Patent ID: 9261815
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A container for supplying developer to a developing device which develops an electrostatic latent image, the container comprising: a housing including a primary portion for storing the developer, and a secondary portion that projects from the primary portion and is connected to the developing device, the primary portion including a facing wall situated at a boundary between the primary and secondary portions so that the facing wall faces a flow of the developer moving toward the secondary portion, the primary portion further including a first end wall opposite to the facing wall and a side wall that stands between the first end wall and the facing wall, the side wall including an attachment surface and a detection area opposite to the attachment surface; a conveying mechanism that conveys the developer in the primary portion to the secondary portion, the conveying mechanism being disposed so that the facing wall stands above the conveying mechanism; and a detector attached to the attachment surface of the side wall and situated above the conveying mechanism and next to the facing wall, the detector being configured to detects a physical property of the developer that changes in response to an amount of the developer and outputs data corresponding to the detected physical property, wherein the developer includes a flowing portion conveyed to the secondary portion by the conveying mechanism, and an adhering portion forming an adhering layer made of the developer adhered to the facing wall, and the detector detects: a decrease of the flowing portion, a decrease of the adhering portion, and a collapse of the adhering layer due to an absence of the flowing portion below the adhering layer and wherein the detector outputs data corresponding to the detected physical property and outputs different data values among a first state, in which the developer covers the detection area, a second state, in which the developer covers a part of the detection area, a third state, in which the detection area is exposed from the developer, and a fourth state, in which the adhering layer is collapsed.