| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely detect the existence/absence of a waste toner box and the state of waste toner in the waste toner box while simplifying a device configuration. <P>SOLUTION: A waste toner detection device is provided with a single photosensor 102 which shields light with waste toner when a fixed amount of waste toner or more waste toner is accumulated in the waste toner box 101 for accumulating waste toner removed from the surface of a photoreceptor formed with a transparent or translucent container, and a light shielding mechanism 103 which retracts from a detection area of the photosensor 102 when the waste toner box 101 is mounted and meanwhile, advances to the detection area of the photosensor 102 when the waste toner box 101 is removed from the device to make the photosensor 102 a light shielding state. The waste toner detection device determines the existence/absence of the waste toner box 101 and the state of the waste toner accumulated in the waste toner box in accordance with an output from the photosensor 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO |
