Responsive To Sheet-sensor Patents (Class 271/227)
  • Patent number: 7568695
    Abstract: A transporter is adapted to transport a sheet in a first direction. At least three detectors are disposed at a downstream side of the transporter in the first direction. Each of the detectors is operable to detect passing time of a leading end edge of the sheet. A processor is operable to calculate: a first angle of the sheet with respect to the first direction based on a first difference of the passing time detected by first two of the detectors and a first distance between the first two of the detectors; and a second angle of the sheet with respect to the first direction based on a second difference of the passing time detected by second two of the detectors and a second distance between the second two of the detectors, and operable to detect a jam in case that a value of an angular difference between the first angle and the second angle is larger than a prescribed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventors: Ryoichi Yasukawa, Minoru Masuda, Satoshi Ishida, Noriaki Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20090184460
    Abstract: A jogging device for a feeder of a mail handling machine, which jogging device comprises a side jogging abutment mounted to move, under the action of a drive motor, along a guide rail that is disposed perpendicularly to a referencing wall, said side jogging abutment being provided with at least: a first sensor that is fastened to its base and that, when unmasked, causes said side jogging abutment to move towards said referencing wall, and, when masked, causes this movement to stop; and a second sensor that is fastened to the top of said side jogging abutment and that, when masked, causes said side jogging abutment to move away from said referencing wall, and, when unmasked, causes this movement to stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: NEOPOST TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Francis CORET, Yannick CLARIS
  • Patent number: 7561843
    Abstract: A registration and measurement system for a printing machine includes two drive rollers and two opposing idler rollers. Each drive roller and idle roller combination respectively form a drive nip. A single servo or stepper motor is operably connected to the drive rollers through a gear train, allowing the motor to drive the sheet feeding nips. A rotary encoder is attached to each idler roller. Optical sensors are provided above a desired sheet path. The optical sensors and the rotary encoders are connected to a controller and are operable to deliver output signals to the controller. The controller is operable to determine the length of a sheet passing through the nips based upon the signals received from the optical sensors and the rotary encoders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. deJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20090166960
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus capable of detecting a sheet end portion in a short time period even if sheets are conveyed at a narrow interval and at high speed, thus making it possible to expedite the start timing of a subsequent sheet alignment operation. In accordance with results of detection by lateral registration detection sensors performed when a sheet reaches a lateral registration detection sensor unit, the sensor unit is moved in a width direction for sheet end detection. Based on a moving distance of the sensor unit from a standby position to a position where the sheet end is detected, a shift amount to be shifted the sheet in the width direction, i.e., a lateral registration error, is computed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Ishikawa, Yasuo Fukatsu, Tsuyoshi Moriyama, Hitoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20090160125
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a reference surface extending along a sheet conveyance direction and configured to regulate the position of a side edge of a sheet to be conveyed, a skew conveyance mechanism configured to convey the sheet obliquely so that the side edge of the sheet collides against the reference surface, and a sheet deforming unit configured to deform the side edge of the sheet when the sheet is conveyed toward the reference surface by the skew conveyance mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Takayuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20090152805
    Abstract: There is provided a paper sheet handling apparatus capable of processing a deviated banknote in a banknote storage bin so as to displace the banknote to an optional position. The banknote handling apparatus incorporates a deviation processing means making contact with at least one side of a banknote in a paper sheet storage bin in which banknotes are stacked one upon another, for applying a force to the banknote at least in a direction of deviation of the banknote. The deviation processing means falls, during operation thereof, either in a condition in which it makes contact with a paper sheet in the paper sheet storage bin or in a condition in which it does not make contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Akira NOMIYAMA, Eisuke Shiomi
  • Publication number: 20090146370
    Abstract: A method for sensing a paper skew adapted for a device having a paper feeding mechanism is provided. The device has a feed sensor which is fixed at a start position of paper feeding; and, a position sensor which moves in a direction perpendicular to a direction of paper feeding and passes through a first and a second positions. The first position is the intersection of a moving path of the position sensor and a line. The feed sensor is on the line, and the line is parallel to the direction of paper feeding. The method includes the device having a first distance; moving the position sensor to the second position; feeding a work paper into the device; obtaining a second distance which is a moving distance of the work paper fed; and determining whether the work paper is skewed or not according to the difference between the first and the second distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventor: Tsung-Fu Kao
  • Publication number: 20090134570
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a plurality of skew feeding correction rollers, a detection portion and a control portion which controls each sheet conveying speed of the plurality of skew feeding correction rollers so as to perform skew feeding correction of the sheet depending on the output from the detection portion. The control portion controls the plurality of skew feeding correction rollers so as to perform skew feeding correction of the sheet while the sheet is conveyed in a state in which the sheet conveying speed of the plurality of skew feeding correction rollers is slower than that when the amount of skew feeding of the sheet is less than a predetermined amount of skew feeding when the amount of skew feeding exceeds the predetermined amount of skew feeding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takuya Hayakawa
  • Publication number: 20090134569
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying part that conveys sheets; a detection part that outputs a signal according to a position of each sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying part in a lateral direction orthogonal to a conveying direction; a lateral shift part that shifts the conveyed sheet in the lateral direction; and a control part that controls an operation of the lateral shift part based on an output of the detection part. Then, after lateral shift operation is ended by the lateral shift part, detection is performed again by the detection part, and based on a detection result thereof, the control part controls an operation of the lateral shift part so that the conveyed sheet is shifted again in the lateral direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noriaki Matsui
  • Patent number: 7537210
    Abstract: A curved conveying guiding portion which guides a sheet toward a skew correcting unit is provided on a sheet conveying direction upstream of the skew correcting unit which corrects a skew of the sheet by rotating the sheet while conveying it. By narrowing an interval in the vertical direction in a center portion in the lateral direction of the conveying guiding portion, when a sheet S is rotated and corrected by the skew correcting unit, a load which the sheet to be corrected receives from the conveying guiding portion is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20090115124
    Abstract: A method of removing media lateral DC position errors in a long paper path using closed loop correction is disclosed. The amount of lateral DC media shift error generated (or the lateral DC correction required) in the paper path is sensed by a CCD or full width array sensor located in the downstream paper path. In the closed loop, this information is used to energize a motorized actuator in the upstream paper path to correct for lateral DC errors in the media path. Thus, the paper is delivered to the downstream media path within specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Alexander J. Fioravanti, Rakesh Suresh Kulkarni, Abu Islam, Keith Andrew Buddendeck, Saurabh Prabhat
  • Publication number: 20090102112
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus includes a punch unit to punch a sheet, and a saddle unit to bundle and to fold the sheets. A position and an inclination angle of a puncher are changed according to a skew amount of the sheet, the puncher is controlled to form punch holes in the sheet at positions symmetric with respect to a folding line, and punching is performed so that an interval between the folding line and the punch hole becomes small at the inside of a bundle of the sheets and becomes large at the front cover side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki TAGUCHI, Tetsuhiro MORITA
  • Patent number: 7520497
    Abstract: The invention comprises registration roller pairs which detect a skew amount of a sheet being conveyed; registration roller pairs which perform skew correction of the sheet while the sheet is being conveyed; a punch unit which performs punching of the sheet; a punch-unit driving portion which drives the punch unit; a sheet-edge detecting sensor which performs detection of a sheet edge in a direction intersecting with a sheet conveyance direction; a punch-unit moving device which moves the punch unit in the direction intersecting with the sheet conveyance direction; a sheet detecting sensor which performs detection of a sheet position in the sheet conveyance direction; and a controller portion which performs control such that after skew of the sheet is corrected by the registration roller pairs in accordance with detection results of skew amount sensors, and punching is performed on the sheet by the punch-unit moving device and the punch driving portion in accordance with a detection result of the sheet detect
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Moriyama, Takako Hanada, Masayoshi Taira, Akinobu Nishikata, Hiroaki Tomiyasu
  • Patent number: 7516957
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus provided with a bent sheet feeding guide member in the transportation path for transporting the recording material with the inclination along the width direction of the guide surface configured by the bent sheet feeding guide member being variable, or provided with a pair of transporting rollers that transports a recording material in the transportation path for transporting a recording material with the inclination of the pair of transporting rollers along the axial direction being variable with respect to the transportation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Hamaya, Tetsu Sekine, Hideo Isohara, Yujiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 7510183
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for facing documents during high speed processing. The present invention employs at least one sensor to scan the documents individually as they are fed sequentially through a processing machine. The sensor determines the direction the documents are facing. Depending on the direction the documents are facing, a path selector directs the documents to one of two equal length paths within the processing machine. If a document is facing up, the path selector directs the document along a first path that leads directly to a collection point. If a document is facing down, the path selector directs the document along a second path that includes a twisted conveyor belt which turns the document about the longitudinal axis to face up. The second path meets with the first path, wherein the conveyor belt reinserts the faced documents back into the same sequential position that the document was in relative to the other documents before being diverted by the path selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: De La Ru Holdings, PLC
    Inventors: Jerry Edwards, Kirk Kaaz
  • Publication number: 20090072465
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a case where a sheet folding process or a staple process is performed, even in the case where the size precision of a sheet used is not satisfactory, the high-precision staple process and folding process can be performed to the sheet. In a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus to perform a specified process to a sheet, a relatively moved sheet is detected, the size of the sheet is calculated based on the detection result, and a position where the specified process is performed to a bundle of sheets as an object of the specified process is adjusted based on the calculated sheet size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken IGUCHI, Chiaki IIZUKA, Takahiro KAWAGUCHI, Shinichiro MANO
  • Publication number: 20090066016
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: a first sensor which is provided on a transportation path of a sheet and detects a first passage time of the sheet; a second sensor which is provided at a position different from the position of the first sensor in a transportation direction of the sheet and a direction perpendicular to the transportation direction and detects a second passage time of the sheet; a skew determination unit which determines a skew amount of the sheet based on the first passage time detected by the first sensor and the second passage time detected by the second sensor; and a correction control unit which controls correction of a skew of the sheet on the basis of the skew amount determined by the skew determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyo KATO, Yoshikatsu KAMISUWA, Kazumasa YASUI
  • Publication number: 20090066003
    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: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    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: 7500669
    Abstract: A printing system for printing images onto copy sheets and tab stock includes a media registration transport for transporting a media sheet along a path. The printing system further includes a sensing system having a plurality of sensors positioned in line and orthogonal to the feed direction of the sheet path for detecting a leading edge of the media sheet. A control system provides for detecting signals at the times when each of the plurality of sensors are occluded and a control algorithm compares every one of the sensor signals with each other of the sensor signals. The system then identifies at least one pair of sensor signals having inconsistent readings with the other of sensor signals and, determines the presence of a tab on the leading edge based on the inconsistent sensor signal readings and calculates sheet skew based on the other sensor signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Barry Paul Mandel
  • Patent number: 7500668
    Abstract: An electrostatographic and/or xerographic machine includes a media path adapted to move a media sheet. Sensors are positioned adjacent the media path. The media sheet has a leading edge and a trailing edge and the sensors are adapted to identify locations of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the media sheet. A marking device is positioned adjacent the media path. The marking device is adapted to print first items on a first side of the media sheet and print second items on a second side of the media sheet. A registration controller is operatively connected to the media path and to the sensors. The registration controller determines a length between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the media sheet using output from the sensors, and determines the parallelism between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the media sheet using output from the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. DeJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20090060604
    Abstract: A processing unit performs a predetermined processing on a sheet in a process of carrying the sheet. A home-position detecting unit detects a home position of a moving member of the processing unit by detecting a part of the moving member using a detecting unit. The home-position detecting unit sets in advance a detection range for recognizing the home position, and when a part to detect the home position is detected in a state in which the moving member is stopped, sets a detection position as the home position by assuming that the detection position is in the detection range without moving the moving member once out of a detection range of the detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hattori, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi, Akira Kunieda, Makoto Hidaka, Naohiro Kikkawa, Junichi Tokita
  • Publication number: 20090057992
    Abstract: A technique is provided that enables detection of the state of a sheet skew or the like without adding a special sensor or the like in a sheet carrying apparatus if possible. Information about sheet detection timing by two sensors that are arranged at different positions from each other in a sheet carrying direction and arranged at positions different from each other in a direction orthogonal to the sheet carrying direction is acquired. A skew of a carried sheet is determined in accordance with the acquired information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyo KATOU, Yoshikatsu KAMISUWA
  • Publication number: 20090057993
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling at least one of a position or at least one dimension of printed products conveyed while positioned flat in a conveyed flow. A conveying device transports the printed products and at least one sensor is directed toward an edge of the printed products and comprises a line sensor or area sensor. A computer-supported control is coupled to receive an output signal of the at least one sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: Muller Martini Holding AG
    Inventor: Giorgio Zancanaro
  • Publication number: 20090051099
    Abstract: A system for registering print media includes a media tray configured to hold a plurality of sheets of print media, a pick assembly configured to pick a sheet of the print media from the media tray and route the sheet to a media path, and a registration assembly positioned in the media path after the pick assembly. The registration assembly is configured to sense the sheet in the media path and operate for a predetermined time based on an amount of the print media in the media tray to register the sheet in the media path such that the predetermined time increases as the amount of the print media in the media tray decreases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Murray Learmonth, David R. Meyer, Dentarg Huang, Kirby Wang, Robert J. Lockwood, Tsai-Yi Lin
  • Publication number: 20090033026
    Abstract: A sheet width aligning device includes two width aligning members which respectively contact widthwise ends of a sheet to regulate a widthwise position of the sheet. A first detector detects one widthwise end of the sheet and a second detector detects the other widthwise end of the sheet. A moving mechanism moves the first and second detectors located at initial positions at outer sides of the sheet towards the center of the sheet in the widthwise directions. A determining section determines the positions of the width aligning members based on a detection timing, at which the first detector detected the one widthwise end, and a detection timing, at which the second detector detected the other widthwise end. A driving mechanism drives the width aligning members to move to the positions determined by the determining section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masami Fuchi
  • Publication number: 20090033028
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a first detector configured to detect a leading edge of a sheet conveyed in a conveying direction, a second detector provided on a downstream side of the first detector in the sheet conveying direction to detect the leading edge of the sheet conveyed, a punching portion, in the downstream side of the first detector in the sheet conveying direction, to move in a sheet width direction crossing the sheet conveying direction and perform a punching process for the sheet, an edge detector configured to move in the width direction together with the punching portion and detect the edge of the sheet conveyed in the width direction, and a controller, on the basis of at least either of information of a conveying speed of the sheet and a sheet length in the conveying direction, when the edge detector starts movement in the width direction after the first or second detector detects the leading edge of the sheet, to judge whether the edge detector can detect the edge of the sheet or no
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao Yahata, Ken Iguchi, Kouichirou Yada
  • Patent number: 7472905
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus has a skew conveying correction roller pair 2 for conveying a sheet, skew conveying detection sensors 3a and 3b for respectively detecting a skew of a sheet and a sheet-end-position detection sensor 4 for detecting the side position of the sheet. The skew conveying correction roller pair 2 is skewed by a skew amount obtained by adding a first skew amount for correcting the skew of a sheet detected by the skew conveying detection sensor 3a and 3b and a second skew amount ?2 for correcting the side position of a sheet detected by the sheet-end-position detection sensor 4. After the sheet is nipped by the skew conveying correction roller pair 2, the skew conveying correction roller pair 2 is skewed by the first skew amount ?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 7467793
    Abstract: On a paper path in a photo printer, a skew corrector is provided to correct skew of recording sheets simultaneously in two lines. The skew corrector consists of a first conveyer roller pair, a second conveyer roller pair and a strike guide. The recording sheets are conveyed by the first conveyer roller pair after their leading edges strike on the strike guide, to bend the recording sheets flexibly between the first conveyer roller pair and the strike guide, thereby to correct skew of each recording sheet. A necessary transport amount for correcting the skew of the recording sheet is calculated on each line based on detection signals from photo sensors, which are disposed between the first and second conveyer roller pairs, and a width of the recording sheet. The recording sheets of the respective lines are conveyed by the largest necessary transport amount among the calculated ones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Tanabe
  • Publication number: 20080309006
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a hole punching section arranged downstream from a skew detecting unit and orthogonally to a conveying path of a sheet, and a control unit configured to change the tilt angle of the hole punching section in accordance with each of the quantity of skew at the forward edge and the quantity of skew at the rear edge of the sheet, carry out skew correction at the forward edge within a first correction range w1, and carry out skew correction at the rear edge within a second correction range w2 (where w1>w2?w1/2). The control unit carries out skew correction at the forward edge within the correction range w2, in the case where the detected quantity of skew at the forward edge is a tilt angle exceeding the correction range w2, and then carries out skew correction at the rear edge in accordance with the difference between the quantity of skew at the forward edge after the correction and the quantity of skew at the rear edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Hiroyuki Tsuchihashi, Tetsuhiro Morita
  • Publication number: 20080296835
    Abstract: A method of registering sheets laterally and in skew enables active sheet deskew without translating the sheet in the cross-process direction. A sensor carriage position is controlled to find the sheet edge after which deskew control can start. The average value of the carriage position can then be fed in a feedforward manner to move the image location to match the average paper position. This achieves good average lateral registration and active skew control at a reduced cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. Dejong, Lloyd A. Williams, Barry P. Mandel, Martin Krucinski
  • Publication number: 20080265496
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a platen that guides a sheet, restraining members disposed on the platen at respective side edges of the sheet to restrain the side edges of the sheet from being raised, a sheet width detector that detects the width of the sheet, and a restraining member detector that detects the positions of the restraining members. At least one of the restraining members is moved in accordance with the information obtained by the sheet width detector regarding the positions of the side edges of the sheet and the information obtained by the restraining position detector regarding the positions of the restraining members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichiro Kawaguchi, Kenji Kawazoe, Haruo Uchida, Nozomu Nishiberi, Yoshiaki Watanabe, Yasuyuki Asai, Mitsuru Kondo
  • Publication number: 20080251998
    Abstract: In a sheet aligning device, a pair of first rollers provided upstream of a stopper unit moves a sheet in an axial direction thereof after a pair of second rollers provided upstream of the first rollers is separated, and is returned to its home position just after the sheet passes therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Takayuki Muneyasu, Junji Shirakawa, Yutaka Shoji, Takeshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20080251997
    Abstract: Disclosed is an information detecting device capable of reducing fluctuation in detection accuracy. A recording sheet P transported through a transport path comes into contact with a displacing member, and, in this state, a motor is driven to rotate a cam, and the resilient force of a coil spring causes a pressurizing member to collide with the recording sheet P. The impact force at that time is detected by a detection sensor, and transmitted to a sheet material information obtaining means. Then, on the basis of the detection result, it is possible to detect the type, density, thickness, surface irregularities, etc. of the recording sheet P. At this time, the recording sheet P is in contact with the displacing member, whereby it is possible to reduce fluctuation in detection accuracy due to positional deviation of the recording sheet P.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiko Kawasaki, Norio Kaneko, Kimio Handa, Naoaki Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20080237975
    Abstract: The presently described embodiments are directed to a method and system for improving sheet registration in a document processing device. The presently described embodiments implement a technique the produces accurate results with merely a small tail wag. To do so, the method ultimately establishes or determines a variety of parameters (e.g. lateral position of a sheet, skew, registration time, nominal sheet velocity, and correction velocity). These parameters are then used by the system to calculate a lateral velocity profile. In this regard, the calculated velocity profiles are applied to the wheels or nips, in the paper path. Thus, the wheels can be controlled and will allow for improved sheet registration in the document processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Joannes N.M. de Jong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20080237979
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image reading apparatus capable of stably correcting the delay or the advance of a sheet even if sheet conveying rollers such as a skew feeding correction roller and the like are decentered. The delay amount or the advance amount of the sheet being conveyed is detected by a deviation amount detection unit 53 as well as a control amount setting unit 55 sets the sheet conveying speed and the correction time of a sheet conveying roller 11 which corrects the delay or the advance of the sheet based on the delay amount or the advance amount of the sheet detected by the deviation amount detection unit 53. The control amount setting unit 55 sets the sheet conveying speed and the correction time of the sheet conveying roller 11 so that the delay or the advance of the sheet is corrected when the sheet conveying roller 11 rotates integer multiple.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Tamura, Hiromasa Katayama
  • Publication number: 20080240820
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the lateral position of a moving sheet in a sheet registration system. A side edge sensor is moved from a known location until the side edge of the moving sheet is detected. A signal is generated indicative of the position of the side edge when it is detected. The position of the side edge as indicated by the signal is used along with skew of the sheet to determine the lateral position of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Joannes N. deJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Publication number: 20080224387
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which can promptly detect whether or not a jam has been removed in the case of occurrence of the jam such as a paper jam. A paper feeding apparatus 1b includes a paper feed tray 11, a pickup roller 61, a paper roller 63, a sorting roller 64, feeding rollers 66a, resist rollers 67, a paper ejection roller 73, a passage detection sensor 69, an overlapped feeding detection sensor 68 and a second detection apparatus 71. An image processing apparatus 100 includes a position detection portion 41 for detecting a location of a jam which occurs during feeding of recording paper, a determination portion 42 for determining a jam state based on a detection result of the position detection sensor 69, an examination portion 43 for examining whether the jam has been resolved and a resuming portion 44 for resuming the processing when an examination of the jam location by the examination portion 43 is finished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventor: Akira Tamagaki
  • Patent number: 7422210
    Abstract: In a system of automatic deskewing and registration of print media sheets moving in a printer paper path with laterally spaced apart differentially driven rollers controlled by the sensing of the moving sheet lead edge skew at a position downstream in said paper path there is further provided a subsequent trail edge sheet skew detection of the same moving sheet at a position upstream of the differentially driven rollers to subsequently differently control the differential driving of those same rollers to make a final and normally much smaller deskewing correction in the same sheet after the majority but less than all of said sheet is downstream of the differentially driven drive rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N M Dejong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Patent number: 7416182
    Abstract: The present inventions are a paper skew correcting device and a bill depositing/dispensing apparatus. The paper skew correcting device comprises first and second driving rollers 21 and 22 disposed on the left and right sides of a conveying route for paper 2 and first and second driven rollers 23 and 24 with narrow contact faces placed opposite to the first and second driving rollers 21 and 22 via the conveying route. The second driving roller 22 is formed in a tapered roller with a tapered outer peripheral surface and its rotation shaft 22a is provided aslant so that the contact part of the tapered roller is almost parallel with the conveying route. The second driven roller 24, corresponding to the second driving roller 22, is laterally moved according to the skew angle of the conveyed paper 2 so as to change its contact position with the second driving roller 22 so that the feeding speed of the right side of the paper 2 can be accelerated or decelerated to correct the skew paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Nishida, Hayato Minamishin, Taisuke Hyodo
  • Patent number: 7415221
    Abstract: Embodiments herein comprise registrations module(s) positioned between image output terminal(s), feeder module(s), and/or finisher module(s). Each registration module comprises a casing having first mounting points that correspond to second mounting points on an adjacent module. The first mounting points and the second mounting points allow the registration module to be repeatedly connected to and disconnected from an adjacent module. Each registration module also includes sensors within the casing, a controller operatively connected to the sensors, and sheet feeders. The sensors determine alignment characteristics of media passing through the module and the controller is adapted to correct the alignment characteristics of the media through unequal rotation of the sheet feeders, if the alignment characteristics deviate from a predetermined standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Russell A. Parisi, David Cipolla, Donald Johnston
  • Patent number: 7401990
    Abstract: A plurality of scanner bars is arranged in precisely located holes in the frame of a media handling device to detect the passage of the lead and trail edge of media. The multiplicity of scanner bars, arranged linearly at a right angle to the direction of motion of the media, is sampled at some frequency. The scanner bars give not only arrival and departure time of the media from each scanner bar location, but also making some assumptions about the shape of the media, information about the orientation of the media relative to the direction of motion. This information can be used to diagnose improper media handling mechanisms upstream of the sensor or provide information to downstream corrective mechanisms. Preprinted test media, such as, ladder charts, etc., can be used to extract velocity profiles and other paper path dynamic characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Siegel, Ewart O. LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 7392743
    Abstract: There are provided a thickness detecting apparatus which can restrain erroneous detection even though a sheet or the like overlaps with only a part of a rotary body, and, which can enhance the degree of accuracy of detection, comprising a cylindrical displaceable rotary body and a cylindrical stationary rotary body which are opposed to each other, the thickness detecting apparatus detecting a thickness of the sheet or the like to be transferred in accordance with a displacement by which the displaceable rotary body is separated from the stationary rotary body, when the sheet or the like passes through between the displaceable rotary body and the stationary rotary body, and the center of a load with which the displaceable rotary body presses the sheet or the like is biased from the center of the displaceable rotary body in one of center axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions, Corporation
    Inventors: Ryota Kawaguchi, Katsuyoshi Funai
  • Publication number: 20080136091
    Abstract: A sheet of material is received at a sensor assembly, which includes a sensor operable to measure a property of the sheet. An air flow is generated that is substantially tangential to the sheet in order to at least partially control a position of the sheet relative to the sensor assembly. For example, the sheet may be associated with an upstream boundary layer of air and a downstream boundary layer of air. At least part of the air from the upstream boundary layer could be removed and used to provide an air flow forming at least part of the downstream boundary layer. Also, the air flow could be provided between a surface of the sensor assembly and the sheet to at least partially control a distance of the sheet from the surface of the sensor assembly and/or an angle at which the sheet passes the surface of the sensor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Shakespeare
  • Publication number: 20080128980
    Abstract: When a comparative determination portion determines that passage of a sheet through a reference position is lagged based on a detecting signal from a passing timing detection unit, a sheet conveying speed of a skew feeding correction roller on the same side as that of a sensor which detects the lagged sheet in two sensors is increased to correct sheet skew feeding. When the comparative determination portion determines that passage of a sheet through a reference position is leaded, the sheet conveying speed of the skew feeding correction roller on the same side as that of a sensor which detects the leaded sheet in the two sensors is reduced to correct sheet skew feeding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaaki Morya, Hidehiko Kinoshita, Jun Yamaguchi, Atsushi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20080111297
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes conveying suction belts which have a function of rotating an adsorbed sheet and a function of conveying the sheet; a suction fan 112 which adsorbs the sheet to the belts; CCDs which detect a position and an skew in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction while the sheet is adsorbed to the belts; and a control device for driving the belts to rotate the sheet according to signals of CCDs in order to correct an attitude of the sheet adsorbed to the belts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Hiroaki Takagishi, Nobuto Kamiyama, Kozo Inoue, Seiichiro Kameda, Junichi Moteki, Satohisa Tateishi, Youichi Chikugo
  • Publication number: 20080048388
    Abstract: The invention provides a device for patterning workpieces, having: an ink-jet printing means having a plurality of nozzles from which drops of ink can be expelled, a workpiece carrier means for carrying the workpiece to be patterned, a conveyor means for bringing about a relative movement between the workpiece to be patterned and the printing means, and a detection means for detecting the relative position between the ink-jet printing means and at least one surface to be patterned of the respective workpiece to be patterned. The device according to the invention is characterised in that the detection means is disposed and configured so as to be in a predetermined, fixed relationship to the ink-jet printing means and/or to detect at least the distance between the ink-jet printing means and at least one surface to be patterned of the respective workpiece to be patterned, at least during printing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Achim Gauss, Ludwig Albrecht
  • Publication number: 20080030811
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a skew amount detecting unit configured to detect an amount of skew of a sheet, two rollers configured to convey the sheet in a predetermined conveyance direction when rotating in a same direction and to rotate the sheet around a predetermined point when rotating in mutually different directions, and a control unit configured to control the two rollers such that the two rollers convey the sheet to a position where a distance from the predetermined point to a specific edge of the sheet becomes a predetermined value and then rotate the sheet based on the amount of skew detected by the skew amount detecting unit to change an orientation of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nishitani, Hideki Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20080012214
    Abstract: A method and system for performing sheet registration are disclosed. Output values for a sheet may be identified within a reference frame. A difference between each output value and a corresponding desired output value may be determined. Input values may be determined based on at least the differences. State feedback values may be determined based on information received from one or more sensors. Acceleration values may be determined for multiple drive rolls based on the input values and the state feedback values. A desired angular velocity for each drive roll may be determined based on the corresponding acceleration value. A motor voltage may be determined for each drive roll that tracks an observed angular velocity value to the desired angular velocity value. The acceleration values may create a linear relationship between the input values and the second derivatives of the output values. The steps may be performed multiple times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Inventor: Jack Gaynor Elliot
  • Patent number: 7319842
    Abstract: To provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of enhancing an accuracy of correcting a skew of a sheet, and of preventing position shift of a sheet. The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet by a sheet conveying unit disposed along a sheet conveying path, including: a skew detection sensor for detecting a skew of the sheet with respect to a sheet conveying direction by a plurality of detection sensors disposed in a direction intersecting perpendicularly the sheet conveying direction; and a skew correction roller adapted to be pivotally moved in a direction of correction of a skew of the sheet in a state with the skewed sheet being held on the basis of a detection signal from the skew detection sensor, in which one of the plurality of detection sensors of the skew detection sensor is disposed nearly on an extension line from a pivotal movement center of the skew correction roller in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriaki Koyanagi, Takeshi Suga
  • Patent number: 7306219
    Abstract: A device for reversal of direction of planar letters has two cover band conveyor runs with reversible transport direction, driven by a common drive roller. The letters are distributed alternately on the cover band conveyor runs. The back-transported letters are led into removing cover band transport means. The drive roller is controlled such that on introduction of a following letter into a cover band conveyor run the preceding back-transported letter has already accelerated to the nominal speed, the braking process only being initiated when the rear edge of the relevant letter has left the introducing cover band transport run and the preceding letter is no longer held in one of the controlled and reversible cover band conveyor runs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens AG
    Inventors: Goeran Keil, Armin Zimmermann