Abstract:
A media restraint for a removable media tray and slidably operable without the use of a pinching force. The media restraint slidably positionable on a track in a removable media tray and is operable without pinching. A latching plunger in the media restraint is biased into engagement with a track provided in the removable media tray and is moved by a rack and pinion mechanism to a released position allowing the media restraint to be moved along the track. The media restraint is operable by a finger of the user applying a downward force to the media restraint to release the plunger from the track and allowing the media restraint to be moved along the track. Upon removal of the downward force, a biasing member reengages the plunger with the track.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present disclosure is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/060,868, entitled “REMOVABLE MEDIA TRAY HAVING A MEDIA RESTRAINT WITH TRANSLATING LATCHING CAMS OPERABLE WITHOUT THE USE OF PINCHING” filed Mar. 4, 2016 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/060,878, entitled “REMOVABLE MEDIA TRAY HAVING A MEDIA RESTRAINT WITH PIVOTING LATCHING CAM OPERABLE WITHOUT THE USE OF PINCHING” filed Mar. 4, 2016, each assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None. 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENTIAL LISTING, ETC. 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
     The field relates generally to media input feed systems for an imaging device having a removable media tray with an adjustable media restraint. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. §794 (d)) to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508, federal agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others. These provisions apply to operable controls which are defined as components of a product that require physical contact for normal operation. Operable controls include, but are not limited to, media restraints. Operable controls are to be operable with one hand and not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist. Thus, under these requirements, the media restraint needs to be operable without the use of a pinching force. 
     Media restraints in removable media trays are typically provided along a bottom and side edge of a media area within the removable media tray for holding the media in place for feeding into an imaging device. The media restraints are moveable along tracks in the removable media tray to accommodate different media sizes. These media restraints are operated by a user pinching an actuation member or lever to release the media restraint from engagement with the track, and, while still pinching the actuation member or lever, moving the media restraints to a new position in the removable media tray. 
     It would be advantageous to have a media restraint that can be operated without the use of a pinching force. It would be further advantageous, that such a media restraint would also be moveable using a single finger. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed is a removable media tray having a media restraint that is operable without the use of a pinching force. The removable media tray comprises a bottom surface for holding media to be fed to the imaging device, a track having a plurality of teeth along a length of the track and positioned on the bottom surface, and, a media restraint slidably engageable with the track. The media restraint includes a bottom plate having a first opening therethrough, a front plate and a rear plate each depending from the bottom plate, and, a latching mechanism. Included in the latching mechanism are a pinion gear rotatably attached to one of the front and rear plates between a top and a bottom thereof, an actuator and a plunger slidably received between the front and rear plates, and a biasing member. The actuator has a first position adjacent to the top plate and has a button portion at an upper end thereof positioned adjacent a top of the front and rear plates and a leg portion depending from the button portion and extending toward the bottom plate. The leg portion has a rack engaged with the pinion gear. The plunger has a serrated bottom end slidably received in the first opening and a rack engaged with the pinion gear. The plunger has a corresponding first position wherein the serrated bottom end is engaged with the track when the actuator is in its first position. The biasing member biases the actuator and the plunger into their respective first positions. 
     Upon application of a user-supplied downwardly directed force to the button portion, the actuator moves from its first position and translates downwardly with the rack of the leg portion thereby rotating the pinion gear and raising the plunger from its first position allowing the media restraint to be translated along the track to a new location. When the downwardly directed force is removed, the biasing member returns the actuator and plunger to their respective first positions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of an imaging device having a removable media tray attached to a stack of option assemblies each of which also have a removable media tray. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective illustration of a removable media tray for the imaging device of  FIG. 1  having a rear and side edge media restraint of the present disclosure and two insets showing track configurations useable with a media restraint. 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  are front, rear and bottom illustrations of a first embodiment of the media restraint of the present disclosure where  FIGS. 3A, 3C  show an engaged position and  FIG. 3B  shows an actuated or disengaged position for the media restraint. 
         FIGS. 4A-4B  are perspective rear views of the first embodiment of the media restraint with a rear plate and a top plate removed where  FIG. 4A  illustrates the media restraint in its first or engaged position and  FIG. 4B  illustrates the media restraint in an actuated or disengaged position. 
         FIGS. 5A-5B  are rear views of the first embodiment of the media restraint with the rear plate and the top plate removed and corresponding to  FIGS. 4A-4B , respectively, where  FIG. 5A  illustrates the media restraint in its first or engaged position and  FIG. 5B  illustrates the media restraint in an actuated or disengaged position. 
         FIGS. 6A-6B  are front and rear illustrations of a second embodiment of the media restraint of the present disclosure where  FIG. 6A  shows the media restraint in an engaged position and  FIG. 6B  shows the media restraint in an actuated or disengaged position. 
         FIGS. 7A-7B  are perspective rear illustrations of the second embodiment of the media restraint of the present disclosure with the rear and top plates removed where  FIG. 7A  shows the media restraint in an engaged position and  FIG. 7B  shows the media restraint in an actuated or disengaged position. 
         FIGS. 8A-8B  are rear illustrations of the second embodiment of the media restraint of the present disclosure with the rear and top plates removed where  FIG. 8A  shows the media restraint in an engaged position and  FIG. 8B  shows the media restraint in an actuated or disengaged position. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective illustration of a latching mechanism used in the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic illustration of various mounting locations for stops used in the media restraints of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic illustration of various mounting locations for spring seats used in the media restraints of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic illustration of various mounting locations for pinion gears used in the media restraints of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein, the terms “having”, “containing”, “including”, “comprising”, and the like are open ended terms that indicate the presence of stated elements or features, but do not preclude additional elements or features. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The use of “including”, “comprising”, or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. 
     Terms such as “about” and the like have a contextual meaning, are used to describe various characteristics of an object, and have their ordinary and customary meaning to persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. Terms such as “about” and the like, in a first context mean “approximately” to an extent as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art; and, in a second context, are used to describe various characteristics of an object, and in such second context mean “within a small percentage of” as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 
     Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected”, “coupled”, and “mounted”, and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. Spatially relative terms such as “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “rear”, “side”, “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, and the like, are used for ease of description to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element. These terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to different orientations than those depicted in the figures. Relative positional terms may be used herein. For example, “superior” means that an element is above another element. Conversely “inferior” means that an element is below or beneath another element. Further, terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like, are also used to describe various elements, regions, sections, etc. and are also not intended to be limiting. Where possible, like terms refer to like elements throughout the description. A plurality of different structural components may be utilized to implement the media restraint of the present disclosure. Furthermore, and as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the present disclosure and that other alternative mechanical configurations are possible. 
     “Media” or “media sheet” refers to a material that receives a printed image or, with a document to be scanned, a material containing a printed image. The media is said to move along a media path, a media branch, and a media path extension from an upstream location to a downstream location as it moves from the media trays to the output area of the imaging system. For a top feed option tray, the top of the option tray is downstream from the bottom of the option tray. Conversely, for a bottom feed option tray, the top of the option tray is upstream from the bottom of the option tray. As used herein, the leading edge of the media is that edge which first enters the media path and the trailing edge of the media is that edge that last enters the media path. Depending on the orientation of the media in a media tray, the leading/trailing edges may be the short edge of the media or the long edge of the media, in that most media is rectangular. As used herein, the term “media width” refers to the dimension of the media that is transverse to the direction of the media path. The term “media length” refers to the dimension of the media that is aligned to the direction of the media path. “Media process direction” describes the movement of media within the imaging system, and is generally means from an input toward an output of the imaging device. The terms “spring seat” or “spring mount” are used interchangeably. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example imaging device  10  atop three example option assemblies  50 . Imaging device  10  has a housing  20  having a front  22 , a first and second sides  24 ,  26 , a rear  28 , a top  30  and a bottom  32  and into which a removable media tray  100  is slidably inserted. Option assembly  50  has a housing  65  having a front  66 , a first and second sides  67 ,  68 , a rear  69 , a top  70  and a bottom  72  and into which removable media tray  100  is slidably inserted. A user interface  40  comprising a display  42  and a key panel  44  may be located on the front  22  of housing  20 . Using the user interface  40 , a user is able to enter commands and generally control the operation of the imaging device  10 . For example, the user may enter commands to switch modes (e.g., color mode, monochrome mode), view the number of images printed, take the imaging device  10  on/off line to perform periodic maintenance, and the like. A media output area  38  for receiving printed media is provided in the top  30 . A multipurpose input tray  88  folds out from the front of the removable media tray  100  in imaging device  10  and may be used for handling envelopes, index cards or other media where only a small number of the media will be printed. The multipurpose tray  88  may also be incorporated into front  22  of housing  20  rather than being incorporated into removable media tray  100 . Hand grips  34 ,  74  are provided in several locations on housings  20 ,  65 , respectively, such as on sides  24 ,  26 ,  67 ,  68 . Also, ventilation openings, such as vents  36  are provided on imaging device  10  such as those shown on first side  24 . Latches  76  are provided on each option assembly  50  to secure it to either imaging device  10  or a superior option assembly  50  in the stack. 
     Option assemblies  50  may be removed or added to the stack. As each option assembly  50  is added, the media path is extended. The option assemblies  50  are stackable allowing one or more option assemblies  50  to be used with a single imaging device  10 . An additional option assembly  50  is typically positioned on top of the uppermost option assembly  50  in the stack. Typically, each option assembly  50  may contain a different type of media such as letterhead or a different size such as A4 or a larger quantity of the same media type that is found in the removable media tray  100  integrated into imaging device  10 . Each removable media tray  100  is sized to contain a stack of media sheets that will receive color and/or monochrome images. Each removable media tray  100  may be sized to hold the same number of media sheets or may be sized to hold different quantities of media sheets. Example media sizes include but are not limited to A6, 8½″×11″, A4, and 11″×17″. In some instances, the removable media tray  100  in imaging device  10  may hold a lesser, equal or greater quantity of media than a removable media tray  100  found in an option assembly  50 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , removable media tray  100  is shown. Removable media tray  100  is sized to hold approximately 550 pages of 20 pound media which has a media stack height of about 59 mm. Removable media tray  100  has a front wall  102 , side walls  104  and a rear wall  106  depending from a bottom  108 . Media storage area  150  is generally defined by front wall  102  and side walls  104 , and bottom  108 . Provided in each removable media tray  100  are one or more adjustable media restraints  200 , shown to be placed at a rear and a side edge of the media storage area  150 , to accommodate different media widths and lengths. A handle  110  is provided in front wall  102  for removing and inserting removable media tray  100  into imaging device  10  or option assembly  50 . 
     Provided on the bottom  108  of removable media tray  100  is a track  120  on which media restraint  200  travels and latches. The insets in  FIG. 2  show two configurations of the track  120 . The left inset shows a track  120 A having a plurality of horizontal serrations or teeth  124  across the top  120 A- 1  thereof. Track  120 A is also illustrated as having two parallel sections  121 ,  122  each having a plurality of horizontal serrations  124 . The right inset shows a track  120 B having a plurality of vertical serrations or teeth  126  along at least one of its sides. As shown, serrations  126  are provided on each of its sides  120 B- 1 ,  120 B- 2 . Media restraint  200  engages with the track  120  using a later described latching mechanism that engages with serrations  124  or serrations  126 . One or more guide rails  130  may also be provided on the bottom  108  for guiding the media restraint  200  as it is moved between positions along track  120 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A-3C , media restraint  200  has a bottom plate  202  which travels along track  120 A and guide rails  130 . Channels  220  and  230  are provided in the undersurface of bottom plate  202  and are sized to receive track  120 A and guide rails  130 , respectively. Depending from bottom plate  202  are a front plate  204  and a rear plate  206  that are joined by a top plate  208 . A latching mechanism  300  is mounted between the front and rear plates  204 ,  206  and is used to engage the media restraint  200  to the track  120 A. Latching mechanism  300  is accessible via an opening  209  in top plate  208 . Latching mechanism  300  includes an actuator  310  and a plunger  350  (see  FIG. 4A ). Top plate  208  may be integrally molded as part of rear plate  206  or as part of front plate  204 . Rear plate  206  is illustrated as being attached to front plate  202  by one or more fasteners  290 . Four fasteners  290  are shown. In  FIG. 3C , plunger  350  can be seen projecting through an opening  210  in bottom plate  202 . A bottom  352  of plunger  350  has one or more serrations  366  used for engaging with the serrations  124  of track  120 A. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A-5B , one form of latching mechanism  300  is shown. Rear and top plates  206 ,  208  have been removed to show latching mechanism  300 . In  FIGS. 4A and 5A , latching mechanism  300  is shown in an engaged position and actuator  310  and plunger  350  are shown in their respective first positions. As shown in  FIG. 5A , plunger  350  is in its first position and is engaged with the serrations  124  on track  120 A on the removable media tray bottom  108 , the latter three indicated by the dashed line rectangles. When plunger  350  is engaged with track  120 A, media restraint  200  is fixed and cannot travel along track  120 A.  FIGS. 4B, 5B  show the latching mechanism  300  in an actuated state with actuator  310  and plunger  350  in their respective second positions allowing media restraint  200  to be moved along track  120 A. 
     In  FIGS. 4A-5B , front plate  204  is shown as having a recess  212  in which latching mechanism  300  is mounted. Latching mechanism  300  includes actuator  310 , plunger  350 , a first and a second pinion gear  380 A,  380 B and a biasing member illustrated as coil springs  390 A,  390 B. Actuator  310  has a button portion  312  at a top end thereof and a leg portion shown as a first and a second leg portion  314 A,  314 B, respectively, depending downwardly from button portion  312  toward the bottom plate  202 . Button portion  312  has a concave upper surface  313  for receiving a fingertip of a user. First and second leg portions  314 A,  314 B each have a first and a second rack  316 A,  316 B along respective inside edges thereof that engage with first and second pinion gears  380 A,  380 B, respectively. First and second racks  316 A,  316 B are shown on an interior side of first and second leg portions  314 A,  314 B extending from a first and a second free end  318 A,  318 B, respectively, of first and second leg portions  314 A,  314 B, respectively, toward button portion  312 . First and second free ends  318 A,  318 B may be provided with posts  340  that are aligned with posts  240  on bottom plate  202  which are used for retaining first and second coil springs  390 A,  390 B within the recess  212  of front plate  204 . 
     A top portion  354  of plunger  350  is slidably positioned between first and second pinion gears  380 A,  380 B that are rotatably mounted to the front plate  202  and positioned approximately in the middle of front plate  202 . Fasteners  290  may be used for mounting of pinion gears  380 A,  380 B. The bottom  352  of plunger  350  extends into opening  210  in bottom plate  202  and into track channel  220  and engages with track  120 A. A first and a second rack  358 A,  358 B, shown in dashed lines in Figure s  5 A and  5 B are provided along opposite exterior sides of the top portion  354  of plunger  350  and are engaged with first and second pinion gears  380 A,  380 B, respectively. 
     Stops may be provided to limit the downward and upward travel of actuator  310  and plunger  350 . A first and a second upper stop  242 A,  242 B are shown depending from front plate  204  at a position above first and second leg portions  314 A,  314 B, respectively, to limit upward travel of actuator  310 . Similarly, a first and a second lower stop  244 A,  244 B are shown upwardly depending from bottom plate  202  a predetermined distance and are used to limit the downward motion of actuator  310  and provide tactile feedback to the user that media restraint  200  has been disengaged from track  120 B and may now be moved. As shown in  FIGS. 4A, 5A , plunger  350  is in its first position is engaged with track  120 A and actuator  310  is biased against upper stops  242 A,  242 B. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4B, 5B , a downwardly directed force F, indicated by the black downward arrow, from the fingertip of a user is applied to the button portion  312  of actuator  310 . The actuator  310  moves from its first position and translates downwardly with the racks  316 A,  316 B of the leg portions  314 A,  314 B, respectively, rotating pinion gears  380 A,  380 B, raising the plunger  350 , via racks  358 A,  358 B, from its first position and disengaging the media restraint  200  from the track  120 A without the use of a pinching force. This also compresses first and second coil springs  390 A,  390 B. When disengaged, the media restraint  200  can be translated along the track  120 A to a new location. When the downwardly directed force F is removed, the first and second coil springs  390 A,  390 B return the actuator  310  and plunger  350  to their respective first positions. By applying the downward force F at an angle with respect to vertical in the desired direction of movement, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the user is able to move the media restraint along the track  120 A with their finger without pinching the media restraint  200 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6A-9 , a second embodiment of the present media restraint is shown. Media restraint  200 - 1  has a bottom plate  202  which travels along track  120 A and guide rails  130 . Channels  220  and  230  are provided in the bottom surface of bottom plate  202  and are sized to receive track  120 A and guide rails  130 , respectively (see  FIG. 8A ). Depending from bottom plate  202  are a front plate  204  and a rear plate  206  that are joined by a top plate  208  having an opening  209  for accessing latching mechanism  300 - 1 . Openings  210 A,  210 B are provided in bottom plate  202  (see  FIG. 8A ) for receiving a plunger later described. A latching mechanism  300 - 1  is mounted between the front and rear plates  204 ,  206  and is used to engage the media restraint  200 - 1  to the track  120 A. Top plate  208  may be integrally molded as part of rear plate  206  or as part of front plate  204 . Rear plate  206  is attached to front plate  202  by one or more fasteners  290 . A single fastener  290  is shown. Channels  220 ,  230  are again provided in the bottom surface of bottom plate  202 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8A and 9 , the latching mechanism  300 - 1  of media restraint  200 - 1  is shown. Latching mechanism  300 - 1  is comprised of an actuator  310 , a plunger  350 , a pinion gear  380  and a biasing member  390 , illustrated as coil spring  390 . Actuator  310  has a button portion  312  and a leg portion  314  depending downwardly from button portion  312  toward the bottom plate  202 . Button portion  312  has a concave upper surface  313  for receiving a fingertip of a user. Leg portion  314  has a rack  316  along an inside edge thereof that engages pinion gear  380 . Rack  316  is shown on an interior side of leg portion  314  extending from a free end  318  of leg portion  314  toward button portion  312 . Leg portion  314  is shown vertically offset from button portion  312 . A post  320  downwardly depends from free end  318  of leg portion  314 . Post  320  acts as a stop to limit downward travel of actuator  310 . 
     A top portion  354  of plunger  350  has a rack  358  engaged with pinion gear  380  that is rotatably mounted to the front plate  204 . Fastener  290  may be used for this purpose. Rack  358  is shown on an interior side of top portion  354  extending toward the bottom  352  of plunger  350 . Top portion  354  may be provided with a spring mount  364 , shown as a cruciform post  364 , onto which a bottom end of coil spring  390  is placed. A spring mount  235  depends from front plate  204  at a position above the top portion  354  of plunger  350 . Coil spring  390  sits between top portion  354  of plunger  350  and a spring mount  235 . 
     The bottom  352  of plunger  350  is divided into first and second leg portions  360 ,  362  each having one or more serrations  366  used for engaging horizontal serrations  124  provided in track sections  121 ,  122 , respectively of track  120 A (see left inset of  FIG. 2 ). First and second leg portions  360 ,  362  of the bottom  352  extend through openings  210 A,  210 B (see  FIG. 8A ) provided in bottom plate  202  and then into track channel  220  for engaging with track  120 A. Channel  230  for guide rail  130  is also shown. The bottom  352  of plunger  350  is vertically offset from top portion  354 . The vertical offsets provided in actuator  310  and plunger  350  relative to each other provide for a more compact design for latching mechanism  300 - 1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7A-8B , latching mechanism  300 - 1  is shown. Rear and top plates  206 ,  208  have been removed to show latching mechanism  300 - 1 . Front plate  204  is shown as having recess  212  in which latching mechanism  300 - 1  is mounted. In  FIGS. 7A and 8A , latching mechanism  300 - 1  is shown to be biased by coil spring  390  into an engaged position and actuator  310  and plunger  350  are in their respective first positions. As shown in  FIG. 8A , plunger  350  is in its first position engaged with track  120 A and actuator  310  is biased against upper stop  242  that depends from front plate  204 . Track  120 A with horizontal serrations  124  on the removable media tray bottom  108  and guide rail  130  are shown in dashed line. In  FIG. 8A , a bottom  352  of a plunger  350  can be seen projecting through openings  210 A,  210 B in bottom plate  202 . When plunger  350  is engaged with track  120 A, media restraint  200 - 1  is fixed and cannot travel along track  120 A. 
       FIGS. 7B and 8B  show the latching mechanism  300 - 1  actuated by a user-supplied downward force F, indicated by the black arrow, that is applied to the button portion  312  of actuator  310 . Actuator  310  is translated downwardly to its second position with rack  316  rotating pinion gear  380  using rack  358  to lift plunger  350  into its respective second position and compressing coil spring  390  against spring mount  235 . When actuator  310  and plunger  350  are in their respective second positions, media restraint  200 - 1  is disengaged from track  120 A and can be moved along track  120 A. With continued downward pushing by the user on actuator  310 , post  320  will contact plunger  350  stopping further downward and upward movement of actuator  310  and plunger  350 , respectively, and providing tactile feedback to the user that media restraint  200 - 1  has been disengaged from track  120 A. By applying the downward force F at an angle with respect to vertical in the desired direction of movement as previously noted, the user is able to move the media restraint  200 - 1  along the track  120 A with their finger without the use of pinching. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10-12 , various mounting arrangements for stops, spring seats and the pinion gears are schematically illustrated. In  FIG. 10 , stops S 1 , S 2 , S 3  are shown mounted on the front plate  204 , bottom plate  202 , and rear plate  206 , respectively. Stop S 4  is shown depending from the bottom of actuator  310 . Spring seats ST 1 -ST 4  are used for seating biasing members, such as springs  390 ,  390 A,  390 B in media restraints  200 ,  200 - 1 . In  FIG. 11 , spring seats ST 1 , ST 2 , ST 3  are shown mounted on the front plate  204 , bottom plate  202 , and rear plate  206 , respectively. Spring seat ST 4  is shown depending from the actuator  310 . Post P 1  may be provided on seats ST 1 -ST 4 . Post P 2  is shown depending from bottom plate  202 . Posts P 1 , P 2  may be used to hold biasing members on their respective spring seats. In  FIG. 12 , pinion gears PG 1 , PG 2  are shown mounted on shafts SH 1 , SH 2  on the front and rear plates  204 ,  206 , respectively. The number and location of the stops, spring seats, posts, and shafts are a matter of design choice and the locations shown in the figures are for the purpose of illustration and not limitation and similarly for the number and mounting of the pinion gears and the number and mounting of the biasing members. 
     For the disclosed embodiments of the media restraint, front plate  204  is shown to have the recess into which the latching mechanisms are mounted. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the latching mechanisms may be mounted to the rear plate or some components may be mounted to the front plate and others to the rear plate. The mounting arrangement for the latching mechanism is a matter of design choice and the configurations shown should not be taken as limiting. For media restraints  200 ,  200 - 1 , the mounting of bottom plate  202 , front plate  204 , rear plate  206 , and top plate  208  to one another is a matter of design choice, and the configurations shown should not be viewed as limiting. 
     The foregoing description of several methods and an embodiment of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be defined by the claims appended hereto.