Piezoelectric Actuator External Conductor Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piezoelectric actuators face reliability issues due to fatigue and cracking of external conductors caused by repeated displacement during long-term operation, leading to faulty conduction and potential fracture.
Innovation Solution
A piezoelectric actuator design featuring a thick-film conductor with a conductive reinforcer, where the second thick-film conductor is arranged in a frame-like shape and attached to the outer surface without direct contact with the first thick-film conductor, enhancing adhesion strength and dispersing stress to prevent cracking and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thick-film conductor is used as an external conductor on a piezoelectric component, then the conductor provides good electrical connection, but repeated displacement during long-term operation causes fatigue and cracking leading to fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The external conductor is divided into multiple layers: a first thick-film conductor layer directly on the piezoelectric component, and a second thick-film conductor layer arranged in a frame-like shape on the outer surface. This segmentation allows each layer to perform specific functions - the first layer provides electrical connection while the second layer provides mechanical reinforcement without direct contact, solving the contradiction between electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The external conductor uses a composite structure combining two different thick-film conductor layers with distinct properties and arrangements. The first layer offers good electrical contact, while the second frame-like layer provides mechanical reinforcement. This composite approach maintains electrical conductivity while significantly improving resistance to fatigue and cracking during repeated displacement operations.
2Strength
If a wire gauze is embedded in the thick-film conductor to increase mechanical strength, then the conductor becomes stronger, but the wire gauze may fracture when stress is applied during repeated displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mechanical reinforcement function from the electrical conduction function. Instead of embedding wire gauze within the thick-film conductor (which causes fracture under stress), the second thick-film conductor layer is arranged in a frame-like shape on the outer surface to provide mechanical reinforcement independently, while the first layer maintains electrical connection. This separation prevents the reinforcement element from fracturing during repeated displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The first thick-film conductor layer acts as an intermediary between the piezoelectric component and the second frame-like conductor layer. It provides the electrical connection to the piezoelectric component while allowing the second layer to provide mechanical reinforcement without direct contact. This intermediary structure enables both electrical conductivity and mechanical strength without the reinforcement element being subjected to stress that would cause fracture.
3Strength
If a meshed metal member is contact-connected to the external electrode to reinforce it, then the electrode gains mechanical strength, but adhesion is insufficient causing detachment during repeated displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The second thick-film conductor layer is merged with the outer surface of the first thick-film conductor layer through a bonding process that creates strong adhesion. This unified structure ensures that the frame-like reinforcement layer and the electrical conductor layer move together as one, preventing detachment during repeated displacement while maintaining both electrical conductivity and mechanical strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design significantly improves the reliability of the piezoelectric actuator by preventing faulty conduction and maintaining continuity of the external conductor even under repeated expansion and contraction, extending the actuator's operational lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric component which has a piezoelectric ceramic layer
Data Source
AI summary
A piezoelectric actuator includes external conductors formed on an outer surface of a piezoelectric component. The external conductors each include a thick-film conductor and a conductive reinforcer. The thick-film conductor is provided with a first thick-film conductor formed on the outer surface of the piezoelectric component, second thick-film conductors which are formed on part of an outer surface of the first thick-film conductor and which are in surface-contact with the outer surface of the first thick-film conductor. The conductive reinforcer is attached to outer surfaces of the second thick-film conductors.