CN104469046B - Phase managing device, sheet post-process apparatus and phase management method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a phase management device, a paper post-processing device and a phase management method. Among them, the phase management device has a control unit, a drive circuit, and a power control unit. The control unit outputs a first signal for rotating the motor, and outputs the first signal at a first frequency higher than a rotatable frequency of the motor when returning from the power saving mode. The drive circuit is a circuit that stores information related to the rotation phase of the motor and outputs a pulse signal to the motor based on the first signal output from the control unit. The drive circuit receives the first signal output at the first frequency and performs Signal update information. The power control unit performs control to supply power to the control unit but not to the drive circuit in the power saving mode, and controls to supply power to the control unit and the drive circuit when returning from the power saving mode.

Description

Phase management device, paper post-processing device, and phase management method

technical field

Embodiments described in this specification relate to a technique for managing and controlling motor phases.

Background technique

Conventionally, a motor driver IC (Integrated Circuit: integrated circuit) manages and controls the motor phase. In operation, the motor driver IC sequentially stores values corresponding to the current phase position.

When the motor rotation changes to a predetermined phase position (here, "1" to "4" is taken as an example), since the motor driver IC manages the motor phase, the current phase position "1" to "" is stored in numerical value. 4". The motor driver IC updates this value when it outputs a pulse signal to the motor.

When a device that has a motor and a motor driver IC (hereinafter referred to as driver IC) that controls and manages the motor transitions to power saving mode (also called sleep mode), the power supply to the driver IC is cut off, and the phase value stored in the driver IC is saved. reset. When the current phase position of the motor is, for example, "2", if the power-saving mode is shifted to, the phase value of the driver IC is reset to the initial value "1" when it is restored. Therefore, when the power supply to the driver IC is cut off due to power saving mode, etc., the phase value managed by the driver IC and the actual motor phase position will deviate. In the conventional device, the phase position of the motor is aligned with the initial position "1" by operating the motor itself to make them consistent.

However, a corresponding drive time is required in order to operate the motor. In addition, as the motor operates, the target device that receives power from the motor also operates. This is not only an unnecessary operation, but also becomes a cause of aging of the subject device with time. In order to avoid this problem, although there is also a way to cut off the power supply to the driver IC, it is not suitable for the needs of power saving.

Contents of the invention

An object of this embodiment is to provide a technique for matching the phase value managed by the driver IC with the phase position of the motor when the driver IC is powered off and then restored.

The phase management device of this embodiment includes a control unit, a drive circuit, and a power supply control unit. The control unit outputs a first signal for rotating the motor, and outputs the first signal at a first frequency higher than a rotatable frequency of the motor when returning from the power saving mode. The drive circuit is a circuit that stores information on the rotation phase of the motor and outputs a pulse signal to the motor based on the first signal output from the control unit, receives the first signal output at the first frequency, and updates the information based on the first signal. The power control unit controls to supply power to the control unit and not to the drive circuit in the power saving mode, and controls to supply power to the control unit and the drive circuit when returning from the power saving mode.

In addition, the paper post-processing device of the present embodiment includes an integrated board, a motor, a control unit, a drive circuit, and a power control unit. The integrating plate aligns the stack of sheets being conveyed. The location of the motor control integration board. The control unit outputs a first signal for rotating the motor, and outputs the first signal at a first frequency higher than a rotatable frequency of the motor when returning from the power saving mode. The driving circuit stores information related to the rotation phase of the motor and outputs a pulse signal to the motor according to the first signal output by the control unit, receives the first signal output at the first frequency, and updates the information according to the first signal. The power control unit controls to supply power to the control unit but not to the drive circuit in the power saving mode, and controls to supply power to the control unit and the drive circuit when returning from the power saving mode.

In the phase management device of this embodiment, not only the driver IC but also the control unit simultaneously manages the phase of the motor. The control unit supplies power even in the power saving mode. The phase management device of this embodiment adjusts the phase value of the driver IC (information about the rotational phase of the motor) to match the current phase position of the motor at a high-speed cycle to the extent that the motor cannot follow the operation when the power supply to the driver IC is restored from interruption. . In this way, since only the value managed by the driver IC can be updated without operating the motor itself, the phases can be aligned. In addition, the operation of equipment powered by the rotation of the motor can also be avoided.

According to the present embodiment, even if the power supply of the driver IC is turned off for power saving, the normal driving of the motor can be realized in substantially the same time as compared with the case of not turning off the power supply.

The phase management device of this embodiment may also be incorporated in a device having a motor. In this embodiment, the device having the motor will be described as a paper post-processing device in which an image forming device is installed as an option. The sheet post-processing device is a device that performs processes such as stapling and half-folding of a sheet bundle after image formation.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an image forming apparatus and a sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of a sheet post-processing device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the vicinity of an integrating portion.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a sheet post-processing device in the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a signal timing chart showing conventional control.

FIG. 6 is a signal timing chart showing control in this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a data table of a motor.

detailed description

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus and a sheet post-processing apparatus according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 10 has a reading unit 11 that reads a document, and an image forming unit 12 that electronically prints image data of the read document on paper, and performs sorting, punching, folding, and intermediate binding on the printed paper. Paper post-processing device 20 etc. for post-processing. The image forming unit 12 includes a display panel 9 a and has an operation unit 9 through which a user performs various operations.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the sheet post-processing device 20 . The sheet post-processing device 20 includes a folding processing section 30 , a saddle tray 50 , and a discharge tray 51 in addition to a sorter for sorting sheets. The paper post-processing device 20 also includes a phase management device 200 . Details of the phase management device 200 will be described later.

The half-folding unit 30 folds the central portions of the printed plurality of sheets discharged from the image forming unit 12 in half. The half-fold processing unit 30 outputs the booklet folded in half and bound to the saddle tray 50 . The saddle tray 50 receives booklets.

The half-fold processing unit 30 has a conveyance path 31 for receiving paper discharged from the discharge unit of the image forming unit 12 . The conveyance path 31 has a plurality of roller pairs, and conveys the sheet inside the conveyance path to the reel 35 .

The take-up tray 35 catches the lower end of the paper output from the conveyance path 31 and then folds back obliquely upward, and then aligns the rear end of the paper. Thereby, irregularity of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction can be adjusted. After the number of sheets stacked at the lower end of the stacker 35 reaches the number of sheets set in the printing job, the stacker 35 moves upward until the side of the stack of paper is located at the integration portion 36 . The aligning unit 36 adjusts irregularities of the paper in the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction).

The bundle of sheets assembled by the aligning unit 36 is bound by the stapler 37 or folded in half by the folding plate 38 and the folding roller pair 39 .

An overview of the half-fold processing is as follows.

1. Control the position of the stacker 35 (position in the vertical direction) so that the center of the sheet bundle reaches the position of the folding plate 38 .

2. The double-folding plate 38 advances toward the pair of folding rollers 39 . At this time, the sheet bundle is also drawn into the travel of the folding plate 38 .

3. The folding plate 38 continues to advance and is inserted between the pair of folding rollers 39 . As a result, the rolled-up sheet bundle is bent by the pressure of the folding roller pair 39 .

The sheet bundle that has been folded in half is output to the saddle tray 50 via the output mechanism 40 . In addition, the bundle of sheets that has been stapled by the stapler 37 is discharged to the discharge tray 51 via the conveyance path 32 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of the integrating portion 36 . As shown in FIG. 3, the integrating part 36 has integrating plates 36a, 36b. The aligning plates 36 a , 36 b are slidable in the v direction (direction perpendicular to the paper conveying direction) to align the width of the paper as the motor 48 is rotationally driven. By the movement of the aligning plates 36a, 36b, the sheet bundle is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the sheet post-processing device 20 . The solid lines shown between various modules in FIG. 4 indicate signal lines or lines for physical connection, and the dotted lines indicate power supply.

The paper post-processing device 20 further includes a control unit 100 , a driver IC 120 , and a power control unit 150 in addition to the above configuration. In this embodiment, the configuration including at least the control unit 100 , the driver IC 120 , and the power control unit 150 is taken as the phase management device 200 . In addition, the phase management device may include the motor 48 or may include the integrating unit 36 . Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the function of the control unit 100 in the sheet post-processing apparatus 20 is realized by a control unit provided on the main body side of the image forming apparatus 10 .

The control unit 100 has a processor 111 , a storage unit 112 and a clock generator 113 . The processor 111 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: central processing unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit: microprocessor), and calculates and executes a program stored in the storage unit 112 . Thus, the processor 111 instructs each unit in the sheet post-processing device 20 . The storage unit 112 includes a volatile storage device RAM (Random Access Memory: Random Access Memory) and a nonvolatile storage device ROM (Read Only Memory: Read Only Memory). The above-mentioned program for control is loaded in advance into the ROM, and the processor 111 expands the program into the RAM and executes the program. The clock generator 113 is a crystal oscillator that generates a reference clock for synchronization within the sheet post-processing apparatus 20 . Based on the clock generated by the clock generator 113 , the control unit 100 outputs a signal (first signal) to the driver IC 120 at a fixed cycle.

The driver IC 120 is a motor driver IC. The drive IC 120 outputs a pulse signal for driving the motor 48 to the motor 48 based on the signal output from the control unit 100 . As the drive IC 120 , a drive IC that converts the electric power obtained from the power supply control unit 150 into a pulse signal and supplies it to the motor 48 is used. The driver IC 120 has a storage area for storing values corresponding to the phase positions of the motor 48 .

The motor 48 is a pulse motor (stepping motor) rotationally driven by a pulse signal from the driver IC 120 . The integration plates 36 , 36 b of the integration part 36 are driven by the rotation of the motor 48 to obtain power to operate. In addition, existing products can also be used for the motor 48 and the integration part 36.

The power control unit 150 supplies electric power obtained from a commercial power supply to the control unit 100 and the driver IC 120 . The power supply control unit 150 supplies the drive IC 120 with power for driving the IC itself, and also supplies the power for driving the motor 48 through the drive IC 120 . Depending on the configuration, it may be installed so that the power supply control unit 150 directly supplies power to the motor 48 without passing through the drive IC 120 . The power control unit 150 cuts off the power supply to the driver IC 120 in the power saving mode. Therefore, the motor 48 supplied with power via the driver IC 120 and the integrated boards 36 a and 36 b operated by the rotation of the motor 48 stop because the power supply to the driver IC 120 is cut off. On the other hand, even in the power saving mode, the power control unit 150 maintains power supply to the control unit 100 . Therefore, even in the power saving mode, the processor 111, the storage unit 112, the clock generator 113, etc. in the control unit 100 continue to operate, and the data stored in the storage unit 112 is maintained. In addition, the power saving mode of the present embodiment is a mode in which at least the power supply to the driver IC 120 is cut off, although power is supplied to the control unit 100 . In addition, when returning from the power saving mode, the power supply to the driver IC 120 is also restored. Transition to or return from the power saving mode is performed by the control unit 100 , and the power supply control unit 150 controls power supply according to an instruction from the control unit 100 .

Usually, the phase value when the power supply of the main body of the paper post-processing device 20 is turned on is determined. 48 drive controls. For example, the initial value of the phase when the power is turned on is set to "1". In the conventional configuration, when the power is turned on next time after the power is turned off, the control unit 100 outputs a phase value of "1" to the driver IC 120. content. Based on this, the driver IC 120 also starts management with the phase value as "1".

In this embodiment, at the timing when the power supply of the paper post-processing device 20 is turned on, the control unit 100 also stores the value output to the driver IC 120 in the storage unit 112 (the information about the rotational phase of the motor, in this example, 1 to 4 ). The control unit 100 rewrites this value every time the signal of the phase is output to the driver IC 120 , and keeps the updated state at any time. On the other hand, when the power of the driver IC 120 and the motor 48 is turned off when shifting to the power saving mode, etc., the control unit 100 cannot output a signal because the driver IC 120 does not operate. At this time, the control unit 100 does not update the value stored in the storage unit 112 . Due to such an operation, the value stored in the storage unit 112 coincides with the current phase position of the motor 48 .

After the power supply to the driver IC 120 is cut off for the purpose of power saving, the control unit 100 performs the following control before re-driving the motor 48 when it is restored.

1. When power is supplied to the driver IC 120 and the driver IC 120 starts up, the control unit 100 compares the initial value with the phase value recorded in the storage unit 112 just before.

2. When the phase is shifted, the control unit 100 changes the phase value of the driver IC 120 at a fast cycle that is difficult for the motor 48 itself to follow until the phase coincides.

3. During the period of changing the phase at a rapid cycle in the above "2.", the current value of the drive motor 48 is lowered to a value at which the motor 48 cannot rotate. Thus, the motor 48 is completely prevented from rotating.

After the above processing, the same control as when continuing to supply power to the driver IC 120 is performed.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional signal timing chart, and FIG. 6 shows a signal timing chart when this embodiment is applied. The horizontal axis of each figure represents time. “Device IC power: driver IC power supply” in each figure shows ON/OFF of power supply to the driver IC 120 . “Motor Current: motor current” indicates ON/OFF of the current output to the motor 48 . “Motor drive Clock: motor drive clock” indicates a pulse signal output to the motor 48 .

The control unit 100 periodically outputs signals 1 to 4 to the drive IC 120 at regular intervals during normal use (in this example, when not in the power saving mode), and drives the motor 48 based on the signals. Here, when the power of the driver IC 120 is turned off due to transition to the power saving mode, the phase value stored in the driver IC 120 also disappears. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5 , since the stop state of the motor is not known when the power is restored, the driving process is started from the initial state of the driver IC 120 (pulse signal 1 of the initial value).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , in order not to drive the motor 48 , the control unit 100 outputs a high-period signal at a speed at which the motor 48 is difficult to follow. In the example of FIG. 6 , it outputs Sig1 and Sig2 . The drive IC 120 that has received Sig1 and Sig2 rewrites its own phase value. According to the instruction of the control unit 100 , the power control unit 150 suppresses the power supply to the motor 48 during the rewriting of the phase value (time T in FIG. 6 ) so as to obtain a low current at which the motor 48 cannot operate. Thus, by using high-speed signal output and low current, the motor 48 is not driven until the phase value in the driver IC 120 matches the current phase position of the motor 48 . By this control, the motor 48 can be driven in a state where the phase position stopped just before continues.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the present embodiment, and is a flowchart showing the operation when returning from the power saving mode. When returning from the power saving mode, the control unit 100 acquires phase information (information on the rotation phase of the motor 48 ) stored in the storage unit 112 immediately before transitioning to the power saving mode (ACT001 ). In the power saving mode, since the control unit 100 itself is not powered off, the storage state of the storage unit 112 is maintained. This phase information thus represents the value of the phase position at the last moment before the motor 48 stopped. The control unit 100 acquires the initial value from the storage unit 112 (ACT 002 ). This initial value is the initial value of the phase information, and is the value when the driver IC 120 starts management when returning from the power saving mode. This initial value is defined in advance, and is also assumed to be stored in the storage unit 112 in this example.

The control unit 100 compares the phase information acquired in Act 001 immediately before shifting to the power saving mode with the initial value acquired in Act 002 (Act 003 ). When these values agree (action 004: YES), it ends without any control. On the contrary, if they do not match (ACT004: NO), the control unit 100 instructs the power supply control unit 150 to reduce the current value of the electric power supplied to the motor 48 (ACT005). Accordingly, the power supply control unit 150 can control the value of the current flowing to the motor 48 to be low. In addition, the control unit 100 outputs a signal (first signal) at a high-speed cycle and a high frequency at which the motor 48 is difficult to follow the rotation until these values match (ACT006 ). With this high-frequency signal, the drive IC 120 can rewrite the phase value managed by itself so that it matches the current phase position of the motor 48 without operating the motor 48 . During normal operation, the drive IC 120 also rewrites the phase value managed by itself after the pulse signal is input from the control unit 100 , and outputs it to the motor 48 . Therefore, the operation of the driver IC 120 at this time can be performed in the same manner as during normal operation.

After rewriting, the control unit 100 controls to restore the reduced current supplied to the motor 48 to the normal value when the motor 48 is driven (ACT 007 ). In addition, the power supply control unit 150 maintains a state of a low current value at least while outputting the first signal to the driver IC 120 at a high frequency. As an example of this implementation, it may be a state where the current value is low for a predetermined time defined in advance from the time of resuming from the power saving mode. As an example of this implementation, the control unit 100 may determine whether rewriting is completed, and convert the low current value to a normal current value based on the determination result.

Here, a specific example of how high-frequency signal is output and how much the current value is lowered will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . The graph in FIG. 8 is data showing the specifications of the motor, and this example is a data table showing the relationship between the torque (10 ⁻⁴ Nm), the number of revolutions (Hz), and the current consumption (mA) of the motor 48 . In the data table of FIG. 8, the upper limit of the rotation speed of the motor 48 is 900 Hz. Therefore, the pulse signal normally driven by the motor 48 is designed to be below 900 Hz. The high-speed pulse output in the present embodiment is set to be three times or more the frequency of the upper limit (900 Hz in this example). Also, this is just an example.

In addition, as shown in the graph value of "Current: current" in FIG. 8 , since there is no record of the motor 48 having a rotation speed less than 200 Hz in the specifications, it is necessary to drive it at 200 Hz or more. When the motor 48 is normally operated, the speed below 200 Hz is not used, and even if the motor is operated, the vibration of the motor itself increases, so that it cannot rotate stably. The motor 48 in this example requires a current of about 450mA when the motor that requires the most torque is turned on, but actually requires a current of about 600mA because a margin is required for the start of the turn. In the present embodiment, in order not to operate the motor 48, it is necessary to control the current value to 450 mA or less. More specifically, set it to 1/3 or less of the current value (450mA in this example) required to start the motor rotating. Also, this is just an example.

In this embodiment, the phase management device loaded in the sheet post-processing device has been described, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The phase management device of this embodiment can be applied to any device using a motor that can shift to the power saving mode. In addition, the case of 1 to 4 is mentioned as an example of the signal value which is output from a control part and a driver IC, However, Any numerical value may be used according to mounting. In addition, in this embodiment, although the integration part 36 was demonstrated as the apparatus to be controlled, it is not limited to this. As long as it is a device that requires accurate positioning. An example of the object device may be a carriage of a scanner for holding and moving a document that is included in the reel 35 and the image forming apparatus, and the like.

As described above, according to the technical means described in this specification, when returning from the power saving mode, it is possible to make the phase value managed by the driver IC coincide with the phase position of the motor without operating the motor.

While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the various novel devices and methods described herein may be embodied in various other forms. Also, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the apparatus and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The appended claims and their equivalents cover such forms or modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. a kind of phase managing device, it is characterised in that

Have：

Control unit, output makes the output signal that motor rotates, when being restored from battery saving mode, with can revolve higher than the motor The first frequency of the frequency turned exports the output signal；

Drive circuit, according to the output signal exported from the control unit, storage and the rotational phase position of the motor Related information and the output signal exported to the motor output pulse signal, reception with the first frequency, and root Described information is updated according to the output signal；And

Power control part, in the battery saving mode, power without to the drive circuitry to the control unit Control, when being restored from the battery saving mode, carries out the control to the control unit and the drive circuitry.

2. phase managing device according to claim 1, it is characterised in that

The control unit has storage part, and when exporting the output signal, the control unit is by the rotation phase with the motor The relevant information in position is stored in the storage part.

3. phase managing device according to claim 2, it is characterised in that

The control unit obtains relevant with the rotatable phase of the motor when being restored from the battery saving mode from the storage part Information initial value, and obtain the be stored in the storage part, described information that will transfer to before the battery saving mode Value, the output signal is exported with the first frequency until the initial value is consistent with the value of described information.

4. phase managing device according to claim 1, it is characterised in that

During the control unit exports the output signal with the first frequency to the drive circuit, the power supply The current value that portion does not drive the current control for flowing to the motor for the motor.

5. a kind of sheet post-process apparatus, it is characterised in that

Including：

Integration plate, makes the thin slice conveyed pile up alignment；

Motor, controls the position of the integration plate；

Control unit, output makes the output signal of the motor rotation, when being restored from battery saving mode, with the energy higher than the motor The first frequency of the frequency enough rotated exports the output signal；

Drive circuit, it is relevant with the rotational phase position of the motor according to the output signal storage that the control unit is exported Information, and to the motor output pulse signal, receive the output signal exported with the first frequency, and according to institute State output signal and update described information；And

Power control part, in the battery saving mode, power without to the drive circuitry to the control unit Control, when being restored from the battery saving mode, carries out the control to the control unit and the drive circuitry.

6. sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 5, it is characterised in that

The control unit has a storage part, when exporting the output signal, and the control unit is by the rotatable phase with the motor Relevant information is stored in the storage part.

7. sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 6, it is characterised in that

The control unit obtains relevant with the rotatable phase of the motor when being restored from the battery saving mode from the storage part Information initial value, and obtain the be stored in the storage part, described information that will transfer to before the battery saving mode Value, the output signal is exported with the first frequency until the initial value is consistent with the value of described information.

8. a kind of phase management method, it is characterised in that

It is a kind of phase management method of phase managing device, the phase managing device includes：Control unit, output revolves motor The output signal turned；Drive circuit, the output signal storage exported according to the control unit and the rotation phase of the motor The relevant information in position position, and to the motor output pulse signal；And power control part, carried out in battery saving mode to institute State control unit to power without the control to the drive circuitry, when being restored from the battery saving mode, carry out to the control Portion processed and the control of the drive circuitry；

In the phase management method,

The control unit from the battery saving mode when restoring, and the first frequency of the frequency can be rotated higher than the motor is defeated Go out the output signal；

The drive circuit receives the output signal exported with the first frequency, and updates institute according to the output signal State information.

9. phase management method according to claim 8, it is characterised in that

The control unit has storage part, and when exporting the output signal, the control unit is by the rotation phase with the motor The relevant information in position is stored in the storage part,

When being restored from the battery saving mode, the first of the information relevant with the rotatable phase of the motor is obtained from the storage part Initial value, and obtain be stored in the storage part, will transfer to the battery saving mode before described information value, with described First frequency exports the output signal until the initial value is consistent with the value of described information.

10. phase management method according to claim 8, it is characterised in that

During the output signal is exported to the drive circuit with the first frequency, the power control part will flow to institute The current control for stating motor is the current value that the motor does not drive.