Piezoelectric actuator of ink jet printer head
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsJun Isono, Atsuhiro Takagi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Odd-numbered piezoelectric sheets 22, 21b, 21d, and 21f are formed with a plurality of individual electrodes 24. Even-numbered piezoelectric sheets 21a, 21c, 21e, and 21g are formed with a common electrode 25. These odd-numbered and even-numbered piezoelectric sheets are alternatively arranged one on the other to form a laminated body. A top sheet 23 is mounted on the laminated body. Surface electrodes 30, 31 are formed on the top sheet 23. Through holes 32, 33 are opened to the piezoelectric sheets 21a through 21g for providing electrical connection of the individual electrodes 24 and the common electrodes 25, but not to the piezoelectric sheet 22 that is laminated on a cavity plate 10.
Claims12
An ink jet print head comprising:
- a cavity plate formed with a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pressure chambers each corresponding to one of the plurality of nozzles;
- and
- a piezoelectric actuator including:
- a plurality of first piezoelectric sheets extending in the first direction;
- a plurality of second piezoelectric sheets extending in the first direction, wherein the first piezoelectric sheets and the second piezoelectric sheets are arranged one on the other in alternation in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to form a laminated structure, one of the first and second piezoelectric sheets at an end of the laminated structure lying on the cavity plate, and first through holes are formed in each of the plurality of first and second piezoelectric sheets in the second direction, except the one of the first and second piezoelectric sheets lying on the cavity plate;
- and
- the piezoelectric actuator is formed with a plurality of individual electrodes each corresponding to one of the plurality of pressure chambers and formed on the surface of the first piezoelectric sheets at positions corresponding to the first through holes, and a plurality of common electrodes common to the plurality of pressure chambers and formed on the surface of the second piezoelectric sheets,
- the first through holes being filled with conductive material, thereby electrically connecting corresponding ones of the plurality of individual electrodes in the second direction.
A piezoelectric actuator used in a recording head including a cavity plate formed with a plurality of nozzles aligned in a first direction, and a plurality of channels each corresponding to one of the plurality of nozzles, the piezoelectric actuator comprising:
- a plurality of first piezoelectric sheets having a surface;
- a plurality of second piezoelectric sheets having a surface, wherein the plurality of first piezoelectric sheets and the plurality of second piezoelectric sheets are arranged one on the other in alternation in a thickness direction perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a plurality of first electrode patterns each formed on the surface of one of the plurality of first piezoelectric sheets, and each formed with a gap having a width in a second direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the thickness direction, wherein gaps of ones of the first electrode patterns are positioned shifted in the second direction from the gaps of another ones of the first electrode patterns, and the gaps extend in the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.