Piezoelectric motor with actuator to move the rotor about two orthogonal axes

摘要

A piezoelectric motor has an actuator which drives a slider. The actuator has a rectangular steel core of square cross-section with an axially projection driving tip. A ceramic piezoelectric element is bonded to each of the four faces of the core. Each piezoelectric element has four quadrants covered by quadrant electrodes on one side and a common or earth electrode on the other side contacting the core which electrically joins the common electrodes. By selective excitation of corresponding diagonally opposite quadrants of opposite piezoelectric elements, the actuator is made to drive the tip in either the X direction or the Y direction. The preferred slider is a spherical ball held captive within arms extending from a housing of the actuator. The driving tip is pressed against the ball by a preload spring acting on the actuator.