PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATOR DRIVE DEVICE AND DC/DC CONVERTER THEREFOR

• US 20090051247A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: KAKEHI, Tatsuya, NAGASE, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/316.30
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/2096 for controlling piezoelectric injectors drive and control circuit for piezoelectric devices in general H10N30/802
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/067 generating drive pulses

Abstract

A fuel injection control apparatus drives piezoelectric actuators for opening and closing injectors of respective cylinders based on energy stored in a capacitor of a DC/DC converter A current detecting resistor for controlling a boost switch to charge the capacitor is disposed at a position at which current flowing through the capacitor is not detected. Further, current detecting resistors for controlling the piezoelectric actuators are disposed at positions at which charging current from a diode to the capacitor is not detected. Thus, the charging of the capacitor can be performed even during the control for charging/discharging the piezoelectric actuator.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric actuator drive device comprising:

a DC/DC converter including a boosting coil that is fed with a power source voltage at one end thereof, a boost switch that is connected in series in a path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and a reference potential lower than the power source voltage, a reverse-flow preventing diode that has an anode connected to a current path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and the boost switch, a capacitor that is connected in series in a path extending between a cathode of the reverse-flow preventing diode and the reference potential, and boost control means for performing boost switching control in which the boost switch is turned on and off repeatedly thereby to charge the capacitor with a current from the reverse-flow preventing diode and to generate a voltage higher than the power source voltage, at a positive terminal of the capacitor on a side opposite to the reference potential;

a charging/discharging coil connected in series with a piezoelectric actuator;

a charging path for feeding a supply voltage to a series circuit of the charging/discharging coil and the piezoelectric actuator from the positive terminal of the capacitor and through a charging switch;

a discharging path connected in parallel with the series circuit for discharging stored charge of the piezoelectric actuator through a discharging switch;

a first diode connected in parallel with the charging switch with a cathode thereof located on a side of the positive terminal of the capacitor;

a second diode connected in parallel with the discharging switch with a cathode thereof located on a side of the charging/discharging coil; and

charging/discharging control means for performing charging switching control in response to a drive command externally inputted and discharging switching control in response to a drive stop command externally inputted, the charging switching control being for repeatedly turning on and off the charging switch in an OFF state of the discharging switch thereby to charge and expand the piezoelectric actuator, and the discharging switching control being for repeatedly turning on and off the discharging switch in an OFF state of the charging switch thereby to discharge and contract the piezoelectric actuator, wherein the boost control means and the charging/discharging control means are configured to perform respective controls without detecting a charging current which flows from the reverse-flow preventing diode to the capacitor, respectively.

2. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, further comprising:

boost switch current detection means, provided in a current path extending from the power source voltage to the reference potential via the boosting coil and the boost switch, for detecting current flowing through the boost switch,

wherein the capacitor is connected directly to the reference potential at a negative terminal thereof, and

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn off the boost switch from ON when the current detected by the boost switch current detection means has increased to an OFF changeover threshold value for the boost switching control in an ON state of the boost switch during performance of the boost switching control, and

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn on the boost switch from OFF when a time period for which the boost switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the boost switching control.

3. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, wherein:

the boost control means is configured to turn off the boost switch from ON when a time period for which the boost switch is held ON reaches an ON time set value for the boost switching control during the performance of the boost switching control; and

the boost control means is configured to turn on the boost switch from OFF when a time period for which the boost switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the boost switching control.

4. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, further comprising:

piezoelectric actuator current detection means for detecting current flowing through the piezoelectric actuator in a current path extending from a node of the charging switch, the discharging switch and the charging/discharging coil to the ground potential via the charging/discharging coil and the piezoelectric actuator,

wherein the charging/discharging control means is configured to perform at least one of the charging switching control and the discharging switching control by using a current value detected by the piezoelectric actuator current detection means.

5. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, further comprising:

charging path current detection means for detecting current flowing through a current path in the current path extending from a node of the cathode of the reverse-flow preventing diode and the positive terminal of the capacitor to a node of the charging switch, the discharging switch and the charging/discharging coil via the charging switch,

wherein the charging/discharging control means is configured to perform the charging switching control by using a current value detected by the charging path current detection means.

6. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 5, wherein:

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn off the charging switch from ON when a charging current of the piezoelectric actuator detected by the charging path current detection means has increased to an OFF changeover threshold value for the charging switching control in an ON state of the charging switch during the performance of the charging switching control; and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn on the charging switch from OFF when a time period for which the charging switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the charging switching control.

7. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, further comprising:

discharging path current detection means for detecting a current flowing through a current path extending from a node of the charging switch, the discharging switch and the charging/discharging coil to the reference potential via the discharging switch; and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to perform the discharging switching control by using a current value which is detected by the discharging path current detection means.

8. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 7, wherein:

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn off the discharging switch from ON when a discharging current of the piezoelectric actuator detected by the discharging path current detection means has increased to an OFF changeover threshold value for the discharging switching control in an ON state of the discharging switch during performance of the discharging switching control, and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn on the discharging switch from OFF when a time period for which the discharging switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the discharging switching control.

9. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 7, wherein:

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn off the discharging switch from ON when a discharging current of the piezoelectric actuator detected by the discharging path current detection means has increased to an OFF changeover threshold value for the discharging switching control in an ON state of the discharging switch during performance of the discharging switching control, and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn on the discharging switch from OFF when a detected voltage of the node of the discharging switch, the charging switch and the charging/discharging coil has lowered to a predetermined threshold voltage in an OFF state of the discharging switch.

10. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, wherein:

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn off the charging switch from ON when a time period for which the charging switch is held ON reaches an ON time set value for the charging switching control during the performance of the charging switching control, and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn on the charging switch from OFF when a time period for which the charging switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the charging switching control.

11. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1, wherein:

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn off the discharging switch from ON when a time period for which the discharging switch is held ON reaches an ON time set value for the discharging switching control during performance of the discharging switching control, and

the charging/discharging control means is configured to turn on the discharging switch from OFF when a time period for which the discharging switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value for the discharging switching control.

12. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1,

wherein the boost switching control and at least one of the charging switching control and the discharging switching control are performed based on currents detected separately from each other.

13. The piezoelectric actuator drive device as in claim 1,

wherein the boost control means and the charging/discharging control means are configured to perform the boost switching control and the charging switching control or the discharging switching control based on currents flowing in current paths different from a current path including the reverse-flow preventing diode and the capacitor, respectively.

14. A DC/DC converter comprising:

a boosting coil that is fed with a power source voltage at one end thereof;

a boost switch that is connected in series in a path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and a reference potential lower than the power source voltage;

a reverse-flow preventing diode that has an anode connected to a current path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and the boost switch;

a capacitor that is connected in series in a path extending between a cathode of the reverse-flow preventing diode and the reference potential;

boost control means for performing boost switching control in which the boost switch is repeatedly turned on and off, thereby to charge the capacitor with a current from the reverse-flow preventing diode and to generate a voltage higher than the power source voltage at a positive terminal of the capacitor on a side opposite to the reference potential; and

boost-switch current detection means, provided in a current path extending from a power source voltage to a reference potential via the boosting coil and the boost switch, for detecting current flowing through the boost switch,

wherein the capacitor has a terminal connected to the reference potential directly,

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn off the boost switch from ON when the current detected by the boost switch current detection means has increased to an OFF changeover threshold value in an ON state of the boost switch during performance of the boost switching control, and

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn on the boost switch from OFF when a time period for which the boost switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value.

15. A DC/DC converter comprising:

a boosting coil that is fed with a power source voltage at one end thereof;

a boost switch that is connected in series in a path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and a reference potential lower than the power source voltage;

a reverse-flow preventing diode that has an anode connected to a current path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and the boost switch;

a capacitor that is connected in series in a path extending between a cathode of the reverse-flow preventing diode and the reference potential; and

boost control means for performing boost switching control in which the boost switch is repeatedly turned on and off, thereby to charge the capacitor with a current from the reverse-flow preventing diode and to generate a voltage higher than the power source voltage at a positive terminal of the capacitor on a side opposite to the reference potential,

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn off the boost switch from ON when a time period for which the boost switch is held ON reaches an ON time set value during performance of the boost switching control, and

wherein the boost control means is configured to turn on the boost switch from OFF when a time period for which the boost switch is held OFF reaches an OFF time set value.

16. A drive device for a piezoelectric actuator comprising:

a boosting coil that is fed with a power source voltage at one end thereof;

a boost switch that is connected in series in a path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and a reference potential lower than the power source voltage;

a reverse-flow preventing diode that has an anode connected to a current path extending between the other end of the boosting coil and the boost switch;

a capacitor that is connected in series in a path extending between a cathode of the reverse-flow preventing diode and the reference potential, and boost control means for performing boost switching control in which the boost switch is turned on and off thereby to charge the capacitor with a current from the reverse-flow preventing diode and to generate a voltage higher than the power source voltage at a positive terminal of the capacitor on a side opposite to the reference potential;

a charging switch which charges the piezoelectric actuator by stored energy of the capacitor; and

a discharging switch which discharges stored charges of the piezoelectric actuator,

wherein the boost switch, the charging switch and the discharging switch are controlled without detection of a charging current which flows from the reverse-flow preventing diode to the capacitor.