Displacement Connectors of High Bending Stiffness and Piezoelectric Actuators Made of Such

A small footprint high bending stiffness connector for use with a plurality of piezoelectric active elements to form a multi-level axial displacement piezoelectric actuator of large overall axial displacement and blocking force, said connector comprising:

• a substantially solid cylindrical component having a first base, and a second base in an opposed, substantially parallel relationship to said first base;
• a set of multiple connector recesses equally spaced and arranged circumferentially extending substantially through the connector from said first base, perpendicular to said first base;
• and
• a set of multiple connector recesses equally spaced and arranged circumferentially extending substantially through the connector from said second base, perpendicular to said second base, which intersperse with the set of recess housings extending from the first base at approximately equal angular separation along the circumference of the connector;
• wherein each connector recess can house a piezoelectric active element;
• wherein the cross-section of each connector recess is substantially equal to that of the piezoelectric active element that it houses;
• wherein the base of each connector recess is firmly connected to the connector body to avoid cantilever loading during use;
• wherein the depth of each connector recess is preferably slightly shorter than the length of the piezoelectric active element that it houses;
• and
• wherein the piezoelectric active elements housed in both sets of connector recesses operate in unison to produce an overall axial displacement approximately twice (2×) that of respective piezoelectric active elements and of blocking force comparable to or larger than that of respective piezoelectric active elements.