Sheet Supply Unit Inrush Current Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multifunctional machines with facsimile, copy, and print functions face challenges in managing inrush currents when optional sheet supply units are powered on simultaneously, leading to excessive burden on the main body and requiring complex timing adjustments, which complicates production and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A facsimile apparatus with a control system that includes sheet supply units with voltage receiving and supply units, notification inputs and outputs, and a control unit that starts voltage supply to motors based on notification signals exceeding a threshold, ensuring non-overlapping inrush current timings without the need for complex timing adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sheet supply units are powered on simultaneously, then all units become operational, but the total inrush current becomes excessively large and burdens the main body
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit activates sheet supply units sequentially rather than simultaneously. The first unit is activated immediately, and subsequent units are activated only after a predetermined time has elapsed, ensuring that inrush currents do not overlap and the main body is not overloaded.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If timing generation circuits with different time constants are provided in each optional unit to differentiate power supply timings, then inrush current timings are differentiated, but production efficiency is reduced due to inability to mass produce identical units
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically determines the activation timing of each sheet supply unit based on its position in the sequence and a predetermined time interval, rather than relying on fixed hardware time constants. This allows all units to be identical in specification while still achieving differentiated power supply timings through software control.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If variable resistors are provided in timing generation circuits to allow user setting of different time constants, then inrush current timings can be differentiated, but user operations become complicated and erroneous setting may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically manages the power supply timing of each sheet supply unit without requiring user intervention. The system self-regulates by activating units in a predetermined sequence with predetermined time intervals, eliminating the need for users to configure timing parameters and preventing erroneous settings.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an optional unit configured to be connected, in series, to a power supply apparatus for supplying drive electricity, the optional unit including: a receiving unit which receives the electricity supplied from the power supply apparatus or an optional unit in a higher connection level; a supply unit which supplies the electricity to a receiving unit of an optional unit in a lower connection level; and an operation unit which operates based on the electricity received by the receiving unit. In accordance with a voltage of the supplied electricity, based on which the operation unit of the optional unit in the higher level operates, exceeding a predetermined threshold value, the operation unit of the optional unit in the lower level below the optional unit in the higher level starts to receive the supplied electricity.