Separator Having Non-uniform Periphery Patents (Class 271/119)
  • Patent number: 11964841
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller that comes in contact with one of stacked printing media and feeds the printing medium; a support member that supports the feeding roller; an inclined portion that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in a feeding direction in which the printing medium is fed, the inclined portion being inclined with respect to the stacked printing media; and a restriction member that is arranged downstream of the feeding roller in the feeding direction, the restriction member being capable of coming in contact with the printing medium fed by the feeding roller. The restriction member is provided independently from the support member and is capable of moving between a first position and a second position, the first position being set adjacent to a downstream region of the inclined portion in the feeding direction, the second position being set between the first position and the feeding roller with respect to the feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukimichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 11947294
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a first roller on which an elastic layer is formed; and a second roller that forms a clamping portion at which a recording medium is clamped between the first roller and the second roller, a groove extending in an axial direction being formed in an outer peripheral surface of the second roller, and the second roller not including an elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Norio Ogawahara, Yoshiki Shimodaira, Masato Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11639278
    Abstract: A media feeding apparatus includes a media mounting section, a first feed roller, a media pressing section for pressing media sheets against the first feed roller, and a pressing force adjuster for adjusting the pressing force of the media pressing section. The controller sets the pressing force of the media pressing section to first pressing force and drives the first feed roller and the second feed roller in a forward rotation direction, and in a case in which the first detector detects a passage of a leading edge of the media sheet and the second detector detects no passage of the leading edge of the media sheet after predetermined first set time has passed, the controller continues the rotation of the first feed roller and the second feed roller with second pressing force of the media pressing section greater than or equal to the first pressing force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yohei Miyagi
  • Patent number: 11574517
    Abstract: A banknote feeder device (3) configured to interconnect and operate in conjunction with a banknote acceptor apparatus (2), the banknote feeder device (3) comprising a banknote transport mechanism operable, when the banknote feeder device (3) is connected to the banknote acceptor apparatus (2), to transport a banknote from a banknote input aperture to a banknote output aperture. The banknote transport mechanism comprises a linear succession of spaced-apart pairs of transport wheels (22) and each transport wheel extends at least partially through a banknote transport conduit surface into an interior cavity of the banknote transport conduit between the banknote input aperture and the banknote output aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Innovative Technology Limited
    Inventor: Jack Yates
  • Patent number: 11535476
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device is provided with a hopper unit configured to stack a sheet, a feeding unit configured to feed out the sheet to the hopper unit, a distance detection unit configured to detect an inter-sheet distance, in the vertical direction, between a rear end portion of the sheet that is preceding and a tip end portion of the sheet that is subsequent, and an output unit configured to output a behavior stabilization command for the sheet based on the inter-sheet distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nagai, Hiroyuki Kanazawa, Koshi Tanimoto, Kenta Nakao
  • Patent number: 11458745
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus is configured to perform a conveying process of a recording medium using a conveying roller and a discharging roller, a recoding process of recording an image on the printing sheet when the conveying process is not performed, and an adjusting process. In the adjusting process, among a plurality of conveying processes performed within a period from the start of the conveying process for an n-th printing sheet until the timing which is after the start of the conveying process for an (n+1)-th printing sheet, the conveying amount of the printing sheet subject to at least one conveying process is adjusted such that a timing when the trailing end of the n-th printing sheet passes through the discharging roller is within one of the acceleration period and the deceleration period of the conveying process for the printing sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Wakakusa, Tsuyoshi Ito, Shohei Ichikawa, Masatake Sato, Yoshimitsu Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11383944
    Abstract: A medium conveying device includes a driving roller configured to apply a driving force to a medium to convey the medium, a first driven roller configured to press the medium toward the driving roller, and a second driven roller arranged upstream of the first driven roller in a conveying direction of the medium, and that is configured to contact the medium entirely in an intersecting direction intersecting the conveying direction to press the medium toward the driving roller, wherein a contact portion of the second driven roller contacting the medium includes a material configured to adsorb a plasticizer of the medium, and a pressing force of the second driven roller is weaker than a pressing force of the first driven roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Naramatsu
  • Patent number: 11104532
    Abstract: A document feeding device includes a feeding unit feeding documents from a batch of documents on a placing tray, a separation member in pressure contact with the feeding unit and separating documents one by one, a separation swinging member supporting the separation member and displaceable in a thickness direction of the batch of documents, and a movable member supported as to be displaceable with respect to the separation swing member in the thickness direction of the batch of documents, and entering a space formed between the separation member and a document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Machida
  • Patent number: 10640312
    Abstract: A friction sheet feeding machine is provided. The friction sheet feeding machine comprises a hopper configured to hold a stack of items. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a receiver configured to receive an item from the stack of items. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a separating mechanism configured to separate the item from the stack of items. The separating mechanism comprises a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is configured to operate in a forward direction and a reverse direction. The friction sheet feeding machine also comprises a controller configured to generate signals to the drive mechanism to operate in the forward direction for a first period of time, and in the reverse direction for a second period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Superior Product Handling Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven G. Sands
  • Patent number: 10527987
    Abstract: A fixing belt is heated by a heater in contact with an inner circumferential face through a lubricant while rotating about an axis. The fixing belt includes: a belt body formed in a tubular shape; a plurality of oil repellent portions formed on an inner circumferential face of the belt body, each having a surface free energy lower than that of the lubricant to repel the lubricant; and a plurality of oil nonrepellent portions formed on the inner circumferential face of the belt body, each having a surface free energy higher than that of the lubricant to hold the lubricant. The oil repellent portions and the oil nonrepellent portions extend in a circumferential direction of the belt body and are alternately arranged in an axial direction of the belt body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kotatsu Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10427897
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a pick-up roller with a front-edge alignment element and a media separation apparatus using the pick-up roller. The pick-up roller may include a pick-up element configured to pick up and transfer a media sheet, and the front-edge alignment element provided at a position opposite to the pick-up element. During a process of picking up a stacked media sheet and transferring it into a space between a feed roller and a separation roller unit, the front-edge alignment element may align in advance a front edge of a media sheet disposed subsequent to the medial sheet that is being transferred, to a position of the entrance between the feed roller and the separation roller unit, and thereafter, the pick-up element may pick up the media sheet aligned by the front-edge alignment element and transfer it into the space between the feed roller and the separation roller unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: NAUTILUS HYOSUNG INC.
    Inventors: Sung Ho Park, Jin Hwan Cha, Jae Hoon Kwak
  • Patent number: 10392209
    Abstract: A sheet feeding sub tray is detachably attachable to a sheet loading stand of a sheet conveying device that includes a setting reference part on one end side of the sheet loading stand in a sheet width direction. The sheet feeding sub tray includes a small-size setting reference part disposed at a position closer to a center of the sheet loading stand in the sheet width direction than the setting reference part in a state in which the sheet feeding sub tray is installed to the sheet loading stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Heishi, Joji Akiyama
  • Patent number: 10369824
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes an idler roller and a drive roller that transport a medium by rotating with the medium being nipped therebetween, a first frame that includes a first position and a second position that is different from the first position, a main guide shaft that extends in a transverse direction that intersects a transport direction of the medium and is joined to the first frame at the first position, a second frame that is joined to the first frame at the second position, and an urging member that exerts a force on the second frame by urging the idler roller toward the drive roller. In the transport apparatus, the first position is located in an overlapping region between the first frame and the second frame in a height direction that orthogonally intersects the transport direction and the transverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takei
  • Patent number: 10121304
    Abstract: A paper sheet stacking mechanism 50 includes a stacking wheel 52, a roller 54 that is disposed outward from the stacking wheel 52 so as to be coaxially aligned with the stacking wheel 52 and that is rotatable about a shaft 53 at a greater angular velocity than that of the stacking wheel 52, and a transport unit that is configured to transport a paper sheet to the gap between two adjacent vanes 52b of the stacking wheel 52. The transport unit is located such that a discharge position is disposed outward from the outer periphery of the base 52a of the stacking wheel 52 and inward of the circular region defined by the tips of the vanes 52b of the stacking wheel 52 during the rotation of the stacking wheel 52, when viewed in the axial direction of the shaft 53 of the stacking wheel 52.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: GLORY LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuguo Mizoro, Kazuhiko Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10105985
    Abstract: A method for adjusting at least one means of an inserting apparatus adjusted for processing envelopes according to at least one predetermined dimension of the envelope is described. A plurality of envelopes is measured, while the envelopes are moved to obtain at least one predetermined dimension of the envelope. Depending on a comparison of the obtained dimension with the adjusted dimension and/or with one or several previously obtained dimensions, at least one means of the inserting apparatus is adjusted for processing the envelopes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: BOEWE SYSTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Josef Batzer, Thomas Huber, Reinhard Seiler, Helmut Foerg
  • Patent number: 10109137
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a banknote stacking apparatus capable of stably stacking banknotes even when various types of banknotes are stacked therein by preventing banknotes stacked in the banknote stacking space from being blown away. The banknote stacking apparatus includes a stacker for stacking banknotes in the banknote stacking space; a push plate for supporting the banknotes stacked in the banknote stacking space and be movable in a reciprocating direction; a stack guide configured to guide the banknote which passes the stacker to be loaded into the banknote stacking space; a damper configured to press the banknote introduced into one side of the banknote stacking space toward the push plate located on the other side of the banknote stacking space; and a damper driver operating the damper to move in a direction toward the banknote stacking space and a direction away from the banknote stacking space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: HYOSUNG TNS INC.
    Inventors: Jong Seong Park, Seok Won Kim, Jun Young Kim, Sung Jin Moon, Chang Ho Park, Young Chul Lee, Soon Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 9785095
    Abstract: A roller member includes an endless belt elastically deformable and configured to convey a sheet and a holding unit holding the endless belt. The holding unit includes a first holding portion being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a second holding portion being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and movable with respect to the first holding portion, and an engage portion engaging with an engaged portion. The second holding portion is moved with respect to the first holding portion by resilient force of the endless belt in a state in which the second holding portion is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt in response to a disengagement of the engage portion from the engaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoyasu Muramatsu, Satoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 9758322
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a removable sheet support tray. The sheet support tray includes a sheet support surface providing a sheet support area above the sheet support surface. The support tray also includes a stopper portion movable between a restraining position and a non-restraining position that is a different position from the restraining position. In a state where the stopper portion is located at the restraining position, the stopper portion includes a surface disposed adjacent to and downstream of the sheet support area in a first direction, the first direction extending along at least a portion of the sheet support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Tatematsu, Akira Terao, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9656484
    Abstract: A printer includes a print zone, and a media output guide assembly downstream of the print zone to curve media between media side edges. The media output guide assembly includes: an inner guide; and a pair of outer guides, the media to pass between the inner guide and the outer guides with the inner guide above the media and the outer guides below the media. The media passing between the guides has, in a direction perpendicular to a media output direction, outer edges that droop around and below a top of the outer guides, elevated points at the tops of the outer guides and a central low point under the inner guide and between the outer edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Keng Aik Alan Boo, Kok Chai Chong, Ah Chong Tee
  • Patent number: 9637333
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes: a feed roller; a shutter movable between a restricting position restricting a leading edge of a sheet and a non-restricting position releasing the restriction on the sheet; and a controller configured to control rotation of the feed roller and movement of the shutter. The controller is configured to perform: a first feeding process of controlling the feed roller to rotate at a first rotational speed while the shutter is at the restricting position and of controlling the shutter to move to the non-restricting position from the restricting position no earlier than rotation of the feed roller at the first rotational speed: a reduction process of controlling a rotational speed of the feed roller to be less than the first rotational speed; and a second feeding process of controlling the feed roller to rotate at a second rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Kuriki
  • Patent number: 9628648
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus causes a sheet processing apparatus to eject a sheet before a process of a job starts when the process for ejecting the sheet is set for the job, before the process of the job starts. A control method for controlling a printing apparatus includes determining whether a setting unit has made, for a job, a setting to cause the sheet processing apparatus to eject the sheet printed with the printing apparatus and discharged to the sheet processing apparatus, before the printing apparatus starts processing the job, and controlling the sheet processing apparatus to eject the sheet before the printing apparatus starts processing the job when it is determined that the setting unit has made, for the job, the setting to cause the sheet processing apparatus to eject the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9535389
    Abstract: A roller member includes an endless belt elastically deformable and configured to convey a sheet and a holding unit holding the endless belt. The holding unit includes a first holding portion being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a second holding portion being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and movable with respect to the first holding portion, and an engage portion engaging with an engaged portion. The second holding portion is moved with respect to the first holding portion by resilient force of the endless belt in a state in which the second holding portion is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt in response to a disengagement of the engage portion from the engaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoyasu Muramatsu, Satoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 9507311
    Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a paper feed tray configured to accommodate at least one sheet, a paper feed roller configured to send the sheet from the paper feed tray, and a cleaning member at the paper feed tray, the cleaning member being configured to clean a surface of the paper feed roller. The paper feed tray is movable between a paper feeding position from which the paper feed roller sends the sheet and a cleaning position at which the paper feed roller comes into contact with the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 9379661
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and to a device for fully automatically selecting and packing photovoltaic solar modules, for example, produced in mass production. The device may include the following characteristics: a production line, b) a quality checking device having devices for mechanical final testing and electrical final testing, c) an assembly device for module carriers, d) a device for distributing and stacking the solar modules in the horizontal and vertical direction according to particular selection criteria at acceptance locations corresponding to said selection criteria, e) devices for placing strips as spacers between stacked modules, wherein different types of strips can be taken from a magazine, f) devices for collating packages of a plurality of solar modules at each acceptance location, wherein aid devices each comprise a film wrapper, a protective cap applicator, and a strapping device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Grenzebach Maschinenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Rossmann, Egbert Wenninger
  • Patent number: 9302866
    Abstract: A center-fed media feed system including a media sheet pick mechanism having a hub-mounted D-shaped pick tire having variable tread width along the outer circumference thereof and a media aligner downstream of the pick mechanism. The nip of the pick tire contacting a media sheet is disposed at a first predetermined distance from the media aligner. A wide tread portion initially contacts a leading edge portion of the media sheet providing a first media feeding force to move the media sheet toward the media aligner and, at a second predetermined distance between the leading edge of the media and the media aligner, a narrow tread portion of the pick tire contacts the media so as to provide a reduced media feeding force, allowing the media sheet to align to the media aligner and then be fed into a feed nip in the media aligner or a downstream feed roll pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam Thomas Manor, Timothy Marc Brown
  • Patent number: 9181049
    Abstract: A lower pressure plate (43) is disposed upon a paper currency pressing part (34) of a paper currency intake part (5) below an upper pressure plate (41) with a spring (44) interposed therebetween, and the paper currency pressing part (34) presses the lower pressure plate (43) upon stacked paper currency (BLC). Thus, when the stacked paper currency (BLC) oscillates vertically with the rotation of a picker roller (23), the paper currency pressing part (34) absorbs by the spring (44) an upward force which is applied from the stacked paper currency (BLC). Furthermore, the paper currency pressing part (34) presses the lower pressure plate (43) by a restoring force of the spring (44) with respect to the falling stacked paper currency (BLC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Takada
  • Patent number: 9108822
    Abstract: Provided is a card raising/lowering device capable of appropriately raising and lowering cards by a simple configuration. In concrete, a card raising/lowering device (6) is provided with a card housing section (3) in which cards (2) are housed in a stacked state, and a raising/lowering mechanism (11) for raising and lowering the cards (2) housed in the card housing section (3). The raising/lowering mechanism (11) is provided with a mounting table (12) on which the cards (2) housed in the card housing section (3) are mounted, and a biasing member (13) for biasing the mounting table (12) upward. The spring constant of the biasing member (13) is approximately equal to the weight per unit thickness of the card (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chisato Hiyama, Keiji Ohta, Takeki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8851473
    Abstract: A sheet medium separating mechanism and a control method and a control system thereof. When the head part of a currently separated medium reaches the front boundary of a preset speed regulating region in front of a money distributing wheel (111) and the tail part of the currently separated medium leaves the back boundary of a preset speed regulating region on the money distributing wheel, relative speeds of a money distributing wheel motor (122) and a back money distributing power wheel motor (120) are regulated, so that a preset medium separating distance is kept between the tail part of the currently separated medium and the head part of a next separated medium. Therefore, the sheet medium separating mechanism is adapted to sheet media of different shapes and different specifications, the money distributing wheel size and rotary inertia of longitudinal deposit equipment are reduced, and the motor load is effectively lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: GRG Banking Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhongwu Lai, Fazhi Yin, Zhiqiang Sun
  • Patent number: 8783676
    Abstract: A feeding roller, a drive motor configured to drive the feeding roller, a control unit configured to perform one rotation control on the feeding roller, a sheet feeding path curved immediately after the feeding roller, a conveying roller pair provided in the sheet feeding path, and being set to a sheet conveyance speed higher than that of the feeding roller so as to eliminate a loop formed when a sheet passes through the sheet feeding path during one rotation control of the feeding roller; and a ratchet mechanism configured to stop the driving force from the drive motor and cause the feeding roller to be rotated by the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller pair when the feeding roller is pulled by the sheet being conveyed by the conveying roller pair in the course of the one rotation control of the feeding roller are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8752823
    Abstract: The sheet feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller that includes an arc-shaped friction portion and a notch portion, and causes the friction portion to feed the sheet; a feeding motor rotationally driving the feeding roller; a separation pad that presses the sheet fed by the friction portion on a surface other than a surface at the friction portion, and separates a double-fed sheet; and a feeding spring that causes the sheet supporting portion to wait below the feeding roller such that the sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion is not in contact with the friction portion until the friction portion reaches the separation pad, and, when the friction portion reaches the separation pad, moves up the sheet supporting portion to an abutting position at which the sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion is pressed against the friction portion and the friction portion feeds the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Hayashi, Masatoshi Takiguchi, Seietsu Miura, Ryukichi Inoue
  • Patent number: 8746679
    Abstract: A noncircular sheet feed roller includes a core and a rubber belt mounted on the core. The core includes a peripheral member having a peripheral surface which is arcuate about a center axis thereof, and a pair of support ribs which are provided opposite from the arcuate peripheral surface of the peripheral member to be spaced from the peripheral member by a space and extend parallel to the center axis symmetrically with respect to the center axis. The rubber belt is a looped belt which has a predetermined width as measured along the center axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The peripheral member is inserted in the rubber belt, and a portion of the rubber belt is fitted in the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Hanyu
  • Patent number: 8626336
    Abstract: An automated destacking device is used to remove a single flat item or sheet from the top of a stack, and to then transport the item from the stack so that it may be used in an assembly line, manufacturing process, or the like. The stacked items are placed into a hopper, and an elevator drives the hopper upwardly until the top item in the stack contacts the underside of a horizontally movable carriage. The underside of the carriage includes an adhesive element, which engages the top item, and then the carriage moves in a horizontal direction away from the stack, carrying the top item from the stack to a position separately from the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventor: Roger Blaine Trivette
  • Patent number: 8590887
    Abstract: An automatic teller machine (ATM) may include a medium transfer portion to transfer paper mediums from a paper medium storage portion storing the paper mediums, a carrier position adjustment portion rotatably mounted at a rear end of the carrier transfer portion, to which a medium carrier stacking and carrying the paper mediums transferred along the medium transfer portion is rotatably mounted, and a sheet roller portion rotatably mounted between the medium carrier and the carrier position adjustment portion to transfer the paper mediums on the medium transfer portion into the medium carrier by a rotational operation and to align the paper mediums stored in the medium carrier, wherein the sheet roller portion contacts the paper medium such that a greater frictional force is generated at a middle area than an outer area when transferring the paper mediums on the medium transfer portion into the medium carrier or when aligning the paper mediums stored in the medium carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Nautilus Hyosung Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Hwan Cha, Dong Sik Lee
  • Patent number: 8511672
    Abstract: A roller main body including a roller core and a roller holder that supports the roller main body. The roller main body includes a boss protruding from each of both side surfaces of an end portion of the roller core, and a rib formed on each of the both side surfaces of the roller core, the roller holder includes a groove portion that detachably and rotatably supports the boss, and a recess that fixes the roller main body by locking the rib of the roller main body that rotates about the boss, the groove portion includes a rotation sliding contact portion that rotatably slides the boss, and a guiding path portion that guides the boss to the rotation sliding contact portion, and the guiding path portion is formed to have a width smaller than a maximum diameter of the boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Kubo
  • Patent number: 8505906
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device to convey a sheet which is stored within a sheet storing section, including: a plurality of sheet conveyance rollers, mounted on a sheet storing section, to be parallel to each other with respect to rotating centers, wherein the plurality of the sheet conveyance rollers come into contact with the sheet to convey the sheet toward an exterior of the sheet conveyance device; and a coupling section to couple the plurality of the sheet conveyance rollers and to rotate the plurality of the sheet conveyance rollers, wherein at least one of the plurality of the sheet conveyance rollers represents an irregularly shaped roller, wherein the irregularly shaped roller is coupled to another sheet conveyance roller by the coupling section, and wherein a distance between a rotation center and a peripheral surface of the irregularly shaped roller is inconstant, in a rotational direction of the irregularly shaped roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Kawachi, Kyoichi Mizuno, Masahiro Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20130049288
    Abstract: A roller main body including a roller core and a roller holder that supports the roller main body. The roller main body includes a boss protruding from each of both side surfaces of an end portion of the roller core, and a rib formed on each of the both side surfaces of the roller core, the roller holder includes a groove portion that detachably and rotatably supports the boss, and a recess that fixes the roller main body by locking the rib of the roller main body that rotates about the boss, the groove portion includes a rotation sliding contact portion that rotatably slides the boss, and a guiding path portion that guides the boss to the rotation sliding contact portion, and the guiding path portion is formed to have a width smaller than a maximum diameter of the boss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinji Kubo
  • Patent number: 8376351
    Abstract: A recording medium transporting device includes a shaft member that rotates when driving force is transmitted thereto, and that includes a pair of first flat plate portions, a second flat plate portion, and a through hole or a cutaway portion; a sending-out member having a recessed open portion, the shaft member being fitted to the open portion from a direction that crosses an axial direction of the shaft member; and a sandwiching portion capable of being inserted into and removed from the through hole or the cutaway portion from the direction that crosses the axial direction of the shaft member, and sandwiching the flat plate portion of the shaft member between the bottom wall and the sandwiching portion when the sending-out member is moved in the axial direction while the sandwiching portion is inserted in the through hole or the cutaway portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Ishikura
  • Patent number: 8342509
    Abstract: At a start of sheet feeding operation, a feed cam starts to rotate in association with rotation of a feed shaft and a feed roller starts to rotate from a time when the feed shaft has passed an idle zone, so as to send out each of sheets on a rising and lowering plate. After that, the feed roller is returned to a feed initial position by a return mechanism including a conveyance roller and a feed rotatable member. A cam curve of the feed cam reduces a rising speed as compared to a rising speed of a conventional rising and lowering plate, and reduces generation of noise at the time of collision between the sheets on the rising and lowering plate and the feed rotatable member. Thus, an image forming apparatus having lower noise level can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takiguchi, Shinya Noda, Shinji Kubo
  • Patent number: 8302960
    Abstract: A banknote processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a banknote separating and feeding portion which separates, from banknotes, one feed-out banknote closest to a banknote holding portion, and feeds out the feed-out banknote. The banknote separating and feeding portion includes a feed roller, a separating roller, a kick-on roller, and auxiliary rollers. The auxiliary rollers are positioned on an opposite side of the kick-on roller from the feed roller, protrude onto the banknote pressing portion side beyond the banknote holding surface, and contact with the feed-out banknote. Each of the auxiliary rollers has a plurality of large diameter portions formed intermittently in a circumferential direction of the auxiliary roller. The auxiliary rollers are positioned on the same axis and apart from each other such that phases of mutually adjacent auxiliary rollers in a rotation direction of the auxiliary rollers are offset from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Laurel Precision Machines Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kato, Tomohisa Oe
  • Patent number: 8262082
    Abstract: A medium supplying unit of an image forming apparatus includes: a cassette frame; a loading plate which is movably coupled to the cassette frame, and which supports a printing medium thereon; a pickup roller which picks up the printing medium from the loading plate; and a loading plate moving unit which causes the loading plate between a knock up state in which the loading plate located to allow the printing medium can be picked up by the pickup roller and a knock down state in which the loading plate is separated from the pickup roller, the loading plate moving unit causing the loading plate to move during when the loading plate is in the knock down state so as to reduce the occurrence of multiple sheets of printing media being picked up and supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 8235380
    Abstract: A mailpiece selector device comprising a guide co-operating with at least one opposing selector roller to separate mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and to transport them downstream, said guide having at least one selector lever that can pivot about a pivot axis against resilient return means, and the selector lever having a vertical section formed by an involute of a circle, the base circle of which is formed by the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventor: Yannick Claris
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8128083
    Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes a sheet picking mechanism (210). The sheet picking mechanism includes a rotatable picking member (212). With each rotation an end sheet (266) can be picked from a stack (264) of sheets. The picking member (212) has an outer surface section that includes a high friction portion (256) axially adjacent to a low friction portion (258). The low friction portion comprises an arcuate projecting portion that reduces risk of damage to a leading edge area of the end sheet due to opposed picking and stripping forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Diebold Self-Service Systems division of Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: H. Thomas Graef, Kenneth C. Kontor, Michael Harty, Brian Jones
  • Patent number: 8096548
    Abstract: A paper-sheet feeding device including a kicker roller configured to contact a forefront paper-sheet of a plurality of stacked paper-sheets and kick out the forefront paper-sheet; a feed roller to feed-out the paper-sheets to be kicked out by the kicker roller; and a press-fitting roller press-fit against the feed roller to provide a gate unit adapted to separate the paper-sheets to be fed by the feed roller, into one sheet. The kicker roller includes a base part and a high friction part formed in part of the outer circumference of the base part along the circumferential direction and configured to kick out the forefront paper-sheet. The feed roller includes a base part and a high friction part formed over the entire outer circumference of the base part and configured to contact the surface of the paper-sheet to be kicked out by the kicker roller to perform feed-out of the paper-sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Glory, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyofumi Iwami, Hidehiko Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7980551
    Abstract: Provided is a feed device including: a loading unit in which a plurality of recording mediums is loaded in a stacked state; a delivery mechanism which has a first outer circumferential surface set such that friction force with the recording mediums is greater than friction force generated among the plurality of recording mediums when a feed operation is performed in a state of being in contact with the recording mediums and a second outer circumferential surface having a hardness higher than that of the first outer circumferential surface, and which performs the feed operation in a state in which at least the first outer circumferential is in contact with an uppermost recording medium of the recording mediums loaded on the loading unit so as to deliver the recording medium in a feed direction; a gate member and a gate energizing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7976014
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a mounting portion capable of having mounting a plurality of recording media mounted in a stacked state thereon, a delivering member which performs a feeding operation in a state in which its contact surface is in contact with a top recording medium of the recording media mounted on the mounting portion to perform delivery of the recording media by using the frictional force generated between the delivering member and the top recording medium as the transporting force, a separating member having an inclined surface against which the leading end of the recording medium delivered by the delivering member can hit up against, the separating member being fixed in place at a downstream side of the mounding portion in a feeding direction of the recording media, a gate member, and a gate urging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20110024972
    Abstract: A device and a method for the depositing of products, in particular print shop products that are folded and/or conveyed in an copy stream (S, S1, S2, S3), onto an outgoing conveying surface of a removal conveyor. A conveyor device with appropriate guide and conveyor elements serves for the guided conveyance of products in a substantially horizontal direction of conveyance. After leaving the exit of the conveyor device the products move, un-guided, further along a trajectory. At least one acceleration element, which is moveable along an orbital track (U) located partially above and partially below the trajectory, interacts with the un-guided products. The acceleration element gives the products an impulse in the vertical direction after the products leave the exit. By this means, a better positioning on the outgoing conveying surface can be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: FERAG AG
    Inventor: Marcel Schneider
  • Patent number: 7815183
    Abstract: A device (10) for extracting and feeding sheets from two trays, comprising a first tray (20) to contain a first ream (21a) of sheets (21), a second tray (30) to contain a second ream (31a) of sheets (31), and a feeding member (50, 53, 53a, 53b) for extracting and feeding one sheet (21, 31) at a time from said first ream (21a) or from said second ream (31a), wherein the two trays (20, 30) are positioned one on top of the other on the same side of the feeding member (50), and the second tray (30), in an intermediate position between the first tray (20) and the feeding member (50), comprises a fixed wall (32, 32a, 32b), to support the second ream (31a), which is configured in order to define an opening or cooperation zone (41) between the first tray (20) and the feeding member (50), so that, when the second ream is not present in the second tray (30) the feeding member (50, 53, 53a) and the first ream (21a) are intended to cooperate in contact with each other, through said cooperation zone (41) in order to extra
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Paolo Cappello, Daniele Mazzini
  • Publication number: 20100207317
    Abstract: A paper-sheet feeding device including a kicker roller configured to contact a forefront paper-sheet of a plurality of stacked paper-sheets and kick out the forefront paper-sheet; a feed roller to feed-out the paper-sheets to be kicked out by the kicker roller; and a press-fitting roller press-fit against the feed roller to provide a gate unit adapted to separate the paper-sheets to be fed by the feed roller, into one sheet. The kicker roller includes a base part and a high friction part formed in part of the outer circumference of the base part along the circumferential direction and configured to kick out the forefront paper-sheet. The feed roller includes a base part and a high friction part formed over the entire outer circumference of the base part and configured to contact the surface of the paper-sheet to be kicked out by the kicker roller to perform feed-out of the paper-sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Glory, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyofumi IWAMI, Hidehiko MATSUSHITA
  • Patent number: 7758039
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus equipped with a pick-up roller to pick up a sheet. The image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding tray, in which sheets are stacked, and a pick-up roller to pick up sheet from the sheet feeding tray. The pick-up roller includes a pick- up section to pick up the sheet and a feed section to deliver a sheet feeding pressure greater than that of the pick-up section to the sheet, so that a component corresponding to a feed roller can be removed, thereby simplifying the structure of the image forming apparatus and lowering the height of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Soo Lee