Cooling Fan Motor Control for Image Formers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses generate unwanted noise due to the continuous operation of cooling fans after document discharge, leading to prolonged wind noise even after other motors have stopped.
Innovation Solution
An automatic document carrier device with sensors and a carrier control unit that detects document passage and estimates the discharge time, allowing the fan motor to stop the cooling fan accordingly, thereby minimizing noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling fan is continuously operated after document discharge, then the cooling function is maintained, but noise is generated and energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit stops the fan motor before the document discharge is actually completed, based on predicted timing. This preliminary action allows the cooling fan to stop earlier than traditional methods, reducing noise and energy consumption while maintaining adequate cooling during the critical discharge period.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the fan motor operation timing based on real-time detection of document passage through sensors. The control unit monitors document movement and predicts discharge timing, enabling adaptive control of the cooling fan rather than fixed continuous operation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the fan motor is stopped early to reduce noise, then noise and energy consumption are reduced, but cooling effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit uses feedback from multiple sensors detecting document passage to predict discharge timing accurately. This feedback mechanism ensures the fan motor is stopped at the optimal moment - early enough to reduce noise but not so early that cooling effectiveness is compromised during active document processing.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to detect document passage, then document position detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The document detection function is segmented across multiple sensors positioned at different locations along the document path. Each sensor detects document passage at its specific position, and the control unit integrates this segmented information to achieve accurate overall document position detection and timing prediction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces noise by ensuring the cooling fan stops after document discharge, preventing unnecessary power consumption and noise generation.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan to be rotated to reduce the ambient temperature
Implementation Method 2
a fan motor configured to drive the cooling fan
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus having an automatic document carrier device including a plurality of sensors arranged in a path where source documents to be read are carried; a plurality of motors configured to detect the positions of the source documents by these sensors and to carry the source documents at a predetermined speed; a cooling fan to be rotated to reduce the ambient temperature; a fan motor configured to drive the cooling fan; and a carrier control unit configured to control the plurality of sensors, the plurality of motors and the fan motor, wherein the carrier control unit detects passage of the source documents by any of the plurality of sensors, estimates a time when the source documents are discharged into the discharge tray, and stops the fan motor around the estimated time.