Electronic device

• US 9,117,994 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Yusuke, Okumura, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US14/040,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 310/359, 310/366
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/50 having a stacked or multilayer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/872 Interconnections, e.g. connection electrodes of multilayer piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices

Abstract

Provided is an electronic device including: a base; a panel; a support for supporting the panel with respect to the base; and a vibrator for causing the panel to vibrate at a given frequency. The support includes a first region located at a part corresponding to a node of vibration of the panel, and a second region located at a part other than the node of the vibration of the panel. The support has a rigidity that is smaller in the first region than in the second region.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric element, comprising:

a piezoelectric body having a mounting surface and at least one other surface;

a plurality of first internal electrodes and a plurality of second internal electrodes alternately arranged at given intervals inside the piezoelectric body;

a first terminal electrically connected to the plurality of first internal electrodes and formed on the at least one other surface of the piezoelectric body;

a second terminal electrically connected to the plurality of second internal electrodes and formed on the at least one other surface;

a reference electrode formed on the mounting surface of the piezoelectric body; and

a third terminal electrically connected to the reference electrode and formed on the at least one other surface;

wherein the reference electrode is maintained at a predefined DC potential.

2. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1,

wherein a part of the piezoelectric body, in which the plurality of first internal electrodes and the plurality of second internal electrodes are arranged, is divided into a plurality of layers by the plurality of first internal electrodes and the plurality of second internal electrodes, and

wherein, of the plurality of layers, a layer located on an outermost side has a thickness larger than a thickness of a layer located inside.

3. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein the reference electrode is formed on substantially the entire mounting surface of the piezoelectric body.

4. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal is formed on a surface located at an opposite side to the mounting surface in the piezoelectric body.

5. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, wherein the third terminal is located between the first terminal and the second terminal.

6. The piezoelectric element according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator layer on an outer side of the reference electrode formed on the mounting surface of the piezoelectric body.

7. An electronic device, comprising the piezoelectric element according to claim 1.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the third terminal is connected to a ground of the electronic device.