Patent · US Expired

Method for driving piezoelectric actuator

US5475278A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
16References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 30, 1994
Grant dateDec 12, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10N30/883

Abstract

A piezoelectric actuator is driven by continuously applying a pulse voltage or an AC voltage to a piezoelectric element, so as to cause the piezoelectric element to generate heat because of a dielectric loss of the piezoelectric element itself. If the temperature of the piezoelectric element reaches a temperature not less than 15.degree. C., moisture contained in atmosphere is effectively prevented from entering into a resin casing of the piezoelectric actuator enclosing therein the piezoelectric element. Otherwise, moisture condensation or sweating would occur on a surface of the piezoelectric element. Therefore, even if the piezoelectric actuator is used in atmosphere of high humidity, a discharge breakdown will not occur, and reliability is remarkably increased.

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