Patent ID: 8025283

Claim:
A removable media input tray assembly for a media feed device, comprising: a removable media input 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, a back portion and a sloped portion, the back portion extending vertically from the bottom to a second height that is less than the first height, the sloped portion extending between the side portions with a top edge proximate the top of the front portion and a bottom edge proximate the top of back portion; a channel provided in the front wall anterior to the sloped portion and having a depth extending the first height of the front wall and through the bottom and a length and a width dimensioned to allow for the passage of media therethrough; a first plate mounted on at least one of the side walls, the first plate having a first media reference surface, the first media reference surface extending in a first direction into the media storage location and extending in a second direction along the first height of the channel, the first media reference surface in communication with the channel along the depth of the channel, the first media reference surface contacting media when fed from the media storage location and media when fed through the channel; a first housing having a top and an opening therein for slidably receiving the removable media input tray, the top having a slot having a length at least substantially co-extensive with the width of the channel and aligned therewith; and a second plate having a second media reference surface in communication with an end of the slot and extending from the housing into the removable media input tray when installed in the housing, the second media reference surface vertically aligned with and positioned above the first media reference surface when the removable media input tray is installed in the housing, the first and second media reference surfaces forming a substantially continuous media reference surface extending a height of the removable media input tray assembly.