Feeding To Transfer Position Patents (Class 399/388)
  • Publication number: 20130287463
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus capable of detecting a lateral position deviation amount of a sheet with high precision and at a high speed. A sheet sensing unit includes two or more sensors, each of which sensing a side edge of the sheet, disposed in a widthwise direction of the sheet. A position deviation amount of the sheet in the widthwise direction is detected based on a moving distance of the sheet sensing unit until at least one of the sensors senses the side edge of the sheet. The position deviation amount of the sheet is determined using a sensing result of the side edge of sheet after the sheet sensing unit moves by a predetermined distance, while invalidating a sensing result of the side edge of sheet sensing unit in the widthwise direction from when a driving unit starts driving until the sheet sensing unit moves by the predetermined distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 8564795
    Abstract: Disclosed is a printer including a transverse tension sensor for detecting that a sheet being discharged has deviated in a paper width direction orthogonal to a discharging direction. The conveyance of the sheet is stopped based on a detection signal of the transverse tension sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation
    Inventors: Shou Yazawa, Yukio Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 8565656
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes photosensitive members which each carry a developer image, transfer members which attract the developer images from the photosensitive members; a sheet housing unit which houses recording sheets; a recording sheet feeding mechanism, which feeds out a recording sheet from within the sheet housing unit and a guide member, which guides the sheet fed out by the recording sheet feeding mechanism towards a position between the photosensitive member and the transfer member. The guide member has a conductive member, which is brought into abutment with a leading end portion of a recording sheet while the recording sheet still remains in the sheet housing unit, and which is grounded electrically and insulation members which the recording sheet is brought into abutment when the leading end portion of the sheet reaches the transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ichikawa, Hiroshi Nobe, Toshio Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8565666
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a recording medium is fed by being switched between a first conveying path feeding a recording medium to a first image forming portion and a second conveying path feeding the recording medium to a second image forming portion without being enabled to pass through the first image forming portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8553277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming apparatus and an image checking apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a transport control unit which transports a recording medium at a transport speed, and forms an image on the recording medium. The image checking apparatus includes a transport-speed acquisition unit, a detector, a reading unit, and an operation-state notification unit. The transport-speed acquisition unit acquires transport-speed information from the image forming apparatus. The detector detects a mark shown on the recording medium. The reading unit reads a checking-target image formed by the image forming apparatus at a position distant from the mark, on the basis of the transport-speed information and information concerning a positional relationship between the mark and the checking-target image. The operation-state notification unit notifies the image forming apparatus of an operation state of the image checking apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhide Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8548370
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. According to the control method of the image forming apparatus, entry and exit of a recording medium can be sensed without a register sensor by sensing current change of a press roller used to apply a constant pressure to the recording medium and a transfer belt so as to allow the recording medium and transfer belt to come into close contact with each other. In the case of a model provided with a register sensor, the presence of malfunction of the register sensor can be recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chang Seok Choi
  • Patent number: 8548365
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an endless and movable transfer material bearing belt, a transfer member, an opposing member and a belt guide member, wherein a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a first area is substantially the same as a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a second area, the first area corresponding to a nip area formed by the opposing member and the transfer member and the second area corresponding to an area in which the belt guide member bringing the transfer material bearing belt and the image bearing belt come into contact with each other. By the virtue of the present invention, a transfer material is restrained from scraping off the leading end of a toner image before the leading end of the toner image enters a transfer nip portion, while suppressing spattering of the toner image on the upstream of the transfer nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hisayuki Tomura, Takao Nada, Tomoya Tateishi, Kenichi Iida, Akimichi Suzuki, Keisuke Mitsuhashi
  • Publication number: 20130251434
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a drive roller configured to rotate, a driven roller configured to hold and convey a print medium at a gap between the drive and driven rollers, an image carrier configured to have a toner image formed on a surface thereof and to rotate, the image carrier being situated downstream relative to the drive roller and the driven roller in a travel direction of the print medium, a transfer roller configured to hold and convey, at another gap between the image carrier and the transfer roller, the print medium passed from the drive roller and the driven roller to transfer the toner image onto a surface of the print medium, and a conveyance suspension unit to stop the drive roller and the driven roller from applying a drive force to the print medium at a time at which the print medium reaches such another gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Naoto UEDA, Makoto NAKURA, Shingo TAKAI, Satoshi UEDA, Koichi KUDO
  • Patent number: 8543050
    Abstract: A bearing member includes a bearing part that rotationally supports a rotational body, a load application part formed in the bearing part, wherein the load application part contacts the rotational body and applies a load to the rotational body in a radial direction of the rotational body, and a holding groove formed in the bearing part in a rotation axis direction of the rotational body, wherein the holding groove has an opening at one end, wherein the holding groove is adapted to hold a lubricant that is to be supplied to a sliding contact area between the rotational body and the load application part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8543052
    Abstract: A controlled velocity decoupling device for improved media registration at transfer in a reprographic device includes a one-way clutch in a drive roll of a registration subsystem to decouple velocities between the registration subsystem and a charge retentive surface. The one-way clutched drive roll prevents the formation of a buckle in a sheet prior to the sheet engaging the charge retentive surface, and thus allowing for more controlled registration of the sheet to the charge retentive surface. The drive roll is set to a lower speed than the charge retentive surface in order to allow for variability in the velocity differences and ensure that no buckle is formed prior to transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas K Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8543051
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part; a paper dust collecting roller that collects paper dust from a sheet; a conveying roller that is opposed to the paper dust collecting roller and conveys the sheet; a paper dust removing member that contacts the paper dust collecting roller for removing the paper dust therefrom; a supporting member that extends in a width direction of the sheet; a swing shaft for swinging the supporting member; and a pressing member that presses the supporting member for contacting the paper dust removing member with the paper dust collecting roller. The supporting member includes: a guiding surface that contacts the sheet conveyed along the conveying path for guiding the sheet toward the image forming part along the conveying path; and a paper dust receiving part which receives the paper dust removed by the paper dust removing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Akatsuka, Akira Terao
  • Patent number: 8538283
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing an image on a continuous print medium includes an image processing unit for converting print data received to image data printable; a developer image forming unit for forming a developer image using specific developer according to the image data; a transfer unit for transporting the continuous print medium and transferring the developer image to the continuous print medium; and a control unit for instructing timings of the developer image forming unit to form the developer image and the transfer unit to transport the continuous print medium when the control unit receives a conversion process completion notice from the image processing unit. Further, it is arranged so that an initialization operation of the developer image forming unit is performed before the developer image forming unit forms the developer image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Negishi
  • Patent number: 8538310
    Abstract: A load torque variation upon entry or exit of a sheet into a nipping portion is reduced while a nipping force necessary for image formation is provided. An image transfer apparatus, an image fixing apparatus, or a registration apparatus comprises an opposite roller, a transfer roller, and a compression spring for pressing the opposite roller onto the transfer roller. A sheet of transfer material is transported into a nipping portion between the opposite roller and the transfer roller, where an image on the opposite roller is transferred to the transfer material. The apparatus includes a retaining unit configured to retain a certain distance between the first rotating body and the second rotating body as long as the thickness of the transfer material that passes through the nipping portion remains the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hashimoto, Takashi Hodoshima, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Hidetaka Noguchi, Seiji Hoshino, Makoto Komatsu
  • Patent number: 8538315
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming apparatus main body, an image forming unit that is provided in the image forming apparatus main body and forms an image on a recording medium, and a transport unit transporting the recording medium, wherein the image forming apparatus main body has a forward port for forwarding the recording medium having the image thereon by the image forming unit to outside of the image forming apparatus main body, and further has a guide unit by which the recording medium forwarded to the outside of the image forming apparatus main body is guided to be retrieved into the image forming apparatus main body, and to be led to the transport unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuji Okamoto, Atsuyuki Kitamura, Masahiro Sato, Atsushi Ogihara, Satoru Torimaru, Junichi Murakami, Shuichi Nishide
  • Patent number: 8532558
    Abstract: A printing machine includes: a reception unit configured to receive image data; a printing unit configured to print on a print medium based on the image data received by the reception unit; a first paper feeding unit configured to take out and convey a print medium on a paper feed tray one by one; a second paper feeding unit configured to convey a print medium conveyed by the first paper feeding unit to the printing unit; and a print control unit configured to drive the first paper feeding unit to start conveyance of a print medium upon start of reception of the image data by the reception unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Aya Okada, Shouji Kurita
  • Publication number: 20130223907
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries a developer image, a recording-medium transporting member that is movable between an opposing position at which the transporting member opposes the image carrier and a retracted position that is farther from the image carrier than the opposing position and includes a holding portion that holds a leading end of a recording medium, a retaining portion that is movable between a retaining position at which the retaining portion retains a trailing end of the recording medium and a separate position that is farther from the transporting member than the retaining position, a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto the recording medium, and an allowing unit that allows the transporting member to be separated from the retaining portion when the transporting member is moved from the opposing position to the retracted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
  • Patent number: 8515328
    Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes: a conveying mechanism that conveys a recording medium that extends long continuously in one direction, a conveying direction of the recording medium being the same as the one direction; a detecting unit that detects a detection subject mark formed on the recording medium; and a moving mechanism that moves the detecting unit in a direction that crosses the conveying direction, and a plurality of detection subject marks are formed on the recording medium in such a manner that they are arranged in the direction in which the recording medium extends long continuously and that a mark width in the direction that crosses the conveying direction changes as the position goes along the conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Aoki
  • Patent number: 8515311
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt member which bears a toner image, a transfer portion for forming a transfer nip portion, a changing unit for changing an advancing angle of the belt member advancing into the transfer nip portion, a guide member which is arranged at an upstream side of the transfer nip portion in a recording material conveying direction and face to a untransfered face of the recording material and guide a recording material to the transfer nip portion, and a controller for controlling the changing unit so that a belt face advancing into the transfer nip portion and conveying a recording material having a first thickness is at a position farther from the guide member than the belt face advancing into the transfer nip portion and conveying a recording material having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehiro Kishi
  • Patent number: 8508804
    Abstract: When at least one of first image data and second image data is captured, according to a moving speed of an object while an image sensor is capturing an image, exposure time for capturing the image is controlled to decrease a difference between object blur widths in a direction in which the object moves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8503922
    Abstract: A printer is operable for image formation onto a sheet of a sheet width Lp, with a sheet spacing Lg and a printing transfer speed Vg, a constant speed transferrer makes sheet transfer at the printing transfer speed Vg from a register via the printer to a speed change position, a variable speed transferrer makes sheet transfer from the speed change position to the register, and a transfer controller controls sheet transfer speeds, the variable speed transferrer having sections for sheet transfer, including deceleration and acceleration sections for sheet reversal at the sheet reversing path, and a constant speed section for transfer at a constant transfer speed Vr, the transfer controller determining a circulating sheet number N, executing a calculation of transfer speed Vr employing sheet width Lp, sheet spacing Lg, printing transfer speed Vg, and accelerations, to enable sheet transfer for circulation within a time interval of N×(Lp+Lg)/Vg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Maeda, Masashi Hara
  • Publication number: 20130195531
    Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an image formation unit, a resist unit, a paper feed unit, a detecting body, and a clocking unit. The resist unit stops paper conveyance before the next paper arrives. The paper feed unit includes a paper feed rotating body for rotating and thereby issuing the paper forth toward the resist unit, and for stopping before supplying the next paper. The detecting body detects the arrival of the paper. The clocking unit clocks a conveyance time from the start of paper feeding to when the detecting body detects the arrival. The resist unit starts conveying the paper when a deflection generation time has elapsed since the detection of the arrival. When the conveyance time is shorter than a predetermined reference time, the paper feed rotating body starts rotating in subsequent paper feeding at a timing that is delayed in comparison to the earlier paper feeding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
  • Patent number: 8498566
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image carrier that carries an image, an image transfer unit that transfers the image onto a recording medium, and a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to the image transfer unit. The image carrier has a sloping surface that slopes down from an upstream of the image transfer unit in a conveying direction. The conveying unit includes a linear conveying path that is arranged an upstream of the image transfer unit in the conveying direction, below the sloping surface and above a horizontal line passing through the image transfer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yutaka Shoji, Junji Shirakawa, Takayuki Muneyasu
  • Patent number: 8495957
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is, in an image-forming machine equipped with plural paper feeders that feed paper to a drum unit at different paper feed speeds due to the difference in the shapes of paper traveling routes, to control the image-forming machine so as to select a paper feeder suitable for the condition of printing-speed-priority. A stencil printing machine has three paper feeders; a paper feed table, a first tray, and a second tray. The maximum allowable printing speeds to a drum unit of the three paper feeders: differ from each other in accordance with the difference in the shapes of traveling routes; increase in the order of the paper feed table, the first tray, and then the second tray; and are stored as data. When a user carries out printing at the setting of speed-priority, a control unit of the machine and a paper feeder selection device select the paper feeder of the highest maximum allowable image-forming speed and carry out the printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kato
  • Patent number: 8494433
    Abstract: A recording-medium positioning device includes a gate, a roller pair, a roller-pair shift unit, a recording-medium detector, and a drive control device. The gate is disposed at an upstream side of a fixing device in a conveyance direction of a recording medium. The roller pair includes two roller members disposed at an upstream side of the gate. The roller-pair shift unit moves the roller pair in accordance with a first position of the recording medium in the conveyance direction to shift the recording medium in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The recording-medium detector is disposed between the fixing device and the gate to detect a second position of the recording medium in the width direction. The drive control device moves the recording medium to a reference position by driving the roller-pair shift unit in accordance with the second position and cyclically shifts the reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uchida, Kiyomi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 8494431
    Abstract: Sheet registration method and system includes transporting a sheet including a leading edge and a trailing edge between a first and second sensor. The first and second sensors each have a linear sensing area with a longitudinal axis aligned at a non-zero angle to each other. The first and second sensors are adapted to identify positions of the leading edge and the trailing edge. An alignment of the sheet is adjusted responsive to a sheet length determined using the output from the first and second sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes N. M. deJong, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8472857
    Abstract: According to an example structure, an image forming apparatus includes a belt having a conveying surface on which a recording sheet is conveyed; an image forming unit disposed opposite to the belt and forming an image on a surface of the recording sheet conveyed by the belt; a conveying unit conveying the recording sheet onto the belt; and a guiding member disposed opposite to the conveying surface of the belt and configured to at least partly guide the recording sheet toward the conveying surface of the belt while the guiding member comes into contact with a first back surface opposite to a surface of which the recording sheet comes into contact with the conveying surface of the belt. The recording sheet is guided by the guiding member while being bent at a center of tip end portion with respect to a width direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording sheet so as to protrude toward the conveying surface of the belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takuji Matsuno
  • Patent number: 8456674
    Abstract: According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods and systems that incorporate a model predictive controller (MPC) in an image reproduction machine with known disturbance information. The MPC uses the control action at a current time in order to minimize the impact of an impending disturbance as well as to maximize current control performance. The impending disturbance is used by the MPC to determine an incremental change that combines steady state and transient state impact on the image reproduction machine. Disturbance such as print media type, image content type, physical dimension of the print media, weight of the print media, and print job data can be employed. Further, control of the image reproduction machine is generated in real time over a receding horizon, for the purpose of minimizing a cost function indicative of image variation, energy consumption, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Faming Li, Eric Scott Hamby, Yongsoon Eun
  • Patent number: 8452223
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member bearing a toner image formed by an image forming portion; a transfer part transferring the toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a sheet; a separation/feeding part separating sheets stacked on a sheet stacking member and feeding the sheet while nipping the sheet; and a transport part transporting the sheet fed by the separation/feeding part to the transfer part, in which a transporting operation of the transport part is changed according to a length of the sheet to be transported in a transport direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Iwakawa
  • Patent number: 8446629
    Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to prevent a final print product from getting its appearance worse due to such a drawback that a reference mark still remains on the final print product. The apparatus includes: a setting section to make the display section display a setting screen for inputting setting information therefrom, the setting information being in regard to a post-processing use page including a reference mark to be used for post processing; an image processing section to create image data representing a second image of the post-processing use page, based on the setting information inputted from the setting screen; and a print processing section to print the first images of the pages included in the document and the second image of the post-processing use page onto first paper sheets and a second paper sheet being separate from the first paper sheets, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Takei Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 8437646
    Abstract: A paper feed system for use in a printing apparatus that detects multi-feeds and separates all sheets while allowing a single sheet to continue into the machine includes a nip with a drive roller for feeding sheets. A reversible pressure roller downstream of the drive roller is connected to a motor, but idles in the direction of the paper feed in normal operation. When a multi-feed is detected, the motor is turned ON and the reversible pressure roll actuated by a controller. The reversible pressure roller has more friction with the sheet in its contact than the friction between sheets. This drives the sheet in contact backwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas Baxter, Andrew Hill, Andrew Ashwood, Nicholas Gates, Robert Sanders, Andrew Williams
  • Patent number: 8428505
    Abstract: A controller controls transportation of the recording medium such that a first distance between a trailing edge of an image area of a preceding page of the two successive pages and a leading edge of an image area of a following page is equal to or longer than a second distance between the nip at a most upstream one of the image forming sections and the nip at a most downstream one of the image forming sections. Control may also be performed such that a first distance between a trailing edge of a preceding page of the two successive pages and a leading edge of a following page is equal to or longer than a second distance between the nip at a most upstream one of the plurality of image forming sections and the nip at a most downstream one of the plurality of image forming sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Udagawa
  • Patent number: 8428504
    Abstract: A medium clamping device includes: a first circularly-moving body having a circumferential surface harder than a recording medium, a longer length in a direction orthogonal to a circularly-moving direction than the recording medium in a first direction; a second circularly-moving body where the recording medium passes between the surfaces of the two circularly-moving bodies in a second direction crossing the first direction; a load applying section applying a load to at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies to clamp the recording medium; a belt member surrounding the surface of at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies, at a place outside an area touching the recording medium when the recording medium passes; and a belt-member-protecting member which is aligned with the belt member in a recording-medium-passing direction, includes a portion closer to a recording-medium-passing path than the belt member to protect the belt member from contacting the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikara Ando, Toshinori Sasaki, Masaru Funayanagi
  • Publication number: 20130094888
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a recording material, a driving unit configured to drive the conveyance unit based on a manipulated variable corresponding to a deviation between a conveyance speed of the recording material and a target conveyance speed, and a control unit configured to change a control method for controlling the manipulated variable required to drive the driving unit according to a state in which the recording material is conveyed by the conveyance unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
  • Publication number: 20130051883
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member configured to form a developer imaged thereon; a transfer member configured to transfer the developer image formed on the photosensitive member to a sheet; a conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet toward between the photosensitive member and the transfer roller, and a charge removal member configured to remove charges on the conveyance roller. The conveyance roller is arranged to face a surface of the sheet to which the transfer roller faces. The charge removal member is provided at a position at which the charge removal member is not in contact with the conveyance roller, within a range in which the charges on the conveyance rollers can be discharged toward the charge removal member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita HIRONAKA, Motoaki MUSHIKA
  • Patent number: 8385762
    Abstract: A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8385793
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image carrier, a second image carrier, an intermediate transfer member disposed facing the second image carrier, a conveyance belt to transport a transfer sheet, disposed facing both the first image carrier and the intermediate transfer member, a first transfer member to transfer a first toner image formed on the first image carrier onto the transfer sheet, a second transfer member to transfer a second toner image formed on the second image carrier onto the intermediate transfer member, and a third transfer member disposed downstream from the second image carrier in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer member, to transfer the second toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto the transfer sheet transported by the conveyance belt. The first image carrier and the intermediate transfer member inflect the conveyance belt at a first inflection angle and a second inflection angle, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masaharu Furuya, Masahiko Satoh, Masanori Kawasumi, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Hirohmi Tamura, Kazuya Saitoh, Takuya Suganuma, Mugijirou Uno, Shunichi Hashimoto, Akira Shinshi, Kazuhisa Sudo, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8379238
    Abstract: In order to provide an image forming apparatus which controls unnecessary image formation without reducing productivity, at the time of automatic sheet selection, the number of image sheets M which can be present from the writing position of images using the image writing section to the transfer position of the transfer section and the number of sheet N which can be present from the sensors which detect the no-paper state in each of the plurality of sheet feeding sections to the transfer position of the transfer section are obtained, and then the sheet feeding section which satisfies M<N is preferentially selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Minoru Asakawa
  • Patent number: 8380114
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing device having a first nip to fix toner to a recording medium; a conveyance device provided at a position downstream from the fixing device in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium to convey the recording medium further downstream; a guide member provided along a conveyance path of the recording medium between the fixing device and the conveyance device to contact and convey the recording medium from the fixing device to the conveyance device, the guide member having multiple through-holes formed therein and penetrating from a front surface of the guide member facing the conveyance path of the recording medium to a back surface of the guide member; and an airflow generator to generate an airflow through the multiple through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8368973
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit configured to sequentially feed a plurality of documents loaded on a document positioning plate, a reading sensor arranged in a conveyance path configured to read a document of the plurality of documents fed by the sheet feeding unit, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an interval of the document between a trailing edge of a preceding document and a leading edge of a next document conveyed through the conveyance path, and a reading unit configured to execute a first reading mode using the reading sensor to read the document conveyed at a first conveyance speed, and a second reading mode using the reading sensor to read the document conveyed at a second conveyance speed that is lower than the first conveyance speed, wherein the reading unit executes the second reading mode after the first reading mode when the interval of the document is less than a predetermined interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sato, Masaya Shimmachi, Haruo Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 8364064
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer device including an intermediate transfer body having a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion which bears a secondary image formed by transferring a primary image from an image bearing member; a pair of secondary transfer rollers having a secondary transfer roller and a support roller provided in contact with each other via the intermediate transfer body at the secondary transfer portion, which transfers the secondary image to a recording medium at the secondary transfer portion; a variation detection device that detects an amount of variance occurring to a transfer rotation body when the recording medium is transferred to the secondary transfer portion; and an adjustment device that adjusts the distance between the pair of the secondary transfer rollers according to the amount of variance detected by the variation detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ashikawa, Takahisa Koike, Hideyuki Takayama, Yoshihiro Asano, Minoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8364072
    Abstract: A tightly integrated parallel printer includes a reconfigurable media path module that has a baffle that accepts sheets from above at a 12 o'clock position when in a first configuration and accepts sheets from a 6 o'clock position when in a second configuration. The two configurations of the baffle are established to permit one common media entry transport to be mounted in either of two positions, each satisfying one of the desired configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Henry T Bober, James J Spence
  • Patent number: 8351841
    Abstract: The present invention prevents a conveying force of a rotation body from being locally deteriorated, and increases lifetime of the rotation body. A printer 1000 changes, by means of control of a controller, starting position at which rotation speeds of skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a are changed. With this, the printer 1000 prevents a conveying force from being concentrated on specific positions of the skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a, thereby preventing local wearing and deterioration of the conveying force, and the skew feeding correcting drive rollers 21a and 22a can be used for a long term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8351840
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a paper path architecture for parallel printing using multiple marking engines. The media path configuration enables all the media feed trays to be located in one place, relative to the marking engines. A cross-over module is located between marking engines. The cross-over module can interleave media sheets that are being transported away from a first marking engine with the sheets being transported to the second marking engine. The cross-over module also includes a straight through path that enables media sheets to be transported directly to a finishing device without going through either marking engine. The marking engines include internal duplex loops such that media can be supplied to each engine in alternate groups. A merge module selectively merges the media which can then be further processed in a finishing transition module prior to communication to a finishing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Barry Paul Mandel, Steven Robert Moore, Injae Choi, Stan Alan Spencer
  • Patent number: 8351832
    Abstract: An image forming method includes: feeding a transfer material to a transfer portion by gate rollers; contacting the transfer material with a transfer material grip member that is disposed on a transfer roller; holding the transfer material on an elastic holding portion which holds the transfer material disposed on the circumference surface of the transfer roller; transferring the transfer material held by the holding portion; and transferring an image at the transfer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Kamijo, Satoshi Chiba, Shinichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8339681
    Abstract: The first reading start point D of a front contact image sensor 21 and the second reading start point F of a back contact image sensor 22 are managed using a previously measured sensor-to-sensor distance L. As a result, even if there is a difference in the distance between the sensors, the first and second reading start points D and F will still be a first margin length L1 before the image reading positions A and B of the contact image sensors 21 and 22. Because the beginning of the front image information FD2 and the beginning of the back image information BD2 contained in the back-side image data BD1 in the images captured by the contact image sensors 21 and 22 match, the front image information FD2 can be extracted based on the coordinates of the back image information BD2 contained in the back-side image data BD1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nishimura, Takashi Saikawa, Masanori Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8335465
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first and a second image forming sections, a paper feeding section, and a paper output section. The image forming sections form an image on paper independently. The apparatus is laterally dividable into a first and a second portions where the first and second image forming sections are respectively positioned. The feeding section is arranged below the first image forming section in the first portion. The output section is arranged above the second image forming section in the second portion. The apparatus has two simple transport paths that run vertically through the image forming sections, respectively, without intersecting each other and detouring around the second or first image forming section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masami Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 8331837
    Abstract: An image-forming device comprising: an image-carrier belt that carries an image; a belt-driving roller that causes the image-carrier belt to move, the image-carrier belt being engaged around the belt-driving roller; a tension roller that applies a tension to the image-carrier belt, the image-carrier belt being engaged around the tension roller; a transfer roller having a concaved portion and a gripper, the transfer roller coming into contact with the tension roller interposed by the image-carrier belt, and transferring the image that is carried by the image-carrier belt onto the transfer material; a contacting/diverging part that causes the tension roller to move and that causes the transfer roller and the image-carrier belt to come into contact with or diverge from one another; a delivery part that delivers the transfer material that is gripped by the gripper; and a support member that pivotally supports the transfer roller and supports the delivery part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Satoshi Chiba
  • Patent number: 8326206
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is capable of correctly and accurately detecting a sheet leading edge position and carrying out image formation in appropriate image write timing, includes a detection device disposed at a reference position upstream from the transfer position and detects the recording medium being conveyed. A determining device determines image write timing for forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum based on a difference in position between a leading edge position of the recording medium detected by said detection device and the reference position. The detection device respectively include a plurality of light detecting pixels disposed in a recording medium conveying direction, and the leading edge position of the recording medium detected by the respective light detecting pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Aiko
  • Patent number: 8320815
    Abstract: An image forming device includes a plurality of medium feed units configured to feed a recording medium on respective carrying routes, an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording medium fed from one of the plurality of medium feed units, a first roller provided on a common route of the carrying routes, the first roller being configured to rotate at a first circumferential velocity and carry, to the image forming unit, the recording medium fed from one of the plurality of medium feed units, and a control unit configured to control the first circumferential velocity of the first roller depending on from which of the plurality of medium feed units the recording medium is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Yano, Sachiko Yano
  • Patent number: 8320804
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: a toner image carrying member that moves while carrying a toner image; a transferring member that transfers, on a recording medium, the toner image that the toner image carrying member carries; a transporting unit that transports the recording medium along a transport path that passes through a transfer region where the transferring member transfers the toner image onto the recording medium; and a controller that controls a movement speed of the toner image carrying member. The controller changes the movement speed of the toner image carrying member in accordance with a position, on the transport path, of the recording medium that the transporting unit transports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Udaka, Kozo Tagawa, Naoto Nishi, Yoshiki Matsuzaki, Shun Yashima