Inkjet Printing Apparatus Power Supply Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printing apparatuses experience reduced throughput due to the necessity of stopping the printing process when one of the power supply circuits breaks down, as each inkjet head is connected to a single power supply circuit, leading to instability and potential breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes at least three inkjet heads and power supply circuits with a change-over switch that allows for electrical connection between power supply circuits to ensure continuous operation by switching to alternative power sources when one circuit fails, along with a power-source monitoring circuit and controller to manage the switching and discharging speed adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each inkjet head is connected to a single power supply circuit, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the printing process must stop when a power supply circuit breaks down
Solution Approach 1:
Each power supply circuit is designed to be able to supply power to multiple inkjet heads (its original head and neighboring heads). The power supply circuits are configured with change-over switches that enable them to serve as backup power sources for adjacent inkjet heads when the original power supply fails, thus improving reliability without requiring complete redundancy of power supply circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures change-over switches and establishes backup power supply relationships between adjacent power supply circuits and inkjet heads before any failure occurs. When a power supply circuit breaks down, the neighboring power supply circuits are already positioned and configured to immediately take over power supply to the affected inkjet heads, eliminating downtime and ensuring printing continuity.
2Reliability
If power supply circuits are made shareable among multiple inkjet heads, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for change-over switches and switching control
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into multiple independent power supply circuits, each capable of serving as a backup for its neighboring circuits. Change-over switches are strategically placed at the boundaries between adjacent power supply circuits and inkjet heads, allowing localized switching without affecting the entire system. This segmentation enables redundancy while minimizing the complexity of the switching mechanism.
3Productivity
If all power supply circuits operate at full capacity, then the productivity is maximized, but the reliability deteriorates because any breakdown causes complete stoppage of the printing process
Solution Approach 1:
The system ensures continuous printing operation by establishing backup power supply paths before any failure occurs. When a power supply circuit breaks down, the change-over switches automatically or manually redirect power supply from neighboring circuits to the affected inkjet heads, allowing the printing process to continue without interruption. This maintains productivity while providing resilience against power supply failures.
Data Source
AI summary
When one of first to third power supply circuits breaks down, a change-over switch performs switching of electrical connection such that drive voltage is allowed to be supplied from normal one of the first to third power supply circuits also to one of the inkjet heads connected to the breakdown power supply circuit. Consequently, the power supply circuits are partially sharable with a plurality of inkjet heads, causing no necessity of stopping the apparatus for replacing one breakdown power supply circuit. As a result, suppression in decrease of throughput of the apparatus is obtainable.