The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 14, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 03, 1998
Terrence L Fisher, Sr, Rochester, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A printer and receiver supply tray adapted to sense amount of receiver therein, and method thereof. The printer comprises a print head for printing an image on the receiver and a supply tray associated with the print head for holding a plurality of cut sheets of the receiver, the cut sheets defining a stack of sheets having a predetermined height. A sheet feeder engages the stack of sheets for sequentially feeding sheets from the tray and to the print head, such that height of the stack of sheets decreases as the sheets are fed therefrom. A platen is movably connected to the tray for continuously supporting the stack of sheets in the tray as height of the stack of sheets decreases. An indicator is connected to the platen and movable therewith for indicating height of the stack of sheets as the height of the stack of sheets decreases. The indicator has a surface area thereon of a predetermined light reflectance associated with the amount of sheets in the tray. A sensor is optically coupled to the indicator for sensing light reflected from the surface area thereof, the sensor being adapted to cast light on the surface area and sense the light reflected therefrom.