Regulated ultrasonic generator
First Claim
1. An apparatus for generating a driving signal for powering an ultrasonic transducer, said apparatus comprising:
- a power supply;
bridge inverter means powered by said power supply for generating a power signal having two alternating components of opposite potential, wherein said bridge inverter means includes four power transistors configured in two pairs thereof, wherein each pair of power transistors generates one component of said power signal;
timing means for generating a timing signal equal in frequency to the desired frequency of said power signal;
bridge driving means responsive to said timing signal for periodically generating base drive signals that when supplied to the bases of said power transistors cause said power transistors to switch on, wherein said bridge driving means alternately generates said base drive signals at the desired frequency for switching on alternate pairs of said power transistors;
bridge modulating means coupled between said bridge driving means and said bridge inverter means for selectively connecting said base drive signals to and disconnecting said base drive signals form the bases of said power transistors, said bridge modulating means including four modulating transistors each coupled between said bridge driving means and a base terminal of one of said power transistors and operable for supplying a base drive signal to its coupled power transistor, said bridge modulating means including means responsive to the power of said power signal for regulating the amount of time during each cycle of said power signal that said power transistors are on by switching on and off said modulating transistors; and
means for supplying said power signal to the ultrasonic transducer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A regulated ultrasonic generator operable for supplying a driving signal to an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed. The generator includes: a power supply; a bridge inverter circuit for generating a power signal having two alternating components of opposite potential; a timing circuit for generating a timing signal equal in frequency to the desired frequency of the power signal; a bridge driver circuit for periodically generating base drive signals for switching on the bridge inverter circuit; a bridge modulating circuit for controlling the amount of time during each cycle that the bridge inverter circuit is on so as to regulate the power content of the power signal; and means for supplying the power signal to the ultrasonic transducer.
80 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for generating a driving signal for powering an ultrasonic transducer, said apparatus comprising:
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a power supply; bridge inverter means powered by said power supply for generating a power signal having two alternating components of opposite potential, wherein said bridge inverter means includes four power transistors configured in two pairs thereof, wherein each pair of power transistors generates one component of said power signal; timing means for generating a timing signal equal in frequency to the desired frequency of said power signal; bridge driving means responsive to said timing signal for periodically generating base drive signals that when supplied to the bases of said power transistors cause said power transistors to switch on, wherein said bridge driving means alternately generates said base drive signals at the desired frequency for switching on alternate pairs of said power transistors; bridge modulating means coupled between said bridge driving means and said bridge inverter means for selectively connecting said base drive signals to and disconnecting said base drive signals form the bases of said power transistors, said bridge modulating means including four modulating transistors each coupled between said bridge driving means and a base terminal of one of said power transistors and operable for supplying a base drive signal to its coupled power transistor, said bridge modulating means including means responsive to the power of said power signal for regulating the amount of time during each cycle of said power signal that said power transistors are on by switching on and off said modulating transistors; and means for supplying said power signal to the ultrasonic transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for generating a driving signal for powering an ultrasonic transducer, said apparatus comprising:
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a power supply; bridge inverter means powered by said power supply for generating a power signal having two alternating components of opposite potential, wherein said bridge inverter means includes four power transistors configured in two pairs thereof, wherein each pair of power transistors generates one component of said power signal; timing means for generating a timing signal equal in frequency to the desired frequency of said power signal; bridge driving means responsive to said timing signal for periodically generating base drive signals that when supplied to the bases of said power transistors cause said power transistors to switch on, wherein said bridge driving means alternately generates said base drive signals at the desired frequency for switching on alternate pairs of said power transistors, wherein said bridge driving means includes a bridge driving transformer and means for supplying an alternating current to said bridge driving transformer, wherein said alternating current is equal in frequency to said timing signal, and wherein said base drive signals are generated by secondary windings of said bridge driving transformer; bridge modulating means coupled between said bridge driving means and said bridge inverter means for selectively connecting said base drive signals to and disconnecting said base drive signals from the bases of said power transistors, wherein said bridge modulating means includes four modulating transistors and means for switching said modulating transistors on and off, wherein each of said modulating transistors is connected in series between the base of a corresponding one of said power transistors and one of said secondary windings of said bridge driving transformer, wherein said means for switching said modulating transistors includes logic means for combining said timing signal with a modulator signal to control the switching of said modulating transistors, wherein said modulator signal defines the amount of time during each cycle of said power signal that said power transistors are to be switched on in order to obtain a desired current of said power signal, wherein said bridge modulating means further includes means for generating said modulator signal including current sensing means for sensing the current of said power signal, comparison means for generating a current error signal indicative of the relative difference between the sensed current of said power signal and the desired current thereof, and pulse width modulation means responsive to said current error signal for generating said modulator signal; and an output power transformer coupled to said bridge inverter means for converting said power signal into the driving signal for transmission to the ultrasonic transducer.
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Specification