Patent ID: 8020860

Claim:
A registration mechanism for moving media sheets along a media path within an image forming device, the registration mechanism comprising: a frame that extends across at least a portion of the media path, the frame including guide ribs and guide member having a plurality of second ribs; a drive shaft operatively connected to the frame and including drive rolls discretely spaced along the drive shaft, first end portions of the guide ribs extending proximal to the drive shaft such that the drive rolls are disposed along the drive shaft between the guide ribs first end portions; and a plurality of discrete idler rolls operatively connected to the frame, each of the plurality of idler rolls being aligned with a corresponding one of the drive rolls to form a series of drive nips spaced along the media path; the drive shaft rotates in a first direction to prevent the media sheet from moving through the drive nips and to form a bubble within the media sheet that contact the guide ribs, and a second direction to move the media sheet through the drive nips, wherein the first end portions of the guide ribs being disposed upstream of the drive nips and being dimensioned for shaping the bubble in the media, and second end portions of the guide ribs being disposed downstream of the drive nips for guiding media downstream thereof; wherein the guide member is operatively connected to the frame so that the plurality of second ribs are positioned entirely downstream from the drive nips, each of the second ribs being aligned substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the guide ribs, the guide ribs being disposed along one side of the media path and the second ribs being disposed along an opposed side of the media path such that media is directed by the second end portions of the guide ribs onto the second ribs, first end portions of each second rib being upstream of the second end portion of the guide ribs and downstream of the drive nips, the first end portions of each second rib being a leading end portion thereof such that a second end portion of each second rib is downstream of the first end thereof; wherein the guide member includes a shaft operatively coupled to the frame, and a biasing member disposed between the guide member and the frame, the guide member being integrally formed as a unitary member, and the second ribs being disposed in spaced relation to each other along the guide member.