Member detecting media amount in multiple trays
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorHongsheng Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing system includes a first media holder configured to hold a plurality of sheets of media, and a second media holder configured to hold a different plurality of sheets of media. A contacting component is configured to selectively contact an individual sheet of media within the first media holder or within the second media holder. Additionally, a member, having a measurable property that is sensed by a sensor in correlation with a position of the individual sheet of the media in either the first or second media holder, provides a signal selectively indicative of the position of the individual sheet of media in either the first media holder or the second media holder.
Claims6
A printing system comprising:
- a first tray configured to hold a plurality of sheets of recording media;
- a second tray spaced apart from the first tray along a first direction and configured to hold a different plurality of sheets of recording media;
- a light emitter;
- an optical sensor spaced apart from the light emitter;
- a contacting component positioned to selectively contact an individual sheet of media within the first tray or an individual sheet of media within the second tray;
- a member that is movable by the contacting component in order to provide a signal that is selectively indicative of the position of the individual sheet of media in the first tray or the position of the individual sheet of media within the second tray, the member comprising:
- a first region of varying degree of light-blocking capability;
- and
- a second region of varying degree of light-blocking capability, the second region being spaced apart from the first region along a direction that is substantially parallel to the first direction;
- and
- wherein the member is opaque, the first region of varying degree of light-blocking capability comprises a first open area in the member, the second region of varying degree of light-blocking capability comprises a second open area in the member, and wherein the first open area varies in width along the first direction and the second open area varies in width along the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.