EP0416849A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Franking machine
Assignee: Neopost Ltd
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Filing: 1990-09-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A franking machine is disclosed in which the franking impression is printed by means of an ink jet print head (10). Debris from mail items (17) which is liable to be deposited on the nozzles (11) of the print head is removed periodically by a cleaning device (26, 27) operated in gaps between feeding of successive mail items. In the event that a gap does not occur, the feeding means (18) is controlled periodically to cause occurrence of a gap. The ink jet print head (10) may utilise solid ink which is heated by a heater (49) to melt it for ejection in drops from the nozzles (11).
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond John Herbert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 07:12
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00508; B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/165; B41J2/16517; B41J2/16535; G07B2017/00516; G07B2017/00524; G07B2017/00532; G07B2017/00556
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A franking machine including a print head (10) having a plurality of ink jet nozzles (11) characterised by a receptacle (13) for solid ink pellets communicating with the nozzles; heating means (49) operable to melt solid ink pellets in the receptacle (13) to enable the melted ink to pass to the nozzles (11); a plurality of piezo-electric devices (50) associated one with each nozzle respectively and selectively operable to eject ink drops from said nozzles; means (18) operable to feed mail items (17) past the nozzles in spaced relationship thereto; and means (30) operative during feeding of a mail item past the nozzles to operate the piezo-electric devices selectively to eject ink drops to form a franking impression on the mail item.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A franking machine including a print head (10) having a plurality of ink jet nozzles (11) characterised by a receptacle (13) for solid ink pellets communicating with the nozzles; heating means (49) operable to melt solid ink pellets in the receptacle (13) to enable the melted ink to pass to the nozzles (11); a plurality of piezo-electric devices (50) associated one with each nozzle respectively and selectively operable to eject ink drops from said nozzles; means (18) operable to feed mail items (17) past the nozzles in spaced relationship thereto; and means (30) operative during feeding of a mail item past the nozzles to operate the piezo-electric devices selectively to eject ink drops to form a franking impression on the mail item.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 1 further characterised by cleaning means (26, 27) operable to clean the nozzles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
108 words
A franking machine characterised by a print head (10) including a plurality of ink jet nozzles (11); a receptacle (13) for ink communicating with the nozzles (11); a plurality of devices (50) associated one with each nozzle respectively and selectively operable to eject ink drops from said nozzles; means (18, 21) operable to feed mail items (17) past the nozzles (11) in spaced relationship thereto; means (30) operative during feeding of a mail item (17) past the nozzles to operate the devices (50) selectively to eject ink drops to form a franking impression on the mail item and cleaning means (26, 27) operable to clean the nozzles (11).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
108 words
A franking machine characterised by a print head (10) including a plurality of ink jet nozzles (11); a receptacle (13) for ink communicating with the nozzles (11); a plurality of devices (50) associated one with each nozzle respectively and selectively operable to eject ink drops from said nozzles; means (18, 21) operable to feed mail items (17) past the nozzles (11) in spaced relationship thereto; means (30) operative during feeding of a mail item (17) past the nozzles to operate the devices (50) selectively to eject ink drops to form a franking impression on the mail item and cleaning means (26, 27) operable to clean the nozzles (11).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3 further characterised by in that the cleaning means includes a cleaning pad (27) and means (26) actuable to move the pad across the nozzles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 4 further characterised in that the nozzles (11) are located in a line and the cleaning pad (27) is rotatable about an axis extending parallel to the line of nozzles (11).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A franking machine as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 further characterised by means (28) operative to sense gaps between successive mail items (17) and to operate the cleaning means (26, 27) when a gap of sufficient length is sensed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
A franking machine as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised by a plate (24) having a guide surface lying in a plane spaced from the line of nozzles (11) in that the means (18, 21) operable to feed mail items (17) presses the mail items against said guide surface to maintain the mail items spaced at a predetermined distance from said nozzles (11) and in that said plate (24) has an aperture (25) therein for the passage of ink drops from the nozzles (11) to the mail items (17).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 7 further characterised in that the means (18, 21) for feeding mail items (17) includes a feed belt (18, 21) running round rollers (19, 20; 22, 23) and in that at least one of said rollers 920, 22) is resiliently mounted to accommodate mail items of different thickness between the feed belt (18, 21) and the guide surface on the plate (24).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
59 words
A franking machine as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised in that all the print nozzles (11) are controlled to print a bar code on the mail items, the bars having an extent equal to the line of print nozzles and including means (29) operative to sense the bar code to check operation of the print nozzles (11).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means (29) to sense the bar code is operative to sense a different strip of said bar code on each successive mail item (17) whereby the operation of each print nozzle is checked periodically.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
77 words
A franking machine as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised by a microprocessor (30) operable to perform accounting and control functions wherein print data signals to control the print nozzles (11) to print a predetermined impression are sent serially to the print head (10), said print head including a register (51) to receive said print data signals serially and means (52) to read out the print data signals in parallel to operate the piezo-electric devices (50).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
A franking machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 further characterised by a microprocessor (30) operable to perform accounting and control functions wherein print data signals to control the print nozzles (11) to print a predetermined impression are sent in parallel from the microprocessor to the piezo-electric devices (50).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
A franking machine as claimed in any preceding claim further characterised by means (46, 38) responsive to a low level of ink in the receptacle to generate a warning indication.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
42 words
A franking machine as claimed in claim 13 further characterised in that the means (46,38) responsive to a low level of ink includes a pair of electrodes (46) having a magnitude of electrical capacitance therebetween dependent upon the presence of melted ink.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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