Document Handling Patents (Class 399/361)
  • Patent number: 11966185
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion including a photosensitive member and a developing portion, a sheet accommodating portion, a sheet feeding portion, and a first frame. The first frame includes an upper space supporting the image forming portion, and a lower space under the upper space. A second frame is mountable to a lower portion of said first frame. The accommodating portion and the feeding portion are replaceable with a supply container containing toner to be supplied to a developing portion of the image forming portion, in which the second frame supports the accommodating portion and the feeding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Fuse, Yuji Nakayashiki
  • Patent number: 11927907
    Abstract: An image forming device including a gate mechanism reduces a noise generated when a sheet is conveyed. The image forming device includes a conveyance path and a gate. The conveyance path is branched into a plurality of paths, and the sheet is conveyed along a conveyance direction. The gate is provided at a position in the conveyance path at which the conveyance path is branched into the plurality of paths, and switches a path through which the sheet is conveyed. The image forming device rotates the gate in a direction in which a contact point of the gate, which faces a front surface of the sheet to be conveyed and is located at a position at which a trailing end of the sheet first comes into contact with the gate, and a front surface of the sheet to be conveyed face each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tetsuo Shiba
  • Patent number: 11919270
    Abstract: A system for forming a pressware product comprises rollers, a scoring tool, a scoring station actuator, a forming tool, and a forming station actuator. The rollers pull the web along a path having an angle. The scoring tool receives the material from the rollers and includes a vertically shiftable scoring punch with an edge that extends about an outline of the pressware product and a striker plate. The scoring station actuator shifts the scoring tool to form a slot in the web. The forming tool receives the scored web and includes a vertically shiftable positive mold assembly and negative mold assembly. The forming station actuator shifts the positive mold assembly to press against the web and form the pressware product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Brown LLC
    Inventors: Victor L. Chun, Steffen Brown, Russ Bliss, Philip Eichbauer, Brian Keeley, Robert Abel
  • Patent number: 11866971
    Abstract: A hinge, wherein, inter alia, intrusion of foreign matter in a contacting portion of a slide member and a cam member and resulting adhesion of an oil provided in the cam member to the foreign matter is reliability prevented from the closed state to the open state of a second wing member. The hinge is provided with an oil fence disposed on the outside close to the contacting portion of the cam member and slide member, the oil fence preventing, from the closed slate to the open state of the second wing member, foreign matter front intruding into the contacting portion of the slide member and cant member from the outside of the slide member and cant member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SIMOTEC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinichi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11780193
    Abstract: A system for forming a pressware product comprises rollers, a scoring tool, a scoring station actuator, a forming tool, and a forming station actuator. The rollers pull the web along a path having an angle. The scoring tool receives the material from the rollers and includes a vertically shiftable scoring punch with an edge that extends about an outline of the pressware product and a striker plate. The scoring station actuator shifts the scoring tool to form a slot in the web. The forming tool receives the scored web and includes a vertically shiftable positive mold assembly and negative mold assembly. The forming station actuator shifts the positive mold assembly to press against the web and form the pressware product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Brown LLC
    Inventors: Victor L. Chun, Steffen Brown, Russ Bliss, Philip Eichbauer, Brian Keeley, Robert Abel
  • Patent number: 11733640
    Abstract: Disclosed is a drawing apparatus including: a base member; and a drawing member that is attached so as to be capable of being drawn and pressed in a reciprocating direction with respect to the base member, wherein the base member has a couple application mechanism that applies a couple for correcting skewing of the drawing member with respect to the reciprocating direction to the drawing member as a reaction of a force by which the drawing member is pressed, and wherein the couple application mechanism is configured so that a distance between action lines of two forces generating the couple becomes large as a pressing amount of the drawing member with respect to the base member increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuyuki Fujibayashi, Gakushi Tanaka, Toru Yada, Yuji Kagami
  • Patent number: 11726819
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for viewing jobs managed by heterogeneous job schedulers on heterogeneous computing systems. Organizations often rely on workflow schedulers or job schedulers to execute and manage their workflow pipelines. However, different departments within a large organization may rely on different job scheduling applications for managing their workflows. Without the capability to monitor and manage all or a subset of jobs running on heterogeneous job scheduling applications across the organization at the same time, organizations lack the insight they need to make their workflow pipeline more efficient. The disclosed system and method allows users to monitor jobs or computer applications, including details regarding job execution and service level agreements, running on heterogeneous job schedulers across the organization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonghoon Joey Ahnn, Gaurav Gupta, Prashanth Sandela, Praveen Kumar Thota
  • Patent number: 11659673
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a lower unit, an upper unit, a flexible flat cable (FFC), a GND harness, an accommodating portion, and a widened portion. The lower unit includes a main board. The upper unit includes a sub-board and is pivotably connected to the lower unit. The FFC and the GND harness have flexibility and couple the main board and the sub-board to each other. The accommodating portion accommodates the FFC and the GND harness. A length of the GND harness in a width direction is larger than a length corresponding to a gap between the accommodating portion and the FFC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Tsuyama, Hiromichi Kitsuki, Shuichi Kadota
  • Patent number: 11644773
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heating rotator, a pressing rotator, a heater inside the heating rotator, a fan, a housing, and a pair of shutters. The pressing rotator presses against the heating rotator to form a nip passing through a recording medium. The housing houses the heating rotator and the pressing rotator. The housing has a pair of openings each configured to allow airflow generated by the fan to pass through each of the pair of openings. The pair of shutters each slide in corresponding one of the pair of openings in a longitudinal direction of the corresponding opening. Each shutter slides between a position at which an outer end portion of the corresponding opening is opened in the longitudinal direction of the corresponding opening and a position at which an inner end portion of the corresponding opening is opened in the longitudinal directions of the corresponding opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Seiji Saitoh
  • Patent number: 11586139
    Abstract: An opening-closing member of an image forming apparatus includes: an external opening-closing member that configurates a part of an outer surface of the image forming apparatus and that is openable and closable; an internal opening-closing member that faces an inner surface of the external opening-closing member and that is openable and closable together with the external opening-closing member; and a container that defines a containment space by protruding from the internal opening-closing member toward the external opening-closing member and that enables a member contained in the containment space to be taken out when the external opening-closing member and the internal opening-closing member are opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Kotaro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11555087
    Abstract: A prepolymer of elastomer material for screw drilling tools and a preparation method thereof are provided. The prepolymer includes component A and component B, wherein the component A includes hydroxyl-terminated liquid rubber, polytetrahydrofuran diol, and polyether polyol; the component B includes at least one of an isocyanate, a cyanate, and a cyano compound; the mass ratio of the hydroxyl-terminated liquid rubber, polytetrahydrofuran diol, and polyether polyol is (0.2-1.0): (0.2-1.0): (0.2-1.0). Different molecular segments of different proportions are introduced through structural design, such that the molecular structure of the prepolymer has both rigid and flexible segments, thus to achieve an adjustable and controllable structure of the prepolymer; and the introduction of active groups makes the prepolymer to show good reactivity and processability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: SHANGHAI PUJIA DRILLING TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dingyu Guo, Hongrui Zhang, Minghui Zhu, Yiran Liu, Zhuanrui Liu, Paul Kwong Shun Cheung, Xiaobo Liu
  • Patent number: 11537074
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotating body, an endless belt, a base material of the endless belt being made of a heat-resistant resin having a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or more, a heater configured to heat at least one of the rotating body and the endless belt, a sliding sheet contacting an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt, a base material of the sliding sheet being made of a heat-resistant resin having a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or more, a pressure pad, the endless belt and the sliding sheet being interposed between the pressure pad and the rotating body, and grease provided between the endless belt and the sliding sheet. The grease includes a base oil made of a fluorine oil and a thickener made of a solid lubricant containing fluorine. The consistency of the grease is 330 to 385 at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tokifumi Tanaka, Hideki Kanada, Mingguang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11518639
    Abstract: A paper ejection apparatus including: paper ejection trays to which printed sheets are selectively ejected; a main tray disposed lower than the paper ejection trays; an inspection result acquirer configured to acquire an inspection result of each of the printed sheets; a paper ejection controller configured to control paper ejection such that each of the printed sheets is ejected to the paper ejection trays before the inspection result is obtained by the inspection result acquirer; and a tray information manager configured to manage by associating identification information of each of the paper ejection trays with the inspection result of each of the printed sheets ejected on the paper ejection trays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji Xie
  • Patent number: 11467524
    Abstract: An image forming system includes: a sheet feeder; an image former that forms an image on a paper sheet; a conveyor that conveys a paper sheet to a sheet ejection destination; a switcher that switches sheet ejection destinations; a reader that optically reads a paper sheet, and outputs a read image; an abnormal sheet detector that detects an abnormal paper sheet by analyzing the read image; a storage; a display; and a hardware processor that performs: ejection destination switch control to control the switcher to eject an abnormal paper sheet and a succeeding paper sheet to a second ejection destination different from a regular ejection destination; storage control, for each of the abnormal paper sheet and the succeeding paper sheet, to associate sheet information, the read image, and a stacking order with one another, and store them into the storage; and display control to cause the display to display them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kazunari Shimono
  • Patent number: 11448992
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a sheet treating apparatus is to be connected includes a communication device, having a serial port used for serial communication with the sheet treating apparatus and a parallel port used for parallel communication with the sheet treating apparatus, to communicate with the sheet treating apparatus, and one or more processors. At least one of the one or more processors operates to determine a communication method to communicate with the sheet treating apparatus based on configuration information representing a connection configuration of the sheet treating apparatus, and switch an operation of the serial port such that the serial port of the communication device is used in the parallel communication in a case where a determined communication method is a method in which the parallel communication is performed and the serial communication is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichiro Oda, Koji Yumoto, Riki Fukuhara, Yuko Kiyota
  • Patent number: 11400702
    Abstract: A recording system includes: a recording apparatus; a post-processing apparatus; and a transport apparatus which transports the medium to which the recording is performed to the post-processing apparatus, and the transport apparatus includes a transport mechanism which transports a medium to which the recording is performed to the post-processing apparatus, and a loading stand which loads the discharged medium without transporting the medium to which the recording is performed to the post-processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Kodama
  • Patent number: 11090952
    Abstract: A medium transport unit includes an upstream route in which a print sheet is transported, a first switchback route, a second switchback route, a first guide route, a second guide route, a guide flap configured to switch the route so that the print sheet in the upstream route is transported either toward the first guide route or toward the second guide route, a first discharge route from which the print sheet in the first switchback route is discharged, a second discharge route from which the print sheet in the second switchback route is discharged, and a downstream route passing between the first switchback route and the second switchback route and having an upstream end connected to a junction of downstream ends of the first discharge route and the second discharge route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kodama, Yuichi Segawa, Kazuyoshi Ohashi
  • Patent number: 10987951
    Abstract: Examples described herein include a print media edge repair system that includes a first repair element disposed adjacent to a media handling path to repair a leading edge of a sheet of print media as the sheet of print media moves into a position relative to a printing system associated with the print media edge repair system. The print media repair system may also include a second repair element disposed opposite the first repair element across the media handling path to repair a trailing edge of the sheet of print media as the sheet of print media moves into the position relative to a printing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: HP SCITEX LTD.
    Inventors: Yuval Dim, Alex Veis
  • Patent number: 10618765
    Abstract: A discharge unit discharges a sheet having an image thereon. A switching unit switches between stacking the sheet discharged from the discharge unit on a stacking unit or conveying the sheet from the discharge unit toward an image reading apparatus. A conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed via the switching unit to a reading unit. A cooling unit cools the sheet discharged from the discharge unit or cools the reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Kato, Atsushi Ogata, Kazushi Ino, Motohiro Furusawa, Koji Kawamura, Ichiro Yasumaru
  • Patent number: 9938098
    Abstract: A roller drive transmission device includes a drive input gear, a drive transmission gear, a roller unit and a ratchet mechanism. When a rotational drive force is input to the drive input gear and the drive transmission gear is slid to a first position, the drive input gear, the drive transmission gear and the roller unit are integrally rotated in a first rotational direction. When the input of the rotational drive force to the drive input gear is cut off and the roller unit is rotated, following a sheet, the drive transmission gear is slid to a second position and the roller unit and the drive transmission gear are decoupled. The ratchet mechanism includes a load adjustment mechanism configured to make a rotational load in the first rotational direction of the drive transmission gear arranged at the second position larger than a movement load in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuki Uohashi
  • Patent number: 9878870
    Abstract: According to an example, to eject print media from an image forming apparatus, a variable page feed velocity of a first page of print media exiting a feed zone is detected. An acceleration value and a deceleration value based on the variable page feed velocity of the first page is calculated. The calculated acceleration is applied to a media movement component in the output zone when the entire first page has cleared a media sensor in the front of the output zone, and the deceleration is applied when the tail end of the first page is in a brake zone. In some examples, a second page of print media and a variable page feed velocity of the second page exiting the feed zone is detected, and the media movement component in the output zone is accelerated to match the variable page feed velocity of the second page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Wesley R Dchalk, Mark H MacKenzie, Bruce A Axten, Francisco Javier Gomez Maurer, Catherine Elizabeth Gould
  • Patent number: 9862208
    Abstract: A thickness of a recording medium to be held in a holding region of an outer circumferential part of a cylindrical portion having plural suction holes and a suction position positioned in a predetermined direction from a position of a shaft is acquired. In a case where the thickness of the recording medium is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, a suction flow rate of each suction hole disposed in a subsequent region other than a leading edge of the recording medium is set as a first suction flow rate, and a suction flow rate of each suction hole disposed in the leading edge is set as a second suction flow rate which is smaller than the first suction flow rate. In a case where the thickness of the recording medium is smaller than the first threshold value, a suction flow rate of each suction hole disposed in the holding region is set as a third flow rate which is smaller than the first flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9809409
    Abstract: A printing system adapted to supply printed materials from a printing apparatus to a first stacking unit of a first sheet processing apparatus and a second stacking unit of a second sheet processing apparatus is provided. The system includes a receiver and controller, the receiver receiving via a user interface unit a specified instruction allowing the printing system to perform a first type operation that both the first stacking unit and the second stacking unit can be used in printing a job to be processed, the controller causing the printing apparatus to perform the first type operation wherein the specified instruction is received, and the controller causing the printing apparatus to perform a second type operation wherein the specified instruction is not received, the second type operation wherein one of the first stacking unit and the second stacking unit can be used in printing a job to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko Tominaga, Yuuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9701500
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path through which a sheet is conveyed, and a burr pushing portion provided on the sheet conveying path and pushing down a burr, formed at one side edge in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction of the sheet, in the width direction. The burr pushing portion includes a contact portion coming into contact with the burrs while inclining with respect to the side edge of the sheet conveyed thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenjiro Sugaya, Osamu Sugino, Hiroki Muramatsu, Masahiro Tsujibayashi, Michiaki Endo, Teppei Nagata, Rikiya Takemasa
  • Patent number: 9561923
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet conveying path, a first conveying member, a first guide portion, a second guide portion, a registration roller pair, a third guide portion, and a guide member. A posture of the guide member is changeable between a first posture in which an upstream guide portion retracts from the sheet conveying path into a groove portion of the second guide portion, and a downstream guide portion projects to the sheet conveying path from the groove portion; and a second posture in which the downstream guide portion retracts from the sheet conveying path into the groove portion, and the upstream guide portion projects to the sheet conveying path from the groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 9372465
    Abstract: A recording-material cooling device is disposed downstream from a fixing device in a transport direction of a recording material. The fixing device includes a fixing member and a pressing member to fix an unfixed toner image on the recording material. The recording-material cooling device includes a first cooling unit disposed at a same side as the pressing member relative to the recording material, a second cooling unit disposed at a same side as the fixing member relative to the recording material, and a third cooling unit disposed at the same side as the pressing member relative to the recording material. The first cooling unit, the second cooling unit, and the third cooling unit are arranged in an order of the first cooling unit, the second cooling unit, and the third cooling unit from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Ikeda, Tomoyasu Hirasawa, Yutaka Shoji, Kenji Ishii, Takeshi Watanabe, Susumu Tateyama, Hiroaki Miyagawa, Hiromitsu Fujiya
  • Patent number: 9290345
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet includes a sheet conveying path, a conveying mechanism, and a guiding plate. The sheet conveying path is set to include a nonlinear portion. The conveying mechanism is arranged in the sheet conveying path to convey a sheet. The guiding plate is arranged in the nonlinear portion of the sheet conveying path and has a guiding plane along which the sheet is guided. The guiding plate includes a thinned portion in an area of the guiding plane against which a leading end of the sheet being conveyed along the sheet conveying path collides so that the thinned portion suppresses high frequency components of an impulsive sound produced by the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hideaki Doyo
  • Patent number: 9104164
    Abstract: A medium carrying device includes: first and second carrying part that carry a medium to a second position via a first position; a slack detection unit positioned between the first and second carrying part and detecting slack in the medium; a medium carrying detection part that detects a carrying state of the medium; an input part that receives a recovery instruction when an abnormality is detected in the carrying state of the medium by the medium carrying detection part; a controller that stops the carrying of the medium by the first and second carrying parts when the abnormality is detected in the carrying state of the medium by the medium carrying detection part and that resumes the carrying of the medium by the first and second carrying parts according to a detection result by the slack detection part when the input part receives the recovery instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toyokazu Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 9051145
    Abstract: A slide rail assembly includes an inner rail unit, a pair of first and second outer rails, first and second roller mounted to the inner rail unit, and third and fourth rollers mounted to the pair of first and second outer rails. The inner rail unit includes an inner substrate assembly, a pair of first bent portions provided to a first side of the inner substrate assembly, and a pair of second bent portions provided to a second side of the inner substrate assembly. The first outer rail includes a first outer substrate and a pair of third bent portions. The second outer rail includes a second outer substrate and a pair of fourth bent portions. The pair of first and second outer rails is disposed with the pairs of third and fourth bent portions facing inward, and slidable against the inner rail unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiki Yokoyama, Yasutomo Ide, Yasuhiro Kuba, Tsuyoshi Hashiyada, Kouhei Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9045283
    Abstract: An object information registration device (100) acquires peculiar image information obtained by imaging surface patterns of objects at predetermined imaging spots before the objects are stored in containers and imaging time instants so as to be associated with respective objects having peculiar patterns on surfaces respectively in a manufacturing process of the objects, acquires container identification information identifying the containers containing the objects and time ranges in which the objects are stored in the containers so as to be associated with each other and registers the container identification information corresponding to the obtained peculiar image information so as to be associated with respective objects based on a time difference from the imaging of the objects to the storing in the container, the imaging time instants associated with the peculiar image information of the objects and the time ranges associated with container identification information of containers containing the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Matsunoshita
  • Patent number: 9049315
    Abstract: A method, system and computer-usable medium for ranking a networked rendering device with one or more or a set of visual cues. A client device can be configured with a rendering application in order to select and transmit a rendering job along with one or more job criteria to a back end system. Each network rendering device having one or more print capabilities can be evaluated based on the job criteria in order to generate an ‘overall ranking’ utilizing the back end system. Sorting the rendering devices based on the ‘overall ranking’ can generate a ranked list. Such ranked list can be displayed in a user interface associated with the client device based on a set of visual cues in order to permit a user to select a best-fit rendering device in a simple and efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. St. Jacques, Jr., Douglas J. Tallinger
  • Patent number: 9041975
    Abstract: A printer device has a two-sided printing function and a circulatory transporting path for transporting a printing medium. The printer device is configured such that after creating a set of print data for a first recording surface to be printed with two-sided printing, the printer device adds a set of dummy print data for a second recording surface corresponding to a back side of the first recording surface to the set of print data for the first recording surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Arazaki
  • Patent number: 9037072
    Abstract: A medium loader device includes a first medium loader member configured to load a medium, a second medium loader member usable as an extension of the first medium loader member, and a support member configured to support the first medium loader member and the second medium loader member and to form a storage area capable of storing the second medium loader member between the support member and the first medium loader member. The support member includes a holder configured to hold the first medium loader member such that the first medium loader member moves relative to the support member when the second medium loader member is moved from a usage position where the second medium loader member is used as the extension of the first medium loader member to a storage position where the second medium loader member is stored in the storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Keigo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9030718
    Abstract: A book scanner includes a loading mechanism, a pickup mechanism, a page-turning mechanism, a page-pressing mechanism and an image capturing mechanism. The pickup mechanism is disposed at one end of the loading mechanism. The page-turning mechanism is disposed at the end of the loading mechanism. The page-turning mechanism includes a swing arm and a supporting arm. One end of the swing arm swings reciprocally and the other end of the swing arm is connected with the supporting arm. The supporting arm is capable of rotating into a gap between a ruckled uppermost page and the other pages of the book. The swing arm rotatably turns the ruckled uppermost page. The page-pressing mechanism is partially disposed above and facing the loading mechanism. The image capturing mechanism is disposed above and facing the loading mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Foxlink Image Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Pei Chun Lu
  • Publication number: 20150071692
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device, which is incorporated in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet holding and conveying roller pair having two rollers to convey a sheet while holding the sheet between the two rollers at a nip where the two rollers contact each other, and a gate member disposed movable with rotation of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair to correct skew of the sheet in a sheet conveying direction when a leading end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction abuts against the gate member. The gate member has a contact surface against which the sheet abuts. The contact surface of the gate member is disposed upstream from the nip of the sheet holding and conveying roller pair in the sheet conveying direction. A setting position of the contact surface is adjusted according to thickness of the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya MARUTA, Kohsuke YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 8937729
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a document table, an image reading portion, a cover member, a reading control portion, and a document determination portion. On a color reference surface of the cover member which opposes to a document table, a partial region is provided which has a predetermined density different from a density of the color reference surface. The reading control portion reads image data from the color reference surface and the partial region of the cover member by the image reading portion. When a density difference between a density of the color reference surface and a density of the partial region on the image data read by the reading control portion is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the document determination portion determines that the document placed on the document placement surface is a book document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Fujita
  • Patent number: 8918045
    Abstract: An image glossing apparatus including a recording sheet feeder feeding a recording sheet bearing a toner image; a glossing device including a heater heating a glossing portion of the toner image to gloss the portion; a glossiness information obtaining device obtaining position information on the position of the glossing portion; and a position detector including a tip detector detecting tip of the fed recording sheet, and a distance measuring device measuring the moving distance of the recording sheet after the tip of the recording sheet is detected. The position detector detects the position of a portion of the recording sheet facing the heater based on the information on the tip of the recording sheet and the information on the moving distance of the recording sheet. When the portion of the recording sheet facing the heater is the glossing portion, the heater heats the portion to gloss the glossing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Sakurai, Shinya Kobayashi, Tadashi Kasai, Masakazu Terao, Yoshihiro Sonohara
  • Patent number: 8909123
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a first transport unit; a second transport unit that is installed in a recording portion side of the downstream from the first transport unit and transports the medium to an upstream side and the downstream side; a first transport path that guides the medium between the first transport unit and the second transport unit; a second transport path that reverses both sides of the medium; and a third transport path that is installed on the second transport path, the second transport unit reversely transports the medium to the upstream side at a transport speed V1 and put it into the second transport path, the transport speed of the third transport unit, which is driven at the transport speed V1, is changed to a transport speed V2 which is higher than the transport speed V1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuji Moriyama
  • Patent number: 8891093
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a maximum document number decision part that decides a number of media that are carried simultaneously on a medium carrying path at the time of double sided printing, a memory part that stores image data of a document, a print data editing part that generates page data to be printed on the media from the image data in the memory part, a print page generation monitoring part that monitors a page data number generated by the print data editing part, a print start timing decision part that decides a print start timing from the number of media and the page data number, a print mechanism controller that starts printing based on the print start timing determined by the print start timing decision part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Yukihiro Saida
  • Publication number: 20140294476
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a switchback roller which switches between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction, first and second gear train for rotating the switchback roller in the normal and reverse rotation directions, respectively, a switching unit including a pendulum gear which is movable among a first engagement position where the pendulum gear is engaged with the first gear train, a second engagement position where the pendulum gear is engaged with the second gear train, and a disengagement position where the pendulum gear is not engaged with the first gear train and the second gear train. The switching unit is switchable among a first mode where the pendulum gear is held at the first engagement position, a second mode where the pendulum gear is held at the second engagement position, and a third mode where the pendulum gear is held at the disengagement position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Hashimoto, Yuji Tokoro, Tetsuya Okano
  • Publication number: 20140296049
    Abstract: A rubber composition contains a higher ethylene content EPDM and a lower ethylene content EPDM as a rubber component. The proportion of the higher ethylene content EPDM is 30 to 80 mass % based on the overall amount of the rubber component. The rubber composition is less susceptible to reduction in friction coefficient ? and has a proper hardness, a smaller permanent elongation and an excellent abrasion resistance after crosslinking. Therefore, the rubber composition is suitable for a sheet conveying roller and an image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro MINE, Toshihiro TAMURA, Takehiko HYODO
  • Publication number: 20140286686
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an endless belt; a driving roller to move the endless belt in circulation; a driven roller to rotate along with circulation of the endless belt; a first bearing arranged on a first-side end of the driven roller along an axial direction to movable and to support the driven roller rotatably; a resilient member to apply a resilient force to the driven roller; and a frame having a first guide to the first bearing to move in an inclined direction, which inclines with respect to a virtual line extending through a rotation axis of the driving roller and the rotation axis of the driven roller, is provided. The first guide is formed to incline with respect to the virtual line to be closer to a virtual plane containing the strained plane of the endless belt as the first guide extends farther from the driving roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuya Taira
  • Patent number: 8838008
    Abstract: A device for switching a transport direction of a recording material includes a switching unit and a movement unit. The switching unit switches a transport direction of a recording material by being selectively moved to a first position or a second position. The movement unit moves the switching unit between the first position and the second position by increasing or reducing a force exerted on the switching unit. The movement unit changes, on the basis of a temperature of the movement unit, timing at which the force exerted on the switching unit is increased or reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Nara, Masahiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8838007
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an openable cover capable of opening and closing an opening, an image forming portion for forming a toner image on a sheet, and a cam member provided in the image forming portion for moving a contact member toward and away from an opposing member. A controller controls the image forming portion and rotation of the cam member. The controller stops an operation of the image forming portion when a detecting unit detects opening of the openable cover, and then controls rotation of the cam member at least one full turn when the detecting unit detects closing of the openable cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yu Shuhama, Yuichiro Osawa, Masao Amano, Kiyoharu Yoshioka, Nobukazu Adachi
  • Patent number: 8837020
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing, a document conveyance path, a transparent member, a guide member, a transparent sheet member and a first pressing member. The second housing is openable and closable with respect to the first housing. The document conveyance path is arranged in the second housing and conveys a document passing through a first position. The guide member is arranged on the transparent member at a side downstream of the first position. The transparent sheet member is arranged on the transparent member to cover the first position. The first pressing member is arranged to cover a part of the transparent sheet member upstream of the first position from above and presses the transparent sheet member. An end portion of the first pressing member is arranged inwardly of an end portion of the transparent sheet member in the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 8804177
    Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed provide for validating branching print workflows by segmenting the workflows into a plurality of linear sequences of steps, and validating each of the linear sequences. In one embodiment, a system receives a print workflow for a print job. The print workflow comprises steps identifying the print shop activities to perform for the print job. The system determines whether the print workflow comprises a branching workflow. If the print workflow is a branching workflow, then the system segments the branching workflow into a plurality of linear sequences of steps. The system then determines if the branching workflow is valid by analyzing each of the linear sequences based on workflow rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd
    Inventor: Janeen E. Jahn
  • Patent number: 8787816
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a discharge port, a plurality of photosensitive bodies mounted in the housing, a transfer unit to transfer visible images formed on the plurality of photosensitive bodies onto a printing medium, a fusing unit to fuse transferred visible images to the printing medium, and a reverse unit to reverse a moving direction of the printing medium, after the printing medium has passed through the fusing unit. As the moving direction of the printed printing medium is reversed by the reverse unit, the printing medium may be discharged while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed downward, allowing a user to easily draw out the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Young Jang, Chang Kyung Ko
  • Patent number: 8760670
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for print production sheet identification. The method discloses: receiving a set of calibration sheets; collecting an array of pixel samples from at least one of the calibration sheets according to a set of pixel sampling rules to generate at least one reference sample array; capturing an image of a set of physical sheets generated from the set of calibration sheets; collecting an array of pixel samples from at least one of the imaged physical sheets according to the set of pixel sampling rules to generate at least one post-processing sample array; and comparing the post-processing sample array to the reference sample array to determine if the two arrays have less than or equal to a predetermined number of differences. The system discloses: a sampling module, operated by a processor, a scanner, and a comparison module, operated by a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Ulichney, Matthew Gaubatz, David Rouse
  • Patent number: 8750746
    Abstract: A feeder has a longer side direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and is configured to feed a maximum size recording medium with a longer side first. An image forming unit has a maximum sheet feed width corresponding to a longer side length of the maximum size recording medium, and is configured to print a toner image corresponding to digital image data onto the recording medium. An electrical component unit is configured to control the feeder and the image forming unit. The image forming unit and the electrical component unit are respectively disposed on both sides of the feeder in a shorter side direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Tsuru, Hideyuki Kurahashi, Teruo Nagashima, Osamu Okada
  • Patent number: 8743431
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a sheet housing unit that houses a sheet; a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet; a sheet detection unit that detects presence or absence of the sheet in the sheet housing unit; a sheet nipping unit that nips the sheet housed in the sheet housing unit; and a control unit. The control unit controls the sheet nipping unit to reach a nipping state to nip the sheet in the sheet housing unit upon the sheet detection unit detecting a sheet-present state, executes a power saving mode to stop supplying power to at least a part of the electric mechanisms when no drive command is input for a predetermined time, and controls the sheet nipping unit to cancel the nipping state before execution of the power saving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Hayasaka, Hiroshi Kubo, Shinya Kitaoka, Takehisa Shimazu, Takeshi Akai, Takuma Ariga, Fumiyuki Heishi, Yoshito Suzuki, Akihito Kameda, Hiroaki Utagawa, Jun Yamada, Takashi Fujii, Motoya Sano, Satoshi Saito, Ikuhisa Okamoto, Kenichiro Morita