Structure for detecting developer level in developer cartridge
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJong Hyun Park, Myung Kook Ahn, Seil Kwon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer including a body, a developer cartridge, and a developer level sensor. The body includes a printing unit to print an image on a print medium based on electrophotography. The developer cartridge is attachable to the body and includes a developer container including a developer, and a developer outlet provided at a length-direction side of the developer container to supply the developer from the developer container to the printing unit. The developer level sensor is installed on the body near the developer outlet to generate an electrical detection signal based on a developer level in the developer container.
Claims15
A printer comprising:
- a body including a printing unit to print an image on a print medium based on electrophotography;
- a developer cartridge attachable to the body, the developer cartridge including a developer container and a developer outlet, the developer container including a developer, the developer outlet is provided at a length-direction side of the developer container to supply the developer from the developer container to the printing unit;
- and
- a developer level sensor on the body near the developer outlet on the length-direction side of the developer container, the developer level sensor to generate an electrical detection signal based on a developer level in the developer container while the developer cartridge is attached to the body.
A printer comprising:
- a body including a printing unit to print an image on a print medium based on electrophotography;
- a developer cartridge attachable to the body, the developer cartridge including a developer container and a developer outlet, the developer container including a developer, the developer outlet is provided at a length-direction side of the developer container to supply the developer from the developer container to the printing unit;
- and
- a developer level sensor on the body near the developer outlet to generate an electrical detection signal based on a developer level in the developer container, wherein the developer level sensor is located at a fixed position of the body at the length-direction side of the developer container, and
- wherein the developer cartridge moves from a separated position spaced apart from the developer level sensor, to a sensing position close to the developer level sensor, when the developer cartridge is attached to the body.
A printer comprising:
- a body comprising a printing unit to print an image on a print medium based on electrophotography, and a cartridge holder;
- a developer cartridge containing a developer, attachable to the cartridge holder, the developer cartridge including a developer outlet to supply the developer to the printing unit, and a conveying member to convey the developer toward the developer outlet;
- and
- a developer level sensor on the cartridge holder near the developer outlet on a length-direction side of the developer cartridge, the developer level sensor to generate an electrical detection signal based on a developer level in the developer cartridge while the developer cartridge is attached to the cartridge holder,
- wherein one of the developer cartridge and the developer level sensor is movable to a sensing position, at which the developer cartridge and the developer level sensor are close to each other, and
- one of the developer cartridge and the developer level sensor is movable to a separated position, at which the developer cartridge and the developer level sensor are spaced apart from each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.