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:
Jul. 02, 1996
Filed:
Nov. 10, 1993
Takashi Akazawa, Toyokawa, JP;
Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A device for detecting the residual amount of a developer has a developer storing vessel, a light-emitting element for projecting a light for irradiation from the outside to the inside of the vessel, a light-receiving element disposed outside the vessel and adapted to receive the light for irradiation projected by the light-emitting element into the interior of the vessel and issuing a signal in response to the received light, and a control device for discerning between arrival and no arrival of the residual amount of the developer in the vessel at the prescribed level on the basis of the signal from the light-receiving element. The control device discerns the arrival of the residual amount of the developer in the vessel at the predetermined level when the state in which the duration of an excess of the output signal of the light-receiving element over the prescribed threshold level surpasses the first predetermined time interval repeats on a prescribed plurality of instances during the second predetermined time interval.