Device for driving a piezoelectric element
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasaki Mitsuyasu
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Abstract
A piezoelectric element drive device comprising a power condenser for charging the piezoelectric element. The discharging circuit for the piezoelectric element comprises a first discharging circuit having a discharging coil therein and connected to the ground, and a second discharging circuit having a discharging coil and connected to the power condenser. When the discharging operation of the piezoelectric element is started, the piezoelectric element is initially discharged to the ground via the first discharging circuit, and then the piezoelectric element is discharged to the power condenser via the second discharging circuit, to charge the power condenser.
Claims20
A device for driving a piezoelectric element, comprising:
- a power condenser having a high voltage side terminal;
- first switching means connected between the piezoelectric element and the high voltage side terminal of said power condenser for charging the piezoelectric element by using a high potential at the high voltage side terminal of said power condenser;
- a first discharging circuit having a discharging coil therein and connected between the piezoelectric element to the ground via said first discharging circuit;
- a second discharging circuit having a discharging coil therein and connected between the piezoelectric element and the high voltage side terminal of said power condenser for discharging the piezoelectric element to the high voltage side terminal of said power condenser via said second discharging circuit;
- and
- discharge control means coupled to the first and second discharging circuits for discharging the piezoelectric element to the high voltage side terminal of said power condenser via said second discharging circuit after discharging the piezoelectric element to the ground via said first discharging circuit, said discharge control means including means for selectively preventing discharging of the piezoelectric element through the first and second discharging circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.