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:
Sep. 27, 2022
Filed:
Dec. 02, 2021
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc., Osaka, JP;
Tomohisa Soda, Osaka, JP;
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a first container, a second container, and a toner supplying device. The toner supplying device includes first and second conveyance members that convey the toner in the first and second containers, and first and second sensing shafts that are used to sense the remaining quantities of toner there. The first and second sensing shafts have a first or second light-shielding plate that moves into and out of the optical path of an optical sensor. Of the first and second light-shielding plates, one rotates together with the first or second conveying member selectively driven and makes contact with the other, and thereby makes it move out of the optical path of the optical sensor.