EP1193654B1 - High-throughput franking machine - Google Patents

Description

Field of the art

The present invention relates to the exclusive field of mail processing and relates to a high-speed franking machine, that is to say able to reach and even exceed a processing rate of 20,000 envelopes per hour.

Prior art

Such franking rate is currently not achieved by any machine on the market because of the need to maintain an optimal print quality for the postal imprint (which is a monetary value). In addition, in franking machines of the ink jet type, it is necessary to regularly stop the ejection of the ink droplets to scrape and purge the ejection nozzles under threat of fouling and thus blockage of the ink jet. the impression.

To increase print speeds, the US patent US 3,869,986 and the patent application European EP 0 172 561 proposed to separate the postage data into fixed data and variable data. However, such a solution if it allows an increase in rates, does not allow envelope treatments of the order of 20,000 and more due to the need for periodic maintenance of the inkjet printing means.

US 5,730,049 discloses a franking machine with two printheads which are located in a fixed position above the transport path of the articles to be franked. Each print head prints a portion of the postage printing which is thus composed of two parts.

Definition and object of the invention

The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide a particularly high-performance high-speed franking machine while remaining easy to use, and above all that can ensure continuity of operation.

These objects are attained by a high-speed franking machine including means for printing a postal imprint on a mail article and means of transporting this article of mail along a transport path of the articles of mail. mail, characterized in that said printing means comprise, arranged side by side transversely to a direction D of scrolling mail items along said path of transporting these articles, a first printing module disposed in a first position (printing position) above said transport path of the mail items and a second printing module disposed in a second position (maintenance position / waiting) set back from said transport path of the mail items.

Thus, with this franking machine, it becomes possible to print continuously with an optimal print quality a very large set of mail items and to hold without difficulty a franking rate of more than 20,000 envelopes. per hour. Such a machine makes it possible above all to ensure continuity of operation.

Advantageously, the first printing module is associated with a first maintenance station and the second printing module is associated with a second maintenance station and each of the said printing modules is connected to a postage accounting means which is itself connected. to general control means of the machine.

This franking machine further comprises means for moving said printing modules from said first position (printing position) to said second position (maintenance / waiting position) and vice versa which displacement means are controlled by said means general control at predetermined times corresponding to a predetermined number of envelopes or the occurrence of a predetermined threshold such as a low level of an ink tank. These predetermined number or threshold can be parameterized by the user.

In order to print said postal fingerprint at the same determined location on said mail item regardless of the printing module used to print this postal fingerprint (first or second module), this high-speed franking machine also comprises means to cause a time shift in the print cycle.

Brief description of the drawings

• la figure 1 montre de façon schématique un exemple de réalisation d'une machine à affranchir à haut débit selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective montrant le déplacement relatif de l'enveloppe par rapport aux moyens d'impression à haut débit de l'invention, et
• les figures 3a à 3f sont des chronogrammes illustrant les différentes étapes mises en oeuvre par les moyens d'impression de la figure 2.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following description, given by way of non-limiting indication, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of a high-speed franking machine according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the relative displacement of the envelope with respect to the high-speed printing means of the invention, and
• FIGS. 3a to 3f are timing diagrams illustrating the various steps implemented by the printing means of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A franking machine conventionally comprises means for printing a postal imprint on a mail piece and means of transporting this article of mail along a transport path of this machine. In modern machines, the printing means are of the ink jet type, and for some of them of the disposable type, and are associated with a maintenance station which ensures the periodic maintenance of the ejection nozzles. These printing means are connected to a base of the franking machine which comprises the means of accounting for franking (ascending and descending counters) and the general means of control and synchronization of the machine (including its means of transport and of the maintenance station). In an open architecture, these control means can be connected to an external computer which through a modem will be in connection with a server outside the postal administration or the franchisee of the franking machine.

According to the invention, it is proposed to split the assembly constituted by the printing means of the postal imprint and the maintenance station of these printing means. This redundancy of the means of printing and maintenance allows a treatment of completely continuous mail without unintentional shutdown related to regular maintenance or change of ink tanks (in the case of disposable heads) as filling a main ink supply tank. A change of type and / or color of ink or the use of two distinct colors does not pose any particular problem.

The change of the printing means can occur at predetermined times corresponding to a number of envelopes processed (for example every 3,000 envelopes) or the appearance of a predetermined threshold (such as the low level of an ink tank ). These predetermined instants can be set at the factory or be parameterizable by the user.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a high-speed franking machine according to the invention.

This machine 10 for franking mail items 12, such as envelopes, and which can be arranged directly at the output of a folding / insertion module 14 comprises, as for a conventional machine, means for conveying mailpieces formed by several series of transport rollers, for example 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d and general means 18 for controlling and synchronizing the machine. These control means can be connected to an external computer 20 and an external server 22 via a modem 24. A printer 26 connected to the computer also allows the printing of various states.

According to the invention, the printing means are split and comprise, arranged side by side transversely to a direction D of scrolling mail items along the path 28 for transporting these articles, a first printing module 30 to which is associated a first corresponding maintenance station 32 and a second print module 34 which is also associated with a second maintenance station 36. These printing means are connected in the base to individual accounting means 38, 40 themselves connected to the control means 18. These accounting means 38, 40 think to be combined into a single accounting module. One of them can also transfer their data to the other for periodic consolidation purposes, for example at the end of the day.

Each printing module advantageously comprises two printing heads which are associated with ink tanks 30a, 30b; 34a, 34b. The maintenance stations are preferably of the type described in the patent application French N ° 2,768,078 filed in the name of the plaintiff. They are set back from their respective printing module transversely to this direction D and comprise at least scraping means of the ejection nozzles 32a; 36a and means for protecting these nozzles 32b; 36b. Support means for the first and second printing modules advantageously in the form of mobile carriages 42a; 44a actuated for example by controlled worm devices 42b; 44b, are provided to allow these modules to move between a first active position above a mail item corresponding to the printing of a postal imprint on this mail piece and a second inactive position set back from the path 28 transport of mail items and corresponding to a cleaning position of the printheads, change of ink type (color, fluorescence, phosphorescence) or simply temporary waiting.

A tachometer 46 and at least one position sensor 48, 50 are provided on the path 28 to detect the edges of the mail items and possibly their lengths and allow, in connection with the control means 18 to which they are connected, the synchronization transport and printing phases of these articles, as well as the transverse displacement of the first and second print modules.

The operating principle implemented in a franking machine according to the invention will now be illustrated with reference to the simplified diagram of FIG. 2 and the timing diagrams of FIGS. 3a to 3f.

In FIG. 2, the first printing module 30 is in the printing position (referenced 1 in FIG. 2) and the second module is in the cleaning / waiting position (referenced 2 in FIG. 2). We will assume the first module near its end of functioning (after having made his 3,000 postage stamps). The second module 34 then comes into position next to the first module moving transversely to the transport path 28 according to the arrow referenced 52 (timing diagram of Figure 3b). As soon as the first module stops printing, the second module replaces it for printing the next mail items. The first module 30 can then withdraw by moving transversely to the transport path 28 according to the arrow referenced 54 (timing diagram of Figure 3d). She will remain in this position until her next replacement. It will be noted that due to the offset positioning of the second module relative to the first along the transport path of mail articles 28, and taking into account the obligation to affix the postal fingerprint at a specific location of the article of mail (which corresponds to an offset of this article in the direction of the arrow referenced 56), it is necessary to cause a time shift in the printing cycle. The timing diagrams of FIGS. 3e and 3f illustrate this offset of ± Δ of the first pulses corresponding to the printing of the first mail item for a given module. This offset is positive when switching from module 1 to module 2, it is negative in the opposite case (from module 2 to module 1).

With this specific printing method, there is no discontinuity in the printing as shown in the timing diagrams of FIGS. 3a and 3c which are complementary to one another and on which alternate the printing and printing phases. cleaning / waiting of the print modules 1 and 2 respectively. Indeed, while a module is in franking phase, the other is cleaning or temporary waiting. In addition, the change of the ink tanks or the filling can take place during this waiting period significantly reducing the possible stops of the machine.

Claims (9)

1. High-rate franking machine comprising means for printing postal indicia on a mailpiece (12) and means (16a-16d) for transporting this mailpiece along a mailpiece-conveying path (28), characterised in that said printing means comprise, arranged side by side transversely to a direction D of advance of the mailpieces along said mailpiece-conveying path, a first printing module (30) arranged in a first position (position of printing) above said mailpiece-conveying path and a second printing module (34) arranged in a second position (position of maintenance/standby) set back with respect to said mailpiece-conveying path.
2. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 1, characterised in that said first printing module is associated with a first maintenance station (32) and said second printing module is associated with a second maintenance station (36).
3. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 1, characterised in that each of said printing modules is connected to a metering means (38, 40) itself connected to means (18) for general control of the machine.
4. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 3, characterised in that one of the two metering means (38, 40) is capable of transferring its data to the other for purposes of periodic consolidation.
5. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 1, characterised in that each of said printing modules is connected to a common metering means itself connected to means (18) for general control of the machine.
6. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises means (42a, 42b; 44a, 44b) for displacing said printing modules from said first position (position of printing) to said second position (position of maintenance/standby) and vice versa.
7. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 6, characterised in that said displacing means are controlled by said general control means at predetermined moments corresponding to a predetermined number of envelopes or to the appearance of a predetermined threshold such as the low level of an ink reservoir (30a, 30b; 34a, 34b).
8. The high-rate franking machine according to claim 7, characterised in that said predetermined number or threshold can be parametered by the user.
9. The high-rate franking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that it further comprises means (18) for provoking a time shift in the printing cycle, so as to print said postal indicia at the same determined place on said mailpiece whatever the printing module used for printing the postal indicia.

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