EP0053684A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stepper motor drive apparatus and printer embodying the same
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1981-10-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-10-20
Abstract
Abstract In apparatus which uses a plurality of stepper motors for the actuation of various moving members therein, e.g., impact printer apparatus, an improvement is provided wherein at least one pair of stepper motors (14, 15) which operate during mutually exclusive periods share common driver means (13) which are switchable to be connected to the active stepper motor and disconnected from the dormant one. When thus connected to the active stepper motor, the driver means operate in the conventional manner to couple the windings of the active stepper motor to the particular current supply associated with that active motor in a predetermined sequence so that each winding of the active motor is energized during portions of the sequence and deenergized during other portions. The apparatus further includes switching means (16) for selectively connecting and disconnecting the drive means to the first and second stepper motors in accordance with the requirements of the apparatus driven by said stepper motors.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Wayne Kulterman
- 👤 James Mitchell Rakes
- 👤 Robert Herrington Sweat, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 07:43
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02P; H02P5/00; H02P5/68; H02P8/00; H02P8/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus comprising a plurality of stepper motors, each with a control system, in which the stepper motors are all operated in the same mode, characterized in that it comprises : a common stepper motor driving means responsive to each control system for driving the stepper motor which is associated with that control system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
56 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus comprising a plurality of stepper motors, each with a control system, in which the stepper motors are all operated in the same mode, characterized in that it comprises : a common stepper motor driving means responsive to each control system for driving the stepper motor which is associated with that control system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a first stepper motor operated in an open loop mode and a second stepper motor operated in a closed loop mode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
169 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises: a first multiphase stepper motor having a plurality of windings, a second multiphase stepper motor having a plurality of windings, first supply means for providing an energizing current of predetermined characteristics to the windings of said first stepper motor, second supply means for providing an energizing current of predetermined characteristics to the windings of said second stepper motor, driver means shared by said first and second stepper motors and switchable to be connected with one of said motors and disconnected with the other, said driver means when connected to said one stepper motor operating to couple the windings of said connected stepper motor to said current supply means for said motor in a predetermined sequence so that each winding of said one stepper motor is energized during portions of said sequence and deenergized during other portions of said sequence, and switching means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said driver means to said first and second stepper'motors.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first current supply means further includes : means for sensing the current levels in the energized windings of said first stepper motor, and means responsive to said sensed levels for varying said. energizing current.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Stepper motor drive apparatus according to any one of claims 3 or 4 wherein said second current supply means does not respond to sensed winding current levels.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
96 words
Printer having a first stepper motor for driving a character selection member and a second stepper motor for driving document indexing means, said stepper motors being operable during mutually exclusive time periods, characterized in that said printer further includes: first control means for operating said first stepper motor in a first mode, a second control means for operating said second stepper motor in a second mode, and second motor driving means responsive to said first control means for driving said first stepper motor and responsive to said second control means for driving said second stepper motor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
96 words
Printer having a first stepper motor for driving a character selection member and a second stepper motor for driving document indexing means, said stepper motors being operable during mutually exclusive time periods, characterized in that said printer further includes: first control means for operating said first stepper motor in a first mode, a second control means for operating said second stepper motor in a second mode, and second motor driving means responsive to said first control means for driving said first stepper motor and responsive to said second control means for driving said second stepper motor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Printer according to claim 6 wherein said first stepper motor operates in a closed loop mode and said second stepper motor operates in an open loop mode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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