Including Couple-elements Resiliently Urged Together Patents (Class 271/274)
  • Publication number: 20150035227
    Abstract: A sheet conveying unit includes a shutter portion including an abutting portion correcting a skew of a sheet by abutting against a front end of the sheet at a standby position upstream in a sheet conveying direction of a nip of the conveying roller pair, and a bias portion biasing the shutter portion such that the abutting portion is positioned at the standby position. The bias portion is configured such that a rate of increase of a bias force applied from the bias portion to the shutter portion during when the abutting portion is turned from the standby position to a nip position where the sheet is nipped by the conveying roller pair is smaller than a rate of increase of the bias force during when the abutting portion turns by being pushed by the sheet nipped by the conveying roller pair from the nip position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Jun Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20150008640
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detector incorporated in a sheet conveyor and/or an image forming apparatus includes multiple first rollers aligned in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, multiple second rollers facing the respective first rollers, a first roller shaft supporting two first rollers, at least one second roller shaft supporting rollers other than the two first rollers, at least one third roller shaft to support at least three second rollers, a first roller shaft holder supporting the first roller shaft to move from the at least one third roller shaft in a contact/separation direction, a biasing member biasing the first roller shaft toward at least one third roller shaft, and a displacement amount detector detecting an amount of displacement of the first roller shaft. A thickness of a sheet between the first and second rollers is detected based on a detection result by the displacement amount detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Mamoru KAMBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20150001791
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes an apparatus main body with a wall portion, a sheet conveyance path, a conveyor roller pair, an opening/closing unit and a cleaning unit. The conveyor roller pair includes a first roller and a second roller. The opening/closing unit is openable and closable relative to the apparatus main body. The opening/closing unit defines a part of the sheet conveyance path and brings the first roller into contact with the second roller in a closed state. The opening/closing unit separates the first roller from the second roller in an open state. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning member and a support frame. The cleaning member cleans a surface of the second roller. The support frame supports the cleaning member and moves the cleaning member toward and away from the surface of the second roller in association with the movements of the opening/closing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 8910941
    Abstract: A roller nip assembly has a drive axle (with driver rollers) and a drive unit connected to a first end of the drive axle. The drive unit rotates the drive axle. In addition, a slotted mount is connected to a second end of the drive axle (opposite the first end). Additionally, an idler frame (with idler rollers) is positioned adjacent the drive axle. Further, a bias member is connected to the drive axle. The bias member moves the drive axle in the slotted mount to bias the drive rollers toward the idler rollers. The idler frame also includes a pivot structure. The bias member causes the drive axle to pivot. The pivot structure pivots the idler frame to compensate for the pivoting motion of the drive axle and to maintain pressure between the idler rollers and the drive rollers as the drive axle pivots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jos Wim Jacobs
  • Patent number: 8896644
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a pair of bearings 38 having: two surfaces 38a and 38b which support both edge portions of a conveying roller 40; driven rollers 42 which press the conveying roller 40 in the direction where extension lines of the two surfaces 38a and 38b cross; and further, an intermediate bearing 47 which presses the conveying roller 40 in the direction of a point where the extension lines of the two surfaces 38a and 38b cross.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunya Sunouchi, Haruo Uchida, Hiroyuki Saito, Noriyuki Sugiyama, Kentaro Onuma
  • Patent number: 8882108
    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: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 8876111
    Abstract: An inverting roller device is used for changing a conveying path of a paper. The inverting roller device includes a first rotating shaft, a first roller, a second rotating shaft, a second roller, and a first swinging arm. The first roller and the second roller are disposed on the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, respectively. The first swinging arm is pivotally disposed on the first rotating shaft and connected with the second rotating shaft. First, the first roller and the second roller are rotated to allow the paper to be moved in a first traveling direction. Then, the rotation of the first roller is temporarily stopped, and the second rotating shaft and the second roller are driven by the first swinging arm to be moved relative to a surface of the first roller. Consequently, the conveying path of the paper is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia-Tsui Lan
  • Publication number: 20140306403
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding member that rotates and feeds a sheet; a resistance member that contacts the feeding member with the sheet interposed therebetween, the resistance member contacting the sheet fed by the feeding member and applying a resistance against the feeding of the sheet; a holding unit that holds the resistance member so that the resistance member is movable to a position where the resistance member does not contact the feeding member; and an urging unit that urges the resistance member held by the holding unit in a direction opposite to a feeding direction of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akio SHIMONAGA
  • Patent number: 8851270
    Abstract: A feeding unit for feeding media of varying thickness includes a plurality of rolling members defining a media feeding port therebetween, at least one pressing arm located on one of the rolling members, at least one elastic member, and a switch member. The pressing arm has a main body, a first pressing end formed on one end of the main body and a second pressing end formed on the other end of the main body, and the main body has a fulcrum thereon. The first pressing end is selectively connected onto said one of the rolling members. One end of the elastic member abuts against the first pressing end. The switch member is slidable to selectively press the second pressing end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Lite-On Electronics (Guangzhou) Limited, Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: David Dong, Luis Li, Glory Liao
  • Publication number: 20140291929
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a housing; a sheet tray; an image-forming unit; a conveying unit; and a switching mechanism. The sheet tray is detachably housed in the housing. The image-forming unit is configured to form an image on a sheet conveyed from the sheet tray. The conveying unit includes a first roller and a second roller configured to nip and convey the sheet on which the image is formed by the image-forming unit to the image-forming unit. The switching mechanism is disposed between the sheet tray and the conveying unit and configured to bring the first roller and the second roller to be in peripheral contact with each other in conjunction with a loading operation of the sheet tray into the housing and separate the first roller and the second roller in conjunction with an unloading operation of the sheet tray from the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: KIEN TRUNG NGUYEN
  • Patent number: 8840110
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device is provided with a housing including a contact portion, a sheet conveyance path, a drive roller, a driven roller, and a support member. The driven roller is made of a resin material, and is provided with a roller portion, and a pair of shaft portions. The support member is made of a metal material and rotatably supports the driven roller. The support member includes a pair of ring portions through which each of the shaft portions is inserted, and a pair of arm portions extending in one direction from the paired ring portions and supported on the housing. The driven roller is rotated with the drive roller in a state that a downstream outer portion of the ring portion in the conveying direction is contacted with the contact portion of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Tamura
  • Patent number: 8807436
    Abstract: A card processing unit that enables increasing a degree of freedom of a location of a communication antenna between pad rollers and simplifying a structure of the card processing unit itself. Specifically, a card processing unit equipped with a communication antenna for communicating with a non-contact IC card. The processing unit includes: two transfer rollers for transferring the non-contact IC card through contacting a surface of the non-contact IC card; pad rollers so placed as to face and bias themselves to the transfer rollers; fixed shafts protruding at both sides of each of the pad rollers in the axial direction for supporting the pad roller so as to be rotatable; and coil springs for biasing the fixed shafts at both the sides of the pad roller 16 in the axial direction so as to press the pad roller toward a corresponding one of the transfer rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Takeki Watanabe, Keiji Ohta
  • Patent number: 8807562
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a follower rotating member that is pressed to a conveying rotating member and rotates in a following manner; a bearing that movably supports the follower rotating member to be rotatable; a pressing portion that applies a force to the bearing to press the follower rotating member to the conveying rotating member; and a wire spring that includes both ends locked to locking portions and a middle abutted to the bearing and holds the bearing against a pressing force of the pressing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimasu Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8800990
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes an upstream conveyance roller pair disposed upstream of an image reader including an upstream driving roller and an upstream driven roller; a downstream conveyance roller pair including a downstream driving roller and a downstream driven roller; an upstream auxiliary roller pair including upstream auxiliary rollers disposed coaxially on a shaft of the upstream driving roller and of the upstream driven roller, respectively, each formed of an elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent upstream driving roller and of the adjacent upstream driven roller, respectively; and a downstream auxiliary roller pair including downstream auxiliary rollers each disposed coaxially on a shaft of the downstream driving roller and of the downstream driven roller, formed of a low-hardness elastic member and having a diameter greater than that of the adjacent downstream driving roller and of the adjacent downstream driven roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hatayama, Yasunobu Youda, Taku Kudoh, Takayuki Andoh, Yohei Osanai, Satoshi Narai, Takashi Fujii
  • Publication number: 20140210162
    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: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Manabu IMAI
  • Publication number: 20140191465
    Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for properly orienting and aligning flat sheets or strip material, such as in the form of folding carton blanks, on a conveying system such as used in carton folders/gluers is disclosed. A moving sheet is engaged on at least one surface by plural non-driven movable casters oriented at an angle relative to the sheet's intended direction of travel, or target direction. The casters apply a lateral force to the sheet so that a linear lateral edge of the sheet is brought into contact with an adjacent guide member aligned with the target direction, with the sheet assuming a predetermined orientation relative to the target direction. Each caster is resiliently biased such as by a spring at a predetermined angle relative to the target direction. With the sheet's lateral edge in intimate contact with the guide member, the moving sheet is in the aforementioned predetermined orientation relative to, and is displaced in, the target direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Tamarack Products, Inc.
    Inventor: David E. Machamer
  • Patent number: 8752820
    Abstract: An envelope warpage correcting device includes a sheet feeding portion, a correction means and a control portion. The sheet feeding portion feeds envelopes one-by-one in a state where the envelopes are stacked on a sheet feed table and a rear end portion opposite to a flap portion formed in a front end portion of each of the envelopes is set to a leading portion in a sheet feed direction. The correction means corrects warpage occurring at a side of the rear end portion of the envelope fed by the sheet feeding portion. The control portion controls processing for correcting the warpage occurring at the side of the rear end portion by the correcting portion at certain timing according to an attribution of the envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 8746697
    Abstract: A sheet transport mechanism includes a pair of transport rollers and a roller pressing mechanism. The roller pressing mechanism includes one pair of first levers, one pair of second levers, and an elastic member. The one pair of first levers are supported to swing around a first swing shaft. A rotary shaft of a second roller of the pair of transport rollers is rotatably supported by a bearing aperture formed at substantially a center of the first lever. In addition, the one pair of second levers are supported to swing around the second swing shaft. Both ends of the elastic member are connected to tip ends of the second levers. The end of each second lever rotates around the second swing shaft, and presses the first lever toward the first roller of the pair of transport rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Kondo
  • Patent number: 8710380
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method weigh an object, in particular a flat item of mail, during transport. A conveying device having an endless conveying belt and a counterpart conveying element is able to temporarily grip an object in a clamping region and to transport it in a transporting direction. Weighing scales are able to weigh the object while the object is gripped in a clamping region. The damping element is configured to damp vibrations of an object gripped in the clamping region. The damping element has a surface which is curved in the transporting direction. The endless conveying belt is guided in such a way around the curved surface that the endless conveying belt rests areally against the curved surface in a damping region and the endless conveying belt and the counterpart conveying element are configured to guide the object gripped in the clamping region past the curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Jürgen Francke
  • Publication number: 20140091518
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and a biasing unit that biases the second rotating member toward the first rotating member. The first and second rotating members pinch a sheet therebetween and convey the sheet in a sheet conveying direction. The second rotating member includes a small-diameter portion that faces a conveying portion of the first rotating member, and a large-diameter portion at a position axially displaced from the conveying portion. The second rotating member can change its orientation to an orientation where a rotating shaft of the second rotating member is tilted relative to a rotating shaft of the first rotating member as viewed in the sheet conveying direction, thereby moving a position of an end portion of the second rotating member on a side of the large-diameter portion away from the rotating shaft of the first rotating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshikane NISHII, Haruyuki HONDA, Masanori NAMBA, Mitsutaka NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20140091513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a main body having a sheet feed path and an opening. A sheet placing part defined in the main body. The sheet inserted through the opening is placed on the sheet placing part. A supply roller arranged to face the placing part and feeds the sheet placed on the sheet placing part in a sheet feed direction toward the sheet feed path, a frame arranged to face the sheet placing part and configured to support the supply roller, the frame having a protruded part protruded on an opening side with respect to the supply roller. An image forming unit is provided inside the main body. An inclined surface is formed on a side of the protruded part facing the sheet placing part, and the protruded part has an inclined surface facing the sheet placing part and inclined such that a distance between the inclined surface and the sheet placing part becomes gradually smaller toward the supply roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Junki Ueyama
  • Patent number: 8650924
    Abstract: A bearing block assembly for bearing a pair of rollers which enclose a nip, at one end of the pair, includes two bearing blocks, each of which is intended for bearing a respective roller and which are provided with supporting elements for supporting in a frame. The bearing blocks each have a bearing aperture with a center line or axis, support elements via which the bearing blocks are supported next to one another in such that the center lines or axes of the bearing apertures extend parallel and at a distance from one another, as well as adjusting element via which the mutual distance between the center lines or axes can be adjusted. The support elements include a spring structure which is situated between the bearing blocks and cooperates with both bearing blocks and which is elastically deformable during adjustment of the mutual distance between the center lines or axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Inventor: Jean Henry Robert Madern
  • Publication number: 20140035225
    Abstract: A sheet transport mechanism includes a pair of transport rollers and a roller pressing mechanism. The roller pressing mechanism includes one pair of first levers, one pair of second levers, and an elastic member. The one pair of first levers are supported to swing around a first swing shaft. A rotary shaft of a second roller of the pair of transport rollers is rotatably supported by a bearing aperture formed at substantially a center of the first lever. In addition, the one pair of second levers are supported to swing around the second swing shaft. Both ends of the elastic member are connected to tip ends of the second levers. The end of each second lever rotates around the second swing shaft, and presses the first lever toward the first roller of the pair of transport rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Kondo
  • Patent number: 8590892
    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: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kawamata, Yuji Koga, Wataru Sugiyama, Kenji Samoto
  • Patent number: 8561986
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a cover member made of resin and partially defining a conveying path, a roller member rotatably disposed on the cover member and configured to convey a sheet along the conveying path, an urging member disposed between the cover member and a rotary shaft of the roller member and urging the roller member toward the conveying path while one end of the urging member contacts the rotary shaft, and a plate member made of metal and disposed between the cover member and the urging member. The plate member includes a first segment extending along the cover member and contacting the other end of the urging member, a second segment extending from an edge of the first segment in a direction toward the conveying path, and a third segment extending from an edge of the second segment in a direction different from the second segment extending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Kozaki, Hiroshi Shiomi, Ai Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8528901
    Abstract: A printer has a paper feed mechanism that can reliably balance the paper feed force of the paper feed roller and paper pressure roller on the left and right sides of the recording paper width. Using the self-centering action of a pressure lever fulcrum and adjustment of the position where an extension spring applies force, the paper feed mechanism of a printer can press the paper pressure roller that is supported by a pressure lever to a paper feed roller so that the paper pressure roller applies equal pressure at all points along the width of the paper feed roller, can balance the paper feed force applied by the paper feed roller and the paper pressure roller to the recording paper left and right widthwise to the paper, and can prevent the recording paper from meandering, skewing, and jamming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 8523180
    Abstract: A paper transmitting mechanism mounted on the transmitting path which includes a driving wheel, a driving system drives the driving wheel, a pressure wheel, a pressure wheel adjusting unit, and a paper sensor settled upstream to the driving wheel and pressure wheel. The pressure wheel adjusting unit includes an elastomeric unit; one end of the elastomeric unit is connected to the axle of the pressure wheel, and the other end is connected to a linear driving device. When the paper sensor detects the paper is going to enter or leave the driving wheel, the paper sensor will send a signal for adjusting the clamping force between the driving wheel and the pressure wheel to make the clamping force and the friction between the driving wheel and the pressure wheel adjustable according to the position of the paper, so as to avoid the paper slipping or vibrating during transmitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Te Liu, I-Chuan Hong, Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 8523179
    Abstract: A document feeding device includes a document reader, a drive roller and a plurality of driven rollers. The document reader is configured to read a document fed in a feeding direction. The drive roller is disposed upstream of the document reader in the feeding direction. The plurality of driven rollers is disposed opposite to the drive roller to form nips therebetween. The plurality of driven rollers is supported by one common shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction. A position of at least one nip formed by at least one of the plurality of driven rollers is offset downstream or upstream of other nips formed by other driven rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Naoto Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 8500122
    Abstract: A roller separating mechanism rotates an upper roller-moving cam and a lower roller-moving cam at the same time, and swings the upper roller arm plate and the lower roller arm plate such that a pair of folding rollers separate from each other. When the pair of folding rollers are to be abutted against each other, the upper roller arm plate and the lower roller arm plate are swung with different timing in a direction in which the pair of folding rollers abut against each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kushida, Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 8490969
    Abstract: A conveyance device includes: a rotary member that rotates; a driven member that rotates in accordance with the rotary member and conveys a conveyed material while holding the conveyed material between the driven member and the rotary member; a guide part provided on an upstream side from a rotary shaft of the driven member in a conveyance direction of the conveyed material, that guides the driven member toward the rotary member; and a support member that brings the rotary shaft of the driven member into contact with the guide part, and along with the guide part, supports the rotary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Sawamura, Hideki Sato, Hiroshi Kon
  • Patent number: 8474818
    Abstract: Methods and system for reducing sheet skew in a sheet transport system are disclosed. A sheet transport system may include an idler wheel, a drive wheel a drive motor and an actuator. The idler wheel may have a substantially rigid outer layer. The drive wheel may have a compliant outer layer and may correspond to the idler wheel. The drive motor may be operably connected to the drive wheel and may be configured to cause the drive wheel to rotate around a shaft. The actuator may be operably connected to the drive wheel and configured to cause the drive wheel to move between a closed position and an open position. The drive wheel is configured to contact a sheet in the closed position and to not contact a sheet in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. deJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8459638
    Abstract: A system and method for decurling a sheet medium including a first penetrating roller and a second elastomeric roller mounted substantially parallel. A pressure-sensitive electrically conductive material has properties that vary with its state of compression. An actuator is operative for moving the first penetrating roller and the second elastomeric roller in a direction towards each other, to penetrate the body of the second elastomeric roller with the body of the first penetrating roller. The pressure-sensitive electrically conductive material is subject to pressure by the penetration of the first penetrating roller into the second elastomeric roller. A pair of electrical terminals applies an electrical charge across the pressure-sensitive electrically conductive material. In further embodiments, an electrical property is substantially continuously measured and the depth of penetration is substantially continuously controlled based upon closed-loop feedback of the substantially continuously measuring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8454015
    Abstract: A paper inputting apparatus comprises a release soft roller shaft comprising an elastic member; a first soft roller shaft rotatably attached to the release soft roller shaft, the first soft roller shaft comprising an idler sleeve; wherein the elastic member abuts the first soft roller shaft; a second soft roller shaft comprising a soft roller; and a driving device attached to the release soft roller shaft; wherein the driving device rotates the release soft roller shaft and the first soft roller shaft between a first and a second positions relative to the second soft roller shaft; when in the first position, the idler sleeve abuts the soft roller, and the paper inputting apparatus grips a sheet of paper; when in the second position, a gap is defined between the idler sleeve and the soft roller, and the paper inputting apparatus releases the sheet of paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yung-Cheng Lai
  • Patent number: 8413986
    Abstract: A medium carrying mechanism includes a carrying roller that carries a medium, two correction rollers for medium correction that face the carrying roller and that are positioned along a medium carrying direction, a bracket that includes a rotation shaft and that supports the correction rollers, a supporting member that supports the rotation shaft, and a bias member that biases the rotation shaft toward the carrying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Nakaishi
  • Patent number: 8387979
    Abstract: The sheet feeding apparatus of the invention includes a driving roller that is rotated by a predetermined driving source, a driven roller that rotates in response to movement of said driving roller, said driven roller being placed opposite said driving roller and having contact with a roller surface of said driving roller, a pressing member that presses a roller surface of said driven roller toward said roller surface of driving roller at a predetermined pressure, and driven roller holding member that includes an opening being elongated in a tangential direction at a contact point between said driven roller and said driving roller or between said driven roller and a sheet, on a circle forming said roller surface of said driven roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: NEC Access Technica, Ltd., NEC Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasukazu Nagura, Toru Uchida, Yoshio Idogawa
  • Patent number: 8382107
    Abstract: A sheet separating mechanism is disclosed, which comprises a frame (380), at least one set of transferring rollers (110), a separating roller (120), a reverse rotating roller (130), an eccentric adjusting means (310), a driving component, and an elastic component (320). The at least one set of transferring rollers and the separating roller are connected to the frame through a first rotating shaft (210,220), respectively. The eccentric adjusting means includes an eccentric plate (311) and an eccentric adjusting plate (312). The eccentric plate has an outer ring (315) and an inner ring (314) adapted to move inside the outer ring. The inner ring is connected with a second rotating shaft (230) that is connected with the reverse rotating roller. The reverse rotating roller is separated from the separating roller to form a separation gap. The driving component drives the first and the second rotating shafts to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: GRG Banking Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongjun Wu, Linfa Zhang, Haifeng Xue
  • Patent number: 8366106
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet-table unit, a sheet-separating unit, a convey unit, a discharge unit, a sheet processing unit, and a sensor arranged at an upstream end of the convey unit and spaced from the discharge unit with a predetermined distance. The convey unit has at least one convey roller, at least one convey pulley, and an elastic device connected with the convey pulley. The elastic device has a stepping motor, a transmission system, a shaft and at least one torsional spring mounted on the shaft. Two ends of the torsional spring is connected with the convey pulley. When the signal resulted from a rear end of the sheet apart from the sensor is sent to the system controller, the stepping motor is commanded by the system controller to rotate the shaft. The torsional spring is twisted to make the convey pulley move away from but still contact with the convey roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: I-Chuan Hong, Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 8360426
    Abstract: A medium pressurizing device includes: two rotating bodies that rotate and allow a recording medium held in a contact part to pass; a pressurizing member that applies, to one of the rotating bodies, a pressure of pressing the one toward the other; a drive roll disposed downstream from the contact part in a conveyance direction, and rotating thereby transmitting a conveyance driving force to the recording medium; and a following roll contacting the drive roll, and rotating by following rotation of the drive roll, thereby conveying the recording medium held therebetween. The device further includes: an axis member rotating by receiving a driving force; and a cam member fixed to the axis member, acting on the pressurizing member, and following rotation of the axis member, thereby changing the pressure. The following roll has a hollow, and the axis member is disposed to pass through a space in the hollow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiichirou Arikawa, Shigeru Watanabe, Yoshiro Konishi, Yusuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8360427
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a medium transfer apparatus for an automated teller machine, wherein a portion of medium transfer apparatus is opened and shut by a simple operation, thereby conveniently and quickly solving the problem of jams occurring when the medium transfer apparatus transfers a paper medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Nautilus Hyosung Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Hwan Cha, Sung-Chang Hur, Hyun-Soo Jang
  • Patent number: 8356814
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image reading apparatus, in which generation of skew feeding caused by the shock in pressure contact of a rotation body can be reduced. An interlocking mechanism brings a driven roller 222 biased by a biasing member into pressure contact with a feeding portion 221c of a driving roller 221 in conjunction with rotation of the driving roller 221. The driving roller 221 includes a non-feeding portion 221d in a circumferential surface thereof. The driven roller 222 is caused to abut on a pressure holder 225 before the driven roller 222 moved in a direction in which the interlocking mechanism brings the driven roller 222 into the pressure contact with the driving roller 221 is brought into the pressure contact with the driving roller 221.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 8356813
    Abstract: A paper feeder assembly for an image forming apparatus is configured to sandwich a sheet of paper between a roller and an opposing pressing member and feed the sheet of paper by the roller being rotated. The paper feeder assembly includes a pressure variable member for varying pressurized contact force between the roller and the pressing member. In conjunction with ON/OFF action of a power supply switch provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus, the pressure variable member ensures pressurized contact force enough to fix an image when the power supply switch is turned on, whereas the pressure variable member operates to separate the roller and the pressing member from each other when the power supply switch is turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhide Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 8353510
    Abstract: A print media feed system for media of variable thickness having a slanted loading platform with drive wheels to direct print media to a feed zone having a belt system and hanging friction wheels to draw out single print medium of varying thickness and feed the medium to a print zone for a ink jet, laser or other printer wherein the print zone includes a floating deck to maintain a constant clearance distance between the printhead and the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Inventors: Brett A. Lindsay, Jerry A. Carper
  • Patent number: 8348273
    Abstract: A roll assembly, including a frame; a first component mounted to the frame and having a shaft, the shaft; a second component rotatably mounted to the frame and disposed in proximity with the first component, wherein at least one of the first component and the second component is translatable relative to the other; and a plurality of separator devices mounted on ends of the shaft of one of the first and second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jarrett Clark Gayne, Michael Alan Gist
  • Patent number: 8328192
    Abstract: A sheet thickness detection device capable of accurately detecting a thickness of sheets of various types. In a case that information about sheets stored in a sheet feed unit is set by a user through an operation unit or through an external host PC, a CPU of the sheet thickness detection device sets a pressure changeover solenoid to ON to obtain a strong nip pressure between a detection roller and a fixed roller, if a sheet basis weight specified in the information about sheets is larger than a predetermined value, and sets the pressure changeover solenoid to OFF to obtain a weak nip pressure, if the sheet basis weight specified in the information about sheets is equal to or less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Yamazaki, Taishi Tomii
  • Publication number: 20120268542
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a pair of bearings 38 having: two surfaces 38a and 38b which support both edge portions of a conveying roller 40; driven rollers 42 which press the conveying roller 40 in the direction where extension lines of the two surfaces 38a and 38b cross; and further, an intermediate bearing 47 which presses the conveying roller 40 in the direction of a point where the extension lines of the two surfaces 38a and 38b cross.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunya Sunouchi, Haruo Uchida, Hiroyuki Saito, Noriyuki Sugiyama, Kentaro Onuma
  • Patent number: 8262089
    Abstract: A depinching mechanism including a frame, a star wheel assembly, a transmitting device and a sensor is provided in present invention. Through the transmitting device rotating reversely, the star wheel assembly is lifted to the second position when paper jam occurs, thus depinched the media so that user can clear the paper jam. After that the star wheel assembly is lowered to the first position again. The star wheel assembly remains in the first position in normal printing process. Using a one-way clutch and a cam with an outer predetermined profile, the transmitting device rotates forwardly without transmitting any torque during normal printing process, and rotates inversely with transmitting a torque to lift the star wheel assembly up and lower the star wheel assembly down when paper jam occurs. Thus, the depinching mechanism can be used in printers to auto fix the paper jamming problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignees: Cal-Comp Precision (Singapore) Limited, Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited
    Inventors: Chow-Jin Chng, Foo-Yin Theng, Cher-Lek Toh
  • Publication number: 20120223476
    Abstract: A drop in performance can be easily resolved when the retard roller becomes worn. A hopper disposed to a main unit stores sheets in a stack. A conveyance path conveys sheets from the hopper. A feed roller is disposed facing the conveyance path. A retard unit has a retard roller is disposed opposite the feed roller with the conveyance path therebetween, and a torque limiter connected coaxially to the retard roller. An urging means urges the retard unit so that the retard roller presses against the feed roller. The retard unit is removably installed to the main unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 8240667
    Abstract: A gaming machine printer. The gaming machine printer creates printed vouchers, tickets, receipts, etc. for use in gaming applications employing cashless enabled gaming systems. The gaming machine printer includes a voucher management system having a burster bar for separating vouchers and a serpentine voucher guide that may be opened for inspection. The gaming machine printer further includes various electrical features that protect the gaming machine printer from electrostatic discharges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Futurelogic, Inc.
    Inventors: Samson Mkrtchyan, Oleg Dymovsky, Mark Meyerhofer, Eric Meyerhofer
  • Patent number: 8215636
    Abstract: A printing medium transferring device and an image forming apparatus having the same, which are capable of stably conveying a printing medium supplied to a printing engine while ensuring a manual feeding path for the printing medium includes a conveyer roller which conveys a printing medium to the printing engine, a plurality of printing medium pressing devices which include pressing rollers installed along an outer circumference of the conveyer roller such that the printing medium is pressed in a normal direction of a surface of the conveyer roller, and a releasing device which allows at least one pressing roller to be moved apart from the conveyer roller in order to provide a manual feeding function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang Min Youn
  • Patent number: 8210530
    Abstract: A roll assembly, including a frame; a first component mounted to the frame and having a shaft, the shaft; a second component rotatably mounted to the frame and disposed in proximity with the first component, wherein at least one of the first component and the second component is translatable relative to the other; and at least two separator devices mounted on ends of the shaft of one of the first and second component when in a first rotational position separate the first component and second component. Each separator device includes an aperture for mounting on a clutch that is mounted on the shaft of the first component and rotation of the second component in the first direction disengages the separation devices allowing the first and second components to touch and the separation devices to move to a second rotational position and rotation of the shaft in the first direction engages the clutch to rotate the separation devices back to the first rotational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jarrett Clark Gayne, Michael Alan Gist