Ink tank with an ink level detector having a viewing window
AssigneeFuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
InventorKohzo Hara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inexpensive ink tank having an ink remaining amount detection section which can be used with ink of any color is disclosed. An optical ink detection section formed from a light transmitting material has an inclined interface and is formed integrally with the ink tank. Incident light from a light source is refracted, when ink is present in the ink tank, at the interface to make refraction light and does not emerge to a visual observation portion. When no ink is present, the incident light is totally reflected by the interface to make total reflection light, which can be visually observed at the visual observation portion. A roughened face is formed at the visual observation portion so that light emerging to the visual observation portion may be scattered to facilitate visual observation.
Claims15
An ink tank, comprising:
- an ink tank body made of a light transmitting material for accommodating ink therein;
- and
- an optical ink detection device made of the same material as that of said ink tank body and comprising a body member connected interiorly to and integrally with the ink tank at the vicinity where a presence or an absence of the ink is to be detected whereby incident light being emitted exteriorly of the ink tank body enters at a first exterior area of the ink tank body and through the body member in a direction to impinge upon an interface surface of the body member, the interface surface disposed at an oblique angle relative to the direction of the incident light so that, when the ink fails to contact the interface surface, reflecting light reflected from the interface surface is emitted at a second exterior area of the ink tank body thereby indicating absence of the ink where the optical ink detection device is located and, when the ink contacts the interface surface, refracted light refracted from the interface surface is transmitted through the ink in lieu of the reflecting light being emitted at the second exterior area thereby indicating presence of the ink where the optical ink detection device is located.
An ink level detection, apparatus for an ink tank, comprising an ink tank body made of a light transmitting material for accommodating ink therein, the ink level detection apparatus for allowing detection of ink by one of an observer and an optical detection means, the ink level detection apparatus comprising:
- a body member connected interiorly to and integrally with the ink tank at the vicinity where a presence or an absence of the ink is to be detected whereby incident light being emitted exteriorly of the ink tank body enters at a first exterior area of the ink tank body and through the body member in a direction to impinge upon an interface surface of the body member, the interface surface disposed at an oblique angle relative to the direction of the incident light so that, when the ink fails to contact the interface surface, reflecting light reflected from the interface surface is emitted at a second exterior area of the ink tank body thereby indicating absence of the ink where the body member is located and, when the ink contacts the interface surface, refracted light refracted from the interface surface is transmitted through the ink in lieu of the reflecting light being emitted at the second exterior area thereby indicating presence of the ink where the body member is located.
A liquid level detection apparatus adapted for use with a tank fabricated of a light transmitting material to determine whether a liquid is either present or absent within the tank at a vicinity where the liquid detection apparatus is located, the liquid level detection apparatus comprising:
- a body member fabricated of an identical material as the tank and connected interiorly to and integrally with the tank at the vicinity where a presence or an absence of the liquid is to be detected whereby incident light being emitted exteriorly of the tank enters at a first exterior area of the tank and through the body member in a direction to impinge upon an interface surface of the body member, the interface surface disposed at an oblique angle relative to the direction of the incident light so that, when the liquid fails to contact the interface surface, reflecting light reflects from the interface surface to appear at a second exterior area of the tank thereby indicating the absence of the liquid where the liquid level detection apparatus is located and, when the liquid contacts the interface surface, refracted light refracts from the interface surface and through the liquid thereby inhibiting the reflecting light from appearing at the second exterior area to indicate the presence of the liquid where the liquid level detection apparatus is located.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.