Rotary Separator Patents (Class 271/10.09)
  • Patent number: 11932511
    Abstract: A medium feeding mechanism includes: a feeder that feeds a medium; a transport path that is coupled to the feeder; a transporter that transports the medium through the transport path; a transport drive that drives the transporter; an entry detection sensor that detects when the medium fed from the feeder has entered the transport path; a take-in transporter that takes in the medium transported by the transporter; and a transport controller that controls the feeder and the take-in transporter, wherein when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a first range set in advance, the controller controls the take-in transporter so as to take in the medium, and when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a second range following the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuzuru Iioka
  • Patent number: 11655113
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a cover unit having a first guide, a base unit to support the cover unit in an openable and closable manner, and having a second guide, the first guide and the second guide forming a conveyance path in a state where the cover unit is closed with respect to the base unit, and a sheet feeding unit detachable from the cover unit. In addition, a cover member is supported by the cover unit to be pivotable between a closed position and covers at least a portion of the feeding unit and an open position where the portion of the feeding unit is exposed. The cover member moves from the closed position to the open position by being pressed by the holder while the feeding unit is detached from the cover unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norikazu Hishinuma
  • Patent number: 11511955
    Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosures, when a cancel command is input during a document conveying process, drive of a conveying motor is stopped. Then, a movable plate of a feed tray is moved down from a supplying position to a lowermost position being a non-supplying position, and the drive of the conveying motor is restarted. The conveying motor is driven at least until a document sheet is discharged from a conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Mizumukai
  • Patent number: 11440759
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a processor configured to adjust movement of a transport unit that transports a sheet on the basis of a transport load of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Yuichi Araki, Masahito Niwa
  • Patent number: 11328191
    Abstract: A card encoding system comprises a belt to receive an encodable card on a first surface of the belt; a contactless encoding module including an encoding antenna, wherein the encoding antenna is positioned opposite a second surface of the belt; and a belt drive controller configured to rotate a drive roller to move the belt to position the encodable card for encoding using the encoding antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: ASSA ABLOY AB
    Inventors: John P. Skoglund, Brent Lien
  • Patent number: 10807824
    Abstract: A medium transporting apparatus includes a transport belt that has a loop shaped, an clinging mechanism that causes a medium to cling to the transport belt, a rotation mechanism that rotates the transport belt in a first and second rotation direction, and an intermediate stacker on which the medium transported by the transport belt is stacked, in which the clinging mechanism cling an upper surface that is opposite to a lower surface of the medium on the intermediate stacker side, and after rotating the transport belt, to which the medium is cling, in the first rotation direction to transport the medium in a first transport direction, the rotation mechanism rotates the transport belt in the second rotation direction to transport the medium in a second transport direction that is opposite to the first transport direction so as to stack the medium on the intermediate stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Furumido, Kazunori Mori
  • Patent number: 10800626
    Abstract: A detachable feed roller for using in the automatic feeder includes: a rotating shaft provided with a first connection structure arranged at the end of the rotating shaft and an actuating part; a fixed feed roller arranged around the rotating shaft and driven by the rotating shaft; a one-way feed roller arranged around the rotating shaft and provided with a cam part; a transmitting rotor arranged around the rotating shaft and, the transmitting rotor being disposed between the actuating part and the cam part; wherein, the transmitting rotor is pushed toward the one-way feed roller while the rotating shaft rotates forward in accordance to the transmitting rotor; and pushed away from the one-way feed roller while the one-way feed roller rotates forward in accordance to the transmitting rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: You Chung Chou, Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 10674025
    Abstract: An image digitizing apparatus has an image digitizing sensor to read an image from media passing the image digitizing sensor, and a transport to move the media past the image digitizing sensor. The transport includes a first driven transport element, and a second driven transport element biased towards the first driven transport element. The first driven transport element and the second driven transport element receive the media therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Javier Onecha, Dorkaitz Alain Vazquez, Oscar Moya, Gianni Cessel
  • Patent number: 10457510
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a return member switchable between a first orientation in which a portion of the return member overlaps a feed roller in a side view of a medium feeding path and a second orientation in which the return member is turned toward a downstream side in a medium feeding direction and does not overlap the feed roller. The return member changes an orientation thereof from the second orientation to the first orientation, thereby returning a medium to an upstream side in the medium feeding direction. When a transport roller disposed downstream of the feed roller is driven in reverse to return the medium to the upstream side and position the medium at a recording start position, the return member takes a third orientation in which the return member is raised toward the upstream side further than in the first orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Kanemaru, Kazuhisa Nakamura, Tatsuya Shirane
  • Patent number: 10246281
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a supporter having a support surface; a supplier including a supply roller rotatable about a rotation axis; a separator for separating sheets; a stopper pivotable about a first axis and movable between a first position at which a distal end portion of the stopper intersects a conveyance path and a second position at which the distal end portion is separated from the support surface; and a stopper cam pivotable about a second axis and movable between a third position at which the stopper cam contacts the distal end portion at the first position and a fourth position at which the stopper cam is spaced apart from the distal end portion at the first position. The second axis is located upstream of the rotation axis of the supply roller and farther from the support surface than the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Kuriki
  • Patent number: 10191406
    Abstract: A rotatable member for use with a rotatable driving member provided in a process cartridge or an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a hollow cylindrical rotation shaft engageable with the rotatable driving member. The rotation shaft includes a seam extending from one end to the other end thereof in an axial direction thereof. The rotation shaft includes a transmitting surface engageable with the driving member and configured to receive a driving force for rotating the rotation shaft about the axial direction. The transmitting surface is twisted or inclined with respect to the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Yamaguchi, Fumito Nonaka, Hiroomi Matsuzaki, Makoto Hayashida
  • Patent number: 10144602
    Abstract: A recording-medium feeding device includes a container, a separating mechanism, and a suppressing member. The container accommodates recording media. The separating mechanism includes a driving member, a separating member, and a torque limiter. The driving member comes into contact with and delivers an uppermost recording medium. The separating member separates the recording media one-by-one. When a rotational torque smaller than a predetermined rotational torque is applied to the torque limiter, the torque limiter repels a load of the rotational torque to inhibit rotation of the separating member. When a rotational torque larger than or equal to the predetermined rotational torque is applied to the torque limiter, the torque limiter allows the separating member to be rotationally driven in accordance with the load. The suppressing member suppresses receding movement of the recording media caused by reverse rotation of the separating member when the driving member stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kuwabara, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Tomohiro Takano
  • Patent number: 10071829
    Abstract: There are provided: a paper folding unit folding and sending a content sheet to a transfer path; an inserter unit sending an insert sheet to the transfer path; an acquiring unit acquiring information on a top/bottom direction and a surface/obverse direction of the content sheet and insert sheet; a merging unit in which the content sheet folded by the paper folding unit is overlapped with the insert sheet; and an enclosing unit enclosing the merged content sheet and insert sheet into an envelope sheet, in which, when the content sheet and insert sheet merge and are overlapped, the content sheet is folded so that the top/bottom direction and the surface/obverse direction of an image of the content sheet match those of an image of the insert sheet, based on the information acquired by the acquiring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichiro Iida
  • Patent number: 9942434
    Abstract: A document feeder includes a document loading unit loaded with a document thereon and supported to be movable between (i) a loading position where the document can be loaded and (ii) an opened position where a space at a lower side of the document loading unit in a direction of gravity is opened, a separation unit including a feed roller and a separation roller being in pressure contact with the feed roller, the separation unit that separates the document fed from the document loading unit by a nip between the feed roller and the separation roller, and a guide member that guides the document fed from the document loading unit to the nip of the separation unit. When the document loading unit moves to the opened position, the separation roller and the guide member move to be spaced apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miho Morita, Akira Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9902579
    Abstract: A feeding device for a digital processing machine includes a paper passage, a sheet-feeding roller, a friction device, and a slide. The sheet-feeding roller is disposed in the paper passage, and the friction device is disposed opposite to the sheet-feeding roller. The sheet-feeding roller separates a sheet with the friction device. The slide is disposed at a left side and a right side of the sheet-feeding roller. The slide is lowered from a first position to a second position when the sheet-feeding roller rotates, such that the sheet contacts the sheet-feeding roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Po Cheng
  • Patent number: 9905071
    Abstract: In order to improve the ability to feed paper currency from a deposit unit and to reduce the height of the device, this paper currency handling device (100) has a paper currency recognition unit (170) and a paper currency storage unit (200) (which does not include a deposit unit (120) and a withdrawal unit (140)) accommodated within a chassis section (112) of a vault (110), so that deposited paper currency is transported to the paper currency storage unit (200) and withdrawn paper currency is transported from the paper currency storage unit (200) as the paper currency passes through the chassis section (112). When the paper currency (B) is fed to a feed path unit (124) connecting the deposit unit (120) and an upstream deposit path (181), the vanes (129) of impellers (128) make contact with the paper currency (B) retained in the deposit unit (120), with the contact being on the feed path unit (124) side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI-OMRON TERMINAL SOLUTIONS, CORP.
    Inventors: Kentaro Muta, Takashi Yanase, Genta Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9764914
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a conveying roller, a separation member which presses against the conveying roller to form a separation nip portion that separates received sheets one by one, a feeding member configured to feed a sheet towards the separation nip portion, a nip guide member having a first guide portion configured to contact with a leading edge of the sheet fed by the feeding member and a second guide portion disposed at facing position to the conveying roller and configured to guide the sheet abutted with the first guide portion for the separation nip portion and a biasing member configured to bias the nip guide member. The nip guide member rotates around a rotation shaft and the second guide portion is disposed at predetermined distance from the conveying roller and moves in a direction of separating from the conveying roller against biasing force by the biasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Emi Machii, Koji Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9511972
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a paper conveyance apparatus comprises a paper feed section, a first roller, a second roller and a motor. Paper is placed in the paper feed section. The first roller is arranged at the upstream side of a reading position where the paper is read. The first roller conveys the paper at a first speed. The second roller is arranged between the first roller and the paper feed section. The second roller conveys the paper at a speed faster than the first speed. The motor drives the first roller and the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ouchi, Toshihiro Imai
  • Patent number: 9505620
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for forming carbon allotropes. An exemplary method includes treating a carbonaceous compound to form a feedstock that includes at least about 10 mol % oxygen, at least about 10 mol % carbon, and at least about 20 mol % hydrogen. Carbon allotropes are formed from the feedstock in a reactor in a Bosch reaction at a temperature of at least about 500° C. The carbon allotropes are separated from a reactor effluent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignees: EXXONMOBIL UPSTREAM RESEARCH COMPANY, SOLID CARBON PRODUCTS, LLC
    Inventors: Robert D. Denton, Dallas B. Noyes, Russell J. Koveal, Jr., Terry A. Ring
  • Patent number: 9499360
    Abstract: A roller unit for reducing collision noise includes: a roller having a rotation shaft extending in a first direction; a facing member disposed as to face the roller via a recording medium; a holding member holding the roller movable between a separating position and a contacting position; an urging member applying first urging force to the roller in a second direction as to make the roller separated from the facing member; and a drive force applying member applying second urging force urging the roller in a third direction opposition to the second direction and rotational force rotating the roller in rendering the rotation shaft as a rotary center. The second urging force is provided to the roller via the holding member when the roller moves from the separating position to the contacting position as well as moves from the contacting position to the separating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Isao Kitano
  • Patent number: 9457975
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes: a motor; a driving body rotated by the motor; a rotary encoder including a disk and a sensor; a detector detecting a rotation position and a rotation velocity of the disk based on a signal outputted from the sensor; and a controller. The disk is fixed to the driving body in a state of being eccentric to a rotational axis of the driving body, and the sensor reads a scale of the disk and outputs a pulse signal depending on rotation of the disk. The controller generates velocity data indicating a locus of the rotation velocity with respect to the rotation position; specifies a position-phase relation between the rotation position of the disk and a rotation phase of the driving body; and controls at least one of the rotation of the driving body and displacement of an object being displaced by action from the driving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Iesaki
  • Patent number: 9388624
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cash box (10, 100, 102) comprising a receiving area (24) for receiving a value note stack and a first opening (18) for manually feeding and removing notes of value, which first opening is closable by a cover (16). On the cover (16), a height limiter (36) for adjusting the height of the receiving area (24) is provided, this height limiter (36) comprising at least one finger (40, 42) which, at least when the cover (16) is closed, projects into a recess (44, 46) of a retaining element (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Geesmeier, Peter Heimann, Ralf Welter, Hans-Guenter Voss, Dirk Langhuber
  • Patent number: 9256183
    Abstract: A sheet storing portion is maintained in a state in which a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are stacked is electrically insulated, when the sheet storing portion is contained in a containing portion of an image forming apparatus body at the time of formation of an image. The sheet stacking portion is switched from the insulation state to a grounding state in which the sheet stacking portion is grounded through a ground portion by a switching portion through an operation of drawing the sheet storing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takateru Ohkubo, Keita Nakajima, Kentarou Tomoe, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9193548
    Abstract: The pickup roller is placed above a lifting plate made of a flexible material and feeds the sheet with abutting on an upper surface of the sheets loaded on the lifting plate. The sensor detects an arrival of the sheet fed by the pickup roller on a downstream side of the pickup roller. The abnormality detection unit detects the sheet feeding abnormality of the sheet fed by the pickup roller based on the drive start time of the pickup roller and the time sheet detection by the sensor. The abnormality detecting condition correction unit corrects the abnormality detecting condition of the abnormality detection unit depending on the amount of sheets on the lifting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yuya Kobayashi, Hideyuki Teramoto, Masayuki Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 9114944
    Abstract: A sheet supply device includes a medium loading part that includes a medium loading surface on which medium is loaded; and a medium supply part that is arranged facing the medium lading surface, and sandwiches the medium with the medium loading part applying a pressure to the medium, and sends the medium loaded in the medium loading part in a predetermined carrying direction. The medium loading part includes a first friction member arranged in a position facing the medium supply part so that the first friction member contacts the medium supply part when there is no medium on the medium loading part, and a second friction member arranged on an upstream side of the first friction member in the carrying direction, and a friction coefficient (?d) between the second friction member and the medium is larger than a friction coefficient (?c) between the first friction member and the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kanzawa
  • Patent number: 9051141
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes an intermediate plate (21b) as a sheet receiving member configured to stack a sheet, a feed roller (22) as a feed rotator configured to feed the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate (21b), and a separation roller (23) as a separation member configured to separate the sheet from a sheet bundle stacked on the intermediate plate (21b). The sheet conveying apparatus further includes a restrict member (60) as a restrict portion disposed so as to reach a position overlapped in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction with the feed roller (22) as at least one member among the feed roller (22) and the separation roller (23) and offset in the width direction from the feed roller (22), and restricting a leading end position of the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate (21b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinobu Kato
  • Patent number: 9045298
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a pickup roller, a knock-up plate to accommodate recording media thereon and capable of moving to a pickup position and a release position, a forward roller to transfer a recording medium picked up by the pickup roller, a retard roller capable of moving to a contact position and to a separation position, a first control unit to move the knock-up plate to the pickup position and the release position, and a second control unit to move the knock-up plate to the contact position and the separation position, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are driven by a single driving motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-kyu Shin, Ho-young Choi
  • Patent number: 8931776
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a main body having a sheet feed path and an opening. A sheet placing part defined in the main body. The sheet inserted through the opening is placed on the sheet placing part. A supply roller arranged to face the placing part and feeds the sheet placed on the sheet placing part in a sheet feed direction toward the sheet feed path, a frame arranged to face the sheet placing part and configured to support the supply roller, the frame having a protruded part protruded on an opening side with respect to the supply roller. An image forming unit is provided inside the main body. An inclined surface is formed on a side of the protruded part facing the sheet placing part, and the protruded part has an inclined surface facing the sheet placing part and inclined such that a distance between the inclined surface and the sheet placing part becomes gradually smaller toward the supply roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junki Ueyama
  • Publication number: 20140300045
    Abstract: A method of using a separator roll positioner and separator roll rotational speed to correct media feed errors by angularly rotating a separator roll between a retracted position and an extended position to adjust the height of the separator roll with respect to a media contact surface or by varying separator roll rotational speed thereby varying the media sheet separation force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Michael Piening, Louann Behymer Samuels, Curtis Duane Woodson
  • Patent number: 8840103
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a separation sheet feeding mechanism having a paper feeding belt and a separation roller; and an adjustment mechanism that changes contact state of the paper feeding belt to the separation roller by changing relative position of the paper feeding belt and the separation roller, and changes and adjusts separation performance of the separation roller for the subsequent sheet, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a cam follower member changing the relative position of the feeding belt and the separation roller, the cam member includes a first cam face and a second cam face which are formed at each rotation radius position in accordance with the rotation angle position, and are spaced apart in the rotation radius direction, and the cam follower member has a contact unit guided by the first cam face and the second cam face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Fukumoto, Mamoru Kambayashi, Michitaka Suzuki, Atsushi Fujita, Masataka Fukuchi, Ryuji Yoshida, Hideki Tobinaga, Norio Kimura, Kenichiro Morita, Koki Sakano, Takuya Sano, Takuya Morinaga, Takashi Nakano
  • Publication number: 20140238814
    Abstract: Provided is a pick-up apparatus. The medium pick-up apparatus comprise a support plate to support a medium, a pick-up roller unit comprising a pick-up roller for picking up the medium, a detection unit to detect the number of medium that is picked up by the pick-up roller, and a pick-up roller moving device to move the pick-up roller unit to space the pick-up roller unit from the medium supported by the support plate when the pick-up of predetermined number of medium is detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: LG CNS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jin Oh YOU
  • Patent number: 8768235
    Abstract: An image recording device is provided, having a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet, and a tray disposed below the recording unit. The tray includes a sheet holding surface configured to hold the sheet. Additionally, the image recording device includes a sheet feeder disposed between the recording unit and the tray. The sheet feeder includes a roller for feeding the sheet from the tray. The roller is configured to move between a first roller position in which the roller contacts the sheet holding surface of the tray and a second roller position in which the roller is separated from the sheet holding surface. A return guide, disposed between the recording unit and the sheet feeder, defines a second conveying path to guide the sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to the feed guide. The return guide has a first opening configured to accommodate the roller of the sheet feeder when the roller is in the second roller position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Hirotaka Aoki, Satoru Nakakita, Shota Iijima, Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 8733754
    Abstract: A sheet sender 21A includes a lift plate 21P, a feed roller 21B and a registration roller 23. A biasing spring 21S applies an upward force onto the lift plate 21P. The lift plate 21P is moved upward by eccentric cams 60 which are arranged at axial ends of the feed roller 21B and rotationally driven by arm protrusions 211 which have come in contact with the eccentric cams 60. A rotational driving force is transmitted to a feed gear 220 and a registration gear 231 from a main gear 70 to rotate the feed roller 21B and the registration roller 23. A gear of the main gear 70 that engages with the feed gear 220 is idly rotatable within a predetermined angle with respect to a gear that engages with the registration roller 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masahiko Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8678372
    Abstract: A medium feeding device 1 includes a separating power generating device 7 which causes a brake roller 4 to generate a rotational load in a direction counter to a conveying direction. The device 7 includes a torque limiter 17 which generates a load of a predetermined upper limit torque T1, a torque limiter 18 which is arranged in series with the torque limiter 17 on a power transmission path to the brake roller 4 and generates a load of an upper limit torque T2 smaller than the torque T1, and an electromagnetic clutch 22 which switches between connection and disconnection between the power transmission path and a bypass route which bypasses the torque limiter 18. The device 7 can change the rotational load of the brake roller 4 to the torque T1 or the torque T2 by the switching of the electromagnetic clutch 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Ryoichi Yasukawa
  • Patent number: 8641043
    Abstract: A paper feed unit for a printer to form an image on a print paper by an image former, the paper feed unit including: a paper feed tray that stacks print papers to be fed; a paper transfer route that transfers print papers; a register roller that is provided upstream of the image former in a paper transfer direction in the paper transfer route and holds a fed print paper to adjust a timing to transfer the fed print paper to the image former; a pick-up roller that transmits a print paper stacked in the paper feed tray to the register roller, the pick-up roller being smaller in width than a width of a print paper to be transmitted; and a regulator that comes into contact with a loose portion of a print paper loosened in a paper feed route in between the pick-up roller and the register roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Naoya Masuda
  • Publication number: 20130320610
    Abstract: A separator assembly is disclosed herein. An example includes a base to mount to a printing device and a wall supported by the base. The example also includes a singulation assembly adjacent the wall to separate a medium from a media stack and a ramp adjacent the singulation assembly to guide the medium from the media stack to a feed assembly. The example further includes a corner relief feature on either side of and below the ramp into which corners of the medium may drop and travel below a remainder of the medium as the medium is guided from the media stack to the feed assembly and a guide adjacent each corner relief feature to lift the corners of the medium out of the corner relief features before the medium enters the feed assembly. A media handling assembly is also disclosed herein as is a method of media handling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Bingham, Devin S. Uehling
  • Patent number: 8596636
    Abstract: A sheet feeding unit having a holding section; a separation pad that contacts a sheet and imparts a conveyance resistance to the sheet; a separation roller that imparts a conveyance force to the sheet; a drive source that supplies driving force to the separation roller; a conveyance roller disposed at a position downstream of the separation roller, wherein the conveyance roller rotates at a circumferential speed greater than a circumferential speed of the separation roller, to impart conveyance force to the sheet, and wherein the conveyance roller and the separation roller are disposed so as to simultaneously contact the same sheet; and a drive shutoff unit, which shuts off the driving force supplied to the separation roller when the conveyance roller imparts the conveyance force to the sheet so the separation roller rotates in a following manner with the conveyance of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ichikawa, Akira Terao
  • Patent number: 8590885
    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: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Seki
  • Publication number: 20130300051
    Abstract: An image recording device having a recording unit to record an image on a sheet is provided. The image recording unit includes a feed guide defining a first conveying path; an arm disposed between the recording unit and the tray, the arm having a feed roller rotatably disposed at a free end and configured to feed the sheet in the tray to the first conveying path. The arm pivots between a first arm position, and a second arm position. The return guide pivots between a first return guide position, and a second return guide position. A space occupied by the return guide in the first return guide position overlaps a space occupied by the arm in the second arm position. The return guide is in the second return guide position when the arm is in the second arm position which is retracted from an insertion space occupied by the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji SAMOTO, Yuji KOGA
  • Publication number: 20130285306
    Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment to manufacture mailpieces containing inserts. The equipment can be an inserter or an envelope wrapper that collects documents and inserts on a collating track before the material is inserted into an envelope by inserting equipment or wrapped with paper or film to make an envelope by wrapping equipment. More specifically, the present application relates to a rotary insert feeder that feeds inserts to a collating track on inserting or wrapping type equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Joseph ZUECH, Aaron A. KRACHT
  • Patent number: 8570622
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a sequence of documents passing along a transport path is described. The method including: operating a radiation transmitter with a control signal at a first, working, level to cause radiation at a first intensity to impinge on one side of a document as it passes an inspection position in the transport path; receiving at a radiation receiver, radiation from the transmitter that has passed through the document, the radiation receiver generating an output signal with a level related to the intensity of the received radiation; and monitoring the output signal to detect the presence and/or a characteristic of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: De la Rue International Limited
    Inventors: Cyril Pellaton, Marco Bart, Giuseppe Acunto, Michael Enz
  • Patent number: 8517370
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga
  • Patent number: 8511667
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a paper pick-up device, a first roller assembly, and a second roller assembly. The first roller assembly includes a first shaft, a first roller, and a power coupling device. When the power coupling device is connected with the first shaft and the first roller for transmitting a paper, the first roller is driven to be rotated by the first shaft. When the front edge of the paper is moved to the second roller assembly, the first roller is driven to be rotated at a higher speed by the paper. Consequently, a power connection between the first roller and the first shaft is released by the power coupling device. Then, the first roller reaches a static status in order to correct the skew phenomenon of the next paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Primax Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ping-Hung Kuo
  • Publication number: 20130168916
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device is provided that may include a sheet receiving portion having a movable member, a protruding portion and a recessed portion. The protruding portion may protrude from an upper portion of a sheet receiving surface of the movable member when the movable member is located in one position. When a document is discharged from an outlet port onto the sheet receiving surface of the movable member, the protruding portion may come into contact with a leading edge of a sheet. When the movable member is located in another position, the recessed portion may receive the protruding portion therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Muneaki TAKAHATA
  • Patent number: 8430393
    Abstract: When a retard roller is rotating in a sheet feeding direction, the rotation is transmitted to a pickup roller and the pickup roller rotates in a direction for conveying the sheet. When the retard roller is rotating in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction or is stationary, the pickup roller does not feed the sheet. Therefore, in a successive feeding operation, the sheet to be fed next is always conveyed such that the leading end thereof reaches a nip position between a feed roller and the retard roller. Therefore, the intervals between the sheets are uniform in the successive feeding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Matsushima, Yasuhiro Uchida, Shunsuke Okazaki, Minoru Kawanishi, Kenji Watanabe, Motohiro Furusawa
  • Patent number: 8424864
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing sets of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame, a hopper for moving a stack of sheets, a pre-singulator for separating a portion of a sheet from the stack, a sheet peeler for peeling part of a pre-singulated sheet from the stack, a sheet picker for gathering peeled sheets into a set, and a sheet discharger for clearing the set of sheets. The sheet peeler may include at least one rotating drum. The sheet picker may include one or more augers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Wind Hill Concepts LLC
    Inventor: Michael Schum
  • Publication number: 20130020752
    Abstract: The present application relates to techniques and equipment to manufacture mailpieces containing inserts. The equipment can be an inserter or an envelope wrapper that collects documents and inserts on a collating track before the material is inserted into an envelope by inserting equipment or wrapped with paper or film to make an envelope by wrapping equipment. More specifically, the present application relates to a rotary insert feeder that feeds inserts to a collating track on inserting or wrapping type equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Edward J. Kapturowski, Robin L. Heilman, Joseph Zuech, Aaron A. Kracht, Todd Murdock, Martin Sting, Rainer Oberheim
  • Patent number: 8358448
    Abstract: A scanning device includes a transparent platen, a scanning module, a document transporting mechanism and a flexible pressing member. The scanning module is located in a scan zone and acquires through the transparent platen an image of a document. The document transporting mechanism transports the document along a passageway and across the scan zone. The flexible pressing member is disposed in the passageway, upstream of the scan zone or within the scan zone and located apart from the transparent platen by a gap. The flexible pressing member is deformed in a direction away from the transparent platen due to a force applied by the document transported across the scan zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Sheng
  • Publication number: 20130001859
    Abstract: Even in printing apparatus that make use of a plurality of kinds of sheets, the degradation of image quality is reduced. A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a sheet stacking unit; a sheet conveying unit being in contact with the sheet stacked on an uppermost portion, of the stacked sheets, and conveying the sheet; a separation unit separating the sheets into only one sheet of the uppermost portion by a separation slope that abuts a tip portion of the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit; and a guide unit connected to the separation unit and guiding the sheet, in which an angle between the sheet stacking unit and the separation slope is switched to a first angle and a second angle smaller than the first angle by a rotation center of the separation unit provided in a vicinity of a connection portion of the separation unit and the guide unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Saito, Atsushi Ikeda, Yasuyuki Hirai, Noriko Sato, Masashi Ito, Fumie Kameyama
  • Patent number: 8342502
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including a first tray having a first holding portion for holding sheets, a second tray disposed above the first tray and including a second holding portion for holding sheets, a sheet feeder that selectively feeds a sheet from one of the first tray and the second tray in a sheet feed direction, a recording unit that records an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeder, and a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image is recorded by the recording unit. The second holding portion of the second tray moves above the first holding portion of the first tray. The second tray further includes a discharged sheet receiving portion for receiving the sheet discharged by the discharge roller. The second tray including the discharged sheet receiving portion pivots relative to the first tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga