Patent ID: 8267393

Claim:
A removable media input tray assembly for a media feed device, comprising: a removable media tray having a bottom, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls extending between the front and rear walls, the walls extending upwardly from the bottom, the walls and bottom defining a media storage location for holding media to be fed by the media feed device; the front wall having: a front portion having a first height, a rearwardly extending top surface, two rearwardly extending side portions and a back portion, the back portion extending vertically from the bottom to a second height that is less than the first height; an inclined media dam positioned in the front wall comprising a media contact surface having a top edge, a bottom edge and extending between the side portions with the top edge proximate the top of the front portion and the bottom edge proximate the top of back portion; a channel provided in the front wall having a depth extending the first height of the front wall and through the bottom, and a length and width dimensioned to allow for the passage of media therethrough; a first plate vertically mounted on a side wall, the first plate having a first reference surface, the first reference surface extending in one direction into the media storage location and extending in a second direction the depth of the channel and forming an end of the channel, the first reference surface contacting media when being fed from the media storage location and media when being fed through the channel; a housing having a opening therein for slidably receiving the removable media input tray; and a second plate having a second reference surface extending from the housing into the removable media input tray when installed in the housing, the second reference surface being vertically aligned with the first reference surface when the removable media input tray is installed in the housing, the second reference surface being vertically separated from the top of the first plate by a distance less than 5 mm.