Copy stacking tray

Claim 2

A copy receiving tray comprising a bottom stop portion and a vertical stacking tray inclined to the horizontal for receiving copy sheets up to a first size, the improvement wherein said vertical stacking tray comprises a first vertical portion extending from said bottom stop portion in a first vertical direction inclined to the horizontal direction a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a second vertical portion inclined further to the horizontal than said first vertical portion out of the path of travel of copy sheets, said second vertical portion extending a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a third vertical portion above said second portion generally inclined to the vertical in about the same plane as said first vertical portion, said third portion providing a stacking support for the top portion of a copy sheet of a size greater than said first size.

Claim 3

The copy receiving tray of claim 1 wherein said first, second and third portion comprise planar surfaces.

Claim 4

The copy receiving tray of claim 1 wherein said second vertical portion provides stacking support for the top portion of a copy sheet up to said first size.

Claim 5

The copy receiving tray of claim 1 wherein said first and third vertical portions are inclined from the vertical at an angle greater than about 20°.

Claim 6

The copy receiving tray of claim 1 wherein said bottom portion comprises a stop portion inclined to the plane of the first vertical portion by a copy sheet change of direction angle of from about 40° to about 50° and a retaining lip at the end of the stop portion inclined to the vertical, said first vertical portion, bottom portion and retaining lip forming a copy sheet catch configuration.

Claim 7

The copy receiving tray of claim 5 wherein said retaining lip is inclined from said stop portion by a change of direction angle of from about 90° to about 110°.

Claim 8

The copy receiving tray of claim 1 wherein said third portion has a resilient kicker deflector strip mounted on its upper portion to assist in giving stiffness to copy sheets as they pass thereover and to lift the leading edge of a sheet being stacked over the trailing edge of a sheet already stacked.

Claim 9

A multimode reproducing apparatus comprising means for exposing an imaging surface to a document to be reproduced, means for forming an image of the document to be reproduced on a copy sheet, copy output transport means to transport said copy to a copy output station comprising a bottom stop portion and a vertical stacking tray inclined to the horizontal for receiving copy sheets up to a first size, the improvement wherein said vertical stacking tray comprises a first vertical portion extending from said bottom stop portion in a first vertical direction inclined to the horizontal direction a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a second vertical portion inclined further to the horizontal than said first vertical portion out of the path of travel of copy sheets, said second vertical portion extending a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a third vertical portion above said second portion generally inclined to the vertical in the same plane as said first vertical portion, said third portion providing a stacking support for the top portion of a copy sheet of a size greater than said first size.

Claim 10

A multimode reproducing apparatus comprising means for exposing an imaging surface to a document to be reproduced, means for forming an image of the document to be reproduced on a copy sheet, copy output transport means to transport said copy to a copy output station comprising a bottom stop portion and a vertical stacking tray inclined to the horizontal for receiving copy sheets up to a first size, the improvement wherein said vertical stacking tray comprises a first vertical portion extending from said bottom stop portion in a first vertical direction inclined to the horizontal direction a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a second vertical portion inclined further to the horizontal than said first vertical portion out of the path of travel of copy sheets, said second vertical portion extending a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a third vertical portion above said second portion generally inclined to the vertical in the same plane as said first vertical portion, said third portion providing a stacking support for the top portion of a copy sheet of a size greater than said first size.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said copy output station further comprises a short means, sheet transport means defining a sheet transport path to transport a sheet to said sorter, a first decision gate means in the path of said sheet transport to direct the sheet from the transport path to a first sheet collecting tray, a second decision gate means in the path of sheet transport to direct a sheet from the path of said sheet transport to said receiving tray.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first and third vertical portions of said stacking tray are inclined from the vertical at an angle greater than about 20°.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said bottom portion comprises a stop portion inclined to the plane of the first vertical portion by a copy sheet change of direction angle of from about 40° to about 50° and a retaining lip at the end of the stop portion inclined to the vertical, said first vertical portion, bottom portion and retaining lip forming a copy sheet catch configuration.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said retaining lip is inclined from said stop portion by a change of direction angle of from about 90° to about 110°.