Patents Examined by Jeremy R. Severson
  • Patent number: 12043510
    Abstract: A belt feeding device includes an endless belt, stretching rollers including a tension roller, a bearing member supporting the tension roller, a beating support member supporting the bearing member, an urging member urging the tension roller, a supporting member supporting the bearing supporting member, and a locking member. The locking member is movable between a first position where an engagement between the locking member and one of the bearing support member and the bearing member is released and the bearing member is permitted to move so as to apply the tension to the belt, and a second position where the locking member locks the bearing member by engaging with the bearing support member and the bearing member and the bearing member is restricted to move. The bearing member, the bearing support member, the urging member, and the locking member constitute a unit to be integrally dismountable from the supporting in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takao Nakajima
  • Patent number: 12043511
    Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism includes a feeding path, at least one card feeding roller mounted to the feeding path, at least one paper feeding roller coaxial with the at least one card feeding roller, at least one card idle roller contacting with the at least one card feeding roller, at least one paper idle roller contacting with the at least one paper feeding roller, at least one elastic unit connected to the feeding path, and a stroke limiting unit. The at least one elastic unit is fastened to the feeding path. The at least one elastic unit has a stretching stroke. The stroke limiting unit controllably shortens the stretching stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chih Yuan Yang
  • Patent number: 12037214
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a tray, a feeding member, a conveying member, a separation member, a transmission unit, and a biasing member. The separation member abuts the conveying member and separates a single sheet from sheets fed by the feeding member. The transmission unit includes first and second portions respectively having first and second transmission surfaces. Where the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, the first portion drives the second portion that drives the feeding member. The biasing member biases either of the first and second portions so that the first and second transmission surfaces move away from each other. The conveying member is driven in a state where the separation member abuts the conveying member and the feeding member abuts the sheet stacked on the tray and is stopped. Thereafter, the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, and the feeding member is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hosohara, Tomoya Tateishi
  • Patent number: 12030205
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus including a guide member that rotates by contact with a sheet processing unit, collision of the sheet processing unit with the guide member in a rotating state is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: DUPLO SEIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenta Yamada
  • Patent number: 12024387
    Abstract: A medium discharge device includes a discharge roller pair that is provided with a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller which drivably rotates in contact with the discharge driving roller, and a medium receiving tray which receives the medium that is fed and discharged by the discharge roller pair, in which the medium receiving tray includes a guide member which guides such that a tip end of the medium which is discharged from the discharge roller pair enters the medium mounting surface at a predetermined angle, and the guide member is provided to be elastically displaceable in an advancing and retreating direction with respect to the medium mounting surface of the medium receiving tray and is displaced in a direction coming close to the medium mounting surface according to raising of a pressing load due to the medium that is discharged to the medium receiving tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 12017883
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a housing in which a conveying path of a sheet is formed; a roller configured to convey the sheet by rotation; a motor arranged inside of the housing; a drive transmitter configured to transmit a drive force of the motor to the roller; a movement member including a guide part configured to guide the sheet and at least a part of the drive transmitter, the movement member being movable to a first position closing the inside of the housing with respect to an outside of the housing and a second position different from the first position; and a dust proofing part attached to a position filling a gap between the movement member located in the first position and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Takashi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 12003678
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a reader, a transparent member, an opposing member, first and second conveyance rotators, and circuitry. The reader reads a sheet. The transparent member is disposed between the reader and the sheet. The opposing member is disposed facing the reader via the transparent member. The first conveyance rotator is disposed upstream from the reader in a conveyance direction of the sheet. The second conveyance rotator is disposed downstream from the reader in the conveyance direction. The circuitry cause the first conveyance rotator and the second conveyance rotator to convey a cleaning sheet at respective conveying speeds different from each other and bring the cleaning sheet into contact with at least one of the transparent member or the opposing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiharu Yamazaki, Hideyo Makino, Susumu Mikajiri, Tohru Matsumoto, Satoshi Nakayama, Kohta Aoyagi, Ryosuke Ebinuma, Tatsuya Ishii
  • Patent number: 12003679
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a conveyance roller to convey a medium, a DC motor to drive the conveyance roller, a processor to rotate the DC motor, an encoder to output a first pulse signal whose cycle varies according to a rotation speed of the DC motor, and an imaging device to acquire an image acquired by imaging a conveyed medium in response to a pulse of a second pulse signal whose cycle is constant. The processor detects a number of pulses of the second pulse signal included in a predetermined cycle of the first pulse signal, and discards images acquired by the imaging device in the same number of pulses as difference between the detected number of pulses and a reference number, in a next cycle of the predetermined cycle of the first pulse signal, when the detected number of pulses exceeds the reference number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuta Arai
  • Patent number: 11994817
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a stack portion having recording materials, an image forming unit, a basis weight detection unit, an operating sound detection unit, and a mode selection unit. The basis weight detection unit detects a recording material basis weight based on an ultrasonic wave. The operating sound detection unit detect an abnormality of a generated operating sound. The mode selection unit selects, for each recording material fed to the image forming unit, between transmitting to the basis weight detection unit a first instruction for detecting the recording material basis weight and transmitting to the operating sound detection unit a second instruction for detecting the operating sound abnormality. In determining an interval at which each second instruction is transmitted, the mode selection unit determines the interval so that the interval and a cycle, in which properties of recording materials on the stack portion are repeated, do not continuously coincide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Naoto Tsuchihashi, Yohei Suzuki, Seiji Hara, Yoshitaka Zaitsu, Masafumi Monde, Hiromitsu Kumada
  • Patent number: 11987462
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switch assembly for a device for handling value documents, comprising a shaft (110) which is rotationally fixed to a switch body (120), said switch body (120) being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft (110) between a first switch body position (P1) and a second switch body position (P2). The switch assembly additionally comprises a switch lever (130, 131), said shaft (110) being rotatable about its longitudinal axis by means of the switch lever (130, 131), and a solenoid (200) which comprises an armature (210). The solenoid (200) can be actuated such that the armature (210) can be moved between a first armature position (A1) and a second armature position (A2). The switch lever (130, 131) is in engagement with the armature (210) such that the switch lever (130, 131) rotates about the longitudinal axis of the shaft (110) by means of the movement of the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: WINCOR NIXDORF INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventor: Heiko Schniedermeyer
  • Patent number: 11987471
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a main chassis having a discharge tray and a switchback tray in an upper position with respect to the discharge tray; an image forming unit; a discharge roller to discharge a recording sheet conveyed through the image forming unit onto the discharge tray; a duplex conveyer to invert the sheet and convey the inverted sheet to return to the image forming unit; and a switchback roller being rotatable in a normal direction to convey the sheet toward the switchback tray and a reverse direction to convey the sheet to the duplex conveyer; is provided. The main chassis includes a pair of walls, each of which extends in a vertical direction and in a conveying direction of the sheet and is arranged in adjacent to the switchback tray such that the switchback tray is interposed between the pair of walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 11989994
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing to a bundle module of a medium deposit device capable of not only arranging leading ends of rejected bill media which are returned to the bundle module but also preventing collision between a leading medium and a following medium and a jam occurrence of the media according to the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: HYOSUNG TNS INC.
    Inventor: Hyun Sik Woo
  • Patent number: 11964839
    Abstract: A conveyance route switching mechanism and a paper sheet handling apparatus that includes the conveyance route switching mechanism include a driving source, a gate, a first gear, and an internal gear. The driving source includes a driving shaft. The gate includes a gate shaft, and a blade that is provided on the gate shaft, and switches conveyance routes of paper sheets. The first gear is provided on the gate shaft. The internal gear meshes with the first gear. According to rotation of the driving shaft, the gate shaft rotates on an axis of the gate shaft, and revolves with the driving shaft as a rotation center while the first gear meshes with the internal gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: FUJITSU FRONTECH LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Wada, Tomoyuki Tamahashi, Satoshi Hayashi, Atsushi Ando, Shohei Koizumi, Shoichi Deguchi, Akira Yamada
  • Patent number: 11964842
    Abstract: A pinch roller mechanism includes a rail, a slider, a roller bracket, a spring, and a pinch roller. The rail extends in a first direction crossing the conveyance direction of a medium while being apart from a medium driving roller configured to convey the medium. The slider is supported by the rail to be movable along the rail. The roller bracket is supported by the slider to be movable with respect to the medium driving roller. The spring is provided between the slider and the roller bracket and biases the roller bracket toward the medium driving roller. The pinch roller is rotatably supported by the roller bracket while setting the axial direction in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SILHOUETTE JAPAN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Tsunoi, Maki Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 11952239
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller pair, a detecting portion, a first changing portion, a second changing portion, and a controller for controlling the first changing portion and the second changing portion. The controller starts a first feeding operation for feeding a sheet toward the obliquely feeding roller pair in a nipping state of the feeding roller pair and then starts a second feeding operation for feeding the sheet for abutting a side end of the sheet against the reference member in the nipping state of the obliquely feeding roller pair. The controller changes, after the first feeding operation is started and before the second feeding operation is started, a start timing of the second feeding operation on the basis of a detection result of a position of the side end of the sheet detected by the detecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinao Chiba, Shingo Iwami, Koji Suzuki, Yuma Inui, Yoshiya Numata
  • Patent number: 11945673
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document placing tray on which a document is placed; a document discharging tray on which a document discharged from a document discharging port in a discharging direction is stacked; and a light source that radiates light to the document discharging tray. The document discharging tray is disposed below the document placing tray. The document discharging tray has a protruding portion protruding upward from the surrounding area. The light source is disposed within a region having a width that is the same as a document having a maximum size in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohichi Fukutome, Kenji Kuroda, Hironori Ogasawara, Hisashi Yamanaka, Toshiki Fukunishi
  • Patent number: 11939176
    Abstract: A sheet storage device includes a body, a tray, a rotating member, an angle sensor, and a controller. The tray is vertically repositionable relative to the body and supports a sheet placed on the tray. The rotating member rotates in conjunction with a vertical movement of the tray. The angle sensor detects a rotation angle of the rotating member. The controller is operatively coupled to the angle sensor and determines a remaining number of sheets placed on the tray based on a detection result of the angle sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Reo Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11919736
    Abstract: A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Craig Rutherford
  • Patent number: 11915540
    Abstract: A two-way cash recycler system includes a vault having a plurality of media cassettes, an first input/output panel having a first media aperture on a first side, a second input/output panel having a second media aperture on a second side, a transport system disposed between the first side and the second side. The transport system includes a pass-through pathway structured to transport transaction media between the first media aperture and the second media aperture, a concurrent use pathway structured to transport transaction media from at least one of the first media aperture and the second media aperture to the vault, and a dispense pathway structured to transport transaction media from the vault to at least one of the first media aperture and the second media aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Christian Mande, Darren Goetz, Frank DiGangi, Dennis E. Montenegro
  • Patent number: 11906038
    Abstract: An automatic transmission shifter mechanism that is selectable between an automatic transmission mode and a manual shifting mode, including a shifter assembly, a pin attached to the shifter assembly, a first slotted plate to selectively receive a first portion of the shifter assembly, and a detent plate configured to receive the pin at different gear positions, wherein selected shifter assembly positions in the automatic transmission mode are maintained by the pin being located within a corresponding detent of the detent plate, and wherein movement of the first portion of the shifter assembly into the first slotted plate causes the pin to move out of range of detents in the detent plate such that an operator can shift between drive gears in the manual shifting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: LOKAR, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Ford, Scott Thiel, Eric R. Burgan