Method for interchanging components in a printing apparatus
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorDavid E. Bettiol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method may include the steps of providing a printing assembly that includes a plurality of printing modules that each include a specific toner color, wherein a first printing module is failing and at least one second printing module is functioning; determining a toner use demand for the plurality of printing modules; and swapping the first printing module with the at least one second printing module to facilitate reducing a downtime of the printing apparatus, wherein the first printing module has a toner use demand that is substantially greater than the toner use demand of the at least one second printing module.
Claims10
A method for interchanging components between a failing printing module and a functioning printing module, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a printing assembly (100) that includes a plurality of printing modules (M1-M4) that each include a specific toner color, wherein a first printing module (M2) is failing and at least one second printing module (M1) is functioning;
- determining a toner use demand for the plurality of printing modules (M1-M4);
- and
- swapping the first printing module (M2) with the at least one second printing module (M1) to facilitate reducing a downtime of the printing apparatus (100), wherein the first printing module (M2) has a toner use demand that is substantially greater than the toner use demand of the at least one second printing module (M1).
A method of preventing downtime of a printer assembly, said method comprising:
- providing a printer assembly that includes a plurality of printing modules that each include a first toner color coupled therein;
- determining a toner use demand for each toner color of each printing module, wherein a primary printing module has the greatest toner use demand;
- and
- adding a redundant printing module that includes a redundant toner color that is substantially identical to the first toner color of the primary printing module.
A means for decreasing a downtime of a printing apparatus, said means comprising:
- means for determining a failure of one of a plurality of printing modules;
- means for determining a toner use demand of each of the plurality of printing modules;
- and
- means for swapping the failing printing module with a functioning printing module, wherein the failing printing module has a toner use demand that is substantially greater than the toner use demand of the functioning printing module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.