Patent Publication Number: US-2011074084-A1

Title: Printer

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a printer with a paper tray. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A printer is usually equipped with a paper tray for receiving paper after being printed on by the printer. Although the paper is collected in the paper tray in the order printed, it is not separated according to print jobs so one must sort through the papers in the tray to manually separate one print job from another, which can be very inconvenient. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric, partial view of a printer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of an actuating device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shown in a different view. 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing a driving member of the actuating device in a different position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a printer in accordance with an embodiment includes a printer body  10 , a tray  20  for holding paper transferred from the printer body  10 , and an actuating device  100  capable of moving the paper on the tray  20 . 
     The printer body  10  is capable of printing files transmitted to the printer. The printer body  10  includes a rear panel  11 . The rear panel  11  defines a paper output opening  112 . A plurality of rear panel holes (not shown) is defined in the rear panel  11 . 
     The tray  20  defines a paper holding space. A plurality of separating portions  21  is located on the tray  20 , and configured to reshape the holding space to create subspaces. A tray opening  23  is defined in the tray  20  to transversely pass through the separating portions  21 . 
     The actuating device  100  is configured to be secured on the tray  20 , and includes a bracket  30 , a motor  40  secured on the bracket  30 , a driving member  60 , and a connecting member  70 , and a stop member  80 . 
     The bracket  30  includes a main plate  31 , and a side plate  33  perpendicular to the main plate  31 . A bracket opening  35  is defined in the main plate  31  and the side plate  33 . The main plate  31  defines two main plate holes  311 , corresponding to the tray holes  25  at opposite sides of the bracket opening  35 , and the side plate  33  defines a plurality of side plate holes  331  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) at opposite sides of the bracket opening  35 . A bent flange  37  extends from an edge of the side plate  33 , and an extending flange  39  located on an edge of the bent flange  37 . A plurality of extending flange holes  391  is defined in the extending flange  39 . 
     The motor  40  is electrically connected to electronic elements inside the printer body  10  and controlled by the printer body  10 . A shaft  50  is installed on the motor  40  and capable of being rotated by the motor  40 . The shaft  50  has a threaded portion  51 . 
     The driving member  60  includes a main wall  63 , a sidewall  65  located on an bottom edge of the main wall  63 , and a side flange  61  located on a top edge of the main wall  63 . The side flange  61  defines a side flange hole  611  configured for receiving the shaft  50 . 
     The connecting member  70  can be fixed on the side flange  61  of the driving member  60 , and defines a threaded hole  71  for engaging with the threaded portion  51  of the shaft  50 . 
     The stop member  80  is configured to be secured on the bracket  30 , and includes a main board  81 , two parallel first side boards  85  perpendicular to the main board  81 , and a second side board  83  perpendicular to the main board  81  and the first side boards  85 . A first side board flange  89  is perpendicularly located on an edge of each first side board  85 . Each first side board flange  89  defines two fixing holes  891 , corresponding to the side plate holes  331  of the bracket  30 . A second side board flange  87  is located on an edge of the second side board  83 , and defines a through hole  871  configured for receiving the shaft  50 . 
     Referring also to  FIG. 4 , in assembly, the driving member  60  is fixed to the connecting member  70 , and the side flange hole  611  aligns with the threaded hole  71 . The threaded portion  51  of the shaft  50  is inserted in the side flange hole  611  and engaged in the threaded hole  71 , so that the driving member  60  and the connecting member  70  can be moved along the shaft  50  when the shaft  50  is rotated. The sidewall  65  is positioned in the bracket opening  35  perpendicular to the main plate  31 . The stop member  80  is located on the side plate  33 . The fixing holes  891  align with the side plate holes  331  respectively, and the through hole  871  receives an end of the shaft  50 . A plurality of first fasteners, such as screws or nuts, is fixed in the fixing holes  891  and the side plate holes  331 , to fix the stop member  80  to the bracket  30 . The second side board flange  87  is capable of blocking the connecting member  70  from disengaging from the shaft  50 . Therefore, the actuating device  100  is assembled together. 
     The actuating device  100  is positioned on a bottom surface of the tray  20 . The tray holes  25  align with main plate holes  311 . The sidewall  65  is corresponding to the tray opening  23  and perpendicular to the main plate  31 . Two second fasteners, such as screws or nuts, are fixed in the tray holes  25  and the main plate holes  311 , so as to fix the actuating device  100  on the tray  20 . 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the tray  20  and the actuating device  100  are placed at outside of the printer body  10 . The extending flange  39  is inserted in the paper output opening  112 , and abuts an inner surface of the rear panel  11 . The extending flange holes  391  align with rear panel holes, and a plurality of third fasteners, such as screws or nuts, is fixed in the extending flange holes  391  and the rear panel holes, to secure the tray  20  on the rear panel  11  of the printer body  10 . 
     In use, the driving member  60  has an original position (shown in  FIG. 1 ), where the sidewall  65  is located under the tray  20  between the extending flange  39  of the bracket  30  and the separating portions  21  of the tray  20 . If a file (a print job consisting of one or more pages) is printed by the printer body  10 , the printed file paper is output from the paper output opening  112  to the tray  20 , the motor  40  is started to rotate the shaft  50 . The connecting member  70  and the driving member  60  are therefore moved along the shaft  50  in a direction away from the printer body  10 . When the sidewall  65  is slid in the tray opening  35  and extends in the holding space, the sidewall  65  slides the file paper in the tray  20 . When the sidewall  65  is slid to a predetermined position (shown in  FIG. 5 ), where the printed file is placed in a predetermined subspace, the motor  40  then reverses rotation of the shaft  50 . The driving member  60  and the connecting member  70  are therefore moved in a direction towards the printer body  10  until the driving member  60  is moved to the original position again. The motor  40  is stopped. 
     If another file is printed by the printer body  10 , the process is performed again as described above, but in a way to place currently printed file in a different subspace of the tray  20 . Therefore, different files or print jobs are stored in a way to easily distinguish from among two or more files because of how they are distinctly separated in the tray  20 , which is very convenient. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.