Patent · US Expired

Stepping motor control circuit

US4129816A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
5References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 10, 1977
Grant dateDec 12, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02P8/16
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A stepping motor is described having two operative modes, the first mode being a normal rotary mode and the second a stationary mode. During rotary operation, the induced energy created by interruption of the current flow through the energized phase winding is dissipated quickly by a zener diode connected across the winding. In the stationary mode, a pulsed current is fed to one of the phase windings of the motor to assure stationary positioning of the rotor. During stationary operation, the zener diode is shunted with a second conventional diode providing a low impedance path to the current induced in the phase winding upon de-energization. This low impedance path greatly reduces the energy dissipated during the off condition of the pulsed current thereby greatly reducing motor power requirements during stationary operation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.