Abstract: The present invention relates to a piezo-electric torque actuator with low stress electrodes. The present invention is specially used to produce tilting motions in high frequency ranges. The invention provides for forming a piezo-electric stack element with required external electrical connection contacts with a substantially reduced mechanical load and which direct tilting motions without required additional means for motion transformation. The present invention is formed of at least two areas of piezo-electric stacks, and an area arranged there between which contains segments that are affect only partially or are unaffect by an electrical field generated by the flat laminate contacts. This is accomplished by disposing external electrode connections of the two areas as far as possible in the direction of field-reduced or field-free areas, wherein the in between area is connected with the two areas (1 and 2) at least in positive fit.

Abstract: A piezoelectrically actuated driving and adjusting apparatus transmits both pure translation movements and rotation movements. The object of the present invention is to provide a piezoelectrically actuated driving and adjusting apparatus having a simple, compact and robust mechanical structure, capable of ensuring long adjustment paths and suitable for various adjustment and drive tasks using the same principle structure. Two parallel stacks of piezoelectric elements are arranged as close as possible to each other. The piezoelectric stacks are supported at first front surfaces on a crossbar by a tiltable coupling. Second front surfaces of the piezoelectric stacks, opposite to the first front surfaces, lie flat on a stiff common member that rigidly interconnects both the piezoelectric stacks. A biasing apparatus is provided to apply a symmetrical, predefinable force on the piezoelectric stacks by acting on the crossbar and the common member.

Abstract: In an apparatus for operating a valve element consisting of a base, an operating lever pivotally journalled with respect to the base and a drive apparatus which is secured to the base and engages the operating lever which has at least one of its ends for operating on the valve element, the drive apparatus comprises two piezo-electric transistors which are secured with a nonparallel orientation between the base and the operating lever such that they are each moveable relative to the base and the operating lever about an axis parallel to the pivoting or rocking axis of the operating lever.