Intermediate Tray Patents (Class 271/3.03)
  • Patent number: 11840104
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes at least a tank configured to hold a first printing material at a first position and a tank configured to hold a second printing material at a second position different from the first position. A light emitting control unit controls light emitting states of a plurality of light emitters. If an amount of the printing material in the first tank is less than a predetermined amount, and an amount of the printing material in the second tank is greater than a predetermined amount, the light emitting control unit transits a state of a first light emitter from a state indicating that the amount of the printing material is greater than the predetermined amount to a state indicating that the amount of the printing material is less than the predetermined amount, and maintains a state of a second light emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Watanabe, Keita Takatani, Takeshi Nakata
  • Patent number: 11659113
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a housing that includes a transport path along which a document is transported, an opening and closing member that is attached to the housing in such a manner as to be openable and closable, a reading unit that is disposed in such a manner as to be positioned between the transport path and the opening and closing member and that reads an image from the document, which is transported along the transport path, and an opposing member that is disposed in such a manner as to be opposed to the reading unit with the transport path interposed between the opposing member and the reading unit and that is moved away from the reading unit in conjunction with an opening operation of the opening and closing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Tomomi Ishida, Ryusuke Nakata, Tomonori Sato, Kazuyuki Koda, Isamu Adachi, Miho Morita
  • Patent number: 10764462
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a medium support section that supports a medium to be fed, a reading unit that performs reading on the medium fed from the medium support section, and a mounting section on which the medium to be set on the medium support section is mountable, the mounting section being located outside of a main body including the reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keisuke Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 10656586
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having feeder tray, a multipurpose tray arranged on a first side surface, a first conveyer path, a second conveyer path, a third conveyer path, and a fourth conveyer path, is provided. A nip position between paired registration rollers is located to be lower than a nip position between a separation roller and a separator member. A tangent that contacts circumferential surfaces of the paired registration rollers at the nip position between paired registration rollers inclines to be lower toward a second side surface opposite from the multipurpose tray. The second conveyer path inclines to be lower toward the second side surface in a range between a merging point merging with the fourth conveyer path and the nip position between the paired registration rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10611592
    Abstract: An automatic loader for delivering vertically stacked media to a hopper of a feeder. The automatic loader includes a powered conveying device, actuated plates, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The first sensors detects a height of the vertically stacked media that is in the hopper, and the second sensor detects a separation between the hopper and the vertically stacked media that is in a staging area of the conveying device. Based on signals generated by the first and second sensors, the conveying device automatically delivers the vertically stacked media that is in the staging area to the hopper of the feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Walco Systems
    Inventor: Robert Brian Wallace
  • Patent number: 9592992
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion forming an image on a sheet, a first sheet conveyance path guiding the sheet to the image forming portion, a second sheet conveyance path guiding the sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming portion, and a re-conveyance path connecting the second sheet conveyance path and the first sheet conveyance path. The image forming apparatus further includes a connecting path connecting a point on the way of the second sheet conveyance path with a point on the way of the re-conveyance path and is configured to convey a sheet to the re-conveyance path through the connecting path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Mizuguchi, Takanori Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9352587
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: an elimination unit that includes a contact portion in contact with a medium containing a plasticizer and that eliminates at least a part of the plasticizer; and a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto the medium from which at least a part of the plasticizer is eliminated by the elimination unit. Here, the contact portion is adapted to contact the entire medium in the intersection direction intersecting the transportation direction of the medium and is formed such that the contact distance with respect to the medium in the transportation direction of the medium is different in the intersection direction and an SP value as a soluble parameter is 8.0 or more and 10.0 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9238560
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a conveyance device including: a pair of conveyance members; a connection member as defined herein; an operating member as defined herein; a to-be-stopped member as defined herein; a stopping member as defined herein; and a contact/separation control unit, and a document conveyance device including: a document loading portion in which documents are loaded; a document discharge portion to which the documents are discharged; a discharge member that is disposed on a downstream side of a document reading position in a document conveyance direction and that discharges each of the documents; a reversal passage as defined herein; a discharge member control unit as defined herein; and a transmission system as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takakiyo Toba, Kazuyuki Koda, Masato Serikawa, Takato Kato
  • Patent number: 9217983
    Abstract: A drive transmission device includes rotatable shafts, a first transmission mechanism that transmits first driving force, and a second transmission mechanism that transmits second driving force. The first driving force causes a specific rotatable shaft to rotate in a first rotation direction. The second driving force causes the specific rotatable shaft to rotate in a second rotation direction. The second transmission mechanism includes first and second gears, and a switching member that switches between coupling and decoupling of the first and second gears. While the first and second gears are coupled, the second driving force is transmitted to the specific rotatable shaft. The first transmission mechanism includes a cut-off member that cuts off transmission of the first driving force to the specific rotatable shaft upon the second driving force being transmitted to the specific rotatable shaft while the first driving force is being transmitted to the specific rotatable shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masafumi Miki, Akihiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9022377
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path; a sheet entrance unit provided in the sheet conveying path; a sheet discharge unit provided in a location separated from the sheet entrance unit by a predetermined distance; a driving unit that drives the sheet entrance unit and the sheet discharge unit; a sheet guide unit that guides sheets and is provided between the sheet entrance unit and the sheet discharge unit to allow the sheets passing through the sheet entrance unit to be sequentially stacked; and a sheet buffer device that is configured such that the stacked sheets pass through the sheet discharge unit while the stacked sheets are loaded on a step with each leading end of the stacked sheets being separated with a predetermined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Gradco Japan Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige Masunari, Yumiko Kato
  • Patent number: 8998193
    Abstract: According to the invention, in the transport path between the input device and the output device, at least one intermediate buffer is arranged that serves as input device and as output device. The input device, the output device and the intermediate buffer are positioned adjacent to the conveyor belt and operated by the control device in such a way, that sheets forwarded from the input device or sheets stocked in the intermediate buffer are coupleable pneumatically to the lower side of the conveyor belt, and that sheets pneumatically attached to the lower side of the conveyor belt are selectively decoupleable at the intermediate buffer or at the output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Multigraf AG
    Inventor: Robert Barrer
  • Patent number: 8967612
    Abstract: A medium processing device includes holding section that temporarily retains a medium therein. A gear inside the holding section drives a mechanism that stores the medium into and feeds out from the holding section. A main body includes a mounting location at which the holding section is mounted, and transfers the medium to and from the holding section at a time at which the holding section is mounted. An operation knob transmits, to the gear, a rotary operation applied from outside the holding section. An operation restriction portion at the main body, blocks transmission of the rotary operation from the knob to the gear in a mounted state in which the holding section is mounted at the mounting location, and allows transmission of the rotary operation from the knob to the gear in a detached state in which the holding section is detached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takamoto Yokote
  • Patent number: 8820915
    Abstract: A receiver supply media cassette adapted to hold cut sheet media and for permitting an imaging apparatus to form images on both sides of the cut sheet media, comprising a media tray including a cut sheet receiving well having at least two side walls, and a ramp disposed between the two side walls and a removable media receptacle adapted to fit inside the cut sheet receiving well of the media tray including a first compartment adapted to hold cut sheet media to be fed to the imaging apparatus, a second compartment adapted to receive cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus, wherein the removable media receptacle is flipped inside the cut sheet receiving well of the media tray after images have been formed on a first side of the cut sheet media so that images can be formed on a second side of the cut sheet media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin T. Mahoney, Robert Fredric Mindler
  • Patent number: 8770582
    Abstract: In a conveying belt that is entrained about a pair of bundle discharge rollers along a stacking wall, on which an end part of a sheet stacked on a stack tray abuts, between the stack tray and an intermediate processing tray, a position of an outer peripheral surface is displaced such that a projection amount of the conveying belt from the stacking wall is large when the pair of discharge rollers discharges the sheet to the stacking portion, and such that the projection amount is small when the pair of discharge rollers moves the sheet toward a stopper of the intermediate stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 8720886
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a sheet, including: a first conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed; a second conveying path along which the sheet is reconveyed to the first conveying path; a reverse conveyance roller pair, which performs forward rotation to convey the sheet from the first conveying path and reverse rotation to convey the sheet to the second conveying path; a reconveying roller pair disposed in the second conveying path; and a control portion which causes the reconveying roller pair to nip a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet in an overlaid manner, and thereafter rotates a first roller that is in contact with the preceding sheet while stopping rotation of a second roller that is in contact with the succeeding sheet so that the preceding sheet is conveyed to the first conveying path and the succeeding sheet stays in the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Kuroda, Atsushi Ogata
  • Patent number: 8619346
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus including a main unit and an openable unit is provided. One of an upper-stream section and a lower-stream section in a sheet path with respect to a U-curved section is provided as an upper-level path, and the other of the upper-stream section and the lower-stream section is arranged in a lower-level path. The openable unit includes a movable piece arranged in a position along the lower-level path and is swingable to be close to and separated apart from the lower-level path. The movable piece is movable by its own weight from a closed position to an open position when the openable unit is moved to an open position. The movable piece serves as a part of a bottom surface of the lower-level path when in the closed position and exposes a part of the lower-level path when in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaru Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8585034
    Abstract: A method for handling cut sheet media in a receiver supply media cassette comprising providing a media tray with a removable media receptacle in the receiver supply media cassette. The media tray is attached to the imaging apparatus to feed the cut sheet media from a first compartment of the removable media receptacle to the imaging apparatus to print a first image on a first side of the fed cut sheet media and receive the printed cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus into a second compartment of the removable media receptacle. The removable media receptacle is flipped the cut sheet media is fed to the imaging apparatus to print a second image on a second side of the fed cut sheet media. The method further includes receiving the printed cut sheet media from the imaging apparatus into the first compartment of the removable media receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin T. Mahoney, Robert Fredric Mindler
  • Patent number: 8556257
    Abstract: A sheet loading device that includes a tray having a sheet loading surface, transports sheets one by one to the tray along a transport path, and loads the sheets one by one onto the sheet loading surface, comprising: a guide member for guiding a sheet to the tray along the transport path; a drive member; a restriction member; and a bias mechanism. Along a course of movement for pressing a loaded sheet against the sheet loading surface, the guide member engages with the restriction member, causes the restriction member to move to a position for restricting forming of a curl on the loaded sheet, and thereby prevents the transport path from being blocked by the curl. When the engagement between the guide member and the restriction member is released, the restriction member returns to an initial position by bias force applied by the bias mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Mizubata
  • Patent number: 8480078
    Abstract: A sheet collecting apparatus includes a sheet discharge outlet for sequentially carrying out a sheet, a sheet collecting device to load and store the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet, a stopper device for regulating a front end position of the sheet loaded on the sheet collecting device, a stopper driving device for shifting a position of the stopper device, and a carry-in guide member for guiding the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet onto an uppermost sheet collected on the sheet collecting device. The carry-in guide member includes a pivot point, a slide-contact guide surface that swings on the pivot point corresponding to a load amount of the sheet collecting device to guide a sheet front end fed from the sheet discharge outlet onto the uppermost sheet, and a sheet pressing portion continued to the slide-contact guide surface and pressing the uppermost sheet on the sheet collecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Ichitaro Kubota, Tsukasa Kondo
  • Patent number: 8393616
    Abstract: A sheet collecting apparatus includes a sheet discharge outlet for sequentially carrying out a sheet, a sheet collecting device to load and store the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet, a stopper device for regulating a front end position of the sheet loaded on the sheet collecting device, a stopper driving device for shifting a position of the stopper device, and a carry-in guide member for guiding the sheet from the sheet discharge outlet onto an uppermost sheet collected on the sheet collecting device. The carry-in guide member includes a pivot point, a slide-contact guide surface that swings on the pivot point corresponding to a load amount of the sheet collecting device to guide a sheet front end fed from the sheet discharge outlet onto the uppermost sheet, and a sheet pressing portion continued to the slide-contact guide surface and pressing the uppermost sheet on the sheet collecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Ichitaro Kubota, Tsukasa Kondo
  • Patent number: 8322720
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a printing device comprising a sheet buffer including a paper path having a plurality of nip pairs for selectively receiving and releasing a plurality of printer sheets. The plurality of nip pairs include a fixed load nip pair, a fixed unload nip pair, and at least another intermediate fixed nip pair therebetween. In a first operation each subsequent sheet of the plurality of sheets is shingled over a previous sheet wherein the plurality of sheets can be stopped in the intermediate nip pair or pairs. Individual sheets of the plurality of sheets can be advanced to the unload nip pair sequentially in a second operation whereupon the individual sheets are successively unloaded as needed in a first in first out order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Paul J. DeGruchy
  • Patent number: 8246032
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet ejection tray to which sheets are ejected; a stacker in which, after a plurality of sheets have been stacked, these sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray; a sheet ejection control section capable of controlling in such a way that it is selectable whether the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked in the stack section, or the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stack section; and an input button employed by an user to perform input operations. The sheet ejection control section provides control in such a way that, when the input button has been operated to perform an input operation while the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stacker, the sheets will be ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked temporarily in the stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8213853
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for recovering from print assembly failure in a printer with printed medium assembly capabilities. The method generates a first print set including a plurality of physical medium sheets, and stores the first print set of a first interim stacker. A second print set is generated including a plurality of physical medium sheets. Sheets are accessed sheets from the first interim stacker and assembled with sheets from the second print set, generating a final print set with a plurality of sheets in a first order. The final print set is stored in an output stacker. In the event of a first print set failure, first print set replacement sheets are generating. In one aspect, generating the final print set includes directly merging first print set replacement sheets (bypassing the interim stacker) with sheets from the second print set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Burton L. Levin, James E. Owen
  • Patent number: 8177230
    Abstract: Disclosed are a recording medium accumulating device and a method for accumulating recording medium. The device includes a cylindroid roller for winding up the recording medium and at least two endless belts, peripheral surfaces of the cylindroid roller contact with external surfaces of the endless belts respectively, and a closed medium-feeding passage is formed between the contacting surfaces, a medium-entering passage and a medium-discharging passage for the recording medium are respectively formed between two adjacent endless belts, the medium-entering passage and the medium-discharging passage connect with the medium-feeding passage, the medium-feeding passage drives the recording medium to rotate with the cylindroid roller using the friction force of the contacting surfaces, so as to accumulate the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Shandong New Beiyang Information Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tianxin Jiang, Zhengmin Zhang, Xiangang Yang
  • Patent number: 8179559
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for forming images on recording media of different sizes are provided. The image forming procedure may include reading setting information which includes the size of a substitute recording medium for each user from a memory and, when the size of the recording medium specified by the print instruction is not available, executing a print instruction by automatically changing the size of a recording medium to be used to the size of the substitute recording medium based on the setting information. Additional computer-readable storage media storing image forming procedures are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nozomi Sawada
  • Patent number: 8170462
    Abstract: An adjustable paper cassette is provided that may be expanded and contracted by sliding movable frames relative to a base frame and then coupling fixing protrusions to desired fixing holes. Therefore, paper sheets having various sizes may be loaded in the paper cassette, and the size of an image forming apparatus with the paper cassette and the packing size of the image forming apparatus may be reduced without limitation on the size of the paper cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyeong-ho Park
  • Patent number: 8100395
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for accumulating and dispensing bank notes of various length, width and condition without appreciable deformation of current note and displacement of previously stacked notes, preferably having a device connected in series to verify genuineness of bank notes inserted. Apparatus comprises a lockable removable box with a note transfer, stacker and dispensing mechanism. A note transfer mechanism comprises a belt drive with at least one spring claw for gripping note leading edge. Stacker mechanism comprises two reversible frames with longitudinal revolving panels on their side segments. Dispensing mechanism comprises spring loaded roll pallet with outlet gate. A note is pulled into apparatus by means of gripper under the belt translation. The notes stack or bundle is formed due to reversible motion of frames with corresponding side panels revolving. At the dispenser embodiment the bundle of notes slides out due to cooperative motion of driving belt and roll pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Crane Canada Co.
    Inventors: Sergii Afanasov, Volodymyr Shvarts, Mykhaylo Bazhenov, Olga Bazhenova, legal representative
  • Patent number: 8047534
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating device including: a tray configured to accommodate a sheet; and a pressing member configured to press the sheet accommodated in the tray, wherein the pressing member includes a guide portion configured to guide, where the sheet accommodated in the tray is transferred, the transferred sheet toward a downstream side in a sheet transferring direction in which the sheet is transferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Sugiyama, Takashi Ohama, Naokazu Tanahashi, Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuta Uchino
  • Patent number: 8038146
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes an introductory feed path, a processing tray, a post-processing section, a catch tray, a sheet delivery section, and a control section. The post-processing section is configured to perform post-processing on the sheet placed on the processing tray. The catch tray is disposed below the processing tray. The sheet delivery section has an upper rotary member and a lower rotary member which are disposed at an end of the processing tray lying on a catch tray side so as to be movable toward and away from each other. The control section causes the upper rotary member and the lower rotary member to press against each other at latest by the time a leading edge of a first sheet of a group of sheets to be post-processed at a time is brought into contact with the catch tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaru Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7959146
    Abstract: Means for superposing a bundle of value sheets which have been misfed from a value sheet store is disclosed. Also disclosed is a value sheet handler which includes a first value sheet store for receiving value sheets from, and dispensing value sheets to, a user and a second value sheet store where the second value sheet store provides value sheets to resupply the first value sheet store. The handler may include means for detecting a misfeed from the second value sheet store and a bundle of misfed value sheets may be stored in a third store after superposition of the bundle, where it includes overlapping value sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: MEI, Inc.
    Inventors: Andre Gerlier, Andreas Wuthrich
  • Patent number: 7883090
    Abstract: A bill processing device comprises a hopping part 101 for receiving a placed bill, a carrying part 202 for carrying a bill received by the hopping part 101, a plurality of stacking parts 104 for stacking a bill carried by the carrying part 202, a identifying part 201 for identifying a bill received from the hopping part 101, a placing and running out part 103 which accommodates a bill received from the hopping part 101 and which can send out the bill, and a controlling part 300 which controls the hopping part 101, the carrying part 202, the plurality of stacking parts 104, the identifying part 201 and the placing and running out part 103. The controlling part 300 controls them to determine a destination stacking part from the plurality of stacking parts 104 according to an identification result of the identifying part 201, and when a bill can not be stacked in the determined destination stacking part, the controlling part controls 300 them to carry a bill to the placing and running out part 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Glory Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Ito
  • Patent number: 7832719
    Abstract: Between a document feeding device and a document processing device, documents are received in a sequential order in a buffer station, temporarily stored in a transport path and delivered in the order of receipt. The transport of the documents in a collecting portion of the transport path is controlled separately from the transport of the documents in a delivery portion of the transport path. After delivery of a single or last document present in the delivery portion from the delivery portion, and before the piece-by-piece delivery of documents of a next group from the delivery portion is started, the next group of documents collected in the collecting portion is passed on to the delivery portion. A buffer station for practicing the method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies SA
    Inventor: René Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 7766327
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a printing device comprising a sheet buffer including a paper path having a plurality of nip pairs for selectively receiving and releasing a plurality of printer sheets. The plurality of nip pairs include a fixed load nip pair, a fixed unload nip pair, and at least another intermediate fixed nip pair therebetween. In a first operation each subsequent sheet of the plurality of sheets is shingled over a previous sheet wherein the plurality of sheets can be stopped in the intermediate nip pair or pairs. Individual sheets of the plurality of sheets can be advanced to the unload nip pair sequentially in a second operation whereupon the individual sheets are successively unloaded as needed in a first in first out order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Paul J. DeGruchy
  • Patent number: 7758037
    Abstract: An envelope loader device comprising a mail-receiving bed provided with conveyor rollers and serving to receive a stack of mail items, jogger means for holding the mail items against a referencing wall, a drive motor for driving said conveyor rollers in rotation, and control means for actuating said drive motor and for causing a fraction of said stack of mail items to be ejected as a function of a mail presence sensor mounted at said mail-receiving bed and whose state depends on whether or not mail items are present in a downstream feeder device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: NEOPOST Technologies
    Inventor: Romain Pillard
  • Patent number: 7668502
    Abstract: An adjustable paper cassette is provided that may be expanded and contracted by sliding movable frames relative to a base frame and then coupling fixing protrusions to desired fixing holes. Therefore, paper sheets having various sizes may be loaded in the paper cassette, and the size of an image forming apparatus with the paper cassette and the packing size of the image forming apparatus may be reduced without limitation on the size of the paper cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gyeong-ho Park
  • Patent number: 7637502
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which perform a process to sheets comprising a stacking tray on which stacks the sheets to be performed a process; a discharge roller pair; a first path in which conveys a sheet to the discharge roller pair, shorter than the length of the minimum sheet size being conveyed in the sheet conveying direction; a second path branched from the first path and meeting with the first path at the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction of the discharge roller pair; and a path switching member, wherein a first sheet conveyed while processing the sheets on the stacking tray is guided into the first path by the path switching member, and when the front end of the first sheet projects from the discharge roller pair, the discharge roller pair is apart from each other and the first sheet is held in the first path, and the path switching member is changed over, and a second conveyed sheet is guided into the second path, when the front end of the second sheet projects from the discharge rolle
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironobu Ata, Atsushi Ogata, Kenichiro Isobe, Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7624977
    Abstract: A cash transaction machine includes a storage for storing paper media, a first transfer element transferring the paper media sheet by sheet from the storage, a temporary stack part located at an end portion of the first transfer element in order to stack the transferred paper media and vertically transfer a stack of the paper media, a second transfer element including an upper transfer part and a lower transfer part for transferring the stack of paper media, a rejecting element including a moving cover sliding right and left in an entry space provided at the lower transfer part, and a withdrawal extension part formed corresponding to the end portion structures of the second transfer element and the rejecting element and installed at the end portion to provide an extension path connected to the transfer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Nautilus Hyosung Inc.
    Inventors: Won Joon Lee, Dong Sik Lee, Joong Hyuk Han, Jin Yong Hwang
  • Patent number: 7611136
    Abstract: A collation control mechanism is used to transfer a collation from a dual accumulator to an exit nip of a collation machine. The collation control mechanism has a middle drum and two side rollers to form an upper nip and a lower nip. The drum is caused to rotate alternately in a clockwise direction and in a counter-clockwise direction for transferring a collation from the upper bay and the lower bay, respectively, to the exit nip. A motor is used to drive the drum in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction. A coupling mechanism including two sets of one-way clutches is used to engage the motor to the upper and lower rollers of the exit nip so that the upper roller is caused to rotate only in the counter-clockwise direction while the lower roller is cause to rotate only in the clockwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Marcinik, Edward M. Ifkovits, Peter K. Zanger
  • Patent number: 7597317
    Abstract: A recording section includes a recording head operable to record information on a first medium and a second medium. A first stacker has a first face and a second face, and is movable between a first position and a second position. A stacker position changer is operable to move the first stacker placed in the first position in a first direction, and then to move a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, thereby placing the first stacker in the second position. The first face is adapted to receive the first medium conveyed from the recoding section in the first direction, when the first stacker is placed in the first position. The second face is adapted to guide the first medium and the second medium conveyed to the recording section in a third direction opposite to the first direction, and to receive the first medium and the second medium conveyed from the recording section in the first direction, when the first stacker is placed in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasumichi Okuda
  • Patent number: 7549723
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit which records an image by ejecting ink to a conveyed recording medium; a conveying unit which returns the recording medium, on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, in order toward an upstream side in a conveying direction; and a reversal unit which is provided at a downstream side of the conveying unit in a returning direction, the reversal unit including a plurality of holding units which respectively suck and hold a recording medium that has been returned by the conveying unit, reverse the recording medium, and send the recording medium to the recording unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Mihara, Toru Nishida
  • Publication number: 20090140484
    Abstract: A sheet feed device includes a first tray comprising a first plate configured to receive a first plurality of sheets thereon, in which the first tray includes a support, and a second tray positioned on the first tray. The second tray includes a first and a second side portion, and a second plate configured to receive a second plurality of sheets thereon. The device also includes a feed roller configured to selectively feed the sheets in a sheet feed direction. The support is configured to selectively support the second tray at a retracted position and a sheet feed position at which the feed roller is configured to selectively feed the first plurality of sheets and the second plurality of sheets, respectively. Moreover, a shortest distance between an upper surface of the first plate and a lower surface of the second plate when the second tray is in the sheet feed position is less than a shortest distance in the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Asada
  • Patent number: 7451978
    Abstract: A guide deck for use with a sheet processing device having a paper path. The adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus includes a first roller proximal the input end and a second roller proximal to the output end. These rollers support a flexible sheet of non-permanently deforming material wrapped around them. The surface of the sheet forms a guide deck for the paper path. To adjust for different sized sheets, the guide deck is movable along a paper path direction while moving around the first and second rollers. A locking mechanism is coupled to the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus for preventing the flexible sheet from moving around the first and second rollers when in a locked position, and allowing movement around the first and second rollers when in an unlocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Masotta
  • Patent number: 7441774
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet conveying apparatus which is capable of easily distinguishing between a sheet bundle containing abnormal sheets, such as multi-fed sheets, and a normal sheet bundle. When it is determined that there is no abnormality in the conveyance of sheets to a processing tray (630), a finisher control section (501) causes a bundle of sheets stacked on the processing tray (630) to be discharged onto a stack tray (700), whereas when it is determined that there is abnormality in the conveyance of sheets to the processing tray (630), the finisher control section (501) causes the bundle of the sheets stacked on the processing tray (630) to be discharged onto a sample tray (701).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Tsuyoshi Moriyama
  • Publication number: 20080179809
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking member for temporarily receiving a sheet conveyed thereto and stacking the sheet thereon and a conveyance unit for outputting the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking member therefrom, wherein the conveyance unit includes a sheet output face having a predetermined acute angle with respect to a sheet stacking face of the sheet stacking member and configured to output a stack of sheets by touching a back end of the stack of sheets and pushing the stack of sheets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Kenji Yamada, Hiroshi Kubo, Shingo Matsushita, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Tomoichi Nomura, Hiroshi Maeda, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Makoto Hidaka
  • Patent number: 7400419
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a body defining a print media path along which print media can pass. A disposable printhead assembly is arranged within the body and is configured to print upon print media passing along the print media path. A print media input tray is pivotally mounted with respect to the body for locating the print media in register with the print media path. A print media feed arrangement is configured to feed the print media from the input tray and along the print media path. Printer controller circuitry is arranged in the body and is operatively connected to the printhead assembly and print media feed arrangement to control operation of those components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7372598
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a body defining a print media path along which print media can pass. A printhead assembly is arranged within the body and includes a printhead which is configured to print upon print media passing along the print media path. A print media feed arrangement is configured to feed the print media along the print media path. Printer controller circuitry is arranged in the body, and is operatively connected to the printhead assembly and print media feed arrangement to control a printing operation carried out by the printhead assembly. A print media input tray is pivotally mounted with respect to the body and can locate the print media in register with the print media path. A user interface is located on the body to enable a user to interface with the printer. The input tray is able to fold with respect to the body to thereby form a protective cover for the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Kia Silverbrook, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7360758
    Abstract: An accumulator apparatus for accumulating one or more sheets or articles is provided and includes a sheet accumulator portion for accumulating one or more sheets or articles, a ramp disposed upstream of the sheet accumulator portion relative to a flow direction of the sheet or article, an actuator and a pusher plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the pusher plate away from the ramp in a direction toward a sheet accumulation portion of the accumulator apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Drago, John J. Semanick, John H. Vitko
  • Patent number: 7288059
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray on which sheets are stacked in a bundle form, an intermediate portion stapler which staples the intermediate portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, a sheet bundle conveying member which conveys the stapled sheet bundle, a curved sheet bundle conveying path which is downwardly curved on the downstream side of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction and adapted to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the sheet bundle conveying member, and a folding device which is arranged in the intermediate portion of the curved sheet bundle conveying path and which folds the stapled sheet bundle, wherein the processing tray is set to be lower on the upstream side than on the downstream side with respect to the sheet conveying direction, and wherein the curved guide path has an extended portion extending to a position under the stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taro Ikeda, Hiroaki Takagishi, Kenichi Hayashi, Tomokazu Nakamura, Wataru Kawata, Hideki Kushida, Hiromasa Katayama
  • Patent number: 7140611
    Abstract: There is provided a sheet conveying apparatus which is capable of easily distinguishing between a sheet bundle containing abnormal sheets, such as multi-fed sheets, and a normal sheet bundle. When it is determined that there is no abnormality in the conveyance of sheets to a processing tray 630, a finisher control section 501 causes a bundle of sheets stacked on the processing tray 630 to be discharged onto a stack tray 700, whereas when it is determined that there is abnormality in the conveyance of sheets to the processing tray 630, the finisher control section 501 causes the bundle of the sheets stacked on the processing tray 630 to be discharged onto a sample tray 701.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Tsuyoshi Moriyama
  • Patent number: RE42404
    Abstract: A binding line having increased capacity and increased flexibility to deliver customized or personalized signatures to the gathering conveyor in order to customize or personalizes the content of a book to appeal to targeted demographic groups or individuals. The binding line includes a gathering conveyor, a plurality of packer boxes positioned along the gathering conveyor, each of the packer boxes being adapted to deliver a distinct signature to the conveyor, and a feeder system operatively associated with at least one of the packer boxes. The feeder system includes a feed conveyor and a plurality of feeder boxes, each of the feeder boxes being adapted to deliver a selected signature to the associated packer box. A primary controller is provided for activating a selected set of the packer boxes, thereby delivering a set of signatures to the gathering conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: R.R. Donnelley & Sons
    Inventor: Ronald E. Dooley