Control Of Separator Responsive To Sensing Of Sheet Patents (Class 271/110)
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20130264764
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method and an installation for monitoring and/or controlling at least one handling apparatus for handling a multiplicity of preferably sheet-like products, in particular printed products, each product being assigned a reference (4). The installation comprises a transporting apparatus for transporting the multiplicity of products at a distance apart from one another along a transporting direction to at least one handling apparatus, or past the same, at least one detecting apparatus (1, 1?) at least for picking up references of the products and for communicating messages belonging to the references, and at least one processing unit (3) for processing the messages. In at least one delay device (5), a number of messages relating to references (4) from a plurality of products are combined to form a message group (6) and are communicated to the processing unit (3) via a communications medium (2) once a delay period (9) has elapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Roland Keller
  • Patent number: 8547604
    Abstract: A cable arrangement structure is provided with a movable body configured to reciprocally move relative to a base member, and a flexible cable transmitting electrical signals. One end of the flexible cable is fixedly connected to the base member, and another end is connected to the movable body. The flexible cable has a curved portion, and both ends of the flexible cable being located on a same side with respect to the curved portion. A tension applying unit configured to contact the curved portion of the flexible cable from an inner side of a curvature of the curved portion to apply tension to the flexible cable when the curved portion is located on a front direction of the movable body as moved. Application of the tension to the flexible cable is controlled in mechanical association with movement of the movable body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki, Miki Maekawa
  • Publication number: 20130249163
    Abstract: A paper transmitting mechanism mounted on the transmitting path which includes a driving wheel, a driving system drives the driving wheel, a pressure wheel, a pressure wheel adjusting unit, and a paper sensor settled upstream to the driving wheel and pressure wheel. The pressure wheel adjusting unit includes an elastomeric unit; one end of the elastomeric unit is connected to the axle of the pressure wheel, and the other end is connected to a linear driving device. When the paper sensor detects the paper is going to enter or leave the driving wheel, the paper sensor will send a signal for adjusting the clamping force between the driving wheel and the pressure wheel to make the clamping force and the friction between the driving wheel and the pressure wheel adjustable according to the position of the paper, so as to avoid the paper slipping or vibrating during transmitting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Chin-Te LIU, I-Chuan Hong, Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 8540236
    Abstract: A remaining amount detector measures beforehand a distance H where there is one sheet. A motor displaces a lifting plate to a paper-feeding position upon storing paper in the feeding unit. The remaining amount detector measures a distance y1 to the lower face of a paper stack. Thereafter, upon transport of paper from the stack, a control unit causes the remaining amount detector to measure a distance y2 for every predetermined number n of fed sheets. A remaining sheet calculation unit calculates a displacement y1?y2=?y to the bottom of the paper stack S, and calculates the thickness of one sheet on the basis of the displacement ?y and the number n of fed sheets (t=?y/n). The remaining sheet calculation unit divides the thickness (H?y2) of the paper stack by the thickness t of one paper sheet, and calculates the number of remaining sheets m as (m=((H?y2)/t)+1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Akizou Ohtani, Fujio Tabata
  • Patent number: 8534664
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, comprising: a feed roller; a separation unit; a position detection part includes: a detection member that can move to a retracted position, and a detector which detects that a image formation target material is disposed at the feed position or the feed setup position in a case of having detected that the detection member is at the retracted position; and a restricting member that is disposed at a restricting position that restricts the detection member from moving from the initial position to the retracted position by abutting the detection member, in a detached state in which the separation unit is detached from the mounting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyonori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8528894
    Abstract: A transport device includes a set section, a sheet sensor, and a feeding member. When a detection member does not retract, the sheet sensor outputs an OFF-detection signal. The feeding member is displaced between a feed position and a non-feed position on the basis of the detection signal. At the feed position, the feeding member comes in contact with the sheet set in the set section from above and feeds the sheet toward the downstream side on a transport path. At the non-feed position, the feeding member is separated upward from the feed position. A method, which detects a sheet in the transport device, includes displacing the feeding member from the non-feed position to the feed position, and detecting that the sheet does not exist in the set section when an OFF-detection signal is output from the sheet sensor while the feeding member is positioned at the feed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikazu Kotaka, Yosaku Tamura, Seiji Kawabata, Kensuke Tamai, Hidetoshi Kodama, Soichiro Kii
  • Patent number: 8531742
    Abstract: A sheet detecting device including: an ultrasound generator; a transmitting side opening, which includes a first opening and a second opening to transmit the ultrasound; a transmitting side propagation unit, which is connected to the ultrasound generator and each of the transmitting side openings; a receiving side opening, which includes a third opening and a fourth opening to receives the ultrasound transmitted from the first opening and the second opening; an ultrasound receiver; a receiving side propagation unit, which is connected to each of the receiving side openings and the ultrasound receiver; and a first determining unit, wherein a first distance from the ultrasound generator to the first opening is different from a second distance from the ultrasound generator to the second opening, and wherein a third distance from the ultrasound receiver to the third opening is different from a fourth distance from the ultrasound receiver to the fourth opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8517372
    Abstract: A feeder for feeding sheet items has at least one circulatable feeding surface for frictionally engaging a sheet item from a stack and at least one separation surface for frictionally engaging the sheet item or an entrained next sheet item from an opposite side. In a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction, the at least one feeding surface is located between two of the separation surfaces and/or the at least one separating surface is located between two of the feeding surfaces. At least the feeding surface or the separating surface has a resilient zone and a stiff zone more remote from a laterally adjacent separating surface or surfaces or, respectively feeding surface or surfaces than the resilient zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventor: Sjoerd Van Netten
  • 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: 20130161896
    Abstract: When a sheet is fed, a feeding roller is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the sheet is fed to draw out the uppermost sheet from a separation claw, and then the sheet is fed in such a manner that the feeding roller is rotated in the direction in which the sheet is fed to feed the drawn out sheet along the upper surface of a separation claw. When the sheet is fed, a curvature formation portion curves downward both ends in the width direction of the second and subsequent sheets to integrally lower pressing portions for pressing both ends in the width direction of the sheet along with the curved sheets and to separate the pressing portions from the uppermost sheet, thereby preventing the leading end of the uppermost sheet from catching the pressing portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Junji Yasuda
  • Publication number: 20130134654
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including, a conveying portion conveying a sheet; a rotation detection portion rotatably provided; a sensor portion detecting the conveyed sheet based on a rotational position of the rotation detection portion; a rotation transmission portion transmitting a rotational driving force to the rotation detection portion to rotate the rotation detection portion in a predetermined rotational direction after the rotation detection portion is rotated by being pushed by the leading end of the sheet; and an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the rotation detection portion so that the rotation detection portion comes into contact with a surface of the sheet, thereafter the rotation detection portion is returned to a waiting position along with the passage of the rear end of the sheet through the rotation detection portion after the rotation detection portion is rotated by the rotational driving force of the rotation transmitting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
  • Patent number: 8448937
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Shigeharu Okano, Nobuhisa Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20130119599
    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: January 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD.
    Inventor: PRIMAX ELECTRONICS LTD.
  • Patent number: 8439351
    Abstract: A method of determining an amount of media in a stack of media that is disposed within a media holding receptacle of an imaging system, the method includes providing a stack-compressing element configured to contact a first piece of media in the stack of media; providing a sensor to detect a position of the first piece of media; applying a first compressive force to the stack of media via the stack-compressing element in contact with the first piece of media; applying a second compressive force to the stack of media via the stack-compressing element in contact with the first piece of media, the second compressive force being greater than the first compressive force; and using the sensor to detect the position of the first piece of media after the second compressive force is applied to the stack of media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Gregory Michael Burke
  • Patent number: 8416476
    Abstract: A first reading guide includes a first guide member, which can turn around a first shaft and is so positioned as to face a first side of a document. The second reading guide includes a second guide member, which can turn around a second shaft and is so positioned as to face a second side of a document. The distance between a first reading position and a reference position is equal to that between a second reading position and the reference position. The first shaft is positioned on the side of the reference position where the first reading position is set. The second shaft is positioned on the side of the reference position where the second reading position is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Tamehira, Hiroshi Nakatani
  • Patent number: 8403318
    Abstract: A mechanism for detecting an amount of remaining sheets, includes: a sheet feeding tray to be accommodated in an apparatus main body such that the sheet feeding tray can be inserted into and withdrawn from the apparatus main body, in which sheets can be loaded in an inside of the sheet feeding tray; a tilting plate that is tiltably provided in the sheet feeding tray so as to tilt in accordance with an amount of remaining sheets in the sheet feeding tray; a rotating member that rotates between a starting end position and a final end position of rotation of the rotating member in association with the tilting of the tilting plate; and a locking mechanism that locks the rotation of the rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 8393614
    Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus, an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus, an original document tray on which sheets are accommodated along the sheet feeding direction includes a placing plate on which the sheets are placed and which can be lifted and lowered and to move the sheets to a position at which the sheets can be fed by a pickup roller, a detection unit which detects that sheets are placed on the placing plate, and a curl suppressing member which presses a central portion in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction of the accommodated sheets to suppress upward curl of downstream edges in the sheet feeding direction of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiyuki Mitamura
  • Publication number: 20130049287
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit including a drive roller and a driven roller; a downstream detection unit and an upstream detection unit; a conveying amount measuring unit that measures a conveying amount of the sheet; and a conveying distance calculation unit that calculates a conveying distance of the sheet, wherein a distance between the downstream detection unit and the upstream detection unit or a perimeter of one of the drive roller and the driven roller is set such that an expected conveying distance calculated based on a set sheet length of an expected value of the sheet becomes a substantially integer multiple of a perimeter of the one of the drive roller and the driven roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto UEDA, Makoto Nakura, Shingo Takai, Koichi Kudo, Satoshi Ueda, Akira Kobashi
  • Publication number: 20130049296
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including: a sheet conveying unit; an upstream side guiding member that forms an upstream side conveying route of a sheet; a downstream side guiding member that forms a downstream side conveying route of the sheet; an upstream side detection unit; and a downstream side detection unit, wherein a detection position of the sheet for the upstream side detection unit is set between the sheet conveying unit and a position where the sheet is in contact with the upstream side guiding member, and a detection position of the sheet for the downstream side detection unit is set between the sheet conveying unit and a position where the sheet is in contact with the downstream side guiding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.,
    Inventors: Shingo TAKAI, Makoto NAKURA, Naoto UEDA, Satoshi UEDA, Akira KOBASHI, Koichi KUDO
  • Patent number: 8382093
    Abstract: A sheet feed device comprises: a retaining section retaining a sheet; a drive section raising the retaining section; a conveyance section conveying a sheet on the raised retaining section; a sheet detection section detecting an end of the conveyed sheet; and a control section. At the time that a sheet feed instruction is received, when a sheet is detected by the sheet detection section, the control section causes the conveyance section to feed the sheet further. When a sheet is not detected, the control section causes the drive section to raise the retaining section and then causes the conveyance section to start conveyance of a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Dan
  • Patent number: 8385796
    Abstract: In a fixing device, at least one separator is provided downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotary member and a pressing rotary member in a recording medium conveyance direction to contact the fixing rotary member to separate a recording medium having passed through the fixing nip from the fixing rotary member. A feeler is provided upstream from the fixing nip in the recording medium conveyance direction and contacted by the recording medium conveyed toward the fixing nip to receive a pushing force from the recording medium. A transmission assembly is connected between the feeler and the separator to receive and transmit the pushing force to the separator to move the separator from a non-contact position at which the separator does not contact the fixing rotary member to a contact position at which the separator contacts the fixing rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Naitoh
  • Publication number: 20130043642
    Abstract: When continuous-conveying control is executed in a conveying apparatus which can handle various sizes of sheet, a conveying apparatus which can efficiently detect a conveying error by a required minimum conveyed amount or conveying time according to a sheet size is provided. For that purpose, a maximum conveyed amount from start of sheet feeding of the subsequent page to determination to be a sheet-feeding error is set based on a detection result of a rear end portion on a previous page by a PE sensor. The maximum conveyed amount when the rear end portion of the previous page is detected is set smaller than the maximum conveyed amount when not detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeto Sakai
  • Publication number: 20130043640
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus has a sheet conveying path, a first pair of rollers, which is positioned in the conveying path and which has a drive roller and a pinch roller and conveys the sheet, a second pair of rollers, which is positioned downstream relative to the first pair of rollers in the conveying direction and conveys the sheet conveyed by the first pair of rollers, and a mechanism which reduces the force for sandwiching the sheet by the drive roller and the pinch roller of the first pair of rollers or which moves both away from each other. After the sheet is conveyed by the first pair of rollers while the leading edge of the sheet is being stopped by the second pair of rollers, the second pair of rollers starts conveying the sheet, and the mechanism is actuated thereafter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takao Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8371500
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for sheet feeding from a media stack in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include fluffing a stack of media with a predetermined amount of air flow, sensing sheet separation in the media stack using a bar code scanning device, determining if the sheet separation meets predetermined criteria, wherein if the sheet separation does not meet the predetermined criteria, adjusting the air flow used for fluffing the media stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael D. Borton
  • Publication number: 20130026699
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image-forming part; a paper feeding part; a resist part; a rotating body; a detector for detecting the arrival of paper at the resist part; a timer part for measuring a measurement time from when feeding of a second sheet of paper from the paper feeding part is begun to when the detector detects the arrival of the second sheet of paper, and a sheet interval time from when the detector detects the passage of a first sheet of paper immediately preceding the second sheet of paper to when the arrival of the second sheet of paper is detected; and an identifier part for referring to the measurement time, a reference measurement time, the sheet interval time and a reference sheet interval time, and deciding the paper feeding part advancing or delaying the paper feed start timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Masaaki MARUTA, Satoru NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20130001864
    Abstract: Disclosed is a document conveying apparatus including: a reading unit which read image information on a surface of a document; a driving-side discharge unit which conveys the document in a first direction in contact with the first surface, and discharges at least a part of the document; a driven-side discharge unit which receives transmission of a rotative force from the driving-side discharge unit, when being in contact with the driving-side discharge unit; a specific-direction conveying unit which conveys the document in an opposite direction to the first direction; a pressing force applying unit which applies a force in a third direction to the driven-side discharge unit so as to be in contact with the driving-side discharge unit; and a movement control unit which moves the driven-side discharge unit in an opposite direction to the third direction, when the document is in contact with the driven-side discharge unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicants: NEC ENGINEERING, LTD., NEC ACCESS TECHNICA, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto OTA, Yoshio IDOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20120306147
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Baxter, Andrew Hill, Andrew Ashwood, Nicholas Gates, Robert Sanders, Andrew Williams
  • Patent number: 8317186
    Abstract: A paper delivering device includes a delivering module and a detecting module. The delivering module includes a paper tray for supporting at least one paper, at least one roller attached on the paper tray for delivering the at least one paper, and a blocking member pivotably attached to the paper tray. The detecting module detects whether the at least one paper is placed in a position predetermined as correct. The blocking member is locked at a first position to prevent the sliding movement of the at least one paper when the at least one paper is not placed at the predetermined position, or may be rotated to a second position to allow the forward movement of the at least one paper when the at least one paper is correctly placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Ming Lai
  • Patent number: 8297612
    Abstract: A media picking device for an image forming apparatus having a sensing mechanism for detecting the leading and trailing edge of a sheet of media being picked from a media input tray. The device includes a pick mechanism for picking the top-most media sheet; and a sensing mechanism including a sensor and a flag positioned adjacent the pick tire and moveable between at least two positions, the flag having a first end contacting the surface of a picked sheet; the flag moving from a first position to a second position when the leading edge of the picked sheet passes by and moving from the second position to the first position when the trailing edge of the picked sheet passes by. The sensing mechanism providing an output signal corresponding to the movement of the flag. The sensor is one of a photointerrupter, a proximity sensor, a potentiometer, and a switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International Inc.
    Inventors: Danny Keith Chapman, Richard Winston Thomas
  • Publication number: 20120243019
    Abstract: The sheet feeding apparatus is controlled so as to temporarily stop driving of a separation part that feeds sheets from a sheet container while separating the sheets one by one by means of a feeding roller and a retard roller, after passage of a predetermined period of time from the sheets being fed out. Then, when the temporarily-stopped driving of the separation part is resumed, the detection part detects whether or not a sheet exists in a separation nip part formed by the feeding roller and the retard roller, and if the detection part determines that a sheet exists, a second motor makes the retard roller temporarily rotate in a sheet feeding direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kakeru Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20120228819
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding channel, a sheet feeding structure, a sheet stopping structure, plural sensing arms, an optical sensor and a controller. By the sheet feeding structure, a paper sheet is fed into the sheet feeding channel. The sheet stopping structure is used for stopping the paper sheet from being moved forwardly. During the process of feeding the paper sheet, the plural sensing arms are pushed by the paper sheet to be rotated. According to the rotating statuses of the sensing arms, the optical sensor issues different signals to the controller. According to these signals, the controller will control the operations of the sheet stopping structure and the sheet feeding structure, thereby correcting the skew condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Primax Electronics Ltd
    Inventor: Kuan Chien-Kuo
  • Patent number: 8246041
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring media stack height utilizes a pick mechanism and stack height sensing mechanism. The pick mechanism has a pick arm and a pick roller, the arm rotatably mounted at one end to pivot about an axis and change its angular position relative thereto. The roller rotatably mounted to an opposite end of the arm contacts a media stack top and is rotatably driven to feed sheets one at a time from the stack top changing the stack height. The angular position of the arm relative to the stack changes as the stack height changes. The stack height sensing mechanism arranged on and adjacent to the arm senses arm angular displacement as the stack height changes to provide an indication of the sheet quantity remaining in the stack. A method for calibrating stack height sensing of the monitoring system provides one or more calibration points such as at “full stack” and “stack out” conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Robert Gagnon, Robert Warren Rumford, John Thomas Writt
  • Patent number: 8240656
    Abstract: To provide a paper feeding device that can switch setting information only with an easy action of sheet removal and setting in a predetermined position. The paper feeding device includes a first detecting unit that detects whether a sheet is set in a predetermined position, a second detecting unit that detects whether the sheet removal and setting is performed in the predetermined position after the setting of the sheet is detected by the first detecting unit, and a switching unit that switches setting information concerning the sheet when the sheet removal and setting is detected by the second detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiaki Iizuka
  • Publication number: 20120200028
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a unit that detects the position of a sheet in a sheet transport path when jamming is detected, a forced moving processing unit that, when jamming is detected and rotational driving of sheet transport rollers is stopped, based on the position of the sheet in the sheet transport path, performs forced moving processing in which the sheet is transported so as to forcibly move the sheet to a sheet removal position, and a forced moving processing determination unit that determines whether the forced moving processing is to be performed by the forced moving processing unit in accordance with the position of the sheet that was detected by the sheet position detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventor: Yoshinori SHIRAISHI
  • Publication number: 20120193863
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a pickup roller for feeding a sheet on a tray toward a predetermined processing position, an arm member rotatably supporting the pickup roller, a rotary shaft supported on the housing to be rotatable about an axis thereof, a coupling member for coupling the arm member and the rotary shaft, a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the arm member via the rotary shaft so that the pickup roller shifts its position between a feeding position and a retracted position, and a controller for controlling the operation of the pivoting mechanism. The controller controls the arm member to pivot in such a direction that the pickup roller moves toward the retracted position when a sheet is placed on the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Harada
  • Patent number: 8231124
    Abstract: A remaining amount detector measures beforehand a distance H where there is one sheet. A motor displaces a lifting plate to a paper-feeding position upon storing paper in the feeding unit. The remaining amount detector measures a distance y1 to the lower face of a paper stack. Thereafter, upon transport of paper from the stack, a control unit causes the remaining amount detector to measure a distance y2 for every predetermined number n of fed sheets. A remaining sheet calculation unit calculates a displacement y1?y2=?y to the bottom of the paper stack S, and calculates the thickness of one sheet on the basis of the displacement ?y and the number n of fed sheets (t=?y/n). The remaining sheet calculation unit divides the thickness (H?y2) of the paper stack by the thickness t of one paper sheet, and calculates the number of remaining sheets m as (m=((H?y2)/t)+1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Akizou Ohtani, Fujio Tabata
  • Patent number: 8231121
    Abstract: A paper tray of printer is provided, which includes a paper tray body, a slide shaft, a first pick arm, a second pick arm and a paper width guide. The first pick arm is fixed on the slide shaft, and the second pick arm is slidely disposed on the slide shaft. The paper width guide is disposed on the paper tray body and is connected to the second pick arm through a linkage device to drive the second pick arm, so that a position of the second pick arm varies along with a position of the paper width guide. Accordingly, an interval between the first pick arm and the second pick arm can be varied along with a size of a paper, so as to avoid paper skew when the paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hwa Wang
  • Patent number: 8226081
    Abstract: A paper tray of printer is provided, which includes a paper tray body, a slide shaft, a first pick arm, a second pick arm and a paper width guide. The first pick arm is fixed on the slide shaft, and the second pick arm is slidely disposed on the slide shaft. The paper width guide is disposed on the paper tray body and is connected to the second pick arm through a linkage device to drive the second pick arm, so that a position of the second pick arm varies along with a position of the paper width guide. Accordingly, an interval between the first pick arm and the second pick arm can be varied along with a size of a paper, so as to avoid paper skew when the paper is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hwa Wang
  • Publication number: 20120181741
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet detecting apparatus that detects a sheet, the sheet detecting apparatus comprising: a lever member; a biasing portion that biases the lever member for a first position where the abutting surface abuts against the leading end of the sheet; a supporting mechanism that movably supports the lever member to move in an order of the first position, a second position to which the lever member moves by the sheet against the biasing force of the biasing member, and a third position where the lever member abuts on a surface of the sheet and waits in order to move to the first position when a trailing end of the sheet passes the lever member, while keeping a abutting surface of lever member facing upstream; an interlocking portion that interlocks with the lever member; and a detector that detects a position of the interlocking portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120175839
    Abstract: A feeder for feeding sheet items has at least one circulatable feeding surface for frictionally engaging a sheet item from a stack and at least one separation surface for frictionally engaging the sheet item or an entrained next sheet item from an opposite side. In a lateral direction transverse to the feeding direction, the at least one feeding surface is located between two of the separation surfaces and/or the at least one separating surface is located between two of the feeding surfaces. At least the feeding surface or the separating surface has a resilient zone and a stiff zone more remote from a laterally adjacent separating surface or surfaces or, respectively feeding surface or surfaces than the resilient zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Sjoerd VAN NETTEN
  • Publication number: 20120169008
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into awaiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120146281
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding device and a detector. The feeding device is configured to feed a sheet to a destination. The detector is configured to detect the sheet at the destination. If the detector does not detect the sheet within a predetermined time after the start of preparation for a feeding operation by the feeding device, it is determined that the sheet is misfed. Further, the start of the feeding operation of a sheet is changed in accordance with the result of detection by the detector of the presence or absence of a sheet standing by at the destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshikane Nishii, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tomoyoshi Yamazaki, Haruyuki Honda, Mizuna Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20120112401
    Abstract: An auto-document feeder includes: a paper feeding section configured to feed original documents one by one; a first feeding section configured to feed the fed original document through a first feeding path; a second feeding section configured to feed the fed original document through a second feeding path; a third feeding section configured to alternately nip one by one the fed original documents; a determining section configured to determine that the original document is nipped by the third feeding section; and a document diverting and feeding section configured to alternately divert and feed, into the first feeding path and the second feeding path, the fed original documents and, if the preceding original document is present, after the preceding original document is detected by the determining section, feed the following original document into the first or second feeding path into which the preceding original document is not fed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akihito Tokutsu, Shinji Miwa, Naoki Shoji, Shoichi Taniguchi, Osamu Kitazawa, Seiji IINO, Mitsunori Ishii, Takeshi Kojima, Takeshi Ito
  • Publication number: 20120112402
    Abstract: A sheet delivery device (80) includes a sheet presser member (61), which is positioned in the vicinity of a sheet delivery port (53) on a downstream side in a sheet delivery direction, for pressing a trailing end of a sheet to be delivered from the sheet delivery port (53). The sheet presser member (61) includes a side surface portion (61a), which is positioned to face a leading end of the sheet to be delivered from the sheet delivery port (53) and a bottom surface portion (61b) which is projected from a lower end of the side surface portion (61a) toward the downstream side in the sheet delivery direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuzo ONISHI
  • Publication number: 20120104681
    Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus of the present invention having stable performance without occurrence of double-feeding and non-feeding regardless of a type of sheet, a sheet holding portion which distorts a sheet as restricting sheet movement in a sheet drawing direction by pressing the upper face of sheets stacked on a bottom plate of a sheet cassette is disposed to the downstream in the sheet drawing direction of a feeding roller which is capable of performing forward and reverse rotation and a sheet holding position by the sheet holding portion is set to be closer to the feeding roller with decrease of sheet stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Fuyuko Koyama
  • Publication number: 20120104680
    Abstract: A pick mechanism according to one exemplary embodiment includes transmission housing and a drive transmission engageable with a drive shaft for receiving rotational force from the drive shaft. A pick axle has at least one pick wheel mounted thereon and is operatively connected to the drive transmission for rotating the at least one pick wheel. A first stop extends from the transmission housing for limiting the rotation of the pick mechanism about the drive shaft. A method for feeding compressible media according to one embodiment includes rotating a pick mechanism downward about a drive shaft, limiting the downward rotation of the pick mechanism to convert the pick mechanism from a compliant element to a non-compliant element, and feeding a first compressible media from a top surface of a lift plate in a media process direction with the non-compliant pick mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Brian Allen Blair, Dustin Daniel Fichter, Derek Masami Inouye, Michael James Shanor, Jeffrey Lawrence Tonges, Edward Lynn Triplett
  • Publication number: 20120091652
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including, a conveying portion conveying a sheet; a rotation detection portion rotatably provided; a sensor portion detecting the conveyed sheet based on a rotational position of the rotation detection portion; a rotation transmission portion transmitting a rotational driving force to the rotation detection portion to rotate the rotation detection portion in a predetermined rotational direction after the rotation detection portion is rotated by being pushed by the leading end of the sheet; and an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the rotation detection portion so that the rotation detection portion comes into contact with a surface of the sheet, thereafter the rotation detection portion is returned to a waiting position along with the passage of the rear end of the sheet through the rotation detection portion after the rotation detection portion is rotated by the rotational driving force of the rotation transmitting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8159685
    Abstract: In one embodiment of an image processing apparatus, when multi-feeding during transport of originals is detected, except for the multi-fed originals, which are all of the originals simultaneously multi-fed by the multi-feeding, the images written on only the other remaining originals are recorded on recording paper; and a shifted discharge position in the discharge tray of only pre-multi-feeding original recording paper is different from a standard discharge position of other recorded recording paper, the pre-multi-feeding original recording paper being recording paper on which is recorded the image written on the original transported immediately before the original initially transported among the multi-fed originals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Manabu Itoh