# US 8,465,018 B2 · Air blowing apparatus and air blowing method with surfaces having curvatures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,018 B2 - Document ID: US8465018B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/006,616 - Filed: 2011-01-14 - Published: 2011-07-21 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2010-01-15 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: Tatsuo Fujikura; Yuhei Chiwata - Inventors: Tatsuo Fujikura; Yuhei Chiwata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465018B2 ## CPC - B65H 29/246: {acting on stacking devices} - B65H 29/005: {by chains or bands having mechanical grippers engaging the side edges of articles, e.g. newspaper conveyors} - B65H 29/042: {Intermediate conveyors, e.g. transferring devices} - B65H 31/20: adjustable for different article sizes - G03G 15/6502: {Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor} - G03G 21/206: {Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone} - B65H 2301/51256: Removing waviness or curl, smoothing - B65H 2405/1114: with surface portions curved in lengthwise direction - B65H 2405/115: Cover - B65H 2405/214: sides - B65H 2406/10: made only for exhausting gaseous medium - B65H 2406/12: producing gas blast - B65H 2515/40: Temperature; Thermal conductivity - B65H 2515/805: Humidity - B65H 2801/15: Digital printing machines - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An air blowing apparatus includes: a paper stack accommodating section which forms a paper stack accommodating space for accommodating a stack of paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper accommodated in the paper stack accommodating space, wherein the paper stack accommodating section includes a curved surface which faces a paper surface of the stack of paper, and the curved surface extends in an air blowing direction of the air blowing device and has a curvature in a direction perpendicular to the air blowing direction of the air blowing device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air blowing apparatus comprising: a paper stack accommodating section which forms a paper stack accommodating space for accommodating a stack of paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper accommodated in the paper stack accommodating space, wherein the paper stack accommodating section includes a curved surface which faces a paper surface of the stack of paper, and the curved surface extends in an air blowing direction of the air blowing device and has a curvature in a direction perpendicular to the air blowing direction of the air blowing device, the paper stack accommodating section includes a plurality of curved surfaces which respectively face paper surfaces of the stack of paper and have a same direction of curve, the paper stack accommodating space being sandwiched between the plurality of curved surfaces, and the plurality of curved surfaces have mutually different finite curvatures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the paper stack accommodating section forms the paper stack accommodating space in which the stack of paper can be accommodated in the vertical direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the paper stack accommodating section is capable of adjusting a size of the paper stack accommodating space in accordance with a paper size of the stack of paper. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the paper stack accommodating section has a ridge portion that connects with the curved surface, is situated on a paper input side, and is formed in a chamfered shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the curvature of the curved surface is substantially same in the air blowing direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: the paper stack accommodating section includes a paper stack loading table on which the stack of paper is mounted, and a ceiling plate disposed to face the paper stack loading table, each of the paper stack loading table and the ceiling plate having the curved surface; and the paper stack accommodating space is formed as a space sandwiched between the curved surface of the paper stack loading table and the curved surface of the ceiling plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The air blowing apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the curved surface of the paper stack loading table and curved surface of the ceiling plate are both formed to curve downward in a vertical direction. ### Claim 8 An air blowing method comprising the steps of: accommodating a stack of paper in a paper stack accommodating space sandwiched between a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the first surface extending in a first direction and having a curvature in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and blowing air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper in the first direction, by an air blowing device, wherein the first surface and the second surface have mutually different finite curvatures. ### Claim 9 An air blowing apparatus comprising: a paper stack accommodating section which forms a paper stack accommodating space for accommodating a stack of paper; and an air blowing device which blows air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper accommodated in the paper stack accommodating space, wherein the paper stack accommodating section includes a curved surface which faces a paper surface of the stack of paper, and the curved surface extends in an air blowing direction of the air blowing device and has a curvature in a direction perpendicular to the air blowing direction of the air blowing device, the paper stack accommodating section includes a plurality of curved surfaces which respectively face paper surfaces of the stack of paper and have a same direction of curve, the paper stack accommodating space being sandwiched between the plurality of curved surfaces, and the plurality of curved surfaces have substantially same finite curvatures. ### Claim 10 An air blowing method comprising the steps of: accommodating a stack of paper in a paper stack accommodating space sandwiched between a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the first surface extending in a first direction and having a curvature in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and blowing air toward an edge of each sheet of paper of the stack of paper in the first direction, by an air blowing device, wherein the first surface and the second surface have substantially same finite curvatures.