Plural Stackers Patents (Class 270/58.14)
  • Patent number: 11046546
    Abstract: A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Imae, Soichiro Kii, Takafumi Ogimura, Yasuhiro Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10924619
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a first feeding portion configured to feed a recording sheet, a second feeding portion configured to feed an inserting sheet from one of a plurality of supporting portions, and a controller capable of executing a feed-before-detection mode in which a feeding process of a current recording sheet is started before a detection portion detects whether or not a last preceding inserting sheet is present on a supporting portion selected as a feeding source of an inserting sheet from among the plurality of supporting portions. The controller is configured to start the feeding process of the current recording sheet in the feed-before-detection mode and cause the second supporting portion to feed the last preceding inserting sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Koji Yumoto, Riki Fukuhara, Akihiro Kawakita
  • Patent number: 10689221
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a sheet conveyance path; a conveyance-path supporting unit configured to support both ends of the sheet conveyance path with respect to a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a first stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a second stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a first moving unit configured to move the first stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a second moving unit configured to move the second stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein any one of the first stitching unit and the second stitching unit is movable to outside of the conveyance-path supporting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Sakano, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Wataru Takahashi, Katsuhiro Kosuge, Makoto Hidaka, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda, Takuya Morinaga, Yohsuke Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 10442654
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus comprises a first tray, a second tray, a third tray, a lower supporting plate, a drive section and a control device. The second tray is located at the lower part of the first tray. The third tray is located at a downstream side with respect to the second tray in a sheet conveyance direction. The lower supporting plate can support the sheet from the lower part. The drive section drives the lower supporting plate. The control device controls the drive section to arrange the lower supporting plate at the downstream side with respect to a conveyance starting point of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction in a case of skipping the first tray and the second tray to convey the sheet to the third tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10377595
    Abstract: In one example, a media flag is disclosed. The media flag can rotate between a first position and a second position. The media flag translates parallel with the axis of rotation as the media flag rotates from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Bs Lim, Shyh Chije Leong
  • Patent number: 10289054
    Abstract: A second sheet discharge portion is provided above a first sheet discharge portion in an image forming apparatus. First and second sheet processing units process a sheet discharged from the first sheet discharge portion, and the second sheet processing unit is provided between the first sheet discharge portion and the first sheet processing unit. A first support portion is provided on the first sheet processing unit. A second support portion is disposed upstream of the first support portion in a sheet discharge direction of the second sheet discharge portion and on or above the second sheet processing unit and supports the sheet discharged from the second sheet discharge portion in collaboration with the first support portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noriaki Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 9975714
    Abstract: A conveyor, including: receiving trays; a conveyance mechanism; and a support supporting the trays, wherein at least one tray except a lowermost tray is supported so as to be selectively positioned at one of a receiving position and an upper position, wherein at least one lower tray except an uppermost tray includes a protruding portion attached to a tray body so as to be selectively positioned at one of a protruding position and a retracted position, and wherein the conveyor includes a force transmitting mechanism for effectuating at least one of (a) a retracting movement of the protruding portion of one of the at least one lower tray from the protruding position to the retracted position caused by an upward movement of an adjacent upper tray disposed just above and immediately adjacent to the one of the at least one lower tray from the receiving position to the upper position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichi Hirata, Masayuki Okumura, Tadanobu Chikamoto, Hideki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9969592
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a conveying path; a switching unit configured to switch a sheet conveying destination; a delivering unit configured to deliver the sheet on the delivery path toward a device at the sheet conveying destination; a reversing unit configured to first convey the sheet from the reversing port toward the outside of the casing to a position in which a part of the sheet protrudes and deliver the sheet from the position toward a circulation path while reversing the conveying direction of the sheet; a circulating unit configured to convey the sheet delivered toward the circulation path along the circulation path and return the sheet to the conveying path while the sheet is reversed; and a control unit configured to control the reversing unit when a jammed sheet is detected in the device at the sheet conveying destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Kowase, Michio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9821583
    Abstract: A technique by which when printing is initiated, printed sheets remaining in a large-volume stacker and sheets printed in a subsequent job are not mixed in the large-volume stacker is provided. A printing system in which a printing apparatus and a post-processing apparatus for receiving a sheet printed by the printing apparatus and performing post-processing are connected, upon activation of the printing system, when detecting that a sheet is stacked in the post-processing apparatus, instructs the processing apparatus to discharge the remaining sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Mutsuno
  • Patent number: 9753425
    Abstract: When a jam is detected in a post-processing device, a purge controller first makes a conveyance roller group and a reverse roller continue conveyance. The purge controller then sets the conveyance destination of a leading sheet that will first arrive at a branch point after the time of detection of the jam. When a first condition is satisfied the purge controller sets the conveyance destination to a reverse slot, and when a second condition is satisfied the purge controller sets the conveyance destination to an outlet path. The first condition is satisfied when no other sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam, and the second condition is satisfied when another sheet is present in the reverse slot at the time of detection of the jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kowase
  • Patent number: 9751339
    Abstract: It is disclosed an anti-jamming device for a printing apparatus with stacker, for lottery or betting terminals, with a path of a continuous strip of paper, a printing device for printing a document on the strip, a cutting device for separating the document from the strip, a movement device for moving the document laterally to a stacking zone, a movable portion that bounds the path and is moved from the strip in the event of a jam, moving the portion causing printing to be stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: CUSTOM S.P.A.
    Inventor: Alberto Campanini
  • Patent number: 9505581
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus which can respectively balance the convenience of the user using a manual staple and convenience of the user using an online staple is provided. A finisher includes a stapler for performing predetermined post-processing on a sheet received and a control unit. The control unit switches between a first control mode which is allowed to perform predetermined post-processing on the sheet received from an image forming apparatus and a second control mode which is allowed to perform predetermined post-processing on the sheet received not via the image forming apparatus. In addition, the control unit controls the switching such that the second control mode is switched to the first control mode after a lapse of a first predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruhito Kai, Shinnosuke Iwadate, Hiroto Nishihara, Kenzo Kumagai, Hiromi Shimura, Keita Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9477196
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, including an apparatus body; an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet member; and a sheet ejection container including a sheet ejection tray on which the sheet member ejected from the apparatus body is stacked. In the image forming apparatus, at least one side of the apparatus body is open and the sheet ejection container is disposed inside the apparatus body at the open side. The sheet ejection tray is configured to be movable between a first position in the sheet ejection container where the sheet member is ejected to the sheet member tray and a second position nearer to the open side than the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihide Ohta, Tomoyuki Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 9403655
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing device includes a tray, an evacuating member, a regulating member mounted on the tray, and a feed mechanism. The tray can receive sheets thereon. The evacuating member temporarily evacuates, from a conveyance path, sheets being conveyed, stacks the evacuated sheets into a pile, and conveys the pile of sheets onto the tray through the conveyance path. The feed mechanism includes a spongy elastic member and moves the pile of sheets along the tray toward the regulating member. When stacking three or more sheets into a pile, the evacuating member performs the stacking such that, in the pile conveyed to the tray, an edge of each intermediate sheet protrudes toward the regulating member beyond an edge of an uppermost sheet and an edge of a lowermost sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 9388012
    Abstract: A sheet storing apparatus includes a plurality of sheet storing units. Each of the sheet storing unit includes a fixed stacking portion configured to stack thereon a sheet conveyed by conveyance roller pairs, and a pushing unit configured to contact an edge of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion and to move the sheet in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction. A drive transmission unit for transmitting a driving force generated by a motor to drive the pushing unit is located upstream of the fixed stacking portion with respect to a direction in which the pushing unit moves the sheet. When the pushing unit is moving the sheet, a part of the drive transmission unit enters the inside of a sheet stacking range of the fixed stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Suzuki, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8985582
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a mechanism for allowing a user to easily take out print products discharged onto a plurality of sheet discharge trays in the discharge order. A control method for controlling a sheet processing apparatus for performing control to discharge sheets onto a plurality of sheet discharge trays includes storing, in a storage unit, the discharge order in which sheets have been discharged onto equal to or more than two sheet discharge trays by executing a job, and performing, upon reception of a take-out instruction for taking out in the discharge order the sheets discharged by executing the job, processing for allowing a user to take out the sheets discharged onto the equal to or more than two sheet discharge trays, in the discharge order stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8867057
    Abstract: This invention relates to a printing system configured to output printing media having undergone print processing by a print apparatus to a plurality of destinations including a specific destination which has a structure allowing an operator to take out the printing media. In the system, output of printing media to the specific destination is restricted while the operator takes out the printing medium outputted to the specific destination, and in case that the number of printing media necessary for a job processed by the print apparatus is smaller than a predetermined number, the system is controlled not to output to the specific destination a printed material formed from printing media smaller in number than the predetermined number. This invention can achieve efficient printing by controlling not to stop the print operation of the system as much as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Negishi
  • Patent number: 8814156
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a feed-in path through which a sheet is fed, a first transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported, and a second transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported. The sheet processing apparatus also includes the following elements. A first processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the first transport path and performs first processing on a bundle of stacked sheets. A second processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the second transport path and performs second processing, which is different from the first processing, on a bundle of stacked sheets. A common retention path causes a sheet fed through the feed-in path to temporarily remain on the common retention path and causes the sheet temporarily remaining on the common retention path to be output to one of the first and second transport paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Hattori
  • Patent number: 8794616
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first unit having a guide device for guiding a sheet, a second unit having a first post-processing device for performing post-processing on the sheet, and a third unit having a second post-processing device for loading sheets and performing post-processing on the sheets in bunch form placed on the processing tray. A first coupling device is provided for coupling the first unit and at least one of the second and third units. A second coupling device is provided for coupling the second unit and the third unit. The second unit and the third unit are capable of being pulled out in the sheet carrying-out direction with respect to the first unit by releasing the first coupling device. The entire or front side of the second unit is shiftable to the first unit side with respect to the third unit by releasing the second coupling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Matsuki, Yuji Kunugi, Ikuhiro Obata, Kazunori Hatakawa, Hiroto Akiyama, Tsukasa Kondo, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8585033
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide portion, a command input unit, a post-processing unit, and a guide controller. The guide portion guides a sheet bundle including the sheet carried from a carry-in portion to the processing position. The command input unit that accepts input of a manual execution command. The post-processing unit performs a predetermined post-process on the sheet bundle disposed at the processing position based on the manual execution command input through the command input unit. The guide controller is connected to the image forming apparatus in a signal-receivable manner to receive sheet size information in an image formation period of the image forming apparatus and to control driving of the guide portion to change a guide size based on the received sheet size information so as to match the guide size with sheet bundles having different sheet sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Ryuichi Ishizu
  • Patent number: 8482759
    Abstract: A CPU of a printing apparatus selects one of a plurality of setting permission information items based on sheet property information in a case in which printing processing is performed employing a specific sheet type. Subsequently, the CPU of the printing apparatus performs a setting regarding each of a plurality of printing setting items so as to obtain a setting permitted in the selected setting permission information item in a case in which printing processing is performed employing a specific sheet type. Thus, a printing apparatus capable of executing the printing settings of a plurality of printing setting items appropriately is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 8393070
    Abstract: The production line according to the present invention is provided with a pressurization measurement apparatus adjacent to a press-working apparatus, a temporary laminate assembly worked and laminated by a press in the press-working apparatus is sent to the pressurization measurement apparatus, and a laminate assembly is produced by being pressurized and being subjected to regular caulking by a hydraulic servo press of the pressurization measurement apparatus. At this time, the lamination height of a regularly caulked laminate assembly is measured by a linear scale secured at the pressurization measurement apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Yamada Dobby Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuniyasu Shirai, Kazuo Hiramitsu, Sotaro Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8328176
    Abstract: To provide a paper-sheet-loading device that makes it easy to take out booklet or the like loaded on a tray. The paper-sheet-loading device 1 is provided with a discharge-processing portion 7 which discharges the booklet or the like through a discharge portion and a discharged paper stacker 8 having a loading stage 80 on which the booklet or the like discharged from the discharge-processing portion 7 is loaded. The loading stage 80 is provided with a tray 81 on which the booklet or the like is loaded and which can be pulled out from the front side of the device and an auxiliary loading member 80b closing the lower side of a rear side of the tray 81 when the tray 81 is pulled out. The auxiliary loading member 80b has a shape after a loading face 81a of the tray 81 and becomes exposed continuously from the lower side of the tray 81 to the rear side thereof, thereby enabling the booklet or the like to be loaded without losing its balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: MAX Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Shimamura
  • Patent number: 8251361
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into awaiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8246032
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet ejection tray to which sheets are ejected; a stacker in which, after a plurality of sheets have been stacked, these sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray; a sheet ejection control section capable of controlling in such a way that it is selectable whether the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked in the stack section, or the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stack section; and an input button employed by an user to perform input operations. The sheet ejection control section provides control in such a way that, when the input button has been operated to perform an input operation while the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stacker, the sheets will be ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked temporarily in the stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8162307
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into a waiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8109497
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a cutting device for cutting a fore-edge portion of a center-folded bunch of sheets disposed in a position spaced from a sheet discharge outlet to eliminate the risk for inflicting a wound on the body of an operator, an end binding device for gathering sheets received from a carry-in entrance and performing binding processing in the end portion of a bunch of sheets, a saddle-stitching device for gathering sheets received from the carry-in entrance and performing binding processing in the center portion of a bunch of sheets, and a center-folding device for performing center-folding processing on the bunch of sheets subjected to the saddle-stitching processing. A cutting device is subjected to the center-folding processing. A second discharge outlet is disposed in the other side face of the apparatus frame to discharge the bunch of sheets subjected to the center-folding processing in the center-folding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Okamoto, Ken Obikane, Jun Kondo
  • Patent number: 8047523
    Abstract: A sheet loading apparatus has an ejecting member to eject a sheet; a loading member to load the sheet ejected by the ejecting member; and a movable member capable of moving in a state keeping contact with ejecting member side ends of the sheets loaded on the loading member. The movable member moves a distance equal to a moving distance of the loading member in the moving direction of the loading member. The sheet loading apparatus has a screen which is located between the loading member and the ejecting member and moves up and down, while waits at a position capable of avoiding interruption to the ejection of the sheet; and a first rotating member mounted to the screen in a location above the loading member and suspending the movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Katsuya Sasahara
  • Patent number: 8038138
    Abstract: A finisher includes: a holding unit; a stapling unit; a discharge unit; and a control unit. The finisher forms a part of a second sheet bundle subsequent to a first sheet bundle until discharging the first sheet bundle. The holding unit receives a sheet of the first sheet bundle and the subsequent sheet within a first period. The holding unit receives the last sheet of the first sheet bundle and a first sheet of the second sheet bundle within a second period as same length as the first period. The holding unit receives a sheet of the second sheet bundle and the subsequent sheet within a third period different from the second period in time length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 7988140
    Abstract: A sheet stack loader includes a loading table to support a first folded sheet bundle, an elevator to lift the first folded sheet bundle from the loading table, and a conveyer to convey a second folded sheet bundle into a space between the loading table and the first folded sheet bundle, wherein the space is created by the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20110068528
    Abstract: The present invention avoids a problem in that wound-up banknotes are located unevenly on substantially the same position on a winding drum. The paper sheet processing device is configured to process paper sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kobayashi, Tsuguo Mizoro
  • Patent number: 7874551
    Abstract: A finisher includes: a holding unit; a stapling unit; a discharge unit; and a control unit. The finisher forms a part of a second sheet bundle subsequent to a first sheet bundle until discharging the first sheet bundle. The holding unit receives a sheet of the first sheet bundle and the subsequent sheet within a first period. The holding unit receives the last sheet of the first sheet bundle and a first sheet of the second sheet bundle within a second period as same length as the first period. The holding unit receives a sheet of the second sheet bundle and the subsequent sheet within a third period different from the second period in time length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 7874552
    Abstract: A sheet post-process apparatus according to one example of the present invention includes a movable stack tray for stacking a sheet that is elevated in a vertical direction; a movable tray position detection unit that detects a vertical position of the movable stack tray while a request command for post-processing of the sheet is not received; an upper surface sensor that senses either an upper surface of the movable stack tray or an upper surface of the sheet stacked on the movable stack tray when a first position of the movable stack tray detected by the movable tray position detection unit is lower than or equal to a predetermined first height; and a movable tray moving unit that moves the movable stack tray upward when either the upper surface of the movable stack tray or the upper surface of the sheet stacked on the movable stack tray is not sensed by the upper surface sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiaki Iizuka
  • Patent number: 7780158
    Abstract: Provided is a post-processing apparatus which sequentially receives sheets one by one from an image forming apparatus to execute a post-processing on the sheets, including: a first transport device which receives the sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus and transports the sheets; a sheet overlap device which stays the sheets transported by the first transport device and causes another sheet transported sequentially by the first transport device to overlap at least one stayed sheet; a second transport device which transports a plurality of sheets overlapping each other by the sheet overlap device; a plurality of stacking devices capable of stacking a plurality of sheets transported by the second transport device; and a controller which changes control of sheet overlapping caused by the sheet overlap device depending on which stacking device selected from among the plurality of stacking devices the sheets are to be transported to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Toshiyuki Miyake, Yasuo Fukatsu, Takako Hanada, Yusuke Obuchi, Atsuteru Oikawa
  • Patent number: 7753368
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: an first stack portion which temporarily stacks a sheet thereon; a first stack portion which is disposed under the first stack portion and stacks thereon a sheet discharged from the first stack portion; a second stack portion which is disposed above the first stack portion and stacks a sheet thereon; a stack reference wall which serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the second stack portion; and an alignment reference wall which is disposed more upstream in the sheet conveyance direction than the stack reference wall and serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the first stack portion; wherein the second stack portion has such a length that an end of the sheet stacked on the first stack portion cannot project from the second stack portion, as viewed from above in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Sekiyama, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Atsushi Ogata, Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7673868
    Abstract: A sheet processing system comprises a plurality of sheet processing devices, a primary sheet conveyance path, a secondary sheet conveyance path, and a controller which controls the sheet processing devices. The controller uses the primary sheet conveyance path to execute one job, and uses the secondary sheet conveyance path to execute another job in parallel with that one job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomokazu Nakamura, Akihiro Sato, Akihiro Shimizu, Tatsuya Goto, Katsuaki Hirai, Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 7591455
    Abstract: In a sheet finishing apparatus of the present invention, when temporarily loading a plurality of sheets of paper on a standby tray until a processing tray finishes processing, to prevent a sheet of paper loaded first from being pressed out by a sheet of paper ejected later, a chuck for retaining the rear ends of the sheets of paper is installed on the downstream side of the standby tray, and for curled sheets of paper, a standby tray guide and an arm member for suppressing curling of the central part of the sheets of paper are installed, thus matching on the standby tray is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Hajime Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Tomomi Iijima, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7591454
    Abstract: A materials handling system includes a feeder station having a plurality of material feeders and an insertion subsystem. Each of the plurality of feeders are connected to a common material transport path. A first material transport path is connected to the common material transport path and to the insertion subsystem. A second material transport path is connected to the common material transport path and to the insertion subsystem. A third material transport path is connected to the first material transport path and to said insertion subsystem. The second material transport path may include a materials processing subsystem such as a folder subsystem. The common materials transport may include a pre-fold accumulator transport having a pre-fold accumulator gate. A first diverter may be provided to selectively divert materials being transported by the pre-fold accumulator transport to the first or to the second material transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Carl R. Chapman, James A. Fairweather, Thomas M. Lyga
  • Patent number: 7571909
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a sheet treating apparatus achieving a space saving and enabling easy identification of an output mode of sheets. The sheet treating apparatus of the invention for treating sheets after image formation is accommodated in a space formed in an image forming apparatus, and includes plural sheet stacking devices which stack treated sheets, and a lifting and lowering device which independently lifts and lowers the plural sheet stacking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Naoto Saeki, Hiroshi Suzuki, Atsushi Takada, Akihito Nagayama
  • Patent number: 7552917
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Tomokazu Nakamura, Naoto Watanabe, Yusuke Obuchi, Hitoshi Kato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Tetsuya Terada, Yasutaka Iwasa, Daisuke Matsukura, Norio Motoi, Masayoshi Kubo
  • Patent number: 7549621
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus is constructed to apply post-processing to sheets successively supplied from an image forming apparatus and received into an apparatus main body, and includes a main discharge tray onto which the sheets that have passed through the apparatus main body are discharged. The sheet post-processing apparatus further has an elevating mechanism for moving the main discharge tray up and down and a control unit for controlling an elevation control of the elevating mechanism. The control unit controls the elevating mechanism to move the main discharge tray up and down in synchronism with the discharge of the sheet onto the main discharge tray. The control unit carries out the elevation control of the main discharge tray so as not to adversely affect the discharge of a succeeding sheet even if the sheet discharged from the apparatus main body is curled up or down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 7543806
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is provided with a processing tray on which sheets are to be stacked and subjected to a processing, a stack tray provided in the downstream of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction on which sheets are to be stacked, an oscillation roller pair for conveying the sheets stacked on the processing tray to the stack tray, and a trailing edge assist for conveying the sheet stacked on the processing tray toward the stack tray. The sheets stacked on the processing tray are discharged to the stack tray by the oscillation roller pair and the trailing edge assist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignees: Canon Finetech, Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomokazu Nakamura, Yoshinori Isobe, Toshimasa Suzuki, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Masahiro Yonenuma, Atsushi Takada, Norio Motoi
  • Patent number: 7540482
    Abstract: Provided is a post-processing apparatus which sequentially receives sheets one by one from an image forming apparatus to execute a post-processing on the sheets, including: a first transport device which receives the sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus and transports the sheets; a sheet overlap device which stays the sheets transported by the first transport device and causes another sheet transported sequentially by the first transport device to overlap at least one stayed sheet; a second transport device which transports a plurality of sheets overlapping each other by the sheet overlap device; a plurality of stacking devices capable of stacking a plurality of sheets transported by the second transport device; and a controller which changes control of sheet overlapping caused by the sheet overlap device depending on which stacking device selected from among the plurality of stacking devices the sheets are to be transported to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Toshiyuki Miyake, Yasuo Fukatsu, Takako Hanada, Yusuke Obuchi, Atsuteru Oikawa
  • Patent number: 7520499
    Abstract: A waiting tray is provided in a sheet-conveying path and holds sheets if the sheets need to be post-processed. A processing tray receives sheets conveyed from the waiting tray. It may receive sheets conveyed through the sheet-conveying path and coming not via the waiting tray, before the sheets are post-processed. A conveying mechanism is provided, which causes the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the waiting tray onto a processing tray. A sheet-aligning mechanism aligns the sheets on the processing tray, at their transverse edges and longitudinal edges. On the processing tray, the sheets are post-processed, forming a bundle. The conveying mechanism conveys the bundle of sheets to a storage tray. An opening is provided between the waiting tray and the processing tray and located at downstream of the waiting tray and processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Reiji Murakami, Tokihiko Ise, Hajime Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7510178
    Abstract: A sheet-handling device comprising an intermediate conveyer passage, an intermediate tray, introduction rollers, conveying rollers and a controller. The controller rotates the introduction rollers and the conveying rollers forward and reverse so as to convey two pieces of sheets successively introduced into the intermediate conveyer passage until their trailing ends separate away from the introduction rollers. The conveying rollers are halted in a state where the leading ends are nipped. After the leading ends of the two pieces of sheets have been nipped in an overlapped manner by the conveying rollers, the conveying rollers are rotated forward to convey the two pieces of overlapped sheets into the intermediate tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Miyazaki, Masuo Kawamoto, Mitsutoshi Takemoto, Takeshi Matsuo, Tetsuya Taguchi, Keisuke Egawa
  • Patent number: 7494116
    Abstract: Above a processing tray, a standby tray for making sheets of paper P stand by is installed. The sheets of paper P on the standby tray are dropped, fed, and moved to the processing tray, thus the conveying path from the standby tray to the processing tray is shortened. Furthermore, a Z-folding mechanism is arranged above the standby tray, and the sheets of paper P folded in a Z shape are dropped, and are mixed and stapled on the standby tray or processing tray, and even when performing a plurality of post processes for sheets, miniaturization of a sheet post-process system is retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto, Tomomi Iijima, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7472900
    Abstract: A sheet post-process apparatus of the present invention has a standby tray for stably dropping sheets of paper onto a processing tray, so that a pair of tray members for loading ejected sheets of paper is formed so as to project from the wall face of the standby tray and the loading face of sheets of paper is narrowed from the front end side of the sheets of paper toward the rear end side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Tokihiko Ise, Hajime Yamamoto, Reiji Murakami, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7472901
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet holding device capable of storing supplied sheets, a first sheet stacking tray on which sheets are stacked at a downstream side of the sheet holding device in a sheet conveying direction and on which the sheets are subjected to processing, a sheet discharging device for discharging the sheets stacked on the first sheet stacking tray, a second sheet stacking tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device are stacked, and a controller for controlling the sheet discharging device and the sheet holding device if sheet jam occurs at an upstream side of the sheet holding device, in such a manner that, after the sheets on the first sheet stacking tray are discharged onto the second sheet stacking tray, the sheets stored in the sheet holding device are discharged onto the first sheet stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nishimura, Yoshinori Isobe, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Naoto Watanabe, Masahiro Yonenuma
  • Patent number: 7451970
    Abstract: A feeding tray for feeding sheets from the left side thereof and a feeding tray for feeding sheets from the right side thereof are disposed on a multiple inserter, and selectively employing the feeding tray for feeding sheets from the left side thereof and the feeding tray for feeding sheets from the right side thereof allows reversal actions of sheets to be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Kawata
  • Patent number: 7427059
    Abstract: A materials handling system includes an insertion subsystem for inserting materials into envelopes to form mailpieces of a first type and mailpieces of a second type. The materials handling syatem also includes a first mailpiece transport path located downstream from the insertion subsystem and having a curved portion along which mailpieces of said first type are transported, and a second mailpiece transport path being substantially horizontal, located downstream from the insertion subsystem, and along which mailpieces of the second type are transported. Further, a diverter is included that diverts mailpieces of the first type to the first transport path and mailpieces of the second type to the second transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Lyga, Carl R. Chapman