Short travel pusher plate stacking bin

1. A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus, comprising:

a pusher plate;

a media stacking platform opposing the pusher plate;

a rack and pinion apparatus to drive the pusher plate toward the media stacking platform when a media item is in a final position within the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus onto the media stacking platform;

springs attached to the media stacking platform to compress and to maintain tension on the media item when forced onto the media stacking platform by the pusher plate and when the pusher plate retracts away from the media stacking platform after stacking the media item onto the media stacking platform; and

a fixed media guide situated at a media entry area of the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus, wherein the fixed media guide is oriented between the pusher plate and the media stacking platform and extends past a first end of the media stacking platform, wherein when the media item is in the final position a trailing edge of the media item remains on the fixed media guide with the media item elevated above the media stacking platform before the pusher plate is driven toward the media stacking platform.

2. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 1 further comprising, a hinged media guide situated at an opposing area of the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus from the media entry area, wherein the hinged media guide is oriented between the pusher plate and the media stacking platform and extends toward the fixed media guide from an opposite end to the first end of the media stacking platform, wherein when the media item is in the final position a leading edge of the media item remains on the hinged media guide with the media item elevated above the media stacking platform before the pusher plate is driven toward the media stacking platform.

3. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the hinged media guide drops along a hinged point when the pusher stacking plate is driven towards the media stacking platform and onto a top surface of the media item causing the media item to fold along the leading edge of the media item as the media item is stacked on the media stacking platform.

4. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a length of the pusher plate and an orientation of the pusher plate within the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus prevents the pusher plate from engaging or contacting the first media guide and the hinged media guide when the pusher plate is driven toward the media stacking platform and past the fixed media guide and the hinged media guide.

5. A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus, comprising:

a pusher plate;

a media stacking platform opposing the pusher plate;

a rack and pinion apparatus to drive the pusher plate toward the media stacking platform when a media item is in a final position within the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus onto the media stacking platform;

springs attached to the media stacking platform to compress and to maintain tension on the media item when forced onto the media stacking platform by the pusher plate and when the pusher plate retracts away from the media stacking platform after stacking the media item onto the media stacking platform; and

fixed upper rollers and hinged lower rollers that engage a top surface and a bottom surface of the media item upon entry into the pusher plate stacking bin apparatus and to urge the media item above the media stacking platform into the final position.

6. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fixed upper rollers comprise two fixed upper rollers, and wherein the hinged lower rollers comprise two hinged lower rollers.

7. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a first fixed upper roller directly opposes a first hinged lower roller for a first pair of rollers, and wherein a second fixed upper roller directly opposes a second hinged lower roller for a second pair of rollers.

8. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 7 , wherein when the media item is in the final position, the first pair of rollers pinch the media item at a first location that is adjacent to a trailing edge of the media item and the second pair of rollers pinch the media item at a second location that is adjacent to a leading edge of the media item.

9. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a stroke of the pusher plate toward the media stacking platform is approximately 18 mm.

10. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a Direct Current (DC) motor that when activated engages gears of the rack and pinion apparatus forcing the pusher plate toward the media stacking platform when the media item is in the final position and forcing the pusher plate away from the media stacking platform when the media item is stacked on the media stacking platform.

11. The pusher plate stacking bin apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the DC motor comprises an internal gearbox with approximately 90 to 1 gearing.

12. A method, comprising:

urging a leading edge of a media item at an entry position through a pusher plate stacking bin apparatus into a final position with a first portion of the media item associated with the leading edge on top of a hinged media guide and with a second portion of the media item associated with a trailing edge of the media item on top of a fixed media guide;

driving a pusher plate from an initial position to a end position by moving the pusher plate using a rack and pinion apparatus from the initial position onto a top surface of the media item and past the fixed media guide and the hinged media guide onto a media stacking platform into the end position; and

retracting the pusher plate from the end position to the initial position by moving the pusher plate, using the rack and pinion apparatus, from the end position off the top surface of the media item and back past the fixed media guide and the hinged media guide into the initial position.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein urging further includes pinching the media item between two pairs of opposing rollers and moving the media item from the entry position towards the final position as a bottom surface of the media item remains elevated above the media stacking platform.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein urging further includes resting the bottom surface corresponding with the trailing edge on top of the fixed media guide with a first overhang of approximately 10 mm.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein urging further includes resting the bottom surface corresponding with the leading edge on top of the hinged media guide with a second overhang of approximately 13 mm.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein driving further includes causing the hinged media item to drop at a hinged point towards the media stacking platform folding the media item along the leading edge as the pusher plate moves past the hinged media guide towards the end position.