Patent ID: 8729778

Claim:
An electromechanical transducer comprising: an elongating/contracting member that elongates and contracts in response to application of a voltage and that has a side surface that is parallel to an elongation/contraction direction; a driving member adjacent the side surface of the elongating/contracting member, the driving member configured to be displaced together with the elongation and contraction of the elongating/contracting member; and first and second electrodes disposed in portions of the elongating/contracting member that oppose each other in the elongation/contraction direction, the first and second electrodes configured to apply a voltage to the elongating/contracting member in the elongation/contraction direction, wherein the elongating/contracting member has a rectangular parallelepiped shape having: first and second end surfaces that are parallel to a first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the elongation/contraction direction, and the first and second end surfaces are parallel to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to both the elongation/contraction direction and the first direction, first and second side surfaces that are parallel to the elongation/contraction direction and the first direction, and third and fourth side surfaces that are parallel to the elongation/contraction direction and the second direction.