Media stacker

A media stacker, comprising:

• a stacking platform;
• a pair of guiding tracks above the stacking platform and extending from a media receiving side of the media stacker in a media advance direction along opposite sides of a media transport path;
• and
• a latch device associated with at least one guiding track of the pair of guiding tracks, the latch device to be actuated by a media sheet physically engaging with the latch device,
• wherein the at least one guiding track of the pair of guiding tracks is movable between a support position and a release position to guide and support the media sheet above the stacking platform and to release the media sheet to drop from the at least one guiding track to the stacking platform, and
• wherein the at least one guiding track is rotatable around an axis that is parallel to the media advance direction;
• the latch device is associated with the at least one guiding track and is to block rotation when locked and allow rotation when released;
• and
• the latch device comprises a leaf spring and a lock, the leaf spring to be actuated by a trailing edge of the media sheet dropping on the leaf spring and moving the latch between a lock position and a release position.

A print media stacker for use with a printer, the print media stacker comprising:

• a stacking platform;
• a pair of a guiding tracks above the stacking platform and extending from a media receiving side of the print media stacker in a media advance direction along opposite sides of a media transport path;
• a latch device associated with the pair of guiding tracks, the latch device to be actuated by a trailing edge of a media sheet;
• wherein the pair of guiding tracks is pivotable between a support position and a release position to guide and support the media sheet above the stacking platform and to release the media sheet to drop from the pair of guiding tracks to the stacking platform;
• wherein the latch device is to block pivoting of the pair of guiding tracks when locked and allow pivoting of the pair of guiding tracks when released;
• and
• wherein the latch device comprises a spring to be actuated by the media sheet contacting the spring.

A method of stacking print media exiting from a large format printer, the method comprising:

• feeding a print media sheet from a printer output to a pair of support rails located along opposite sides of a media transport path, downstream of the printer output;
• letting a trailing edge of the print media sheet drop on a downstream end of the pair of support rails;
• the dropping of the trailing edge of the print media sheet causing a latch device to release a lock, wherein the latch device comprises a spring to be actuated by the media sheet contacting the spring;
• and
• the releasing of the lock enabling the pair of support rails to move, wherein movement of the support rails allows the print media sheet to drop from the pair of support rails.