Electrical generator or motor structure – Non-dynamoelectric – Piezoelectric elements and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-09
2001-03-06
Ramirez, Nestor (Department: 2834)
Electrical generator or motor structure
Non-dynamoelectric
Piezoelectric elements and devices
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198203
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric vibrating member for, according to a displacement thereof, pressuring ink accommodated in an ink cavity to eject an ink droplet, for use in a Drop-On-Demand ink-jet recording head, and a process of producing the piezoelectric member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There has been known a process of producing a piezoelectric vibrating member for use in a Drop-On-Demand ink-jet recording head, in which common and individual electrodes are provided on opposite major surfaces of a plate of piezoelectric material, respectively, cutting the plate into the form of a comb using a dicing saw to form a plurality of equally spaced piezoelectric actuators, and bonding the piezoelectric actuators onto a vibrating substrate.
The above process, however, takes an increased time in cutting the piezoelectric plate by the dicing saw, which renders the process inefficient. Also, the machined piezoelectric actuators must be fixed at a specific positions on the vibrating substrate with a great precision. However, they are bonded on the substrate using an adhesive, leading an inefficient and inaccurate assembling thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a new and useful piezoelectric vibrating member and its producing process, and further to provide an ink-jet recording head which includes such piezoelectric vibrating members.
Another object of the invention is to provide a process for producing a piezoelectric vibrating member, which requires no machining using a dicing saw, thereby resulting in an efficient process for producing the member.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a process for producing a piezoelectric vibrating member, which is capable of efficiently manufacturing the piezoelectric vibrating member with great precision.
A further object of the invention is to provide a process for producing a piezoelectric vibrating member that does not require bonding or complicated assembly.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a piezoelectric vibrating member which is formed with a great precision.
To accomplish the above described objects, a process for producing a piezoelectric vibrating member comprises the steps of:
(a) forming a first electrode on a thin plate;
(b) providing a slurry on the first electrode, the slurry being prepared by dispersing a calcined powder of piezoelectric material in a solvent containing a dissolved coupling agent;
(c) drying the slurry to produce a green sheet;
(d) pressure molding the green sheet to produce a plurality of precursor members arranged at a predetermined space;
(e) sintering the precursor members to produce unpolarized piezoelectric members;
(f) forming second electrodes on the piezoelectric members; and
(g) polarizing the piezoelectric members.
Also, the invention intends to provide a piezoelectric vibrating member formed by the process with a great precision.
According to the producing process of the piezoelectric vibrating member, in the first step (a), the first electrode, e.g., common electrode, is formed on one major surface of the non-piezoelectric thin plate by a well-known coating technique, such as, plating or sputtering. In the second step (b), the slurry is provided by dispersing the calcined powder of piezoelectric material in the solvent containing a dissolved coupling agent by the use of a mold or by a well known doctor blading or tape casting. In the third step (c), the slurry is dried by, for example, infrared heating to produce flexible green sheet. In the fourth step (d), the green sheet is pressure molded by pressing with a mold or punching to produce a plurality of equally spaced precursor members. In the fifth step (e), the precursor members are sintered at a certain temperature to grow piezoelectric particles in the members and thereby to produce unpolarized piezoelectric members. In the sixth step (f), the second electrodes, e.g., individual electrode, are formed by a well-known coating technique, such as, plating, ion-plating, or sputtering, on the piezoelectric members so that they oppose the first electrode through the piezoelectric members. Finally, in the seventh step (g), the piezoelectric members are polarized to be piezoelectric actuators.
As described above, according to the process for producing the piezoelectric vibrating member, neither machining by dicing saw nor bonding of the piezoelectric members and the vibrating substrate, both required in the conventional process, is needed. Thus, the producing process of the present invention allows the piezoelectric members to be produced in a considerably simpler manner and to be efficiently assembled with a great precision.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate specific embodiments of the invention.
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Medley Peter
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Ramirez Nestor
Sidley & Austin
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