A vibrator device that includes a support member, first and second displacement plates, first and second piezoelectric vibrator elements, and an added mass member. The support member has first and second side portions opposing each other. The first displacement plate is supported by the first side portion and extends toward the second side portion so as to have a free end. The second displacement plate is supported by the second side portion and extends toward the first side portion so as to have a free end. The first and second piezoelectric vibrator elements are respectively disposed on the first and second displacement plates. The added mass member is connected to a portion of the first displacement plate at or around the free end thereof and to a portion of the second displacement plate at or around the free end thereof.

An apparatus includes a first support member, a second support member and one or more electro-active polymer members between the first support member and the second support. The one or more electro-active polymer members include a first end configured to be coupled to the first support member, a second end configured to be coupled to the second support member and a middle portion located between the first end and the second end, where the middle portion includes a curved member in a first state of the one or more electro-active polymer members. A curved shape of the one or more electro-active polymer members is configured to create linear movement in a vertical direction, by bending in a curved direction.

The invention relates to an electromechanical actuator with increased deformation, including, on the one hand, at least one drive element connected to a source of AC voltage so as to produce a deformation of the drive element and, on the other hand, a plate configured for amplifying the amplitude of the vibration that the drive element must transmit to a substrate to be actuated. A first face of the plate is rigidly fixed to the drive element and a second face of the plate, opposite to the first face, is fixed by means of an actuation lug to the substrate to be actuated.

A vibration device comprises a vibrating member having at least n (n≥2) piezoelectric elements arranged on a vibrating plate, each of the piezoelectric elements being formed by using a lead-free piezoelectric material and electrodes, wherein if the temperature that maximizes the piezoelectric constant of the piezoelectric material of each of the n piezoelectric elements is expressed as T.sub.m (m being a natural number between 1 and n), at least two of T.sub.1 through T.sub.n differ from each other.

A vibrating device includes a diaphragm that includes first and second vibrating portions and a fixation portion, first and second piezoelectric vibrators that are provided at the first and second vibrating portions, respectively, and fixation electrodes. The fixation portion includes a first side portion and a second side portion that extend in different directions. The diaphragm and the fixation electrodes are provided integrally as a single monolithic member. The first vibrating portion extends from the first side portion and the fixation electrodes extend from the second side portion.

An array of micromachined ultrasonic transducers (MUTs). The array has first and second rows, the MUTs in the first row being equally spaced by a horizontal pitch in a horizontal direction, the MUTs in the second row being equally spaced by the horizontal pitch in the horizontal direction. The MUTs in the second row are shifted along the horizontal direction by a first horizontal distance relative to the MUTs in the first row and shifted along a vertical direction by a first vertical distance relative to the MUTs in the first row. The first horizontal distance is greater than zero and less than the horizontal pitch. The first vertical distance ranges from one tenth of a horizontal width of a MUT to a half of a vertical height of a MUT.

A fixed frame (2) is fixed to an external member. An ultrasonic oscillator (3) is disposed inside the fixed frame (2) and includes a flexible first substrate and a first piezoelectric element deposited on the first substrate in the form of a thin film. The ultrasonic oscillator (3) is warped in response to expansion or contraction of the first piezoelectric element and generates ultrasonic waves. Actuator units (4) include a flexible second substrate coupling the first substrate to the fixed frame (2) and a second piezoelectric element deposited on the second substrate in the form of a thin film. The actuator units (4) are warped in response to expansion or contraction of the second piezoelectric element and cause the ultrasonic oscillator (3) to swing relative to the fixed frame (2). The fixed frame (2), the first substrate, and the second substrate are composed of the same substrate.

A vibration element includes: a base; an arm continuous with the base; a first electrode that includes a first layer of titanium nitride and a second layer containing nitrogen, titanium, and oxygen, and is disposed on the arm; an aluminum nitride layer in contact with the second layer; and a second electrode disposed on the aluminum nitride layer.

A force-measuring device includes a first substrate, signal processing circuitry, a thin-film piezoelectric stack overlying the first substrate, and piezoelectric micromechanical force-measuring elements (PMFEs). The thin-film piezoelectric stack includes a piezoelectric layer. The PMFEs are located at respective lateral positions along the thin-film piezoelectric stack.

Each PMFE has: (1) a first electrode, (2) a second electrode, and (3) a respective portion of the thin-film piezoelectric stack. The first electrode and the second electrode are positioned on opposite sides of the piezoelectric layer to constitute a piezoelectric capacitor. Each of the PMFEs is configured to output voltage signals (PMFE voltage signals) between the respective first and second electrodes in accordance with a time-varying strain at the respective portion of the piezoelectric layer between the respective first and second electrodes resulting from a low-frequency mechanical deformation. The signal processing circuitry is configured to read at least some of the PMFE voltage signals.

A vibration device includes a light transmissive body, a first cylindrical body, a plate-shaped spring portion, a second cylindrical body, and a vibrating body. The light transmissive body includes a main body portion on an inner side of a portion supported by the first cylindrical body, and a protruding portion extending from the main body portion toward an outer circumference of the light transmissive body and protruding outward more than a portion supported by the first cylindrical body. A ratio between an equivalent mass calculated from a moment of inertia of the protruding portion and a weight of the main body portion is about 0.8 to about 1.2, and a resonant frequency of the light transmissive body is larger than a resonant frequency of the spring portion.