A piezoelectric assembly, a screen component, and a mobile terminal are provided. The piezoelectric assembly can include a vibrating member made of a piezoelectric material and a signal line connected to the vibrating member. The vibrating member includes two or more piezoelectric elements stacked in sequence. A size of at least one of the piezoelectric elements is smaller than a size of any remaining one of the piezoelectric elements to form a stepped structure. Each of the piezoelectric elements is provided with two or more piezoelectric layers of the same size.

In one general aspect, various embodiments are directed to an ultrasonic surgical instrument that comprises a transducer configured to produce vibrations along a longitudinal axis at a predetermined frequency. In various embodiments, an ultrasonic blade extends along the longitudinal axis and is coupled to the transducer. In various embodiments, the ultrasonic blade includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is movable relative to the longitudinal axis by the vibrations produced by the transducer.

A piezoelectric energy hunting device and a voltage signal application system thereof are disclosed. The piezoelectric energy hunting device includes a plurality of curved piezoelectric elements, a plurality of rigid foams, and a flexible foam structure. The plurality of curved piezoelectric elements are arranged side by side with one another, wherein each curved piezoelectric element is attached to one of the rigid foams. The flexible foam structure includes a top foam and a bottom foam covering the outer surface of the plurality of curved piezoelectric elements and the plurality of rigid foams; when the flexible foam structure is compressed, the plurality of curved piezoelectric elements are simultaneously deformed, thereby generating a voltage signal. When the flexible foam structure is not compressed, the flexible foam structure and the plurality of rigid foams provide an elastic force to restore the plurality of curved piezoelectric elements.

This invention describes a method for producing highly controllable motion in electroactive materials and electroactive actuators capable of pronounced contraction and expansion, which act as synthetic muscle, tendon, fascia, perimysium, epimysium, and skin that wrinkles, comprising ion-containing, cross-linked electroactive material(s); solvent(s); electrode(s); attachments to levers or other objects; and coating(s). Restriction of movement in undesired direction(s) produces pronounced movement in the desired direction(s). The electroactive material itself or the electroactive actuator may be used individually or grouped to produce movement when activated by electricity. This invention can provide for human-like motion, durability, toughness, speed, and strength. The electroactive materials and electroactive actuators, with highly controllable motion, can be attached to objects and devices to produce motion with no metal pulleys, gears, or motors needed.

An electromechanical device comprising: first and second electrodes each comprising a metal layer; an active layer comprising at least one ferroelectric polymer and disposed between the first and the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode each comprise an interface layer comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). Each interface layer is interposed between the active layer and the corresponding metal layer. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a device.

A solid-state device includes a substrate with a stack of constituent thin-film layers that define an arrangement of electrodes and intervening layers. The constituent layers can conform to or follow a non-planar surface of the substrate, thereby providing a 3-D non-planar geometry to the stack. Fabrication employs a common shadow mask moved between lateral positions offset from each other to sequentially form at least some of the layers in the stack, whereby layers with a similar function (e.g., anode, cathode, etc.) can be electrically connected together at respective edge regions. Wiring layers can be coupled to the edge regions for making electrical connection to the respective subset of layers, thereby simplifying the fabrication process. By appropriate selection and deposition of the constituent layers, the multi-layer device can be configured as an energy storage device, an electro-optic device, a sensing device, or any other solid-state device.

An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.

An electroactive polymer transducer device includes a housing, a base film, plate or wall within the housing, and at least one stack of layers deposited on the base film, plate or wall with at least one housing wall extending from the base film, wherein the at least one stack of layers includes an alternating sequence of one or more plastic electroactive material layers and electrically conductive layers on top of each other. A method of making an electroactive polymer transducer device is also described.

An electromechanical actuator includes a base part and an oscillation resonator having the shape of a rod. The electromechanical actuator further includes amount for mounting the oscillation resonator to the base part. The mount is configured to bear the oscillation resonator so as to be rotatable around an axis of the oscillation resonator rod relative to the base part. A driver member is mechanically coupled to the oscillation resonator. A slider or a rotator is configured to be moved by the driver member when the oscillation resonator is excited.

Methods for producing ceramic multi-layer components and multi-layer components made by such methods. A method includes the following steps: providing green layers for the ceramic multi-layer components, stacking the green layers into a stack and subsequently pressing the stack into a block, singulating the block into partial blocks each having a longitudinal direction, thermally treating the partial blocks and subsequently machining surfaces of the partial blocks. Recesses are produced on the surfaces of the partial blocks during the machining, and the partial blocks are singulated.