Patent ID: 8582125

Claim:
A sheet media input structure for a sheet media processing device, comprising: a sheet media supporting surface; and a media sheet separator downstream from the supporting surface along a media path that extends from the supporting surface to and along the separator, the separator configured to separate a top sheet on the stack from a next-to-top sheet in the stack by resisting the movement of sheets along the media path the separator comprising: a pliable sheet spanning first and second supports that extend along and support the sheet; and a protrusion extending along and protruding from the sheet between the supports; the supports oriented relative to one another such that a distance between the supports at a downstream part of the separator is greater than a distance between the supports at an upstream part of the separator such that the degree of resistance of the separator to the movement of sheets along the media path varies along the length of the separator from a greater resistance at the upstream part of the separator to a lesser resistance at the downstream part of the separator.