The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 2019
Filed:
May. 18, 2016
Mitsufumi Yamamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuro Hirota, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Kikuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuho Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Shingo Nishizaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ko Tokumaru, Tokyo, JP;
Mitsufumi Yamamoto, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuro Hirota, Kanagawa, JP;
Kenji Kikuchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuho Satoh, Kanagawa, JP;
Shingo Nishizaki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ko Tokumaru, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A powder detection device includes a detection mechanism including an oscillation unit and a vibrated member, a vibrating member, and a detection unit. The oscillation unit outputs a signal having a frequency according to a state of a magnetic flux passing a space facing the oscillation unit. The vibrated member affecting the magnetic flux and disposed inside a container to face the oscillation unit via the container is vibrated by the vibrating member in a direction of facing the oscillation unit. The detection unit acquires frequency information of the signal at predetermined periods, determines presence/absence of an error of the detection mechanism based on error information associating a type of the error with a state of the signal, detects vibration of the vibrated member based on a change in the frequency information, and detects a remaining amount of powder in the container based on the detected vibration.