Binding Patents (Class 270/58.08)
  • Patent number: 9206010
    Abstract: A sheet-receiving surface comprises retractable bars movable between a first position and a second position. The first position is a first distance away from a mounting support. The second position is a second distance away from the mounting support. The first distance is greater than the second distance. Pivot arms, having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, are rotationally attached at the first end to the retractable bars and rotationally attached at the second end to the mounting support. Bias elements, operatively connected to the pivot arms, bias the retractable bars to the first position. A link is operatively connected to the retractable bars and an actuator. The sheet-receiving surface accumulates sheets of media into sets of sheets. Responsive to operation of the actuator, the link applies a force to move the retractable bars to the second position, forming an opening to allow the sets of sheets to drop, forming a stack of sets of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy G. Shelhart, Aaron M. Moore, Samuel P. Sadtler
  • Patent number: 9162844
    Abstract: An image forming system which is capable of, when a manual stapling process is to be carried out on sheets, reducing waiting time for a user and decreasing power consumption. The image forming system has an image forming apparatus, which forms images on sheets, and a sheet post-processing apparatus. When the sheet post-processing apparatus is to shift into a power-saving state, a movable stapler is moved to a manual stapling position. When it is detected that sheets have been set into a sheet setting unit in a state in which the image forming apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus have shifted into the power-saving state, the image forming apparatus is held in the power-saving state, and the sheet post-processing apparatus is returned from the power-saving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Kakutani, Kazumi Sato, Takeyuki Suda, Yousuke Hata, Hirohisa Kato, Shinya Suzuki, Yoshitaka Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9126794
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus in which a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets discharged onto an intermediate processing tray is received in a receiving portion of a stapler and bound with use of a staple, and a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets discharged onto the intermediate processing tray is received in a receiving portion of a staple-less binding unit having a gap in the thickness direction of the sheets smaller than that of the receiving portion of the stapler and bound without using a staple, wherein when the stapler performs the binding process, the staple-less binding unit is arranged in a position shifted in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet discharge direction from a region on the intermediate processing tray, through which the sheets discharged by a sheet discharging portion pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideto Abe, Yusuke Obuchi
  • Patent number: 9102185
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets; an aligning unit that aligns the sheets stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a binding unit that moves along an end portion of a bundle of the sheets on a binding portion side and performs a binding process for the bundle of the sheets that have been aligned by the aligning unit; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of the sheets at the end portion thereof on the binding portion side; and an interlocking unit that moves the pressing unit in association with a motion of the binding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limted
    Inventor: Kazuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9067337
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a stapler includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording material, a power source configured to supply electric power to the image forming unit and the stapler, and a control unit configured to control the operation of the stapler. In the image forming apparatus, a time period for prohibiting the operation of the stapler is set such that a total of a power consumption of the image forming unit and a power consumption of the stapler is equal to or less than an electric power the power source can supply so as to perform the operation of the stapler and the operation of the image forming unit partially in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Nagasaki
  • Patent number: 9033330
    Abstract: A first discharging portion that discharges a sheet received from one of image forming apparatus and a second discharging portion discharges a sheet received from another image forming apparatus are disposed opposite each other to stack the sheets discharged in a common processing tray. A controller controls the first and second discharging portions when the sheets are continuously discharged by the first and second discharging portions, controls a timing when the sheets are discharged by the first discharging portion and the second discharging portion to the common processing tray such that a leading edge of the sheet discharged from one of the discharging portions abuts on a sheet surface in the downstream of a discharging direction below a leading edge of the sheet discharged from the other discharging portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Publication number: 20150123338
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet processing apparatus, including: a sheet conveying portion conveying a sheet to a sheet stacking portion; a regulating portion regulating a position of the sheet on the stacking portion; a rotary member pair having first and second rotary members and conveying the sheet toward the regulating portion through rotation in a first direction, and conveying a bound sheet bundle through rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a moving portion moving the second rotary member to a separation position after the rotary member pair conveys the sheet, and moving the second rotary member to a nipping position before the rotary member pair conveys the sheet bundle; and a control portion controlling to rotate the rotary member pair in the second direction after the second rotary member is moved to the separation position and before the second rotary member is moved to the nipping position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 9016680
    Abstract: A mechanism capable of changing an upper limit number of sheets for a post-process is provided. To achieve this, a control method for controlling a sheet processing apparatus which performs the post-process for the sheets on which images are formed, comprising: storing, in a storage unit, the upper limit number of sheets to which the post-process can be performed; and changing the upper limit number of sheets stored in the storage unit is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Mutsuno
  • Patent number: 9010744
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Tokuma, Rikiya Takemasa, Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 8991808
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Shingo Matsushita, Takuya Morinaga, Makoto Hidaka, Takashi Saito, Satoshi Saito, Akihiro Musha, Shohichi Satoh, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Katsuhiro Kosuge
  • Patent number: 8991809
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a conveyance portion, a staple unit, an operation portion, a mode switching portion, a cover, and an open/close detection portion. The staple unit, which has an automatic mode and a manual mode as processing modes for stapling processing, executes stapling processing for a paper sheet conveyed to the processing tray by the conveyance portion in the automatic mode, and executes stapling processing for a paper sheet stacked on the processing tray by a user in the manual mode. The cover is attached in an openable and closable manner so as to cover the operation portion when closed, and expose the operation portion when opened. While the open/close detection portion is detecting that the cover is opened, when the operation portion has received an operation for switching to the manual mode, the mode switching portion switches the automatic mode to the manual mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanonaka
  • Patent number: 8985573
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming system including: the relay apparatus; the image forming device which is connected to the first communication control unit of the relay apparatus and which acquires the sheet interval information of the downstream post-processing device through the first communication system; and the second post-processing device which is connected to the second communication control unit of the relay apparatus, the second post-processing device being compliant with the second communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Konishi
  • Patent number: 8983362
    Abstract: A sheet binding apparatus which forms concavity and the convexity on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets in a thickness direction so as to bind the sheet bundle, the sheet binding apparatus includes: a pair of concave-convex members, each of which has concave-convex portion in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle and which forms the concavity and the convexity on the sheet bundle in the thickness direction while niping the sheet bundle therebetween; wherein in the pair of concave-convex members, one of the concave-convex members has a greater difference in height of the concave-convex portion than that of the other concave-convex member which engages with the above-described concave-convex member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Fumihiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8974360
    Abstract: A creasing device forms a crease in a to-be-folded portion of a sheet. The creasing device includes a sheet-information reading unit that reads any one of sheet information and binding information; a determining unit that determines a surface, on which the crease is to be formed, of the sheet according to the one of the sheet information and the binding information read by the sheet-information reading unit; and a creasing unit that forms the crease on the surface determined by the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Akihiro Musha
  • Patent number: 8967610
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a clamp configured to clamp an edge portion of a sheet, the edge portion being on a side of an edge parallel to a direction in which the sheet has been conveyed; a first processing unit configured to perform a first process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the first processing unit being disposed at a first position; a second processing unit configured to perform a second process on the sheet at the side of the edge, the second processing unit being disposed at a second position that is different from the first position in a vertical direction; and a moving unit configured to move the clamp from the first position to the second position or vice versa so that the clamp moves on a loop passing through the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Ikumi Takashima
  • Patent number: 8936237
    Abstract: The post-processing device includes: a binding unit that forms a cut in a sheet stack and cuts a part of the sheet stack into a predetermined shape to form a tongue portion in the sheet stack, the tongue portion having a part where one end part of the tongue portion is not separated from the sheet stack, and binds the sheet stack by bending the tongue portion and inserting the other end part of the tongue portion into the cut; and a sheet stack transport unit that transports the sheet stack in an orientation such that the one end part of the tongue portion in the sheet stack bound by the binding unit is on a downstream side of the other end part of the tongue portion in the sheet stack transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Publication number: 20150008635
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: an accumulating section on which a sheet is accumulated; a staple inserting section which is provided above the accumulating section; a staple receiving section which is provided so as to face the staple inserting section across a sheet bundle accumulated on the accumulating section; and a movement section which moves an inserting unit or the accumulating section according to a thickness of the sheet bundle so that the inserting unit faces a predetermined position on an upmost sheet of the sheet bundle, wherein the staple inserting section includes the inserting unit which inserts a staple into the sheet bundle by rotating toward the sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: Akira TSUNODA
  • Publication number: 20150001784
    Abstract: To suppress the bending of sheets, a sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a sheet conveying portion including an abutting portion for abutting against an end portion of the sheet supported by a supporting portion and which conveys the sheet being abutted against the abutting portion by moving in a predetermined moving direction; and a pressing portion which is provided on the sheet conveying portion such that the pressing portion is movable in a thickness direction of the sheet and which presses the sheet toward the supporting portion, wherein the pressing portion includes: an inclined portion arranged to be closer to the supporting portion at an upstream side than a downstream side; and a contacting portion configured to contact a surface of the sheet being abutted against the abutting portion to press the sheet to the supporting portion at a position distant from the abutting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Publication number: 20140353900
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a binding unit including a first portion and a second portion and configured to nip a sheet bundle between the first portion and the second portion to deform the sheet bundle in a thickness direction to bind the sheet bundle, and a detachment unit configured to push the bound sheet bundle toward the second portion to detach the bound sheet bundle from the first portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideto Abe, Rikiya Takemasa
  • Patent number: 8899568
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking channel to stack multiple sheets into a sheet bundle, and a binding device to bind together the sheet bundle, the binding device including multiple clamping portions to clamp the sheet bundle to create multiple clamping marks on the sheet bundle. When the binding device binds a corner area of the sheet bundle, a longitudinal direction of each of the multiple clamping marks forms an angle within a range from 30 degrees to 60 degrees with a side of the corner area of the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo Matsushita, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Takashi Saito, Satoshi Saito, Katsuhiro Kosuge, Makoto Hidaka, Akihiro Musha, Shohichi Satoh, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Takuya Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8899579
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus move, when stacking a sheet on a stacking tray, a supporting tray disposed to freely appear above the stacking tray to a first position in which the supporting tray projects above the stacking tray and supports the sheet stacked on an intermediate stacking tray. When these apparatuses discharge a processed sheet bundle, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the first position to a second position in which the supporting tray supports an edge of the discharged sheet in an upstream side in a discharging direction, and guides the moving sheet bundle to a stacking wall. Further, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the second position to a third position at predetermined timing, so that the supporting tray stops supporting the sheet bundle and stacks the sheet bundle on the sheet bundle previously stacked on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Gamo
  • Patent number: 8897692
    Abstract: An image forming system includes: a ring bookbinding section which perform a ring bookbinding to a bundle of sheets by using a binder provided with a spine portion and a plurality of finger portions; and a judging section, wherein a last page is firstly fed immediately after job initiation and, subsequently after having fed the last page, image formation based on the image data is initiated, when the judging section judges that an image is not formed on the last page, and wherein all of the image data is firstly acquired completely after job initiation, subsequently the last page is fed and formed image thereon, and then image formation of remaining pages is carried out, when the judging section judges that image is formed on the last page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Kiriyama
  • Patent number: 8888088
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stapling unit that staples a sheet member; a moving unit that linearly moves the stapling unit; a rotating unit that rotates the stapling unit by abutment of an abutting member against an abutted member when the stapling unit is moved; a holding unit that holds the stapling unit rotated; and a restricting member that restricts rotation of the stapling unit by abutting against the abutting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanobu Kimata
  • Patent number: 8882100
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a sheet-bundle forming unit that stacks plural sheets and forms a sheet bundle; a binding unit that forms a cut in the sheet bundle, forms a tongue in the sheet bundle by cutting part of the sheet bundle into a predetermined shape so that a first end remains uncut and continues to the sheet bundle, and binds the sheet bundle by folding the tongue and inserting a second end of the tongue into the cut; a transport unit that transports the sheet bundle; a stack unit that stacks the sheet bundle; and a position change unit that changes a position of binding processing performed on the sheet bundle so that the tongue formed in the sheet bundle stacked on the stack unit does not contact another tongue formed in another sheet bundle stacked on the stack unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Patent number: 8870176
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets; an aligning unit that aligns the sheets stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a binding unit that moves along an end portion of a bundle of the sheets on a binding portion side and performs a binding process for the bundle of the sheets that have been aligned by the aligning unit; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of the sheets at the end portion thereof on the binding portion side; and an interlocking unit that moves the pressing unit in association with a motion of the binding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kazuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8844920
    Abstract: During stapling operations: connectors disconnect a compiler platform from an elevator platform; an ejector structure is maintained in a fully retracted position to allow a stack of sheets to be within a stapling area; a stapling device staples the stack of sheets in the stapling area; the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform; and the elevator platform moves in a downward direction after the ejector structure moves the stapled set of sheets to the elevator platform. During non-stapling stacking operations: the connectors connect the compiler platform to the elevator platform; the ejector structure is maintained in a middle position between a fully retracted position and a fully ejected position to prevent the sheets from entering the stapling area; and the elevator platform and the compiler platform move together in the downward direction as additional sheets are added to the stack of sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian J. Dunham, Carlos M. Terrero
  • Patent number: 8844921
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a switching member, a stapler, and a movement driving portion. The switching member switches the conveying direction of a sheet introduced from an image forming apparatus. The stapler staples a bundle of sheets obtained by performing stacking processing for a plurality of the sheets introduced from the image forming apparatus. The movement driving portion moves the stapler. Further, the stapler operates the switching member by being moved by the movement driving portion, thereby switching the conveying direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiji Okumura
  • Patent number: 8840099
    Abstract: A binding apparatus performs a binding process by bonding the end side of the sheet bundle, and is provided with a notch cutter that forms a notch in the end side used in the sheet binding process in the middle of the sheet conveyance path of the binding apparatus. The notch-forming unit includes a pair of sheet conveyance guides for forming a part of the sheet conveyance path, a cutter provided in a rotatably supported bracket, and a biasing means for applying a force to the cutter to face the sheet conveyance path formed by a pair of the sheet conveyance guides at all times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Gradco Japan Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige Masunari, Yumiko Kato, Kuniaki Kimura, Hiroshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8840100
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus includes a supporting unit which supports a bundle of stacked paper sheets, a binding processing unit which performs binding processing at least at two binding positions on the bundle of paper sheets, a pair of hold-down units which hold down the bundle of paper sheets, and a moving unit which moves at least one hold-down unit from among the pair so as to separate from the other hold-down unit in a direction in which the at least two binding positions are aligned in the bundle of paper sheets. In the paper sheet processing apparatus, the binding processing unit performs the binding processing between the pair of hold-down units on the bundle of the paper sheets following moving of at least one hold-down unit among the pair of hold-down units while the pair of hold-down units is holding down the bundle of the paper sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8827257
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a supporting plate, a stapler, a casing, a protrusion structure, and a swinging arm. The casing is disposed over the supporting plate. A sheet conveying channel is formed between the supporting plate and the casing. The protrusion structure is disposed on a lower surface of the casing, located beside the stapler and accommodated within the sheet conveying channel. During the process of introducing a sheet into the supporting plate, the stapled side of the sheet is flattened by the protrusion structure, and thus the possibility of upturning the sheet is minimized. During the process of introducing the plural sheets to the stapler, the stapled sides of the plural sheets are flattened by the protrusion structure, and thus the formation of the folded corners of the sheets is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Kai Wang, Wen-Lung Hung, Chung-Jung Chiu
  • Patent number: 8814156
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a feed-in path through which a sheet is fed, a first transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported, and a second transport path through which a sheet fed from the feed-in path is transported. The sheet processing apparatus also includes the following elements. A first processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the first transport path and performs first processing on a bundle of stacked sheets. A second processor sequentially stacks sheets output from the second transport path and performs second processing, which is different from the first processing, on a bundle of stacked sheets. A common retention path causes a sheet fed through the feed-in path to temporarily remain on the common retention path and causes the sheet temporarily remaining on the common retention path to be output to one of the first and second transport paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Hattori
  • Patent number: 8792817
    Abstract: Overlap positioning systems are provided for use with a receiver transport system that moves receiver from a pre-printing path, past a print engine, to a post-printing path. In one aspect, the overlap positioning system has a receiver transport system that moves receiver from a post-printing path to a reentry point in the pre-printing path, a diverter selectively diverts the first receiver from the post printing path into a recirculation system having a plurality of surfaces to guide the first receiver from the post printing path to a reentry in the pre-printing path; and a receiver movement system moves the first receiver through the recirculation system; a controller and sensor system cooperate to cause one of the first receiver or a second receiver to be first through the reentry point and the other is advanced through the reentry point at a point where an overlap of a determined amount is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc.
    Inventors: Gary P. Lawniczak, Donald S. Rimai
  • Patent number: 8776650
    Abstract: A hole punch unit has a punching section, a longitudinal registering mechanism, and a transverse registering mechanism. The registering mechanisms incline the punching section in accordance with a skew of a sheet. The punching section thus corrected in position punches the sheet. The punching section is corrected in position, at both the leading edge of the sheet and the trailing edge thereof, thus increasing the precision of positioning the punching section and shortening the time required to position the punching section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8764002
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a punching time measuring unit, a stapling time estimating unit, and a sheet-bundle interval time setting unit. The punching time measuring unit measures a punching processing time to perform punching processing. The stapling time estimating unit calculates an estimated stapling processing time to perform stapling processing by using the punching processing time measured by the punching time measuring unit. The sheet-bundle interval time setting unit sets a sheet-bundle interval time, which is a time from when the last sheet forming a sheet bundle subjected to the punching processing is fed until when the first sheet forming a subsequent sheet bundle subjected to the punching processing is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yoji Isogai
  • Publication number: 20140175728
    Abstract: A recording-material processing apparatus includes a biding mechanism that moves along a predetermined movement path and binds a recording material stack; a recording-material transport path along which the recording material is transported, the recording-material transport path extending from a first area to a second area, which are next to each other with the movement path therebetween, and extending beside the movement path; a first transport member that is provided in the first area, at a position away from the portion of the recording-material transport path extending beside the movement path, to transport the recording material on the recording-material transport path to the second area; and a second transport member that is provided in the second area, at a position away from the portion of the recording-material transport path extending beside the movement path, to transport the recording material transported by the first transport member to the further downstream side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masatoshi KIMURA
  • Patent number: 8752817
    Abstract: A recording medium processing apparatus includes: a first transportation route on which a recording medium is transported; a second transportation route branching from the first transportation route at a branch position; a transporting unit provided downstream of the branch position in a transport direction of the recording medium, the transporting unit (i) feeding at least a part of a first recording medium transported on the first transportation route and having passed through the branch position, into the second transportation route, (ii) transporting the fed first recording medium and a second recording medium with an overlap in the transport direction on the first transportation route to generate a bundle of the first and the second recording media and (iii) feeding the bundle which passed through the branch position into the second transportation route; and a punching unit provided on the second transportation route punching the fed bundle with one punching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8752818
    Abstract: A bookbinding device and a print-medium post-treatment apparatus having the same. In the bookbinding device, when a print medium drops and is loaded a stack plate, a drop position of a leading end of the print medium is changed according to a size of the print medium. This prevents sequence upset of print media when the print media are stacked one above another on the stack plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Hoon Min, Chang Soo Byun
  • Patent number: 8740211
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus which is capable of preventing a stapling position and a folding position from being out of alignment when a stapling process is carried out. A sheet bundle, which is stacked in a housing guide, is stapled by a stapler using a staple at the stapling position. The sheet bundle is folded at a position of the staple after the stapling. After the stapling, the sheet bundle is moved from the stapling position to the folding position. During the movement, the staple is detected using a staple sensor disposed at a predetermined location between the stapling position and the folding position. Based on a moving distance of the sheet bundle before the staple is detected after the stapling process, a position of the sheet bundle with respect to the stapler for stapling on a subsequent sheet bundle is corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Kato
  • Patent number: 8733753
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet processing device includes a jogger fence configured to carry out a crosswise direction alignment to a stack of image formed sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus, a rear end fence acting as a lengthwise reference edge, a stapling device configured to staple the aligned sheet stack, a discharge belt configured to move the stapled sheet stack to a sheet ejection tray, and a controller to control movement of the jogger fence during the sheet stack being moved by the discharge belt so as to move the jogger fence more than once between a position where the jogger fence does not contact the edge of the sheet stack and a position where the jogger fence pressing contact the edge of the sheet stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naofumi Soga, Kikuo Mizutani, Tomomi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8730530
    Abstract: An image reading system and an image reading apparatus is provided. The system or apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read an original, a determining unit configured to determine whether there exists a folded portion at a corner of the original, and a generating unit configured to generate a file including an image area which stores image data of the original read by the reading unit and a non-image area which stores data other than the image data, and configured to write fold information in the non-image area if the determining unit determines that there exists a folded portion, the fold information indicating that the folded portion exists in the read original.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazushige Muroi
  • Patent number: 8708324
    Abstract: A stitching head is provided for stitching books or printed products. The stitching head includes a supporter and a driver. The supporter has a corrugated supporter surface including first ridges and first grooves. The driver interacts with the supporter and has a channel and a corrugated driver surface which includes second ridges and second grooves. The first grooves and first ridges of the supporter mesh with the second ridges and second grooves of driver and the channel supports stitching material between the corrugated supporter surface and the corrugated driver surface. A method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Daniel Curley, Warren Hess Jarrard
  • Patent number: 8709190
    Abstract: In order to form stacks, of which each forms a book block, folded sheets are provided with an adhesive application or layer of adhesive before they are placed on one another. Said adhesive application is applied to the sheets adjacent to the folded edge of said sheets and extends in the direction of said folded edge which comes to lie in the spine of the book block. The adhesive can be applied as a continuous track or as a track which is interrupted multiple times, or else in a punctiform manner. The sheets are joined to one another in the stack by means of said adhesive application, with the result that they maintain their position within the stack during further transport of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hunkeler AG
    Inventors: Franz Hunkeler, Kurt Graber
  • Publication number: 20140103596
    Abstract: Disposed are support means for mounting at least a part of a sheet between a sheet discharge outlet and a stack tray disposed with a height difference formed vertically, sheet end regulation means for striking the end edge of the sheet supported by the support means to regulate, and aligning transport means for carrying the sheet toward the regulation means. Then, the transport means is comprised of a friction transport body that engages in the sheet top surface on the support means, and transport body travel means for shifting the transport body by a predetermined amount in the crossing direction inclined a predetermined angle with respect to the sheet discharge direction. The friction transport body is configured so that friction drag of the sheet surface is smaller in the travel orthogonal direction than in the travel direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiko SAITO, Satoshi YAMANUSHI, Tatsuzo AOYAGI, Yuichi ICHINOSE, Yusuke SAITO
  • Patent number: 8699100
    Abstract: Battery-powered portable sheet-fed scanner, comprising: a scanning unit (21-23) for scanning documents and forming digital representations thereof; a sheet feeder (28) for feeding a document past the scanning unit; a processor (20), communicatively connected to the scanning unit and provided for controlling the scanning operation; a plurality of embedded storage capabilities, each of which is communicatively connected to the processor and each of which comprises either an internal memory (26) for internally storing the digital representations or a communication link (24; 25) to an external storage medium for externally storing the digital representations. The processor is provided with an embedded routing application which is provided for routing the digital representations to a predetermined selection among the embedded storage capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: I.R.I.S.
    Inventors: Pierre De Muelenaere, Michel Dauw, Olivier Dupont, Patrick Verleysen
  • Patent number: 8690144
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which makes it possible to detect staples at a plurality of points by a smaller number of sensors. The sheet processing apparatus shifts a stapler along an edge of a sheet bundle. The stapler has a staple detection sensor attached thereto. The staple detection sensor detects a staple driven into the sheet bundle while passing by a staple detection position during shifting of the stapler. The stapler sequentially performs stapling at a first position and a second position along the edge of the sheet bundle, and is then shifted to a standby position. During a time period from completion of the stapling at the first position to completion of the shifting of the stapler to the standby position, the staple detection sensor detects presence or absence of a staple at each of the first position and the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8690145
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming system including an image forming device which includes a paper feeding tray, a print section which performs printing to papers fed from the paper feeding tray and a control section which controls so as to feed the printed papers to a post-processing device as a booklet main body to be book-bound, and the post-processing device which carries out ring-binding processing to the fed papers and book-binds a booklet, and the control section controls so as to feed a front cover paper, a back cover paper, papers for binding of the booklet to a ring-binding process section of the post-processing device along with the booklet main body, and a paper feeding order is in an order of the back cover paper, the papers for binding, the front cover paper and the booklet main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Takanori Togawa
  • Patent number: 8690143
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a processing tray on which sheets are to be stacked, a transport portion for transporting, a sheet introduced through an introduction port, a turn-aside portion for turning aside the sheet to delay arrival of the sheet at the processing tray, and a delivery mechanism for delivering the sheets stacked on the processing tray to a delivery tray on a boundary between copies. When a remaining number of sheets of one copy unstacked on the processing tray exceeds a maximum number of stacked sheets that is an amount of sheets stackable on the processing tray, the delivery mechanism delivers a sheet stack of the one copy a plurality of times so as to avoid delivery of only one sheet on a last page of the one copy, and the turn-aside portion turns aside a sheet on a first page to be stacked after delivering the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Shigeaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8684345
    Abstract: In a paper-sheet post-processing device, a paper-sheet aligning unit has: a main unit; a paper-sheet holding part which holds paper-sheets supported on a paper-sheet supporting unit; a cam mechanism which places the paper-sheet pressing part close to and separate from the paper-sheet supporting unit; and an aligning mechanism which aligns the paper-sheets supported on the paper-sheet supporting unit with a standard position by rotation of the aligning member; and the main unit has a rotation shaft rotatably supported axially by a first support part and a second support part and the cam member and aligning member are arranged to be fixed to the rotation shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8678368
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a post-processing apparatus includes: a stacking tray; an upward and downward driving unit; a binding unit; and an upward and downward driving control unit. The upward and downward driving unit drives the stacking tray in vertical direction. The binding unit performs binding on recording media on the stacking tray. The upward and downward driving control unit controls such that: descent of the stacking tray is performed before a leading edge of a first sheet among the recording media on which the binding is to be performed reaches a position on the stacking tray; and after the leading edge of the first sheet is positioned on the stacking tray, ascent of the stacking tray is performed before a leading edge of a second sheet among the recording media reaches a position on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroki Yoshida
  • Patent number: RE45207
    Abstract: A sheet treating apparatus including a sheet discharging device for discharging a sheet, a first stacking tray for receiving the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device, an aligning device for aligning a sheet bundle on the first stacking tray by a pinching movement effected by a first and second aligning members shiftable independently in a direction perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction, and a transferring device for transferring the sheet bundle on the first stacking tray to a second stacking tray, wherein, in the first stacking tray, alignment positions of the respective sheet bundles are offset by shifting the alignment positions by a predetermined amount to first and second aligning positions alternately by the first and second aligning members, and wherein the first and second aligning positions of the first stacking tray are opposite directions transverse to the sheet discharging direction with respect to the position of the sheet discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Takehara, Kenichi Hayashi