Patents Examined by Patrick Cicchino
  • Patent number: 11279328
    Abstract: A passenger side driving instructor brake controller can include a telescoping shaft including a first end and a second end, and a brake lever connector disposed at the first end of a telescoping shaft and adapted to be secured to a brake lever of a motor vehicle disposed within a driver-side front floorboard area of the motor vehicle. A tubular main body bent near its mid-section, the tubular main body configured to adjustably accept the second end of the telescoping shaft therein and secure the telescoping shaft with locking hardware at a fixed position within the tubular main body to enable the main body to traverse over a main console of the motor vehicle where the tubular main body is bent at its mid-section and also to extend into a passenger compartment area of the motor vehicle wherein the tubular main body can terminate at a handle area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventor: David Wyett Mcginnis
  • Patent number: 11274002
    Abstract: A placement method using a placement device provided with a first process of pressing a transfer plate a topmost layer sheet member so as to pick up it when a restraint device is rendered a restraining state, a second process of rendering the restraint device a non-restraining state to render the transfer plate an inclined state while pressing down the plurality of sheet members from above in the stacking direction by a base end part side of the transfer plate rendered the inclined state, a third process of inserting the restraining blade into the space formed between the topmost layer sheet member and the sheet member of the layer below it and again render the restraint device the restraining state, and a fourth process of making the transfer plate retract upward while returning it to the horizontal state and transferring the topmost layer sheet member to the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuhira Abe, Yuto Narita, Yuichi Itoh
  • Patent number: 11274007
    Abstract: A sheet discharge apparatus includes a main tray, a discharge unit, and an expansion tray. The main tray is pivotable between a closed position and open position relative to a sheet discharge apparatus main body. The discharge unit discharges the sheet onto the main tray in the closed position. The expansion tray expands a main tray stacking area and is movable between a storage position where the expansion tray is stored in the main tray and an expansion position where the expansion tray is slid from the storage position in a sheet discharge direction and expands the stacking area. At the expansion position, the expansion tray is pivotable independently of the main tray. A direction in which the expansion tray is pivoted upward is the same as a direction in which the main tray is pivoted from the closed to the opened position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Obara, Masaaki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11267666
    Abstract: A drive transmitter includes a first unit including a coupling portion having grooves spaced at an angle of 180 degrees in the rotational direction, and a second unit having projections spaced at an angle of 180 degrees in the rotational direction. The projections are configured to be inserted into the grooves of the coupling portion. The coupling portion has a guiding portion and a non-guiding portion. The guiding portion is sloped, with a height from a bottom face of the grooves decreasing in the rotational direction of the first unit, and is configured to guide the projections to the grooves. The non-guiding portion is disposed at a point symmetrical position to the guiding portion to an axial center of the first unit. One of the projections is not in contact with the non-guiding portion while another one of the projections is in contact with the guiding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Horita, Jumpei Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11261580
    Abstract: The application relates to an operating device for operating an implement with at least one attachment, comprising at least one manual control unit and at least one controller/regulator, wherein the controller/regulator is equipped to actuate the attachment on the basis of a single control movement of the manual control unit, which is detectable by means of a single detection means provided on the manual control unit, for carrying out a linear movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Bolz, Dieter Ansorge, Florian Mang
  • Patent number: 11230450
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet containing unit and a sheet feeding device to feed sheets in the sheet containing unit. The sheet containing unit includes a main body to hold sheets, a drawer member capable of being drawn from the main body, a restricting member movable in a direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, a first retaining member disposed at the main body, and a second retaining member disposed at the drawer member. The drawer member holds the sheets together with the main body when drawn from the main body. The restricting member restricts an upstream end position of the contained sheets. The first retaining member retains the restricting member at a first position. The second retaining member retains the restricting member at a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Koga
  • Patent number: 11214454
    Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a medium feeding mechanism switching between a first state in which the medium is fed from the feeding tray and a second state in which the medium is not fed from the feeding tray, a feeding roller rotationally driven in a forward rotation direction, and a separation roller that is rotationally driven in the reverse rotation direction when the feeding roller is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction, wherein when the separation roller is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction, the feeding roller is configured to be passively rotatable with respect to the separation roller, and wherein a rotation direction of the first motor when the cam member switches the medium feeding mechanism from the first state to the second state is the same as a rotation direction of the first motor when the separation roller rotates in the forward rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tajima, Koji Migita
  • Patent number: 11208287
    Abstract: A sheet delivery unit has at least one rear sheet stop. The sheet delivery unit has at least one forward stack limiter. The sheet delivery unit has at least one upper sheet transportation system, designed for hanging transportation of sheets, with at least one imbrication device for the imbricated, hanging transportation of at least two sheets. A sheet processing machine is also disclosed. A method is disclosed for operating a sheet processing machine. Processed substrate in the form of a sequence of sheets spaced apart from one another in a transportation direction, is supplied in this transportation directed to a sheet delivery unit of the sheet processing machine. At least during a sheet braking procedure, at least at times, at least two sheets are guided in a hanging manner by the use of an upper sheet transportation system, configured for the hanging transportation of sheets, of the sheet delivery unit, and are transported in an imbricated arrangement at least also in the transportation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventor: Bastian Deppisch
  • Patent number: 11203502
    Abstract: A discharge tray has a frame, a first tray, a second tray, and an angle switching member. The first tray has a sheet-discharge-direction downstream side inclined upward. The second tray is movable, along a pair of wall portions on the frame, to a first position where at least part of the second tray overlaps the first tray, a second position to which the second tray extends toward the sheet-discharge-direction downstream side, and a third position to the sheet-discharge-direction downstream side of the second position where the second tray is rotatable. As the second tray moves, the angle switching member moves. At the third position, the angle switching member rotates through a predetermined angle and is held by the wall portions. The angle switching member supports the second tray at a second inclination angle smaller than a first inclination angle when the second tray is at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yusuke Takano
  • Patent number: 11198580
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a paper feed to feed print media a single sheet at a time, a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring to secure a leading edge of the single sheet against a registration wall and initiate a flipping process, a curved baffle positioned above the plurality of rotating discs and the single sheet, an air duct located above the plurality of rotating discs and the single sheet to force an air flow towards the curved baffle, wherein the air flow follows a shape of the curved baffle to create a low pressure zone above the single sheet to keep a trailing edge of the single sheet levitated during completion of the flipping process, and a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erwin Ruiz, Carlos M. Terrero, Roberto A. Irizarry, Glenn David Batchelor, Rachel Lynn Tanchak
  • Patent number: 11198577
    Abstract: A single material sheet is picked from a support member. A gripping member is aligned above the support member, where the gripping member includes a pair of spaced apart pinching members movably coupled with a main frame, and each pinching member includes an exposed gripping surface that is substantially planar and that faces an exposed surface of the material sheet. The gripping member is moved a first distance toward the exposed surface of the material sheet such that the gripping surfaces of the pinching members engage a portion of the material sheet. The pinching members for the gripping member are moved toward each other while the pinching members engage the portion of the material sheet so as to pinch the portion of the material sheet between the pinching members and vertically displace the material sheet from the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: UNDER ARMOUR, INC.
    Inventors: John Francis Falzon, Jack Dorman
  • Patent number: 11198571
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit and an attachment detection unit to detect attachment of a cassette having a stacking portion that may be lifted by a motor. The control unit drives the motor to start lifting the stacking portion when cassette attachment is detected and stops when the stacked uppermost sheet is detected at a sheet feed position, at which time the presence or absence of the stored sheet is determined based on a detection signal output by a sheet presence/absence detection unit. In a case where there is no change in the detection signal output from the sheet presence/absence detection unit when the attachment of the cassette is detected, the control unit determines that a failure of the sheet presence/absence detection flag occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sho Ota
  • Patent number: 11186203
    Abstract: A gear unit (G) includes a gear housing (2) with at least one locking component (2.4, 2.4?) for a form and/or force-locking mounting of an electric motor (1) to the gear unit (G). The locking component (2.4, 2.4?) is configured as a circumferential edge or flange collar (5), in which a number of undercuts (2.4.1, 2.4.1?) are incorporated, in which the electric motor (1) can be locked by a form or force-locking connection. The gear housing (2) includes an additional locking unit (4) as an additional radial stop, which locking unit can be pressed into the locking component (2.4) to achieve a locked state. An electric gear motor (GM) includes at least one electric motor (1) and the gear unit (G). The locking component (2.4, 2.4?) can be form and/or force-lockingly connected to the motor locking element (A, A?). A seat (S) includes the electric gear motor (GM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Keiper Seating Mechanisms Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Andreas Hoffmann, Oliver Kuntz
  • Patent number: 11180334
    Abstract: A medium processing device includes a conveyance guide that forms a conveyance path, a reference surface guide that is provided at one side of the conveyance path, a trigger sensor that detects a rear end of the medium in the conveyance direction, a first alignment roller and a second alignment roller for aligning the medium with the reference surface guide. The first alignment roller is provided at the middle, in a width of the conveyance path. The second alignment roller is provided between the reference surface guide and the first alignment roller in the width direction. The second alignment roller is provided at a downstream side of the first alignment roller in the conveyance direction. A space from the first alignment roller to the second alignment roller in the conveyance direction is longer than a space from the trigger sensor to the first alignment roller in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11180332
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a first roller, a second roller located to face the first roller, to hold and convey a medium with the first roller, a drive shaft to rotate the second roller, a motor to rotate the drive shaft, and a joint to connect the second roller and the drive shaft. The joint is configured to keep connecting the second roller and the drive shaft when the second roller moves in a vertical direction. The drive shaft is located at an intermediate position between a first position where the second roller is in contact with the first roller and a second position where the second roller separates most from the first roller in the vertical direction. A distance between the second position and the intermediate position is greater than a radius on cross section of the second roller in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shiraiwa
  • Patent number: 11179650
    Abstract: A handle structure of a remote controller includes a left body including a left docking portion, a right body including a right docking portion configured to be docked with the left docking portion, and a connecting mechanism connecting the left docking portion and the right docking portion and configured to allow the left docking portion or the right docking portion to slide relatively to adjust an interval between an end of the left body and an end of the right body that are distal from each other. At least one controlling member is disposed at one of the left body or the right body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yin Tang, Tao Zhao, Lei Deng
  • Patent number: 11174115
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a tray, an air blower, a floating detector, and a hardware processor. In the tray, a sheet of paper is loaded. The air blower blows air to the sheet loaded in the tray to float the sheet. The floating detector is provided above the sheet loaded in the tray and detects the floating of the sheet to a predetermined level. The hardware processor causes the air blower to blow the air and determines a basis weight of the sheet loaded in the tray from an air amount that has caused the floating detector to detect the floating of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Okano
  • Patent number: 11167947
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takatoshi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11161706
    Abstract: A pick-up device disposed between an input tray and a feeding path includes a paper feeding unit for feeding paper, a separation roller disposed opposite to the paper feeding unit, a blocking arm disposed between the input tray and the paper feeding unit and configured to be switchably disposed between a blocking position for blocking the paper and a feeding position for passing the paper through the feeding path, and a guiding arm disposed in the feeding path through a pivot shaft and having a guiding portion. The pivot shaft is located upstream of the separation roller, and the guiding portion is swingably disposed in a seam space formed by the paper feeding unit and the separation roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Pin Hsieh, Yung Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11148892
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a position detector configured to detect a position of a side end portion of a conveyance target medium, a position adjuster configured to move in at least one of a width direction of the conveyance target medium and a rotation direction of the conveyance target medium within a plane of sheet conveyance, while conveying the conveyance target medium, and adjust a position of the conveyance target medium, according to the position of the side end portion of the conveyance target medium detected by the position detector, a transfer rotary body disposed downstream from the position adjuster in a sheet conveying direction and having a receiver mounted on the rotary body to receive the conveyance target medium, and circuitry configured to change a rotation speed of the transfer rotary body according to the position of the conveyance target medium after adjusted by the position adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Egawa, Yuichiro Maeyama, Motoharu Takahashi