1. A switching system for saving Alternating Current power comprising:
an edge conditioning circuit for adjusting timing of a digital logic square wave pulse signal for input to gate driver circuits synchronized to an Alternating Current power source;
a power gate driver circuit for converting the timing adjusted digital logic square wave pulse signal to a power digital square wave pulse signal referenced to an Alternating Current power source for controlling a power switching circuit in a power mode;
a regeneration gate driver circuit for converting the timing adjusted digital logic square wave pulse signal to a power digital square wave pulse signal referenced to an Alternating Current power source for controlling a regeneration switching circuit in a regeneration mode;
a differential power switching circuit referenced to an Alternating Current power source configured in series with a reactive load for supplying power from the Alternating Current power source to the load in the power mode; and
a differential regeneration switching circuit referenced to an Alternating Current power source configured in series with the reactive load for saving power by reusing energy held by the load.
2. The switching system of claim 1 wherein the edge conditioning circuit prevents the system from operating in the power mode and regeneration mode at the same time.
3. The switching system of claim 1 wherein a pulse forming circuit adjusts the duty cycle of a digital logic square wave pulse signal according to a current demand of the load.
4. The switching system of claim 1 wherein the edge conditioning circuit adjusts for eight timing considerations created by four input power signal states applied to two non-linear switches.
5. The switching system of claim 1 wherein the edge conditioning edge circuit isolates the digital logic square wave pulse signal from logic ground.
6. The switching system of claim 1 wherein the power switching circuit is a differential floating circuit isolated from logic ground and referenced only to itself.
7. The switching system of claim 1 wherein the regeneration switching circuit is a differential floating circuit isolated from logic ground and referenced only to itself.
8. A method for saving power in Alternating Current devices comprising:
adjusting timing of a digital logic square wave pulse signal for input to gate driver circuits synchronized to an Alternating Current power source;
converting the timing adjusted digital logic square wave pulse signal to a power digital square wave pulse signal referenced to an Alternating Current power source for controlling a power switching circuit in a power mode;
converting the timing adjusted digital logic square wave pulse signal to a power digital square wave pulse signal referenced to an Alternating Current power source for controlling a regeneration switching circuit in a regeneration mode;
referencing a differential power switching circuit to an Alternating Current power source configured in series with a reactive load for supplying power from the Alternating Current power source to the load in the power mode; and
referencing a differential regeneration switching circuit to an Alternating Current power source configured in series with the reactive load for saving power by reusing energy held by the load.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the edge conditioning circuit prevents the system from operating in the power mode and regeneration mode at the same time.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein a pulse forming circuit adjusts the duty cycle of a digital logic square wave pulse signal according to a current demand of the load.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the edge conditioning circuit adjusts for eight timing considerations created by four input power signal states applied to two non-linear switches.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the edge conditioning edge circuit isolates the digital logic square wave pulse signal from logic ground.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the power switching circuit is a differential floating circuit isolated from logic ground and referenced only to itself.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein the regeneration switching circuit is a differential floating circuit isolated from logic ground and referenced only to itself.
15. A method for adjusting timing of a digital logic square wave pulse signal for input to a gate driver circuit synchronized to an Alternating Current power source comprising:
buffering, delaying and sampling signal pulses for logic control of high power switches;
summing and comparing the signal pulses to calculate critical timing adjustments;
adjusting timing of a digital logic square wave pulse signal according to the calculations.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein eight timing calculations are created for four input power signal states applied to two non-linear switches.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the edge conditioning edge circuit isolates the digital logic square wave pulse signal from logic ground.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein an inverted signal is buffered, delayed and sampled.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein timing adjustments are calculated such that only one switch can apply power to a reactive load at any one time.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the regeneration switching circuit is a differential floating circuit isolated from logic ground and referenced only to itself.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element comprising:
a columnar laminate constituted by alternately laminating a plurality of piezoelectricelectrostrictive layers and inner electrode layers; and
outer electrodes connected to the inner electrode layers every other layer,
the element having a plurality of stepped portions formed periodically at every laminating cycle in a side surface of the columnar laminate of the element, the side surface being parallel to an axial direction of the columnar laminate, wherein the plurality of stepped portions are exposed in an outer surface of the piezoelectricelectrostrictive element.
2. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, wherein a shape of a section of the piezoelectricelectrostrictive layer is trapezoidal which is parallel to a laminating direction, and the inner electrode layer is formed on the surface of the piezoelectricelectrostrictive layer constituting a top (short side) of the trapezoidal shape.
3. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, wherein the columnar laminate has a columnar shape or a pillar shape formed by chamfering the side surface of the columnar laminate.
4. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 2, wherein the columnar laminate has a columnar shape or a pillar shape formed by chamfering the side surface of the columnar laminate.
5. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostuictive element according to claim 3, wherein the outer electrode is formed on the chamfered surface.
6. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 4, wherein the outer electrode is formed on the chamfered surface.
7. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, wherein the inner electrode layer is not exposed on an outer surface of the element.
8. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, wherein a recessed portion is provided in the center of at least one of two end faces of the columnar laminate which are perpendicular to the axial direction of the columnar laminate.
9. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, which is prepared by:
forming an electrode pattern constituting the inner electrode layer and made of a conductive material on a green sheet constituting the piezoelectricelectrostrictive layer and mainly composed of a piezoelectric!electrostrictive material; and
punching the green sheet on which the electrode pattern has been formed by use of a punching machine while laminating the green sheets on a punch of the punching machine having the punch as a laminating shaft, and firing the resultant green laminate to obtain the columnar laminate, the whole laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element being integrally fired.
10. The laminated piezoelectricelectrostrictive element according to claim 1, for use as a driving source of an injection nozzle opening and closing mechanism in a fuel injecting device of an internal combustion engine.