Background

[0001] An inkjet printing system, as one example of a fluid ejection system, may include a printhead, an ink supply which supplies liquid ink to the printhead, and an electronic controller which controls the printhead. The printhead, as one example of a fluid ejection device, ejects drops of ink through a plurality of nozzles or orifices and toward a print medium, such as a sheet of paper, so as to print onto the print medium. In some examples, the orifices are arranged in at least one column or array such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from the orifices causes characters or other images to be printed upon the print medium as the printhead and the print medium are moved relative to each other.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0002] FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a printer.

[0003] FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a printer component including a main print media tray and an auxiliary print media tray.

[0004] FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate an example auxiliary print media tray in three different positions.

[0005] FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a printer component including a cantilever.

[0006] FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow diagrams illustrating one example of a method for operating a printer. Detailed Description

[0007] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that each individual feature or combination of features of the various examples described herein may be combined, in part or whole, with each other individual feature or combination of features.

[0008] In addition to a main print media tray, some printers may include a fixed print media tray that supports a single sheet feed (e.g., for photo paper). This type of fixed additional tray is commonly referred to as a “priority tray.” Print media on the priority tray may be prioritized to be picked for printing. In this type of printer, printing from the main print media tray cannot be selected when there is print media on the priority tray. Therefore, when there is print media remaining on the priority tray, the print media from the priority tray is removed before the main print media tray may be used for printing.

[0009] Accordingly, disclosed herein is a printer where the priority tray is replaced with an auxiliary print media tray that may function as a multipurpose tray. As will be described below, a printer may include an auxiliary print media tray and a mechanism. The auxiliary print media tray may be laterally movable from a first position to a second position. The mechanism may unclamp print media within the auxiliary print media tray with the auxiliary print media tray in the first position, clamp the print media during movement of the auxiliary print media tray between the first position and the second position, and unclamp the print media with the auxiliary print media tray in the second position.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a printer 100. The printer 100 includes a printer component 102 including a main print media tray and an auxiliary print media tray. The printer component 102 may be removably installed in the printer 100. The printer 100 may be a two-dimensional (2D) printer, such as an inkjet or laser printer, to print on print media (e.g., paper, card stock, photo paper, etc.) from the main print media tray or the auxiliary print media tray. The printer 100 may include, for example, a print material (which could be a liquid or dry toner, or an ink or liquid print agent), which may in some examples be dispensed via a print head or other dispensing or transfer component.

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a printer component 200. In one example, printer component 200 may provide the printer component 102 of the printer 100 of FIG. 1 . Printer component 200 may include a main print media tray 202, an auxiliary print media tray 204, and a print media picking assembly 206. The auxiliary print media tray 204 may be over the main print media tray 202. Printer component 200 may also include a mechanism 208. The mechanism 208 may include a cantilever 210, a pivot point (e.g., pin) 212, a spring 214 (best illustrated in FIG. 4), a rail 216, and a cover 226. The rail 216 may be fixed to a housing of the printer component 200. The cantilever 210 may be perpendicular to the rail 216. The cantilever 210 may be mounted to the cover 226 via the pivot point 212. The cover 226 may be mounted to the auxiliary print media tray 204 at the sides of the auxiliary print media tray. The spring 214 may be between the cantilever 210 and the auxiliary print media tray 204 at a side of the auxiliary print media tray. The spring 214 contacts the cantilever 210 at a location between the pivot point 212 and the rail 216. The auxiliary print media tray 204 may include width adjusters 228 to accommodate print media of different sizes (e.g., letter, A4, etc.)

[0012] The auxiliary print media tray 204 (along with cantilever 210, pivot point 212, spring 214, and cover 226) is laterally movable from a first position 300a as illustrated in FIG. 3A to a second position 300c as illustrated in FIG. 3C. In one example, the auxiliary print media tray 204 may be moved between the first position 300a and the second position 300c via a motor assembly (not shown). The first position 300a may be for loading print media 302, and the second position 300c may be for picking the print media 302 for printing. With the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the first position 300a, print media picking assembly 206 may pick print media from the main print media tray 202 for printing. With the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the second position 300c, print media picking assembly 206 may pick print media from the auxiliary print media tray 204 for printing. In one example, print media 302 may remain in auxiliary print media tray 204 in the first position 300a during picking of print media from the main print media tray 202 for printing.

[0013] The mechanism 208 unclamps print media 302 within the auxiliary print media tray 204 with the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the first position 300a. The mechanism 208 clamps the print media 302 within the auxiliary print media tray 204 as indicated at 300b in FIG. 3B during movement of the auxiliary print media tray 204 between the first position 300a and the second position 300c. The mechanism 208 unclamps the print media 302 within the auxiliary print media tray 204 with the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the second position 300c. In particular, the cantilever 210 may unclamp the print media 302 within the auxiliary print media tray 204 with the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the first position 300a, clamp the print media 302 during movement of the auxiliary print media tray 204 between the first position and the second position as indicated at 300b, and unclamp the print media 302 with the auxiliary print media tray 204 in the second position 300c. In some examples, the cantilever 210 may clamp the print media 302 at about a center region of the print media 302.

[0014] The cantilever 210 clamps and unclamps the print media 302 based on a position of the cantilever 210 with respect to the pivot point 212. The cantilever 210 includes a first end 222 and a second end 224 opposite to the first end 222. In one example, the distance between the first end 222 and the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 is within a range between about 200 mm and about 250 mm. The rail 216 is in contact with the first end 222 of the cantilever 210 and controls the position of the cantilever 210 with respect to the pivot point 212, which is between the first end 222 and the second end 224 of the cantilever 210. The spring 214 moves the cantilever 210 with respect to the pivot point 212 based on the position of the cantilever 210 with respect to the rail 216.

[0015] The rail 216 includes a first end 218 corresponding to the first position 300a of the auxiliary print media tray 204 and a second end 220 corresponding to the second position 300c of the auxiliary print media tray 204. In one example, the distance between the first end 218 and the second end 220 of the rail 216 is within a range between about 125 mm and about 145 mm. The first end 218 and the second end 220 of the rail 216 are bent downward with respect to the center portion of the rail 216 between the first end 218 and the second end 220. The first end 218 and the second end 220 of the rail 216 force down the first end 222 of the cantilever 210 to unclamp the print media 302 as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3C. The rail 216 between the first end 218 and the second end 220 allows the first end 222 of the cantilever 210 to rise due to force from the spring 214 to clamp the print media 302 at the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 as illustrated in FIG. 3B.

[0016] The length of the print media 302 may be greater than a length of the auxiliary print media tray 204 such that the print media 302 overhangs the auxiliary print media tray 204. Thus, by clamping the print media 302 when moving the auxiliary print media tray 204 from the first position 300a to the second position 300c, slippage of the print media 302 during movement of the auxiliary print media tray 204 between the first position 300a and the second position 300c as indicated at 300b may be prevented.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a printer component 400. Printer component 400 may include an auxiliary print media tray 204 and a mechanism 208 as previously described and illustrated with reference to FIGS. 2-3C. In this example, the auxiliary print media tray 204 includes a friction pad 402 to prevent slippage of the print media 302 (FIGS. 3A-3C) during movement of the auxiliary print media tray 204 between the first position 300a and the second position 300c. In this example, the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 may include a protruding portion facing the friction pad 402 to provide a clamping point.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cantilever 210 is in the unclamped position. Rail 216 (e.g., at the first end 218 or at the second end 220) forces down the first end 222 of the cantilever 210 to rotate the cantilever 210 with respect to the pivot point 212 such that the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 rises to the unclamped position. In a center portion of the rail 216 between the first end 218 and the second end 220, the first end 222 of the cantilever 210 rises due to the force from spring 214 to rotate the cantilever 210 with respect to the pivot point 212. In this way, the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 is pushed down to clamp print media between the second end 224 of the cantilever 210 and the friction pad 402.

[0019] FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow diagrams illustrating one example of a method 500 for operating a printer, such as printer 100 of FIG. 1 . As illustrated in FIG. 5A at 502, method 500 may include unclamping print media (e.g., via cantilever 210) within an auxiliary print media tray (e.g., 204) with the auxiliary print media tray in a first position (e.g., 300a) for loading the print media (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3A). At 504, method 500 may include clamping the print media (e.g., via cantilever 210) and moving the auxiliary print media tray (e.g., as indicated at 300b in FIG. 3B) from the first position to a second position (e.g., 300c) for picking the print media for printing. At 506, method 500 may include unclamping the print media within the auxiliary print media tray with the auxiliary print media tray in the second position (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3C).

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 5B at 508, method 500 may further include clamping the print media and moving the auxiliary print media tray from the second position to the first position (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3B). At 510, method 500 may further include unclamping the print media within the auxiliary print media tray with the auxiliary print media tray in the first position (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3A).

[0021] Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.