DE2501035C2 - Postage stamp printing device for a franking machine - Google Patents

Description

2. Postage stamp printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hollow Printing roller (16) a die printing plate (26) for printing de? Envelope (12) carries which also has openings (37, 38) which correspond to the openings correspond in the jacket of the high pressure roller (16) and through which the ink jet printer corresponds (40) droplets of paint - on the envelope to be printed (12) for printing the changeable ones Information (108,110) sprays.

3. Postage stamp printing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hollow pressure roller (16) is dimensioned so that in its axial cavity (42) the ink jet printer (40) can essentially be accommodated and that the ink droplets emitted by the inkjet printer from the axis (53) of the pressure roller (16) in wesentüchen radially outwards and through the openings (37, 38) of the die pressure plate (26) onto the in the envelope (12) located in the printing station (51) are thrown.

4. Postage stamp printing device according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that that a pressure signal generating device (56 to 62) is provided which upon arrival the first opening (37) at the printing station (51) a first pressure signal for printing the Postage indication (108) generated by the inkjet printer (40), and upon arrival the second opening (38) at the printing station (51) a second printing signal for printing the date (HO).

5. Postage stamp printing device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that that the electrical circuit (54, 70 to 80) for controlling the inkjet printer (40) for the successive printing of the changing information from one generating the print signal Device (56 to 62) is acted upon via a sensor output line (68).

6. Postage stamp printing device according to claim, characterized in that the Pressure signal generating device (56 to 62) a roller position sensor (56) in the form of a Has axis (18) of the drive motor (20) rotatably arranged disc (58) with slots (60,62)

7. Postage stamp printing device according to claims 5 or 6, characterized in that a per se known light barrier (64,66) is provided with the slots (60,62) on the Ruid Disc (58) of the roller position sensor (56) cooperates in such a way that the inkjet printer (40) from its control circuit (54, 70 to 80) is only activated for pressure when via the sensor output line (68) indicates the correct angular position of the pressure roller (16) with the pressure plate (28) is, in accordance with the angular position of the slot (60 or 62) the opening (37) for the inkjet printing of the date (ItO) or the opening (38) for printing the postage information (108) each lies in the area of the printing station (51)

The invention relates to a postage printing device for-'ane franking machine according to the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such postage stamp printing devices are known. For example, the postage meter machine is shown DE-PA 0 37 968 a franking machine with a fee stamp system, which is known per se Way can be set to the amount to be franked and which with other stamp wheels for a date stamp is spatially connected in such a way that the date and fee amount are simultaneous and adjacent get to the imprint. In addition, this known franking machine in the form of a roller stamp a cliché, d. H. a template for printing the unchangeable information such as zip code and city and possibly a company emblem.

These roller stamps are cumbersome for handling a large number of mail items. There are therefore Mechanical postage meter machines that are capable of delivering quickly and also to frank a large number of mailpieces reliably, with the toll path used added in a known manner in an ascending totalizer or in a credit counter is subtracted. Depending on the system used, the counters can be configured by the user with an the credit coupon purchased from the Post or can also be "topped up" by the Post itself.

The system of manual adjustment of the charge to be stamped was used in such franking machines also already replaced by facilities that make it possible to set the desired charge value via a keyboard to type in which the desired adjustments by electromechanical links in the desired Wise done.

It is now the object of the present invention to provide a postage stamp printing device for a postage meter according to the preamble of claim 1 so that to avoid a large number complex moving mechanical components, the second printing device by an inkjet printer

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ker is replaceable Deviating from the previously known construction, the second printing device is from the The rotating pressure roller is separated and does not move with it. This eliminates the otherwise complicated supply lines for the ink and power supply of the inkjet printer.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a postage stamp printing device of the type mentioned at the beginning Type achieved, which is characterized by the features of claim 1.

Further advantageous developments result from the features of the subclaims.

By incorporating the paint spray printing device in the postage meter machine, its construction can be simplified considerably.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawing. It shows

F i g. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of the postal stamp printing device;

F i g. FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned side view of the FIG. 1 postage printing device shown;

Fi g. 3 shows a schematic representation of the in accordance with the invention Postage stamp printing devices used controls to illustrate the Control of the inkjet printer.

In the F i g. 1 and 2 the essential components of the franking machine 10 are shown, which are associated with the inventive Postage stamp printing device 11 is provided

An envelope 12 is shown moving through the printing station of postage meter 10 will. The pressure roller 16 is attached to a shaft 18 which is driven by the motor 20. The shaft 18 is guided in a suitable bearing block 22 which is fastened to the machine frame 23. By means of the shaft 18 is the hollow pressure roller 16 in the direction of FIG. 1 shown arrow 24 driven. The platen 16 carries a curved die pressure plate 26, which is equipped with the pressure elements 28 and 30. Through this the invariable information such as zip code, city or a company emblem printed in the printed Area 32 of envelope 12 in FIG. 1 are shown. A spring-loaded pivotable pressure roller 34, which is supported in a known manner on the machine frame 23, is located below the hollow pressure roller 16 to press the envelope 12 against the pressure roller when this is in the printing system with the envelope 12 is located. The envelope 12 can be moved on a platen 35 that supports it will. The T-ansport of the envelope 12 takes place through the engagement of the pressure roller 34 by the opening 3R

The stencil printing plate 26 has two openings 37, 38 which are offset in the circumferential direction and which are designed in such a way that the stationary inkjet printer 40 can eject ink droplets through these openings and onto the envelope 12. The front opening 37 enables the color droplets forming the amount of postage to pass from the inkjet printer 40 onto the envelope 12, while the rear opening 38 enables the color droplets from the inkjet printer 40 to pass through to the envelope. The inkjet printer 40 is arranged at least partially in the axial cavity 42 which is formed in the interior of the pressure roller 16. the inkjet printer 40 being stationary, disordered in this cavity 42. so that the openings 37, 38 can move past the paint nozzle arranged at their lower end 44 in order, depending on their position, to enable or prevent the passage of the paint drops to the envelope.
The inkjet printer 40 is provided with a plurality of precisely aligned and closely spaced ink feed channels 46, the ends 43 of which are arranged in a linear pattern at the lower end 44 of the inkjet printer 40, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The ink supply channels 46 are selectively actuated to produce the correct number and sequence of ink drops to form the alphanumeric stamp characters on the envelope 12. As shown in FIG.

The inkjet printer 40 is attached to the machine frame with a bracket 50, the electrical control lines 52 contributes to the individual piezoelectric crystals 48 for controlling the ink supply channels 46 lead for the paint leakage. In the F i g. 1 and 2, five crystals 48 are shown attached to the visible side of the printer 40 are arranged, wherein the (not shown) four other ... <i crystals on the opposite side of the printing device 40 arranged are. The ink supply channels 46 end at the printing station 51 (FIG. 1) of the postage meter machine, the generally below the lower end 44 of the inkjet printer 40 is arranged. A paint supply tube 55 (Fig. 1) is supported by the bracket 50 and is in communication with the ink supply channels 46.

The ink jet printer 40 is arranged so that the ink droplets ejected from the ends 43 of the axis 53 of the pressure roller 16 thrown away radially and along an axis 53 and the center line 49 containing vertical plane are thrown down against the envelope 12.

Although the plane of the lower end face (end 44) of inkjet printer 40 is actually perpendicular runs to the plane of the end face of the pressure roller 16, as shown in Fig. 1, this plane is the lower end face (end 44) of the inkjet printer 40 for the sake of clarity in FIG. 3 so drawn as if it were parallel to the plane of the end face of the pressure roller 16.

The rotation of the shaft 18 is detected by a roller position sensor 56 scanned or ermiiHi, the Inkjet printer 40 operated in time with the rotation of the pressure roller 16. Although an optical position sensor is shown in the drawing. so can other rotational position sensing devices can be used, such as B. magnetic devices. The roller position sensor 56 comprises a timing dial 58 attached to the shaft 18. The disk 58 has two radial slots 60, 62 which raise the rotational position.

Her roller pitch sensor 56 also includes a conventional one Photocell 64 which is aligned with a light source 66. It can be seen that a signal is on the file output line 68 is generated when one of the radial slots 60,62 between the light source 66 and the photocell 61 moved through. The arrangement of the Slots 60,62 on the circumference of the disk 58 is chosen so that the output signals in the sensor output line 68 are generated when the openings 37,38 under the lower end 44 of the inkjet printer 40

b5 move past.

The cylindrical outer wall of the hollow pressure roller 16, which is provided with the openings 37, 38, forms a movable one Coverage showing the transfer of

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Printing ink from the inkjet printer 40 onto the envelope 12 is prevented as long as neither of the two Openings 37 or 38 between the inkjet printer 40 and the envelope 12 is located. The coat the hollow pressure roller 16 acts as a safety device for the franking machine, which is an unintentional Imprint of postage fees at any time outside of the prescribed time effectively prevented.

The synchronization between the rotation of the pressure roller 16 in the order of the pulses for actuation of the inkjet printer 40 can be done by any control device. As an example of a such a control device is shown in FIG. 1 shows one in which the output pressure signal via the sensor output line 68 is fed to a line signal amplifier 70, the output line 72 of which is a logic Circuit 74 is applied. This circuit 74 enables the keys entered by means of the keyboard 76 to be transmitted Signals iü a * v1 <un & -Sihaiiung 78 and to Charge memory 80. The output generated by the keyboard 76 passes through the logic circuit 74 to the matrix circuit 78 which encrypts the data for the nine color feed channels 46 which the Create spots of color. The signals generated in matrix circuit 78 for the various matrix characters are amplified in a nine-channel amplifier 54 and the electrical control lines 52 in the inkjet printer 40 forwarded. The matrix circuit 78 thus determines on the one hand which piezoelectric crystals 48 are excited and, on the other hand, the sequence of their actuation, which is used to generate the means of the Keypad set postage mark is required.

If the logic circuit acted upon by an incoming through the line 72 pressure signal 74 to the set by means of the keyboard 76 values in Gebührens ⁿ Eicher 80 stored. In addition, a locking signal is generated which is fed via line 82 to a coupling lock 84 which is coupled to the motor 20. The latter ensures that the printing cycle of the postage stamp printing device is also carried out to the end after it has been initiated once.

As one can see from FIG. 3 recognizes, the timing dial 58 is a means 86 for terminating the print cycle assigned; it contains a magnetic flux element 88 which is provided on the circumference of the time setting disk 58 is and a magnetic flux sensor 90, which is a short distance from the time setting disk 58 and so the passing of the magnetic flux element 88 registered. The position of the magnetic flux guide 90 is chosen so that the first opening 37 is approximately in the position shown in FIG. 3 starting position indicated by the line 37a when the magnetic flux element 88 moves past the magnetic flux sensor 90. The relative The working position of the inkjet printer 40 is shown in FIG. 3 indicated by line 40a If the magnetic flux sensor 90 has determined the movement of the magnetic flux element 88 past, the lines 94-94 ' a signal is supplied to an amplifier 96, the output 98 of which is connected to a suitable electromagnetic relay 99 is coupled, which stops the rotation of the motor 20.

The postage stamp printing device according to the invention operates as follows: After a document, for example, the envelope 12, from the left in Fig. 1 in such a position was brought in which its leading edge 100 is approximately in the plane of the center lines of the hollow pressure roller 16 and the pressure roller 34 is located, the operation of the device according to the invention begins. The keyboard 76 for the variable information to be printed for the amount of the postage stamp and the date and at the same time the usual tripping devices not shown in the drawing or cycle initiators driven by engine 20 are started.

ίο If the pressure roller 16 is rotated, the Printing plate 26 initially in contact with the inking roller 102, which is provided with printing ink in a known manner by transfer rollers 104, 106. if If the pressure plate 26 then touches the envelope 12, the latter becomes between the radially protruding one The circumferential area of the pressure plate 26 and the pressure roller 34 cooperating with it are clamped, so that it is moved to the right in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 when the platen 16 is counterclockwise in the direction of arrow 24 in FIG. i is twisted. During this movement, the printing plate 26 provided with printing ink prints the unchangeable information 28, 30 successively on the envelope 12. At the same time, the variable information, namely the postal Fee and date by the inkjet printer 40 in sequence in the manner described applied to the envelope 12 when the openings 37 and 38 are moved past the printing station 51. Sc Becomes a complete composite overprint generated on the envelope 12. The timing of the individual printing processes of the variable Information ergo'gt under the control of the roller position sensor 56. As soon as the opening 37 with the If the inkjet printer 40 and the envelope 12 are covered, a sensor from the roller position is sent to the line 68 56 generated and the radial slot 60 corresponding pressure signal emitted. This printed signa! causes the matrix circuit 78 to operate the pulses of the ink jet printer 40 so that the date on the envelope 12 is printed. After the completion of the postage stamp printing process, d. H. after one full rotation of the platen 16, the machine cycle is terminated by the action of the cycle termination device 86. After that is located the opening 37 returns to its starting position 37a according to FIG. 3.

The control of the postage stamp printing device takes place essentially electrically, once the Printing the changing information considered; the

so numerous complicated mechanical lever joints that are usually used in franking machines for printing the variable information is necessary can therefore be omitted here. The clever arrangement of the inkjet printer 40 inside the hollow pressure roller 26 for the unchangeable information it also to couple the franking machine with various electrical control devices or to be incorporated into such. It goes without saying that the changeable and also unchangeable information is not only on an envelope 12, but also on any document, a sticker or the like can, with the printed sticker on the package to be sent or another item is attached.

For this purpose 2 sheets of drawings

Claims (1)

25 Ol patent claims: 1. Postage stamp printing device for a franking machine with a device for supporting a document to be provided with a postage stamp imprint, e.g. an envelope, a sticker or the like, which device is a first printing device in the form a platen for printing the invariable information such as zip code and city as well as a second printing device for printing the variable information, such as date and charge value comprises, characterized by 15th - That the second printing device is an inkjet printer (40), the inside of the hollow formed pressure roller (16) is arranged and is not moved with this, and - That an electrical circuit (54.70 to 80) for the control of the inkjet printer (40) for the successive printing of the changeable information is provided which the printing only effected when at least one opening (37, 38) in the jacket of the rotating pressure roller (16) comes into the effective area of the inkjet printer (40)