Adjusting power

• US 7,461,925 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): MRUK, GEOFFREY S
• Application Number:
  US11/073,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 347/56, 347/102, 347/18, 347/60, 347/185, 347/188, 347/189, 347/192, 347/194, 347/196, 219/216, 399/37, 399/70
• US Class Current: 347/60
• 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. An apparatus, comprising:

a mass to store heat;

a first heater to heat the mass;

a device to measure power provided by a power source;

a second heater; and

a controller to maintain a sum of a level of power supplied to the first heater and a level of power supplied to the second heater within a range of a predetermined value using a measurement of a level of the power provided by the power source,

wherein the mass, the first heater, the device, the second heater, and the controller are included in an image forming system,

wherein the controller is configured to linearly increase power to the second heater and stop power to the first heater when the system is transitioning to an image forming mode, and stop power to the second heater and linearly decrease power to the first heater when the system is transitioning from the image forming mode.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of assemblies to be supplied power by the power source, with a sum of the level of power supplied to the first heater, the level of power supplied to the second heater, and a level of power supplied to the plurality of assemblies to equal the level of the power provided by the power source.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein:

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

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

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to adjust the level of power supplied to the first heater using the first power controller and the level of power supplied to the second heater using the second power controller according to a difference between the measurement of the level of the power provided by the power source and the predetermined value.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a dryer including the second heater;

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein:

the image forming system includes the dryer.

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

the controller includes a configuration to increase the power supplied to the second heater during a first time period from a first value to a second value so that a sum of the level of power supplied to the second heater 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.

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

the controller includes a configuration to increase the power supplied to the second heater linearly during the first time period.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the controller includes a configuration to decrease the power supplied to the second heater to zero during a second time period and decrease the power supplied to the first heater 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 power supplied to the second heater and the level of power supplied to the first heater exists within the second range of the second predetermined value during the second time period.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, 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.

11. 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

means to maintain a sum of a level of power to be supplied to the first heater and a level of power to be supplied to the second heater within a range of a predetermined value using a measurement of a level of the power provided by the power source,

wherein the mass, the first heater, the device, the second heater, and the means to maintain are included in an image forming system,

wherein the means to maintain linearly increases power to the second heater and stops power to the first heater when the system transitions to an image forming mode, and stops power to the second heater and linearly decreases power to the first heater when the system transitions from the image forming mode.