Driving method and driving circuit of piezoelectric transformers

Abstract

A driving circuit of the present invention includes first and second piezoelectric transformers 12, 14 for outputting a voltage at a secondary terminal which is input from a primary terminal utilizing a piezoelectric effect, frequency control means 21 for outputting a frequency signal for operating the first piezoelectric transformer 12 at a required frequency voltage, phase reversing means 16 for reversing a phase of the frequency signal by 180 degrees, driving circuits 13, 15 for applying a frequency voltage to each of the piezoelectric transformers 12, 14 based on these frequency signals of which phases are different from each other by 180 degrees, a discharge tube 11 in which an output of the first piezoelectric transformer 12 is applied to a first input terminal and an output of the second piezoelectric transformer 14 is applied to a second input terminal, a circuit 20 for controlling a voltage of the first piezoelectric transformer 12 so that a current flowing in this discharge tube becomes to be constant, and circuits 22, 17 for controlling a voltage input to the second piezoelectric transformer 14 so that output voltages of the first and second piezoelectric transformers become to be the same voltages.