Patent 7342349 was granted and assigned to NGK Insulators on March, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
There is disclosed a one-dimensional piezoelectric actuator array 1 houses a piezoelectric device 35 including a plate or pillar-shaped piezoelectric member 4 and electrodes 18, 19, and having a planar form; the device 35 being driven by a piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric member 4. The piezoelectric device 35 is formed as a whole in a planar comb shape wherein comb teeth 26 are connected to one another in one end, and portions of the comb teeth 26 work as a plurality of driving portions 31. The guide substrate 2 and piezoelectric device substrate 3 are integrally unified in such a manner that the resultant is readily usable for the formation of a multiply stuck structural body. In case of need, the array may be further provided with a guide substrate 2 having a concave portion 9 for housing at least a part of the piezoelectric device substrate 3.