Patents Examined by Patrick Cicchino
  • Patent number: 11964841
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller that comes in contact with one of stacked printing media and feeds the printing medium; a support member that supports the feeding roller; an inclined portion that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in a feeding direction in which the printing medium is fed, the inclined portion being inclined with respect to the stacked printing media; and a restriction member that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in the feeding direction, the restriction member being capable of coming in contact with the printing medium fed by the feeding roller. The restriction member is provided independently from the support member and is capable of moving between a first position and a second position, the first position being set adjacent to a downstream region of the inclined portion in the feeding direction, the second position being set between the first position and the feeding roller with respect to the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukimichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11964843
    Abstract: A transport device includes a transport member that transports a recording medium while adjusting a leading end of the recording medium, and a guide member that is disposed upstream from the transport member in a transport direction of the transport member to guide the recording medium to the transport member along a transport path, the guide member being rotatable in a direction to open the transport path while having a downstream portion in the transport direction of the transport member serving as an axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takuya Mori, Yuya Chonabayashi, Tomoya Kosuge
  • Patent number: 11958713
    Abstract: A sheet processing device has a moveable beam (36) that moves in the vertical direction, a gripper bar (30) for gripping a sheet that travels through the sheet processing device (10), and a gripper bar locking device (40) that can lock the gripper bar (30) in a precise position. The gripper bar locking device (40) has a locking lever (68) that is pivoting between a rest position and a locking position. The locking lever (68) is connected to a vertical linear guide coupled with the moveable beam (36) resulting in a precise, compact and simple system to lock the gripper bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BOBST MEX SA
    Inventors: David Gentil, Arnaud Jonet
  • Patent number: 11952230
    Abstract: A thick document conveying device includes a paper pickup mechanism. The paper pickup mechanism has a pick roller base, a pick roller axle, a pick roller, a switching assembly, a first universal coupling, a driving mechanism, a second universal coupling, a bearing and a gear. The pick roller axle and the pick roller are located in the pick roller base. The switching assembly is located under the pick roller base. The first universal coupling is connected to the pick roller axle. The driving mechanism is sleeved on the first universal coupling. The second universal coupling is connected to the driving mechanism. The bearing is connected to the driving mechanism. The gear is connected to the bearing. As described above, both a thick document and a thin document can be adapted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Fong Lin, Yuan Yi Lin, Chih Yuan Yang
  • Patent number: 11919735
    Abstract: Provided is a recording device that includes a recording head that ejects a liquid, a discharge unit that discharges a recorded recording medium, a discharge tray that receives a discharged recording medium, a first blowing unit that is disposed above the discharge unit and blows air toward one surface of the recording medium to be discharged to the discharge tray, and a second blowing unit that is disposed between the discharge unit and the discharge tray and blows air toward the other surface of the recording medium to be discharged to the discharge tray, and a control unit that controls the first blowing unit and the second blowing unit, in which deformation of the recording medium to be discharged is suppressed by the wind of the first blowing unit and the second blowing unit and the recording medium is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shota Sakagami
  • Patent number: 11912451
    Abstract: A bag supply method includes the steps of: causing an arrangement device to arrange a bag at a pickup position; delivering the bag from the pickup position to a support device via a bag pickup device; moving the bag along with the support device in a traveling direction along a movement path including a detection position; determining arrival of the bag at the detection position; stopping the bag along with the support device on the movement path according to a timing when the bag arrives at the detection position; and delivering the bag stopped in the movement path, from the support device to a bag receiving device via a bag holding conveyance device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYO JIDOKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kakue Nakamoto, Kazuo Fukunaga, Manabu Morino
  • Patent number: 11873184
    Abstract: A medium conveyance path switching device include: a support unit located at a branch point of a conveyance path at which a conveying direction for a medium converges from three directions; a gate assembly including gates to guide the medium to different conveyance paths at the branch point; and a rotation mechanism configured to selectively rotate the gates. The support unit includes: a first support piece having a first through-hole portion; a second support piece having a second through-hole portion and disposed on one side of the first support piece; a third support piece having a third through-hole portion and disposed on the other side of the first support piece; a first bending connection part pivotably connecting one end of the first support piece and the second support piece; and a second bending connection part pivotably connecting the other end of the first support piece and the third support piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HYOSUNG TNS INC.
    Inventors: Hyun Soo Jang, Hyebin Oh
  • Patent number: 11866287
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a reversing roller, a guide member and a rotatable member. The guide member includes a curved portion to curve inside a first surface of the sheet and guides the sheet along the curved portion in contact with a second surface opposite to the first surface of the sheet in a first direction. The rotatable member disposed opposed to a sheet guide surface in the curved portion with a gap and is rotated by contacting with the first surface of the sheet. When the sheet is fed by the reversing roller in a second direction, the rotatable member is rotated by contact of the first surface of the sheet with the rotatable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noriaki Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 11858770
    Abstract: Disclosed is a film feeding apparatus including a turntable including a driving member and a rotation bar having a central part shaft-coupled to a rotating shaft of the driving member to be driven to rotate around the rotating shaft and driven to rotate to repeatedly perform an operation in which the rotation bar rotates by a predetermined reference angle through the driving member and is then stopped for a predetermined reference time, a film tray that is installed in a predetermined first operation region to position one of opposite ends of the rotation bar on the film tray in a state in which the rotation bar is stopped for the reference time and on which a plurality of films are located in multiple layers, gripping units coupled to the opposite ends of the rotation bar, respectively, to transfer the films along a predetermined circular trajectory around the rotating shaft by the rotation bar and provided to grip the films, and a film ejection unit that is installed in a predetermined second operation regi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NPS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seong Ho Bae
  • Patent number: 11858776
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HIGHCON SYSTEMS LTD.
    Inventors: Aron Shmaiser, Nuriel Amir
  • Patent number: 11827479
    Abstract: The sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes: a conveyance roller which conveys a sheet; a roller support portion on which the conveyance roller is mounted; a roller engaging portion which is mounted on the conveyance roller; a support engaging portion which is mounted on the roller support portion and is engaged with the roller engaging portion; and a guide portion which is mounted on at least one of the roller engaging portion and the support engaging portion, the guide portion being configured to guide the roller engaging portion to a mounting position by rotating the roller engaging portion relative to the support engaging portion in an interlocking manner with a mounting operation in which the conveyance roller is mounted on the roller support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akito Sekigawa, Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 11827477
    Abstract: A medium passage switching mechanism disposed on a casing of an image forming device, includes a medium tray, a guiding component and a resilient component. An entrance passage, a first exit passage and a second exit passage are formed inside the casing. The medium tray is pivoted to the casing and can pivot between a first position and a second position. The guiding component is pivoted to the casing and can pivot between a third position and a fourth position. The resilient component abuts against the guiding component and the casing. When the medium tray pivots between the first position and the second position, the guiding component can be driven by cooperation of the resilient component and the medium tray to pivot between the third position and the fourth position for guiding a medium to enter into the first exit passage or the second exit passage from the entrance passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: AVISION INC.
    Inventors: Wei-Lun Tsai, Min-Hao Chang
  • Patent number: 11827475
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a sheet reversing roller portion, a first sheet feeding passage, a second sheet feeding passage, a sheet a guiding member forming a retraction feeding passage for guiding upward a leading end of the sheet fed from the reversing roller portion rotating in the first direction and then for guiding the sheet, guided upward, in a direction crossing a vertical direction, the guiding member having an inner surface curved to guide one side of the sheet, and a preventing member for preventing a droop of the leading end of the sheet by contact with the sheet guided in the direction crossing the vertical direction by the sheet guiding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Hayashi, Atsushi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11827482
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a pair of conveyance rollers including a first roller and a second roller facing the first roller on an upward side of the first roller, to convey a medium between the first roller and the second roller, and a pair of guides including a lower guide located on an upstream side of the pair of conveyance rollers in a medium conveying direction and an upper guide facing the lower guide, to guide the medium to the pair of conveyance rollers. The upper guide is movably located upwardly according to a conveyance of the medium and the lower guide is movably located downwardly according to the conveyance of the medium so that a space between the pair of guides is changed according to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Hirotoshi Kakuda
  • Patent number: 11807488
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance guide includes a guide portion, a first thrust direction retainer, and a second thrust direction retainer. The guide portion is configured to guide a sheet. The first thrust direction retainer includes a first engagement portion configured to engage with a shaft of a sheet conveying roller configured to convey the sheet, and a guide releaser configured to be operated by a user to release engagement of the first engagement portion with the shaft of the sheet conveying roller. The second thrust direction retainer includes a second engagement portion configured to engage with the shaft of the sheet conveying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Daikai Zaitsu
  • Patent number: 11807490
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a tray having a plurality of sheets, a feeder to successively convey sheets stacked on the tray, a controller, and a double-feed sensor to detect double feed when the feeder conveys a plurality of sheets in an overlapping manner. When a double-feed length, which corresponds to a length, in a conveyance direction of the sheet, of a region in which the double feed has been detected by the double-feed sensor, is larger than a predetermined distance, the controller determines that the double feed has occurred. When the double-feed length is smaller than the predetermined distance and a sheet size is smaller than a predetermined size, the controller determines that the double feed has occurred. When the double-feed length is smaller than the predetermined distance and the sheet size is larger than the predetermined size, the controller determines that the double feed has not occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11807476
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet. The sheet feeding apparatus includes: a feeding roller that feeds a sheet; and a moving mechanism that moves the feeding roller to a feeding position where the feeding roller contacts the sheet, to a first retracting position where the feeding roller is separated from the sheet, and to a second retracting position lying between the feeding position and the first retracting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Hiroto Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11802018
    Abstract: During flipping sheets may fold upon themselves under the influence of gravity. To prevent a sheet stacker is provided with a holding device for releasably holding at least a portion of the sheet at least partially during the flipping of the sheet by a sheet flipping device, wherein the holding device is configured for movement of the held portion of the sheet in a first direction perpendicular to the flipping axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Erik P. J. Verhoeven, Johannes E. P. Peulen
  • Patent number: 11787653
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a feeding roller that includes a first roller and a second roller provided at an interval in a width direction intersecting a medium feeding direction, and feeds a sheet from a placing section; and a skew detection section that detects skew of the sheet fed from the feeding roller. Skew is corrected by giving a difference between a rotation speed of the first roller and a rotation speed of the second roller with respect to at least one of the relevant sheet detected by the skew detection section and subsequent sheets fed following the relevant sheet based on a skew amount in the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokujiro Okuno, Hiromichi Kitsuki
  • Patent number: 11772918
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a first optical sensor located on an upper part of the housing and in a central part of the housing in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, a second optical sensor located on an upper part of the housing and on a side of the first optical sensor in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction, and a processor to detect a folding of a medium based on the first signal or the second signal, and stop feeding of the medium by the feed roller in accordance with a detection result of the folding of the medium. The first light emitter emits first light toward a downstream side of the medium in the medium conveying direction, and the second light emitter emits second light toward an upstream side of the medium in the medium conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiichiro Shimosaka, Masato Shimura