IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0178791
(2005-07-11)
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우선권정보 |
JP-2002-215848(2002-07-24) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Eguchi,Takeo
- Takenaka,Kazuyasu
- Namekawa,Takumi
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Rockey, Depke, Lyons &
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
5 인용 특허 :
10 |
초록
▼
A liquid-amount detecting apparatus detects the amount of a liquid in containers. The liquid-amount detecting apparatus includes a liquid detecting circuit and a determining unit. The liquid detecting circuit includes electrode units disposed so as to begin contact with the liquid in the containers,
A liquid-amount detecting apparatus detects the amount of a liquid in containers. The liquid-amount detecting apparatus includes a liquid detecting circuit and a determining unit. The liquid detecting circuit includes electrode units disposed so as to begin contact with the liquid in the containers, which becomes electrically conductive when in contact with the liquid, an impedance, and an AC-signal source. An AC signal not containing a DC component is input from the AC-signal source to the electrode units through the source impedance, and a signal representing the status of electric connection of the electrode units is output. Furthermore, based on the output signal, a binary signal representing the presence or absence of electrical connection of the electrode units is output. The determining unit determines the presence or absence of the liquid at the electrode units based on the binary signal output from the liquid detecting circuit.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A liquid holding tank for a printer comprising: a container which contains a liquid that is used in a printer; a liquid detecting apparatus, wherein at least a part of said liquid detecting apparatus is disposed at said container, and further wherein said liquid detecting ap
What is claimed is: 1. A liquid holding tank for a printer comprising: a container which contains a liquid that is used in a printer; a liquid detecting apparatus, wherein at least a part of said liquid detecting apparatus is disposed at said container, and further wherein said liquid detecting apparatus is comprised of: a liquid detecting circuit comprising a plurality of electrode units disposed in said at least one container in a direction in which a surface of the liquid falls, each unit formed by a pair of electrodes separated from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the surface of the liquid falls, and the members of each pair being electrically connected to each other when the pair of electrodes is in contact with the liquid; a source impedance; and a single alternating-current signal source; wherein the liquid detecting circuit causes an alternating-current signal not containing a direct-current component to be selectively input to each electrode unit through the source impedance, and outputs binary signals representing the presence or absence of an electrical connection between each pair of electrodes; and a determining unit for determining the presence or absence of the liquid at each electrode unit based on the binary signals output from the liquid detecting circuit, wherein the liquid detecting circuit selectively connects the single alternating-current signal source to a node of the electrode unit. 2. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the binary signals representing the presence or absence of an electrical connection between each pair of electrodes is output based on a period of the alternating signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source. 3. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid detecting circuit generates a clock signal for outputting the binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connections between each pair of electrodes, and exercises control so that the alternating-current signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source and the clock signal are synchronized with each other. 4. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines, in a stepwise manner, the remaining amount of the liquid in the container based on the binary signals associated with each respective pair of electrodes. 5. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid detecting circuit outputs, based on a period of the alternating-current signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source, binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connections between each respective pair of electrodes, wherein the determining means determines, in a stepwise manner, the remaining amount of the liquid in the container based on the binary signals associated with each respective pair of electrodes, and wherein the single alternating-current signal source is connected to the plurality of electrode units such that a connection of the alternating-current signal source with one of the plurality of electrode units can be switched to a connection with another one of the plurality of electrode units, the connection between the single alternating-current signal source and each of the plurality of electrode units being switched in synchronization with the period of the alternating-current signal. 6. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines, in a stepwise manner, the remaining amount of the liquid in the container based on the binary signals associated with the respective pairs of electrodes, wherein the liquid detecting circuit generates a clock signal for outputting the binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connection between the respective pairs of electrodes, and exercises control so that the alternating-current signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source and the clock signal will be synchronized with each other, and wherein the single alternating-current signal source is connected to the plurality of electrode units such that a connection of the single alternating-current signal source with one of the plurality of electrode units can be switched to a connection-with another one of the plurality of electrode units, the connection between the single alternating-current signal source and each of the plurality of electrode units being switched in synchronization with the clock signal. 7. A liquid holding tank to claim 1, wherein the electrode units of the liquid detecting circuit are disposed inside the container, and wherein parts of the liquid detecting circuit other than the electrode units and the determining means are disposed outside the container. 8. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein impedance characteristics of the plurality of electrode units are common so as to facilitate determination for binarization. 9. A liquid holding tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid detecting circuit outputs the binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connections between each pair of electrodes using at least one of a positive-polarity signal and a negative-polarity signal of the alternating-current signal. 10. A method for detecting the amount of a liquid contained in a liquid holding tank for a printer comprising: providing a liquid detecting circuit comprising a plurality of electrode units disposed in a liquid holding tank for a printer in a direction in which a surface of the liquid falls, each unit formed by a pair of electrodes separated from each other, and the members of each pair being electrically connected to each other when the pair of electrodes is in contact with the liquid; a source impedance; and a single alternating-current signal source that is selectively connected to at least one member of each pair of electrodes; selectively applying an alternating-current signal not containing a direct-current component to each electrode unit through the source impedance, and outputting binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connection between each pair of electrodes; and determining the presence or absence of the liquid at each electrode unit based on the binary signals output from the liquid detecting circuit, wherein the liquid detecting circuit selectively connects the single alternating-current signal source to a node of the electrode unit. 11. A method for detecting the amount of liquid in a liquid holding tank for a printer according to claim 10, wherein the binary signals representing the presence or absence of an electrical connection between each pair of electrodes is output based on a period of the alternating signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source. 12. A method for detecting the amount of a liquid holding tank for a printer according to claim 10, wherein the liquid detecting circuit generates a clock signal for outputting the binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connections between each pair of electrodes, and exercises control so that the alternating-current signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source and the clock signal are synchronized with each other. 13. A method for detecting the amount of a liquid holding tank for a printer according to claim 10, further comprising determining in a stepwise manner, the remaining amount of the liquid in the container based on the binary signals associated with each respective pair of electrodes. 14. A method for detecting the amount of a liquid holding tank for a printer according to claim 10, further comprising outputting, based on a period of the alternating-current signal generated by the single alternating-current signal source, binary signals representing the presence or absence of electrical connections between each respective pair of electrodes, wherein the determining means determines, in a stepwise manner, the remaining amount of the liquid in the container based on the binary signals associated with each respective pair of electrodes, and wherein the single alternating-current signal source is selectively connected to the plurality of electrode units such that a connection of the alternating-current signal source with one of the plurality of electrode units can be switched to a connection with another one of the plurality of electrode units, the connection between the single alternating-current signal source and each of the plurality of electrode units being switched in synchronization with the period of the alternating-current signal.
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