Piezoelectric actuator with low stress electrodes

A piezoelectric actuator comprising:

• first and second piezoelectric stacks each including:
• piezoelectric laminae disposed stacked upon one another to form a stack having a stack axis extending from a stack bottom to a stack top in a z-direction of said stack, said stack having opposing front and back sides displaced apart in a y-direction, and opposing first and second lateral sides displaced apart in an x-direction;
• and
• electrode layers interposed between said piezoelectric laminae, said electrode layers including first potential electrodes and second potential electrodes disposed to provide electrical contact on opposing faces of said laminae for application of an electric field across a thickness of said piezoelectric laminae to effect extension and contraction of said stack substantially in a direction of said stack axis due to is piezoelectric activity of said stack;
• an interconnecting member interposed between and interconnecting said first and second piezoelectric stacks thereby providing a positive mechanical connection between said first lateral sides of said first and second piezoelectric stacks, said interconnecting member having front and back surfaces spaced apart in said y-direction;
• said first potential electrodes extending from said first lateral sides laterally in the x-direction into said interconnecting member a minimum distance at a first position along the y-direction and a maximum distance at a second position along the y-direction;
• said second potential electrodes extending laterally in the x-direction into said interconnecting member a minimum distance at a third position along the y-direction and a maximum distance at a fourth position along the y-direction, said fourth position being displaced in the y-direction from said second position thereby reducing overlap of said first potential electrodes and said second potential electrodes in said interconnecting member and reducing a resultant piezoelectric activity in said interconnecting member relative to said piezoelectric activity of said stacks;
• a first electrical interconnector interconnecting said first potential electrodes;
• and
• a second electrical interconnector interconnecting said second potential electrodes.