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:
Dec. 20, 1994
Filed:
Aug. 16, 1993
Yoshio Shiina, Kanagawa, JP;
Takayuki Sunaga, Kanagawa, JP;
Toru Isosu, Kanagawa, JP;
Makoto Kanno, Kanagawa, JP;
Toru Ishikawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Hideaki Miyata, Kanagawa, JP;
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting and controlling a the exhaustion of toner in a developing unit of an image recording device which forms an electrostatic latent image on a latent image carrier by exposure in response to image signals and develops the electrostatic latent image to a toner image to be recorded. The apparatus includes a detection unit for detecting a presence or absence of toner in the developing unit under a condition that a power of the image recording equipment is turned on and an interlock is released, and a drive unit for driving the developing unit and the toner supplying mechanism for a predetermined period of time when the toner is exhausted as is detected by the detection unit, wherein the detection unit detects again a presence or absence of toner in the developing unit after the drive unit drives the developing unit and the toner supplying mechanism.