Control apparatus for intermittently driving actuator, powder feeder and servo system utilizing thereof

• US 5,917,266 A
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tateishi, Mamoru, Murai, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US08/933,010
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 310/316, 310/317, 310/319, 310/323, 310/325, 318/116, 318/118
• US Class Current: 310/316.01
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0246 with a feedback signal
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/06 Drive circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/062 Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. for removing hysteresis
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/802 Drive or control circuitry or methods for piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Disclosed is the powder feeder in which the sampling timing G, H, . . . is set during the inactive period T_i in synchronism with the cycle of the duty ratio clock when the output voltage V_CELL is fed back to the microcomputer 13, thereby the feedback signal (the output voltage V_CELL) on which noise is not superposed can be sampled and the feed amount of the powder P can be controlled with high accuracy.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for intermittently driving an actuator by applying a driving voltage to the actuator, the control apparatus comprising:

timing clock pulse product means for producing a clock pulse with a duty ratio;

voltage application means for applying the driving voltage to the actuator according to the duty ratio;

sensor means for detecting change amount of the actuator as a voltage value;

sampling means for sampling the voltage value detected by the sensor means after a predetermined time is elapsed since the actuator stops or starts to be driven; and

control means for controlling the duty ratio on the basis of voltage value sampled by the sampling means.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clock pulse has an active period and an inactive period in one cycle of the clock pulse and the duty ratio is determined by proportion of the active period in one cycle of the clock pulse.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the maximum value of the duty ratio is set to 95%.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving voltage is applied to the actuator during the active period.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving voltage is a voltage with a resonance frequency of the actuator.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is set to several msec.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises an ultrasonic motor.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a DC motor.

9. A powder feeder for intermittently driving a vibrator having a piezoelectric element by applying a driving voltage with a predetermined resonance frequency to the piezoelectric element, the powder feeder comprising:

timing clock pulse product means for producing a clock pulse with a duty ratio;

voltage application means for applying the driving voltage to the piezoelectric element according to the duty ratio;

a powder feed pipe attached to a top end of the vibrator;

a powder storing hopper for feeding the powder to the powder feed pipe;

weight sensor means for detecting a weight of the powder in the powder storing hopper as a voltage value;

sampling means for sampling the voltage value detected by the weight sensor means after a predetermined time is elapsed since the piezoelectric element stops to be driven; and

control means for controlling the duty ratio on the basis of voltage value sampled by the sampling means.

10. The powder feeder according to claim 9, wherein the vibrator comprises an ultrasonic motor.

11. The powder feeder according to claim 9, wherein the powder feed pipe is formed of nylon tube.

12. The powder feeder according to claim 10, wherein the resonance frequency is approximately 29.4 kHz.

13. The powder feeder according to claim 9, wherein the weight sensor means comprises a load cell.

14. The powder feeder according to claim 9, wherein the clock pulse has an active period and an inactive period in one cycle of the clock pulse and the duty ratio is determined by proportion of the active period in one cycle of the clock pulse.

15. The powder feeder according to claim 14, wherein the maximum value of the duty ratio is set to 95%.

16. The powder feeder according to claim 14, wherein the driving voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element during the active period.

17. The powder feeder according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is set to several msec.

18. A servo system for intermittently driving a motor by applying a driving voltage to the motor, the servo system comprising:

pulse width modulating means for producing a clock pulse with a duty ratio and for applying the driving voltage to the motor according to the duty ratio;

first sensor means for detecting a voltage in the motor as a voltage value;

second sensor means for detecting an onset edge of the clock pulse;

delay means for delaying an output signal from the second sensor means for a predetermined time;

sampling means for sampling the voltage value detected by the first sensor means on the basis of the output signal delayed by the delay means; and

control means for controlling the duty ratio on the basis of voltage value sampled by the sampling means.

19. The servo system according to claim 18, wherein the clock pulse has an active period and an inactive period in one cycle of the clock pulse and the duty ratio is determined by proportion of the active period in one cycle of the clock pulse.

20. The servo system according to claim 19, wherein the driving voltage is applied to the motor during the active period.

21. The servo system according to claim 18, wherein the driving voltage is a voltage with a resonance frequency of the actuator.

22. The servo system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined time is set to several msec.

23. The servo system according to claim 18, wherein the motor comprises a DC motor.