Measurement of toner level employing sensor on paddle

Details Measurement of toner level employing sensor on paddle Measurement of toner level employing sensor on paddle

1999-08-11

2000-08-08

Williams, Hezron

Prime-mover dynamo plants

Electric control

Traction

399 27, G03G 1508

Patent

active

061006017

ABSTRACT:
The level of powdered toner in a toner reservoir of a printer or copier is determined by ascertaining the time that it takes a stirring paddle to rotate from a second of two fixed ridges adjacent the top of the reservoir until the toner is engaged. A sensor, which is preferably a piezoelectric element or a strain gauge, is preferably mounted on the end of the stirring paddle to engage each of the two fixed ridges. When the sensor flexes after engaging each of the ridges, two closely spaced electrical pulse are produced. When the sensor engages the toner, another electrical pulse is produced, and the time between the second and third pulses is used to determine the level of the toner in the toner reservoir. If the stirring paddle is flexible, it may engage the ridges and the toner so that the sensor could be mounted on the stirring paddle to not engage the ridges or the toner but only to sense flexing of the stirring paddle for producing the electrical pulses. Instead of using the ridges, an emitter wheel may be employed to produce a pulse when the stirring paddle is in its substantially vertical position.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5034648 (1991-07-01), Gastgeb
patent: 5216462 (1993-06-01), Nakajima et al.
patent: 5634169 (1997-05-01), Barry et al.
patent: 5864431 (1999-01-01), Christensen
patent: 6009285 (1999-12-01), Barry et al.

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