Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device and method of producing the same

• US 6,798,119 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Koji, Shibata, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAN MARTIN, JAYDI A
• Application Number:
  US10/046,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 310/328
• US Class Current: 310/328
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5552 using fine positioning means for track acquisition separate from the coarse (e.g. track changing) positioning means
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/03 Assembling devices that include piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2043 connected at their free ends, e.g. parallelogram type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49151 by deforming or shaping

Abstract

A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device that includes a base having a pair of right and left movable parts and a fixing part disposed at one end thereof, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements disposed on the sides of the movable parts of the base. Accordingly, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is fabricated to have a construction with fewer components. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having a construction with fewer components is provided by adopting a base having an integral structure formed by bending an original plate stamped into a shape that delineates a plane development of the base.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising a base having a pair of right and left movable parts and a fixing part that connects the two movable parts with each other at one end thereof, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element disposed on at least one side of said two movable parts of the base, wherein said base is constructed with one sheet of a flat plate, said fixing part has a flat plate shape, and said movable parts are erect by a predetermined height from side peripheries of said fixing part to face each other and extend beyond the other end of said fixing part along the side peripheries of said fixing part.

2. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein a slit-shaped groove extending from the other end of said fixing part intervenes between a base part of the movable parts constituting said base and the side peripheries of said fixing part.

9. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein a connecting portion between a base part of said movable parts and the side peripheries of said fixing part constituting said base has a circular arc shape.

11. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein a central portion, as viewed in a length direction, of said movable parts constituting said base is formed to have a smaller thickness than other portions of said movable parts.

12. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein said movable parts constituting said base have a reinforcing part located at an end thereof on said fixing part side and bent from an upper edge of said end to extend towards and abut against a surface of said fixing part.

13. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein said movable parts constituting said base have a reinforcing part located at an end thereof on said fixing part side and bent from a front edge of said end to extend towards an inner side and abut against a surface of said fixing part.

14. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member intervenes between said movable parts on said fixing part constituting said base.

15. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein said fixing part constituting said base extends from the one end side of said movable parts and is enlarged as compared with a case of being located within said movable parts.

17. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 1, wherein said base is constructed with a flat plate made of metal.

3. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising a base having a pair of right and left movable parts, a fixing part that connects the two movable parts with each other at one end thereof, and a mounting part that is separate from said fixing part and connects the two movable parts with each other at the other end thereof, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element disposed on at least one side of said two movable parts of the base, wherein said base is constructed with one sheet of a flat plate, said fixing part and said mounting part have a flat plate shape, and said movable parts are erect by a predetermined height from side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part to face each other and extend along the side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part.

4. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein a laterally extending slit-shaped groove intervenes between the other end of said fixing part and the one end of said mounting part constituting said base, and a longitudinally extending slit-shaped groove intervenes between a base part of said movable parts and the side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part.

5. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein a laterally and longitudinally extending rectangular opening intervenes between the other end of said fixing part and the one end of said mounting part constituting said base.

10. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein a connecting portion between a base part of said movable parts and the side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part constituting said base has a circular arc shape.

16. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 3, wherein said mounting part constituting said base extends from the other end side of said movable parts and is enlarged as compared with a case of being located within said movable parts.

6. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device comprising a base having a pair of right and left movable parts, a fixing part that connects the two movable parts with each other at one end thereof, a mounting part that is separate from said fixing part and connects the two movable parts with each other at the other end thereof, and a connecting part that is integral with said mounting part and surrounds said mounting part, said movable parts, and said fixing part, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element disposed on at least one side of said two movable parts of the base, wherein said base is constructed with one sheet of a flat plate, said fixing part and said mounting part have a flat plate shape, said movable parts are erect by a predetermined height from side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part to face each other and extend along the side peripheries of said fixing part and said mounting part, and said movable parts, said fixing part, and said mounting part are positioned within a central space of said connecting part.

7. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 6, wherein said central space of said connecting part on a side of the one end of said fixing part is closed.

8. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device according to claim 6, wherein said central space of said connecting part on a side of the one end of said fixing part is open.