Abstract: A method for manufacturing, by utilizing a punch and a die, a cell driving type actuator wherein a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are arranged in alignment like the teeth of a comb on a base plate. Each cell is formed by closing two adjacent piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements disposed on the base plate with a cover plate positioned at a plane facing the base plate in such a manner that the cell is formed independently from its adjacent cells. The method includes the steps of preparing a plurality of green sheets made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive material, machining slit apertures in all of the green sheets with the punch, and laminating all of the green sheets after positioning them, thus forming comb-like piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes comb teeth-shaped piezoelectric actuators, each comprising plural piezoelectric layers. A side surface of each tooth is fired. Actuators are made by (1) preparing a plurality of piezoelectric material green sheets on which electrode films are formed and forming slits on a first green sheet using a punch and a die, (2) pulling up the first green sheet using a stripper, (3) pulling up a top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up first green sheet, (4) forming second slits in a second green sheet by the punch, (5) pulling up the second green sheet jointly with the first green sheet, and (6) pulling up the top portion of the punch slightly from the lowest portion of the pulled up second green sheet, and thereafter laminating green sheets by repeating steps (4) through (6). The layers can thereafter be fired.

Abstract: A wire sawing apparatus includes a wire, a wire feed roller, and two basic rollers. The three rollers have the same diameter and are arranged in such a manner that their axes of rotation are in parallel with one another. Cutting-positioning circumferential grooves are formed on the two basic rollers at axially paired same positions. Intermediate circumferential grooves are formed on the wire feed roller and arranged in the axial direction such that the axial position of each intermediate circumferential groove corresponds to an axially central position between two adjacent pairs of cutting-positioning circumferential grooves. The wire is spirally wound a plurality of turns on the three rollers while being fitted into the circumferential grooves.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements arranged in comb teeth-like alignment on a base plate. The actuator is driven by means of dislocation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements. The cell driving type actuator is characterized in that each of the cells is formed independently from adjacent cells by positioning cover plates between two adjacent piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements. Thus, there is provided a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator wherein a heating process at a high temperature can be applied and mass production at low cost is possible. The actuator includes cells with slit portions having a width of 60 ?m or less and a high aspect ratio and can be activated with high electric field strength, and great displacement can be obtained with small electric field strength.

Abstract: A punch apparatus for punching and laminating simultaneously a plural number of thin sheets is disclosed. This punch apparatus includes a punch provided on an upper portion of the punch apparatus, a die provided on a lower portion of the punch apparatus and used for punching a material to be processed, a stripper for guiding the punch during punching operation, a device for laminating punched materials using the punch as a laminating axis, a device for adjusting a relative position between the punch and the stripper when the upper and the lower portions of the punch apparatus are separated, and a device for adjusting a clearance between the die and the stripper during punching operation. The punch apparatus can open precisely almost straight very fine through-holes of a diameter of 100 ?m or less even in a sheet of thin, soft and deformable material.

Abstract: A matrix type piezoelectric/electrostrictive (P/E) actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements, each including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and at least one pair of electrodes formed on a ceramic substrate. The matrix type P/E actuator is activated by the displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are joined to the ceramic substrate as respective unified bodies, and are two-dimensionally arranged independently from each other. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator provides a greater displacement with a lower voltage, a high responsive speed, and a greater generating force, as well as enhancing the mounting ability and the integration. A method for manufacturing such a matrix type P/E actuator is also disclosed.

Abstract: An intermediate laminated structure is provided including a plurality of unfired ceramic plates stacked along a laminating direction. Each of the plates has a plurality of holes formed therethrough by a punching operation. At least a first hole in one of the plurality of unfired ceramic plates has the same shape and cross-sectional area as respective first holes in the remaining plurality of unfired ceramic plates such that the first holes define a cylinder of constant cross-sectional area throughout the entire thickness of the intermediate laminated structure.

Abstract: A matrix type piezoelectric/electrostrictive (PIE) actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements, each including a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and at least one pair of electrodes formed on a ceramic substrate. The matrix type P/E actuator is activated by displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements are joined to the ceramic substrate as respective unified bodies, and are two-dimensionally arranged independently from each other. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator provides a greater displacement with a lower voltage, a high responsive speed, and a greater generating force, as well as enhancing the mounting ability and the integration. A method for manufacturing such a matrix type P/E actuator is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a method for removing punched fragments in a workpiece formed using a punch and a die, the workpiece, which is tightly attached to a stripper, is lifted without extracting the punch from the perforations formed in the workpiece, subsequently pushing back the punch lifted from the die so as to make it protrude slightly from the bottommost end of the perforations, and performing an operation for removing punched fragments in that condition. The method for removing punched fragments can easily be performed even if only a very narrow space is available in a counterbore of a die, and can ensure that no punched fragments remain inside the perforations, and therefore can improve yield of a product being fabricated. A method for producing an article by punching inclusive of the method for removing the punched fragments is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A micro pump having at least one pump member for conveying a fluid by action of pressure includes a pump unit formed by at least one actuator member for generating a pressure fluctuation and a fluid channel in which the fluid flows. The actuator member is provided with a cell formed by disposing two side walls made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements or antiferrodielectric elements on a connecting plate, and covering a surface facing the connecting plate between the side walls with a cover plate. The actuator member selectively forms the fluid channel and generates pressure fluctuation in the fluid channel member due to displacement of the cell caused by expansion/contraction of the side walls. The micro pump is small and thin in size, while attaining increasing fluid ejection amounts, and a high speed in response.

Abstract: An intermediate laminated structure is provided including a plurality of unfired ceramic plates stacked along a laminating direction. Each of the plates has a plurality of holes formed therethrough by a punching operation. At least a first hole in one of the plurality of unfired ceramic plates has the same shape and cross-sectional area as respective first holes in the remaining plurality of unfired ceramic plates such that the first holes define a cylinder of constant cross-sectional area throughout the entire thickness of the intermediate laminated structure.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a micro pump member, in which a plurality of cells formed in a base part are used as pressurizing chambers, and side walls forming the pressurizing chambers are constructed by piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements. The micro pump member is formed by using a punch and die to form slits through green sheets that are laminated to one another.

Abstract: This is a method for manufacturing a multislit actuator in which cleaning to drying process is unnecessary, and even slits other than in a linear shape or slits having a width of 50 &mgr;m or less can be formed. A predetermined number of piezoelectric material green sheets 1 are prepared, a first piezoelectric material green sheet 1a is formed with slit apertures by a punch 8 and a die 9 disposed with a stripper 10 therearound. Then the piezoelectric material green sheet 1a is pulled up by the stripper 10 without removing the punch 8 from the piezoelectric material green sheet 1a. Then, a second piezoelectric material green sheet 1b is formed with slit apertures by the punch 8, the punched two piezoelectric material green sheets 1a and 1b are similarly pulled up by the stripper 10 without removing the punch 8 from the piezoelectric material green sheet 1b. After this the piezoelectric material green sheets are laminated at the same time when punched.

Abstract: A micro pump having at least one pump member for conveying a fluid by action of pressure includes a pump unit formed by at least one actuator member for generating a pressure fluctuation and a fluid channel in which the fluid flows. The actuator member provided with a cell formed by disposing two side walls made of piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements or antiferrodielectric elements on a connecting plate, and covering a surface facing the connecting plate between the side walls with a cover plate. The actuator member selectively forms the fluid channel and generates pressure fluctuation in the fluid channel member due to displacement of the cell caused by expansion/contraction of the side walls. The micro pump is small and thin in size, while attaining increasing fluid ejection amounts, and a thigh speed in response.

Abstract: This is a method for manufacturing a comb teeth type piezoelectric actuator in which interlayer separation is hard to occur and even in case of comb teeth with slit width of 70 &mgr;m and below, and also in case of comb teeth with slits of three-dimensional shape, it is easily manufactured.

Abstract: A micro pump member is provided, in which a plurality of cells formed in a base part are used as pressurizing chambers, and side walls forming the pressurizing chambers are constructed by piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements. The volume of the pressurizing chambers is changed by the displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements to produce a pressure in the pressurizing chambers. The pressurizing chambers are formed independent of adjacent pressurizing chambers. Activation can be carried out by applying a driving electric field having a high field strength to the pressurizing chambers, so that a greater displacement and a higher response can be obtained with a smaller field strength.

Abstract: An optical switch disposed in intermediate positions of optical paths to define a channel of a light signal constitutes a cell member in whose interior cells are formed and a waveguide member having fine slits; and a gas is filled in cells of which side walls are formed by piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements or antiferroelectric elements, a liquid is filled in the fine slits, and the cells and the fine slits are communicated to each other via a communicating hole; optical waveguides intersect at the fine slits, and the-cells are disposed at the crossing locations, and said side walls are expanded/constricted by applying an electric field to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive elements or antiferroelectric elements which form the side walls of the cells, and a part of the gas stored in each cell is ejected at a corresponding intersection area from said communicating hole into the corresponding fine slit.

Abstract: A fabrication method of an industrial part having high-aspect-ratio through-hole sections using a punch and a die, includes: a first step of drilling a first hole section in a first sheet of sheet material with the punch; a second step of lifting the first sheet in tight contact with a stripper under a condition that the punch is not pulled out from the first hole section; a third step of lifting the punch so that a tip section of said punch is slightly drawn in from a bottom section of the lifted first sheet of sheet material; a fourth step of drilling a second hole section in a second sheet of sheet material with the punch; a fifth step of lifting the second sheet in tight contact with the first sheet under a condition that the punch is not pulled out from the second hole section; and a sixth step of lifting the punch so that a tip section of the punch is slightly drawn in from the bottom section of the lifted second sheet of sheet material.

Abstract: A structure of retaining cut-processed components includes a first base (18A). The structure includes cut-processed components (1A) removably fixed to the first base, with the cut-components aligned with each other in a longitudinal direction of the first base. The cut-processed components have first and second cut surfaces (1Aa, 1Ab) parallel to each other. First cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. Second cut surfaces are positioned flush with each other. The cut-processed components are fixed to the first base by a dissoluble adhesive (20).

Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of holes of fine diameter d in a brittle material at fine intervals &agr; includes the steps of forming at least two holes having a fine diameter d at intervals A in the brittle material through the use of punches. The intervals A are at least two times the fine interval &agr;. Holes are then subsequently punched between the previously punched holes at intervals A without removing the die punches used to form the previous holes. The distances between the previously punched holes and the subsequently punched holes measure at least the distance corresponding to the fine interval &agr;.