Patents Examined by Thomas Morrison
  • Sheet registration using rotatable frame
    Patent number: 10894681
    Abstract: Alignment apparatuses include a frame and contact elements connected to the frame. The contact elements contact items that are to be transported in a processing direction relative to the frame. The contact elements are in permeant fixed positions relative to the frame, and do not move relative to the frame. Adjustable mounts are connected to the frame and move the frame in the processing direction and in a perpendicular cross-processing direction. A controller is electrically connected to the adjustable mounts, and the controller is adapted to control the adjustable mounts to simultaneously move the frame and all the contact elements in the cross-processing direction and the processing direction while rotating the frame. Methods laterally shift imaging on sheets that have had rotational correction performed by such alignment apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew L. Gesner, Kenneth E. VanDeWater, Husein Naser Kasim Rashed, Jason M. LeFevre, Douglas K. Herrmann, Paul J. McConville, Chu-heng Liu, Seemit Praharaj
  • Multifeed detection device and image reading apparatus
    Patent number: 10894680
    Abstract: A multifeed detection device that detects multifeed by using an ultrasonic wave includes an ultrasonic emitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit arranged to oppose each other with a medium transport path interposed therebetween; judges occurrence of multifeed of media based on a detection intensity of an ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic receiving unit, and a multifeed threshold for judging multifeed of media; and acquires first information that is information relating to adjustment for the multifeed threshold, and second information for specifying that the first information is the information relating to the adjustment for the multifeed threshold, from a calibration sheet holding the first information and the second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Nishizaka, Daisuke Honda
  • Handling system for handling stackable flat elements
    Patent number: 10889456
    Abstract: A handling system (100) for handling stackable flat elements, in particular carton elements. The system (100) includes a supporting table (102) on which at least an edge portion (303) of a stack (101) of flat elements is supportable, a clamping device (103) configured for clamping a first part (113) of the edge portion of the stack (101) to the supporting table (102), and a lifting device (104) configured for lifting a second part (114) of the stack (101) from the supporting table (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: BOBST GRENCHEN AG
    Inventor: Stefan Wick
  • Feed apparatus and image recording apparatus
    Patent number: 10882707
    Abstract: There is provided a feed apparatus including a support unit having a support surface, a feed roller, a first arm to support the feed roller, a recess portion on the support surface, a second arm swingable, with a side of the one end as a swing shaft, between a first position at which the other end of the second arm is in the recess portion and a second position at which the other end is outside the recess portion; and a biasing member. In a case that the second arm is the first position, a guide surface of the second arm is positioned on an upstream side of the feed roller in the feed direction and in a case that the second arm is the second position, the other end of the second arm is positioned on a downstream side of the feed roller in the feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuta Uchino
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 10875731
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a main body, a conveyance path, a first external cover and a second external cover. The first cover provided in the main body to cover the conveyance path includes a blocking wall facing the conveyance path; a concave portion provided below the blocking wall and recessed toward the main body with respect to a lower end of the blocking wall; a communication portion, provided between the lower end of the blocking wall and an upper end of the concave portion, that penetrates the first external cover and faces an outer space of the image forming apparatus at a position that extends from the concave portion to the blocking wall; and an air exhaust portion provided above the blocking wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tadao Kamano
  • Medium supply apparatus
    Patent number: 10870548
    Abstract: A medium supply apparatus includes: a placement mount on which a plurality of media are placed; a transportation mechanism that transports an uppermost medium of the plurality of media placed on the placement mount; and an aspiration mechanism that aspirates air to attract the uppermost medium to the transportation mechanism, wherein the aspiration mechanism includes a blocking means for blocking air aspiration performed by the aspiration mechanism, in such a manner as to prevent another medium of the plurality of media that is located below the uppermost medium from being attracted to the transportation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Hori, Yoshihisa Morita
  • Tray device with reduced collision sound
    Patent number: 10843890
    Abstract: A tray device includes a first tray including a first surface and an abutting portion, and a second tray including a second surface and an abutted portion. The second tray is configured to move with respect to the first tray. The abutting portion includes two abutting surfaces located obliquely with respect to an extending direction of the first surface. The abutted portion includes two abutted surfaces located obliquely with respect to an extending direction of the second surface. A difference between an angle formed by each of the two abutting surfaces and the extending direction of the first surface and an angle formed by each of the two abutted surfaces and the extending direction of the second surface is set larger than a maximum angular difference between the extending direction of the first surface and a movement direction in which the second tray moves with respect to the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: PFU LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiki Yamada, Masaya Takamori
  • Transporting sheets of print media
    Patent number: 10843888
    Abstract: Certain examples described herein relate to transporting sheets of print media. In one example, a media transport apparatus has a plurality of media transport sections including a first media transport section and a second media transport section offset from the first media transport section in a media transport direction. The media transport apparatus has a holding section arranged to receive a sheet of print media from the first media transport section. The holding section is moveable to deposit the sheet of print media upon the second media transport section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: HP SCITEX LTD.
    Inventors: Yuval Dim, Alex Veis
  • Stacker hopper with feed interrupt
    Patent number: 10843889
    Abstract: A sheet stacking system includes a conveyor for carrying sheets from a conveyor intake end to a conveyor discharge end and a hopper at the discharge end for receiving the sheets and guiding them as they fall in a cascade path onto a platform. The hopper has a backstop facing the discharge end of the conveyor and a first accumulator that includes a carrier and a support extending from the carrier through the backstop. The support is configured to rotate from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the backstop, and the carrier is movable linearly and vertically relative to the backstop with the support in the extended position from a raised location with the support outside the cascade path to a lowered location with the support in the cascade path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: A.G. STACKER INC.
    Inventors: Clarence C. Allen, Jr., Eric H. Crowe, Micah C. Sundstrom, Eric Stempihar, Kevin G. Gorby, Dalton Hege
  • Device for feeding papers
    Patent number: 10836593
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feeding device (10) comprising a storage surface (14) for a stack of papers (12), with a leading edge (14a), a trailing edge (14b), and a first and a second side edge (14c, 14d). The surface (14) is adapted to be moved vertically. The device further comprises a vacuum feeder (16) for feeding papers from their position on the storage surface (14) and imparting on an uppermost sheet of paper (12a) a horizontal displacement, and a blower arrangement (18, 20) adapted to provide a curtain of air separating the uppermost sheet of paper (12a) from the rest of the stack of papers. The device further comprises a sensor arrangement (22) arranged to determine where the upper paper sheets in the stack of papers (12) start to separate from the rest of the paper sheets, the sensor arrangement (22) comprising a plurality of infrared reflective sensors (22a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: PLOCKMATIC INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Patrik Dahlqvist, Tommy Lindström
  • Sheet feeder, method for controlling sheet feeder
    Patent number: 10829326
    Abstract: A suction fan of a sheet feeder sucks in air through a sheet feeding belt to generate flotation air. The suction fan uses the flotation air to attract set sheets by suction. A belt motor rotates a sheet feeding belt and feeds out a sheet of the set sheets. An interval measurer measures a sheet-to-sheet interval when the suction fan is attracting the sheet by suction. Based on an output of the interval measurer, a controller recognizes the sheet-to-sheet interval. Based on the recognized sheet-to-sheet interval, the controller adjusts a flow rate of the flotation air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Shinya Matsui
  • Conveyor apparatus
    Patent number: 10815087
    Abstract: A conveyor apparatus, including: a tray; a feeder; a conveyance path; a conveyor; an upstream sensor; a downstream sensor; and a controller, wherein when it is determined that one certain recording medium has not yet reached a downstream detecting position of the downstream sensor at a time point when a first predetermined time elapses and the trailing edge of the recording medium has passed an upstream detecting position of the upstream sensor, the controller determines that a conveyance error is due to one of: a jam of the recording medium occurred in the conveyance path; and a slippage caused between the conveyor and the recording medium, if a medium length is less than a spacing distance between the upstream and downstream detecting positions while the controller determines that the conveyance error is due to the slippage if the medium length is equal to or larger than the spacing distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Motohiro Tsuboi
  • Detachable feed roller for using in the automatic feeder
    Patent number: 10800626
    Abstract: A detachable feed roller for using in the automatic feeder includes: a rotating shaft provided with a first connection structure arranged at the end of the rotating shaft and an actuating part; a fixed feed roller arranged around the rotating shaft and driven by the rotating shaft; a one-way feed roller arranged around the rotating shaft and provided with a cam part; a transmitting rotor arranged around the rotating shaft and, the transmitting rotor being disposed between the actuating part and the cam part; wherein, the transmitting rotor is pushed toward the one-way feed roller while the rotating shaft rotates forward in accordance to the transmitting rotor; and pushed away from the one-way feed roller while the one-way feed roller rotates forward in accordance to the transmitting rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: You Chung Chou, Lung Chen
  • Clear card sensors
    Patent number: 10793383
    Abstract: An example method includes comparing, via circuitry, a first signal indicative of a first amount of light received by a first light sensor to a second signal indicative of a second amount of light received by a second light sensor, wherein the second light sensor is to compensate for an environmental change by detecting the second amount of light transmitted by a light source regardless of a presence or absence of an object in the conveyance path; determine, via the circuitry, whether a reflection loss is present based on the comparing of the first and second signals; and if the circuitry detects the reflection loss based on the comparing of the first and second signals, generating a presence indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Ehrhardt
  • Detecting device and image forming apparatus incorporating the detecting device
    Patent number: 10781065
    Abstract: A detecting device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a detector configured to optically detect at least one of a position of a sheet, a position of an image formed on the sheet, and the image formed on the sheet, and a rotary body disposed at a position opposed to the detector and having a shaft, the rotary body being rotatable about the shaft in a sheet conveying direction of the sheet. The sheet is conveyed to space between the detector and the rotary body. The rotary body has a reference plane on an outer circumferential surface, a line formed on the reference plane and extending in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The detector detects the line on the reference plane while the rotary body is rotating when the sheet does not intervene between the detector and the rotary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakayama, Hideyo Makino, Kohta Aoyagi
  • Conveyor and recording apparatus including same
    Patent number: 10773911
    Abstract: A conveyor comprises a first conveyor roller unit and a side position adjustment mechanism. The side position adjustment mechanism includes a guide member and a position adjustment roller unit. The position adjustment roller unit includes a first position adjustment roller and a second position adjustment roller which holds a sheet-shaped medium with the first position adjustment roller. An angle between a rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and a part of a guide face of the guide member which part is on the downstream of an intersection between the rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and the guide face is an acute angle. The conveyor further comprises a first support member which supports a first driven roller of the first conveyor roller unit to allow a rotational axial line of the first driven roller to be swingable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirata
  • Tray drawer and multi-function printer using the same
    Patent number: 10773910
    Abstract: A tray drawer and a multi-function printer using the same are provided. The drawer includes a tray body, a handle and an elastic element. The handle is connected to the tray body and includes a handle portion and a first engagement portion. The first engagement portion is connected to the handle portion, wherein when the tray body is at a lock state, the first engagement projects from a first position-limit portion. The elastic element connects the first engagement portion to the tray body. There is no relative motion between the first engagement portion and the handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: AVISION INC.
    Inventors: Chin-Chu Chiu, Chi-Yao Chen, Ku-Ming Chen
  • Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 10759618
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including: a locking member having an abutment surface abutting a sheet to correct skew feed of the sheet; a holding member configured to hold the locking member to rotate from a waiting position when the locking member is pushed by the sheet; a roller pair configured to nip the sheet abutting the abutment surface; a first urging portion configured to urge the holding member to the waiting position; a movable support portion configured to support the locking member in a manner that the locking member is located a retracted position where the locking member contacts a surface of the sheet and allows the sheet to pass; and a second urging portion configured to urge the locking member to a position where the abutment surface abuts a succeeding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Iizuka
  • Image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 10759619
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed from a container; a trailing edge regulating plate, which is movable in a feeding direction inside the container, and is configured to regulate a trailing edge position of the sheet; a detector configured to automatically detect a sheet size based on the position of the trailing edge regulating plate; and a receiver configured to receive a size of the sheet to be set for the container as a user set size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadao Sugiura
  • Medium processing device and medium transaction device
    Patent number: 10752459
    Abstract: An upper-side conveyance guide of a temporary holding section is provided with an upper-side movable guide that capable of moving in coordination with the drum diameter of a drum so as to be interposed between the upper-side conveyance guide and the drum at all times. The upper-side movable guide guides a banknote that is being conveyed gripped only at the center by a banknote conveying portion of a main tape, between the upper-side conveyance guide and the drum. Folding of the banknote is accordingly suppressed by the upper-side movable guide, enabling the banknote to be guided to a gap between the upper-side conveyance guide and a lower-side conveyance guide without catching on a rear face of the upper-side conveyance guide or the like. Accordingly, the banknote can be prevented from contacting portions that should not be contacted and causing conveyance issues as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Takada, Atsushi Takada