Abstract: An ink-jet recording head having no piezoelectric element in a part where no piezoelectric element is required and including an individual electrode lead-out part having such a cross section that allows smooth power supply is provided. The ink-jet recording head includes an individual electrode having an individual electrode main body formed at a position corresponding to an ink chamber and an individual electrode lead-out part for supplying power, a piezoelectric element formed to contact the individual electrode, and a diaphragm formed to contact the piezoelectric element. The individual electrode lead-out part is connected to the individual electrode main body from a position offset from a face including an electrode face of the individual electrode main body, and the piezoelectric element is formed into a shape corresponding to the individual electrode main body.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording head having no piezoelectric element in a part where no piezoelectric element is required and including an individual electrode lead-out part having such a cross section that allows smooth power supply is provided. The ink-jet recording head includes an individual electrode having an individual electrode main body formed at a position corresponding to an ink chamber and an individual electrode lead-out part for supplying power, a piezoelectric element formed to contact the individual electrode, and a diaphragm formed to contact the piezoelectric element. The individual electrode lead-out part is connected to the individual electrode main body from a position offset from a face including an electrode face of the individual electrode main body, and the piezoelectric element is formed into a shape corresponding to the individual electrode main body.

Abstract: The inkjet head comprises: a plurality of ink discharge nozzles which are arranged two-dimensionally; a plurality of pressure chambers which are in communication with the ink discharge nozzles so as to store ink, the pressure chambers being two-dimensionally arranged in correspondence with the ink discharge nozzles; a plurality of piezoelectric elements; a common electrode which is disposed on pressure chamber sides of the piezoelectric elements; a plurality of discrete electrodes which are disposed on sides of the piezoelectric elements opposite to the common electrode; and a plurality of discrete lead electrodes which feed electricity to the discrete electrodes, wherein: each of the piezoelectric elements is deformed by applying voltage to the common electrode and the discrete electrode so that a volume of the pressure chamber is varied to discharge a droplet of the ink from the ink discharge nozzle; and with respect to each pair of the discrete electrode and discrete lead electrode corresponding to each of

Abstract: A head assembly includes a suspension having a gimbal, a flexible printed wiring sheet having a plurality of conductor patterns and adhered to the suspension, first and second piezoelectric actuators mounted on the gimbal, and a head slider mounted on the first and second piezoelectric actuators. The first and second piezoelectric actuators are adhered to the gimbal at end portion adhesion portions symmetrical with respect to the center of pivotal motion thereof and are adhered to the head slider at end portion adhesion portions on the opposite side disposed symmetrically with respect to the center of pivotal motion similarly. Consequently, when a voltage is applied to the first and second piezoelectric actuators through the flexible printed wiring sheet, a couple of forces can be generated which vary the posture of the head slider only in one direction around the center of pivotal motion.

Abstract: A microscale driving unit includes first and second elongated piezoelectric actuators extending in antiparallel directions. The base ends of the actuators are fixed to a support member. The tip ends of the actuators are fixed to a driven member. First and second electrically conductive members connect the base end of the first or second elongated piezoelectric actuator to the tip end of the second or first elongated piezoelectric actuator. The microscale driving unit allows utilization of a common single wiring pattern connected to both the base end of the first elongated piezoelectric actuator and the tip end of the second elongated piezoelectric actuator when a driving current is supplied to the first and second elongated piezoelectric actuators. Only a smaller area should be required to locate the wiring pattern. A sufficient planar space can be obtained on the surface of the support member.

Abstract: The inkjet recording head comprises: a plurality of ink chambers aligned, each of the plurality of ink chambers having a nozzle; and a piezoelectric element arranged on an outer side of the plurality of ink chambers, the piezoelectric element using displacement in d31 direction, piezoelectric strain absorbing holes being formed through the piezoelectric element in regions of outer perimeters of active sections of the piezoelectric element, wherein when voltage is applied to one of the active sections of the piezoelectric element, corresponding one of the plurality of ink chambers is compressed by the piezoelectric element, and ink filled in the one of the plurality of ink chambers is discharged through the nozzle toward a recording medium.

Abstract: An inkjet head, comprising: a pressure chamber which are arranged two-dimensionally, and deformed by pressure generating unit and discharging ink from nozzles communicated with the pressure chamber; and a piezoelectric element which is included in the pressure generating unit, said piezoelectric element including a thin film piezoelectric element formed by means of a thin film forming technique.

Abstract: A system for assessing an environmental load includes an image acquisition unit which acquires image data of an image of a component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment, a component database which includes matching-purpose data and environmental load data with respect to a plurality of components, and a matching unit which matches the image data with the matching-purpose data of the component database to identify individual components on the component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment, and extracts the environmental load data belonging to the identified individual components from the component database, thereby obtaining the environmental load of the component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment.

Abstract: The droplet discharge head comprises: a plurality of nozzles which discharge droplets of liquid; a plurality of pressure chambers which are connected to the nozzles and filled with the liquid to be discharged through the nozzles; and a laminated piezoelectric body which has a plurality of active portions to impart pressure variation to the liquid inside the pressure chambers so as to cause the droplets to be discharged from the nozzles, respectively, wherein first linear grooves and second linear grooves which intersect each other at a prescribed non-orthogonal angle are formed in the laminated piezoelectric body, and the active portions of the laminated piezoelectric body are defined by the first and second linear grooves.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus in which a plurality of ink chambers filled with ink are aligned, said ink chambers being expanded or contracted and ink being discharged from nozzles of the ink chambers onto a recording medium, by applying a voltage to piezoelectric elements provided on the outer perimeter or the outer side of the ink chambers, wherein said piezoelectric elements are arranged in a substantially parallel plane to the nozzle surface; and shorting devices which short the electrodes of said piezoelectric elements are provided.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a compact and lightweight piezoelectric actuator, a driving method involving the piezoelectric actuator that can provide a large displacement at a low voltage, and a compact and lightweight information storage device with a high recording density that incorporates such a piezoelectric actuator and has a small moment of inertia of a head when the head is driven. The piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention has four rod-shaped driving sections. Of the four rod-shaped driving sections, a voltage is applied to the two driving sections located along a diagonal line at a time, and the voltage is applied to the two driving sections located along the other diagonal line at a different time from the time for the first two driving sections, whereby two central sections are rotationally driven relative to two end sections.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a small, light-weight, impact-resistant, high-accuracy, and low-cost piezoelectric actuator which can achieve a large displacement at a low drive voltage as well as an information storage device which incorporates the piezoelectric actuator and has high recording density. The piezoelectric actuator according to the present invention is equipped with a hinge plate 220 which has a central portion 221, two lateral portions 222 extending point-symmetrically from both ends of the central portion 221, and two limbs 223 extending point-symmetrically and non-linear symmetrically from both ends of the central portion 221 as well as with a piezoelectric element 210 which brings the two limbs 223 toward and away from each other.

Abstract: A system for assessing an environmental load includes an image acquisition unit which acquires image data of an image of a component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment, a component database which includes matching-purpose data and environmental load data with respect to a plurality of components, and a matching unit which matches the image data with the matching-purpose data of the component database to identify individual components on the component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment, and extracts the environmental load data belonging to the identified individual components from the component database, thereby obtaining the environmental load of the component-implemented circuit board subjected to assessment.

Abstract: When wire-bonding process is effected, a head assembly is held between a pair of clamp members. A head slider is urged against a microactuator. The urging force is transmitted to the microactuator through second adhesive layers. Since the second adhesive layers are positioned symmetrically around the rotational axis of the head slider, the urging force tends to act along the rotational axis. The microactuator is simultaneously urged against the support member. The urging force is transmitted from a first adhesive layer to the support member. Since the first adhesive layer extends around the rotational axis, the urging force tends to act along the rotational axis. The head slider is thus allowed to keep a uniform attitude. The microactuator is also allowed to keep a uniform attitude. The microactuator is prevented from suffering from substantial bending stresses.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator set includes a pair of elongated piezoelectric actuators. The elongated piezoelectric actuators establish the standard attitude of a head slider when no electric signal is supplied to the piezoelectric actuator set. When the electric signal is applied to the piezoelectric actuator set, the tip ends are pulled back toward the base ends in the elongated piezoelectric actuators. The piezoelectric actuator set generates a couple for driving the head slider for rotation around the rotational axis only in a predetermined direction from the standard attitude. The moment of inertia can be reduced in the head slider during rotation as compared with the case where the head slider is moved based on a swinging movement. The natural frequency can be raised in the vibration system comprising the head slider and the piezoelectric actuator set. The frequency of the electric signal or servo signal can be set over a wider frequency range.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a compact and lightweight piezoelectric actuator, a driving method involving the piezoelectric actuator that can provide a large displacement at a low voltage, and a compact and lightweight information storage device with a high recording density that incorporates such a piezoelectric actuator and has a small moment of inertia of a head when the head is driven. The piezoelectric actuator 110 according to the present invention has four rod-shaped driving sections 111—1, 111—2, 111—3 and 111—4.

Abstract: There are disclosed a piezoelectric actuator which can obtain large displacement at low voltage, which is small-sized and lightweight, and whose manufacture cost is low, and a small-sized lightweight information storage apparatus in which the piezoelectric actuator is incorporated, and which is provided with a small inertia moment during head driving and a high recording density. A piezoelectric actuator 200 includes a center body 200a and two spiral arms 200b, and two arms 200b are entirely in rotation symmetry and nonlinear symmetry.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator set includes a pair of elongated piezoelectric actuators. The elongated piezoelectric actuators establish the standard attitude of a head slider when no electric signal is supplied to the piezoelectric actuator set. When the electric signal is applied to the piezoelectric actuator set, the tip ends are pulled back toward the base ends in the elongated piezoelectric actuators. The piezoelectric actuator set generates a couple for driving the head slider for rotation around the rotational axis only in a predetermined direction from the standard attitude. The moment of inertia can be reduced in the head slider during rotation as compared with the case where the head slider is moved based on a swinging movement. The natural frequency can be raised in the vibration system comprising the head slider and the piezoelectric actuator set. The frequency of the electric signal or servo signal can be set over a wider frequency range.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording head having no piezoelectric element in a part where no piezoelectric element is required and including an individual electrode lead-out part having such a cross section that allows smooth power supply is provided.

Abstract: There are disclosed a piezoelectric actuator which can obtain large displacement at low voltage, which is small-sized and lightweight, and whose manufacture cost is low, and a small-sized lightweight information storage apparatus in which the piezoelectric actuator is incorporated, and which is provided with a small inertia moment during head driving and a high recording density. A piezoelectric actuator 200 includes a center body 200a and two spiral arms 200b, and two arms 200b are entirely in rotation symmetry and nonlinear symmetry.