Patents by Inventor Shigenobu Fukuda

Shigenobu Fukuda 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).

  • Publication number: 20230264911
    Abstract: A roll accommodation unit includes: a roll support shaft; a pair of side walls; and a pair of roll bearings that are attached to the pair of side walls, recessed portions are formed at upper ends of the pair of side walls, the pair of rolling bearings are attached to the side walls at positions corresponding to bottoms of the recessed portions such that the rolling bearings project upward beyond inclined surfaces of the recessed portions, the roll support shaft includes a support shaft main body, and a pair of small-diameter portions that are provided at both ends of the support shaft main body, and the roll support shaft is supported with the small-diameter portions abutting on outer circumferential surfaces of the pairs of rolling bearings in a state in which the support shaft main body is located at an interval from the recessed portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta KAMBARA, Shigenobu FUKUDA, Masaru OCHI
  • Patent number: 11679950
    Abstract: A roll accommodation unit includes: a roll support shaft; a pair of side walls; and a pair of roll bearings that are attached to the pair of side walls, recessed portions are formed at upper ends of the pair of side walls, the pair of rolling bearings are attached to the side walls at positions corresponding to bottoms of the recessed portions such that the rolling bearings project upward beyond inclined surfaces of the recessed portions, the roll support shaft includes a support shaft main body, and a pair of small-diameter portions that are provided at both ends of the support shaft main body, and the roll support shaft is supported with the small-diameter portions abutting on outer circumferential surfaces of the pairs of rolling bearings in a state in which the support shaft main body is located at an interval from the recessed portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta Kambara, Shigenobu Fukuda, Masaru Ochi
  • Patent number: 11597228
    Abstract: The first cutter that cuts, in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction, a continuous sheet of additional member unwound and drawn by a length in accordance with the thickness of the book block is arranged at the input port of the trimming station, the transport mechanism that transports the cut additional member from the first cutter out in the unwinding direction of the continuous sheet of additional member is arranged downstream of the first cutter, the second cutter that trims the cut additional member being transported on the transport path in the unwinding direction is arranged in the transport path of the transport mechanism, and the position of the blades of the second cutter may be adjusted in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction in accordance with the head-to-foot length of the book block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Ochi, Shigenobu Fukuda, Kanta Kambara, Akira Nonoshita
  • Patent number: 11554601
    Abstract: The embodiment includes: a roll accommodation unit that accommodates a roll of a continuous sheet of additional member; an unwinding unit that unwinds and draws the additional member from the roll accommodation unit to a trimming station; a trimming unit that is arranged in the trimming station and cuts and trims the additional member in accordance with the size of a book block to form a strip of additional member; a gripper that grips the strip of additional member while supporting the under face thereof, moves between a retracted position inside a housing and a forward position outside the housing, and moves between the forward position and a raised position above the forward position; and a handover unit that hands over the strip of additional member from the trimming station to the gripper located in the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Ochi, Shigenobu Fukuda, Tomonori Yachi
  • Patent number: 11529821
    Abstract: Provided is a book block feed device capable of feeding a book block always in an aligned state to a bookbinding machine. The book block feed device comprises an alignment unit and a press unit that are adjacently arranged in order along a conveying path of the book block from an inlet to an outlet of the conveying path. The alignment unit comprises a vibrator that vibrates the book block. The press unit includes a press surface that forms a part of a conveying surface of the conveying path, and a press plate that sandwiches and presses the book block between the press plate and the press surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Horizon International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta Kambara, Shigenobu Fukuda, Kohei Okamoto, Hiroto Otani, Takehito Yokogi, Shigeru Wakimoto
  • Patent number: 11400745
    Abstract: A book block supplying machine includes a reader which reads job information from an information portion printed on a book block; and a timing adjusting portion which adjusts a supply timing at which the book block is fed toward the book binding machine. A controller includes: a job information acquisition portion which acquires the job information; an upper limit processing speed acquisition portion which acquires an upper limit processing speed; a making speed decision portion which adopts and decides the making speed; a making speed instruction portion which instructs the book binding machine to make the bound material at the making speed; a timing decision portion which decides the supply timing based on the making speed, upper limit processing speed and accumulating number; and a timing instruction portion which instructs the timing adjusting portion to supply the book block at the supply timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Kitayama, Shigenobu Fukuda, Takakazu Hori
  • Patent number: 11267275
    Abstract: Provided is a book block aligning device that forms one processing line with paper processing devices on an upstream side and a downstream side, and is capable of stably performing alignment processing of a book block at a high speed. Provided is the book block aligning device comprising an air blowing control mechanism that controls start/stop of blowing of air from an air outlet, and an air volume of air, in accordance with timing when a book block passes through the air outlet opened in a conveying surface provided in a conveying path, and a vibration mechanism that vibrates a first conveying surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Horizon International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kohei Okamoto, Shigenobu Fukuda, Shigeru Wakimoto
  • Publication number: 20210379920
    Abstract: The first cutter that cuts, in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction, a continuous sheet of additional member unwound and drawn by a length in accordance with the thickness of the book block is arranged at the input port of the trimming station, the transport mechanism that transports the cut additional member from the first cutter out in the unwinding direction of the continuous sheet of additional member is arranged downstream of the first cutter, the second cutter that trims the cut additional member being transported on the transport path in the unwinding direction is arranged in the transport path of the transport mechanism, and the position of the blades of the second cutter may be adjusted in the direction transverse to the unwinding direction in accordance with the head-to-foot length of the book block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru Ochi, Shigenobu Fukuda, Kanta Kambara, Akira Nonoshita
  • Publication number: 20210379919
    Abstract: The embodiment includes: a roll accommodation unit that accommodates a roll of a continuous sheet of additional member; an unwinding unit that unwinds and draws the additional member from the roll accommodation unit to a trimming station; a trimming unit that is arranged in the trimming station and cuts and trims the additional member in accordance with the size of a book block to form a strip of additional member; a gripper that grips the strip of additional member while supporting the under face thereof, moves between a retracted position inside a housing and a forward position outside the housing, and moves between the forward position and a raised position above the forward position; and a handover unit that hands over the strip of additional member from the trimming station to the gripper located in the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaru OCHI, Shigenobu FUKUDA, Tomonori YACHI
  • Publication number: 20210354944
    Abstract: A roll accommodation unit includes: a roll support shaft; a pair of side walls; and a pair of roll bearings that are attached to the pair of side walls, recessed portions are formed at upper ends of the pair of side walls, the pair of rolling bearings are attached to the side walls at positions corresponding to bottoms of the recessed portions such that the rolling bearings project upward beyond inclined surfaces of the recessed portions, the roll support shaft includes a support shaft main body, and a pair of small-diameter portions that are provided at both ends of the support shaft main body, and the roll support shaft is supported with the small-diameter portions abutting on outer circumferential surfaces of the pairs of rolling bearings in a state in which the support shaft main body is located at an interval from the recessed portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta KAMBARA, Shigenobu FUKUDA, Masaru OCHI
  • Patent number: 11097567
    Abstract: A paper stack S supplied between clamping plates 1a, 1b of a carriage clamp 1 is pushed toward a positioning bar 2b by an alignment bar 5. A nip head 7 of a paper stack supplying unit 3 has first and second nip plates 9, 10, and a nip plate drive mechanism 11 moving each nip plate from a protruding position at which the nip plate protrudes from the nip head and a retracted position at which the nip plate retracts into the nip head, and translating the second nip plate taking the protruding position relative to the first nip plate taking the protruding position between a first position at which the first and second nip plates receive the paper stack therebetween and a second position at which the second nip plate cooperates with the first nip plate to grip the paper stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HORIZON INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Kanta Kambara, Shigenobu Fukuda, Shigeru Wakimoto
  • Publication number: 20210138822
    Abstract: Provided is a book block feed device capable of feeding a book block always in an aligned state to a bookbinding machine. The book block feed device comprises an alignment unit and a press unit that are adjacently arranged in order along a conveying path of the book block from an inlet to an outlet of the conveying path. The alignment unit comprises a vibrator that vibrates the book block. The press unit includes a press surface that forms a part of a conveying surface of the conveying path, and a press plate that sandwiches and presses the book block between the press plate and the press surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta KAMBARA, Shigenobu FUKUDA, Kohei OKAMOTO, Hiroto OTANI, Takehito YOKOGI, Shigeru WAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210138821
    Abstract: Provided is a book block aligning device that forms one processing line with paper processing devices on an upstream side and a downstream side, and is capable of stably performing alignment processing of a book block at a high speed. Provided is the book block aligning device comprising an air blowing control mechanism that controls start/stop of blowing of air from an air outlet, and an air volume of air, in accordance with timing when a book block passes through the air outlet opened in a conveying surface provided in a conveying path, and a vibration mechanism that vibrates a first conveying surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Kohei OKAMOTO, Shigenobu FUKUDA, Shigeru WAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210046775
    Abstract: A book block supplying machine includes a reader which reads job information from an information portion printed on a book block; and a timing adjusting portion which adjusts a supply timing at which the book block is fed toward the book binding machine. A controller includes: a job information acquisition portion which acquires the job information; an upper limit processing speed acquisition portion which acquires an upper limit processing speed; a making speed decision portion which adopts and decides the making speed; a making speed instruction portion which instructs the book binding machine to make the bound material at the making speed; a timing decision portion which decides the supply timing based on the making speed, upper limit processing speed and accumulating number; and a timing instruction portion which instructs the timing adjusting portion to supply the book block at the supply timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Shinya Kitayama, Shigenobu Fukuda, Takakazu Hori
  • Publication number: 20210039416
    Abstract: A paper stack S supplied between clamping plates 1a, 1b of a carriage clamp 1 is pushed toward a positioning bar 2b by an alignment bar 5. A nip head 7 of a paper stack supplying unit 3 has first and second nip plates 9, 10, and a nip plate drive mechanism 11 moving each nip plate from a protruding position at which the nip plate protrudes from the nip head and a retracted position at which the nip plate retracts into the nip head, and translating the second nip plate taking the protruding position relative to the first nip plate taking the protruding position between a first position at which the first and second nip plates receive the paper stack therebetween and a second position at which the second nip plate cooperates with the first nip plate to grip the paper stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Kanta Kambara, Shigenobu Fukuda, Shigeru Wakimoto
  • Patent number: 10766290
    Abstract: A bookbinding machine calculates a rotational speed coefficient, which represents the percent change of a rotational speed of a pump 6 relative to the reference rotational speed of the pump, depending on a thickness of a book block P to be bound and a conveying speed of a clamper by use of a first function defining a relationship between the thickness of the book block and the rotational speed coefficient and a second function defining a relationship between the rotational speed coefficient and the conveying speed of the clamper, calculates the set value of the rotational speed of the pump based on the rotational speed coefficients and the reference rotational speed, and sets the rotational speed of the pump according to the set value of the rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: HORIZON INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Shigeyoshi Tago, Shigenobu Fukuda, Shinya Kitayama, Kosuke Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20200147991
    Abstract: A bookbinding machine calculates a rotational speed coefficient, which represents the percent change of a rotational speed of a pump 6 relative to the reference rotational speed of the pump, depending on a thickness of a book block P to be bound and a conveying speed of a clamper by use of a first function defining a relationship between the thickness of the book block and the rotational speed coefficient and a second function defining a relationship between the rotational speed coefficient and the conveying speed of the clamper, calculates the set value of the rotational speed of the pump based on the rotational speed coefficients and the reference rotational speed, and sets the rotational speed of the pump according to the set value of the rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Shigeyoshi Tago, Shigenobu Fukuda, Shinya Kitayama, Kosuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10479125
    Abstract: A bookbinding device includes a control unit for calculating set parameter values for a clamper and a processing unit on the basis of thickness on a book body to be bound, and initially setting the clamper and the processing unit in accordance with the set parameter values. The control unit includes an input unit for receiving an input of a reference parameter value for two or more different book body thicknesses; a function generation unit for generating, on the basis of the reference parameter value, a function for calculating a set parameter value that has been adjusted in accordance with the book body thickness; a parameter calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of the book body thickness, the set adjusted parameter value by using the function; and an initial setting unit for initially setting the clamper and the processing unit in accordance with the set adjusted parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Shigenobu Fukuda, Takehito Yokogi, Yoshihide Iwayama
  • Publication number: 20190152249
    Abstract: A bookbinding device includes a control unit for calculating set parameter values for a clamper and a processing unit on the basis of thickness on a book body to be bound, and initially setting the clamper and the processing unit in accordance with the set parameter values. The control unit includes an input unit for receiving an input of a reference parameter value for two or more different book body thicknesses; a function generation unit for generating, on the basis of the reference parameter value, a function for calculating a set parameter value that has been adjusted in accordance with the book body thickness; a parameter calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of the book body thickness, the set adjusted parameter value by using the function; and an initial setting unit for initially setting the clamper and the processing unit in accordance with the set adjusted parameter value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Shigenobu FUKUDA, Takehito YOKOGI, Yoshihide IWAYAMA
  • Patent number: 10137719
    Abstract: A book binding apparatus is provided with a conveyor belt 5 having a book block conveyance surface 13 extending obliquely downward toward a pair of clamp plates 3 and 4 of a clamper 2 at a book block supply position A. A guide plate 21 is attached to the clamp plate 4 on the conveyor belt side and can swing between a standing position and a tilted position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in a closed position, the guide plate is held in the standing position. When the pair of clamp plates is placed in an open position at the book block supply position, the guide plate swings from the standing position to the tilted position and connects to the book block conveyance surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: HORIZON INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Hirohito Nakanishi, Shigenobu Fukuda