Associating And Folding Patents (Class 270/32)
  • Patent number: 8376344
    Abstract: A folded spine of a booklet held by a pair of opposing holding members is deformed by entering a pressing member into a gap between the pair of holding members and bringing the pressing member into pressure contact with the folded spine. In consequence, the folded spine is prevented from receiving an excessive pressing force, and a smooth surface with a width substantially equal to the thickness of the booklet is thus formed on the folded spine, whereby a booklet with a good appearance can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20130038012
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus 3 includes a position aligning section (61A, 61B), a holding section 53, and a processing section (38, 55). The position aligning section (61A, 61B) abuts the inner side or a fold of a sheet bundle (S2), which is formed by collecting a plurality of folded sheets (S1), to align the position of the folds of line plurality of folded sheets (S1). The holding section (53) holds the sheet bundle (S2) in which the position of the folds of the plurality of sheets (S1) has been aligned by the position aligning section (61A, 61B). The processing section (38, 55) performs a predetermined process on the sheet bundle (S2) held by the holding section 53.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Akio KASUGA, Tatsuya KATAGIRI
  • Patent number: 8366095
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a discharge portion configured to discharge a sheet having a folding portion, a conveyance portion configured to abut on a lower surface of the sheet discharged by the discharge portion, to convey the sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction of the discharge portion, a pressing portion arranged at a position opposing the conveyance portion, configured to press an upper surface of the sheet discharged by the discharge portion, and a moving portion configured to move the pressing portion in the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance portion, in which the moving portion moves the pressing portion upstream in the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance portion, to move the pressing portion from a position where the sheet discharged by the discharge portion is not pressed to a position where the sheet discharged by the discharge portion is pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuri Urano, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8366092
    Abstract: A booklet is produced. Selectively-printed sheets are cut to length, inner sheets being shorter, and stacked on a ramp set at an adjustable angle to a sheet support. This aligns the fold axes of all the sheets so they can be fastened and folded. Gravity is used to hold the sheets in place on the ramp and sheet support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Brian J. Kwarta, Arun Chowdry
  • Patent number: 8353506
    Abstract: The present utility model relates to an equipment for making an album core automatically, which comprises automatic feeding mechanisms for feeding an album paper and an interlayer, a creasing mechanism for creasing the middle of the album paper to form a crease, a folding mechanism for folding the album paper along the crease and a pasting mechanism for pasting the album or the interlayer by coating glue, wherein the automatic feeding mechanisms include an album paper feeding mechanism, an interlayer feeding mechanism and a control mechanism connected to the two feeding mechanisms. The equipment in the utility model has higher automaticity and can select the kinds of album papers freely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Imetto Digital Imaging Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weijun Yuan, Xiaoqiang Zhang, Yiqiang Deng
  • Patent number: 8353504
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a blade member having an edge configured to push a surface of a sheet so as to push the sheet into a sheet folding unit configured to fold the sheet, a pair of nipping members that is included in the sheet folding unit and nips the sheet pushed into the sheet folding unit by the blade member, a blade member moving unit that moves the blade member and a nipping member moving unit that moves the pair of nipping members. The blade member moving unit and the nipping member moving unit are driven by the same driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Minoru Hattori, Akihiro Tsuno
  • Patent number: 8342496
    Abstract: A printing system which is capable of performing square back processing and has a mechanism that makes it possible to prevent occurrence of a new trouble of inadvertently creating a saddle-stitched brochure defective in appearance and/or stackability, which is unexpected by an operator. A printing apparatus receives plural jobs including a saddle-stitch job for creating a saddle-stitched brochure of a predetermined kind. In the saddle-stitch job, saddle-stitch processing and square back processing are carried out. The square back processing is performed by a saddle-stitching machine. The saddle-stitching machine forms a flat surface on the back of a saddle-stitched brochure. A controller permits or inhibits creating the saddle-stitched brochure of the predetermined kind for a job based on whether the job meets a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Toda, Kiyoshi Tokashiki, Kazuhiko Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 8342498
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus is capable of neatly squaring a booklet spine without any damage such as a wrinkle on the spine, usable in an image forming apparatus. According to the sheet post-processing apparatus, a drive motor drives first and second pressing members. A circumferential velocity of the pressing member on a pressing surface pressed against the booklet spine is configured to be reverse to and greater than a moving velocity of a moving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuri Urano
  • Patent number: 8336869
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding roller pair, a sheet pushing member, a detection unit, and a control unit. The folding roller pair folds a sheet or a sheet bundle by a nip portion and conveys a folded sheet or a folded sheet bundle. The sheet pushing member performs a pushing operation in which a tip of the sheet pushing member pushes the sheet or the sheet bundle into the nip portion of the folding roller pair. The detection unit detects whether the tip of the sheet pushing member reaches a predetermined position in a moving direction of the sheet pushing member. The control unit controls driving of the sheet pushing member according to a result of detection by the detection unit such that the sheet pushing member repeats the pushing operation until the detection unit detects that the tip of the sheet pushing member reaches the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukatsu, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Sato
  • Patent number: 8333371
    Abstract: A creasing device includes: a first member on which a linear convex-edged blade is formed in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a second member on which a concave-edged blade pairing with the convex-edged blade is formed; and a drive unit that drives the first and second members to relatively come close to and away from each other, thereby making a crease on the sheet, wherein in a standby state, the drive unit keeps faces of the first member and second member not parallel; and in making a crease on the sheet, causes the convex-edged blade and the concave-edged blade to have point contact with each other via the sheet held therebetween so as to initiate a creasing movement by a rotation movement thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Hitoshi Hattori, Takashi Saito, Shuuya Nagasako, Naoyuki Ishikawa, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Hidetoshi Kojima, Naoki Oikawa, Go Aiba
  • Patent number: 8333370
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for separating a stack of folded sheets by inserting a first, second, third and fourth count fingers into four successive openings in the stack, and separating the stack between the second and third count fingers. Where separation is carried out after a desired number of folded sheets have passed the third count finger, a completed pack having the desired number of sheets may be formed downstream from the third count finger. The count fingers may be operatively mounted in count finger cassettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: C.G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventor: James Andrew Walsh
  • Patent number: 8322701
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium on which the image is formed; a crease forming unit that performs a crease forming process on the conveyed recording medium; a determining unit that determines whether or not the recording medium is a predetermined recording medium; and a control unit that prohibits the crease forming process from being performed by the crease forming unit when the determining unit determines that the recording medium is the predetermined recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Takashi Saito, Naoyuki Ishikawa, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Hidetoshi Kojima, Naoki Oikawa, Go Aiba
  • Patent number: 8317178
    Abstract: A bookbinding system includes an image forming apparatus, a plurality of post-processing apparatuses, a controller, and an operation-and-display unit. The image forming apparatus forms images on recording media and outputs the recording media. The plurality of post-processing apparatuses is connected to the image forming apparatus and includes at least a folding apparatus and a ring-binding apparatus. The folding apparatus folds the recording media according to a plurality of folding types including at least Z-shape folding and double folding. The ring-binding apparatus binds the recording media with a ring. The controller is communicatively connected to the image forming apparatus and the plurality of post-processing apparatuses and prevents simultaneous selection of ring binding and a folding type incompatible with ring binding. The operation-and-display unit displays an indication that ring binding and the folding type incompatible with ring binding are not simultaneously selectable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Iida, Takeshi Sasaki, Satoshi Saito, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Shingo Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8317179
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing device includes a stacker for stacking and storing sheets therein, a feeder for receiving sheets and feeding the sheets toward the stacker, a folder for folding a set of sheets stored in the stacker, a preparatory processor, which is located upstream from the folder, for processing sheets preparatory to folding of a set of sheets, a presser for pressing the set of sheets stored in the stacker at a portion processed by the preparatory processor so as to push the set of sheets into the folder, and a controller for controlling the stacker, the feeder, the folder, the preparatory processor and the presser. The controller controls the preparatory processor not to process a sheet that will be an outermost sheet of a folded set of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Motoki Takata
  • Patent number: 8302951
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a holding portion that nips and holds a booklet, which includes folded sheets, by a pair of holding members opposite to each other, and a pressing portion that enters a gap between the pair of holding members to press a spine of the booklet held by the holding portion while moving along the spine of the booklet so as to deform the spine of the booklet, wherein the pressing portion changes its moving direction along the spine of the booklet and changes the pressing position thereof in the thickness direction of the booklet held between the pair of holding members, when the pressing portion deforms the spine of the booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8302950
    Abstract: A printing system includes a media storage module, a printing station for processing a portion of the receiving media, a receiving station for receiving the processed media, and a base member for supporting the printing system on a support surface. A receiving device is configured to receive a folding module for folding the processed receiving media. The receiving device is positioned substantially in a volume extending from the area defined by the cumulative normal projection of the media storage module and the printing station on the support surface, the volume extending perpendicular to the support surface in the direction of the printing station. A guiding device is configured to guide the processed media to one of the receiving station and the folding module. A method of modifying the printing system includes removing a media storage module to create a vacancy and inserting a folding module into the vacancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: OCE-Technologies B.V.
    Inventors: Michiel A. C. Terhaag, Marco H. L. H. Kusters, Jeroen A. A. Van Assen
  • Patent number: 8297607
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus includes a reinforce roller to further reinforce the fold of a sheet which has been folded by a fold roller pair, a support portion to move the reinforce roller in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, a sensor to sense a position of the support portion, a distance sensing portion to sense a distance to a first position and a distance to a second position from a stop position of the support portion, when the sensor senses an abnormal stop of the support portion, and a control unit to compare the distance to the first position and the distance to the second position sensed by the distance sensing portion and to control the support portion to move in a direction where a moving distance is shorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Yahata, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8297609
    Abstract: The present utility model relates to an equipment for making an album core automatically, which comprises automatic feeding mechanisms for feeding an album paper and an interlayer, a creasing mechanism for creasing the middle of the album paper to form a crease, a folding mechanism for folding the album paper along the crease and a pasting mechanism for pasting the album or the interlayer by coating glue, wherein the automatic feeding mechanisms include an album paper feeding mechanism, an interlayer feeding mechanism and a control mechanism connected to the two feeding mechanisms. The equipment in the utility model has higher automaticity and can select the kinds of album papers freely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Imetto Digital Imaging Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weijun Yuan, Xiaoqiang Zhang, Yiqiang Deng
  • Patent number: 8292284
    Abstract: A printing system which is capable of performing square back processing and preventing occurrence of a new trouble of inadvertently creating a saddle-stitched brochure defective in the appearance of a trimmed edge and/or print appearance, which is unexpected by an operator. A receiving unit receives a job of a first type for creating a saddle-stitched brochure subjected to square back processing and trimming processing or a second type creating a saddle-stitched brochure not subjected to the square back processing but subjected to the trimming processing. A controller controls a trimming position at an end of the sheet bundle for the job and/or an image printing position on a sheet included in the sheet bundle based on whether a job to be processed is of the first type or of the second type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Toda, Kiyoshi Tokashiki, Kazuhiko Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 8292283
    Abstract: To provide a post-processing apparatus for enabling a bunch of sheets and a single sheet to be folded in simplified structure, and further enabling the folded sheet and sheets that are not folded to be mixed and bound, the post-processing apparatus has a processing tray to collate and collect sheets to perform binding processing, and a folding processing path having a folding processing section, and a folded sheet carrying-out path for carrying out a folded sheet is provided on the downstream side of the folding processing path. Then, the folded sheet carrying-out path is comprised of a circulating path for guiding the folded sheet again to the folding processing section, a post-processing path for guiding the folded sheet to the processing tray to perform post-processing, and a sheet discharge path for guiding the folded sheet to a storage stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Matsuno, Satoru Matsuki, Komei Mohara, Hidetoshi Kinoshita, Yoshio Kobayashi, Yuichi Kubota, Koji Kurakano, Mamoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 8286958
    Abstract: An spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer that conveys the bundle of folded sheets in a sheet conveyance direction with a folded portion of the bundle forming front end portion thereof, first and second sandwiching units disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer, a contact member disposed downstream from the second sandwiching unit, against which the folded portion of a bundle of folded sheets is pressed, and a controller. The controller stops the sheet conveyer after the bundle is transported a predetermined distance from a contact position between the contact member and the folded portion of the bundle, causing the bundle to bulge, and causes the first and second sandwiching units to squeeze the bulging of the bundle of folded sheets in a thickness direction sequentially with the folded portion of the bundle pressed against the contact member to form a spine of the bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shinji Asami, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 8276900
    Abstract: A folded spine of a booklet held by a pair of opposing holding members is deformed by entering a pressing member into a gap between the pair of holding members and bringing the pressing member into pressure contact with the folded spine. In consequence, the folded spine is prevented from receiving an excessive pressing force, and a smooth surface with a width substantially equal to the thickness of the booklet is thus formed on the folded spine, whereby a booklet with a good appearance can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8276899
    Abstract: A media-sheet post-processing apparatus performs post-processing on a media sheet delivered thereto. The sheet media post-processing apparatus includes a media-sheet conveying unit configured to convey a media sheet while moving in a media-sheet conveying direction; and a move drive unit configured to move the media-sheet conveying unit in the media-sheet conveying direction in such a manner that a difference between an amount that the media sheet is conveyed by the media-sheet conveying unit and an amount that the media-sheet conveying unit is moved is kept constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masanobu Kimata, Yohzoh Dohki
  • Patent number: 8267391
    Abstract: Sheet pressing means (59) is provided that assists the formation of a bend in a sheet (S) and that freely swings to guide the bend into the nip portion of a second folding roller pair (a second roller (54) and a third roller (55)). The pivot point (594) of the sheet pressing mean (59) is arranged on the side of the nip portion of a first folding roller pair with respect to a common tangent (L1) of the first folding roller pair (a first roller (53) and the second roller (54)) on the downstream side in a sheet transport direction, and is arranged to be lower than a line (L3) that is parallel to a common tangent (L2) of the second folding roller pair on the upstream side in the sheet transport direction and that passes through the center (O) of the first roller (53). Thus, it is possible to reliably perform processing for folding the sheet in a predetermined position regardless of the material quality, the thickness and the like of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Shimizu, Zen Kayaba
  • Patent number: 8262073
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pushing member, a drive device, a first conveyance unit, a second conveyance unit provided on a downstream side of the first conveyance unit, a first detection unit, a second detection unit, and a control unit. The drive device moves the pushing member to push a portion of a sheet bundle to fold the sheet bundle. The first conveyance unit uses a roller pair to convey the folded sheet bundle folded. The second conveyance unit conveys the sheet bundle. The first detection unit detects an amount by which the pushing member is moved by the drive device. The second detection unit detects an amount by which the sheet bundle is conveyed by the first conveyance unit. The control unit separates the roller pair based on the amounts detected by the first and second detection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Yasuo Fukatsu, Tomoharu Sato
  • Patent number: 8256758
    Abstract: A bookbinding system that includes: a center folding unit configured to perform center folding on an integrated sheet bundle; an additionally folding unit configured to additionally perform folding of a folded portion of the center-folded sheet bundle; a back surface forming unit configured to form a back surface on the sheet bundle by pressing a front end of the folded portion of the center-folded sheet bundle and both surfaces of the sheet bundle; and a control unit configured to change the content of additionally folding according to whether to perform the back surface forming or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shinji Asami, Naohiro Kikkawa, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kiichiroh Gotoh
  • Patent number: 8256757
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus for performing folding processing on a sheet from a carry-in entrance to carry out to a carrying-out exit has a sheet feeding apparatus, a first transport path, a second transport path, and a folding processing device. The sheet feeding apparatus includes a transport roller pair in press-contact with each other, a gate stopper device having a stopper member, a register area to curve and deform the sheet with the front end regulated, and a stopper driving device for shifting the gate stopper device. The stopper member is formed so that a shift trajectory of the regulation surface is to guide the front end of the sheet to the press-contact portion of the transport roller pair. The first transport path is provided with the sheet feeding apparatus for aligning a front end of the sheet fed from the carry-in entrance to feed to a predetermined processing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Imazu, Shinichi Ito, Mizuho Shirakura
  • Patent number: 8240654
    Abstract: An spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer to transport a bundle of folded sheets with a folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets forming a front end portion, a sandwiching member to sandwich and squeeze the bundle of folded sheets in a direction of thickness of the bundle of folded sheets, and a spine formation unit disposed downstream from the sandwiching member in the sheet conveyance direction, to flatten the folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets held by the sandwiching member. The spine formation unit presses the folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets projecting a predetermined length from the sandwiching member in the sheet conveyance direction in a reverse direction of the sheet conveyance direction while moving in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Asami, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 8226076
    Abstract: When a sheet is loaded to the sheet tray, the position of a trailing edge regulating section is set in response to the size of an insert sheet. Owing to this, the print sheet ejected from the ejection rollers onto the sheet tray falls onto the surface of the insert sheet. Further, when a booklet with an insert sheet placed therein is produced, an insert sheet is supplied to the sheet tray along the second conveying path. The shift amount of the execution position of center folding or the execution position of center stitching with respect to the sheet bundle is calculated in conformity to the finishing form of the booklet containing the insert sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Takumi Shirakuma, Takeshi Tamada, Eiji Sugimoto, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Hideo Yamane
  • Patent number: 8226078
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a holding portion that holds a booklet, which includes folded sheets, by a pair of holding members, a pressing portion having a first pressing member, which is brought into contact with a spine of a booklet held by the holding portion so as to perform a deforming process to the spine, and a second pressing member having a thickness, in the thickness direction of the booklet, greater than that of the first pressing member, a moving portion that moves the pressing member along the spine, and a controlling portion that changes the first pressing member to the second pressing member, and increases a deformation amount from the spine before the deformation to a pressing position in the pressing direction where the second pressing member presses the spine, when the thickness of the booklet held by the holding portion exceeds a predetermined thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8226077
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which a retracting operation of a bundle of sheets from a stapler after a staple process can be stably performed irrespective of the number of sheets constituting the bundle of sheets or the transport resistance. When the bundle of sheets subjected to the staple process is moved by a stacker in a direction of retracting from the stapler, an alignment roller is caused to come in contact with the bundle of sheets held by the stacker and to assist the movement of the bundle of sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Iizuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8220791
    Abstract: An spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer that conveys the bundle of folded sheets with a folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets forming a front end portion of the bundle of folded sheets, a spine formation unit disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction for forming the spine of the bundle of folded sheets by squeezing the folded portion of the bundle from a folded leading side, a front side, and a back side of the bundle, a discharge unit to discharge the bundle of folded sheets outside the spine formation device, disposed downstream form the spine formation unit in the sheet conveyance direction, and a controller to cause the spine formation unit to operate in one of multiple selectable control modes for controlling the spine formation unit in accordance with at least one of multiple predetermined sheet-related variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shinji Asami, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kiichiroh Gotoh
  • Patent number: 8220790
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a case where a sheet folding process or a staple process is performed, even in the case where the size precision of a sheet used is not satisfactory, the high-precision staple process and folding process can be performed to the sheet. In a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus to perform a specified process to a sheet, a relatively moved sheet is detected, the size of the sheet is calculated based on the detection result, and a position where the specified process is performed to a bundle of sheets as an object of the specified process is adjusted based on the calculated sheet size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Ilzuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8215626
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a sheet processing apparatus including a switchback portion in a sheet transport path, a contribution can be made to the improvement of maintenance in the case where a sheet jam occurs in the vicinity of a switchback position. In a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus for performing a specified process to a sheet, the sheet processing apparatus includes a first sheet transport path for transporting the sheet, and a second sheet transport path that is for performing switchback transport of the sheet transported in the first sheet transport path and includes at least one of a hole, a projection and a recess in the vicinity of a meeting position between the second sheet transport path and the first sheet transport path, and the first sheet transport path and the second sheet transport path are enabled to be integrally pulled out to the outside of the sheet processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Iizuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8215628
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet processing apparatus control unit; a folding motor, a rotating direction of which is controlled by the sheet processing apparatus control unit; a low-speed gear train configured to be driven when the folding motor normally rotates; a high-speed gear train configured to be driven when the folding motor reversely rotates; and a saddle-folding driving roller configured to be driven by a gear train selected from the low-speed gear train and the high-speed gear train. When the number of recording media to be saddle-stapled or saddle-folded exceeds predetermined numbers respectively set for the saddle stapling and the saddle folding, the sheet processing apparatus control unit drives the saddle-folding driving roller at low speed. When the number of recording media to be saddle-stapled or saddle-folded does not exceed the predetermined numbers, the sheet processing apparatus control unit drives the saddle-folding driving roller at high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8215627
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus that performs bookbinding processing on a folded sheet bundle, includes a holding portion configured to hold a folded sheet bundle, and a pressing member configured to press a folded spinal portion of the sheet bundle held by the holding portion. At least one of the holding portion and the pressing member can move in a direction to approach each other along a surface of the sheet held by the holding portion to press the folded spinal portion of the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Kiyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8201815
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a fold unit which folds a center of a sheet bundle to form a fold line, and a reinforce roller which moves along the fold line while applying pressure to the fold line to reinforce the fold line. The reinforce roller includes plural sub-rollers which are concentrically coupled to each other in a rotation axis direction, and the respective sub-rollers apply different pressures to the fold line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuya Sasahara, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8191882
    Abstract: A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer to transport a bundle of folded sheets, a pressing unit including a first pressing member movable according to a pressing load in a pressing direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction to press opposed sides of the front end portion of the folded sheets and a second pressing member attached to the first pressing member, to press the front end portion of the folded sheets, and a spine formation member disposed at a predetermined distance from the pressing unit. The second moves in the sheet conveyance direction in conjunction with the first pressing member moving in the pressing direction and presses the folded portion of the bundle of sheets with a predetermined spine-forming load against a contact surface of the spine formation member, thereby forming a spine of the bundle of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Shinji Asami, Nobuyoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8186663
    Abstract: A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer, a presser, and a spine formation member. The sheet conveyer conveys a bundle of folded sheets with a folded portion of the bundle of sheets forming a front end portion of the bundle of sheets. The presser is disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet conveyer conveys the bundle of sheets. The presser is movable to press opposed sides of the front end portion of the bundle of sheets. The spine formation member is movably disposed downstream from the presser in the sheet conveyance direction. The spine formation member includes a groove portion that contacts and positions the bundle of sheets to define an amount by which the bundle of sheets protrudes from the presser and a spine formation face that forms a spine at the folded portion of the bundle of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shinji Asami, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 8177211
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a saddle-stitching unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle; a folding unit configured to fold the sheet bundle at the center to form a fold; a loading base onto which the sheet bundle conveyed from the folding unit is loaded; a nipping plate configured to be pressed to and separated from the loading base in parallel to the loading base and to nip the sheet bundle loaded onto the loading base; and first and second rollers that move along a direction of the fold while nipping and pressing the fold of the sheet bundle nipped by the nipping plate to reinforce the fold. Here, a surface, which faces the loading base, of the nipping plate is provided with an elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8162303
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding roller pair, a sheet pushing member, and a detection unit. The folding roller pair folds a sheet or a sheet bundle by a nip portion. The sheet pushing member results in a tip pushing a portion between two ends of the sheet or sheet bundle into the nip portion and then performs a tip returning operation. The detection unit detects whether the tip reaches a predetermined position within a predetermined time. When the tip does not reach the predetermined position within the predetermined time, the sheet pushing member retries the pushing operation after performing the returning operation. When the tip reaches the predetermined position within the predetermined time, the sheet pushing member stops the pushing operation and controls rotation driving of the folding roller pair such that the folding roller pair starts to convey the sheet or sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukatsu, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Sato
  • Patent number: 8162304
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, a fold reinforcing unit that includes a reinforce roller, moves the reinforce roller along a direction of the fold line while applying pressure by the reinforce roller to the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit, and reinforces the fold line, and a control unit configured to transport the sheet bundle from the fold unit to the fold reinforcing unit and to control to stop the fold line of the sheet bundle at a position of the reinforce roller, and the control unit changes, according to a thickness of the sheet bundle, a transport distance from a specified position in the fold reinforcing unit to the position where the sheet bundle is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8146904
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an alignment roller which conveys a sheet to a sheet positioning member and an opening and closing shutter which is disposed so as to face a sheet stack surface of a sheet stack guide. The sheet positioning member abuts a sheet end in a sheet conveying direction to align the sheet. The sheet is stacked on the sheet stack guide. The opening and closing shutter has a regulating area where sheet conveying guide and buckling of the sheet are regulated from an upstream side to a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction of the alignment roller. A guide interval formed between the opening and closing shutter and the sheet stack surface can be changed. Therefore, in sheet conveying positioning, the buckling can securely be prevented in the sheet stack guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Daisaku Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8123208
    Abstract: Binding apparatus and a related process are particularly suited for binding digitally-printed sheets into booklets. The apparatus is adapted to fold individual sheets and then to apply adhesive to the fold line before gathering the sheets in a collator ready for binding. The collator includes either a rotatable or retractable finger that is moveable to temporarily inhibit registration of a first sheet of a new stack on a stacking area, as a previous stack is transported away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: IBIS Integrated Bindery Systems Ltd.
    Inventors: John Cracknell, Mark Firth, John O'Brien, Alan Trew, Martin Brewster
  • Patent number: 8109495
    Abstract: An spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer, a contact member including a first row of grooves provided in a contact surface thereof to house a projection projecting from a folded portion of a bundle of folded sheets, a driving unit to move the contact member, first and second sandwiching units to squeeze the bundle, a discharge unit, and a controller. The first row of grooves extends in parallel to the folded portion of the bundle and includes at least a first pair of grooves inclined in different directions with an interval therebetween varying in size with location of the grooves in a first direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction. The contact member is moved to change the size of interval between the first pair of grooves at a position aligned with the projection projecting from the folded portion of the bundle of folded sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shinji Asami, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kiichiroh Gotoh
  • Patent number: 8109497
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a cutting device for cutting a fore-edge portion of a center-folded bunch of sheets disposed in a position spaced from a sheet discharge outlet to eliminate the risk for inflicting a wound on the body of an operator, an end binding device for gathering sheets received from a carry-in entrance and performing binding processing in the end portion of a bunch of sheets, a saddle-stitching device for gathering sheets received from the carry-in entrance and performing binding processing in the center portion of a bunch of sheets, and a center-folding device for performing center-folding processing on the bunch of sheets subjected to the saddle-stitching processing. A cutting device is subjected to the center-folding processing. A second discharge outlet is disposed in the other side face of the apparatus frame to discharge the bunch of sheets subjected to the center-folding processing in the center-folding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Okamoto, Ken Obikane, Jun Kondo
  • Publication number: 20120013063
    Abstract: Signatures of various paper types can be discharged and guided properly to impellers by providing a pair of discharging rollers 31 that can sandwich and discharge signatures S; an impeller 50 that is disposed under the pair of discharging rollers 31, is disposed with its rotation center offset toward one of the pair of discharging rollers 31, and can receive the signatures S discharged from the pair of discharging rollers 31 with a plurality of blades 56 provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction; first guiding members 60a, 60b, 60c that configure a signature conveyance path K from the pair of discharging rollers 31 to the impellers 50, and are disposed on the center side of the impellers; second guiding members 61a, 61b, 61c that are disposed on the side opposite to the first guiding members 60a, 60b, 60c across the signature conveyance path K, and regulate deviation of the signatures S from the signature conveyance path K; and a guide-moving unit 68 that changes the path of the sig
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akimitsu Yamashita, Isami Mitamura, Mikio Motooka
  • Patent number: 8096541
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus including a sheet supporting member which has an inclined surface to support a stack of sheets, a sheet position adjuster which adjusts a position of the stack of sheets along the inclined surface, a sheet pressing unit which presses the stack of sheets against the inclined surface, a folding unit which folds the stack of sheets pressed by the sheet pressing unit, and a controller which controls the sheet pressing unit to press the stack of sheets on the sheet position adjuster against the inclined surface, and to create a gap between the stack of sheets on the sheet position adjuster and the sheet pressing unit to receive a sheet onto the sheet position adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Yasunobu Terao, Shinichiro Mano, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8091877
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, and the fold reinforcing unit includes a placement table on which the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit is placed, a band-like elastic member that is extended to face the fold line of the placed sheet bundle and is formed to be longer than the length of the fold line, and a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller and moves the reinforce roller along the direction of the fold line while pressing it to the fold line through the intervening elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20110316214
    Abstract: A device for folding sheets of a medium into a booklet is provided. The device includes a frame; a cam mechanism attached to the frame; a lever attached to the frame, the lever being actuated by the cam mechanism; a first scissor arm attached to the frame, the first scissor arm being actuated by the lever; a pair of first rolls, one of the first rolls being movable by the first scissor arm; a second scissor arm attached to the frame, the second scissor arm being actuated by the lever; a pair of second rolls, one of the second rolls being movable by the second scissor arm; a crease blade for contacting the sheets to create a crease in the sheets; and a controller that controls a position of the crease blade, a gap between the pair of first rolls, and a gap between the pair of second rolls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ian PARKS, Richard HUBBARD, Jeff RYAN, Stephen MAY, Martin LLOYD