And Delivering To Sheet Receiver (e.g., By Roller Couple) Patents (Class 400/625)
  • Patent number: 7404558
    Abstract: A sheet supplying device has a sheet delivering roller for delivering sheets one by one; a feeding roller for feeding the sheet delivered by the sheet delivering roller; a pinch roller urged by the feeding roller to be rotated by the feeding roller; a detecting lever swingable by being contacted by a leading of the sheet delivered by the sheet delivering roller; and a sensor for detecting the swing motion of the detecting lever. An area of said detecting lever to which the leading end of the sheet is contactable is such a curved surface that a distance from a nip between the feeding roller and the pinch roller is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Kanome
  • Patent number: 7398916
    Abstract: A printer is provided having a print media supply, at least one printhead arranged to print on traveling print media, a feeder arranged to feed print media from the print media supply along a media path past the printhead, and a binder arranged on the media path for binding the print media printed on by the printhead. The print media supply, the printhead and the binder are arranged so that the media path is substantially straight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7396121
    Abstract: An ink jet printer has two first driven rollers (A) disposed at a most upstream position in a secondary scanning direction, two first driven rollers (B) disposed at an intermediate position in the secondary scanning direction, and a single first driven roller (C) disposed at a most downstream position in the secondary scanning direction. The pressing force on a trailing edge of the recording sheet (10) is dividedly released in three steps sequentially and, accordingly, the nipping force and feeding force working on the recording sheet (10) also vary stepwise. Load fluctuations that occur at the moment the trailing edge of the recording sheet (10) is released from the nipping force of the first transport roller (4) also vary stepwise, whereby it is not possible that the feed precision is disturbed in a moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoichi Kawai, Hideo Uwagaki, Hiromitsu Tsutsui, Nobuyuki Nakamura, Shigeo Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 7383016
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging device comprises generally, an image transfer station configured to transfer a toned image to a substrate, a fuser assembly configured to fuse the toned image to the substrate and a transport device configured to transfer the substrate from the image transfer station to the fuser assembly. The device further includes a controller for controlling a first process rate of the image transfer device and a second process rate of the transport device. The controller has a mode of operation wherein the first process rate is different from the second process rate when a hand off is performed to pass the substrate from the image transfer station to the transport device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian J. Lee, Peter B. Pickett, David A. Schneider, John P. Spicer
  • Patent number: 7371025
    Abstract: The present invention provides a low-profile printer. The printer has a claw installed on a plane which face an exposure surface of an instant film sheet, a single-rotation cam which completes a sequence of operations, and a three-rotation cam which rotates three times while the single-rotation cam makes a single rotation. The claw is equipped with a holding section which extends to the rear end, in the transport direction, of one of instant film sheets and holds the rear end of the instant film sheet. The raking motion of the claw is caused by the three-rotation cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Naruse, Yukitaka Takeshita
  • Patent number: 7367734
    Abstract: A printer less susceptible to paper jams, allowing reduction in number of components and having superior printing precision is provided. The printer includes a chassis, a printing portion mounted on the chassis for printing on a sheet of recording paper, a press roller rotatably mounted on the chassis, kept at an approximately constant distance from the printing portion for pressing the sheet of recording paper, a feed roller rotatably mounted on chassis, movable in directions toward and away from the press roller and holding the sheet of recording paper in close contact with the press roller, and a spring urging the feed roller to the press roller. The chassis has a guide portion extended to guide a sheet of recording paper between the press roller and the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Saeki
  • Patent number: 7367733
    Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a sheet recording medium (12) has an entrance drive roller (16) paired with a corresponding entrance pressure roller (18) to form an entrance nip (14) for transporting the sheet recording medium (12) into a scanning section (20) between the entrance nip (14) and an exit nip (24). The exit nip (24) is formed by an exit drive roller (26) with a corresponding exit pressure roller (28) for transporting the recording medium (12) out from the scanning section (20). At each end of the entrance pressure roller (18), an entrance pressure roller actuation arm (120) actuates the entrance pressure roller (18) to exert variable force against the entrance drive roller (16). At each end of the exit pressure roller (28), an exit pressure roller actuation arm (130) actuates the exit pressure roller (28) to exert variable force against the exit drive roller (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Bedzyk, Jeffrey R. Hawver
  • Publication number: 20080056796
    Abstract: A sheet bundle printer peeling off and performing printing on an uppermost sheet of a peelably adhered sheet bundle includes a print head performing printing on the sheet, a platen roller, at a print position, cooperating with the print head to feed both the sheet and an ink ribbon, pinched therebetween, and a platen moving mechanism moving the platen roller between the print position and a non-print position. The platen moving mechanism includes a manual operation device manually moving the platen roller from the print to non-print positions and a press roller that made to contact or moved away from the platen roller by the manual operation device to move the platen roller from the print to non-print positions while pressing it when the press roller contacts it. At the non-print position, the sheet is allowed to pass between the press roller and the platen roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki SAKANO
  • Publication number: 20080014006
    Abstract: A bearing device include: (a) a bearing supporting a shaft, and having (a-1) a tubular body portion in which the shaft is rotatably received and (a-2) a radially projecting portion that projects from the tubular body portion outwardly in a radial direction of the tubular body portion; and (b) a bearing receiver plate having (b-1) a receiver hole in which the tubular body portion of the bearing is received, and (b-2) a cutout which extends from the receiver hole and which has an opening that opens outwardly of the bearing receiver plate, such that the bearing can be introduced into the receiver hole via the cutout. The bearing receiver plate and the radially projecting portion of the bearing cooperate with each other to establish (i) a rotation preventer preventing rotation of the bearing relative to the bearing receiver plate and (ii) a backlash reducer reducing play of the bearing relative to the bearing receiver plate. Also disclosed is an image recording apparatus including the bearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaru Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20080008516
    Abstract: A printer dock for use with a digital data terminal, has a housing having a paper inlet portal, a first tray receiver, and a second tray receiver. The first tray receiver adjoins the paper inlet portal. The second tray receiver is disposed in spaced relation to the paper inlet portal. A printer engine is disposed in the housing. The printer engine has a paper path extending from an entrance facing the paper inlet portal. A device interface is operatively connectable to the data terminal and the printer engine. A paper tray is alternately mountable in a use position and a storage position. The paper tray, in the use position, is located in the first tray receiver and is disposed in operative relation to the printer engine. The paper tray, in the storage position, is located within the second tray receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Steven M. Bryant, Steven S. Chapman, James G. Rydelek
  • Patent number: 7310495
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can perform stable sheet conveyance, regardless of whether a sheet processing apparatus is connected thereto. The image forming apparatus can be connected to a sheet processing apparatus that performs post processing on each conveyed sheet. The image forming apparatus includes: a pair of discharge rollers that are located at the discharge outlet of the image forming main body for sheet conveyance, and have rotational members arranged so as to alternately face both sides of each sheet in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and an upper discharge roller holding member that changes the center distance between the discharge rollers from a first center distance observed when the sheet processing apparatus is not connected to the image forming main body to a second center distance observed when the sheet processing apparatus is connected to the image forming main body to convey a sheet to the sheet processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naonori Kayama, Takashi Kuwata, Junichi Sekiyama
  • Patent number: 7303345
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording an image onto a sheet medium (12) has an entrance drive roller (16) paired with a corresponding entrance pressure roller (18) to form an entrance nip (14) for transporting the sheet medium into an image recording section (20). The image recording section has a write head (56) for recording onto a portion of the sheet medium being transported between the entrance nip (14) and exit nip (24). The exit nip is formed by a drive roller (26) paired with a corresponding exit pressure roller (28) for transporting the sheet medium out from the image recording section. A motor (60) provides rotary motion to a pinion roller (40) mechanically coupled to the entrance and exit drive rollers (16, 26). A loading mechanism provides a loading force to nest the pinion roller into rotational contact against a portion of the entrance and exit drive rollers (16, 26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Bedzyk, Jeffery R. Hawver
  • Patent number: 7287922
    Abstract: A backup roller is formed by a member having a rotational axis and a circumferential region around which a plurality of teeth are arranged. Each tooth of the plurality of teeth has a tip end extending in a direction away from the rotational axis. When the backup roller is rotated the tip end of each of the plurality of teeth sequentially extends toward the rotational axis of a drive roller at an angle non-orthogonal to the rotational axis of the drive roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Andrew Buxton, Daniel Robert LaBar, Michael William Lawrence, Robert Michael Meadows
  • Patent number: 7281791
    Abstract: A recording apparatus has a recording medium feeding mechanism for feeding a recording medium by one at a time, a recording head for performing recording, a discharging roller having a discharging driven roller and a discharge driving roller and a recording medium stacker capable of being changed to a first position in which recording is performed on a hard recording medium and a second position in which recording is performed on a recording medium fed by the recording medium feeding mechanism, wherein the discharging driven roller is in contact with the discharge driving roller in case the recording medium stacker is in second position, and the discharging driven roller is separated from a recording medium transfer path in case the recording medium stacker is in first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Anami, Takayuki Shiota, Mamoru Ukita, Narihiro Oki, Satoshi Nakata, Kazuo Otsuka
  • Patent number: 7275483
    Abstract: An anti-jam bezel is provided for dispensing a flexible substrate from an output slot. A guideway is provided for receiving the flexible substrate from a transport and guiding the flexible substrate into the output slot. The guideway may extend from the output slot to the transport to provide a substrate receiving opening. The bezel body is adapted for mounting with the substrate receiving opening adjacent the transport such that the guideway catches a leading edge of the substrate after the substrate exits the transport and guides the leading edge into the output slot. In the event the output slot is blocked, the guideway is adapted to guide at least a portion of the substrate into the substrate receiving opening so that at least the portion of the substrate loops into the substrate receiving opening, thereby preventing a jam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: TransAct Technologies Incorporated
    Inventor: Larry Knobel
  • Patent number: 7267501
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that prints an image on a medium. A transport unit transports the medium in a first direction to supply the medium to the image forming unit, and in a second direction for printing. Media is stacked on a paper cassette. A medium supply and discharge unit picks up the medium from the paper cassette to supply the medium to the transport unit, and discharges the medium being transported in the second direction. The transport unit, the paper cassette, and the medium supply and discharge unit are located at the second direction of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-sok Yang
  • Patent number: 7263327
    Abstract: Problem The object is to provide an image-forming apparatus which is capable of releasing the heat generated in the apparatus without incorporating a fan. Means for Solving the Problem Three ribs 17 are provided to rise on the surface of a recording sheet-receiving tray 16 and to extend in the sheet discharge direction (arrow A direction) The three ribs 17 are arranged in the width direction of the recording paper sheet P held on the sheet-receiving tray 16. The number of the ribs 17 may be two, or four or more, regardless of the three ribs 17 as an example. The sheet-receiving tray 16 has many apertures 16a, 16b for connection of the inside of the casing 12 to the outside thereof. The heat generated by a polygon mirror-driving motor 18c, a fixation assembly 36, and so forth is released through many apertures 16a, 16b, 12a. Therefore, the laser beam printer 10 does not employ a fan for removing the heat from inside of the casing 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventor: Akihito Nagayama
  • Publication number: 20070172296
    Abstract: A printing head is operable to perform printing on a printing medium at a printing area. A first roller is adapted to transport the printing medium in a first direction toward the printing area. A second roller is disposed in a downstream side of the printing area in the first direction, and is adapted to transport the printing medium in the first direction. A first encoder is operable to detect rotation of the first roller to generate a first detection signal. A second encoder is operable to detect rotation of the second roller to generate a second detection signal. A controller is operable to control the rotation of the first roller and the rotation of the second roller based on the first detection signal and the second detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 7244072
    Abstract: An apparatus for recording an image onto a sheet medium (12) has an entrance nip (14) for transporting the sheet medium (12) into an image recording section (20). A write head (56) records onto a portion of the sheet medium (12) between the entrance nip (14) and exit nip (24). The exit nip (24) is formed by a drive roller (26) paired with a corresponding exit pressure roller (28). A motor (60) provides rotary motion to either the entrance drive roller (16) or the exit drive roller (26). A coupling apparatus (54) has a coupling roller (36) and a loading mechanism providing a loading force to nest the coupling roller (36) into continuous rotational contact against the entrance and exit drive rollers (16,26), whereby rotation is transferred between the exit drive roller (26) and the entrance drive roller (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeffery R. Hawver, Mark D. Bedzyk, Scott C. Milton
  • Patent number: 7222780
    Abstract: An inline printer assembly includes a chassis. A media supply bay is mounted on the chassis for storing sheets of print media. A feed mechanism is mounted on the chassis for feeding the sheets of print media from the paper supply bay along a feed path. A printer is mounted on the chassis downstream of the media supply bay for printing on media received from the supply bay. A binder binds printed media received from the printer. The media supply bay, the printer and the binder are configured so that the feed path is substantially straight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Paul Lapstun, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7198420
    Abstract: A printer 1 includes a sheet storage unit 6 in which a stack of sheets can be set, a pickup roller 12 which contacts one side of the stack of sheets set in the sheet storage unit 6, and a lid 10 which covers the other side of the stack of sheets. In this structure, each sheet 7 is conveyed toward a print mechanism unit 14 by the revolution of the pickup roller 12. The printer 1 is provided with first ribs 10a and a second rib 3a which forcibly curl the sheets 7 set in the sheet storage unit 6 in the sheet width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Yamamoto, Takashi Okumura, Hiroshi Taira, Keiji Seo
  • Patent number: 7176955
    Abstract: A feeder is provided inside an exposure section of a photographic printer. First and second feed-roller pairs are respectively disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of an exposing position of the feeder. A first nip roller of the first feed-roller pair and a second nip roller of the second feed-roller pair are movable between a nip position for nipping paper sheets, and a release position for releasing the nip thereof. The second nip roller is moved to the nip position after an anterior end of the paper sheet situated at the most upstream side has passed the second nip roller. The first nip roller is moved to the release position before a posterior end of the paper sheet situated at the most downstream side leaves the first nip roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7172352
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a bearing comprises a cylindrical bearing surface supporting a spherical journal surface. In another embodiment, a device comprises a shaft having a spherical journal surface supported inside and rotatable against a cylindrical bearing surface. In another embodiment, a sheet media feed mechanism comprises: a chassis; a motor mounted to the chassis; a rotatable shaft operatively coupled to the motor; a roller affixed to the shaft; an idler disposed opposite the roller; the idler and the roller engagable with one another to form a nip therebetween; bearings mounted to the chassis and supporting the shaft, each bearing having a cylindrical inner bearing surface; and the shaft having a spherical journal surface inside and rotatable against each bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Shawn Close, Mark C. Riehl
  • Patent number: 7165902
    Abstract: A printer and control method to control the operation of a printer to assure consistent print quality regardless of the paper length. A paper transportation control unit 101 and ASF control unit 103 drive a paper feed roller 78 and main paper transportation roller 23 for feeding a sheet S of print paper from the ASF 60 upon a paper transportation path and for advancing the sheet S of print paper on the paper transportation path in a first direction until the sheet S of print paper is discharged from the ASF 60, and then reversing the direction of travel of the sheet of paper S on the paper transportation path to convey the sheet S upon a reverse paper transportation path 80 disposed below the ASF 60 while positioning the sheet S to the print head 25a for printing by the print head 25a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keigo Ejiri, Toshiaki Koike, Noboru Otsuki
  • Patent number: 7167674
    Abstract: A sheet storage cassette includes: a case provided with a storage portion; a stacking plate on which a sheet is placed; and a lifting unit that lifts the stacking plate. The lifting unit has: a driving gear that communicates with an output gear of the device main body in a state where the sheet storage cassette is received in the device main body, is rotated by driving force transmitted from the output gear, and is provided with an engaged part; a swing portion that has an engaging part engaged with the engaged part, and lifts the stacking plate by a rotation of the driving gear; and a reverse rotation allowing unit that allows the driving gear to rotate in an opposite direction to a direction of lifting the stacking plate when inserting the sheet storage cassette into the device main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Hattori
  • Patent number: 7140796
    Abstract: A printer includes: a recording section for recording information on a recording medium; a medium carrying mechanism for carrying the recording medium on which information has been recorded by the recording section; a medium accommodating section extending in a vertical direction or in a slanted vertical direction for accommodating the recording medium carried by the medium carrying mechanism; and pusher means for pushing the recording medium carried by the medium carrying mechanism into the medium accommodating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuo, Koji Ikeda, Masaichiro Tatekawa, Yosuke Toyofuku, Hideaki Horio, Kazuyuki Nakashima
  • Patent number: 7140795
    Abstract: The printer can improve the workability of storing and ejecting printing sheets in or from a storage tray. The printer includes a storage tray comprising a sheet storage case for storing a stack of a plurality of printing sheets with at least one of the sides of the storage case being opened and a cover for covering the sheet storage case, wherein the cover comprises a cover body and an moveable member supported by the cover body for freely opening and closing the opening of the sheet storage case. When the entire storage tray is disposed in the slot of the chassis, a pick-up block ejects one printing sheet at a time, and when a part of the storage tray is pulled out of the slot of the chassis, the moveable member can be opened or closed and the printing sheet can be stored in or discharged from the sheet storage case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Shiraishi, Tomohiro Maekawa, Masatoshi Mikuriya
  • Patent number: 7121543
    Abstract: In a receiver for receiving a recording medium discharged from a recording apparatus, a pivotable receiving member receives the recording medium. A pivotable supporting member supports the receiving member so as to place one of a plurality of pivoting angles of the receiving member respectively associated with a plurality of using modes of the receiver. The receiver is provided in the leg section of the recording apparatus which is arranged below a discharging section from which the recording medium is discharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Fujioka
  • Patent number: 7104714
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 7086728
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a housing that defines a receiving formation for a media tray assembly. A chassis is positioned in the housing. A media tray assembly is displaceably engageable with the chassis to permit the tray assembly to be received in, and withdrawn from, the receiving formation. The media tray assembly and the housing define a print medium feed path. The media tray assembly includes a media tray in which a stack of print medium sheets can be stored. A feed mechanism is positioned on the media tray to feed the sheets from the tray. A printhead assembly is positioned downstream of the media tray to carry out a printing operation on the sheets as the sheets are fed from the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7083346
    Abstract: A paper discharge unit for an inkjet printer which ejects a sheet on which image printing is completed by an ink cartridge out of a printer main body. The paper discharge unit for an inkjet printer includes paper discharge rollers rotatably mounted in the printer main body to feed the printing-completed sheet out of the printer main body; and paper discharge guides disposed downstream of the paper discharge rollers in a direction the sheet is fed, and guiding upward the front end portion of the sheet ejected from the paper discharge rollers to prevent the rear end portion of the sheet from being lifted. Accordingly, the front end portion of the sheet is deformed by the paper discharge guides to restrain the end portion of the sheet facing a nozzle part of the ink cartridge from being in contact with the nozzle part when the sheet is ejected, so that image printing becomes possible up to the end portion of the sheet, to thereby improve the printing efficiency of the inkjet printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youn-gun Jung, Yong-duk Lee
  • Patent number: 7080948
    Abstract: A paper ejecting mechanism and an ink-jet printer having the paper ejecting mechanism. The paper ejecting mechanism includes an ejecting roller and a star wheel which eject a sheet of paper printed by a printhead into an output tray, and a paper stand installed under the ejecting roller which supports the paper when the ejecting roller is rotated in an ejecting direction, and drops the paper into the output tray when the ejecting roller is rotated in a reverse direction to the ejecting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung-wook Kang
  • Patent number: 7068969
    Abstract: Image forming methods and apparatuses capable of performing stable and fast sheet transfer operations are provided. In a continuous feed mode, a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet are successively fed from a sheet tray through first and second transfer rollers to an image forming position. When it is determined that a trailing edge of the preceding sheet has passed the first transfer roller, the driving of the first transfer roller is stopped for a predetermined time period. As a result, the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet are transferred with a desired sheet interval while suppressing sheet interval variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Ueda
  • Patent number: 7063408
    Abstract: A print media and ink supply cartridge includes a base molding and a cover molding between which there is located a deformable film. Ink is stored in a deformable volume between the deformable film and the cover molding. A number of ink outlet nozzles, which communicate with the deformable volume are formed into the cover molding whereas air inlets are formed into the base molding. Pierceable seals cover the ink nozzles and are pierced upon coupling of the cartridge to a printer. The cartridge is arranged so that the nozzles are located clear of the cartridge's print media housing in order that the nozzles are readily accessible to the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King
  • Patent number: 7063473
    Abstract: A first sheet passing path from an automatic sheet supplying section to a recording section and a second sheet passing path leading to an automatic reversing section from the recording section and leading to the recording section from the automatic reversing section share a part of them with each other, and the shared sheet passing path is provided with a guide member movable from a first position for the first sheet passing path to a second position for the second sheet passing path in synchronism with separation of a pinch roller from a sheet feeding roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuyo Ohashi, Junichi Yoshikawa, Masahiro Taniguro, Koya Iwakura
  • Patent number: 7052197
    Abstract: A printer system including a tray adapted for use with a printing mechanism. The tray includes a stationary portion, a rotatable portion, and a length adjuster. The stationary portion is adapted to be coupled with the print mechanism. The rotatable portion is rotatably coupled with and extends a first length from the stationary portion. The length adjuster is slidably coupled with the rotatable portion and is adapted to move along an adjustable length. The adjustable length is greater than the first length of the rotatable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mike Bowen, Jeffrey Bingham, Howard G. Wong
  • Patent number: 7021755
    Abstract: A small-sized printing apparatus, which is stable in printing operation and high in reliability, is provided, although the installation area and the utility area are small. For this purpose, the conveying direction of a supplied printing medium is reversed generally in the opposite direction, and then guided in the vertical direction. Thus, the printing medium is firmly supported. Also, since the printing medium exists beneath the printing section in the vertical direction during the printing operation, it is possible to prevent the interior of the apparatus from being contaminated with ink dropping down from the printing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ogura, Hiroyuki Ishinaga, Ryoji Inoue
  • Patent number: 6988844
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6986615
    Abstract: Backlash is reduced by stopping substrate short of a printing position, then slowly advancing the drive system to move the substrate to the printing position. Where a stepper motor drives a driven roller via a gear train, the stepper motor stops the substrate a predetermined number of steps shy of the printing position. The stepper motor is then advanced by the predetermined number of steps, taking up backlash and moving the substrate to the printing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R. Moore, Eric A. Merz
  • Patent number: 6984085
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6981765
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cartridge for use with a digital printing device. The cartridge includes a casing for housing print media and a supply of ink. The casing also includes a transport assembly which is adapted to cooperate with a powered gear provided on the printing device to thereby eject the print media from the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research PTY LTD
    Inventors: Tobin Allen King, Silverbrook Kia
  • Patent number: 6981809
    Abstract: A printing path arrangement for an inkjet type printer is provided in which a printing path is defined between print media feed rollers so that the print media is tensioned and unsupported through the printing path and a printing mechanism of the printer prints less than twice the upstream roller radius from the line of engagement of the upstream roller with the print media, so as to provide better printhead to media gap control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 6976800
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6974127
    Abstract: A drive apparatus of an ink jet printer using a single motor in which convey failure does not occur by preventing power from being transferred to the convey roller when paper is fed by the feed roller. In an ink jet printer where a sheet of paper stacked in a paper feed cassette is picked up by a pickup roller, conveyed by a convey roller and a pinch roller, and then printed by a printer head while being line-fed by the feed roller, the drive apparatus includes a first gear train disposed on a feed roller shaft with the feed roller assembled to swing within a predetermined angle on the feed roller shaft in a feed roller shaft rotation direction, a second gear train disposed on a frame of the ink jet printer to be in contact with the first gear train, and a third gear train with a front end gear connected with the rear end gear of the second gear train and a rear end gear coaxially disposed on a convey roller shaft with the convey roller assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung-wook Kang
  • Patent number: 6971810
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6971808
    Abstract: Card printing apparatus, for example, for printing identification cards, pass cards and the like generally comes with a relatively restricted size card input hopper. The number of cards that can be processed in a single operation is accordingly limited. The capacity for a single run of card printing can be materially increased without leading to card feed problems because of the increased pressure at the bottom of a stack of cards by arranging that at least part of the in-feed hopper is inclined away from the vertical. In order to maintain the footprint of the printer relatively small, the hopper preferably has two vertical sections and an intermediate inclined section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: NBS Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Chris Dawson
  • Patent number: 6962453
    Abstract: The present invention is characterized in that: a demanded printing-job is accepted at a printing-job accepting unit, and a printing executing unit executes printing according to the accepted printing-job so as to produce an output sheet onto a discharge tray; an output-sheet detecting unit detects the presence of a printed output-sheet on the discharge tray; if the removal of discharged sheets from the discharge tray is detected, a printed-sheet mixture determining unit determines the possibility that sheets printed corresponding to a plurality of demands are mixed among the removed output-sheets; and if it is determined the possibility that sheets printed corresponding to a plurality of the demands are mixed among the output-sheets, warning information is produced by a warning voice producing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Hirota, Tsuyoshi Yagisawa, Tetsuo Kosaka
  • Patent number: 6960038
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6957922
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 6955487
    Abstract: A printer includes a transporting block, a printing block, a positioning block, and an intermediate picking-up device. The positioning block is disposed between the transporting block and the printing block, and positions printing sheets transported by the transporting block at a predetermined location one at a time, so that they are positioned one at a time at a printing location of the printing block where printing is performed on the printing sheets. The intermediate picking-up means picks up the printing sheets positioned at the predetermined location in the positioning block one at a time in order to transport the printing sheets to the printing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Maekawa, Teruyasu Hanagami, Shogo Fujito, Atsushi Shiraishi