Sensor Located At The Separator And Controls The Conveyor Patents (Class 271/10.02)
  • Patent number: 11349417
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus operable to control a motor includes a phase determiner for determining a rotational phase of a rotor of the motor, and a controller having a first control mode for controlling a driving current flowing through a winding of the motor based on a current of a predetermined magnitude, and a second control mode for controlling a driving current flowing through the winding so that a deviation between a command phase representing a target phase of the rotor and a rotational phase determined by the phase determiner is reduced. The controller executes the first control mode without executing the second control mode in a case of rotating the motor in a first direction, and executes the second control mode in a case of rotating the motor in a second direction which is a reverse direction to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yohei Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11277536
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus configured to cause a document placed on a document tray to be conveyed based on information about a thickness of the document includes a detector configured to detect the document placed on the document tray, a display device configured to display an object for setting the thickness of the document when the detector detects the document placed on the document tray, a sheet conveyance controller configured to cause a sheet conveyance device to convey the document based on information about the thickness of the document set by the object displayed by the display device, and a reader configured to read an image of the document conveyed by the sheet conveyance device, wherein the image reading apparatus receives a setting as to whether a screen for setting the thickness of the document is to be displayed when the detector detects the placed document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Shibata
  • Patent number: 11040844
    Abstract: The relay conveyance device includes a relay conveyance path, a plurality of conveyance members, at least one detection member and a control device. The control device executes a correction processing such that, in a state where a first sheet and a second sheet positioned at the upstream side from the first sheet are conveyed along the relay conveyance path, a sheet interval from a detection end of the first sheet by the detection member to a detection start of the second sheet by the detection member is compared with a predetermined target value, when the sheet interval is smaller than the target value, the conveyance speed of the conveyance member is decreased so as to widen the sheet interval, and when the sheet interval is larger than the target value, the conveyance speed of the conveyance member is increased so as to shorten the sheet interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Ryosuke Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10281869
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing having first opening, a cover attached to the casing and having a second opening, a tray attached to the cover, an engaging mechanism, and an elastic member. The cover is pivotable around a first pivot axis located nearer its lower end portion than to its upper end portion to cover or expose the first opening. The tray is pivotable around a second pivot axis between an accommodated position to cover the second opening and a use position to expose the second opening. A lower end portion of the tray is disposed below the second pivot axis. The engaging mechanism is configured to engage the tray in the accommodated position with the cover. The elastic member is configured to press the lower end portion of the tray such that the tray moves from the accommodated position toward the use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mariko Uchida
  • Patent number: 10239715
    Abstract: A sheet folding device, which is included in an image forming system and uses a sheet folding method, includes first and second drive motors, a first sheet conveyor driven by the first drive motor and configured to receive and convey a sheet toward a downstream side of a sheet conveying direction, a second sheet conveyor driven by the second drive motor and configured to receive the sheet conveyed from the first sheet conveyor and to convey the sheet to the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction, and a controller configured to fold the sheet to a predetermined folding length set according to an amount of conveyance of the sheet by the second sheet conveyor while the sheet is being held between the first and second sheet conveyors, and to perform a feedback control with an integral gain to the second drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Michitaka Suzuki, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Yuuki Nakagawa, Tomomichi Hoshino
  • Patent number: 10054418
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the thickness of passing mail items M conveyed on a conveying deck (12) of a mail processing machine (10) comprising a deflecting element (18) which is positioned to successively contact without active compression each conveyed mail item, measures a parameter that indicates a change in a resistivity of the deflecting element, and generates a signal indicative of the measured parameter; and a processing unit (24) which receives the signal from the deflecting element and determines a thickness value for each conveyed mail item based on the measured parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Dominique Bernard
  • Patent number: 9981813
    Abstract: A method of scanning documents and moving such documents along a path such that during scanning a method of improving the documents velocity and the documents image quality is disclosed. The method includes providing a plurality of documents in an input tray and transporting each document along the path from the input tray at a transport velocity past the scanner to obtain scanned image data. By monitoring and controlling the velocity profile of the transport system, the scanning system may provide higher image quality, reduce slippage, misfeeds and jams, and provide alerts to an operator in the even slippage, misfeeds, or jams do occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: KODAK ALARIS INC.
    Inventors: Randall Maysick, Stephen M. Reinke, Robert Westcott
  • Patent number: 9938102
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including: a locking member having an abutment surface abutting a sheet to correct skew feed of the sheet; a holding member configured to hold the locking member to rotate from a waiting position when the locking member is pushed by the sheet; a roller pair configured to nip the sheet abutting the abutment surface; a first urging portion configured to urge the holding member to the waiting position; a movable support portion configured to support the locking member in a manner that the locking member is located a retracted position where the locking member contacts a surface of the sheet and allows the sheet to pass; and a second urging portion configured to urge the locking member to a position where the abutment surface abuts a succeeding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoichiro Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9862559
    Abstract: A sheet detection unit includes a photo-interrupter, a shutter holder, and shutter members held to be movable relative to the shutter holder. The shutter members include a sheet rear end detection portion capable of switching an optical axis between a light-interrupted state and a light-transmitted state and each are supported to be movable to an abutment position where the shutter member causes an abutment surface to protrude, and also movable to a retracted position where the shutter member is retracted from a sheet conveyance path. Based on a detection signal output from the photo-interrupter by the sheet front end detection portion and the sheet rear end detection portion moving relative to the optical axis, a control unit determines the presence or absence of a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Takashi Yano, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 9695002
    Abstract: A sheet feeder control method for controlling a sheet feeder of an image forming apparatus includes feeding a sheet through a sheet feed path exposable to the exterior of the sheet feeder, detecting the feeding of the sheet at at least a first position on the sheet feed path, discharging the fed sheet to the exterior of the sheet feeder, detecting the discharge of the sheet at a second position downstream of the first position in a sheet feeding direction, detecting a sheet jam during the feeding and discharging of the sheet, and if the jammed sheet is detected at the second position but not at the first position, cancelling a malfunction state due to the sheet jam when the sheet stops being detected at the second position, irrespective of whether the sheet feed path is covered or exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryo Takenaka
  • Patent number: 9617096
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes: a separation roller pair which is operated when power is transmitted from a first motor; a resist roller pair which is operated when power is transmitted from a second motor; an assist roller pair which is disposed between the separation roller pair and the resist roller pair in the transport direction of the document; a first transmission mechanism portion which transmits the power from the first motor to the assist roller pair; a second transmission mechanism portion which transmits the power from the second motor to the assist roller pair; and a control portion which controls operation aspects of each roller pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Kii, Etsuo Tsuji, Shota Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 9427783
    Abstract: A postal matter ejection apparatus includes an ejection unit, a thickness detection unit, a thickness storage unit, a detection unit, an acquisition unit, a setting unit, and an adjustment unit. The ejection unit ejects a postal matter. The thickness detection unit measures a thickness of the postal matter. The thickness storage unit stores thickness information. The acquisition unit acquires a thickness of a preceding postal matter. The setting unit sets a gap between the preceding postal matter and the postal matter ejected by the ejection unit in accordance with the thickness of the preceding postal matter. The adjustment unit adjusts timing for supplying the postal matter to a conveyance path in accordance with the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Toshiki Nakano
  • Patent number: 9022385
    Abstract: A sheet ejection apparatus includes an ejection unit, a thickness detection unit, a thickness storage unit, a sheet detection unit, an acquisition unit, a setting unit, and an adjustment unit. The ejection unit ejects a sheet. The thickness detection unit measures a thickness of the sheet. The thickness storage unit stores thickness information. The acquisition unit acquires a thickness of a preceding sheet. The setting unit sets a gap between the preceding sheet and the sheet in accordance with the thickness of the preceding sheet. The adjustment unit adjusts timing for supplying the sheet to a conveyance path in accordance with the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshiki Nakano
  • Publication number: 20150108707
    Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus includes a first separation unit, a second separation unit, a drawing roller for drawing sheets from a nip of the second separation unit, and a pinch roller rotating in contact with it. Overlapping sheets which pass the first and second separation units and are not separated are detected to be overlapped in a state that they are clamped by the nip of the drawing roller and pinch roller. When overlapping is detected, in a state that the rear ends of the overlapping sheets in the conveying direction are restricted by the nip, the drawing roller and pinch roller are stopped and the overlapping sheets are re-separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yusuke MITSUYA, Yukio Asari
  • Publication number: 20150048566
    Abstract: A sheet material conveying device includes: a sheet material housing unit; a sheet material conveying unit that conveys each sheet material to a predetermined conveyance target position; a separating/feeding unit that separates a sheet material from sheet materials in the sheet material housing unit and conveys the separated sheet material alone to the sheet material conveying unit; a multi-feed detecting unit that detects whether multi-feed occurs in which a plurality of sheet materials are fed from the separating/feeding unit to the sheet material conveying unit; and an internal sheet material detecting unit that detects presence of the sheet material in the sheet material conveying unit. The sheet material conveying device performs multi-feed failure detection control for detecting whether a failure occurs in the multi-feed detecting unit before notification of a detection result of the internal sheet material detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroaki UTAGAWA, Takanori OHTA, Takashi NAKANO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Kenji HAYASAKA, Joji AKIYAMA, Masataka FUKUCHI
  • Patent number: 8955834
    Abstract: Generally, in accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a stacking section, a sensor, a printing unit, a display and a controller. The stacking section is configured to stack a sheet. The sensor is configured to detect the size of the sheet set on the stacking section. The printing unit is configured to form an image on the sheet. The display is configured to display the image. The controller is configured not to display a sheet size except the sheet size detected based on an output signal from the sensor on a setting screen for the sheet size of an image forming object in a detectable status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuta Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 8894058
    Abstract: A sheet feeder including a sheet container on which sheets are placed, a transfer roller to transfer the sheets to an image forming unit via a transfer path; a friction pad to transfer the sheets together with the transfer roller; and a movable portion provided on the transfer path to alter a direction of the transfer path based on the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 8888089
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a conveyer configured to convey a sheet; a first introducing part into which a sheet is introduced toward the conveyer; a second introducing part into which a sheet is introduced toward the conveyer, wherein the second introducing part is different from the first introducing part; a cover configured to be displaced between an open state, in which the second introducing part is opened, and a closed state, in which the second introducing part is covered, in a state where the first introducing part is opened; a cover sensor that detects the open-and-closed state of the cover; and a controller, wherein when the cover sensor detects the closed state of the cover, the controller performs a driving process of driving the conveyer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiki Motoyama
  • Patent number: 8864130
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a separator, an image reader for reading an image from a paper, a conveying module for conveying a paper separated by the separator to the image reader, a side wall provided at a side of a conveyance path of the paper, a sound signal generator, provided with a sound detector between the separator and the conveying module and near the side wall, for generating a sound signal corresponding to a sound generated by the paper during conveyance, and a control module for determining whether a jam has occurred based on the sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki Umi, Masanobu Hongo
  • Patent number: 8833753
    Abstract: A sheet detection device includes a moving member and a support member. The moving member includes an interference part capable of interfering with a sheet that passes through a sheet transport path. The support member slidably supports the moving member. When a sheet passes through the sheet transport path in a forward direction, the sheet interferes with the interference part of the moving member in a protruding posture, and the moving member turns in a first direction along the forward direction in a state of maintaining the protruding posture. When a sheet once stopped on the sheet transport path is pulled out in a reverse direction with a predetermined pull-out force, the moving member turns in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and changes the posture from the protruding posture to a retreating posture against a biasing force of a first bias member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kuniaki Araishi
  • Patent number: 8827259
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet-shaped recording medium; a registration roller pair to convey the recording medium to the image forming unit; a sheet feed roller to convey the recording medium to the registration roller pair; and a controller to control driving of the registration roller pair and the sheet feed roller. In such an image forming apparatus, the controller starts driving of the sheet feed roller to feed the recording medium and stops driving of the sheet feed roller before the sheet feed roller has completed conveyance of the recording medium for a distance equal to a length of the settable minimum-sized recording medium in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ikuo Fujii, Takamitsu Ikematsu, Ippei Kimura, Kaoru Tada
  • Patent number: 8746673
    Abstract: A system includes a media path along which physical media travels. A media pick device picks and transports the media in the media path according to one or more pick parameters. A device monitor can monitor a media pick or jam event and provide a media pick event output. The media pick event output identifies a media fault relating to at least one of the pick or the transport of the media. A controller processes the media pick event output to control the media pick device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael Nickerson, Richard L. Payne
  • Publication number: 20140070479
    Abstract: A sheet separation/conveyance device that is included in an image forming apparatus includes an attraction/separation unit including an endless belt on which a region of attraction and a region of no attraction that divides the region of attraction are aligned in a sheet conveying direction, the endless belt configured to hold an uppermost sheet placed on top of a sheet stack contained in an image forming apparatus by using electrostatic attraction, a charger configured to charge a surface of the endless belt, the charger including an electrode configured to contact the surface of the endless belt due to a supply of a voltage and a detector configured to detect a charged condition on the surface of the endless belt based on a detection result obtained when the electrode contacts the endless belt, and a sheet conveying unit configured to convey the uppermost sheet held by the electrostatic attraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsugunao TOYOOKA, Manabu NONAKA, Yoshikuni ISHIKAWA, Satoshi KUNO
  • Patent number: 8636279
    Abstract: This invention provides a bottom removal-type paper supply apparatus used in an image reading apparatus or the like which can always accurately supply paper into the image reading apparatus regardless of whether the amount of paper stacked on a paper support base is small or large. In order to transport paper stacked on the paper support base into the apparatus, a first pickup roller to which a pressing force can be applied by a pressing roller and a second pickup roller at a central portion of the paper support base which assists the first pickup roller are provided. The second pickup roller is provided with a shutter. By closing the shutter when the paper stacked on the paper support base is less than or equal to a prescribed number of sheets or weight, the pickup roller and the paper can be prevented from contacting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Norihiro Suzuki, Masayoshi Kawai
  • Patent number: 8593683
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a document, a first detection unit configured to detect a first deviation amount of the conveyed document by a leading edge of the document, a first correction unit configured to correct deviation of the conveyed document if the first deviation amount is larger than a predetermined value, an input unit configured to read the document the corrected deviation and to input image data, a second detection unit configured to detect a second deviation amount of the conveyed document by a trailing edge of the document, and a second correction unit configured to correct deviation of the document included in the input image data if the second deviation amount is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daiki Ikari
  • Publication number: 20130264765
    Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus includes a first separation unit, a second separation unit, a drawing roller for drawing sheets from a nip of the second separation unit, and a pinch roller rotating in contact with it. Overlapping sheets which pass the first and second separation units and are not separated are detected to be overlapped in a state that they are clamped by the nip of the drawing roller and pinch roller. When overlapping is detected, in a state that the rear ends of the overlapping sheets in the conveying direction are restricted by the nip, the drawing roller and pinch roller are stopped and the overlapping sheets are re-separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: YUSUKE MITSUYA, YUKIO ASARI
  • Patent number: 8553277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming apparatus and an image checking apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a transport control unit which transports a recording medium at a transport speed, and forms an image on the recording medium. The image checking apparatus includes a transport-speed acquisition unit, a detector, a reading unit, and an operation-state notification unit. The transport-speed acquisition unit acquires transport-speed information from the image forming apparatus. The detector detects a mark shown on the recording medium. The reading unit reads a checking-target image formed by the image forming apparatus at a position distant from the mark, on the basis of the transport-speed information and information concerning a positional relationship between the mark and the checking-target image. The operation-state notification unit notifies the image forming apparatus of an operation state of the image checking apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhide Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8511670
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: an openable-and-closable cover including a handle and a detecting member that detects presence of a sheet, wherein the detecting member is caused to rotate in association with the handle in a process of closing the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8474810
    Abstract: A reflective photosensor detects a target object. The photosensor includes a transparent circuit board, a light emitter and a light receiver on one surface of the circuit board, including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, respectively, and disposed so that the light emitting element and the light receiving element face the one surface, a concave portion on the other surface of the circuit board, including a first refractive face to oppose the light emitting element and refract light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element and a second refractive face to oppose the light receiving element and refract, to the light receiver, a component of the light refracted by the first refractive face and specularly reflected by the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norifumi Yamamoto, Masahiko Sato, Toshio Yanata, Masafumi Hashiguchi, Masataka Akaishi, Sohichiroh Naka
  • Publication number: 20130135699
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a separation roller, a first conveyance roller arranged on a downstream side of the separation roller and conveys the sheet separated by the separation roller, a second conveyance roller further conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance roller, wherein the separation roller and the first conveyance roller are driven exclusively of each other by a first motor, and a control unit controls such that, when a trailing edge of a sheet passes through the separation roller while the sheet is being conveyed by the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, the first motor makes a conveyance speed of the first conveyance roller higher than the conveyance speed thereof before the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the separation roller, and that, when the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the first conveyance roller, the first motor drives the separation roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
  • Patent number: 8439345
    Abstract: An image forming device including a pickup roller and a scraper roller configured to send out a print sheet to a feed route, a before-registration roller configured to send out a print sheet to a registration roller, and a control unit configured to independently control the transfer speed of the print sheet at each point based on operation patterns relating to the pickup roller and the scraper roller, and an intermediate transfer roller configured to transfer the print sheet between the before-registration roller and itself, wherein the operation pattern is set based on a relationship between a distance from the intermediate transfer roller to the before-registration roller or a distance from the intermediate transfer roller to the registration roller and a length of the print sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Inoue, Hirokazu Yabune, Masaaski Saitou
  • Publication number: 20130001858
    Abstract: A mechanism enables efficiently reducing the size of a check feeding device for separating and feeding checks one at a time. In one embodiment, a check separating and feeding mechanism uses a single drive motor to drive a feed roller, pressure member, and separation roller. When the drive motor turns in a second direction, torque is transferred through a second one-way clutch mechanism to both rollers. When the drive motor turns in this direction, the first one-way clutch mechanism disengages the drive motor from the drive power transfer path to the pressure member, and a tension spring pulls the pressure member in the direction pressing the checks to the feed roller. When the drive motor turns in an opposite first direction, the torque of the drive motor returns the pressure member to the standby position, drive power is not transferred to the rollers, and the rollers do not turn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20120280445
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for feeding media sheets in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include applying a downward airflow to a top of a leading edge of a media sheet located at a top of a media stack that is to be fed to an image production section of the image production device, and applying a vacuum airflow to the top of the leading edge of the media sheet located at the top of the media stack that is to be fed to the image production section of the image production device, the applied downward airflow and the applied vacuum airflow causing the top media sheet to separate from the media stack, and feeding the separated top media sheet to the image production section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Douglas K. HERRMANN
  • Patent number: 8280263
    Abstract: A paper feed system for use in a printing apparatus that detects multi-feeds and separates all sheets while allowing a single sheet to continue into the machine includes a nip with a drive roller for feeding sheets. A reversible pressure roller downstream of the drive roller is connected to a motor, but idles in the direction of the paper feed in normal operation. When a multi-feed is detected, the motor is turned ON and the reversible pressure roll actuated by a controller. The reversible pressure roller has more friction with the sheet in its contact than the friction between sheets. This drives the sheet in contact backwards. This sheet can be diverted to a separate paper path using a gate mechanism and, if desired, fed back into the feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Baxter, Andrew Hill, Andrew Ashwood, Nicholas Gates, Robert Sanders, Andrew Williams
  • Patent number: 8251365
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for monitoring the separation of a sheet product, particularly of banknotes. The invention is based on a device and a method for monitoring the separation of a sheet product, particularly of banknotes, by means of a separator (1, 2, 3) having a drive (4, 7) and a controller (8) for monitoring and controlling the angular speed (w) of the separator, and is based on monitoring of the angular speed of the separator by the controller for changes and the determination of faulty separation, if the change of the angular speed is greater than a permitted deviation, or if the angular speed falls below a threshold value (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Reuter
  • Publication number: 20120119432
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a sheet housing unit that houses sheets in a stacked manner; a sheet conveying unit that conveys a sheet to a predetermined conveyance target position; a sheet pick-up unit that picks up outermost one of the sheets housed in the sheet housing unit for conveying to a sheet conveying unit side; a separating and conveying unit that separates the next sheet from the outermost sheet, and conveys only the outermost sheet to the sheet conveying unit; and a sheet-conveyance-movement detecting unit that detects presence or absence of movement of a sheet in the conveying direction. The sheet-conveyance-movement detecting unit is arranged at a position at which the outermost sheet and the next sheet may overlap each other, and a separation portion is located downstream of the pick-up position and is an area where a separation action of the separating and conveying unit works.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Mamoru Kambayashi, Hideki Tobinaga, Shinya Kitaoka, Atsushi Kanaya, Norio Kimura, Michitaka Suzuki, Yoshito Suzuki, Kenichiro Morita
  • Patent number: 8146911
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feed tray, a chute having first and second guides, first and second rollers arranged on the first guide, first and second contact members protruded from the second guide and urged to contact the first and second rollers, respectively, and a sheet sensor arranged between the first roller and the second roller. A controller controls a motor to rotate the first and second rollers in a first direction in which the sheet is fed from the second roller to the first roller when the controller receives a signal from the sensor, and controls the motor to stop the rotation of the first and second rollers when the signal from the sensor is terminated, and then rotate the first and second rollers in a second direction in which the sheet is fed from the first roller to the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Kozaki
  • Publication number: 20110309568
    Abstract: A medium supplying apparatus includes a separation mechanism that separates one medium at a time from a plurality of sheet-shaped media stacked in a loading rack and transports the medium, an irradiation unit that emits light onto a surface of the medium, and a light receiving unit that receives reflected light that is acquired by allowing the light emitted by the irradiation unit to be reflected from the surface and detects a reflected light intensity that is an intensity of the reflected light. The separating force of the separation mechanism that is used for separating a next medium is controlled based on the reflected light intensity detected by the light receiving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Shigeharu OKANO, Nobuhisa YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 8070151
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet-table unit, a sheet-separating unit disposed at a downstream end of the sheet-table unit along a convey direction of the sheets, a convey unit arranged at a downstream end of sheet-separating unit, a discharge unit located at a downstream end of the convey unit, an sheet processing unit placed between the convey unit and the discharge unit, a speed sensor arranged at an upstream end of the sheet-separating unit for detecting a movement of each sheet for forming a sheet interval between two adjacent sheets, and an edge sensor located between the sheet-separating unit and the sheet processing unit. The edge sensor detects a front edge and a rear edge of each sheet passing therethrough, and sends corresponding control signals to a system controller which delays a predetermined time according to the control signals to control the sheet processing unit to start and stop processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Kuan Lee, Yueh-Shing Lee, Shao-Yang Wu
  • Patent number: 7992861
    Abstract: A recording medium supply apparatus includes: a conveyance member that conveys a recording medium; a retard member, in contact with the conveyance member, that forms a contact portion between the conveyance member and the retard member and retards the recording medium by holding the recording medium in the contact portion; and a buckling prevention unit, configured to contact with the recording medium on the upstream side of the contact portion between the conveyance member and the retard member in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, that prevents buckling of the recording medium in the conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Furuya, Kaoru Yoshida, Yoshinari Iwaki, Shin Takeuchi, Minoru Ohshima, Dmitry Ivutin
  • Patent number: 7976009
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling sheets in a digital printing machine, wherein the arrival of at least one sheet in a transport path is detected at least once at at least one marked location of said transport path to improve the control of the sheets themselves during the printing operation. This is achieved in that at least one signal having a countable pulse is generated, in that a freely selectable but then fixed start of these pulses is assigned to the position of at least one frame (occupiable field) of frames—into which the minimum of one transport path segment is divided—relative to said marked location, and in that the minimum of one sheet is controlled with the use of this pulse at at least one other marked location of the transport path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Martin Ruhk, Dieter Dobberstein, Uwe Weinlich
  • Patent number: 7970294
    Abstract: A document feeding apparatus includes a first delivery roller delivering a document sheet discharged from a fixing unit, a second delivery roller discharging the document sheet to a paper delivery tray, a motor driving the second delivery roller, a lever installed at the downstream, or upstream, side of the first delivery roller out of a document sheet transporting pathway, which rotates at a predetermined angle when contacting the document sheet and returns to an original position when not contacting the document sheet, a sensor sensing a rotation time and a returning time of the lever, and a controller determining a double feeding or slipping state of the document sheet based on a signal transferred from the sensor regarding the rotation time and the returning time of the lever, and controlling the driving speed of the motor according to the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae-lim Shin
  • Patent number: 7922168
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for transporting a sheet, in particular after a sheet has been picked off a stack and separated therefrom, preferably for the feeder-side use in a printing machine, wherein the sheet is brought to a transport speed, preferably for transfer to another transport path. The object of the invention is to provide a more controlled method of the aforementioned type and a device allowing this method. In accordance with the invention, considering the method, this object is achieved in that the sheet is initially accelerated to a speed that is greater than the desired transport speed and only later, after a phase of this higher speed, said sheet is slowed to the desired transport speed, in which case the phase of the higher speed is dimensioned such that the affected sheet is in a nominal position at the appropriate time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Stefan Schluenss
  • Publication number: 20110079951
    Abstract: In a mailpiece feed device designed to be mounted upstream from a franking machine, and comprising at least a mailpiece feed zone for receiving a stack of mailpieces supported by a plurality of drive rollers and a separation zone for individually selecting the mailpieces, there are provided control means for varying the speed of rotation of said plurality of drive rollers when, at the outlet of said separation zone, a measurement of a gap between successive mailpieces differs from a predefined gap by a predetermined correction threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Dominique MAZEILLER
  • Patent number: 7909319
    Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus and image forming method that can prevent a decrease in image quality by preventing a step-out of a driving source, which occurs because a load of a feeding device is applied when a medium is transported for image formation. When no roller reset operation, by which a paper feed roller is returned to a reset position, is performed (YES in S21), it is judged whether a counted value N of a counter, which indicates a position of a sheet of paper, is below a threshold value Na, which indicates that it is in an A region in which a load of a hopper or paper return levers of an automatic sheet feeder (ASF) is applied to a stepping motor (S22). When N<Na, driving for high torque is selected (S23), and then paper transport in the A region is performed with a high torque (S25). On the other hand, when N?Na, driving for low torque is selected (S24) and then paper transport in a B region after the A region has passed is performed with a low torque (S25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasutaka Shibagaki, Satoshi Noda
  • Patent number: 7896337
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an external gear to which a rotating force of a resist gear is transmitted, a ratchet for transmitting a rotating force from the external gear to a paper feed roller or releasing the transmission, and a ratchet arm having a claw engaged with the ratchet to transmit a rotation of the external gear, thereby rotating the paper feed roller, and a claw engaged with a slit provided on a boss of the paper feed roller to turn the paper feed roller toward a rotation start position and removing the claw from the ratchet to stop the paper feed roller, and the boss is provided with an offset bottom peripheral surface to be moved with the claw entering to stop the rotation of the paper feed roller when a resist sensor detects a tip of a recording paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kumadaki
  • Patent number: 7896340
    Abstract: A system for registering print media includes a media tray configured to hold a plurality of sheets of print media, a pick assembly configured to pick a sheet of the print media from the media tray and route the sheet to a media path, and a registration assembly positioned in the media path after the pick assembly. The registration assembly is configured to sense the sheet in the media path and operate for a predetermined time based on an amount of the print media in the media tray to register the sheet in the media path such that the predetermined time increases as the amount of the print media in the media tray decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Murray Learmonth, David R. Meyer, Dentarg Huang, Kirby Wang, Robert J. Lockwood, Tsai-Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 7878498
    Abstract: A medium transport apparatus including a medium detection sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit that are arranged apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and that changes the signal level of a detection signal output from the light-receiving unit according to the presence/non-presence of a medium between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit, and a medium guide member that is arranged in the middle of a transport path for the medium to guide the medium, and that has a medium guide face for guiding the medium, and a sensor attachment so that the medium guide face may be arranged at a position closer to either the light-emitting unit or the light-receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Niioka, Takuya Yasue, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20100276866
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus capable of preventing paper sheet clogging in a traveling route in which a paper sheet is conveyed is provided. The paper sheet processing apparatus comprises an open/close member 2B which is opened or closed with respect to a frame 2A and a traveling route through which the paper sheet (a bill, a card, a coupon ticket, and the like are collectively referred to as “paper sheet”) is conveyed is formed between the open/close member 2B and the frame 2A when the open/close member 2B is closed with respect to the frame 2A. The open/close member 2B is provided with a sensor 31 for detecting that the open/close member 2B is opened from the frame 2A.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Nireki
  • Publication number: 20100270729
    Abstract: A spacing interval control method is used in a sheet laminating apparatus for controlling a constant spacing interval between any two adjacent ones of multiple documents. The sheet laminating apparatus includes an automatic document feeding mechanism and a sheet laminating mechanism. By means of multiple sensors within the automatic document feeding mechanism, multiple documents are successively transported from the automatic document feeding mechanism to the sheet laminating mechanism at a constant spacing interval between any two adjacent ones of multiple documents. As a consequence, the documents after being heated or pressed by the sheet laminating mechanism will be cut into multiple separate and identical-sized laminated documents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD.
    Inventors: Bin-Tao Lee, Yung-Tai Pan, Hong-Qiang Liu, Jiang-Wei Wu