Patent ID: 7451976
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: G07D,G07F

Abstract:
1. A media pickup apparatus for a media dispenser, said media pickup apparatus comprising: a bracket movable toward a discharge opening of a media cassette; a pickup unit coupled to said bracket, said pickup unit being capable of removing sheets of media, sheet-by-sheet, from the discharge opening of the media cassette; a biasing member applying a biasing force tending to move said pickup unit toward the discharge opening of the media cassette; and a sensor detecting a position of said pickup unit relative to the discharge opening of the media cassette, 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 in the discharge opening of the media cassette, 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 media cassette 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 center of the pickup unit, and thereby applies the biasing force in a direction towards the center of the pickup unit.