A nebuliser for nebulising liquid droplets includes a housing; at least one piezoelectric substrate accommodated within the housing and having a transducer surface upon which is located at least one electroacoustic transducer for generating acoustic wave energy within the substrate, and an opposing non-transducer surface; and a liquid supply system for supplying a liquid to at least one of the transducer and non-transducer surfaces. The liquid supply system includes a reservoir for accommodating the liquid, and at least one relatively rigid supply conduit in contact with the substrate for supplying the liquid from the reservoir to the substrate.

Disclosed herein are ultrasonic transducer systems comprising: an ultrasonic transducer comprising a substrate, a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric element; a first electrical circuitry coupled to the ultrasonic transducer, the first electrical circuitry configured for driving the ultrasonic transducer or detecting motion of the diaphragm; a plurality of electrical ports coupled to the ultrasonic transducer; and a second electrical circuitry connected to two or more of the plurality of electrical ports, the electrical circuitry comprising one or more of: a resistor, a capacitor, a switch, and an amplifier, wherein the second electrical circuitry is independent from the first electrical circuitry, and wherein the second electrical circuitry is configured to dampen the motion of the diaphragm.

A vibration type motor relatively moves in a first direction a vibrator whose vibration is excited by an electromechanical energy conversion element and a contact member configured to contact the vibrator and includes a vibrator holder configured to hold the vibrator, a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator holder so as to restrict a displacement of the vibrator holder in the first direction and to enable the vibrator holder to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, a press mechanism configured to press the vibrator against the contact member in the second direction, and a damper configured to contact a plurality of components among the vibrator holder, components of the holding mechanism, and components of the press mechanism.

An ultrasonic transducer includes a carrier with a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other, a piezoceramic element attached on the first surface of the carrier, a first acoustic matching layer with a third surface and a fourth surface which are opposite to each other, the third surface is attached on the second surface of the carrier, wherein the first acoustic matching layer includes a mesh with openings, and the thickness of first acoustic matching layer is smaller than wavelength of an ultrasonic wave emitted by the piezoceramic element in the first acoustic matching layer in an operating frequency, and a total area of the openings of mesh is larger than 30% area of the third surface of first acoustic matching layer, and a second acoustic matching layer disposed on the fourth surface of the first acoustic matching layer.

An acoustic device includes a piezoelectric element, an attachment member to which the piezoelectric element is attached, and a spacer. The piezoelectric element includes first and second principal surfaces opposing each other. The attachment opposes the first principal surface. The spacer is disposed between the piezoelectric element and the attachment member in such a manner as to form an acoustic space between the piezoelectric element and the attachment member. The spacer includes an adhesive layer including a principal surface in contact with the first principal surface and a principal surface in contact with the attachment member.

A vibration device that includes a flat plate that has a first main surface and a second main surface; a vibrator that is configured to vibrate along a first direction parallel to the first main surface; a connecting member that connects the vibrator to the first main surface of the flat plate; a support member having a cavity or a recess in a portion thereof facing the vibrator; and a cushioning material connecting the first main surface of the flat plate to the support member, the cushioning material being disposed so as to not overlap with the vibrator in a plan view of the vibration device. A combined length of the vibrator and the connecting member in a second direction perpendicular to the first main surface of the flat plate is larger than a length of the cushioning material in the second direction.

In the system, two ultrasonic transducers, which form a pair and each have a piezoelectric ceramic plate-shaped element with a rectangular geometry, can be fastened to a surface of a component. The two ultrasonic transducers are arranged at a distance from one another such that there is no direct mechanical contact and they are arranged beside one another with a parallel orientation of their central longitudinal axes. The two elements have a different polarization along their width and are connected with the same polarity to an electrical voltage source. The two plate-shaped elements can also have an identical polarization along their width and can be connected in this case with opposite polarity to an electrical voltage source. At least one ultrasonic transducer and/or at least one further ultrasonic transducer is/are designed to detect ultrasonic waves reflected by defects and/or shear waves simultaneously emitted by the two ultrasonic transducers.

A vibration structure that includes a piezoelectric film constructed to deform in a plane direction as a voltage is applied thereto, a frame-shaped member, a vibration portion surrounded by the frame-shaped member in a plan view of the vibration structure, a support portion connecting the vibration portion and the frame-shaped member, and supporting the vibration portion within the frame-shaped member such that the vibration portion vibrates in the plane direction when the piezoelectric film is deformed in the plane direction, a first connection member that connects the piezoelectric film to the vibration portion, and a second connection member that connects the piezoelectric film to the frame-shaped member. Of the connection members, the first connection member is disposed between the center of gravity of the vibration portion and the second connection member.

The present invention relates to an actuator unit which is designed to generate a haptic signal, having a piezoelectric actuator which is designed to change its extent in a longitudinal direction as a function of an electrical voltage, a mechanical amplifier which is designed to amplify the haptic signal by converting the change in extent of the piezoelectric actuator into a movement of the actuator unit, wherein the movement occurs in the longitudinal direction, and the movement of the actuator unit occurs over a distance which is longer than the change in extent of the piezoelectric actuator, and the longitudinal direction is the direction in which an extent of the piezoelectric actuator is largest.

In a vibration unit, a piezoelectric element enters an internal space of a through hole; and thereby, a second case member can be arranged proximate to a first case member. Therefore, a thickness of the vibration unit can be reduced, namely, a height of the vibration unit can be reduced. As described above, since the thickness of the vibration unit is reduced, a size of the vibration unit can be reduced.