Printing apparatus, and method for controlling the power of the printing apparatus

• US 6,497,468 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Naoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mouttet, Blaise
• Application Number:
  US09/610,377
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 347/5, 347/14, 347/16, 347/17, 346/134, 400/578
• US Class Current: 347/16
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0009 control of the transport of the copy material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

A printing apparatus for performing printing on a printing medium using a print head includes an electrical-power-distribution determination unit for determining a state of concurrence of respective control units for a sheet feeding mechanism, a sheet conveying mechanism, a carriage mechanism and the like and supplying optimum electric power at that time, even if a dedicated motor is provided for each of the mechanisms. For example, when the carriage mechanism is operating and the sheet conveying mechanism is performing driving, low-speed sheet feeding is performed. When neither the carriage mechanism nor the sheet conveying mechanism are performing driving, high-speed sheet feeding is performed. By thus optimizing distribution of electric power for a plurality of driving sources of the printing apparatus, high-speed recording with low electrical power can be realized.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for performing printing on a printing medium using a print head, comprising:

intermittent conveying means for intermittently conveying the printing medium to the print head in a sub-scanning direction, said intermittent conveying means being driven by electric power;

printing medium feeding means for feeding the printing medium to said intermittent conveying means before performing printing, said printing medium feeding means being driven by electric power;

electric-power control means for controlling electric power for driving said printing medium feeding means; and

determination means for determining a state of use of electric power of at least one of (i) said intermittent conveying means and (ii) at least one other electric-power using source other than said printing medium feeding means, when driving said printing medium feeding means,

wherein said electric-power control means controls electric power for driving said printing medium feeding means, based on a result of determination of said determination means, to determine a feeding speed by said printing medium feeding means.

2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said determination means has determined that the state of use of electric power exceeds a predetermined state of use, said electric-power control means controls a feeding speed by said printing medium feeding means to be a first speed, and wherein, when said determination means has determined that the state of use of electric power is within the predetermined state of use, said electric-power control means controls the feeding speed by said printing medium feeding means to be a second speed higher than the first speed.

3. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when only said main-scanning means and said intermittent conveying means from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

4. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when only said print head and said main-scanning means from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

5. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when only said main-scanning means from among said electric-power using sources is driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

6. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when only said intermittent conveying means from among said electric-power using sources is driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

7. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when only said intermittent conveying means and said print head from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

8. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium, and wherein, when none of said print head, said main-scanning means and said intermittent conveying means from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

9. A printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined state of use is a predetermined power level.

10. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source is at least one of said print head and main-scanning means for causing said print head to perform relative main scanning with respect to the printing medium.

11. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when at least one of said at least one other electric-power using source and said intermittent conveying means is driven when driving said printing-medium feeding means, said determination means determines that the state of use of electric power exceeds the predetermined state of use.

12. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said print head is an ink-jet head, which comprises thermal-energy generation means for discharging ink by causing film boiling within ink.

13. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said printing medium feeding means comprises an automatic sheet feeder.

14. A method for controlling electric power in a printing apparatus for performing printing on a printing medium using a print head, said method comprising:

an intermittent conveying step for intermittently conveying the printing medium to the print head in a sub-scanning direction;

a printing medium feeding step utilizing a printing medium feeding unit driven by electric power for feeding the printing medium to be intermittently conveyed before performing printing; and

a determination step for determining a state of use of electric power by components other than the printing medium feeding unit when executing said printing medium feeding step, the other components being executable simultaneously with said printing medium feeding step,

wherein a magnitude of electric power used by the printing medium feeding unit in said printing medium feeding step is controlled in accordance with a result of the determination in said determination step.

15. A printing apparatus for performing printing on a printing medium using a print head, comprising:

an intermittent conveying unit to intermittently convey the printing medium to the print head in a sub-scanning direction, said intermittent conveying unit being driven by electric power;

a printing medium feeding unit that feeds the printing medium to said intermittent conveying unit before performing printing, said printing medium feeding unit being driven by electrical power; and

a controller that controls the electric power for driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determining a state of use of electric power of at least one of (i) said intermittent conveying unit and (ii) at least one other electric-power using source other than said printing medium feeding unit, when driving said printing medium feeding unit,

wherein said controller controls electric power for driving said printing medium feeding unit, based on a result of determination regarding the state of use of electric power, to determine a feeding speed by said printing medium feeding unit.

16. A printing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source is at least one of said print head and a main-scanning carriage unit that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction.

17. A printing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, when at least one of said at least one other electric-power using source and said intermittent conveying unit is driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power exceeds the predetermined state of use.

18. A printing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when said controller has determined that the state of use of electric power exceeds a predetermined state of use, said controller controls a feeding speed by said printing medium feeding unit to be a first speed, and when said controller has determined that the state of use of electric power is within the predetermined state of use, said controller controls the feeding speed by said printing medium feeding unit to be a second speed higher than the first speed.

19. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when only said main-scanning carriage and said intermittent conveying unit from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

20. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage unit that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when only said print head and said main-scanning carriage from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

21. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when only said main-scanning carriage from among said electric-power using sources is driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

22. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when only said intermittent conveying unit from among said electric-power using sources is driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

23. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when only said intermittent conveying unit and said print head from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources exceeds the predetermined state of use.

24. A printing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said at least one other electric-power using source comprise said print head and a main-scanning carriage unit that scans said print head with respect to the printing medium in a main scanning direction, and wherein, when none of said print head, said main-scanning carriage and said intermittent conveying unit from among said electric-power using sources are driven when driving said printing medium feeding unit, said controller determines that the state of use of electric power of said electric-power using sources does not exceed the predetermined state of use.

25. A printing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said print head is an ink jet head, which comprises thermal-energy generators for discharging ink by causing film boiling within the ink.

26. A printing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined state of use is a predetermined power level.

27. A printing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said printing medium feeding unit comprises an automatic sheet feeder.