Media input selector and method

An apparatus for selecting one of two media supply cassettes to feed media into a media path, comprising:

• a. input means for inputting a command designating a selected supply cassette;
• b. positioning means for automatically positioning a moveable drive roller to be in driving contact with one of two driven rollers respectively mounted adjacent the two media supply cassettes, said positioning of the drive roller in response to said inputting of the command to pinch between the drive roller and the one of two driven rollers adjacent to the selected supply cassette a leading edge of media extending out from the selected supply cassette into a feed path of the selected supply cassette;
• and,
• c. driving means for driving the drive roller thereby rotating said one of two driven rollers an feeding the media out from the selected supply cassette through the feed path and into the media path.

An apparatus for selecting one of two media supply cassettes to feed media into a media path, comprising:

• a. a housing;
• b. a first media path and a second media path;
• c. a first driven roller and a second driven roller mounted for rotation within said housing, adjacent to said first media path and said second media path, respectively;
• d. a drive roller movably mounted to said housing between said first driven roller and said second driven roller, such that said first media path is between said first driven roller and said drive roller, and said second media path is between said second driven roller and said drive roller, said drive roller movable between two positions such that in a first position said drive roller is in rolling contact only with said first driven roller and in a second position said drive roller is in rolling contact only with said second driven roller;
• and,
• e. positioning means for positioning said drive roller between said first position and said second position.

In an image recording device for outputting images onto image recording media, a media selector comprising:

• a. a first media supply cassette containing a first supply rolls of an image recording media and a second media supply cassette containing a second supply roll of an image recording media, said first and second supply cassettes mounted within a housing of the image recording device;
• b. a first driven roller and a second driven roller mounted for rotation in the housing adjacent to the first and the second supply cassettes, respectively;
• c. a drive roller movably mounted to said housing between said first driven roller and said second driven roller, said drive roller movable between two positions in which a first position said drive roller is in rolling contact with said first driven roller and in a second position said drive roller is in rolling contact with said second driven roller;
• d. rotating means for rotating said drive roller in forward and in reverse to feed and rewind media from the first and second supply cassettes, said rotating means directly coupled to said drive roller to impart rotation directly to said drive roller and to transfer rotation to said first and second driven rollers through said rolling contact with said driven roller;
• and
• e. positioning means for positioning said drive roller between said first and second position.