| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To detect a decrease in the storage capacity of toner and prevent the interruption of continuous copying operation by providing a light emitting means and a photodetecting means near a supply port outside the main body of a toner supplementing device across the main body and also providing a light guide pipe made of a transparent material in the main body between them. CONSTITUTION:When the copying operation is repeated to increase the consumption of toner and the upper level of the toner drops below the light guide, there is no toner interposed between a light projection part 11b and a window part 14 and the light beam from a light emitting lamp 12 is photodetected by a photodetection sensor 15 through a light incidence part 11a, the light projection part 11b, and window part 14, so that the photodetection sensor turns on. At this time, a copying machine operation part is urged to supply toner to the toner supplying device 4 through an alarm lamp, etc. The toner remains in the toner supplementing device 4 under the light guide 11 and even if a warning is generated in the middle of the continuous copying operation of many sheets, there is margin until the toner supplementing device becomes empty, so the copying operation is continued. Thus, the continuous copying operation is prevented from being interrupted and operation efficiency is improved. |
