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. 24, 2020
Filed:
May. 21, 2018
Masahide Yamashita, Tokyo, JP;
Taku Kumiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yohei Kushida, Hyogo, JP;
Takuya Murata, Tokyo, JP;
Keita Maejima, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahide Yamashita, Tokyo, JP;
Taku Kumiya, Kanagawa, JP;
Yohei Kushida, Hyogo, JP;
Takuya Murata, Tokyo, JP;
Keita Maejima, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A powder-amount detection device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a voltage detector with the second electrode adjacent to the first electrode on the powder container and have a smaller surface area than a surface area of the first electrode. The third electrode is on a side opposite to the second electrode with the powder container interposed between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode. The voltage detector detects voltages of the first electrode and the second electrode by detecting charging and discharging behaviors of the first electrode and the second electrode when a voltage is applied between the third electrode and each of the first electrode and the second electrode for a short time, and detects the amount of powder in the powder container based on the voltages of the first electrode and the second electrode.