Duplex Patents (Class 399/364)
  • Patent number: 11381698
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an exit tray, a printing unit, an output unit, and a control unit. A printing medium after printing is discharged to the exit tray. The printing unit performs printing of an image on the printing medium, and discharges the printing medium after printing to the exit tray. The output unit outputs information. The control unit causes the printing unit to stop the printing of the image on the printing medium, and causes the output unit to output alert information on discharge of the printing medium to the exit tray, if the number of printing media on the exit tray is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumasa Yasui, Masaya Arakawa, Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10996603
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a re-conveyor. The re-conveyor includes a first bevel gear, a second bevel gear, a first re-conveying roller, a shaft member, a first engaged member, a second engaged member, and an engaging member. When the second bevel gear is rotated in a rotational direction by a driving force transmitted from the first bevel gear, the engaging member is moved to a second position and engaged with the first and second engaged members to rotate the shaft member in a rotational direction. When the shaft member is rotated in the rotational direction by a driving force transmitted from the first re-conveying roller, the engaging member is moved to a first position, disengaged from the second engaged member, and engaged with the first engaged member to interrupt transmission of the driving force from the shaft member to the second bevel gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mariko Uchida, Tetsuya Morita
  • Patent number: 10484567
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image acquiring method. The image acquiring method includes receiving an instruction to acquire a one-side image to acquire an image on a first side of a document; obtaining a penetrated image of the first side of the document, which is seen on the second side, with a second image sensor for obtaining an image on a second side of the document, while the document is being fed; obtaining an image on the first side of the document with a first image sensor for obtaining an image on the first side of the document, while the document is being fed; and processing the image on the first side based on the penetrated image of the first side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HP PRINTING KOREA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Youn Lee, Jung-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 10185257
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; a fixing device that fixes the image to the sheet; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the fixing device; a conveyance guide located at a predetermined position that blocks wind flowing into the fixing device; a detector that detects the sheet passing through the conveyance guide; and a hardware processor that switches the conveyance guide to the predetermined position based on a detection result of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10015335
    Abstract: A medium transport device includes a feeding roller which sends a medium to a downstream side; and a detecting unit which can detect the medium sent by the feeding roller at a predetermined position on a transport path, in which the detecting unit includes a lever member of which a posture is changed when being in contact with the medium, and a detecting portion which detects a change in posture of the lever member, and the lever member applies an external force which causes at least a part of the medium to be bent in a gravity direction by being in contact with the medium in a predetermined posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoichi Shuto
  • Patent number: 9983528
    Abstract: A printing system obtains a print job, analyzes the obtained print job, and imposes print pages to a total of four surfaces of a print target sheet including two surfaces on each of front and back in accordance with a bookbinding format of the analyzed print job. As for an imposition method, if the bookbinding format of the print job is particular two fold bookbinding for which processing of two-folding a sheet and bonding a plurality of two-folded sheets is performed, imposition is performed while reserving a glue surface not to print out of the four surfaces of the print target sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuzo Harano
  • Patent number: 9558429
    Abstract: In a case where a job for executing both one-sided printing and two-sided printing is received, printing is controlled based on whether or not a predetermined type of sheets in which there is an order between the sheets are used for the received job whereby productivity is improved in a case where the predetermined type of sheets are not used for the received job, and a mismatch between content of a page and an order of the sheets does not occur in a case where the predetermined type of sheets is used for the received job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuuki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9536181
    Abstract: This invention relates to a printing apparatus and control method thereof. In the printing apparatus and control method thereof, an image is input, and an envelope is conveyed so that the long edge of the envelope serves as the leading end in the conveyance direction. When the envelope is conveyed so that the long edge of the envelope serves as the leading end in the conveyance direction, it is controlled to shift the image by a set offset amount to be used to print an image on an envelope, and print the image on the envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masanobu Inui
  • Patent number: 9254694
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a first transporting path which is a transporting path that transports a medium, passes along a recording portion that performs recording on the medium, and extends to an upstream side and a downstream side of the recording portion; a second transporting path which is a transporting path that is connected to the first transporting path, and switches back and transports the medium in a direction reverse to a feeding direction after the medium which passes along the recording portion is fed; and a third transporting path which is a transporting path that is connected to the second transporting path, makes the medium transported in the reverse direction detour an upper side of the recording portion, reverses the medium, and makes the medium merge at a position on the upstream side of the recording portion in the first transporting path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tanjo, Toshikazu Kotaka
  • Patent number: 9182722
    Abstract: A serial tandem image forming system is described which is capable of inhibiting both the degradation of image quality and the reduction of the productivity. This system consists mainly of the control units of upstream and downstream apparatuses. When a preceding sheet differs from the subsequent sheet in sheet type, a control unit for controlling the image forming system has the subsequent sheet stand by at a paper stop roller of the upstream apparatus, and performs the operation of switching the operating states of the upstream and downstream apparatuses in accordance with the sheet type of the subsequent sheet. Also, the control unit predicts the timing of finishing the switching of the operating state, and then re-starts the conveyance of the subsequent sheet, in advance of finishing the switching of the operating state, by controlling the paper stop roller on the basis of the predicted finishing timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Ikuta, Katsunori Takahashi, Kenichi Hayashi, Kazutoshi Yoshimura, Tatsuhiro Noutomi
  • Patent number: 9174815
    Abstract: A printing and paper delivery system includes at least two printers disposed adjacent to one another. A first conveyor is coupled to a first printer of the at least two printers such that the first conveyer is configured to receive media output from an output chute of the first printer. A second conveyor is coupled to a second printer of the at least two printers such that the first conveyor is configured to receive media output from an output chute of the second printer. A controller is in signal communication with the first and second conveyors to facilitate the transfer of media from at least one of the at least two printers to a delivery location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: LOTZ INDUSTRIAL PRINTER CO.
    Inventor: Paul B. Lotz
  • Patent number: 9174467
    Abstract: A printer includes a media stacking section, a print section, a pickup roller, a relay roller, a common actuator, a transport mechanism section and a control section. The control section is configured to control the common actuator based on a print job and displacement of the printing media. The control section is configured to stop transferring of driving force of the common actuator from the pickup roller to an nth printing medium after the pickup roller draws out the nth printing medium and the relay roller starts to send out the nth printing medium which is drawn out in a case where a print job, where printing is carried out on n of the printing media with a length in a transport direction shorter than a transport distance of the printing media from the pickup roller to the print section, is processed in the continuous transport mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9139026
    Abstract: An apparatus to cause a print unit to print data on a continuous sheet includes a reception, a determination, and a print control unit. The determination unit determines whether the received data is to be printed on a single or both sides of the continuous sheet. The print unit prints the data in a manner such that a front surface orientation of each duplex printing discharged sheet when discharged after having been printed on its both sides and a front surface orientation of each simplex printing discharged sheet when discharged after having been printed on its single side is the same. When simplex printing is performed, each page to be arranged on the front surface of a discharged sheet of simplex printing is printed first. When duplex printing is performed, each page to be arranged on the back surface of a discharged sheet of duplex printing is printed first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sho Nakamura, Kazunari Shishido, Koji Yasuzaki, Ruriko Mikami
  • Patent number: 9114946
    Abstract: Provided is a recording apparatus which includes a recording portion which performs recording on a medium, a transport path which extends to the recording portion, a feeding mechanism which sends the medium to the transport path, a manual feeding path which meets the transport path in such a manner that an extending direction of the manual feeding path changes to intersect the transport path and, a guide portion which is disposed in a meeting portion between the transport path and the manual feeding path. When the medium is sent back by the feeding mechanism, the guide portion does not move and, when the medium is inserted into the manual feeding path, the guide portion moves in a direction in which the guide portion is broadened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Misawa
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20150098741
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a duplex conveyance path through which the sheet having the image formed by the image forming unit on a first side passes when an image is formed on a second side that is a back side of the first side, a guiding member provided along the duplex conveyance path, a reversing roller pair capable of rotating in a forward direction and in a reverse direction, h, and a conveyance roller pair provided on the duplex conveyance path, wherein at least one of the reversing roller pair is inclined to the width direction so that, in the width direction, the side end of the sheet being conveyed by the reversing roller pair rotating in the reverse direction moves closer to the contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Terutaka Endo
  • Patent number: 8977184
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance path configured to guide a recording sheet conveyed from a sheet placement portion, passing through a sheet feeder unit, a nip portion between a photoconductor and transfer member, a fixing device, and a sheet ejection unit in this order; and a re-conveyance path configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the fixing device to an upstream-side path which constitutes part of the conveyance path extending upstream from the photoconductor. The re-conveyance path branches off from the conveyance path at a position downstream from the fixing device and extends to pass through a space between the photoconductor and the exposure device. The re-conveyance path includes a switchback mechanism configured to reverse a traveling direction of a sheet conveyed along the re-conveyance path after passing through the space between the photoconductor and the exposure device and to convey the sheet toward the upstream-side path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tokuda, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8967615
    Abstract: A reversing transporting device includes a transport-in path, a first transporting section provided at the transport-in path, a second transporting section provided at the transport-in path, a reversing path connected to the transport-in path, a third transporting section provided at the reversing path, a transport-out path connected to the reversing path, a fourth transporting section provided at the transport-out path, and a fifth transporting section provided at the transport-out path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Takaishi, Michio Tada, Takashi Abe, Akira Iwasaka, Toshitaka Tanaka, Hiroyuki Momiyama
  • Patent number: 8960665
    Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet, a second conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet at a variable speed ranging from a first sheet conveyance speed to a second sheet conveyance speed wherein the first sheet conveyance speed is less than a sheet conveyance speed of the first conveyance roller and the second sheet conveyance speed is greater than the sheet conveyance speed of the first conveyance roller, a driving unit configured to drive the second conveyance roller, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yutaka Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20140348562
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can form images on both surfaces of a recording medium is provided. The apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, a switchback roller that switches back the recording medium fed from the image forming unit, and first and second feed portions. The first feeding portion may include a feed roller assembly that feeds the recording medium in a switchback direction while moving the recording medium to a first side in a widthwise direction perpendicular to the switchback direction. The second feeding portion may feed the recording medium fed by the first feeding portion toward the image forming unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke AOI
  • Patent number: 8874016
    Abstract: A printing system includes a printing unit performing printing on a sheet, a conveyance mechanism, a control unit, and a selection unit causing a user to select any one of a plurality of methods whose maximum numbers of sheets existing in the conveyance mechanism at the same time are different from each other. The control unit controls the printing unit and the conveyance mechanism to perform double-side printing processing depending on any one of the methods. The control unit performs double-side printing processing in accordance with the method selected by the selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8849175
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image forming unit, and a retransporting unit. The retransporting unit includes a transporting roller for applying a transporting force to the sheet and an input portion disposed at a position shifted upstream of the transporting roller in a retransporting direction. The input portion is configured to receive an input of a drive force supplied from the apparatus body. The retransporting unit further includes a drive shaft extending in a retransporting direction. The drive shaft is configured to transmit the drive force from the input portion toward the transporting roller by rotating about an axis thereof. A height of the image forming apparatus may be reduced by this configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Miwa
  • Patent number: 8840328
    Abstract: When a size of a reversing unit is smaller than that of a printing medium, errors can be detected without adding any other mechanism, and if such errors are not caused by a paper jam, the printing can be continued. A printing apparatus is provided with: an reversing unit provided with an reversing roller; a sensor ; and a control unit configured to, if when the detecting unit detects a load equal to or more than a predetermined value, a conveyance amount of the printing medium after the sensor has detected the fore end is longer than a threshold value that is a distance from a position of the fore end at the time of being detected by the sensor to a position of the fore end at the time of exiting from the conveyance path of the reversing unit, perform control to continue conveyance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20140241774
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of increasing the speed of successively discharging printed printing media in order to increase the overall print speed and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a first discharge roller to feed printed printing medium rearward from a print unit disposed at an inner front portion of a main body, a reverse roller to reverse a moving direction of the printed printing medium fed from the first discharge roller from a rear to a front of the main body, a second discharge roller to discharge the printed printing medium whose moving direction is reversed outside, and an intermediate discharge roller unit which is provided between the first discharge roller and the reverse roller, the intermediate discharge roller unit including a main roller, a sub discharge roller and a sub supply roller which are in contact with the main roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byeong Hwa AHN, Bong Hwan CHOI, Yong Kon JO
  • Publication number: 20140212632
    Abstract: A printing arrangement and a printing method for two-sided printing on a recording medium are disclosed, in which conditioning by steam and/or liquid droplets takes place after printing on the first side of the recording medium. Because of the conditioning, damage is avoided to the print image of the first side during subsequent printing on the second side, without the recording medium being impaired by the conditioning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Andreas Bayer, Alexander Breitenbach, Stefan Roehl, Christian Kopp, Andrae Ie Coutre
  • Patent number: 8781388
    Abstract: An image forming device, comprising: a sheet-like medium accommodation unit; a supply member that carries a sheet-like medium; a pair of separation members that separate the sheet-like medium one by one; an image formation unit; a carrying path; a re-carrying unit to move inversely the sheet-like medium whose top face has been subjected to printing; a moving mechanism to move the supply member close to or away from the sheet-like medium and to move the pair of separation members close to or away from each other so that a path for the inversely carried sheet-like medium is formed; and a control unit to control the moving mechanism such that, when back-face printing is performed, the supply member is in a state of being moved away from the sheet-like medium and the pair of separation members are in a state of being moved away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Yamaguchi, Yoshiteru Hattori
  • Patent number: 8768237
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a return-sheet conveyer unit to convey a recording sheet carried from the image forming unit along a return-sheet path to return to the image forming unit, an upper frame unit including a pair of side frames to support the image forming unit in a position there-between, and a pair of lower frames arranged to have a predetermined amount of clearance there-between to have the return-sheet conveyer unit in the clearance, and configured to be less rigid than the upper frame unit and to support lower sections of the pair of side frames. A vertical position of the return-sheet conveyer unit with respect to the image forming unit is defined with reference to the upper frame unit by having a part of the return-sheet conveyer unit aligned to be in contact with the upper frame unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Souda
  • Patent number: 8755734
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feed unit that feeds a sheet to an image forming unit forming a toner image on the sheet; a fixing unit that fixes the toner image formed in the image forming unit to the sheet; and a control unit that controls the sheet feed unit, when starting duplex image formation for forming both sides of the sheet after an one-side image formation, the control unit retards a timing to cause the sheet feed unit to start the sheet feed operation as the number of sheet with an image formed on one side thereof in the one-side image formation is greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Abe, Hideki Ohta, Takashi Kuwata, Youhei Suzuki, Takamichi Matsuo, Toshiaki Sako
  • Patent number: 8755731
    Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a feeding path and a plurality of feed roller sets. Through the feeding path, an original document is fed in one direction from a paper supply port to a paper discharge port. The plurality of the feed roller sets are arranged along the feeding path to be spaced apart from each other. When one side of an original document is scanned and when both sides of an original document are scanned, the plurality of the feed roller sets nip the original document to feed the original document along the feeding path. In this case, the plurality of the feed roller sets are all involved in feeding the original document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Yasui, Satoshi Washida, Osamu Otsuki
  • Patent number: 8746687
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a rockable member which is configured to rotate about an axis defined at a first end portion among: a first position at which a second end portion at a downstream side in the forward feed direction with respect to the first end portion is supported by the guide member having the first orientation; a second position at which the second end portion is located at a higher position that the second end portion when located at the first position; and a third position at which the second end portion is located at a lower position that the second end portion when located at the first position; and a signal generating unit configured to output a signal corresponding to the position of the rockable member. A photo sensor is provided to generate a signal in accordance with an orientation of the rockable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Samoto, Yuji Koga, Takashi Omura
  • Patent number: 8746690
    Abstract: A duplexing unit for reversing an orientation of a sheet in an imaging apparatus, the duplexing unit includes an outer member including an inner surface; and an inner member that is housed within the outer member, the inner member including: a stationary structural element having an outer surface with a radius of curvature; and a freely rotatable element having a radius that is larger than the radius of curvature of the stationary structural element, wherein a duplexing path is provided between the inner surface of the outer member and a contact surface of the freely rotatable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Venkatesh Mysore Nagaraja Rao, Ang Beng Keong
  • Patent number: 8746686
    Abstract: When a first elapse time ?t3 from time point t1 of stop of a transport motor reaches a first specified time S1, a registration roller electromagnetic clutch is engaged. At time point t2 at which the first elapse time ?t3 reaches 50 ms, normal rotation of the transport motor is started. At time point t3 at which a second elapse time ?t4 from the time point t2 reaches a second specified time S2 (a given length of time), a reverse roller electromagnetic clutch is switched from an engaged state to a disengaged state, rendering reverse rollers and sheet discharge rollers freely rotatable. At subsequent time point t4, a coil of a solenoid is de-energized, to separate the reverse rollers from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Tamehira, Yasumasa Morimoto, Kenji Kuroda
  • Patent number: 8730537
    Abstract: A duplex scanning apparatus includes a passageway, a first optical module, a second optical module, a transporting mechanism and an elastic pressing member. The first optical module is disposed on one side of the passageway. The second optical module is disposed on the other side of the passageway. The transporting mechanism transports an original sheet through the passageway and past a first scan position of the first optical module and a second scan position of the second optical module, and images of front and reverse sides of the original sheet are obtained, respectively. The elastic pressing member, disposed between the first scan position and the second scan position, pushes the original sheet towards an original supporting plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Avision Inc.
    Inventor: Szu Hui Lien
  • Patent number: 8725024
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit arranged in an apparatus main body and adapted to perform a fixing process to fix an image to a recording sheet by heat, first conveyance path for conveying the recording sheet via an image forming unit and the fixing unit, second conveyance path for conveying the recording sheet having the fixing process performed thereon to an upstream side of the image forming unit in the case of performing the image forming process on both sides of the recording sheet, a first cover openably and closably attached to the apparatus main body, a second cover for covering the second conveyance path, the second cover being openably and closably attached to the apparatus main body and openable and closable when the first cover is in an open state, and fans provided on the second cover for supplying air streams to the second conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8720886
    Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus which conveys a sheet, including: a first conveying path along which the sheet is conveyed; a second conveying path along which the sheet is reconveyed to the first conveying path; a reverse conveyance roller pair, which performs forward rotation to convey the sheet from the first conveying path and reverse rotation to convey the sheet to the second conveying path; a reconveying roller pair disposed in the second conveying path; and a control portion which causes the reconveying roller pair to nip a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet in an overlaid manner, and thereafter rotates a first roller that is in contact with the preceding sheet while stopping rotation of a second roller that is in contact with the succeeding sheet so that the preceding sheet is conveyed to the first conveying path and the succeeding sheet stays in the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Kuroda, Atsushi Ogata
  • Patent number: 8706017
    Abstract: A system and method for achieving registering of side 1 and side 2 images includes sensing marks on both sides of a web with a single IOWA sensor and relying on light transmission through paper to sense side 1 marks. Side 1, the side not facing the IOWA sensor utilizes increased contrast (black toner), mark width, and repeats in order to make effective image “show through.” The image of the marks on both sides of the sheet is compared with respect to each other and adjustments to some combination of position, timing, and image magnification are made as required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Howard A Mizes
  • Patent number: 8693919
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive drum having a circumferential surface, on which a developer image is formed; a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image from the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum to a recording medium conveyed along the conveying path in a conveying direction; a collecting member; and a motor capable of performing a forward rotation and a reverse rotation; wherein, based on a timing when a portion of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum faces an upstream side edge of the developer image on the recording medium in the conveying direction, a time elapsed until the motor is stopped to change from performing the forward rotation to the reverse rotation is longer than a time elapsed until the portion of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum that faced the upstream side edge of the developer image faces the collecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Shiraki
  • Patent number: 8693010
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit. In combined processing to perform two types of processing including one-sided image formation and two-sided image formation, if the one-sided image formation is performed, an image is formed on one side of the sheet by the second image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mika Sumii, Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 8676111
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a fixing unit, a cooling roller disposed downstream relative to the fixing unit in a sheet feeding direction, an ejection roller disposed downstream relative to the cooling roller in the sheet feeding direction, a driving unit rotating the cooling roller and the ejection roller normally or reversely, and a controller including a determining unit determining whether a detected temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, the controller switching between a first mode to, after a sheet passes through the cooling roller, control the driving unit to reversely rotate the cooling roller and the ejection roller being rotating normally and a second mode to, in a state where the cooling roller is nipping the sheet, control the driving unit to reversely rotate the cooling roller and the ejection roller being rotating normally, based on the determination of the determining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Aoi
  • Patent number: 8660476
    Abstract: An image formation device is configured such that a feed roller and a discharge roller are rotated in a first direction so that the sheet is fed from the fixing unit to the discharge opening at a first speed V1, in a second direction so that the sheet is fed from the discharge opening to the diverging point at a second speed V2 if the entire sheet has reached a discharge opening side with respect to the diverging point, and the feeding speed is changed to a third speed V3 if the sheet has reached a position where it is nipped by the sheet feed rollers after the sheet was started to be fed at the second speed V2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Aoi
  • Patent number: 8638454
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a reading section configured to read an original document, a printing section configured to perform duplex printing including printing N sheets on first sides thereof and subsequently printing M sheets on second sides thereof when printing an image of the original document read by the reading section, wherein M is equal to or smaller than N, a determination section configured to calculate a preparation time required to generate print data based on a copy setting which affects the preparation time, and configured to determine the value of N, wherein the determination section determines a smaller value as the value of N, as the preparation time is longer, and a control section configured to control the printing section to perform the duplex printing in accordance with the value of N determined by the determination section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masataka Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8630574
    Abstract: An image forming system includes a non-transparent image forming apparatus including a first image forming station for forming a non-transparent toner image and for transferring the non-transparent toner image onto a recording material, and a transparent image forming apparatus including a second image forming station for forming a transparent toner image and for transferring the transparent toner image onto the recording material discharged from a first image heating unit. Formation of images as a combination of the non-transparent image and the transparent image is capable on both sides of the recording material by controlling a first re-feeding unit and a second re-feeding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiyasu Satomi
  • Publication number: 20140003850
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance path configured to guide a recording sheet conveyed from sheet placement portion, passing through sheet feeder unit, a nip portion between photoconductor and transfer member, fixing device, and sheet ejection unit in this order; and a re-conveyance path configured to guide the recording sheet conveyed from the fixing device to an upstream-side path which constitutes part of the conveyance path extending upstream from the photoconductor. The re-conveyance path is branched off from the conveyance path at a position downstream from the fixing device and extends to pass through a space between the photoconductor and the exposure device. The re-conveyance path includes a switchback mechanism configured to reverse a traveling direction of a recording sheet conveyed along the re-conveyance path after passing through the space between the photoconductor and the exposure device and to convey the recording sheet toward the upstream-side path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tokuda, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8619315
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method of printing data is provided, the method comprising identifying whether a single- or a double-sided printer is operatively connected to the computer, identifying whether single- or double sided media is installed in the printer, and selecting a mode of operation for the printer based on whether it is identified as a single- or a double-sided printer and whether single- or double-sided media is identified as being installed therein. Variations are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Colman McGarry, Joseph Jennings
  • Patent number: 8611782
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming unit that includes a development agent container, a development device that supplies development agent in the development agent container to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductive body and forms a development agent image on the photoconductive body, a transfer unit transferring, onto a sheet, the development agent image on the photoconductive body, and a fixing unit fixing the development agent image on the sheet, a feed tray disposed under the image forming unit, a pickup unit feeding a sheet placed on the feed tray toward the image forming unit in a U-turn manner, a first conveying path tilted to extend downward obliquely from the pickup unit, and a second conveying path tilted to extend toward the fixing unit obliquely from a continuous section between the first conveying path and the second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shougo Sato
  • Patent number: 8605319
    Abstract: Provided is an image reading apparatus communicatable with an image processing apparatus, including: a first reader that reads an image of a first side of a document; a first storage that stores the image read by the first reader; a second reader that reads an image of a second side of the document; a second storage that stores the image read by the second reader; a transmitter that transmits the images stored in the first storage and the second storage to the image processing apparatus; and a controller that, with respect to a first document whose length in a conveyance direction is longer than a predetermined length, causes the transmitter to transmit the image read by the first reader to the image processing apparatus, and causes the first storage and the second storage to store the image read by the second reader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Morisawa
  • Patent number: 8599443
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming multiple copies of images on a medium having more than one divided area (N) by arranging the images in the divided areas, respectively. The image forming apparatus includes an input image data acquisition unit that acquires an input image data for one copy, an output image data generation unit that generates output image data in which the images are consecutively arranged on the divided areas without a blank divided area being provided between any of the copies by repeatedly using the input image data for one copy acquired by the input image data acquisition unit a number of times equal to the number of divided areas, and an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording medium based on the output image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8588632
    Abstract: An information processor includes a storage unit storing a first coefficient in correspondence with a characteristic of a sheet of paper, a first acquisition unit acquiring a first signal based on the water content of a first sheet of paper not having an image formed thereon, a second acquisition unit acquiring a second signal based on the water content of the first sheet of paper having an image formed thereon and being heated for fixing, a determination unit determining the characteristic of the first sheet of paper, a first calculation unit calculating a variation in water content of the first sheet of paper using the difference between the first signal and the second signal and the first coefficient stored in correspondence with the determined characteristic, and a second calculation unit calculating an expansion and contraction ratio of the first sheet of paper using the variation in water content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Ohshima, Yoshinari Iwaki, Seigo Makida, Takashi Ogino, Takao Furuya, Kiyoshi Hosoi, Katsumi Sakamaki
  • Patent number: 8585048
    Abstract: A printing device includes: a registration roller that once stops a transferred sheet and then feeds the transferred sheet toward an inkjet head unit; a sheet feed system that transfers and feeds a sheet to the registration roller; a sheet refeed system that, during both-side printing, reverses a one-side printed sheet and transfers the one-side printed sheet to the registration roller; and a controller that, during both-side printing, controls the registration roller so as to feed a sheet, which is fed by the sheet feed system and the sheet refeed system, toward the inkjet head unit in accordance with a predetermined print schedule. The controller controls the sheet feed system in accordance with the print schedule so that a speed when a sheet fed from the sheet feed system is abutted against the inkjet head unit becomes lower during both-side printing than during one-side printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Ryota Yamagishi, Masahiko Kusuhata, Masashi Hara
  • Patent number: 8582184
    Abstract: An image reader and document conveying method shorten times necessary for a discharge process that discharges a document in being conveyed and for an idle feeding process of a document that is left on a paper feed tray. If during double-sided reading, a stop key is operated to issue an instruction to cancel reading, a conveyance controller outputs a path specifying signal to select a single-sided path, and thereby a conveyance route is switched from a double-sided path to the single-sided path. For this reason, the discharge process that discharges a document being conveyed at the time of the reading cancellation to a paper discharge tray, and the idle feeding process that discharges a document left on a paper feed tray to the paper discharge tray are performed with use of the single-sided path that is shorter than the double-sided path, and therefore the times necessary for the discharge and idle feeding processes can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Oshima