Patent ID: 6361136
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A detection system comprising:a liquid container for holding liquid; optical means including a light emission unit for emitting light to said liquid container and a light receptor for receiving reflected light of the emitted light; a prism formed with light transmitting material, said prism having a surface constructing a part of an external wall surface of said liquid container and plural reflection surfaces, which are different from said surface, each being in contact with liquid and having a predetermined angle with respect to a light path of the emitted light; and determination means for determining whether or not the liquid in said liquid container exists based on the reflected light of the light emitted on said prism and received by said optical means, wherein said liquid container has a diffusion portion, provided in between a portion opposing to said light emission unit and another portion opposing to said light receptor, for diffusing light reflected on said external wall surface of said liquid container so as to prevent the reflected light from returning to said light receptor of said optical means, and said liquid container and said optical means are separated from each other.