Automatic printer stack edge guide alignment information

Abstract

In a typical print media sheets feeding system, sheet stacks of different dimensions are stacked into, and then fed from, a sheet stacking tray having opposing stack edge guides, at least one of which the operator must first manually reposition close to the sides of a stack being newly loaded of different dimensions to insure proper sheet feeding. There is provided here an electronic stack edge guide positioning confirmation system with a repositionable sheet stack edge proximity sensing system repositioning with the repositionable stack edge guide and providing an automatic warning signal against the feeding of sheets if the opposing edge guides are not positioned in close proximity with the corresponding opposing sides of the particular stack of sheet currently loaded in the tray, if the width of the latest loaded stack differs and/or the side guides have not been properly reset to the currently loaded stack size.

1 . In a sheet stacking tray for stacking print media sheets of different sheet stack dimensions in at least one sheet stacking area for feeding said sheets from said stack with a sheet feeder, said sheet stacking tray having at least one manually repositionable sheet stack edge guide repositionable to provide an edge guide for at least one side of said sheet stack for said different particular sheet stack dimensions, there is provided an electronic stack edge guide positioning confirmation system with a repositionable sheet stack edge proximity sensing system that is automatically repositionable with said at least one repositionable sheet stack edge guide, said electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system providing with said repositionable sheet stack edge proximity sensing system an automatic warning signal against the feeding of said sheets from said stack with said sheet feeder if said sheet stack edge guide has not been positioned in at least close proximity to said at least one side of said sheet stack sheet stack stacked into said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         2 . The sheet stacking tray of  claim 1  wherein said electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system is adapted to provide electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to at least one side of said sheet stack in said sheet stacking tray to substantially engage said at least one side of said stack in said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         3 . The sheet stacking tray of  claim 1  wherein said electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system is adapted to provide electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to said at least one side of said sheet stack in said sheet stacking tray when said at least one side guide is positioned within approximately 2 mm of said one side of said sheet stack.  
     
     
         4 . The sheet stacking tray of  claim 1  wherein said electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system provides an operator error signal when said at least one side guide is positioned not more than approximately 3 mm away from said one side of said sheet stack in said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         5 . The sheet stacking tray of  claim 1 , further including a separate stack loading sensor for providing an electrical signal in response to the loading of a stack of sheets into said sheet stacking tray, independently of the stack dimensions, and wherein said electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system provides an operator error signal when said at least one side guide is positioned more than approximately 3 mm away from said one side of said sheet stack in said sheet stacking tray or said electrical signal indicative of the loading of a stack of sheets into said sheet stacking tray is provided from said separate stack loading sensor.  
     
     
         6 . An improved sheet feeding method in which stacks of print media sheets of variable dimensions may be stacked into and then fed from a sheet stacking tray, said sheet stacking tray having at least one stack edge guide which is manually repositionable for the particular dimensions of the particularly dimensioned stack of print media sheets currently stacked into that sheet stacking tray, in which said repositioning of said at least one stack edge guide to at least closely adjacent to at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray automatically provides, with an electrical sensing system that is repositionable with said at least one side guide, electrical information indicative of said at least one repositionable side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray for proper sheet feeding.  
     
     
         7 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein said sensing system providing electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray is provided when said at least one side guide is substantially engaging said at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         8 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein said sensing system providing electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to said at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray is provided when said at least one side guide is within at approximately 1 mm of said one side of said stack.  
     
     
         9 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein said sensing system providing electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to at least one side of a particularly dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray provides an operator error signal when said at least one side guide is positioned more than approximately 3 mm away from said one side of said stack in said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         10 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein said sensing system providing electrical information indicative of said at least one side guide being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to at least one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray provides an operator error signal when said at least one side guide is positioned more than approximately 3 mm away from said one side of said particular dimensioned stack in said sheet stacking tray in combination with the detection of the loading of a stack into said sheet stacking tray by a separate stack loading sensor.  
     
     
         11 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein said sensing system comprises an electronic stack edge guide repositioning confirmation system with a repositionable sheet stack edge proximity sensing system that is automatically repositionable with said at least one repositionable sheet stack edge guide, said electronic stack edge guide positioning confirmation system providing with said repositionable sheet stack edge proximity sensing system an automatic warning signal against the feeding of said sheets from said stack with said sheet feeder if said sheet stack edge guide has not been repositioned into at least close proximity to said at least one side of a sheet stack stacked into said sheet stacking tray.  
     
     
         12 . The improved sheet feeding method of  claim 6  wherein an opposing sheet stack edge guide with a separate sheet stack edge proximity sensor is provided in said sheet stacking tray, and wherein both said separate sheet stack edge proximity sensor and said electrical sensing system repositionable with said repositionable side guide both provide electrical signals indicative of respective sides of a stack of sheets loaded therebetween being positioned sufficiently closely adjacent to both said repositionable side guide and said opposing sheet stack edge in said sheet stacking tray for proper sheet feeding.