Patent ID: 6674217
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: H02N

Abstract:
A vibration member comprising:an elastic member including a driving portion having a plurality of protrusions; and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element in contact with said elastic member, said electro-mechanical energy conversion element having a plurality of electrodes, a corresponding plurality of polarized regions formed by a polarization process of said electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and a modulus of elasticity profile generated by the polarization process, where application of an alternating signal to said electro-mechanical energy conversion element generates a plurality of vibrations in said elastic member, and where a combination of the plurality of vibrations generates a driving vibration in said driving portion, wherein a rigidity of portions of said elastic member which are located between adjacent protrusions and which also are located between adjacent electrodes is larger than a rigidity of other portions of said elastic member which are located between adjacent protrusions but which are not also located between adjacent electrodes.