With Means To Vary Speed Of Conveyor Sheet Patents (Class 271/270)
  • Patent number: 8646776
    Abstract: A reversely-rotatable roller conveys a sheet having an image formed on its one side at a sheet conveying velocity faster than that of a conveying roller by normal rotation and then, the reversely-rotatable roller conveys the sheet to a re-conveying path by reverse rotation. The sheet conveying velocity of the reversely-rotatable roller when the reversely-rotatable roller reversely rotates is made slower than the sheet conveying velocity when the reversely-rotatable roller normally rotates so that the sheet conveying velocity of the re-conveying roller is substantially equal to or slower than the sheet conveying velocity of the conveying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Agata, Kenji Matsuzaka, Kouichi Yamada, Masatoshi Takiguchi, Ryukichi Inoue, Masahiko Suzumi, Jun Asami, Sho Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8628080
    Abstract: In a mail processing machine having a non-staging transport and a downstream staging transport for moving mailpieces, the speed of the non-staging transport is constant whereas the speed of the staging transport is controllable. In normal operation, both the staging and non-staging transports move the mailpieces downstream in the same constant speed. When a jam occurs downstream from the staging transport, the staging transport is effectively slowed down so that the staging transport can hold additional mailpieces before they arrive at the jam site during the jam clearance process. After the jam has been cleared, the staging transport is controlled in order to re-gap the mailpieces already released from the non-staging transport. After re-gapping is completed, the staging transport is sped up so that the mail processing machine is returned to its normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventor: Mark S Hancock
  • Patent number: 8626051
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including an upstream conveying portion, a downstream conveying portion, and a loop detector, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a driving portion which moves the contact portion to a projecting position where the sheet conveying path is in contact with a conveyed sheet and to a retracted position where the sheet conveying path is not in contact with the conveyed sheet, and a controlling portion which controls the driving portion such that the contact portion is moved from the projecting position to the retracted position before a tip end of a sheet which enters the sheet conveying path from the upstream conveying portion reaches the contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Kasuga, Daizo Fukuzawa, Noriaki Sato, Mahito Yoshioka, Munehito Kurata, Tooru Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 8596635
    Abstract: A system for conveying mailpieces along a conveyance path and singulating a mailpiece from a stack of mailpieces along the conveyance path. The system includes a first conveyance for conveying mailpieces at a variable velocity and a second conveyance, downstream of the first conveyance, for conveying mailpieces at a constant velocity along the conveyance path. A series of optical sensors extends from the first to the second conveyance and is operative to issue a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the conveyance path. A processor is responsive to the gap signal and is operative to control the first conveyance to decrease the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces when the gap signal exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony E. Yap, Richard F. Stengl, Boris Rozenfeld, Steven J. DaCunha
  • Patent number: 8599451
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device that is capable of correcting skew of a sheet like an index sheet without complicating a use setting and without increasing a cost significantly. A plurality of conveyance units are arranged in a direction intersecting a sheet conveyance direction to convey a sheet. At least three detection sensors are arranged in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction at an upstream side from the conveyance units to detect the sheet. A skew amount computation unit measures a time difference between detection timings of a front end of the sheet by two of the at least three detection sensors except the detection sensor that detects first, and computes a front-end skew amount according to the time difference. A speed change unit makes the conveyance speeds of the conveyance units be different according to the front-end skew amount so as to correct the skew of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Saito
  • Patent number: 8596634
    Abstract: A system for conveying mailpieces along a feed path includes a plurality of conveyances. A first conveyance is operative to convey mailpieces along the feed path and includes a singulating and drive belt. The singulating and drive belts define a throat for singulating a mailpiece from the stack of mailpieces. A second conveyance accepts mailpieces from the first conveyance and conveys singulated mailpiece downstream of the first conveyance. The system further includes a series of sensors extending from the first to the second conveyance for issuing a gap signal indicative of the relative spacing between sequential mailpieces along the feed path. Additionally, the system includes a means, responsive to the gap signal, for developing a variable opposing force between the singulating and drive belts to optimize singulation of mailpieces along the feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony E. Yap, Richard F. Stengl, Boris Rozenfeld
  • Patent number: 8590891
    Abstract: A recording medium conveyor includes a first conveyance part conveying a recording medium; a second conveyance part conveying the conveyed recording medium toward a transfer position; a detection part detecting the position of the recording medium conveyed by the second conveyance part; a position error detection part detecting a position error between the transfer position and a position at which there is to be the recording medium when an image reaches the transfer position; a position error storage part storing the detected position errors; a steady-state position error calculation part calculating a steady-state position error from the stored position errors; a first control part controlling the conveyance speed of the first conveyance part to reduce the steady-state position error; and a second control part controlling the conveyance speed of the second conveyance part to reduce the detected position error, with the steady-state position error being reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoharu Takahashi, Yusuke Ishizaki, Masahiro Ashikawa, Minoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8585042
    Abstract: A pick mechanism is described. The pick mechanism comprises: a movable pick component; a stepper motor; and, a stepper motor controller. The stepper motor is operably connected to the pick component to drive the pick component in a sequence of movements, and each movement involves the pick component travelling in one direction between one position and another position in a required time. The controller produces control signals that control the motor such that the pick component is driven during a movement at or close to the minimum rate of acceleration required to complete the movement in the required time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Scott L. Colston, Douglas L. Milne
  • Publication number: 20130300057
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device including first to third conveyance units, independent driving unit, device driving unit, and control unit. The first conveyance unit includes a first holder that holds one edge of a sheet, and conveys the sheet. The second conveyance unit includes a second holder that holds one edge of the sheet, and conveys the sheet. The third conveyance unit is supported to be swingable between a reception position at which it receives the sheet from the first conveyance unit, and a transfer position at which it transfers the sheet to the second conveyance unit. The third conveyance unit includes a third holder that holds the other edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit, and conveys the sheet held by the third holder. The independent driving unit drives the first conveyance unit. The control unit adjusts the speed at which the sheet is conveyed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: KOMORI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hayato Kondo, Naoki Ogawa, Yasuhiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8571460
    Abstract: A method and system for insuring printing accuracy in simplex imaging or duplex imaging, including a media sheet in a media path adapted to move the media sheet through the system. The media path includes sensors and a datum. The sensors include a leading edge sensor and a trailing edge sensor adapted to record the time of arrival of the edge. The edge arrival time difference is determined between the arrival time of the edge using output from the trailing edge sensor and the arrival time of the edge using output from the leading edge sensor. A correction factor is based upon the time difference. The time of arrival of the media sheet at the datum is determined using the correction factor to align items printed on both side of the media sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. deJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8561985
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feed unit, a sensor, a control unit, a measuring unit, and a determining unit. The feed unit 1 conveys a sheet. The sensor detects the sheet being conveyed. The control unit controls to change the force acting on the sheet from that is in normal conveyance of the sheet. The measuring unit measures a measurement value related to conveyance speed of the detected sheet with the acting force changed. The determining unit determines whether there is an indication of abnormality in conveyance of the sheet on the basis of the measurement value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yuusuke Ishizaki, Takahisa Koike
  • Patent number: 8554127
    Abstract: In a first step, a sheet is conveyed in a direction, whereby a leading end portion of the sheet is fed to a position between a decurl roller and a decurl pinch roller, which are in positions spaced apart from each other. In a second step, the leading end portion of the sheet is curved and held by causing the decurl pinch roller to come close to or press against the decurl roller. In a third step, the leading end portion of the sheet is withdrawn from between the decurl roller and the decurl pinch roller by conveying the sheet in a direction opposed to the conveying direction. After executing the first to third steps, the sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction through the first step while the sheet is curved by the decurl roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Yoshida, Yasuhiko Ikeda, Kenji Shigeno, Koichiro Kawaguchi, Toshiki Takeuchi, Masato Izumi, Kengo Nieda, Ryosuke Sato
  • Publication number: 20130256988
    Abstract: When conveyance checking mode is selected, an automatic setting screen is changed. In the automatic setting screen, components such as AD rollers, guide plates or sheet ejection rollers, which are used when conveying the sheet of paper, are selectable. When the components are selected, they are highlighted in color and their names are also represented. The sheets of paper stop at their stop positions corresponding to the selected components. A user removes the sheets of paper from their stop position and checks an image pattern formed on each of the removed sheets of paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi OYAMA
  • Patent number: 8544844
    Abstract: An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus. The system includes: a first conveying unit conveying to the image forming apparatus a recording material; a second conveying unit conveying to an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus the recording material; a detector detecting a recording material type while the second conveying unit halts conveying the recording material; a first controller, based on detection by the detector, determining a speed for conveying the recording material to the image forming unit, and conveying the recording material at the conveying speed; and a second controller controlling recording material conveying speeds of the first conveying unit. Before the recording material reaches the second conveying unit, the second controller maintains a first conveying speed, and after the recording material reaches the second convey unit, maintains a second conveying speed determined by the first control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuichi Yoshizawa, Atsuya Takahashi, Akihiro Nakamura, Tadashi Okanishi, Kazuhisa Maruyama, Kaoru Sato
  • Patent number: 8528902
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a curve-shaped conveying path conveying a sheet from a first conveyance direction toward a second conveyance direction, a drive conveying portion conveying the sheet in the second conveyance direction by a pair of mutually-pressed rollers, and a belt conveying portion conveying the sheet toward the drive conveying portion by an endless belt member, wherein the belt conveying portion is configured to include a first belt support roller which is arranged coaxially with one of the pair of rollers and a second belt support roller which is arranged at an upstream side of the drive conveying portion from the first belt support roller, to wind the belt member around the first and second belt support members, and to set an outer diameter of the first belt support roller including the belt member to be smaller than an outer diameter of the one roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromasa Katayama
  • Patent number: 8528900
    Abstract: A sheet loading and handling apparatus that suppress anomalies in sheet supply operation and feed sheets in a stable manner is disclosed. The sheet loading unit includes a supply mechanism that moves a plurality of stacked sheets in a direction toward a feeding position located at an end of the loading unit, a feeding mechanism that individually feeds sheets to the feeding position, and a control unit controlling a plurality of sensors, which detect whether there is a sheet at the feeding position. The supply mechanism operates based on detection information of the sensors. The control unit monitors a relationship between signal information of the optical sensor and that of another sensor, and if a signal relationship that is not normal as compared to that of normal feeding occurs, the unit retracts the signal information of the optical sensor and uses only the signal information of the other sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Watanabe, Kazuya Saimei, Takashi Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20130207338
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a transport section transporting a sheet transported at a predetermined speed from an upstream side toward a downstream side; a load section on which the transported sheet is loaded; an aligner aligning the loaded sheet; an alignment controller performing control such that the aligner performs the alignment process on the sheet transported from the transport section to the load section for every predetermined number of sheets; and a transport controller controlling the transport section by causing the transport section to transport the sheet at a reduced speed for the every predetermined number of sheets so that the sheet transported at the reduced speed reaches the load section after the aligner completes the sheet alignment process that is performed on a previous sheet transported immediately prior to the sheet after the previous sheet is loaded on the load section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki AWANO
  • Patent number: 8503922
    Abstract: A printer is operable for image formation onto a sheet of a sheet width Lp, with a sheet spacing Lg and a printing transfer speed Vg, a constant speed transferrer makes sheet transfer at the printing transfer speed Vg from a register via the printer to a speed change position, a variable speed transferrer makes sheet transfer from the speed change position to the register, and a transfer controller controls sheet transfer speeds, the variable speed transferrer having sections for sheet transfer, including deceleration and acceleration sections for sheet reversal at the sheet reversing path, and a constant speed section for transfer at a constant transfer speed Vr, the transfer controller determining a circulating sheet number N, executing a calculation of transfer speed Vr employing sheet width Lp, sheet spacing Lg, printing transfer speed Vg, and accelerations, to enable sheet transfer for circulation within a time interval of N×(Lp+Lg)/Vg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Maeda, Masashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20130181395
    Abstract: A method for feeding sheets to a printing technology machine improves reliability of feeding sheets and reduces an acceleration time from a base speed to a production speed. The sheets are conveyed onto a feed table in shingled formation by a first drive and are individually and successively conveyed from the feed table to a first processing station of the machine by a second drive. The sheets are conveyed onto the feed table before an acceleration of the second drive to production speed is completed and the first drive is accelerated to the production speed when the processing station has reached the production speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN AG
    Inventor: HEIDELBERGER DRUCKMASCHINEN AG
  • Patent number: 8482789
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a feeder, a first reading unit, a first memory which stores image data of the surface of the document read by the first reading unit, a second reading unit located at an upstream side of the first reading position, a second memory which stores image data of the document read by the second reading unit and a controller configured to control the feeder, the first reading unit and the second reading unit. The controller controls to execute pre-scanning the document by the second reading unit over a predetermined range shorter than a separation distance between the first reading position and the second reading position in a transporting direction from a leading edge of the document when the document reaches the second reading position. The controller further controls to execute storing obtained pre-scanned image data into the second memory and measuring the size of the document based on the pre-scanned image data stored in the second memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayoshi Oosaki
  • Patent number: 8480077
    Abstract: A document processing apparatus comprises a document transport path which extends from an upstream end to a downstream end, a low speed drive disposed at the upstream end of the document transport path and for transporting a document along the document transport path from the upstream end towards the downstream end, a high speed drive disposed at the downstream end of the document transport path and for receiving a document being transported along the document transport path from the low speed drive, an actuatable document processing device disposed at the downstream end of the document transport path and for, when actuated, performing a downstream processing operation on a document being transported along the document transport path, a sensor for (i) sensing speed of movement of a document which is being transported along the document transport path from the upstream end to the downstream end, and (ii) providing a first electrical signal which is indicative of speed of movement of the document, and a control
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Frank B. Dunn, Gary R. Marshall
  • Publication number: 20130168921
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a motor for driving a first rotary body and a second rotary body that rotates according to an image processing operation; a switching unit that switches a connection/disconnection of the motor and the second rotary body; and a control unit that performs: a constant-speed rotation process of rotating the motor at a first speed in the connection state; a disconnecting process of performing switching to the disconnection state during the constant-speed rotation process; a decelerating process of decelerating the motor to a second speed after the disconnecting process; and a connecting process of performing, before completion of the decelerating process, switching to the connection state when the rotating speed of the second rotary body at a timing when the decelerating process is performed is slower than that at a timing when the switching to the disconnection state is performed in the disconnecting process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi SUZUKI, Tetsuya OKANO
  • Patent number: 8474815
    Abstract: In a transport device, a first speed control unit controls a rotating speed of a first roller driving unit to reach a first target speed, and a second speed control unit controls a rotating speed of a second roller driving unit to reach a second target speed. The second speed control unit is arranged to perform, when a print medium is transported by both a first transport roller unit and a second transport roller unit, a follower control having a response sensibility to speed fluctuations in a predetermined frequency region of a control system, which is smaller than a response sensibility when the print medium is transported by the second transport roller unit solely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8474816
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first rotator, a second rotator, and a third rotator, at least one of which is configured to convey a sheet medium; a first detection unit configured to detect a first control factor for controlling a first motor that rotates the first rotator; a second detection unit configured to detect a second control factor for controlling a second motor that rotates the second rotator; a motor control unit configured to control a rotational speed of a third motor that rotates the third rotator; and a speed control unit configured to request the motor control unit to change the rotational speed of the third motor based on the sum of the first control factor and the second control factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Ishizaki, Takahisa Koike, Minoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8474817
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus capable of preventing a paper sheet from being drawn out by an unauthorized action. The bill processing device includes: an insertion slot into which a bill is inserted; a bill conveyance mechanism capable of conveying the bill having been inserted from the insertion slot; a bill reader reading the bill conveyed by the bill conveyance mechanism; an authenticity judging mechanism judging an authenticity of the bill read by the bill reader; and a pulse output part driving a motor for controlling conveyance speed of the bill by a motor of the bill conveyance mechanism. The pulse output part controls the conveyance speed by the bill conveyance mechanism after the completion of reading by the bill reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Nireki
  • Patent number: 8465013
    Abstract: A disclosed carrying apparatus includes a first rotating unit carrying a sheet-like carried medium in a rotating direction, a second rotating unit carrying the carried medium in the rotating direction, a first driving unit rotating the first rotating unit, a second driving unit rotating the second rotating unit, a first rotational speed detecting unit, a second rotational speed detecting unit, a first rotational speed controlling unit, a second rotational speed controlling unit, and a torque information acquiring unit acquiring torque information acting on the first rotating unit, wherein the second rotational speed controlling unit controls the second rotational speed in response to a comparison result between the torque information acquired when the sheet-like carried medium is solely carried by the first rotating unit and the torque information acquired when the sheet-like carried medium is carried by the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Ashikawa
  • Publication number: 20130134646
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a sheet supplier configured to supply a recording medium; a first conveyor configured to convey the recording medium supplied from the sheet supplier in a conveying direction; a recording portion configured to record an image on the recording medium conveyed by the first conveyor; and a controller configured to detect an orientation of the recording medium with respect to the conveying direction while the recording medium is conveyed and change a conveying speed of the recording medium conveyed by the first conveyor depending on the detected orientation of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20130134665
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveying roller provided on an inner side of a curved part of a conveying path of a sheet; a driving unit configured to rotate the conveying roller; a drive control unit configured to control a rotation speed of the conveying roller by the driving unit; a rotation speed detecting unit configured to detect the rotation speed of the conveying roller; a conveying unit configured to convey the sheet laid across the conveying roller and the conveying unit; a conveying speed detecting unit configured to detect a conveying speed of the sheet; and a sheet thickness detecting unit configured to detect a thickness of the sheet based on the conveying speed of the sheet detected by the conveying speed detecting unit and the rotation speed of the conveying roller detected by the rotation speed detecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshihiro ASANO, Minoru TAKAHASHI, Takahisa KOIKE
  • Patent number: 8430390
    Abstract: Apparatus for gathering postal items having a postal item feeding path for feeding postal items at a speed of transport and a postal item gripper for gripping and subsequently releasing postal items. The gripper is circulatable in a sense of circulation along a circulation path downstream of the feeding path. Each time prior to gripping of one of the postal items by the gripper, at least the speed of transport of the gripper is temporarily reduced to a reduced speed of transport or the speed of transport of the postal item along the feeding path is temporarily increased to an increased speed of transport. A method for gathering postal items is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventors: Hans Oosterhoff, Erik Jouke Bijl, Herman Sytema
  • Publication number: 20130099441
    Abstract: A recording paper conveying device includes a registration roller pair and a conveyor roller pair adjacent to the registration roller pair. By rotating the conveyor roller pair, a sheet of recording paper is fed until leading edge of the sheet abuts the registration roller pair in stationary state so that the sheet is deflected by a prescribed amount. Then, conveyor roller pair is rotated at the constant velocity, and while the sheet is kept deflected, rotation of the registration roller pair is started, to start feeding of the sheet by the registration roller pair. While the registration roller pair is kept rotating, rotation of the conveyor roller pair is suspended, and then, the conveyor roller pair is returned to the state of rotation before suspension. Thus, unnecessary deflection of the sheet just in front of the registration roller pair can be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
  • Patent number: 8424870
    Abstract: A sheet handling device including a sheet transport path, a transport mechanism adapted to advance a sheet along the transport path with a non-uniform speed, and a discharge mechanism arranged at the transport path for taking over the sheet from the transport mechanism and discharging it into a tray, wherein the discharge mechanism is adapted to convey the sheet with a momentary speed that is different from that of the transport mechanism; and wherein a portion of the transport path between the transport mechanism and the discharge mechanism is curved along a buffer space to allow the sheet to bend within the buffer space and thereby to absorb the speed difference between the transport mechanism and the discharge mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrikus J. J. Van Soest
  • Patent number: 8413985
    Abstract: An image forming system controls a handover timing of sheets between an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus with high precision. A transmission path transmits information between the image forming apparatus and the sheet feeding apparatus. A signal line transmits a handover signal output from the image forming apparatus to the sheet feeding apparatus. A first control unit transmits the handover signal to the sheet feeding apparatus after transmitting a feeding start request to the sheet feeding apparatus. A second control unit controls the sheet feeding apparatus to convey the sheet to a predetermined position in the sheet feeding apparatus in accordance with a reception of the feeding start request and of conveying the sheet at the predetermined position to the image forming apparatus in accordance with a reception of the handover signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Yamazaki, Yuzo Matsumoto, Tomoharu Sato, Tetsuro Fukusaka
  • Publication number: 20130082436
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit where sheets to be processed are stacked, a regulating member, a sheet waiting unit, a first moving unit, a second moving unit, and a control unit. The regulating member abuts on one edge of sheets conveyed to the sheet stacking unit. The sheet waiting unit keeps sheets waiting, stacks the waiting sheets displaced sequentially, and then conveys the sheets to the sheet stacking unit. The first moving unit sequentially moves the conveyed sheets, starting from a lowermost sheet, to be abutted against the regulating member. The second moving unit moves the conveyed sheets to the first moving unit. The control unit controls a moving speed of the second moving unit so that a next sheet does not reach the first moving unit until the sheet moved by the first moving unit is abutted against the regulating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Gamo
  • Patent number: 8387978
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a recording apparatus including a control device which controls a transportation of a medium by controlling a feeding device and a transporting device; under the control of the control device, the feeding device is stopped or decelerated when a previous medium is transported to a predetermined position, and a next medium is accelerated by the feeding device so as to continuously transport the previous medium and the next medium when a gap between those becomes a predetermined distance, the speed of the transporting device is changed from a first transporting speed to a second transporting speed when the previous medium passes through the predetermined position, under a condition that the first transporting speed of the previous medium is different from the second transporting speed of the next medium by the feeding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Fukasawa, Hiroshi Katayama
  • Patent number: 8390881
    Abstract: A print control method allowing a printing apparatus to perform printing based on a plurality of contents used for outputting a plurality of components to be finally integrated is provided. The CPU determines whether component basis post-processing is set in each of the plurality of contents. The printing sequence is determined such that a first content determined as a content in which the component basis post-processing is set is printed in advance of a second content determined as a content in which the component basis post-processing is not set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8385762
    Abstract: A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8376359
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus capable of preventing a paper sheet from being drawn out by an unauthorized action. The bill processing device includes: an insertion slot into which a bill is inserted; a bill conveyance mechanism capable of conveying the bill having been inserted from the insertion slot; a bill reader reading the bill conveyed by the bill conveyance mechanism; an authenticity judging mechanism judging an authenticity of the bill read by the bill reader; and a pulse output part driving a motor for controlling conveyance speed of the bill by a motor of the bill conveyance mechanism. The pulse output part controls the conveyance speed by the bill conveyance mechanism after the completion of reading by the bill reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Nireki
  • Publication number: 20130038017
    Abstract: A sheet processing device includes: a first reservoir unit which reserves sheets; a sheet processing unit which implements predetermined processing for the sheets reserved in the first reservoir unit; a discharge unit which includes a stepping motor, and discharges the sheets from the first reservoir unit, the sheets being subjected to the predetermined processing by the sheet processing unit; an obtaining unit which obtains a value regarding weight of the sheets subjected to the predetermined processing; and a control unit which controls the discharge unit to lower a rotation speed of the stepping motor in a case where the value obtained by the obtaining unit is more than a predetermined value in comparison with a case where the value is less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Masaki MATSUI
  • Patent number: 8348271
    Abstract: A supply roller for sending a piece of sheet from pieces of sheets stacked within a cassette towards a sheet guide and a pair of feed-in rollers for sending the piece of sheet supplied from the sheet guide towards a printing region are provided within a printer. The pair of feed-in rollers has a feed-in drive roller driven by a motor and a feed-in driven roller driven by the feed-in drive roller. A sending speed of the pair of feed-in rollers is faster than a sending speed of the supply roller, and a sending force of the pair of feed-in rollers is stronger than a sending force of the supply roller. A controller of the printer controls the rotation of the supply roller and the pair of feed-in rollers according to a procedure that does not rely on a position of the sheet sent by the supply roller and the pair of feed-in rollers during the continuous feeding mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Yuji Koga, Masatoshi Izuchi
  • Patent number: 8342500
    Abstract: An elastic sponge roller is provided at a confluence portion where a first sheet conveyance path joins in a second sheet conveyance path and a leading edge and a rear edge of a sheet are brought into contact with the sponge roller when the sheet is conveyed from the first conveyance path to the second conveyance path. Further, the sponge roller is connected to drive via a one-way clutch. Such a configuration reduces a sound produced at the confluence portion and prevents the leading edge of the sheet from being bent in colliding with the sponge roller to stabilize the conveyance of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromasa Katayama
  • Publication number: 20120326387
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first rotator, a second rotator, and a third rotator, at least one of which is configured to convey a sheet medium; a first detection unit configured to detect a first control factor for controlling a first motor that rotates the first rotator; a second detection unit configured to detect a second control factor for controlling a second motor that rotates the second rotator; a motor control unit configured to control a rotational speed of a third motor that rotates the third rotator; and a speed control unit configured to request the motor control unit to change the rotational speed of the third motor based on the sum of the first control factor and the second control factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Ishizaki, Takahisa Koike, Minoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8328320
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transporter that transports a sheet from an upstream side to a downstream side in a transport direction by a transport roller; a driver that drives the transporter; a phase sensor that detects a phase start point and a rotation phase indicating an amount of rotation from the phase start point of the transport roller that is rotated by driving of the driver; a memory that stores correction phases for correcting transport distance of the sheet that is transported by rotation of the transport roller; a corrector that selectively performs correction control using a unit correction amount for the rotation of the transport roller, and controls the performance of the correction control based on the rotation phase of the rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshio Nakata
  • Patent number: 8308153
    Abstract: A transversal cutting equipment for sheets separable from overlapped continuous forms, wherein the forms are longitudinally divided from a basic continuous form for producing documents with a single sheet or more sheets, and wherein the documents and the respective sheets are printed according to a predetermined order. The equipment comprises a cutting device for joined separation of the sheets; an accumulating and forwarding device; transport paths; and differentiating means for modifying the transport times of the sheets along one or more transport paths. The cutting device operates in a continuous way, while the accumulating and forwarding device collects the sheet or sheets of a partially formed document and sends the sheet or sheets upon the completion of the document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Tecnau S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuliano De Marco, Armando Aprato, Francesco Terrusi, Alberto Massucco, Francesco Modica
  • Patent number: 8301073
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus of the present invention, when performing one-side printing during a predetermined period after two-side printing, a change in a carrying velocity of a post-process apparatus is prevented and thus recording paper having passed through a fixing section is carried and output at a velocity that is lower than a velocity for normal one-side printing and that is identical with a velocity for two-side printing. Consequently, it is possible to prevent dropping of productivity of the image forming system due to a time necessary for changing the carrying velocity of the post-process apparatus and to increase an operating ratio of the image forming system, even if the post-process apparatus is designed to completely stop the carrying roller etc. when changing the carrying velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ueda, Shuhji Fujii, Yuji Okamoto, Kenji Takahashi, Kazuhiko Ido
  • Patent number: 8295758
    Abstract: In a first step, a sheet is conveyed in a direction, whereby a leading end portion of the sheet is fed to a position between a decurl roller and a decurl pinch roller, which are in positions spaced apart from each other. In a second step, the leading end portion of the sheet is curved and held by causing the decurl pinch roller to come close to or press against the decurl roller. In a third step, the leading end portion of the sheet is withdrawn from between the decurl roller and the decurl pinch roller by conveying the sheet in a direction opposed to the conveying direction. After executing the first to third steps, the sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction through the first step while the sheet is curved by the decurl roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahito Yoshida, Yasuhiko Ikeda, Kenji Shigeno, Koichiro Kawaguchi, Toshiki Takeuchi, Masato Izumi, Kengo Nieda, Ryosuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8292286
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: (i) a first controlling portion configured to intermittently convey a following sheet at a second velocity together with intermittent conveyance of a preceding sheet at a first velocity higher than the second velocity; (ii) a predicting portion configured to predict one of the successive intermittent conveyances of the following sheet which is performed together with one of the successive intermittent conveyances of the preceding sheet which causes the trailing end of the preceding sheet to pass a reference position; and (iii) a second controlling portion configured to inhibit the predicted one of the successive intermittent conveyances of the following sheet, and configured to convey the following sheet at a third conveying velocity higher than the second conveying velocity, from a point of time at which the trailing end of the preceding sheet passes the reference position, such that conveyance of the following sheet at the third conveying velocity is stopped without a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Mizuno, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 8292296
    Abstract: An apparatus for varying the speed of printed products is provided. The apparatus includes a nip roll rotatable about a nip roll axis and an eccentric assembly external of the nip roll coupled to the nip roll coincident with the nip roll axis. The eccentric assembly is adapted to eccentrically move the nip roll. A method of varying the speed of a printed product in a printing press is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventor: Jared Paul Eaton
  • Publication number: 20120262765
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance device that is capable of correcting skew of a sheet like an index sheet without complicating a use setting and without increasing a cost significantly. A plurality of conveyance units are arranged in a direction intersecting a sheet conveyance direction to convey a sheet. At least three detection sensors are arranged in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction at an upstream side from the conveyance units to detect the sheet. A skew amount computation unit measures a time difference between detection timings of a front end of the sheet by two of the at least three detection sensors except the detection sensor that detects first, and computes a front-end skew amount according to the time difference. A speed change unit makes the conveyance speeds of the conveyance units be different according to the front-end skew amount so as to correct the skew of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Saito
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120248684
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller which conveys a sheet, a cylindrical motor which drives the conveying roller, an outer diameter of the motor being approximately equal to or smaller than an outer diameter of the conveying roller, and a supporting portion which supports the motor such that a rotational center of the motor is arranged coaxially with a rotational center of a rotational shaft of the conveying roller the motor is positioned within a maximum sheet that can be conveyed by the conveying roller in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuushi Sadamitsu