Patents Assigned to Horizon Inc.
  • Patent number: 12552631
    Abstract: Provided is a saddle stitch folding apparatus including: a stitcher unit; a reel support unit configured to support a reel rotatably about the axis with a support shaft being inserted in a through-hole formed in the reel; and a rotation detecting mechanism configured to detect a rotation state of the reel, and the rotation detecting mechanism has an adhering member that is rotated while adhered to a bottom face of the reel, a rotating member having an insertion hole inserted in the support shaft, and a rotation detecting unit configured to detect the rotation state of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2025
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Shimizu, Masaru Ochi
  • Publication number: 20260028198
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has: a sheet feeding unit configured to transport, in a feed direction, a sheet arranged at a sheet feeding position; a sheet bundle loading unit configured to load a sheet bundle including multiple sheets fed by the sheet feeding unit; a lift mechanism configured to move the sheet bundle loading unit vertically so that the uppermost sheet loaded on the sheet bundle loading unit is arranged at the sheet feeding position; and a transfer mechanism configured to hold and transfer the externally supplied sheet bundle onto the sheet bundle loading unit. The transfer mechanism has a sheet bundle holding unit configured to hold the externally supplied sheet bundle and a transfer unit configured to transfer the sheet bundle from the sheet bundle holding unit onto the sheet bundle loading unit to establish a state where the sheet bundle is loaded on the sheet bundle loading unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2025
    Publication date: January 29, 2026
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Toyoki TAKEUCHI, Kazuyuki FUKUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20250321698
    Abstract: Automation of a set change in switching between jobs is achieved. A sheet-processing system includes a receiving unit 21 configured to receive a job ID for identifying job information from a printing machine; a set information acquisition unit 22 configured to acquire set information that has been generated based on job information corresponding to the job ID and will be required for a setting change of the sheet-processing system; a change unit 23 configured to perform a set change of the sheet-processing system based on the set information; and a transmitting unit 24 configured to transmit, to the printing machine, an operation start request instruction for requesting start of operation of a job upon completion of the set change of the sheet-processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2025
    Publication date: October 16, 2025
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Jun MOCHIZUKI, Masamichi KANAO, Kosuke FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 12398010
    Abstract: Personnel saving of a process from a printer to a sheet processing machine is achieved. A general printing management device is connected to be communicable with a conveyance management device that manages a plurality of automatic guided vehicles each conveying a stacker in which paper ejected from a printer is stackable. The general printing management device generates conveyance instruction information for conveying a stacker in which paper ejected from the printer is stacked from a sheet receiving position of the printer to a sheet supply position of a next processing machine, based on job information in which a manufacturing process procedure for manufacturing a printed product is registered, and transmits the conveyance instruction information to the conveyance management device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2025
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamamoto, Kohei Kashiwagi
  • Publication number: 20250242627
    Abstract: Provided is a stitching and folding apparatus in which a stitch mechanism has a transport unit, a stitcher that binds a sheet bundle at a binding position in the transport direction, a pair of guide members that restrict a position in the width direction of the sheet bundle, and a guide motion unit that moves the pair of guide members in the width direction, the transport unit is arranged in a region where the sheet bundle transported from a collating machine is arranged, and a control unit controls the guide motion unit so that the stitcher is arranged at an intermediate position in the width direction between the pair of guide members and controls the stitcher to bind the sheet bundle at the binding position with the stitcher being arranged at the intermediate position and arranged at a different position from a region where the transport unit is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2025
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Masayuki KASHIBA
  • Publication number: 20250243024
    Abstract: Provided is the sheet bundle transport apparatus including: an abutment unit that performs switching between an abutment state at a predetermined position and a non-abutment state; first and second press units that press the sheet bundle against first and second transport units; a press switching unit that performs switching between a first press state where the first and second press units press the sheet bundle in a predetermined region located upstream from the predetermined position in the transport direction and a second press state where the first press unit does not press the sheet bundle in the predetermined region; and a control unit that controls the abutment unit and the press switching unit to switch the non-abutment state to the abutment state and switch the first press state to the second press state so as to change an angle relative to the width direction of a predetermined sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masayuki KASHIBA, Takato NAKASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20250243031
    Abstract: Provided is a saddle stitch folding apparatus including: a stitcher unit; a reel support unit configured to support a reel rotatably about the axis with a support shaft being inserted in a through-hole formed in the reel; and a rotation detecting mechanism configured to detect a rotation state of the reel, and the rotation detecting mechanism has an adhering member that is rotated while adhered to a bottom face of the reel, a rotating member having an insertion hole inserted in the support shaft, and a rotation detecting unit configured to detect the rotation state of the rotating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2025
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHIMIZU, Masaru OCHI
  • Patent number: 12269705
    Abstract: A conveyance control unit is provided with a conveyance request unit configured to transmit a conveyance request signal to a paper conveyance device at a conveyance request timing corresponding to a processing cycle of a downstream paper processing device, a passage information reception unit configured to receive a paper passage signal indicating that paper has been sent out from the paper conveyance device, and the determination unit configured to determine whether a conveyance delay has occurred based on timing when the paper passage signal was received. The conveyance request unit is configured to transmit the conveyance request signal at the conveyance request timing corresponding to the next processing cycle when it is determined that a conveyance delay has not occurred, and the conveyance request unit is configured not to transmit the conveyance request signal at the conveyance request timing corresponding to the next processing cycle when it is determined that a conveyance delay has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20250073943
    Abstract: Provided is a cutting apparatus including: an upper knife; a lower knife fixed at a predetermined position; a fixing member to which the upper knife is fixed; a fixing mechanism configured to detachably fix the upper knife at a fixing position of the fixing member; and a motion mechanism configured to move the fixing member between a non-cutting position and a cutting position in the vertical direction to perform switching between a non-cutting state where a first tip of the upper knife is spaced apart in the vertical direction from a second tip of the lower knife and a cutting state where the first tip passed by the second tip, and the fixing mechanism can adjust the fixing position in a first direction that is orthogonal to the vertical direction and in which the first tip and the second tip come close to or move away from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Masayuki KASHIBA
  • Patent number: 12090775
    Abstract: An object is to eliminate waste of resources and achieve cost reduction and improved productivity. A stitcher includes a stitcher head configured to perform a reciprocating movement and a wire feed unit configured to feed a wire to the stitcher head and performs wire stitching on a paper bundle arranged at a wire stitching position in each cycle of the reciprocating movement of the stitcher head. The stitcher control device includes: a determination unit that determines in each cycle of the stitcher head whether or not thickness information on a paper bundle to be subjected to wire stitching in a next cycle is acquired; and a wire feed control unit that, when it is determined that the thickness information on the paper bundle to be subjected to wire stitching in the next cycle is not acquired, controls the wire feed unit not to supply a wire in the current cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: HORIZON INC.
    Inventors: Jun Mochizuki, Bui Manh Ha
  • Patent number: 12054377
    Abstract: Provided is a stacker including a stacking shelf on which printed paper from a printer is received and stacked, a lifting and lowering mechanism that lifts and lowers the stacking shelf, and a stacker control unit that controls the lifting and lowering mechanism. The stacker control unit controls the lifting and lowering mechanism to lift and lower the stacking shelf to a first predetermined height corresponding to the printer at a receiving position for receiving the paper from the printer, and to lift and lower the stacking shelf to a second predetermined height corresponding to a sheet processing machine at a paper supply position for supplying paper to the sheet processing machine, the paper supply position being different from the receiving position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamamoto, Kohei Kashiwagi
  • Patent number: 11807485
    Abstract: Perforated endless conveying belts are stretched between drive and idle rollers. A suction box is arranged between upper and lower belt portions of the perforated endless conveying belts. Abutment members are attached to positions of a support corresponding to the perforated endless conveying belts and pressed against the perforated endless conveying belts. The upstream of the suction box from the abutment members forms an attracting area, and intake holes are formed therein. Lifting plates extend to at least an intake hole range of the attracting area between the perforated endless conveying belts. The lifting plates move between a first position to vertically open the intake holes and project from conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts and a second position to close the intake holes and retract from the conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Aoki, Tomonori Yachi, Hiromasa Nambu
  • Patent number: 11667485
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a control unit (120) that controls driving of a belt drive mechanism (4). The control unit (120) performs control such that the sheet is conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (a) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is two or greater, while the sheet is not conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (b) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Aoki
  • Patent number: 11597228
    Abstract: The first cutter that cuts, in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction, a continuous sheet of additional member unwound and drawn by a length in accordance with the thickness of the book block is arranged at the input port of the trimming station, the transport mechanism that transports the cut additional member from the first cutter out in the unwinding direction of the continuous sheet of additional member is arranged downstream of the first cutter, the second cutter that trims the cut additional member being transported on the transport path in the unwinding direction is arranged in the transport path of the transport mechanism, and the position of the blades of the second cutter may be adjusted in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction in accordance with the head-to-foot length of the book block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Ochi, Shigenobu Fukuda, Kanta Kambara, Akira Nonoshita
  • Patent number: 11554601
    Abstract: The embodiment includes: a roll accommodation unit that accommodates a roll of a continuous sheet of additional member; an unwinding unit that unwinds and draws the additional member from the roll accommodation unit to a trimming station; a trimming unit that is arranged in the trimming station and cuts and trims the additional member in accordance with the size of a book block to form a strip of additional member; a gripper that grips the strip of additional member while supporting the under face thereof, moves between a retracted position inside a housing and a forward position outside the housing, and moves between the forward position and a raised position above the forward position; and a handover unit that hands over the strip of additional member from the trimming station to the gripper located in the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Ochi, Shigenobu Fukuda, Tomonori Yachi
  • Publication number: 20220234854
    Abstract: A conveyance control unit is provided with a conveyance request unit configured to transmit a conveyance request signal to a paper conveyance device at a conveyance request timing corresponding to a processing cycle of a downstream paper processing device, a passage information reception unit configured to receive a paper passage signal indicating that paper has been sent out from the paper conveyance device, and the determination unit configured to determine whether a conveyance delay has occurred based on timing when the paper passage signal was received. The conveyance request unit is configured to transmit the conveyance request signal at the conveyance request timing corresponding to the next processing cycle when it is determined that a conveyance delay has not occurred, and the conveyance request unit is configured not to transmit the conveyance request signal at the conveyance request timing corresponding to the next processing cycle when it is determined that a conveyance delay has occurred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Jun MOCHIZUKI
  • Publication number: 20220127120
    Abstract: Provided is a stacker including a stacking shelf on which printed paper from a printer is received and stacked, a lifting and lowering mechanism that lifts and lowers the stacking shelf, and a stacker control unit that controls the lifting and lowering mechanism. The stacker control unit controls the lifting and lowering mechanism to lift and lower the stacking shelf to a first predetermined height corresponding to the printer at a receiving position for receiving the paper from the printer, and to lift and lower the stacking shelf to a second predetermined height corresponding to a sheet processing machine at a paper supply position for supplying paper to the sheet processing machine, the paper supply position being different from the receiving position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki YAMAMOTO, Kohei KASHIWAGI
  • Publication number: 20220127097
    Abstract: Personnel saving of a process from a printer to a sheet processing machine is achieved. A general printing management device is connected to be communicable with a conveyance management device that manages a plurality of automatic guided vehicles each conveying a stacker in which paper ejected from a printer is stackable. The general printing management device generates conveyance instruction information for conveying a stacker in which paper ejected from the printer is stacked from a sheet receiving position of the printer to a sheet supply position of a next processing machine, based on job information in which a manufacturing process procedure for manufacturing a printed product is registered, and transmits the conveyance instruction information to the conveyance management device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki YAMAMOTO, Kohei KASHIWAGI
  • Publication number: 20220073297
    Abstract: Perforated endless conveying belts are stretched between drive and idle rollers. A suction box is arranged between upper and lower belt portions of the perforated endless conveying belts. Abutment members are attached to positions of a support corresponding to the perforated endless conveying belts and pressed against the perforated endless conveying belts. The upstream of the suction box from the abutment members forms an attracting area, and intake holes are formed therein. Lifting plates extend to at least an intake hole range of the attracting area between the perforated endless conveying belts. The lifting plates move between a first position to vertically open the intake holes and project from conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts and a second position to close the intake holes and retract from the conveying surfaces of the perforated endless conveying belts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji AOKI, Tomonori YACHI, Hiromasa NAMBU
  • Publication number: 20220073301
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a control unit (120) that controls driving of a belt drive mechanism (4). The control unit (120) performs control such that the sheet is conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (a) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is two or greater, while the sheet is not conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (b) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji AOKI