With Means To Restrain Feed Of Next Sheet Patents (Class 271/121)
  • Patent number: 11912446
    Abstract: The invention discloses a gasket placement mechanism for a high speed wire rod baling machine and a related gasket structure. The baling machine comprises two pressing plates (2) reciprocating in the direction of compression, and filing-prevention disks (25) which are in a circular shape and have a certain thickness are fixed on two opposite compression surfaces of the pressing plates. Four diagonals of the pressing plates along with the filing-prevention disks are provided with four wire grooves (18) banding steel wires, and four diagonals of the pressing plates are respectively provided with conveying rollers (16) and gasket rolls (17). A numerical control motor drives the conveying rollers to rotate so as to drive the gasket rolls to be unfolded horizontally, and the unfolded gaskets (14) penetrate through a channel formed by the filing-prevention disks to reach the position of the wire grooves of the pressing plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Xuesong Zhang
  • Patent number: 11834286
    Abstract: A paper feeder, includes: a sheet storage that stores sheets; a pick roller that delivers the sheets stored in the sheet storage to a downstream side of a conveyance path; a pair of conveyance rollers that is located on a downstream side of the pick roller in the conveyance path and conveys the sheets delivered from the pick roller to further downstream side in the conveyance path; a drive source that drives the pair of conveyance rollers; and a hardware processor that cleans the pair of conveyance rollers by driving the drive source to rotate the pair of conveyance rollers in a state of being in contact with each other, when the pick roller cannot deliver sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tokuno, Masatoshi Hitaka
  • Patent number: 11795017
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an apparatus body including an abutting portion, an opening/closing member, a stacking member, a feeding member, a conveyance unit including a separation portion, and a guide configured to guide a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the feeding member from the stacking member toward the separation portion. The guide includes a supported portion supported pivotably by the apparatus body and an abutted portion configured to be abutted against the abutting portion. The guide is configured to move in interrelation with an operation of closing the opening/closing member and to be positioned inside the apparatus body with respect to the opening/closing member in the closed state of the opening/closing member. In the opened state of the opening/closing member, the guide is configured to be restricted from pivoting by the abutted portion being abutted against the abutting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nishiyama, Tomoya Tateishi
  • Patent number: 11721155
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are financial article handling devices comprising an external aperture connected to a rotary table. The rotary table can contain two or more financial article handling units disposed on the rotary table, each of which can be configured to form an interface with the external aperture. The financial article handling devices can receive an indication from a first financial article handling unit that the first financial article handling unit is no longer functional, disconnect the first financial article handling unit from the external aperture, and articulate the rotary table such that a second financial article handling unit is in communication with the external aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: CAPITAL ONE SERVICES, LLC
    Inventors: David Kelly Wurmfeld, Michael Kidd
  • Patent number: 11679947
    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: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuichi Saito
  • Patent number: 11643289
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a swing shaft to swingably support a support member, an urging member to urge a rotary separation member toward a rotary feeding member, a frame member including a first support portion to fix a first end portion of the swing shaft and a second support portion to movably support a second end portion of the swing shaft, and an adjustment mechanism having an extended opening formed in the second support portion and a fixing member configured to fix the second end portion of the swing shaft to a frame member through the extended opening. The extended opening is extended in a vertical direction and the second end portion of the swing shaft can be fixed at a plurality of positions which vary in the vertical direction to the second support portion with the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11565900
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a paper feeding device includes a paper feeding roller and a separation roller. The paper feeding roller and the separation roller are arranged in a parallel direction. The paper feeding roller and the separation roller interpose a sheet. The paper feeding device includes a paper feeding roller, a separation roller, a shaft, a holder, and a rotation stopping portion. The paper feeding roller is configured to convey the sheet in a conveyance direction. The separation roller is configured to be pressed against the paper feeding roller. The shaft is configured to rotatably support the separation roller via a torque limiter. The holder is configured to include a supporting portion. The supporting portion is provided with a first guide surface and a second guide surface facing each other and extending in the parallel direction. The rotation stopping portion is configured to be attached to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Ohno
  • Patent number: 11535471
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for dispensing a printed document from a printer machine with a dispensing device. For instance, a document being printed out from the printer machine may be monitored for, and a determination that a document is being printed out from the printer machine may be made based on the monitoring. The printed document may be engaged with an arm mechanism of the dispensing device, the printed document may be urged towards a slot of the dispensing device with the arm mechanism, and the printed document may be dispensed out of the slot with the arm mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventor: David Kelly Wurmfeld
  • Patent number: 11332333
    Abstract: A spring kicker element for a kicker unit within a print device is described. In one example, the spring kicker element is fitted onto the kicker unit. The spring kicker element comprises a planar extension extending radially from its base portion, such that when fitted, the planar extension extends away from the kicker unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Seng San Koh, Fei Yuan Louisa Koh, Kok Chai Chong
  • Patent number: 11323581
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes an opening/closing unit, an output gear, an apparatus main body having an image reading unit, a retard roller, and an input gear, and includes an opening/closing unit having a pickup roller, a feed roller, a feed roller shaft, a drive shaft, and an adjustment support portion. The feed roller shaft supports the feed roller. The drive shaft is connected at one end side thereof to the feed roller shaft via a coupling. The feed roller shaft is removable from the drive shaft. The input gear meshes with the output gear to transmit a driving force to the feed roller where the opening/closing unit is closed, and is separated from the output gear where the opening/closing unit is opened. The adjustment support portion supports the other end side of the drive shaft to adjust a position for supporting the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahito Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11279579
    Abstract: Provided are: a sheet feed device that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of a sheet feeding fault by changing the pressing contact force of a retard roller against a feed roller; and an image formation device equipped with the same. This sheet feed unit (50) is provided with: a pickup roller (29); a feed roller (31); a retard roller (32); a holding member (40) that holds the retard roller (32); a first biasing member (42) that biases the holding member (40); and a pressing contact force changing mechanism (60) that changes the pressing contact force of the retard roller (32) against the feed roller (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyonori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11235938
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including a feed tray, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a separator, a reading sensor, and a controller, is provided. The feed tray supports sheets for being fed and has a movable plate movable between a standby position and a feedable position. The feed roller is movable and feeds the sheets to be conveyed along the conveyance guide. A positional relation between the feed roller and an uppermost sheet in the sheets is maintained within a predetermined range by the movable plate located at the feedable position. The controller controls at least rotating-and-stopping movements of the feed roller and the separator and ascending-and-descending movements of the movable plate. While the feed roller feeds the sheets, the controller conducts a vibrating action, in which the movable plate located at the feedable position is moved to ascend and descend for a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tomoyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11190657
    Abstract: A document conveyance apparatus includes a feed roller, a first and a second conveyance rollers, a conveyance shaft, an arm portion rotatably moving the feed roller to a standby position to a feeding position, a transmission portion transmitting rotation of the conveyance roller shaft to the arm portion, and a torque limiter. The feed roller and the first conveyance roller rotate in a conveyance direction when the conveyance roller shaft rotates in a first direction, and the feed roller moves from a feeding position to a standby position when the conveyance roller shaft rotates in a second direction. When a document fed by the second conveyance roller moves through a nip portion, a transmission portion does not transmit rotation of the first conveyance roller rotated in the second direction by the separation roller to an arm portion by operation of the torque limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norikazu Hishinuma
  • Patent number: 11174112
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a stacking member, a feeding unit, and a detachable separation unit. The feeding unit feeds sheets stacked from the stacking member. The separation unit separates the fed sheets one by one. The separation unit includes a rotating member to abut and separate from the feeding unit and to rotate, a biasing member to bias the rotating member toward the feeding unit, and an engaged member to be engaged with an engagement member included in the sheet feeding device. The engagement member can move to a first position where the engagement member is engaged with the engaged member, and a second position away from the engaged member. Where the engagement member moves from the first to the second position when the separation unit is attached to the sheet feeding device, the separation unit moves in a detachment direction using the biasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 11137710
    Abstract: A print medium feeding device includes a guide unit; a first conveyance unit that applies first conveyance force F1 to the print medium, a first part of the first conveyance force applying section moving at a first linear velocity V1; a second conveyance unit including a second conveyance force applying section that makes contact with the print medium and applies second conveyance force F2 to the print medium, a second part of the second conveyance force applying section moving at a second linear velocity V2; and a third conveyance unit including a third conveyance force applying section that makes contact with the print medium and applies third conveyance force F3 to the print medium, a third part of the third conveyance force applying section moving at a third linear velocity V3, wherein V2>V3>V1 and F3>F1>F2 are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Kanzawa
  • Patent number: 11066262
    Abstract: A singling apparatus and a system for singling sheet material comprises a sheet store for receiving a sheet stack of sheets to be singled. The sheet store includes a singling gap, which is formed and arranged to deliver a sheet out of the sheet store to a transport mechanism. The singling apparatus comprises further a singling device comprising a rotating separation roller wherein the separation roller comprises partially on its rotational surface a contact area to periodically contact and transport the sheet from the sheet store to the transport mechanism. A position control device of the singling apparatus is coupled to the separation roller and comprises an alignment indication being in correlation with an angle position of the contact area of the separation roller and indicates the alignment of the contact area to the singling gap and/or the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Amit Kumar Yadav
  • Patent number: 11046097
    Abstract: A media retraction system includes a loadstop shaft rotatable about an axis thereof, and a loadstop paddle rotatably coupled with and slidably mounted on the loadstop shaft such that the loadstop paddle is slidable about the axis of the loadstop shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Keith Jariabka, Kyle Loucks, Mark Groenenboom
  • Patent number: 10968061
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet container accommodating a recording medium therein, a sheet separating feeder including a sheet feeding body and a sheet separating body, an image forming part, and a bend applier. The sheet feeding body feeds the recording medium along with a surface movement thereof while the recording medium contacting the surface thereof. The sheet separating body forms a sheet separation nip region with the sheet feeding body and sandwiches the recording medium in the sheet separation nip region. The sheet separating feeder separates and feeds the recording medium contacting the sheet feeding body. The image forming part forms an image on the recording medium. The bend applier having a leading end of an elastic material contacts and bends the recording medium before the sheet separation nip region and generates a wrinkle extending on the recording medium in a sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jumpei Aoyama, Manabu Nonaka, Hajime Nishida, Hideki Tobinaga, Junpei Kamichi, Satoshi Kuno, Shun Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10961067
    Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller, a separation roller which nips a medium between the separation roller and the feeding roller to separate the medium and to which a driving torque is applied by a driving source in a second rotation direction that is opposite to a first rotation direction in which the medium is fed to a downstream side, and a torque limiter that causes the separation roller to idle in the first rotation direction when a rotational torque applied to the separation roller in the first rotation direction exceeds a limit torque that is a predetermined upper torque limit, in which separation setting including a pressing load of the separation roller, a rotational speed of the separation roller, and the limit torque is changeable according to condition of feeding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoichi Shuto, Tsuyoshi Yamanaka, Kazuya Yoshikaie, Shinsuke Kogi
  • Patent number: 10815084
    Abstract: A sheet feed apparatus includes a sheet separation unit, and the sheet separation unit includes a separation roller that is provided so as to be brought into contact to an outer peripheral surface of a sheet feed roller, and separates a sheet fed by the sheet feed roller into one. The sheet separation unit comprises a hook for rotatably supporting the sheet separation unit in a main body casing of the sheet feed apparatus and an engaging claw that makes the sheet separation unit engage with the main body casing. Therefore, the sheet separation unit is held in the main body casing detachably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suto, Yasumasa Morimoto, Hironori Ogasawara, Toshiki Ohgita
  • Patent number: 10766724
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes: a container that accommodates loaded sheets; a feeding mechanism that continuously feeds the sheet from the container; a conveyance path on which the sheet is conveyed; and a pitch adjustment mechanism provided on the conveyance path and which adjusts a pitch of a preceding sheet and a subsequent sheet, wherein the pitch adjustment mechanism includes a pitch adjustment roller pair including a first pitch adjustment roller and a second pitch adjustment roller that sandwich the conveyance path and are in pressure contact with each other, the first pitch adjustment roller is driven and rotated in a direction following a sheet conveying direction, the second pitch adjustment roller is driven and rotated in the direction following a sheet conveying direction, and the second pitch adjustment roller is connected to a drive shaft that drives the second pitch adjustment roller via a one-way clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Haruka Tai
  • Patent number: 10723576
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a support member having a support surface, a feed roller rotatable about a rotation axis located below a portion of the support surface, a separation roller disposed downstream from the feed roller, a separator disposed upstream from the separation roller, a stopper, when viewed in a direction of the rotation axis, disposed at least partially overlapping the separator and movable between a first position in which the stopper crosses the support surface and restricts leading edges of the sheets supported on the support surface and a second position, downstream from the first position in a conveying direction, in which the stopper is spaced apart from the support surface, and a restriction member configured to hold the stopper in the first position and to restrict movement of the stopper while continuing to support the stopper moving from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Kuriki
  • Patent number: 10676297
    Abstract: A medium transfer device includes a swinging member, a hopper in which a setting plate on which a plurality of mediums are placed such that the mediums are moved toward the swinging member by gravitation, and a driving unit configured to swing the swinging member such that the mediums are shaken by the swinging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Shogo Yoshita
  • Patent number: 10633205
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion including a supporting surface, an abutment portion against which a leading edge of the sheet abuts, a feeding rotator configured to feed the sheet, and a first friction member provided on the supporting surface so as to face the feeding rotator. The first friction member includes a first friction surface having a static friction coefficient greater than that of the supporting surface, a trailing end supporting portion configured to support a trailing end portion of the sheet curved upward, and a second friction member disposed upstream of the first friction member in the sheet feeding direction on the supporting surface. The second friction member includes a second friction surface which has a static friction coefficient greater than that of the supporting surface and is configured to be in contact with the sheet supported by the supporting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Wataru Murata
  • Patent number: 10625965
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a support member having a support surface, a feed roller, a stopper, and a restriction member. The stopper includes a restriction surface configured to contact leading edges of sheets supported on the support surface. A tangent extends in parallel to the support surface and passes through a point on an outer peripheral surface of the feed roller, and the tangent and the restriction surface of the stopper crosses at an intersection point. When the stopper moves from a first position to a second position, the intersection point moves with a movement velocity in a direction parallel to the tangent, the movement velocity at the intersection point being defined as a specified movement velocity. The restriction member is configured to restrict movement of the stopper such that the specified movement velocity is greater than or equal to a circumferential velocity of the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Kuriki
  • Patent number: 10625963
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a first feeding unit, a second feeding unit, and a fixing structure. The first feeding unit feeds a first recording medium. The second feeding unit is located below the first feeding unit and feeds a second recording medium. The fixing structure takes a first posture or a second posture differing from the first posture. The fixing structure fixes the second feeding unit to the first feeding unit when the fixing structure is in the first posture. The fixing structure fixes the second feeding unit to the first feeding unit by fixing a third frame member of the second feeding unit to a second frame member of the first feeding unit. When the fixing structure is in the second posture, the fixing structure releases linkage between the second feeding unit and the first feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ando
  • Patent number: 10611587
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus is provided with a disengaging mechanism configured to disengage a conveyance member and a separating member to be apart from each other. Either one of the conveyance member and the separating member is provided in a unit, which is attached to an apparatus body and is configured to be detached from the apparatus body toward a downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction, while the other provided in the apparatus body. A restriction portion is configured to restrict the unit from being attached to and detached from the apparatus body in a state where the conveyance member and the separating member are in contact with each other and to permit the unit to be attached to and detached from the apparatus body in a state where the conveyance member and the separating member are disengaged by the disengaging mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Kato, Hidehiro Ushiozu, Akira Matsushima, Satoshi Koga
  • Patent number: 10604362
    Abstract: A medium processing device includes a medium storage portion configured to stack sheet-shaped media to store the sheet-shaped media, a first pressurizing member configured to pressurize the sheet-shaped media stored in the medium storage portion, and a second pressurizing member configured to pressurize the sheet-shaped media in cooperation with the first pressurizing member when a stacking thickness of the sheet-shaped media stored in the medium storage portion is equal to or greater than a predetermined thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuhei Kurotobi
  • Patent number: 10584005
    Abstract: A medium feed device includes a feed roller provided to a device body and configured to feed paper, a separator roller provided at a position on the device body facing the feed roller and configured to separate the paper, and a medium support section configured to support the medium in an inclined state upstream of the feed roller. The medium support section is configured with a variable contact angle between the paper supported by the medium support section and the separator roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Harada, Ryoichi Shuto, Keiichiro Fukumasu, Kazuhiko Tsuyama, Tomoyuki Mokuo, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 10549937
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to a device including a separator. Examples include a first separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a first spring. In examples, the first separator has a first centerline in a direction perpendicular to a medium travel direction. Examples include a second separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a second spring. In examples, the second separator has a second centerline disposed substantially parallel to the first centerline. Examples include a roller to contact the medium to move the medium along the medium travel direction. In examples, the first spring and second spring bias the first separator and second separator towards the roller, respectively. In examples, a force applied by the first separator to the medium is independent of a force applied to the medium by the second separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wesley R Schalk, Sam Sing, Jeffrey G Bingham
  • Patent number: 10543997
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an abutment part having an abutment area against which a leading edge of a sheet abuts and a moving part to move the abutment part between first and second positions. The moving part includes a link member having an engage portion to engage with a positioning portion, the link member being joined with the abutment part, and an urging member to urge the link member such that the abutment part moves toward the second position. The abutment part is retained at the first position against an urging force of the urging member in a case where the positioning portion is engaged with the engage portion of the link member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumiya Sawashima, Tetsuji Suzuki, Ryuji Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 10518992
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet loader, a loader elevating device, a sheet presence detector to detect a sheet on the sheet loader, and circuitry configured to determine whether the bundle of sheets is loaded on the sheet loader based on a detection result of the sheet presence detector and to control movement of the loader elevating device. The circuitry is configured to cause the loader elevating device to lift the sheet loader to a second position in response to a detection result of the sheet presence detector indicating absence of the sheet on the sheet loader at a first position and not to determine absence of the sheet when the circuitry causes the loader elevating device to lower the sheet loader from the second position to the first position after the circuitry causes the loader elevating device to lift the sheet loader to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yousuke Edo, Hikaru Fukasawa, Hidetoshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 10308456
    Abstract: A sheet supplier, including: a tray including a sheet support surface; a sheet supply roller configured to supply an uppermost one of sheets; a rotational member configured to contact a lowermost one of the sheets; a presser configured to press the supply roller relative to the rotational member; and a supporter configured to support the rotational member by a contact portion such that the rotational member is rotated by a movement of the lowermost sheet and to limit a movement of the rotational member caused by a force of the lowermost sheet in a sheet supply direction; wherein, where static friction coefficients between the supply roller and the uppermost sheet, between the sheets on the support surface, between the rotational member and the lowermost sheet, and between the rotational member and the contact portion are respectively defined as ?2, ?3, and ?4, the following expressions are satisfied: ?1>?4>?2, ?3>?4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Gakuro Kanazawa
  • Patent number: 10294050
    Abstract: A stack of media items are urged along a transport path that includes a bend in the track of the transport path. A first phase of separating the media items from the stack includes pre-separating the media items from the stack as the media items are urged along the bend. A second phase includes separating a leading media item from the stack by urging the leading media item exiting the first phase between opposing rollers to transport the leading media item along the transport path within a value media depository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher H. Pond, Jason M. Gillier, Matthew Sonnenberg
  • Patent number: 10274887
    Abstract: A binding apparatus includes: a first pressing member that presses a recording-medium stack from one side of the recording-medium stack; a second pressing member that faces the first pressing member and presses the recording-medium stack from the other side of the recording-medium stack; and a suppressing part provided in at least one of the first pressing member and the second pressing member, the suppressing part suppressing damage to recording media that may be caused when a recording-medium stack including a smaller number of sheets than the maximum number of sheets that can be bound is bound with the first pressing member and the second pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Makita, Hiroaki Awano, Kojiro Tsutsumi, Katsumi Harada, Toshiyasu Yukawa, Takashi Ogino
  • Patent number: 10273101
    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: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ishida, Toshiaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10167149
    Abstract: A banknote separation apparatus, for a banknote bundle receiving machine, includes a guide unit, a pickup roller unit, a pickup roller raising/lowering unit, a feeding roller unit and a gate roller unit. The guide unit is provided on a route along which a banknote bundle inputted into the banknote bundle receiving machine is moved. The pickup roller unit is provided above the guide unit in a spaced-apart relationship with the guide unit and configured to separate a banknote from the banknote bundle and to feed the banknote. The pickup roller raising/lowering unit is configured to raise or lower the pickup roller unit. The feeding roller unit is provided on a back side of the pickup roller unit. The gate roller unit is provided under the feeding roller unit and configured to maintain a predetermined distance from the feeding roller unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: HYOSUNG TNS INC.
    Inventors: Yun Seok Jeong, Byung Man Ahn
  • Patent number: 10160611
    Abstract: Let a point at which a lock member and a leading end positioning member abut against each other when a roller holding member is located at a feeding retracted position be represented by a contact point. A tangential direction of a surface of the leading end positioning member at the contact point is substantially parallel to a direction in which the roller holding member moves to a feeding position from a feeding retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satohisa Tateishi
  • Patent number: 10118779
    Abstract: A feeder includes a pressing section that presses a medium after a feeding force is applied on the medium in a direction in which a leading edge of the medium set in a setting section in a feeding direction abuts on an abutment section during feeding of the media by a feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Miyauchi, Hiromichi Kitsuki, Kosuke Nomoto
  • Patent number: 10106351
    Abstract: A delivery mechanism of business machine including a carrier board, an assembly rack, a delivery wheel group and at least one linkage assembly is provided. The assembly rack is disposed above the carrier board. The delivery wheel group includes at least one first roller and at least one second roller. The first roller is disposed on the carrier board. The second roller is disposed on the assembly rack and leans on the first rollers. The linkage assembly includes a rotation member and a paper flattening member. The rotation member is pivotally disposed on the assembly rack. The two opposite ends of the paper flattening member are respectively disposed at the rotation member and the assembly rack, such that the paper flattening member can be displaced along a curved path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Chia-Ching Lin
  • Patent number: 10040651
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus is provided with a pick-up roller that contacts sheets loaded on a load tray to pick up, a paper feed roller that feeds a picked-up sheet, and a separation roller brought into press-contact with the paper feed roller to separate the sheet, where the sheets are separated from the pick-up roller, the separation roller is rotated in a sheet return direction different from a sheet feed direction, and subsequently, the paper feed roller is separated from the separation roller. It is possible to prevent damage to a sheet and sheet jam from occurring in pulling out the load tray loaded with sheets to the front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Koji Satake
  • Patent number: 9971288
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first pressing member, a fixing belt, a second pressing member, a load adjustment unit, a tension adjustment unit and a control unit. The first pressing member has an elastic layer. The fixing belt is wound around the first pressing member. The second pressing member presses against the first pressing member via the fixing belt, conveys the recording member and forms a fixing nip. The load adjustment unit adjusts pressing load of the first pressing member and the second pressing member. The tension adjustment unit adjusts tension of the fixing belt. The control unit controls the load adjustment unit so as to change a width of the fixing nip in a recording member conveyance direction and controls the tension adjustment unit so as to change the tension of the fixing belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Wazumi, Naohiko Hanyu
  • Patent number: 9950884
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes: a first roller; a separation member; a shutter; a pressing portion; and a cam portion. The separation member contacts the first roller at a contact position. An axis of the shutter is positioned downstream of the separation member in a conveying direction. The shutter is movable between first and second positions. The shutter in the first position has a portion positioned upstream of the contact position in the conveying direction. The pressing portion is positioned upstream of the separation member and the shutter in the first position in the conveying direction. The pressing portion is movable between third and fourth positions. The pressing portion in the third position faces the first roller. The pressing portion in the fourth position is separated from the first roller farther than in the third position. The cam portion is positioned upstream of the pressing portion in the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Kuriki
  • Patent number: 9834396
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes: a support member having a support surface configured to support sheets, a feed unit configured to feed the sheets stacked on the support surface in a feed direction, a guide member provided on the downstream side of the support member in the feed direction, and a separating member projecting from an inclined surface of the guide member toward the support surface. The inclined surface is curved such that a separating area where the separating member is provided comes closest to the side of the support surface. The support surface has a first support surface located on the immediate upstream side in the feed direction to correspond to the separating area, and second support surfaces arranged respectively on both sides of the first support surface in a direction orthogonal to the feed direction to be lowered than the first support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotaka Aoki
  • Patent number: 9796542
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device having sheet feed tray configured to support multiple sheets be movably inserted to a main body. A sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet supported by the sheet feed tray and rotate to apply a feeding force to feed the sheet in a sheet feed direction. The sheet feed roller is configured to contact the sheet feed tray when there is no sheet on the sheet feed tray. A push latch mechanism is arranged on a downstream side with respect to the sheet feed roller in the sheet feed direction. A state of the push latch mechanism is alternately switched between an engaged state and a disengaged state every time when a pressing force is applied to the push latch mechanism. A first spring is configured to exert an elastic force to move the sheet feed tray toward a near side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Yohei Hashimoto, Masamitsu Ukai, Hirotaka Mori, Noriyuki Kawamata, Masahito Saeki, Hiroyuki Okuchi, Makoto Souda
  • Patent number: 9796545
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first conveyance roller, a sheet conveyance path, a second conveyance roller, and a pair of bearing portions. The first conveyance roller is provided in an apparatus main body. The sheet conveyance path has a guide surface that guides a sheet member in a sheet conveyance direction. The second conveyance roller is rotatably attached to the guide surface via a shaft and abuts on the first conveyance roller by a predetermined pressing force. The bearing portions are provided on the guide surface and support the shaft. Each bearing portion includes a concave groove portion and a bush member. The concave groove portion is formed on the guide surface such that a groove depth direction is perpendicular to the guide surface. The bush member is attached to the concave groove portion so as to be slidable in the groove depth direction and support the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Koki Morizono, Yoshiaki Tashiro
  • Patent number: 9766581
    Abstract: A paper feed device of an image forming apparatus includes: a pickup roller which contacts, from above, the uppermost sheet of sheets stacked in a paper feed cassette so as to feed out the sheet; a paper feed roller which further feeds the sheet to the downstream side in a transport direction; and a pickup holder which supports the pickup roller. The pickup roller and the paper feed roller are cantilever-supported at one ends of shaft portions which penetrate the centers of shaft lines. On the free ends of the shaft portions thereof, a transport guide member is provided that includes: a roller movement regulation portion which holds the shaft portions and which regulates the movements of the rollers in the direction of the shaft lines; and a sheet guide portion which guides the transport of the sheet between the pickup roller and the paper feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Ryuji Sato
  • Patent number: 9708142
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus, including: a base body having a conveyor surface; a separating roller configured to rotate about a first rotation axis parallel to a width direction of the conveyor surface and to convey a sheet downstream in a conveyance direction orthogonal to the width direction; a separating piece opposed to the separating roller and configured to cooperate with the separating roller to separate sheets being conveyed one by one; an attachment member removably attached to the base body at a position at which the attachment member is opposed to the separating roller, so as to form a part of the conveyor surface; a holder holding the separating piece and supported by the attachment member so as to be movable toward and away from the separating roller; and a first urging member provided between the attachment member and the holder for urging the separating piece toward the separating roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Ohta
  • Patent number: 9643803
    Abstract: An image forming device includes: a tray; an image forming unit; a drive source; a feeding roller; a support portion; a support shaft; and a drive shaft. The tray is configured to support a recording sheet. The image forming unit is configured to form an image on the recording sheet. The drive source is configured to generate a driving force. The feeding roller is configured to rotate upon receipt of the driving force to feed the recording sheet supported by the tray toward the image forming unit. The support portion is configured to rotatably support the feeding roller. The support shaft is disposed above the tray and configured to pivotally movably support the support portion. The drive shaft is independent of the support shaft and configured to rotate upon receipt of the driving force from the drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuta Uchino
  • Patent number: 9643804
    Abstract: There is provided a feed apparatus including: a support unit supporting a sheet; a feed roller; a first arm; a recess portion; a second arm; a biasing member; an operation lever; and an engagement portion. The engagement portion is configured to be separated from the second arm at the first position in a case that the feed roller abuts against the support surface. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged with the second arm in a case that the first arm swings in a direction in which the feed roller is separated from the support surface. The second arm is configured to swing from the first position to the second position in conjunction with swing of the first arm in a direction in which the feed roller is further away from the support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Uchino, Wataru Sugiyama