space of the ground cable 118g is widened, so that the ground cable 118g can be easily wired. Further, if the connecting portion 120c is provided with a recess, it is not necessary to widen the distance between the connecting portion 120c of the vibrating body case 120 and the vibrating body 112 in order to secure a wiring space. There is no need to increase the size of the piezoelectric motor 10. As described with reference to FIG. 5C, when the reaction force due to the bending vibration of the vibrating body 112 acts on the vibrating body case 120, the connecting portion 120c is not actively loaded. . Therefore, even if the plate thickness of the connecting portion 120c is partially reduced by providing the wiring recess 120g, the rigidity of the vibrating body case 120 is hardly reduced.

  Further, the through hole 120h of the second side portion 120b is not necessarily provided perpendicular to the side surface of the second side portion 120b. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the through hole 120h of the second side portion 120b is provided to be inclined in the lower left direction in the drawing. When the through hole 120h of the second side part 120b is provided to be inclined as described above, the through hole 220h of the second side wall block 220 of the outer case 200 may be inclined similarly to the through hole 120h.

  In some cases, the power cables (positive voltage cables 118a and 118b, ground cable 118g) have to be drawn obliquely due to layout requirements when the piezoelectric motor 10 is mounted. In such a case, by tilting the through hole 120h of the second side portion 120b and the through hole 220h of the second side wall block 220 in the direction in which the power cable is to be pulled out, the power cable is not bent excessively. It can be pulled out. Moreover, since the possibility that the power cable interferes with the corners of the through hole 120h or the through hole 220h and damages the power cable can be suppressed, a buffer member for protecting the cable is provided, or the cable is fixed by molding. The cable can be protected without any trouble.

  In addition, regardless of whether the through hole 120h penetrates perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the side surface of the second side portion 120b, the corner portion is formed at the location where the through hole 120h of the second side portion 120b opens. It may be chamfered or formed with a curved surface. FIG. 11A illustrates a case where a chamfered portion 120k is provided in a through hole 120h provided perpendicular to the side surface of the second side portion 120b. FIG. 11B illustrates a case where a curved surface portion 120r is provided in the through hole 120h. In addition, also in the 2nd side wall block 220 of the outer side case 200, it is good also as chamfering the corner | angular part of the location where the through-hole 220h opens, or forming with a curved surface. By doing in this way, when a power cable (positive voltage cables 118a, 118b, ground cable 118g) vibrates and rubs against a position where the through hole 120h is opened, or a position where the power cable is opened through the through hole 120h due to tension Even when it is pressed against the power cable, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the power cable is damaged or disconnected.

D. Application example:
The above-described piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment can be suitably incorporated in the following apparatus.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory view illustrating a robot hand 600 incorporating the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. In the illustrated robot hand 600, a plurality of fingers 603 are erected from a base 602, and are connected to an arm 610 via a wrist 604. Here, the base portion of the finger portion 603 is movable in the base 602, and the piezoelectric motor 10 is mounted in a state where the driving convex portion 114 is pressed against the base portion of the finger portion 603. For this reason, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10, the finger part 603 can be moved and the target can be gripped. In addition, the piezoelectric motor 10 is mounted on the wrist 604 in a state where the driving convex portion 114 is pressed against the end surface of the wrist 604. For this reason, it is possible to rotate the whole base 602 by operating the piezoelectric motor 10.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a single-arm robot 650 including a robot hand 600 (hand unit). As shown in the figure, the robot 650 has an arm 610 (arm portion) including a plurality of link portions 612 (link members) and a joint portion 620 that connects the link portions 612 in a bendable state. doing. The robot hand 600 is connected to the tip of the arm 610. The joint unit 620 incorporates the piezoelectric motor 10. Therefore, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10, it is possible to bend each joint portion 620 by an arbitrary angle.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory view exemplifying a multi-arm robot 660 provided with a robot hand 600. As illustrated, the robot 650 includes a plurality of arms 610 (two in the illustrated example) each including a plurality of link portions 612 and joint portions 620 that connect the link portions 612 in a bendable state. ) A robot hand 600 and a tool 601 (hand unit) are connected to the tip of the arm 610. In addition, a plurality of cameras 663 are mounted on the head 662, and a control unit 666 that controls the entire operation is mounted inside the main body 664. Further, it can be conveyed by a caster 668 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 664. This robot 660 also has the piezoelectric motor 10 built in the joint portion 620. Therefore, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10, it is possible to bend each joint portion 620 by an arbitrary angle.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating an electronic component inspection apparatus 700 configured by incorporating the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. The illustrated electronic component inspection apparatus 700 generally includes a base 710 and a support base 730 erected on the side surface of the base 710. On the upper surface of the base 710, an upstream stage 712u on which the electronic component 1 to be inspected is placed and transported, and a downstream stage 712d on which the inspected electronic component 1 is placed and transported are provided. ing. Further, between the upstream stage 712u and the downstream stage 712d, an imaging device 714 for confirming the posture of the electronic component 1 and an inspection table on which the electronic component 1 is set for inspecting electrical characteristics. 716 (inspection unit). Representative examples of the electronic component 1 include “semiconductor”, “semiconductor wafer”, “display device such as CLD and OLED”, “crystal device”, “various sensors”, “inkjet head”, “various types” MEMS device "etc. are mentioned.

  Further, the support base 730 is provided with a Y stage 732 that can move in a direction (Y direction) parallel to the upstream stage 712u and the downstream stage 712d of the base 710. An arm portion 734 extends in a direction toward the 710 (X direction). An X stage 736 is provided on the side surface of the arm 734 so as to be movable in the X direction. The X stage 736 is provided with an imaging camera 738 and a gripping device 750 with a built-in Z stage movable in the vertical direction (Z direction). In addition, a grip portion 752 that grips the electronic component 1 is provided at the tip of the grip device 750. Further, a control device 718 for controlling the entire operation of the electronic component inspection apparatus 700 is also provided on the front side of the base 710. In this embodiment, the Y stage 732, the arm 734, the X stage 736, and the gripping device 750 provided on the support base 730 correspond to the “electronic component transport device” of the present invention.

  The electronic component inspection apparatus 700 having the above configuration inspects the electronic component 1 as follows. First, the electronic component 1 to be inspected is placed on the upstream stage 712u and moved to the vicinity of the inspection table 716. Next, the Y stage 732 and the X stage 736 are moved, and the gripping device 750 is moved to a position directly above the electronic component 1 placed on the upstream stage 712u. At this time, the position of the electronic component 1 can be confirmed using the imaging camera 738. Then, when the gripping device 750 is lowered using the Z stage built in the gripping device 750 and the electronic component 1 is gripped by the gripping portion 752, the gripping device 750 is moved onto the imaging device 714 as it is. The posture of the electronic component 1 is confirmed using the device 714. Subsequently, the attitude of the electronic component 1 is adjusted using a fine adjustment mechanism built in the gripping device 750. Then, after moving the gripping device 750 onto the inspection table 716, the Z stage built in the gripping device 750 is moved to set the electronic component 1 on the inspection table 716. Since the attitude of the electronic component 1 is adjusted using the fine adjustment mechanism in the gripping device 750, the electronic component 1 can be set at the correct position on the inspection table 716. When the inspection of the electrical characteristics of the electronic component 1 is completed using the inspection table 716, the electronic component 1 is again picked up from the inspection table 716, and then the Y stage 732 and the X stage 736 are moved to downstream. The gripping device 750 is moved above the side stage 712d, and the electronic component 1 is placed on the downstream stage 712d. Thereafter, the downstream stage 712d is moved to transport the electronic component 1 that has been inspected to a predetermined position.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a fine adjustment mechanism built in the gripping device 750. As shown in the figure, in the gripping device 750, a rotating shaft 754 connected to the gripping portion 752, a fine adjustment plate 756 to which the rotating shaft 754 is rotatably attached, and the like are provided. Further, the fine adjustment plate 756 is movable in the X direction and the Y direction while being guided by a guide mechanism (not shown).

  Here, as shown by hatching in FIG. 16, the piezoelectric motor 10θ for rotation direction is mounted toward the end surface of the rotating shaft 754, and the driving convex portion (not shown) of the piezoelectric motor 10 θ is provided. It is pressed against the end surface of the rotating shaft 754. Therefore, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10θ, it is possible to accurately rotate the rotation shaft 754 (and the gripping portion 752) by an arbitrary angle in the θ direction. Further, an X-direction piezoelectric motor 10x and a Y-direction piezoelectric motor 10y are provided toward the fine adjustment plate 756, and respective drive projections (not shown) are provided on the surface of the fine adjustment plate 756. It is pressed. Therefore, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10x, the fine adjustment plate 756 (and the gripping portion 752) can be accurately moved by an arbitrary distance in the X direction. Similarly, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10y, The fine adjustment plate 756 (and the grip portion 752) can be accurately moved by an arbitrary distance in the Y direction. Accordingly, the electronic component inspection apparatus 700 of FIG. 15 can finely adjust the posture of the electronic component 1 gripped by the gripping portion 752 by operating the piezoelectric motor 10θ, the piezoelectric motor 10x, and the piezoelectric motor 10y.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory view illustrating a liquid feed pump 800 configured to incorporate the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 17A shows a plan view of the liquid feed pump 800 as viewed from above, and FIG. 17B shows a cross-sectional view of the liquid feed pump 800 as viewed from the side. As shown in the figure, a liquid-feed pump 800 has a disk-shaped rotor 804 (moving part) rotatably provided in a rectangular-shaped case 802. Between the case 802 and the rotor 804, a chemical solution or the like is provided. A tube 806 (liquid tube) through which the liquid flows is sandwiched. Further, a part of the tube 806 is in a state of being closed by being crushed by a ball 808 (blocking portion) provided on the rotor 804. Therefore, when the rotor 804 rotates, the position where the ball 808 crushes the tube 806 moves, so that the liquid in the tube 806 is fed. The rotor 804 can be driven by providing the drive convex portion 114 of the piezoelectric motor 10 of the present embodiment while being pressed against the side surface of the rotor 804. In this way, it is possible to realize a small liquid feed pump 800 that can accurately deliver a very small amount of liquid.

  FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a printing apparatus 850 incorporating the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. The illustrated printing apparatus 850 is a so-called inkjet printer that prints an image by ejecting ink onto the surface of the print medium 2. The printing device 850 has a substantially box-shaped appearance, and is provided with a paper discharge tray 851, a discharge port 852, and a plurality of operation buttons 855 at the approximate center of the front surface. Further, on the back side, a paper holder 853 for setting the printing medium 2 (roll paper 854) wound in a roll shape is provided. When the roll paper 854 is set in the paper holder 853 and the operation button 855 is operated, the roll paper 854 set in the paper holder 853 is sucked and an image is printed on the surface of the print medium 2 inside the printing apparatus 850. . In addition, the roll paper 854 is discharged from a discharge port 852 after being cut by a cutting mechanism 880 described later mounted inside the printing apparatus 850.

  Inside the printing apparatus 850, a print head 870 that reciprocates in the main scanning direction on the print medium 2 and a guide rail 860 that guides the movement of the print head 870 in the main scanning direction are provided. The illustrated print head 870 includes a print unit 872 that ejects ink onto the print medium 2 and a scan unit 874 that scans the print head 870 in the main scanning direction. A plurality of ejection nozzles are provided on the bottom surface side (side facing the printing medium 2) of the printing unit 872, and ink can be ejected from the ejection nozzles toward the printing medium 2. The scanning unit 874 is equipped with piezoelectric motors 10m and 10s. The convex portion (not shown) of the piezoelectric motor 10m is pressed against the guide rail 860. For this reason, the print head 870 can be moved in the main scanning direction by operating the piezoelectric motor 10m. Further, the driving convex portion 114 of the piezoelectric motor 10 s is pressed against the printing portion 872. For this reason, by operating the piezoelectric motor 10 s, it is possible to bring the bottom surface side of the printing unit 872 closer to the printing medium 2 or away from the printing medium 2. The printing apparatus 850 is also equipped with a cutting mechanism 880 for cutting the roll paper 854. The cutting mechanism 880 includes a cutter holder 884 on which a paper cutter 886 is mounted at the tip, and a guide shaft 882 that extends through the cutter holder 884 in the main scanning direction. A piezoelectric motor 10c is mounted in the cutter holder 884, and a convex portion (not shown) of the piezoelectric motor 10c is pressed against the guide shaft 882. Therefore, when the piezoelectric motor 10c is operated, the cutter holder 884 moves in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 882, and the paper cutter 886 cuts the roll paper 854. It is also possible to use the piezoelectric motor 10 for feeding the print medium 2 to paper.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory view illustrating the internal structure of an electronic timepiece 900 incorporating the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 19 shows a plan view of the electronic timepiece 900 as viewed from the side opposite to the time display side (the back cover side). An electronic timepiece 900 illustrated in FIG. 19 includes a disk-shaped rotating disk 902, a gear train 904 that transmits the rotation of the rotating disk 902 to a pointer (not shown) that displays time, and a rotating circle. A piezoelectric motor 10 for driving the plate 902, a power supply unit 906, a crystal chip 908, and an IC 910 are provided. The power supply unit 906, the crystal chip 908, and the IC 910 are mounted on a circuit board (not shown). The gear train 904 includes a plurality of gears and a ratchet (not shown). In order to avoid complication of the illustration, in FIG. 19, a line connecting the gear tips is represented by a thin one-dot chain line, and a line connecting the gear teeth is represented by a thick solid line. Accordingly, a double circle formed by a thick solid line and a thin one-dot chain line represents a gear. In addition, for the thin dash-dot line indicating the tooth tip, the entire circumference is not displayed, but only the periphery of the portion that meshes with another gear.

  The rotating disk 902 is provided with a small gear 902 g coaxially, and this gear 902 g is meshed with the gear train 904. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating disk 902 is transmitted through the gear train 904 while being decelerated at a predetermined ratio. Then, the rotation of the gear is transmitted to a hand indicating the time to display the time. And if the drive convex part 114 of the piezoelectric motor 10 of a present Example is provided in the state pressed against the side surface of the rotation disc 902, the rotation disc 902 can be rotated.

  FIG. 20 is an explanatory view illustrating a projection device 950 incorporating the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the projection apparatus 950 includes a projection unit 952 including an optical lens, and displays an image by projecting light from a built-in light source (not shown). Then, an adjustment mechanism 954 (adjustment unit) for adjusting the focus of the optical lens included in the projection unit 952 may be driven using the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment. Since the piezoelectric motor 10 has a high positioning resolution, fine focusing can be performed. Further, while the light from the light source is not projected, it is possible to prevent the optical lens from being damaged by covering the optical lens of the projection unit 952 with the lens cover 956. In order to avoid opening and closing the lens cover 956, the piezoelectric motor 10 of this embodiment can be used.

  As described above, the piezoelectric motor of the present invention and various devices equipped with the piezoelectric motor have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, modified examples, and application examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It is possible to implement in the mode.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic component, 2 ... Print medium, 10 ... Piezoelectric motor, 100 ... Main-body part,
102r ... front roller, 104r ... presser roller, 106r ... rear roller,
110 ... vibrating part 112 ... vibrating body 114 ... driving convex part,
116 ... front electrode, 116a ... front electrode, 116b ... front electrode,
116c ... front electrode, 116d ... front electrode,
118a: positive voltage cable, 118g: ground cable,
120 ... Vibrating body case, 120a ... First side, 120b ... Second side,
120c: connecting portion, 120d: front second side portion,
120e: rear second side, 120f: notch, 120g: wiring recess,
120h ... through hole, 120k ... chamfered portion, 120o ... coupling member, 120r ... curved surface portion, 120s ... screw,
130 ... buffer part, 140 ... pressing plate, 142 ... elastic part,
144: holding lid, 146: set screw, 200: outer case,
210 ... first side wall block, 212 ... front housing,
212s ... front pressure spring, 214 ... central housing,
216 ... rear housing, 216s ... rear side pressure spring,
220 ... second side wall block, 220h ... through hole, 222s ... pressure spring,
230 ... Substrate, 232s ... Presser spring, 240 ... Set screw,
600 ... Robot hand, 601 ... Tool, 602 ... Base,
603 ... finger part, 604 ... wrist, 610 ... arm,
612 ... Link part, 620 ... Joint part, 650 ... Robot,
660 ... Robot, 662 ... Head, 663 ... Camera,
664 ... Main body part, 666 ... Control part, 668 ... Caster,
700 ... Electronic component inspection device, 710 ... Base,
712d: downstream stage, 712u: upstream stage,
714 ... Imaging device, 716 ... Inspection table, 718 ... Control device,
730 ... Supporting base, 734 ... Arm, 738 ... Imaging camera,
750 ... Gripping device, 752 ... Gripping part, 754 ... Rotating shaft,
756 ... fine adjustment plate, 800 ... liquid feed pump, 802 ... case,
804 ... Rotor, 806 ... Tube, 808 ... Ball,
850 ... Printer, 851 ... Discharge tray, 852 ... Discharge port,
853 ... Paper holder, 854 ... Roll paper, 855 ... Operation buttons,
860 ... guide rail, 870 ... print head, 872 ... printing section,
874 ... scanning unit, 880 ... cutting mechanism, 882 ... guide shaft,
884 ... Cutter holder, 886 ... Paper cutter, 900 ... Electronic clock,
902 ... Rotating disc, 902g ... Gear, 904 ... Gear train,
906 ... Power supply unit, 908 ... Crystal chip, 910 ... IC,
950 ... Projection device, 952 ... Projection unit, 954 ... Adjustment mechanism,
956 ... Lens cover

Claims (21)

A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
The piezoelectric motor according to claim 1, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. The piezoelectric motor according to claim 1,
The piezoelectric motor, wherein the through hole is provided at a position corresponding to a vibration node when the vibrating body vibrates in a bending direction. The piezoelectric motor according to claim 1 or 2,
The piezoelectric motor according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided to be inclined with respect to the bending direction of the vibrating body. A piezoelectric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first side or the second side provided with the through hole is formed by a plurality of members,
The piezoelectric motor, wherein the through hole is provided between the plurality of members. A piezoelectric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A piezoelectric motor, wherein a concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the through hole on a side of the connecting portion facing the vibrating body. A piezoelectric motor according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A piezoelectric motor, wherein a chamfered portion or a curved surface portion is provided at a corner portion at a location where the through hole of the first side portion or the second side portion opens. A robot hand that includes a plurality of fingers and grips an object,
A base body erected so that the finger portion is movable;
A piezoelectric motor that moves the finger relative to the substrate;
With
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A robot hand, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. The robot hand according to claim 7,
The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided at a position corresponding to a vibration node when the vibrating body vibrates in a bending direction. The robot hand according to claim 7 or 8, wherein
The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided to be inclined with respect to the bending direction of the vibrating body. A robot hand according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The first side or the second side provided with the through hole is formed by a plurality of members,
The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided between the plurality of members. A robot hand according to any one of claims 7 to 10,
A robot hand, wherein a concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the through hole on a side of the connecting portion facing the vibrating body. An arm provided with a rotatable joint, and
A hand portion provided on the arm portion;
A main body provided with the arm,
A robot equipped with
It has a piezoelectric motor that is provided in the joint part and that drives the joint part to bend or rotate,
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A robot having a through hole provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. The robot according to claim 12, wherein
The robot hand according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided at a position corresponding to a vibration node when the vibrating body vibrates in a bending direction. A robot according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein
The robot according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is provided to be inclined with respect to the bending direction of the vibrating body. A gripper for gripping electronic components;
A piezoelectric motor that drives the gripping part that grips the electronic component;
An electronic component transport device comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A through hole is provided in the first side part or the second side part. A gripper for gripping electronic components;
A piezoelectric motor that drives the gripping part that grips the electronic component;
An inspection unit for inspecting the electronic component;
An electronic component inspection apparatus comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
An electronic component inspection apparatus, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. A liquid tube through which the liquid can flow;
A blocking portion that contacts a part of the liquid tube and closes the liquid tube;
A moving unit that moves the closed position of the liquid tube by moving in a state of holding the closed unit;
A piezoelectric motor for driving the moving unit;
A liquid feed pump comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A liquid feed pump, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. A print head for printing an image on a medium;
A piezoelectric motor for moving the print head;
A printing apparatus comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A printing apparatus, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. A coaxial rotating gear is provided, and a rotatable disc,
A gear train including a plurality of gears;
A pointer connected to the gear train and indicating the time;
A piezoelectric motor for driving the rotating disk;
An electronic timepiece comprising:
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
An electronic timepiece having a through hole provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. A projection unit including an optical lens and projecting light from the light source;
An adjustment unit for adjusting a projection state of the light by the optical lens;
A projection apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric motor that drives the adjusting unit;
The piezoelectric motor is
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A projection device, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion. A transport device for transporting an object,
A vibrator that includes a piezoelectric material and vibrates in a stretching direction and a bending direction when a voltage is applied;
A vibrating body case that houses the vibrating body;
With
The vibrating body case is
A first side portion provided in the bending direction with respect to the vibrating body;
A second side provided on the opposite side of the first side with the vibrator interposed therebetween;
A connecting portion provided in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction and the expansion / contraction direction with respect to the vibrating body, and connecting the first side portion and the second side portion;
Have
A conveying device, wherein a through hole is provided in the first side portion or the second side portion.

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