WO1994015793A1

WO1994015793A1 - Print tray adaptor

Info

Publication number: WO1994015793A1
Application number: PCT/GB1993/002597
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rodger Neil Keegan
Original assignee: Rodger Neil Keegan
Priority date: 1993-01-16
Filing date: 1993-12-20
Publication date: 1994-07-21
Also published as: GB9300806D0; GB2274275B; GB2274275A; GB9325928D0

Abstract

A print tray adaptor comprising a holder (26) for inserting inside a standard print tray (10) and for receiving and positioning paper smaller than standard for the print tray (10) so as to enable said smaller size paper to be printed upon. Such an arrangement avoids wasting paper and avoids the requirement for multiple paper trays.

Description

PRINT TRAY ADAPTOR

the present invention relates to a print tr»ay adaptor and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to an adaptor which allows bulk printing of pre-cut paper of assorted sizes less than the standard size used in said tray.

Presently known paper trays used with, for example, computer laser printers, are sized in accordance with the size of the paper to be printed upon. Hence, it may be necessary to buy a number of comparatively expensive paper trays in order to facilitate the printing on paper of different sizes. Alternatively, the same size paper and the same paper tray may be used but it will then be necessary to trim the print sheets to size. This can be very time consuming and extremely wasteful of paper.

The present invention attempts to overcome the problems outlined above by providing a print tray adaptor which allows bulk printing of pre-cut paper of assorted sizes less than the standard size normal for a given paper tray.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an adaptor for a print tray of the type having a rear surface, side walls and a mouth portion, said adaptor comprising a holder for holding and spacing paper to be printed upon away from said back wall and/or one or more of said side walls and towards said mouth portion, thereby to enable paper of a size smaller than that normal for said tray to be held in and/or removed for printing from said tray.

Advantageously, said holder comprises a rear locating surface for abutment up against the rear surface of the print tray and a front locating surface spaced from said rear locating surface against which paper is located when inserted in said tray.

Conveniently, the holder may comprise one or more side locating surfaces for abutment up against one or more side walls of a print tray and one or more edge locating surfaces spaced from said side locating surfaces against which paper is positioned when inserted in said tray.

In a particularly advantageous arrangement, the holder comprises the combination of a rear locating surface for abutment up against the rear surface of the print tray, a front locating surface spaced from said rear locating surface against which paper is located when inserted in said tray, a side locating surface for abutment up against one or more side walls of a print tray and a edge locating surface spaced from said side locating surface and against which paper is positioned when inserted in said tray.

The holder may be sized so as to position the leading edge of any paper inserted in a tray a predetermined distance from the mouth thereof.

The adaptor may comprise a substantially flat member having a cut out therein which forms said front locating surface .

Conveniently, the holder comprises a substantially flat member having recesses therein which form one or more of said one or more edge locating surfaces.

A base portion may be provided adjacent said front locating surface and/or said edge locating surface for receiving paper inserted into said holder.

In a particularly advantageous arrangement, the holder further comprises a plurality of recesses, each recess being provided for receiving a different size of paper.

The holder may comprise two recesses, the first of which is positioned at a first end of said holder and the second of which is positioned at a second end of said holder.

It will be appreciated that whilst the present invention is described with reference to computer printers it is in fact of use in relation with any other printing machine that utilises a paper tray such as, for example, copying/duplicating machines. The claims of the present invention are therefore intended to cover print tray adaptor's for all paper trays.

The present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric projection of a paper holding print tray incorporating an adaptor according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the print tray and holder shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of a holder incorporating paper holding recesses, and

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate alternative forms of adaptor fitted to a standard paper tray. Referring now to the drawings in general, but particularly to Figure 1 , a standard paper tray of the type generally used in association with computer printers and/or copying machines, is shown _at 10. The tray comprises a rear surface 12, side walls 14,16 and a mouth portion which, in use, is inserted into the paper feed on the printer (not shown). The side walls 14,16 may be provided with guide plates 14a, 16a, the purpose of which will be described later. A spring loaded base plate 20 is provided for co-operating with biasing means provided on the printer so as to urge any paper held in the tray towards a point at which it can be withdrawn from the tray 10. One or more retainers 22 are provided for retaining paper within the tray and for preventing the tray being overloaded. The remaining features of the tray have not been described herein as they do not materially effect the operation of the present invention.

Turning now more particularly to the present invention, the adaptor shown at 24 comprises a holder 26 having a rear locating surface 28 for abutment up against the rear surface of the print tray 10 and a front locating surface 30 spaced from said rear locating surface 28, against which paper is located when inserted in said tray.

Side locating surfaces 32, 34 are provided for abutment up against one or more of the print tray side walls 14,16, as are one or more edge locating surfaces 36, 38, spaced from said side locating surfaces 32,34 against which paper is positioned when inserted in the tray 10.

It is a requirement of standard paper trays that the leading edge 40 of any paper placed therein is spaced from the front of the tray mouth 18 by a pr-determined amount X. The adaptor accommodates this requirement by selection of the distance Y between the rear and the front locating surfaces 28, 30 thereof. Correct selection of the distance Y will allow the paper to be spaced from the mouth by a predetermined amount once located against front locating surface 30.

The holder may be formed as a substantially flat member having one or more recesses 42, 44 which form the front and possibly the side locating surfaces 30, 36, 38 respectively. Such an arrangement is best seen in Figure 3 where the recesses 42,44 are differentially sized so as to accommodate different sizes of paper. The two recesses are illustrated as being positioned at first and second ends 46, 48 of said holder. However, it will be appreciated that one or more recesses may be provided in the sides 50 of the holder if the paper size allows.

The holder may be provided with a base portion 52, 54 adjacent the front locating surface 30 and/or the edge locating surface for receiving paper inserted into the holder and for preventing it slipping thereunder.

It will be appreciated that whilst the adaptor has been illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 as being provided with both front and side locating surfaces 30, 36, 38 respectively, it may be possible it delete one or more of these surfaces whilst still making use of the general inventive concept. Examples of such alternatives are illustrated in figures 4 and 5 from which it can be seen that long thin strips of paper 56 can be held in the tray 10 by utilising a holder having just side locating surfaces 36, 38. Alternatively, a holder having just a front locating surface 30 may be employed when it is desired to print paper of the same width as is normally held in the tray 10. Clearly, when an arrangement as illustrated in Figure 4 is employed then a base portion 58 may advantageously be incorporated in order to space the side locating surfaces 36, 38 apart.

Preferably, the holders described above are arranged to position any paper placed therein centrally relative to the mouth of the tray 10, thereby to facilitate easy feeding and correct alignment of said paper. It will however be appreciated that offset paper positioning may be employed if desirable.

In operation, the holder 26 is positioned towards the back of the paper tray 10 and retained therein by clips 60, 62 normally used for retaining full size paper sheets in the tray. The smaller than normal sheets of paper are placed in the tray and pushed rearwards such that they locate up against the front locating surface 30. The tray cover (not shown) is put on before the tray is loaded into the printer in the normal way.

The sprung loaded base plate 20 co-operates with the spring in the printer (not shown) to raise the front edge 70 of the paper upwards and towards the feed rollers in the normal manner.

The printing of paper from trays having such holders 26 is entirely conventional and is therefore not described herein.

Claims

1. An adaptor for a print tray of the type having a rear surface, side walls and a mouth portion, said adaptor comprising a holder for holding and spacing paper to be printed away from said back wall and/or one or more of said side walls and towards said mouth portion, thereby to enable paper of a size smaller than that normal for said tray to be held in and/or removed for printing from said tray.

2. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1 in which said holder comprises a rear locating surface for abutment against the rear surface of the print tray and a front locating surface spaced from said rear locating surface against which paper is located when inserted in said tray.

3. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the holder comprises one or more side locating surfaces for abutment up against one or more side walls of a print tray and one or more edge locating surfaces spaced from said side locating surfaces against which paper is positioned when inserted in said tray.

4. An adaptor as claimed in claim 1 in which said holder comprises a rear locating surface for abutment against the rear surface of the print tray, a front locating surface spaced from said rear locating surface against which paper is located when inserted in said tray, a side locating surface for abutment up against one or more side walls of a print tray and an edge locating surface spaced from said side locating surface and against which paper is positioned when inserted in said tray.

5. An adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which said holder is sized so as to position the leading edge of any paper inserted in a tray a predetermined distance from the mouth thereof.

6. An adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the holder comprises a substantially flat member having a cut out therein which forms said front locating surface .

7. An adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 in which the holder comprises a substantially flat member having recesses therein which form one or more of said one or more edge locating surfaces.

8. An adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7 including a base portion adjacent said front locating surface and/or said edge locating surface for receiving paper inserted into said holder.

9. An adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 in which said holder further comprises a plurality of recesses, each being provided for receiving a different size of paper to be printed upon.

10. An adaptor as claimed in claim 9 in which said holder further comprises two recesses, the first of which is positioned at a first end of said holder and the second of which is positioned at a second end of said holder.

11 An adaptor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings .