Adjusting power

• US 20060197805A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Elgee, Steven B., Smith, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/56
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and apparatus for adjusting power are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

adjusting first power supplied to heat a mass to store heat for vaporizing fluid; and

adjusting second power supplied to a heater so that the adjusting the first power and the adjusting the second power maintains a level of third power supplied by a power source, to a system including the mass and the heater, within a range of a predetermined value.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a dryer includes the heater.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

an image forming system includes the dryer and the mass.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

supplying fourth power to a plurality of assemblies included within an image forming system;

wherein a sum of a level of the first power, a level of the second power, and a level of the fourth power equals the level of the third power; and

wherein an image forming system includes the mass and the heater.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the level of the third power.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

determining a difference between the level of the third power and the predetermined value; and

wherein the adjusting of the first power and the adjusting the second power includes using the difference.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a colorant for use in an image forming system includes the fluid.

2. The method as recited in 1, wherein:

the adjusting the first power and the adjusting the second power includes adjusting the first power and adjusting the second power to maintain a sum of a level of the first power and a level of the second power within a second range of a second predetermined value.

3. The method as recited in 2, wherein:

the adjusting the first power includes supplying the level of the first power, when the level of the level of the second power equals zero, to be within the second range of the second predetermined value.

4. The method as recited in 2, wherein:

the adjusting includes reducing the level of the first power to zero when the level of the second power equals a value within the second range of the second predetermined value.

5. The method as recited in 2, wherein:

the adjusting the first power and the adjusting the second power includes reducing the level of the first power and increasing the level of the second power to maintain the sum within the second range of the second predetermined value.

6. The method as recited in 2, wherein:

the adjusting the first power and the adjusting the second power includes reducing the level of the second power and increasing the level of the first power to maintain the sum within the second range of the second predetermined value.

13. In an image forming system, a method, comprising:

moving air by a heater and a mass;

transferring heat energy from the mass into the air;

increasing power supplied to the heater from a first level to a second level during a time period so that a sum of the power supplied to the heater and a power transferred from the mass to the air exists within a range of a predetermined value during the time period.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein

the increasing of the power supplied to the heater occurs linearly during the time period.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the time period includes a length so that at the end of the time period the power transferred from the mass to the air equals zero.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

with the time period corresponding to a first time period, supplying a level of the power to the heater equal to zero during a second time period; and

with the heater corresponding to a first heater, decreasing power supplied to a second heater coupled to the mass from the second level at a beginning of the second time period to the first level at the end of the second time period.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the decreasing the power supplied to the second heater occurs linearly during the second time period.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the second time period includes a length so that the heat energy stored in the mass during the second time period equals the heat energy transferred from the mass to the air during the first time period.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a mass to store heat;

a first heater to heat the mass;

a device to measure first power provided by a power source;

a second heater; and

a controller to maintain a sum of a level of second power to be supplied to the first heater and a level of third power supplied to the second heater within a range of a predetermined value using a measurement of a level of the first power.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of assemblies to be supplied fourth power with a sum of the level of the second power, the level of the third power, and a level of the fourth power to equal the level of the first power.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein:

the first heater includes a first heating element and a first power controller to regulate the level of the second power; and

the second heater includes a second heating element and a second power controller to regulate the level of the third power.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to adjust the level of the second power using the first power controller and the level of the third power using the second power controller according to a difference between the measurement of the level of the first power and the predetermined value.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a dryer including the second heater;

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

an image forming system including the mass, the first heater, the dryer, the device, and the controller.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to increase the third power during a first time period from a first value to a second value so that a sum of the level of the third power and heat to be transferred to air moving by the mass exists within a second range of a second predetermined value during the first time period.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to increase the third power linearly during the first time period.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to decrease the third power to zero during a second time period and decrease the second power during the second time period from the second value at a beginning of the second time period to the first value at an end of the second time period so that a sum of the level of the third power and the level of the second power exists within the second range of the second predetermined value during the second time period.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

an enclosure to enclose the mass and having a first valve and a second valve configured to control a flow of air through the enclosure.

29. A computer readable medium, comprising:

a medium to store executable instructions configured to adjust first power supplied to heat a mass to store heat for vaporizing fluid and to store executable instructions configured to adjust second power supplied to a heater so that the adjustment of the first power and the adjustment of the second power maintains a level of third power supplied by a power source, to a system including the mass and the heater, within a range of a predetermined value.

30. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the executable instructions to adjust the first power and to adjust the second power are configured to maintain a sum of a level of the first power and a level of the second power within a second range of a second predetermined value.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

a mass to store heat;

a heater to heat the mass;

a device to measure first power provided by a power source;

a second heater; and

a means to maintain a sum of a level of second power to be supplied to the first heater and a level of third power supplied to the second heater within a range of a predetermined value using a measurement of a level of the first power.