With Mechanical Energy Coupling Means Patents (Class 310/328)
  • Patent number: 9871470
    Abstract: The piezoelectric vibrator element is miniaturized, and at the same time, the vibration leakage is suppressed. The piezoelectric vibrator element is formed so that the total length L1 of the piezoelectric vibrator element, the length L2 of the base, the width L3 of the connection part, the length L4 of the support arm part fulfill all of the following conditions A through C, Condition A: 0.1?L2/L1?0.2, Condition B: 0.4?L3/L2?0.6, Condition C: L4/L1?0.7. While the miniaturization is realized by shortening the base due to the condition A, the distance via the base can be elongated due to the condition B. Further, by increasing the length of the support arm parts due to the condition C, it is possible to increase the total mass of the path transmitting the vibration to absorb the vibration to thereby further suppress the vibration leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: SII CRYSTAL TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Naoya Ichimura
  • Patent number: 9865796
    Abstract: A method for driving a piezoelectric element including a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode and containing a composite oxide of an ABO3 type perovskite structure, and a second electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer, and the method includes driving the piezoelectric element by applying a signal having a predetermined driving waveform by a predetermined number of times, and driving the piezoelectric element by applying a signal having the predetermined driving waveform in reverse polarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naoto Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9865391
    Abstract: A wireless power repeater for relaying power transmission between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver according to the embodiment includes a position detector for detecting a position of the wireless power receiver, a repeater resonator unit including a plurality of repeater resonators, and a controller for operating a specific repeater resonator, which is located closest to an extension line of the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver, based on position information detected by the position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Su Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 9847192
    Abstract: A keyboard device is disclosed. The keyboard device includes a base, a key top, a film actuator, a position sensor, and a controller. The key top is movably arranged on the upper surface side of the base. Disposed between the base and the key top, the film actuator bends according to an applied voltage. Also disposed between the base and the key top, the position sensor detects a position of the key top. The controller applies a voltage to the film actuator in order to generate a repulsive force corresponding to the position of the key top detected by the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTD LTE
    Inventors: Akihiko Mizutani, Fusanobu Nakamura, Mitsuhiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9841298
    Abstract: A measurement device for a linear stage includes a two-dimensional grating and a measurement unit respectively disposed on first and second moving stages of the linear stage. The measurement unit includes a light source, a two-dimensional sensor and a processor. The light source emits incident light to the two-dimensional grating so that the incident light is reflected thereby to result in reflection light. The two-dimensional sensor receives the reflection light and converts the same to a reflection signal. The processor receives the reflection signal and determines accordingly a first rotational angle, and first and second displacement components of a displacement of the first moving stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Metal Industries Research And Development Centre
    Inventors: Hsiu-An Tsai, Shuo-Ching Chen, Kuo-Yu Chien
  • Patent number: 9842983
    Abstract: A piezoelectric multi-layer component includes a piezoelectric main body, which has an inlet area and an outlet area. In the outlet area or in the inlet area at least two adjacent layers are polarized antiparallel to each other and at least two adjacent layers are polarized parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventor: Igor Kartashev
  • Patent number: 9837597
    Abstract: A piezoelectric drive element includes piezoelectric layers, electrode layers between the piezoelectric layers, and electrode layers as the surfaces of the laminated layers. The piezoelectric layers are arranged on the upper side and on the lower side with reference to the center in the thickness direction, and are polarized in opposite directions. The thicknesses of piezoelectric layers at the center which have the least displacement are the thickest. The thicknesses of the piezoelectric layers above and under the thickest piezoelectric layers decrease gradually in an outward direction. A piezoelectric sound-generating body is constructed by affixing the piezoelectric driving element to a support plate and supporting the piezoelectric driving element with a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu Sashida, Shigeo Ishii, Yoshiyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9827594
    Abstract: There is provided a vibration generating device including: a housing having an internal space; a vibration member having one end fixedly attached to the housing; a piezoelectric element installed on the vibration member; and a mass body fixedly attached to the vibration member, wherein the vibration member includes an installation part on which the piezoelectric element is installed, and an extension part extended from at least one side surface of the installation part, and a maximum displacement portion of the vibration member is changed depending on a vibration mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: MPLUS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong Su Moon, Yeon Ho Son, Kyung Su Park, Joon Choi, Hwa Young Oh
  • Patent number: 9826315
    Abstract: There are provided an acoustic generator, an acoustic generation device, and an electronic apparatus capable of enhancing sound pressure and sound quality. An acoustic generator includes a piezoelectric element having a surface electrode; a vibration body to which the piezoelectric element is attached; and a wiring member extending in one direction, having a flat shape, wherein one end portion in the one direction of the wiring member is connected to the surface electrode, and the wiring member is provided with a slit formed in a side of the wiring member which extends in the one direction from the one end portion of the wiring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Makino
  • Patent number: 9817491
    Abstract: A pen configured for use with a touch sensor includes a pen tip that is configured to make contact with the touch sensor. The pen body includes an electrically conductive receiver portion and an electrically conductive emitter portion that is electrically insulated and electrostatically shielded from the receiver portion. The pen includes circuitry configured to receive a touch sensor drive signal applied to a drive electrode of the touch sensor through the receiver portion of the pen body. In response to the received signal, the pen circuitry generates a pen drive signal that is phase additive with the touch sensor drive signal and emits the pen drive signal through the emitter portion of the pen body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Rebeschi, Craig A. Cordeiro, Bernard O. Geaghan
  • Patent number: 9812633
    Abstract: The present invention is a piezoelectric composition and a piezoelectric element using the piezoelectric composition, the composition being characterized by: having a Perovskite structure represented by general formula ABO3; being represented by composition formula x(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-yBi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3-zBiFeO3, x+y+z=1 in the composition formula above; and in a triangular coordinate using x, y and z in the composition formula above, having a composition represented by a region which is surrounded by a pentagon ABCDE with apexes of point A (1, 0, 0), point B (0.7, 0.3, 0), point C (0.1, 0.3, 0.6), point D (0.1, 0.1, 0.8) and point E (0.2, 0, 0.8) and which does not include the line segment AE that connects point A (1, 0, 0) and point E (0.2, 0, 0.8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hisashi Minemoto, Satoshi Wada
  • Patent number: 9812630
    Abstract: There are provided a piezoelectric element in which the peeling of a surface electrode is suppressed, and a piezoelectric vibrating device, a portable terminal, an acoustic generator, an acoustic generating device and an electronic apparatus including the same. A piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric element including a plate-shaped stacked body including inner electrodes and piezoelectric layers laminated, a surface electrode disposed on one of main surfaces of the stacked body, the surface electrode being electrically connected to the inner electrodes. The surface electrode has a first area and a second area. The first area is an area mainly containing silver, and the second area is an area mainly containing silver and palladium and disposed so as to contact a piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Suenaga
  • Patent number: 9805150
    Abstract: A computer system enables a noise level associated with a structural substrate to be reduced. The computer system includes a memory device for storing data, and a processor in communication with the memory device. The processor is programmed to define a modulus of elasticity, a thickness, and/or a distribution associated with one or more damping elements coupleable to the structural substrate, define at least one operating parameter associated with the structural substrate and the one or more damping elements, simulate a first performance of the structural substrate and/or the one or more damping elements to generate a first performance data set; and determine whether the first performance data set satisfies a predetermined threshold. The first performance data set is associated with the at least one operating parameter and the modulus of elasticity, the thickness, and/or the distribution associated with the one or more damping elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alan E. Landmann, Mark A. Negley, Bret A. Voss, Jaffar S. Iqbal
  • Patent number: 9804725
    Abstract: A touch panel that includes a film having piezoelectric properties, the film having a first principal plane and a second principal plane. A divided electrode is on the first principal plane, and a uniform ground electrode is on the second principal plane and arranged opposite to the divided electrode on the first principal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masamichi Andoh
  • Patent number: 9799820
    Abstract: A liquid-ejecting head includes a pressure-generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric layer contains a perovskite complex oxide containing Bi, La, Fe, and Mn and is ferroelectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yonemura, Hiromu Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9789512
    Abstract: A liquid material is discharged in a flying mode at a high tact by moving a needle (12) at a high speed with a small-sized drive device. A liquid droplet discharge device includes a liquid chamber (51) that is communicated with a discharge opening (60), and that is supplied with the liquid material, a needle (12) having a tip that is advanced and retracted within the liquid chamber, a drive device (2) that operates the needle (12) to advance and retract, and a displacement magnifying mechanism (3), wherein liquid droplets are discharged in a flying mode from the discharge opening (60). Even number of drive devices are disposed in a left-right symmetric relation, and the displacement magnifying mechanism (3) includes an elastically deformable U-shaped member (5, 6, 7, 8, 9) having a bottom portion to which the needle (12) is coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: MUSASHI ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventor: Kazumasa Ikushima
  • Patent number: 9782744
    Abstract: Composite films comprising an organic salt (or GUMBOS) such as 1-n-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and a polymer such as cellulose acetate are prepared. These films are useful in detecting vapors of volatile organic compounds, and in determining their molecular weights. A quartz crystal microbalance-based sensor was designed by depositing a thin film of this composite material on the gold electrode surface of a quartz crystal resonator. The sensor exhibited rapid response toward a variety of volatile organic compounds, and complete regeneration, high sensitivity, low detection limits, and wide dynamic ranges. The ratio of the change in frequency to the change in motional resistance is a concentration-independent quantity that is proportional to the molecular weight of the absorbed chemical species. These properties facilitate the easy identification and molecular weight determination of a broad range of organic vapors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University And Agricultural and Mechanical College
    Inventors: Isiah M. Warner, Bishnu P. Regmi, Bilal El-Zahab, Daniel J. Hayes
  • Patent number: 9785301
    Abstract: A film-like pressure-sensitive sensor capable of detecting a touch pressure in high accuracy, a touch pad, a protective panel having a touch-input function and an electronic device, all using the sensor. A film-like pressure-sensitive sensor with a frame-shaped adhesive layer on a rear face peripheral edge portion of the film-like pressure-sensitive sensor is provided. The film-like pressure-sensitive sensor includes a rectangular piezoelectric film, a detection electrode formed partially on a rear face of the piezoelectric film and a reference potential electrode formed on a front face of the piezoelectric film in such a manner as to be overlapped with the detection electrode. The detection electrode is formed continuously in a first frame-shaped region present across an inner boundary of the adhesive layer and a whole region adjacent to an inner side of the first frame-shaped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Nissha Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Watazu
  • Patent number: 9780296
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Alexander Glazunov, Adalbert Feltz
  • Patent number: 9780287
    Abstract: A conductive terminal structure for a piezoelectric device used as part of a tire mountable apparatus is provided. Unlike known electrical connection structures which include a plurality of conductive terminals that are all exposed through a single insulating layer of the piezoelectric device, such as a top layer of the piezoelectric device, the electrical connection structure can be arranged in a one up, one down configuration. In this configuration, at least one conductive terminal is exposed through a top insulating layer of the piezoelectric device. In addition, at least one conductive terminal of a piezoelectric component is exposed through a bottom insulating layer of the piezoelectric device. The electrical connection structure can be used in combination with a connector assembly design to preserve the integrity of the electrical connection between the electrical and mechanical connection structure and a printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: David Alan Weston, Raymond Leslie Hodgkinson
  • Patent number: 9780289
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a multilayer piezoelectric element which includes a plurality of piezoelectric layers with a thickness of 15 ?m to 100 ?m each; and internal electrodes interposed between the plurality of piezoelectric layers and laminated to alternately form an anode and a cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Boum Seock Kim, Hui Sun Park, Jung Wook Seo
  • Patent number: 9766550
    Abstract: An actuator includes a housing, a movable part, and an advancing unit that is at least temporarily connected to the movable part. The advancing unit includes a deformation unit and a deformer configured to deform the deformation unit with a vector component perpendicular to an effective direction of the actuator so that a total length of the deformation unit changes in the effective direction of the actuator as a result of the deformation. The movable part is configured to move in the effective direction of the actuator upon a removal of the vector component on the deformation unit and the deformation unit is disposed along the effective direction of the actuator upon the removal of the vector component on the deformation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Weber, Stefan Hembacher, Armin Schoeppach
  • Patent number: 9752001
    Abstract: An ion conductive film contains an ion conductive macromolecular material, a carbon material, and an electrically conductive material different from the carbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: DEXERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehisa Ishida, Kousuke Seki, Nobuyuki Nagai, Yusaku Kato
  • Patent number: 9748468
    Abstract: Actuator device has a main body with base and superstructure bodies, the device having a plurality of actuators formed from a piezoelectric or electrostrictive material and each extend from the base body and form the superstructure body. The actuators each have at least two inner actuating electrodes of which at least one first inner actuating electrode extends, in a positive depthwise direction from the front side up to a distance from the rear side, and of which at least one second inner actuating electrode extends in a negative depthwise direction from the rear side up to a distance from the front side. At least one first inner actuating electrode of each actuator is provided for electrical connection to a first connection pole of an actuating device, a rear-side layer which is formed from electrically conductive material arranged on the rear side of the actuator device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Pi Ceramic GmbH
    Inventors: Eberhard Hennig, Daniel Kopsch
  • Patent number: 9747537
    Abstract: A power controlling device includes a detecting unit that detects a person in a detection area, a first imaging unit that takes an image of the person in a detecting range in an operating state, a second imaging unit that takes an image of a face of the person for use in user authentication in an operating state, and a power controller that supplies power to and brings the first imaging unit into the operating state if the person is detected, supplies power to and brings a processing unit that performs a process into an operating state if the approach of the person is determined on the basis of the taken image of the person, and supplies power to an brings the second imaging unit into the operating state during a period from the detection of the person to the shift of the processing unit to the operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi Ono, Manabu Hayashi, Naoya Nobutani, Kenji Kuroishi, Yuji Murata, Masahiko Mizumura, Yasuhiro Endo
  • Patent number: 9750124
    Abstract: A particle accelerator is provided that includes a piezoelectric accelerator element, where the piezoelectric accelerator element includes a hollow cylindrical shape, and an input transducer, where the input transducer is disposed to provide an input signal to the piezoelectric accelerator element, where the input signal induces a mechanical excitation of the piezoelectric accelerator element, where the mechanical excitation is capable of generating a piezoelectric electric field proximal to an axis of the cylindrical shape, where the piezoelectric accelerator is configured to accelerate a charged particle longitudinally along the axis of the cylindrical shape according to the piezoelectric electric field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Mark A. Kemp, Erik N. Jongewaard, Andrew A. Haase, Matthew Franzi
  • Patent number: 9709186
    Abstract: An actuator unit for a fuel injection valve of a vehicle internal combustion engine. The actuator unit includes an electronic component formed as a stack. The component includes a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of material layers which are arranged alternately and react to the application of an electric field. The component also has two outer electrodes electrically connected to respective electrode layers on at least one circumferential side of the component. Additionally, the actuator unit has a piezoelectric sensor coupled to the component in a force-fitting manner, in the stroke direction of the component. When the component is in operation, the sensor detects a force generated by the component, as a voltage or charge between two electrodes arranged on opposing end faces, of a sensor element. The electrodes are deposited from an electrically conductive material directly onto at least the end faces of the sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Claus Zumstrull
  • Patent number: 9698333
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element unit comprises an element body having internal electrodes laminated with piezoelectric layers therebetween and a pair of external electrodes electrically connected to the internal electrodes and an electric connection part for connecting a wiring part to the external electrodes. The electric connection part is composed of a conductive resin adhesive part and the conductive resin adhesive part is covered by a resin part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ozawa, Kohsuke Shimazaki, Haruo Taguchi, Akihiro Takeda
  • Patent number: 9689892
    Abstract: A scanning probe microscope includes sample moving means 111 and 133 including a cylindrical piezoelectric scanner and configured to move a sample 110 arranged on an upper end surface of the piezoelectric scanner by bending the piezoelectric scanner 111 by an applied voltage, scanning control means configured to control a relative position of the probe 114 and the sample 110 by controlling the applied voltage, sample thickness acquisition means 138 configured to acquire a thickness value of the sample 110, and correlative information determination means 139 configured to determine correlative information showing a corresponding relationship between the applied voltage to the piezoelectric scanner 111 and a displacement amount of a surface of the sample 110 in a horizontal direction using the thickness value, wherein the scanning control means 132 performs controlling of the relative position using the correlative information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Hirade
  • Patent number: 9689748
    Abstract: An infrared detection element includes a substrate, a lower electrode layer, a pyroelectric layer, and an upper electrode layer. The lower electrode layer is fixed to the substrate, and the pyroelectric layer is formed on the lower electrode layer. The upper electrode layer is formed on pyroelectric layer. The lower electrode layer contains pores therein and has a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the pyroelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshinari Noda, Takashi Kubo, Hisao Suzuki, Naoki Wakiya, Naonori Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9691964
    Abstract: A piezoelectric element unit comprises an element body having an active part and an inactive part; and a first resin part bonding one end surface in the laminating direction of the element body to a mounting surface of a joint member placed to face the one end surface. The first resin part covers the mounting surface up to an outer side surface of the element body corresponding to an interface between the active part and the inactive part, a second resin part covers an outer surface of the first resin part covering the outer side surface of the element body at a position corresponding to the interface between the active part and the inactive part, and the second resin part also integrally covers the outer side surface of the element body corresponding to the active part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ozawa, Atsushi Tamura, Akio Abe, Kohsuke Shimazaki, Haruo Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9673378
    Abstract: A liquid-ejecting head includes a pressure-generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element has piezoelectric layer contains a perovskite complex oxide containing Bi, La, Fe, and Mn and can undergo electric-field-induced phase transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yonemura, Hiromu Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9666786
    Abstract: A bulk wave piezoelectric resonator operating at a predetermined frequency includes a substrate block, having a plane face, a first thickness and consisting of a first material, a resonant plate having a length, width and second thickness, and consisting of a second piezoelectric material, first and second metal electrodes at least partly covering the resonant plate on each side and partly facing each other. The resonant plate is fixed perpendicularly in the vicinity of the plane face of the substrate block so that the width of the resonant plate and the first thickness of the substrate block have the same direction, and the first material, the second material, the first thickness of the block of substrate, the length, the width, the second thickness of the resonant plate are configured for trapping bulk waves at the operating frequency of the resonator and for producing a plane-plane type bulk wave piezoelectric resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, UNIVERSITE DE FRANCHE-COMTE, ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DE MECANIQUE ET DES MICROTECHNIQUES
    Inventors: Sylvain Ballandras, Gwenn Ulliac, Blandine Edouard-Guichardaz, Thomas Baron, Jean-Yves Rauch
  • Patent number: 9668055
    Abstract: The portable sound recorder (1) according to the invention comprises A) a plurality of microphones (1A-F) arranged for picking up voices or sounds from an external environment; B) a protective outer shell (10) that encloses: B.1) a logic unit (2) programmed or in any case arranged for processing the electrical or opto-electronic signals emitted by the plurality of microphones improving the quality of the sounds recorded; B.2) a mass memory (4) arranged for memorising and store/conserve the sounds picked up by the plurality of microphones; B.3) an electric power supply (6) that supplies the logic unit and the mass memory; and where the plurality of microphones comprises at least three microphones of the Micro-ElectroMechanical System (MEMS) type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SOWHAT STUDIO DI MICHELE BAGGIO
    Inventors: Michele Baggio, Dino Baggio
  • Patent number: 9667174
    Abstract: A ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body, inner electrodes, a glass coating layer, and outer electrodes. The glass coating layer extends from an exposed portion of one of the inner electrodes at a first end surface to a first principal surface. The outer electrodes are each constituted by a plating film disposed directly above the glass coating layer. The glass coating layer includes a glass medium and metal powder particles that define conductive paths. The metal powder particles have an elongated or substantially elongated shape and are dispersed in the glass medium. The dimension of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first principal surface in the length direction, is larger than that of a portion of the glass coating layer located on the first end surface in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nishisaka, Satoshi Matsuno, Tetsuya Kisumi, Yoko Okabe
  • Patent number: 9653329
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing device with bearing means for supporting a plate with one plate plane. The plate has a function region with evenness, a bearing region which surrounds the function region at least in sections, and an action region which is located outside the function region and outside the bearing region. The bearing means is made to support the plate in the bearing region and the action means is controllable such that by deformation of the function region the evenness can be adjusted and/or changed and/or influenced and/or re-set. The action means comprise at least one vacuum region which allows a deformation of the plate in the bearing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: EV GROUP E. THALLNER GMBH
    Inventor: Friedrich Paul Lindner
  • Patent number: 9651009
    Abstract: A control method for a fuel injection valve for an internal combustion engine is disclosed, wherein at least one control signal for actuating a drive of the injection valve is generated in recurring injection cycles and as a function of a target stroke height of a closing element of the injection valve, wherein the drive is actuated by the control signal to lift the closing element to the target stroke height and the closing element is lifted to an actual stroke height by means of the drive, wherein at least one measured parameter correlated with the actual stroke height is captured and the actual stroke height is determined as a function of said at least one measured parameter, wherein the control signal is generated in at least one of the subsequent injection cycles as a function of a deviation of the actual stroke height from the target stroke height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Matthias Ruβe, Anselm Schwarte, Hans-Jörg Wiehoff
  • Patent number: 9647198
    Abstract: Piezoelectric oriented ceramics containing a Pb(Ti, Zr)O3-based compound having a high degree of orientation not lower than 0.64, which was calculated with the Lotgering method based on an X-ray diffraction pattern in a prescribed cross-section thereof, and having a sintered density not lower than 85% of a theoretical density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignees: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Yasunari Miwa, Shinichiro Kawada, Masahiko Kimura, Tohru Suzuki, Tetsuo Uchikoshi, Yoshio Sakka
  • Patent number: 9640749
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive element having a piezoelectric body, a through-hole electrode, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode. The piezoelectric body includes a through-hole in communication with a first main surface and a second main surface. The through-hole electrode is formed on an inner side surface of the through-hole. The first electrode is formed on the first main surface of the piezoelectric body, and connected to the through-hole electrode. The second electrode is formed on the second main surface of the piezoelectric body, and is connected to the through-hole electrode. The third electrode is formed on the second main surface of the piezoelectric body and isolated from the second electrode. A calculated average roughness in the inner side surface is larger than 0.11 microns and smaller than 16 microns. A maximum height roughness in the inner side surface is larger than 0.2 microns and smaller than 20 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., NGK Ceramic Device Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Takemura, Takashi Ebigase, Kenichi Tsuge
  • Patent number: 9640751
    Abstract: A device for performing a precision movement comprising a plate composed of piezoelectric material and comprising electrodes which are provided at mutually opposite and preferably parallel planes, are connectable to a controlled voltage source having electrical voltage and in this case bring about a change in the form and/or mass of the plate is characterized in that at least one of the electrodes is designed in an elastic fashion to form a base module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Inventors: Alexander Potemkin, Petr Nikolaevich Luskinovich, Vladimir Alexandrovich Zhabotinsky
  • Patent number: 9641105
    Abstract: A mobile communication terminal comprises an acoustic-electro conversion unit configured to convert sound into electric energy, which includes a conversion device for converting vibration into electric energy; and an energy storage unit electrically connected to the conversion device and configured to store electric energy generated by the conversion device. The mobile communication terminal can solve the problem that the mobile communication terminal has large power consumption and short continuous service time, and can make full use of energy, has a long continuous service time and is convenient to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignees: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiuxia Yang, Jiaheng Wang, Feng Bai
  • Patent number: 9634642
    Abstract: A bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator having a vertically extended acoustic cavity is provided. The BAW resonator includes a bottom electrode disposed on a substrate over a cavity formed in the substrate; a piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer has a thickness of approximately ?/2, wherein ? is a wavelength corresponding to a thickness extensional resonance frequency of the BAW resonator. At least one of the bottom electrode and the top electrode comprises a composite electrode having a thickness of approximately ?/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Dariusz Burak, Stefan Bader
  • Patent number: 9634235
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid ejecting head including a laminate formed of a flow path substrate having a flow path communicating with nozzle openings that eject a liquid, a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode, the method including stacking the first electrode, the piezoelectric material, the second electrode, and a reinforcing member on top of one another to form a laminate; heating the laminate to form a piezoelectric layer made of the piezoelectric material; bonding the laminate to the flow path substrate on a first electrode side; and removing the reinforcing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Junhua Zhang
  • Patent number: 9634228
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a piezo vibration module, including: a piezo element having a pattern of an internal electrode printed therein and having an external electrode connected to the internal electrode disposed on an outer surface thereof; a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) having each terminal and applying power to the external electrodes of the piezo element; and a conductive adhesive interposed between the piezo element and the FPCB to electrically connect the piezo element to the flexible printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: MPLUS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yeon Ho Son, Kyung Su Park, Seung Hyeon Jeong, Joon Choi
  • Patent number: 9613544
    Abstract: Systems and methods for an electroactive polymer actuated dot structure is disclosed herein. According to an aspect, an actuated dot structure includes a housing. The actuated dot structure also includes a pin configured to move between a first position and a second position with respect to the housing. Further, the actuated dot structure includes a multimorph engaged with the pin and configured to displace the pin between the first and second positions and to latch the pin in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Peichun Yang, David A. Winick, Paul Franzon, Neil H. DiSpigna
  • Patent number: 9601683
    Abstract: In object to provide a unit of piezoelectric element having a preferable bending strength and preferably used as a part of a driving unit, a unit of piezoelectric element comprising: a multilayer piezoelectric element, having internal electrodes laminated having a piezoelectric body layer in-between and a pair of external electrodes formed on side surfaces extending along laminating direction and electrically connected to the internal electrodes, a wiring part connected to the external electrodes via a solder part, wherein a solder is solidified, a resin part, joining one end surface in the laminating direction of the multilayer piezoelectric element and a mounting surface of a connection member placed to face the one end surface, wherein the resin part is continuous from the one end surface and the mounting surface to the solder part; and the resin part covers the solder part, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ozawa, Shuto Ono, Akio Abe, Kohsuke Shimazaki
  • Patent number: 9599102
    Abstract: The piezoelectric pump unit consists of a housing, a piezo anchor, located in the housing, a displacer, located at the front of the housing. The piezo anchor and the displacer are connected. The piezo anchor consists of a rear piezoelectric clamp section, of a piezoelectric extender section and of a front piezoelectric clamp section, connected in series. At least one slider is introduced in the piezoelectric extender section between its front and rear ends. Electric pulses accessing at sections from a control station cause said sections to become fixed alternately inside the housing. Under the effect of electric pulses, the piezoelectric extender section moves the displacer step-by-step in one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Andrey Leonidovich Kuznetsov
  • Patent number: 9595659
    Abstract: A piezoelectric vibration device for a mobile terminal is disclosed. A bimorph piezoelectric vibrator includes a pair of piezoelectric element layers connected to one of positive and negative poles and a middle electrode plate interposed between the piezoelectric element layers and connected to the other pole. The piezoelectric vibrator generates vibration due to up/down bending displacement by fixing both end portions thereof to an inner surface of a casing of a mobile terminal. A voltage-boosting transformer raises a power source voltage of a mobile terminal to a driving voltage. A driving chip receives the raised driving voltage from the voltage-boosting transformer and drives the piezoelectric vibrator. Weights are attached to at least one of both sides of the piezoelectric vibrator to amplify vibration. Insulation members are provided at both end portions of the piezoelectric vibrator to prevent electricity applied to the piezoelectric vibrator from leaking to the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventor: Jung-Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9590164
    Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a housing and an actuator arranged within the housing, the actuator including a first part and a second part movable relative to the first part. An insulating material is disposed within the housing, the insulating material encapsulating at least the movable part of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventor: Yufeng Qi
  • Patent number: 9589937
    Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor cooling method that comprises: providing two wafers which require to be treated by a mixed bonding process, wherein each of the wafers being provided with several metallic device structure layers therein. A heat dissipation layer is set in at least one of the wafers and arranged in the free area above at least one of the metallic device structure layers, and the heat dissipation layer connects to the adjacent metallic device structure layer and the invention provides a method of heat dissipation that comprises providing at least two wafers to be bonded; and arranging some conducting wires on a surface of wafers. In addition, the method includes the steps of performing a bonding process to form a device with bonded wafers, wherein one end of the conducting wires locates in the region where the wafers generate heat, and another end extends to an external of wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: WUHAN XINXIN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shaoning Mei, Jun Chen, Jifeng Zhu, Weihua Cheng