US 11,757,381 B2
Lens barrel and imaging device with element and elastic body for producing vibration wave
Takatoshi Ashizawa, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/980,762.
Application 17/980,762 is a continuation of application No. 16/753,959, granted, now 11,522,473, previously published as PCT/JP2018/038629, filed on Oct. 17, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-202118 (JP), filed on Oct. 18, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0062176 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02N 2/12 (2006.01); H02N 2/16 (2006.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.01)
CPC H02N 2/12 (2013.01) [H02N 2/16 (2013.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.02)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lens barrel comprising:
an element configured to be displaced by application of voltage;
an elastic body having a contact surface coming into contact with the element, a drive surface to produce a vibration wave by displacement of the element, and a plurality of grooves;
a moving element configured to come into contact with the drive surface and rotate by the vibration wave;
an annular ring configured to rotate by rotating of the moving element; and
a lens configured to move in a direction of an optical axis by rotating of the annular ring;
wherein the element is made of a material having potassium sodium niobate, potassium niobate, sodium niobate, or barium titanate as a principal component,
wherein a value of [(T/B)÷W] is in a range of 0.84 to 1.94, where T represents a depth of the groove, B represents a distance from a bottom part of the groove to the contact surface, and W represents a radial width of the elastic body.