Vibration device having cushioning material with reduced thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11323045-B2
Application number	US-202015931846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	May 24, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A vibration device that includes a flat plate that has a first main surface and a second main surface; a vibrator that is configured to vibrate along a first direction parallel to the first main surface; a connecting member that connects the vibrator to the first main surface of the flat plate; a support member having a cavity or a recess in a portion thereof facing the vibrator; and a cushioning material connecting the first main surface of the flat plate to the support member, the cushioning material being disposed so as to not overlap with the vibrator in a plan view of the vibration device. A combined length of the vibrator and the connecting member in a second direction perpendicular to the first main surface of the flat plate is larger than a length of the cushioning material in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vibration device, comprising:
a flat plate that has a first main surface and a second main surface;
a vibrator that is configured to vibrate along a first direction parallel to the first main surface of the flat plate;
a connecting member that connects the vibrator to the first main surface of the flat plate;
a support member having a cavity or a recess in a portion thereof facing the vibrator; and
a cushioning material connecting the first main surface of the flat plate to the support member, the cushioning material being disposed so as to not overlap with the vibrator in a plan view of the vibration device, wherein
a combined length of the vibrator and the connecting member in a second direction perpendicular to the first main surface of the flat plate is larger than a length of the cushioning material in the second direction.

2. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is separated by a gap from the support member in the first direction in the plan view of the vibration device.

3. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cushioning material includes a first cushioning material and a second cushioning material, and
the first cushioning material and the second cushioning material are disposed so as to sandwich the vibrator along the first direction.

4. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein an area of the vibrator is smaller than an area of the first main surface of the flat plate.

5. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator comprises:
a frame portion;
a diaphragm;
a beam portion connecting the frame portion and the diaphragm; and
a piezoelectric film that is disposed on a side facing the cavity or the recess of the support member, and connected to the frame portion and the diaphragm.

6. The vibration device according to claim 5 , wherein the frame portion surrounds the diaphragm, and the beam portion supports the diaphragm within the frame portion.

7. The vibration device according to claim 5 , wherein the frame portion, the diaphragm, and the beam portion are formed of a same material.

8. The vibration device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a first connection portion connecting the piezoelectric film to the frame portion; and
a second connection portion connecting the piezoelectric film to the diaphragm.

9. The vibration device according to claim 8 wherein the first and second connection portions have a thickness such that the piezoelectric film does not contact the diaphragm.

10. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the cushioning material is formed of a material that is more easily deformed when applied with an external force than the support member and the flat plate.

11. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member has a cavity, and the cavity has an area larger than an area of the vibrator in the plan view.

12. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member has a cavity, and the cavity partially overlaps the vibrator in the plan view.

13. The vibration device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member has a recess, and a part of the vibrator is within the recess.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Endo Jun
• Hashimoto Junichi
• Otera Shozo
• Tominaga Toru

Classifications

• H02N2/004 Primary

  Rectangular vibrators · CPC title

• B06B1/0688 Primary

  with foil-type piezoelectric elements, e.g. PVDF · CPC title

• B06B1/0648

  of rectangular shape · CPC title

• H02N2/005

  Mechanical details, e.g. housings (casings for dynamo-electric machines H02K5/00) · CPC title

• B06B1/0666

  used as a diaphragm · CPC title