Piezoelectric audio transducers are known to comprise a piezoelectric bender and supporting structure. Typically, such a transducer has the piezoelectric bender attached to the housing in by the periphery of the bender to provide adequate acoustic impedance. With such a structure, the piezoelectric bender vibrates when it receives an electrical stimulus. This vibration creates a sound pressure within the housing such that the transducer renders the electrical stimulus into an audible signal. By having the piezoelectric bender attached to the housing by it's periphery, the amount of vibration is limited for a give size bender, which also limits the strength of the audible signals. To achieve desired audible signal levels, the piezoelectric bender area has to increase in size (in excess of 2.46 sq. cm), which limits its applicability in electronic devices that are striving for miniaturization (such devices need an audio transducer that is no more than 0.78' sq. cm).
One solution to the miniaturization problem is to use magnetic transducers. Magnetic transducers can meet both the size requirements and audible level requirements of miniaturized electronic devices. However, magnetic transducers have low impedance and, as such, draw a relatively large amount of current, which is a sacred commodity in miniaturized electronic devices such as cellular telephones or pagers.
Therefore, a need exists for a piezoelectric audio transducer that meets the size requirements of miniaturized electronic devices while not having the current drain problems of the prior art.