The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 20, 2016
Filed:
Aug. 20, 2012
Uwe Jung, Wörth a. d. Donau, DE;
Uwe Jung, Wörth a. d. Donau, DE;
CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH, Hanover, DE;
Abstract
A method is disclosed for driving a piezoelectric actuator with a piezoelectric stack, which is operated as an actuating element of an injector. The piezoelectric stack is polarized during production by a polarization process initially with a first field strength, which results in a first length of the piezoelectric stack. According to the method, the piezoelectric stack is driven during operation at a second field strength, which is smaller than the first field strength, wherein a setpoint length for the piezoelectric stack is defined depending on the second field strength. In addition, a change in length caused by depolarization from the setpoint length of the piezoelectric stack is monitored. Then, when a predetermined threshold value for the change in length is reached, the piezoelectric stack is operated at a third field strength until the setpoint length for said piezoelectric stack is reached.