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:
Nov. 21, 2006
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2004
Stephen A. Andersen, Thompson's Station, TN (US);
Dennis M. Lengyel, Hemlock, NY (US);
Stephen A. Andersen, Thompson's Station, TN (US);
Dennis M. Lengyel, Hemlock, NY (US);
Nu-Kote International, Inc., Franklin, TN (US);
Abstract
An ink container shell for an ink jet cartridge has an ink chamber provided with an optical ink detection device in the form of a single or multi-segment prism having interface surfaces for reflecting light in a scan plane from a first to a second exterior area relative to the container shell when an ink level in the chamber recedes to a given level. The multi-segment prism provides for scanning a cartridge in different scanning planes. Either a single prism or the multi-segment prism can be separate from the cartridge and interengaged therewith by a snap-fit.