EP0600743A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Actuator having ceramic substrate and ink jet print head using the actuator
Assignee: NGK Insulators Ltd
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Filing: 1993-12-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-12-03
Abstract
Abstract An actuator including a ceramic substrate (84) and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive element (90) formed on the substrate is disclosed. The ceramic substrate includes a spacer plate (82) having at least one window (88) which provides at least one pressure chamber (56), each window being substantially closed by a closure plate (76) and a connecting plate (78). The spacer plate, closure plate and connecting plate are formed from respective ceramic green sheets which are fired into an integral ceramic structure. The connecting plate has at least one slit (80) which corresponds to each pressure chamber. Each piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is disposed on a portion of the closure plate defining the corresponding pressure chamber, so as to change a pressure of the corresponding pressure chamber. Also disposed is an ink jet print head using the actuator as described above.
Inventors
- 👤 Yukihisa C/O Ngk Insulators Ltd. Takeuchi
- 👤 Hideo C/O Ngk Insulators Ltd. Masumori
- 👤 Nobuo C/O Ngk Insulators Ltd. Takahashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 09:07
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/14; B41J2/14201; B41J2/14233; B41J2002/14387
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
250 words
An actuator comprising: a ceramic substrate (84) in which at least one pressure chamber (56) is formed, said ceramic substrate including a spacer plate (82) having at least one window (88) which provides said at least one pressure chamber, a closure plate (76) superposed on one of opposite major surfaces of said spacer plate, for closing one of opposite openings of each of said at least one window, and a connecting plate (78) superposed on the other major surface of said spacer plate, for substantially closing the other opening of said each window, said spacer plate, said closure plate and said connecting plate being formed from respective ceramic green sheets which are laminated on each other and fired into an integral ceramic structure as said ceramic substrate; and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive element (90) each disposed on a portion of said closure plate defining a corresponding one of said it least one pressure chamber, for deforming said portion so as to change a pressure of the corresponding pressure chamber, each of said at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive element comprising a pair of electrodes (92, 96) and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer (94), which are formed by a film-forming method on an outer surface of said closure plate of said ceramic substrate, such that said piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is interposed between said pair of electrodes, said actuator being characterized in that: said connecting plate of said ceramic substrate has at least one slit (80) which corresponds to each of said at least one pressure chamber.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
An actuator as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one slit consists of a slit which corresponds to each of said at least one pressure chamber.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
An actuator as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting plate further has at least one pair of first and second communication holes (86, 87) formed therethrough, each pair of which communicates with a corresponding one of said at least one pressure chamber, said slit connecting said each pair of first and second communication holes to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
An actuator as defined in claim 3, wherein said each pair of first and second communication holes are aligned with the corresponding pressure chamber, as viewed in a plane of the ceramic substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
An actuator as defined in claim 3, wherein said at least one pressure chamber consists of a plurality of pressure chambers which are arranged in two rows, said first communication hole corresponding to each of said pressure chambers being located between said two rows of the pressure chambers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 2-5, wherein said slit has a width which is one third that of a corresponding one of said at least one pressure chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 2-6, wherein said slit extends in a direction of the length of the corresponding pressure chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 1-7, wherein said ceramic substrate has additional slits which are formed in said closure plate and said spacer plate, such that an upper portion of each of said at least one pressure chamber is interposed between adjacent ones of said additional slits.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 1-8, wherein said closure plate of said ceramic substrate has a thickness of not larger than 50µm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 1-9, wherein said connecting plate has a thickness of not smaller than 10µm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 1-10, wherein said spacer plate has a thickness of not smaller than 50µm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
An actuator as defined in any one of claims 1-11, wherein said ceramic substrate is formed of alumina or zirconia.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
86 words
An ink jet print head comprising: an ink nozzle member (52) having a plurality of nozzles (64) through which fine particles of ink are jetted; and said actuator as defined in claim 1, which is disposed on and bonded to said ink nozzle member, such that said connecting plate is interposed between said spacer plate and said ink nozzle member, and in which said at least one pressure chamber consists of a plurality of pressure chambers formed behind the respective nozzles of said ink nozzle member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
An ink jet print head as defined in claim 13, wherein said connecting plate has a plurality of first communication holes located behind the respective nozzles of said ink nozzle member, for permitting fluid communication between the correspnding nozzles and pressure chambers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
An ink jet print head as defined in claim 13 or 14, wherein an outer surface of said connecting plate to which said ink nozzle member is bonded has the maximum waviness of not greater than 50µm as measured along a reference length of 8mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
112 words
An ink jet print head as defined in any one of claims 13-15, wherein said ink nozzle member consists of a nozzle plate having said plurality of nozzles, a channel plate having a window formed therethrough, and an orifice plate having a plurality of orifices, said connecting plate of said actuator being superposed on said orifice plate, said window being closed by said nozzle plate and said orifice plate so as to form an ink supply channel through which the ink flows into said pressure chambers via the respective orifices, said connecting plate further having a plurality of second communication holes for permitting fluid communication between the corresponding orifices and pressure chambers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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