Patent ID: 8739191

Claim:
A system for distributing a plurality of trays, each of the plurality of trays adapted to hold a recording medium therein, the system comprising: a tray holding portion that supports the plurality of trays and extends in a stacking direction of the plurality of trays, wherein: a plurality of protrusion bases separated from each other by a predetermined gap in the stacking direction are attached to the tray holding portion, a plurality of supporting portions extend from each of the protrusion bases and are configured to support a single tray of the plurality of trays by engaging with the single tray, and the supporting portions of a first protrusion base from among the plurality of protrusion bases do not overlap in the stacking direction with any of the supporting portions of a second protrusion base from among the plurality of protrusion bases; and a tray distributing table that receives the plurality of trays and moves in the stacking direction along the tray holding portion to engage each of the plurality of trays with the corresponding plurality of supporting portions.