Media pickup apparatus for media dispenser

A media cassette for a media dispenser, said media cassette comprising:

• a cassette body having a discharge opening;
• a push plate inside said cassette body for pushing a stack of media stored in said cassette body toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• and
• a driving source for moving said push plate toward said discharge opening of said cassette body,
• wherein said driving, source includes a motor, a belt unit transmitting power from said motor to move said push plate, a driving pulley or gear driven by said motor and a driven pulley or gear which is connected to said driving pulley or gear by said belt unit, and
• wherein a portion of said belt unit is connected to said push plate,
• wherein said cassette body includes an access cover, which can be opened and closed to insert media into, or remove media from, said cassette body, and:
• wherein the media cassette further includes:
• a clutch located between said motor and said driving pulley or gear to allow for selectively connecting a driving force of said motor to said driving pulley or gear;
• and
• a link which causes said clutch to disengage said motor from said driving pulley or gear when said access cover is opened, so that an operator can manually move said push plate.

A media dispenser comprising:

• a cassette body having a discharge opening;
• a push plate inside said cassette body for pushing a stack of media stored in said cassette body toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a driving source for moving said push plate toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a bracket movable toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a pickup unit coupled to said bracket, said pickup unit being capable of removing sheets of media, sheet-by-sheet, from said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a biasing member applying a biasing force tending to move said pickup unit toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• and
• a sensor detecting a position of said pickup unit relative to said discharge opening of said cassette body,
• wherein said sensor provides a signal indicative of a position of said pickup unit,
• wherein said sensor includes a light transmitter and a light receiver,
• wherein the bracket includes a main section that is configured to be disposed substantially parallel to the sheets of media stored in the cassette, and
• wherein a rotational degree detecting slot is formed in an end of the extension section that is away from the main section, and allows light from said light transmitter to pass therethrough and be received by said light receiver, when said bracket is in a predetermined position relative to the discharge opening of the cassette body such that a rotational degree of the main section of the bracket is detected, and
• wherein the biasing member extends from a portion of the extension section towards a canter of the pickup unit, and thereby applies the biasing force in a direction towards the center of the pickup unit.

A media dispenser comprising:

• a cassette body having a discharge opening;
• a push plate inside said cassette body for pushing a stack of media stored in said cassette body toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a driving source for moving said push plate toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a bracket movable toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a pickup unit coupled to said bracket, said pickup unit being capable of removing sheets of media, sheet-by-sheet, from said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• a biasing member applying a biasing force tending to move said pickup unit toward said discharge opening of said cassette body;
• and
• a sensor detecting a position of said pickup unit relative to said discharge opening of said cassette body,
• wherein said sensor provides a signal indicative of a position of said pickup unit,
• wherein said driving source includes a motor, a belt unit transmitting power from said motor to move said push plate, a driving pulley or gear driven by said motor and a driven pulley or gear which is connected to said driving pulley or gear by said belt unit,
• wherein a portion of said belt unit is connected to said push plate, and
• wherein said cassette body includes an access cover, which can be opened and closed to insert media into, or remove media from, said cassette body, and:
• wherein the media dispenser further includes:
• a clutch located between said motor and said driving pulley or gear to allow for selectively connecting a driving force of said motor to said driving pulley or gear;
• and
• a link which causes said clutch to disengage said motor from said driving pulley or gear when said access cover is opened, so that an operator can manually move said push plate.