PIEZOELECTRIC/ELECTROSTRICTIVE DEVICE

• US 20080054761A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Koji, Nanataki, Tsutomu, Kimura, Koji, Takeuchi, Yukihisa, Shibata, Kazuyoshi
• Application Number:
  US11/872,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20080054761A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/322
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/053 by integrally sintering piezoelectric or electrostrictive bodies and electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2042 Cantilevers, i.e. having one fixed end
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2043 connected at their free ends, e.g. parallelogram type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/501 having a non-rectangular cross-section in a plane parallel to the stacking direction, e.g. polygonal or trapezoidal in side view

Abstract

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided, including a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections and a fixation section for supporting the thin plate sections. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is arranged on each of the thin plate sections. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device also includes movable sections defined by at least first end portions of the thin plate sections and a material which is different from that of the thin plate section.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising:

a pair of mutually opposing thin plate sections, each of said pair of thin plate sections having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element arranged thereon; and

a fixation section for supporting said thin plate sections;

wherein a driving voltage having a first waveform is applied to said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element arranged on one of said pair of thin plate sections, and

wherein another driving voltage having a second waveform is applied to said piezoelectric/electrostrictive element arranged on the other of said pair of thin plate sections, said second waveform having a phase different from that of said first waveform by 180 degrees.