Image Forming Apparatus Power Mode Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed image forming apparatuses face power supply limitations due to high power consumption, leading to reduced throughput and extended print times, especially when dealing with small print jobs, as the current power supply margins are insufficient to meet the demands of fixing devices under varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that dynamically adjusts its power usage by selecting between different modes based on the difference between required and suppliable power, utilizing a fixing unit with a heater, detection units for temperature and current, and calculation units to determine the optimal power mode for efficient operation within the available power limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conveyance interval is widened to suppress power consumption, then the current required for operation is reduced to within the maximum suppliable current, but the time required to complete the print job increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the conveyance interval adjustable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically changes the conveyance interval based on real-time power supply status and heating unit operation state. When power supply is stable, the conveyance interval is narrowed to increase throughput. When power supply becomes unstable or the heating unit is not yet warm, the conveyance interval is widened to prevent power overload. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining power supply stability and minimizing print job completion time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of conveyance interval based on operating conditions. Instead of using a fixed wide interval that always ensures power stability, the system adjusts the conveyance interval parameter according to the heating unit's temperature state and power supply conditions. This allows the system to achieve both power stability and acceptable print times by optimizing the interval parameter in real-time rather than using a conservative fixed value.
2Reliability
If the conveyance interval is significantly widened to reduce power consumption, then power requirements are met, but productivity decreases due to longer processing times
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the conveyance interval based on the heating unit's operation state and power supply conditions. When the heating unit reaches optimal temperature and power supply is stable, the conveyance interval is narrowed to maximize throughput. When the heating unit is cold or power supply is unstable, the interval is widened to ensure reliable operation. This dynamic control maintains productivity while ensuring power supply adequacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors the heating unit's temperature state and power supply status, using this feedback to adjust the conveyance interval. This closed-loop control ensures that the system maintains optimal performance by adjusting the interval in response to actual operating conditions rather than using a fixed conservative value, thereby maintaining both power supply adequacy and high productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the heating unit operates at high power continuously, then fixing quality is maintained, but the power consumption exceeds the maximum suppliable current under certain conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the conveyance interval to match the heating unit's thermal state and power supply capacity. When the heating unit is warm and power supply is adequate, high power operation maintains excellent fixing quality. When the heating unit is cold or power supply is limited, the conveyance interval is widened to reduce peak power demand, preventing overloads while still achieving adequate fixing quality through extended heating exposure time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the conveyance interval parameter to balance fixing quality and power consumption. By adjusting this parameter, the system ensures that the heating unit receives sufficient power to maintain fixing quality when conditions permit, while preventing power overload by increasing the interval when necessary. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining manufacturing precision and controlling power consumption within suppliable limits.
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
This approach allows for high productivity while maintaining power usage within the maximum suppliable current, optimizing throughput and reducing print times by dynamically adjusting power consumption based on environmental conditions and print job requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a fixing unit having a heater, the fixing unit configured to fix an unfixed toner image formed by the image forming unit onto a recording material by means of heat of the heater
Data Source
AI summary
The image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that has a heater, and a required power calculation unit that determines a power Pfsr that is assumed to be required by the heater. Based on a difference between a required power that is determined by the required power calculation unit and a suppliable power, the image forming apparatus selects whether to start printing in a normal mode or to start printing in a power saving mode in which the power that is supplied to the heater is reduced in comparison to the normal mode. The power saving mode includes a plurality of modes, and when a CPU selects the power saving mode, the CPU selects one or a combination of modes from among the plurality of power saving modes based on the aforementioned difference.