Patents by Inventor Sylvain Zumbiehl

Sylvain Zumbiehl has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7419154
    Abstract: A feeder device for feeding a unit of media from a stack of media to a receiving apparatus is provided. The feeder device comprises a drive mechanism for driving the media in a feed direction through an opening defined by a gate apparatus. The opening extends from a first to a second edge of the gate apparatus and defines a fixed height greater than the thickness of the media. A flexible blade member is fixedly engaged with the gate apparatus at a fixed end and is cantilevered with respect to the gate apparatus. The blade member defines a length and extends from the first edge toward the second edge to reduce the opening height. The blade member is further configured to have an adjustable flexibility to allow the feeder device to feed media of varying thickness to the printing apparatus. An associated method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: ZIH Corporation
    Inventors: Joël Pelletier, Sylvain Zumbiehl, Olivier Boisdon
  • Patent number: 7331576
    Abstract: A feeder device is provided, comprising a drive mechanism for driving a media unit in a feed direction, the media unit being provided from a stack of media units by a hopper including upstream and downstream hopper members. A directing member associated with the upstream hopper member engages the trailing edge of the media unit to direct the same to the drive mechanism, reduces an adhesive force between the media unit and remaining media units in the stack, and engages the trailing edge of one other media unit to direct the same toward the downstream hopper member and to partially support the weight of the remaining media units. A biased member urges the media unit against the drive mechanism, thereby increasing a driving force on the media unit, and prevents remaining media units from being fed to the receiving apparatus, also reducing the adhesive force. Associated methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventors: Joël Pelletier, Sylvain Zumbiehl, Olivier Boisdon
  • Publication number: 20050242488
    Abstract: A feeder device for feeding a unit of media from a stack of media to a receiving apparatus is provided. The feeder device comprises a drive mechanism for driving the media in a feed direction through an opening defined by a gate apparatus. The opening extends from a first to a second edge of the gate apparatus and defines a fixed height greater than the thickness of the media. A flexible blade member is fixedly engaged with the gate apparatus at a fixed end and is cantilevered with respect to the gate apparatus. The blade member defines a length and extends from the first edge toward the second edge to reduce the opening height. The blade member is further configured to have an adjustable flexibility to allow the feeder device to feed media of varying thickness to the printing apparatus. An associated method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Joel Pelletier, Sylvain Zumbiehl, Olivier Boisdon
  • Publication number: 20050242487
    Abstract: A feeder device is provided, comprising a drive mechanism for driving a media unit in a feed direction, the media unit being provided from a stack of media units by a hopper including upstream and downstream hopper members. A directing member associated with the upstream hopper member engages the trailing edge of the media unit to direct the same to the drive mechanism, reduces an adhesive force between the media unit and remaining media units in the stack, and engages the trailing edge of one other media unit to direct the same toward the downstream hopper member and to partially support the weight of the remaining media units. A biased member urges the media unit against the drive mechanism, thereby increasing a driving force on the media unit, and prevents remaining media units from being fed to the receiving apparatus, also reducing the adhesive force. Associated methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Joel Pelletier, Sylvain Zumbiehl, Olivier Boisdon