Print Material Level Sensing with Adaptive Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing print material level sensors face inaccuracies in determining the remaining amount of print material due to parasitic voltage drops in narrow wiring, leading to inconsistent heating and reduced signal-to-noise ratio, especially as sensors are further away from the power source.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a series of print material level sensing devices where heaters further from the power source are turned on for longer durations to ensure consistent measurement, compensating for parasitic voltage drops by incrementing the heating time based on distance from the power node, thereby maintaining sensitivity and accuracy across all depth zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If sensors are placed further from the power source to cover deeper depth zones, then the sensing range is improved, but parasitic voltage drops increase causing inconsistent heating and reduced measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the heating time for each sensor based on its specific distance from the power source. Sensors further from the power source receive longer heating durations to compensate for parasitic voltage drops, while closer sensors use shorter durations. This localized adjustment ensures consistent starting temperatures and measurement precision across all depth zones without requiring uniform treatment of all sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating time parameter for each sensor based on its position in the series. By incrementally increasing the heating time for sensors further from the power source, the system compensates for voltage drops and maintains consistent thermal conditions. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between extended sensing range and measurement precision.
2Device complexity
If uniform heating time is applied to all sensors, then the control complexity is reduced, but sensors further from the power source experience signal decay and reduced sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform heating, the patent implements local quality by assigning different heating times to different sensors based on their distance from the power source. This localized control approach increases measurement reliability and signal sensitivity for distant sensors while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated calculation of heating durations.
3Measurement precision
If heating time is increased for distant sensors to compensate for voltage drops, then measurement accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes energy consumption by dynamically adjusting the heating time parameter for each sensor based on its specific requirements. Rather than applying maximum heating to all sensors, the system calculates and applies the minimum necessary heating duration for each sensor to achieve consistent starting temperatures. This parameter optimization maintains measurement accuracy while minimizing overall energy consumption.
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 ensures accurate determination of the remaining print material level by maintaining a similar starting temperature and sensitivity across all sensors, reducing signal decay and noise, and improving the dynamic range, especially as the container approaches an empty state.
Implementation Method 1
a heater and a sensor form a print material level sensing device. The heater emits heat at its depth zone
Implementation Method 2
The sensor senses heat when the heater is emitting heat
Data Source
AI summary
A print material level sensor includes a power node to receive electrical power and a series of print material level sensing devices to receive electrical power from the power node. The print material level sensing devices are disposed at intervals to detect the presence of a print material at successive depth zones in a container. Each print material level sensing device includes a heater to emit heat at its depth zone and a sensor to sense heat at the depth zone. The sensor has control circuitry to turn on the heater of a first print material level sensing device at a first depth zone for a first time duration during the sensing of the first depth zone and to turn on the heater of a second print material level sensing device at a second depth zone for a second time duration during the sensing of the second depth zone.