POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME

• US 20140186066A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: INUKAI, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,537,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/88
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A power supply system includes: a switching power supply configured to rectify and smooth an AC voltage of an AC power supply to generate a predetermined DC voltage; a low-capacity power supply circuit that generates a zero-cross detection signal corresponding to zero-cross points of the AC power supply based on a rectified current flowing in a smoothing capacitor; and a controller configured to receive the zero-cross detection signal from the signal generating circuit and perform a determining process of determining whether it is possible to perform detection process of the zero-cross points based on a voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal. If the control unit determines that it is possible to perform the detection process of the zero-cross points, the control unit performs a zero-cross point detecting process of detecting the zero-cross points based on the zero-cross detection signal.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

a switching power supply configured to rectify and smooth an AC voltage of an AC power supply to generate a predetermined DC voltage;

a low-capacity power supply circuit that includes;

a first capacitor including a first electrode connected to one end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode;

a second capacitor that has a first electrode connected to the other end of the AC power supply, and a second electrode;

a rectifier circuit that is electrically connected between the second electrode of the first capacitor and the second electrode of the second capacitor, and is configured to rectify an AC voltage applied between the first and second capacitors;

a smoothing capacitor that is connected at a subsequent stage of the rectifier circuit and is configured to smooth the AC voltage; and

a signal generating circuit that is connected to the smoothing capacitor, and is configured to generate a zero-cross detection signal corresponding to zero-cross points of the AC power supply based on a rectified current flowing in the smoothing capacitor; and

a controller configured to receive the zero-cross detection signal from the signal generating circuit and perform a determining process of determining whether it is possible to perform detection process of the zero-cross points based on a voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal, and

wherein if the control unit determines in the determining process that it is possible to perform the detection process of the zero-cross points, the control unit performs a zero-cross point detecting process of detecting the zero-cross points based on the zero-cross detection signal.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein in the determining process, if a predetermined condition related to the voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal is satisfied, the control unit determines that it is possible to perform the detection process of the zero-cross points according to the zero-cross detection signal.

3. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit is configured to perform a voltage detecting process of detecting the voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal, and

the predetermined condition is a condition in which the detected voltage value be equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

4. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit is configured to perform a measuring process of measuring an elapsed time from when supply of electric power from the switching power supply to the low-capacity power supply circuit starts, and

the predetermined condition is a condition in which the measured elapsed time be equal to or larger than a predetermined time.

5. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

in the determining process, the control unit is configured to determine whether the voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal has been maintained at a constant value for a predetermined duration time or more, and

if the control unit determines that the voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal has been maintained at a constant value for the predetermined duration time or more, the control unit determines that it is impossible to perform the detection process of the zero-cross points based on the zero-cross detection signal.

6. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the smoothing capacitor has capacitor capacitance capable of ensuring the operation of the control unit for a predetermined period or more if the AC power supply is shut off,

the control unit is configured to perform a voltage detecting process of detecting the predetermined DC voltage,

if control unit determines that the voltage value of the zero-cross detection signal has been maintained at a high level for the predetermined duration time or more in a state where supply of electric power from the low-capacity power supply circuit has been received, the control unit performs an activating process of activating the switching power supply,

if the predetermined DC voltage is not detected within a predetermined time from when the switching power supply is activated, the control unit determines that the AC power supply has been shut off, and

if detection of the predetermined DC voltage continues even after the predetermined time elapses from when the switching power supply is activated, the control unit determines that an abnormal voltage is being input and performs an abnormal voltage input process.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the power supply system according to claim 1; and

an image forming unit configured to form images using detection of the zero-cross points.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the power supply system according to claim 2; and

a fixing unit including a heater,

wherein if the control unit determines in the determining process that it is possible to perform the detection process of the zero-cross points according to the zero-cross detection signal, the control unit performs a heating control process on the heater based on the zero-cross points detected by the zero-cross point detecting process.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the power supply system according to claim 6;

a receiving unit configured to receive print data; and

an image forming unit that forms images based on the print data,

wherein even if the print data has been received by the receiving unit, the control unit performs a prohibiting process of prohibiting the image forming unit from performing image forming based on the print data, as the abnormal voltage input process.