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:
Apr. 13, 2021
Filed:
May. 27, 2020
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Nagoya, JP;
Yohei Hashimoto, Nagakute, JP;
BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A first waste-toner box includes a detection switch wherein a state of the detection switch changes depending on an amount of waste toner stored therein. A second waste-toner box without the detection switch is initially mounted on a housing. The first waste-toner box is mounted after replacement of the second waste-toner box. A sensor circuit detects the state of the detection switch. In a case where the second waste-toner box is mounted on the housing, a controller detects a full state of waste toner stored in the second waste-toner box based on a dot count that is a number of dots forming a toner image formed on a sheet; and in a case where the first waste-toner box is mounted on the housing, the controller detects a full state of waste toner stored in the first waste-toner box based on the state of the detection switch.