Patents Examined by Lynee Edmondson
  • Patent number: 8034249
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive ceramic sintered body has a microstructure in which a matrix phase and an additional material phase having different compositions coexist and the additional material phase is dispersed in the matrix phase. A residual strain ratio of the additional material phase alone is larger than a residual strain ratio of the matrix phase alone. The matrix phase and the additional material phase have a composition in which a Mn compound containing Mn atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 3 parts by mol or less and a Sr compound containing Sr atoms of 0 parts by mol or more and 1 part by mol or less are contained in a composite of 100 parts by mol represented by a general formula {Liy(Na1-xKx)1-y}a(Nb1-z-wTazSbw)O3, where a, x, y, z and w satisfy 0.9?a?1.2, 0.2?x?0.8, 0.0?y?0.2, 0?z?0.5 and 0?w?0.1, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Kaigawa, Ritsu Tanaka