Patents Examined by Patrick Cicchino
  • Patent number: 10589950
    Abstract: A gravity-assisted registration system suited to use in a printing device includes a transport member with a surface on which an associated sheet is translated in a process direction. The surface defines an angle with respect to horizontal in a cross-process direction. A registration wall, adjacent a lower end of the surface, defines a registration edge for registering the sheet. A drive mechanism drives at least one rotation mechanism, for translating sheet in the process direction, each rotation mechanism including at least one drive member with an axis of rotation parallel to the surface in the cross-process direction, Each drive member includes a sliding mechanism, at a periphery of the drive member, enabling the sheet to slide, under gravity, on the surface, toward the registration wall into an alignment position, in contact with the registration wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roberto A. Irizarry, Carlos M. Terrero, Jeffrey N. Swing, Michael J. Linder, Elizabeth M. Crossen, Ron E. Dufort, Dara N. Lubin, Daniel M. McHugh
  • Patent number: 10589955
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, a discharging roller pair, a plurality of trays, a guide member, and a controller. The image forming section forms an image on each of a plurality of sheets. The discharging roller pair discharges each of the sheets. The sheets discharged by the discharging roller pair are to be stacked on the trays (first through third trays). The guide member guides each of the sheets from the discharging roller pair toward a discharge destination tray among the plurality of trays. Every time the discharging roller pair discharges one of the sheets, the controller controls the guide member to change the discharge destination tray. The trays are configured such that leading ends of the sheets are superposed on one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuro Arata
  • Patent number: 10584005
    Abstract: A medium feed device includes a feed roller provided to a device body and configured to feed paper, a separator roller provided at a position on the device body facing the feed roller and configured to separate the paper, and a medium support section configured to support the medium in an inclined state upstream of the feed roller. The medium support section is configured with a variable contact angle between the paper supported by the medium support section and the separator roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Harada, Ryoichi Shuto, Keiichiro Fukumasu, Kazuhiko Tsuyama, Tomoyuki Mokuo, Tokujiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 10556765
    Abstract: A registration system for a printing device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. For example, the registration system includes at least one sensor to detect a position of a print media, at least one laterally adjustable nip, wherein the laterally adjustable nip moves along an inboard direction and an outboard direction, a motor coupled to the at least one laterally adjustable nip to move the at least one laterally adjustable nip a desired amount of movement based on the position of the print media and a width of the print media, and a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the motor to calculate a desired amount of movement based on the position of the print media and control the motor to move the at least one laterally adjustable nip by the desired amount of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Seemit Praharaj, Jason Mathew LeFevre, Paul J. McConville, Chu-heng Liu
  • Patent number: 10549937
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to a device including a separator. Examples include a first separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a first spring. In examples, the first separator has a first centerline in a direction perpendicular to a medium travel direction. Examples include a second separator having a surface to contact a medium and is coupled to a second spring. In examples, the second separator has a second centerline disposed substantially parallel to the first centerline. Examples include a roller to contact the medium to move the medium along the medium travel direction. In examples, the first spring and second spring bias the first separator and second separator towards the roller, respectively. In examples, a force applied by the first separator to the medium is independent of a force applied to the medium by the second separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wesley R Schalk, Sam Sing, Jeffrey G Bingham
  • Patent number: 10543997
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes an abutment part having an abutment area against which a leading edge of a sheet abuts and a moving part to move the abutment part between first and second positions. The moving part includes a link member having an engage portion to engage with a positioning portion, the link member being joined with the abutment part, and an urging member to urge the link member such that the abutment part moves toward the second position. The abutment part is retained at the first position against an urging force of the urging member in a case where the positioning portion is engaged with the engage portion of the link member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumiya Sawashima, Tetsuji Suzuki, Ryuji Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 10543881
    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: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Inventors: Robert K. Gulotta, Don Weinmeister
  • Patent number: 10538400
    Abstract: A sheet-type medium transporter comprises separation rollers to separate a sheet-type medium from sheet-type media picked up from a load tray in which the sheet-type media are loaded to be transported out of the load tray in a transporting direction; and an air blower coupled to at least one separation roller of the separation rollers to be driven by the at least one separation roller, to supply air in a direction substantially opposite to the transporting direction of the load tray and toward the sheet-type media, to lift the sheet-type medium from the sheet-type media, which is to be separated by the separation rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Eiji Aoki, Jin-soo Lee
  • Patent number: 10526149
    Abstract: An image processing device includes first and second feeding units. The first feeding unit feeds a sheet toward the second feeding unit in a sheet feeding direction via a sheet feeding path. The device further includes an image processing portion. The first feeding unit is in the path upstream of the processing portion and includes a first shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The second feeding unit is in the path downstream of the processing portion, and the first and the second units feed and hold the sheet. The second feeding unit includes a second shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The device includes a first supporting member supporting first and second ends of the first shaft, a second supporting member supporting first and second ends of the second shaft, and a third supporting member supporting one shaft at a predetermined portion which is not either end of either shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Satoru Nakakita
  • Patent number: 10518994
    Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus for automatically adjusting a feeder tray of a printing device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signal to initiate a feeder tray adjustment routine, wherein the feeder tray adjustment routine determines an amount of lateral adjustment of the feeder tray to eliminate a lateral input error of a print media that is fed to a registration subsystem of the printing device, activates a mechanism to adjust a lateral position of the feeder tray by the amount that is determined, and feeds subsequent print media through the registration subsystem for printing an image on the subsequent print media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Victoria Lynn Warner, Donald R. Fess, James L. Giacobbi, Matthew Ryan McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 10520043
    Abstract: A dual clutch assembly comprises a rotatable second input shaft that surrounds and is concentric with a rotatable first input shaft. A rotatable hub surrounds the first input shaft. A first and a second clutch rotor are connected to the rotatable hub. The first clutch rotor comprises a pulley coupling and a clutch surface. The second clutch rotor comprises a clutch surface. A stationary electromagnetic assembly is mounted between the first clutch rotor and the second clutch rotor. A first armature assembly is coupled to the first input shaft and is configured to couple to the first clutch surface of the first clutch rotor in response to a first electromagnetic signal. A second armature assembly is coupled to the second input shaft and is configured to couple to the clutch surface of the second clutch rotor in response to a second electromagnetic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Michael J Hornbrook, Jason A. Brady
  • Patent number: 10507995
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a separator to separate a sheet from sheets. The separator includes a separation conveyor; a separation resistance member to press against the separation conveyor via the sheet; a resistance-member holder; a biasing member to contact and bias the resistance-member holder to press the separation resistance member toward the separation conveyor, the resistance-member holder to rotate about a resistance-member rotary shaft to separate from the biasing member in detaching from an apparatus body; and a biasing-member holder configured to rotate about a biasing-member rotary shaft to more incline the biasing member in a state, in which the biasing member is spaced apart from the resistance-member holder, in a moving direction of the resistance-member holder to detach from the apparatus body than the biasing member in a biasing state in which the biasing member biases the resistance-member holder in contact with the resistance-member holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Munekazu Hirata, Satoshi Narai, Yasunobu Youda, Tatsuaki Nagano, Takayuki Andoh, Daisuke Imaki, Tomoya Fujii, Toshiyuki Horikawa, Koji Hatayama, Kaoru Tada, Naoto Kitamura
  • Patent number: 10502303
    Abstract: A cam follower assembly having a plastic guide body and a cam follower having two opposing roller shaft ends is provided. The single piece guide body includes a pair of grooved members. Each of the grooved members include an interior surface defining an elongated guide groove having a recessed surface. The elongated guide grooves are facing and aligned with each other. The cam follower is disposed between the pair of grooved member such that one of the roller shaft ends is received in one guide groove and the opposite roller shaft end is received in the other of the guide groove. The roller shaft ends are slidable in a reciprocal axial direction within the elongated guide grooves and retained between the recessed surfaces. The plastic guide body may be injection molded from a nylon material having glass fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, LLC
    Inventors: Michael E. McCarroll, Anteo C. Opipari, Nick Hendriksma
  • Patent number: 10502310
    Abstract: A protective cover structure for a motorcycle transmission allows the entrance of clean air. The cover includes: a first cover member to protect the transmission members, longitudinally extending along a direction which coincides with the travel direction, from a receding front area, corresponding to the engine axis, to a rear area corresponding to the rear wheel drive axis, and an inlet hole positioned at an inlet port of the transmission at the receding front area; a second cover member overlapping the receding front area to protect the inlet hole, forming, with the first cover member, an air intake extending from an upper to a lower edge of the first cover member, defining an inlet section, oriented opposite to the motorcycle travel direction; and a baffle, disposed between the first and the second cover members at said air intake, forming a channel driving the air upwardly to the inlet hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.P.A.
    Inventor: Stefano Doveri
  • Patent number: 10494206
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating device includes a first plate member on which sheets are mounted, a first biasing member that presses up the first plate member, a second plate member disposed on a side of the first plate member opposite to a side of the first plate member on which the sheets are mounted; and a second biasing member that presses up the second plate member, and has a configuration in which, according to a size of the sheets, the first biasing member presses up the first plate member or both the first and second biasing members press up both the first and second plate members. An area of the first plate member is smaller than an area of the second plate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Haruhisa Furumoto, Kohji Aoki
  • Patent number: 10482410
    Abstract: In an airport baggage handling system bag information, flight information and airport topology information are provided to a central processor which determines a path for the bag through the handling system. The bag is scanned at various points along the path and the scan time is compared with a predetermined arrival time for the bag at the scan point. A bag is marked at risk if it arrives at a scan point after the predetermined time and the system may suggest an alternative handling path for the bag if it is determined that the risk of the bag not making an outbound flight is too high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: SITA Information Networking Computing USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas John Gates, Manish Limaye, Olivier Pierre Poulard, Emad Eldeen Muhanna, Daniel Edmond Chetrit, Aseem Dayal, Pravin Naicker, Maria Patricia Maya
  • Patent number: 10479636
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveying roller that conveys a sheet, a processing tray on which the sheet from the conveying roller is loaded, a reference stopper provided at one end of the processing tray, a return paddle having an elastic piece for transferring the sheet from the conveying roller to the reference member, and a roller arm that moves the return paddle in the sheet thickness direction at a predetermined moving rate according to the number of sheets loaded on the processing tray. The moving rate of the roller arm is reduced as the number of sheets loaded on the processing tray is increased. With this configuration, aligning property of even a wavy sheet can be suppressed from being deteriorated at sheet loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Takahiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 10472197
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a post-printing processing device, and a paper exit part. The main body forms an image on paper. The post-printing processing device is located above the main body and performs post-printing processing on paper. The paper exit part is located on a side surface of the post-printing processing device. Paper is ejected to the paper exit part. The post-printing processing device includes a paper inlet port and a conveyance device. The paper inlet port is located in a rear part of a lower surface of the post-printing processing device. The conveyance device conveys paper conveyed via the paper inlet port into the post-printing processing device in a forward direction thereof to a paper loading tray and conveys the paper therefrom leftward to eject the paper to the paper exit part located on the left side of the post-printing processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoya Hotani, Hiroyuki Harada, Takeshi Iketani, Akira Horie, Rei Yamagishi, Masaaki Maruta
  • Patent number: 10472192
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a cover unit opened and closed with respect to an apparatus body and a guide unit including first and second movable guides respectively movable with respect to the apparatus body. A first conveyance path is formed between the first guide portion and the first movable guide, and a second conveyance path is formed between the second guide portion and the second movable guide. The guide unit is provided with a linking mechanism including an intermediate member for linking the first and second movable guides. The linking mechanism coordinates movements of the first and second movable guides such that the first and second movable guides are respectively moved away from the first and second guide portions along with an opening movement of the cover unit with respect to the apparatus body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Mizuta, Takehito Osada, Ken-ichiro Isobe
  • Patent number: 10451103
    Abstract: Provided is a cable connecting mechanism including a slider and a slider housing member. The slider housing member has a lid member, a bottom surface member, a pair of side walls, a one-end-side hinge connecting the lid member and the bottom surface member, an another-end-side hinge connecting the member and the bottom surface member, a first engagement structure provided on an outer surface closer to one end of the slider housing member than the one-end-side hinge, a second engagement structure, a third engagement structure, a fourth engagement structure, a cable extension part, and a wall portion arranged to be sandwiched between the one-end-side hinge and the another-end-side hinge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: HI-LEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sho Yoshida, Masaki Tamura, Tatsuhiko Hasegawa