PIEZOELECTRIC PRINTER AND PIEZOELECTRIC MULTILAM ACTUATOR USED THEREIN

摘要

A piezoelectric printer including: a frame; a plurality of printer units mounted on the frame; each unit including a piezoelectric multilam including at least two piezoelectric members and having a mounting portion and an actuating portion; the actuating portion moveable in an actuating direction and a cocking direction, the multilam being tapered in its lateral dimension and being larger at the mounting portion and smaller at the actuating portion; a weight carried by the multilam for increasing the energy transfer of the multilam; and a printing element driven by the actuating portion; means for applying a cocking voltage and an actuating voltage to the members, which voltages are less than the rupture voltage in the poling direction and less than the depoling voltage in the depoling direction, for cocking and actuating the multilam to drive the printing element to the printing position and guide means attached to the frame for guiding the printing elements; the printer units are arranged in sets of stacked arrays, which may be overlapped and may include holes in each of the inferior printer units for receiving printer elements from superior printing units.