| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To detect whether a toner exists or not in a desired position irrespective of a kind of a material such as a color of the toner or toner, etc., by setting an output value of a second photosensor as a reference value and comparing it with an output value of a first photosensor. CONSTITUTION:In a toner container 1 in which a toner 2 being a material of a powder grain or a fluid is contained in the inside, a window 4 provided with a light transmissive member is provided on a prescribed position. On the outside of the container 1, a sample toner box 12 having transmittivity by which almost the same reflection factor as the toner 2 or almost the same light quantum as the reflected light quantum by the toner 2 can be obtained is provided. A first photosensor 8 photodetects a light beam from a light source 7 reflected by the toner 2 through the window 4, and brings it to photoelectric conversion. Also, a second photosensor 9 photodetects a light beam from the light source 7 through the box 12, and brings it to photoelectric conversion. Subsequently, by setting an output value of the photosensor 9 as a reference value, and inputting this reference value and the output value of the photosensor 8 to a comparator IC1 and comparing them, whether the toner 2 exists in the container 1 or not is decided. |
