Patents Examined by Howard J Sanders
  • Patent number: 11498789
    Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one infeed system including at least one transport means including at least one upper holder and at least one lower holder. The at least one transport means can be and/or is arranged in at least three states: a maximally closed state corresponding to a minimal distance, a minimally closed state corresponding to a maximal distance, and an at least one mean state corresponding to at least one mean distance between at least one upper holding surface at least of the respective upper holder, and at least one lower holding surface of the lower holder of the at least one transport means that is assigned to the respective upper holder. During a machine cycle, the at least one transport means has each of the minimally closed state, the maximally closed state, and the at least one mean state at least once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Carsten Reinsch, Christian Pilz, Heike Rieck
  • Patent number: 11480907
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance method using a sheet conveyance apparatus that includes a conveyance path and a plurality of alignment members disposed along the conveyance path, the method includes: determining a set of alignment members to be operated based on a length of the paper sheet from among the plurality of alignment members; and aligning the paper sheet conveyed on the conveyance path using the determined set of alignment members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromu Nagato
  • Patent number: 11479424
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a processor configured to change lifting control for lifting sheets on a tray, which are to be floated up and handed over, from normal state control to small-quantity state control in a case where it is detected that the remaining number of sheets on the tray is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yuichi Araki, Shoichi Maeda, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 11447350
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller, a first rotary member forming a first nip portion conveying a sheet in a first conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the first rotary member being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the first rotary member is positioned at a different position in the first conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end, and a second rotary member forming a second nip portion conveying a sheet in a second conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the second rotary member being inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the second rotary member is positioned at a different position in the second conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11440758
    Abstract: A transport device for a sheet-format substrate has at least one first substrate feed device and has at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one second substrate feed device comprises at least one forward stop and at least one singulating device. At least one substrate guiding device is arranged between the at least one first substrate feed device and the at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one substrate guiding device has at least one directing element. The at least one directing element is mounted such that it is movable or is moved in two different directions independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Bär, Alexander Soller
  • Patent number: 11440760
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second abutment surfaces in contact a leading edge of a conveyed sheet before the sheet is nipped by a conveyance portion, which nips the sheet while the first and second abutment members are moving from respective standby positions together with first and second rotary members by being pressed by the leading edge. The first and second rotary members are in contact with the sheet being conveyed by the second conveyance portion after the leading edge of the sheet passes through the first abutment surface, the first rotary member, and the second abutment surface, and the second rotary member, and the first and second abutment members move toward standby positions by urging members after a trailing edge of the sheet passing through the first and second rotary members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Nagasaki
  • Patent number: 11440763
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, provided is an automatic document feeder including a conveying unit, a first tray, a storage unit, and a paper discharge guide. The conveying unit is configured to convey paper to the paper discharge tray. The first tray is a paper discharge tray on which paper discharged by the conveying unit is stacked. The storage unit is a groove-shaped hole provided below the first tray. The paper discharge guide is a member for guiding paper having a predetermined size discharged by the conveying unit to the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masashi Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11433694
    Abstract: A sheet tray includes a sheet storage unit that stores a sheet, the sheet storage unit being capable of being pulled out of a housing in a forward direction and pushed into the housing in a rearward direction to a position such that a gap is provided below the sheet storage unit; and a sheet moving portion fixed to the sheet storage unit, the sheet moving portion moving together with the sheet storage unit when the sheet storage unit is pulled out, thereby moving a sheet that has entered the gap in the forward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takuyoshi Kimura, Yasunobu Goto, Takehiko Koizumi, Ryuga Oishi, Natsumi Nakata
  • Patent number: 11427420
    Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes: a transport path along which a sheet is transported; a first transport member disposed on one side of the transport path; and a second transport member disposed opposed to the first transport member with the transport path interposed therebetween. The first transport member and the second transport member are driven to rotate. The sheet is transported by the first transport member rotating with an outer peripheral surface thereof being in contact with a first face of the sheet, and by the second transport member rotating in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the first transport member, with an outer peripheral surface thereof being in contact with a second face of the sheet different from the first face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: GLORY LTD.
    Inventors: Shuji Onishi, Yusuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11420834
    Abstract: A scanner is configured to include a rotating body at a bottom portion of an apparatus main body and to be switchable between a movable state in which the rotating body contacts an installation surface on which the apparatus main body is installed and the rotation of the rotating body enables the movement of the apparatus main body on the installation surface and an installation state in which a contact area of the bottom portion of the apparatus main body with respect to the installation surface is larger than the movable state and the apparatus main body is installed and used on the installation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Mokuo, Keiichiro Fukumasu, Shinsuke Kogi, Junichiro Higuma
  • Patent number: 11414290
    Abstract: According to several embodiments, the invention relates to a device and a method for stacking card-like data carriers. The device includes a conveying device for transporting individual card-like data carriers downstream along a conveying path and a stacking unit for selectively transferring and stacking card-like data carriers conveyed along the conveying path. The conveying device is arranged to convey the card-like data carriers in such a way that they are fixed to it in a hanging mode of transport. The stacking unit is arranged to selectively release certain ones of the card-like data carriers conveyed along the conveying device from the latter in order to transfer them directly into a card magazine and to stack them therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Mühlbauer GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Krapf, Markus Strehle
  • Patent number: 11414289
    Abstract: A sheet handling device includes a shaft, a roller, and a joint. The roller is detachably attached on an end portion of the shaft. The joint is mounted on the end of the shaft and has a claw at a tip of the joint. The claw of the joint is configured to position the roller in a thrust direction along the shaft while an inner circumferential surface of the roller is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. The inner circumferential surface of the roller has a cylindrical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ippei Kimura
  • Patent number: 11390477
    Abstract: A bunch of valuable media items are transported along a track surface within a deskew/pick module of a depository until a bottom item of the bunch covers a track sensor adjacent to an exit. Upper rollers are disengaged from a topmost item of the bunch and lower track-surface rollers are rotated in a direction that is perpendicular to a sidewall forcing a bottommost item of the bunch in alignment to the sidewall. Upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge the bottommost item through the exit of the module. Upper rollers are raised off the topmost item and lower track-surface rollers are rotated; upper rollers are lowered onto the topmost item and pick rollers are activated to urge a next bottommost item through the exit. This process is repeated until no items are left in the bunch to process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Patent number: 11390481
    Abstract: A document conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a first image reading part, a curved second conveyance path, a third conveyance path, a branch guide, a first discharge port, a document stacking section, a second discharge port and a tray support part. The first conveyance path extends linearly. The curved second conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path at a branch point. The third conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path at the branch point and extends linearly. Through the first discharge port, the document conveyed along the second conveyance path is discharged. The document stacking section is provided with a discharge tray. Through the second discharge port, the document conveyed along the third conveyance path is discharged. To the tray support part, the detached discharge tray is supported such that the document discharged through the second discharge port is stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Kawasaki, Yoshiaki Tashiro, Yoshitaka Tokoro, Takafumi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11377320
    Abstract: A relay conveyance device includes a discharge unit which discharges a sheet toward a carry-in port, a decurling unit attached to the discharge unit, and a discharge adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting a height direction inclination of the discharge unit. The discharge adjustment mechanism is set to be capable of adjusting an inclination of the discharge unit such that the decurling unit maintains a predetermined reference position even when the discharge unit is supported by any of a plurality of unit supporting portions set according to a height position of the carry-in port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Inventors: Masami Fuchi, Sachio Izumichi, Masayuki Kakuta, Risa Hibino, Seiji Okada
  • Patent number: 11377321
    Abstract: A post-processing device for processing a sheet includes a post-processing section for post-processing a sheet; a buffer section for temporarily staying a plurality of sheets at an upstream of the post-processing section; and a conveying section for conveying, one by one, the plurality of sheets stayed at the buffer section to the post-processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 11365074
    Abstract: In an example, a tray cover extender may include a cover rack attached to a movable tray cover such that movement of the cover rack is transferred to a movement of the movable tray cover. Further, the tray cover extender may include a pinion gear operably engaged with the cover rack so as to actuate or move the cover rack if the pinion gear is actuated. The example tray cover extender may also include a tray rack attached to a media tray. The tray rack may actuate or move the pinion gear as the media tray is moved past the pinion gear. The cover rack may extend the movable tray cover from a first position to a second position if the pinion gear actuates the cover rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiaoxi Huang, Deming Xu
  • Patent number: 11365075
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a loading portion onto which a sheet is loaded, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the loading portion, a raising portion that raises a sheet loading surface with respect to a lowermost lowering position of the loading portion and above which a portion of the sheet is loaded, and an extension portion that extends to a position outward of the loading portion from the raising portion side as seen in plan view and supports another portion of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kimura, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Shoichi Maeda, Masashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11345557
    Abstract: In a first mode, the control unit controls the driving source such that the rotary feeding member starts to move toward the first position based on an elapse of a first time since the detection portion detected a leading edge of the sheet, and positions the rotary feeding member at the first position when a trailing edge of the sheet passes through the separation nip. In a second mode, the control unit controls the driving source such that the rotary feeding member starts to move toward the first position based on an elapse of a second time longer than the first time since the detection portion detected the leading edge of the sheet, and positions the rotary feeding member at a position separated more from the stacking portion than the first position when the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the separation nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akiyuki Mitamura
  • Patent number: 11332330
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first detection device that outputs a first signal upon detecting a stacked sheet and outputs a second signal upon detecting no sheet, and a second detection device that outputs a third signal when a sheet stacking member is above a predetermined position and outputs a fourth signal in a case where the stacking member is below the predetermined position A control unit controls movement of sheet stacking member by restricting movement of the stacking member when the second signal is output and the third signal is output when power of the sheet feeding apparatus is turned on. The second detection device includes a switch that emits the third signal while abutting a moving member that moves with the sheet stacking member and emits the fourth signal while being separated from the moving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuzumi Taba