With Air Cushion Between Sheet And Pack Patents (Class 271/211)
  • Patent number: 11760591
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device include a guide unit and a blower. The guide unit receives a downstream end of a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction and guides the sheet downstream in the sheet conveyance direction. The blower blows air toward the sheet guided by the guide unit. A region of the blower from which the air is blown is changeable in response to a size of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Tomonori Tamura
  • Patent number: 11753266
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes a stacker, a detector, a blower, and a moving device. A sheet is stacked on the stacker. The detector detects a stacking amount of the sheet on the stacker. The blower blows air to the sheet stacked on the stacker. The moving device moves the blower with respect to the stacker based on the stacking amount of the sheet detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ruki Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 11738963
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus (1) includes a discharge port (25), a sheet stacking plate (41), a pair of cursors (43), a cursor driver (95), a pair of blowers (83) and a controller (37). Through the discharge port (25), a sheet formed an image is discharged. On the sheet stacking plate (41), the sheet discharged through the discharge port (25) is stacked. The pair of cursors (43) is supported on the sheet stacking plate (41) in a slidable manner in width directions perpendicular to a discharge direction of the sheet and comes into contact with both side edges of the sheet. The cursor driver (95) drives the pair of cursors (43). The pair of blowers (83) is provided in the pair of cursors (43) so as to blow air to both corners on an upstream side in the discharge direction of the sheet which is discharged through the discharge port (25), from above. The controller (37) controls the cursor driver (95) and the pair of blowers (83).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yusuke Takano
  • Patent number: 11352224
    Abstract: A stacking system for aligning and stacking stamped sheet metal parts is provided. The stacking system includes a frame configured to coordinate a plurality of sub-systems including a parts catcher, receiving head including a plurality of alignment cylinders, and a set of elevating tables on a shuttle platform. Parts are received by the catcher from a conveyor belt and transported to a receiving head for alignment to a targeted position. After the formed part is aligned to the stack, the lift table is lowered such that space is available for another part to be aligned. After a predetermined number of formed parts has been stacked, a table shuttle will slide the lift table to an unloading position accessible by a fork truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: R.K.J. FABRICATION & CONSTRUCTION, LLC
    Inventors: Kelly Seif, Frederic L. Foill
  • Patent number: 11072502
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for sorting a plurality of substrates is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sorting unit capable of supporting a plurality of bins, a rotatable support disposed within the sorting unit, the rotatable support rotatable about a rotational axis, a plurality of grippers coupled to the rotatable support on a common radius relative to the rotational axis, the grippers positioned to travel along a path above the bins as the rotatable support rotates, and an air nozzle configured to reorient a sorted substrate relative to a stacked substrate in a bin of the plurality of bins when released by one of the grippers into the bin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Asaf Schlezinger, Markus J. Stopper
  • Patent number: 10906765
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes a stacker, a detector, a blower, and a moving device. A sheet is stacked on the stacker. The detector detects a stacking amount of the sheet on the stacker. The blower blows air to the sheet stacked on the stacker. The moving device moves the blower with respect to the stacker based on the stacking amount of the sheet detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Ruki Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 10534315
    Abstract: A cooling device includes a duct, an openable cover, and a moving mechanism. The duct is disposed opposite a sheet conveyance path to send air to the sheet conveyance path. The cover exposes the sheet conveyance path when the cover is opened. The moving mechanism moves the duct independently of the cover between an opposite position opposite the sheet conveyance path and a retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Ruki Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 10343856
    Abstract: A sheet stacking system includes a main conveyor configured to carry sheets in a downstream direction, an accumulator section downstream of the main conveyor configured to receive the sheets from the main conveyor, at least one tamping plate in the accumulator section, and at least one linear motor connected to the at least one tamping plate. The at least one linear motor is configured to move the at least one tamping plate back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the downstream direction to tamp a stack of the sheets in the accumulator section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: A.G. STACKER INC.
    Inventors: Clarence C. Allen, Jr., Eric Stempihar, Eric H. Crowe, Samantha L. J. Armstrong, Kevin G. Gorby, Micah C. Sundstrom
  • Patent number: 10241452
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a fixing device, output tray, a toner container, a cooling fan, an outer wall, and a downstream branch duct. The toner container is located under the tray and beside the fixing device, and accommodates a toner. The cooling fan is located between the toner container and the fixing device. The outer wall is provided under the output tray so as to cover an upper portion of the toner container, to form an upstream duct that allows air to flow therethrough over the toner container toward the cooling fan. The downstream branch duct conducts the air discharged from the cooling fan to the fixing device, and to a transport route of the recording sheet from the fixing device to the output tray. The outer wall includes a plurality of intake holes for sucking air into the upstream duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuya Yamashita, Masahiko Fukano
  • Patent number: 9873584
    Abstract: A medium stacking device includes side guides that are respectively disposed in a width direction parallel to a sheet face of the medium and orthogonal to a direction of progress at positions on both sides of a portion of a stage on which a medium is stacked, and that respectively guide the medium discharged from a discharge section in the width direction using a stacking guide face. Each side guide includes a discharge guide face that guides toward a central side in the width direction on progression from the discharge section along the direction of progress, a support guide face that supports the medium from a side of the stage, and a guiding valley portion that is an adjoining portion between the discharge guide face and the support guide face, that causes a vertex or edge of the medium to slide with progression of the medium, and that causes a leading edge portion of the medium in the direction of progress to pass further to a stacking direction side than the stage arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryousuke Kojima, Hirokazu Komatsu, Yuta Iizuka
  • Patent number: 9656826
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a shift member, a discharge tray, a discharge roller pair, and a pressing member. The shift member moves a sheet loaded on the processing tray in a sheet width direction. The discharge roller pair discharges a sheet on the processing tray onto the discharge tray. The pressing member presses down a sheet discharged onto the discharge tray. The pressing member has an arm portion which rotates in the sheet conveyance direction about a rotation fulcrum, and a roller which is attached to the arm portion to be rotatable in the sheet width direction, and the pressing member is selectively disposed in a first position where the roller presses down the upstream-side end part of a sheet discharged onto the discharge tray, or in a second position where the roller contacts a lower surface of a sheet on the processing tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiko Miyazaki, Yoshiyuki Asakawa, Masuo Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 9561927
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
  • Patent number: 9533852
    Abstract: A sheet ejecting device includes: a sheet ejecting unit configured to eject a sheet; a stacking unit on which the sheet that is ejected by the ejecting unit is stacked; an aligning unit configured to align the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the sheet is ejected; and a blowing unit configured to be provided to the aligning unit and blow a wind toward the ejected sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Junya Suzuki, Kiichiro Goto, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Keisuke Sugiyama, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 9499358
    Abstract: A device for combining an auxiliary stack with a main stack includes an auxiliary stack carrier which holds the auxiliary stack and which can be moved out of the stack area for combining the stacks. A holding device firmly holds a lower sheet of the auxiliary stack and an upper sheet of the main stack as the auxiliary stack carrier is moved out of the stack area, in order to maintain a good stack structure. A sheet-fed printing press or sheet punching machine having the device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Burkhard Wolf, Andreas Mueller, Georg Grasmueck, Manfred Haeussler, Jens Kloss, Johannes Schubert
  • Patent number: 9260264
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
  • Patent number: 9229429
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus heats and fixes a toner image on a recording material, discharges and cools the recording material, and prevents the heated and fixed toner image on the recording material from being melted. The apparatus also has a conveying portion that is prevented from being cooled, so that unevenness of cooling of the toner image is prevented, and the image forming apparatus does not cause any contact mark of the conveying portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Akatsuka, Masaki Tanaka, Daisuke Aoki
  • Patent number: 8960668
    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 basis weight of the sheet. In the case where the basis 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 basis weight of the sheet based on basis weight information from an input portion for inputting the basis 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 basis weight of the sheet exceeds the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Obuchi
  • Patent number: 8936240
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomomichi Hoshino, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
  • Patent number: 8925917
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, provided is a sheet output device including: a sheet output unit configured to output a sheet; a tray unit on which the sheet output by the sheet output unit is to be stacked; an air blower unit configured to blow air onto the sheet output by the sheet output unit; and a control unit configured to control an airflow rate of the air blower unit according to an amount of the sheet output from the sheet output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro Watanabe, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Takamasa Matsumoto, Youhei Niitsuma, Kiichiro Goto
  • Publication number: 20140203501
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomomichi HOSHINO, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Kyosuke Nakada, Kazuya Yamamoto, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Junya Suzuki, Kazunori Konno, Youhei Niitsuma, Takamasa Matsumoto, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuhiko Kitano, Takashi Fukumoto, Yasuo Niikura, Satoru Takano, Hidetoshi Kojima, Kei Sasaki, Yasushi Tsuruoka, Shintaro Matsumoto, Ryo Takahashi, Yuuta Mori, Kohjiroh Haga
  • Patent number: 8777217
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device for stacking conveyed sheets includes a stacking surface on which the sheets are stacked; a plurality of projections that project from the stacking surface. Wherein, the projections extend generally in a travel direction of the sheets, which is a direction in which the sheets travel when entering the sheet stacking device, the projections include outer projections and inner projections, the inner projections are located between the inner projections, and a projecting height of the inner projections from the stacking surface is greater than that of the outer projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Keiichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20140145395
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus including: a discharge unit configured to discharge a sheet through a discharge port; a stack unit configured to stack the discharged sheet thereon; and a plurality of blowing units configured to supply air to a discharge side of the discharge unit while the sheet is discharged, wherein the blowing units are disposed, below the discharge port, aligned with a direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Satoru TAKANO, Kiichiro GOTO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Shintaro MATSUMOTO, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Kei SASAKI, Junya SUZUKI, Kazunori KONNO, Yuuta MORI, Kohjiroh HAGA, Yasushi TSURUOKA, Takamasa MATSUMOTO, Ryo TAKAHASHI, Youhei NIITSUMA
  • Patent number: 8727345
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes: sheet discharging rollers that receive each of sheets conveyed thereto and discharge the sheets one by one; a shift tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging rollers are to be stacked; an air blower; and a CPU. The air blower forms an air layer between the shift tray and a sheet when the sheet is discharged onto the shift tray by the sheet discharging rollers, or between a sheet and the sheet that is already placed on the shift tray when the sheet is discharged. The CPU controls an air velocity of air to be delivered by the air blower based on sheet information, thereby causing the air layer to extend to the entire surface of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kazunori Konno, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kyosuke Nakada, Tomomichi Hoshino, Yasuo Niikura, Junya Suzuki, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8682240
    Abstract: A printer includes a fixing device that fixes a toner image formed on a sheet and a sheet delivery roller pair for delivering the sheet on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device onto a sheet delivery tray placed outside of a printer main body. The printer includes a supporting member that supports an upstream edge portion of the sheet in a delivery direction delivered from the sheet delivery roller pair so that the upstream edge portion does not fall down on the sheet delivery tray. The printer includes a blower unit that blows air along a lower surface of the sheet supported by the supporting member from the upstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction toward a downstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taku Fukita, Minoru Kawanishi, Kenji Watanabe, Motohiro Furusawa
  • Patent number: 8672316
    Abstract: A paper sheet seasoning apparatus includes a mount on which a plurality of sheet-like recording media are loaded. A central portion of the mount is curved in a convex shape when seen in a first direction. The apparatus also includes a blowing member that blows air in the first direction onto end portions of the recording media loaded on the mount. The apparatus further includes a pair of side panels that support both end portions in a direction that intersects the first direction of the recording media on the mount, and a top panel disposed with a gap in a vertical direction between the top panel and the uppermost recording medium on the mount. On at least one of the side panels, there is disposed an approaching surface that approaches the opposing side panel as the approaching surface heads upward in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhei Chiwata
  • Publication number: 20140062003
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for receiving and processing a sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus, the sheet processing apparatus comprising: a discharging unit configured to discharge the sheet; a stacking unit configured to stack thereon the sheet discharged by the discharging unit; a blowing air unit configured to blow air along a direction parallel to a surface of the sheet being stacked; a first alignment unit having a pair of alignment plane opposed each other, the first alignment unit configured to align the sheet in a direction parallel to a discharging direction of the sheet; and a second alignment unit configured to align the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the discharging direction of the sheet, wherein the blowing air unit is provided at a position opposed to the alignment plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Youhei NIITSUMA, Masahiro TAMURA, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Kyosuke NAKADA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Tomomichi HOSHINO, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Junya SUZUKI, Kazunori KONNO, Takamasa MATSUMOTO, Kiichiro GOTO
  • Publication number: 20130228965
    Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Tomomichi HOSHINO, Masahiro TAMURA, Shuuya NAGASAKO, Tomohiro FURUHASHI, Keisuke SUGIYAMA, Kyosuke NAKADA, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Akira KUNIEDA, Takahiro WATANABE, Junya SUZUKI, Kazunori KONNO, Youhei NIITSUMA, Takamasa MATSUMOTO, Kiichiro GOTO, Kazuhiko KITANO, Takashi FUKUMOTO, Yasuo NIIKURA, Satoru TAKANO, Hidetoshi KOJIMA, Kei SASAKI, Yasushi TSURUOKA, Shintaro MATSUMOTO, Ryo TAKAHASHI, Yuuta MORI, Kohjiroh HAGA
  • Patent number: 8465018
    Abstract: An air blowing apparatus includes: a paper stack accommodating section which forms a paper stack accommodating space for accommodating a stack of paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper accommodated in the paper stack accommodating space, wherein the paper stack accommodating section includes a curved surface which faces a paper surface of the stack of paper, and the curved surface extends in an air blowing direction of the air blowing device and has a curvature in a direction perpendicular to the air blowing direction of the air blowing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Fujikura, Yuhei Chiwata
  • Patent number: 8016287
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device for stacking conveyed sheets includes a stacking surface on which the sheets are stacked; a plurality of projections that project from the stacking surface. Wherein, the projections extend generally in a travel direction of the sheets, which is a direction in which the sheets travel when entering the sheet stacking device, the projections include outer projections and inner projections, the inner projections are located between the inner projections, and a projecting height of the inner projections from the stacking surface is greater than that of the outer projections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Keiichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7914432
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for making disposable pressware features a pneumatic feeding system which accelerates a paperboard blank into a forming die. In a typical embodiment, a pair of adjustable air knives propel a paperboard blank into the forming cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventor: Thomas W. Zelinski
  • Patent number: 7748705
    Abstract: A paper discharge tray 6 includes: a paper loading portion 7 provided in a bent form including a first tray surface 7a and a second tray surface 7b; a rear wall 8 for supporting and aligning the trailing end of paper discharged on the paper loading portion 7; and an installation portion 10 provided along the paper loading portion 7. On two portions of the first tray surface 7a, there are provided guide members 11 each having a first slope 11a that inclines upward in the paper discharge direction (direction indicated by an arrow A in the figure). When paper of a predetermined size is discharged on the guide members 11, the paper slides down along the first slopes 11a and the second tray surface 7c, and then is loaded with the trailing end of the paper aligned by the rear wall 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 7699309
    Abstract: A collector for stacking sheets of paper, plastics, and cardboard has a feeding device and a tray downstream of the feeding device in the feeding direction. The tray is arranged in a lowered position relative to the feeding device. A stop is provided downstream of the tray. At least one transport roll transports sheets individually from the feeding device onto the tray to form a stack. An adjusting element is arranged in an area where the feeding device and the tray adjoin, wherein the adjusting element is adjustable between a lowered rest position and a position of use lifted relative to the rest position. In the position of use, the adjusting element lifts a trail end of a first sheet that has reached the tray such that a following second sheet is moved into a position underneath the trail end of the first sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Mathias Bäuerle GmbH
    Inventor: Wilhelm Markgraf
  • Patent number: 7665727
    Abstract: A system, method, and process of for packaging liquid product into cartons using an automated packaging system and more specifically methods of enclosing the packaging system and routing conditioned air over the cartons is presented. More specifically, a carton magazine assembly for collecting plastic coated paper carton blanks prior to sanitization, assembly, filling, and sealing includes a magazine cover that can be opened to insert additional carton blanks into the packaging system as necessary. The magazine cover has an integrated air manifold that directs pressurized conditioned air over the carton blanks towards suction ports. The suction ports collect the air with potential contaminants and the filters the air prior to ejecting it away from the vicinity of the packaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Evergreen Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Gerald Paul Berger, Cletus Emerich Kreher, Yasushi Sasaki, Toshiyuki Kanemaru
  • Patent number: 7661671
    Abstract: In a sheet stacking apparatus, a pair of side members includes a pair of lower side members which is provided with an approximately same distance therebetween as a width of a planographic printing plate and limits a movement in the planographic printing plate width direction; and a pair of upper side members which are provided above the pair of lower side members, each of which is provided with a movable section movable in the planographic printing plate width direction, and on which tapered surfaces are formed facing each other in a generally V shape. The distance between the pair of upper side members is controlled by driving the movable sections of the pair of upper side members so as to prevent quality degradation caused by a thrown-in sheet scratching a stacked sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Yoshikazu Hanada, Sumio Iwamura, Makoto Endo
  • Patent number: 7464929
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying or guiding a printing material sheet on an air cushion between a nozzle surface and the printing material sheet. The apparatus has first nozzle pairs which are arranged in a first row and second nozzle pairs which are arranged in a second row for generating the air cushion. The first nozzle pairs and the second nozzle pairs in each case have a blower nozzle and a suction nozzle, which are paired in such a way that one and the same air flow is blown out by the respective blower nozzle and is aspirated, at least predominantly, by the suction nozzle that is paired with the blower nozzle. The suction nozzles of the first nozzle pairs are arranged in such a way between the blower nozzles of the second nozzle pairs and the suction nozzles of the second nozzle pairs such that the air flows of the second nozzle pairs flow past the suction nozzles of the first nozzle pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Peter Hachmann
  • Patent number: 7431288
    Abstract: Apparatus for delivering a sheet to a surface, comprising a rotating gripper that receives and grips the sheet at or near a leading edge thereof at a first position and delivers the leading edge to a second position, the first and second positions being situated along a circular path along which the rotating gripper travels; a surface having a stop at the second position; and a blower adapted to blow air at the sheet as it is held by the rotating gripper and after it is released by the gripper at the second position, the blowing of the air being in a direction that urges the sheet away from the circular path. The sheet is not positively held on the circular path except by the leading edge grippers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Aron Shmaiser, Yosef Rosen
  • Patent number: 7419462
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for making disposable pressware features a pneumatic feeding system which accelerates a paperboard blank into a forming die. In a typical embodiment, a pair of adjustable air knives propel a paperboard blank into the forming cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventor: Thomas W. Zelinski
  • Patent number: 7153378
    Abstract: A product labeling apparatus has a plurality of labelers, an imager for imaging products; and a processor responsive to an output of the imager and operatively connected to a control input of each of the labelers. The processor processes an image received from the imager to identify a portion of a product which portion will pass a target area of a given labeller. The processor then tracks progress of that portion of the product and controls an appropriate one of the labelers to label the portion of the product when that portion of the product is at the target area of the given labeler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Joe & Samia Management Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Z. Sleiman, Feipeng Zhao, Peter C. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7140828
    Abstract: Objects such as pieces of mail are stacked without significant contact therewith by producing laminar air flow over a surface which defines or parallels a desired movement path for the objects. The objects are placed and form a barrier between the laminar air flow and ambient air and movement such as turning an edge of the object to prevent impact on other objects and regulation of direction velocity an kinetic energy of the motion of the objects is regulated by the Coanda effect of the laminar flow. The object thus provides an acoustic barrier to reduce generation and propagation of noise by the high pressure air used to create the laminar flow. An air amplifier reduces the volume of high pressure air required to provide control of object motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Willson L. Mayerberg, II, Randall E. White
  • Patent number: 7017491
    Abstract: A plate discharger includes a peeling claw, a transport device and an air blowing device. The transport device has a rotary shaft, first transport rollers rotatable about the rotary shaft, a driven rotary shaft connected to a drive gear meshed with and driven by a transmission gear disposed sideways from the first transport rollers, second transport rollers rotatable about the driven rotary shaft, peeling rollers pivotable about the rotary shaft, and belts wound around the first transport rollers and peeling rollers. When a printing plate is passed between the first transport rollers and second transport rollers, the air blowing device blows air to the undersurface of the printing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Edamitsu
  • Patent number: 6962334
    Abstract: A delivery device for stacking cut flat articles such as rotary cross cut sheets has a braking table downstream of a sheet feeder which is provided with two counterrotating disks which are perforated and communicate with suction passages on the table beneath the disks to brake the sheets as they are supplied to a stacker. At the edge of this table, there is a broad slit nozzle directing a sheet of air upwardly onto the underside of the sheets which are delivered to the stacker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: EHA Spezialmaschinenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Willi Erkelenz
  • Patent number: 6845978
    Abstract: A page binding device for binding pages 11 from an inkjet printhead assembly 13. The device has an adhesive applicator 16 for applying adhesive to printed pages 11. The adhesive applicator 16 is adapted to eject adhesive onto the pages 11 as they are fed to the support tray. A page conveyor 12 for sequentially feeding pages 11 from the printhead assembly 13 to the support tray via the adhesive applicator 16. An air flow generator for generating an air flow 14 that prevents the pages 11 from contacting the adhesive applicator 16. Using an air cushion and a non-contact adhesive applicator avoids the paper buckling problems associated with contact adhesive applicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty LTD
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 6846151
    Abstract: Objects such as pieces of mail are stacked without making significant mechanical contact with the objects by an apparatus producing a laminar flow of air over a surface which defines or parallels the desired path of movement for the objects. The objects are placed to form a barrier between the laminar air flow and ambient air so that movement, such as turning an edge of the object to prevent impact on other objects and regulation of direction velocity and kinetic energy of the motion of the objects, may be guided by the Coanda effect of the laminar flow of air. The placement of the objects thus provides an acoustic barrier to reduce the generation and propagation of noise by the high pressure air used to create the laminar flow of air. An air amplifier reduces the volume of high pressure air required to control the movement of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Lockhead Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Willson L. Mayerberg, II, Randall E. White
  • Publication number: 20040164480
    Abstract: Objects such as pieces of mail are stacked without significant contact therewith by producing laminar air flow over a surface which defines or parallels a desired movement path for the objects. The objects are placed and form a barrier between the laminar air flow and ambient air and movement such as turning an edge of the object to prevent impact on other objects and regulation of direction velocity an kinetic energy of the motion of the objects is regulated by the Coanda effect of the laminar flow. The object thus provides an acoustic barrier to reduce generation and propagation of noise by the high pressure air used to create the laminar flow. An air amplifier reduces the volume of high pressure air required to provide control of object motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Willson L. Mayerberg, Randall E. White
  • Patent number: 6739254
    Abstract: A supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine includes a supporting or guiding layer having a supporting or guiding surface formed with a plurality of outlet openings for applying a throttled air flow therethrough to a respective sheet. A covering plate is spaced away from the supporting or guiding surface, and at least two intermediate layers are formed with a plurality of openings and disposed between the supporting or guiding surface and the covering plate. The covering plate is connected via a plurality of inlet openings to at least one blast air source. A respective opening formed in one of the intermediate layers is connected to two respective openings formed in the other of the intermediate layers, and an opening formed in the other intermediate layer is connected to two respective openings formed in the one intermediate layer, between one of the respective inlet openings and one of the respective outlet openings associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Eckart Frankenberger, Peter Hachmann, Peter Thoma
  • Patent number: 6672585
    Abstract: An apparatus for stacking a predetermined number of X-ray films has a sheet member holding device disposed above a stacking position for temporarily holding at least a first X-ray film, and an actuating device for displacing the sheet member holding device from the stacking position to drop the X-ray film held by the sheet member holding device into the stacking position. The apparatus is capable of stacking a plurality of X-ray films highly accurately and efficiently in the stacking position while avoiding damage to the X-ray films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nishida, Masayuki Nakagiri, Keisuke Endo, Hideyuki Uezono
  • Patent number: 6659446
    Abstract: In a device for reducing the frictional force between a guiding or carrying element for sheets in a sheet-processing machine, in particular rotary printing machines, guiding and carrying elements acted upon by throttled blowing air include a sheet surface, orifices fluidically connected to a hollow interior, and a throttle disposed in the hollow interior. The elements are to be connected to an air source for blowing air out through the orifices and for generating an air cushion between a sheet and the sheet surface. Each of the orifices is preceded by the throttle with respect to a direction of air from the air source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Uwe Fischer, Eckart Frankenberger, Michael Gieser, Christian Görbing, Peter Hachmann, Karl-Heinz Helmstädter, Christian Hieb, Ruben Schmitt, Günter Stephan
  • Patent number: 6634852
    Abstract: A feeding mechanism comprising an accumulating area mechanism for feeding sheets into the accumulating area to form a stack, exit mechanism, mechanism for moving the stack of sheets from the accumulating area through the exit mechanism, support mechanism are provided to keep the trailing edge of a previous sheet fed in the accumulating area uplifted until the leading edge of a subsequent sheet is moved beneath a previous sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: GBR Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew Bakoledis
  • Patent number: 6606946
    Abstract: A sheet offset printing method and a sheet offset printing press includes altering flow relationships in an interior of a housing of a sheet delivery of a sheet-fed printing machine to prevent uncontrolled spread of powder in the housing by extracting powder-laden air from the housing and/or feeding air into the housing from outside at a point along a return belt of a sheet conveying device. Air currents are channeled inside the housing by feeding air not laden with powder into the housing and/or leading the air into an air flow path along the return belt downstream of the point with respect to a return belt motion direction to transport the unladen air toward a printing unit by a drag effect of the return belt and/or impeding/blocking a supply of powder-charged air from around a conveyor belt of the sheet-conveyor or a powder-scattering device into a flow path along the return belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Hans-Peter Koch
  • Patent number: 6522841
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device for forming images on sheet materials, a delivering device for delivering the sheet materials on which images are formed, a delivery tray for receiving the delivered sheet materials and a fanning device for fanning the sheet materials delivered from the delivering means to the delivery tray. The fanning device can change a blowing amount depending on a sheet material type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Horikoshi