Heating control apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482586-B2
Application number	US-201414514387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A heating control apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The heating control apparatus includes a heating module, a temperature sensing module, a pulse width modulation circuit, and a comparator. Input terminals of the comparator are respectively coupled to the temperature sensing module and the pulse width modulation circuit, and an output terminal of the comparator is coupled to the heating module. In the control method, a heating temperature of the heating module is sensed by the temperature sensing module, so as to provide a temperature sensing signal. The comparator receives the temperature sensing signal and a pulse width modulation signal generated by the pulse width modulation circuit and compares the temperature sensing signal and the pulse width modulation signal to generate a comparing pulse width modulation signal, so as to control the heating temperature of the heating module by using the comparing pulse width modulation signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating control apparatus, comprising:
a heating module, configured to heat a nozzle;
a temperature sensing module, configured to sense a heating temperature of the heating module to correspondingly generate and provide a temperature sensing signal according to the heating temperature;
a pulse width modulation circuit, configured to generate a pulse width modulation signal; and
a comparator, having input terminals respectively coupled to the temperature sensing module and the pulse width modulation circuit and an output terminal coupled to the heating module, and configured to receive the temperature sensing signal and the pulse width modulation signal and compare the temperature sensing signal and the pulse width modulation signal to generate a comparing pulse width modulation signal in order to control the heating temperature of the heating module by using the comparing pulse width modulation signal.

2. The heating control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pulse width modulation circuit is co-constructed with a processor, and the processor is coupled to the input terminals of the comparator in order to adjust the pulse width modulation signal through the pulse width modulation circuit.

3. The heating control apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
an inverter, coupled to the processor and the comparator, and configured to receive the pulse width modulation signal, wherein the inverter provides a first level signal to the comparator when the pulse width modulation signal is not yet received by the inverter from the pulse width modulation circuit, and the inverter provides an inverted pulse width modulation signal to the comparator when the pulse width modulation signal is received by the inverter from the pulse width modulation circuit.

4. The heating control apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a buffer circuit, coupled to the pulse width modulation circuit and the comparator, and configured to receive the pulse width modulation signal and provide an adjusted pulse width modulation signal to the comparator.

5. The heating control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the buffer circuit comprises a resistance-capacitance circuit.

6. The heating control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating module comprises:
a switch transistor, coupled to the comparator, and configured to receive the comparing pulse width modulation signal, when the comparing pulse width modulation signal of a second level provided by the comparator is received by the switch transistor, the switch transistor being turned on in response to the comparing pulse width modulation signal of the second level in order to increase the heating temperature of the heating module accordingly, and when the comparing pulse width modulation signal of a third level is received by the switch transistor, the switch transistor being turned off in response to the comparing pulse width modulation signal of the third level in order to stop increasing the heating temperature of the heating module accordingly.

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Ju-Chou
• Chang Chih-Ming

Classifications

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G01K13/00 Primary

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title