By Staple Patents (Class 399/410)
  • Patent number: 11649131
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes: a processing unit configured to pull in a recording medium transported from an upstream apparatus and perform processing on the recording medium; a discharge unit to which the recording medium processed by the processing unit is discharged; and a lifting drive device configured to, in a case where a folded recording medium is pulled into the processing unit, move the discharge unit downward such that a height of the discharge unit is lower than a height of the discharge unit in a case where an unfolded recording medium is pulled into the processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takuya Makita, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 11290606
    Abstract: A multi-functional scanner for attaching paperclips to a sheaf of papers, which includes a paperclip dispensing system for holding and dispensing paperclips, a paperclip clamping assembly adjacent to the paperclip dispensing system for retrieving paperclips from the paperclip dispensing system, a conveyor belt located adjacent to the paperclip clamping assembly for feeding a sheaf of papers to the paperclip clamping assembly, a control circuit for controlling the paperclip dispensing system, the paperclip clamping assembly, and the conveyor belt, and where the paperclip clamping assembly is configured to attach a paperclip onto the sheaf of papers on the conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Gin Yoshidome
  • Patent number: 10414191
    Abstract: The present invention provides a post process control apparatus including a post processing unit configured to perform post processing on a printed sheet printed in accordance with a job, and a method for controlling the same, where the post process control apparatus and the method of controlling the same obtain a number of sheets in one copy of printed sheets instructed by the job, control the post processing unit to, if the obtained number of sheets in one copy is singular, execute the post processing in one batch on printed sheets corresponding to a plurality of copies, and to control the post processing unit to, if the obtained number of sheets in one copy is plural, execute the post processing individually by printed sheets corresponding to one copy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Kanematsu
  • Patent number: 10279606
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a feeding unit that feeds a printing sheet having a first surface and a second surface, a conveyance unit that conveys the printing sheet fed by the feeding unit, and a printing unit that prints on at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the printing sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit. A reverse path reverses the printing sheet of which the first surface is printed by the printing unit, and a control unit controls conveyance of a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet, making a leading edge of the succeeding sheet overlap the preceding sheet reversed by the reverse path, and controls the conveyance of the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet such that the succeeding sheet is conveyed to the printing unit in a state in which the succeeding sheet overlaps the preceding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisashi Taniguchi, Syunichi Kunihiro
  • Patent number: 10207889
    Abstract: An image processing system includes an image forming unit, an image decoloring unit, a first sheet stacking unit, a second sheet stacking unit, a first detector for the first sheet stacking unit, a second detector for the second sheet stacking unit, and a control unit. The control unit controls a transport path of a sheet discharged from one of the image forming unit and the image decoloring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoichi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9969588
    Abstract: A sheet alignment device includes a driven roller, a drive roller, a displacement driving device, an information acquisition portion, and a displacement control portion. The drive roller is configured to rotate in a first rotation direction and in contact with an upper surface of each of sheets conveyed onto a tilt tray, to feed the sheets toward a base end portion of the tilt tray. The drive roller is configured to rotate in a second rotation direction and in contact with an uppermost surface of the sheets, to discharge the sheets from the tilt tray. The displacement control portion is configured to, when the drive roller rotates in the first rotation direction, control a holding position of the drive roller in accordance with the number of the sheets on the tilt tray and thickness information of each of the sheets acquired by the information acquisition portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Terumitsu Noso, Takeshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 9952543
    Abstract: Provided is an image-forming apparatus that prevents a drop in processing speed even when a preceding job is interrupted by a simple job (interrupt job). The image-forming apparatus includes a printer unit that prints on paper, a first transporting path that passes by the printer unit, a second transporting path that path branches off from the first transporting path and moves paper that has been turned over from front to back further upstream than the printer unit, a storage unit that stores a condition table indicates conditions for which a preceding job can be interrupted by an interrupt job, and a system-control unit that references the condition table, and when the preceding job can be interrupted, sets a printing order so that printing of the interrupt job is inserted into the printing order of the preceding job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shigeoka
  • Patent number: 9495622
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming system having a simple buffer mechanism and capable of preventing paging disorder when image-formed sheets are fed to a processing section. The present invention is featured in that an image forming order of a plurality of sheets to be made to stand by in a buffer section of a conveying path for guiding the sheets to a processing section is made different from an image forming order of sheets that are not made to stand by. To realize this, the system includes an image forming section, an accumulating section that accumulates image-formed sheet for processing, a conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed from the image forming section to the accumulating section, a buffer section disposed in the conveying path, in which the sheet to be fed to the accumulating section is made to temporarily stay, and a control section that controls the image forming section and the accumulating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisashi Osada, Kenichi Matsuno, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9367017
    Abstract: A post-processing device receives sheets ejected one by one from an image forming device, stores, in a storage tray, a number of sheets included in one set on which post processing is to be performed at a post-processing position at once, performs conveyance processing of one stored set of a sheet stack to the post-processing position, ejects the sheet stack to an ejection unit, detects a paper jam of the sheet stack during conveyance processing, when detecting the paper jam, predicts a first time when a beginning sheet of a subsequent ejected set arrives at the storage tray and a second time when the sheet stack with the paper jam is completely ejected in case of retrying conveyance processing, judges that retrial of conveyance processing is possible when the first time is no earlier than the second time, and when judging that the retrial is possible, retries conveyance processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yuji Fujita
  • Patent number: 9302877
    Abstract: Provided is a processing device including a shifting member that superimposes recording media during transportation and that places an uppermost recording medium and a lower recording medium on the lower side of the uppermost recording medium in plural superimposed recording media, a butting member that transports the recording media placed on the stack table so that edge portions of the plural recording media superimposed, and a pressing member that is arranged above the stack table and that contacts with the lower recording medium among the plural recording media transported by the butting member to press the edge portion of the lower recording medium against the aligning member, and then contacts with the uppermost recording medium to press the edge portion of the uppermost recording medium against the aligning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuichi Yasaka
  • Patent number: 9270849
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first conveying unit configured to convey a sheet; a holding unit configured to hold the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a first post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit; a second post-processing unit configured to perform a post-process on the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit, the second post-processing unit being arranged below the first post-processing unit; a moving unit configured to move the holding unit from the first post-processing unit to the second post-processing unit; a second conveying unit configured to convey the sheet subjected to the post-processed by the first post-processing unit or the second post-processing unit in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the sheet is conveyed by the first conveying unit; and a stacking unit configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the second conveying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi Takashima
  • Patent number: 9033330
    Abstract: A first discharging portion that discharges a sheet received from one of image forming apparatus and a second discharging portion discharges a sheet received from another image forming apparatus are disposed opposite each other to stack the sheets discharged in a common processing tray. A controller controls the first and second discharging portions when the sheets are continuously discharged by the first and second discharging portions, controls a timing when the sheets are discharged by the first discharging portion and the second discharging portion to the common processing tray such that a leading edge of the sheet discharged from one of the discharging portions abuts on a sheet surface in the downstream of a discharging direction below a leading edge of the sheet discharged from the other discharging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 9016681
    Abstract: To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling sheets that are carried out of an image formation apparatus or the like on the upstream side to be loaded and stored in a predetermined position with a correct posture neatly at high speed, a sheet discharge roller and a reverse roller spaced a distance are disposed in a sheet discharge outlet and a tray, a kick member is provided to be swingable in a vertical direction passing a sheet discharge path of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a posture of the kick member is controlled by shift means. The shift means controls the kick member among a waiting posture retracted upward from the sheet discharge path, an engagement posture for imposing a load on the sheet to engage, and an actuation posture dropping onto the tray together with the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Naoya Nakayama, Daiki Komiyama, Hisashi Osada, Kenji Yoshida, Eiji Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 9010744
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Rikiya Takemasa, Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 9010743
    Abstract: When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 9008568
    Abstract: In a sheet storing apparatus of the present invention, a tailing end supporting member which temporarily supports a tailing end of a dropping sheet bundle is arranged between a discharging port of a processing tray to discharge the sheet bundle and the upmost sheet on a stack tray as being movable between an operating position above a sheet placement face and a waiting position outside the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Riso Kagaku Corporation, Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhito Shimura, Makoto Shimizu, Akira Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9008569
    Abstract: An image forming system includes an image forming unit to print an image on a sheet based on a job, a postprocessing unit to carry out postprocessing to the sheet based on the job, and a control unit to manage the job, and to control the print and the postprocessing, the control unit can determine whether the postprocessing execution job includes an applying prohibition sheet or not, and if a predetermined condition such as a page other than first and last pages is satisfied in predetermined postprocessing such as bundle processing, permits the job for the predetermined postprocessing to carry out an output such as insertion of the applying prohibition sheet, for which the postprocessing is prohibited in applying due to a difference in sheet size from a prescribed size and the like, into a bundle of applying permission sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Keisuke Morita
  • Patent number: 8985573
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming system including: the relay apparatus; the image forming device which is connected to the first communication control unit of the relay apparatus and which acquires the sheet interval information of the downstream post-processing device through the first communication system; and the second post-processing device which is connected to the second communication control unit of the relay apparatus, the second post-processing device being compliant with the second communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Konishi
  • Patent number: 8958117
    Abstract: A print control device includes a prohibition determination unit, when a first sheet size of a sheet stored in a printing device is different from a second sheet size designated by an operator, preventing, when determining that the second sheet size of the sheet can be generated by cutting the sheet having the first sheet size, an execution of a post process function other than cutting in the printing device; and a workflow generation unit generating a workflow including operational steps of causing a cutting device to cut the sheet having the first sheet size to obtain the sheet having the second sheet size, and causing a functional device other than the cutting device to perform the post process function on the printing output after cutting the sheet having the first sheet size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mie Watanabe, Takashi Toriumi
  • Patent number: 8909126
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding unit that folds a sheet, a sheet storing unit that stores the sheet folded by the folding unit, a post-processing unit that performs a non-fold process on the sheet transported from the folding unit, a path select unit that switches the sheet destination to the sheet storing unit or the post-processing unit, and a control unit that detects whether there is a fold process command and/or a non-fold process command, and controls the path select unit according to the detecting result. The control unit controls the path select unit to switch the sheet destination to the post-processing unit when there is a non-fold process command, regardless of a fold process command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Takekawa, Yasuki Matsuura, Masanobu Kimata, Isao Yasuda
  • Patent number: 8905395
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus performs predetermined processing on a sheet or a sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a conveying path; an aligning unit that, each time a sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit, aligns the sheet; a stacking unit that reverses a conveying direction of a sheet to convey the sheet backward to a branch path branched from the conveying path, and stacks the sheet in the branch path; and a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle aligned by the aligning unit, in the conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shingo Matsushita, Takashi Saito, Satoshi Saito, Makoto Hidaka, Katsuhiro Kosuge, Akihiro Musha, Shohichi Satoh, Ikuhisa Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8905394
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus that is capable of aligning a sheet bundle accurately even if sheet types like sheet sizes are different, and is capable of setting a reference position depending on a selected finish. A conveyance unit conveys a sheet. A sheet stacking unit stacks sheets conveyed by the conveyance unit as a sheet bundle. A stapler applies a staple process to the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking unit. A position determination unit determines a staple position at which the staple process is applied to the sheet bundle. An alignment unit aligns the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction with respect to one of both sides parallel to the sheet conveyance direction. The alignment unit determines the one side as a reference side depending on the staple position determined by the position determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 8888088
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stapling unit that staples a sheet member; a moving unit that linearly moves the stapling unit; a rotating unit that rotates the stapling unit by abutment of an abutting member against an abutted member when the stapling unit is moved; a holding unit that holds the stapling unit rotated; and a restricting member that restricts rotation of the stapling unit by abutting against the abutting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanobu Kimata
  • Patent number: 8870177
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus, including an ejection section; a sheet stacking section; an abutting unit; a driving section; a control section; and a rotating member which has a rotating shaft in parallel with a width direction of the sheet bundle and is held so as to rotate from above the base end portion of the sheet stacking section through a gap of a predetermined width in the abutting unit. The control section starts rotation of the rotating member after lowering of the sheet stacking section is stopped, and when the rotation is started, the rotating member operates so as to abut a rear portion of a surface of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking section and pass through the gap in the abutting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8844920
    Abstract: During stapling operations: connectors disconnect a compiler platform from an elevator platform; an ejector structure is maintained in a fully retracted position to allow a stack of sheets to be within a stapling area; a stapling device staples the stack of sheets in the stapling area; the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform; and the elevator platform moves in a downward direction after the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform. During non-stapling stacking operations: the connectors connect the compiler platform to the elevator platform; the ejector structure is maintained in a middle position between a fully retracted position and a fully ejected position to prevent the sheets from entering the stapling area; and the elevator platform and the compiler platform move together in the downward direction as additional sheets are added to the stack of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian J. Dunham, Carlos M. Terrero
  • Patent number: 8849144
    Abstract: In a case where a display unit displays a setting screen having a first display area to display a draft graphical image in accordance with draft setting and a second display area to display a finished graphical image in accordance with sheet setting, and a user designates a position to be stapled, a staple region mark is superimposed and displayed on a region corresponding to the position to be stapled in the draft graphical image in accordance with the draft setting, and a staple position mark is superimposed and displayed on a position corresponding to the position to be stapled in the finished graphical image in accordance with the sheet setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Hoshino, Yuko Kimoto
  • Patent number: 8844921
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a switching member, a stapler, and a movement driving portion. The switching member switches the conveying direction of a sheet introduced from an image forming apparatus. The stapler staples a bundle of sheets obtained by performing stacking processing for a plurality of the sheets introduced from the image forming apparatus. The movement driving portion moves the stapler. Further, the stapler operates the switching member by being moved by the movement driving portion, thereby switching the conveying direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiji Okumura
  • Patent number: 8794615
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus capable of stably stopping a clamping member at a predetermined target position (holding position), of performing post-processing regardless of thickness of a sheet bundle. A holding member is used for holding a sheet bundle. A moving unit moves the holding member between a predetermined reference position and a predetermined holding position at which the holding member holds the sheet bundle. A sheet post-processing unit performs post-processing on the sheet bundle held by the holding member. A control unit configured to, when the holding member is moved from the reference position and is stopped at the holding position by the moving unit, decelerate a moving speed of the moving unit, before performing a stopping process of the moving unit, such that a deceleration rate of the moving speed is smaller as a thickness of the sheet bundle is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8794616
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first unit having a guide device for guiding a sheet, a second unit having a first post-processing device for performing post-processing on the sheet, and a third unit having a second post-processing device for loading sheets and performing post-processing on the sheets in bunch form placed on the processing tray. A first coupling device is provided for coupling the first unit and at least one of the second and third units. A second coupling device is provided for coupling the second unit and the third unit. The second unit and the third unit are capable of being pulled out in the sheet carrying-out direction with respect to the first unit by releasing the first coupling device. The entire or front side of the second unit is shiftable to the first unit side with respect to the third unit by releasing the second coupling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Matsuki, Yuji Kunugi, Ikuhiro Obata, Kazunori Hatakawa, Hiroto Akiyama, Tsukasa Kondo, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8774702
    Abstract: There are provided a sheet post-processing apparatus which can reliably stack a sheet bundle in imbricated state without bending it and an image forming apparatus having the same. A sheet post-processing apparatus includes: a stacking portion which stacks a folded sheet bundle subjected to the folding process; a discharge portion which discharges the folded sheet bundle onto the stacking portion with the folded end thereof set to the leading position; and a conveying portion which conveys the folded sheet bundle stacked onto the stacking portion, wherein the conveying portion starts the conveyance of a previous folded sheet bundle at the timing at which the folded end of a next folded sheet bundle discharged by the discharge portion is abutted onto the previous folded sheet bundle which is being conveyed to the downstream side in the discharge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 8733753
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet processing device includes a jogger fence configured to carry out a crosswise direction alignment to a stack of image formed sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus, a rear end fence acting as a lengthwise reference edge, a stapling device configured to staple the aligned sheet stack, a discharge belt configured to move the stapled sheet stack to a sheet ejection tray, and a controller to control movement of the jogger fence during the sheet stack being moved by the discharge belt so as to move the jogger fence more than once between a position where the jogger fence does not contact the edge of the sheet stack and a position where the jogger fence pressing contact the edge of the sheet stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naofumi Soga, Kikuo Mizutani, Tomomi Iijima
  • Publication number: 20140140747
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes an input unit, a specifying unit, a storing unit, a printing unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The specifying unit specifies a number of sheets for printing image data pieces of a plurality of pages. The receiving unit receives a binding process execution instruction. When the sheets are printed in the reverse order and the printed sheets are bound, the printing unit had started the reverse order printing after all the image data pieces were stored. When (i) the sheets are to be printed in the reverse order and the binding process is set to be executed and (ii) it is determined, while the storing unit is storing the image data pieces, that the specified number of sheets exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound, the printing unit starts printing in the page order before all the image data pieces are stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventor: Tomoaki Osada
  • Patent number: 8712316
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes: a casing having an opening; a processing mechanism performing a process on a recording medium; an outputting unit including a contacting member contacting the recording medium and a moving member moving between a contact position to contact the recording medium and a non-contact position not to contact the recording medium and coming close to the contacting member when moving to the contact position, the outputting unit outputting the recording medium via the opening when the moving member is in the contact position; and a covering member moving between a covering position to cover the opening and an un-covering position to uncover the opening to pass the recording medium. When the processing mechanism performs the process, the covering member moves to the covering position, and after the process is performed, the covering member moves to the un-covering position while the moving member moves to the contact position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8693017
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus capable of realizing a trial printing function that minimizes unnecessary consumption of time and supplies. Images that are inputted are accumulated in a memory. An output mode is set and a setting is made as to whether trial printing is to be carried out in the output mode or not. A CPU provides control to read out a corresponding image from the memory according to the set output mode and form the readout image on a sheet. When it is determined that the trial printing is to be carried out during image formation according to the set output mode, the CPU provides control to set the number of trial print pages according to predetermined conditions and carry out the trial printing for the set number of trial print pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiju Kuboki
  • Patent number: 8684345
    Abstract: In a paper-sheet post-processing device, a paper-sheet aligning unit has: a main unit; a paper-sheet holding part which holds paper-sheets supported on a paper-sheet supporting unit; a cam mechanism which places the paper-sheet pressing part close to and separate from the paper-sheet supporting unit; and an aligning mechanism which aligns the paper-sheets supported on the paper-sheet supporting unit with a standard position by rotation of the aligning member; and the main unit has a rotation shaft rotatably supported axially by a first support part and a second support part and the cam member and aligning member are arranged to be fixed to the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8672313
    Abstract: A sheet processing device for stacking one or more sheets temporarily on a stacking unit, and stapling the sheets by a stapling unit after aligned by an alignment unit. The device includes a shift unit that shifts the sheet in both a sheet conveying direction and a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a control unit that controls a shift amount of the shift unit so that an alignment distance of a width direction alignment unit to align the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction is constant regardless of a staple position and a sheet size, when stacking the sheets on the stacking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kentaroh Fukami
  • Patent number: 8641030
    Abstract: A control apparatus that controls a stapling unit configured to staple sheets includes a control unit configured to determine a turning-over direction of sheets to be stapled by the stapling unit and to determine a maximum number of staplable sheets according to the determined turning-over direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirochika Sato
  • Publication number: 20140023418
    Abstract: A control method for controlling a printing apparatus includes printing an image on a sheet, receiving a position subjected to post-processing from a user, controlling, in a case where the received position subjected to post-processing is a first position, to perform post-processing to the received position on the sheet without reversing the sheet on which the image is printed, and, controlling, in a case where the received position subjected to post-processing is a second position, to perform post-processing to the received position on the sheet after reversing the sheet on which the image is printed, and displaying, in a case where the type of the sheet subjected to image printing is of a type unsuitable for reversal, a screen for changing the type of the sheet to be used for printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Masaki Kashiwagi, Tomoki Sugahara
  • Patent number: 8630576
    Abstract: An image forming system comprises: an image forming apparatus and a post processing apparatus that performs a post process on sheets each carrying thereon an image printed by the image forming apparatus. In the image forming system, a sheet feeder feeds sheets of a job to be post-processed to a post processing position; a timing judger judges which is before/after, the first timing to finish feeding the last sheet of the job to the post processing position, or the second timing to finish making preparation for a post process; a delaying time calculator calculates a post process execution delaying time that is a time difference between the first timing and the second timing; and a sheet feed controller controls sheet feed timing of the top sheet of a following job by using the calculated post process execution delaying time, if the second timing is after the first timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kokura, Yasuomi Mitsui, Takashi Noda
  • Patent number: 8606169
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms an image on a sheet, an upper unit that is movably mounted above the image forming portion, and a sheet processing apparatus that processes the sheet, having the image formed thereon by the image forming portion, by a processing portion. In addition, a stacking portion on which the sheet processed by the sheet processing apparatus is stacked is disposed between the image forming portion and the upper unit The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path that guides the sheet, having the image formed thereon by the image forming portion, to the processing portion, and the sheet conveyance path is opened with a moving operation of the upper unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunihiko Kitayama
  • Patent number: 8600288
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first sheet stack portion, a sheet output section, and a post processing unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The first sheet stack portion is provided at an upper face of the image forming unit. The sheet output section outputs the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit from one side of the image forming apparatus to the first sheet stack portion. The post processing unit is provided adjacent to a lateral side of the image forming unit at an upstream side of the sheet output section to execute post processing on the sheet. A sheet subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit is output to the first sheet stack portion from the same direction as a sheet not subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Shiraki, Kazushige Kawamura, Yoshihide Ohta, Takayuki Andoh, Masato Ogawa, Takuji Takahashi, Tetsuya Fujioka, Yasunobu Youda, Kohji Hatayama
  • Patent number: 8523166
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper discharge apparatus of optimizing the moving path of a stapler provided at the rear of the paper discharge apparatus by effectively constructing the structure of the paper discharge apparatus that discharges paper onto a stacker tray. The paper discharge apparatus includes a pair of guide side plates including first rail grooves and curved cams adjacent to the first rail grooves, a pair of paper gripping units to grip the paper on the paper stacking plate in the contact with the curved cams, a first driving unit to drive the paper gripping units, an aligning stopper provided between the guide side plates to straightly move by a predetermined distance in the paper transfer direction from front end portions of the guide side plates, and a second driving unit to previously move the aligning stopper in the paper transfer direction just before the paper gripping units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: KRDC Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kijo Jung
  • Publication number: 20130223909
    Abstract: A post-processing device supplies a recoding medium when a punching unit is determined to have failed. The post-processing device allows the recording medium to be supplied to a stapling unit if passage of the recording medium supplied to the punching unit through an arrangement position of a second sensor is detected within a first time period after detection of passage of the recoding medium through an arrangement position of a first sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
  • Patent number: 8496239
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of first aligning members movable in a sheet conveyance direction and a sheet width direction, a pair of second aligning members to align lateral sides of a bundle of sheets, a stapler movable in the sheet width direction to staple a trailing end portion of the bundle, a driving unit to move the first aligning members, and a controller. The first aligning members include a stack portion to contact and support a trailing edge of the bundle. When the stapler staples the bundle at two positions symmetrically relative to a center position in the sheet width direction, the controller selects either first positions inside the two stapled positions or second positions outside the two stapled positions in accordance with multiple stapling-related variables, and the first aligning members are set at the selected positions to align the trailing edge of the bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8485514
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are accommodated and stacked as a sheet bundle; an aligning member that is movable along a trailing end, in a conveying direction, of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking unit and that aligns the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction by abutting thereon; a binding unit that moves along the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction and binds the aligned sheet bundle; and a moving unit that moves the aligning member in the sheet conveying direction. A distance from the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction to a binding position is adjusted by moving the aligning member in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Keisuke Sugiyama, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Yasuo Niikura, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8474808
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus implements a tilted edge-binding process by a movable table rectilinearly driving portion that moves a stapling unit rectilinearly via a movable table, and rotating the stapling unit to drive a staple near a sheet corner when the staple is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to a sheet-conveying direction. The sheet post-processing apparatus includes the movable-table rotationally driving portion that rotates the movable table to cause the stapling unit to tilt at a position to drive the staple at the predetermined angle with respect to the sheet-conveying direction, and a tilt retention portion that mechanically holds the movable table to maintain the stapling unit tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8472074
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can avoid difficulty in the folding of a print sheet that has been printed using clear toner. In order to achieve this objective of the present invention, a printing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing data which indicates positions to be printed by using a transparent color material on a print sheet according to a registration instruction and a synthesizing unit for synthesizing image which is printed by using non-transparent color material based on contents data and image which is printed by using transparent color material based on form data stored in the storage unit on a print sheet according to a synthesis instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Yabe
  • Patent number: 8446629
    Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to prevent a final print product from getting its appearance worse due to such a drawback that a reference mark still remains on the final print product. The apparatus includes: a setting section to make the display section display a setting screen for inputting setting information therefrom, the setting information being in regard to a post-processing use page including a reference mark to be used for post processing; an image processing section to create image data representing a second image of the post-processing use page, based on the setting information inputted from the setting screen; and a print processing section to print the first images of the pages included in the document and the second image of the post-processing use page onto first paper sheets and a second paper sheet being separate from the first paper sheets, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Takei Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20130108344
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes: a casing having an opening; a processing mechanism performing a process on a recording medium; an outputting unit including a contacting member contacting the recording medium and a moving member moving between a contact position to contact the recording medium and a non-contact position not to contact the recording medium and coming close to the contacting member when moving to the contact position, the outputting unit outputting the recording medium via the opening when the moving member is in the contact position; and a covering member moving between a covering position to cover the opening and an un-covering position to uncover the opening to pass the recording medium. When the processing mechanism performs the process, the covering member moves to the covering position, and after the process is performed, the covering member moves to the un-covering position while the moving member moves to the contact position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masatoshi KIMURA
  • Patent number: RE45207
    Abstract: A sheet treating apparatus including a sheet discharging device for discharging a sheet, a first stacking tray for receiving the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device, an aligning device for aligning a sheet bundle on the first stacking tray by a pinching movement effected by a first and second aligning members shiftable independently in a direction perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction, and a transferring device for transferring the sheet bundle on the first stacking tray to a second stacking tray, wherein, in the first stacking tray, alignment positions of the respective sheet bundles are offset by shifting the alignment positions by a predetermined amount to first and second aligning positions alternately by the first and second aligning members, and wherein the first and second aligning positions of the first stacking tray are opposite directions transverse to the sheet discharging direction with respect to the position of the sheet discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Takehara, Kenichi Hayashi