Patents Examined by Howard J Sanders
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Patent number: 11702305Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a lifting/lowering mechanism, and a driver device. The lifting/lowering mechanism includes a restricting member that releasably restricts the pickup roller from being lowered from a lifted position of the pickup roller at the lifted position. In the sheet feeding device, the driver device drives the lifting/lowering mechanism so that the pickup roller is lowered from the lifted position of the pickup roller, and a drive suspend operation is performed in which the driving of the lifting/lowering mechanism by driver device is suspended after a predetermined time during which the pickup roller does not contact a sheet loading tray or a sheet on the sheet loading tray elapses from a time point when the pickup roller is released from being restricted by the restricting member at the lifted position.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenji Kuroda, Hironori Ogasawara, Yasumasa Morimoto, Toshiki Fukunishi
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Patent number: 11701904Abstract: An adjustable leveling assembly for engaging a stack of a plurality of sheets in a feeder tray of a printing device, including a first wedging element slidably arranged on the feeder tray and operatively arranged to engage the stack, wherein when the first wedging element is disengaged with the stack, a top sheet of the plurality of sheets is non-parallel to the feeder tray, and when the first wedging element is engaged with the stack, the top sheet is substantially parallel to the feeder tray.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Kenneth D. Sanders, Arthur H. Kahn, Dara Nanette Lubin
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Patent number: 11691832Abstract: A medium transport device includes a feeding unit that can be disposed at a contact position and a retracted position, a first restriction member that rotates between a restriction position and a release position, and a transport guide positioned on a side opposite to the feeding unit with a transport path interposed therebetween. When the first restriction member is positioned at the restriction position, the first restriction member maintains a state in which the feeding unit is positioned at the retracted position by the tip end contacting the feeding unit. When the first restriction member is positioned at the restriction position, the tip end thereof is positioned closer to the mounting portion side than the position of the rotation axis of the first restriction member in the transport direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Migita, Seiji Kawabata
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Patent number: 11685626Abstract: A medium aligning device includes a stacking tray that stacks a medium discharged by a discharge section that discharges the medium, a side end aligning portion that is movable in a width direction that is a direction intersecting with a medium discharge direction of the discharge section, and positions and aligns a side end in the width direction of the medium stacked on the stacking tray, a rear end aligning portion that is movable in the width direction and positions and aligns a rear end that is an upstream end of the medium stacked on the stacking tray in the discharge direction, and a transmission portion that transmits the movement of the side end aligning portion in the width direction to the rear end aligning portion, in which a play in the width direction is provided between the side end aligning portion and the transmission portion.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akinobu Nakahata, Tsuyoshi Furumido, Masaki Miyazawa
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Patent number: 11685620Abstract: According to examples, an apparatus may include a guide frame, a standard position pawl movably attached to the guide frame, the standard position pawl to engage a standard pawl detent. The apparatus may also include a custom position pawl movably engaged with the guide frame, the custom position pawl to engage custom pawl teeth of a rack. The apparatus may further include a switch in movable engagement with the guide frame, the switch being movable between a first position at which the custom position pawl is maintained at a disengaged position with respect to the custom pawl teeth of the rack and a second position at which the custom position pawl is free to move between the disengaged position and an engaged position with respect to the custom pawl teeth of the rack.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2018Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Alan Williamson, Clinton Troy Jensen
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Patent number: 11679949Abstract: Embodiments are directed at a systems, methods, and apparatuses for automatically aligning the lead edges of a document stack loaded in a scanner system. An automated jogger system includes feeder gate elements which are driven forward and backwards in an oscillating motion. This motion causes the documents in the stack to slide between each other, causing the documents to move and rotate towards the feeder gate elements, aligning the lead edges of the stack prior to being fed into the document scanner.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2018Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: KODAK ALARIS INC.Inventors: Stephen M. Reinke, Randy R. Maysick, Robert M. Westcott
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Patent number: 11679947Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a support shaft, a connecting member, and a detachable member. The support shaft extends in a first direction. The support shaft includes a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The connecting member is formed of an elastic material. The connecting member interposes the protrusion therebetween. The connecting member is connected to the support shaft to surround an outer periphery of the support shaft. The detachable member is detachably connected to the support shaft via the connecting member.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2021Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yuichi Saito
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Patent number: 11666943Abstract: A system and method for sizing and separating granular particles within the bulk granular solids by creating a graded granular flow comprising multiple sized fractions with gradation of the particles according to particle size between relatively fine fractions and relatively coarse fractions; and capturing at least a portion of granular flow. The system (11) comprises means (25) for creating the graded granular flow, and means (30) for capturing at least a portion of the graded granular flow. The graded granular flow is split into separate streams, one of which is subsequently captured by intercepting that stream. The intercepted stream may be collected or redirected for further processing.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: GULF CONVEYOR SYSTEM S PTY LTDInventor: Colin Benjamin
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Patent number: 11667488Abstract: In order to provide a sheet stacking apparatus for maintaining alignment characteristics of long-length sheets, the sheet stacking apparatus is a sheet stacking apparatus located above in a pair of sheet stacking apparatuses provided to overlap vertically along a vertical direction, and is provided with a first stacking section for stacking sheets, a second stacking section provided to extend from a downstream end of the first stacking section in a sheet transport direction and connected to the first stacking section rotatably, and a third stacking section which is attached to the second stacking section to extend from a downstream end of the second stacking section in the sheet transport direction, includes an inclined angle with respect to a horizontal surface smaller than in the second placing face, and which is attachable and detachable with respect to the second stacking section in a rotation direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.Inventors: Tatsuya Asakawa, Tetsuya Kawasaki, Tadahito Takano
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Patent number: 11661300Abstract: A medium transporting apparatus includes a mounting portion configured to mount a medium, and a pressing portion configured to switch between a first state for pressing the medium against the mounting portion and a second state for releasing the medium. The pressing portion takes the first state in waiting for the medium to the mounting portion, switches to the second state in response to the sent medium and returns to the first state after the medium is sent to the mounting portion. When the last medium is mounted on the mounting portion, a timing at which the pressing portion returns to the first state from the second state is delayed with respect to the timing of the return therebefore.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Mizushima, Kazuyoshi Ohashi, Akinori Muromachi, Kohei Ueno
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Patent number: 11660640Abstract: A system and method for separating granular particles according to particle size, and more particularly enhance ore grades by removing unwanted material. The system (10) comprises means (11) for transporting granular material (12) comprising multiple sized fractions with gradation of the particles according to particle size between relatively fine fractions and relatively coarse fractions, in a direction having a horizontal component; and subjecting the granular material (12) to vibration while being so transported to induce some separation of particles according to particle size. The system (10) further comprises means (13) for causing the granular material (12) to subsequently move as a granular flow (14) along a curved path (15) under the influence of gravity to further induce separation of particles according to particle size. The system (10) still further comprises means (16) for dividing the granular flow (14) moving along the curved path (15) into different streams (17) according to their trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: GULF CONVEYOR SYSTEM S PTY LTDInventors: Colin Benjamin, Branko Poznic
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Patent number: 11661292Abstract: A paper feeder includes a processor configured to, in a case of lowering a paper feed tray on which paper is placed in an accommodation section that accommodates paper and replenishing paper, the paper feed tray being controlled to be raised/lowered in a case of replenishing paper, control a lowering amount of the paper feed tray according to a number of sheets of paper to be replenished.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventors: Shinya Harada, Hirotaka Sato, Kenji Tomizawa, Hirofumi Ogasawara, Katsuyuki Fujii, Takayoshi Sato, Ryoji Kawaguchi, Junichi Furusawa, Daiji Kato, Yuichi Hoshino, Masashi Hara, Yuki Akechi, Shinichi Kinoshita
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Patent number: 11655116Abstract: An apparatus for aligning at least one note of value along a transport path including at least one transport element, at least one first drive unit, first and second rotatably mounted deflecting elements, and a second drive unit. The transport element includes an endless drive belt. The first drive unit drives the transport element in a first direction of rotation which moves the note of value along the transport path in a transport direction. The transport element is deflected over the deflecting elements. The second drive unit displaces at least one of the first and second deflecting elements along its axis of rotation so that by displacing the one of the first and second deflecting elements the note of value contacting the at least one transport element is moved obliquely to the transport direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf Systems GmbHInventors: Dirk Langhuber, Thomas Kemmerling, Michael Schild, Ludger Hoischen, Paul Freitag
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Patent number: 11655114Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first sheet conveyance passage, a second sheet conveyance passage, a pair of sheet conveying rollers, and a movable member. The second sheet conveyance passage is different from the first sheet conveyance passage. The pair of sheet conveying rollers includes two rollers configured to hold a sheet passing the first sheet conveyance passage. The movable member is configured to convey the sheet passing the second sheet conveyance passage. The two rollers are configured to be separated from each other along with movement of the movable member.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Akihiro Fujita
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Patent number: 11649130Abstract: A medium transporting apparatus includes a first tray on which a medium discharged with a pair of discharge rollers that discharges a medium is mounted, a guide member that contacts the medium, which is discharge with the pair of discharge rollers, from above, and that guides the medium to the first tray, and a width direction matching member that matches an end portion of the medium, which has been discharged on the first tray, in the width direction that intersects a discharge direction of the medium. The guide member and the width direction matching member move in the width direction in an interlocked manner.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2019Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Kenji Uchibori
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Patent number: 11643289Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a swing shaft to swingably support a support member, an urging member to urge a rotary separation member toward a rotary feeding member, a frame member including a first support portion to fix a first end portion of the swing shaft and a second support portion to movably support a second end portion of the swing shaft, and an adjustment mechanism having an extended opening formed in the second support portion and a fixing member configured to fix the second end portion of the swing shaft to a frame member through the extended opening. The extended opening is extended in a vertical direction and the second end portion of the swing shaft can be fixed at a plurality of positions which vary in the vertical direction to the second support portion with the fixing member.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2020Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hiroyuki Nakagawa
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Patent number: 11634288Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided a tray swinging mechanism including a document tray. A movable plate of the document tray is configured to be swingable about a tray shaft and extends leftward. A lifter is configured to be swingable about a lifter shaft extending in the front-rear direction at a position different from the tray shaft. On a lower surface of the movable plate, a cam surface configured to contact a tip of the lifter is formed. The cam surface includes a parallel part parallel to an upper surface of the movable plate and a curved part spaced from the upper surface farther toward a right side. According to a shape of the cam surface, each time the lifter is rotated by a particular angle, the tip of the movable plate moves by a particular amount.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Okamoto, Tomoyuki Mizuno
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Patent number: 11629019Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes: a placement mount on which a plurality of media are placed; a transportation mechanism that transports an uppermost medium of the plurality of media placed on the placement mount; a floating-air blowout mechanism that blows out air to float at least the uppermost medium; a suction mechanism that sucks air to cause the uppermost medium floated by the floating-air blowout mechanism blowing out air to be attracted to the transportation mechanism; and a floating-air control unit that causes the floating-air blowout mechanism to start to blow out air while the uppermost medium is being attracted to the transportation mechanism after starting to be transported by the transportation mechanism, so as to float at least a second medium located below the uppermost medium, and causes the floating-air blowout mechanism to stop blowing out air before the second medium starts to be transported by the transportation mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshihisa Morita, Yoshiyuki Okada
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Patent number: 11623836Abstract: A system and method for advancing sticky media through printers includes one or more feed rollers comprised of a grit roller. The grit roller contacts an adhesive side of liner-less label stock removed from a roll or stack for printing. The grit roller works cooperatively with an opposing, counter-rotating roller to remove the label stock from the roll and feed it to a printer.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2021Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.Inventors: Michael W Lawrence, Brad W Towe, William M. Connors
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Patent number: 11613440Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair. A skew correction roller pair conveys the sheet after contacting two nip portions, and a sheet skew is corrected in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped. The sheet having a toner image is bent by a first conveyance guide such that a sheet first surface becomes an inside surface. The sheet is bent by the first and second conveyance guides to cause the sheet first surface to be the inside surface and a sheet second surface to be an outside surface. The skew correction roller pair includes two first rotary members of a first roller. A second roller and the two first rotary members form the two nip portions. The second roller and the first conveyance guide contact the sheet first surface. The first roller and the second conveyance guide contact the sheet second surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yuta Suzuki