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:
Sep. 07, 2021
Filed:
Dec. 16, 2019
Michitaka Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomomichi Hoshino, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumiharu Yoneyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Makoto Hidaka, Tokyo, JP;
Koki Sakano, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Kunieda, Tokyo, JP;
Takahiro Watanabe, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuya Morinaga, Tokyo, JP;
Yohsuke Haraguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Michitaka Suzuki, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomomichi Hoshino, Kanagawa, JP;
Fumiharu Yoneyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Makoto Hidaka, Tokyo, JP;
Koki Sakano, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Kunieda, Tokyo, JP;
Takahiro Watanabe, Kanagawa, JP;
Takuya Morinaga, Tokyo, JP;
Yohsuke Haraguchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet folding system includes a plurality of sheet folding apparatuses configured to receive and perform a folding process on a sheet and circuitry configured to distribute sheets to the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses. Each of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses includes a folding device configured to fold the sheet, a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device, a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet to the folding device, a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. The circuitry controls sheet conveyance to prevent an interference, at the junction, between the sheet conveyed from the first conveyance passage and the sheet conveyed from the third conveyance passage.