Ultrasonic motor drive apparatus having surge and oscillation suppressing member

• US 6,278,220 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Toshihiro, Furukoshi, Hiroyuki, Matsushita, Teruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEDLEY, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US09/511,682
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 310/316.02, 310/323.02, 318/116
• US Class Current: 310/316.02
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/142 Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. speed, torque, starting, stopping, reversing
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/147 Multi-phase circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/163 Motors with ring stator

Abstract

An ultrasonic motor drive apparatus includes a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil which drives a piezoelectric body of an ultrasonic motor. One end and the other end of the primary coil are connected to the drains of MOSFETS. The gates of the MOSFETs are connected to receive switching signals to alternately turn on and off electrical currents which flow in the primary coil. The sources of the MOSFETs are connected to the ground through ferrite beads, respectively. The ferrite bead generates a counter electromotive voltage so that the surge voltage which develops on the drain of the MOSFET at the time of turning off of the MOSFET is suppressed and high frequency oscillations are suppressed.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic motor drive apparatus comprising:

a d.c. power source;

a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, the primary coil having a first end connected to the power source and a second end;

a switching device having an input terminal, an output terminal and a control terminal, the input terminal being connected to the second end of the primary coil and the output terminal connected to a ground, the switching device being for turning on and off an electrical current to the primary coil in response to a control signal applied to the control terminal; and

a suppression member connected between the output terminal of the switching device and the ground to suppress surge voltages and high frequency oscillations.

2. An ultrasonic motor drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suppression member is a ferrite bead.

3. An ultrasonic motor drive apparatus of claim 2, wherein the switching device is a MOSFET having a drain connected to the primary coil and a source grounded through the bead.

4. An apparatus for an electric device comprising:

a d.c. power source;

a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, the primary coil having a first end connected to the power source and a second end, and the secondary coil being connected to the electric device;

a switching device connected between the second end of the primary coil and a reference potential, the switching device being for turning on and off an electrical current to the primary coil in response to a control signal applied thereto; and

an inductive member connected between the switching device and the reference potential to slow down a turning-off of the switching device thereby to reduce surge voltages.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the inductive member is a ferrite bead.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switching device is a MOSFET having a drain connected to the primary coil and a source grounded through the bead.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the secondary coil is connected to a piezoelectric device of an ultrasonic motor as the electric device.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further including a plurality of said switching devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said plurality of switching devices are turned on in sequence at a frequency determined by a microcomputer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said microcomputer controls the timings of turning on and off said switching devices in response to the rotation pulse signals and the vibrations of the ultrasonic motor.