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:
Oct. 11, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 20, 2008
Atsushi Toda, Mishima, JP;
Takeo Shoji, Sunto-gun, JP;
Satoshi Sunahara, Sunto-gun, JP;
Hideaki Hasegawa, Meridian, ID (US);
Atsushi Toda, Mishima, JP;
Takeo Shoji, Sunto-gun, JP;
Satoshi Sunahara, Sunto-gun, JP;
Hideaki Hasegawa, Meridian, ID (US);
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus has a developer container containing a developer and a developer carrying member for carrying the developer and adapted to switch an AC voltage to be applied to the developer carrying member. The apparatus includes a detecting member for detecting the amount of developer in the developer container and a processing portion for determining the amount of developer in the developer container according to the value output by the detecting member when the AC voltage is applied to the developer carrying member. The processing portion is adapted to determine the amount of developer by executing a process that corresponds to the operation of switching the AC voltage.