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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8102098 | Piezoelectric-driven MEMS element A piezoelectric-driven MEMS element includes a substrate, a beam, a fixed portion, a fixed electrode portion and a power source. The beam is provided with a lower electrode film, a lower piezoelectric film, a middle electrode film, an upper piezoelectric film and an... | 01/24/2012 |
| 7999443 | Electromechanical actuators and manufacturing method thereof An electromechanical actuator comprises a bimorph element (10) of an electromechanical material. The bimorph element (10) is controllably bendable in a first direction (15) by application of three voltage potentials to electrodes (41, 42, 43 | 08/16/2011 |
| 7948152 | Cladding comprising an integrated polymer actuator for the deformation of said cladding A cladding (22) for a wall (12) includes a barrier layer (24) that can be deformed by the action of a polymer actuator (14). According to the invention, a contact surface (A) of the cladding lies completely against the wall, at least in t... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7919905 | Magnetic head actuator having conductive fastening member electrically connecting upper and lower piezoelectric elements An actuator includes a piezoelectric bimorph including a pair of piezoelectric elements and an intermediate electrode provided between the piezoelectric elements, a conductive fastening member for fastening fixed ends of the piezoelectric elements to a base having a... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7719169 | Micro-electromechanical device A micro-electromechanical device includes a first piezoelectric actuator and a second piezoelectric actuator. The first piezoelectric actuator includes a first beam fixed on a substrate and a second beam extended in parallel to the first beam from a first connecting... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7471032 | Shock resistant and mode mixing resistant torsional hinged device A shock resistant and mode mixing resistant assembly for oscillating a device such as a MEMS mirror around a pivot axis by means of two pairs of piezoelectric elements or towers is provided. The resistance to mechanical shock and mode mixing is accomplished by mount... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7446458 | Piezoelectric ceramic element and portable device Piezo-electric ceramic transducer 1 has upper piezo-electric active layer 5 and lower piezo-electric active layer 6. Upper insulating layer 2 and lower insulating layer 3, between which upper piezo-electric active layer 5 an... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7439657 | Broadband energy harvester apparatus and method A broadband vibration energy harvesting apparatus and method. In one embodiment, a straight piezoelectric beam and a straight biasing beam are disposed parallel to one another and axially compressed by a support structure such that both of the beams are slightly bow... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7427819 | Film-bulk acoustic wave resonator with motion plate and method An apparatus and method for measuring a target environmental variable (TEV) that employs a film-bulk acoustic resonator with motion plate. The film-bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) includes an acoustic reflector formed in an FBAR wafer and a surface. A first electrode... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7425790 | Piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition, piezoelectric/electrostrictive device, and method of piezoelectric/electrostrictive device There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition capable of manufacturing, at a comparatively low sintering temperature, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which is dense and superior in crystallinity and which has satisfactory piezoelect... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7420320 | Piezoelectric thin film device and method for manufacturing the same A piezoelectric thin film device includes an amorphous metal film disposed on a substrate and a piezoelectric film disposed on the amorphous metal. One of crystal axis of the piezoelectric film is aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the amorphous me... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420321 | Heat efficient micromotor An electromechanical actuator comprises at least two actuating portions of electromechanically active material extending by a generally elongated shape from a back portion. The actuating portions are bimorphs, attached by a first end to a first side of the back port... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7414351 | Energy harvesting device manufactured by print forming processes Embodiments of making an energy harvesting device are described. In one embodiment, a case and integrated piezoelectric cantilever to harvest vibration energy from an environment being sensed is produced via a print forming method injection molding method. The canti... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7402936 | Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device is provided with a stationary portion, a thin-plate portion supported by the stationary portion, and piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed by alternately laminating a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of piezoele... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7394181 | Hybrid eletromechanical actuator and actuation system A hybrid electromechanical actuator has two different types of electromechanical elements, one that expands in a transverse direction when electric power is applied thereto and one that contracts in a transverse direction when electric power is applied thereto. The ... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7368860 | High performance piezoelectric actuator A high performance piezoelectric actuator. The actuator includes a piezoelectric material exhibiting a selectively tapered width sufficient to enhance actuator fracture load capabilities. A passive material is disposed on or integrated with the piezoelectric materia... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7358646 | Piezoelectric actuator The present invention provides a piezoelectric actuator with excellent durability. In the present invention, a piezoelectric element 2 in which a plurality of piezoelectric layers that expand in accordance with an applied voltage, and internal electrode layer... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7358647 | Piezoelectric/electrostrictive device A piezoelectric/electrostrictive including a pair of mutually opposing vibration plates, each having a first portion and a second portion, a fixation section joined to the first portion of each of the vibration plates, and at least one piezoelectric/electrostrictive... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7355325 | Wide frequency range electromechanical actuator An electromechanical motor (1), using at least two bimorph, monomorph or multimorph electromechanical actuating elements (6) interconnected by a common actuator backbone (5) is disclosed. The actuating elements (6) are controllable in bot... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7343655 | Manufacturing methods of micro electromechanical switch A method of fabricating a micro electromechanical switch on a substrate comprising piezoelectric layers, metal electrodes alternated with the layers and contact pads. Cross voltages are applied to the electrodes, in order to obtain an S-shaped deformation of the swi... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7336022 | Piezoelectrical bending converter Piezoelectrical bending converter with at least one monolithic layered composite, includes a piezoelectric-active ceramic layer with a lateral dimension change which may be generated by application of an electrical field and at least one further piezoelectric-active... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7333724 | Camera and piezo ceramic motor therefor A camera has an axially moveable cylinder retaining a lens and a piezo ceramic motor for axially moving the cylinder. The motor has a piezo ceramic drive member that incrementally advances the cylinder in response to the application of an electric potential and a pi... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7321184 | Rake shaped fan In some embodiments, a piezoelectric actuator is coupled to a blade having a rake shape. The blade may include a base with two or more prongs extending therefrom. At least a portion of one or more prongs may be positioned between the fins of a heat sink. Other embod... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7321185 | Active multistable twisting device Two similarly shaped, such as rectangular, shells are attached to one another such that they form a resulting thin airfoil-like structure. The resulting device has at least two stable equilibrium shapes. The device can be transformed from one shape to another with a... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7313854 | Method of manufacturing a tactile sensor A method of manufacturing a tactile sensor, which is capable of implementing a wide range of senses, including sensing contact pressure (vertical force and horizontal force) with an external object and heat caused by the contact pressure, comprises forming a side bl... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7309946 | Motion actuator A motion actuator comprises a cylindrical movable shaft and a stage that contains an expansible/contractible device and two clamps. The expansible/contractible device can be controlled to drive the axial motion of the movable shaft, and the two clamps can be control... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7298564 | Digital camera system with piezoelectric actuators A digital camera is constructed with multiple lenses mounted in a pair of tubular elements which are nested together for relative axial movement. Movement is provided by piezoelectric actuators mounted externally to a support tube on flexible printed circuit board e... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7288931 | Method for determining residual error compensation parameters for a magnetoresistive angle sensor and method for reducing a residual angle error in a magnetoresistive angle sensor In a method of determining residual error compensation parameters for a magnetoresistive angle sensor providing a first measurement signal depending on a rotational angle the step of generating a plurality of value pairs for a plurality of rotational angle values is... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7278679 | Automotive vehicle with structural panel having selectively deployable shape memory alloy elements A structural panel for an automotive vehicle includes an outer panel and a variable strength inner panel attached to the outer panel. The inner panel utilizes active elements formed from shape memory alloy (SMA). A controller activates the SMA elements so as to tran... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7269885 | Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator comprises providing a piezoelectric vibrator piece inside a hermetic container. A gettering metal film is formed inside the hermetic container on an inner surface of the container or on a surface of the piezoelectri... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7258464 | Integral ballast lamp thermal management method and apparatus A lamp having a lighting source, integral electronics, and a thermal distribution mechanism disposed in a housing. The thermal distribution mechanism may include a For example, the lamp may include a thermal shield between the lighting source and the integral electr... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7259499 | Piezoelectric bimorph actuator and method of manufacturing thereof An actuator is disclosed, which includes a piezoelectric bimorph. The actuator also includes a substantially moisture impervious and electrically insulating packaging having a cavity around the bimorph providing for a clearance around the bimorph. The packaging incl... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7256669 | Method of preparing electrical contacts used in switches Processes for preparing contacts on microswitches have been invented. The first is a wet process, involving the use of one or more acids, bases and peroxides, in some formulations diluted in water, to flush the contacts. The second process involves exposing the cont... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7247976 | Piezoelectric vibrator A piezoelectric vibrator having excellent shock resistance and high reliability is offered. The centers of first and second piezoelectric vibrating plates are supported by pillars on a main surface of an enclosure and nearly or substantially parallel to the main sur... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7242132 | Piezoelectric actuator and head assembly using the piezoelectric actuator A head assembly includes a suspension having a gimbal, a flexible printed wiring sheet having a plurality of conductor patterns and adhered to the suspension, first and second piezoelectric actuators mounted on the gimbal, and a head slider mounted on the first and ... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7235914 | Piezoelectric micro-transducers, methods of use and manufacturing methods for same Various micro-transducers incorporating piezoelectric materials for converting energy in one form to useful energy in another form are disclosed. In one embodiment, a piezoelectric micro-transducer can be operated either as a micro-heat engine, converting thermal en... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7234214 | Methods for making thick film elements A method of producing at least one thick film element, including depositing a material on a surface of at least one first substrate to form at least one thick film element structure having a thickness of approximately greater than 10 μm to 100 μm. Then, then the a... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7217395 | Piezoelectrically controllable microfluid actor system A piezoelectrically controllable microfluid actor system, comprising a planar substrate which has at least one cavity on at least one side and has at least one passage which has an aperture in the cavity, and at least one diaphragm which has its border mounted on on... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7215064 | Piezoelectric switch for tunable electronic components A piezoelectric switch for tunable electronic components comprises piezoelectric layers, metal electrodes alternated with the layers and contact pads. Cross voltages are applied to the electrodes, in order to obtain an S-shaped deformation of the switch and allow co... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7212358 | Digital camera system with piezoelectric actuators A digital camera is constructed with multiple lenses mounted in a pair of tubular elements which are nested together for relative axial movement. Movement is provided by piezoelectric actuators mounted externally to a support tube on flexible printed circuit board e... | 05/01/2007 |
