Method of manufacturing an actuator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056812-B2
Application number	US-201816056683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

An actuator device includes: an actuator including first contacts arranged in a first direction; and a wire member including second contacts and joined to the actuator. The second contacts are arranged in the first direction and respectively connected to the first contacts. Each of particular contacts as the first contacts or the second contacts has a protruding and recessed portion including: at least two protrusions; and a recess between the at least two protrusions. The particular contacts include: at least one central-region contact disposed on a central region in the first direction; and at least one end-region contact disposed nearer to an end region than to the central region in the first direction. The protruding and recessed portion of each of the at least one central-region contact is different in shape from the protruding and recessed portion of each of the at least one end-region contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing an actuator device, comprising:
forming a base;
forming a plurality of piezoelectric elements on the base;
forming a plurality of wires respectively connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements, the plurality of wires comprising at least one first wire each having a first protruding-recessed portion and at least one second wire each having a second protruding-recessed portion, a shape of the first protruding-recessed portion being different from that of the second protruding-recessed portion between the plurality of wires; and
joining a contact of each of the at least one first wire and the at least one second wire to a corresponding one of at least one contact of a wire member.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming each of the plurality of wires comprises:
forming a base layer; and thereafter forming a plurality of first protrusions as the first protruding-recessed portion and a plurality of second protrusions as the second protruding-recessed portion on the base layer, a shape of each of the plurality of first protrusions being different from that of each of the plurality of second protrusions.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of first protrusions and each of the plurality of second protrusions are formed by plating.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming each of the plurality of wires comprises:
forming a base layer; and thereafter
forming a plurality of first recessions as the first protruding-recessed portion and a plurality of second recessions as the second protruding-recessed portion in an upper surface of the base layer, a shape of each of the plurality of first recessions being different from that of each of the plurality of second recessions.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the forming the plurality of piezoelectric elements on the base comprises:
forming a lower electrode on the base;
forming a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode; and
forming the first protruding-recessed portion and the second protruding-recessed portion on the piezoelectric layer at a position at which the piezoelectric layer and each of the plurality of wires are to be joined to each other, and

wherein the forming the plurality of wires comprises forming each of the plurality of wires which extends from a corresponding one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements to a corresponding one of the first protruding-recessed portion and the second protruding recessed portion formed on the piezoelectric layer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming the base comprises:
forming a vibration layer; and
forming the first protruding-recessed portion and the second protruding-recessed portion on the vibration layer at a position at which the vibration layer and each of the plurality of wires are to be joined to each other, and
wherein the forming the plurality of wires comprises forming each of the plurality of wires which extends from a corresponding one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements to a corresponding one of the first protruding-recessed portion and the second protruding-recessed portion formed on the vibration layer.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the joining the contact of the wire to the contact of the wire member comprises joining the contact of each of the plurality of wires and the contact on the corresponding one of the at least one contact of the wire member to each other with non-conductive adhesive.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming the plurality of wires comprises forming protrusions of the first protruding-recessed portion and the second protruding-recessed portion by gold plating.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kakiuchi Toru
• Kato Yasuo
• Wang Rui
• Ito Yuichi

Classifications

• B41J2/14233 Primary

  of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2002/14241

  having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element · CPC title

• B41J2/14201

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/1433

  Structure of nozzle plates · CPC title