Patents by Inventor Shoichi Maeda

Shoichi Maeda 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).

  • Patent number: 11964840
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet-shaped medium includes: a stacking plate on which sheet-shaped media are stacked; a suction transport belt that is disposed above the stacking plate and causes a topmost one of the stacked sheet-shaped media to be sucked onto a belt lower surface and then rotates to carry out the topmost sheet-shaped medium to a destination; and a surrounding member that is provided in a hanging-down manner at least at left and right positions in a carrying-out direction around the suction transport belt so as to be movable up and down, surrounds a space below the belt lower surface, and is moved upward by contact with the sheet-shaped medium that is being sucked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11873182
    Abstract: A feeder includes a mount board that moves vertically while allowing sheet-shaped media to be stacked thereon; a transport device allows an uppermost one of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount board to be sucked by a suction portion to transport the uppermost medium to a transporter and to feed the uppermost medium to a destination; left and right edge air blowers blow air to transportation left and right edge portions of upper ones of the sheet-shaped media stacked; and a tip-end air blower blows air to below the uppermost medium sucked by the suction portion from a position downstream from a transportation leading end of the uppermost medium in a transport direction. When the uppermost medium is sucked by the suction portion, the feeder performs a first operation of spacing an upwardly bent transportation leading-end portion of a second uppermost medium apart downward from the sucked uppermost medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11802014
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped-medium feeder includes a housing, a mount portion that is disposed to be vertically movable in the housing and that receives sheet-shaped media, a lift that vertically raises or lowers the mount portion, a discharger that transports the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion to a transport portion by sucking the sheet-shaped media with a suction portion in order from an upper one of the sheet-shaped media, left and right side walls that come into contact with left and right edges, in a feed width, of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion, left and right air outlets that are disposed in the left and right side walls, and blow air to the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion at the left and right edges in the feed width, left and right first limiters that are respectively disposed on the left and right side walls, and limit a height of at least one of the sheet-shaped media that floats with air blown by the left and right air outlets by coming into contact with an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Masahito Niwa, Yuichi Araki
  • Patent number: 11795016
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped-medium feeder includes a housing, a mount portion that is disposed to be vertically movable in the housing and that receives sheet-shaped media, a lift that vertically raises or lowers the mount portion, a discharger that transports the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion in order from an upper one of the sheet-shaped media, and first air outlets that blow air to the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion at left and right edges in a feed width of the sheet-shaped media. The mount portion is changeable to a long mount portion capable of receiving long sheet-shaped media by extending an end portion of the mount portion upstream from an unchanged position in a transportation direction of the sheet-shaped media, the end portion corresponding to an upstream end portion in the transportation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Teruki Naganuma, Masahito Niwa, Yuichi Araki, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11767184
    Abstract: A feeder includes a body, a mount portion disposed in the body to support from below part of recording media stacked thereon, a lift that raises the mount portion, a support portion connected to the body to support from below another part of the recording media while the mount portion is raised, the support portion being located higher than a position of a mount surface of the mount portion while the recording media are stacked on the mount portion, a blowing portion that blows air between the recording media stacked on the mount portion, and a transport portion that transports the recording media stacked on the mount portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Masahito Niwa, Yuichi Araki, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11703790
    Abstract: A supply device includes: a loading portion where recording media are loaded; a transport unit to transport the media; a contact portion provided on the loading portion, the contact portion being in contact with a side end portion of the media having a first size in a direction intersecting with a transport direction, the contact portion having a blowing portion to blow air to the side end portion; a guide portion detachably attached to the contact portion when media having a second size smaller than the media having the first size are loaded, the guide portion being configured to guide a side end portion of the media having the second size; and a duct provided in the guide portion, the duct including a discharge port to blow the air from the blowing portion to an upper end portion of the media having the second size loaded on the loading portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Teruki Naganuma
  • Patent number: 11685622
    Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a storage unit that stores media in a form of a sheet, a delivery unit that is disposed downstream in a medium delivery direction relative to the media stored in the storage unit and that delivers the media individually, a transfer unit that is disposed above the storage unit and that sticks by suction to each of the media stored in the storage unit and transfers the media to the delivery unit individually, and a fluffing unit that is disposed beside the media stored in the storage unit in a direction intersecting the medium delivery direction. The fluffing unit fluffs an upper-side region of the media in a state of being separated by blowing air toward a side of the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masahito Niwa, Yuichi Araki, Shoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11655112
    Abstract: A medium regulating component for use in a medium feeding device feeding sheet media accommodated in an accommodating unit, the component for regulating excessive floating of a medium accommodated in the accommodating unit, the component includes: a regulating member protruding in a horizontal direction from an accommodating unit periphery and contacting the floating medium; a holding member holding the regulating member in a non-contact state with the medium; a first rotating shaft rotatably supporting the regulating member relative to the holding member; and a second rotating shaft rotatably supporting the holding member relative to the accommodating unit, in which when the regulating member receives a pressing force from below in a gravitational direction, rotates about the first rotating shaft in a state where movement of the holding member is suppressed, and pushes the holding member to rotate about the second rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Teruki Naganuma
  • Patent number: 11603277
    Abstract: A feeder includes: a mount board that moves vertically while allowing sheet-shaped media to be stacked thereon; a transport device that allows an uppermost one of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount board to be sucked by a suction portion to transport the uppermost sheet-shaped medium to a transporter and to feed the uppermost sheet-shaped medium to a destination; left and right edge air blowers that blow air to left and right edge portions, when viewed from an upstream side in a transportation direction, of upper ones of the sheet-shaped media stacked; and left and right detectors that are disposed on left and right sides of the suction portion at the same position in the transportation direction, and that individually detect downward or upward bend amounts of left and right edge portions of the uppermost sheet-shaped medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11565898
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a main body portion, a loading portion that is provided in the main body portion and supports a portion of a sheet loaded thereon from below, a lifting unit that lifts the loading portion, and a supporting portion that is connected to the main body portion and supports another portion of the sheet from below during a process in which the loading portion is lifted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kimura, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Shoichi Maeda, Masashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11565897
    Abstract: A sheet feeder including: a housing including a mount portion that receives recording media; an open-close portion that is disposed on an upper surface of the housing to close the mount portion and rotates about a first hinge to open or close a mount space over the mount portion; and a manual insertion portion at least part of which is disposed on the open-close portion to receive manually inserted recording media, the manual insertion portion being rotatable about the first hinge or a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge to rotate upward from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Masahito Niwa, Yuichi Araki, Yoshiki Kimura, Misaki Suruga
  • Publication number: 20220371838
    Abstract: A feeder includes a mount board that moves vertically while allowing sheet-shaped media to be stacked thereon; a transport device allows an uppermost one of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount board to be sucked by a suction portion to transport the uppermost medium to a transporter and to feed the uppermost medium to a destination; left and right edge air blowers blow air to transportation left and right edge portions of upper ones of the sheet-shaped media stacked; and a tip-end air blower blows air to below the uppermost medium sucked by the suction portion from a position downstream from a transportation leading end of the uppermost medium in a transport direction. When the uppermost medium is sucked by the suction portion, the feeder performs a first operation of spacing an upwardly bent transportation leading-end portion of a second uppermost medium apart downward from the sucked uppermost medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
    Inventor: Shoichi MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20220371839
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet-shaped medium includes: a stacking plate on which sheet-shaped media are stacked; a suction transport belt that is disposed above the stacking plate and causes a topmost one of the stacked sheet-shaped media to be sucked onto a belt lower surface and then rotates to carry out the topmost sheet-shaped medium to a destination; and a surrounding member that is provided in a hanging-down manner at least at left and right positions in a carrying-out direction around the suction transport belt so as to be movable up and down, surrounds a space below the belt lower surface, and is moved upward by contact with the sheet-shaped medium that is being sucked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shoichi MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20220371841
    Abstract: A feeder includes: a mount board that moves vertically while allowing sheet-shaped media to be stacked thereon; a transport device that allows an uppermost one of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount board to be sucked by a suction portion to transport the uppermost sheet-shaped medium to a transporter and to feed the uppermost sheet-shaped medium to a destination; left and right edge air blowers that blow air to left and right edge portions, when viewed from an upstream side in a transportation direction, of upper ones of the sheet-shaped media stacked; and left and right detectors that are disposed on left and right sides of the suction portion at the same position in the transportation direction, and that individually detect downward or upward bend amounts of left and right edge portions of the uppermost sheet-shaped medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shoichi MAEDA
  • Patent number: 11479424
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a processor configured to change lifting control for lifting sheets on a tray, which are to be floated up and handed over, from normal state control to small-quantity state control in a case where it is detected that the remaining number of sheets on the tray is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yuichi Araki, Shoichi Maeda, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Yoshiyuki Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 11479426
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacking unit, a long sheet stacking unit, a first guide, a first detector, and a closing unit. The sheet stacking unit is movable up and down. Sheets are stacked on the sheet stacking unit. The long sheet stacking unit is detachably mounted on the sheet stacking unit. Long sheets are stacked on the long sheet stacking unit. The first guide is movable along a feeding direction through a groove. The first guide is deformable into a shape that does not interfere with the long sheet stacking unit. The first guide guides a rear end portion of the sheets in the feeding direction. The first detector is provided in the first guide. The first detector detects the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit. The closing unit is detachably attached to the groove in the sheet stacking unit. The closing unit closes the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masashi Ikeda, Shoichi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11414284
    Abstract: An accommodating device includes: a main body portion; a pulling-out portion on which recording media are loaded, the pulling-out portion being capable of being pulled out from the main body portion; a prevention portion configured to prevent the pulling-out portion from being pulled out by being locked to the main body portion in a state where the pulling-out portion is housed in the main body portion; and a fixing portion configured to fix the pulling-out portion to the main body portion in the state where the pulling-out portion is housed in the main body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Shoichi Maeda, Teruki Naganuma, Yohei Onoue, Yoshiki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11377314
    Abstract: A sheet container includes a housing, a stacking part provided in the housing so that recording sheets are stacked on the stacking part, a contact part to be brought into contact with edges of the recording sheets in a length direction on the stacking part in an attached state in which the contact part is attached into the housing, a connection member connected to the stacking part or the housing and having an extension part longer than the stacking part in the length direction, and a retreater that retreats the contact part in the attached state from the extension part with the connection member connected to the stacking part or the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Masashi Ikeda, Masahito Niwa, Shoichi Maeda, Kiyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11365075
    Abstract: A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a loading portion onto which a sheet is loaded, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the loading portion, a raising portion that raises a sheet loading surface with respect to a lowermost lowering position of the loading portion and above which a portion of the sheet is loaded, and an extension portion that extends to a position outward of the loading portion from the raising portion side as seen in plan view and supports another portion of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Kimura, Kiyoshi Watanabe, Shoichi Maeda, Masashi Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20220081236
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes: a paper feeder configured to feed out the uppermost paper included in a paper bundle; a blower configured to blow gas to a lateral side of the paper bundle; and a processor configured to reduce an amount of the gas blown to the lateral side when a predetermined specific condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
    Inventors: Shoichi MAEDA, Masahito NIWA, Yuichi ARAKI