Printer paper tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365058-B2
Application number	US-201214423756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2012
Priority date	Sep 26, 2012
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A printer paper tray comprising a paper tray bezel, and a paper tray cassette coupled to the paper tray bezel, in which the paper tray bezel moves in the x and y direction independent of the paper tray cassette. A printer comprising a paper tray comprising a bezel coupled to a cassette in which the bezel moves independent of the cassette and is biased towards the cassette in the x direction. A bezel mounting system comprising a number of biasing members to bias a printer tray bezel towards a printer tray cassette in the x-direction, and a number of biasing pads to bias the bezel in a substantially centered position with respect to the cassette.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer paper tray comprising:
a paper tray bezel to position the printer paper tray within a printer;
a paper tray cassette coupled to the paper tray bezel; and
a hook coupled to a back of the paper tray cassette to, once inserted into the printer, engage with a retention rib in the printer;
in which the paper tray bezel moves relative to, and independent from, the paper tray cassette in an x-direction and in a y-direction, and
in which engagement of the hook with the retention rib causes the paper tray cassette to be resistively pulled away from the paper tray bezel and the paper tray bezel to sit flush against a housing of the printer.

2. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising a number of resistive elements coupling the paper tray bezel to the paper tray cassette in which the resistive elements bias the paper tray bezel toward the paper tray cassette in the x-direction.

3. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising a number of resistive elements coupled to the printer paper tray in which the resistive elements bias the paper tray bezel with respect to the paper tray cassette in a substantially centered y-direction.

4. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising
a cassette sub-tray laid into the paper tray cassette and onto which an amount of paper is placed, a weight of the paper causing a resistive force to be overcome such that the cassette sub-tray is set flush with the bottom interior of the paper tray cassette;
a rocker arm mechanically coupled to the cassette sub-tray and pivotally coupled to the paper tray bezel, in which upward vertical movement of the cassette sub-tray causes a first end of the rocker arm to move vertically up while causing, a second end of the rocker arm to move vertically down; and
a paper supply indicating window defined in the paper tray bezel through which a vertical position of the second end of the rocker arm indicates the amount of paper present in the paper tray.

5. The printer paper tray of claim 4 , in which the first end of the rocker arm further defines a hole into which a portion of the cassette sub-tray is inserted and in which a size of the hole is large enough to adjust for changes in a relative position of the paper tray bezel to the paper tray cassette.

6. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising:
a number of second hooks coupled to the paper tray bezel; and
a number of second hook recesses defined in the paper tray cassette;
in which the second hooks engage with the second hook recesses to couple the paper tray bezel to the paper tray cassette.

7. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising:
a number of posts coupled to the paper tray bezel; and
a number of slots defined in the paper tray cassette;
in which the posts engage with the slots to couple the paper tray bezel to the paper tray cassette and substantially prevent the paper tray bezel from moving in a z-plane with respect to the paper tray cassette.

8. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , wherein the paper tray bezel moves less than four millimeters relative to the paper tray cassette in the x-direction.

9. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , wherein the paper tray bezel moves less than four millimeters relative to the paper tray cassette in the y-direction.

10. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising a number of bezel spikes coupled to the paper tray bezel.

11. The printer paper tray of claim 1 , further comprising a tray hook to seat the paper tray in the printer.

12. A printer comprising:
a paper tray comprising a bezel coupled to a cassette;
in which the bezel moves independent of, and relative to, the cassette and is biased towards the cassette in an x-direction; and
a hook coupled to the back of the cassette to, once inserted into the printer, engage with a retention rib in the printer;
in which engagement of the hook with the retention rib causes the cassette to be resistively pulled away from the bezel and the bezel to sit flush against a printer housing.

13. The printer of claim 12 , in which the paper tray further comprises a number of resistive elements coupling the bezel to the cassette in which the resistive elements bias the bezel to the cassette in the x-direction.

14. The printer of claim 12 , in which the paper tray further comprises:
a cassette sub-tray laid into the cassette and onto which an amount of paper is placed, a weight of the paper causing a resistive force to be overcome such that the cassette sub-tray is set flush with a bottom interior of the cassette;
a rocker arm mechanically coupled to the cassette sub-tray and pivotally coupled to the bezel, in which upward vertical movement of the cassette sub-tray causes a first end of the rocker arm to move vertically up while causing a second end of the rocker arm to move vertically down; and
a paper supply indicator window defined, in the bezel through which a vertical position of the second end of the rocker arm causes a finger rod to indicate the amount of paper present in the paper tray.

15. The primer of claim 12 , in which the paper tray further comprises a number of resistive elements coupled to the paper tray in which the resistive elements bias the bezel with respect to the cassette in a substantially centered y-direction.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Lo Kevin
• Davis Brian

Classifications

• B41J11/58 Primary

  Supply holders for sheets or fan-folded webs, e.g. shelves, tables, scrolls, pile holders · CPC title

• B65H2403/53

  Articulated mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J29/02

  Framework · CPC title

• B65H1/266 Primary

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2601/122

  Play · CPC title