POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS, PRINTER, AND CONTROL METHOD

• US 20160347097A1
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Yasufumi, Sakai, Takashi, Okita, Hisao, Ishikawa, Shinya, Oshika, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 10,245,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 23/00 Power drives for actions or mechanisms B41J9/00 , B41J19/305 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/02 Conversion of ac power input into dc power output without possibility of reversal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes a power source unit configured to supply electric power to an electric load, a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power supply unit to the electric load, a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor while restricting a current value of the electric power supplied from the power source unit, a specifying unit configured to specify a voltage value of the capacitor, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the charge of the capacitor is completed in accordance with the voltage specified by the specifying unit, and a second determination unit configured to determine whether the voltage specified by the specifying unit is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value after the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a power source unit configured to supply electric power to an electric load;

a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power supply unit to the electric load;

a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor while restricting a current value of the electric power supplied from the power source unit;

a specifying unit configured to specify a voltage value of the capacitor;

a first determination unit configured to determine whether the charge of the capacitor is completed in accordance with the voltage specified by the specifying unit; and

a second determination unit configured to determine whether the voltage specified by the specifying unit is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value after the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed,

wherein, if the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed, the charge circuit switches a current value of the charge circuit to a first current value which is smaller than a current value supplied before the charge of the capacitor is completed, and

the second determination unit performs the determination while the first current value is supplied.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge circuit selects the first current value in a period of time after the charge of the capacitor is completed and before discharge is started.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge circuit selects the first current value in a period of time after the charge of the capacitor is completed and before discharge is started which is other than a period of time in which the electric load is being operated.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first current value is larger than natural discharge of the power supply apparatus connected to the electric load.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to turn off the charge circuit and the power source unit in a case where the voltage specified by the specifying unit becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value after the current value supplied from the charge circuit is switched to the first current value.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge circuit changes the current value supplied from the charge circuit in accordance with the voltage value specified by the specifying unit when the capacitor is charged.

7. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge circuit switches the current value supplied from the charge circuit in accordance with the voltage value specified by the specifying unit when the capacitor is charged.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the charge circuit switches the current value supplied from the charge circuit such that an amount of generated heat becomes equal to or smaller than allowable power dissipation of the charge circuit, the amount of generated heat obtained in accordance with a difference between a value of a voltage supplied from the power source unit and the voltage value specified by the specifying unit and the value of the current supplied from the charge circuit.

9. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the charge circuit supplies a third current value larger than the second current value in accordance with the voltage value specified by the specifying unit after a second current value is supplied, when the capacitor is charged, and

the first current value is smaller than the third current value.

10. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first current value is smaller than a current value supplied when the capacitor is charged.

11. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first current value is larger than a current value of natural discharge.

12. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein electric power in which a current value is not restricted is supplied from the power source unit when the electric load is to be operated.

13. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines that the charge is completed if the voltage specified by the specifying unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value.

14. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge circuit configured to perform discharge from the capacitor.

15. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric load is a print head.

16. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the electric load.

17. A printer comprising:

a power source unit configured to supply electric power to a print head;

a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power supply unit to the print head;

a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor while restricting a current value of the electric power supplied from the power source unit;

a specifying unit configured to specify a voltage value of the capacitor;

a first determination unit configured to determine whether the charge of the capacitor is completed in accordance with the voltage specified by the specifying unit; and

a second determination unit configured to determine whether the voltage specified by the specifying unit is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value after the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed,

wherein, if the first determination unit determines that the charge of the capacitor is completed, the charge circuit switches a current value of the charge circuit to a first current value which is smaller than a current value supplied before the charge of the capacitor is completed, and

the second determination unit performs the determination while the first current value is supplied.

18. A method for controlling a power supply apparatus including

a power source unit configured to supply electric power to an electric load,

a capacitor connected to a power supply line extending from the power supply unit to the electric load, and

a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitor while restricting a current value of the electric power supplied from the power source unit,

the method comprising:

specifying a voltage value of the capacitor;

determining whether the charge of the capacitor is completed in accordance with a specified voltage;

determining whether the specified voltage specified after it is determined that the charge of the capacitor is completed is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value;

performing switching of a current value of the charge circuit to a first current value which is smaller than a current value supplied before the charge of the capacitor is completed if it is determined that the charge of the capacitor is completed; and

performing the determination as to whether the specified voltage specified after it is determined that the charge of the capacitor is completed is equal to or smaller than an error threshold value while the first current value is supplied.