Including Couple-elements Resiliently Urged Together Patents (Class 271/274)
  • Patent number: 12024398
    Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a first direction changing roller arranged along a transport path, wherein a sheet is transported along the transport path; a second direction changing roller disposed on the transport path, wherein the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller are next to each other in a direction perpendicular to the transport path, and the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller change an orientation of the sheet from a first orientation to a second orientation; and a control circuit configured to control one of the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller so that the first direction changing roller rotates slower than the second direction changing roller so as to change the orientation of the sheet from the first orientation to the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: GLORY LTD.
    Inventor: Kojiro Itotani
  • Patent number: 11987464
    Abstract: A front end conveyor include a lower deck having a plurality of lower sheet supports, an upstream upper deck having an upstream end at the upstream end of the front end conveyor, a downstream end and a plurality of first upper sheet guides and a downstream upper deck having an upstream end, a downstream end at the downstream end of the front end conveyor, and a plurality of second upper sheet guides. The lower sheet supports and the upper sheet guides define a sheet transport path for moving sheets of material though the conveyor. The downstream end of the upstream upper deck and the upstream end of the downstream upper deck are independently pivotably mounted to the frame such that the upstream end of the upstream upper deck and the downstream end of the downstream upper deck shiftable toward and away from the lower deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: A. G. STACKER INC.
    Inventors: Dalton Hege, Eric Stempihar, Joseph Wunder, Clarence C. Allen, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11827481
    Abstract: A liftable transport pinch is provided with a simplified construction to enhance lifetime and productivity. This transport device includes at least one roller mounted on an arm, and an actuator connected to a frame for moving the roller between a first and second position. The arm is mounted onto the frame by means of an elastic hinge element. The elastic hinge element provides a simple, cheap, wear-resistant, and easy-to-assembly alternative to prior art solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventor: Luc Linders
  • Patent number: 11767185
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a pair of rollers, a biasing member, a guide member, a biasing support, and a biasing force changer. The pair of rollers includes a first roller and a second roller disposed in contact with the first roller. The pair of rollers is configured to hold a sheet between the first roller and the second roller. The biasing member is configured to bias the first roller toward the second roller. The biasing support is configured to support the biasing member and has a guide target member configured to slide along the guide member to move the biasing support. The biasing force changer is configured to change a biasing force of the biasing member along with movement of the biasing support. The guide target member has a portion projecting into a sheet conveyance passage through which the sheet is conveyed by the pair of rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Fukushima, Yu Wakabayashi, Yuuki Shiga, Kazuya Yamamoto, Ryohhei Ohya
  • Patent number: 11681248
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a fixing portion including a heating portion, a guide portion, and first and second extending portions. The guide portion guides the sheet, faces a conveyance path through which the sheet passes, and is disposed at a downstream side of the fixing portion in a sheet conveyance direction. The first extending portion extends in a direction crossing a vertical direction, is disposed upstream of the guide portion, and is disposed at the fixing portion downstream side. The second extending portion extends from the first extending portion to a downstream side of the first extending portion in the conveyance direction. In a direction crossing the conveyance direction, the guide portion is disposed at one side of the conveyance path and the second extending portion is disposed to project more than the guide portion from the one side to another side of the conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Kubo
  • Patent number: 11650533
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit fixed to the first unit at a portion upstream of the first unit in a conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed, and an electric board. In the image forming apparatus, a disposition of the electric board is restricted by the first unit and the second unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryuji Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 11629021
    Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus includes a first direction changing roller arranged along a transport path, wherein a sheet is transported along the transport path; a second direction changing roller disposed on the transport path, wherein the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller are next to each other in a direction perpendicular to the transport path, and the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller change an orientation of the sheet from a first orientation to a second orientation; and a control circuit configured to control one of the first direction changing roller and the second direction changing roller so that the first direction changing roller rotates slower than the second direction changing roller so as to change the orientation of the sheet from the first orientation to the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GLORY LTD.
    Inventor: Kojiro Itotani
  • Patent number: 11623836
    Abstract: A system and method for advancing sticky media through printers includes one or more feed rollers comprised of a grit roller. The grit roller contacts an adhesive side of liner-less label stock removed from a roll or stack for printing. The grit roller works cooperatively with an opposing, counter-rotating roller to remove the label stock from the roll and feed it to a printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W Lawrence, Brad W Towe, William M. Connors
  • Patent number: 11565536
    Abstract: A device for printing information at multiple predetermined positions of a flat object including a registration wall, a print module including print nozzles and a print plate and displaceable along an horizontal axis perpendicular to the registration wall, fixed upper drive members for moving the flat object in a direction of transport along the registration wall, the print plate and the fixed upper drive members together forming an upper reference in a vertical direction, and lower pressing members for pressing the flat object against the upper reference, the device further comprises at least one mobile upper drive member and, for avoiding contact with the flat object immediately after printing, the at least one mobile upper drive member is vertically mobile and configured to be moved from a lower to an upper position above the upper reference when the displaceable print module is positioned along the horizontal axis ahead of the at least one mobile upper drive member in the direction of transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: QUADIENT TECHNOLOGIES FRANCE
    Inventors: Dominique Bernard, Francis Coret, Stephane Le Gallo
  • Patent number: 11530103
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a roller pair being mutually non-separable; and a roller pair being mutually separable. The sheet feeding device temporarily stops a sheet in a registration position of the non-separable roller pair and then resumes feeding the sheet. The sheet feeding device feeds sheets such that a following sheet reaches the registration position from the separable roller pair after completion of ejection of a preceding sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Ryohei Morisaki, Shigefumi Soga, Chisa Kato
  • Patent number: 11447350
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller, a first rotary member forming a first nip portion conveying a sheet in a first conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the first rotary member being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the first rotary member is positioned at a different position in the first conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end, and a second rotary member forming a second nip portion conveying a sheet in a second conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the second rotary member being inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the second rotary member is positioned at a different position in the second conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11217722
    Abstract: A hybrid growth method for III-nitride tunnel junction devices uses metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) to grow one or more light-emitting or light-absorbing structures and ammonia-assisted or plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow one or more tunnel junctions. Unlike p-type gallium nitride (p-GaN) grown by MOCVD, p-GaN grown by MBE is conductive as grown, which allows for its use in a tunnel junction. Moreover, the doping limits of MBE materials are higher than MOCVD materials. The tunnel junctions can be used to incorporate multiple active regions into a single device. In addition, n-type GaN (n-GaN) can be used as a current spreading layer on both sides of the device, eliminating the need for a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer or a silver (Au) mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Erin C. Young, Benjamin P. Yonkee, John T. Leonard, Tal Margalith, James S. Speck, Steven P. DenBaars, Shuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11117397
    Abstract: Provided is a photo printer including: a base for accommodating paper therein; a pick-up roller protruding from a bottom surface of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base in a forward direction; a platen roller for discharging in the forward direction the paper; a head provided above the platen roller to apply heat to the paper; a swing bracket having a front side to which the head is coupled and a rear side rotatably coupled to the base; pressurizing means for pressurizing the swing bracket down to allow the swing bracket to come into close contact with the paper; and head supporting members provided on side walls of the base to support the front side of the swing bracket under the swing bracket and each having an eccentric portion adapted to lift the head up through rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DS GLOBAL
    Inventor: Yong Duk Lee
  • Patent number: 11099505
    Abstract: A rotation member support configuration supports a roller and applies pressure in a direction orthogonal to the rotational axis line of the roller, using a spring attached around a bearing. The spring includes two coils differing from each other in twisting direction and connected at an angle formed with respect to a coil axis line direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taiya Hirayama
  • Patent number: 10994957
    Abstract: A roller structure is disclosed and includes at least one roller unit. The roller unit includes a base, an elastic portion, a supporting portion and a rotating wheel. The base is configured to detachably assemble the roller unit on an accommodation seat. The base includes a first lateral edge. The elastic portion is disposed on the base and connected with the first lateral edge. The elastic portion includes a bent section having an end extending and bent from the first lateral edge. The supporting portion is disposed on the elastic portion and connected to the other end of the bent section. The rotating wheel is pivotally connected to the supporting portion. When the rotating wheel is pressed by a driving wheel, the supporting portion is driven to compress the elastic portion to move the rotating wheel toward the base, and the rotating wheel is driven to rotate relative to the supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: TECO IMAGE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ting-Chun Chen, Ming-Chieh Chung
  • Patent number: 10526149
    Abstract: An image processing device includes first and second feeding units. The first feeding unit feeds a sheet toward the second feeding unit in a sheet feeding direction via a sheet feeding path. The device further includes an image processing portion. The first feeding unit is in the path upstream of the processing portion and includes a first shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The second feeding unit is in the path downstream of the processing portion, and the first and the second units feed and hold the sheet. The second feeding unit includes a second shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The device includes a first supporting member supporting first and second ends of the first shaft, a second supporting member supporting first and second ends of the second shaft, and a third supporting member supporting one shaft at a predetermined portion which is not either end of either shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Satoru Nakakita
  • Patent number: 10414185
    Abstract: Disclosed is a full-width seal device, the outer part of which comprises a paper inlet, a paper outlet and a housing, and the inner part of which comprises a component moving along the x-axis, a component moving along the y-axis and a seal mechanism, wherein the component moving along the x-axis is used for detecting whether paper has entered the paper inlet and having detected that paper has entered the paper inlet, driving the paper to move along the x-axis; having detected that the paper has moved to a pre-set position on the x-axis, the component moving along the y-axis is used for driving the seal mechanism to move along the y-axis; and after the paper has moved to a pre-set position on the y-axis, the seal mechanism is used for executing a seal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: GRG Banking Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Panfeng Luo, Xiaoping Han, Yunlong Wang, Jinjun He, Guocheng Shi
  • Patent number: 10369819
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a printing unit that performs a recording on a first cut sheet, a sheet feed tray on which the first cut sheet is mounted, a sheet feed roller that transport the first cut sheet in a transport direction from the sheet feed tray toward the printing unit, a transport roller disposed downstream of the sheet feed roller in the transport direction and that holds the first cut sheet with a driven roller to transport the first cut sheet in the transport direction, and a single motor that drives the sheet feed roller and the transport roller, in which when the sheet feed roller and the transport roller are simultaneously driven by the single motor, a transport speed of the first cut sheet by the sheet feed roller is configured to be higher than a transport speed of the first cut sheet by the transport roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Keisuke Yamaya
  • Patent number: 9963312
    Abstract: An image processing device includes first and second feeding units. The first feeding unit feeds a sheet toward the second feeding unit in a sheet feeding direction via a sheet feeding path. The device further includes an image processing portion. The first feeding unit is in the path upstream of the processing portion and includes a first shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The second feeding unit is in the path downstream of the processing portion, and the first and the second units feed and hold the sheet. The second feeding unit includes a second shaft rotating in the feeding direction. The device includes a first supporting member supporting first and second ends of the first shaft, a second supporting member supporting first and second ends of the second shaft, and a third supporting member supporting one shaft at a predetermined portion which is not either end of either shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Satoru Nakakita
  • Patent number: 9914586
    Abstract: Provided are a parcel sorting system and method, solving the problem that parcel sorting efficiency needs to be improved in the prior art. The parcel sorting system comprises a parcel sorting device and a parcel collecting device. The parcel sorting device is provided thereon with a plurality of parcel inspection inlets and a plurality of parcel outlets. The parcel collecting device is located under the parcel sorting device. The parcel outlets on the parcel sorting device communicate with the parcel collecting device. The parcel outlets are respectively located at the middle or/and edges of the parcel sorting device. The parcel collecting device is provided thereon with storage devices at positions under respective parcel outlets; and diameter of the storing device is larger than that of the parcel outlet. When the method is used, the parcel sorting efficiency is obviously improved; the implementation is convenient; and popularization and application are facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Hangzhou Yamei Li-Jia Science And Technology Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianqiang Zhu, Juejing Xu
  • Patent number: 9878866
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recording unit that performs recording on a recording medium with the recording medium being stored in a rolled state and unrolled from one end. The recording device includes a pair of abutting rollers, a support roller and a movable mechanism. The abutting rollers face each other, and convey the recording medium while the recording medium is nipped between the abutting rollers. The support roller is arranged on a downstream side of the abutting rollers in a conveyance path of the recording medium. The support roller abuts the recording medium to support the recording medium. The movable mechanism changes a position of at least one of the abutting rollers to switch between an abutting state in which the other of the abutting rollers abuts the recording medium and a released state in which the other of the abutting rollers does not abut the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Mashima, Seijun Horie
  • Patent number: 9868608
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus, including a conveyer to convey a sheet in a predetermined conveying direction along a predetermined conveyer path, and a discharger forming a part of the conveyer to discharge the sheet from the conveyer path, is provided. The discharger includes a driving roller, a pinch roller arranged to confront the driving roller across the conveyer path, and an urging member to urge the pinch roller against the driving roller. The conveyer includes a chute member. The chute member includes a guiding face defining a part of the conveyer path, a supporting face to support one end of the urging member, and a contact face located on a particular face of the chute member opposite from the supporting face. The sheet conveying apparatus includes a plate member made of metal arranged to extend in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction and to contact the contact face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuro Miura, Tianjin Xie
  • Patent number: 9802773
    Abstract: A sheet conveyor includes: a chute which has openings spaced apart from each other in a first direction and guides a sheet; a drive shaft; drive rollers mounted on the drive shaft and each partly protruding from the chute through a corresponding one of the openings; driven rollers each urged and contactable with a corresponding one of the drive rollers; an intermediate bearing disposed at a first position located between adjacent two of the drive rollers; and a holder provided on the chute to hold the intermediate bearing located at the first position. The intermediate bearing is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft when located at a second position different from the first position. The intermediate bearing is slid from the second position to the first position in the first direction and held by the holder at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Akimatsu
  • Patent number: 9776817
    Abstract: An image reading device includes a plurality of driven roller holders arranged in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction. Some of the driven roller holders have a distal end portion extended downstream beyond outer peripheral surface of a driven roller, and some of the driven roller holders do not have the distal end portion extending downstream beyond the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller in the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9718633
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyance portion conveying a sheet, a conveyance guide arranged pivotably between a first open position and a first close position around a pivot axis and guiding a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyance portion at the first close position, and a door arranged pivotably between a second open position and a second close position around an opening and closing axis, and moving the conveyance guide from the first open position to the first close position by pivoting from the second open position to the second close position in a state where the conveyance guide is positioned at the first open position. The conveyance guide is retained at the first close position by a retaining portion in a state where the door is positioned at the second open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehito Osada
  • Patent number: 9546060
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a driving roller, a driven roller and a pair of bearing members. The pair of bearing members is configured to rotatably support both ends of a rotating shaft of the driven roller. The bearing member has a supporting part and a pressing part. The supporting part is formed by winding an end portion on one side of a wire rod in a spiral shape. The supporting part has a shaft hole through which one end of the rotating shaft can be inserted. The pressing part is formed by winding an end portion on the other side of the wire rod in a spiral shape in an orthogonal direction to the rotating shaft. The pressing part is disposed so as to press the supporting part in a direction in which the driven roller comes into pressure contact with the outer face of the driving roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Tashiro
  • Patent number: 9434183
    Abstract: An inkjet printer including a feeding device configured to feed a sheet in a feeding direction, a platen configured to support the sheet, a recording device configured to eject ink on the sheet, contacting members configured to contact the sheet, a detector configured to detect an end portion position of the sheet in a width direction, and a controller configured to control the feeding device and the recording device is provided. The contacting members are arranged at intervals in the width direction, and the controller performs a suppression process in which at least one of the feeding device and the recording device is controlled to suppress a contact of the sheet with the recording device when the end portion position detected by the detector is a position between the two adjacent contacting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 9413911
    Abstract: A media processing device enables conveying media fed from different paths into a common path in a stable conveyance state to the scanning position of a scanner. A check processing device has a path switching member that selectively bridges a back path for conveying checks and a card path to a downstream path, which is a common path. The path switching member changes position and switches the connected paths in conjunction with movement of a shutter that covers the open part of a nozzle cap used to cap the nozzle face of the inkjet head at the back path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sasaki, Nobuhiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 9394132
    Abstract: A conveying device includes a rotating member having sharp teeth and configured to rotate while being in contact with an object that is being conveyed, and a holder configured to support the rotating member. When seen from a downstream side in a direction of sheet conveyance, the rotating member is rotatably supported by the holder such that the rotating member is allowed to incline toward one side but is prevented from inclining toward an opposite side. The teeth of the rotating member each have an asymmetrical shape with the one side thereof sloping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9330518
    Abstract: An automatic teller machine (ATM) including a medium receiving portion to receive a paper medium, a medium transfer portion to transfer the paper medium received through the medium receiving portion to a cassette as a storage space, and a medium alignment portion disposed on a transfer path of the medium transfer portion to align the paper medium. The medium alignment portion includes a drum-type alignment body including a transfer path connected to the transfer path of the medium transfer portion so that the paper medium passes through the transfer path in a rotating manner, and including an alignment reference surface to align the paper medium; driving rollers disposed in the alignment body to drive the paper medium forward along the transfer path; and inclined rollers disposed outside of the alignment body corresponding to the driving rollers, and selectively inclined from a transfer direction of the paper medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: NAUTILUS HYOSUNG INC.
    Inventors: Jin Hwan Cha, Woo Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9290344
    Abstract: There is provided an image recording apparatus including a transporting path, a recording section, a first and second rollers pinching the recording medium therebetween, a supporting member which rotatably supports the second roller, a holding member which is movable along a transporting direction of the recording medium, a bias applying member which applies a bias on the holding member, in an opposite direction opposite to the transporting direction and a load member which generates a load in the opposite direction, with respect to the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 9221650
    Abstract: An oil containment boom recovery apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a frame that supports an axle with a pair of vehicle rim and tire combinations mounted in a side by side relationship on the axle at a desired spacing. A motor bracket to support a motor to rotate the axle, and thus the rim and tire combinations is provided. To recover a containment boom, a user will grab and lift an end segment of a boom and place it between the rim and tire combinations that are mounted on the axle. When the axle is turned by the motor, the boom will be gripped by and between the rotating tires as the tires and axle turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Inventor: Charles Fuselier
  • Patent number: 9156639
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a conveying guide configured to guide a sheet which is conveyed by a conveying roller and a driven roller, a pressing spring configured to press the driven roller toward the conveying roller, a holding portion configured to be provided to be rotated about a shaft center of the driven roller and to receive a pressing force of the pressing spring, and a supporting portion configured to support the driven roller in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction to abut on or be separated from the conveying roller. The holding portion includes a facing portion which is disposed to face the conveying guide. The facing portion is separated from the conveying guide in a state where the driven roller abuts on the conveying roller. The facing portion abuts on the conveying guide when the driven roller is separated from the conveying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 9114647
    Abstract: A method of operating a crafting apparatus. The method includes moving a workpiece along a first feed path for printing on the workpiece with a printer and moving the workpiece along a second feed path for cutting the workpiece with a cutter. The first feed path bypasses a workpiece mover of the cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Provo Craft and Novelty, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy B. Crystal, Jeffery V. Gubler, James T. Davis, II, Christopher K. Dodge, David J. Burton, Matthew B. Strong, Jim A. Colby
  • Patent number: 9061847
    Abstract: The sheet transport mechanism of the present disclosure is provided with drive roller, driven roller, and roller pressing mechanism. The roller pressing mechanism presses the driven roller into contact against the drive roller. The driven roller includes a central driven roller, a first rotating shaft for supporting the central driven roller, at least one pair of outside driven rollers, and second rotating shafts supporting the outside driven rollers. The roller pressing mechanism includes a central pressing mechanism, and an outside pressing mechanism. The central pressing mechanism presses the central driven roller against the drive roller. The outside pressing mechanism presses the outside driven rollers against the drive roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Shinji Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 9051121
    Abstract: The present invention may lower the cost, save space and simplify assembly in a medium conveyance mechanism that conveys a medium with a pair of conveyance rollers provided facing each other. Namely, the medium conveyance mechanism is disposed with a torsion spring including a coil portion and arms at both ends of the coil portion; a first fixing wall that fixes one arm of the torsion spring; and a second fixing wall that fixes the coil portion at an opposite side from the first fixing wall, wherein the other arm of the torsion spring is made to contact a following roller shaft at the first fixing wall side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junpei Nagao
  • Patent number: 9051140
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: first, second and third rollers, a conveying member, a frame, a first pressing member, and a force-generating unit. The first and second rollers rotate while nipping the sheet therebetween. The third roller and the conveying member nip the sheet therebetween. The frame is elongated parallel to an axis about which the third roller rotates and supports the third roller. The first pressing member applies a first pressing force to an axial center of the first roller to press the first roller toward the second roller and applies a reaction force of the first pressing force to the frame to press the frame in a direction toward the conveying member. The force-generating unit generates a nipping force for nipping the sheet between the third roller and the conveying member and applies an urging force to the frame in a direction away from the conveying member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9045297
    Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes an opening/closing unit (a lock shaft, a lock arm, a hopper, a link member, and a rotating member) that performs an opening operation in a direction in which rollers of each of a separator and a conveyor coming into press contact with each other are separated from each other at the time of the occurrence of a conveyance error of a medium and performs a closing operation in a direction in which the rollers come into contact with each other after the recovery of the conveyance error. When an operator is present around the medium feeding apparatus, an error release operation control unit controls the opening/closing unit so that the opening/closing unit performs the opening operation and the closing operation at a relatively low speed as compared to when the operator is not present around the medium feeding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: PFU Limited
    Inventor: Masaya Takamori
  • Publication number: 20150137443
    Abstract: In a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of a discharge roller, a rotation center of the discharge roller is provided at a position out of a straight line that connects a rotation center of a discharge driven roller and a rotation center of a duplex driven roller. The discharge roller that receives forces from the discharge driven roller and the duplex driven roller is held by a discharge roller presser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Daisuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9016463
    Abstract: A conveying device includes: opposed first and second rollers disposed to a first path; a roller holder supporting the second roller and movable between a first position where the second roller contacts the first roller and a second position where the second roller is spaced apart from the first roller; and opposed first and second guide members defining a second path merged with the first path. The first guide member is movable between a third position where the first guide member is spaced apart from the second guide member at a predetermined distance and a fourth position where their distance is less than the predetermined distance. The first guide member includes a guide portion for contacting and moving the roller holder from the first position to the second position in response to movement of the first guide member from the third position to the fourth position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Mimoto, Shota Iijima
  • Patent number: 9010756
    Abstract: A sheet feeder is provided that includes a driving roller, a driven roller configured to rotate in accordance with rotation of the driving roller and feed a sheet while pinching the sheet with the driving roller, an elastic shaft inserted through the driven roller and configured to rotatably support the driven roller, the elastic shaft including a protrusion formed on at least one end of the elastic shaft in an axial direction of the elastic shaft, the protrusion protruding outward in a radial direction of the driven roller, and two recess-shaped bearings configured to support two end portions of the elastic shaft in the axial direction, respectively, at least one of the bearings including a contact surface configured to contact the protrusion when the elastic shaft is supported by the bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Akimatsu
  • Patent number: 9010755
    Abstract: A printer apparatus has a contact pressure device for flat articles on a continuously moving transport belt, in particular letters in a franking and/or addressing machine. In order to increase the usable region and/or of the throughput of the printer apparatus, flat articles of different thicknesses are processed with predetermined speed, without slippage, in succession with arbitrarily small gaps between successive articles. An elastic, bellows-shaped, resiliently supported air bag has a low-friction, wear-resistant cover surface that is in non-positive contact with the transport belt. With its associated retention and air supply devices the bellows serves as a mobile contact pressure module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Ortmann, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 9010753
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including a stacking tray that stacks sheets, a conveying member that conveys a sheet to the stacking tray and discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, wherein the conveying member includes a conveying roller and a conveying belt stretched by a plurality of stretch rollers, and a sheet processor that performs predetermined processing to the sheet bundle. When the conveying member conveys the sheet to the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is not wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt as such a nip for conveying the sheet is formed. When the conveying member discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt so that a nip for conveying the sheet is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Shibasaki, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shingo Matsushita, Katsuhiro Kosuge, Ryuji Yoshida, Wataru Takahashi, Takashi Saito, Akihiro Musha, Takuya Morinaga, Ikuhisa Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20150102555
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller pair, an urging portion, a releasing portion, and a moving portion. The conveyance roller pair includes a first roller and a second roller, and conveys a sheet. The urging portion applies a pinching force to the conveyance roller pair. The releasing portion releases the pinching force of the conveyance roller pair against an urging force of the urging portion. The moving portion moves the conveyance roller pair, the urging portion, and the releasing portion in a width direction intersecting with a sheet conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventor: Kouhei Deno
  • Patent number: 9004489
    Abstract: A medium conveyance device includes a pressed member, a first retention member retaining the pressed member and including a first bias-member retention portion, a press member provided facing the pressed member, a second retention member being provided movable relative to the first retention member and retaining the press member wherein the second retention member includes a second bias-member retention portion, and a bias member provided between the first bias-member retention portion and the second bias-member retention portion and supported at one end thereof by the first bias-member retention portion and at another end thereof by the second bias-member retention portion, thereby pressing the press member against the pressed member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu Imai
  • Patent number: 9004481
    Abstract: In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Riso Kagaku Corporation, Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Mimura, Kenta Idezuki, Kenichi Sano
  • Patent number: 9004487
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet by a first rotating body and a second rotating body that is provided so as to be movable in a contacting/separating direction with respect to the first rotating body; a rotation amount measuring unit configured to measure a rotation amount of the second rotating body, the rotation amount measuring unit being provided so as to be movable in the contacting/separating direction along with the second rotating body; and a conveying distance calculating unit configured to calculate a conveying distance of the sheet based on a measurement result obtained by the rotation amount measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Takayasu
  • Patent number: 9004488
    Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a first pair of rollers having a drive roller and a pinch roller driven by the drive roller, a second pair of rollers provided downstream of the first pair of rollers, and an arm member supporting the drive roller and adapted to be swingable such that a force for pressing the drive roller against the pinch roller increases as a conveyance resistance of the sheet increases. The force for pressing the drive roller against the pinch roller decreases if driven by the moving sheet. The conveying speed of the second pair of rollers is set to be higher than the conveying speed of the drive roller so as to cause the drive roller to be driven by the sheet in the case where a skew of the sheet has been corrected and the sheet having the skew corrected is conveyed by the second pair of rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Terashima
  • Patent number: 8998206
    Abstract: A medium transport direction switching mechanism may be provided of a simple configuration which is capable of switching the transport direction of a transported information recording medium. One end may be a biasing member for biasing a pinch roller toward a transport roller engages a support shaft which supports the pinch roller, whereas the other end of the biasing member engages a retaining member which retains the support shaft. In the medium transport direction switching mechanism, rotational behavior of the pinch roller centering upon a rotational center of the transport roller is possible between a first facing position and a second facing position, wherein the pinch roller moves to the first facing position when the transport roller rotates positively, and moves to the second facing position when the transport roller rotates negatively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventor: Chisato Hiyama
  • Patent number: 8991822
    Abstract: A conveyor device includes a conveyor including a conveyor roller to convey a sheet along a conveyance path, a cover movable between a closed position where the cover covers the conveyor roller and an open position where the cover is separated from the conveyor roller. The conveyor further includes a pinch roller urged toward the conveyor roller when the cover is in the closed position. When the cover is in the closed position, the conveyor roller and the pinch roller define a nip point along the conveyance path. The conveyor device includes a holder supported by the cover and to rotatably support the pinch roller and an urging member disposed between the cover and the holder to move the holder away from the cover to urge the pinch roller toward the conveyor roller when the cover is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki, Takashi Ohama, Ai Oyamada, Takeru Morinaga