Patent ID: 7834515
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: H02N

Abstract:
1. A drive apparatus for driving a movable part, said drive apparatus comprising: (a) an electromechanical transducer element which is configured to expand and contract upon application of a voltage to drive said movable part; (b) an intermittent outputting part which is configured to automatically, in a repeated output cycle, intermittently output a portion of a periodic signal, each of the repeated output cycles including an intermittent driving period during which time the periodic signal is output, and an off period during which time an output of the periodic signal is suspended, the signal output from the repeated output cycles comprising an intermittent signal; and (c) an intermittent driving part which is configured to apply a voltage to said electromechanical transducer element based on the intermittent signal output from said intermittent outputting part, wherein said intermittent outputting part is configured so as to be capable of adjusting a driving speed of said movable part, and wherein said intermittent outputting part is configured so that across an entire range of adjustment of a driving speed of said movable part, a frequency of an output cycle period of said intermittent signal is a frequency outside an audible frequency range across said entire range of adjustment.