Rotary Patents (Class 271/109)
  • Patent number: 11827488
    Abstract: The rotation of a lifting and lowering plate 56 is controlled such that, in a case where the height of the sheet loaded in a manual feed tray 50 is maximum, a feed roller 51 abuts the sheet at a first abutment position at a first moving velocity slower than a second moving velocity at a position upstream in the movement direction of the feed roller 51 from the first abutment position, and, in a case where the height of the sheet loaded in the manual feed tray 50 is minimum, the feed roller 51 abuts the sheet at a second abutment position at a third moving velocity slower than the first moving velocity at the first abutment position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Murata
  • Patent number: 11820618
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a transmitting mechanism-, a movable member, and a control portion to input a signal having first and second levels. The transmitting mechanism transmits driving force and includes a spring clutch and an electromagnetic clutch. The driving force pivotally moves the movable member. The spring clutch idles by a slackness of a spring when the rotation in a second direction is inputted to the transmitting mechanism and the movable member is regulated from pivoting at a predetermined position. The control portion inputs the signal to the transmitting mechanism such that the state electromagnetic clutch state changes the engagement state to the disengagement state through an intermediary state gradually varying a length of time where the signal of the first level is inputted into the electromagnetic clutch after the movable member reaches the predetermined position by inputting the rotation in the second direction to the transmitting mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Aihara
  • Patent number: 11465869
    Abstract: A roller for guiding a sheet (101) by friction has a contact surface (2) designed to be in contact with the sheet (101), the contact surface (2) having, overall, a shape of revolution when the roller (1) is at rest, a central portion (6) configured to mechanically connect the roller (1) to a rotating drive element, and a deformation portion (10) located between the contact surface (2) and the central portion (6), the deformation portion (10) being configured to deform elastically when the roller (1) guides the sheet (101) by friction. The deformation portion (10) comprises at least one cut (12) extending from the contact surface (2) to the central portion (6), the cut (12) being arranged such that the deformation portion (10) comprises at least one elastically deformable segment (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: BOBST MEX SA
    Inventors: Paul Hornick, Gilles Pillonel
  • Patent number: 11440756
    Abstract: A conveyance rotating body is rotatably supported by a support member. A second rotational axis at a rotation center of a driven transmission member is disposed at a position different from a position of a first rotational axis. When a feeding unit is attached to a sheet feeding apparatus, a drive transmission member and the driven transmission member engage with each other. When a driving force is transmitted from the drive transmission member to the driven transmission member, the feeding unit receives a force in an attachment direction of the feeding unit and is positioned with respect to the sheet feeding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Tsuda
  • 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: 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: 11339016
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a contact member and a lock member. The contact member is configured to rotate from a retracted position to a contact position while a sliding portion of the lock member is sliding on a sliding target portion of the contact member and to rotate to the contact position to release the sliding portion of the lock member from the sliding target portion of the contact member. The lock member is configured to rotate between a locked position and a lock released position by a lock biasing force when the lock member moves in a lock direction of the lock member from the lock released position toward the locked position. The contact member has the lock target body and the sliding target portion at different positions from each other in a rotation center axial direction of the contact member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Sugita
  • Patent number: 11307524
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked, and a conveyance portion to convey the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion. The conveyance portion includes a roller to convey the sheet and a shaft supporting the roller. The roller includes an end surface formed on a downstream end side in a detaching direction which is a direction of detaching the roller, an extension portion extending downstream in the detaching direction beyond the end surface, an engage portion formed on the extension portion and engageable with the shaft, and a grip portion extending downstream in the detaching direction beyond the end surface and disposed outside, in a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction, from the extension portion. The grip portion includes a hole portion penetrating through in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 11208277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus can prevent an apparatus main body from moving when a recording medium storing cassette is extracted from the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus has an apparatus main body, a recording medium storing cassette, and a manual feed tray arranged swingably over the recording medium storing cassette. The recording medium storing cassette has a first side face a handle part provided in the first side face. The manual feed tray has a second side face arranged continuous with the first side face. In a part over the handle part, between the first side face and the second side face, a supporting portion in the apparatus main body is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tanaka, Takashi Namii
  • Patent number: 11180331
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet conveyance roller, a retard roller to contact the conveyance roller and separate sheets one by one, a drive input shaft, a retard shaft, and a joint to connect the retard shaft with the drive input shaft and transmit rotary drive force of the drive input shaft to the retard shaft. A first angle formed between a line passing through a first engagement position and the drive input shaft and a line passing through a second engagement position and the retard shaft center is within a range of 80 degrees or greater and 100 degrees or smaller, and a second angle formed between a line passing through the drive input shaft and a first pin axis and a line passing through the retard shaft and a second pin axis is within a range of 50 degrees or greater and 70 degrees or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuma Inui
  • Patent number: 11155426
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a support shaft, a connecting member, and a detachable member. The support shaft extends in a first direction. The support shaft includes a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The connecting member is formed of an elastic material. The connecting member interposes the protrusion therebetween. The connecting member is connected to the support shaft to surround an outer periphery of the support shaft. The detachable member is detachably connected to the support shaft via the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 11117765
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a paper-feed unit, a developing unit to form an image in a printing medium, an insertion unit including first and second rollers configured to insert the printing medium conveyed from the paper-feed unit into the developing unit, and a guide unit rotatably disposed about a rotation shaft of the first roller and configured to guide the printing medium moving from the paper-feed unit to the insertion unit and selectively press the first roller to the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Seung Sup Lee, Hyun Woo Kim, Young Kee Cho, Yong Jae Kim
  • Patent number: 11095790
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an output tray that receives a medium which is output thereon; an output roller pair that outputs the medium onto the output tray; an output-tray posture switching portion that switches a posture of the output tray with respect to the apparatus body; and an output-direction switching portion that switches an output direction of the medium by using the output roller pair. The output roller pair includes an output driving roller, and an output driven roller that nips the medium between the output driven roller and the output driving roller and that follows the rotation of the output driving roller. The output-direction switching portion switches the output direction of the medium by displacing a rotation center of the output driven roller around a rotation center of the output driving roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Miyauchi, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Shinsuke Kogi
  • Patent number: 10893160
    Abstract: A multi-feed detection apparatus includes a conveyance roller, an ultrasonic sensor for generating an ultrasonic signal, an imaging device to image the medium being conveyed by the conveyance roller and sequentially generate a line image, and a processor to detect a width of the medium in each line image for each line image, detect a vertex count of a medium included in the sequentially generated line image based on the width of the media in the each line image, detect a length of the medium in a direction perpendicular to the medium width, estimate a shape of a medium based on the vertex count and the length of the medium, and detecting media multi-feed by comparing the ultrasonic signal with a predetermined threshold value, and change the predetermined threshold value or stop detection of the medium multi-feed, based on the estimated shape of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Masaaki Sakai
  • Patent number: 10836594
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit on which a sheet is stacked, a feed member configured to abut against the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit to feed the sheet, a friction member disposed on the sheet stacking unit so as to be opposed to the feed member; a drive unit configured to drive the feed member, a detection unit configured to detect a load on the drive unit when the drive unit drives the feed member, and a control unit configured to control the drive unit. The control unit causes the drive unit to drive the feed member at a first speed and thereafter in a case where the load detected by the detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit causes the drive unit to drive the feed member at a second speed higher than the first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Misaki Shiozawa
  • Patent number: 10836595
    Abstract: A rotary feeding member includes a plurality of first regions each including a plurality of first protruding portions and a plurality of first recessed portions, and a plurality of second regions each including a plurality of second protruding portions and a plurality of second recessed portions. The plurality of first regions and plurality of second regions are alternately arranged in a rotating direction of the rotary feeding member, and a ratio of a second depth of the second recessed portions to a first depth of the first recessed portions is 0.4 or greater and 0.8 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshinao Chiba
  • Patent number: 10737514
    Abstract: A sheet cassette connectable to a printer includes a storage part, a battery, and an electrode terminal. The storage part is configured to store a recording sheet. The sheet cassette is configured to supply the electric power of the battery to the printer through the electrode terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU COMPONENT LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya Oguchi, Sumio Watanabe, Yukihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 10668479
    Abstract: A paper shredder includes a chassis on which an automatic paper feeding opening is defined, a paper shredding mechanism, a paper separating mechanism located adjacent to the automatic paper feeding opening, and a paper pickup mechanism located between the paper separating mechanism and paper shredding mechanism. The paper separating mechanism includes a first paper supporting board on which a fastening mechanism is provided and a paper separating board cooperating with the fastening mechanism. The paper pickup mechanism includes a holding bracket, a paper pickup roller axe, a plurality of paper pickup rollers sleeved on the axe, a second paper supporting board located below the plurality of rollers and secured onto the second paper supporting board, and a third paper supporting board located above a distal end of the second paper supporting board and connected with the paper separating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU SUNSHINE COMET ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li Guoguang, Xu Yifeng
  • Patent number: 10574847
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a transport section configured to transport at least one sheet of paper along a transport path; a sonic wave detection section including a sonic wave transmitter and a sonic wave receiver that are disposed at positions between which the transport path is interposed, the sonic wave detection section being configured to output an output signal having a value that varies in accordance with a reception intensity with which the sonic wave receiver has received a sonic wave transmitted from the sonic wave transmitter; and a controller configured to determine a possibility of an occurrence of multi-feeding based on a result of comparing an output signal by the sonic wave detection section and two threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Honda
  • Patent number: 10534301
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus that can reduce a braking force of a medium separating mechanism to thereby reduce occurrence of paper jams only by attaching a medium supply device to an image forming apparatus body. The medium supply device is configured to be attached to an image forming apparatus body including a medium separating mechanism, and includes a medium conveying mechanism that supplies a recording medium from stacked recording media to a predetermined position, and first mechanism that reduces a braking force generated in the medium separating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yuasa
  • Patent number: 10457507
    Abstract: A supply unit holds a supply unit including a pickup roller for supplying a sheet, enables the supply unit including the pickup roller to be installed into an image forming apparatus, and includes a roller-protecting member. The roller-protecting member has a roller-protecting surface that covers the pickup roller of the supply unit and includes engaging pawls that can engage and integrally hold the supply unit including the pickup roller with the roller-protecting surface covering the pickup roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentarou Tomoe, Yasuhiko Fuse
  • Patent number: 10377590
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a tray, a roller unit, an image forming unit, and a pressing mechanism. The roller unit includes a feed roller disposed above a downstream end portion of the tray in a sheet conveying direction in which a sheet is conveyed, a separation roller disposed downstream of the feed roller in the sheet conveying direction, and a roller holder pivotable about a rotation axis of the separation roller, the roller holder holding the feed roller rotatably about an axis of the feed roller and pivotably vertically. The pressing mechanism includes an arm member configured to press the roller holder such that the roller holder pivots downward, and a weight portion provided to the arm member and applying, to the arm member, a load in a direction in which the feed roller is raised from the upper surface of the sheet supported on the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michio Fujioka, Hiroshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 10353335
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing; a process unit for forming a developer image on a sheet; an image exposing unit; a sheet cassette detachably mounted to the casing; a feeding roller for single the sheet from the cassette; a feeding guide provided in the casing and configured to guide the sheet moving from the cassette to the process unit. The exposing unit is disposed right above the feeding roller. The process unit is at a position the same position as the exposing unit in the vertical direction and downstream of the exposing unit in a horizontal direction. The cassette is below the feeding roller. The guide is between the exposing unit and the cassette in the vertical direction. The guide includes upper and lower guides. When the cassette is drawn out of the casing, the lower guide moves to an accommodating portion in the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroki Katayama
  • Patent number: 10225422
    Abstract: Regarding a restricting member that includes a contact face configured to be brought into contact with at least one portion of edges of a bundle of media mounted on a medium mounting section, and that is configured to be switched to either a blocking attitude for blocking advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into a nip portion between a feeding roller and a separating roller or an opening attitude for permitting the advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into the nip portion, the restricting member allows, in the blocking attitude, an edge shape of the bundle of media in contact with the contact face to be formed into a shape that fills in a tapered space tapering toward the nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keisuke Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 10221030
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes first and second roller members fixed to a rotatable shaft, a first follower roller that cooperates with the first roller member to form a conveying nip, and a second follower roller that cooperates with the second roller member to form a conveying nip. The first and second roller members have outer periphery cut-away parts and the first and second follower rollers are moveably supported and can be biased to home positions. If the first roller member cut-away part faces the first follower roller, the first follower roller is biased to move toward a home position while the nip of the second roller member nips and conveys a sheet. If the second roller member cut-away part faces the second follower roller, the second follower roller is biased to move toward a home position while the nip of the first roller member nips and conveys a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuma Koizumi
  • Patent number: 10214372
    Abstract: A sheet feeder device includes: a pickup roller that separates paper sheets placed on a manual feed tray from one another, and transfers a paper sheet; a pair of sheet feed rollers that include an upper feed roller and a lower feed roller, form a sheet nip portion when the upper feed roller and the lower feed roller are pressed against each other, and transfer the paper sheet transferred from the pickup roller; a top edge vibrator that vibrates a top edge of the paper sheet, the top edge vibrator being located on an upstream side of the pair of sheet feed rollers; and a hardware processor that controls sheet feeding of the paper sheets placed on the manual feed tray, wherein, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the sheet feeding, the hardware processor controls the top edge vibrator, to vibrate the top edge of the paper sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takahiro Okubo, Yasuo Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 10160613
    Abstract: A sheet feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader on which a sheet is loaded, a sheet feeding body to feed the sheet from the sheet loader, and a sheet separator disposed to contact the sheet feeding body. The sheet is fed at a first average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is in contact with the sheet separator without holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The sheet is fed at a second average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The first average sheet feeding speed is set smaller than the second average sheet feeding speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Tanaka, Mizuna Tanaka, Toshikane Nishii, Ikuo Fujii, Hirofumi Horita
  • Patent number: 10144603
    Abstract: A medium transportation device includes a transportation driving roller that transports a medium; a roller unit including a separation roller as a driven roller that is rotated by rotation of the transportation driving roller and a shaft which penetrates a rotation center of the separation roller; a holder that detachably holds the roller unit; and a lock mechanism that switches between an unlocked state in which the roller unit is unlocked from the holder and a locked state in which the roller unit is locked to the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 10112790
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a mounting portion that holds a medium; a feeding roller that feeds the medium toward a feeding direction; a stopper configured to prevent the medium from moving toward the feeding direction; a supporting part that swings the feeding roller between: a first position in which the feeding roller feeds the medium while both the feeding roller and the stopper contact the medium, and a second position in which the feeding roller does not contact the medium while the stopper contacts the medium to prevent the medium from moving toward the feeding direction; and a regulating part disposed on a downstream side in feeding direction with respect to a supporting point of the supporting part. The regulating part regulates movement of the stopper by contacting a portion of the stopper that does not contact the medium in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Hayashi, Shoichi Fukuyama, Kenro Ueno
  • Patent number: 10106348
    Abstract: A supply unit holds a supply unit including a pickup roller for supplying a sheet, enables the supply unit including the pickup roller to be installed into an image forming apparatus, and includes a roller-protecting member. The roller-protecting member has a roller-protecting surface that covers the pickup roller of the supply unit and includes engaging pawls that can engage and integrally hold the supply unit including the pickup roller with the roller-protecting surface covering the pickup roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kentarou Tomoe, Yasuhiko Fuse
  • Patent number: 10087026
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a bottom plate, a side restriction member extending in a sheet conveying direction, a drive roller rotatable about a first axis substantially orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a driven roller facing the drive roller and rotatable about a second axis inclined relative to the first axis. The driven shaft includes a shaft portion and an elastic portion. The shaft portion integrally includes a first extending portion, a second extending portion, and an intermediate portion located therebetween. The elastic portion is fitted over the intermediate portion. The first extending portion includes a first protruding portion. The second extending portion includes a second protruding portion. A first distance from the second axis to an outer peripheral surface of the first protruding portion is greater than a second distance from the second axis to an outer peripheral surface of the second protruding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Morita
  • Patent number: 10087023
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a roller holder supporting the feed roller rotatably about a rotation axis, a frame supporting the roller holder pivotably about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis of the feed roller, a force-transmitting device configured to transmit, to the roller holder, a force with which to cause the roller holder to pivot in a direction where the feed roller is pressed against a tray, a force-applying member movable between a force applying position where the force-applying member contacts the force-transmitting device to apply the force thereto and a force-free position where the force-applying member is spaced apart from the force-transmitting device, and a cushioning member configured to, when the force-applying member is at an initial contact positon located between the force applying position and the force-free position, be sandwiched in contact between the force-transmitting device and the force-applying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michio Fujioka, Hiroshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9987828
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel matt PMMA foils for application on materials as foil providing protection from weathering effects and as decorative foil. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel, at least two-layer PMMA foil which features particularly good adhesion on the substrate. The outer layer here exhibits the mattness, and the inner layer here comprises a low-molecular-weight component which improves adhesion on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Evonik Roehm GmbH
    Inventors: Claude Guenanten, Michael Enders, Lukas Friedrich Doessel, Karsten Postert, Dominic Stoerkle
  • Patent number: 9957123
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a feed roller, a feed holder and a mounting part. The pickup roller rotates around a first rotating shaft and then to feed a sheet. The feed holder supports the first rotating shaft. To the mounting part, the feed holder is mounted and dismounted. The mounting part has a pair of guide grooves. The feed holder has a pair of guide shafts protruding in a direction parallel to the first rotating shaft. The pair of guide shafts are guided along the pair of guide grooves. The pair of guide shafts are formed on an axis line different from an axis line of the first rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Uohashi, Daisuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9873579
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus and an optional device attachable to the image forming apparatus, includes a sheet container, a sheet feeder, a separator, a guide, and a projection. The sheet container loads multiple sheets. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet out of the multiple sheets in the sheet container. The separator separates the sheet from another sheet fed together with the sheet. The guide having a guide surface to guide the sheet passing the separator such that the sheet is fed in a predetermined sheet conveying direction. An upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface of the guide is located lower than a downstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the separator. The projection is disposed facing the separator at the upstream end in the sheet conveying direction of the guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ishida, Toshiaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9862558
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feed roller, a feed holder, a supporting frame and a driving shaft. The feed roller is configured to rotate around a rotating shaft. The feed holder is configured to support the feed roller. The supporting frame has a storage recessed part in which the feed holder is attachable and detachable along a direction crossing an axial direction of the rotating shaft. The driving shaft is supported to the supporting frame on one side of the storage recessed part in the axial direction. The storage recessed part has a guide part and a positioning part. The guide part is configured to guide the feed holder. The rotating shaft is coupled to the driving shaft by sliding the feed holder positioned at the aligning position by the positioning part in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tahara, Yuki Uohashi
  • Patent number: 9809405
    Abstract: Provided is a paper feeding roller in which recesses due to deformation are unlikely to be formed even when contact with another roller in one location continues for a comparatively long period of time, particularly as a conveying roller or the like. A paper feeding roller that has a shaft measuring 6 mm in exterior diameter pressure-welded to the outer circumferential surface under a load of 600 g in a high-temperature environment of 60° C. for 24 hours is left at room temperature for eight hours while being pressure-welded, after which the recess amount obtained using the difference (T)0?T1, between the thickness T1 (mm) of the position where the shaft was pressure-welded and the thickness T0 (mm) of a position where the shaft was not pressure-welded, is 0.1 mm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Hamakubo, Akihiro Mine
  • Patent number: 9630793
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a conveyor configured to convey a sheet; a cover configured to cover the conveyor; a guide spaced apart from the cover; and a movable member mounted on a first member which is one of the cover and the guide. The movable member is pivotable between a first position and a second position and located at the second position when the sheet is being conveyed. The movable member has a free end which is moved toward a second member while the movable member is being pivoted from the second position to the first position about a pivot center. The second member is another of the cover and the guide. The free end is contactable with the second member by an approach of the cover toward the guide when the movable member is located at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Kozaki
  • Patent number: 9434564
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet transporting member including a shaft portion that includes a first shaft portion rotated by receiving a driving force on one end side and a second shaft portion of which one end is pivotably connected to the first shaft portion on the other end side of the first shaft portion, a covering member that is changed over between a first posture in which the covering member covers a connecting portion to which the second shaft portion is pivotably connected so as to allow the second shaft portion to stop pivoting, and a second posture in which the covering member does not cover the connecting portion, and a roller portion that is provided on the shaft portion and comes into contact with a sheet to transport the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9400482
    Abstract: A paper conveyance device comprises: a conveyance member having a conveyance surface for conveying a recording medium, the conveyance member extending in a first direction along a front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus that has an opening member for exposing inside of the apparatus, and including a handle disposed on an exposure surface of the opening member, and a swing pivot point that is used to swing the conveyance member around the first direction to expose the conveyance surface when the handle is operated in the open state. The handle is disposed in at least one position in a range between positions near a center of the conveyance member in the first direction. The positions are a certain distance away from the center of the conveyance member along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Saito, Hideo Nagafuji, Yuji Arai, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kohichi Utsunomiya, Qifeng Cui, Motoyoshi Yamano, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Yuichi Harashima, Yohichi Tsukamoto, Satoshi Endoh, Daisuke Sawada, Yuuki Nobuoka, Shingo Kuboki, Takahiro Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9340378
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a recording sheet receiving portion configured to receive a recording sheet, an image forming portion configured to form an image on the recording sheet, a particular feed roller configured to feed the recording sheet toward the image forming portion, and a holding frame configured to rotatably support the particular feed roller such that the particular feed roller is exposed toward the recording sheet receiving portion. The holding frame has a roller receiving portion configured to receive the particular feed roller therein and a replacement opening for exposing the particular feed roller toward an opposite side of the holding frame relative to the recording sheet receiving portion. The particular feed roller is configured to be attached to and removed from the holding frame via the replacement opening on the opposite side of the holding frame relative to the recording sheet receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junki Ueyama, Yoshikazu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9309067
    Abstract: In a sheet feed apparatus, sheet feed roller is provided in casing so as to face downstream side of sheet stacking portion in sheet conveying direction, and conveys sheets in sheet conveying direction. Separation pad is provided facing sheet feed roller, forms, with sheet feed roller, nip portion through which sheets pass, and conveys sheets one by one in sheet conveying direction. Holder fixes and supports separation pad. Mount portion mounts holder. An urging member urges separation pad toward sheet feed roller via the holder. Holder is changeable in its posture between a first posture in which separation pad is spaced apart from sheet feed roller so as to release nip portion having been formed therebetween, and a second posture in which nip portion is formed between separation pad and sheet feed roller. Holder includes a contact part that contacts the mount portion in the second posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Tahara
  • Patent number: 9272858
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a roller, a driving shaft, a support shaft, a bearing portion, a contact member and a pivot shaft. The driving shaft is removably connected to one end of the roller and the support shaft is disposed at the other end of the roller in an axial direction. The pivot shaft is configured to pivotably support the contact member, and includes a rotating shaft disposed coaxially with an axis line of the roller and an eccentric portion extending toward the roller at a position on the other end side of the roller and eccentric from an axis line of the rotating shaft. The contact member is disposed in the eccentric portion. Distance from the axis line of the rotating shaft to the eccentric portion in a radial direction is larger than dimension of the support shaft in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 9207617
    Abstract: A disclosed apparatus includes a first unit upstream of a first path to transfer a sheet; a second unit upstream of a second path to transfer another sheet from opposite side of the first path; a third unit on a combined path of the first and second paths to transfer the sheets downstream; and a first member provided where the first and second paths meet to guide the sheets to the combined path. The third unit is a nip unit including elements forming a nip. One of the elements on the second path side is a belt unit. The first member has a downstream edge extending in a sheet width direction. The downstream edge has a first part facing the nip part and a second part not facing the nip part. The second part is located downstream of the first part in the sheet transfer direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Naoyuki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9056734
    Abstract: An apparatus for lowering and raising a pick arm is disclosed herein. An example of the apparatus includes a shuttle assembly having a first direction of movement and a second direction of movement, and a lift assembly rotatably coupled to the shuttle assembly. The apparatus additionally includes a cam coupled to the lift assembly to transform rotary motion of the lift assembly into substantially linear motion that allows the pick arm to lower as a result of movement of the shuttle assembly in the first direction and that raises the pick arm as a result of movement of the shuttle assembly in the second direction. Other components and attributes of the apparatus are also disclosed herein, as are additionally examples of the apparatus. A method of lowering and raising the pick arm is further disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Glenn W Gaarder, Ryan M. Smith, Daniel Scott Weinstein
  • Patent number: 9055184
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an imaging unit, a moving mechanism moving the imaging unit between a first position and a second position, a conveyance mechanism, a sun gear, and a planetary gear that rotates by being meshed with the sun gear and having a rotation center configured to revolve around the sun gear. The apparatus also includes a first output gear meshed with the planetary gear and transmits a driving force to the moving mechanism, a second output gear meshed with the planetary gear and transmits a driving force to the conveyance mechanism, a load generation part increasing a rotational resistance of the first output gear when the imaging unit is located at the first position, and a meshing part being meshed with teeth of the planetary gear when the planetary gear revolves around the sun gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shingai
  • Patent number: 9016684
    Abstract: A banknote handling and transmission apparatus includes a drive roller, a driven structure, and a transmission device. The driven structure includes a mounting member and a first driven roller pivotally mounted to the mounting member. The transmission device includes a guiding panel, a bottom panel, a mounting portion secured to the guiding panel, and a transmission structure pivotally mounted to the guiding panel. A transmission channel is defined between the guiding panel and the bottom panel. The transmission apparatus includes a first transmission roller bearing against, and rotated by, the first drive roller, the first drive roller also forces the rotation of the first driven roller, to pick up deposited banknotes and move them squarely into the transmission channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Zhongshan Innocloud Intellectual Property Services Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Kun Shih, Wan-Cheng Luo, Xiao-Mao Xie, Wei Xu, Kai-Hua Wu, Yong-Gui Pan
  • Patent number: 9019574
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first tray, a second tray disposed above the first tray, a feeding portion configured to feed a sheet in a feed direction, and a first wall portion disposed at one end of the second tray in a width direction and fixed relative to the first tray. The first tray has a first end on a side far from the feeding portion. The second tray has, on the side far from the feeding portion, a second end, which is closer to the feeding portion than the first end of the first tray. The first end of the first tray is located above the second end of the second tray. An upper end of the first wall portion is higher than the second tray, and extends from a side closer to the second end of the second tray toward the first end of the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Ohta
  • Publication number: 20150108709
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a conveying rotating member which is rotatably driven by a driving portion conveys a sheet; a cylindrical follower rotating member which is disposed to face the conveying rotating member; a support member which passes through a hollow portion of the follower rotating member and supports the cylindrical follower; a pressure portion which pressurizes the support member to the conveying rotating member so that the follower rotating member comes into contact with the conveying rotating member; and a bearing portion which is disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the support member and an inner peripheral surface of the follower rotating member and is disposed on an inner side in an axial direction of the support member from an end portion of the conveying rotating member, and rotatably supports the follower rotating member with respect to the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, So Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20150091240
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a supporting section which supports a sheet to be fed to the conveyor and a guide section which is provided on the supporting section and configured to guide a sheet to the conveyor. The supporting section includes a first support region and a second support region which support a sheet. The first support region is provided at a position on an upstream side from the second support region in a sheet conveyance direction. The first support region extends substantially horizontally, and the second support region is inclined in a lower direction toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction. The guide section includes a first portion which extends substantially horizontally along the first support region, and a second portion which is connected to the first portion and extends obliquely in the lower direction along the second support region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Katsuro Miura, Tsuyoshi Suganuma, Takuya Naniwa