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:
Jun. 28, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 14, 2008
Tomofumi Inoue, Osaka, JP;
Kohji Hatayama, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Sakashita, Osaka, JP;
Mitsutoshi Kichise, Osaka, JP;
Yuuji Meguro, Ibaraki, JP;
Takeru Muramatsu, Ibaraki, JP;
Tomofumi Inoue, Osaka, JP;
Kohji Hatayama, Kanagawa, JP;
Takeshi Sakashita, Osaka, JP;
Mitsutoshi Kichise, Osaka, JP;
Yuuji Meguro, Ibaraki, JP;
Takeru Muramatsu, Ibaraki, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A powder conveying unit conveys powder input from a powder inlet of a powder containing chamber into the powder containing chamber. A powder detecting unit detects a full state of the powder conveyed by the powder conveying unit in the powder containing chamber. A sensor chamber is provided outside the powder containing chamber connected with each other. The powder detecting unit is provided in the sensor chamber, a bottom surface of the sensor chamber is at higher level than a bottom surface of the powder containing chamber, and the bottom surface of the sensor chamber is inclined downward toward the powder containing chamber.