Caterpillar Inc.

Manfred Greuel

Morris A Swanson

A piezoelectric actuator is provided. The actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric discs having first and second faces. The discs are axially aligned and arranged such that the first face of one disc is adjacent to the first face of a preceding disc in the actuator, and the second face of the one disc is adjacent to the second face of a succeeding disc. Also included is a first single-piece conductor having multiple electrodes, a first reference line passing through the center of each electrode and longitudinally through the first conductor, and a plurality of connecting portions adapted to interconnect each electrode. The connecting portions are offset from the first reference line, and the first conductor is folded at the connecting portions and interposed between the piezoelectric discs such that successive electrodes interleave and contact the first faces of the discs. The actuator further includes a second single-piece conductor having multiple electrodes. The second conductor is folded and interposed between the piezoelectric discs such that successive electrodes interleave and contact the second faces of each of the discs throughout the actuator.

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Cologne, Germany

Manfred Greuel