Patent ID: 6803699
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: H02N

Abstract:
A drive mechanism, comprising:an electromechanical transducer having a pair of ends in expanding and contracting direction; a drive member fixed to one of the ends of the electromechanical transducer; a driven member which contacts frictionally with the drive member under a predetermined frictional force exerted therebetween; and a drive circuit for applying a drive voltage to the electromechanical transducer, wherein the drive voltage repeats a cycle of a first voltage having a value which is one of a maximum value and a minimum value, a second voltage having a value which is a value intermediate between the maximum value and the minimum value, and a third voltage having a value which is the other of the maximum value and the minimum value, and wherein applying the drive voltage to the electromechanical transducer causes the electromechanical transducer to expand and to contract so as to move the driven member along the drive member relatively.