There is provided a piezo-electric actuator comprising an assembly comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and at least one piezoelectric layer located between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is split into at least two different sub-electrodes, wherein at least part of the assembly is configured to move along an axis perpendicular to a surface of the assembly, in response to an electrical stimulus applied to at least one of said first and second electrodes.

A mounting pad system and method for an HVAC outdoor unit that includes providing a lightweight fillable pad shell containing a gelling material and having securing slots extending from an underside surface to an upper side surface of the shell. The shell is filled with water through a port at its upper surface. Prior to leveling the filled pad on the soil at the site and installation of the outdoor unit, securing straps are inserted into the slots from the underside surface of the shell so as to extend through an upper surface thereof. The filling port is covered when the HVAC unit is placed on top of the pad. One or more securing anchors can be used to anchor the pad to the ground, which are also covered when the HVAC unit is place on top of the pad and an anti-theft cable can be employed to further prevent theft.

The present invention provides a piezoelectric material not containing lead and potassium, showing satisfactory insulation and piezoelectricity, and having a high Curie temperature. The invention relates to a piezoelectric material includes a main component containing a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by Formula (1): (Na.sub.xBa.sub.1-y)(Nb.sub.yTi.sub.1-y)O.sub.3 (wherein, 0.80x0.94 and 0.83y0.94), and an additive component containing at least one element selected from Mn and Ni, wherein the content of the Ni is 0 mol or more and 0.05 mol or less based on 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide, and the content of the Mn is 0 mol or more and 0.005 mol or less based on 1 mol of the perovskite-type metal oxide.

The invention relates to a ceramic material, comprising lead zirconate titanate, which additionally contains K and optionally Cu. The ceramic material can be used in an electroceramic component, for example a piezoelectric actuator. The invention also relates to methods for producing the ceramic material and the electronic component.

A piezoelectric actuator includes two substrates, piezoelectric elements that are arranged between the two substrates, and a cladding portion that covers at least a part of a surrounding area of the piezoelectric elements.

A method for producing a piezoelectric component is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes producing a ceramic precursor material of the general formula Pb.sub.1-x-y-(2a-b)/2V.sub.(2a-b)/2Ba.sub.xSr.sub.y[(Ti.sub.zZr.sub.1-z).sub.1-a-bW.sub.aRE.sub.b]O.sub.3, where RE is a rare earth metal and V is a Pb vacancy, mixing the ceramic precursor material with a sintering aid, forming a stack which includes alternating layers including the ceramic precursor material and a layer including Cu and debindering and sintering the stack thereby forming the piezoelectric component having Cu electrodes and at least one piezoelectric ceramic layer including Pb.sub.1-x-y-[(2a-b)/2]-p/2V.sub.[(2a-b)/2-p/2]Cu.sub.pBa.sub.xSr.sub.y[(Ti.sub.zZr.sub.1-z).sub.1-a-bW.sub.aRE.sub.b]O.sub.3, where 0x0.035, 0y0.025, 0.42z0.5, 0.0045a0.009, 0.009b0.011, and 2a>b, p2ab.

A piezoelectric element which is a single-layer or laminated piezoelectric element has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric ceramic layer. The first electrode and second electrode contain silver by 50 percent by weight or more. The piezoelectric ceramic layer is placed between the first electrode and second electrode, and constituted by a polycrystalline substance of alkali niobate piezoelectric ceramic containing at least one alkali earth metal being calcium, strontium, or barium, and silver. According to this constitution, the electrical resistance and piezoelectric property can be improved, and consequently high reliability and good piezoelectric characteristics can be achieved.

Disclosed is a piezoelectric transmission and/or reception device consisting of at least one piezo element, at least two electrodes for making contact with the piezo elements and at least two insulating elements for providing top and bottom insulation, wherein at least the piezo element and the electrodes are sintered so as to form a single block.

A method for producing a plurality of piezoelectric multilayer components is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for producing a plurality of piezoelectric multilayer components includes grinding the piezoelectric multilayer components without an addition of an abrasive by rubbing the piezoelectric multilayer components against one another so that a material abrasion of the piezoelectric multilayer components is carried out.

Provision is made of a method for producing a piezoelectric multilayer component (1), in which piezoelectric green sheets, at least one ply (21) containing an auxiliary material having a first and a second component and layers (20) containing electrode material are arranged one above another alternately and sintered, wherein, during the sintering, the first and second components of the auxiliary material chemically react, and the at least one ply (21) containing the auxiliary material is degraded. In addition, provision is made of a piezoelectric multilayer component (1) comprising a plurality of alternating layers of electrode material (20) and piezoelectric ceramic and at least one layer (21) of auxiliary material having a breaking load which is reduced compared to the other layers of electrode material, wherein, in addition to the first and second components, the auxiliary material comprises a fifth component, which, at the preferred sintering temperatures for the piezoelectric material, in particular at most 1050 C., at most has a negligible sintering activity and does not react with the piezoelectric material used. Finally, the use of ZrO.sub.2, BaTiO.sub.3 or a mixture thereof in the auxiliary material layer of a piezoelectric multilayer component for reducing the breaking stress is described.