Print head for piezoelectric ink jet printer, piezoelectric actuator therefor, and process for producing piezoelectric actuator

A piezoelectric ink jet printer print head comprising:

• a cavity plate having a plurality of nozzles and pressure chambers each communicating with one of the nozzles;
• a piezoelectric actuator in the form of a plate which is placed on the cavity plate and includes a piezoelectric sheet having a first face and a second face opposed to the first face and a side face connecting the first and second faces;
• drive electrodes lying on the second face of the piezoelectric sheet and each exposed in one of the recesses, the drive electrodes being each aligned with one of the pressure chambers;
• side electrodes each formed in one of the recesses and each connected to the drive electrode exposed in the associated recess;
• and
• a common electrode lying on the first face of the piezoelectric sheet over the drive electrodes.

A piezoelectric actuator in the form of a plate for a piezoelectric ink jet printer print head including a cavity plate on which the actuator is placed, the cavity plate having a plurality of nozzles and pressure chambers each communicating with one of the nozzles, the actuator comprising:

• a piezoelectric sheet having a first face and a second face opposed to the first face and a side face connecting the first and second faces, the side face having recesses formed thereon;
• drive electrodes lying on the second face of the piezoelectric sheet and each exposed in one of the recesses, the drive electrodes being each aligned with one of the pressure chambers;
• side electrodes each formed in one of the recesses and each connected to the drive electrode exposed in the associated recess;
• and
• a common electrode lying on the first face of the piezoelectric sheet over the drive electrodes.