Repositionable sheet side guide and sheet size indicator

Abstract

For sheet stacking trays having a lowered sheet stacking position and raised sheet feeding positions, and repositionable stack edge guides, improved visual accuracy for the repositioning of the stack edge guide for different sheet sizes is provided by automatically extending out an elongated visual indicator from the repositionable stack edge guide to closely overlay the correct corresponding stack size visual indicia from a spaced array of such indicia when the tray is in said lowered sheet stacking position, and automatically pivotally lifting this elongated visual indicator up away from any possible obstruction of the raising of the tray for sheet feeding. The indicator may further provide a reading window surrounding the correct indicia.

Description

Various of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the specific apparatus and its operation or methods described in the example below, and the claims. Thus, they will be better understood from this description of this specific embodiment, including the drawing figures (which are approximately to scale) wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary repositionable stack edge guide mounted on the main body of a sheet stacking tray main body rather than the liftable elevator plate on which a stack of sheets may be placed (on the left side of the stack edge guide in this view) showing the pivotal indicator extending from the stack edge guide to closely overlay a corresponding positional indicator indicia on the elevator plate for more accurate reading;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the example of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side view of the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating the exemplary upper positions and the lower stop system position for the pivotal indicator respectively in a sheet feeding position and the lower sheet loading position of the elevator plate.

Describing now in further detail the exemplary embodiment with reference to the Figures, there is shown one example of a sheet stacking tray 10 with a repositionable stack edge guide 12 mounted on the non-lifting main body 13 of the sheet stacking tray. The upstanding stack edge guide 12 is repositionable on the tracks 13A in this example within an apertured slot 14A in a liftable surroundingly spaced elevator or elevate plate 14 on which a stack of sheets may be placed on the left side of the stack edge guide 12 in these views.

A pivotal indicator 20 extends from the stack edge guide 12 to closely overlay a corresponding sheet size positional indicator indicia 22 from an array 23 of such indicia on the elevate plate 14 extending parallel to the possible repositioning movement path of the stack edge guide 12. There is a significant distance between the stack edge guide 12 and the corresponding adjacent text or other indicia 22 on the self-adhesive label attached to the elevate plate 14 or other such form of indicia array 23. This distance, due to the significant clearance desired in the apertured slot 14A between these relatively moving parts 14 and 12 and practical manufacturing restrictions can lead to visual confusion and/or misalignment of a normal positional indicator system for a stack edge guide. That in turn can result in skewed sheets being fed from the sheet stacking tray and/or paper jams. The system disclosed in this example improves the visibility and accuracy of the stack edge guide repositioning system, and has other advantages.

The indicator 20 in this example is a separate component pivotally mounted to the stack edge guide 12 to freely rotate about a pivot axis 20A. The outer end of this elongate indicator 20 has an aperture 20B forming an indicator reading window with vertically extending window frames 20C. When the indicator 20 is in an approximately horizontal position, this indicator window is directly over the sheet size indicia 22 to be accurately read by the person resetting the stack edge guide 12, when normally viewed from above, as in FIG. 2. The desired window size will be determined by the text size and position on the indicia array 23.

As particularly shown in FIG. 3, and also in FIG. 1, the indicator 20 may be provided with two-pivot angle limiting stops 12A and 12B on the stack edge guide 12. As shown, the lower stop 12A ensures that the indicator 20 stops its downward movement closely spaced horizontally over the size indicia 22 in the stack loading lowered position of the elevate plate 14, but will not contact or rest on any of the size indicia 22. This avoids rubbing and wear damage or removal of any of the indicia 22 in the indicia array 23. The upper stop 12B prevents the indicator 20 from getting stuck in an upright position when it is lifted up by the elevate plate 14 being raised up to a high (low sheet stack height) sheet feeding position to insure the indicator 20 automatically dropping down to the its reading positions of FIGS. 1 and 2 when the elevate plate 14 is lowered for stack edge guide 12 repositioning for a new size of sheet stack being loading on the elevate plate 14. Consideration of the indicator 20 center of gravity could also aid this latter automatic movement.

As also shown in FIG. 3, as the aperture 14A edge of the elevate plate 14 comes into contact with the indicator 20 during its elevation for sheet feeding, the indicator 20 will be automatically pivoted up by that contact about its axis 20A and thus raised along with the elevate plate 14. Thus it avoids obstruction or damage to either component in spite of the length of the indicator 20 provided to reach out to directly overlay the size indicia 22. The length of the indicator 20 is also long enough not to fall through the elevate plate clearance aperture 14A at the maximum elevation angle of the elevate plate 14.

The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.

Claims

1. In a print media sheets stacking tray with at least one upstanding repositionable stack edge guide which is repositionable in opposite movement directions for different sizes of print media sheets, said print media sheets stacking tray having a main body to which said repositionable stack edge guide is slidably mounted and an elevate plate which overlies and is movable upwardly away from a stack loading position closely overlying said main body of said print media sheets stacking tray, said elevate plate being movable upwardly relative to said stack edge guide and spaced therefrom, and wherein a stack size indicator system is provided by an indicator extending from said stack edge guide pointing to respective stack size indication indicia, which stack size indication indicia extends along said elevate plate adjacent to but spaced from said stack edge guide substantially in said movement directions of said stack edge guide, wherein said indicator is pivotally mounted to said stack edge guide and said indicator is pivotally extendable outwardly from said stack edge guide to directly overlie the adjacent said stack size indication indicia on said elevate plate when said elevator plate is in said stack loading position, and wherein said indicator is pivotal upwardly away from said elevator plate when said elevator plate is moved upwardly away from said stack loading position.

2. The print media sheets stacking tray with at least one upstanding repositionable stack edge guide of claim 1, wherein said indicator has an outer portion providing an indicator window through which said adjacent stack size indication indicia on said elevate plate is readable when said stack edge guide directly overlies said adjacent stack size indication indicia on said elevate plate when said elevator plate is in said stack loading position.

3. The print media sheets stacking tray with at least one upstanding repositionable stack edge guide of claim 1, wherein said indicator is pivotally mounted to said stack edge guide with a pivotal stop which prevents said indicator from directly contacting said stack size indication indicia on said elevate plate but allows said indicator to closely overlie said stack size indication indicia on said elevate plate in said stack loading position.

4. A method of visually indicating the position of a repositionable stack edge guide for a sheet stacking tray, which sheet stacking tray has a lower sheet stacking position and raised sheet feeding positions, comprising; repositioning said stack edge guide to a stack receiving position,automatically pivotally extending an elongated visual indicator from said repositionable stack edge guide out to closely overlay a substantially spaced apart stack size indication visual indicia corresponding to said stack receiving position from an elongated array of such stack size indication visual indicia when said sheet stacking tray is in said lower sheet stacking position,visually confirming from said visual indicator closely overlying said stack size indication visual indicia if said stack edge guide has been repositioned into its desired position, andautomatically pivotally lifting said elongated visual indicator away from said elongated array of stack size indication visual indicia when said sheet stacking tray is in said raised sheet feeding positions.

5. The method of visually indicating the position of a repositionable stack edge guide for a sheet stacking tray of claim 4, wherein said elongated visual indicator has an outer portion providing a reading window surrounding the stack size indication visual indicia corresponding to the repositionable stack edge guide position, which stack size indication visual indicia is visible through said window.

6. The method of visually indicating the position of a repositionable stack edge guide for a sheet stacking tray of claim 4, wherein said elongated visual indicator extending from said repositionable stack edge guide in said lower sheet stacking position closely overlies but does not touch said stack size indication visual indicia.

7. The method of visually indicating the position of a repositionable stack edge guide for a sheet stacking tray of claim 4, wherein said elongated visual indicator extending from said repositionable stack edge guide is automatically dropped to closely overlying said stack size indication visual indicia when said sheet stacking tray is lowered from a said raised sheet feeding position.