IP Library Granted Patent US 11,884,501
Granted Patent B2
US 11,884,501 · App. 16/825,666 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

Output hopper for media processing devices

Inventors: Graham Marshall (Shoreham, NY); Konstantinos Tsiopanos (Selden, NY); Thomas R. Helma (Wakefield, RI); Noel R. Bankston (Flushing, NY)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
B65H31/02B41J3/407B41J11/58B41J13/12B65H1/06B65H3/063B65H7/06B65H31/24B65H31/30B65H43/04B65H43/06G06K1/121G06K13/14B65H2301/4212B65H2402/41B65H2402/46B65H2403/942B65H2404/1421B65H2405/1124B65H2405/11152B65H2405/3321B65H2601/271B65H2601/325B65H2701/1914B65H2801/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,884,501
App. No.
16/825,666
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example disclosed output hopper includes a cavity to receive media units from an output of a media processing device, the cavity to cause the media units to form a stack in a first direction; a first door pivotably movable between a closed position and an open position, the first door to retain the media units in the cavity when in the closed position, wherein the first door is configured to pivot on a first axis substantially parallel to the first direction; wherein: the first door includes a first cutout at a first top edge of the first door; and the first cutout allow the media units to spill over the first and second top edges when a capacity of the cavity is exceeded.

Claims (16)

1. An output hopper comprising:

a bottom including a concave bottom surface;

a ceiling opposite the bottom;

a rear surface extending vertically between the bottom surface and the ceiling;

a first side surface adjacent to the rear surface and extending vertically between the bottom surface and the ceiling;

a second side surface opposite the first side surface and adjacent to the rear surface, the second side surface extending from the bottom surface to the ceiling; and

a first door disposed opposite the rear surface when the first door is in a closed position, the first door adjacent and pivotably coupled to at least one of the first side surface or the second side surface, a first top edge of the first door having a first cutout;

the rear surface, the first side surface, the second side surface, the bottom, and the first door define a cavity configured and dimensioned to receive a plurality of rectangular cards from an output of a media processing device, the cavity to cause the plurality of cards to form a stack in a first direction;

the first door pivotably movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the first door is configured to pivot on a first axis substantially parallel to the first direction; wherein:

the concave bottom surface of the bottom is accessible when the first door is in the open position, and

the first door is biased in the closed position to retain the plurality of cards resting against the first door so that the first door causes the plurality of cards to align atop each other in the stack in the cavity up to the first cutout and the first cutout allows ones of the plurality of cards to spill over the first cutout in the first door when a capacity of the cavity is exceeded.

2. The output hopper of claim 1 , wherein the first direction extends away from the bottom surface of the output hopper.

3. The output hopper of claim 2 , wherein the cavity is configured such that the plurality of cards rest on the bottom surface.

4. The output hopper of claim 2 , wherein the bottom surface of the output hopper includes a recess configured to provide space between the bottom surface and a surface of a bottommost one of the plurality of cards.

5. The output hopper of claim 1 , wherein, when the first door is in the closed position, a first retaining portion of the first door is configured to engage a minor edge of the plurality of cards.

6. The output hopper of claim 1 , wherein the first axis intersects a media unit plane defined by a surface of one of the cards.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056472/0063 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST - 364 - DAY Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056036/0590 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2021
From: MARSHALL, GRAHAM; TSIOPANOS, KONSTANTINOS; HELMA, THOMAS R.; BANKSTON, NOEL R.
To: ZIH CORP.
Reel/Frame 055352/0518 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 22, 2021
From: ZIH CORP.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055352/0586 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053841/0212 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15807043 · Nov 8, 2017
Related Publication 20200216284A1 · Jul 9, 2020