EDDY CURRENT DAMPER

An eddy current damper (1) includes a screw shaft (7), a plurality of first permanent magnets (3), a plurality of second permanent magnets (4), a cylindrical magnet holding member (2), a cylindrical conductive member (5) having a conductivity, and a ball nut (6) meshing with a screw shaft (7). The screw shaft (7) is movable in the axial direction. The first permanent magnets (3) are arrayed along the circumferential direction around the screw shaft (7). The second permanent magnet (4) is arranged between the first permanent magnets (3) leaving gaps with the first permanent magnets (3), wherein the arrangement of magnet poles is inverted between the second permanent magnet (4) and the first permanent magnet (3). The magnet holding member (2) holds the first permanent magnet (3) and the second permanent magnet (4). The conductive member (5) is opposed to the first permanent magnets (3) and the second permanent magnets (4) with a gap therebetween. The ball nut (6) is disposed inside the magnet holding member (2) and the conductive member (5), and is fixed to the magnet holding member (2) or the conductive member (5).