Solenoid energization current controlling apparatus

• US 5,120,143 A
• Filed: 07/17/1990
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Matsubayashi, Masayuki, Fujiwara, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiecking, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLEY, STEVEN SHAUN
• Application Number:
  US07/554,019
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 400/157.2, 400/157.3, 400/166, 101/93.29, 361/152-154, 361/182, 361/184
• US Class Current: 400/157.2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 9/50 for compensating for the variations of printer drive conditions, e.g. for compensating for the variation of temperature or current supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1883 by steepening leading and trailing edges of magnetisation pulse, e.g. printer drivers

Abstract

In a printing device employing a solenoid for driving a printing hammer, provided are switching member for ON/OFF operating electric current flowing through the solenoid coil, voltage generating member for generating voltage in accordance with the electric current, converting member for converting the generated voltage to a digital value, chopping member for comparing the converted digital value with a predetermined comparison value, while for turning on the switching member when the converted value is smaller than the predetermined comparison value and turning off the switching member when the converted value is larger than the predetermined comparison value, another chopping member for alternatively turning the switching member in another predetermined interval shorter than the predetermined interval, when the set value becomes similar to the comparison value, during said predetermined interval. Thus, the current deviation at each of the solenoid driving period are controlled to be limited in the desired range.

Claims

1. A solenoid controlling apparatus, for controlling electric current flowing through said solenoid, comprising switching means for ON/OFF operating the electric current, said solenoid controlling apparatus further comprising:

value outputting means for outputting a digital value in accordance with the electric current;

chopping means for comparing the value outputted by said outputting means with a predetermined comparison value at a predetermined interval, and for turning on said switching means when said outputted value is smaller than said predetermined comparison value and turning off said switching means when said outputted value is larger than or equal to said predetermined comparison value at each of the comparing operations; and

another chopping means responsive to said chopping means turning off said switching means for alternately turning ON and OFF said switching means at another predetermined interval shorter than said predetermined interval when said outputted value approaches said predetermined comparison value, during said predetermined interval.

2. The solenoid controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said value outputting means comprises a voltage generating means for generating voltage in accordance with the electric current and converting means for converting the generated voltage to a corresponding digital value.

3. The solenoid controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said voltage generating means comprises a resister element through which the current is flowed and wherein said converting means comprises an A/D converter, whereby the voltage proportional to the electric current is generated between the terminals of said resister element and the generated voltage is converted to a corresponding digital value.

4. The solenoid controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switching means comprises a transistor arranged to be ON operated when a trigger pulse is supplied to a base thereof and a trigger pulse generating member for supplying the trigger pulse to the base of said transistor when the outputted value is smaller than the predetermined comparison value.

5. The solenoid controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said another chopping means is arranged to be operated when the outputted value is increasingly varied.

6. A printing device, for printing a character and/or symbol data on a predetermined printing medium by means of a printing hammer arranged to be driven by a solenoid, comprising:

switching means for ON/OFF operating electric current flowing through said solenoid;

value outputting means for outputting a digital value in accordance with the electric current;

chopping means for comparing the value outputted by said outputting means with a predetermined comparison value at a predetermined interval, and for turning on said switching means when said outputted value is smaller than said predetermined comparison value and turning off said switching means when said outputted value is larger than or equal to said predetermined comparison value at each of the comparing operations and;

another chopping means responsive to said chopping means turning off said switching means for alternately turning ON and OFF said switching means at another predetermined interval shorter than said predetermined interval, when said outputted value approaches said predetermined comparison value, during said predetermined interval.

7. The printing device according to claim 6, wherein said value outputting means comprises voltage generating means for generating voltage in accordance with the electric current and converting means for converting the generated voltage to a digital value.

8. The printing device according to claim 7, wherein said voltage generating means comprises a resister element through which the current is flowed and wherein said converting means comprises an A/D converter, whereby the voltage proportional to the electric current is generated between the terminals of said resister element and the generated voltage is converted to a corresponding digital value.

9. The printing device according to claim 6, wherein said switching means comprises a transistor arranged to be ON operated when a trigger pulse is supplied to a base thereof and a trigger pulse generating member for supplying the trigger pulse to the base of said transistor when the converted value is smaller than the predetermined comparison value.

10. The printing device according to claim 6, wherein said another chopping means is arranged to be operated when the outputted value is increasingly varied.

11. A current controlling system adapted to be positioned in a device including at least a power source for generating electric current flowing through a predetermined element provided on said device, comprising:

switching means for ON/OFF operating the electric current;

value outputting means for outputting a digital value in accordance with the electric current;

chopping means for comparing the value outputted by said outputting means with a predetermined comparison value at a predetermined interval, and for turning on said switching means when said outputted value is smaller than said predetermined comparison value and turning off said switching means when said outputted value is larger than or equal to said predetermined comparison value at each of the comparing operations; and

another chopping means responsive to said chipping means turning off said switching means for alternately turning ON and OFF said switching means at another predetermined interval shorter than said predetermined interval when said outputted value approaches said comparison value, during said predetermined interval.