Print media source for an imaging apparatus
View Patent ↗An imaging apparatus includes a printing mechanism and a print media source for supplying print media sheets to the printing mechanism. The print media source includes a first media tray for holding a first print media, a second media tray for holding a second print media, and a sheet feeder mechanism having a sheet picking roller located to pick a top sheet of print media in the print media source, the top sheet of print media being located in one of the first media tray and the second media tray.
1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a printing mechanism; and
a print media source for supplying print media sheets to said printing mechanism, said print media source including:
a first media tray for holding a first print media;
a second media tray for holding a second print media;
a sheet feeder mechanism having a sheet picking roller located to pick a top sheet of print media in said print media source, said top sheet of print media being located in only one of said first media tray and said second media tray, said sheet feeder mechanism including a biasing mechanism coupled to said sheet picking roller, said sheet picking roller being biased by said biasing mechanism to move in a first direction to engage said top sheet of print media, regardless of which of said first media tray and said second media tray contains said top sheet of print media;
a first frame with a mounting frame coupled to said first frame, said mounting frame being located to extend across a width of said first media tray, said second media tray being pivotably coupled by at least one pivot joint to said mounting frame, wherein said mounting frame includes a cross support extending across a width of said first media tray; and
a drive shaft for driving said sheet picking roller, said drive shaft being mounted to said cross support.
2. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a printing mechanism;
a print media source for supplying print media sheets to said printing mechanism, said print media source including;
a first media tray for holding a first print media;
a second media tray for holding a second print media;
a sheet feeder mechanism having a sheet picking roller, said sheet feeder mechanism including a biasing mechanism coupled to said sheet picking roller, said sheet picking roller being biased by said biasing mechanism to move in a first direction to pick a sheet of print media from said first media tray and said sheet picking roller being biased in said first direction to pick a sheet of print media from said second media tray, and said first media tray and said second media tray being arranged such that said second print media tray must be empty before said sheet picking roller of said sheet feeder mechanism can engage a sheet of said first print media held by said first media tray; and
a first frame with a mounting frame coupled to said first frame, said mounting frame being located to extend across a width of said first media tray, said second media tray being pivotably coupled by at least one pivot joint to said mounting frame.
3. The imaging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said second media tray pivots at said at least one pivot joint to contact an upper media sheet of said first print media in said first media tray.
4. The imaging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein in the absence of said first print media in said first media tray, said second media tray pivots at said at least one pivot joint to contact a media support surface of said first media tray.
5. The imaging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said mounting frame includes a cross support extending across a width of said first media tray.
6. The imaging apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a drive shaft for driving said sheet picking roller, said drive shaft being mounted to said cross support.