Piezoelectric actuator

US7259504B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Willibald Schurz · Pielenhofen, DE
• Martin Simmet · Bad Abbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 13, 2003
• Grant date: Aug 21, 2007
• Expiry date: Jan 18, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10N30/503

Abstract

The invention relates to a piezoelectric actuator (1) comprising a stack of a plurality of individual piezoelectric actuator elements (2, 2′, 2″) which are arranged between inner electrodes (3, 3′, 3″). Said piezoelectric actuator comprises a first metallisation strip (4) and a second metallisation strip (5), the inner electrodes (3, 3′, 3″) being respectively connected to the first or second metallisation strips (4, 5) in an alternating manner. A first outer electrode (6) and a second outer electrode (7) are fixed to the first or the second metallisation strips (4, 5) in order to electrically contact the piezoelectric actuator (1). Said outer electrodes (6, 7) respectively comprise a connection element (8, 9) for externally contacting the piezoelectric actuator (1), and at least one region which is embodied in such a way that it compensates length variations of the piezoelectric actuator (1) in the main oscillation direction (10) as a result of its design and arrangement. The elastic deformation exclusively extends inside a plane which is parallel to the main oscillation direction (10).