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:
Apr. 10, 2012
Filed:
Jul. 15, 2011
Michihiro Nakagawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Tamotsu Sakuraba, Sagamihara, JP;
Toshimi Shinchi, Saitama, JP;
Yukihiko Ichikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Michihiro Nakagawa, Sagamihara, JP;
Tamotsu Sakuraba, Sagamihara, JP;
Toshimi Shinchi, Saitama, JP;
Yukihiko Ichikawa, Tokyo, JP;
Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus has a tab sheet supply unit and a control unit. The tab sheet supply unit supplies tab sheets of an identical type from an identical sheet supply tray as a chapter tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a first level of classification of a document to be printed, as well as a section tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a second level that is a finer level of classification than the first level of classification. The control unit causes the tab sheet contained in the sheet supply tray to be discharged as an unnecessary tab sheet, if the tab position of the tab sheet to be supplied next from the sheet supply tray does not match with the tab position of the tab sheet to be inserted next during the printing of the document, until both of the tab positions match.