Nisca Corporation

Canon Finetech Nisca Inc.

Xerox Corporation

Shinnosuke Enomoto

Junya Ozawa

Fumimasa Amemiya

Satoshi Tanaka

Seiji Nishizawa

Yuichi Kagami

Toru Ochiai

Hiroyuki Hirokawa

Fumihide Sakamoto

Masataka Hamada

Shogo Iwai

Shoubu Kato

Koji Ogino

Akito Yoda

Mamoru Dohi

A sheet folding apparatus includes: a conveying roller conveying a sheet in a predetermined conveying direction; a folding roller pair disposed downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction and rotating while nipping a predetermined position of the sheet to form a fold; a conveying path for conveying the sheet in the conveying direction from the conveying roller to the folding roller pair; an abutting member moving downstream in the conveying direction and abutting against the predetermined position of the sheet to bend the sheet downstream; and a loop space where the sheet is bent between the conveying roller and folding roller pair in a direction crossing the conveying direction. The folding roller pair stops while nipping a front end of the sheet fed from to form a loop of the sheet in the loop space, and the abutting member moves to abut against the loop.

Sheet folding apparatus and image forming system having the same

A sheet folding processing device includes a folding processing mechanism that includes a folding roller pair for forming a plurality of folds on the sheet conveyed in a predetermined sheet conveying direction to produce Z-fold, additional folding rollers and a lower folding guide. The additional folding rollers and the lower folding guide are arranged on the downstream side of the folding roller pair in the sheet conveying direction to face each other and cooperate with each other to press the folds. The interval between the folding roller pair and the additional folding rollers is determined such that when the leading fold as viewed in the sheet conveying direction is pressed between the additional folding rollers and the lower folding guide, the sheet part having a plurality of layers of sheet where the sheet is folded between the additional folding rollers can also be held between the folding roller pair.

Sheet folding processing device and image forming system having the same

A sheet pressing device includes a carry-in port that receives a Z-folded sheet having two folds; an additional folding roller disposed downstream of the carry-in port to press the fold; a lower folding guide having a pedestal disposed opposite to the additional folding roller; a first moving mechanism that moves the additional folding roller between a pressing position at which the additional folding roller is made to approach the pedestal and a retreat position at which the additional folding roller is moved relative to the pedestal from the pressing position; a second moving mechanism that moves the additional folding roller along the fold; and a control part. The control part controls the second moving mechanism so as to increase the number of times the additional folding roller is moved along the fold when a sheet section is positioned between the additional folding roller and the fold.

Sheet pressing device and image forming system having the same

A sheet pressing apparatus includes an inlet port for receiving a sheet having a folding line; additional folding rollers supported by a supporting member arranged downstream from the inlet port; a lower folding guide opposing the additional folding rollers; a first drive mechanism configured to move the additional folding rollers between a pressing position, at which the additional folding rollers approach the lower folding guide to press the sheet at the folding line, and a retreat position to which the additional folding rollers are moved from the pressing position, separating from the sheet; and a second drive mechanism configured to move the additional folding rollers along the folding line. The additional folding rollers are arranged such that one end of the folding line exists between the two additional folding rollers provided at one position and the additional folding roller at the other end position is arranged on the folding line.

Sheet pressing apparatus and image forming system having the same

The sheet pressing apparatus includes an inlet port configured to receive a sheet having a folding line; additional-folding rollers arranged downstream of the inlet port and configured to press the sheet at the folding line; a lower folding guide opposing the additional-folding rollers; a first drive mechanism configured to move the additional-folding rollers between a pressing position, at which the additional-folding rollers approach the lower folding guide to press the sheet at the folding line, and a retreat position to which the additional-folding rollers are moved with respect to the lower folding guide from the pressing position; a second drive mechanism configured to move the additional-folding rollers along the folding line; and a restriction member configured to restrict, at a preset restriction position, the sheet thickness at the folding line to a value equal to or less than a prescribe value, while the additional-folding rollers are moving.

The present invention provides a sheet feeder including a stack tray on which the sheets are stacked, a feeding mechanism that separates and feeds one by one the sheets on the stack tray, a blowing mechanism that blows a predetermined amount of air against the sheets on the stack tray. An operation of the feeding mechanism and an amount of air to be blown by the blowing mechanism are controlled in association with each other, so that it is possible to prevent double-feeding of the sheets and a feeding failure, thereby achieving reliable sheet feeding.

Sheet feeder

A document reading device is capable of preventing distortion or twisting occurring in a document conveying device from being transmitted to a reading carriage incorporated in the document conveying device. A document reading device includes a second reading carriage provided in a document conveying unit and configured to read a surface of a document different from a surface read by a first reading carriage, a support frame having a support surface supporting the second reading carriage, a retaining member retaining the second reading carriage by sandwiching the same between itself and the support frame, and an elastic member provided between the second reading carriage and retaining member to press the second reading carriage against the support frame. One of the support surface of the support frame and a supported surface of the second reading carriage supported by the support surface is formed into a curved surface.

Document reading device

Provided is a document reading device capable of performing shading correction and making it difficult for foreign matters to enter inside the device. A document reading device includes a reading unit, a glass unit, and a closing member. The reading unit has a light source and reads a document. The glass unit has a glass plate that transmits light emitted from the light source and a reference member serving as a reference for shading correction of a reading optical system. The glass unit is disposed with a space provided with respect to the reading unit and slid between a first position where the light emitted from the light source transmits the glass plate and a second position where the light emitted from the light source reaches the reference member with the space being maintained. The closing member is positioned downstream of the glass plate and the reference member of the glass unit in a document conveying direction and fills at least a part of the space provided between the reading unit and the glass unit.

Provided are: an illumination device having a configuration in which a temperature rise of a radiation member is suppressed in a limited volume to thereby maintain a temperature of an LED at a predetermined value or less and an image reading device provided with the illumination device. In order to release heat generated by the LED from a substrate on which the LED is mounted, a first heat radiation plate () and a second heat radiation plate () are provided on both sides of the LED-mounted substrate; the second heat radiation plate (), the LED-mounted substrate, and the first heat radiation plate () are installed in this order on a second frame () that supports the LED-mounted substrate, first and second heat radiation plates () and (); a fan is disposed on the first heat radiation plate () side; when viewing the second frame () in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof, a cross-sectional profile of the second heat radiation plate () has an area protruding with respect to a cross-sectional profile of the first heat radiation plate (); and the configuration is such that wind from the fan is aggressively blown against the first and second heat radiation plates () and ().

Illumination device and image reading device using said illumination device

To provide an illumination device in which there is no variation in light intensity distribution of the illumination device, and in which illumination spots, particularly light intensity spots, are not prone to occur in a read image in an image reading device, by maintaining a constant gap between a light source and an end face of a light guide. The illumination device includes: a light guide having an end face for taking in light, a diffuse reflecting surface for diffusely reflecting the light taken in from the end face, and a light exit surface for emitting the light that is diffusely reflected at the diffuse reflecting surface towards an irradiation surface. The illumination device further include a reflector having a diffuse reflecting surface that reflects light from the light source toward the one end face of the light guide. The light guide has, at the one end, a flange portion that abuts the reflector, the light source is mounted to a circuit board, and the reflector is held between the flange portion of the light guide and circuit board so as to maintain a predetermined gap between the light source and light guide.

Illumination device

A reading unit () placed on the inner side of a U-shaped feed path () that feeds a document is formed such that the height-axis dimension of said reading unit decreases in a direction extending toward a side having a paper delivery tray (). Contact glass (), a light source and a first mirror () are placed in the reading unit () at an end portion of the side having the paper delivery tray (). Multiple reflecting mirrors (and), a lens () and a photoelectric converter element () are placed further from the paper delivery tray than the first mirror () in the reading unit. This structure enables the reading unit provided in a document feeder to be more compact while ensuring the required light path length, and enables the entire document feeder to be more compact.

Document reader

Provided is an image scanning unit which makes it possible to improve scanning accuracy while also making the overall body thinner by appropriately positioning a plurality of reflection members within an effective space in a carriage frame without wasting space. An image scanning unit, wherein a frame is divided into at least two spaces facing an irradiation surface, a first accommodation unit for accommodating a light source unit is formed in one of the spaces, a second accommodation unit for accommodating at least one reflection member is formed in the other adjacent space, a first reflection member for initially receiving light reflected from the irradiation surface is positioned at the side opposite the irradiation surface with the first accommodation unit positioned therebetween, and a light-shielding member is provided between the first reflection member and the reflection member positioned in the other space and prevents light that has strayed from a scanning light path from the first reflection member from being incident on the reflection member in the other space.

Image scanning unit

An apparatus is provided capable of guiding regular reflected light from a reading surface to a reflecting mirror when light is irradiated from two directions from light sources to the reading surface, and is suitable to read a gloss image. The light sources for irradiating light to the reading surface from the two directions of different angles are configured of a first light emitter and a second light emitter, a mirror reflecting surface for specularly reflecting light and a translucent surface for passing light therethrough being formed on the surface of a reflecting member for deflecting light from the reading surface to a predetermined reading light path direction, the first light emitter being arranged between the platen and the platen side surface of the reflecting member, the second light emitter being arranged at the back surface of the reflecting member so as to irradiate light on the reading surface through the translucent surface.

Image reading apparatus

Provided is a traveling unit driving apparatus where a driving belt of the traveling unit is manufactured with ease, and concurrently therewith, can be coupled reliably to the unit in a state with high durability. A driving belt extended between a pair of pulleys is formed using a belt with ends and teeth, and a belt fixing means is comprised of a first and second engagement portions provided in the traveling unit, a concave recess portion disposed between the portions, and a lock fixing member that is fitted into the concave recess portion. Then, the first and second engagement portions and the concave recess portion are provided with a first and second mount surfaces for bending and supporting the belt opposite end portions, the lock fixing member is fitted into the concave recess portion, and the belt opposite end portions are thereby sandwiched and held in a bent state. Concurrently therewith, the first and second engagement portions and the lock fixing member are respectively provided with protrusions for engaging in the belt tooth surface.

Growing community of inventors

Yamanashi-ken, Japan

Shinnosuke Enomoto