Including Condition Responsive Control (e.g., Stack Thickness) Patents (Class 270/58.09)
  • Patent number: 12098049
    Abstract: A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a tray, a binder, a mover, and a switcher. The switcher includes a first passage, a second passage, and a movable wall. The movable wall guides a guided portion of the binder to the second passage when the guided portion moving along the first passage from an end side to a center side contacts the movable wall; causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the end side to the center side contacts the movable wall; guides the guided portion to the first passage when the guided portion moving along the second passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall; and causes the guided portion to pass when the guided portion moving along the first passage from the center side to the end side contacts the movable wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Ota, Yohei Yamazaki, Yuji Miyachi, Yusuke Hirono, Yuta Yanai, Yuji Susaki, Masanobu Kimata
  • Patent number: 11472659
    Abstract: A recording material processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a detecting unit, a stapling unit, an instructing unit, a control unit, a switching unit, and a notifying unit. The detecting unit detects recording material placed in the processing tray. The stapling unit executes a stapling process for the recording material placed in the processing tray. The instructing unit outputs a stapling process execution instruction. Upon receipt of the execution instruction in a state in which the detecting unit has detected a recording material inserted in the processing tray from an outside of a main body of a main body apparatus, the control unit cause the stapling process to be executed. The switching unit switches a position of the stapling unit among a plurality of positions. The notifying unit provides notification of a placement position of the recording material in the processing tray corresponding to each of the plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Chihara, Kazuhisa Sato
  • Patent number: 11414292
    Abstract: A sheet stacker includes a pair of sheet holders, a sheet leading-edge aligner, a sheet stacking member, and control circuitry. A downstream side of the pair of sheet holders in a conveyance direction of a conveyed sheet is lowered along the conveyance direction. Each one of the pair of sheet holders is movable in an orthogonal direction to the conveyance direction. The pair of sheet holders hold both side-end portions of the sheet in the orthogonal direction. The sheet stacking member is disposed below the pair of sheet holders. A downstream side of the sheet stacking member in the conveyance direction is lowered along the conveyance direction. The sheet stacking member stacks the sheet dropped from the pair of sheet holders after a leading edge of the sheet is aligned by the leading-edge aligner. The control circuitry controls operations of the leading-edge aligner and the pair of sheet holders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takamasa Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11305573
    Abstract: In case of simultaneously performing a punching process and a finishing process other than the punching process in an image forming apparatus, in order to prevent an unnecessary (ineffectual) finishing process from being performed, an information processing controller unit of a multifunction peripheral performs control of permitting to set in combination a double-punching center setting and a bookbinding setting, and of prohibiting to set in combination a punch setting, other than the double-punching center setting, and the bookbinding setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Mutsuno
  • Patent number: 11274010
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a first stapler and a second stapler having different thicknesses of sheets on which a binding process can be performed. A control unit can perform a manual staple mode. If the first stapler is selected as a stapler for performing the binding process in the manual staple mode, the control unit controls the alignment member moving mechanism to move alignment members to a position defining a first insertion position for guiding the sheets to a first placing position. If the second stapler is selected, the control unit controls the alignment member moving mechanism to move the alignment members to a position defining a second insertion position for guiding the sheets to a second placing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Rina Okada
  • Patent number: 11208290
    Abstract: Provided are a post-processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a post-processing method capable of avoiding the occurrence of a malfunction due to a failure to discharge a sheet bundle after a binding process. A plurality of sheets is loaded on a stack tray. A staple unit binds the plurality of sheets. A discharge roller discharges the sheet bundle bound by the staple unit from the stack tray. Each time a sheet is conveyed to the stack tray, an aligning unit moves between a first position in contact with the sheet loaded on the stack tray and a second position separating from the sheet. A detection processing unit detects a failure of discharging the sheet bundle by the discharging roller. A stop processing unit can stop the operation of the aligning unit when the discharge failure is detected by the detection processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Ryo Amai, Kazuhisa Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11175864
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printer engine configured to print a print image on a recording sheet based on image data, a post-processing device configured to perform post-processing on the recording sheet having the print image, and circuitry configured to perform following operation. The circuitry is configured to acquire print setting information; acquire information on a post-processing capability; generate a predicted image representing a state of the recording sheet applied with the post-processing, based on the image data, the print setting information, and the information on the post-processing capability; and display the predicted image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Taito Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11117400
    Abstract: A paper processing device includes a casing and a paper pressing mechanism. The casing includes a paper placement platform. The paper placement platform is extended externally from the casing so as to support the plural papers. The paper pressing mechanism includes a pressing bar, a driving mechanism and a linking mechanism. The pressing bar includes a pressing structure. The linking mechanism is connected between the driving mechanism and the pressing bar. While the linking mechanism is driven by the driving mechanism, the pressing bar is moved with the linking mechanism and rotated relative to the paper placement platform, so that the pressing structure is moved from an initial position to a target position. When the pressing structure is moved to the target position and contacted with the plural papers, a guiding channel is defined between the pressing structure and the paper placement platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD.
    Inventor: Yu-Lun Chang
  • Patent number: 11117770
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an ejector, a stacker, a wall, and an upper surface detector. The ejector ejects a sheet, and the stacker stacks the sheet ejected from the ejector. The wall contacts a trailing end of the sheet ejected from the ejector in an ejection direction to align the sheet. The upper surface detector detects an upper surface on a trailing end side of the sheet stacked on the stacker in the ejection direction. When the sheet moves toward the wall, the upper surface detector moves from a home position in which the upper surface detector detects the upper surface of the sheet to a retracted position in which the upper surface detector does not contact the sheet moving toward the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisayoshi Sugawara, Kei Sasaki, Junya Suzuki, Koji Furuta, Yasuo Niikura, Kazuki Mishina, Kenji Hari, Yuuta Mori, Yuusuke Shibasaki
  • Patent number: 11111096
    Abstract: In a sheet postprocessing apparatus, an accommodation paddle increases a rate of increase in transport force generated for sheets by the accommodation paddle, in conjunction with a rate of increase in transport resistance generated for the sheets by a sheet pressing member with an increase in number of the sheets stacked on a sheet stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Tatsumi Fujishima
  • Patent number: 11091344
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a feed roller pair, a stack portion that receives a medium transported by the feed roller pair between a support surface for supporting the medium in an inclined posture in which a downstream side in a transport direction is directed downward and an opposing surface opposing the support surface and stacks the medium, an alignment portion that aligns a downstream end of the medium stacked in the stack portion, and a control unit that controls a distance between the support surface and the opposing surface, in which the stack portion is configured to be capable of changing the distance and the control unit adjusts the distance according to a condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Ueno, Nobuyuki Mizushima, Yutaro Harada, Shunpei Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11066267
    Abstract: A recording material processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a detecting unit, a stapling unit, an instructing unit, a control unit, a switching unit, and a notifying unit. The detecting unit detects recording material placed in the processing tray. The stapling unit executes a stapling process for the recording material placed in the processing tray. The instructing unit outputs a stapling process execution instruction. Upon receipt of the execution instruction in a state in which the detecting unit has detected a recording material inserted in the processing tray from an outside of a main body of a main body apparatus, the control unit cause the stapling process to be executed. The switching unit switches a position of the stapling unit among a plurality of positions. The notifying unit provides notification of a placement position of the recording material in the processing tray corresponding to each of the plurality of positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Chihara, Kazuhisa Sato
  • Patent number: 10999457
    Abstract: A system may include a finishing device to receive a print job. The print job may move about a first axis of the finishing device. The system may further include a stapling device contained within the finishing device. The stapling device to move about a second axis of the finishing device, and the second axis may be perpendicular to the first axis. A sensor may be located on the stapling device to identify a first edge of the print job. The first edge of the print job may be a leading edge of the print job as the print job moves about the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Elliott Downing
  • Patent number: 10822192
    Abstract: A controller of a sheet stacking device executes tray elevating processing and sheet stacking processing. The tray elevating processing is processing in which when a sensor detects an uppermost sheet, the controller once lowers a stacking tray, and lifts the stacking tray until the sensor detects the uppermost sheet. The sheet stacking processing is processing in which the controller arranges a guide arm at an advanced position to guide the sheet, arranges the guide arm at a retracted position before a rear end of the sheet passes the sheet discharge portion, and stacks the sheet on the stacking tray after the rear end of the sheet passes the sheet discharge portion. The controller executes the tray elevating processing in a state where the guide arm is disposed at the advanced position during the execution of the sheet stacking processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 10807827
    Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Wataru Takahashi, Katsuhiro Kosuge, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Hidehiko Fujiwara, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Koki Sakano, Takuya Morinaga
  • Patent number: 10747482
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions configured to, when executed by a processor of an information processing device, cause the information processing device to acquire identification information for identifying an OS of the information processing device, using the acquired identification information, determine whether the OS is capable of accepting a driver program for controlling a device, when determining that the OS is capable of accepting the driver program, install the driver program into the OS, and when determining that the OS is incapable of accepting the driver program, download into the information processing device a driverless installer for achieving driverless control of the device without using the driver program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Kai
  • Patent number: 10621479
    Abstract: According to an example, an apparatus may include an automatic document feeder, printing components, an externally accessible embedded finishing mechanism, an illumination source to direct attention to the embedded finishing mechanism, and a controller. The controller may determine whether a certain condition has been met pertaining to media sheets fed into the automatic document feeder or printed by the printing components, and in response to a determination that the certain condition has been met, may activate the illumination source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Young, Doug Batten, Nash Steven Stanton, Dean Richtsmeier
  • Patent number: 10604371
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes: a pair of sheet discharge rollers having a drive roller; a stacking tray for stacking sheets; a blade member; and a controller. The controller executes: stop processing in which the blade member is stopped at a stop position during discharging of the sheet; and rotation processing in which the blade member is rotated by one turn before a rear end of the sheet passes through the pair of sheet discharge rollers and the sheet is placed on the stacking tray. The blade is configured, in the rotation processing, to make the sheet fall on the stacking tray by beating a rear end portion of the sheet from above, and to be brought into contact with the rear end portion of the sheet which falls on the stacking tray from above while pulling the sheet toward an upstream side in the sheet discharge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 10406844
    Abstract: According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a memory. The memory may have stored thereon machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor, may cause the processor to determine a job thickness of a print job including sheets, determine an average sheet thickness of the sheets, and determine an average print material coverage on the sheets. The instructions may also cause the processor to identify, based on the determined job thickness, the determined average sheet thickness, and the average print material coverage, a plurality of correction factors to be applied in a calculation of a corrected stack height of print jobs in an output bin and apply the identified plurality of correction factors to a measured stack height in the output bin to calculate the corrected stack height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Alan Hayes, Elliott Downing, Bruce G. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10394177
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a drive transmission apparatus including a swing gear mechanism and capable of reducing the workload during assembly and improving efficiency of the assembly operation. A first swing gear, which transmits rotation of a first input gear that is driven by a driving force, is held by a first swing member. The first swing member includes a first engagement portion engaging with a supporting portion, and swings around an axis of the first input gear. The first engagement portion is formed so as to be attached to and detached from the supporting portion if the first swing member is moved in a radial direction with respect to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10351382
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet processing apparatus, including: a placement portion to which a sheet conveyed by a conveyance portion in a conveyance direction is placed; a processing portion configured to perform predetermined processing on a sheet placed on the placement portion, and to be movable in a predetermined moving range; and a control portion configured to control the processing portion to position, at a timing at which a sheet conveyed by the conveyance portion passes through the moving range, from a first position of preventing from interfering with the sheet to a second position of performing the predetermined processing on a preceding sheet having been conveyed by the conveyance portion and placed on the placement portion before the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Nisca Inc.
    Inventors: Shintaro Moriya, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Hiroshi Amano, Seiji Ono, Ichiro Yoda, Masao Ueno
  • Patent number: 10343442
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a tape binding processing unit, a paper discharge unit, and a control unit. The tape binding processing unit performs tape binding processing on a sheet bundle. The paper discharge unit discharges the sheet bundle subjected to the tape binding processing onto a paper discharge tray. The control unit is configured to control at least one of the tape binding processing unit and the paper discharge unit, such that a first tape binding of the first bundle of sheets and a second tape binding of the second bundle of sheets are not in contact with each other when the first bundle of sheets and the second bundle of sheets are stacked on the paper discharge tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tsuchihashi
  • Patent number: 10209663
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a printer; a puncher configured to punch the sheet printed by the printer; a binder configured to perform a bookbinding process to form a bound product in which a binding member penetrates punch holes of sheets; a first detector configured to detect a first jam of a sheet in the binder; a second detector configured to detect a second jam of a sheet which occurs upstream of the binder; an annunciator configured to notify information; and a controller configured to cause the annunciator to notify first instruction information for instructing removal of a sheet and the binding member, when the first detector has detected the first jam; and cause the annunciator to notify second instruction information for instructing removal of the second jam when the second detector has detected the second jam and the first detector has not detected the first jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiji Kanamoto, Toshihiko Iida
  • Patent number: 10162296
    Abstract: A transport monitoring control device includes a pair of rollers configured to transport a recording medium while nipping the recording medium therebetween, the pair of rollers having circumferential surfaces coming in contact with the recording medium, the circumferential surfaces being different from each other in hardness, a driving unit configured to drive the pair of rollers, a detector configured to detect waveforms related to a load of the driving unit, an extractor configured to extract a peak waveform having an extreme point temporarily exceeding a predetermined threshold value, from among the waveforms detected by the detector, and a determining unit configured to determine whether multi-feed of the recording medium is present, based on the number of peak waveforms extracted by the extractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Moriya, Hidehiko Yamaguchi, Kozo Tagawa, Tsuyoshi Sunohara
  • Patent number: 10150641
    Abstract: A post-processing unit in an image forming apparatus includes a stapler, an exit tray, a height detector, and a shifting controller. The stapler staples a sheet sheaf. The exit tray is configured to be elevated and lowered and to receive the sheet sheaf stapled by the stapler. The height detector detects a height of the sheet sheaf on the exit tray. The shifting controller shifts the sheet sheaf to be ejected in a situation in which the stapler staples one location at a trailing end of the sheet sheaf in a conveyance direction of the sheet sheaf. The shifting controller shifts the sheet sheaf in a front-rear direction, which is a direction perpendicular to a vertical direction and to the conveyance direction of the sheet sheaf, so that the stapled location in the sheet sheaf on the exit tray matches a detection point of the height detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Terumitsu Noso, Yasunori Ueno
  • Patent number: 10131514
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a processing unit which can move smoothly to accurate position in a proper posture. The processing unit is provided with a support mechanism that supports a processing unit 26 so as to allow the processing unit 26 to be moved to a sheet processing position (processing tray) 24. The support mechanism includes the processing unit 26 and first and second support portions 50 and 55 that support the processing unit 26. The first and second support portions 50 and 55 apply, to different positions (j and k) of the processing unit 26 which are spaced from each other, a support force Fa acting from below to above (in a direction opposite to a gravity acting direction) and a support force Fb acting from above to below (in a direction same as the gravity acting direction), respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10124980
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of reliably protecting an edge-binding stapling unit and a sheet material, and of performing a sheet-binding process without increasing the size of the apparatus. The sheet post-processing apparatus includes: a binding unit movable to a binding position in which the binding unit performs a binding process using a binding member on a sheet, and an access position in which a user is accessable to the binding unit; and a control unit configured to cause, when the binding unit performs a setting operation for the binding member, the binding unit to perform the setting operation after causing the binding unit to move to a position different from the access position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Nisca Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10067455
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus to which a finisher is connected, a power source control unit shifts the image forming apparatus to a power saving state. The image forming apparatus is inhibited from being shifted to the power saving state when it is detected that a sheet for which a binding process is to be performed is set in the finisher. The image forming apparatus may be permitted to be shifted to the power saving state when it is not detected that the sheet is set in the finisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Hikichi
  • Patent number: 9981498
    Abstract: A sheet pasting and binding apparatus has a paste application unit, an acquisition unit, a detection unit, and a controller. The paste application unit can change an application amount for applying paste to fed sheets. The acquisition unit acquires the number of printing instructed sheets. The detection unit detects the remaining amount of the paste. The controller controls the paste application unit so that pasting and binding are performed using a second paste application amount which is smaller than a first paste application amount while the pasting and binding are performed using the first paste application amount which is specified in advance as the paste application amount for maintaining a binding force between the sheets, based on the reception number and the remaining paste amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9898237
    Abstract: A system and method of printing involves the use of mixed paper sizes in which the orientation of printing media can be selected to avoid a mixture of paper sheet orientations in the output document when auto tray selection has been selected by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA LABORATORY U.S.A., INC.
    Inventor: Randy Cruz Soriano
  • Patent number: 9845218
    Abstract: A folding device includes a conveying path, a placement portion, a through portion, a first folding member, a second folding member, a rotational driving unit, a rotational position detecting mechanism, a signal receiving unit, and a rotational drive control unit. The rotational drive control unit, when the signal receiving unit receives a signal, determines whether the first folding member is in a state of moving from an initial position to a protruded position or in a state of moving to the opposite direction, and, in a case of being determined to be in the state of moving from the initial position to the protruded position, controls the rotational driving unit to reverse the direction of rotational drive, and in a case of being determined to be in the state of moving to the opposite direction, controls the rotational driving unit to maintain the direction of rotational drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Sachio Izumichi, Seiichi Shirasaki
  • Patent number: 9827733
    Abstract: In performing press binding with a pair of pressurizing surfaces opposed to each other with sheets nipped therebetween, one of the pressurizing surfaces is configured to shift to positions relatively to the other pressurizing surface, and a shift section is provided in the pressurizing surface that shifts to positions. An apparatus for applying narrow pressure to a plurality of sheets with a pair of pressurizing surfaces to perform press binding is provided with first and second pressurizing surfaces opposed to each other with sheets nipped therebetween, and a pressurization driver that shifts a position of at least one of the first and second pressurizing surfaces from a waiting position separated to an actuation position for coming into press-contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9751714
    Abstract: A sheet fed from an image forming device to a path carry-in port is guided to a first accumulating section along a straight path or guided to a second accumulating section along a branch path branched from the straight path. A buffer path section is formed so as to make the sheet temporarily stay between a first sheet discharge roller pair disposed on the straight path side of the branch path at a position downstream of a branch portion and a second sheet discharge roller pair disposed in the branch path. The sheet staying in the buffer path section is conveyed to the first accumulating section by rotation of the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotation of the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: CANON FINETECH NISCA INC.
    Inventor: Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9688499
    Abstract: A post-handling apparatus having an aligning tray configured to receive a sheet from an image forming apparatus; an ejected sheet tray located adjacent to the aligning tray; a conveyer configured to convey the sheet on the aligning tray to the ejected sheet tray; and a sheet presser configured to press a sheet previously ejected onto the ejected sheet tray against the ejected sheet tray. The sheet presser presses the sheet previously ejected to the ejected sheet tray when a leading edge of a sheet currently conveyed to the ejected sheet tray falls down on the ejected sheet tray, and is in a receding position receding from the ejected sheet tray when a trailing edge of the sheet currently conveyed to the ejected sheet tray falls down on the ejected sheet tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Wakide
  • Patent number: 9586783
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus capable of performing a binding process rapidly and efficiently while the binding process can be selected by an operator. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a processing tray on which sheets are stacked, an insertion portion to which a sheet bundle is inserted, a first binding device which performs a predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray and the predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle inserted to the insertion portion, and a second binding device which performs a binding process being different from the predetermined binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: CANON FINETECH INC., NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Obuchi, Hideto Abe, Masaya Takahashi, Seiji Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 9522558
    Abstract: An apparatus for post-processing sheets which is installed at a discharge end of a longitudinal discharge type image forming apparatus includes a tamper which arranges opposite ends of one side of a longitudinal direction of a sheet stack discharged from the discharge end in a first direction and stacked as many as a preset number of sheets, and transfers the arranged sheet stack in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a sheet post-processing unit which performs post-processing in parallel with a longitudinal end of the sheet stack transferred in the second direction by the tamper or performs post-processing while being rotated by an arbitrary angle with respect to a corner end portion of the sheet stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: KRDC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong woo Lee, Myoung soo Kang
  • Patent number: 9434570
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes an exit tray and a sheet alignment mechanism. On the exit tray, ejected sheets or ejected sheet sheaves subjected to stapling are stacked. When at least a sheet is ejected, the sheet alignment mechanism aligns the sheets in a manner to be in contact with and catch opposite ends of the sheets stacked on the exit tray from a base end side of the exit tray. When a sheet sheaf is ejected, the sheet alignment mechanism comes in contact with a plurality of points on a topmost surface of the sheet sheaves stacked on the exit tray to detect a height difference between the plurality of points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsuo, Terumitsu Noso, Yasunori Ueno, Masahiko Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 9409740
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus capable of providing relatively strong bonding when a plurality of sheets are bound by corrugation-shaped pressurizing faces with nip-pressure deformation and causing less frictional damage on a sheet face when a sheet bundle is introduced to and discharged from the binding unit. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a processing tray which includes a sheet placement face on which sheets are stacked, a press binding device which bonds mutually overlapped sheets stacked on the processing tray with pressure-bonding deformation, a taking-off device which applies a taking-off force to sheets bound by the press binding device along the sheet placement face for taking off the sheets from the press binding device, and a sheet bundle discharging device by which the sheets taken off from the press binding device by the taking-off device is discharged from the processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignees: CANON FINETECH INC., NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mamoru Kubo, Seiji Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 9387717
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes 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: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Iwata, Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 9352919
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Akira Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 9346647
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus capable of performing a binding process on a sheet bundle inserted to a manual setting portion of an apparatus housing and a binding process on a sheet bundle introduced to a processing tray with a common stapling unit having a simple unit moving mechanism therefor as well as facilitating staple replenishment. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a processing tray on which sheets are stacked, a binding device which staple-binds a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, and a manual setting portion to which a sheet bundle is set from the outside of the apparatus, the binding device being arranged to be movable among a first position where a sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray is to be bound, a second position where a sheet bundle set at the manual setting portion is to be bound, and a third position where staples are replenished to the binding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: CANON FINETECH INC., NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Obuchi, Yuki Nishi, Shin Tsugane
  • Patent number: 9323205
    Abstract: The sheet binding apparatus comprises a movable stapler for binding a sheet bundle formed of a plurality of sheets; a movable stapler movement motor for moving the movable stapler between a first position and a second position, the first position, at which sheet conveyance from the image forming apparatus connected so as to be capable of feeding a sheet, and the second position, at which the sheet conveyance is not hampered and a sheet bundle which is manually provided without using the image forming apparatus is bound; and CPU for controlling the movable stapler movement motor to cause, when the image forming apparatus is in a state of not forming the image, the movable stapler to stand by at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Mine, Toshiyuki Abe
  • Patent number: 9283797
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet conveying unit that conveys a sheet; a sheet stacking member on a placing surface of which the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is stacked; an edge aligning unit that aligns edges of sheets in a sheet conveying direction on the sheet stacking member; a first binding unit that binds the sheets aligned by the edge aligning unit using a binding member; and a second binding unit that binds the sheets aligned by the edge aligning unit without using a binding member. The sheet processing apparatus selects either of the first binding unit and the second binding unit and performs binding processing on the sheets. The first binding unit and the second binding unit are integrally constructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Yusuke Tanaka, Atsushi Kuriyama, Makoto Seki, Yuta Kiyao
  • Patent number: 9221291
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet binding processing apparatus capable of promptly performing a binding process for binding a sheet bundle set at a manual setting portion and a sheet bundle set at a processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignees: CANON FINETECH INC., NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichi Kubo, Shin Tsugane, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9216872
    Abstract: A translateable media height sensor assembly for measuring a media stack height in an imaging forming device. The assembly includes a support and drive and insertion assemblies mounted thereon. The insertion assembly includes a translateable plunger having mounted thereon a sensor and a translateable probe. At a home position the sensor is actuated by a flag on the support placing sensor output in a first state. During measurement, the drive assembly translates the insertion assembly toward a media stack and the sensor output changes to a second state and a counter is started. The probe encounters the media stack and stops while the plunger and the sensor continue to translate with the probe engaging the sensor causing the sensor output to again change state and stop the counter. The insertion assembly retracts back to the home position where the flag actuates the sensor causing the sensor output to change state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Bryan Cuesta Balili, Michael Villanueva Caneza, Roel Firmeza Pantonial, Jake Tia Pia, Marvin Aliviado Rodriquez, Donald Norman Spitz, Joe Rey Naquila Dumandan
  • Patent number: 9216873
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet processing apparatus including an intermediate processing tray on which a sheet conveyed by a discharge roller is stacked, a proximal aligning plate and a distal aligning plate moving in a sheet width direction for aligning the sheet conveyed onto the intermediate processing tray, and a finisher controller for moving and controlling the proximal aligning plate and the distal aligning plate to align, when a sheet having a length in the sheet conveyance direction shorter than a predetermined length in the sheet conveyance direction is conveyed, the sheet at a position shifted nearer to a take-out port side A in the sheet width direction than a position in the sheet width direction at which a sheet having a length in the sheet conveyance direction equal to or more than the predetermined length in the sheet conveyance direction is aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rikiya Takemasa, Yusuke Obuchi
  • Patent number: 9195197
    Abstract: A bookbinding control device includes an acquisition unit that acquires print data including post-processing-not-required pages requiring no post-processing and post-processing-required pages requiring post-processing, a first accumulation controller that performs control so as to accumulate sheets with the printed post-processing-not-required pages in a first accumulation unit, and a bookbinding controller that performs control so as to perform bookbinding after the sheets with the printed post-processing-not-required pages in the first accumulation unit and the post-processing-required pages subjected to the post-processing are accumulated in an accumulation unit of a bookbinding device in a prescribed order, wherein the post-processing-not-required pages subjected to the post-processing are accumulated in a second accumulation unit different from the first accumulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Hirano
  • Patent number: 9186925
    Abstract: An apparatus for post-processing sheets which have been discharged by a preset number of sheets and arranged in a compiler which is a temporary storage space. The apparatus is installed at a discharge end of a longitudinal discharge type image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes a sheet post-processing unit rotatably installed at one side of the compiler, which performs post-processing on a sheet stack, while being parallel to a longitudinal direction of the sheet stack which has been arranged according to a set value or being rotated by an arbitrary angle with respect to a corner end portion of the sheet stack. The sheet stack transfer unit transfers the sheet stack, which has been arranged in the compiler, in the same or an opposite direction to that in which the sheets have been discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: KRDC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong woo Lee, Myoung soo Kang
  • Patent number: 9139397
    Abstract: A sheet binding processing apparatus for avoiding the residual of binding member is provided. The sheet binding processing apparatus comprises a sheet insertion port through which a sheet bundle formed of a plurality of sheets S is inserted, a movable stapler for binding the sheet bundle inserted through the sheet insertion port, and a manual stapling sheet sensor for detecting, at a predetermined detection time interval, existence or non-existence of the sheet bundle in the sheet insertion port. When the manual stapling sheet sensor detects the existence of the sheet bundle, the sheet binding processing apparatus gives permission to bind the sheet bundle by the movable stapler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumi Sato, Toshifumi Kakutani, Takeyuki Suda, Yousuke Hata, Hirohisa Kato, Shinya Suzuki, Yoshitaka Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9138129
    Abstract: A medical robotic system includes articulated instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide. Prior to pivoting the entry guide to re-orient it and the instruments, the instruments are moved in tandem back towards the entry guide. Haptic cues and velocity limits are provided to assist the operator in the retraction of the instruments. After retraction, the entry guide may then be pivoted without concern that the instruments will harm patient anatomy. The movement of the instruments in tandem back towards the entry guide may also occur through coupled control modes while the entry guide is held in a fixed position and orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Nicola Diolaiti