# US 9,039,127 B2 · Driver apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method of controlling driver apparatus

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- Number: US 9,039,127 B2
- Document ID: US9039127B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/092,604
- Filed: 2013-11-27
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Suguru Yokozawa
- Inventors: Suguru Yokozawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039127B2

## CPC

- B41J 19/205: {Position or speed detectors therefor}
- B41J 2/12: testing or correcting charge or deflection
- B41J 19/207: {Encoding along a bar}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A driver apparatus includes a drive unit to move a moveable unit along a given path using a drive force; a movement detector to detect movement of the moveable unit; a drive control unit to control the drive unit using a given output for a given time to drive the moveable unit; a determination unit to determine whether the movement detector detects a movement of the moveable unit for a given distance or more in a driving direction when the moveable unit is driven under a control of the drive control unit; and an abnormality detector to determine occurrence of abnormal when the determination unit determines that the moveable unit does not move the given distance or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driver apparatus, comprising:
a motor configured to move a carriage;
a driver configured to:
output a first voltage for a given time to the motor to move the carriage in a first direction,
output a second voltage to the motor to move the carriage in a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction when the carriage does not move for a given distance after outputting the first voltage for the given time,
output a third voltage to the motor that is greater than the first voltage to move the carriage in the first direction when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the second voltage, and
output a fourth voltage to the motor that is greater than the second voltages to move the carriage in the second direction when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the third voltage; and
a determination unit configured to determine that abnormality occurs when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the fourth voltage to the motor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The driver apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
an absolute value of the first voltage and an absolute value of the second voltage are equal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The driver apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
an absolute value of the third voltage and an absolute value of the fourth voltage are equal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The driver apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driver is configured to direct the motor to stop movement of the carriage when the carriage travels at least the given distance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The driver apparatus of claim 1, wherein the given distance corresponds to a minimum unit of movement detection of a movement detector and a multiplication of the minimum unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The driver apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reporting unit, wherein the reporting unit reports the abnormality to a user.

### Claim 7

A method of controlling a driver apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
moving a carriage;
outputting a first voltage for a given time to the motor to move the carriage in a first direction;
outputting a second voltage to the motor to move the carriage in a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction when the carriage does not move for a given distance after outputting the first voltage for the given time;
outputting a third voltage to the motor that is greater than the first voltage to move the carriage in the first direction when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the second voltage;
outputting a fourth voltage to the motor that is greater than the second voltages to move the carriage in the second direction when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the third voltage; and
determining that abnormality occurs when the carriage does not move for the given distance after outputting the fourth voltage to the motor.