Patents Examined by Michael C McCullough
  • Patent number: 10280024
    Abstract: A film feeding apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The film feeding apparatus comprises a delivery head. A surface of the delivery head has an air suction region and an air blowing region, and the air suction region and the air blowing region respectively include an air hole; and by cooperation of air suctioning through the air hole of the air suction region and air blowing through the air hole of the air blowing region, a film is kept nearby the delivery head in a non-contact manner in the case that the delivery head adsorbs the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Honglin Niu, Ronghua Fan, Jinbao Zhang, Xutong Chen, Duanduan Ding
  • Patent number: 10279608
    Abstract: In wide format web printing the loading of a new web medium is a cumbersome process, requiring the operator to raise a very wide flexible web from the supply roll up to the print surface. The present invention provides a simple apparatus to aid in the manual loading process. The web transport assembly of the apparatus comprises a supply unit arranged for supplying the web from a media roll to a transport path and a pick-up device comprising a pick-up surface and a holding mechanism configured for releasably holding a leading edge section of the web onto the pick-up surface, wherein the pick-up device is moveable between a first position near the supply unit for attaching the leading edge section and a second position near the print surface. The leading edge section is moved upwards towards the print surface while held by the holding mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: OCÉ HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Romeo Musete, Michael Nell, Chad A. Koehn, Anne A. Wind, Brian D. Otter
  • Patent number: 10273099
    Abstract: An image recording device having a recording unit to record an image on a sheet is provided. The image recording unit includes a feed guide defining a first conveying path; an arm disposed between the recording unit and the tray, the arm having a feed roller rotatably disposed at a free end and configured to feed the sheet in the tray to the first conveying path. The arm pivots between a first arm position, and a second arm position. The return guide pivots between a first return guide position, and a second return guide position. A space occupied by the return guide in the first return guide position overlaps a space occupied by the arm in the second arm position. The return guide is in the second return guide position when the arm is in the second arm position which is retracted from an insertion space occupied by the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 10273105
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a mark sensor, a moving section, a web edge sensor, and a printer control section. The moving section can move the mark sensor in a direction intersecting a transport direction of a sheet, or in a width direction. The web edge sensor can detect a location of an edge of the sheet. The printer control section controls the moving section to compensate for a location of the mark sensor, on the basis of a detection result from the web edge sensor which indicates the location of the edge of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamashita, Tomoyuki Shiiya
  • Patent number: 10266355
    Abstract: An apparatus for singling sheet goods which comprises a suction device with a stator and a rotor movable relative to the stator. The stator has at least one first opening and the rotor at least one second opening which overlap upon a rotation of the rotor and thereby define an opening area with a first end and a second end. The opening area extends starting from the first end up to the second end, wherein a section of the opening area between the first end and the second end forms a suction area in which sheet goods to be singled can be sucked by the suction device. The first end of the opening area is arranged spaced from the suction area so that arising noise can be dampened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Schneider
  • Patent number: 10259678
    Abstract: A tensioner for the controlled clamping and forward movement of an elongate element, in particular for winding/unwinding a cable, a hose, a pipeline or an umbilical on a reception member. The tensioner comprises at least one frame that carries three guide boxes arranged around a passage axis. This tensioner comprises means for maneuvering these guide boxes, in particular second maneuvering means for the maneuvering in rectilinear, or at least substantially rectilinear, translation of lateral guide boxes, respectively in a direction defining an angle of between 115° and 125°, and preferably between 118° and 122°, with respect to said central plane. These second maneuvering means comprise at least one rocker element comprising a proximal end mounted so as to pivot on said frame and a distal end mounted so as to pivot on said lateral guide box, respectively about rotation axes extending parallel to said passage axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: REEL
    Inventor: Karamoko Konate
  • Patent number: 10254701
    Abstract: A paper correction apparatus B corrects a curl of a sheet S by passing the sheet S through curved paper conveying routes CCP1 and CCP2 whose curving amounts can be changed. The paper correction apparatus B is provided with a control unit B3 which sets the curving amounts of the curved paper conveying routes CCP1 and CCP2, and changes a sheet interval in accordance with the curving amounts which are set. By this configuration, it is possible to inhibit the productivity from being reduced due to paper correction during performing post-printing processes in a finisher which is located in the downstream side of the paper correction apparatus B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Akira Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 10252872
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a feeding unit configured to feed a sheet member; a conveying roller that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in a conveying direction, and that is configured to convey the sheet member fed by the feeding unit downstream in the conveying direction; a motor configured to drive the conveying roller. In a state where the conveying roller is conveying a first sheet member that was fed by the feeding unit, if a value of a torque current component of a drive current flowing in a winding of the motor changes from a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value to a value less than the predetermined value, the feeding unit starts feeding of a second sheet member that is to be fed after the first sheet member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 10245198
    Abstract: A lifting apparatus for a person comprises a frame with at least two leg members fixedly attached to each other via a pair of transverse beams, a pair of vertical bars separated at a predetermined distance, wherein the vertical bars are fixedly attached to the frame via connector bars and transverse beams. The lifting apparatus comprises at least two vertical central beams fixedly attached to the frame at a predetermined position via the connector bars and transverse beams. A vertical carriage assembly comprises a seating assembly and a movable subassembly mounted on the vertical central beam and an actuator mechanism is used to elevate the vertical carriage assembly via a plurality of T-slots to slide along the vertical central beam. The design of the horizontal seating plate is smaller in size to allow the apparatus to be used in confined spaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventor: James Lucas
  • Patent number: 10239716
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to propose a novel device and a novel method to allow the transportation of printable substrates precisely, suited to substrates of various types, sizes and thicknesses. Furthermore, the invention is suited to printing machines that involve no contact with the substrate, such as inkjet printing machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: MGI Digital Technology
    Inventor: Edmond Abergel
  • Patent number: 10233047
    Abstract: A printing system capable of properly changing a content of a notification based on occurrence of a full state of a sheet in an output destination. A printing system which is able to output a sheet to any of a plurality of sheet stacking units includes a determining unit configured to determine whether a first setting for selecting a specific sheet stacking unit as an output destination of the sheet is performed or a second setting for automatically selecting any sheet stacking unit from among the plurality of sheet stacking units as the output destination is performed, a notification unit configured to perform a notification according to occurrence of a fully-stacked state in the output destination, and a control unit configured to change a content of the notification based on the determining by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 10233043
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 10227199
    Abstract: A web handling system is disclosed. The web handling system includes a roller wheel including two or more rollers configured to engage a print medium, a motor to rotate the roller wheel and a controller to transmit a signal to the motor indicating which of the two or more rollers are to engage the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Stuart James Boland, Dilan Nirushan Fernando, Robert F. Jessen
  • Patent number: 10226948
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming an image on the basis of image information; a top plate portion provided in an upper portion and including a stacking surface having a length in a predetermined direction longer than a length of a short side of a maximum size sheet on which the image forming station is capable of forming the image and shorter than a length of a long side of the maximum size sheet; a wall portion projected upwardly at a position of one end portion with respect to the predetermined direction of the top plate portion and provided with a wall surface inclined so as to form an obtuse angle between itself and the stacking surface of the top plate portion; and a connecting portion having a curved surface configured to connect the stacking surface and the wall surface with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Yoshiro Nishino, Nobuhiro Tani
  • Patent number: 10221027
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a tape feeder includes a main body that is attached to a component mounter and has a tape traveling path which is a traveling path of a carrier tape; and a sprocket that is provided in the main body, causes an outer peripheral tooth to engage with a feed hole of the carrier tape, and rotates so as to perform pitch feeding of the carrier tape on the tape traveling path. The tape feeder includes a lock mechanism that has a press operation unit operated with pressing force, locks the sprocket in the main body in a state where the press operation unit is not operated, and unlocks the sprocket in a state where the press operation unit is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Takanami, Chikara Takata, Yasuo Oku
  • Patent number: 10221028
    Abstract: An apparatus for steering a web, including a web path having at least one steering roller and an exit roller, each having a mount; wherein the steering roller(s) each have an axis of rotation and wherein the mounts for the steering roller(s) can pivot those axes with a total of two degrees of freedom. An array comprising a plurality of sensors for monitoring the position of the web is present connected to a controller so as to determine the position and angular orientation of the web. The controller adjusts the pivot(s) of the mount(s) so as to control the angular orientation and the lateral position of the web at a particular point along the web path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Ronald P. Swanson, Daniel H. Carlson, James N. Dobbs, Karl K. Stensvad
  • Patent number: 10212868
    Abstract: A feeder, for which carrier tape is reliably inserted to a specified position without contacting engaging protrusions of sprocket, is provided. The feeder includes an entrance retaining member that pushes the carrier tape inserted into a tape insertion section towards a tape feeding path, a rotatable lever that raises the entrance retaining member when the carrier tape is inserted into the tape insertion section, and a contact prevention device that prevents contact between the carrier tape inserted into the tape insertion section and the engaging protrusions when the entrance retaining member is raised by the rotation of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Ohashi, Hiroki Murase, Satoshi Osaki
  • Patent number: 10196225
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a delivery accumulating apparatus includes a collection base which is capable of accumulating a plurality of deliveries to be sequentially overlapped in a standing state in an accumulating direction on a surface thereof; an accumulating paddle which is capable of supporting a plurality of the deliveries accumulated on the collection base from an opposite direction of the accumulating direction, the accumulation paddle being arranged from above the collection base so that evacuation is possible; and an accommodation box which is arranged below the collection base, and is capable of accommodating a plurality of the deliveries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masashi Ohtake, Hidenari Mori
  • Patent number: 10189661
    Abstract: A vacuum wheel for transporting a substrate includes a fixed conduit that is connectable to a suction source. A vacuum surface on a circumference of the vacuum wheel includes vacuum openings that are distributed around the circumference, such that rotation of the wheel causes the vacuum openings to successively fluidically connect to the fixed conduit. When suction is applied to the fixed conduit, suction is applied to one or more of the vacuum openings that are currently fluidically connected to the fixed conduit. At least one contact surface on the circumference of the vacuum wheel is adjacent to, and extends outward beyond, the vacuum surface. When suction is applied to the vacuum openings, the substrate is drawn toward the vacuum surface so as to contact the contact surface without contacting the vacuum surface, creating a friction force that enables transport of the substrate when the wheel rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Core Flow Ltd.
    Inventors: Alon Segal, Yaacov Legerbaum
  • Patent number: 10184588
    Abstract: A tensioner pad assembly is adapted to be mounted on an endless track of a tensioner to frictionally clamp an elongated product supported and moved by the tensioner. The pad assembly includes a carrier member and a pair of gripping members, which gripping members can with their carrier member mating surfaces be mounted in multiple discrete gripping positions on gripping member mating surfaces of the carrier member. The mating surfaces form interlocking structures adapted to transfer a squeeze force from the carrier member to the gripping members. The interlocking structures provided on the carrier member define the multiple discrete gripping positions. The gripping member mating surfaces extend at an angle relative to each other, such that the multiple discrete gripping positions differ in their distance to the base portion as well as in their distance to the imaginary plane of the carrier member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: ITREC B.V.
    Inventors: Terence Willem August Vehmeijer, Jeroen Adrianus Joseph Donkers, Joop Roodenburg, Jilles Mattheus De Klerk