Piezoelectric printer and piezoelectric multilam actuator used therein

A piezoelectric printer comprising:

• a frame;
• a plurality of printer units mounted on said frame, each unit including:
• a piezoelectric multilam including at least two piezoelectric members and having a mounting portion and an actuating portion;
• said actuating portion being movable in an actuating direction and a cocking direction;
• said multilam being tapered in its lateral dimension, being larger at the mounting portion and smaller at the actuating portion;
• a weight carried by said multilam for increasing the energy transfer of said bilam;
• a printing element driven by said actuating portion;
• and
• means for applying a cocking voltage and an actuating voltage to said members which voltages are less than the rupture voltage in the poling direction and less than the depoling voltage in the depoling direction for cocking and actuating said multilam to drive said printing element in the printing direction.

A piezoelectric printer unit comprising:

• a piezoelectric multilam including at least two piezoelectric members and having a mounting portion and an actuating portion;
• said actuating portion being movable in an actuating direction and a cocking direction;
• said multilam being tapered in its lateral dimension, being larger at the mounting portion and smaller at the actuating portion;
• a weight carried by said multilam for increasing the energy transfer of said multilam;
• a printing element driven by said actuating portion;
• and
• means for applying a cocking voltage and an actuating voltage to said members which voltages are less than the rupture voltage in the poling direction and less than the depoling voltage in the depoling direction for cocking and actuating said multilam to drive said printing element in the printing direction to the printing position.