The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 14, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 01, 1998
Murata Manufacturing, Co., LTD, Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
A piezoelectric actuator is constructed to have a displacement value caused by bending to be added to a usual d,component displacement, thereby increasing the total amount of displacement of the actuator. The actuator includes an actuator body having a layered structure of piezoelectric layers and internal electrodes, and external electrodes disposed on an external surface of the actuator body at both ends thereof. One of the outermost piezoelectric layers is made piezoelectrically active as a result of making an extension portion of the first external electrode, through the one of the outermost piezoelectric layers, face the inner electrodes, to have a polarity which is different from that of the extension portion, while a second of outermost piezoelectric layers is made piezoelectrically inactive as a result of either making an extension portion of the second external electrode facing, through the second of the outermost piezoelectric layers, the inner electrodes, to have a polarity which is identical to that of the extension portion of the second external electrode or as a result of not forming an extension portion on the outer electrode.