Power supplying apparatus, image forming apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 6,552,447 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuse, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): POLK, SHARON A
• Application Number:
  US09/661,567
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43, 307/68, 307/83, 307/87, 399/37, 347/129
• US Class Current: 307/68
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1204 involving the fast moving of an optical beam in the main scanning direction G06K15/1233 - G06K15/129 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0085 Error recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/066 characterised by the use of dynamo-electric machines H02J9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00893 using a back-up supply, e.g. in case of main-supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00904 Arrangements for supplying power to different circuits or for supplying power at different levels H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1135 for the main-scan only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02439 Positioning method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04762 using a reflecting element H04N2201/04765 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04793 using stored control or compensation data, e.g. previously measured data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/04794 Varying the control or compensation during the scan, e.g. using continuous feedback or from line to line

Abstract

A power supply circuit providing voltage for operation, a motor operating powered by the output from this power supply circuit and continuing rotation powered by inertia even after loss of the output and a non-volatile memory are equipped. If the output voltage of the power supply circuit decreases, the control is continued by utilizing the voltage generated in the motor due to its inertial rotation, the data that has been used for controlling is saved on the non-volatile memory, and then access to the non-volatile memory is prohibited.

Claims

1. A power supplying apparatus comprising:

a power supply circuit which transforms the AC voltage into a DC voltage;

a motor which operates with the output voltage of the power supply circuit and continues rotation by inertia after the loss of the output voltage;

at least one non-volatile memory which saves data; and

a control unit which operates with the output voltage of the power supply circuit, operates with the generated voltage of the motor by the inertial rotation of the motor when the output voltage of the power supply circuit decreases, saves the data on said non-volatile memory when the output voltage from the power supply circuit decreases, and prohibits access to the non-volatile memory after saving the data,

wherein the power supply circuit comprises a first transformer which transforms the AC voltage, a second transformer which transforms the AC voltage, a first rectifier circuit which rectifies the secondary voltage of the first transformer, a second rectifier circuit which rectifies the secondary voltage of the second transformer, a first smoothing capacitor which smoothes the output voltage of the first rectifier circuit, a second smoothing capacitor which smoothes the output voltage of the second rectifier circuit, a first voltage regulator which controls the voltage of the first smoothing capacitor at a constant level, and a second voltage regulator which controls the voltage of the second smoothing capacitor at a constant level, and the output voltage of the first voltage regulator is output as an operating voltage for the motor and the output voltage of the second voltage regulator is output as an operating voltage for the control unit.

2. The power supplying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motor drives specific parts in the apparatus.

3. The power supplying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator which controls the generated voltage of the motor at a constant level and outputs the voltage of the constant level as an operating voltage for the control unit.

4. The power supplying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage detection circuit which detects the level of the output voltage of the power supply circuit and outputs a notifying signal to the control unit when the detected voltage level becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier;

a laser generator which emits a laser beam for scanning to the image carrier,

a power supply circuit which transforms the AC voltage into a DC voltage;

a motor which operates with the output voltage of the power supply circuit and continues rotation by inertia after the loss of the output voltage,

a mirror which rotates with the power of the motor and reflects the laser beam emitted from the laser generator to the image carrier for scanning;

at least one non-volatile memory which saves data; and

a control unit which operates with the output voltage of the power supply circuit, operates with the generated voltage of the motor by the inertial rotation of the motor when the output voltage of the power supply circuit decreases, saves the data on said non-volatile memory when the output voltage from the power supply circuit decreases, and prohibits access to the non-volatile memory after saving the data,

wherein the power supply circuit comprises a first transformer which transforms the AC voltage, a second transformer which transforms the AC voltage, a first rectifier circuit which rectifies the secondary voltage of the first transformer, a second rectifier circuit which rectifies the secondary voltage of the second transformer a first smoothing capacitor which smoothes the output voltage of the first rectifier circuit, a second smoothing capacitor which smoothes the output voltage of the second rectifier circuit, a first voltage regulator which controls the voltage of the first smoothing capacitor at a constant level, and a second voltage regulator which controls the voltage of the second smoothing capacitor at a constant level, and the output voltage of the first voltage regulator is output as an operating voltage for the motor and the output voltage of the second voltage regulator is output as an operating voltage for the control unit.

6. The power supplying apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a voltage regulator which controls the generated voltage of the motor at a constant level and outputs the voltage of the constant level as an operating voltage for the control unit.

7. The power supplying apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a voltage detection circuit which detects the level of the output voltage of the power supply circuit and outputs a notifying signal to the control unit when the detected voltage level becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

8. A controlling method of an apparatus having a power supply circuit which supplies an operating voltage, a motor which operates with the output voltage of the power supply circuit and continues rotation by inertia after the loss of the output voltage, and a non-volatile memory, the method comprising:

controlling the apparatus with the generated voltage of the motor by the inertial rotation of the motor when the output voltage of the power supply circuit decreases;

saving the data on the non-volatile memory when the output voltage from the power supply circuit decreases, and

prohibiting access to the non-volatile memory after saving the data.