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US4717134A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sheet folding apparatus

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1986-03-14
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Granted: 1988-01-05
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Expires: 2006-03-14
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Abstract

Abstract A sheet folding apparatus including a plurality of sheet processing units each having a couple of folding rollers, a deflector and a folding position controlling passage. One set of the apparatus is sufficient to effect two-folding, z-folding and reversed z-folding of the sheet. A guiding member is disposed closely adjacent to the nip of the folding roller couple for conveying the sheet out of the folding positions controlling passage and for forming a new fold. When the sheet is three-folded, an undesirable double fold is prevented, which may otherwise be produced by an undesirable fold formed adjacent to the already formed fold when the sheet is folded second time.

Inventors

  • 👤 Noriyoshi Iida
  • 👤 Nobutaka Uto
  • 👤 Masakazu Hiroi
  • 👤 Akimitsu Hoshi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 17:23
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H45/00; B65H45/12; B65H45/14; B65H45/142; B65H45/144; B65H29/00; B65H29/58; B65H29/60; B65H45/148; B65H45/20; G; G03; G03G; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00789; G03G2215/00822; G03G2215/00827; G03G2215/00877

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 142 words
A sheet folding apparatus, comprising: an inlet for receiving a sheet material from outside of the sheet folding apparatus; an outlet for discharging the sheet material to outside of the sheet folding apparatus; a sheet material processing station for processing the sheet material, the processing station being disposed along a path of sheet material movement between said inlet and said outlet and including a plurality of sheet processing units each having a couple of folding rollers, a deflector and a folding position controlling passage; a first passage for communicatng said inlet with said sheet processing station; a second passage for communicating said sheet processing station with said outlet; a third passage for directly communicating said inlet and said outlet; and an inlet deflector for selectively directing the sheet material received by said inlet to said first passage or to said third passage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 142 words
A sheet folding apparatus, comprising: an inlet for receiving a sheet material from outside of the sheet folding apparatus; an outlet for discharging the sheet material to outside of the sheet folding apparatus; a sheet material processing station for processing the sheet material, the processing station being disposed along a path of sheet material movement between said inlet and said outlet and including a plurality of sheet processing units each having a couple of folding rollers, a deflector and a folding position controlling passage; a first passage for communicatng said inlet with said sheet processing station; a second passage for communicating said sheet processing station with said outlet; a third passage for directly communicating said inlet and said outlet; and an inlet deflector for selectively directing the sheet material received by said inlet to said first passage or to said third passage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein adjacent two of said folding position controlling passages are disposed in said sheet material processing station at opposite sides of a sheet passage extending from said first passage to said second passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 19 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein adjacent two of said folding roller couple shared one of their rollers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of said sheet processing units is three.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet material processing station is below said third passage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said folding position controlling passage is provided with a stopper for stopping a leading edge of the sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said folding position controlling passage is provided with a plurality of stoppers, at least one of said stoppers being movable to change its stop position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for accommodating the sheet discharged through said outlet after passing through said second and third passages.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB290590A Cited
GB361787A Cited
DE561902C Cited
US3265382A Cited
DE2110964A1 Cited
DE2253574A1 Cited
GB2069981A Cited
US4621966A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-01-04 1991-07-06 1992-01-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-01-04 1995-07-06 1996-01-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-01-04 1999-07-06 2000-01-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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