Patent ID: 8162629
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: F04B,H01L

Abstract:
1. A piezoelectric pump comprising: a pump body including a pump chamber; and a piezoelectric element supported by the pump body so as to close the pump chamber, the piezoelectric element including a central area and a peripheral area surrounding the central area, the central area and the peripheral area being configured to bend in opposite directions in accordance with driving voltages applied to the piezoelectric element so as to change the volume of the pump chamber; wherein the piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of piezoelectric layers and electrodes interposed therebetween; a central area and a peripheral area of each of the plurality of piezoelectric layers are polarized in opposite directions to each other in a thickness direction of the plurality of piezoelectric layers; and the electrodes are configured such that driving electric fields oriented in the same thickness direction are applied to the central area and the peripheral area of each of the plurality of piezoelectric layers, and driving voltages at a common potential are applied to the electrodes located in common planes of the plurality of piezoelectric layers.