US 11,884,501 B2
Output hopper for media processing devices
Graham Marshall, Shoreham, NY (US); Konstantinos Tsiopanos, Selden, NY (US); Thomas R. Helma, Wakefield, RI (US); and Noel R. Bankston, Flushing, NY (US)
Assigned to Zebra Technologies Corporation, Lincolnshire, IL (US)
Filed by ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, Lincolnshire, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/825,666.
Application 16/825,666 is a continuation of application No. 15/807,043, filed on Nov. 8, 2017, granted, now 10,633,208.
Prior Publication US 2020/0216284 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. B65H 31/02 (2006.01); B65H 1/06 (2006.01); B65H 7/06 (2006.01); G06K 1/12 (2006.01); B41J 11/58 (2006.01); B41J 3/407 (2006.01); B65H 43/06 (2006.01); B65H 31/24 (2006.01); B41J 13/12 (2006.01); B65H 31/30 (2006.01); B65H 43/04 (2006.01); G06K 13/14 (2006.01); B65H 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 31/02 (2013.01) [B41J 3/407 (2013.01); B41J 11/58 (2013.01); B41J 13/12 (2013.01); B65H 1/06 (2013.01); B65H 3/063 (2013.01); B65H 7/06 (2013.01); B65H 31/24 (2013.01); B65H 31/30 (2013.01); B65H 43/04 (2013.01); B65H 43/06 (2013.01); G06K 1/121 (2013.01); G06K 13/14 (2013.01); B65H 2301/4212 (2013.01); B65H 2402/41 (2013.01); B65H 2402/46 (2013.01); B65H 2403/942 (2013.01); B65H 2404/1421 (2013.01); B65H 2405/1124 (2013.01); B65H 2405/11152 (2013.01); B65H 2405/3321 (2013.01); B65H 2601/271 (2013.01); B65H 2601/325 (2013.01); B65H 2701/1914 (2013.01); B65H 2801/12 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An output hopper comprising:
a bottom including a concave bottom surface;
a ceiling opposite the bottom;
a rear surface extending vertically between the bottom surface and the ceiling;
a first side surface adjacent to the rear surface and extending vertically between the bottom surface and the ceiling;
a second side surface opposite the first side surface and adjacent to the rear surface, the second side surface extending from the bottom surface to the ceiling; and
a first door disposed opposite the rear surface when the first door is in a closed position, the first door adjacent and pivotably coupled to at least one of the first side surface or the second side surface, a first top edge of the first door having a first cutout;
the rear surface, the first side surface, the second side surface, the bottom, and the first door define a cavity configured and dimensioned to receive a plurality of rectangular cards from an output of a media processing device, the cavity to cause the plurality of cards to form a stack in a first direction;
the first door pivotably movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the first door is configured to pivot on a first axis substantially parallel to the first direction; wherein:
the concave bottom surface of the bottom is accessible when the first door is in the open position, and
the first door is biased in the closed position to retain the plurality of cards resting against the first door so that the first door causes the plurality of cards to align atop each other in the stack in the cavity up to the first cutout and the first cutout allows ones of the plurality of cards to spill over the first cutout in the first door when a capacity of the cavity is exceeded.