US 12,348,102 B2
Vibration actuator and electronic device
Yuki Takahashi, Tokyo (JP); Chikara Sekiguchi, Tokyo (JP); Shigeyuki Shimomura, Tokyo (JP); Yoshihiro Kumanomido, Tokyo (JP); Daisuke Kodama, Tokyo (JP); Yuta Yoshii, Tokyo (JP); and Shigenori Inamoto, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Minebea Mitsumi Inc., Nagano (JP)
Appl. No. 17/802,227
Filed by Yuki Takahashi, Tokyo (JP); Chikara Sekiguchi, Tokyo (JP); Shigeyuki Shimomura, Tokyo (JP); Yoshihiro Kumanomido, Tokyo (JP); Daisuke Kodama, Tokyo (JP); Yuta Yoshii, Tokyo (JP); and Shigenori Inamoto, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Feb. 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/007584
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/172576, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-032246 (JP), filed on Feb. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0361662 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H02K 33/02 (2006.01); G08B 6/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02K 33/02 (2013.01) [G08B 6/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vibration actuator, comprising:
a fixing body including a coil;
a movable body including a magnet that is disposed inside the coil in a radial direction of the coil to be relatively movable in a vibration direction orthogonal to the radial direction of the coil; and
an elastic supporting part that supports the movable body such that the movable body is freely movable with respect to the fixing body, wherein
cooperation between the coil supplied with electricity and the magnet causes the movable body to vibrate with respect to the fixing body,
the elastic supporting part includes:
an outer circumferential portion fixed to the fixing body,
an inner circumferential portion disposed inside the outer circumferential portion in the radial direction and fixed to the movable body, and
a deformation arm portion disposed between the outer circumferential portion and the inner circumferential portion, the deformation arm portion being configured to couple together the outer circumferential portion and the inner circumferential portion, the deformation arm portion being elastically deformable in the vibration direction,
a damping part for damping a vibration of the elastic supporting part during movement of the movable body is disposed across the outer circumferential portion and an outermost portion of the deformation arm portion on the outer circumferential portion side, the outermost portion extending along the outer circumferential portion to form a curved gap extending in a curved shape between the outer circumferential portion and the outermost portion, such that the damping part bridges over a middle of the curved gap, and
a distance of the gap where the damping part is disposed is greater than twice a thickness dimension of the elastic supporting part and is less than or equal to six times the thickness dimension of the elastic supporting part.