Patents Examined by Patrick Cicchino
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Patent number: 12698170Abstract: A printing device includes a placement unit on which a plurality of media are stackable, a printing unit, and a feed roller that feeds the medium placed on the placement unit in a transport direction. Before starting feeding of the medium downstream in the transport direction, by repeating, a plurality of times, a preliminary feed operation of coming into contact with a first medium and rotating, and a non-feed operation of not feeding the medium, the feed roller forms a misaligned stacking state in which the first medium is disposed further downstream, in the transport direction, than at least some of the plurality of media disposed closer to the placement unit side. The feed roller feeds the first medium downstream in the transport direction from the placement unit subsequent to formation of the misaligned stacking state.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2024Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takanori Umeda, Keisuke Yamaya
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Patent number: 12698173Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a skew feeding correction unit. The skew feeding correction unit includes a roller unit, and an attachment and detachment portion to and from which the roller unit is attachable and detachable. The roller unit includes a first skew feeding correction roller configured to convey a sheet, a second skew feeding correction roller configured to convey the sheet, a first turning mechanism configured to turn the first skew feeding correction roller around a first shaft extending in an intersecting direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the sheet and a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, a second turning mechanism configured to turn the second skew feeding correction roller around a second shaft extending in the intersecting direction, and a support member supporting the first skew feeding correction roller, the first turning mechanism, the second skew feeding correction roller, and the second turning mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2025Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yutaka Koga
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Patent number: 12697540Abstract: Systems and methods for mechanically processing physical media elements, e.g., automatically scratching scratch-off lottery tickets, may include receiving a batch of tickets at an input chute of a scratching system. Tickets may be serially fed through the scratching system that includes a series of roller scratching mechanisms. Pressure rollers may be individually adjustable to set a pressure of the scratching mechanisms. One or more scanners may obtain information from the tickets before and/or after scratching. A pair of parallel plates may be used to form a feed path to guide tickets through the system. A vacuum manifold may isolate some elements of the system from debris, and remove the debris from the system via negative pressure. One or more presence sensor may detect presence of a current ticket to control operation of feed motors. Various functions or elements of the system may be distributed over a plurality of removable modules.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2025Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: Jackpocket LLCInventors: Eric Parker, Eli Shieber, Allan Norico, Matthew Pichette, Elias Bachaalany, Imad Maalouf, Farid Hage
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Patent number: 12694744Abstract: A banknote feeder includes a body and a cover. The body is configured to attach to a banknote receiver. The cover is removably coupled to the body using a guide assembly. The guide assembly is configured to linearly guide the cover in an operational position away from the body to a pulled position. The guide assembly is also configured to rotatably guide the cover away from the pulled position to a hinged position.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2022Date of Patent: July 28, 2026Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Evan John Cost, Robert Clauser
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Patent number: 12692117Abstract: A device and a method are for stacking value documents. The device includes a stacker unit for receiving the value documents and a conveyor unit for conveying the value documents into the stacker unit. The stacker unit has a rotatable stacker wheel for receiving the value documents, wherein the rotatable stacker wheel has a plurality of deflectable stacker wheel segments which are provided along the circumference of the rotatable stacker wheel in a mutually spaced manner. Each of the deflectable stacker wheel segments defines a respective receiving region for receiving at least one of the value documents. The device additionally has a deflecting unit which is designed to deflect each stacker wheel segment individually to thus modify the size of the respective receiving region associated with the stacker wheel segment.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2023Date of Patent: July 28, 2026Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBHInventor: Stefan Schneider
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Patent number: 12692116Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a lower sheet guide including a first guide surface configured to guide a surface of a sheet, a discharge roller including two rollers configured to convey the sheet in a discharge direction, and a shaft extending in a width direction perpendicular to the discharge direction, a discharge tray configured to support the sheet, a first elastic piece located between the two rollers in the width direction and located above the shaft at a position of the shaft, a plurality of second elastic pieces located so as to sandwich the two rollers in the width direction and located above the shaft at the position of the shaft, a plurality of third elastic pieces located so as to sandwich the two rollers in the width direction and located downstream of the second elastic pieces in the discharge direction.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2025Date of Patent: July 28, 2026Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Fujiwara, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Shuhei Hatano
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Patent number: 12686579Abstract: A sheet takeout method includes: pressing, when a restraint device is in a restrained state, a transfer plate which is in a horizontal state to pickup and hold a topmost sheet member; pressing the sheet members by an inelastic deformation part of the transfer plate while setting the restraint device to be in a non-restrained state and setting the transfer plate to be in an elastically deformed state; inserting a restraining blade into a space formed between the topmost sheet member and its underlying sheet member and setting the restraint device to be in the restrained state again; returning the transfer plate that has picked up and held the topmost sheet member to a horizontal state while retracting the transfer plate upward; and transferring the topmost sheet member picked up and held by the transfer plate to a receiving holder.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2024Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobuhira Abe, Yuto Narita, Yuichi Itoh
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Patent number: 12688747Abstract: A bulk banknote feeder can operate in a single banknote feeding mode or a bulk banknote feeding mode. The bulk banknote feeder can include an accept inlet and a landing platform installed in the accept inlet. The landing platform assembly includes a landing platform, landing platform pins, landing platform cranks, position gears, and one or more springs. The landing platform includes slots perpendicular to a motion of the landing platform. The landing platform pins interface to the slots of the landing platform. The landing platform cranks interface with the landing platform pins. The position gears include slots to allow pressure pins to travel within the position gears. The one or more springs provide an upward force on the landing platform and the landing platform pins through the landing platform, and the upward force on the landing platform pins causes the landing platform cranks to rotate.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2022Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc.Inventor: Evan John Cost
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Patent number: 12682715Abstract: cover device for retaining a plurality of value documents in a compartment space). The cover device comprises a base unit extending in a main longitudinal direction, as well as a retaining element. A coupling element defines a hinge axis that allows the retaining element to pivot relative to the base unit between a closed position and an opened position. The hinge axis is inclined with respect to the main longitudinal direction. The invention further relates to a system and a banknote stacking module.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2022Date of Patent: July 14, 2026Assignee: GIESECKE+DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBHInventors: Simranjeet Bhagat, Vishal Handa
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Patent number: 12669767Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer portion, a fixing portion, a sensor, a duct, and an airflow generation portion. The transfer portion transfers a toner image to a sheet. The fixing portion fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet by the transfer portion on the sheet. The sensor senses the sheet on a downstream side of the transfer portion in a conveyance direction of the sheet and an upstream side of the fixing portion in the conveyance direction. The duct extends from an air intake port to an air blowing port. The air intake port is open on an upper surface of the image forming apparatus. The air blowing port is open toward the sensor. The airflow generation portion generates airflow that moves in the duct from the air intake port to the air blowing port.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2024Date of Patent: June 30, 2026Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Keiju Ishida
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Patent number: 12670771Abstract: Provided is a method of stacking media in a media storage unit, which includes: receiving information about a length of a medium entering a media storage unit; calculating a delay time of a stopper corresponding to the length of the medium; and applying a delay time of the stopper calculated for each medium entering the media storage unit to differentially control activation of the stopper for each medium.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2022Date of Patent: June 30, 2026Assignee: HYOSUNG TNS INC.Inventors: Jong Seong Park, Tae Min Choi, Byung Hyun Jo
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Patent number: 12654967Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes an opening-and-closing member, a pressing member, a hook, a biasing member, and an adjuster. The opening-and-closing member has a lower end to be supported by an apparatus body and is rotatable. The pressing member is disposed in the opening-and-closing member to press a pressed member of the apparatus body. The hook engages with an engaging member of the apparatus body to hold the opening-and-closing member at a closing position of the opening-and-closing member. The biasing member biases the hook in a direction to maintain engagement of the hook. The adjuster adjusts at least one of a pressing force of the pressing member or a protrusion amount of the pressing member with respect to a surrounding member of the pressing member. The hook rotates against a biasing force of the biasing member to ride over the engaging member and engage with the engaging member.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2024Date of Patent: June 16, 2026Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventor: Satoru Takano
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Patent number: 12654476Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a conveyance roller, a printing unit, a reverse roller provided at a position on a downstream side of the printing unit in a first direction, a second conveyance path configured to reverse the front and back of the print medium, and a control unit. In a case where a first print medium on which printing has been performed first is conveyed in a second direction via the second conveyance path, the control unit controls the conveyance roller and the reverse roller, such that a trailing edge of the first print medium in the second direction passes through the reverse roller before a second print medium conveyed by the conveyance roller subsequent to the first print medium reaches the reverse roller.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2023Date of Patent: June 16, 2026Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichi Kubokawa, Masaaki Matsuura, Haruo Uchida, Shoichi Kan, Takaaki Ishida, Keisei Hakamata, Noriyuki Sugiyama, Motoyuki Taguchi, Takahiro Kiuchi, Yasunori Matsumoto, Yumi Mukoyama, Kyosuke Kamishima
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Patent number: 12649633Abstract: A document conveying device includes a sheet feeding tray, a sheet feeding mechanism, a discharge tray, a sheet feeding tray lifting mechanism, a top plate, a fixed wall part, and a lifting wall part. The discharge tray is provided below the sheet feeding tray. The top plate is adjacent to the sheet feeding tray on a downstream side in the sheet feeding direction. The fixed wall part is provided extending downward from an upstream side end portion of the top plate in the sheet feeding direction, and is fixed. The lifting wall part is provided extending upward from a downstream side end portion of the sheet feeding tray in the sheet feeding direction, and lifted and lowered together with the sheet feeding tray. The discharge tray includes a lowering restriction part which comes into contact with the lifting wall part to restrict a lowering of the lifting wall part.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2025Date of Patent: June 9, 2026Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventors: Yoshitaka Tokoro, Takafumi Nakagawa, Shikitaro Ogawa, Ren Isoda
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Patent number: 12637311Abstract: A transport device configured to transport a medium stacked on a loading section is disclosed. The transport device includes a transport roller and a separation roller and is configured to separate the medium one sheet at a time. A rotation shaft is attached to the separation roller and a movable guide member guides the medium between the transport roller and the separation roller, to be aligned with the separation roller in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and to be movable in the shaft direction. The separation roller is attachable to and detachable from the rotation shaft by moving in the shaft direction. By moving in the shaft direction, the movable guide member is displaced between a guide position at which the medium is guided and a retracted position at which the separation roller is movable in the shaft direction with respect to the rotation shaft.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2024Date of Patent: May 26, 2026Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Masashi Ogawa, Ryoichi Morisawa
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Patent number: 12606394Abstract: A feeding roller feeds a medium placed at a medium placement portion by forward rotation power supplied from a driving unit. A displacement portion displaces the feeding roller to an abutting position by the forward rotation power supplied from the driving unit and displaces the feeding roller to a separation position by reverse rotation power supplied from the driving unit. A power transmission unit includes a one-way clutch that transmits the forward rotation power, that is supplied from the driving unit, to the feeding roller but does not transmit the reverse rotation power, that is supplied from the driving unit, to the feeding roller.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2024Date of Patent: April 21, 2026Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Katsunari Kumagai
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Patent number: 12606391Abstract: The invention discloses a sheet processing machine with an alignment plate at the input. The sheets are piled against the plate, and during each machine cycle, the bottommost sheet is extracted and delivered to a gripper bar of the machine. The alignment plate can move precisely longitudinally and diagonally to adjust the position and the skew of the sheet for correct positioning in the gripper bar. The alignment plate is guaranteed to be kept vertical by using a pair of synchronized linear actuators on each side of the plate. The machine can adapt to varying sheet thickness by adjusting the gap below that plate thanks to a motorized gauge. To even better position the sheets, a set of abutments is provided after the plate, and at a fixed distance to the plate. The abutments are pivoting to get out of the way of the gripper bar when needed.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2023Date of Patent: April 21, 2026Assignee: BOBST MEX SAInventors: Raúl Martinez, Paul Hornick
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Patent number: 12606393Abstract: The present invention relates to a feeder module for discharging sheets into a converting machine. The feeder module comprises a movable discharge conveyor comprising a plurality of belt conveyors which are configured to move between a discharge position (DP) in which the belt conveyors are contacting the lowermost positioned sheet in the stack and discharges said sheet, and a clearing position (CP) in which the conveyor belts are located underneath the loading surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2024Date of Patent: April 21, 2026Assignee: BOBST MEX SAInventors: Gaël Jaquemet, Arnaud Dekervel
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Patent number: 12606398Abstract: A relay transport device is configured to relay a medium fed from the feeding device and transport the medium to the recording device. The relay transport device includes a first restriction section having a first restriction surface configured to position a first edge, which is one edge in a width direction, a first transport belt configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a first direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction, a second transport belt that is provided downstream of the first transport belt in the transport direction and that is configured to transport the medium toward the first restriction surface in a second direction, which intersects the transport direction and the width direction, and a suction section configured to suck the medium via a through hole provided in the first transport belt and the second transport belt.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2023Date of Patent: April 21, 2026Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Chiaki Shimada, Katsuyuki Kondo
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Patent number: 12600585Abstract: Disclosed is a lifting device and an electrode sheet transfer apparatus using the same. The lifting device is a device for lifting a sheet-shaped member, and includes a main suction plate configured to make surface contact with a central portion of the sheet-shaped member and adsorb the central portion; a sub suction plate configured to make surface contact with an edge portion of the sheet-shaped member located outside the central portion and adsorb the edge portion; and a lifting unit connected to the main suction plate and the sub suction plate respectively to raise or lower the main suction plate and the sub suction plate, wherein the lifting unit is configured to lift the main suction plate and the sub suction plate when the main suction plate and the sub suction plate adsorb the sheet-shaped member, so that the sub suction plate is raised before the main suction plate.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2023Date of Patent: April 14, 2026Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.Inventors: Jong-Cheon Kim, Jeong-Ho Yoon