With Edge Aligner Patents (Class 270/58.17)
  • Patent number: 11766878
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a first ejection unit, a processing tray, a blower unit, a control unit, and a post-processing unit. The first ejection unit ejects a medium recorded by ejection of a liquid. On the processing tray, the medium ejected by the first ejection unit is stacked. The blower unit blows air to the medium stacked on the processing tray. The control unit controls the blower unit. The post-processing unit post-processes the medium stacked on the processing tray. Based on processing information about processing performed on the medium, the control unit changes a blowing amount at which the blower unit blows air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Sadakuni
  • Patent number: 9796554
    Abstract: A media accumulator-ejector for use with an imaging apparatus. Rotatable upper and lower roll assemblies are located above and below a media accumulation zone comprised of an accumulation plate and positioned to receive media exiting an imaging device. The roll assemblies are moveable like jaws between an open position where media can accumulate on the accumulation plate without interference with the roll assemblies and a clamping position where the accumulated media is grasped by the upper and lower roll assemblies. The upper and lower roll assemblies are then rotated to eject the accumulated media from the accumulation plate. The upper and lower roll assemblies can also grasp and continuously eject individual sheets of media at a predetermined process speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Meneleo De Castro Cedeno, Aaron Jacob Boggs, Jose Jonna Tohay Chavez, Jie Chen, Gerald Concejos Famador, Gregory Michael Hensley, Kim MataciƱos Kekim, Donald Norman Spitz
  • Patent number: 9639048
    Abstract: A media accumulator-ejector for use with an imaging apparatus. Rotatable upper and lower roll assemblies are located above and below a media accumulation zone comprised of an accumulation plate and positioned to receive media exiting an imaging device. The roll assemblies are moveable like jaws between an open position where media can accumulate on the accumulation plate without interference with the roll assemblies and a clamping position where the accumulated media is grasped by the upper and lower roll assemblies. The upper and lower roll assemblies are then rotated to eject the accumulated media from the accumulation plate. The upper and lower roll assemblies can also grasp and continuously eject individual sheets of media at a predetermined process speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Meneleo De Castro Cedeno, Aaron Jacob Boggs, Jose Jonna Tohay Chavez, Jie Chen, Gerald Concejos Famador, Gregory Michael Hensley, Kim MataciƱos Kekim, Donald Norman Spitz
  • Patent number: 9120639
    Abstract: There is provided a document processing device and a document processing method capable of aligning and loading documents being transported surely and at a high speed. The document processing device includes: a document inverter for inverting a transport direction of documents being transported; a first guide that is provided in nearly the same direction as the transport direction positions document stacked layers when stacking documents inverted by the document inverter; a second guide that is provided to further tilt at a predetermined angle than orthogonal angle to the transport direction and capable of guiding the transported documents in the first guiding means direction, positions document stacked layers when stacking documents inverted by the document inverting means in conjunction with the first guiding means; and a holder for loading and holding the documents positioned and stacked by the first guide and the second guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Primagest, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kuriyama, Fumio Koyama
  • Patent number: 9016681
    Abstract: To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling sheets that are carried out of an image formation apparatus or the like on the upstream side to be loaded and stored in a predetermined position with a correct posture neatly at high speed, a sheet discharge roller and a reverse roller spaced a distance are disposed in a sheet discharge outlet and a tray, a kick member is provided to be swingable in a vertical direction passing a sheet discharge path of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a posture of the kick member is controlled by shift means. The shift means controls the kick member among a waiting posture retracted upward from the sheet discharge path, an engagement posture for imposing a load on the sheet to engage, and an actuation posture dropping onto the tray together with the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Naoya Nakayama, Daiki Komiyama, Hisashi Osada, Kenji Yoshida, Eiji Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 9010743
    Abstract: When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 9010745
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same align sheets stacked on a stacking unit, by causing a first alignment member and a second alignment member to come into contact with edges of a sheet stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet width direction. In a case that a second sheet that is different from a first sheet stacked on the stacking unit is to be stacked on the first sheet and aligned using the first alignment member and the second alignment member, control is performed to discharge a partition sheet onto the first sheet stacked on the stacking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shin Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9004481
    Abstract: In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Riso Kagaku Corporation, Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Mimura, Kenta Idezuki, Kenichi Sano
  • Patent number: 8919767
    Abstract: A method for producing a bundle composed of book blocks includes gathering a plurality of printed sheets to form respective book blocks. The plurality of the book blocks are positioned with the same orientation and respectively positioned on lower edges of the printed sheets. Respectively two adjacent book blocks are offset from one another parallel to the lower edges of the printed sheets and transverse to a height of the bundle to be formed, such that a side edge of one of the two book block projects relative to a side edge of the adjacent book block. Thereafter the offset book blocks are combined to form the bundle and the bundle is compressed to fix the offset position of the book blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Konrad Boos
  • Patent number: 8915492
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet finishing apparatus includes a finishing section configured to apply finishing to a sheet placed on a processing tray, a sheet discharging section configured to discharge the sheet subjected to the finishing to a stack tray via a discharge port, a roller attached to a shaft provided in parallel to the discharge port and which rotate in a first direction for guiding the sheet in the direction of the finishing section and a second direction for discharging the sheet, and an arm attached to the shaft to extend in the centrifuging direction from the shaft, rotate with the torque of the shaft, and idly rotate when force for regulating the torque acts. The arm flaps down the trailing end of the sheet on the stack tray onto the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Sugiyama, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8899569
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a processing tray configured to receive sheets to be processed, the processing tray having an ejecting side from which sheets are ejected, and a loading tray provided downstream from the processing tray in a sheet ejecting direction and configured to receive sheets ejected from the processing tray. The sheet processing apparatus further comprises a bending restrainer including a restraining member extending almost parallel to the processing tray and covering a portion of the ejecting side of the processing tray, the restraining member configured to restrain bending of sheets ejected from the processing tray to the loading tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naofumi Soga
  • Patent number: 8882106
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus which enable reduction of shift alignment time and improvement of productivity. A shift unit performs a shifting operation for shifting a conveyed sheet, in a lateral direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction. An alignment unit aligns the sheet by a pair of alignment members thereof which are moved toward each other such side edges of the sheet in the lateral direction are held therebetween. A CPU of a finisher controller controls the alignment unit and the shift unit such that an operation for moving the alignment members from respective first standby positions in the lateral direction to respective second standby positions closer to the sheet than the corresponding first standby positions is executed in parallel with the shifting operation by the shift unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Maenishi, Takashi Yokoya
  • Patent number: 8870177
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus, including an ejection section; a sheet stacking section; an abutting unit; a driving section; a control section; and a rotating member which has a rotating shaft in parallel with a width direction of the sheet bundle and is held so as to rotate from above the base end portion of the sheet stacking section through a gap of a predetermined width in the abutting unit. The control section starts rotation of the rotating member after lowering of the sheet stacking section is stopped, and when the rotation is started, the rotating member operates so as to abut a rear portion of a surface of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking section and pass through the gap in the abutting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8844922
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which enables a sheet to be stopped at a target position with precision even when the sheet is stopped by moving a heavy unit such as a shift unit. A drive unit moves a moving unit so as to move a sheet, which is being conveyed, in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet. An output unit detects movement of the moving unit and output a signal in synchronization with movement of the moving unit. A control unit issues a stop instruction to the drive unit based on a delay time from when a start instruction to the drive unit is issued until when the signal in synchronization with the movement of the drive unit is output, and a target moving amount required for the moving unit to move to a target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Ishikawa, Hitoshi Kato
  • 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: 8794617
    Abstract: A finisher is provided with a transport paddle and a control portion. The transport paddle freely moves to a first position where the transport paddle is on standby while protruding above a lower stack tray, a second position where the transport paddle sandwiches the sheet in between and, at the same time, is transported to abut the sheet against the abutment portion, and a third position where the transport paddle retracts in a finisher body 400. The control portion makes the transport paddle be on standby at the first position at least at the start of a job, moves the transport paddle between the first position and the second position for each discharge of the sheet by the bundle discharge roller pair, and moves the transport paddle to the third position after termination of the alignment processing for a last sheet of the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 8770569
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is disclosed which includes front and back trailing-end reference fences that are movable and on which the sheet trailing-end abuts to align the sheet trailing-end; a side-stitching stapler that moves along the sheet trailing-end and binds a bundle of sheets aligned; a length-direction moving mechanism that moves the trailing-end reference fences in a sheet conveying direction; and a position changing unit that drives the length-direction moving mechanism to change the position of one of the trailing-end reference fences in the sheet conveying direction relative to the position of the other one. The front and back trailing-end reference fences are moved to change binding positions such that the distances from the sheet trailing-end to staple positions are made equal in front-side binding and in back-side binding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8770571
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an alignment unit configured to align a sheet stacked on a stacking tray in a width direction which is orthogonal to a direction in which the sheet is discharged. The alignment unit includes first and second alignment members configured to move in the width direction. The first and second alignment members come into contact with side ends in the width direction of the sheet stacked on the stacking tray to align the sheet. When a second sheet of a different length in the width direction from that of a first sheet is stacked while shifted in the width direction on the first sheet which is already stacked on the stacking tray, the sheet stacking apparatus prohibits an alignment operation of the alignment unit on the second sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Ando, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hitoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20140175730
    Abstract: A media conveying system for aligning a media sheet in a media path of an image forming apparatus may include a first roll mounted across the media path, a second roll mounted relative to the first roll so as to define a first nip between the first roll and the second roll, and a reference edge positioned along a side of the media path. A drive mechanism is coupled to the second roll for translating the second roll in a first direction such that a media sheet positioned in the nip moves in the first direction towards the reference edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Margarito Panal Banai, Jose Jonna Tohay Chavez, Joseph Garces Cornelia, Al Salcedo Pineda, Julio Tagaro Plariza, Malyn Vidal Pumariga
  • Patent number: 8752819
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus that is capable of aligning sheets in a sheet longitudinal direction with high accuracy when bundling the sheets. A conveyance unit conveys a sheet. A stacking unit stacks a plurality of sheets that are conveyed by the conveyance unit. A grasping member performs a grasping operation that grasps the rear end of the sheet surface of the sheets stacked on the stacking unit. A driving unit moves the grasping member. A control unit controls the driving unit so as to align the sheets stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet conveyance direction by making the grasping member contact the rear end of the stacked sheets after the sheets are stacked on the stacking unit, and controls the driving unit so that the grasping member performs the grasping operation when a following sheet is stacked on the stacked sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoharu Sato, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Yasuo Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 8746670
    Abstract: A bundle of identical book blocks composed of a plurality of folded print sheets or signatures standing upright on lower edges of the printed sheets or book blocks. The book blocks are formed with first and last book block sections having different dimensions. A quadrangular bundle is formed from the book blocks by aligning first limit surfaces of the book block sections flush with each other along one of the two side surfaces or along the upper or lower surfaces of the bundle so that a second limit surface of the first book block section opposite the first limit surface of the first book block section projects with an offset with respect to a limit surface of the last book block section opposite the first limit surface of the last book block section. The bundle is compressed and then secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Mueller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Konrad Boos
  • 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: 8720880
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a transport section transporting a sheet; a load section loading the sheet thereon; a first aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with a surface thereof to align the sheet; a second aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with an edge thereof to align the sheet; an alignment controller controlling the aligners to align the sheet based on a first mode in which they simultaneously align the sheet, and based on a second mode, for every predetermined number of sheets, in which one aligner aligns the sheet after the other aligner completes the alignment process; and a transport controller causing the transport section to transport the sheet at a reduced speed for every predetermined number of sheets so that the sheet reaches the load section after completion of the second-mode alignment process performed after a previous sheet is loaded on the load section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Patent number: 8714547
    Abstract: A paper discharge apparatus including, a paper loading portion for loading a paper which is discharged; a paper rear-end abutting portion which a rear end of paper in a paper conveying direction abuts; a pair of paper holding members for holding the paper at the paper holding position when the paper is discharged; a paper holding member moving device which is connected to at least one of the pair of the paper holding members and moves the pair of the paper holding members from a paper holding position to a paper loading position; when the pair of the paper holding members reach the paper loading position, the paper holding member moving device moves at least one of the pair of the paper holding members in the opposite direction of the paper conveying direction and makes the rear end of the holding paper abut the paper rear-end abutting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Tsutomu Anezaki
  • Patent number: 8714538
    Abstract: When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 8708325
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper clamping apparatus for an office machine adapted to clamp a paper bundle outputted from the office machine while the paper bundle is being moved. A movable body adapted to move along a shaft by means of belt driving is included; a shaft holder connected to an end of the shaft at an end of the movable body and adapted to move along the shaft by means of a movement of the movable body; a base connected to the shaft at the other end of the movable body and adapted to move along the shaft by means of a movement of the movable body; and a clamp member adapted to operate so that, when the movable body moves, the paper bundle is clamped or released by means of link driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sindoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Su Hwang, Jung Hwan Yoon
  • Patent number: 8702087
    Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a sheet reception unit configured to receive a sheet; an alignment unit configured to align the sheet in a conveying direction of the sheet, a trailing edge of the sheet in the conveying direction coming into contact with the alignment unit; and a moving unit configured to move the alignment unit along the sheet reception unit in the conveying direction. A first position for aligning and binding sheets and a second position located above the first position in the sheet reception unit are set for the alignment unit as receiving positions at which the sheet is received from the sheet reception unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
  • 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: 8678369
    Abstract: A skew correction device for aligning a booklet that is a folded bundle of sheets on a conveying path includes a first member against which a leading end of the booklet abuts in a conveying direction; a second member configured to push a trailing end of the booklet in the conveying direction so that the leading end of the booklet abuts against the first member; and a deflection generating member configured to deflect the booklet downward when the trailing end is pushed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Hidaka, Takamasa Matsumoto, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Kei Sasaki, Kiyoshi Hata, Shingo Matsushita, Takashi Saito, Akihiro Musha
  • Patent number: 8672314
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an alignment member to align a sheet stacked on a stacking tray in a width direction perpendicular to a direction in which the sheet is discharged. When stacking a plurality of sheets on the stacking tray, the sheet stacking apparatus lowers the stacking tray, so that a predetermined distance is maintained between the top surface sheet and a sheet discharge port. If the stacking tray is lowered to a predetermined position while the alignment unit is executing an alignment operation at a first position, the sheet stacking apparatus lowers the alignment member to a second position lower than the first position and causes the alignment member to execute the alignment operation at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiko Sato, Toshiyuki Miyake, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Yutaka Ando, Hiromasa Maenishi, Akihiro Arai, Nozomi Kumakura
  • Patent number: 8672313
    Abstract: A sheet processing device for stacking one or more sheets temporarily on a stacking unit, and stapling the sheets by a stapling unit after aligned by an alignment unit. The device includes a shift unit that shifts the sheet in both a sheet conveying direction and a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a control unit that controls a shift amount of the shift unit so that an alignment distance of a width direction alignment unit to align the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction is constant regardless of a staple position and a sheet size, when stacking the sheets on the stacking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kentaroh Fukami
  • Patent number: 8668193
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveying unit that conveys a booklet formed by folding a sheet bundle; a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on the booklet; a booklet holding unit that includes first and second holding members to hold the booklet and varies a gap distance between the first and second holding members depending on a state of processing the booklet while the sheet processing unit is performing the process on the booklet; and a pressing unit that presses and fixes the booklet while the processing unit is processing the booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kei Sasaki, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Kiyoshi Hata, Shingo Matsushita, Makoto Hidaka, Takashi Saito, Takamasa Matsumoto, Akihiro Musha
  • Patent number: 8662489
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a discharge unit, a stacking tray, an acquisition unit, a shift control unit, and an alignment unit. The shift control unit controls a stacking position of a sheet in a sheet width direction in response to shift information acquired by the acquisition unit. The alignment unit aligns a sheet staked on the stacking tray and moves to a position that abuts on a side edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction to align the sheet. The shift control unit controls a stacking position of a second sheet to stack the second sheet on a second position or on a first position depending on where a first sheet is stacked and on shift information of the second sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiro Arai, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Toshiyuki Miyake, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura
  • Patent number: 8657277
    Abstract: An image forming system including a control section provides control in such a way that, the ring binder of the size determined for the first set of copies is adopted so that ring binding is performed for a second set of copies or copies thereafter in a case of executing a job for ring binding of a plurality of copies. When at least one of a status change in the sheet feed section, a main power source being turned off, or a change in a job ticket is occurred from a suspension to a resumption of the job, since the thickness of a bundle of sheets may change, the thickness measuring section is caused to measure the thickness of the bundle in a first set of copies subsequent to resumption. And the control section judges continuation or suspension of a job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Takamitsu Satsukawa
  • Publication number: 20140035217
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a processing tray configured to receive sheets to be processed, the processing tray having an ejecting side from which sheets are ejected, and a loading tray provided downstream from the processing tray in a sheet ejecting direction and configured to receive sheets ejected from the processing tray. The sheet processing apparatus further comprises a bending restrainer including a restraining member extending almost parallel to the processing tray and covering a portion of the ejecting side of the processing tray, the restraining member configured to restrain bending of sheets ejected from the processing tray to the loading tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: NAOFUMI SOGA
  • Patent number: 8602405
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has a process tray onto which a sheet is stacked, an aligning member that conveys the sheet toward a sheet edge regulating member in a contact state in which the aligning member, the sheet edge regulating member regulating the edge of the sheet, and a switching member that switches a state of the aligning member between the contact state where the aligning member is in contact with the sheet, and a non-contact state where the aligning member is spaced apart from the process tray. While the sheet on the process tray is being conveyed toward the sheet edge regulating member by the aligning member, the switching member switches the aligning member from the contact state to the non-contact state, and further switches the aligning member from the non-contact state to the contact state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Kouji Okamoto, Yoshihiko Kitahara
  • Patent number: 8596629
    Abstract: An apparatus for preparing a collation of sheets for folding operations. The system includes a registration device including multiple registration stations and a conveyance device for transporting the collation to one of the registration stations. Each registration station is adapted to register the edges of the collation based upon a desired edge geometry. A processor determines the fold configuration of the collation and determines the edge geometry thereof based upon the fold configuration of the collation. The processor selects one of the registration stations based upon the fold configuration and then controls the conveyance device to transport the collation to the selected registration station. The registration station selected may also be based upon the thickness of the collation and a desired location for binding the collation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S Hancock, Robert F Marcinik
  • Patent number: 8585033
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide portion, a command input unit, a post-processing unit, and a guide controller. The guide portion guides a sheet bundle including the sheet carried from a carry-in portion to the processing position. The command input unit that accepts input of a manual execution command. The post-processing unit performs a predetermined post-process on the sheet bundle disposed at the processing position based on the manual execution command input through the command input unit. The guide controller is connected to the image forming apparatus in a signal-receivable manner to receive sheet size information in an image formation period of the image forming apparatus and to control driving of the guide portion to change a guide size based on the received sheet size information so as to match the guide size with sheet bundles having different sheet sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Ryuichi Ishizu
  • Patent number: 8573581
    Abstract: A skew correction device includes: a conveying path through which a booklet formed by folding a sheet bundle is conveyed in a conveying direction; a positioning unit on which a leading-end portion of the booklet in the conveying direction is to abut, the positioning unit being arranged to be able to protrude into and retreat from the conveying path; an abutting unit that pushes a trailing-end portion of the booklet in the conveying direction, thereby moving the booklet toward the positioning unit and causing the leading-end portion of the booklet to abut on the positioning unit; and a pushing force changing unit that changes a pushing force applied by the abutting unit to the booklet to push the booklet against the positioning unit based on a pushing amount of the abutting unit to the booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Kiyoshi Hata, Kei Sasaki, Shingo Matsushita, Makoto Hidaka, Takashi Saito, Akihiro Musha, Takamasa Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8573583
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a booklet conveying device includes: a pair of conveying units; a positioning unit; a pressing unit; and a conveying-force changing unit. The pair of conveying units convey a booklet made of a stack of folded sheets, and change a distance therebetween. The positioning unit positions the booklet by making a leading-end portion of the booklet abut thereto. The pressing unit presses the booklet positioned by the positioning unit onto one of the conveying units in order to fix. The conveying-force changing unit changes the conveying force exerted by the conveying units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Musha, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Kiyoshi Hata, Kei Sasaki, Makoto Hidaka, Takashi Saito, Takamasa Matsumoto, Shingo Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20130270763
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, there is provided a sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking unit that stacks a sheet conveyed thereto; a first alignment unit that aligns the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a second alignment unit that aligns the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side; and a control unit that causes at least one of the first and second alignment units to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Masahiro TAMURA, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Kyosuke NAKADA, Tomomichi HOSHINO, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Takamasa MATSUMOTO, Junya SUZUKI, Youhei NIITSUMA, Kazunori KONNO, Kiichiro GOTO
  • Patent number: 8556258
    Abstract: To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling a sheet to be aligned so that the length-direction position and width-direction position of the sheet coincide with correct reference positions in positioning and storing the sheet in a predetermined position on a tray, it is configured that a paper feed rotating member in a center portion of a sheet that is carried out onto the tray and a paper-pressing guide in the side portion are disposed swingably up and down in the sheet load direction, and that the paper-pressing guide moves upward integrally with the paper feed rotating member floating a predetermined amount or more from the sheet top surface on the tray corresponding to a curl of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Naoya Nakayama, Daiki Komiyama, Hisashi Osada, Kenji Yoshida, Eiji Fukasawa, Kazunori Hatakawa
  • Patent number: 8540229
    Abstract: The alignment unit includes: an upstream-side pressing portion that presses a side edge of the sheet; and a downstream-side pressing portion that presses the side edge of the sheet. The downstream-side pressing portion includes: a first pressing portion that is arranged downstream of the center of gravity of a predetermined-size sheet and upstream of the downstream edge of the predetermined-size sheet and that presses the predetermined-size sheet; and a second pressing portion that is arranged downstream of the downstream edge of the predetermined-size sheet and downstream of the center of gravity of a large-size sheet having twice or more than twice the length of the predetermined-size sheet and that presses the large-size sheet. The second pressing portion is formed to protrude further toward the center side in the width direction than the first pressing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8534661
    Abstract: A system for preparing a collation of sheets for a subsequent folding operation wherein edges of the collation are aligned to eliminate the need for additional trimming operations. The system comprises: a cutting device operative to cut each sheet of the collation based upon a length dimension of each of the inner and outer sheets, an accumulating device operative to stack the sheets to form the collation, a registration device operative to register at least one edge of the collation, a conveyance device for transporting the sheet material along a feed path to the cutting, accumulating and registration devices, and a processor operatively coupled to, and controlling, the cutting, accumulating, registration and conveyance devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S Hancock, Robert F Marcinik
  • Patent number: 8517368
    Abstract: A stapler apparatus includes a clamp positioned to receive and stack sheets from a printing device, a support plate comprising a groove directing the clamp along one path of multiple paths, the multiple paths alternately directing the clamp relatively closer to one of multiple staplers. A first biasing member applies a first force to the clamp toward a closed position, and a first extension applies a second force to the clamp toward an open position. A second biasing member applies a third force to the clamp toward the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Brundige, Brian C. Cyr, Aaron M. Moore, Matthew M. R. Storey
  • Publication number: 20130207334
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a transport section transporting a sheet; a load section loading the sheet thereon; a first aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with a surface thereof to align the sheet; a second aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with an edge thereof to align the sheet; an alignment controller controlling the aligners to align the sheet based on a first mode in which they simultaneously align the sheet, and based on a second mode, for every predetermined number of sheets, in which one aligner aligns the sheet after the other aligner completes the alignment process; and a transport controller causing the transport section to transport the sheet at a reduced speed for every predetermined number of sheets so that the sheet reaches the load section after completion of the second-mode alignment process performed after a previous sheet is loaded on the load section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki AWANO
  • Publication number: 20130193628
    Abstract: A recording medium post-processing apparatus includes: a stacker which is stacked with a plurality of sheet-like recording media with images being recorded thereon; an receiving device which receives at least one of information regarding the images to be recorded on the recording media and information regarding the recording media; an alignment device which applies an external force to the recording media stacked on the stacker so as to align the recording media; a controller which sets, on the basis of the at least one information received by the receiving device, at least one of (i) stacked-sheet number that is the number of the recording media, and (ii) a magnitude of the external force that is applied to the recording media and which controls the alignment device on the basis of the setted at least one of the stacked-sheet number and the magnitude of the external force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro ITOGAWA
  • Patent number: 8496239
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of first aligning members movable in a sheet conveyance direction and a sheet width direction, a pair of second aligning members to align lateral sides of a bundle of sheets, a stapler movable in the sheet width direction to staple a trailing end portion of the bundle, a driving unit to move the first aligning members, and a controller. The first aligning members include a stack portion to contact and support a trailing edge of the bundle. When the stapler staples the bundle at two positions symmetrically relative to a center position in the sheet width direction, the controller selects either first positions inside the two stapled positions or second positions outside the two stapled positions in accordance with multiple stapling-related variables, and the first aligning members are set at the selected positions to align the trailing edge of the bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8469347
    Abstract: A perforation apparatus, having: a perforation device to perforate a sheet by a punch; a pair of aligning members to align the sheet in a sheet width direction; and a contact member to contact with an trailing edge of the sheet, capable of being inserted and retracted with respect to a conveyance path of the sheet, disposed at an upstream side of the punch in the sheet conveyance direction; wherein the sheet is moved and aligned to a sheet aligning position while being grasped by the aligning members, the aligning device is retracted from the sheet aligning position after the aligning operation is completed, subsequently the contact member pushes the trailing edge of the sheet and conveys the sheet to a predetermined position, then the sheet is perforated by the perforation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Hata
  • Patent number: 8459629
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: a conveying portion which contacts a doubled up booklet and conveys the booklet; an end conveying portion which abuts against an open end of the booklet and pushes out the booklet, thereby conveying the booklet; a stopper which abuts against a back of the booklet to position the booklet; a holding portion which holds the booklet which abuts against the stopper; a processing portion which processes the booklet held by the holding portion; wherein the conveying portion can come into contact with and separate from the booklet, the conveying portion separates from the booklet, or a pressure for bringing the conveying portion into contact with the booklet is reduced before the back of the booklet abuts against the stopper, the back of the booklet is abutted against the stopper by the end conveying portion and then, the holding portion holds the booklet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideto Abe