Title:
PRINTER
Document Type and Number:
Japanese Patent JP3385593
Kind Code:
B2
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately grasp an ink residue before an ink deficiency occurs and to accurately detect the ink residue by a simple method in a printer having an ink container for containing a printing ink.
SOLUTION: The printer comprises the ink container 12 provided in a space surrounded by a cylinder 16 having a discharge port 15 provided at a distal end to discharge the ink 11, and a piston 17 slidable along an inner wall of a side face 16a of the cylinder 16 to contain the ink 11. A photoelectric sensor 20 is disposed near a rear end of the cylinder 16, light radiating means 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2, 3-1 and 3-2 such as LEDs or the like are disposed at an outside of the side face 16a so as to radiate the light to the sensor 20 only once through the side face 16a of the cylinder, and an ink residue detecting means for detecting the ink residue in the container 12 based on an electrical signal output from the sensor 20 is provided.
Inventors:
Hideaki Inoue
Masato Miyaki
Masato Miyaki
Application Number:
JP2000150449A
Publication Date:
March 10, 2003
Filing Date:
May 22, 2000
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Ideal Science Industry Co., Ltd.
International Classes:
B41L13/18; B41F31/02; B41J2/175; G01F23/28; (IPC1-7): B41F31/02; B41L13/18; G01F23/28
Domestic Patent References:
| JP8216371A | ||||
| JP1024556A | ||||
| JP623310A | ||||
| JP10217430A | ||||
| JP531881A | ||||
| JP10318819A |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Seiji Yanagida (1 person outside)
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