Separable liquid droplet instrument and piezoelectric drivers therefor

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
In a liquid drop generator comprising: a housing having a plurality of pressure chambers therein, said pressure chambers opening onto an outer surface of said housing; elastic diaphragm means sealing each chamber opening thereby forming an outer wall of a respective chamber; driver unit means releasably secured to said housing, said driver unit means comprising a carrier member and a plurality of transducer means operatively secured to said carrier member; said transducer means comprising a plurality of piezoelectric members and elastic means operatively secured to each said piezoelectric member for deforming therewith, the portion of said transducer elastic means corresponding to each said piezoelectric members operatively engaging said diaphragm means of a respective one of said chambers in such a manner to normally exert a stress on said diaphragm means tending to decrease the volume of a respective said chamber; and means for applying a voltage across said piezoelectric members to deform the same and thereby their respective said transducer elastic means and diaphragm means for decreasing the volume of their respective said chambers.
2.
The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm means comprises a plurality of separate diaphragm members, one for each chamber.
3.
The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm means is a web spanning said chambers.
4.
The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein all of said pressure chambers open onto only one surface of said housing, and said driver unit means is located opposite said one surface.
5.
The structure as recited in claim 4 further comprising a plurality of droplet outlet orifices, each communicated with a respective one of said pressure chambers.
6.
The structure as recited in claim 1 wherein a group of said pressure chambers opens onto one surface of said housing, and another group of said pressure chambers opens onto another surface of said housing; a portion of said driver unit means being located opposite said one surface of said housing, and another portion of said driver unit means being located opposite said another surface of said housing