Removable media tray having a high latching force and a low opening force

A removable media tray assembly for providing media to an imaging device, the removable media tray assembly comprising:

• a housing having an opening therein to receive are movable media tray, the housing having:
• a release surface;
• and,
• a magnet mounted adjacent the opening;
• the removable media tray having:
• a bottom surface for holding media to be fed to the imaging device;
• a front wall extending upward from the bottom surface, the front wall having an inner surface having a ferromagnetic plate aligned with the magnet and an outer surface having a mount;
• and,
• a handle pivotable between a first position and a second position, the handle including:
• a finger bar transversely extending across a portion of the outer surface of the front wall;
• and,
• a link depending from the finger bar and having a free end adjacent to the release surface, the link pivotally mounted to the mount, the link having a first arm portion extending between the mount and the finger bar and a second arm portion extending from the mount to the free end of the link, the first arm portion having a vertical height H1 and the second arm portion having a vertical height H2;
• a biasing member attached to the handle for biasing the handle in the first position,
• wherein, with the removable media tray received into the housing and the magnet and plate in abutment providing a latching force FL holding the removable media tray in a closed position where FL is greater than a pick force applied the media during feeding to the imaging device, a user-supplied actuation force FA applied to the finger bar pivots the handle toward the second position, the link pivots about the mount applying a release force FR to the release surface opening the removable media tray and moving the removable media tray away from the magnet where 18 N≦FA≦22.2 N, FR=FA(H1/H2) and FR>FL.

A removable media tray assembly for providing media to an imaging device, the removable media tray assembly comprising:

• a housing having an opening therein to receive are movable media tray, the housing having:
• a release surface;
• and,
• a magnet mounted adjacent the opening;
• the removable media tray having:
• a bottom surface for holding media to be fed to the imaging device;
• a front wall extending upward from the bottom surface, the front wall having an inner surface having a ferromagnetic plate aligned with the magnet and an outer surface having an upper mount and a lower mount vertically spaced apart thereon;
• and,
• a handle including a first member and a second member pivotally mounted to the first and second mounts respectively, the first and second members each pivotable between a first position and a second position, respectively;
• the first member having a first end, a second end and a pivot member depending from the first end thereof, the first member having a first arm portion extending between the pivot member and the upper mount and having a vertical height H1 and a second arm portion extending between the upper mount and the second end thereof and having a vertical height H2, the second end of the first member positioned adjacent to the release surface;
• the second member including:
• a finger bar transversely extending across a portion of the outer surface of the front wall;
• and,
• a link depending from the finger bar and having a first end pivotally mounted to the lower mount and a second end connected to the finger bar, the link moveable into contact with the pivot member of the first member, the link having a first arm portion extending between the lower mount and the pivot member of the first member and a second arm portion extending from the pivot member to the second end of the link, the first arm portion of the link having a vertical height H3 and the second arm portion having a vertical height H4;
• and,
• a biasing member attached to the second member for biasing the second member in its first position,
• wherein, with the removable media tray received into the housing and the magnet and plate in abutment providing a latching force FL holding the removable media tray in a closed position where FL is greater than a stall force of a media feeding motor used to feed media from the removable media tray, a user-supplied actuation force FA applied to the finger bar to move the second member from its first position to its second position pivots the second member about the lower mount contacting the pivot member of the first member pivoting the first member about the upper mount from its first position to its second position with the second end of the first member applying a release force FR to the release surface opening the removable media tray and moving the removable media tray away from the magnet where FR>FL, FA≦22.2 N and FR=FA ((H3+H4)/H3)(H1/H2).