# US 6,089,772 A · Ejection tray for a printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,089,772 A - Document ID: US6089772A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/972,139 - Filed: 1997-11-17 - Granted: 2000-07-18 - Earliest claimed: 1997-11-17 - Assignees: Canon Business Machines, Inc. - Inventors: Makoto Takemura; Masanori Kaneko; Shinji Kanemitsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6089772A ## CPC - B41J 13/10: Sheet holders, retainers {, movable guides}, or stationary guides - B41J 13/106: {for the sheet output section} - B65H 29/70: Article bending or stiffening arrangements - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B65H 2405/11163: Portion pivotable around an axis parallel to transport direction - B65H 2405/11164: Rear portion extensible in parallel to transport direction - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A printer includes a housing defining a media feed portion and a media eject port, the housing being adapted to house a print engine for printing onto recording media. Included in the printer is a base slideably receivable in the housing at a position laterally distanced from the media eject port, the base having at least a pair of recesses extending in a sliding direction of the base. A pair of flaps are included in the printer, each of which has at least one width portion corresponding to the lateral distance between the base and the eject port. Each flap is hinged into a corresponding recess of the base and is biased in an upward direction via a spring which provides for angular motion of the flap relative to the base. Upon sliding action of the base out of the housing, the flaps are biased upward out of the recesses to a height corresponding to the position of the media eject port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printer comprising: a housing defining a media feeding portion and a media eject port, the housing being adapted to house a print engine for printing onto recording media; a base slideably receivable in the housing at a position laterally distanced from the media eject port, the base having at least a pair of recesses extending in a sliding direction of the base; and a pair of flaps each having at least one width portion corresponding to the lateral distance between the base and the eject port, each flap being hinged at a first edge into a corresponding recess of the base, each flap being biased in an upward direction via a spring which provides for angular motion of the flap relative to the base, whereby upon sliding action of the base out of the housing, the flaps are biased upward out of the recesses to a height corresponding to the position of the media eject port, wherein each flap includes a second edge, angled with respect to the first edge, and wherein, upon sliding action of the base into the housing, the second edge co-acts with the housing, folding the flap back into a corresponding recess of the base. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A printer according to claim 1, wherein the flaps are hinged opposably such that each flap folds in an opposite direction back into a corresponding recess. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A printer according to claim 1, wherein each flap has an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the second edge of each flap is beveled relative to the upper surface and the lower surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A printer according to claim 3, wherein each flap has four edges including the second edge, the first edge hinged to the base, and a top edge which supports media ejected form the printer; and wherein a distance between the top edge and the first edge is at a minimum at an intersection point between the second edge and the top edge, and wherein the distance between the top edge and the first edge increases farther away from the intersection point between the second edge and the top edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A printer according to claim 1, wherein the flaps move downwardly towards the base in response to a weight of recording media ejected from the printer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A printer according to claim 1, further comprising a tray extension which slideably fits within the base. ### Claim 7 A tray which receives paper ejected from a printer, the tray comprising: a base; and a pair of flaps, each flap being connected at a bottom edge to the base and biased upward by a spring, wherein when pressure is not applied to each flap, an initial angle between each flap and the base is less than 90.degree., and wherein the initial angle between each flap and the base decreases by angular motion from the initial angle as pressure applied to each flap increases in proportion to an amount of paper received. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A tray according to claim 7, wherein each of the pair of flaps has a beveled edge which faces the printer and which is angled away from the printer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A tray according to claim 8, wherein each of the pair of flaps is substantially flat; wherein the printer receptacle includes an exterior edge which contacts the beveled edges on the pair of flaps; and wherein contact between the beveled edges and the printer receptacle causes pressure to be applied to the pair of flaps. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A tray according to claim 9, wherein each flap has four edges including a top edge which supports paper ejected from the printer; and wherein a distance between the top edge and the bottom edge is at a minimum at an intersection point between the beveled edge and the top edge, and wherein the distance between the top edge and the bottom edge increases farther away from the intersection point between the beveled edge and the top edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A tray according to claim 10, wherein each of the pair of flaps has a predetermined shape and the base includes recesses which have shapes that correspond to the predetermined shape, each of the recesses being positioned below a corresponding flap such that when a predetermined amount of pressure is applied to the corresponding flap, the flap fits within the recess. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A printer according to claim 11, wherein the flaps are hinged opposably such that each flap folds in an opposite direction back into a corresponding recess. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) An ejection tray according to claim 8, further comprising a tray extension which slideably fits within the base. ### Claim 14 A printer comprising: a housing defining a media feed portion and a media eject port, the housing being adapted to house a printer engine for printing onto recording media; a base positioned to receive recording media ejected from the media eject port; a receiving member connected to the base, the receiving member supporting a recording medium and creating a first curvature in the recording medium when a predetermined portion of the recording medium is ejected from the media eject port, wherein the receiving member holds ejected recording media after printing on the recording media and creates a second curvature in a central portion of the recording media after ejection of the recording media, and wherein the second curvature is greater than the first curvature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A printer according to claim 14, wherein the base has at least a pair of recesses extending in a sliding direction of the base, and wherein the receiving member has a pair of flaps each having at least one width portion corresponding to a lateral distance between the base and the media eject port, each flap being hinged at a first edge into a corresponding recess of the base, each flap being biased in an upward direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A printer according to claim 15, wherein each flap is biased in the upward direction via a spring which provides for angular motion of the flap relative to the base, whereby upon sliding action of the base out of the housing, the flaps are biased upward out of the recesses to a height corresponding to the position of the media eject port. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A printer according to claim 16, wherein each flap includes a second edge angled with respect to the first edge which faces the housing and which co-acts with the housing so as to fold the flap back into a corresponding recess of the base upon sliding action back into the housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A printer according to claim 17, wherein the flaps are hinged opposably such that each flap folds in an opposite direction back into a corresponding recess. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A printer according to claim 17, wherein each flap has an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the second edge of each flap is beveled relative to the upper surface and the lower surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A printer according to claim 15, wherein the flaps move downwardly toward the base in response to a weight of recording media ejected from the media eject port. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) A printer according to claim 16, further comprising a tray extension which slideably fits within the base. ### Claim 22 A printer comprising: a housing defining a media feeding portion and a media eject port, the housing being adapted to house a print engine for printing onto recording media; a base slideably receivable in the housing, the base having at least a pair of recesses extending in a sliding direction of the base; and a pair of flaps, each flap being hinged at a first edge into a corresponding recess of the base, each flap being biased in an upward direction, whereby upon sliding action of the base out of the housing, the flaps are biased upward out of the recesses to a height corresponding to the position of the media eject port, wherein each flap includes a second edge, angled with respect to the first edge, and wherein, upon sliding action of the base into the housing, the second edge co-acts with the housing, folding the flap back into a corresponding recess of the base. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A printer according to claim 22, wherein the flaps are hinged opposably such that each flap folds in an opposite direction back into a corresponding recess. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) A printer according to claim 22, wherein each flap has an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the second edge of each flap is beveled relative to the upper surface and the lower surface. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A printer according to claim 24, wherein each flap has four edges including the second edge, the first edge hinged to the base, and a top edge which supports media ejected from the printer; and wherein a distance between the top edge and the first edge is at a minimum at an intersection point between the second edge and the top edge, and wherein the distance between the top edge and the first edge increases farther away from the intersection point between the second edge and the top edge. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) A printer according to claim 22, further comprising a tray extension which slideably fits within the base.