Patents Examined by Patrick Cicchino
  • Patent number: 11167947
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takatoshi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11161706
    Abstract: A pick-up device disposed between an input tray and a feeding path includes a paper feeding unit for feeding paper, a separation roller disposed opposite to the paper feeding unit, a blocking arm disposed between the input tray and the paper feeding unit and configured to be switchably disposed between a blocking position for blocking the paper and a feeding position for passing the paper through the feeding path, and a guiding arm disposed in the feeding path through a pivot shaft and having a guiding portion. The pivot shaft is located upstream of the separation roller, and the guiding portion is swingably disposed in a seam space formed by the paper feeding unit and the separation roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Pin Hsieh, Yung Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11148892
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a position detector configured to detect a position of a side end portion of a conveyance target medium, a position adjuster configured to move in at least one of a width direction of the conveyance target medium and a rotation direction of the conveyance target medium within a plane of sheet conveyance, while conveying the conveyance target medium, and adjust a position of the conveyance target medium, according to the position of the side end portion of the conveyance target medium detected by the position detector, a transfer rotary body disposed downstream from the position adjuster in a sheet conveying direction and having a receiver mounted on the rotary body to receive the conveyance target medium, and circuitry configured to change a rotation speed of the transfer rotary body according to the position of the conveyance target medium after adjusted by the position adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Egawa, Yuichiro Maeyama, Motoharu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11142426
    Abstract: The sheet processing device includes a processing tray, a processing device, a discharge port, a discharge rollers pair, a supporting arm and an interlock mechanism. The discharge rollers pair has a lower roller and an upper roller. The supporting arm supports the upper roller and is turnable between a first position where the upper roller comes into contact with the sheet and a second position where the upper roller separates upwardly from the sheet. The interlock mechanism includes an actuator, a switch and a switch moving mechanism. The actuator is turned with an upwardly turning of the supporting arm. The switch detects the actuator to detect that the supporting arm is turned to the second position. The switch moving mechanism moves the switch to a switch non-detective position when the processing is not performed and moves the switch to a switch detective position when the processing is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiko Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11124261
    Abstract: A bar end mounting structure in a handle which is capable of improving the ease of maintenance of a bar end. A handlebar with a hollow shape has an L-shaped groove. The L-shaped groove is comprised of a first groove portion, which is formed in a longitudinal direction of the handlebar in a manner extending from an opening end, and a second groove portion, which is formed in substantially a circumferential direction of the handlebar and is contiguous to the first groove portion. The bar end and the screw support unit are fixed to the handlebar by screwing the screw into the screw support unit in a state in which the projecting portion of the screw support unit is in engagement with the second groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOYO DENSO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoji Kishi, Takayuki Otani, Toshikazu Murata
  • Patent number: 11117252
    Abstract: A robot includes a base, a robot arm having a first arm provided on the base and configured to rotate about a first rotation axis and a second arm provided on the first arm and configured to rotate about a second rotation axis, a cable placed inside of the robot arm, and a tube having a suction hole for suctioning a gas inside of the robot arm when connected to a pump, wherein a first gap is provided between the first arm and the second arm, and the suction hole is placed inside of the robot arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuto Yoshimura, Sho Nakano
  • Patent number: 11117768
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a feeding roller that includes a first roller and a second roller provided at an interval in a width direction intersecting a medium feeding direction, and feeds a sheet from a placing section; and a skew detection section that detects skew of the sheet fed from the feeding roller. Skew is corrected by giving a difference between a rotation speed of the first roller and a rotation speed of the second roller with respect to at least one of the relevant sheet detected by the skew detection section and subsequent sheets fed following the relevant sheet based on a skew amount in the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tokujiro Okuno, Hiromichi Kitsuki
  • Patent number: 11117769
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device correcting skew of a sheet being conveyed includes: a rotational shaft extending perpendicularly to a sheet conveyance direction; conveyance rollers disposed at predefined intervals and into which the rotational shaft is inserted; gate members being coaxial with the conveyance rollers and disposed between the conveyance rollers along the rotational shaft, the gate members each having an arc-shaped part partially surrounding the rotational shaft and a stopper protruding radially outwards from the arc-shaped part; and a mounting plate elongated along the rotational shaft and being supported rotatably around the rotational shaft and holding the gate members in a same orientation. After the sheet abuts against at least one of the stoppers, the stoppers are pushed out of the conveyance path by the sheet. When the stoppers are positioned on the conveyance path, openings of the arc-shaped parts face toward a downstream side in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Fumiaki Murakami, Katsumi Kuroyanagi, Shigeru Sawano
  • Patent number: 11097802
    Abstract: A bicycle handlebar cushioning assembly includes a mount for positioning on and releasably engaged by and retained on bicycle handlebars. The mount releasably snaps onto and frictionally engages the bicycle handlebars. The mount has a first end and a second end and is elongated from the first end to the second end. A cushioning member is non-removably attached to the mount. The cushioning member is resiliently compressible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Inventors: Robert K. Gulotta, Don Weinmeister
  • Patent number: 11091334
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a storage unit storing a sheet, a conveyance member to convey a sheet, a support shaft portion, and a separation unit. The support shaft portion has one end fixed to a main body of the sheet conveyance apparatus and the other end as a free end that is not fixed to the main body. The separation unit pinches and conveys a sheet with the conveyance member and separates a plurality of sheets stored in and fed from the storage unit one by one. The separation unit includes a separation member that is supported by the support shaft portion and rotatable with the support shaft portion, and a holding member to hold the separation member. By moving the holding member in an axial direction of the support shaft portion, the separation unit is removed from the apparatus with the holding member holding the separation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Aono, Yasuaki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11091223
    Abstract: An automatic cycle pedal includes a pedal body (1) rotatably mounted on a pedal axle (2). The pedal body (1) includes attachment means (3, 4) for attaching a retaining plate fixed to the bottom of a cyclist's shoe, having of a fixed front attachment member (3) and a mobile rear attachment member (4) mounted to pivot on the pedal body (1) about a rotation axis (6) between a position retaining the plate engaged between the front and rear attachment members (3, 4), and a position releasing the plate by pivoting of the rear attachment member (4) against the action of an elastic return means. The pedal further includes an adjustment system (8) for adjusting a return force of the elastic return means in order to adjust a shoe attachment/detachment tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: LOOK CYCLE INTERNATIONAL
    Inventors: Vincent Jaillet, Gérald Paillaud, Vincent Holterboch
  • Patent number: 11069433
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for delivering single-dose packages sequentially from a substantially continuous strip having a first dispensing end and a second end, e.g., contained within a cassette or other dispenser. The strip includes a cover layer attached to a base layer to define a plurality of blisters therebetween that have one or more medications therein. The blisters are aligned in single file generally along the longitudinal axis between the first and second ends and/or otherwise arranged in single-dose packages adjacent one another, e.g., at least some of the single-dose packages including a plurality of blisters having different types of medications therein. A first single-dose package at the first dispensing end may be separable from a second adjacent single-dose package such that individual single-dose packages may be removed successively from the first dispensing end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: ID-CON, LLC
    Inventors: Roy S. Luoma, Mark C. Doyle, Linda S. Luoma
  • Patent number: 11040842
    Abstract: A sheet supporting apparatus includes a cassette body supporting a sheet, a regulation device disposed on the cassette body in a moving direction and regulating a position of an edge of the sheet, and a plurality of engaged portions disposed on the cassette body. The regulation device includes a body portion, an engaging portion moving between an engagement position at which the engaging portion engages with one of the engaged portions and a separation position at which the engaging portion is separated from the engaged portions, an operation member pivotably supported on the body portion and operated between a first posture at which the operation member positions the engaging portion at the engagement position and a second posture at which the operation member positions the engaging portion at the separation position, and a retention portion retaining the operation member at the first posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taisuke Hyodo, Masaki Iwase
  • Patent number: 11021337
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a casing provided with a first conveying path and a second conveying path; a first feeding tray provided in the casing and having a first supporting surface that supports a sheet; a supporting member that supports the first feeding tray from below in the casing; a first feeding section provided above the first supporting surface; a first guide member having a first guide surface to guide the sheet fed from the first feeding tray; a second feeding tray provided below the supporting member in the casing and having a second supporting surface that supports a different sheet; a second feeding section provided above the second supporting surface; a second guide member having a second guide surface to guide the different sheet fed from the second feeding tray; and a frame made of metal and being installed on a lower surface of the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Masatomo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11014770
    Abstract: A substrate-feeding device has at least two acceleration devices, which are arranged one beside the other, beneath a storage region, and having a framework and a lifting frame, which lifting frame can be moved relative to the framework. The at least two acceleration devices are arranged for movement jointly with one another, and with the lifting frame. Each of the acceleration devices has at least one body of rotation, which is driven via a common shaft which has at least two shaft portions arranged one behind the other. Directly adjacent shaft portions are arranged in a state in which they are connected in each case, via a coupling. There are subassemblies provided which each have a deflecting device, a shaft portion and at least one transporting belt and which are each one of fastened on the lifting frame, and are arranged for movement jointly with the lifting frame and are connected to one another by virtue of their shaft portions being connected via couplings to form the common shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: KOENIG & BAUER AG
    Inventors: Bernhard Bär, Alexander Soller
  • Patent number: 11009903
    Abstract: A brake pedal apparatus of an autonomous vehicle may include a brake pedal, wherein a lower end portion of a brake pedal is popped-up to be exposed to the interior of the vehicle so that a driver may operate the brake pedal in a manual driving mode situation for the driver to directly drive the vehicle, and the brake pedal is in a hidden state so that the driver may not operate the brake pedal as the lower end portion of the brake pedal is rotated to move forward by operation of an actuator in an autonomous running mode situation in which the driver does not drive directly the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Eun Sik Kim
  • Patent number: 11008187
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes an auxiliary tray, a sheet feeding tray, a roller, a driving mechanism, and a pickup roller. The sheet feeding tray is adjacent to the auxiliary tray on a lateral side of the auxiliary tray. The roller is configured to move in a thickness direction of a sheet bundle placed on the auxiliary tray to contact an end of the sheet bundle facing the sheet feeding tray. The driving mechanism is configured to laterally move the auxiliary tray to be on top of the sheet feeding tray when the sheet bundle placed on the auxiliary tray is transferred to the sheet feeding tray. The pickup roller is configured to pick up a sheet one by one from the sheet bundle transferred to the sheet feeding tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akira Nuita
  • Patent number: 10988331
    Abstract: A medium containing device includes a supporting member composed with a first part, a second part and a third part connecting the first part and the second part wherein the supporting member is configured to cause the first part to incline by being lifted up from a standard position, and supports recording media. When the supporting member is in the standard position, a first height position of an upper face of a first base part in a region adjacent to the first part is lower than a second height position of an upper face of the first part in a region adjacent to the first base part, and a third height position of an upper face of the second part in a region adjacent to the first base part is lower than a fourth height position of an upper face of the first base part in a region adjacent to the second part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Osaki
  • Patent number: 10982730
    Abstract: A flywheel system comprises a flywheel rotor comprising a rotor disc and a rotor shaft and has a longitudinal axis extending centrally through the rotor disc and the rotor shaft. The system further comprises a journal assembly configured to facilitate rotation of the flywheel rotor. The journal assembly comprises a sleeve having an aperture extending therethrough from a first end to a second, opposite end, a rod at least partially disposed within the aperture of the sleeve, and a nut coupled to a portion of the rod. The rod has a length greater than the sleeve such that a portion of the rod extends axially beyond the first end of the sleeve. A method of forming the flywheel comprises coupling the rod to the rotor shaft and pulling the second end of the rod to tension the rod. The nut maintains the tension in the rod when coupled thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Saint- Augustin Canada Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Gagne, Sebastien Arcand, Nicolas Doyon
  • Patent number: 10981740
    Abstract: A media registration system including a track to transport media in a transport direction from an intake end to a registration end, and a pivot shaft. A translator to register media in a lateral direction to the transport direction includes a translation element operatively coupled to the track and moveable along a translation axis in the lateral direction, and a driver to drive the translation element a translation distance along the translation axis to rotate the track about the pivot shaft to move the registration end a selected registration distance in the lateral direction, the translation distance proportional to the selected registration distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Elliott Downing, Cristopher Royce Jansson, Robert Yraceburu