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:
Oct. 09, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2010
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Fujisawa, JP;
Shinji Asami, Machida, JP;
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Naohiro Kikkawa, Kawasaki, JP;
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Kiichiroh Gotoh, Yokohama, JP;
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Fujisawa, JP;
Shinji Asami, Machida, JP;
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Naohiro Kikkawa, Kawasaki, JP;
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kawasaki, JP;
Kiichiroh Gotoh, Yokohama, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A spine formation device includes a sheet conveyer, a clamping unit disposed downstream from the sheet conveyer in a sheet conveyance direction, for squeezing a folded portion of a bundle of folded sheets, a contact member against which the folded portion of the bundle is pressed, disposed downstream from the clamping unit, and a controller to cause the bundle of folded sheets to bulge by stopping the sheet conveyer after the bundle of folded sheets is transported a predetermined conveyance distance from a contact position between the contact member and the folded portion of the bundle and to cause the clamping unit to squeeze a bulging portion of the bundle created between the sheet conveyer and the contact member with the folded portion pressed against the contact member. The predetermined distance is set in accordance with a predetermined sheet-related variable.