Patents by Inventor Naoto Tokuma
Naoto Tokuma 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: 9387717Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying portion conveying a sheet to a sheet stacking portion; a regulating portion regulating a position of the sheet on the stacking portion; a rotary member pair having first and second rotary members and conveying the sheet toward the regulating portion through rotation in a first direction, and conveying a bound sheet bundle through rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a moving portion moving the second rotary member to a separation position after the rotary member pair conveys the sheet, and moving the second rotary member to a nipping position before the rotary member pair conveys the sheet bundle; and a control portion controlling to rotate the rotary member pair in the second direction after the second rotary member is moved to the separation position and before the second rotary member is moved to the nipping position.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2014Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Naoto Tokuma
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Publication number: 20150314626Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a first stacking portion on which a sheet conveyed by a conveying portion is stacked, a binding portion which forms, in a sheet bundle stacked on the first stacking portion, a tongue cut out from the sheet, with a part of the tongue attached to the sheet, and a slit, and which binds the sheet bundle by inserting a tip of the tongue of the sheet bundle in the slit of the sheet bundle, and a second stacking portion on which the sheet bundle bound by the binding portion is stacked. In the sheet processing apparatus, a plurality of recessed parts is formed on a guide face of the binding portion, the recessed parts extending in different directions from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2015Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Hideki Kushida, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata, Akito Sekigawa
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Patent number: 9102497Abstract: The invention provides a sheet stacking apparatus including a stacking tray whose stacking surface is inclined, a sheet presence/absence detecting sensor that detects presence and absence of a sheet on the stacking surface, an abutting member to which an end of the sheet on the stacking surface abuts, an alignment mechanism that aligns the sheet on the stacking surface widthwise by a pair of aligning members, and a control portion that controls the aligning mechanism. Determining presence of the sheet on the stacking tray from a detected result of the sheet presence/absence detecting sensor, the control portion aligns the sheet by setting a distance between aligning faces of the pair of aligning members as a first distance, and determining absence of the sheet, the control portion sets the distance between the aligning faces of the pair of aligning members as a second distance which is wider than the first distance.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Patent number: 9067753Abstract: In a finisher in which a sheet discharged by a pair of discharge rollers is stacked on a stack tray moveably provided in a sheet stack direction so that the position of a top surface of the sheet is constant and the sheet stacked on the stack tray is aligned by a pair of aligning members moveably provided in a width direction perpendicular to a discharge direction of the sheet, as a stack amount of the sheets stacked on the stack tray, which amount is detected by a stack amount detecting portion, is increased, the pair of aligning members upon the alignment are controlled to approach the top sheet stacked on the stack tray.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoto Tokuma, Akito Sekigawa
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Patent number: 9033330Abstract: A first discharging portion that discharges a sheet received from one of image forming apparatus and a second discharging portion discharges a sheet received from another image forming apparatus are disposed opposite each other to stack the sheets discharged in a common processing tray. A controller controls the first and second discharging portions when the sheets are continuously discharged by the first and second discharging portions, controls a timing when the sheets are discharged by the first discharging portion and the second discharging portion to the common processing tray such that a leading edge of the sheet discharged from one of the discharging portions abuts on a sheet surface in the downstream of a discharging direction below a leading edge of the sheet discharged from the other discharging portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2012Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Publication number: 20150123338Abstract: Provided is a sheet processing apparatus, including: a sheet conveying portion conveying a sheet to a sheet stacking portion; a regulating portion regulating a position of the sheet on the stacking portion; a rotary member pair having first and second rotary members and conveying the sheet toward the regulating portion through rotation in a first direction, and conveying a bound sheet bundle through rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a moving portion moving the second rotary member to a separation position after the rotary member pair conveys the sheet, and moving the second rotary member to a nipping position before the rotary member pair conveys the sheet bundle; and a control portion controlling to rotate the rotary member pair in the second direction after the second rotary member is moved to the separation position and before the second rotary member is moved to the nipping position.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2014Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Naoto Tokuma
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Patent number: 9010744Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoto Tokuma, Rikiya Takemasa, Hideki Kushida
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Patent number: 8851468Abstract: A finisher includes: a bundle discharge roller pair; a sheet stacking portion which has a lower stacking tray, an abutment member on which a sheet is abuttable, and a sheet stacking height detecting sensor detecting a height of the sheets on the abutment member side, the sheet stacking portion configured to stack the sheet while lowering the lower stacking tray in accordance with a detection result; tray paddles coming into contact with the discharged sheet in a direction from a top of the sheet, to bring the sheet into abutment on the abutment member; a stacking amount detecting portion detecting a stacking amount of the stacked sheet, and a finisher control portion performing control of reducing a relative distance between the tray paddles and the sheet stacked on the lower stacking tray at the time of transporting of the sheet along with increase in the stacking amount of the sheet.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2013Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Patent number: 8794617Abstract: A finisher is provided with a transport paddle and a control portion. The transport paddle freely moves to a first position where the transport paddle is on standby while protruding above a lower stack tray, a second position where the transport paddle sandwiches the sheet in between and, at the same time, is transported to abut the sheet against the abutment portion, and a third position where the transport paddle retracts in a finisher body 400. The control portion makes the transport paddle be on standby at the first position at least at the start of a job, moves the transport paddle between the first position and the second position for each discharge of the sheet by the bundle discharge roller pair, and moves the transport paddle to the third position after termination of the alignment processing for a last sheet of the job.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2012Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Patent number: 8752837Abstract: A sheet storage device is equipped with sheet storage portions which are provided in an upper portion of a copying machine body and receive sheets, conveyed in sequence from the copying machine body, from downward and store the sheets in such a state that the sheets stand. The sheet storage portions are relatively rotatably supported in sequence and parallel. Each sheet storage portion receiving the sheet from the copying machine body is rotated to be held in the rotational position.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Daisaku Kamiya, Hideki Kushida, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiki Momoka
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Publication number: 20140015188Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2013Publication date: January 16, 2014Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Rikiya Takemasa, Hideki Kushida
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Patent number: 8622386Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus having a sheet conveying portion and a sheet storage portion to receive the sheet as conveyed upward from below by the sheet conveying portion and to store the sheet in a vertical direction. The sheet storage portion includes a guide portion, first and second holding members. The first holding member forms a first nipping portion between the first holding member and the guide surface. The first holding member permits the sheet to be conveyed upward to pass through the first nipping portion, and holds the sheet by restricting the sheet from moving downward at the first nipping portion. The second holding member forms a second nipping portion between the second holding member and the guide surface. The second holding member permits the sheet to be conveyed upward to pass through the second nipping portion, and holds the sheet at the second nipping portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2012Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Toshiki Momoka, Daisaku Kamiya, Hideki Kushida, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata
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Patent number: 8613442Abstract: A conveying roller conveys a sheet. A sheet holding portion receives a sheet from below and holds the received sheet with keeping its forward end upward and its rear end downward. The sheet holding portion has: a storing guide provided in a vertical state and having a guide surface configured to guide the received sheet upward; a conveying guide provided to face the guide surface and having a curved surface portion whose distance from the guide surface increases in the upward direction; and a holding member provided between the guide surface and the curved surface portion and configured to roll on the curved surface portion toward the guide surface to nip the received sheet with the guide surface. An inclination angle of the curved surface portion with respect to the guide surface decreases with distance from the guide surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2012Date of Patent: December 24, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yohei Gamo, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata
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Publication number: 20130285314Abstract: The invention provides a sheet stacking apparatus including a stacking tray whose stacking surface is inclined, a sheet presence/absence detecting sensor that detects presence and absence of a sheet on the stacking surface, an abutting member to which an end of the sheet on the stacking surface abuts, an alignment mechanism that aligns the sheet on the stacking surface widthwise by a pair of aligning members, and a control portion that controls the aligning mechanism. Determining presence of the sheet on the stacking tray from a detected result of the sheet presence/absence detecting sensor, the control portion aligns the sheet by setting a distance between aligning faces of the pair of aligning members as a first distance, and determining absence of the sheet, the control portion sets the distance between the aligning faces of the pair of aligning members as a second distance which is wider than the first distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Publication number: 20130285312Abstract: In a finisher in which a sheet discharged by a pair of discharge rollers is stacked on a stack tray moveably provided in a sheet stack direction so that the position of a top surface of the sheet is constant and the sheet stacked on the stack tray is aligned by a pair of aligning members moveably provided in a width direction perpendicular to a discharge direction of the sheet, as a stack amount of the sheets stacked on the stack tray, which amount is detected by a stack amount detecting portion, is increased, the pair of aligning members upon the alignment are controlled to approach the top sheet stacked on the stack tray.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Naoto Tokuma, Akito Sekigawa
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Publication number: 20130285320Abstract: A finisher includes: a bundle discharge roller pair; a sheet stacking portion which has a lower stacking tray, an abutment member on which a sheet is abuttable, and a sheet stacking height detecting sensor detecting a height of the sheets on the abutment member side, the sheet stacking portion configured to stack the sheet while lowering the lower stacking tray in accordance with a detection result; tray paddles coming into contact with the discharged sheet in a direction from a top of the sheet, to bring the sheet into abutment on the abutment member; a stacking amount detecting portion detecting a stacking amount of the stacked sheet, and a finisher control portion performing control of reducing a relative distance between the tray paddles and the sheet stacked on the lower stacking tray at the time of transporting of the sheet along with increase in the stacking amount of the sheet.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Patent number: 8430389Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a staple processing portion and a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked and abutted. The sheet processing apparatus also includes a fold processing portion, a conveyance guide member, an end part processing portion to perform an end part process to the folded end part, and a controlling portion. After a stapling process is performed, the fold processing portion folds the sheet bundle in two to create a folded sheet bundle having a folded end part between a first surface and a second surface. The conveyance guide member guides the folded sheet bundle with the folded end part as a leading end while the first surface slides against the conveyance guide member. The controlling portion controls the positioning member such that the stapling position is moved, by a predetermined distance, to an area on the sheet bundle that will become the second surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2011Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Naoto Tokuma, Yusuke Obuchi, Yuri Urano
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Publication number: 20130026695Abstract: A finisher is provided with a transport paddle and a control portion. The transport paddle freely moves to a first position where the transport paddle is on standby while protruding above a lower stack tray, a second position where the transport paddle sandwiches the sheet in between and, at the same time, is transported to abut the sheet against the abutment portion, and a third position where the transport paddle retracts in a finisher body 400. The control portion makes the transport paddle be on standby at the first position at least at the start of a job, moves the transport paddle between the first position and the second position for each discharge of the sheet by the bundle discharge roller pair, and moves the transport paddle to the third position after termination of the alignment processing for a last sheet of the job.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Naoto Tokuma
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Publication number: 20120319346Abstract: This invention provides a sheet storage device, which can enhance sheet taking-out property in taking out of a sheet from a sorting device and sheet visibility. A sheet storage device 300 is equipped with sheet storage portions 330a to 330e which are provided in an upper portion of a copying machine body 130 and receive sheets P, conveyed in sequence from the copying machine body 130, from downward and store the sheets P in such a state that the sheets P stand. The sheet storage portions 330a to 330e are relatively rotatably supported in sequence and parallel. Each sheet storage portion receiving the sheet from the copying machine body 130 is rotated to be held in the rotational position. According to this constitution, the sheet taking-out property in taking out of the sheet from the sheet storage portions 330a to 330e and the sheet visibility are enhanced.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2012Publication date: December 20, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Daisaku Kamiya, Hideki Kushida, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiki Momoka
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Publication number: 20120313313Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus having a sheet conveying portion and a sheet storage portion to receive the sheet as conveyed upward from below by the sheet conveying portion and to store the sheet in a vertical direction. The sheet storage portion includes a guide portion, first and second holding members. The first holding member forms a first nipping portion between the first holding member and the guide surface. The first holding member permits the sheet to be conveyed upward to pass through the first nipping portion, and holds the sheet by restricting the sheet from moving downward at the first nipping portion. The second holding member forms a second nipping portion between the second holding member and the guide surface. The second holding member permits the sheet to be conveyed upward to pass through the second nipping portion, and holds the sheet at the second nipping portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2012Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshiki Momoka, Daisaku Kamiya, Hideki Kushida, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata