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:
Feb. 05, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1989
Patrick J Grasso, Fairport, NY (US);
John L Webb, Fairport, NY (US);
Glen A Woodhams, Rochester, NY (US);
Michael A Kelly, Walworth, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A toner cartridge is modified by the addition of a low toner sensing mechanism internal to the cartridge. An arm is pivotably mounted within the cartridge; the suspended end of the arm having a magnet secured thereto. When the cartridge is filled to a relatively high level with toner and rotated, the suspended arm is at least partially submerged in the toner bed and is subjected to a viscous drag force which moves the arm from the vertical position and prevents the arm from returning to the vertical or plumb orientation until a sufficiently low toner level occurs. At this point the arm is sufficiently free from the viscous drag effects of the rotating toner bed and attains a plumb position which brings it into alignment with a switching circuit which is closed by action of the proximate magnet. The switching circuitry generates signals which are used to produce a visible or audible signal to the operator, and/or which cause machine shut down to occur.