With Means To Replenish Pack Or Retract Advancer Platform Patents (Class 271/157)
  • Patent number: 8550452
    Abstract: A sheet feeder has a sheet accommodating portion, a lift plate, an actuating plate, and an actuating plate driving member. The lift plate is supported on the bottom face of the sheet accommodating portion such that an end part of the lift plate is rotatable. The actuating plate raises and lowers the lift plate by moving between a first position where it lies flat along the bottom face of the sheet accommodating portion and a second position where it is raised a predetermined angle from the bottom face of the sheet accommodating portion. The actuating plate driving member has the actuating plate fixed thereto. The engagement portion is provided on the reverse face of the lift plate, and engages with the actuating plate when this is in the first position and disengages from the actuating plate as the actuating plate rotates from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Nishioka
  • 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: 8500118
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including sheet feeding unit; a pressure plate on which sheets are stacked and which is biased so that an uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets comes in pressure contact with the sheet feeding unit; a first pressing-down mechanism which presses down the pressure plate to separate the uppermost sheet and the sheet feeding unit by a constant distance when the sheet feeding unit is not operated; a second pressing-down mechanism which is adopted to press down the pressure plate when an amount of the sheets stacked on the pressure plate is smaller than a predetermined amount, and is given a load from the pressure plate depending on a position of the pressure plate; and sheet stacking amount detecting unit which measures the load and detects a stacking amount of the sheets stacked on the pressure plate on the basis of the measured load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Shimmachi, Kenji Kawazoe, Kazuyuki Morinaga, Tetsu Hamano, Toshiaki Tokisawa
  • Patent number: 8419012
    Abstract: A placement plate for placing a recording sheet is provided in a case to be movable upward and downward. A regulating member is supported by the case to be slidable in the width direction of the recording sheet. A locking section is provided on at least one of the placement plate and the regulating member so as to lock the placement plate with respect to the regulating member when the regulating member is located in an area different from an area between the maximum size and the minimum size at the edge of the recording sheet in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Otsuki
  • Patent number: 8387968
    Abstract: A recording-material-feeding device includes a stacking portion that holds a stack of recording materials, a lifting member that moves the stacking portion up and down between a feeding position at which a recording material is fed and a refilling position at which refill recording materials are supplied, a suction member that draws one or more recording materials by suction with a negative pressure, a negative-pressure-generating member that generates the negative pressure, and a stopping member that stops an edge of the stack of recording materials on the stacking portion and includes a sealing member that maintains the level of the negative pressure. The sealing member moves up and down between a retracted position at which refill recording materials are supplied and a sealing position at which the level of the negative pressure is maintained, the sealing member moving with the up-and-down movement of the stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fujikura, Yuji Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8360416
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a tray on which sheets are to be placed, a rope connected to the tray, a pulley which includes a shaft and on which the rope is taken up such that the winds thereof are aligned in an axial direction of the shaft, and a motor for moving the tray upward by rotating the pulley about the shaft in a direction to take up the rope to locate the uppermost sheet on the tray at a sheet pickup position. A sheet remaining amount detection device applied to this sheet feeder includes a position detector for detecting a present position which is a present take-up position of the rope on the pulley in the axial direction, and a remaining amount detecting section for detecting the remaining amount of the sheets on the tray based on the present position detected by the position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Hayama
  • Patent number: 8348260
    Abstract: A sub-assembly of a document processor that routes at least one document from an input hopper, along a document path and to an output bin is disclosed. The document processor includes a flag movably-arranged within the input hopper to/from a closed orientation and an open orientation; a rod fixed to and extending from the flag, wherein the rod includes an outer surface; a cam member including a camming surface, wherein the camming surface is communicatively-coupled to the outer surface of the rod; a driven shaft connected to the cam member, wherein the cam member further includes a one-way clutch, wherein the driven shaft extends through the one-way clutch; and a feed motor connected to the driven shaft. A method for operating the sub-assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Burroughs, Inc.
    Inventors: Johan P. Bakker, George T. Spray, David B. Tratar, James M. Spall, Michael J. Moore
  • Patent number: 8342514
    Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
  • Patent number: 8267395
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper supply unit having an improved paper supply structure. The paper supply unit includes a main body having an opening, a cassette configured to be attached to and detached from the main body through the opening. The cassette can include a first holding portion and a second holding portion, each configured to hold printing medium. The second holding portion configured to transfer printing medium from the second holding portion to the first holding portion. The paper supply unit can include a guide device disposed between the first holding portion and the second holding portion when the cassette is mounted in the main body and configured to guide the printing medium in the first holding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myung Woo Yang
  • Patent number: 8262083
    Abstract: A media cassette includes a body having a removable lid. The media cassette comprises a housing defining a closeable pick window; an urging plate biased towards the pick window for urging a stack of media items towards the pick window; a detent located distal from the pick window for limiting movement of the urging plate; and a detent moving mechanism operable to move the detent. The detent moving mechanism may be operated by engaging the removable lid or by insertion of the cassette into a media handler. The media cassette allows the urging plate to exert less force on the stack of media items by expanding the space available for media items located within the cassette by activating the detent moving mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Scott H. Deas, Shoaib A. Khan
  • 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: 8251364
    Abstract: A printer has a separating unit, such as a depressing cam and a depressing slider, which presses a middle plate against the biasing force of a spring and separates a sheet on the middle plate from a sheet feeding roller by a predetermined distance, a separation driving unit, such as a DC motor, which moves the separating unit, a measuring unit which measures the driving load applied to the separation driving unit when the separation driving unit drives the separating unit, and a load imparting unit, such as a brake plate, which imparts load to the middle plate, the separating unit, or the like. The brake plate or the like imparts load when a sheet is separated from the sheet feeding roller by the separating unit, and the brake plate or the like changes the load to be imparted, according to the turning angle of the middle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Morinaga, Kenji Kawazoe, Masaya Shimmachi, Tetsu Hamano, Toshiaki Tokisawa
  • Publication number: 20120205860
    Abstract: A sheet storage apparatus 10a (10b) includes a sheet storage portion 31 that loads and stores a plurality of sheets P, and an end cursor (a restriction member) 50 that is disposed in the sheet storage portion 31 and restricts a sheet position. The end cursor 50 is composed of two or more members so as to be foldable and removably fixed in the sheet storage portion 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihiro YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120161386
    Abstract: A media presenter configurable for use in either a front access or a rear access dispenser is described. The media presenter comprises a chassis including a central track defining a central handle end and a central pick end. A nose is coupled to the chassis at the central pick end, and includes (i) a presenting end distal from the chassis and (ii) a nose track arranged to couple to the central track. A removable track is coupled to the chassis and extends from a handle end of the chassis to the central handle end. The nose track, the central track, and the removable track combine to provide a presenting track extending from the handle end to the presenting end. The presenter can present media items to a customer in a rear access dispenser, or can be reconfigured by exchanging the positions of the nose and removable track to present media items in a front access dispenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: NCR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott Deas, Gordon Burke, William G. Potts
  • Patent number: 8177223
    Abstract: A lifting unit and a process for lifting a stack of sheets having at least a first support (20, 120, 220) and at least a second support (22, 122, 222) are described. The first support defines a first con-toured or flat support surface, and the second support defines a second support surface which has a substantially horizontal, flat main surface. In the lifting unit at least one unit is provided for lifting the first and second supports. During operation the supports are lifted such that at least a highest point of the first support is kept elevationally above the second support, the second support is lifted more quickly than the first support, and the substantially horizontal, flat main surface of the second support is kept in its horizontal alignment. The lifting unit is described, in combination with a sheet feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eckhard Bauer, Soenke C. Bluethgen, Dimitrios Kostudis, Jorg Leyser, Ingo Neuber, Stefan Schluenss
  • Patent number: 8172221
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuous singling of stacks of loose sheet material, in particular bank notes, vouchers, checks, separation cards, etc., includes a singler for singling stacks of loose sheet material and a feeding device which moves stacks of loose sheet material to be singled into a position where sheet material is grasped by the singler and transferred to a transport system, wherein the feeding device has a first, substantially single-axis moved feeding element and a second, substantially multi-axis moved feeding element. An area for receiving sheet material to be singled and which is divided into a first subarea and a second subarea is provided, wherein the first and second subareas adjoin each other and the second subarea forms an input area for inputting sheet material to be singled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventors: Mario Mönch, Erwin Demmeler
  • Patent number: 8167300
    Abstract: A method for determining the amount of media sheets in a media tray in an image forming device according to one embodiment includes raising a lift plate supporting a stack of media sheets toward a pick mechanism for feeding the media sheets by rotation of a motor in a first direction. An amount of rotation of the motor in the first direction is determined. An indication of an amount of media sheets remaining in the media tray is provided based on the determined amount of rotation of the motor in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Allen Blair, Dustin Daniel Fichter, Derek Masami Inouye, Kevin Schoedinger, Jeffrey Lawrence Tonges, Edward Lynn Triplett
  • Patent number: 8118300
    Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism includes a chassis for supporting a stack of sheets; a top sheet engaging member for engaging a top most sheet of the stack; a stack engaging structure, a first end of the stack engaging structure engaging the stack of sheets to bias a top most sheet of the stack of sheets against the top sheet engaging member, the stack engaging structure being supported from the chassis by a resilient member; a friction surface extending perpendicularly from a second end of the stack engaging structure opposite to the first end; a lock mechanism having a lock arm hingedly connected to the chassis, the lock mechanism including a biased contact foot for engaging the friction surface to retard a rectilinear movement of the stack engaging structure; and an actuator for engaging and disengaging the contact foot from the friction surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Geoffrey Philip Dyer, Robert John Brice, Attila Bertok, Gregory Michael Tow, Tobin Allen King, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8066048
    Abstract: A device for applying labels to a label carrier including a movable rack, which defines a plurality of magazine sites, each of the magazine sites being configured for accommodating a label magazine that is suitable for accommodating a large number of labels. The magazine rack further includes docking means with the aid of which the rack can be docked to a labeling unit prepared for applying the individual labels from a selected label magazine to the label carrier. The device further includes a supply unit through which a selected label magazine can be transferred from the magazine site within the rack to an operating position at which the labels are taken hold of by the labeling unit and applied individually to one of the label carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventor: Dieter Leykamm
  • Patent number: 8047527
    Abstract: The sheet containing apparatus is provided with: an apparatus main body; a drawer that is capable of being pulled out from the apparatus main body; a sheet container that is movable relative to the drawer and that contains a sheet; a feeder that feeds a sheet contained in the sheet container; and a moving unit that moves the sheet container in a direction intersecting with a feed direction in which the feeder feeds a sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Adachi, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Mitsuhiro Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 8042801
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus can include an apparatus body, a cassette detachably mounted to the apparatus body, the cassette being configured to hold print media, and a sensor unit configured to sense whether the cassette is mounted, whether the print media are loaded, and/or whether the print media is properly positioned in the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Je Hwan You
  • Patent number: 8041285
    Abstract: A paper feeding device includes a stacking plate for stacking sheets. The stacking plate is movable vertically within a range from a lower limit position to a pick-up position. The stacking plate has a first surface facing the lower limit position and a second surface facing the pick-up position. The paper feeding device also includes a driving device for driving the stacking plate. The paper feeding device has a locking member for locking the staking plate in the lower limit position. The locking member has a deformable section for contact with the second surface of the stacking plate. The deformable section becomes deformed by a driving force applied through the stacking plate as locked in the lower limit position by the driving device, to unlock the stacking plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Susumu Hashimoto, Toshiki Ohgita, Hidetoshi Kaneko, Masayuki Nagatani
  • Patent number: 7997818
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including a sheet-supply tray device which accommodates and holds a plurality of recording sheets and which supplies the recording sheets, one by one, in a sheet-supply direction; and an image recording device which records an image on each of the recording sheets supplied from the sheet-supply tray device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
  • Patent number: 7988142
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first sheet feeding unit; a second sheet feeding unit provided adjacent to the first sheet feeding unit; one or plural first shutter(s) provided in the first sheet feeding unit; a driving unit that drives the first shutter(s); and one or plural second shutter(s) provided in the second sheet feeding unit, the second shutter(s) opening and closing in association with the opening and closing of the first shutter(s) driven by the driving unit. According to the present invention, when plural shutters for designating a stacking range of sheets are provided, an operation of any one of the shutters can be suitably associated with operations of the other shutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 7980420
    Abstract: A card dispensing apparatus having a compact configuration has a housing to support a stack of cards on a fixed base. Openings in the base member can permit surfaces from a conveying member to extend into the housing and contact a surface of the lowest card. The conveyer member can move horizontal to a release point and retract beneath the base member to return to an initial position. A movement unit provides a cyclic looping movement of the conveyer member into and out of the housing for transporting cards. A feed unit positioned at the dispensing point of the cards can grasp and release the cards from the card dispensing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Asahi Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahito Yamamiya
  • Publication number: 20110140347
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device that feeds sheets by a sheet feeding unit from a sheet feeding cassette storing the sheets, in which positions of rotation centers of a lifting plate and a lifting plate pressing member are varied from each other in such a manner that a rotation track of an edge of an opening of the lifting plate pressing member and a rotation track of a vertical surface of an engaging member provided on the lifting plate intersect with each other, so that the edge is engaged with the vertical surface at the intersection position of the rotation tracks to restrict rotation of the lifting plate when the lifting plate moves upward before a lifting operation of the lifting plate pressing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuji Nishitani, Shinichi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20110097130
    Abstract: A printer is provided that includes a printing unit printing an image on a sheet being conveyed on a printing path, a first feeder unit configured such that a sheet placed thereon is fed to the printing path via a first feeding path, a second feeder unit configured such that a sheet placed thereon is fed to the printing path via a second feeding path even while the first feeder unit is being replenished with sheets, and a controller configured to, in response to a first requirement being satisfied while the first feeder unit is forbidden to be replenished with sheets during a continuous printing operation, switch an actually-working feeder unit that works for actual sheet feeding in the continuous printing operation, to the second feeder unit, the first requirement including a condition that one or more sheets are placed on the second feeder unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoki HASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7931266
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet holder to hold a sheet in a position to be fed, a feed roller to pick up the sheet, a first lifter to move a closer portion of the sheet holder by one of a front end and a rear end thereof, a second lifter to move a further portion of the sheet holder by one of a front end and a rear end thereof, and a coordinating system to move the first lifter and the second lifter in cooperation with each other to move the overall sheet holder in a direction to be closer to the feed roller, wherein an amount of the sheet holder to be moved by the first lifter is greater according to a constant rate with respect to an amount of the sheet holder to be moved by the second lifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsugio Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7926805
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device to feed sheets in a sheet feeding path is provided. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet cassette, in which a stack of sheets is stored, a body, in which the sheet cassette is removably installed, a feeder unit to forward the sheets in the stack in the sheet feeding path, at least one restrictive member, which is configured to be shifted between a releasing position and a restricting position and restricts a height of the stack of sheets to be stored in the sheet cassette when in the restricting position, a shifting unit to shift the positions of the at least one restrictive member. The shifting unit shifts the at least one restrictive member to be in the restricting position when the sheet cassette is removed from the body and to be in the releasing position when the sheet cassette is installed in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junki Ueyama
  • Publication number: 20110074095
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a first storing unit in which a sheet bundle is stacked, a second storing unit that is provided near the first storing unit and in which the sheet bundle is stacked, a transfer tray that is provided in the second storing unit and transfers the sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit, and a stopper that regulates, when the transfer tray transfers the stacked sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit and moves from the first storing unit to the second storing unit, movement of the sheet bundle on the transfer tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro OHNO
  • Publication number: 20110062656
    Abstract: A media stocker includes: a paper feeding table configured to support plural recording media in a stacked state; a lifting and lowering mechanism configured to lift and lower the paper feeding table; a bottom plate attached to the paper feeding table and configured to receive the recording media placed thereon and support the recording media such that a downstream side end in a conveying direction of the recording media on the paper feeding table moves up and down relatively to an upstream side end in the conveying direction; and a control section configured to make an angle of the bottom plate adjustable such that a surface of the recording medium at the top extends along a direction substantially orthogonal to a lifting and lowering direction of the paper feeding table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiharu Shimosato, Haruo Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7883284
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus, including a sheet-supply tray device which accommodates and holds a plurality of recording sheets and which supplies the recording sheets, one by one, in a sheet-supply direction; and an image recording device which records an image on each of the recording sheets supplied from the sheet-supply tray device. The sheet-supply tray device includes a first tray which accommodates and holds at least one first sheet of the plurality of recording sheets; a second tray which accommodates at least one second sheet of the plurality of recording sheets, and which selectively takes a stacked posture thereof in which the second tray is stacked on the first tray, and an opening posture thereof in which at least a portion of the second tray opens at least a portion of the first tray; and at least one dropping preventing cover which prevents the at least one second sheet from dropping out of the second tray in a state in which the second tray takes the opening posture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
  • Patent number: 7881653
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: a body; a supply tray attached to the body for putting a recording sheet thereon; a recording mechanism provided in a middle of a feed path defined in the body for recording an image on the recording sheet; a feeding mechanism which has an arm pivotably supported at one of opposite ends thereof and a feeding roller rotatably provided in the other of the opposite ends of the arm, and which is configured such that the recording sheet is fed toward the recording mechanism by rotating of the feeding roller held in contact with the recording sheet; a discharge opening provided in the body for discharging the recording sheet therethrough; a cover supported by the body to be pivotable between an open position and a closed position; and a cover-arm interlock mechanism which permits the arm to pivot such that the feeding roller contacts the recording sheet when the cover is positioned at the open position, and which positions the arm such that the feeding roller is away from the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Izuchi
  • Patent number: 7874554
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for automated, continuous singling of loose sheet material, by the steps of feeding a stack of loose sheet material to be singled located on a first feeding element from a deposit position to a position in which the uppermost sheet of the stack can be grasped by the singling unit, sheet-by-sheet singling of the fed stack by the singling unit, the stack being fed by the feeding element such that the particular uppermost sheet of the stack can be grasped by the singling unit, feeding a further stack of loose sheet material to be fed located on a second feeding element from the deposit position to a position in which the uppermost sheet of the stack to be fed is located below the first feeding element, and uniting the stack to be singled and the fed stack by drawing the first feeding element out of the feeding path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Dopfer, Christian Casensky, Erwin Demmeler, Mario Mönch
  • Patent number: 7866654
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a first storing unit in which a sheet bundle is stacked, a second storing unit that is provided near the first storing unit and in which the sheet bundle is stacked, a transfer tray that is provided in the second storing unit and transfers the sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit, and a stopper that regulates, when the transfer tray transfers the stacked sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit and moves from the first storing unit to the second storing unit, movement of the sheet bundle on the transfer tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Ohno
  • Patent number: 7845631
    Abstract: A transporting device moves sheet-like objects. The transporting device has an elevator plate mounted to be liftable and lowerable on a loading surface to load an object to be moved; a drive part to lift and to lower the elevator plate via gears; and a controller to execute a preparatory operation to operate the drive part in a direction only by a drive amount corresponding to the gear backlash during the time after the drive part has completed an elevator plate drive operation in one direction until the start of an elevator plate drive operation in another direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wada, Katsuhiro Yoshiuchi
  • Publication number: 20100289209
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-contact measurement of a media stack in an image production device is disclosed that may include detecting the position of an unfluffed media stack, setting a desired media stack height by changing a media elevator position using a media elevator control unit based on the detected unfluffed media stack position, determining if printing and fluffing has started, wherein if it is determined that printing and fluffing has started, detecting the position of the transition between the fluffed and unfluffed portions of the media stack using the one or more sensors, determining if the position of the transition between the fluffed and unfluffed portions of the media stack is below a predetermined threshold, wherein if it is determined that the position of the transition between the fluffed and unfluffed portions of the media stack is below the predetermined threshold, setting the desired media stack height by changing the media elevator position based on the detected position of the tr
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Alan CLARK, Kenneth Paul MOORE
  • Patent number: 7823869
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a sheet feed tray on which a first sheet bundle is stacked at a first position where sheet feeding to a conveyance path can be performed, and a conveyance tray on which a second sheet bundle is stacked at a second position adjacent to the sheet feed tray, and which conveys the second sheet bundle to the sheet feed tray and stacks the second sheet bundle on the sheet feed tray after the first sheet bundle is fed, presses the stacked second sheet bundle to a side plate provided in a direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the conveyance tray, and aligns an end of the second sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tokihiko Ise
  • Patent number: 7819398
    Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes a cassette unit and a feeding-apparatus main body. The cassette unit can be mounted and dismounted to/from the feeding apparatus. The cassette unit includes a casing which is the base member of the cassette unit; a movable cassette hopper on which a housed recording medium is to be placed; and a locking section that holds the attitude of the cassette hopper. The feeding-apparatus main body includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the locking section to release the holding state when the cassette unit is mounted to the feeding-apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keiichiro Fukumasu
  • Patent number: 7798489
    Abstract: A media handling system for an image forming machine includes a stationary frame, a platform supporting a stack of media sheets thereon, a bin supporting the platform and in turn supported on the stationary frame for undergoing movement relative thereto between a first position in which the bin locates the platform below and aligned with a pick mechanism and movable relative to the bin toward and away from the pick mechanism and a second position in which the bin displaces the platform away from and out of alignment with the pick mechanism, and a motion transmitting assembly coupled between the stationary frame, platform and bin and operable to convert movement of the bin between first and second positions relative to the stationary frame into movement of the platform relative to the bin toward and away from the pick mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Andagan Baena, Jr., Moneleo De Castro Cedeno, Daniel Paul Cahill, William Paul Cook, Edward Lynn Triplett, Jason Lee Rowe
  • Patent number: 7758042
    Abstract: Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Kei Sawanaka, Akio Nemoto, Kazushi Nishikata, Masato Suzuki, Atsuya Takahashi, Shotaro Yoshimura, Mitsunari Ito
  • Patent number: 7753364
    Abstract: The sheet capacity of a pivoting feed head is combined with a complimentary pivoting design for the paper tray lift, such that a large total capacity of sheets is attained within a compact space, while allowing the lifting mechanisms to be located outside of the perimeter of the paper tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Lyga, James A. Salomon, James A. Fairweather, Norman R. Lilly, Anthony W. Chiappetta
  • Patent number: 7748702
    Abstract: A method and a device combine auxiliary and main stacks in a delivery or feeder of a machine for processing printing materials. The device includes a rake that can be moved in and out between the main and auxiliary stacks by a motor drive. A control computer controls the motor drive of the rake. Different speed profiles are stored in the control computer for the drive of the rake as a function of the printing materials in the stacks. A sheet-fed offset printing press having the device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Klaus Auer, Michael Bantlin, Uwe Peters, Rolf Spilger
  • Patent number: 7735822
    Abstract: A sheet cassette is adapted to be detachably attached to a cassette receiver of an information processing apparatus. A cassette body is formed with an opened space adapted to contain sheets therein. A stopper is operable to prevent a sheet from moving in a first direction to enter the opened space when a volume of the sheets contained in the opened space reaches a maximum containing capacity, while allowing the sheets contained in the opened space to move in a second direction to be fed to the information processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Aruga, Toshihiro Imae
  • Patent number: 7726647
    Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism includes a chassis for supporting a stack of sheets; a top sheet engaging member for engaging a top most sheet of the stack; a stack engaging structure for engaging the stack and biasing the top most sheet against the top sheet engaging member, the stack engaging structure hingedly connected to the chassis at a hinge axis; a friction surface extending from the stack engaging structure, the friction surface extending in a curvature parallel to a locus of the stack engaging structure about the hinge axis; a lock mechanism having a lock arm hingedly connected to the chassis at the hinge axis, the lock mechanism further having a biased contact foot for engaging the friction surface to retard a movement of the stack engaging structure about the hinge axis; and an actuator for engaging and disengaging the contact foot from the friction surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Geoffrey Philip Dyer, Robert John Brice, Attila Bertok, Gregory Michael Tow, Tobin Allen King, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7726645
    Abstract: A store for storing value sheets such as banknotes in a stack and for dispensing the value notes from the stack. When more than a single value sheet is dispensed from the stack, the store returns all but one of the value sheets to the stack while moving the stack to reduce friction between the returning value sheet and the topmost value sheet of the stack. Means for securing the stack are also provided: a support for the stack is anchored and/or extra pressure is applied to the stack. The store includes means for indicating when the stack contains more than a predetermined number of value sheets and means for preventing securing of the store when the predetermined number of value sheets is exceeded. A value sheet store with part of a sidewall integrally formed with the lid. A value sheet store which includes a lid attached to a housing by a hinge located on an edge of the housing. Apparatus and a method for determining the height of a stack of value sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: MEI, Inc.
    Inventors: Andre Gerlier, Roberto Polidoro, Guillermo Garcia, Christian Voser
  • Patent number: 7722032
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device, includes a sheet loading table; a sheet feeding member that feeds a sheet from an uppermost portion of sheets stacked on the sheet loading table; a regulating member that regulates a side of sheets, in a transverse direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction; an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes a sheet feeding section; a lowering mechanism that lowers the sheet loading table that holds sheets at a sheet feeding position, to a lower position by opening the opening and closing mechanism; an adjusting mechanism that adjusts a position of the regulating member in the transverse direction; and a holding mechanism that holds a position of the sheet loading table so as to hold the sheets at the sheet feeding position even when the opening and closing mechanism is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirobumi Sasaki, Tomoo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7712735
    Abstract: An unstacker device for unstacking flat objects comprises a motor-driven feed magazine controlled so as to move flat objects in a stack and on edge facing an unstacking head provided with a motor-driven drive having a perforated belt and a suction chamber, which motor driven drive is actuated so as to separate a current first object from the stack and so as to eject it in a direction that is transverse to the direction in which the stack of flat objects is moved, in which device the motor-driven drive is actuated and stopped each time a current object is unstacked, and the stack of flat objects is straightened up in the magazine in response to detection of signals delivered by a plurality of sensors disposed in the unstacking head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Solystic
    Inventors: Pierre Chorier-Pichon, Stephane Ambroise, Stephane Samain
  • Patent number: 7712736
    Abstract: A printer apparatus includes a paper cater plate portion for carrying paper on which an image is printed, a prescribed shaft portion arranged above the paper carrier plate portion, a paper feed roller for feeding the paper provided on the shaft portion, a pushing member for pushing the paper carrier plate portion toward the paper feed roller, a cam provided on the shaft portion, and a cam abutment portion provided in the paper cater plate portion and abutting on the earn. The cam is formed from a resin and includes a cut-out portion so that a portion of the cam abutting on the cam abutment portion when the paper cater plate portion is lifted is elastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Chinzei
  • Patent number: 7703762
    Abstract: When a paper feed cassette is again mounted, a pressing portion of a pressing member is brought into contact from the front side on a second surface of an extending portion of a contacting member, and the contacting member is pressed by the pressing member to be displaced from the retract position to the contact position. At this time, the pressing portion of the contacting member presses a pressed portion of a disc member to rotate a third cam itself in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. Accordingly, the lift lever locked by the third cam is released, and an end portion of an arm member is allowed to move upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Hattori