With Means To Retard Sheet Before Alignment Patents (Class 271/229)
  • Patent number: 11665294
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a supporting portion, a feeding portion, a curved conveyance path, a conveyance unit, an image reading unit, a driving source, an output pulley, an input pulley, a first pulley, a second pulley, a driving belt, and a transmission belt. The image reading unit is configured to read an image on a first surface at a location between the first driving roller and the second driving roller in a sheet conveyance direction. The output pulley is fixed to an output shaft of the driving source. The input pulley is fixed to the second driving roller. The first pulley is fixed to the first driving roller. The second pulley is fixed to the second driving roller. The driving belt is wound around the output pulley and the input pulley. The transmission belt is wound around the first pulley and the second pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takayuki Nishinohara
  • Patent number: 11472651
    Abstract: A document conveying device includes a document tray, a first rotary member, a first motor, a second rotary member, a second motor, a document feed sensor, and a controller. The controller counts a counted time from the time point that the first motor starts to rotate until the leading end of a document reaches the document feed sensor. When the time resulting from subtracting the counted time from a required sheet-to-sheet time interval is longer than the required speed change time, the controller performs deceleration and post-deceleration acceleration for the first motor. The required speed change time is the time required for speed change from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Takuro Murata
  • Publication number: 20150076763
    Abstract: A paper conveying device includes: a registration roller pair provided along a paper conveying path; a pick-up roller, a paper feed roller and a separation roller for feeding sheets of paper to the paper conveying path; and a controller controlling conveyance of sheets of paper such that when a preceding sheet is stopped at the registration roller pair, a following, succeeding sheet is temporarily stopped at a prescribed position G downstream of a conveying roller in the paper conveying direction, and the succeeding sheet is re-conveyed toward the registration roller pair at a prescribed timing. The controller changes the timing to start re-conveyance of the succeeding sheet in accordance with paper length of the conveyed sheet of paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Norichika Katsura, Kohji Aoki, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Haruhisa Furumoto
  • Publication number: 20150071692
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet holding and conveying roller pair having two rollers to convey a sheet while holding the sheet between the two rollers at a nip where the two rollers contact each other, and a gate member disposed movable with rotation of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair to correct skew of the sheet in a sheet conveying direction when a leading end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction abuts against the gate member. The gate member has a contact surface against which the sheet abuts. The contact surface of the gate member is disposed upstream from the nip of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair in the sheet conveying direction. A setting position of the contact surface is adjusted according to thickness of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya MARUTA, Kohsuke YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8955839
    Abstract: A paper feed apparatus is capable of correcting the skew of a sheet irrespective of a differential conveyance distance. The paper feed apparatus is provided with a first large volume paper feed apparatus 100A having a control unit 130 which performs first correction control to correct the skew of a sheet by controlling a first conveyance unit 110 and forming a loop of the sheet P before a paper stop rollers 110d, and also performs second correction control to correct the skew of a sheet by controlling a second conveyance unit 120 and forming a loop of the sheet before a paper stop rollers 110d. In this case, the control unit 130 controls the first conveyance unit 110 and the second conveyance unit 120 in order that the skew correcting ability of the second correction control becomes greater than the skew correcting ability of the first correction control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Oyama, Kenji Izumiya, Kiyoto Kojima, Atsushi Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20150021846
    Abstract: Provided are a device and method for controlling a paper interval in a paper feeder of an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus including the device. The device includes: a leading edge sensor configured to detect a leading edge of a sheet of paper when the sheet of paper is picked up and fed as a printing medium; a feed unit configured to accelerate the sheet of paper; and a control unit. If the sheet of paper arrives late at a paper sensing position of the leading edge sensor, the control unit measures a travel time during which the sheet of paper is fed to the paper sensing position, and according to the measured travel time, the control unit varies a time point at which the sheet of paper starts to be accelerated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young-bok Lee, Sang-cheol Kim, Taiichi Ominami, Jin-soo Lee
  • Publication number: 20140197595
    Abstract: According to aspects illustrated herein, a system, a printmaking device, and a method for pre-curling and registering media are provided herein. The system includes a media curler system and a deskew mechanism. The media curler system pre-curls at least one of lead edge and a trail edge of a sheet before delivery to a media hold-down transport. The deskew mechanism is coupled to the media curler system for pivoting the media curler system about a pivot axis to deskew the sheet. The pivot axis extends perpendicular to the media transport path. In operation, as the lead edge enters the pre-curling and registration system, the media curler system pre-curls the sheet towards the media hold-down transport. As the sheet is being pre-curled, the deskew mechanism pivots the media curler system about the pivot axis to correct any skew errors in the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATOIN
    Inventors: Barry P. Mandel, Marina L. Tharayil, Donald E. Johnston
  • Publication number: 20140175737
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus including: a skew feeding correcting portion configured to correct skew feeding of a sheet, the skew feeding correcting portion including: a rotary member pair configured to convey the sheet; a shutter member configured to abut against a leading edge of a sheet being conveyed, and having a home position; and a moving member arranged with a gap formed between the moving member and the shutter member positioned in the home position, such that the shutter member is moveable independently from the home position up to a point of engagement with the moving member, when the gap is closed, and such that the moving member is movable integrally with the shutter member while the gap is closed, wherein the rotary member pair is arranged to nip a sheet during a period in which the shutter member is configured to move integrally with the moving member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Motoyasu Muramatsu, Takashi Kuwata, Masaki Seto
  • Publication number: 20130320616
    Abstract: The present device includes a conveying path, a contact member coming in contact with the front of a printing medium to stop the conveyance of the medium, a hold member holding the front of the medium having contacted with the contact member, a first conveying unit conveying the medium so as to abut the contact member to form slack on the medium between itself and the hold member holding the medium, and a second conveying unit being provided nearer to the hold member than the first conveying unit in the conveying direction and conveying the medium so as to abut the contact member to form the slack. The second conveying unit is movable so that a part thereof existing on the side where the slack is formed on the medium in the conveying path is moved to the outside of the conveying path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Nakagaki
  • Publication number: 20130285316
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller pair, a conveyance roller driving unit, a registration roller pair, a registration driving unit, a separation and press-contact unit configured to set the registration roller pair to a separated state and to a press-contact state, and a control unit. After a sheet has stopped at a stop position immediately before the registration roller pair, the registration roller pair having been set to the separated state is set to the press-contact state. The registration roller pair is rotated backward during formation of a loop in the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: Kouhei Deno
  • Publication number: 20130241141
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a shift unit. The shift unit includes a gate member configured to align a recording medium being conveyed thereto by causing a leading end of the recording medium to abut against the gate member so that part of the recording medium bends to form a curved portion; a pair of registration rollers configured to convey the recording medium aligned by the gate member at a predetermined timing, the pair of registration rollers including a driving roller and a driven roller, the driving roller having a rotating shaft coaxial with a rotational central shaft of the gate member; and a drive transmitting unit configured to transmit rotational drive from a drive unit to the driving roller, the drive transmitting unit being disposed on an end side of the rotating shaft of the driving roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Yuji KARIKUSA
  • Patent number: 8454011
    Abstract: A sheet feeder incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a sheet container to accommodate a sheet, a sheet feeding unit, a sheet conveyance member, a sheet conveying unit disposed downstream from the sheet feeding member in a sheet conveyance direction, and a controller to stop the sheet feeding unit before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit and to resume the driving, and to drive the sheet conveying unit to start while rotating the sheet feeding unit. The controller adjusts a temporary stop period for the driving of the sheet feeding unit before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit, according to a period in which the sheet passes first and second points determined optionally between a standby position determined prior to feeding of the sheet and a temporary stop position located before the sheet abuts against the sheet conveying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mizuna Tanaka, Tatsuo Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8312698
    Abstract: An inserting apparatus for inserting documents into envelopes comprising an envelope holder for holding an envelope in a document inserting position, wherein a first upstream end of the envelope is in an open position for receiving the document, a document displacement arrangement for displacing the document along a document inserting path into the envelope, wherein the apparatus further comprises a document steering arrangement arranged opposite to an envelope crease line provided between an envelope flap and an envelope body. The arrangement comprises steering elements spaced apart along a central axis that in use is substantially aligned with the envelope crease line. The steering elements are interconnected such that in use the respective steering elements are rotatable about the central axis in a similar direction with a similar speed during a similar time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventor: Christiaan Antoon Munneke
  • Publication number: 20120288309
    Abstract: A sheet transporting device includes a regulating member is arranged so that an edge of a sheet is abutted against the regulating member while moving toward downstream in a transporting direction of the sheet, and a first transport member that transports the sheet toward the regulating member while moving toward the downstream in the transporting direction, and that pushes the sheet against the regulating member while slipping on a surface of the sheet in a state where the sheet is abutted against the regulating member, wherein the regulating member and the first transport member moving together toward the downstream in the transporting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMAKAWA, Michio TADA, Takashi ABE, Yoshiyuki TAKAISHI, Yousuke HASEGAWA, Hisakazu ONOE, Makio UEHARA, Yasunobu GOTOH
  • Patent number: 8308160
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus are provided. The sheet conveying speed of a pair of conveying rollers which convey a sheet to a skew feeding correction device 55 and can be contacted and separated is set to be a speed in which the sheet obliquely conveyed by a pair of first oblique feed rollers is warped between the pair of first oblique feed rollers and the pair of conveying rollers. After the sheet is warped, a separation mechanism is controlled to separate the pair of conveying rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Miyazawa
  • Publication number: 20120242037
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes: a guide unit for guiding the side end of the sheet; a first roller pair arranged on the downstream side of the guide unit for conveying the sheet, including a driven roller held in contact with a whole sheet in a sheet width direction; and a second roller pair having a conveyance roller arranged on the downstream side of the roller and adapted to convey the sheet, and a plurality of pinch rollers pinching the sheet in cooperation with the conveyance roller, wherein each of the plurality of pinch rollers applies to the sheet a conveyance force inclined toward a conveyance path side end, which is nearer to the pinch roller, and wherein the smaller the distance between the pinch roller and the conveyance path side end, the greater the inclination of the conveyance force thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kengo Nieda, Koichiro Kawaguchi, Toshiki Takeuchi, Ryosuke Sato, Shigeru Toriihara
  • Publication number: 20120235350
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus, including: a first conveying portion; a second conveying portion arranged downstream of the first conveying portion; a shutter member rotated by the pressure of the sheet and including a plurality of abutment surfaces against which a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying portion abuts to correct a skew feed of the sheet; and an urging portion which provides the shutter member with an urging force for positioning one abutment surface at an abutment position at which the leading edge of the sheet abuts against the one abutment surface, the urging portion providing the shutter member with an urging force for rotating the shutter member to position another abutment surface at the abutment position after the leading edge of the sheet is nipped by the second conveying portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Yohei Suzuki, Motohiro Furusawa, Minoru Kawanishi
  • Publication number: 20120133094
    Abstract: Provided is a sheet-conveying apparatus including: a skew-feeding correction member having an abutting portion which is brought into contact with a conveyed sheet; and a positioning portion positioning the skew-feeding correction member and having a biasing member for biasing the skew-feeding correction member to a direction opposite to a direction to which the skew-feeding correction member rotates by the sheet. The sheet-conveying apparatus is set so that a formula M+M<MA is established when the sheet is pulled out, wherein a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a resultant force of tensions to upstream and downstream sides is assumed to be MA, a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a frictional force between the skew-feeding correction member and the sheet is assumed to be M, and a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to the biasing member is assumed to be MS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: HISASHI OTAKA
  • Patent number: 8172968
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for contacting a flexible sheet to a first element with improved lateral alignment. The method includes a step of measuring a first lateral misalignment after establishing a first contact between the flexible sheet and either of the first element and a sheet parking surface called anchor in the first stage. If the 5 misalignment exceeds a predetermined threshold the flexible sheet is parked at the anchor such that it is not in contact with the first element, and the relative position of the first element and the anchor is altered during the second stage for correcting the mismatch during a contact between the flexible sheet and the first element to be established within the next step of the method. During the steps of shifting the contact point to obtain the second stage 10 the contacting process is more accurate and reproducible than the process for establishing the initial contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Marcus Antonius Verschuuren, Mischa Megens
  • Publication number: 20120093554
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a conveying unit nipping a sheet in a nip portion to convey the sheet; a shutter unit rotated in a predetermined rotation direction by being pushed by the conveyed sheet to correct a skew of the sheet; a rotation transmitting unit configured to transmit a rotational driving force to the shutter unit to rotate the shutter unit in the predetermined rotation direction; and an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the shutter unit so that the shutter unit comes into contact with a surface of the sheet, thereafter the shutter unit is returned to a waiting position along with the passage of a rear end of the sheet through the shutter unit after the shutter unit is rotated by the rotational driving force of the rotation transmitting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8042806
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a registration roller and a control portion. The registration roller is disposed on an upstream side of an image forming portion in a sheet conveying direction to convey a sheet to the image forming portion. The control portion controls to convey the sheet toward the registration roller at predetermined timing after temporarily stopping the sheet at a plurality of stop positions. The plurality of stop positions is set on an upstream side of the registration roller in the sheet conveying direction. The control portion conveys the sheet at predetermined timing from one of the plurality of stop positions when the plurality of sheets is continuously conveyed to the image forming portion. One of the plurality of stop positions does not become continuously identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinsuke Ubayashi
  • Patent number: 8020860
    Abstract: The present application is directed to devices and methods for moving media sheets within an image forming device. One embodiment includes a registration mechanism located along the media path. The mechanism may include a series of discrete registration nips that each includes a pair of drive rolls and idler roll. The nips are spaced at intervals across the media path. Guide ribs are arranged across the media path and may be positioned between the nips. The guide ribs further guide the media sheets through the registration mechanism and along the media path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristi Ann Kappes, David Erwin Rennick, Niko Jay Murrell, Edward Lynn Triplett, Jason Lee Rowe
  • Patent number: 7986912
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a recording sheet fed from a sheet feeding section toward a transfer position with controlled timing, including: a pair of registration rollers; a pair of loop rollers to form a loop of the recording sheet, the loop rollers being disposed upstream of the registration rollers in a sheet feeding direction; and a movable conveying unit configured such that the registration rollers and the loop rollers move as a unified body when correcting at least a lateral misalignment, which is a misalignment in a vertical direction to the sheet feeding direction, and inclination of the recording sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20110148026
    Abstract: A guiding system for diverting media from an input media path to an output media path in an imaging system eliminates marking and curling of media. The system employs a drive roll, an idling belt carried on one or more idler rolls, and a release roll. The idling belt presses media onto the drive roll, eliminating the relative motion between media and the drive roll and hence avoiding marking. The penetration of the release roll into the drive roll controls curling of media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventor: RON EDWARD DUFORT
  • Patent number: 7931268
    Abstract: This device for braking a flat product, in particular a signature, has a support, a brake shoe for braking the flat product, the brake shoe being movable between a position allowing the passage of the flat product and a position effecting braking of the flat product, and a drive for driving the brake shoe from the passing position towards the braking position. The drive includes an eccentric element which is movable in rotation and co-operates with the brake shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Goss International Montataire SA
    Inventors: Franck Chagnon, Philippe Herda, Thierry Melon, Jérôme Peres, Eric Pierda, Jean-François Robert, Philippe Robin, Thierry Vauchelle
  • Publication number: 20110018190
    Abstract: A media transport system comprising a roller system, a baffle, and at least one lead-in guide positioned to guide a sheet towards the roller system. The roller system includes a drive roller and an idler roller forming a nip, each roller being mounted on a corresponding drive shaft and an idler shaft, respectively. The lead-in guide, lying at an angle to the baffle, is coupled to at least one of the drive shaft or an idler shaft. The mounting of the lead-in guide eliminates tolerances between the lead-in guide and the nip due to baffle flatness, or baffle and shaft deflections as the lead-in guide is positioned by the drive shaft that locates the nip roller. This arrangement enables the lead-in guide to direct a leading edge of the sheet substantially close to a tangent plane of the nip and minimizes drive forces in the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: BARRY PAUL MANDEL, HENRY THOMAS BOBER
  • Publication number: 20100158594
    Abstract: A skew correction device which performs positional correction of a sheet while a tip end of the sheet transported in accordance with rotation of a transport roller comes into contact with a gate member so as to deform the sheet to be bent, includes: an upper guide member which is disposed between the transport roller and the gate member in a transport direction of the sheet and includes a restraining section which restrains bending deformation of the sheet and a contact range with respect to the sheet when the sheet is restrained is changeable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yutao KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20100148417
    Abstract: A sheet aligning apparatus includes an alignment surface formed in a planar shape and that presses an end of a sheet to move and align the sheet; and a holding unit that holds the end of the sheet at a position contacting the alignment surface in a state that a curled end of the sheet contacts the alignment surface and the sheet is thus pressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 7735825
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the original feeding device of the present invention, an original feeding device causes a drawing roller to contact an original, and draws the original for forwarding by rotating the drawing roller, and is provided with an original pressing member that generates frictional force on the original surface at a position on the side further upstream in a forwarding direction of the original than the drawing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Seike, Hideshi Izumi, Takashi Makiura, Yu-hi Akagawa
  • Patent number: 7722039
    Abstract: A cam unit includes three cams fixed on a common cam shaft for moving a pair of feeding rollers, a pair of lateral registration rollers, and a stopper unit, respectively. A control unit corrects a lateral registration of a sheet whose skew is corrected by the stopper unit, based on a detection result of a detecting unit that detects a position of a side edge of the sheet, while conveying the sheet, controls the rollers not nip the sheet at least during the lateral registration, and controls rotations of the cams according to a length of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yutaka Shoji, Junji Shirakawa, Takayuki Muneyasu
  • Patent number: 7722025
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) suitable to process sheets (13), in particular comprised of an validating machine (10) for the validation of documents (13) such as cheques or similar documents, comprising a vertical guide (11), and a pair of arms (22a, 22b) suitable to hold and support a cheque (13) along a respective lower edge (13a) in a first hold position (Pi), when the cheque (13) is inserted into the vertical guide (11), wherein in response to the presence and alignment of the cheque (13) in said first position (Pi), two pairs of rotating rollers (42a, 42b, 44a, 44b) automatically engage the cheque (13) from opposite sides, the arms (22a, 22b) are moved out of contact with the lower edge (13a) of the cheque (13), in order to free the feeding path of the cheque towards the interior of the validating machine, and the cheque is also fed vertically, in a downward direction, by means of the two pairs of rollers from the said first position (P1) to a second processing position (P2) in the validation zone for being validate
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Adriano Giacometto, Paolo Poma
  • Publication number: 20100078872
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an inner guide member and an outer guide member that define a sheet feeding path therebetween. The sheet feeding device also includes an engaging member positioned adjacent to one of the inner guide member and the outer guide member, and a receiving portion positioned at the other one of the inner guide member and the outer guide member. The engaging member moves between an engaged position to engage the receiving portion and a disengaged position to disengage from the receiving portion. The inner guide member is selectively connected to the outer guide member via the engaging member and the receiving portion. When the engaging member contacts the sheet in the sheet feeding path, the engaging member is in the disengaged position, and when the engaging member is separated from the sheet in the sheet feeding path, the engaging member is in the engaged position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yukio Shiohara
  • Publication number: 20090302528
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a registration roller and a control portion. The registration roller is disposed on an upstream side of an image forming portion in a sheet conveying direction to convey a sheet to the image forming portion. The control portion controls to convey the sheet toward the registration roller at predetermined timing after temporarily stopping the sheet at a plurality of stop positions. The plurality of stop positions is set on an upstream side of the registration roller in the sheet conveying direction. The control portion conveys the sheet at predetermined timing from one of the plurality of stop positions when the plurality of sheets is continuously conveyed to the image forming portion. One of the plurality of stop positions does not become continuously identical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinsuke Ubayashi
  • Publication number: 20090295077
    Abstract: A transport device includes: a positioning member provided in a sheet transport path, used for positioning of a print sheet in a direction orthogonal to a sheet transport direction; and a skewed roller that transports the print sheet while skewing the print sheet toward a direction of the positioning member, a transport roller being provided in a position different from the skewed roller in the sheet transport direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Inventors: Junichi Murakami, Shuichi Nishide, Masahiro Sato, Atsuyuki Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20090267292
    Abstract: Positioning in the width direction of a sheet is performed by a skew correcting unit which is provided on a re-conveying path for reversing the sheet and conveying it again to an image forming unit and which has a reference surface that is come into contact with a side edge of the sheet and a plurality of diagonal feed units which obliquely convey the sheet so as to be come into contact with the reference surface. The pressures in nip portions of the other diagonal feed units excluding one of the plural diagonal feed units are reduced or cancelled by a reducing/cancelling unit according to a length in the sheet conveying direction of the sheet which is conveyed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: FUMIKI INUI, KAZUNARI NISHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20090189338
    Abstract: A de-skew mechanism includes a driving shaft installed on a frame of an image forming device and driven by a motor, an active roller installed on the driving shaft and driven by the driving shaft, and an idle roller driven by the active roller for driving a medium with the active roller. A nip is formed between the active roller and the idle roller. The de-skew mechanism further includes a correcting member installed on the driving shaft in a rotatable manner and located upstream of the nip for correcting skew of the medium in a correcting position, and a restoring member connected to the correcting member for loading torque to the correcting member so as to drive the connecting member from the correcting position to a releasing position where the medium pass therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Inventors: Chang-Lung Yu, Chen-Tsai Tsai, Hsueh-Chou Hsu, Tien-Ho Hsu
  • Publication number: 20090008870
    Abstract: This device for braking a flat product, in particular a signature, has a support, a brake shoe for braking the flat product, the brake shoe being movable between a position allowing the passage of the flat product and a position effecting braking of the flat product, and a drive for driving the brake shoe from the passing position towards the braking position. The drive includes an eccentric element which is movable in rotation and co-operates with the brake shoe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Applicant: GOSS INTERNATIONAL MONTATAIRE SA
    Inventors: Franck Chagnon, Philippe Herda, Thierry Melon, Jerome Peres, Eric Pierda, Robert Jean-Francois, Robin Philippe, Thierry Vauchelle
  • Patent number: 7063472
    Abstract: A sheet skew correcting apparatus, incorporated in a printer or the like to correct a phenomenon of obliquely feeding a sheet called skewing. The apparatus includes a transporting path in which the sheet is transported, a pair of registration rollers, a pair of timing rollers disposed upstream from the registration rollers, and a paper guide having a first and a second curved portion and constituting the transporting path. When a sheet fed into the transporting path abuts against a contact point of a registration roller pair, the sheet is further transported by an arbitrary distance in the sheet transporting direction. First and second curves are then formed in the sheet in the first and second curved portions. Then the registration roller pair is rotated in the direction opposite to the sheet transporting direction, the front end of the sheet uniformly abuts against the contact point of the registration roller pair to correct skew.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiro Matsuda, Yasushi Hashimoto, Shingo Takai, Hiroshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6837492
    Abstract: The present invention includes a deskew mechanism for a mailing machine. The deskew mechanism includes a horizontal feed deck and a vertical registration wall. A roller is mounted for rotation and located spaced from the registration wall so as to extend upwardly from the feed deck. A deskew finger is pivotally mounted above the feed deck. The deskew finger includes an inboard ski located to form a corrugation gap relative to the roller and at least one outboard ski located at an opposite side of the roller from the registration wall. A stop mechanism restricts downward movement of the deskew finger to prevent the deskew finger from contacting the feed deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: James S. Hou, Franklin J. Buckley
  • Patent number: 6805509
    Abstract: A paper sensing apparatus of an office machine has a sensor actuator disposed to pivot with respect to a pivot center of a conveying roller by a printing paper when the printing paper is conveyed, and a sensing unit generating a paper sensing signal in accordance with a rotation of the sensor actuator. Accordingly, the paper sensing apparatus is capable of accurately sensing a leading end of the printing paper, and thus a top margin of the printing paper can be effectively controlled as the paper sensing apparatus is installed to be operated with respect to a rotation center of the conveying roller so that an error generated during sensing a paper top position due to a lengthened distance between the conveying roller and a transferring roller can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Byung-sun Ahn
  • Patent number: 6505831
    Abstract: A method for the register-true alignment of sheets (1) before the transfer to a sheet-processing machine with the assistance of a carrier (7,9) that is movable in the machine cycle and is driven as a function of a signal, in order to feed the sheets individually to an aligning stop. To permit exact and reliable alignment even at high machine speeds with an uncomplicated mechanism, the signal is generated when a sheet edge (12) to be fed passes a predetermined location between the carrier (7,9) and aligning stop (5), and in response to the signal, the carrier performs a preset movement, identical from sheet to sheet, by which the carried-along sheet (1) is fed to the aligning stop with a speed greater than zero, but substantially less than the maximum sheet speed during the feeding movement. The method is particularly suitable for side-edge alignment, but is also suitable for leading-edge alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Andreas Henn, Bernhard Wagensommer, Juergen Maass, Burkhard Maass
  • Patent number: 6398211
    Abstract: A device for braking paper sheets, which acts on the paper sheets, including at least one resiliently movable brake shoe, and an electromagnet operatively arranged to impart a force on the brake shoe so that the brake shoe acts on the paper sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Hubert Schalk
  • Patent number: 6308951
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for detecting a stack height of sheets (21) stacked in an input and/or output tray (2) of an apparatus, said device comprising a feeler (10) cyclically controlled and driven by means of a drive unit (12) and a control unit toward the sheet stack (21) in the stacking direction into a sensing position, and a sensor (11) detecting the sheet stack height and recognizing the sensing position of the feeler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: NexPress Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Franz Allmendinger, Joachim Buck, Jochen H. Graeber, Volker H. Koenig, Heinz Michels
  • Patent number: 6135447
    Abstract: A skew correction apparatus for cut-sheet paper feeding used in office machines such as optical scanners, printers and copiers. It includes a C-shaped paper guide surrounding a drive roller to form a paper passage therebetween. At one end of the paper guide, there is a concave groove and a slanted slot which holds an elastic plastic flap therein. The flap is spaced from a pinch roller which makes contact with the drive roller for feeding a sheet of paper from the paper passage to a working station for performing a desired work such as scanning, printing, and copying. The flap has a depending tongue to stop a skewed leading edge of a sheet of paper. The paper buckles behind the skewed leading edge caused by the rotating drive roller and is held in the concave groove until the trailing edge of the skewed paper reaches the flap. The leading edge thus is aligned properly without skew and pushes and deflects the tongue and moves to the pinch roller and the drive roller which move the paper to the working station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Umax Data Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Chin-I Lin
  • Patent number: 5975524
    Abstract: Sheet-guiding device assembly includes at least one sheet hold-downer disposed on a movable protective guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dopke, Burkhard Maass
  • Patent number: 5829741
    Abstract: Sheet-guiding device assembly of a sheet-processing machine includes at least one sheet hold-downer disposed on a movable protective guard. The guard is swivellably or slidingly supported. The guard may be formed with an aperture in which the sheet hold-downer is disposed. The spacing of the sheet hold-downer to a feed table of the sheet-processing machine is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dopke, Burkhard Maass
  • Patent number: 5810173
    Abstract: A system for processing documents is provided for use in remittance processing of bulk mail. An extraction unit opens envelopes and extracts the envelope contents, typically in the form of a pair of documents such as an invoice stub and an accompanying check. The extraction unit discards the opened envelopes and feeds the pair of documents in parallel disposition to a document sorting apparatus. The paired, parallel documents are conveyed through a document shifter in the form of nip rollers wherein one document of each pair is at least partially shifted relative to the other document of the pair to expose at least a portion of the covered document to an operator. The documents are then conveyed to a viewing area where the operator visually inspects each pair of documents and manually designates a selected path of movement using a manual input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Opex Corporation
    Inventors: Albert F.. Stevens, Robert R. Dewitt, James G. Robertson, Jeffrey L. Chodack, Ilya Chachkes, Marjory A. McCahill, George L. Hayduchok
  • Patent number: 5788228
    Abstract: An electronically actuated turning device for transport apparatus which receives product such as paper folders, detects the presence of the product, causes a ball to contact the product and allows the product to rotate 90 degrees, releases the ball and allows the product to be transported in the same direction by the apparatus for further operations as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventor: Richard J. Moll
  • Patent number: 5765483
    Abstract: A device for a format-dependent adjustment of cut-off length in a delivery region of a rotary printing press having a device for nonstop operation, with stops for the trailing edge of the sheets to be delivered, includes a separating band revolving perpendicularly to the sheet transport direction, the separating band being integrated in a frame structure arranged so as to be displaceable in a horizontal direction, the stops for the sheet edge and a sheet-braking device being carried by the frame structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Rainer Klenk, Bernhard Waltenberger
  • Patent number: 5648808
    Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporter for supporting sheets, a sheet supplier for feeding out the sheet from the sheet supporter, a separator for separating the sheets one by one at the feeding of the sheet by the sheet supplier, by regulating one of front corners of the sheets supported by the sheet supporting means in a sheet feeding direction, and a skew-feed corrector for correcting the skew-feed of the sheet by applying a resisting force to the sheet fed by the sheet supplier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Haruyuki Yanagi, Shinnosuke Taniishi, Tetsuo Suzuki, Junichi Asano, Soichi Hiramatsu, Takashi Nojima, Satoshi Saikawa