Patents Examined by Luis A Gonzalez
  • System and method of article feeder operation
    Patent number: 11319174
    Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for shingulating, singulating, and synchronizing articles in an article feeder system are disclosed. The article feeder system may include a shingulating device configured to receive a stack of articles and to produce a positively lapped stack of articles, a plurality of picking devices configured to pick one or more articles from the positively lapped stack of articles and to produce one or more singulated articles, and one or more synchronization devices configured to deliver the one or more singulated articles to one or more sorter windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: United States Postal Service
    Inventors: John W. Brown, Edward F. Houston, Juan A. Roman, Leung M. Shiu, Riley H. Mayhall, Thomas A. Hillerich, Jr., Jacob L. Timm, Matthew G. Good, William P. McConnell, Robert L. Schlender, Christopher D. Austin
  • Recording apparatus
    Patent number: 11319176
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a first medium transport path, a reverse path for reversing a surface of a medium, a third medium transport path that guides the medium to the reverse path, a first drive roller configured to rotate in a forward rotation direction that sends the medium toward a discharge port and in a reverse rotation direction opposite to the forward rotation direction, and a second drive roller provided in the third medium transport path and configured to rotate only in the forward rotation direction for sending the medium toward the reverse path, in which a transport force applied to the medium by the first drive roller when the first drive roller rotates in the forward rotation direction is stronger than a transport force applied to the medium by the second drive roller when the second drive roller rotates in the forward rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Komuro, Shingo Waki
  • Printer having front-end paper feeding and front-end paper outputting and being capable of changing paper discharge path
    Patent number: 11312591
    Abstract: A printer having front-end paper feeding and front-end paper outputting and being capable of changing a paper discharge path, said printer comprising a housing (10) and a paper discharge unit (40), the paper discharge unit (40) comprising a first paper discharge mechanism (401) and a paper discharge channel (50) which consists of upper and lower casings (1011, 1012), a front end surface of the housing (10) being a vertical flat surface A, a paper feed port (30) and a paper output port (20) being horizontally arranged on the flat surface A, the paper feed port (30) being located beneath the paper output port (20), the paper discharge channel (50) at the front of the first paper discharge mechanism (401) being provided with a paper conveyance system capable of changing a paper discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Yi Lin
  • Print media alignments
    Patent number: 11299363
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to print media stacks. In some examples, a device may include a sheet channel to guide a sheet of print media within the sheet channel above and separated in a vertical direction from a stack of printed media when the sheet of print media exits a print path of a printer. The device may include a plurality of clamps to control alignment of the sheet of print media on the stack of printed media when the sheet channel moves outboard from the sheet of print media to allow the sheet of print media to fall onto the stack of printed media, wherein the plurality of clamps sequentially pin the sheet of print media to the stack of printed media from a middle portion of the sheet of print media outward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Scott Beale, Elliott Downing, Robert Yraceburu, Bruce Johnson, Cristopher Royce Jansson, Stuart Scofield, Francisco Javier Gomez, Jonathon Cha Spafford, Catherine Elizabeth Gould, Tom McCue, Matthew Douglas Reier
  • Sheet conveyance apparatus, image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11292682
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a cover unit, a base unit, a roller unit configured to be detachable from the cover unit, and comprising a roller configured to convey the sheet along a conveyance path and a holder comprising an arm portion configured to extend in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction, a cam configured to swing the holder by rotating, and a cover member configured to be openable and closable with respect to the cover unit and configured to cover at least a portion of the arm portion against the conveyance path in a closed state, the cover member being opened by being pressed by the arm portion in a case where the roller unit is detached from the cover unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norikazu Hishinuma
  • Suction device, printer, and conveyance device
    Patent number: 11297194
    Abstract: A suction device includes a suction hole member including a plurality of suction holes, a suction pump connected to each of the plurality of suction holes, the suction pump configured to suction an air through the plurality of suction holes of the suction hole member to suction a suction target to the suction hole member, and a suction state detector configured to detect a suction state of at least one of the plurality of suction holes corresponding to an end of the suction target suctioned to the suction hole member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yorifumi Tsuchida
  • Cooling units for transmissions
    Patent number: 11287025
    Abstract: Transmissions and methods therefor are disclosed herein. A transmission includes a housing, an input shaft, and a cooling unit. The input shaft extends outside of the housing and is configured to receive rotational power from a rotational power source. The cooling unit is supported by the input shaft. The cooling unit includes a heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Stefan Rakuff, Joe J. Liou
  • Sheet holder, sheet feeding device incorporating the sheet holder, and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet holder
    Patent number: 11279573
    Abstract: A sheet holder includes a regulator, a rotary body, a detection target, a rotational position detector, and a biasing body. The regulator moves in directions to approach and separate from an end portion of a sheet. The rotary body has a contact portion and rotates according to movement of the regulator. The detection target is attached to the rotary body, has a contact target portion, and rotates together with the rotary body by contacting of the contact portion of the rotary body with the contact target portion of the detection target in a rotational direction of the rotary body. The rotational position detector detects a rotational position of the detection target. The biasing body applies a biasing force between the rotary body and the detection target to maintain a contact state of the contact portion of the rotary body and the contact target portion of the detection target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Rie Ohtsuka
  • One-way clutch and sheet conveyance apparatus
    Patent number: 11268581
    Abstract: A one-way clutch includes a first rotator including an inner gear and configured to rotate on a first axis, a planetary gear configured to mesh with the inner gear and configured to rotate on a second axis that revolves around the first axis, a second rotator configured to rotate on the first axis and including a stopper configured to stop rotation of the planetary gear by engaging with the planetary gear, and an urging member configured to urge the planetary gear not to be brought in contact with the stopper in a state where the first rotator and the second rotator relatively rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuki Akamatsu
  • Medium feed device and image reading apparatus
    Patent number: 11267665
    Abstract: A medium feed device includes edge guides provided at a medium placement part including a placement surface on which a medium is placed and including guide surfaces that guide edges in a direction intersecting with a feed direction of the medium; and a restriction part configured to take a position between the edge guides such that a position of the restriction part in a direction normal to the placement surface is a position at which the restriction part suppresses a lift of the medium from the placement surface and a position at which the restriction part suppresses separation of the edges of the medium from the guide surfaces. The position of the restriction part at which the restriction part suppresses the lift is located on a placement surface side with respect to an intermediate position between upper ends of the guide surfaces and the placement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Anami
  • Layboy having at least one diverted belt section
    Patent number: 11261048
    Abstract: A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: A.G. STACKER INC.
    Inventors: Clarence C. Allen, Jr., Joseph Wunder, Ryan Gerber
  • Image forming system and image forming method
    Patent number: 11262682
    Abstract: In an image forming system, a hardware processor controls whether the first sheet is conveyed to an upstream side of the image former via a first conveying path which reverses sides of the first sheet or via a second conveying path which does not reverse the sides of the first sheet as well as the first conveying path, when images are formed on both sides of a plurality of the first sheets by the image former, in order to narrow a space between a plurality of the first sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yuki Yamauchi
  • Sheet feeding device and image forming device
    Patent number: 11247862
    Abstract: A detector includes a first member that makes contact with an upper surface of a paper sheet stored in a sheet feeding cassette, and a second member that supports the first member such that it is capable changing postures, while also movably supporting the first member in an up-and-down direction to coincide with the upper surface of a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette. The first member has a guide portion that makes contact with the sheet feeding cassette and/or a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette. The first member changes postures with respect to the second member as a result of the guide portion making contact with the sheet feeding cassette and/or a paper sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Shibayama
  • Sheet feeding device
    Patent number: 11247867
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding guide of resin material constituting a sheet feeding path along which a sheet is fed; a feeding roller for feeding the sheet along the feeding path, the feeding roller being provided with a metal shaft; a sheet sensor configured to detect the sheet fed along the sheet feeding path; and a grounding member electrically grounding the shaft. The feeding guide has a guiding surface for guiding the sheet, and the guiding surface is provided with a hole portion for exposing the shaft to the sheet feeding path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahito Ikeda
  • Sheet storage apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for sheet storage apparatus
    Patent number: 11242212
    Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store sheets, a biasing unit configured to apply a biasing force to the storage unit so that the storage unit is biased toward a mounting position, and a regulating unit configured to be located at a first position at which movement of the storage unit in a drawing out direction is regulated and a second position at which movement of the storage unit from the mounting position in the drawing out direction is permitted. The regulating unit is moved from the first position to the second position in response to an operation by an operator who operates a handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shogo Nakanosono
  • Crankshaft assembly comprising a torsional vibration damper
    Patent number: 11236801
    Abstract: A crankshaft assembly which is designed for a reciprocating-piston machine of an internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft, a torsional vibration damper for damping resonance torsional vibrations of the elastic torsion modes of the crankshaft, and an output. The torsional vibration damper has a primary mass inertia and a secondary mass inertia, the primary mass inertia being rigidly connected to a crankshaft and the secondary mass inertia being coupled as a seismic mass with a viscous liquid to the primary mass inertia. The torsional vibration damper is configured to assume the function of a flywheel for reducing rotational non-uniformity in addition to the function of reducing the resonance torsional vibrations of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignees: Hasse & Wrede GmbH, CENTA Antriebe Kirschey GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Steidl, Florian Knopf
  • Foldable flywheel mechanism to facilitate energy generation
    Patent number: 11231084
    Abstract: A utility power generator includes a flywheel that includes an outer perimeter that is operable between a planar position and a plurality of sinusoidal positions. A hub is concentrically positioned within the flywheel, wherein the hub defines a rotational axis of the flywheel. An axial fitting traverses relative to the hub and along the rotational axis in an axial direction as the flywheel operates between the planar position and the plurality of sinusoidal positions. The flywheel, the hub and the axial fitting are rotationally linked to synchronously rotate about the rotational axis. Rotation of the flywheel biases the axial fitting toward the planar position. A transfer fitting is coupled to at least one of the flywheel, the hub and the transfer fitting. Rotation of the flywheel about the rotational axis operates the transfer fitting to operate a tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Martin W. Stryker
  • Paper sheet handling apparatus having paper sheet transport direction switching unit
    Patent number: 11214458
    Abstract: A paper sheet handling apparatus including a paper sheet transport direction switching unit adapted to switch transport directions of paper sheets and to then feed the paper sheets, the paper sheet transport direction switching unit includes: a first direction switching and feeding member adapted to pressurize one side of a paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction; and a second direction switching and feeding member facing the first direction switching and feeding member in such a manner as to operate together with the first direction switching and feeding member to pressurize the other side of the paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI TERMINAL SOLUTIONS KOREA CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seon-Ho Kim
  • Transmission with a heating element for indirectly heating an operating medium, and motor vehicle
    Patent number: 11215273
    Abstract: A transmission for a motor vehicle, including a housing, which at least partly encloses at least one movable transmission part and is filled with an operating medium during a normal operation of the transmission, and including a heating element which dispenses a heat output in order to heat the operating medium. One object is to increase a coupling surface for dispensing a heat output to the operating medium in a simple manner. The heating element is designed to dispense the heat output to the housing via a first coupling surface, and the housing is designed to dispense the heat output to the operating medium via a second coupling surface. The heat output can be transmitted from the heating element to the operating medium in a significantly indirect manner via the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Andreas Kopp
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 11203496
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit, a detection unit provided downstream of the feeding unit, a measurement unit that measures a measured time from the start of conveyance of a recording material to the detection of the recording material, and a determination unit that performs renewal determination for determining whether the feeding unit has been replaced with a new feeding unit. Thus, replacement of the feeding unit with a new feeding unit can automatically be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Tsuda, Yasuhiko Fuse, Takashi Kuwata, Yoshiteru Kaida, Shoichi Koyama