Patent 8004151 was granted and assigned to Panasonic on August, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A drive unit includes an ultrasonic actuator having an actuator body generating vibration, and diver elements attached to the actuator body to output drive force by generating orbit motion in response to the vibration of the actuator body; and a movable body contacting the driver elements, and relatively moving with respect to the ultrasonic actuator. In a surface of the movable body, which contacts the driver elements, smoothed portions are interleaved with recessed portions which are recessed with respect to the smoothed portions.