US 11,982,368 B2
Piezoelectric actuator, piezoelectric valve, and method of manufacturing piezoelectric actuator
Takafumi Ito, Tokyo (JP); Tadashi Matsushita, Tokyo (JP); Toshiro Higuchi, Tokyo (JP); Sze Keat Chee, Tokyo (JP); Kunio Ebihara, Shimotsuma (JP); and Toshitada Hirata, Shimotsuma (JP)
Assigned to SATAKE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP); and MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/615,653
Filed by SATAKE CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP); and MECHANO TRANSFORMER CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 6, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/009798
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 1, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/246090, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-105449 (JP), filed on Jun. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0316617 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. F16K 31/00 (2006.01); H02N 2/04 (2006.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.01)
CPC F16K 31/007 (2013.01) [F16K 31/003 (2013.01); F16K 31/004 (2013.01); H02N 2/043 (2013.01); H10N 30/20 (2023.02)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A piezoelectric actuator used for a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes a valve utilizing displacement of a laminated piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric actuator comprising:
a valve element;
a laminated piezoelectric element that generates a driving force as a displacement, the driving force being required for operation of the valve element; and
a displacement enlargement mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the laminated piezoelectric element and causes the enlarged displacement to act on the valve element,
wherein a surface of the valve element to be in contact with a valve seat of the piezoelectric valve is made flat and smooth in a state by polishing in which a tensile load is applied to the laminated piezoelectric element with a front surface of the valve element being deformed in a concave shape.