EFFICIENT LOW VOLTAGE PIEZOELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

• US 3,624,451 A
• Filed: 05/04/1970
• Issued: 11/30/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Godfrey R. Gauld
• Original Assignee: Godfrey R. Gauld
• Inventors: Gauld, Godfrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayewsky, Volodymyr Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/034,239
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 317/79,80,81,96,98 102/7.2A,7.2R
• US Class Current: 361/251
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 11/02 with piezo-crystal
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/12 Heat utilisation in combustion or incineration of waste

Abstract

An electric device for efficient transfer of power from a piezoelectric crystal source to a capacitor. The piezoelectric crystal is coupled to a transformer, the secondary of which is shunted by a series combination of a rectifying device and a storage capacitor, all in such manner that energy is transferred from the piezoelectric crystal, essentially a first capacitance device, to the storage capacitor, a second capacitance device, with a new order of efficiency. In a specific embodiment of the invention the piezoelectric crystal and two capacitances are associated with biasing networks and a transistorized switching circuit and a firing circuit in such manner that the energy transferred into the storage capacitor is utilized to fire a squib.

Claims

1. In an energy generating and transfer circuit of the type comprising a piezoelectric signal generator having an output, a circuit for improved energy transfer comprising a transformer having a primary coupled to said output, and also a secondary, a rectifier device connected to form a series combination with said secondary, storage capacitance connected across said series combination, said energy being stored in the magnetic field of said transformer during transfer from said generator to said storage capacitance, a firing squib, and means energized by said capacitance to fire said squib.

2. A firing circuit comprising, in combination:

transistorized electronic switching means adapted to be forward biased into conductivity and reverse biased into nonconductivity;

a piezoelectric generator adapted to be charged to provide a voltage of predetermined polarity, such generator having an output, a transformer having a primary coupled to said output and also a secondary, a unidirectional current-flow device in series combination with said secondary;

a first biasing circuit including a timing capacitor across said series combination for intercoupling said series combination and the switching means in such manner that, when the generator is charged, the switching means is reverse biased into nonconductivity;

a second biasing circuit, comprising a chain of diodes and a storage capacitor for intercoupling said series combination and the switching means in such a way that, as the generator discharges, the storage capacitor is charged by the generator to forward bias the switching means in a conductive direction, the switching means becoming conductive when the charge on the generator drops so low that the forward bias overcomes the reverse bias; and

a firing squib, the storage capacitor and the firing squib being connected in a discharge path with the switching means, so that the storage capacitor discharges to fire the squib as the switching means becomes conductive.