US 11,856,365 B2
Transducer including coupler fitted in slits between beams
Shinsuke Ikeuchi, Nagaokakyo (JP); Seiji Umezawa, Nagaokakyo (JP); Masayuki Suzuki, Nagaokakyo (JP); and Fumiya Kurokawa, Nagaokakyo (JP)
Assigned to MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Kyoto (JP)
Filed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Nagaokakyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/830,501.
Application 17/830,501 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/031101, filed on Aug. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-227180 (JP), filed on Dec. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0303693 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 17/02 (2006.01); H10N 30/853 (2023.01)
CPC H04R 17/02 (2013.01) [H04R 2400/01 (2013.01); H10N 30/8542 (2023.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transducer, comprising:
a base that is ring-shaped;
beams each including a fixed end portion connected to an inner periphery of the base and a tip portion located opposite the fixed end portion, each of the beams extending such that the tip portion is farther than the fixed end portion from the inner periphery; and
a coupler fitted in slits between adjacent ones of the beams to define a connection between the beams and extending from an upper portion of the base into each of the slits without a break; wherein
the beams each include:
a piezoelectric layer; and
a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer on opposite sides of the piezoelectric layer in a direction of a central axis of the base such that the second electrode layer faces at least a portion of the first electrode layer with the piezoelectric layer interposed therebetween in the direction of the central axis;
a Young's modulus of a material of the coupler is lower than a Young's modulus of a material of the piezoelectric layer; and
a maximum thickness of the coupler in the upper portion of the base in the direction of the central axis of the base is greater than a thickness of each of the beams.