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. 15, 2014
Filed:
Jan. 30, 2012
Mitsuya Matsubara, Kanagawa, JP;
Mitsuya Matsubara, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed is an ink container rotatable to take a first position and a second position, including an ink reservoir containing ink; and first and second detecting sensors connected to a detecting unit that determines whether the ink reservoir contains a predetermined amount of the ink based on current flowing through the first and second detecting sensors. The first and second detecting sensors are provided to face directions different from each other such that whether the ink reservoir contains a first predetermined amount of the ink for the first position is determined based on whether the first detecting sensor contacts the ink when the ink container takes the first position, and whether the ink reservoir contains a second predetermined amount of the ink for the second position is determined based on whether the second detecting sensor contacts the ink when the ink container takes the second position.