Programmable paper tray and elevator settings

• US 9,309,065 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Willis, Keith L., Brown, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bollinger, David H
• Application Number:
  US14/320,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20160001993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 271/157, 271/162, 271/164, 271/207, 271/213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/26 with auxiliary supports to facilitate introduction or renewal of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/266 Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer B65H1/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/30 Arrangements for removing completed piles bands, chains, or like moving receivers B65H31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6502 Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1614 Measures for handling of apparatus by disabled persons

Abstract

Devices include a platform having a media side that supports sheets of media. The platform moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface upon which the devices rests between a home position and a plurality of paper supply positions located in an upward direction from the home position. A user interface displays a first reload option that, when selected, lowers the platform to the home position for reloading the sheets of media onto the platform. The user interface also displays an accessibility option for reloading the sheets of media onto the platform that, when selected, lowers the platform to an accessibility position that is in the upward direction relative to the home position.

Claims

1. An apparatus:

a paper tray maintaining sheets of media, said paper tray being openable and closable;

a sensor operatively connected to said paper tray, said sensor sensing a height of said sheets of media in said paper tray to determine is said paper tray is completely empty of said sheets of media, and to determine if said paper tray has an accessibility amount of said sheets of media;

a controller operatively connected to said paper tray;

an actuator operatively connected to said controller and said paper tray, said actuator opening said paper tray upon instruction from said controller; and

a user interface operatively connected to said controller,

said controller causing said user interface to display a reload option that, when selected, opens said paper tray when said paper tray is said completely empty for reloading said sheets of media into said paper tray,

said controller causing said user interface to display an accessibility option for reloading said sheets of media onto said paper tray that, when selected, opens said paper tray when said paper tray has said accessibility amount of said sheets of media for reloading said sheets of media into said paper tray,

said accessibility amount of said sheets being greater than said completely empty, and

a top sheet in said paper tray being at an accessibility position when said accessibility amount of said sheets is within said paper tray.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, said selection of said accessibility option causing said actuator to open said paper tray when said paper tray has said accessibility amount of said sheets of media.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, said accessibility position corresponding to a wheelchair armrest height from a surface upon which said apparatus is positioned.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, said user interface displaying an option to set said accessibility position to a customized accessibility position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, said accessibility option restricting a single paper tray of said apparatus to open for reloading said sheets of media.

6. A printing apparatus:

a media path feeding sheets of media to a print engine;

a media supply device positioned to supply said sheets of media to said media path;

a paper tray within said media supply device maintaining said sheets of media said paper tray being openable and closable;

a sensor operatively connected to said paper tray, said sensor sensing a height of said sheets of media in said paper tray to determine is said paper tray is completely empty of said sheets of media, and to determine if said paper tray has an accessibility amount of said sheets of media;

a controller operatively connected to said paper tray;

an actuator operatively connected to said controller and said paper tray, said actuator opening said paper tray upon instruction from said controller; and

a user interface operatively connected to said controller,

said controller causing said user interface to display a reload option that, when selected, opens said paper tray when said paper tray is said completely empty for reloading said sheets of media into said paper tray,

said controller causing said user interface to display an accessibility option for reloading said sheets of media onto said paper tray that, when selected, opens said paper tray when said paper tray has said accessibility amount of said sheets of media for reloading said sheets of media into said paper tray,

said accessibility amount of said sheets being greater than said completely empty, and

a top sheet in said paper tray being at an accessibility position when said accessibility amount of said sheets is within said paper tray.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, said selection of said accessibility option causing said actuator to open said paper tray when said paper tray has said accessibility amount of said sheets of media.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, said accessibility position corresponding to a wheelchair armrest height from a surface upon which said printing apparatus is positioned.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, said user interface displaying an option to set said accessibility position to a customized accessibility position.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, said accessibility option restricting a single paper tray of said media supply device to open for reloading said sheets of media.