Resonant-Type Smooth Impact Drive Mechanism Actuator with Two Langevin Transducers

A smooth impact drive mechanism (SIDM) is a unique piezoelectric actuator that is widely used as a camera focusing mechanism, cell phone lens movement mechanism, etc. This principle enables a compact driving mechanism; however, it cannot generate high-speed movement because a soft-type multilayered piezoelectric transducer (PZT) is utilized at off-resonant movement. This paper proposes a resonant-type SIDM actuator driven with hard-type PZTs to realize high-speed and powerful operation. The fundamental principle is also based on the conventional SIDM; therefore, a saw-shaped movement is required. To generate a high-power ultrasonic output, two Langevin transducers are adopted instead of a soft-type multilayered PZT. One Langevin transducer was a stator and the other was slider whose tip was adhered to a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) rod. The CFRP rod was connected to the stator transducer with the frictional force. To obtain quasi-saw-shaped vibration, the longitudinal vibration for each Langevin transducer was excited and these movements were added at the connection point at the CFRP rod. In order to combine these vibration modes, the lengths of the stator and slider Langevin transducers were designed to make the resonant frequencies ratio to be 1:2. By using the proposed principle, the slider Langevin transducer was successfully driven with the speed of 0.11 m/s and the output force was 1.8 N with no load. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden and The Robotics Society of Japan, 2012