And Means To Move Members Cyclicly Against Sheet Edges (e.g., Jogger) Patents (Class 271/221)
  • Patent number: 8240664
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to the invention includes a conveying portion that conveys a sheet; and an abutment member against which an end of the sheet in a conveying direction abuts, the sheet being conveyed by the conveying portion. Herein, the abutment member is movable so as to change a distance between the abutment member and the conveying portion adjacent to the abutment member based on sheet information about the stiffness of a sheet, when an end of the sheet in the conveying direction is abutted against the abutment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 8201825
    Abstract: In order to reduce the stack failure of a sheet bundle, there is provided a sheet stacking/aligning apparatus comprising: a stack tray for stacking sheets thereon; and a rear end aligning member for pushing and aligning the rear end of a sheet conveyed onto the stack tray. The rear end aligning member includes sheet holding paddle for holding the sheets stacked on the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisaku Kamiya, Mitsushige Murata, Hiromichi Tsujino, Yuzo Matsumoto, Takako Hanada
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8136807
    Abstract: In a sheet aligning apparatus, a pair of sheet aligning members stops at three positions such that when a sheet aligning operation is not conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the first position of an upper level so as not to come in contact with sheets discharged from a discharging section, when the sorting section shifts for sorting, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the second position of a middle level lower than the first position so as not to come in contact with sheets stacked on the tray, and when a sheet aligning operation is conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the third position of a lower level so as to come in contact with the top surface of the tray or the upper surface of the sheets stacked on the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Hitoshi Tamura, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8128086
    Abstract: A sheet discharged from a sheet discharging portion arranged at a distance from a sheet stacking portion, to a stacking portion, is conveyed along the sheet stacking portion while the sheet edge on an upstream side in a sheet discharging direction is held. A shifting unit arranged downstream of the sheet stacking portion in the sheet discharging direction shifts the discharged sheet from the sheet discharging portion toward the downstream side in the sheet discharging direction while a pressing member presses the sheet to the sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Obuchi
  • Patent number: 8109505
    Abstract: A printer includes a main body and a paper holding device. The main body is capable of printing and outputting paper. The paper holding device is secured to the main body, and includes a paper tray, a plurality of sliding members, a connecting mechanism, and a driving mechanism. The paper tray is configured for receiving the outputted paper. The sliding members are slidably located on the paper tray. The connecting mechanism is attached to the paper tray and connected to the sliding members. The driving mechanism is attached to the paper tray and capable of driving the connecting mechanism to slide the plurality of sliding members to shape a space to fit the size of outputted paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Kun Shih, Chun-Hsien Lin, Chen-Lu Fan
  • Patent number: 8096550
    Abstract: A paper-out mechanism includes a paper out wall and a paper out board. The paper out wall defines a paper out opening. The paper out opening includes a first edge and a second edge facing to the first edge. The paper out board is slidably mounted on the paper out wall below the paper out opening. The paper out board includes an adapter portion which includes a first side and a second side. A distance between the first side and second side is greater than a distance between the first edge and the second edge. The paper out board is slidable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first side is in alignment with the first edge. In the second position, the second side is in alignment with the second edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Kun Shih, Chen-Lu Fan, Chun-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 8087667
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus according to the invention includes a conveying portion that conveys a sheet; and an abutment member against which an end of the sheet in a conveying direction abuts, the sheet being conveyed by the conveying portion. Herein, the abutment member is movable so as to change a distance between the abutment member and the conveying portion adjacent to the abutment member based on sheet information about the stiffness of a sheet, when an end of the sheet in the conveying direction is abutted against the abutment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 8083227
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a sheet alignment apparatus that is excellent in alignment properties in the conveyance direction and operates stably without being affected by various conditions, and a sheet post-processing apparatus having therein the sheet alignment apparatus. Alignment members are constructed so that alignment surfaces of the alignment members arranged to be in a form where a distance between the alignment surfaces grows greater toward the downstream side, or the direction of movement of the alignment member is made to be an oblique direction pointing to the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Shimizu, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 8038147
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an intermediate stacking portion which temporarily stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; a discharge portion which discharges sheet stacked on the intermediate stacking portion; an aligning member which is provided downstream of the discharge portion in a sheet conveying direction and has a sheet holding surface capable of holding the lower surfaces of the sheet and a sheet aligning surface capable of abutting against end portions of the sheet in the widthwise direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, the aligning member being movable in the widthwise direction; a first stacking portion which is provided below the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet discharged from the discharge portion; and a second stacking portion which is provided above the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; wherein a standby position of the aligning member is at a position more inward than the outermost position in the widthwise direction, within
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogata, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Junichi Sekiyama, Hiroharu Tsuji, Akihiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8033543
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a sheet stacking apparatus including a tray on which sheets are stacked, and an aligning member aligning the sheets stacked on the tray. The aligning member aligns sheets stacked, on a sheet previously stacked on the tray, with a displacement in an aligning direction of the aligning member with respect to the sheet previously stacked. An aligning operation of the aligning member is changed on the basis of whether or not the number of the sheets stacked on the sheets previously stacked is a predetermined number or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8011654
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet stacking apparatus including: a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked; a sheet conveying portion which conveys the sheet onto the sheet stacking portion; a first aligning member moving along a sheet conveying direction to align the position of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and second aligning members which move in a width direction crossing the sheet conveying direction to align the position in the width direction of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, wherein the second aligning members align the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, and the first aligning member aligns the sheet aligned by the second aligning member, and the sheet conveying portion conveys the next sheet onto the sheet stacking portion while the first aligning member is moving for aligning the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7992867
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention has: a movement blocking unit for blocking a movement of a sheet which is moved to a side edge aligning unit by a moving unit, thereby allowing the moving unit to position adjustment slip move on the sheet so as to adjust a relative position with the sheet; and a block cancelling unit for allowing the movement blocking unit to cancel the block of the movement of the sheet when the moving unit slips and moves by a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Kouji Okamoto, Atsushi Takada
  • Patent number: 7954808
    Abstract: A shifting unit shifts a plurality of sheets discharged on a tray to a different position in a sheet width direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction in a set of sheets. A first width-direction aligning unit and a second width-direction aligning unit align both sides of the sheets in the sheet width direction. A leading-edge aligning unit aligns leading edges of the sheets in the sheet discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hirofumi Tomida
  • Patent number: 7883086
    Abstract: Typical configurations of a sheet stacking apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharging unit which discharges a sheet; a stacking member which stacks a discharged sheet; and a holding unit which is movably disposed along a stacking surface of the stacking member and holds an upstream end in the discharging direction of a stacked sheet, wherein the holding unit is moved according to changes in the upstream end position of the sheet in the discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisaku Kamiya
  • Patent number: 7874558
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an intermediate stacking portion which temporarily stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; a discharge portion which discharges sheet stacked on the intermediate stacking portion; an aligning member which is provided downstream of the discharge portion in a sheet conveying direction and has a sheet holding surface capable of holding the lower surfaces of the sheet and a sheet aligning surface capable of abutting against end portions of the sheet in the widthwise direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, the aligning member being movable in the widthwise direction; a first stacking portion which is provided below the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet discharged from the discharge portion; and a second stacking portion which is provided above the aligning member and stacks, thereon, a sheet conveyed thereto; wherein a standby position of the aligning member is at a position more inward than the outermost position in the widthwise direction, within
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ogata, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Junichi Sekiyama, Hiroharu Tsuji, Akihiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7874552
    Abstract: A sheet post-process apparatus according to one example of the present invention includes a movable stack tray for stacking a sheet that is elevated in a vertical direction; a movable tray position detection unit that detects a vertical position of the movable stack tray while a request command for post-processing of the sheet is not received; an upper surface sensor that senses either an upper surface of the movable stack tray or an upper surface of the sheet stacked on the movable stack tray when a first position of the movable stack tray detected by the movable tray position detection unit is lower than or equal to a predetermined first height; and a movable tray moving unit that moves the movable stack tray upward when either the upper surface of the movable stack tray or the upper surface of the sheet stacked on the movable stack tray is not sensed by the upper surface sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiaki Iizuka
  • Patent number: 7832977
    Abstract: Stacker carts for stacking media, printing apparatuses, and methods of stacking media on stacker carts are disclosed. An embodiment of the stacker carts includes a stacking surface including a first end and an opposite second end, the stacking surface sloping downwardly from the first end toward the second end; and a resiliently-biased stop at the second end of the stacking surface, the stop including at least one contact surface defining a height of the stop above the second end of the stacking surface. When the contact surface is in contact with a first surface, a height of the stop (i) decreases as the stacker cart is moved toward the first surface, and (ii) increases as the stacker cart is moved away from the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Raymond Brewer, III
  • Publication number: 20100283198
    Abstract: In a method of aligning a sheet on a tray, the sheet on the tray is transferred toward a stopper member in one direction by a transfer device. Then, the sheet is moved in a sheet width direction perpendicular to the one direction to align the sheet in the sheet width direction by an aligning device. Further, force is provided to the sheet on the tray to move the sheet in the one direction by the transfer device while the aligning device regulates the sheet in the sheet width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Makoto Shimura
  • Patent number: 7784785
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming stacks in sheet-processing machines, in particular printing machines, includes side stops moving back and forth. The stops are divided into upper and lower parts. The lower part can be displaced vertically or in slotted guides and can interact with a switch in order to switch off a stack lift drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Böttger, Andreas Detloff
  • Patent number: 7748704
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus has a standby tray to receive a paper sheet to be supplied from a digital copier, a processing tray to receive a paper sheet dropped from a standby tray, a feed member which guides the rear end of a paper sheet received in a standby tray in the feeding direction to a processing tray, and scrapes and sends the rear end of a paper sheet dropped onto a processing tray to a stopper, a press member which clamps the rear end of a paper sheet received in a standby tray by cooperating with two feed members, and a stapler to staple the aligned rear ends of paper sheets. When a first paper sheet is supplied to the standby tray, the press member presses the rear end of the first paper sheet, to receive a second paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Mikio Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Hajime Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7744085
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include an image forming mechanism configured to form an image and transfer the image on a sheet member, and/or a sheet processing unit. The sheet processing unit may include a sheet aligning unit, an ejection sheet tray configured to stack the sheet member, a sheet stopper configured to align the sheet member at a trailing edge thereof, a return mechanism configured to return the sheet member stacked on the ejection sheet tray to the sheet stopper, and/or a discharging mechanism configured to discharge the sheet member, aligned by the return mechanism, from the sheet stopper to the ejection sheet tray. The sheet aligning unit may include a stacking mechanism configured to stack the sheet member transferred into the sheet aligning unit and/or a sheet aligning mechanism configured to align the sheet member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Tsutsui, Shingo Matsushita, Tamaki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7747211
    Abstract: A booklet loading apparatus has a carry-out unit that sequentially carries out plural booklets to a predetermined carry-out position; a transfer unit that sequentially arranges the booklets carried out from the carry-out unit while the booklets overlap one another, the transfer unit transferring the booklets in a predetermined transfer direction, the transfer unit returning the booklet to an upstream side in the transfer direction once in each time when the booklet is carried out from the carry-out unit, then the transfer unit transferring the booklet in the transfer direction; a loading unit on which the booklet carried out by the transfer unit is loaded; and an orientation correcting unit arranged on the upstream side in the transfer direction with respect to the transfer position, the orientation correcting unit correcting an orientation of the booklet to a predetermined orientation by causing the booklet to abut on the orientation correcting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Patent number: 7708272
    Abstract: A method and device for forming a stack of sheets including a delivery surface, and also a stop and a pusher element movable in the direction of the stop, and also a guide which can occupy a first and a second position, in which the first position a sheet can be received in the guide, and in which the second position a guide path is formed, wherein the freedom of movement of the sheet edge is substantially limited in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pushing direction and substantially perpendicular to the delivery surface of the preceding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: OCE-Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Franciscus C. P. Van Opstal
  • Patent number: 7681881
    Abstract: A sheet aligning device includes a sheet feeder that discharges a sheet in a first direction, a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked, a sheet jogger that aligns the sheet on the sheet tray in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a sheet detection filler that detects a state of the sheet on the sheet tray. The sheet detection filler detects a position of a topmost sheet in the stack of sheets on the sheet tray and determines an alignment position from where the sheet jogger is to begin alignment of the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Kunieda, Masahiro Tamura, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Ichiro Ichihashi, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7669847
    Abstract: There provided is a post-processing apparatus which has a simple structure and makes more than one sheet of recording paper easily slide down a slope of a post-processing tray, has no irregularity in the alignment of the sheets of recording paper in the discharging direction, and makes the alignment of sheets of recording paper easier after that. A finisher unit is provided with conveyance rollers for discharging sheets to a processing tray, aligning plates for guiding both sides of the sheets discharged by the conveyance rollers, and a control CPU for controlling an operation of the aligning plates. When the sheets guided by the pair of aligning plates slide down a slope of the processing tray, the control CPU causes the pair of aligning plates to vibrate in the cross direction of the sheet and in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kouzou Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7665729
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that performs processing for sheets after image formation such as sorting or stapling of the sheets, when the sheets are subjected to processing in a processing tray, after the sheets are discharged to the waiting tray, a paddle operation is started to drop the sheets to the processing tray. When the paddle is in a position where the paddle does not come into contact with the sheets on the processing tray, the rotation of the paddle is stopped once to prevent the paddle from interfering with the sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7658378
    Abstract: An apparatus for aligning sheet stacks in a feeder of sheet processing machines includes a motor-driven aligning plate and a movement converter situated between a motor drive and the aligning plate. The movement converter forces a movement describing approximately a circular path onto the aligning plate. A vertical speed component of the aligning plate during aligning corresponds to an upward speed of a feeder stack. A method for aligning sheet stacks in a feeder of a sheet processing machine as well as a sheet processing machine, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Reinhard Lappok, Andre Pütz, Guido Zanders
  • Publication number: 20090243198
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus including a stacking section which stacks sheets; a sorting section which changes an ejecting position of the sheet in the stacking device to sort the sheets; an aligning section which aligns the sheet sorted by the sorting section and ejected onto the stacking section; a shifting section which shifts the aligning section based on the ejecting position changed by the sorting section in the stacking section; and a control section which controls at least the aligning section and the shifting section; wherein when the number of sheets as a sheet unit to be sorted by the sorting section is plural, the control section controls the aligning section to align the sheets as the sheet unit, and when the number of sheets is singular, the control section controls at least the aligning section and shifting section not to align the single sheet in the sheet unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Konika Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki KONISHI
  • Publication number: 20090236798
    Abstract: In a sheet processing device in the form of an offset stacker, a sheet fence (103, 104) is provided on a side of sheets (S) to be processed stacked on a stack tray (3) opposite from a jogger (101, 102) so that the sheet fence accurately defines a final offset position of the sheets. Thereby, even when a transient offset position at which the sheets are stacked on the stack tray varies from one sheet to another, the side edges of sheets selected for offset stacking can be lined up without fail owing to the jogging action of the jogger and the supporting action of the sheet fence. A pair of joggers may be arranged on either side of the sheets, along with a pair of corresponding sheets fences on the opposing sides. The jogger and sheet fence on a same side may be supported by a common moveable frame (107, 108) so that the jogging action and sheet fence adjustment can be achieved by a common structure and a common drive unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Kuniaki KIMURA, Kenichi WATANABE
  • Patent number: 7588249
    Abstract: A hopper is provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a flexible guide located opposite the jogger, adjacent to the backstop. A hopper is also provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a toothed guide located opposite the jogger and adjacent to the backstop, a plurality of teeth of the toothed guide facing the signature stack. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Roger Caron, James Aurthur Pangle
  • Patent number: 7568688
    Abstract: A sheet alignment device, that is included in a sheet finishing apparatus integrally mounted with an image forming apparatus to an image forming system or connected to the image forming apparatus, includes an accommodating unit configured to temporarily accommodate a paper sheet and a paper sheet stack including the paper sheet therein, and a sheet alignment unit configured to align the sheet stack including the paper sheet in a direction perpendicular to a sheet travel direction. The sheet alignment unit has a first alignment member configured to move between a sheet receiving position and a sheet alignment position along the direction perpendicular to the sheet travel direction so as to push the sheet stack and a second alignment member configured to move to a fixed position and remain stationary thereat so as to stop the sheet stack pushed by the first alignment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Nomura, Hiroshi Maeda, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda, Hitoshi Hattori, Makoto Hidaka, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7562869
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of an edge registration system and method. The embodiments employ a compiling tray with a fixed side edge. A movable backstop stops each sheet as it is fed into the tray. A tamper tamps each sheet against the fixed side edge. The registered stack is then aligned with one or more finishing mechanisms by a repositioner that laterally repositions the stack and by the movable backstop that repositions the stack between the front and back ends of the tray. Because the fixed side edge covers the entire paper length and because the paper is only tamped a short distance to achieve registration, the system provides greater support for squaring the sheets. Additionally, because the paper is only tamped a short distance to achieve registration and because the backstop is only moved during alignment of the stack with a finishing mechanism, the system is capable of improving productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yanmin Mao, Hongfeng Xu
  • Publication number: 20090179375
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a sheet accumulation apparatus enabling to uniformly load tabbed sheets into a train of sheets for load and store the sheets on a tray. The sheet accumulation apparatus has a sheet outlet for successively discharging the sheets, a tray means for loading to hold the sheets thereon, a sheet carrier means for discharging the sheets from the sheet outlet to the side of a downstream, a sheet front end regulating means for colliding the sheets sent by the sheet carrier means against the regulating means at the sheet front ends and regulating them, and a sheet rear regulating means disposed to the tray means for regulating the positions of the sheets from the sheet outlet at the sheet rear ends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicants: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC., NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tamura, Toshio Shida, Hiroto Akiyama
  • Publication number: 20090160124
    Abstract: In order to reduce the stack failure of a sheet bundle, there is provided a sheet stacking/aligning apparatus comprising: a stack tray for stacking sheets thereon; and a rear end aligning member for pushing and aligning the rear end of a sheet conveyed onto the stack tray. The rear end aligning member includes sheet holding paddle for holding the sheets stacked on the stack tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: DAISAKU KAMIYA, MITSUSHIGE MURATA, HIROMICHI TSUJINO, YUZO MATSUMOTO, TAKAKO HANADA
  • Patent number: 7537209
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7475876
    Abstract: In order to reduce the stack failure of a sheet bundle, there is provided a sheet stacking/aligning apparatus comprising: a stack tray for stacking sheets thereon; and a rear end aligning member for pushing and aligning the rear end of a sheet conveyed onto the stack tray. The rear end aligning member includes sheet holding paddle for holding the sheets stacked on the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisaku Kamiya, Mitsushige Murata, Hiromichi Tsujino, Yuzo Matsumoto, Takako Hanada
  • Patent number: 7455291
    Abstract: Embodiment herein being by placing a media sheet into a chamber. The chamber has a bottom, sidewalls, and a movable projection within a lower portion of the chamber. The movable projection has an upper surface and the media sheet can initially rest on the upper surface of the movable projection. The method can optionally perform a first alignment process (using an alignment mechanism) while the media sheet rests on the upper surface of the movable projection. Then, the method can retract the movable projection to allow the media sheet to fall onto the bottom of the chamber. Next, once the media sheet rests against the bottom of the chamber, the method performs a second alignment process, again using the alignment mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert James Douglas Reeves, Martyn Mitchell, Michael John Gregg, Waleed Nasar
  • Patent number: 7451980
    Abstract: To ensure that the leading edge of the sheet ejected onto a tray 12 does not push and move loaded sheets in advance, loaded sheets are retained at position (II) by a retaining roller. A roller (returning roller in this case) 121 for applying external force to a sheet S ejected onto the tray 12 and moving the sheet toward a end face 131 for alignment is displaced to a different position in the direction of ejection “a”, thereby firmly gripping the trailing edge of the sheet S ejected on the tray 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Akihito Andoh, Kazuya Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20080251984
    Abstract: A hopper is provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a flexible guide located opposite the jogger, adjacent to the backstop. A hopper is also provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a toothed guide located opposite the jogger and adjacent to the backstop, a plurality of teeth of the toothed guide facing the signature stack. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Roger Caron, James Aurthur Pangle
  • Publication number: 20080136090
    Abstract: A finishing-compiling station or structure is disclosed where marked copies of paper or other media are transported into a compiling tray for paper registration by paddle wheels or other such deflection loaded compiler drive elements. These sheets of paper after registration are then processed and finished as desired. The pressure applied by the paddle wheels is substantially constant where as prior art pressures varied depending upon the height of the paper stack. A sensor and appropriate software controller gauges the speed of the paddle wheel drive shaft and controls the height of the drive shaft from the stack and thereby equalizes the resulting pressure to a continuous fixed pressure throughout this stacking operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventor: Henry T. Bober
  • Publication number: 20080054552
    Abstract: A sheet aligning apparatus includes a tray device for piling and storing sheets from a sheet outlet, a sheet discharging and delivering device arranged above the tray device, and a shift device for moving the sheet discharging and delivering device between an operating position of pressing the uppermost sheet with predetermined pressing force and a non-operating position of lightening or releasing pressing force. The apparatus also includes a regulating stopper member for colliding the sheets sent by the sheet discharging and delivering device at the sheet front or back ends for regulating sheet position, an aligning device for regulating the sheets on the tray in a direction crossing the sheet discharging direction, and a control device for controlling the sheet discharging and delivering device, the shift device and the aligning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Makoto Shimura
  • Patent number: 7300052
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped medium processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a pair of arranging members 102a, 102b, and these arranging members 102a, 102b have both arranging function for arranging paper S piled on a tray 12 after being discharged in a discharge direction “a” from a paper discharge roller 3 at only fixed position, and sorting/arranging function for arranging the papers S grouped together at different position in direction (direction perpendicular to paper face) perpendicular to the discharge direction “a” in every copy of grouping together predetermined number of the paper S. For that reason, it is possible to conduct sorting/arranging action by using small drive power and to arrange the paper S in high precision regardless of largeness of piled amount of the paper S on the tray 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Tamura, Akihito Andoh, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuya Tsutsui
  • Publication number: 20070257421
    Abstract: A sheet collecting device includes a tray on which sheets are placed, a sheet discharging roller for transferring sheets to the tray, an abutment regulating device for regulating a leading end and a trailing end of the sheets on the stacking tray in a conveying direction, and an aligning device for aligning the sheets relative to the abutment regulating device. The stacking tray includes a tray base supported by an apparatus frame and a plate member disposed on the tray base for placing and supporting at least some of the sheets. The plate member is supported on a top surface of the tray base so as to be movable toward an abutment regulating member. A biasing device is provided between the plate member and the tray base to bias the plate member toward the abutment regulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Sanmiya
  • Patent number: 7281708
    Abstract: When the rear end of a sheet bundle S is brought to reach the clamping portion between a rocking roller and a rear end aligning wall by conveyance means, the individual timings, at which the rocking roller and the rear end aligning wall move to the escape position, are controlled to drop said sheet bundle S onto a stack tray, and then the rear end aligning wall is moved from the escape position to the support position thereby to register the rear end of the sheet bundle S dropped on the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsushige Murata, Hiromichi Tsujino, Yuzo Matsumoto, Takako Hanada
  • Patent number: 7264237
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20070200288
    Abstract: A sheet feed tray has a bottom plate on which a sheet is to be placed; two side fences for positioning opposite widthwise sides of a sheet placed on the bottom plate; and an interlocking mechanism for interlocking movements of the side fences toward and away from each other. The interlocking mechanism includes two racks integrally attached to the respective side fences with toothed surfaces thereof opposed to each other and movable along the bottom plate, and a pinion provided on the bottom plate. The pinion is rotatable about its central axis and is engageable with the pair of racks. Locking projections are disposed at the respective rack sides and project toward the bottom plate side. Contact portions are disposed at the bottom plate side and engage the locking projections with the pair of side fences maximally or minimally spaced apart from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Yoshiuchi
  • Patent number: 7172186
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a sheet transport path for transporting a sheet; a discharge device disposed adjacent to the sheet transport path for sequentially transporting the sheet; a support tray disposed adjacent to the discharge device for temporarily supporting at least a part of the sheet transported by the discharge device; a stacker disposed at a downstream side of the support tray for stacking and storing the sheet transported from the support tray; a sheet pushing member disposed on the support tray for abutting against an edge of the sheet stacked on the support tray; and a drive device capable of rotating in forward and reverse directions. The drive device reciprocally moves the sheet pushing member between a retracted position at an upstream side of a stacking position where the sheet is stacked on the support tray and a transport position at a downstream side of the stacking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Saito, Yuji Hanawa, Hiroki Imazu
  • Patent number: 7147221
    Abstract: A rotational cable shortening system for shortening the effective length of a cable by bending a section of the cable. The shortening system comprises a rotatable bridged channel through which the cable is threaded. Upon rotation of the bridged channel, the cable is deflected and effectively shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jesse J. Brumberger, James Markovitz, Richard J. Milillo, Joseph P. Cavalieri
  • Patent number: 7118102
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a bin into which items are stacked. The items are sequentially removed from the bottom of the stack as the sheet feeder operates. The items travel a longitudinal path of travel to a separator wheel that staggers the items as they exit the sheet feeder. A rocker plate at the bottom of the bin oscillates to jostle the items. The jostling breaks the bonds of friction between contiguous items so that the items are not bound to one another as they engage the separator wheel. A drive shaft transverse to the path of item travel rotates as the sheet feeder operates and carries a cam that rotates conjointly with the drive shaft and causes oscillation of a cam follower. The cam follower oscillates a transversely disposed bar about a transverse axis and the rocker plate is mounted to that bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Todd C. Werner