Holder Adjustable To Size Of Sheet Patents (Class 271/171)
  • Patent number: 7533880
    Abstract: A sheet cassette, which can accommodate sheets of different sizes and can detachably attachable in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction, includes side guides for regulating the positions of the accommodated sheets in a width direction and a rear regulation guide for regulating an edge of a sheet in the width direction in the vicinity of the rear edge of the sheet on a back side of the sheet cassette in a mounting direction, and the rear regulation guide is swingably disposed and regulates a position of the sheet by swinging a plurality of regulating surfaces corresponding to the sheets of the different sizes and moving to regulating positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Kawanishi, Akira Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20090115123
    Abstract: The sheet transport apparatus comprise a sheet supply tray, a separation roll, a support body and a separation roll accommodation portion. The sheet supply tray has a plurality of sheets. The separation roll separates out the sheets one by one by applying a transport resistance to the sheets transported from the sheet supply tray. The support body rotatably supports the separation roll. The separation roll accommodation portion is formed in a transport path along which the sheets are transported, and it accommodates the separation roll and the support body such that they may be detached from a transport surface side of the transport path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takakiyo TOBA, Hiroatsu KAZAMA, Takuya ITO, Nobutoshi HAMASAKI, Kouta TANAKA
  • Patent number: 7527259
    Abstract: A more intuitive and easier to use repositionable sheet stack edge guide, in which a single simple manual movement of a single visible upstanding member in either of the opposite possible repositioning directions can both automatically unlatch the edge guide latching system from its previously latched position by the partial pivoting of that member and also move the edge guide in its desired repositioning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Murray O. Meetze, Jr., David K. Young, Kenneth J. Rieck
  • Patent number: 7527258
    Abstract: A paper feed tray includes: a case that accommodates a stack of paper; a slide member that is provided to be slidable with respect to the case in accordance with the size of the paper; a guide member that is supported by the slide member and is provided with a regulation surface regulating an end portion of the paper; and a movable member that is provided with at least a portion of the regulation surface and is provided to be movable with respect to the slide member, the movable member serving as a portion of the guide member. The movable member is supported to be movable with respect to the slide member so that the regulation surface of the movable member is separated from the end portion of the paper when setting the paper. The movable member is urged toward a position where the end portion of the paper is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 7516956
    Abstract: For sheet stacking trays having a lowered sheet stacking position and raised sheet feeding positions, and repositionable stack edge guides, improved visual accuracy for the repositioning of the stack edge guide for different sheet sizes is provided by automatically extending out an elongated visual indicator from the repositionable stack edge guide to closely overlay the correct corresponding stack size visual indicia from a spaced array of such indicia when the tray is in said lowered sheet stacking position, and automatically pivotally lifting this elongated visual indicator up away from any possible obstruction of the raising of the tray for sheet feeding. The indicator may further provide a reading window surrounding the correct indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Julia Allwright, Andrew K. Balm, Rebecca Mallaband
  • Patent number: 7516955
    Abstract: A tray unit can accommodate a stack of recording mediums. A side fence performs alignment of the stack of the recording mediums in one direction and an end fence performs alignment in another direction. A first lever has a first corrugated portion and it pivots with the tray unit according to sliding motion of the side fence. A second lever has a second corrugated portion and it pivots with the tray unit according to sliding motion of the end fence. A sensor is provided integrally with the tray unit and has portions that are selectively pressed by a composite corrugated portion formed of the first corrugated portion and the second corrugated portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Masaru Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 7513497
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main body for performing an image forming operation, and a sheet feeding cassette detachably mounted in the main body. The sheet feeding cassette includes: a pair of cursors spaced apart a predetermined distance and facing each other for regulating a size of a recording sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette; a rack provided on each of the pair of cursors; a pinion provided between the racks and engaged with each of the racks; and a boss for supporting the pinion rotatably, the pair of cursors being movable in conjunction with each other by the way of racks and the pinion. Further, a rib is provided adjacently to the pinion at a predetermined space. The rib is operable to come in contact with the pinion to thereby keep the pinion from moving in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 7510181
    Abstract: A sheet-supply cassette including a main member which is open upward and which is adapted to store recording sheets that are stacked on each other; an auxiliary member which is open upward and which is adapted to support respective trailing end portions of the recording sheets as seen in a sheet-feed direction in which each of the recording sheets is fed, wherein the auxiliary member is attached to the main member such that the auxiliary member is movable relative to the main member, in each of opposite directions parallel to the sheet-feed direction, so that the auxiliary member is engaged with the main member at an arbitrary one of engagement positions; first engaging portions which are distant from each other in the sheet-feed direction; and an elastically deformable portion including, as an integral portion thereof, a second engaging portion which can engage an arbitrary one of the first engaging portions so as to define a corresponding one of the engagement positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Kozaki
  • Publication number: 20090072471
    Abstract: The present application is directed to methods and devices for restraining media in an input tray of an image forming device. In one embodiment, a media restraint device includes a movable partition including a primary section and a secondary section. At least one locking mechanism selectively locks the primary section to the input tray, and the secondary section to the primary section. The locking mechanism unlocks either the primary section or the secondary section when the other is at a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jason Lee Rowe, Rommel Cabanet Balala, Dennis Dela Paz, Hazel Joy C. Peralta
  • Publication number: 20090066011
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a cassette main body that stacks a paper therein, a sidewall that moves in a width direction of the cassette main body, an end wall that moves in a longitudinal direction of the cassette main body, a first movable member that is connected at one end to the sidewall and rotates around a shaft axially fixed to the cassette main body in connection with the sidewall, a second movable member that is connected at one end to the end wall and rotates around a shaft axially fixed to the cassette main body in connection with the end wall, a first detection unit that has a plurality of detection members and detects the size of the paper in the width direction, and a second detection unit that has a plurality of detection members and detects the size of the paper in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro OHNO, Yousuke Ushiyama, Tokihiko Ise, Toshihiro Matsushima, Tetsuo Shiba
  • Publication number: 20090051101
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet size detection device including a sheet width direction regulating member, a sheet conveyance direction regulating member, two levers, a detection sensor, and a pattern supplementing device. The levers each have a concavo-convex pattern and interlock with the regulating members, respectively, and are superimposed to have the same center of rotation and the same locus formed by a leading end of the concavo-convex pattern. The concavo-convex pattern of at least one of the levers is shaped to prevent, in a detection pattern, erroneous detection attributed to positional displacement of the concavo-convex pattern. The detection sensor including push switches detects the sheet size according to a combined concavo-convex pattern formed by the superimposed levers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: Masaru Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 7487963
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet supplying unit that accommodates a sheet and has a bottom surface on which the sheet is placed and a supporting portion disposed above the bottom surface, the bottom surface having an auxiliary support unit; a transport unit that transports the sheet from the sheet supplying unit while turning over the sheet; and a recording unit that performs recording on the sheet transported by the transport unit. The auxiliary support unit is extendable and retractable with respect to the bottom surface along a traveling direction of the sheet and is capable of supporting the sheet transported from the recording unit in cooperation with the supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Shiohara, Tetsuo Asada
  • Patent number: 7484727
    Abstract: Provided is a removably detachable portable media cassette for a printing apparatus. The media cassette of a printing apparatus includes a loading case to load a first medium. A spacer is detachably installed on the loading case to guide two or more media having different sizes from that of the first medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-Sok Yang
  • Patent number: 7484728
    Abstract: On a center of the front surface of a positioning member 10, positioning projections 25a to 25d are provided in line in such a manner as to project therefrom. On both a left and a right sides of the positioning projections 25a to 25d, scales 27a displaying metric paper sizes and scales 27b displaying inch-based paper sizes are inscribed. The positioning member 10 is horizontally inverted through 180 degrees and a direction indication line 29a on the scale 27a side or a direction indication line 29b on the scale 27b side is aligned with a fitting reference line 30 for fixation to the positioning member 10, thereby permitting switching between positioning for a metric paper size and positioning for an inch-based paper size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Yonemoto
  • Publication number: 20090026694
    Abstract: The paper feeding cassette 10 has the cassette frame 10 for loading and storing paper, and the width-wise cursor 20 which is disposed in the cassette frame 10 and movably carries out the positioning of paper in the paper-width direction intersecting at right angles with the paper feeding direction, and can be pulled out from a machine main body. Provided are the plurality of engagement holes 14 formed in the cassette frame 10 corresponding to a paper width, the through-holes 23 formed through the width-wise cursor 20, and the lock pins 40 which engage with the engagement holes 14 via the through-holes 23 to prevent the width-wise cursor 20 from deviating in the paper-width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventor: Keiji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7481426
    Abstract: A medium feeder is adapted to feed a target medium to a liquid ejecting section in which liquid is ejected toward the target medium. A feeding roller is adapted to come in contact with the target medium, thereby feeding the target medium in a first direction. A first supporter opposes the feeding roller and has a first supporting face adapted to support the target medium. A second supporter is disposed in an upper side of the first supporter and has a second supporting face adapted to support the target medium. A first edge guide is provided on the first supporter so as to be movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and has a first guiding face adapted to come in contact with a first side edge of the target medium. A second edge guide is provided on the second supporter so as to be movable in the second direction, and has a second guiding face adapted to come in contact with the first side edge of the target medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Otsuka, Atsuhiko Takeuchi, Toshio Miyake, Yuji Miyamoto, Daisuke Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20090008869
    Abstract: A paper feeding unit and an image forming apparatus having the same capable of maintaining a constant paper feeding force regardless of a size of paper. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, a printing unit provided in the main body to form an image on paper, a paper feeding unit to supply the paper into the main body, and a force adjusting unit. The paper feeding unit includes a paper feeding cassette to load paper therein, a knock-up plate to guide the paper loaded in the paper feeding cassette to a pickup device, an elastic member to elastically bias the knock-up plate toward the pickup device, and guide sides provided at both sides of the knock-up plate. The guide sides are adjusted along a distance therebetween according to a width of the paper. The force adjusting unit adjusts an elastic force of the elastic member when the distance between the guide sides is adjusted according to a size of the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang Min Youn
  • Patent number: 7469893
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet loading device, which comprises a sheet tray adapted to place thereon a sheet stack consisting of a plurality of stacked sheets, a pair of side fences disposed on the side on a top surface of the sheet tray to sandwich the sheet stack therebetween in a direction orthogonal to a sheet loading direction, a pair of racks attached to respective ones of the pair of side fences and disposed on the side of a bottom surface of the sheet tray to extend in mutually opposed directions of the pair of side fences, and a pinion adapted to be rotated about a pinion shaft penetrating the sheet tray and engaged with the racks. The pinion has a first surface opposite to the bottom surface of the sheet tray, and a second surface located on the opposite side of the first surface and provided coaxially with a flange having a diameter greater than that of an engaged portion of the pinion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 7467791
    Abstract: A recording medium feeding device including: a feeding member that feeds a recording medium; a plate on which the recording medium is placed; a power outputting section that outputs a power for elevating the plate in a direction of pressing the recording medium against the feeding member; and a power transmitting section that transmits the power outputted from the power outputting section to the plate, the power transmitting section being adapted so as not to transmit the power to the plate, when a repulsive force against the power for elevating the plate is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryoichi Matsushima
  • Patent number: 7464927
    Abstract: A sheet-feeding cassette includes: a stacking member including first engaging sections and second engaging sections provided at intervals which are smaller than those of the first engaging sections; and a regulatory member regulating the position of sheets, the regulatory member including an operation section that is operated at the time of movement of the regulatory member and is capable of being displaced, a first engaged section that is capable of engaging with the first engaging sections and is elastically deformable, and a second engaged section that is capable of engaging with the second engaging sections. The second engaged section is displaced in a direction so as to be disengaged from the second engaging sections in accordance with displacement of the operation section, and the first engaged section is elastically deformed as a result of being interlocked with the second engaged section according to displacement of the operation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Ito, Makoto Hattori
  • Patent number: 7455290
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device is adapted to feed a sheet to a sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeding device has a stacking plate, a first guiding member, and an angle adjustment mechanism. The stacking plate is adapted for sheets to be stacked thereon. The first guiding member is adapted to move on the stacking plate along a width dimension thereof perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction. The first guiding member is also adapted to rotate around a vertical axis. The first guiding member has a vertical guiding surface for positioning the sheets disposed on the stacking plate. The angle adjustment mechanism is adapted to rotate the guiding member around the vertical axis, for slanting the guiding member with the vertical guiding surface at an angle with the sheet feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Nakashima, Toyoaki Nanba, Yasuhiro Takai
  • Patent number: 7448614
    Abstract: In a sheet storing portion, a sheet tray which supports a sheet and a side regulating plate which moves depending on a sheet size to regulate a side end of the sheet are arranged. A notched portion to make it possible to move the side regulating plate is formed in the sheet tray, and a swingable auxiliary tray which constitutes the same plane as that of a sheet support surface of the sheet tray is arranged in the notched portion to prevent the sheet from being hanged down at the notched portion of the sheet tray. A hole into which the auxiliary tray can be inserted is formed in a side surface of the side regulating plate for the sheet. When the sheet tray moves upward to a predetermined position, the auxiliary tray is designed such that the auxiliary tray is brought into contact with a contact portion formed on an upper end of the hole and is swingably retreated downward, so that a sheet regulating surface of the side regulating plate can be assured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Koga
  • Patent number: 7441769
    Abstract: A detector detects a size of a recording medium stored in a tray of a device. The tray includes a first regulating member that can slide in a width direction of the recording medium, and a second regulating member that can slide in a feed direction of the recording medium. A first movable member engages with the first regulating member, and a second movable member, overlapped by the first movable member, engages with the second regulating member. Both the first and second movable members rotate around a common pivot and include convex members on peripheral edges thereof. Switches are selectively pressed by the convex members when the tray is attached to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Miki
  • Patent number: 7434801
    Abstract: A versatile paper feeding device of an image forming apparatus includes a pick-up roller, a paper support tray under the pick-up roller to stack paper on, a paper support expansion tray to be able to freely slide toward or away from the paper support tray to support the trailing edge of the paper, a forward positioned paper alignment guide on the paper support tray to align a leading end portion of the paper, and a second paper alignment member formed on the paper support expansion tray to align a following end portion of the paper. When the versatile paper feeding device is used to print images on paper of various sizes, the paper can be properly positioned and straightly fed without skewing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-seung Yang
  • Patent number: 7429041
    Abstract: An apparatus for feeding a sheet to a processing device processing the sheet is disclosed that includes: a feeder tray displaceable to a selected one of a retracted position and an unfolded position relative to the processing device, and having a sheet-loaded plane on which the sheet to be fed is to be loaded; a pair of edge guides disposed at the sheet-loaded plane, having a pair of corresponding respective side walls co-extending along a feeding direction of the sheet in opposed relation with each other, to thereby guide lateral edges of the sheet; and a supporting device supporting each of the edge guides pivotably about a pivot axis perpendicular to the feeding direction, to thereby allow the each edge guide to be displaced to a selected one of a standing position on the sheet-loaded plane and an inclined position inclined to the standing position,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Yokoi
  • Patent number: 7413188
    Abstract: A paper feed cassette capable of detecting the size of the recording medium loaded on the paper feed cassette, and an image formation device comprising this recording medium size detector. Side fences and an end fence are slidably provided to a cassette body detachably installed in the body case, and a first movable member which moves in synchronization with the sliding motion of the side fences, and a second movable member which moves in synchronization with the sliding motion of the end fence are provided to the cassette body in an overlapping state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Miki
  • Patent number: 7407159
    Abstract: A multipurpose tray includes a first tray having a first loading surface and a second tray provided to be freely slidable along a predetermined direction with respect to the first tray. The second tray has a second loading surface with an area continuous to the first loading surface changing according to its slide movement. The first tray is provided with a first lever opening and the second tray is provided with a second lever opening with a changing distance L from the first lever opening along a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. The multipurpose tray further includes a lever having one end guided by the first lever opening and the other end guided by the second lever opening, and a sheet pressing part provided at the one end of the lever and regulating the sheet position in the direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. With this configuration, usability of the multipurpose tray can be improved while it can be made sufficiently small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Tazika
  • Patent number: 7389984
    Abstract: A width-adjustable sheet tray includes a sheet supporting part, left and right rollers, a ring-shaped flexible transmission component, and left and right guiding components. The supporting part has left and right guiding slots. The left and right rollers are attached to a backside of the supporting part. A line connecting rotation centers of the left and right rollers is defined as a central line. The transmission component surrounds the left roller and the right roller and includes first and second portions on opposite sides of the central line. The left guiding component passing through the left guiding slot is fixed to the first portion. The right guiding component passing through the right guiding slot is fixed to the second portion. Thus, the left and right guiding components can be moved close to and away from each other through the transmission component so as to hold and guide the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Chih Jen Tsai
  • Publication number: 20080128976
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus with a paper size determining means includes a paper tray, paper guide, a belt, a roller set, a sensing mechanism and a control unit. The paper tray has a front surface for supporting paper and a rear surface. The paper guide is movably disposed on the paper tray and for abutting against an edge of the paper in the paper tray. The roller set is rotatably disposed on the rear surface. The belt, connected to the paper guide and wound around the roller set, synchronously moves the paper guide and rotates the roller set. The sensing mechanism disposed on the rear surface senses a to-be-sensed component disposed on the belt or the roller set and thus outputs a sensing signal. The control unit receives the sensing signal and thus determines size of the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventor: Yuing Chang
  • Patent number: 7377509
    Abstract: A sheet feed cassette includes a case, and right and left guide members that are disposed in the case and guide edges of a sheet parallel with a sheet feeding direction. The guide members are movable in a sheet width direction in synchronization with each other. The guide members are adjusted in association with a size of the sheet to be accommodated in a sheet accommodation area. The right guide member includes a slide member and a leaf spring attached to the slide member. As the right guide member is moved toward a side wall of the case, a protrusion extending from the side wall contacts the leaf spring, through a slit formed on the slide member. The leaf spring is deformed and the sheet accommodation area in the case gradually becomes larger toward a sheet stacking direction from a bottom of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20080111875
    Abstract: A medium supplying mechanism that supplies medium to be supplied with one end of each medium serving as a reference includes a medium supporting unit having a plurality of extendable and contractable supporting portions that are disposed in steps and that support the medium. Supporting widths and dispositions of the supporting portions of the respective steps are determined so that the supporting portions are capable of supporting the medium having the largest size among the medium with a central line in a widthwise direction of the medium having the largest size serving as a symmetry axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Nagashima, Junya Kato, Hiroshi Shiohara
  • Patent number: 7370860
    Abstract: An automatic edge guide assembly comprises a sheet feeding mechanism, a slide housing mounted within the sheet feeding mechanism and an edge guide slidably connected to the slide housing. The edge guide is biased by a first biasing force and a second biasing force, wherein the first force is greater than the second force, allowing for automatic edge alignment within a predetermined range of widths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund H. James, III, Randal S. Williamson
  • Patent number: 7364153
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a cassette configured to accommodate recording media, and a recording media feeding member configured to feed out the recording media accommodated in the cassette. The cassette includes a tray main body part including a stacking plate configured to have the recording media stacked thereon, and a recording media conveying guide part configured to detachably connect to the tray main body part. The recording media conveying guide part includes a raising member configured to raise the stacking plate toward the recording media feeding member, and a raising and lowering member connected to the raising member and configured to raise and lower the stacking plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Takahashi, Kazuyuki Uchida, Mitsuru Yamada, Mamoru Yorimoto
  • Patent number: 7356302
    Abstract: A manual paper supply device is equipped with a paper shear prevention member 35 for preventing shear of the paper 9 loaded into the manual feed paper supply tray. A brush 36 is arranged on the paper shear prevention member 35 to make contact with the paper 9; and the brush 36 is arranged to form an acute angle against the paper 9 in the paper 9 feed direction G. Skewing and floating of the paper 9 are prevented accordingly when the paper 9 is set. Further, the generation of multi-feed and marking of the paper 9 is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyonori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7347415
    Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus of an image forming apparatus has a paper setting unit that includes a knock-up plate raising/lowering portion raising and lowering a knock-up plate with respect to a pickup roller, a paper guide slidably formed on the knock-up plate to guide papers in accordance with a paper size, and a finger device portion formed on both sides of the frame to press both corners of a leading end of a paper when the paper is picked up by the pickup roller, thereby causing the papers to be separated and fed sheet by sheet. By providing the finger device portion that presses both corners of the leading end of the paper with a predetermined pressure, the papers can be picked up and fed sheet by sheet, and undesired phenomenon, such as paper jam, and double-, or multi-sheet feed, can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeung-ok Choi, legal representative, Hwa-sung Shin
  • Publication number: 20080067735
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of an edge registration system and method. The embodiments employ a compiling tray with a fixed side edge. A movable backstop stops each sheet as it is fed into the tray. A tamper tamps each sheet against the fixed side edge. The registered stack is then aligned with one or more finishing mechanisms by a repositioner that laterally repositions the stack and by the movable backstop that repositions the stack between the front and back ends of the tray. Because the fixed side edge covers the entire paper length and because the paper is only tamped a short distance to achieve registration, the system provides greater support for squaring the sheets. Additionally, because the paper is only tamped a short distance to achieve registration and because the backstop is only moved during alignment of the stack with a finishing mechanism, the system is capable of improving productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Inventors: Yanmin Mao, Hongfeng Xu
  • Publication number: 20080061496
    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: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Susumu HASHIMOTO, Toshiki Ohgita, Hidetoshi Kaneko, Masayuki Nagatani
  • Publication number: 20080044216
    Abstract: A paper size detecting apparatus includes a paper width guider configured to move from side to side to set paper sheets loaded in a paper feeding part in a widthwise direction, a detecting sensor disposed at the paper width guider, and a detected band disposed at the paper feeding part in a widthwise direction of the paper sheets to face the detecting sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun KIM
  • Patent number: 7331577
    Abstract: An apparatus to guide a printing sheet in an office machine such as a printer. The apparatus includes a sheet guide to guide and set the printing sheet placed in a plate which forms a printing sheet tray or cassette, a slide-fixing part to movably dispose the sheet guide on the plate, a locking part to lock the sheet guide to the plate after the sheet is guided and set by the sheet guide, and a pivot prevention part having a pair of racks formed parallel to each other on the plate, and a pair of pinions rotatably disposed in the sheet guide to engage the respective ones of racks. The pivot prevention part disperses a force imparted to the sheet guide, thereby enabling the sheet guide to move parallel with an edge of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-ho Park
  • Publication number: 20080001346
    Abstract: A more intuitive and easier to use repositionable sheet stack edge guide, in which a single simple manual movement of a single visible upstanding member in either of the opposite possible repositioning directions can both automatically unlatch the edge guide latching system from its previously latched position by the partial pivoting of that member and also move the edge guide in its desired repositioning direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Murray O. Meetze, David K. Young, Kenneth J. Rieck
  • Publication number: 20070290434
    Abstract: A sheet storing device capable of storing a plurality of sheets, which feeds a sheet of the stored sheets, includes: a side regulating member which regulates a side portion of the stored sheets that is in parallel with a feeding direction of the sheets; and a side regulating member adjusting unit in which one end side of the side regulating member in the feeding direction serves as a fulcrum, and the other end side of the side regulating member in the feeding direction is capable of being rotated, and an angle of the side regulating member with respect to the feeding direction is capable of being adjusted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yujiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 7309005
    Abstract: An ATM currency cassette is adjustable to hold currency of different heights. An assembly is removably connected to the inside of the cassette lid. With the lid in the closed position the currency is maintained in a proper position by the assembly. The assembly is adjustable to achieve different spacing arrangements. The cassette can hold a first sized currency with a first spacing arrangement and a second sized currency with a second spacing arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Diebold Self-Service Systems division of Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Jon Washington, Eric VanKeulen, Gregory Spicer, H. Thomas Graef
  • Patent number: 7302223
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming device body having an image forming unit in the interior thereof, and at least one paper tray attached to the image forming device on which paper is to be mounted. The paper tray includes a paper mounting unit having a paper mounting surface on which paper is to be mounted, and at least one movable auxiliary mounting unit. The auxiliary mounting unit is supported by the paper mounting unit, and includes an auxiliary mounting surface that is deployed from the paper mounting unit and which serves to extend the mounting surface. The brightnesses of the mounting surface and the auxiliary mounting surface of the paper tray are lower than the brightness of the paper to be mounted on each mounting surface, and the brightness of at least a portion of the auxiliary mounting surface is higher than the brightness of the mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuro Kawashima
  • Patent number: 7290762
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a printing mechanism and a print media source for supplying print media sheets to the printing mechanism. The print media source includes a first media tray for holding a first print media, a second media tray for holding a second print media, and a sheet feeder mechanism having a sheet picking roller located to pick a top sheet of print media in the print media source, the top sheet of print media being located in one of the first media tray and the second media tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: William Michael Connors, Victor David Hair, Tommy Otis Lowe
  • Patent number: 7290764
    Abstract: A tab guide is provided for aligning tab stock in a paper tray of a printer having a trail edge guide including a substantially planar sheet-engaging face and a stack height finger extending from the sheet engaging face in a process direction for engaging a top surface of a top sheet on a stack adjacent the trailing edge of the sheet. The tab guide comprises a top flange, a trailing edge flange and a mount. The top flange has a top surface and a sheet-engaging surface. The trailing edge flange has a substantially planar trailing edge-engaging surface. The mount couples the top flange and the trailing edge flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Marasco
  • Patent number: 7284754
    Abstract: A sheet cassette includes a tray main body part, and a tray expansion/contraction part supported by the tray main body part and configured to slide relative to the tray main body part to a cassette expanded position where the sheet cassette is in an expanded state and a cassette contracted position where the sheet cassette is in a contracted state. The tray expansion/contraction part includes a rear end regulation member configured to be moved in a direction in which recording media stacked in the sheet cassette are fed to regulate rear ends of the recording media and a sliding guide part configured to support the rear end regulation member to freely slide and forming a moving path of the rear end regulation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Takahashi, Kazuyuki Uchida, Mitsuru Yamada, Mamoru Yorimoto
  • Publication number: 20070222140
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has: a tray on which sheets to be fed are stacked; a sheet feeding portion which separates and feeds the sheets stacked on the tray one by one; and a sensor which discriminates a type of sheet. In a state in which one sheet of the sheets stacked on the tray is protruded from the tray by the sheet feeding portion, the sensor discriminates the type of the protruded sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi TSUCHIDA
  • Patent number: 7267336
    Abstract: An auxiliary tray frame is attached attachably/reattachably to a tray unit. The auxiliary tray frame is a rectangular frame including a front frame portion, a rear frame portion, and both side frame portions. A fore-end of the auxiliary tray frame fits into a cut-out formed in a front wall of the tray unit, and a space surrounded by the front wall of the tray unit, and the auxiliary-tray rear frame portion and opposing side frame portions forms a small-sized paper sheet-accommodating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7261290
    Abstract: A small or special media guide-in tray including a media tray, an aperture disposed in the media tray, first and second opposed guide arms extending through the aperture and biased to a first position. The first and second opposed guide arms are pivotally mounted and are synchronously movable when small media is inserted. The opposed guide arms and biasing are used to automatically center the small media as it is inserted between the guide arms. The guide-in tray may be utilized with media handling devices having an L-path media feed wherein the guide-in media tray is incorporated in an input tray or in a C-path media feed wherein the guide-in media tray is incorporated in an exit tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Funk, Kevin M. Johnson, Michael W. Lawrence, Bryan C. Scharf
  • Publication number: 20070194517
    Abstract: A paper tray unit includes a paper size sensor which is attached to a paper tray and determines a paper size in a paper width direction by detecting a position of a paper width guide. In the paper tray unit, a movable member moves in a paper feed direction accompanying movement of the paper width guide. The position of the paper width guide is detected by the paper size sensor detecting or not detecting the movable member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: MURATA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka NOSE, Toshihiro KAWAMURA