Patent ID: 7999442

Claim:
A piezoelectric actuator, comprising: a first piezoelectric member that is bendable and displaceable in a thickness direction thereof, a second piezoelectric member that is bendable and displaceable in a thickness direction thereof opposite to the displacement direction of the first piezoelectric member; an operative member fixed to both ends in the longitudinal direction of one of the two piezoelectric members; and a support member fixed to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the other of the two piezoelectric members, wherein the first piezoelectric member and the second piezoelectric member are superposed over and spaced from each other in the thickness direction of the first piezoelectric member and the second piezoelectric member, and a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the first piezoelectric member and a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the second piezoelectric member are fixed to each other so that the first and second piezoelectric members undergo simultaneous bending displacement in opposite directions relative to the fixed center portions in response to input of a piezoelectric actuator drive signal to thereby displace the operative member relative to the support member.