Patent ID: 7687974
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: H02N

Abstract:
1. A vibration type driving apparatus comprising: a vibrating member configured to simultaneously generate a plurality of standing wave vibrations to cause an elliptic motion at locations on a surface of the vibrating member corresponding to a plurality of nodes of the standing wave vibrations; a plurality of driving units formed on the surface and located at the plurality of nodes to perform the elliptic motion; and a moving member configured to contact the plurality of driving units and to be moved by the elliptic motion, wherein the plurality of driving units protrudes from the surface of the vibrating member, and includes a first driving unit and a second driving unit that are formed to sandwich the moving member in a perpendicular direction to the surface, wherein the first driving unit and the second driving unit are formed at locations of the nodes that are separated by odd-number times a half-wave length of one standing wave vibration among the plurality of standing wave vibrations, and at locations where the directions of the elliptic motions are opposite to each other, wherein the first driving unit includes a protruding member that protrudes from the surface of the vibrating member, and is formed to contact the moving member at a surface side thereof, and wherein the second driving unit protrudes from the surface of the vibrating member, and is formed to contact the moving member at a side opposite that contacted by the protruding member.