Patents Examined by Leslie Nicholson, III
  • Patent number: 12233657
    Abstract: A system for automated book binding may include a staging platform configured to receive book covers, with first and second walls extending perpendicular to the staging platform, the first wall oriented parallel to the second wall. A controller, in at least an automatic trim adjustment mode, determines one or more book covers as being present upon the staging platform, automatically directs inward movement of at least one of the walls until sensing contact by one or more of the at least one of the walls with the one or more book covers, automatically withdraws the at least one of the walls from a point of contact with the book covers, wherein an operating window is defined by a distance between the walls at the point of contact, and, in sequence, transferring each of the book covers via a lifting arm upward from the staging platform and to a binding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Lightning Source LLC
    Inventors: Zoran Belevski, Joshua Sanders, Danny Howell, John Kwiatkowski
  • Patent number: 12227382
    Abstract: A feeding unit includes a paper feeding tray, a lifter, a feeding roller, a guide plate, and a handling portion. The lifter can displace paper in the paper feeding tray in a +B direction. The guide plate guides a downstream end of the paper lifted by the lifter in a +A direction toward the feeding roller. The handling portion handles the paper toward the feeding roller. The guide plate forms a frontage through which the paper can pass between the guide plate and an outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller, and is provided so that a size of the frontage can be adjusted. The handling portion is provided integrally with the guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junko Ao, Katsuyuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 12227383
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a tray, a first binder, a second binder, a feeder, and circuitry. The tray receives and stores a sheet bundle. The first binder presses the sheet bundle to bind the sheet bundle. The second binder penetrates the sheet bundle with a needle to bind the sheet bundle. The feeder feeds the sheet bundle in a first direction, and moves the sheet bundle in a second direction. The circuitry causes the feeder to move the sheet bundle on the tray in the second direction, moves the first binder from a binding position to a home position different from the binding position, and moves the second binder to the binding position in the width direction to bind the sheet bundle by the second binder after the sheet bundle is moved in the second direction and the first binder is moved to the home position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Sakakibara, Yuji Miyachi, Tsubasa Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 12214983
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes a sheet stacker, a pair of sheet restrictors, and a stacking adaptor. The sheet stacker has a first sheet stacking face on which a bundle of sheets is stacked. The sheet stacker includes a leading end support to support a leading end of the bundle of sheets in a feeding direction by a second sheet stacking face and a pair of cutouts disposed upstream from the leading end support. The pair of sheet restrictors slide in the pair of cutouts in a width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction to regulate a position of the bundle of sheets. The stacking adaptor is detachably attached to the sheet stacker to cover the pair of cutouts. The stacking adaptor has a third sheet stacking face to support a portion of the bundle of sheets disposed at the pair of cutouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Kohara
  • Patent number: 12214984
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a liquid applier, a post-processing device, and circuitry. The liquid applier applies liquid to a part of a medium, the medium being at least one medium. The post-processing device binds a bundle of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier. The circuitry controls operations of the liquid applier and the post-processing device. The circuitry causes the liquid applier to apply different amounts of liquid to a plurality of sample areas in the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Akamatsu, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto
  • Patent number: 12214990
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeder, a second feeder, and processing circuitry. The first feeder includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, and a remaining amount detection sensor. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet. The suction feeder sucks and feeds the sheet. The remaining amount detection sensor detects a remaining amount of sheets stacked. The processing circuitry determines whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold, causes the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, and causes the second feeder to feed a sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Nakano
  • Patent number: 12208979
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a receptacle, a conveyor, an elastic member, and a load adjuster. The receptacle is vertically movable and holds a stack of sheets. The conveyor feeds an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets on the receptacle in a feeding direction in which a sheet of the stack of sheets is fed. The elastic member biases the receptacle to press the uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets on the receptacle against the conveyor. At least when a height of the stack of sheets on the receptacle is equal to or greater than a given value, the load adjuster applies a reduced magnitude of load downward to the stack of sheets on the receptacle in response to a decrease in the height of the stack of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mizuna Tanaka
  • Patent number: 12208983
    Abstract: A stacking device for generating decks (10) of sheet elements (12) comprises a transport device with an upper side onto which sheet elements (12) are arranged on separate sheet sections (50). Each sheet section (50) is adapted to transport at least one sheet element (12). The upper side has a height offset between adjacent sheet sections (50). A displacement element shifts sheet elements (12) of one sheet section (50) onto an adjacent sheet section (50) in order to produce the deck (10) of sheet elements (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: BOBST MEX SA
    Inventor: Pierre Robadey
  • Patent number: 12208982
    Abstract: A feeding unit includes a retard roller, a first holder, a second holder, an accommodating portion, a pressing portion, a second pressing portion, a release lever, and a second restricting portion. The accommodating portion accommodates the second holder. The second pressing portion presses the second holder in a +Z direction. The release lever restricts the movement of the second holder in the +Z direction. The second holder is provided with a plurality of restricted portions in a Y direction and a +A direction, respectively. The second restricting portion restricts the movement of the second holder in a ?Z direction. The second restricting portion has a restricting surface. The restricting surface is provided in the accommodating portion and is configured to come into contact with the plurality of restricted portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Kondo, Junko Ao
  • Patent number: 12202693
    Abstract: A paper sorting device includes: a stacking conveyor that receives continuously fed cut sheets to stack the cut sheets by sorting unit and that continuously conveys stacked cut sheets downstream on a unit-by-unit basis; and a stacker section arranged downstream of the stacking conveyor, capable of continuously stacking the stacked cut sheets conveyed from the stacking conveyor, at different positions on a placement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: DUPLO SEIKO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haruka Takemoto
  • Patent number: 12202703
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a print portion that prints an image on a sheet passing by a print position, and an inserter that inserts an insert sheet between sheets conveyed one after another. In a print job involving an insert process, the print portion conveys, while securing an insert interval between a preceding sheet, which is a sheet immediately preceding the insert sheet, and a succeeding sheet, which is a sheet immediately following the insert sheet, the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet one after another. The print portion automatically changes the insert interval according to the length of the insert sheet in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 12202691
    Abstract: A sheet discharging apparatus includes a stacking portion, a first conveyance portion, a detection portion, a second conveyance portion, a third conveyance portion, and a control portion. The control portion is configured to execute a discharge operation by causing the sheet discharging apparatus to reverse a conveyance direction of a first sheet conveyed from the first conveyance portion to the second conveyance portion and deliver the first sheet to the third conveyance portion by using the second conveyance portion, convey the first sheet toward the second conveyance portion by the third conveyance portion, and discharge the first sheet and the second sheet to the stacking portion by using the second conveyance portion in a state where the first sheet and the second sheet are superimposed on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutoshi Sugai, Takuro Mita
  • Patent number: 12202695
    Abstract: A post process device 200 configured to perform a post process on a medium received from a recording device 10, includes a post process section 60 configured to perform the post process, an installation section 112 disposed below the post process section 60 in the gravity direction, a first leg section 106 that is fixed to the installation section 112 and that extends from the installation section 112 toward the post process section 60, a second leg section 108 that is fixed to the installation section 112 at a position different from the first leg section 106 and that extends from the installation section 112 toward the post process section 60, a control section 201 configured to control an operation of the post process device 200, and a control section support 202 configured to support the control section 201 and configured to connect the first leg section 106 and the second leg section 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Shiobara
  • Patent number: 12195291
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a tray, a pickup roller, a movement mechanism, a holder, a biasing unit, and a detecting mechanism. The movement mechanism moves the tray between a raised position and a lowered position. The raised position is a position where sheets come into contact with the pickup roller. The holder holds the pickup roller so that the pickup roller is displaceable when pushed up by the sheets. The biasing unit applies a biasing force to the holder pushing down the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism detects when the sheets push up the pickup roller. The detecting mechanism includes a detection unit and a sensor. The detection unit is switchable between a reference position and a detection position according to displacement of the holder accompanying the movement of the tray. The sensor detects when the detection unit reaches the detection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Takashima, Eizo Kurita, Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 12195295
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking portion on which sheets targeted for sheet processing are stacked. In the apparatus, a control unit generates, in a buffer section provided in a conveyance path for conveying sheets to the stacking portion, a sheet bundle in which positions of sheets conveyed on the conveyance path are shifted in sequence to an upstream side in a conveyance direction and overlapped. An alignment unit performs alignment processing in the conveyance direction on the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking portion. A processing unit performs sheet processing on the sheet bundle on which the alignment processing has been performed. The control unit controls shift amounts of the positions of the sheets when the sheets are overlapped in the buffer section in sequence, according to sizes of the sheets conveyed on the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taro Ishifune
  • Patent number: 12180029
    Abstract: A platen conveyance device includes a first conveyance path, a platen supporter, a second conveyance path, and a positioner. The first conveyance path is configured to convey a platen to a pretreatment device. The platen supporter is configured to support the platen conveyed by the first conveyance path. The second conveyance path is provided with the platen supporter. The second conveyance path is configured to convey the platen supporter to a printer. The positioner is configured to position the platen supported by the platen supporter at a prescribed printing position in a first direction in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuro Kobayashi, Shuichi Tamaki, Yutaka Takagiwa
  • Patent number: 12180022
    Abstract: A first feed device adjusts an intermittent feed amount thereof based on output of a first sensor such that a design position of a first panel is aligned with a first fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle. A second feed device adjusts tension of a second panel and an intermittent feed amount of a feed unit based on output of at least one second sensor such that a design position of the second panel is aligned with a second fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle. A third feed device adjusts an intermittent feed amount thereof based on output of a third sensor such that the design position of the first panel is aligned with the second fixing position during every pause phase of an intermittent feed cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Totani Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Ohnishi, Toshiki Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 12172861
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a liquid applier, a crimper, a stapler, and circuitry. The liquid applier applies liquid to a liquid application position of a medium. The crimper presses and deforms at least a part to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, to bind a plurality of media including the medium to which the liquid is applied. The stapler performs stapling with a staple on a medium bundle in which the plurality of media is bound by the crimper. The circuitry controls operations of the crimper, the liquid applier, and the stapler, and selectively switches between first binding performed by the liquid applier and the crimper and second binding performed by only the stapler, in accordance with information on the medium or a binding position at which the medium bundle is bound by the crimper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohta Abe, Kei Sasaki, Kazuki Seto, Kazuki Mishina, Naoki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12172862
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a stacking unit including a plate, a feeding unit including a roller, a holder including a detected member, a drive unit and a controller. The detected member is positioned in a first position where the detected member is not detected by a detector in a case that the feeding unit is new, and is moved from the first position to a second position where the detected member is projected so as to be detected by the detector when the new feeding unit is mounted on the holder and the roller is driven. The controller controls the drive unit to perform up-and-down operation of the plate so that the plate is set to a feedable state of the sheet in a case that the feeding unit is mounted, and determines whether or not the feeding unit is new based on a detection result of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Kenichirou Isobe, Eiji Wakiyama, Takashi Yano, Hidehiro Ushiozu
  • Patent number: 12172857
    Abstract: A medium transport apparatus includes a first and a second transport path, a third transport path formed the first transport path and the second transport path merging at a merging point, a door that is displaceable between a closed state in which the door forms at least a portion of the first transport path and an opened state in which at least a portion of the first transport path is opened, and a switching section that is arranged at the merging point and that is, while the door is in the closed state, displaceable between a first state in which the second transport path is opened and a second state in which the first transport path is opened, wherein when the door is in the opened state, the switching section is displaced to a third state in which at least a portion of the second transport path is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Ogawa, Ryoichi Morisawa