Including Skew Correction Responsive To Position Of Sheet Or Web Patents (Class 400/579)
  • Patent number: 11858260
    Abstract: Examples of a media management device for use in a media processing device are described, together with a media processing device for use with a media management device. The media management device supplies a continuous print media to the media processing device, while receiving the media from an external media source. The media management device is arranged to isolate a tension in the continuous print media experienced at the media processing device from a tension in the continuous print media experienced in the external media source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Pablo Eduardo Carrasco Zanini Gonzalez, Francisco Guerrero Carvajal, Marcos Arminana Terrasa
  • Patent number: 10915279
    Abstract: A printing apparatus has: a paper tray having edge guides, each of which can guide one edge of paper in its width direction intersecting the transport direction of the paper; a paper width sensor that detects a paper width allowable in the paper tray according to the positions of the edge guides; a display controller that displays, on a display unit, a paper size selection screen on which candidate paper sizes corresponding to the paper width detected by the paper width sensor are displayed; and a selected size storage section that stores, in a storage section, paper selection information in which the paper width and the paper size selected on the paper size selection screen are related to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ikumi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10602003
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a multi-function printing (MFP) device includes printing a calibration target image on a first side of a print medium from at least one print medium source with a printing device of the MFP device. The calibration target image includes at least one fiducial. The method includes scanning the first side of the print medium comprising the calibration target image with a scanning device of the MFP device to create a first scanned image, identifying at least one edge of the print medium via a background pattern to determine a number of scan measurements, identifying at least one position of the at least one fiducial within the calibration target image, and calculating a calibration target error based on the at least one fiducial and the scan measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric L Andersen, Kenneth Scott Line
  • Patent number: 9962969
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transport unit capable of transporting a medium, a detection unit capable of detecting a transport direction in which the transport unit transports the medium, a recording unit capable of performing recording on the medium transported by the transport unit, and a plurality of rotating bodies provided in an intersecting direction that intersects the transport direction. Each rotating body is capable of contacting a side surface of the medium opposite to a recording surface of the medium on which recording is performed by the recording unit and has a rotation shaft that extends in the intersecting direction. The apparatus further includes a control unit that controls rotation speed of each rotating body individually on the basis of a result of detection by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Kato, Tsuneyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9821976
    Abstract: An apparatus (1) serves to influence a running material web (2). To this end, the apparatus (1) has at least one adjustable roller (4), which deflects the material web (2). In order to improve the web running characteristics of the material web (2), the at least one roller (4) is adjustable by at least two degrees of freedom. Moreover, the at least one roller (4) is operatively connected to at least two actuators (17) such that at least one of the actuators (17) is assigned to each of the degrees of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TEXMAG GMBH VERTRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Jorg Vonderheiden
  • Patent number: 9452625
    Abstract: An architecture is presented that provides a dual port printer device for printing food safety labels. The dual port printer accommodates multiple widths of supply rolls and comprises two ports for the printed labels to exit from and a touch panel screen. Specifically, the touch panel screen is positioned in the center of a pivoting front door, with the printed labels exiting lower on the door, below the touch panel screen. Further, the dual port printer device comprises removable supply flanges which easily accommodate any width of supply roll within its minimum and maximum width limits, and an adjustable loading chute which would direct the supply web from the supply roll to the printing module for printing of the labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
    Inventor: John Mistyurik
  • Patent number: 9090108
    Abstract: A tape placement apparatus has a roll placement section in which a roll portion Ra of a tape roll is placed in a width direction, a feeding path on which a pulled-out portion Rb of the tape roll is set in the width direction and a set position regulation section that is provided in an outer surface side path formation section forming the feeding path and positionally regulates a width end at an upstream side in a set direction of the pulled-out portion set on the feeding path in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Nakajima, Akihiro Shintani, Nobuyuki Horii
  • Patent number: 9056736
    Abstract: A system is described for tracking a position of a receiver medium as it travels along a media path. A heat source provides heat to the receiver medium in a localized area sufficient to form a hole through the receiver medium thereby forming a reference mark. A light source illuminates a first side of the receiver medium, and a sensor located on a second side of the receiver medium senses light transmitted through the receiver medium thereby providing a sensed light level signal. The sensed light level signal is analyzed to determine a position of the receiver medium by detecting light transmitted through the hole through the receiver medium associated with the reference mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Piatt, Robert Edward Kauffman, James Douglas Wolf
  • Publication number: 20140205355
    Abstract: A system for reducing media skew within a printer, including a first roller, a second roller, a first sensor to measure the buckle height of a print media between the first and second rollers and generate a first signal, and a controller to receive the first signal and adjust the rotational speed of one of the first or second roller based on the first signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventor: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
  • Patent number: 8770879
    Abstract: A recording section is configured to record an image on a recording medium. An endless conveying belt has a surface disposed in confrontation with the recording section and is configured to move in a conveying direction with the recording medium supported by the surface, thereby conveying the recording medium in the conveying direction. A measuring section has a detecting region and configured to measure a position of the conveying belt with respect to a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the conveying direction. The measuring section includes an optical sensor that is configured to detect the position of the conveying belt with respect to the perpendicular direction. A sensor moving section is configured to move the sensor based on a measurement result of the measuring section, such that the conveying belt is detected in the detecting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Murakami
  • Patent number: 8740484
    Abstract: An image-forming device includes a conveying part, an image-forming part, first through third sensors, and a control part. The conveying part is configured and arranged to convey a continuous recording material. The image-forming part is configured and arranged to form an image on the recording material conveyed by the conveying part. The first through third sensors are configured and arranged to detect positions of an edge surface of the recording material conveyed by the conveying part. The control part is configured to calculate first through third shifting amounts based on the positions of the edge surface of the recording material simultaneously detected by the first through third sensors, respectively. The first shifting amount is generated by movement of the recording material, the second shifting amount is generated by rotation of the recording material, and the third shifting amount is generated by fluctuations in the edge surface of the recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Sato, Yujiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 8721206
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: at least one roller pair which has a driving roller and a driven roller facing the driving roller and which rotates while interposing the recording medium therebetween to transport the recording medium in a first direction; a recording section which records an image on the recording medium transported by the roller pair; a position detecting section which detects a position of the recording medium with respect to the roller pair in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction before the recording section starts recording; a determining section which determines a rotation amount of the driving roller before the recording section starts the recording depending on the position in the second direction of the recording medium detected by the position detecting section; and a control unit which controls the driving roller based on the rotation amount determined by the determining section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Horade
  • Patent number: 8594555
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein are directed to registering media in a duplex printing system. A first side of a sheet of media is registered in a first pass in response to detection of a first end of the sheet. A registration marker is deposited on the sheet proximate to a second end of the sheet in the first pass. The registration marker can include a marking material that is in the non-visible light range. A second side of the sheet is registered in a second pass in response to detection of the registration marker deposited on the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8475066
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a reverse unit configured to wind a sheet printed at a print unit around the reverse unit and to reverse the sides of the sheet, and the reverse unit includes a winding rotary member having a cylindrical shape, and a skew correcting unit configured to correct skewing of sheets to be led into the winding rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Manabu Kanazawa, Tetsuhiro Nitta, Kota Uchida
  • Patent number: 8430583
    Abstract: Provided is a printing device including: a transport unit configured to transport a sheet-shape printing medium; a printing unit configured to print an image on the printing medium transported by the transport unit; a shape detection unit configured to detect the shape of edges of the printing medium; a position detection unit configured to detect the positions of the edges when an image is printed on the printing medium by the printing unit; and a first determination unit configured to determine the attitude of the printing medium based on the shape of the edges detected by the shape detection unit and the positions of the edges detected by the position detection unit, wherein the printing unit controls a printing position based on the attitude of the printing medium determined by the first determination unit and performs printing on the printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8416475
    Abstract: In a state where a second power transmission path of transmitting power from the second planetary gear to the cam driving gear through the intermediate gear is selected, when the intermediate gear is opposed to the non-tooth portion for the release position of the cam driving gear, the rotation direction of the driving motor is changed to select a first power transmission path of directly transmitting power from the first planetary gear to the cam driving gear, the non-tooth portion for the release position deviates from the opposed position of the intermediate gear, and the rotation direction of the driving motor is changed again to select the second power transmission path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Aoki, Ryo Honma
  • Patent number: 8376639
    Abstract: According to aspects described herein, there is disclosed an apparatus for de-skewing substrate media in a printing system. The apparatus including and idler roller and a drive roller. The idler roller for engaging substrate media. The drive roller cooperating with the idler roller to form a nip assembly for moving the substrate media in a process direction. The drive roller rotatably supported on a shaft axis by a first bearing element and a second bearing element. The first and second bearing elements disposed remote from one another along the shaft axis. The shaft axis pivotally supported at the first bearing element for aligning the shaft axis with a substrate media skew. The shaft axis configured to pivot about a pivot axis perpendicular to the shaft axis and extending through the first bearing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph J. Ferrara, Joseph M. Ferrara
  • 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: 8331738
    Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for reducing a size of a memory buffer used by an electronic registration correction system performing an electronic registration correction on a digital image. The present method uses column address segmentation to identify blocks of scanlines within a spatially mapped array of image pixels comprising a digital image. Advantageously, the present system and method reduces scanline buffer memory by a factor of 2n-1, where n is the number of column address segments. Buffering can be performed at almost any upstream location in the image path. The present method is well suited for high resolution imaging equipment where memory is constrained by design, cost, or space limitations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Hosier, Jess R. Gentner, Kenneth R. Miller
  • Patent number: 8303101
    Abstract: A roller assembly for use in a printer includes a shaft with two ends and a pair of conical rollers. Each of the conical rollers is disposed on the shaft near each of the ends. The roller assembly guides a medium within the printer without damaging a freshly-printed surface of the medium. A printer including the roller assembly and a belt in contact with the roller assembly is also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Eric M. Innes
  • Publication number: 20120224903
    Abstract: A medium transport apparatus includes a medium guide member that forms part of the curved transport path and guides a medium to a downstream side, and that is provided so as to be capable of pivoting at an outward side from the curved transport path, and that changes the size of a space of part of the curved transport path by pivoting. The medium guide member has a pivot axis that is in an upstream side direction of a guide surface that guides the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryo HONMA
  • Publication number: 20120219343
    Abstract: According to aspects described herein, there is disclosed an apparatus for de-skewing substrate media in a printing system. The apparatus including and idler roller and a drive roller. The idler roller for engaging substrate media. The drive roller cooperating with the idler roller to form a nip assembly for moving the substrate media in a process direction. The drive roller rotatably supported on a shaft axis by a first bearing element and a second bearing element. The first and second bearing elements disposed remote from one another along the shaft axis. The shaft axis pivotally supported at the first bearing element for aligning the shaft axis with a substrate media skew. The shaft axis configured to pivot about a pivot axis perpendicular to the shaft axis and extending through the first bearing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph J. Ferrara, Joseph M. Ferrara
  • Patent number: 8231288
    Abstract: A rotary shaft locking device includes a locking unit having a transmission gear receiving rotary torque from a power source, transmitting rotary torque to a rotary shaft as the transmission gear receives rotary torque from the power source, and locking the rotary shaft as transmission of rotary torque from the power source is cut off, and a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear provided to be meshed with a sun gear and to planetarily move around the sun gear, and displaced between a meshed position and an unmeshed position so as to be meshed with and separated from the transmission gear. The locking unit locks the rotary shaft for a power cutoff time which occurs when the rotation direction of the sun gear is switched and for which the transmission gear is not meshed with both the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kawamura, Yu Shinagawa, Atsuhiko Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8215855
    Abstract: Provided is a device for the alignment of sheets in a printing machine, said device comprising two pairs of rollers for the alignment of the sheets in their advance direction, for the alignment transverse to their advance direction and with respect to skewing, whereby each pair of rollers consists of a driving roller and of a counter-pressure roller. One drive unit is provided for each of the two driving rollers, whereby each of the drive units consists of a motor and a drive shaft linked therewith, whereby the driving rollers are non-torsionally accommodated on respective drive shafts. The driving rollers can be slid in linear direction on their drive shaft, or the respective drive shafts, and thus the driving rollers accommodated thereon, can be linearly shifted with respect to their drive motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas Jacobsen, Juergen Sahlmann, Bernhard A. Linke, Rolf Spilz, Christoph J. Ochmann, Joerg V. Malottki
  • Patent number: 8206048
    Abstract: According to aspects described herein, there is disclosed an apparatus for de-skewing substrate media in a printing system. The apparatus includes at least one sensor for measuring skew of the substrate media being transferred relative to a process direction. The apparatus also includes a nip assembly for moving the substrate media in the process direction. The nip assembly includes a drive roller and an idler roller for engaging the substrate media. The drive roller is rotatably supported on a shaft axis, with the shaft axis being pivotally supported substantially at one end thereof for aligning the shaft axis with the measured substrate media skew. The shaft axis pivots about a pivot axis perpendicular to the shaft axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph J. Ferrara, Joseph M. Ferrara
  • Patent number: 8182162
    Abstract: A barcode label retention device is provided for a barcode printer. The barcode label retention device includes s at least one pair of label roll retainers, at least one pair of resilient elements, and at least one pair of fixing plates. The label roll retainers are mounted inside a housing of a barcode printer and spaced from each other to receive and retain a label roll therebetween. The resilient elements are arranged inside each label roll retainer, and the fixing plates are arranged inside each label roll retainer. The fixing plate is connected to the resilient element to provide the fixing plate with resiliency for inward depressibility or outward biasing so that a front portion of the fixing plate projects inwards beyond the label roll retainer to abut against opposite ends of the label roll, whereby the label roll can be securely held by the two fixing plates engaging the opposite ends thereof and the path of a winding/unwinding operation can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: TSC Auto ID Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shang-Shih Kuo, Chin-Chuan Liu
  • Patent number: 8182163
    Abstract: A label roll positioning device is provided for a barcode printer and includes at least one slide rail, at least one positioning rail, and at least one pair of roll retainers. The slide rail and the positioning rail are arranged in a parallel manner inside a housing of the barcode printer. The positioning rail forms teeth on a surface thereof. At least one of the roll retainers has a bottom forming a mounting portion that is slidably fit and mounted to the slide rail for being slidable along the slide rail. The roll retainers are spaced to receive a roll of label therebetween in a securely held manner. The roll retainer is provided therein at least one positioning plug having an end forming a locking section. The positioning plug can be downward driven to have the locking section downward projecting out of the roll retainer, and the positioning plug can be upward driven to have the locking section back into concealment inside the roll retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: TSC Auto ID Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shang-Shih Kuo, Chin-Chuan Liu
  • Patent number: 8172968
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for contacting a flexible sheet to a first element with improved lateral alignment. The method includes a step of measuring a first lateral misalignment after establishing a first contact between the flexible sheet and either of the first element and a sheet parking surface called anchor in the first stage. If the 5 misalignment exceeds a predetermined threshold the flexible sheet is parked at the anchor such that it is not in contact with the first element, and the relative position of the first element and the anchor is altered during the second stage for correcting the mismatch during a contact between the flexible sheet and the first element to be established within the next step of the method. During the steps of shifting the contact point to obtain the second stage 10 the contacting process is more accurate and reproducible than the process for establishing the initial contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Marcus Antonius Verschuuren, Mischa Megens
  • Publication number: 20120098879
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a substrate media registration system in a printing system. The registration system can include a deskewing system, a reflexive system, and a controller. The deskewing system is configured to deskew substrate media. The reflexive system is configured to detect the lateral position of the substrate media and at least one of a lead edge and a trail edge of the substrate media being transported in the process direction. The controller is operatively coupled to the reflexive system and is configured to control ejection of ink from a print head system in response to detecting the lateral position of the substrate media and at least one of the lead edge and the trail edge of the substrate media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Barry P. Mandel, Joannes N.M. de Jong, Injae Choi, Marina Tharayil, Dusan G. Lysy, Lloyd A. Williams
  • Patent number: 8043016
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by conveying the recording medium in a direction orthogonal to a scanning direction of a carriage having a recording head includes a first detecting unit mounted on the carriage and configured to detect the recording medium; a second detecting unit placed upstream from the first detecting unit in the direction that the recording medium is conveyed and configured to detect the recording medium; and a control unit configured to control operations of the image forming apparatus based on a detection result from the first detecting unit or the second detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Kogure, Shinji Imoto
  • Patent number: 7766569
    Abstract: The method comprises the steps of feeding media from a media roll, arranged about an axis, through an input driving device and an output driving device of the media advance mechanism, wherein the output driving device engages the media with lower friction than said input driving device; releasing said input driving device such that it does not engage the media; and causing the media to move in the media advance mechanism such that the media is pulled taut between the roll and the output driving device and later the media slips with respect to said output driving device, whereby the media is aligned at right angles to the roll axis by effect of the friction between the media and the output driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eduardo Martin, Martin Urrutia, Antonio Monclus, Jordi Gimenez, David Claramunt
  • Publication number: 20100172684
    Abstract: A paper feeding device for feeding a sheet of printing paper to a printing position of a printing apparatus in order to print the paper is disclosed. The paper feeding device includes a paper tray that stores plural sheets of the paper, a transport unit that transports the paper from the paper tray to the printing position, a guide unit that is provided to adjust a guide width in accordance with the width of the paper which is substantially perpendicular to a feeding direction of the paper transported by the transport unit, and to guide the paper which is transported from the paper tray by the transport unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 7650838
    Abstract: In a method or device for control of a printer or copier, a series of discrete signal states is generated with which a drive unit for conveyance of a carrier material to be printed is controlled. A control signal is generated to end the conveyance of the carrier material. Based on the control signal, the generated series of the discrete signal states is changed at an earliest with a changed signal state following the control signal. A positioning error of the carrier material is caused due to a time period between the control signal and the changed signal state is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Bartosch, Heinrich Lay
  • Patent number: 7618205
    Abstract: A web conveyance mechanism for conveying a band-type web includes: a side guide provided on one end side of the web in its width direction that guides one end of the web in the width direction which abuts on the side guide and that serves as a positional reference in the width direction for the web; an abutting unit that pushes the web to the side guide and adjusts an abutting force with which the web pushes the side guide; a measuring unit that measures the abutting force with which the web abutting on the side guide pushes the side guide; and a controller that adjusts the abutting unit so as to obtain a desired abutting force based on a result of detection by the measuring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keijirou Hamaba, Yoshihisa Takanozawa, Yukihide Toda
  • Publication number: 20090279933
    Abstract: A rotary shaft locking device includes a locking unit having a transmission gear receiving rotary torque from a power source, transmitting rotary torque to a rotary shaft as the transmission gear receives rotary torque from the power source, and locking the rotary shaft as transmission of rotary torque from the power source is cut off, and a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear provided to be meshed with a sun gear and to planetarily move around the sun gear, and displaced between a meshed position and an unmeshed position so as to be meshed with and separated from the transmission gear. The locking unit locks the rotary shaft for a power cutoff time which occurs when the rotation direction of the sun gear is switched and for which the transmission gear is not meshed with both the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi KAWAMURA, Yu SHINAGAWA, Atsuhiko TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 7607468
    Abstract: In the case the die cut label sheet is mounted, by detection of threshold voltage of output signal of the photo sensor, each label provisionally adhered to a front surface of the die cut label sheet is fed to a print start position. In the case the unfixed-length roll sheet is mounted, if the feeding speed is less than 40 mm/sec, by detection of threshold voltage of output signal of the photo sensor, the feeding state of unfixed-length roll sheet is judged, or if the feeding speed is not less than 40 mm/sec, on the basis of voltage change for the predetermined potential difference portion of output signal of the photo sensor, the feeding state of unfixed-length roll sheet is judged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Yusuke Ota, Satoru Moriyama, Jun Jiang, Hirotsugu Unotoro
  • Patent number: 7600935
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a planetary gear mechanism that transmits driving force from a driving motor to a resist roller when a cover is closed, and that stops transmitting the driving force to the resist roller when the cover is opened. The planetary gear mechanism includes a first gear to which the driving force from the driving motor is transmitted; a second gear that transmits the driving force to the resist roller; a planetary gear provided between the first and second gears; and a third gear that transmits the driving force from the first gear to the second gear via the planetary gear when the ratchet gear is locked by a lever, and that disconnects the transmission of the driving force to the resist roller when the ratchet gear is not locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Koba, Shinichiro Tsunematsu, Hirofumi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7574167
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having therein an image forming device that transfers an image onto a transfer sheet and a reversing device that reverses the transfer sheet, wherein the image forming device transfers an image on the front surface of the transfer sheet, then, the reversing device reverses the sheet, and the image forming device transfers an image onto the rear surface of the sheet and the image forming apparatus further has therein a correcting device that corrects the overall skew of the transfer sheet depending on an inclination of a leading side of a transfer sheet in the conveyance direction set in advance before an image is formed on the front surface, and corrects the overall skew of the transfer sheet depending on an inclination of a leading side of a transfer sheet in the conveyance direction set in advance before an image is formed on the rear surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Okamoto, Satoshi Sakata, Kenji Yamamoto, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Kazutoshi Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 7549813
    Abstract: The print start position, in a predetermined direction, of a medium to be printed is determined with high precision and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hironori Endo
  • Patent number: 7447478
    Abstract: An image forming member has a first sheet conveying member arranged at upstream side of a sheet conveying path of a sheet material, a second sheet conveying member arranged at downstream side of said sheet conveying path, a guide member which is provided between the first and the second sheet conveying members and guides the sheet material and a movable portion which is provided in the guide member and executes front-and-far-side adjustment of the sheet material by moving a portion against which the tip of sheet material is abutted in parallel to a sheet width direction perpendicular to a conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takematsu, Jiro Shirakata, Hisashi Otaka, Kohei Koshida, Kenichi Manabe, Hideaki Miyazawa, Hideaki Kosasa, Yuji Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 7410167
    Abstract: A method for feeding a recording medium includes the steps of: feeding the recording medium along a sheet-feeding path by a unit feeding amount, detecting an entrance of a rear end of the recording medium into a jumping alarm area, dividing the unit feeding amount into minute divisional feeding amounts such that the recording medium is fed by each minute divisional feeding amount when the rear end of the recording medium enters the jumping alarm area, detecting a jumping amount of the recording medium corresponding to a rotation of a driving roller when a jumping phenomenon occurs in the recording medium, and adjusting the minute divisional feeding amount to cancel the jumping amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Koga, Masatoshi Izuchi, Tetsuya Ouchi, Shohei Koide
  • Publication number: 20080181707
    Abstract: The method comprises the steps of feeding media from a media roll, arranged about an axis, through an input driving device and an output driving device of the media advance mechanism, wherein the output driving device engages the media with lower friction than said input driving device; releasing said input driving device such that it does not engage the media; and causing the media to move in the media advance mechanism such that the media is pulled taut between the roll and the output driving device and later the media slips with respect to said output driving device, whereby the media is aligned at right angles to the roll axis by effect of the friction between the media and the output driving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Eduardo Martin, Martin Urrutia, Antonio Monclus, Jordi Gimenez, David Claramunt
  • Patent number: 7401990
    Abstract: A plurality of scanner bars is arranged in precisely located holes in the frame of a media handling device to detect the passage of the lead and trail edge of media. The multiplicity of scanner bars, arranged linearly at a right angle to the direction of motion of the media, is sampled at some frequency. The scanner bars give not only arrival and departure time of the media from each scanner bar location, but also making some assumptions about the shape of the media, information about the orientation of the media relative to the direction of motion. This information can be used to diagnose improper media handling mechanisms upstream of the sensor or provide information to downstream corrective mechanisms. Preprinted test media, such as, ladder charts, etc., can be used to extract velocity profiles and other paper path dynamic characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert P. Siegel, Ewart O. LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 7395025
    Abstract: A paper transporting apparatus transporting continuous paper to a paper processing part that performs designated processing on the continuous paper includes a drive roller that transports the continuous paper in a forward direction with respect to the paper processing part and a direction opposite to the forward direction by a frictional force, a pre-centering mechanism, disposed upstream of the drive roller with respect to the forward direction, that regulates a position of the continuous paper with respect to the forward direction and a direction orthogonal to the forward direction by abutting against the continuous paper, and a tension increasing mechanism, disposed upstream of the pre-centering mechanism with respect to the forward direction, that increases tension on the continuous paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Matsuzuki, Shigeo Ishida
  • Patent number: 7319842
    Abstract: To provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of enhancing an accuracy of correcting a skew of a sheet, and of preventing position shift of a sheet. The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet by a sheet conveying unit disposed along a sheet conveying path, including: a skew detection sensor for detecting a skew of the sheet with respect to a sheet conveying direction by a plurality of detection sensors disposed in a direction intersecting perpendicularly the sheet conveying direction; and a skew correction roller adapted to be pivotally moved in a direction of correction of a skew of the sheet in a state with the skewed sheet being held on the basis of a detection signal from the skew detection sensor, in which one of the plurality of detection sensors of the skew detection sensor is disposed nearly on an extension line from a pivotal movement center of the skew correction roller in the sheet conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriaki Koyanagi, Takeshi Suga
  • Publication number: 20080008513
    Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method capable of appropriately preventing a printing medium from being diagonally conveyed upon feed regardless of changes in printing medium feed conditions. In this invention, the maximum output value of a PWM signal is compared with the sum of a predetermined bias value and the PWM signal when a sensor detects the tip of a fed printing medium. If the sum is smaller than the maximum output value, it is monitored that the value of the PWM signal increases by the bias value. If the sum is equal to or larger than the maximum output value, it is monitored that the conveyance speed of the printing medium becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Control is performed on the basis of the monitor results to stop driving a DC motor that supplies a driving force to rollers used for feed and conveyance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kakishima, Shinya Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7305209
    Abstract: In an image reading device of a multifunction device, a sheet transport device is provided with a resist roller and a resist roller in a sheet transport path extending from a document tray on which a document as a sheet is placed to an image reading region where reading of a document is performed. The resist roller and a roller correct skewing of the sheet and delivers the sheet to a transport path extending to the resist roller placed in front of the image reading region. After having been corrected once in the resist roller, the document is transported to the resist roller, so that it is possible to reliably correct skewing of the sheet with the resist roller and the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sohichi Takata, Kazuo Nakamura, Hiroyuki Nagao, Takasi Nisida
  • Patent number: 7277669
    Abstract: Systems and methods of registering a sheet in an image reproduction, e.g., a xerographic, device use sheet parameters regardless of the tray or bin with which the sheets are associated, separate tallies of sheet registration correction factors for both sides of a sheet, and use registration errors detected on a first side of a sheet to generate correction factors concerning proper registration of the second side of that sheet. In embodiments, the systems and methods average registration errors for one particular side of a plurality of sheets to obtain a dampened error signal that is taken into account for registration of subsequent sheets on each respective sheet side. In embodiments, the systems and methods determine variations between actual and target system performance to affect subsequent sheet flow and registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Howe
  • Patent number: 7158751
    Abstract: Systems and methods of registering a sheet in an image reproduction, e.g., a xerographic, device use sheet parameters regardless of the tray or bin with which the sheets are associated, separate tallies of sheet registration correction factors for both sides of a sheet, and use registration errors detected on a first side of a sheet to generate correction factors concerning proper registration of the second side of that sheet. In embodiments, the systems and methods average registration errors for one particular side of a plurality of sheets to obtain a damped error signal that is taken into account for registration of subsequent sheets on each respective sheet side. In embodiments, the systems and methods determine variations between actual and target system performance to affect subsequent sheet flow and registration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Howe
  • Patent number: 7134658
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Tsuyosi Yamanaka, Masafumi Furuyama, Toru Fukushima