Patents by Inventor Akira Kunieda
Akira Kunieda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9016679Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a folding processing unit that folds a sheet by reversely rotating a second conveying member in a condition in which the sheet is held by a first and the second conveying members; a calculating unit that calculates an amount of deflection of the sheet held by the first and second conveying members from timings at which the sheet is detected by first and second detecting units disposed upstream of the first conveying member and downstream of the second conveying member and a distance between disposed positions of the first and second detecting units; and a control unit that sets, from the calculated amount of deflection of the sheet, an amount of conveyance for the first conveying member in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction in a condition in which the sheet is held by the first and second conveying members.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2013Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Akira Kunieda, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Shuuya Nagasako, Michitaka Suzuki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Takahiro Watanabe, Yuuji Suzuki, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 8960660Abstract: According to an embodiment, there is provided a sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking unit that stacks a sheet conveyed thereto; a first alignment unit that aligns the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a second alignment unit that aligns the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side; and a control unit that causes at least one of the first and second alignment units to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2013Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Takamasa Matsumoto, Junya Suzuki, Youhei Niitsuma, Kazunori Konno, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 8947681Abstract: An insertion system includes an enclosure supply device, an envelope supply device, an insertion device to insert an enclosure supplied from the enclosure supply device into the envelope supplied from the envelope supply device, a first input unit to input identification data of the enclosure inserted into the envelope in each of multiple insertion setting records, a second input unit to input identification data of the enclosure set in the enclosure container of the enclosure supply device, and a controller to determine whether the identification data of the enclosure to be inserted, input by the first input unit, matches the identification data of the enclosure set in the enclosure container, input by the second input unit, and to control supply of the envelope by the envelope supply device as well as supply of the enclosure by the enclosure supply device based on a result of the determination.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2011Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Matsushita, Takeshi Sasaki, Satoshi Saito, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Jun Yamada
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Publication number: 20150031520Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including a first conveying member that conveys a sheet, a second conveying member that receives the sheet conveyed by the first conveying member and further conveys the sheet to a subsequent stage, a third conveying member that receives the sheet conveyed by the first conveying member and further folds the sheet, a guiding member that guides the sheet when the sheet is folded by the third conveying member, and is arranged between the second conveying member and the third conveying member. The sheet is guided along the guiding member when a bending part of the sheet is conveyed to the third conveying member by rotating the second conveying member in a reverse direction while the sheet is held by the first conveying member and the second conveying member.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Kyosuke NAKADA, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Shuuya Nagasako, Michitaka Suzuki, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Yuji Suzuki, Tomomichi Hoshino
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Patent number: 8936240Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
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Patent number: 8931773Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a sheet folding unit configured to perform folding on a sheet; and a sheet stacking unit configured to stack the folded sheet on a sheet stacking surface having an inclined surface and a horizontal surface in order from upstream to downstream in a sheet conveying direction. A downstream end of the inclined surface is higher than an upstream end of the inclined surface with respect to a horizontal plane. The sheet handling apparatus also includes a discharging unit configured to discharge the folded sheet to the sheet stacking unit; a sheet conveying unit configured to convey the discharged sheet from the inclined surface to the horizontal surface; and a conveying force applying unit configured to apply a conveying force to the sheet in contact with an upper surface of the sheet from above the inclined surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Keisuke Sugiyama, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 8925917Abstract: According to an embodiment, provided is a sheet output device including: a sheet output unit configured to output a sheet; a tray unit on which the sheet output by the sheet output unit is to be stacked; an air blower unit configured to blow air onto the sheet output by the sheet output unit; and a control unit configured to control an airflow rate of the air blower unit according to an amount of the sheet output from the sheet output unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Takahiro Watanabe, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Takamasa Matsumoto, Youhei Niitsuma, Kiichiro Goto
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Publication number: 20140364295Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: first to third pairs of conveying members; and a bifurcating claw that moves to a first guiding position for guiding the sheet to the second pair of conveying members, a second guiding position for guiding a deflected portion of the sheet to the third pair of conveying members, and a third guiding position for guiding a leading end of the sheet to the third pair of conveying members. The second pair of conveying members is rotated backward in a state in which the sheet is held by the first pair of conveying members and the second pair of conveying members, to guide the deflected portion to the third pair of conveying members and cause the deflected portion to be folded by the third pair of conveying members.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2014Publication date: December 11, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Shuuya Nagasako, Michitaka Suzuki, Kyosuke Nakada, Akira Kunieda, Yuji Suzuki
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Publication number: 20140336031Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a first conveying member pair that folds a sheet; a second conveying member pair that conveys downstream the sheet folded by the first conveying member pair; and a third conveying member pair that further folds the sheet folded by the first conveying member pair. The second conveying member pair is rotatable forward and reversely when driven to convey, and is locked in one rotational direction but is rotatable in the other rotational direction when not driven.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Michitaka Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kyosuke Nakada, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Yuji Suzuki
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Patent number: 8794116Abstract: A perforating apparatus having an orientation correction device that corrects skewing and aligns the front edge by striking the front edge of the paper, a perforation device having a punch to conduct perforation processing on the paper; and a lateral registration adjustment device that can adjust, in a direction at a right angle to the direction of movement of the aforementioned paper, the position of the perforation device punch in relation to the paper with orientation corrected using an orientation constraint device prior to perforating by the perforation device. The perforating apparatus may also include a structure in which said perforation device can be inserted into and detached from a non-moving support unit having the drive source of a lateral registration adjustment device, and when mounted, the type of perforation device can be recognized.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2006Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomoichi Nomura, Hiroshi Maeda, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda
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Patent number: 8794731Abstract: An image forming system includes an enclosure supply device including an enclosure container, a first image forming unit to form an image on the sheet, an envelope supply device including an envelope container, an input device to input an insertion job, an insertion device to insert into the envelope at least one sheet on which the first image forming unit has formed the image and including a temporary storage tray to temporarily store the sheets inserted into the envelope as well as an envelope retainer to hold the envelope at an insertion position where the sheets are inserted into the envelope, and a controller to cause the second image forming unit to complete image formation on the envelope and conveyance of the envelope to the insertion position before a last sheet of the multiple sheets inserted into the single envelope reaches the temporary storage tray.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2012Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro Watanabe, Shingo Matsushita, Takeshi Sasaki, Satoshi Saito, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Akira Kunieda, Jun Yamada
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Publication number: 20140203501Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomomichi HOSHINO, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
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Patent number: 8770569Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is disclosed which includes front and back trailing-end reference fences that are movable and on which the sheet trailing-end abuts to align the sheet trailing-end; a side-stitching stapler that moves along the sheet trailing-end and binds a bundle of sheets aligned; a length-direction moving mechanism that moves the trailing-end reference fences in a sheet conveying direction; and a position changing unit that drives the length-direction moving mechanism to change the position of one of the trailing-end reference fences in the sheet conveying direction relative to the position of the other one. The front and back trailing-end reference fences are moved to change binding positions such that the distances from the sheet trailing-end to staple positions are made equal in front-side binding and in back-side binding.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2012Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Publication number: 20140179504Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a first sheet conveying unit; a second sheet conveying unit that is disposed downstream of the first sheet conveying unit; a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on a sheet by nipping a turned-back portion formed on a part of the sheet between the first sheet conveying unit and the second sheet conveying unit; a second conveying path that bifurcates from the first conveying path and in which a sheet with the folded part is conveyed; and a pushing member that is movable between a pushing position at which the pushing member pushes the turned-back portion toward the folded part forming unit and a retracted position. The pushing member also serves as a changing unit that changes a direction of a leading end of the sheet that is conveyed in the first conveying path into a direction toward a second conveying path.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2013Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Kyosuke NAKADA, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Yuji SUZUKI, Takahiro WATANABE, Michitaka SUZUKI, Akira KUNIEDA, Kiichiro GOTO
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Publication number: 20140171283Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a folded part forming unit that forms a folded part on the sheet by nipping a curved portion formed on a part of the sheet between an upstream first sheet conveying unit and a downstream second sheet conveying unit by holding a part of the sheet by the first sheet conveying unit and applying conveying force to the sheet to reverse the sheet upstream by the second sheet conveying unit; and a sheet leading end detection unit disposed downstream of or at almost same position as the second sheet conveying unit. The sheet is conveyed based on a detection timing of the sheet leading end detection unit such that the leading end of the sheet protrudes by a predetermined protrusion amount from the second sheet conveying unit immediately before applying conveying force to the sheet to reverse the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Michitaka SUZUKI, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Kyosuke NAKADA, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Yuji SUZUKI, Kiichiro GOTO
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Publication number: 20140147184Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a folding processing unit that folds a sheet by reversely rotating a second conveying member in a condition in which the sheet is held by a first and the second conveying members; a calculating unit that calculates an amount of deflection of the sheet held by the first and second conveying members from timings at which the sheet is detected by first and second detecting units disposed upstream of the first conveying member and downstream of the second conveying member and a distance between disposed positions of the first and second detecting units; and a control unit that sets, from the calculated amount of deflection of the sheet, an amount of conveyance for the first conveying member in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction in a condition in which the sheet is held by the first and second conveying members.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Akira KUNIEDA, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Michitaka SUZUKI, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Kyosuke NAKADA, Takahiro WATANABE, Yuuji SUZUKI, Kiichiro GOTO
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Publication number: 20140141956Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a first pair of conveying members that convey a sheet; a second pair of conveying members that receive the sheet conveyed by the first pair of the conveying members and further conveys the sheet to a subsequent stage; and a third pair of conveying members that fold the sheet by rotating the second pair of the conveying members in a reverse direction while the sheet is held by the first pair of the conveying members and the second pair of the conveying members. One of the conveying members of the second pair serves as one of the conveying members of the third pair.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITEDInventors: Yuuji SUZUKI, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Akira KUNIEDA, Michitaka SUZUKI, Kyosuke NAKADA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Takahiro WATANABE, Kiichiro GOTO
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Patent number: 8727345Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes: sheet discharging rollers that receive each of sheets conveyed thereto and discharge the sheets one by one; a shift tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging rollers are to be stacked; an air blower; and a CPU. The air blower forms an air layer between the shift tray and a sheet when the sheet is discharged onto the shift tray by the sheet discharging rollers, or between a sheet and the sheet that is already placed on the shift tray when the sheet is discharged. The CPU controls an air velocity of air to be delivered by the air blower based on sheet information, thereby causing the air layer to extend to the entire surface of the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Kazunori Konno, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 8702087Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a sheet reception unit configured to receive a sheet; an alignment unit configured to align the sheet in a conveying direction of the sheet, a trailing edge of the sheet in the conveying direction coming into contact with the alignment unit; and a moving unit configured to move the alignment unit along the sheet reception unit in the conveying direction. A first position for aligning and binding sheets and a second position located above the first position in the sheet reception unit are set for the alignment unit as receiving positions at which the sheet is received from the sheet reception unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
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Patent number: 8668192Abstract: An insertion system includes a folding device to perform either single-sheet folding to fold a single sheet at a time or batch folding to fold multiple sheets together at a time, an insertion device to insert into an envelope the sheet folded by the folding device, and a batch setting unit to designate either the single-sheet folding or the batch folding from a folding and insertion menu for multiple sheets at a time when the multiple sheets are processed by the folding device and the insertion device.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2012Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Matsushita, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Takeshi Sasaki, Satoshi Saito, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Jun Yamada