To Receiver For Pack Of Sheets Patents (Class 271/207)
  • Publication number: 20130134660
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a sheet container, a sheet stacking member to closably open the sheet container; a restriction unit to restrict a swinging movement of the sheet stacking member, and a stopper mechanism to restrict insertion of the sheet container into the image forming apparatus in a state in which the sheet stacking member swings open from the sheet container. The stopper mechanism includes a stopped member provided to the sheet container and being movable vertically along the swinging movement of the sheet stacking member, and a stopper member provided to the image forming apparatus and being contactable with the stopped member. The stopped member includes a stopped surface contacted by the stopper member in a state in which the stopped member is lifted; and a switching surface adjacent to the stopped surface and vertically moving the stopped member by contact against the stopper member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryoh Idehara, Satoshi Kunioka
  • Patent number: 8444141
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: an first stack portion which temporarily stacks a sheet thereon; a first stack portion which is disposed under the first stack portion and stacks thereon a sheet discharged from the first stack portion; a second stack portion which is disposed above the first stack portion and stacks a sheet thereon; a stack reference wall which serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the second stack portion; and an alignment reference wall which is disposed more upstream in the sheet conveyance direction than the stack reference wall and serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the first stack portion; wherein the second stack portion has such a length that an end of the sheet stacked on the first stack portion cannot project from the second stack portion, as viewed from above in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Sekiyama, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Atsushi Ogata, Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8439497
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus has a compact arrangement of an inkjet printer; and a flat bed scanner unit. The scanner has a scanner head, a glass panel for receiving media to be scanned and a lid having an inner surface for flat engagement with the glass panel. The lid also has an outer surface presenting a flat surface for receiving media printed by the printer and awaiting collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Zamtec Ltd
    Inventors: Tobin Allen King, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 8433236
    Abstract: A paper processing apparatus includes: a discharging unit that discharges the paper onto a staple tray; a paper returning unit that reverses the paper discharged by the discharging unit and performs alignment in a conveying direction by abutting the paper against a rear end reference fence; a supporting unit that supports the discharging unit in a state capable of coming in contact with or separating from the paper; a contact and separation unit by which the discharging unit comes in contact with or separates from the paper; and a pressurizing unit that is moved by the contact and separation unit, does not load the discharging unit in a standby state where the discharging unit is held apart from the paper, and applies contact pressure in a state where the discharging unit is in contact with the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Terumitsu Azuma, Shigefumi Soga, Takeshi Hirabayashi, Kentaro Fukami, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi, Hiroki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8424870
    Abstract: A sheet handling device including a sheet transport path, a transport mechanism adapted to advance a sheet along the transport path with a non-uniform speed, and a discharge mechanism arranged at the transport path for taking over the sheet from the transport mechanism and discharging it into a tray, wherein the discharge mechanism is adapted to convey the sheet with a momentary speed that is different from that of the transport mechanism; and wherein a portion of the transport path between the transport mechanism and the discharge mechanism is curved along a buffer space to allow the sheet to bend within the buffer space and thereby to absorb the speed difference between the transport mechanism and the discharge mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus J. J. Van Soest
  • Patent number: 8408540
    Abstract: A sheet ejection device including: a sheet stacking section; a sheet trailing edge hitting section; a pair of sheet holding members for holding a sheet or plural sheets placed one on top of another at a sheet holding position, and moving the same to the sheet stacking position; and a friction member that is provided on one of the sheet holding members and that comes in contact with the topmost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking section; wherein, when the sheet holding members reach the sheet stacking position, one of the sheet holding members is moved upstream in the sheet ejecting direction, whereby the trailing edge of the held sheet is made to hit against the sheet trailing edge hitting section, and the friction member comes in contact with the topmost sheet, and then the topmost sheet is biased toward the sheet trailing edge hitting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20130075969
    Abstract: A paper discharge tray includes a placing part on which a recording medium discharged from a paper discharge part is placed; and a projection which is provided on the placing part and includes plural apexes arranged in a paper discharge direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicants: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Masashi AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8385765
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of selectively discharging a sheet having an image formed with toner on one surface thereof and a sheet having images formed with toner on both surfaces thereof includes a fixing unit configured to fix a toner image on a sheet, a sheet stacking portion configured to stack sheets each having the toner image fixed thereon, and a control portion configured to control a maximum sheet stacking amount of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking portion. The control portion controls the maximum sheet stacking amount set when sheets, at least one of which has the toner images formed on both surfaces thereof, are stacked to be smaller than the maximum sheet stacking amount set when sheets each having the toner image formed on one surface thereof are stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kozo Inoue
  • Patent number: 8376355
    Abstract: In a sheet discharge device, sheets are sequentially discharged by a sheet discharge roller with a leading end of each of the sheets in the lead in a sheet discharge direction and stacked on a sheet receiving tray inclining relative to a vertical direction. A sheet reverse member is disposed at such a position relative to the sheet receiving tray and the sheet discharge roller that a trailing end of a first sheet discharged by the sheet discharge roller reaches the sheet reverse member before a leading end of a second sheet discharged subsequently to the first sheet collides with the first sheet when a sheet time interval between the trailing end of the first sheet and the leading end of the second sheet is set to a minimum sheet time interval available in continuous sheet discharge in the sheet discharge device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugitani, Naoya Masuda, Kazuyuki Aoki
  • Patent number: 8371577
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device for a sheet handling system, a method and a computer program product are provided for controlling a sheet stacking device of a sheet handling system. The sheet stacking device includes at least one sheet entrance pathway for receiving incoming sheets and a sheet output unit with at least one output tray for stacking the received sheets to form a at least one stack on the at least one output tray. The sheet stacking device further includes a control unit for determining the weight of the stack on the at least one output tray and for providing a control signal if the determined weight exceeds a predetermined value, and a stack separating mechanism for distinguishing two or more stacks on the same output tray, said stack separating mechanism being controlled by the control unit to limit the weight of the distinguished stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: OCE Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Erik J. W. Schoenmakers
  • Patent number: 8371576
    Abstract: A media sheet stacking implement for an image forming apparatus according to one example embodiment includes an exit nip formed by a first exit roller and a second exit roller for advancing media in a media process direction along a media path and delivering the media to an output bin of the image forming apparatus. A pinching element is mounted along the media path downstream from the exit nip. The pinching element has at least one first member and at least one second member movable relative to the at least one first member between a closed state and an open state. An actuating mechanism is operatively coupled with the pinching element for moving the pinching element between the closed state and the open state to allow the pinching element to hold a trailing end of a media sheet to be delivered to the output bin when in the closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Darron Palmer Cundick, Daniel Lee Thomas
  • Patent number: 8366107
    Abstract: A media presenter is described. The media presenter comprises: a chassis including a central track; a nose coupled to the chassis at a nose end of the chassis; and a carriage. The nose includes a presenting end distal from the chassis, and a nose track arranged to couple to the central track to provide a presenting track extending from the chassis to the presenting end. The carriage is mounted on the presenting track for movement therealong, and comprises a carriage body and a carriage plate movable between an open position at which media items can be placed on the carriage plate, and a closed position for clamping media items between the carriage plate and the carriage body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Deas, Gordon Burke, Michael Rennie, Scott L. Colston
  • Publication number: 20130026702
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus move, when stacking a sheet on a stacking tray, a supporting tray disposed to freely appear above the stacking tray to a first position in which the supporting tray projects above the stacking tray and supports the sheet stacked on an intermediate stacking tray. When these apparatuses discharge a processed sheet bundle, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the first position to a second position in which the supporting tray supports an edge of the discharged sheet in an upstream side in a discharging direction, and guides the moving sheet bundle to a stacking wall. Further, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the second position to a third position at predetermined timing, so that the supporting tray stops supporting the sheet bundle and stacks the sheet bundle on the sheet bundle previously stacked on the stacking tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Gamo
  • Publication number: 20130015623
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a decolorizing device includes a first stacker to stack sheets to be decolorized images on the sheets, a second stacker arranged adjacent to the first stacker, wherein the sheets stacked on the first stacker is kept waiting on the second stacker in order to be decolorized the images, a pressing unit to urge the sheets stacked on the second stacker downward and keep the sheets stacked on the second stacker flat, an image decolorizing unit to decolorize the images on the sheets, and a sheet feed unit positioned on an upper surface of the pressing unit to convey the sheets pressed on the pressing unit from the second stacker to the image decolorizing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Ken IGUCHI, Isao YAHATA, Takahiro KAWAGUCHI, Hiroyuki TAGUCHI, Hiroyuki TSUCHIHASHI, Hiroyuki TAKI
  • Patent number: 8348263
    Abstract: A first stacker is configured so that a support surface includes a base-side support surface that forms a planar shape on the base end side of the support surface and a leading edge-side support surface that forms a planar shape that tilts upward toward the leading edge. A second stacker is configured so that a support surface forms a planar shape, and is held in a tilted orientation during use so that the support surface of the second stacker continues to the leading edge of the second stacker in the same upward-tilted state with respect to the leading edge-side support surface of the first stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Aya Otani, Shinichiro Yoshikawa, Satoshi Tamai
  • Patent number: 8336877
    Abstract: A medium discharging device includes a medium stacking portion, a medium discharge member and a moving mechanism. A medium having an image recorded thereon is to be stacked on the medium stacking portion. The medium discharge member discharges the medium to the medium stacking portion. The moving mechanism includes a separation member. Based on a discharge timing at which the medium is discharged from the medium discharge member, the separation member moves the medium discharge member between an advanced position at a downstream end in the medium conveyance direction and a retracted position that is located upstream of the advanced position in the medium conveyance direction, to separate from the medium discharge member a rear end of the discharged medium in the medium conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Nakamura, Kiyomi Nakamura, legal representative, Youetsu Oyama, Akihiro Yamada
  • Publication number: 20120313317
    Abstract: A conveying roller conveys a sheet. A sheet holding portion receives a sheet from below and holds the received sheet with keeping its forward end upward and its rear end downward. The sheet holding portion has: a storing guide provided in a vertical state and having a guide surface configured to guide the received sheet upward; a conveying guide provided to face the guide surface and having a curved surface portion whose distance from the guide surface increases in the upward direction; and a holding member provided between the guide surface and the curved surface portion and configured to roll on the curved surface portion toward the guide surface to nip the received sheet with the guide surface. An inclination angle of the curved surface portion with respect to the guide surface decreases with distance from the guide surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Gamo, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata
  • Patent number: 8320030
    Abstract: A storing and processing apparatus for a record member includes: a record member storing portion that stores therein a record member being transported along the record member transport route; a moving unit that moves up or down the record member storing portion; a positioning and storing portion that temporarily positions and stores the record member; an arranging unit that stocks and arranges record members in the positioning and storing portion; a discharge member that discharges, from a discharge position, the record member existing on the record member transport route or on the positioning and storing portion toward the record member storing portion; a record member type determining unit and, a control unit that drives the moving unit to move up or down the record member storing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8315550
    Abstract: A method executed by an image forming apparatus for producing a print job, which includes the steps of: (a) receiving data representing a document to be printed in the print job; (b) receiving job information about the print job, the job information including an instruction to print multiple copies of the document; (c) printing the multiple copies of the document; and (d) ejecting one sheet of each of the multiple copies of the document at an ejection speed, that is either greater than or less than an ejection speed of the other sheets of the multiple copies of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventors: Shaun Pinney, Hoa Hu
  • Publication number: 20120288310
    Abstract: This invention regards to a sheet storage apparatus. A forward and reversely rotatable conveying roller 301 which conveys a sheet to a tray 330 is disposed at a sheet conveying path R which guides the sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus main body to the tray of the sheet storage apparatus 300. A retraction path 503 where the sheet is conveyed by reversely rotating the conveying roller is branched from the sheet conveying path upstream of the conveying roller. When plural sheets are stored in the tray, the sheets are conveyed to the retraction path by reversely rotating the conveying roller until a final sheet has been conveyed from the image forming apparatus main body, and when the final sheet has been conveyed, the sheets conveyed to the retraction path and the final sheet are conveyed in a state of being overlaid on one another to the tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisaku Kamiya, Hideki Kushida, Naoto Tokuma, Toshiyuki Iwata, Toshiki Momoka
  • Patent number: 8302962
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing device is provided in which no load is imposed on a primary drive which drives a pressing part for pressing the paper sheets stacked and accommodated and a shutter for opening and closing an insertion slot. The paper sheet processing device of the present invention has an insertion slot through which a paper sheet is inserted, a shutter 8 for opening and closing the insertion slot, a paper magazine in which paper sheets loaded through the insertion slot are sequentially stacked and accommodated, a pressing part 50 which comes into contact with paper sheets accommodated in the paper magazine to press the stacked paper sheets, a cam groove 61A which operates the shutter 8 and the pressing part 50, and a drive motor for driving the cam groove 61A, and the cam groove 61A has such a shape that while one of the shutter 8 and pressing part 50 is in operation, the operation of the other is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Nireki
  • Patent number: 8297615
    Abstract: The sheet processing apparatus is provided with: an apparatus main body that performs processing for a sheet; a sheet stacker on which a sheet transported from the apparatus main body is stacked in a first state where the sheet stacker is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and that is downwardly movable; and a moving-down unit that moves the sheet stacker down. The sheet stacker is provided so as to be detachable from the apparatus main body, and so as to change posture from the first state to a second state where the sheet stacker is less inclined relative to the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Nakamura, Ryuuichi Shiraishi, Toshio Kawachidani, Yoshimasa Sasaoka, Munetake Nagata
  • Publication number: 20120267845
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device and method of stacking sheets, wherein a first pressing member engages with an edge of a new sheet to be deposited on top of a previously deposited sheet on a sheet receiving plane and presses down the edge, while a second pressing member maintains a pressure onto an edge of the previously deposited sheet. The second pressing member engages with the edge of the new sheet and presses down the edge onto the previously deposited sheet on the receiving plane, while the first pressing member maintains a pressure onto the edge of the new sheet. Thus, the sheets may always be pressed down on the edge by at least one of the first and second pressing members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: OCE TECHNOLOGIES B.V.
    Inventors: Stan H.L.A. RUTTEN, Johannes H.A. DINNISSEN, Robertus P.C. QUIRIJNEN
  • Publication number: 20120267849
    Abstract: A sheet count at which printed sheets are stacked on a sheet stacking unit is received from a user. It is controlled to divide the printed sheets into sheets at the sheet count received from the user and stack the printed sheets on the sheet stacking unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro MUTSUNO
  • Patent number: 8292291
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium; a first transportation route that forms a transportation route for the recording medium extending to an outside of the apparatus, and that has a transportation route length longer than a maximum length in a transportation direction of the recording medium, the transportation route length being from an image formation functional unit at a most downstream portion of the image forming unit in the transportation direction to an output position of the recording medium; and a recording medium transportation unit that, upon output of a part of the recording medium from the first transportation route, stops the transportation in a state of holding a remaining part of the recording medium in the first transportation route, and outputs the recording medium to the outside in accordance with pull out operation for the stopped recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidekazu Amamoto
  • Patent number: 8282099
    Abstract: A sheet delivery mechanism including: a first roll; a second roll; and a plurality of convexes formed circumferentially for pushing a rear end of a sheet to be delivered, wherein: a sheet delivery roll pair comprises the first roll and the second roll in contact with each other; at least one of the first roll and the second roll is provided with the plurality of convexes; and one of the plurality of convexes is arranged to be more inside radially than the tangential line drawn from the radial tip of another convex upstream adjacent in the rotating direction to the one convex at issue to the outer periphery of the roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideo Oshida
  • Patent number: 8276907
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs a recording operation on a sent recording medium; a main body that has the recording unit; a discharge stacker that places the recording medium discharged from the main body therein; and a flexible member that forms a lateral closed region by connecting a downstream end in a discharge direction of the discharge stacker and the main body on the upper side of the downstream end in the discharge direction of the discharge stacker in a placing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shiohara, Munetoyo Aono
  • Patent number: 8276908
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a tray in which a recording material is to be set, the tray being reciprocated between a first position where the tray is exposed to allow the recording material to be set therein and a second position shifted from the first position in a first direction, where the tray is stored; a transporting mechanism that applies transportation force for reciprocating the tray; and a transportation-force transmitting member that is connected to the tray to mediate transmission of the transportation force to the tray and is capable of increasing or decreasing a space occupied by the transportation-force transmitting member in the direction of reciprocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Komuro, Nobuhiko Shinozaki, Tomoya Takikawa
  • Patent number: 8272633
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a post-processing unit including a pivotable processing tray, and a recording medium discharging outlet. The processing tray includes a lock member, urging member and lock releasing member. The lock member is supported movably between first and second positions. The lock member engages with an engaging hole at the first position and disengages from the engaging hole at the second position. The urging member urges the lock member towards the first position. The lock releasing member resists a force applied by the urging member so as to allow the lock member to travel to the second position. A recording medium depressing member is disposed within a pivotal range of the lock member. A first slope is provided on at least one of a contact portion of the lock member and a contact portion of the recording medium depressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yoshida, Yoshiyuki Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20120217697
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device for a sheet handling system, a method and a computer program product are provided for controlling a sheet stacking device of a sheet handling system. The sheet stacking device includes at least one sheet entrance pathway for receiving incoming sheets and a sheet output unit with at least one output tray for stacking the received sheets to form a at least one stack on the at least one output tray. The sheet stacking device further includes a control unit for determining the weight of the stack on the at least one output tray and for providing a control signal if the determined weight exceeds a predetermined value, and a stack separating mechanism for distinguishing two or more stacks on the same output tray, said stack separating mechanism being controlled by the control unit to limit the weight of the distinguished stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: Erik J. W. SCHOENMAKERS
  • Patent number: 8240662
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus includes a conveyance section which is disposed in a space section which is surrounded by peripheral walls of an image forming apparatus main body and conveys a recording medium discharged from the image forming apparatus in a paper discharge direction, a frame which is positioned in the space section and contains the conveyance section, and a removal mechanism to bring the conveyance section into a removal mode in synchronization with an operation of extracting the frame from the space section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Yahata
  • Patent number: 8235614
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming portion that forms an image on a surface of a sheet, a feeding device that feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction, a sheet receiving portion, and an engagement portion selectively moves between a first position and a second position. When the engagement portion is in the first position, the engagement portion engages the leading end of the sheet. When the engagement portion is in the second position, the engagement portion does not engage the sheet. When the engagement portion is in the first position, the engagement portion engages a leading end of the sheet before a trailing end of the sheet passes the feeding device. The sheet receiving portion receives the sheet after the engagement portion engages the leading end of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Takata, Yoshikazu Takahashi, Kazama Goto, Naoya Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20120193867
    Abstract: A conveyor device includes conveyor unit to convey a sheet along a path, a holder disposed at a downstream end of the path and holding sheets discharged from the conveyor unit in a stack, and a pressing unit. The pressing unit moves between a first position and a third position via a second position, contacts an uppermost sheet in the stack, and rises in an upward direction that approaches the third position as the sheets in the stack increase. The conveyor device also includes an urging member that does not apply an urging force to the pressing unit when the pressing unit is positioned between the first position and the second position; and applies an urging force to the pressing unit to urge the pressing unit toward the first position when the pressing unit is positioned between the second position and the third position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Nagao
  • Publication number: 20120193866
    Abstract: A storage device for a mail-handling machine, said storage device comprising a mailpiece-receiving deck along a longitudinal edge of which a referencing wall extends, and through which a conveyor belt passes for the purpose of conveying mailpieces along said referencing wall, and a shock-absorber ramp that is mounted against the referencing wall and that is hit by the mailpieces after they are ejected from said mail-handling machine, and before they fall back down onto the conveyor belt so as to be conveyed towards the sloping surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Emmanuel BERNARD, Stéphane LE GALLO
  • Patent number: 8231002
    Abstract: A containment device includes a base, vertical walls extending from the base and an open end for accepting the mailpieces therein. The containment device, furthermore, has a slot formed in at least one of the vertical walls thereof. The containment device also includes a recess extending on an underside of the base between the vertical walls; a lip extending outward from an edge of the vertical walls; detents provided in the lip of opposing vertical walls of the vertical walls; and protrusions extending beyond the base and structured and adapted to mate with detents of a lower container in a stacked configuration of containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Denis J. Stemmle
  • Publication number: 20120181742
    Abstract: In a sheet discharge device, sheets are sequentially discharged by a sheet discharge roller with a leading end of each of the sheets in the lead in a sheet discharge direction and stacked on a sheet receiving tray inclining relative to a vertical direction. A sheet reverse member is disposed at such a position relative to the sheet receiving tray and the sheet discharge roller that a trailing end of a first sheet discharged by the sheet discharge roller reaches the sheet reverse member before a leading end of a second sheet discharged subsequently to the first sheet collides with the first sheet when a sheet time interval between the trailing end of the first sheet and the leading end of the second sheet is set to a minimum sheet time interval available in continuous sheet discharge in the sheet discharge device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi SUGITANI, Naoya MASUDA, Kazuyuki AOKI
  • Patent number: 8219020
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a sheet support is described. Using one or more configurations, the number of parts for the sheet support may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 8215855
    Abstract: Provided is a device for the alignment of sheets in a printing machine, said device comprising two pairs of rollers for the alignment of the sheets in their advance direction, for the alignment transverse to their advance direction and with respect to skewing, whereby each pair of rollers consists of a driving roller and of a counter-pressure roller. One drive unit is provided for each of the two driving rollers, whereby each of the drive units consists of a motor and a drive shaft linked therewith, whereby the driving rollers are non-torsionally accommodated on respective drive shafts. The driving rollers can be slid in linear direction on their drive shaft, or the respective drive shafts, and thus the driving rollers accommodated thereon, can be linearly shifted with respect to their drive motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas Jacobsen, Juergen Sahlmann, Bernhard A. Linke, Rolf Spilz, Christoph J. Ochmann, Joerg V. Malottki
  • Patent number: 8213854
    Abstract: A sheet pre-processing device includes a space portion as a sheet receiving unit that receives a pre-processed sheet, a first sheet conveying path for discharging the sheet to the sheet receiving unit, and a second sheet conveying path for reversing the sheet. A sheet post-processing device is removably attached into the space portion. When the sheet post-processing device is attached into the space portion, a conveying path and a reversing path works are provided, which are switched over by a switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Iida, Shinya Kitaoka, Shuuya Nagasako
  • Publication number: 20120161390
    Abstract: A media sheet stacking implement for an image forming apparatus according to one example embodiment includes an exit nip formed by a first exit roller and a second exit roller for advancing media in a media process direction along a media path and delivering the media to an output bin of the image forming apparatus. A pinching element is mounted along the media path downstream from the exit nip. The pinching element has at least one first member and at least one second member movable relative to the at least one first member between a closed state and an open state. An actuating mechanism is operatively coupled with the pinching element for moving the pinching element between the closed state and the open state to allow the pinching element to hold a trailing end of a media sheet to be delivered to the output bin when in the closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Darron Palmer Cundick, Daniel Lee Thomas
  • Patent number: 8204430
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printer body having a developing portion and a fixing portion therein; a plurality of sheet feeding rollers successively disposed along a sheet discharge path of the printer body and driven to discharge a sheet from fixing portion to an upper portion of the printer body; and a rear cover portion having a rear cover provided on a side of the printer body to open and close, a guide rib member to guide the sheet from the fixing portion, an idle roller to rotate in contact with one of the sheet feeding rollers to feed the sheet, and a supplementary guide member to change a position thereof when the rear cover is open to prevent the sheet being discharged to the guide rib member from running into the idle roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-gee Baek, Dong-woo Kim
  • Patent number: 8177226
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and associated method are provided. The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, a sheet stack tray, a sheet discharging member, a sheet guide member, and a sheet contact portion. The sheet conveying path is configured to convey a sheet, the sheet discharging member discharges the sheet to the sheet stack tray, and the sheet stack tray receives the sheet. The sheet guide member is movable from a first position that guides the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to a second position that opens a sheet discharge path of the sheet discharging member. The sheet contact portion is arranged at an upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path, and responds to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path in order to move the sheet guide member between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 8177232
    Abstract: An alternate ticket exit is provided in the event of a blockage of the primary ticket exit of a printer. Printed tickets are fed from a stacking nip into a ticket bin via a first ticket exit. A second ticket exit is provided which leads away from the ticket bin. Tickets are diverted into the second ticket exit in the event the ticket bin has reached capacity or the first ticket exit is blocked. By diverting tickets out of the second exit when the ticket bin has reached capacity or when the first ticket exit is blocked, the tickets are allowed to exit the printer and paper jams are prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: TransAct Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Steven A. Supron
  • Patent number: 8172224
    Abstract: A configuration of a sheet discharge apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus has a lower discharge tray which stacks a sheet thereon; a pair of discharge rollers which discharge the sheets onto the lower discharge tray; and a changing unit (abutment member, eccentric cam, and discharge angle moving motor) which changes the discharge angle of the pair of discharge rollers, wherein the changing unit changes the discharge angle of the pair of discharge rollers such that a first discharge direction in a first discharge mode which discharges each sheet is closer to the lower discharge tray than a second discharge direction in a second discharge mode which discharges a plurality of overlapped sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 8167303
    Abstract: To prevent deviation in a processing position of a sheet bundle caused by buckling of the sheet bundle and handle a number of diversified kinds of sheets without increasing the size of apparatuses, a sheet processing apparatus and a image forming apparatus includes a pair of saddle entrance rollers which discharges a sheet; a stack tray which stacks the sheet discharged by the roller pair; a gripping member which grips the rear end portion of the sheet in the discharging direction which is stacked by the tray; a gripper which grips the front end portion of the sheet in the discharging direction which is stacked by the tray; and a stapler, etc., which processes a sheet bundle at a processing position, wherein the gripping member and the gripper grip the sheet bundle stacked by the tray and move the sheet bundle to the processing position in cooperation with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisaku Kamiya
  • Publication number: 20120098188
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a paper discharge device includes a discharged-sheet receiving part that can be opened and closed on a side surface of an apparatus body, is closed on the side surface and receives a recording medium dropped from above along the side surface after image formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shinichi ITO
  • Publication number: 20120098189
    Abstract: A strapping apparatus (100) is provided for strapping a stack (S) of sheet documents. The apparatus comprises: a strap feeder (160) adapted to feed a length of strap material (M) into the strapping apparatus; a guide channel (110) arranged to receive the leading edge of the strap material from the strap feeder, to guide the leading edge around a stack receipt zone (101) and to overlap the leading edge with an upstream portion of the strap material, resulting in overlapping portions of strap material in an overlap region of the guide channel, so as to form a closed loop of strap material around the stack receipt zone, the stack receipt zone being configured to accommodate a stack of sheet documents in use; a sealing unit (120) adapted to join the overlapping portions of the strap material to one another at a joining point; and a cutting unit (130) for cutting the strap material upstream of the joining point. The invention also provides a stacking apparatus (50) for forming stacks of sheet documents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: DE LA RUE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
    Inventor: Martinus Johannes Pieter Meersoek
  • Publication number: 20120093555
    Abstract: The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet-discharge fan that blows air downward of a sheet-discharged by an upper sheet-discharge roller, and a control portion configured to control an air velocity of air blown from the sheet-discharge fan according to a basic weight of the sheet. In the case where the basic weight of the sheet is a predetermined value or less, the control portion increases the air velocity of the sheet-discharge fan according to the basic weight of the sheet based on basic weight information from an input portion for inputting the basic weight information of the sheet. The control portion also controls the air velocity of the sheet-discharge fan to be a velocity at which the sheet whose rear edge contacts the sheet-stacking wall does not move in a sheet-discharge direction in the case where the basic weight of the sheet exceeds the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Obuchi
  • Publication number: 20120091655
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus has a first pair of rollers which nip and convey a sheet; a second pair of rollers provided on a downstream side of the first pair of rollers in a conveying direction of the sheet, which nip and convey a sheet; and a position detecting sensor which detects a position of a sheet in a width direction which is perpendicular to the conveying direction. When the first pair of rollers and the second pair of rollers nip and convey the sheet, the first pair of rollers and the second pair of rollers are simultaneously moved according to a position detected by the position detecting sensor in the same direction of the width direction which is perpendicular to the conveying direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: YUSUKE OBUCHI, KENICHI HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8152163
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a discharging portion configured to discharge a sheet, a stacking portion configured to stack a discharged sheet, and a deforming member configured to deform the sheet to be discharged by the discharging portion, wherein the deforming member decreases a deformation amount of the sheet as a stacking amount of the sheets stacked on the stacking portion increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Kitan