Spencer, Frank & Schneider
Toner residual amount detecting mechanism
 A toner residual amount detecting mechanism comprises a stirring device and a photosensor. The photosensor has a protrusion, and rotates together with a stirring shaft while the protrusion contacts with a pin planted on the stirring shaft. The stirring device rotates by its gravity when it reaches a top dead point thereof. The stirring device also includes a magnetic rotor attracted by a permanent magnet in a sensor lever to thereby turn the sensor lever about the fulcrum of the sensor lever to a predetermined position. The sensor lever is stopped by a stopper when the stirring device reaches the bottom dead point thereof. The photosensor cannot detect light when the sensor lever is positioned at the bottom dead point since the light is intercepted by the sensor lever but can detect the light when the sensor lever reaches the predetermined position. The mechanism can inform an operator of a toner supply time since the photosensor operates depending on the resistance of toner against the stirring device. 
Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Y G G G
Y10S G03G G03G G03G
additional inventional inventional inventional
Shigeki Yukio Masato Hiroshi Yoshiharu
Nakajima Ota Takano Kikuchi Momiyama