The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 24, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 09, 2016
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Ohta-ku, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Akai, Kanagawa, JP;
Hidehiko Fujiwara, Tokyo, JP;
Yasuo Niikura, Kanagawa, JP;
Yousuke Edo, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Takano, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasunori Hino, Kanagawa, JP;
Tadashi Matsuoka, Kanagawa, JP;
Atsunori Yoshida, Kanagawa, JP;
Ryo Kanno, Kanagawa, JP;
Hikaru Fukasawa, Kanagawa, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet-material supply device includes a lift, a sheet-material detector, and a sheet-material retaining conveyor. The lift elevates sheet materials in a stacked state. The sheet-material detector detects that an uppermost sheet material of the sheet materials in the stacked state has reached a predetermined height. The sheet-material retaining conveyor retains and conveys the uppermost sheet material that has reached the predetermined height. The sheet-material supply device stops elevation of the sheet materials in the stacked state when the sheet-material detector detects that the uppermost sheet material has reached the predetermined height. The sheet-material retaining conveyor is disposed to be movable in a direction in which the sheet materials in the stacked state elevate.