Image Forming System Power Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming systems face challenges in efficiently utilizing a common power supply with a small suppliable current, leading to limitations in concurrent operation of carriage and sheet conveyance mechanisms, which affects printing throughput and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a controller to adjust the timing and position of the carriage and sheet conveyance mechanisms, ensuring that the deceleration period of the carriage and the conveyance period of the sheet do not overlap, even when using a common power supply with a small current, by shifting the carriage stop position and deceleration start position, and adjusting the conveyance start timing to prevent power shortages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a common power supply with small suppliable current is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the concurrent operation of carriage and sheet conveyance mechanisms is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the timing of sheet conveyance based on the carriage position and power supply capacity. The controller monitors the carriage conveyance state and selectively performs sheet conveyance only when the carriage is in a low-power state (e.g., decelerating or stopped), enabling flexible operation within power constraints while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet conveyance is performed periodically in intervals rather than continuously, synchronized with the carriage reciprocation cycles. This periodic operation allows the system to accumulate power availability and perform conveyance actions at appropriate moments, resolving the contradiction between limited power supply and the need for continuous productivity.
2Productivity
If the deceleration period of the carriage and the conveyance period of the sheet overlap, then printing throughput is improved, but power supply current requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary assessment of the carriage state before initiating sheet conveyance. By checking whether the carriage is in a low-power state (decelerating or stopped) in advance, the system prevents overlapping high-power operations, ensuring that sheet conveyance is only performed when power availability permits, thus avoiding current peaks while maintaining efficient throughput.
3Productivity
If the carriage and sheet conveyance mechanisms operate concurrently, then printing throughput is improved, but the power supply capacity must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic coordination between carriage and sheet conveyance operations. The controller continuously monitors carriage position and velocity, and adjusts sheet conveyance timing accordingly. This dynamic control enables partial concurrency of operations during low-power carriage states, achieving improved throughput without requiring proportionally larger power supply capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of sheet conveyance based on carriage state. By adjusting conveyance timing, velocity, and duration according to real-time power availability indicators (carriage position and motion state), the system optimizes the balance between productivity and power consumption, avoiding the need for oversized power supplies.
Data Source
AI summary
After an ejector passes an ejection end position, a controller controls a second conveyor to convey a sheet in a sub-scanning direction. The ejection end position is a position at which ink ejection by the ejector ends before reaching a turn position. An ejection start position is a position at which ink ejection by the ejector starts after turning at the turn position. Based on positional relationship between the ejection end position and a standard position, the controller adjusts timing of conveyance of the sheet or shift the turn position from the standard position in a direction of reducing an overlap between a sheet conveyance period after the ejector passes the ejection end position and an ejector deceleration period before the ejector reaches the turn position. The standard position is a standard turn position of the ejector and is determined from the ejection end position and the ejection start position.