Against Temporarily-stopped Conveyer Patents (Class 271/242)
  • Patent number: 8424872
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus in which a sheet is abutted on a stopped registration roller to correct skew feeding, including: a sheet detecting portion, a first stepping motor and a second stepping motor. The conveying roller is controlled to tentatively stop the sheet, the conveying roller is driven prior to the start of the drive of the registration roller, the registration roller is driven after a loop of a predetermined amount is formed in the sheet, the conveying roller is driven at a sheet conveying speed that is equal to or lower than a sheet conveying speed of a self-start frequency when the conveying roller forms the loop in the sheet, rotation of the first stepping motor being able to be started at the self-start frequency, and acceleration of the registration roller and acceleration of the conveying roller are started after the loop of the predetermined amount is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Iwakawa
  • Patent number: 8408541
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling transfer of paper. In order to align the leading end of a sheet of paper, when the sheet arrives at a predetermined position in an image forming apparatus, a registration unit is stopped from operating and a driving unit that transfers the sheet from an auxiliary paper-feeding unit is also stopped from operating so that bending and crumpling of the sheet can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun-soo Song
  • Patent number: 8393618
    Abstract: A skew correction device includes a first conveying unit arranged in a sheet conveying path; a second conveying unit arranged downstream of the first conveying unit in a conveying direction of a sheet; and a skew correction unit. When the sheet is unfolded paper, the skew correction unit performs a first skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts on the second conveying unit that is stopped. When the sheet is fold paper, the skew correction unit performs a second skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit is driven in a reverse direction to the conveying direction at a predetermined operational timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kyosuke Nakada, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Junya Suzuki, Yasuo Niikura, Kazunori Konno, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8366104
    Abstract: A device includes a conveying unit conveying a sheet, a guide, disposed downstream of the conveying unit in a conveying direction, guiding one side end of the conveyed sheet while being in contact with a side end, a feeding unit obliquely conveying the sheet closer to the guide, a pressing unit pressing the conveyed sheet in a direction in which the sheet moves away from the guide, and a control unit controlling the pressing unit and the feeding unit so that the feeding unit nips the pressed sheet to form a loop in the sheet between the conveying unit and the feeding unit and then conveys the sheet while the side end of the sheet is in sliding contact with the guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Sato, Kenji Shigeno, Masato Izumi, Tetsuhiro Nitta
  • Patent number: 8348265
    Abstract: An image forming unit may include a capability of determining whether paper conveyed through the unit is bending. In some embodiments, an amount of bending of the conveyed paper may be determined. An embodiment of an image forming apparatus may include a paper feeding unit, an image forming unit, a skew correcting roller pair, a rotary member pair, sensors, signal processing units, and a control unit. A rotary member pair may convey a sheet to the skew correcting roller pair. Sensors may be disposed at various positions along the conveying path. In some embodiments, the sensors may include transmitting units and/or receiving units. These units may be positioned such that a conveyed sheet passes through therebetween. Signal processing units and control units may allow for the determination of the bending of conveyed sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yoji Isogai
  • Patent number: 8336879
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section which is placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; and a skew correction section which corrects a skew of the sheet conveyed by the suction and conveyance section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoo Suzuki, Akira Kosugi, Daisuke Ueda
  • Publication number: 20120267846
    Abstract: A skew correction device includes a first conveying unit arranged in a sheet conveying path; a second conveying unit arranged downstream of the first conveying unit in a conveying direction of a sheet; and a skew correction unit. When the sheet is unfolded paper, the skew correction unit performs a first skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts on the second conveying unit that is stopped. When the sheet is fold paper, the skew correction unit performs a second skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit is driven in a reverse direction to the conveying direction at a predetermined operational timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kyosuke Nakada, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama, Yuusuke Shibasaki, Junya Suzuki, Yasuo Niikura, Kazunori Konno, Tomomichi Hoshino, Akira Kunieda, Takahiro Watanabe, Tomohiro Yoshizaki, Kiichiro Goto, Kazuya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8282092
    Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus that can highly accurately position and convey, even if an inter-sheet distance of sheets to be conveyed is reduced, the sheets from registration rollers to a transfer position when a toner image on an image bearing member moving at process speed is transferred onto the sheet in the transfer position. A sheet fed from a paper feeding cassette by a pulse-motor driven paper feeding roller is conveyed to pulse-motor driven registration rollers by pulse-motor driven conveying rollers. When the sheet is conveyed to the transfer position according to restart of the registration rollers, the sheet is conveyed by the registration rollers at sheet conveying speed different from the process speed before the leading end of the sheet reaches the transfer position and is conveyed at the process speed after that.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumasa Yasui, Masaya Arakawa
  • Patent number: 8276910
    Abstract: A document feeder to reverse a document by conveying the document to a reverse path. The document feeder includes a conveyance roller to convey the document, a reverse roller provided along a conveyance path of the document conveyed by the conveyance roller to convey the document to the reverse path by changing a direction of conveyance of the document, and a reverse roller control unit to control the reverse roller to correct skew of the document. The reverse roller control unit controls the reverse roller to correct the skew of the document by striking the document conveyed by the conveyance roller against a nip formed between the reverse roller and a roller provided opposite the reverse roller to temporarily bend the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiroaki Nagata
  • Patent number: 8215637
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus has a conveyance portion configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path; a skew-feed correction member positioned in the conveyance path such that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance portion contacts the skew-feed correction member to correct a skew-feed of the sheet; a receiving portion configured to receive information indicative of the width of the conveyed sheet, the width being in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction; and a control portion configured to adjust a skew-correction conveyance amount of the conveyance portion applied to correct the skew-feed of the sheet by the skew-feed correction member. The skew-correction conveyance amount is adjusted on information which the receiving portion receives such that the skew-correction conveyance amount is set to be larger for a sheet of smaller width compared to a sheet of greater width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Yano
  • Patent number: 8205879
    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: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Fujita, Takayuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8181956
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes: a registration roller pair that includes a first roller and a second roller lower in abrasion resistance than the first roller, and nips and transports a recording medium; and a drive mechanism that provides a rotation to the first roller to rotate at the first circumferential speed, and provides a rotation to the second roller to rotate at the second circumferential speed different from the first circumferential speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuo Shiba
  • Patent number: 8152164
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including first and second pairs of rollers for feeding a print medium; the second pair of rollers being disposed downstream from the first pair of rollers; a first detector for detecting the print medium slack in a specified degree by contact with the print medium, the first detector being disposed between the first pair of rollers and the second pair of rollers; a second detector for detecting either the first pair of rollers or the second pair of rollers need a specified value of driving torque; and a controller for controlling either a feeding speed at which the print medium is fed by the first pair of rollers or a feeding speed at which the print medium is fed by the second pair of rollers based on either outputs from the first detector or outputs from the second detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Maeda, Naoki Nonoyama, Kuniaki Ohbayashi, Ryo Hirano
  • Patent number: 8141870
    Abstract: A method for moving a media sheet within an imaging device includes moving a media sheet along a media path past a predetermined point PP on the media path by rotating a roller. After moving the media sheet past the point PP, a processor monitors whether a performance attribute of a component of the imaging device satisfies a predetermined criteria. After the performance attribute of the component of the imaging device satisfies the predetermined criteria, the media sheet is entered into a feed nip in a substantially deskewed alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Edward Griese, Patrick Lawrence Ransom, Bonnie Billy Lim Sy
  • Patent number: 8134723
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus which controls a host-based printer includes a determination portion which determines designation of feed from a feed unit or manual feed port, a display control portion which, when it is determined that feed from the manual feed port is designated, causes a display portion to display a display to prompt the operator to insert a print medium into the manual feed port, an identification portion which identifies compressed-image data transfer permission corresponding a user instruction, and a transfer portion which transfers compressed image data of one page to the host-based printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8123214
    Abstract: A printing medium supplying apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, and a printing medium aligning unit which is disposed on the apparatus main body to move between an aligning position at which the printing medium aligning unit aligns a printing medium and a distanced position at which the printing medium aligning unit is distanced from the aligning position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-soo Lee, Jae-yong Kim
  • Patent number: 8109507
    Abstract: A movable component which can be moved between a protruding position in which the movable component protrudes from the outer chute into a curved path toward an inner chute so as to be able to contact the recording medium and a retracted position in which the degree of protrusion of the movable component from the outer chute into the curved path is smaller than the degree of protrusion in the protruding position, and the movable component is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position at a timing on or after a first timing and before a second timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Okumura, Yuji Sakano, Hideki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8104762
    Abstract: A feeding device includes a feeding roller and a pair of transport rollers. The feeding roller picks up stacked recording medium and feeds the recording medium downstream direction. The pair of transport rollers transport the fed recording medium to a recording section. The feeding roller is provided so as to be capable of contacting a separating unit that separates the overlapped recording medium with plural. Between a contact point of the feeding roller and the separating unit and a nip point of the pair of transport rollers, a first tangent line does not intersect a second tangent line. The first tangent line is situated at the contact point of the feeding roller and the separating unit. The second tangent line is situated at the nip point of the pair of transport rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Nakashima, Masamitsu Shimazu
  • Patent number: 8091888
    Abstract: In an apparatus for handling sheets, first and second sheet transfer members are movable to transfer one of the sheets between the first and second sheet transfer members, the first and second sheet transfer members have respective transfer surfaces contactable with the one of the sheets so that the one of the sheets is driven to be transferred by at least one of the first and second sheet transfer members, and an information reader is arranged between the first and second sheet transfer members in such a manner that an information is readable from the one of the sheets even when the one of the sheets is transferred by one of the first and second sheet transfer members and is prevented from being transferred by both of the first and second sheet transfer members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corp.
    Inventor: Junichi Tamamoto
  • Patent number: 8091890
    Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a feed roller pair, a transport roller, a medium guiding path section, and a controller. The feed roller pair includes a feed driving roller driven by power and a feed driven roller to be rotationally driven, and feeds a medium to be fed toward the downstream side in a feed direction. The feed driving roller and the feed driven roller are separated from each other. The transport roller pair transports the medium, which is fed by the feed roller pair, toward the downstream side in the feed direction. The transport roller pair includes a transport driving roller that is disposed on the downstream side of the feed roller pair in the feed direction and is driven by power and a transport driven roller that is rotationally driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Yanagishita
  • Patent number: 8079589
    Abstract: A first conveying mechanism includes an intermediate conveying roller for conveying a recording sheet, an intermediate conveying roller shaft for supporting the intermediate conveying roller, an intermediate conveying roller drive mechanism for rotationally driving the intermediate conveying roller shaft, and a roller control mechanism for controlling movements of the intermediate conveying roller relative to the intermediate conveying roller shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kinoshita, Hideyuki Terashima, Naohiro Iwata, Kosuke Yamamoto, Akihiro Tomoda, Ryosuke Sato, Akio Okubo
  • Patent number: 8047108
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises a first conveyer roller pair arranged at the upstream side of a sheet conveyance route and a second conveyer roller pair arranged at the downstream side of the sheet conveyance route so as to convey a sheet of paper from the upstream side to the downstream side. Additionally, a punching unit is arranged between the first conveyer roller pair and the second conveyer roller pair. The second conveyer roller pair is made to operate as a slipping roller after the time when the leading end of the sheet of paper being conveyed passes the first conveyer roller pair and a stopper is made to appear at a position downstream relative to the second conveyer roller pair so as to make the leading end of the sheet of paper abut the stopper in order correct the skew, if any, of the sheet of paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Isao Yahata
  • Patent number: 8047538
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a sheet transport apparatus is provided with a registration roller, a sheet transport path, a first optical sensor, a second sensor that detects the presence or absence of a sheet at an upstream side of the first optical sensor in a sheet transportation direction Xd, and a sheet transportation control unit that stops the driving of the registration roller after an elapse of a transportation time after the detection of sheet absence following sheet presence by the first optical sensor, wherein the sheet transportation control unit does not perform control with sheet detection by the first optical sensor within a detection restricted time after predetermined sheet detection by the second sensor when the sheet is of a specific type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norichika Katsura, Toshiki Ohgita, Yasuaki Fukada, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8047528
    Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus that can highly accurately position and convey, even if an inter-sheet distance of sheets to be conveyed is reduced, the sheets from registration rollers to a transfer position when a toner image on an image bearing member moving at process speed is transferred onto the sheet in the transfer position. A sheet fed from a paper feeding cassette by a pulse-motor driven paper feeding roller is conveyed to pulse-motor driven registration rollers by pulse-motor driven conveying rollers. When the sheet is conveyed to the transfer position according to restart of the registration rollers, the sheet is conveyed by the registration rollers at sheet conveying speed different from the process speed before the leading end of the sheet reaches the transfer position and is conveyed at the process speed after that.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazumasa Yasui, Masaya Arakawa
  • 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: 8025289
    Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of reliably correcting skew feeding of a recording sheet in an arrangement for conveying the recording sheet absorbed by a belt surface. The recording apparatus includes: a driving roller for driving the conveying belt wound around the driving roller and electrically charging the conveying belt by application of a voltage; and a pinching roller abutting against the driving roller via the conveying belt. A pinching section, which is formed by the driving roller and the pinching roller, corrects skew feeding of the recording sheet fed from the paper feed section and thereafter the voltage is applied to the driving roller to electrically charge the conveying belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Hirai
  • Patent number: 8025288
    Abstract: A conveying device that conveys a recording medium includes an aligning member into which the leading edge of a recording medium bumps and a control unit that changes conveyance speed of the recording medium moving on a conveying path to bump into the aligning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Shoji, Junji Shirakawa, Takayuki Muneyasu
  • 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: 8002276
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes: a first conveyance member configured to convey a sheet in a first direction; a second conveyance member configured to convey the sheet in a second direction; a guide disposed between the first conveyance member and the second conveyance member, the guide having a curved face configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the first conveyance member to the second conveyance member; and an adjustment member disposed at an inner position of the curvature of the curved face of the guide, the adjustment member being configured to swing to contact with a curved inner face of the sheet guided by the guide in accordance with a contact force applied by the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Misato Ishikawa, Yasuo Shima, Masaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7980556
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; a discharging roller pair that discharges the sheet, on which the image is formed, onto a stacking portion with a rotation in a first direction, and conveys the sheet to a re-conveying path for conveying the sheet to the image forming unit again with a rotation in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a skew feed correction member that is provided in the re-conveying path, and contacts against a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the rotation in the second direction to correct skew feed of the sheet. The sheet conveying force when contacting the leading edge of the sheet against the skew feed correction member is smaller than sheet conveying force of the discharging roller pair when discharging the sheet onto the stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsubumi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 7913992
    Abstract: The present application is directed to embodiments for moving a media sheet within a scanning device. The methods include moving the media sheet through a separation mechanism that prevents multiple media sheets from being moved simultaneously along the media path. Further, a buckle is formed in the sheet at a point upstream from a scanner. The buckle acts as a buffer to absorb any load release that could occur as the media sheet exits the separation mechanism. The load release could cause a change in the velocity of the media sheet as it moves across the scanner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Brandon Langrel, Chengwu Cui
  • Patent number: 7912417
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part; a first conveyance roller that conveys a recording medium to the image forming part; a forward/reverse-rotatable second conveyance roller, located between the first conveyance roller and the image forming part in a conveyance direction of the recording medium; a contact member, in contact with the second conveyance roller, that forms a nip between the second conveyance roller and the contact member; a first conveyance roller driver that rotate-drives the first conveyance roller in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the recording medium; and a drive transmission mechanism that performs drive transmission from the first conveyance roller driver to the second conveyance roller so as to start rotation of the second conveyance roller in a reverse direction of the conveyance direction of the recording medium before a lead edge of the recording medium arrives at the nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7909322
    Abstract: A skew correction device including a first guide member which supports the sheet transported by the transport roller from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction and guides the sheet to the gate member, and a second guide member which is provided on an upper position from the first guide member in a vertical direction and which guides the sheet to the gate member. Here, the first guide member includes at least one rotating member which faces a transport passage of the sheet interposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and is rotatably provided at least in the center of the second guide member in a width direction intersecting a transport direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yutao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7909323
    Abstract: A skew correction device including a first guide member which supports the sheet transported from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction by the transport roller and which guides the sheet to the gate member and a second guide member which is provided on an upper position from the first guide member in a vertical direction and which guides the sheet to the gate member. Here, the second guide member includes at least one rotating member which faces a transport passage of the sheet interposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and is rotatably provided at least in the center of the second guide member in a width direction intersecting a transport direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yutao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7896341
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes entrance rollers and registration rollers. The entrance rollers convey a sheet received from delivery rollers to the registration rollers. The registration rollers correct skew of the sheet. A conveying path between the delivery rollers and the registration rollers is equal to or slightly longer than a length of a sheet in a maximum allowable size for skew correction in a conveying direction in which the sheet is conveyed on the conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    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: 7896337
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an external gear to which a rotating force of a resist gear is transmitted, a ratchet for transmitting a rotating force from the external gear to a paper feed roller or releasing the transmission, and a ratchet arm having a claw engaged with the ratchet to transmit a rotation of the external gear, thereby rotating the paper feed roller, and a claw engaged with a slit provided on a boss of the paper feed roller to turn the paper feed roller toward a rotation start position and removing the claw from the ratchet to stop the paper feed roller, and the boss is provided with an offset bottom peripheral surface to be moved with the claw entering to stop the rotation of the paper feed roller when a resist sensor detects a tip of a recording paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kumadaki
  • Patent number: 7896340
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Murray Learmonth, David R. Meyer, Dentarg Huang, Kirby Wang, Robert J. Lockwood, Tsai-Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 7866665
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a feed unit that feeds sheets from a predetermined position; a conveying unit that conveys the sheets fed by the feed unit toward an image forming position at which images are to be formed on the respective sheets; and a registration unit that is provided at an upstream of the image forming position and positions the sheets by being bumped with the sheets conveyed by the conveying unit, wherein the feed unit and the registration unit are configured to operate so that a first timing at which a precedent sheet is bumped to the registration unit and a second timing at which a subsequent sheet is fed by the feed unit matches when a plurality of sheets are consecutively fed by the feed unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masaki Takahashi, Akihiko Enamito
  • Patent number: 7835685
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of reducing a part of a sheet exposed outside the apparatus on standby after finishing printing a first side in both-sided printing. A transfer material P having an image formed on its first side is fed until a part thereof gets exposed outside a full-color printer 1 and is fed to a refeeding path in the full-color printer 1. The transfer material P inverted by a flapper 44 is fed to a standby position to form an image on a second side thereof and is stopped there. In the case where a preparation for forming the image on the second side is not completed, the standby position for having the transfer material P stopped is changed corresponding to length of the inverted transfer material P in a feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihito Osari, Eiichi Motoyama, Kuniyasu Kimura, Hiroaki Tomiyasu, Takahiko Yamaoka, Yuichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7819399
    Abstract: A method of using a buckle for relieving the stresses in sheets caused by differential displacements of drive nips during the registration process includes creating a buckle between pre-registration nips and registration nips. The velocities of the pre-registration nips and registration nips are closely controlled so that the magnitude of buckle between them is large enough to relieve the stresses in the sheet during the registration process, yet small enough to not interfere with the registration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Injae Choi
  • Patent number: 7810808
    Abstract: A register roller conveys a recording sheet to a transfer position. A sheet feed roller conveys the recording sheet toward the register roller. A conveyance control unit controls rotation-start timings of the register roller and the sheet feed roller in such a manner that a rotation-start timing of the sheet feed roller is prior to a rotation-start timing of the register roller at a time of starting a registering process to convey the recording sheet to the transfer position at a right timing with the image formed on the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunsuke Hamahashi
  • Patent number: 7798491
    Abstract: A registration unit includes a skew correction roller pair configured to rotate a sheet conveyed from a conveyance roller pair and to correct skew of the sheet. The registration unit sheet further includes a projectable swinging guide arranged between the conveyance roller pair and the skew correction roller pair to deflect the sheet. The skew correction roller pair corrects the skew of the sheet deflected by the swinging guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Moteki, Takashi Fujita, Hiroaki Takagishi, Nobuto Kamiyama, Seiichiro Kameda, Youichi Chikugo, Satohisa Tateishi, Kozo Inoue
  • Patent number: 7654524
    Abstract: This is a simple and effective multi-feed system for use in marking apparatus where the transport of paper or other media is vital. The system is independent of the weight or type of paper used as was not the case in the prior art. The present system employs the natural strength and thickness of the paper to separate one sheet from the other. This separation is used to trigger a detector alerting the system of a multi-feed of paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Michael B Thomson
  • Patent number: 7641186
    Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus has a rotatable pressure plate for stacking sheet materials, a pickup roller for feeding the sheet material stacked on the pressure plate, a feed roller for feeding the sheet materials fed by the pickup roller and a separation roller contactable with the feed roller. A registration roller corrects oblique feeding of the sheet material by being abutted against the separated sheet material by the feeding roller and the separation roller, and after the registration roller rotates in synchronism with the pickup roller and the feed roller to start feeding the sheet material, pressure of the pressure plate against the pickup roller is released, and thereafter the feed roller and the separation roller are spaced apart from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Asai, Noboru Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 7637500
    Abstract: Embodiments of a method and apparatus for advancing a media sheet are shown and described in which a media sheet is urged along a media path toward a first position and a second position. The second position is downstream from the first position along the media path. As a leading edge of the media sheet reaches the first position, the leading edge is prevented from passing the first position for an initial time period while the media sheet is being urged along the media path. As the leading edge reaches the second position, the leading edge is prevented from passing the second position for a subsequent time period while the media sheet is being urged along the media path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wesley R. Schalk, Allan G. Olson
  • Publication number: 20090295079
    Abstract: A first conveying mechanism includes an intermediate conveying roller for conveying a recording sheet, an intermediate conveying roller shaft for supporting the intermediate conveying roller, an intermediate conveying roller drive mechanism for rotationally driving the intermediate conveying roller shaft, and a roller control mechanism for controlling movements of the intermediate conveying roller relative to the intermediate conveying roller shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kinoshita, Hideyuki Terashima, Naohiro Iwata, Kosuke Yamamoto, Akihiro Tomoda, Ryosuke Sato, Akio Okubo
  • Publication number: 20090278301
    Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of reliably correcting skew feeding of a recording sheet in an arrangement for conveying the recording sheet absorbed by a belt surface. The recording apparatus includes: a driving roller for driving the conveying belt wound around the driving roller and electrically charging the conveying belt by application of a voltage; and a pinching roller abutting against the driving roller via the conveying belt. A pinching section, which is formed by the driving roller and the pinching roller, corrects skew feeding of the recording sheet fed from the paper feed section and thereafter the voltage is applied to the driving roller to electrically charge the conveying belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Hirai
  • Patent number: 7604233
    Abstract: A guide member, which is constituted by an upper paper guide and a lower paper guide that form a paper transport path, is arranged between registration rollers and pre-registration rollers. At least one of the upper paper guide and the lower paper guide is supported swingably during printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Nakazawa, Yoshiharu Yoneda
  • Patent number: 7571907
    Abstract: In a driving apparatus, a drive force interruption/transmission device transmits or interrupts a drive force from a drive source, a load unit is operated by the drive force transmitted from the drive force interruption/transmission device, a torque control unit varies the output torque of the drive source, a drive force interruption control unit controls the operation of the drive force interruption/transmission device, and a drive timing control unit for controls the torque control unit and the drive force interruption/transmission control unit. After the output torque of the drive force is increased the drive force from the drive source is transmitted to the load unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Shinyama
  • Patent number: 7552924
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes two transport devices arranged in a sheet guide that guides a sheet from a stacker to a processing position for reading an image or printing. A double feed detection device is arranged between the transport devices for detecting a double feed of the sheets over a predetermined length region (measurement length). A sheet length recognition device is provided for recognizing at least two portions of a length of the sheet stacked on the stacker in a transport direction, and a judgment device is provided for judging the double feed of the sheets based upon detection data from the double feed detection device. The judgment device judges the double feed of the sheets according to detection data of one measurement region selected from a plurality of measurement regions based on information obtained from the sheet length recognition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Sano, Syunichi Hirose