STRAIN/ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL TRANSDUCER

摘要

A strain/electrical potential transducer (10) includes a rigid base (12), a rigid beam (18) hinged to the base (12) at (20), an elongate stack (14 ) of dielectric substance, e.g. piezoelectric material, generally parallel with the beam (18) and hinged to the base at (16), and a rigid link (22) interconnecting ends of the beam and stack remote from the base (12). The transducer can be operated as a displacement generator by applying potential difference to the stack (14) via contacts (15) to strain the stack (14) and to cause amplified, transverse displacement as shown at (32). Conversely, the transducer can be operated as a sensor. Displacement at (32) causes strain in the stack (14) which generates a potential difference at the contacts (15). Composite transducers are disclosed. A manipulating device in the form of an arrangement of displacement generators and use thereof for microscanning are disclosed.