EP0257929A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Piezoelectric switch
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1987-08-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-08-14
Abstract
Abstract A switch is provided wherein a piezoelectric bimorph element (22) is used to provide many separately controllable, closely spaced switchable contacts. The element includes at least two oppositely extending fingers (22a) connected by a common spine (22b). The element spine is mounted to a case (24) with the fingers spaced from an inner case surface (24a, 24b). Electronic circuit means (50) are mounted on the element spine for applying a separate electrical potential to each of the element fingers. A separate movable electrical contact (42) is disposed on each of the element fingers spaced from the spine and insulated from the means (32, 34) for applying the separate electrical potentials to the fingers. A separate stationary contact (44) is provided on an inner case surface opposite each of the movable contacts. In operation, a separate electrical potential is applied to each of the element fingers for selectively causing each finger to deflect and force its movable contact (42) into electrical connection with the opposing stationary contact (44).
Inventors
- 👤 John Davis Harnden, Jr.
- 👤 William Paul Kornrumpf
- 👤 James Elwood Kohl
- 👤 Michael Stuart Adler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 12:51
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H57/00; H10; H10N; H10N30/00; H10N30/20; H10N30/204; H10N30/2041; H10N30/2042
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A piezoelectric switch comprising; a case including a first inner surface; a piezoelectric bimorph element including a least two generally coplanar and oppositely extending fingers connected by a common spine; means for mounting said element spine to said case with said fingers spaced from said first inner case surface; means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers for separately controlling their deflection in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said fingers; at least one separate movable electrical contact disposed on each of said element fingers spaced from said spine and insulated from said electrical potential applying means; and at least one separate stationary contact disposed on said inner case surface generally opposite each of said movable contacts; whereby each of said fingers can be separately controlled by the application of an appropriate electrical potential to cause it to deflect and force its movable contact into electrical connection with the opposing stationary contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
A piezoelectric switch comprising; a case including a first inner surface; a piezoelectric bimorph element including a least two generally coplanar and oppositely extending fingers connected by a common spine; means for mounting said element spine to said case with said fingers spaced from said first inner case surface; means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers for separately controlling their deflection in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said fingers; at least one separate movable electrical contact disposed on each of said element fingers spaced from said spine and insulated from said electrical potential applying means; and at least one separate stationary contact disposed on said inner case surface generally opposite each of said movable contacts; whereby each of said fingers can be separately controlled by the application of an appropriate electrical potential to cause it to deflect and force its movable contact into electrical connection with the opposing stationary contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
119 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 1 wherein; said case further includes a second inner surface generally opposing said first inner case surface; said piezoelectric bimorph element is disposed intermediate said first and second inner case surfaces with said element fingers substantially parallel to each of said first and second inner case surfaces; and at least one separate stationary contact is disposed on said second inner case surface generally opposite each of said movable contacts; whereby each of said fingers can be separately controlled by the application of an appropriate electrical potential to cause it to deflect and force its movable contact into electrical connection with either of the opposing stationary contacts on said first or second inner case surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers includes a separate layer of metallization disposed on the top and bottom surfaces of each of said fingers and at least one continuous layer of metallization disposed between the piezoelectric bimorph element layers comprising each of said fingers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
213 words
A piezoelectric switch comprising: a case including generally opposing first and second inner surfaces; a piezoelectric bimorph element including at least two oppositely extending fingers connected by an intermediately disposed spine, said element fingers being generally coplanar and of equal length, each of said element fingers including a first and second surface; means for mounting said element spine to said case with said first and second surfaces of said element fingers generally parallel to and spaced from said first and second inner surfaces of said case, respectively; means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers for separately controlling their deflection in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said element fingers; at least one separate movable electrical contact disposed proximate the end of each of said fingers opposite said spine and insulated from said electrical potential applying means; and at least one separate stationary contact disposed on each of said first and second inner case surfaces opposite each of said movable contacts; whereby each of said fingers can be separately controlled by the application of an appropriate electrical potential to cause it to deflect and force its movable contact into electrical connection with either of the opposing stationary contacts on said first or second inner case surfaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
213 words
A piezoelectric switch comprising: a case including generally opposing first and second inner surfaces; a piezoelectric bimorph element including at least two oppositely extending fingers connected by an intermediately disposed spine, said element fingers being generally coplanar and of equal length, each of said element fingers including a first and second surface; means for mounting said element spine to said case with said first and second surfaces of said element fingers generally parallel to and spaced from said first and second inner surfaces of said case, respectively; means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers for separately controlling their deflection in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said element fingers; at least one separate movable electrical contact disposed proximate the end of each of said fingers opposite said spine and insulated from said electrical potential applying means; and at least one separate stationary contact disposed on each of said first and second inner case surfaces opposite each of said movable contacts; whereby each of said fingers can be separately controlled by the application of an appropriate electrical potential to cause it to deflect and force its movable contact into electrical connection with either of the opposing stationary contacts on said first or second inner case surfaces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
87 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 4 wherein said means for applying a separate electrical potential to said element fingers includes a separate layer of metallization disposed on the first and second surfaces of each of said fingers and at least one continuous layer of metallization disposed between the piezoelectric bimorph element layers comprising each of said fingers, each of said layers of metallization on said element finger surfaces originating proximate said element spine and extending for at least a portion of the length of said element finger.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: each of said movable contacts includes a stud extending through its respective element finger and insulated from said layers of metallization; and a separate flexible conductor is connected to each of said studs for making electrical connection thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
63 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: each of said movable contacts includes a resilient metal clip disposed on the top of an element finger and spaced from said layers of metallization; and at least one flexible printed circuit board is disposed in said case which includes a separate electrical conductor for making electrical contact with each of said clips.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: each of said movable contacts includes a stud extending through its respective element finger and spaced from said layers of metallization; and a separate electrical conductor is plated on each of said fingers spaced from said layers of metallization and disposed in electrical contact with said stud for making electrical connection to said movable contacts.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
102 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: each of said layers of metallization extends to the tip of each of said element fingers; each of said movable contacts includes a pair of contact pads disposed on the first and second surfaces of an element finger, respectively; each of said contact pads is insulated from said layers of metallization by a layer of insulating material, said pair of contact pads being interconnected by an electrical conductor spaced from said layers of metallization; and a flexible metal conductor is connected to each of said movable contacts for making electrical contact therewith.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: each of said movable contacts includes a pair of separate studs extending through an element finger; and a separate pair of stationary contacts is disposed on each of said first and second inner case surfaces opposite each of said pairs of studs.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
63 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 3 or Claim 5 wherein: a separate pair of stationary contacts is disposed on said first and second inner case surfaces opposite each of said movable contacts; and each of said movable contacts is shaped to bridge the opposing pair of stationary contacts when an element finger is deflected to force said movable contact into electrical contact therewith.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The piezoelectric switch of any of Claims 3 and 5 to 11 wherein said means for applying a separate electrical potential to said element fingers further includes electronic circuit means mounted on said element spine for controlling the electrical potential applied to each of said layers of metallization.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
The piezoelectric switch of any preceding claim wherein said means for mounting said piezoelectric bimorph element to said case includes: an anchor mounted to said first inner case surface; and means for fastening said spine to said anchor such that said spine provides support for the deflecting motion of said fingers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
The piezoelectric switch of Claim 13 as dependant on Claim 12 wherein said means for applying a separate electrical potential to each of said element fingers further includes electrical conductors disposed between said piezoelectric bimorph element and said anchor for making electrical connections between said electronic circuit means and said layers of metallization on said element fingers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
A piezoelectric element comprising: at least two generally coplanar oppositely extending fingers connected by an intermediately disposed spine; and at least one separate layer of metallization disposed on each of said fingers for separately poling said fingers.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A piezoelectric element comprising: at least two generally coplanar oppositely extending fingers connected by an intermediately disposed spine; and at least one separate layer of metallization disposed on each of said fingers for separately poling said fingers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
The piezoelectric element of Claim 15 wherein said piezoelectric element comprises a bimorph piezoelectric element including: two separate layers of piezoelectric ceramic material sandwiching an intermediately disposed layer of metallization; and a separate layer of metallization on the top and bottom surfaces of each of said fingers.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The piezoelectric element of claim 16 wherein the surfaces of said spine are free of metal for preventing poling of said spine.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The piezoelectric element of Claim 16 wherein a pad of adhesive metallization is disposed on said spine and spaced from said layers of metallization for mounting electronic circuit elements on said spine.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
The piezoelectric element of any of Claims 16 to 18 wherein said intermediately disposed layer of metallization comprises two electrically connected layers of metallization sandwiching an intermediately disposed layer of spring material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The piezoelectric switch of any of claims 1 to 14 or the piezoelectric element of any of Claims 15 to 19 including a plurality of pairs of said oppositely extending fingers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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