LIQUID DETECTOR, FIXING DEVICE USING THE SAME AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily discriminate a state such that a liquid is not left not only in an accumulation part but also in a tank and a state such that the liquid remains in at least one of the accumulation part and the tank. SOLUTION: Since the incident light from a light emitting part 48a is transmitted through oil by the surface on the way of a prism 34 when the oil (liquid) is present in at least either one of an oil tank 30 and an impregnation body (accumulation part) 44, it does not reach a light detector 48b. However, the incident light arrives at the light detector 48b when the oil is not present in both of the oil tank 30 and the impregnation body 44. The light from the light emitting part 48a arrives at the light detector 48b also in a case not loaded with the oil tank 30 itself. A controller 50 judges that the oil is present when the light from the light emitter 48a is not detected by the light detector 48b.