Device having vibration wave motor as driving source

• US 6,384,511 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/471,020
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 310/316.01, 310/316.02, 310/317
• US Class Current: 310/316.01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/14 Drive circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/142 Small signal circuits; Means for controlling position or derived quantities, e.g. speed, torque, starting, stopping, reversing

Abstract

A vibration wave motor having improved driving characteristics includes a mode for driving the vibration wave motor at a second speed set higher than a first speed which is a normal speed of the motor required in normal processing performed by driving the vibration wave motor. When a use state of a device having the vibration wave motor satisfies one or plural preset conditions, the vibration wave motor is driven at the second speed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a vibration wave motor including a rotor and a stator and constituting a drive source that performs a predetermined operation;

a speed adjusting circuit which drives said vibration wave motor at a predetermined speed to perform the predetermined operation, said speed adjusting circuit also having a high speed mode for driving said vibration wave motor at a speed higher than the predetermined speed for performing the predetermined operation, the speed in said high speed mode being a speed selected for improving a condition of a frictional interface between the rotor and the stator of said vibrating wave motor; and

a high speed driving judging circuit which detects a use or operation state of the device or a rotating state of the vibration wave motor and allows driving of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode when said high speed driving judging circuit determines that the use or operation state of the device or the rotating state of the vibration wave motor is a predetermined state.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the speed of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode is higher than a speed used in a normal operation of the device.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said speed adjusting circuit drives the motor for a predetermined time at high speed in the high speed mode.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device is an image forming device in which a speed of the motor when rotating at the predetermined speed with said vibration wave motor as a driving source is set to a process speed of image formation.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit determines whether high speed driving is allowed or not by comparing one or plural preset conditions with the use or operation state of the device detected by said high speed driving judging circuit.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit does not allow high speed driving when said high speed driving judging circuit detects said device is in a state in which the device performs a main operation.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit allows high speed driving when said high speed driving judging circuit detects the device is in an operation state preparatory to a main operation of the device.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein said one or plural conditions are stored in memory.

9. A device according to claim 5, wherein the device further comprises display means for displaying the use or operation state of the device detected by said high speed driving judging circuit.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a vibration wave motor stable rotation detecting circuit which detects whether the vibration wave motor is stably rotated at a constant speed for a period of time, and said high speed driving judging circuit allows high speed driving when the vibration wave motor stable rotation detecting circuit determines that the vibration wave motor is not stably rotated.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein said vibration wave motor stable rotation detecting circuit is a detecting circuit that detects a wow and flutter characteristic value of the vibration wave motor.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a stopping circuit which stops a driving operation of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode when said high speed driving judging circuit determines that the use or operation state of the device has become a predetermined inhibiting state during the driving operation of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit allows driving of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode just after power to the device is turned on.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit allows driving of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode just before a main operation is started by the device.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein a driving speed of the vibration wave motor in the high speed mode is determined in accordance with a maximum speed at which the motor can stably rotate.

16. A device according to claim 4, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit does not allow high speed mode driving during an image formation operation.

17. A device according to claim 15, wherein said high speed driving judging circuit allows high speed mode driving in a state preparatory to execution of an image forming operation.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said high speed driving circuit allows high speed mode driving when an image forming operation preparation signal is input from an exterior apparatus.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said exterior apparatus is a facsimile apparatus.

20. A device according to claim 18, wherein said exterior apparatus is a LAN interface apparatus.

21. A device according to claim 18, wherein said exterior apparatus is a printer format apparatus.

22. A device comprising:

a vibration wave motor including a rotor and a stator and constituting a driving source for performing a predetermined operation;

a speed adjusting circuit which drives said vibration wave motor at a predetermined speed to perform the predetermined operation;

a driving circuit which drives said vibration wave motor in a predetermined manner so as to improve a condition of a frictional interface between said rotor and said stator of said vibration wave motor;

a judging circuit which detects a use or operation state of the device or a rotating state of the vibration wave motor, and determines whether the use or operation state of the device or the rotating state of the vibration wave motor conforms to one or plural predetermined conditions; and

a control circuit which allows an operation of said driving circuit when said judging circuit determines that the state detected conforms to said one or plural conditions.

23. A device according to claim 22, wherein said device performs plural processings and said judging circuit determines that the state detected does not conform to said one or plural conditions during execution of a specific processing among the plural processings.

24. A device according to claim 22, wherein said judging circuit determines that the state detected conforms to said one or plural conditions at a time of turning on power to the device.

25. A device according to claim 22, wherein said one or plural conditions are stored in memory.