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. 01, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 03, 2001
Yoshiharu Taniyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Other;
Abstract
The developer supply device includes a loading unit for loading a supply container for storing a developer for supply, a detection mechanism for detecting whether there is a projection for displaying that the developer is a regular product on the outer peripheral surface of the supply container loaded in the loading unit or not, and a driving mechanism for rotating the loaded supply container and supplying the developer to the device to be supplied on the basis of detection of the projection by the detector. The detection mechanism includes a detecting element for detecting the existence of the projection by making contact with the projection of the rotating developer supply container, a contactor for making contact with the outer peripheral surface of the supply container, a mounting member for mounting the contactor and detecting element, and a pressing member for elastically pressing the mounting member, thereby allowing the contactor to make elastically contact with the outer peripheral surface of the developer supply container, and forming a fixed interval between the outer peripheral surface of the developer supply container and the detecting element.