Optimizing a printing motor under varying torque loads
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsDanny Keith Chapman, Steven Michael Turney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an electrophotographic print mechanism wherein one motor drives two or more removable toner cartridges, the presence of each cartridge is sensed and reported to the motor controller. If one or more cartridges are removed, such as for single-color printing, the motor control equation parameters are altered to compensate for the altered static torque load experienced by the motor. The parameters may be the proportional, integral, and/or derivative gains for one or more PID controllers.
Claims18
A print mechanism, comprising:
- at least two removable toner cartridges;
- a first motor driving said two toner cartridges;
- a detector operative to detect whether each of said two toner cartridges is inserted into said print mechanism;
- and
- a motor controller operative to drive said motor in one of two modes in response to detecting whether one, or more than one, of said two toner cartridges are inserted into said Print mechanism;
- wherein each of said two modes comprises a set of motor control parameters optimized to the torque load on said motor.
The print mechanism of claim 3 wherein one of said four removable toner cartridges contains black toner, and wherein said black toner cartridge and one other cartridge are driven by said first motor.
A method of driving a motor in an electrophotographic print mechanism, said motor driving a plurality of toner cartridges, comprising:
- detecting a single-color print mode wherein said motor drives only one toner cartridge, and
- adjusting motor control parameters for said motor in response to detecting said single-color print mode, so as to optimize the control of said motor for a reduced torque load in said single-color print mode.
A motor controller for controlling a brushless DC motor in a multi-color electrophotographic print mechanism, said motor driving a plurality of toner cartridges, comprising:
- an input indicating the instantaneous rotational position of said motor;
- one input per toner cartridge driven indicating whether said cartridge is inserted in said print mechanism;
- and
- a control circuit operative to drive said motor in a plurality of modes in response to said toner cartridge inputs.
A method of driving a motor in an electrophotographic print mechanism, said motor driving at least one toner cartridge, comprising:
- detecting a condition known to alter the torque load presented to said motor by said toner cartridge, and
- adjusting motor control parameters for said motor in response to detecting said condition, so as to optimize the control of said motor for an altered torque load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.