Discharge Of Copy (e.g., Exit Tray) Patents (Class 399/405)
  • Patent number: 9014613
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an ejection portion from which a first sheet and a second sheet having images formed in the image forming unit are to be ejected, an ejection tray including a receiving portion configured to receive the sheet ejected from the ejection portion, and a stopper portion disposed on a downstream side of the ejection tray in a sheet ejection direction further than the ejection portion. The receiving portion has first and second recessed portions, which are recessed downward therefrom. The stopper portion is configured to stop the sheet ejected from the ejection portion. The recessed portions are located downstream from the ejection portion and upstream from the stopper portion in the sheet ejection direction, and spaced apart from each other at least in the sheet ejection direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuya Okano
  • Patent number: 9010752
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to cool a sheet discharged onto an output sheet stacking surface while keeping the sheet from floating up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventor: Satoshi Nawa
  • Publication number: 20150098744
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, an image forming unit, a discharge unit, and a discharge tray. The image reading unit is configured to read a document placed on a document placement table by moving and scanning of a scanning body in a sub-scanning direction. The image forming unit is configured to form an image read by the image reading unit on a paper sheet. The discharge unit is configured to discharge the paper sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit to a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. The discharge tray is on which the paper sheet from the discharge unit is to be placed with a space portion at a lower side of the image reading unit. A bottom surface of a housing of the image reading unit facing the discharge tray is constituted of a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a surface at a front side of the discharge unit in a discharging direction and high with respect to the discharge tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Kenji Nakanishi, Masahiro Imoto, Yasuhiro Suto, Shohichi Fukutome, Hisashi Yamanaka, Mitsuharu Yoshimoto
  • Patent number: 8998197
    Abstract: A sheet stacking device includes a device main body, a sheet discharge unit, a sheet stacking portion and a sheet detector. The sheet discharge unit discharges sheets. The sheet stacking portion includes a sheet stacking surface on which the sheets are to be stacked. The opening is formed in the sheet stacking surface. The sheet detector includes a detection piece capable of projecting upwardly of the sheet stacking surface from the opening. The sheet detector detects a first state, a second state and a third state. The first state is a state where no sheet is placed on the sheet stacking surface. The second state is a state where a first number of the sheets discharged are placed on the sheet stacking surface. The third state is a state where a second number of the sheets larger than the first number are placed on the sheet stacking surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masaki Murashima
  • Patent number: 9002257
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a sheet roll supporter disposed below a main body of the image forming apparatus to support a sheet roll such that a sheet is fed from the sheet roll, an image forming unit to form an image on the sheet fed from the sheet roll, a sheet discharger disposed downstream from the image forming unit in a direction of conveyance of the sheet to discharge the sheet having the image thereon in a sheet discharging direction, a guide unit to guide the sheet discharged from the sheet discharger to the front of the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a stacking unit on which the sheet passing the guide unit is stacked. Upper and front parts of the sheet roll are covered with the guide unit and the stacking unit across a width direction of the sheet perpendicular to the sheet discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Soichi Saiga
  • Patent number: 8995014
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium, plural recording medium supply sections that supply a recording medium to the image forming section, a recording medium setting section that sets attributes of the recording medium supplied by the recording medium supply section, a function program registration section that makes function programs for executing processes that use processing functions relating to image formation correspond to recording medium attribute information relating to the recording medium usable for the function program and performs registration for each of the function programs, and a control section that controls whether or not the registered function program is executable based on the attributes of the recording medium set by the recording medium setting section and the recording medium attribute information registered by the function program registration section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tokihiro Ishiyama
  • Publication number: 20150086225
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a storage portion, an opening, a moving unit, and a pressing unit that can be moved between a pressing position where the pressing unit presses a surface of a sheet in a exposure state and a retreat position where the pressing unit retracts from the pressing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Hajime Sugaya
  • Publication number: 20150078797
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that executes image forming processing and stores sheets in a sheet storage location of the image forming apparatus even when the image forming processing results in needing to store more sheets that the amount of sheets storable in the sheet storage location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Takafumi Hirose
  • Patent number: 8977173
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to heat and fix an unfixed image, which is formed on a recording material, on the recording material, a rotating member provided with a metal shaft and configured to convey the recording material that has passed through the fixing unit, a cover member made of injection-molded resin and configured to cover the shaft of the rotating member from a recording material conveyance path side so that a portion of the rotating member in contact with the recording material is exposed, the cover member including a portion that has a U-shaped cross-section when viewed from one end side of the shaft, and a sheet member configured to cover an opening of the U-shaped portion of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Matsubara, Masato Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8970928
    Abstract: This invention provides a technique of preventing a collision between an original document and a printing material on a conveyance path when an image forming apparatus executes both additional printing on the original document and printing on the printing material. In a case where both additional printing on an original document and printing on a printing material are executed, the image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the invention conveys a read original document to a transfer unit through a conveyance path commonly used for an original document and sheet, and prints an image to be added on the original document. After the original document is conveyed to the transfer unit through the conveyance path, the image forming apparatus feeds a sheet from a sheet feeding unit to the conveyance path, and performs copying on the sheet in the transfer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junya Arakawa
  • Patent number: 8964199
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main conveyance path 13, a main discharge roller 17, and a main stacking tray 19. The sorting discharge unit 20 includes a subsidiary conveyance path 22, a change-over mechanism 23, a subsidiary discharge roller 24 and a subsidiary stacking tray 26. The subsidiary discharge roller 24 is provided on the most downstream side of the subsidiary conveyance path 22. The subsidiary stacking tray 26 is arranged above the main stacking tray 19 and the transfer sheet P discharged from the subsidiary discharge roller 24 is stacked in the subsidiary stacking tray 26. A stacking concave portion 29 which expands a stackable area of the subsidiary stacking tray 26 is formed below the subsidiary discharge roller 24.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuzo Onishi
  • Patent number: 8958740
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to discharge sheets may include pressing mechanism configured to downwardly press discharged sheets. For example, the pressing mechanism may include a first pressing member and a second pressing member. The first pressing member and the second pressing member may be located at least partially overlapping positions in the width-wise direction of the sheet. Additionally or alternatively, each of the first pressing member and the second pressing member may be configured to contact the sheet at different positions along a discharge direction. In one example, the different portions may be spaced apart from each other in the discharge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunori Watanabe, Tatsuya Koyama
  • Patent number: 8948681
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit forming an image on a recording sheet; a transport unit transporting the recording sheet; a support surface supporting the recording sheet; a rotating member having an outer peripheral surface pressed against the support surface and rotationally following the recording sheet when the recording sheet passes through between the support surface and the outer peripheral surface; an ascertaining unit ascertaining a length of the recording sheet on the basis of an amount of rotation of the rotating member; and a restricting unit restricting a movement of the rotating member that moves toward the support surface after the recording sheet passes through between the support surface and the outer peripheral surface, the restricting unit preventing the outer peripheral surface, which comes into contact with the recording sheet, and the support surface from coming into contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Furuya, Yoshinari Iwaki, Minoru Ohshima
  • Publication number: 20150016856
    Abstract: A sheet storing portion is maintained in a state in which a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are stacked is electrically insulated, when the sheet storing portion is contained in a containing portion of an image forming apparatus body at the time of formation of an image. The sheet stacking portion is switched from the insulation state to a grounding state in which the sheet stacking portion is grounded through a ground portion by a switching portion through an operation of drawing the sheet storing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Takateru Ohkubo, Keita Nakajima, Kentarou Tomoe, Akira Matsushima
  • Patent number: 8929801
    Abstract: An image forming device including a main frame, a fixing unit, and a sheet discharge guide. The main frame is formed with a sheet discharge opening. The fixing unit includes a heat member and a pressure member providing a nip portion in cooperation with the heat member to fix a developing agent image onto a sheet at the nip portion. The sheet discharge guide provides a generally U-shaped guide surface configured to turn around the sheet discharged from the fixing unit toward the sheet discharge opening. The sheet discharge guide is displaceable toward and away from the nip portion between a non displaced state and a displaced state. The sheet discharge guide is configured to guide the sheet toward the sheet discharge opening at the non displaced state and the displaced state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8929802
    Abstract: A discharge device includes a transport unit that transports a medium in the form of a sheet having a first surface and a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface; a contact member that comes into contact with the second surface of the medium transported by the transport unit, and that moves in a first direction in which the contact member presses the medium to a side of the first surface, and in a second direction opposite to the first direction within a predetermined range; a guide member provided so that the guide member does not come into contact with the contact member, that guides the medium transported by the transport unit while contacting the first surface of the medium, after the contact member comes into contact with the medium; and a discharge unit that discharges the medium guided by the guide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Yagi, Yukihiro Ichiki
  • Patent number: 8923746
    Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes a cover unit rotatably attached to one side of a main body of an image forming apparatus to cover a part of a sheet conveyance path, a first feeding member located in a main body of the apparatus, a second feeding member located in the cover unit in a displaceable manner and facing the first feeding member when the cover unit is closed and sandwiching and conveying a recording medium along the sheet conveyance path with the first feeding member, and a guide member disposed in the main body to guide the second feeding member. The guide member guides the second feeding member to move in a first direction that approaches the first feeding member when closing the cover unit and in a second direction that separates from the first feeding member when opening the cover unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Nakamura, Haruyuki Honda, Toshikane Nishii, Hirofumi Horita, Ippei Kimura, Masanori Namba
  • Patent number: 8908215
    Abstract: When implementing a purge processing for collecting a retention paper sheet remaining within an image forming system so as to eject the collected retention paper sheet to a plurality of paper sheet ejecting trays of a paper sheet ejecting section, based on paper sheet information regarding a paper sheet feeding tray from which each of the retention paper sheets is fed, a control section controls the paper sheet ejecting section so as to eject the retention paper sheets onto the plurality of paper sheet ejecting trays, in such a manner that a first retention paper sheet fed from a specific paper-sheet feeding tray is ejected separately from a second retention paper sheet fed from a paper sheet feeding tray other than the specific paper-sheet feeding tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Norishige Kato
  • Patent number: 8908236
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are presented for custom media size detection in a printing device. A user places standard or custom sized media in a media tray associated with a printing device. The media tray contains a media tray sensor which determines whether the media tray is closed and a media size sensor which determines whether the media tray is loaded with custom size media. If so, a computer processing device connected to the sensors and a visual display displays to the user the opportunity to select a media platen and image scanning device to scan an example media item with the same dimensions as the custom size media located in the media tray. The scanning device selected then scans an example media item a user has placed on the selected media platen, and data on the determined dimensions is presented to the user for confirmation or modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne Rudge, Peter Granby, Stephen Foster, Richard Bradford, John A. Kerslake, Christopher D. Olliffe
  • Patent number: 8908222
    Abstract: Each user can use an image forming system by performing authentication through an ID card. In a case where a first user does not remove an original even though reading of the original has finished, a user ID of the first user is stored. Next, when a second user removes the original, the user ID of the second user is stored associated with the user ID of the first user. The user ID of the first user who forgot the original and the user ID of the second user who removed this original are outputted, and therefore the first user can more easily discover the original by inquiring to the second user of the whereabouts of the original.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naohisa Nagata
  • Patent number: 8876106
    Abstract: To provide a recording device enabling unencumbered movement of a stacker to a target position at which an amount of extension that corresponds to the length of a medium is reached, a printer is provided with a conveyance unit for conveying paper, a paper length determination unit for determining the length of the paper in the direction of conveyance of the paper, a recording unit for recording onto the paper being conveyed, one stacker for receiving the already-recorded paper, an electric motor for driving the stacker, and a controller for controlling the electric motor. The controller (in particular, a stacker control unit) controls the electric motor and controls the stacker to a position at which the amount of extension that corresponds to the length of the paper is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Koyama, Yasuhiko Yoshihisa
  • Patent number: 8874022
    Abstract: A sheet placement unit on which a plurality of sheet bundles having been produced by folding a plurality of sheets are stacked while being overlapped. The sheet placement unit includes a sheet placement section on which the folded sheet bundle having been provided with a folding process is loaded, the sheet placement section being inclined so that a downstream side of the sheet placement section in a sheet conveying direction is higher than another side, a sheet conveyance device to convey the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet placement section in a sheet conveying direction while the plurality of sheet bundles are overlapped, and a sheet holding device provided swingably above the sheet placement section, the sheet holding device comprising a sheet contacting section which comes in contact an upper surface of the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet placement section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zen Kayaba, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20140314462
    Abstract: A scissor lift apparatus includes a sliding carriage member and a pivoting linkage added to a conventional scissor lift in order to lower the force required to lift a tray holding heavy media during the initial portion of the lifting action where the scissor lift is fully compressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Derek A. Bryl, Aaron M. Moore, Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8867057
    Abstract: This invention relates to a printing system configured to output printing media having undergone print processing by a print apparatus to a plurality of destinations including a specific destination which has a structure allowing an operator to take out the printing media. In the system, output of printing media to the specific destination is restricted while the operator takes out the printing medium outputted to the specific destination, and in case that the number of printing media necessary for a job processed by the print apparatus is smaller than a predetermined number, the system is controlled not to output to the specific destination a printed material formed from printing media smaller in number than the predetermined number. This invention can achieve efficient printing by controlling not to stop the print operation of the system as much as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Negishi
  • Patent number: 8862046
    Abstract: A sheet pressing device includes plurality of pressing members and a support member. The plurality of pressing members is provided on a downstream side in a discharging direction of fixing unit which carries out a fixing treatment over a sheet having an unfixed image transferred thereonto along the discharging direction. The plurality of pressing members presses both ends of the sheet in a direction along a surface of the sheet carried out the fixing treatment by the fixing unit and in a direction crossing the discharging direction. The support member supports the plurality of pressing members movably in such a direction as to approach or separate from the sheet when the sheet passes through the sheet pressing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Ichiki, Yasuki Tanaka, Motoyuki Yagi
  • Publication number: 20140294477
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a discharge port, a plurality of photosensitive bodies mounted in the housing, a transfer unit to transfer visible images formed on the plurality of photosensitive bodies onto a printing medium, a fusing unit to fuse transferred visible images to the printing medium, and a reverse unit to reverse a moving direction of the printing medium, after the printing medium has passed through the fusing unit. As the moving direction of the printed printing medium is reversed by the reverse unit, the printing medium may be discharged while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed downward, allowing a user to easily draw out the printing medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Jae Young JANG, Chang Kyung KO
  • Patent number: 8849180
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming part configure to form an image on a sheet of paper; and a paper ejection tray, provided above an image forming part, including a supporting part configured to support the sheet of paper ejected after having the image formed thereonto by the image forming part, and a radiation opening configured to radiate therethrough heat from the image forming part to the outside air. The radiation opening is provided lower than the supporting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kimura, Gakushi Tanaka, Tsuyoshi Endo
  • Patent number: 8840327
    Abstract: Processing time for switching discharge destinations can be reduced by providing a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a first parameter indicating a number of middle sheets included in one set of carbonless copy paper set in a sheet feed tray, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a second parameter indicating a number of middle sheets included in one target product, and a control unit configured to, if the second parameter is greater than the first parameter, print on a top sheet and a middle sheet needed for printing a print job, discharge a bottom sheet and a top sheet and a middle sheet included in a next set that are not needed for printing the print job to a discharge destination different from a discharge destination of the target product, and to print on a middle sheet and a bottom sheet needed for printing the print job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8837974
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a specifying unit configured to, when a user operation for instructing checking of printing is performed during printing, specify, according to a type of carbonless copy paper of a page being printed, carbonless copy paper for checking corresponding to the carbonless copy paper being printed, and an output unit configured to output the carbonless copy paper being printed and the carbonless copy paper for checking specified by the specifying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Munetaka Sakata
  • Patent number: 8821055
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a first feed path forming member, and an ejection portion. The first feed path forming member is disposed between the image forming unit and the fixing unit in the main body and forms a first feed path in which a transferring member is fed. The ejection portion includes a tray member disposed at an upper end portion of the main body and including a communication opening that provides communication between an inside and an outside of the main body. The communication opening is disposed between the image forming unit and the fixing unit in a plan view. The first feed path forming member includes a first through hole. The first through hole is open toward the communication opening and the communication opening is open toward the first through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masamitsu Ukai
  • Patent number: 8811869
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fusing apparatus including: a fusing section including a nipping section which conveys a recording medium while applying pressure and heat to the recording medium; an injecting section which is provided on a downstream side of a conveying direction of the recording medium with respect to the nipping section and which injects gas between a recording medium conveyed by the nipping section and attached to the fusing section and the fusing section; a detecting section which detects jamming of the recording medium in a conveying path of the recording medium; and a separating section which separates the injecting section from the fusing section when jamming of the recording medium is detected by the detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8811883
    Abstract: The present invention provides a printing apparatus and a printing method, in which a very thick and rigid printing medium such as board paper can be conveyed with stable conveyance accuracy, and in which a high-quality image can be printed thereon. In order to achieve this, paper on a front tray is conveyed onto a rear tray approximately along a plane containing a position on a platen, and then the paper is conveyed onto the front tray through the position on the platen. When the paper passes through the position on the platen, an image is printed on the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuo Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 8811884
    Abstract: A sheet discharge tray that forms a sheet-receiving unit in an image-forming apparatus includes a climbing slope from a sheet discharge direction start point to a sheet discharge direction end point. The sheet discharge direction end point is formed by a variable tray having a supporting portion provided on a side of the sheet discharge direction start point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiroh Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140212195
    Abstract: A bypass feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes an opening/closing unit opening and closing with respect to an apparatus body between a unit closed state and a unit open state, a bypass tray opening and closing with respect to the opening/closing unit between a tray closed state and a tray open state, a linkage including a flexible-member fixing member and connecting the opening/closing unit to the apparatus body, and a flexible member having one end fixed to the fixing member and the other end fixed to the bypass tray. When the opening/closing unit is changed to the unit open state while the bypass tray is rotated away from the opening/closing unit to the tray open state, the fixing member of the linkage shifts by pulling the flexible member to hold the bypass tray at a substantially horizontal line with respect to a sheet loading surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Jumpei AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 8787816
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a housing having a discharge port, a plurality of photosensitive bodies mounted in the housing, a transfer unit to transfer visible images formed on the plurality of photosensitive bodies onto a printing medium, a fusing unit to fuse transferred visible images to the printing medium, and a reverse unit to reverse a moving direction of the printing medium, after the printing medium has passed through the fusing unit. As the moving direction of the printed printing medium is reversed by the reverse unit, the printing medium may be discharged while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed downward, allowing a user to easily draw out the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae Young Jang, Chang Kyung Ko
  • Patent number: 8781389
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a printing device to print images on sheets using a printing operation and to initiate a discharge of printed sheets from a sheet discharge port onto the discharge tray disposed for the image forming apparatus; a counter operatively connected to the printing device to count the number of printed sheets based on content of a print job; a controller to determine whether the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches a maximum sheet stacking capacity of the discharge tray, the maximum sheet stacking capacity being determined by a distance between the sheet discharge port and the discharge tray; and a reporting device to report that the discharge tray is full when the controller determines that the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches the maximum sheet stacking capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Yanagida
  • Patent number: 8774702
    Abstract: There are provided a sheet post-processing apparatus which can reliably stack a sheet bundle in imbricated state without bending it and an image forming apparatus having the same. A sheet post-processing apparatus includes: a stacking portion which stacks a folded sheet bundle subjected to the folding process; a discharge portion which discharges the folded sheet bundle onto the stacking portion with the folded end thereof set to the leading position; and a conveying portion which conveys the folded sheet bundle stacked onto the stacking portion, wherein the conveying portion starts the conveyance of a previous folded sheet bundle at the timing at which the folded end of a next folded sheet bundle discharged by the discharge portion is abutted onto the previous folded sheet bundle which is being conveyed to the downstream side in the discharge direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akito Sekigawa
  • Patent number: 8774703
    Abstract: A stacking unit accommodates sheets stacked on it. The stacking unit is capable of moving up and down within an operation range from a predetermined upper limit to a predetermined lower limit. A determination unit releases a determination of the fully loaded state if elapsed time from the time when the determination unit determines that the stacking unit has been fully loaded with sheets to the time when a sheet detection unit again detects an uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets as a result of the stacking unit being lifted up when the sheet detection unit can no longer detect the sheet after detection of the sheet exceeding a first threshold time preset in correspondence with the amount of curl imparted to the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8768236
    Abstract: A duplex image forming apparatus includes a driving unit which has driving rollers and driven rollers to reversely feed the paper printed on the first surface to a duplex printing part or discharge the paper printed on the first and second surfaces, and a separation unit which separates the driven rollers from the driving rollers while the paper printed on the first surface is reversely fed and registered by duplex rollers of the duplex printing part. Accordingly, when the paper is registered by the duplex rollers, because the paper is not caught in the driving rollers and the driven rollers, the paper can be easily registered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung Bok Jung
  • Patent number: 8768238
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus connected to a conveying-speed-changeable sheet post processing device includes a discharging unit which discharges a sheet in a reverse discharge mode with front and back surfaces of the image-formed sheet reversed, and a non-reverse discharge mode without front and back surfaces of the image-formed sheet reversed, and discharges the sheet at a first speed or a second speed lower than the first speed; and a control unit which controls the discharging unit to discharge the sheet at the first speed in the reverse discharge mode and at the second speed in the non-reverse discharge mode. When the sheet is discharged at the second speed, the control unit controls the discharging unit to discharge a subsequent sheet at the second speed even if the subsequent sheet is to be discharged in the reverse discharge mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuniyasu Kimura, Yuichiro Maeda, Takuya Hayakawa, Hidenori Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8761657
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: a support portion configured to support first and second rollers to be able to increase/decrease a distance between an axis line of the first roller and an axis line of the second roller including a second roller body; an elastic member configured to urge at least one of the first and second rollers to relatively bring it close to the other; and a regulating portion configured to regulate, at a position at which part of the plurality of first roller bodies and part of the second roller body overlap each other in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, movement of the at least one of the first and second rollers in a direction of increasing the distance between the axis line of the first roller and the axis line of the second roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masato Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8752825
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, an image forming unit, a guide member, and a cover. The guide member is configured to be pivotable with respect to the apparatus body and is configured to guide the sheet along a transporting path. The cover is configured to be pivotable with respect to the apparatus body and is configured to open and close at least a part of the transporting path. The guide member includes a first engaging portion and the cover includes a second engaging portion which engages the first engaging portion of the guide member. One of the guide member and the cover includes an engagement guiding portion which guides one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion toward the other one of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, such that the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engages with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8750779
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byeong Hwa Ahn, Bong Hwan Choi, Yong Kon Jo
  • Patent number: 8736911
    Abstract: An image reader includes: a bottom wall that faces a discharge table of a main body of an image forming apparatus, to which a printed sheet is discharged, with a space formed therebetween, the bottom wall forming a bottom surface of a housing that receives an optical system and including a concave portion recessed into the inside of the housing without including a convex portion protruding toward the outside of the housing in a contactable area having a possibility that the printed sheet comes into contact therewith when the printed sheet is discharged to the discharge table, the bottom wall including the convex portion protruding toward the outside of the housing in the other areas except for the contactable area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 8734038
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that includes an image forming unit disposed in a main body and configured to form an image on a recording medium, an output tray provided in the main body and configured to receive the recording medium having an image formed thereon, and an ejection device provided in the main body and configured to eject the recording medium to the output tray. The apparatus may further include a movable sheet guiding member movably attached to the main body and a stationary sheet guiding member disposed downstream of the movable sheet guiding member in a recording medium ejection direction and above the output tray. The movable sheet guiding member can press a recording medium ejected from the ejection device downward, and the stationary sheet guiding member can protrude from the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nakamura, Takashi Saito
  • Patent number: 8727333
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus including a sheet accommodation device including at least one sheet accommodation section which accommodates a sheet before printing, a printing unit which prints an image on a sheet based on print data stored in a storage area, a discharged sheet accommodation device including at least one discharged sheet accommodation section which accommodates the printed sheet, a control device which selects a combination of a sheet accommodation section and a discharged sheet accommodation section such that a storage device completes storing print data into the storage area by a conveyance starting time of a sheet to be printed based on the print data, and which control a conveyance device to feed the sheet to be printed based on the print data from the sheet accommodation section to discharge the sheet to the discharged sheet accommodation section of the selected combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Ohmiya
  • Publication number: 20140126944
    Abstract: A present sheet processing apparatus controls to stack sheets on a sheet stack unit and controls to align sheets by a plurality of alignment members. When the alignment unit cannot align sheets, the apparatus prompts a user to move the alignment members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Kimura
  • Patent number: 8712314
    Abstract: A method of a sheet alignment includes carrying a sheet from a sheet discharging port; transferring the sheet on a tray device toward a sheet end regulating device; moving the sheet on the tray device in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction for widthwise alignment; and abutting again the sheet on the tray device against the sheet end regulating device while the sheet is in the widthwise alignment. When the sheet on the tray device is transferred toward the sheet end regulating device, the sheet is transferred at a predetermined speed. Before the sheet abuts against the sheet end regulating device, the speed is reduced to provide a conveying force to the sheet without stopping. While the conveying force is continuously applied to the sheet, the sheet is aligned in the width direction to thereby prevent skewing of the sheet relative to the sheet end regulating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Kubo, Masato Hosaka
  • Patent number: 8693940
    Abstract: A control method for a control apparatus includes obtaining an amount of a recording material applied on a first area of a sheet and an amount of a recording material applied on a second area of the sheet on the basis of image data recorded on the sheet stacked on a stacking unit; and performing control, in a case where a plurality of sheets are stacked on the stacking unit, so that a difference between a total amount of the recording material applied on the first area of the sheets and a total amount of the recording material applied on the second area of the sheets does not exceed a predetermined value on the basis of the obtained amount of the recording material. With this method, a limit of the number of stacked sheets is relieved while stability of the stacked sheets is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Amano
  • Patent number: 8681400
    Abstract: An image scanning device includes a scanning unit configured to scan, at a scanning position, an image of a document, a first discharge portion, a second discharge portion, a conveying unit configured to selectively convey the document along a first conveying path from the scanning position to the first discharge portion, and along a second conveying path from the scanning position to the second discharge portion, a driving unit configured to generate a driving force for driving the conveying unit, and a path switching unit configured to receive the driving force generated by the driving unit such that the path switching unit moves between a first position for guiding the document toward the first discharge portion, and a second position for guiding the document toward the second discharge portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuro Miura, Yoshinori Osakabe