Sheet Associating Patents (Class 270/45)
  • 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: 8317180
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle-stitching unit to stitch a center of a sheet bundle, a folding unit to fold the center and to form a fold, a first and a second rollers that move along a direction of the fold while nipping and pressing the fold of the sheet bundle and reinforce the fold, and a drive section to move the first and the second rollers along the fold from a standby position apart from an edge of the sheet bundle, and the first and the second rollers are separate from each other in a thickness direction of the sheet bundle at the standby position, and after the first and the second rollers reach to a position where they pass the edge of the sheet bundle of a processable maximum size, they come close to each other in the thickness direction and nip the fold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki
    Inventor: Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8317181
    Abstract: A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer to transport a bundle of folded sheets with the folded portion of the bundle forming a front end portion of the bundle, a clamping unit to clamp the bundle from both sides in a direction of thickness of the bundle, a spine forming member to flatten the folded portion of the bundle, disposed in that order in a sheet conveyance direction, and a controller that causes the sheet conveyer to transport the bundle of folded sheets to a first position downstream from an upstream end of the spine forming member in the sheet conveyance direction and to reverse the bundle a predetermined distance from the first position to a second position upstream from the first position in the sheet conveyance direction before the clamping unit clamps the bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Suzuki
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20120261873
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of enhancing productivity in flattening a fold top of a sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus has a conveying unit that conveys a folded sheet bundle to a processing position, and a holding unit that holds the sheet bundle conveyed by the conveying unit. When the folded sheet bundle has been conveyed by a predetermined distance after a leading end of the sheet bundle has been detected and before the sheet bundle reaches a processing position, the holding unit starts holding the sheet bundle, and then the conveying units stops conveyance of the sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukatsu, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Sato
  • Publication number: 20120261872
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a stacking face (84) is inclined such that a downstream side in a sheet discharging direction is lower, and is composed of a first supporting face (84a) supporting a sheet to be stacked at its front end part in a sheet discharging direction and a second supporting face (84b) supporting the sheet to be stacked at its rear end part in the sheet discharging direction. The first supporting face (84a) is structured to be shorter than ½ of a minimum size length of the sheet to be stacked, and this is provided rotatably upward around a rotating shaft (85x) furnished to a registration part (85r) of regulating the front ends of the sheets. The first supporting face (84a) raises the front ends of the sheets to be discharged by rotation of the registration part (85r).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki KAGAMI, Shinichi ITO, Mizuho SHIRAKURA
  • 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: 8282091
    Abstract: A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer, a clamping unit disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, for squeezing a folded portion of a bundle of folded sheets, a contact member against which the folded portion of the bundle is pressed, disposed downstream from the clamping unit, and a controller to cause the bundle of folded sheets to bulge by stopping the sheet conveyer after the bundle of folded sheets is transported a predetermined conveyance distance from a contact position between the contact member and the folded portion of the bundle and to cause the clamping unit to squeeze a bulging portion of the bundle created between the sheet conveyer and the contact member with the folded portion pressed against the contact member. The predetermined distance is set in accordance with a predetermined sheet-related variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Shinji Asami, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kiichiroh Gotoh
  • 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: 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: 8251359
    Abstract: A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer to convey a bundle of folded sheets with a folded portion of the bundle forming a front end of the bundle, a clamping unit disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction for squeezing a folded portion of the bundle in a direction of thickness of the bundle, a contact member against which the folded portion of the bundle is pressed, disposed downstream from the clamping unit, an elevation unit to move the contact member vertically, and a controller. The clamping unit includes multiple pressure rollers arranged in a single line along the folded portion of the bundle, a planar clamping member disposed facing the multiple pressure rollers vertically, to press the bundle against the multiple pressure rollers, and a unit to move the pressure rollers and the clamping member close and away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Suzuki
  • 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: 8243324
    Abstract: When a user sets, from a user interface window using a bookbinding application, instructions of dividing a document into a plurality of parts and stapling each part of the document, a printer driver generates one job in which the staple attribute of a binder corresponding to each part is set to “ON” or “OFF”, and issues the job for a printer. With this operation, the user can perform staple designation to an arbitrary part of the document, and can realize a plurality of staple processes in one print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Nakagiri
  • Patent number: 8240651
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a pair of rollers, each arranged such that an axis direction thereof is perpendicular to a transport direction of recording sheets, that forms a fold in the axis direction at a predetermined portion of both surfaces of each recording sheet, a first plate-like member, arranged opposite the pair of rollers, that moves between a feeding position allowing the predetermined portion of each recording sheet to be pinched with a nip portion of the pair of rollers and a standby position being distant from the nip portion, a transport processing unit that causes the recording sheets to be sequentially transported such that the predetermined portion of each recording sheet intervenes between the first plate-like member and the pair of rollers and to be folded by the pair of rollers, and a post-processing unit bundles the recording sheets on each of which the fold has been formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Koichi Mitani
  • Patent number: 8235371
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, there is provided a sheet finishing apparatus including a folding roller that nips the middle of bundle of sheets and forms a fold line, a fold reinforcing roller that reinforces the fold line by moving along the fold line while applying a pressure to the fold line, a stack tray that stacks the bundle and a control unit that sets the number of times of fold reinforcing performed by the fold reinforcing roller as a first number when it is determined that a quantity of stacked bundle on the stack tray is less than a predetermined standard quantity which is set to be less than a maximum stack quantity and sets the number of times of the fold reinforcing as a second number greater than the first number when it is determined that a quantity of the stacked bundle is greater than the predetermined standard quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8231120
    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, wherein the pressing portion presses the spine of the held booklet so as to deform the spine of the booklet; wherein the pressing portion has plurality of pressing members, each having a different thickness in the thickness direction of the booklet, and the pressing member capable of entering the gap between the pair of holding members, and having the thickness closest to the thickness of the booklet which is nipped and held by the pair of holding members is selected among the plurality of pressing members so as to perform the deforming process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Kiyoshi Watanabe
  • 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: 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: 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: 8218192
    Abstract: The printing process system for laying out and printing images for two pages on one side of each sheet for creating a booklet, comprises: a generating unit for generating, in order to cause a plurality of printing devices to print the images on the sheets to form a booklet, print sheet data and insertion sheet data intended for each of the printing devices; a calculating unit for calculating a shift amount of the image for each of the sheets referenced in the print sheet data based on the print sheet data and the insertion sheet data, the shift amount ensuring that the image gets closer to the center of the sheet as the sheet gets closer to the innermost of the booklet; and an instructing unit for instructing a relevant printing device to print the images on the sheets referenced in the print sheet data, based on the shift amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tasuku Kamei
  • Publication number: 20120169003
    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: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukatsu, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Sato
  • Publication number: 20120153555
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of completing a bound document containing appropriately Z-folded sheets when performing folding together with edge cutting and binding. The sheet processing apparatus controls a Z-folding process, a cutting process, and a binding process for a sheet. A first folding position from a free end of the sheet coincides with a position corresponding to half a width of the sheet excluding a cut width of the sheet a binding margin, when the Z-folding process, the cutting process, and the binding process are executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masamichi Akashi
  • Publication number: 20120154838
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle-stitching unit to stitch a center of a sheet bundle, a folding unit to fold the center and to form a fold, a first and a second rollers that move along a direction of the fold while nipping and pressing the fold of the sheet bundle and reinforce the fold, and a drive section to move the first and the second rollers along the fold from a standby position apart from an edge of the sheet bundle, and the first and the second rollers are separate from each other in a thickness direction of the sheet bundle at the standby position, and after the first and the second rollers reach to a position where they pass the edge of the sheet bundle of a processable maximum size, they come close to each other in the thickness direction and nip the fold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Takahiro KAWAGUCHI
  • 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: 8191885
    Abstract: A processing unit performs a predetermined processing on a sheet in a process of carrying the sheet. A home-position detecting unit detects a home position of a moving member of the processing unit by detecting a part of the moving member using a detecting unit. The home-position detecting unit sets in advance a detection range for recognizing the home position, and when a part to detect the home position is detected in a state in which the moving member is stopped, sets a detection position as the home position by assuming that the detection position is in the detection range without moving the moving member once out of a detection range of the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi, Akira Kunieda, Makoto Hidaka, Naohiro Kikkawa, Junichi Tokita
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120086161
    Abstract: A creasing apparatus that performs a creasing process on a sheet, the creasing apparatus including a first conveying path on which a creasing unit is located, the creasing unit performing a creasing process on a sheet conveyed therein; a second conveying path that conveys a sheet conveyed therein to a downstream side without any process being performed on the sheet; and a control unit that, while the first conveying path conveys a sheet so that the creasing unit performs the creasing process on the sheet, causes a subsequent sheet to be conveyed to the downstream side from the second conveying path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Shuuya Nagasako, Hitoshi Hattori, Takashi Saito, Naoyuki Ishikawa, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Akihiro Musha, Go Aiba, Naoki Oikawa, Hidetoshi Kojima, Naohiro Kikkawa
  • Patent number: 8147643
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a pro label book includes printing static indicia on a web of label material, applying an adhesive to each portion of the web of label material that will become a label page in a pro label book that is not the portion of the web of label material that will become a top page of a label book to be formed if the adhesive is applied to a top surface of the web of label material or a bottom page of a label book to be formed if the adhesive is applied to the bottom surface of the web of label material, printing variable information on the web of label material, sheeting the web of label material to form label pages, and batching the label pages together utilizing the applied adhesive. Certain embodiments include attaching one of a backer or a cover to the web of label material following the printing static indicia step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Chicago Tag & Label, Inc.
    Inventors: F. Paul Valenti, Jr., Dan Hedger, Carl Opel
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120043713
    Abstract: A finisher according to an aspect of the invention includes an intermediate tray that collects sheets to form a sheet bundle, a sheet gripping member that grips one end of the sheet bundle in a conveying direction and a positioning member that grips the other end of the sheet bundle in a conveying direction, a moving portion that moves the sheet gripping member and the positioning member to come close each other, a pair of folding rollers that folds the sheet bundle while conveying the sheet bundle, a projecting member that projects a part between the one end and the other end of the gripped sheet bundle toward the pair of folding rollers, a controller that controls the moving portion, such that the sheet gripping member and the positioning member come close each other in synchronization with an operation of projecting the projecting member toward the sheet bundle S.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromasa Maenishi, Mitsuhiko Sato, Naoto Watanabe, Yushi Oka, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Yutaka Ando
  • 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: 20120027427
    Abstract: A sheet finisher according to an embodiment includes: a fold roller which folds a central area of a sheet bundle to form a fold line on the sheet bundle; a fold reinforcing roller which moves along a direction of the fold line while pressing the fold line of the sheet bundle to reinforce the fold line; and a drive unit which includes a motor and transmits a drive torque of the motor to the fold reinforcing roller, so that the drive torque can be changed, to move the fold reinforcing roller along the fold line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroyuki TAKI
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8083218
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a fold unit to fold a center of a sheet bundle to form a fold line, a reinforce roller which reciprocates along a direction of the fold line while nipping and pressing the fold line and reinforces the fold line of the sheet bundle, and a control section to changeably set the number of times of reciprocating movement of the reinforce roller according to a thickness of a sheet contained in the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Dobashi, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8066272
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus, including: sheet folder configured to fold a sheet bundle; a sheet bundle discharger configured to discharge a folded sheet bundle, folded by the sheet folder, with a folded edge of the folded sheet bundle in the lead; a folded edge support configured to support the folded edge of the folded sheet bundle discharged from the sheet bundle discharger, the folded edge support movable without rotation in a direction declined from a higher side near the sheet bundle provider to a lower side farther from the sheet bundle provider than the higher side; and an undersurface support configured to support an undersurface of the folded sheet bundle so that the folded edge is lower than a trailing edge of the folded sheet bundle, the undersurface support comprising a hill on its upper surface between the folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill comprising a slope between the folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill further comprising a valley wall declined st
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoich Dobashi, Yasunobu Terao
  • Patent number: 8061701
    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: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20110278782
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus are provided which can stabilize the shape of the spine after a squaring process. To square a spine Sb of a sheet bundle S, a spine processing apparatus 400 which squares the spine Sb performs squaring of the spine by moving the spine Sb which projects from a pair of first nipping rollers 405 and 406 while pressing the spine Sb by means of a pressing roller 411 in a state where the spine Sb is nipped by a pair of second nipping rollers 403 and 404.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Watanabe, Hideto Abe
  • Patent number: 8047521
    Abstract: A method of making magazine formats in the form of signatures that include a flat 3-D piece that is die-cut from a web on a web press, which produces a plurality of such identical signatures as part of a high speed operation. The flat 3-D piece is located at the upper edge of one sheet and is freed from the remainder of the page on which it is die-cut when the lateral edges of the folded signature are trimmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Inventor: John K. Volkert