EP3693306B1 - Method for franking mail items fed to a franking machine, and device for executing the method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for franking mail items fed by a franking machine, such as envelopes, mailers, envelopes, cards, labels, printed products or the like, which are pulled from / on the underside of a stack for separation and / or individually on a conveyor line upstream of the franking machine a print head having printing unit for

Franking is supplied and, after franking, removed from the printing unit in the opposite conveying direction, the mailed items being fed to the postage meter machine via a switch section of the conveyor line and, after franking, conveyed via the switch section that has been converted to change the conveying direction of the mailing items into a storage device arranged below the switch section, wherein the mail pieces in the mouth area of the franking machine are guided into the printing position and returned from the printing position.

the US 2014/0145396 A1 discloses a device for reversing the direction of conveyance of a stack of cards withdrawn from the bottom after they have passed through of a reproduction section are deposited one above the other in the opposite direction in a collecting device.

the GB 2 246 117 A discloses a feeder comprising two serially coupled horizontal conveyors for transporting vertically oriented envelopes, the conveyor running at a slower speed than the conveyor. A vertical conveyor transports the envelopes from the horizontal conveyor to the weighing and franking device.

the US 2009/0259602 A1 discloses a method for operating a postal identification printing device, with the possibility of storing two identification image formats in one device which have different dimensions, the selection of the desired identification image format having to be made by a user.

the U.S. 5,440,979 disclose a method and apparatus for canceling postage stamps and printing preprogrammable messages on envelopes. The device and the method are used to place the different sized envelopes in a common corner where the printing and cancellation takes place.

In a known version of a franking machine from Frama AG for franking, respectively. Printing of mailpieces (workpieces) in formats C5, C5 / 6 and C6 (the latter also known as short letters in the field), but also other formats, the mailpieces are individually guided by hand and on one side edge (short side edge) into a housing opening facing the operator of the franking machine inserted / pushed in as far as a stop that the printing process is triggered. The latter takes place after a positioned mailing item has been lifted into the printing position below the printing path of the print head in the existing printing apparatus or printing unit of the postage meter machine.

For the purpose of franking larger mailer formats, the housing opening is equipped with a side exit through which the mailers are ejected or franked after printing / franking. can be removed from the franking machine.

If this simple, manually operated franking machine is to be designed for the attachment of a separating device with a feeder for stacked mail items, as for example in the document falling under Article 54 (3) EPC EP 3 623 327 A1 described and shown, the mail pieces C6 (short letter) cannot reach the printing position or cannot be transferred to the printing position and retrieved from there due to the short longitudinal edge, because the conveying device upstream of the franking machine for a mechanical / friction-locked transport of the mail pieces in the printing position and for their return resp. Removal from the printing apparatus, respectively. the franking machine is not designed.

The present invention has the task of further developing a franking machine with simple means so that, in addition to the usual mailer formats, the small formats C6 from a stack of the same mailpiece formats or mixed with other mailpiece formats can be processed individually.

According to the invention, the object was achieved in that the printing position of a mail item fed to the printing unit is controlled by the movement from a standby position according to its format length (length in the conveying direction) (driven) print head is determined. Print processing with the franking device, both semi- and cycle-bound, fully automatic and reliable for all format sizes of the mail items, even <DIN format C5 / 6 (220x110 mm), for example C6, can be carried out in this way.

The printing process / the print path of the print head and its return to the ready position as well as the specific pressure position of a mailing item and the removal of the printed / franked mailing item are advantageously carried out by a sensor attached to the print head and effectively connected to a control / control device.

The sensor-initiated, controlled print head preferably effects the printing process when the mail item reaches the print position in the franking machine, as well as the subsequent return of the printed mail item from the print position to a storage device and the return of the print head to the / a readiness position for the following mail item, in a convincing, user-friendly mode of operation .

The printing process for mail items <DIN format C5 / 6 can also expediently be initiated by manual actuation of a control command connected to the programmed controller or a touchscreen.

The printing process / print path is initiated when the printhead is ready.
It proves to be advantageous if the processing takes place based on the processing cycle of the franking machine / its printing unit or the separating device.

The standby or operating position for the printing process can be preceded by a controllable rest position (service point) for the print head, in which the print head is in a rest position or inoperative position, for example for maintaining the printing unit.

An alternative possibility for processing mail pieces in a franking machine according to the present invention is that an end stop, which is position-controlled in the conveying direction of the mail piece length, is used to determine the printing position of the mail pieces in the franking machine, so that the print head moves out of the ready position even with different mail piece lengths is moved into the corresponding printing position, with each printing process, the print head in a standby position for the next printing process, respectively. the next mail item is set back and the readiness position for the print head is set accordingly when the mailer format is changed.

Advantageously, a format length or width of a mailing item measured on the conveying path from a separating station / placement station of the stacked or individually applied mail pieces to the franking machine can be used to determine the print position of a mail piece and the readiness and triggering of the print path as well as the reset of the print head triggered by the printing process can be used in a standby position or the controlled adjustable end stop, so that a traceable processing step can take place in the franking machine.

For a print run, it proves to be expedient if the mail items are guided mechanically / friction-locked under the print head and held there in order to be able to reliably print and remove them in the printing unit.

It turns out to be a simple measure for trouble-free franking if the print position of the print head is transferred to the print head position of the print head calculated / determined by the control system through the length of a mail item recorded / measured on the conveying path / on the conveying path to control the print head.

For this purpose, the mailpiece length on the conveyor line between one or two measuring points, for example LS1 and LS2, or other measuring points can be measured and the measurement result can be sent to the control for positioning the print head for the print run, respectively. are transmitted to determine the printing position in the franking machine.

The distance between two measuring points on the conveyor line is less than resp. at least the length of the shortest shipping item to be processed (for example, format C6), for which purpose the shipping item must cover both measuring points.

Alternatively, with only one light barrier, the continuous length of the mail item can be measured by means of the circumference of a driven conveyor roller, immediately after separation.

A device for franking mail items such as envelopes, mailing bags, envelopes, cards, labels, printed products, fed by a franking machine or the like, which are withdrawn from / on the underside of a stack for separation and / or individually fed to a printing unit having a print head for franking on a conveyor line upstream of the franking machine and are discharged from the printing unit in the opposite conveying direction after franking Mail items are fed to the franking machine via a switch section of the conveyor line and, after franking, are conveyed via the storage device arranged to change the direction of conveyance of the mail items, the mail items being guided into the printing position in the opening area of the franking machine and being returned from the printing position, the printing position being a each mail item supplied to the printing unit is determined by the print head, which is motion-controlled according to its format length from a standby position and allows, in particular, mail items of the format size <C5 / 6 and to print / frank other format sizes.

The processing can be further optimized if the opening area in the printing unit of the franking machine is mechanically resp. frictionally acting holding device is formed, advantageously in the end region of the mail piece fed to the printing unit.

For the sake of simplicity, the holding device is formed by a pair of conveyor rollers arranged one above the other, forming a conveyor gap, which guide the mail item transported over the switch section securely into the pressure shaft.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch eine in Förderrichtung der Versand-stücke betrachtete, aus Vereinzelungsvorrichtung und förder-wirksam verbundener Frankiermaschine gebildete Frankier-einrichtung zur Verarbeitung von Versandstücken der genann-ten Art in einer Ausgangsstellung,

Fig. 2

die Frankiereinrichtung gemäss Fig. 1, wobei das unterste Versandstück eines Stapels die Vereinzelungsvorrichtung In Richtung Frankiermaschine verlassen hat und der Druck-Kopf in einer Bereitschaftsstellung der Frankiermaschine den Steuerbefehl erwartet,

Fig. 3

die Frankiereinrichtung mit dem inzwischen in der Drucklage eingetroffenen und festgehaltenen Versandstück, und den aus der Bereitschaftsstellung gemäss Fig. 2 während des Druckvorgangs weiter versetzten, strichpunktiert dargestell-ten Druckkopf und

Fig. 4

den in die Bereitschaftsstellung zurückversetzten Druckkopf und das nach dem Druckgang in Richtung einer Ablagevor-richtung (zurück)geförderte/ausgeworfene Versandstück.

The invention is described below with reference to the cited or cited prior art and the drawing, all of them in the description details not mentioned in more detail are referred to, explained on the basis of an exemplary embodiment. In the drawing show:

Fig. 1

a longitudinal section through a franking device, viewed in the conveying direction of the mail items, formed from a separating device and a franking machine connected for conveying purposes, for processing mail items of the type mentioned in an initial position,

Fig. 2

the franking device according to Fig. 1 The bottom mail item of a stack has left the separating device in the direction of the franking machine and the print head is waiting for the control command in a readiness position of the franking machine,

Fig. 3

the franking device with the mail item that has meanwhile arrived and held in the print position, and the one from the standby position according to Fig. 2 further offset, dot-dashed print head and during the printing process

Fig. 4

the printhead, which has been set back into the ready position, and the mail item that is (back) conveyed / ejected after the print run in the direction of a storage device.

Figs. 1 to 4 show a franking device 1 for printing / franking verand items 2 such as envelopes, mailers, envelopes, cards, labels, Printed products or the like. Different format sizes, for example the format sizes C4 to C6 and other formats.
The document mentioned at the beginning discloses a device of the same generic type EP 3 623 327 A1 .

The present franking device 1 - as in Fig. 1 illustrates- consists of a machine for printing, respectively. Franking mail items 2, referred to as franking machine 3, and a separating device 4 upstream of this, in which the mail items 2 are placed in a stack 5 or individually, wherein the mail items 2 to be processed / franked can also have different thicknesses.

Fig. 2 shows the device 1 after the lowermost mailing item 2 has been withdrawn from a stack 5. The withdrawn mailing item 2 is located on a conveying path 6 which connects the separating device 4 to the franking machine 3.

In the area of the separating device 4, the conveying line 6 has two conveying rollers 7, 8, which guide the singled mail items 2 lying on top and form a slightly inclined conveying plane, which in the present case have the same circumference and are arranged one behind the other transversely to the conveying direction F and are driven in the same direction as indicated by the arrow. The conveyor rollers 7, 8 are mounted at lateral ends in a housing 9 or frame.

The shipping items 2 are initially picked up on the conveyor roller 8 by an adjusting member 10 of the separating device 4.
As soon as the withdrawn mailing item 2 is gripped by the conveyor rollers 7, 8 and the adjusting element 10, it is transported further and is guided between the conveyor roller pair 11 following on the conveyor plane / conveyor path formed, by at least the lower conveyor roller 12 is driven, the upper 13 freely rotating and resiliently resting on the lower 12 and is arranged with the latter to form a friction-locking conveyor gap.

The mail items 2 posted for processing reach the separating device 4 with the front edge in the transport direction F in a precise position or aligned through an inclined guide surface 14 of a feeder 15, which extends over the width of the conveying plane. An investor of this type is mentioned in the introduction EP 3 623 327 A1 described.

Fig. 2 represents a conveyor level 16 on the conveyor line 6, which is in front of, respectively. ends in the franking machine 3 with the printing position of a mailing item 2. Between the separating device 4, respectively. At its end and the franking machine 3, a space is available below the conveying path 6, which is provided as a storage device 17 for the mail items 2 conveyed backwards from the franking machine 3 after printing and is delimited at the top by a guide plate 18. The opening of the conveying path 6 to / from the franking machine 3 is formed by a pair of conveying rollers 19 arranged one above the other, which form a conveying gap running transversely to the conveying direction F, a lower conveying roller 20 being driven and the upper conveying roller 21 supported on it being pressed down by a resilient spring force is.
The pair of conveyor rollers 19 has approximately the speed of rotation of the pair of upstream conveyor rollers 11 and receives the transported mailpiece 2.

The depositing device 17 located below the guide plate 18 has a depositing base 22 for the printed mail pieces 2 ejected backwards by the postage meter machine 3, which are / are deposited there one above the other. At a distance above the storage shelf 22 and below the guide plate 18, a switchable switch 23 that conducts the mail items is arranged, which serves on the one hand to reach the mail items 2 intended for franking on the conveying path between the separating device 4 and the franking machine 3 without interference and, on the other hand, after the Printing to keep the return path of the mail pieces 2 from the franking machine 3 in the storage device 17 under the switch 23 free.
The switch 23 (adjusting device) shown in the figures consists of a switch tongue 25 which is pivotable about an approximately horizontal axis 24 running transversely to the transport direction F of the mail items 2 and which, due to an uneven weight distribution on the axis 24, can be automatically pivoted upwards, preferably up to the Guide plate 18 can be pivoted / adjusted so that an upward deflection effect is created compared to a guide tongue 26 which is painted on the supplied mail items 2 at the free end of the switch tongue 25 and the heavier counterweight 27 on the side opposite to the axis 24, to which the mail items 2 passing through counteract this and thus form a guide.
Of course, the switch tongue 25 could also be motor-driven (synchronized in a clocked manner after the transport of the mail items), in particular for processing thin mail items 2, which have an unstable rigidity for the downward movement of the guide tongue 26 of the switch tongue 25 away from the guide plate 18 for Have formation of a conveyor gap.
The upward deflecting switch tongue 25 is also used to feed the delivery device 17 from the franking machine 3 mail items 2, respectively. keeps its conveying path in the storage device 17 free. That is, the mail items 2 fed to the postage meter machine 3 slide along, respectively. between the guide plate 18 and the guide tongue 26 or on the conveyor line 6 between the conveyor rollers 20, 21 and are transported by these through housing openings 28, the conveyor device 50, which is built on one another, and the franking machine 3 into the franking machine 3.
There is thus the possibility of a conveyor device 50, respectively, to the stand-alone franking machine 3 shown for manual operation with individual mail items 2. To preconnect or to attach the separating device 4, so that the mail pieces 2 placed in a stack or individually, or individually directly via the franking machine 3, can be processed automatically.

the Figs. 1 to 4 show the franking device 1 assembled / interacting with a separating device 4 and a franking machine 3.
In Fig. 1 the franking device 1 is shown in an inoperative state. A horizontal, open printing shaft 29, which forms the end of the conveying path 6 and to which the mailing items 2 are each fed individually, is part of a printing unit 30 arranged in the franking machine 3.
The print head 31 of the printing unit 30, which can be moved on horizontal guide rails 32 by means of traction drive 33, is located according to FIG Fig. 1 in a preliminary starting position A, from which it is moved to a standby position B before the printing process / printing path (see Fig. 2 ). The traction drive 33, formed from a stepping motor or servomotor or the like. Electric motor, is connected to a control / control device 35 which transmits the corresponding position to the traction drive 33 / motor on the basis of measured or specified data.
The print head 31 has on the front edge facing the incoming mailer 2 a sensor 34 connected to the controller 35, with which the mailer 2 arriving in the print shaft 29 or in the print position triggers a signal for a control command sent to the controller 35 and the required electrical drive energy is supplied to the printing unit 30 by the printing path of the printing head 31 from the standby position B, the printing process / printing path of the printing head 31 as well as the return movement of the printing head 31 into the standby position B and the output of the printed mailer 2 by reversing the pair of conveyor rollers 19 is effected in this order.

Fig. 2 shows the situation in which the print head 31 is moved from the initial position A, indicated by dash-dotted lines, to the standby position B and a mail item 2 is on the conveyor line 6 in the direction F to the franking machine 3, where it is then immediately in front of the franking machine 3 by the pair of conveyor rollers 19 is detected and frictionally introduced into the open pressure shaft 29, which is directed towards the conveying path 6, and is held in the specific pressure position.
When a mail item 2 arrives or is detected by the sensor 34 (light barrier), the printing process / print path of the print head 31 is triggered and then - as already mentioned - the print head 31 is moved back to the ready position B by the controller 35 and the printed mail item 2, that remained captured in the pair of conveying rollers 19 during the printing process is deposited from the printing shaft 29 into the storage device 17 by reversing the driven pair of conveying rollers 19.
Then the cycle is repeated at least on the "short letters" resp. Mail pieces 2 of the format ≤ C6.

Fig. 3 discloses a mail item 2 fed to the printing position in the pressure shaft 29 before the printing process / print path and the print head 31 (with a solid line) in the ready position B, the mail item 2 in question being clamped during the printing process between the conveyor rollers 20, 21 of the pair of conveyor rotors 19 has remained and only after printing resp. for loading the depositing device 17 is freed from these by a reversing movement of the conveyor rollers 20, 21.
Fig. 3 further shows the end position of the print head 31 after the printing process, respectively. according to the pressure path covered. The double arrow symbolizes the printing movement and the return movement of the print head 31 into the standby position B.
The latter can preferably be automatically adapted or set to the mailer formats.

Fig. 4 illustrates the franking device 1 after the printing process with the print head 31 set back into the standby position B and with reversed conveying movement of the conveying rollers 20, 21 for transporting a mailing item 2 against the feed direction from the franking machine 3, respectively. its printing unit 30 in the storage device 17, with the switch tongue 25 raised (switched over).

In Fig. 2 the control or control device 35 is shown symbolically.
On the conveyor line 6, preferably in the conveying direction F immediately in front of or behind the conveyor roller pair 11, a light barrier 36 connected to the controller 35 is arranged as a pulse / signal generator of a measuring point LS 1, which sends a first signal to the controller when the front edge of a mail item 2 enters and when the rear edge of the shipping item 2 exits, it sends a further signal to the controller, which is designed to measure the length of a shipping item 2 passing through on the conveyor line 6 and, based on the values measured at the measuring point, sends the corresponding pressure and position information to the print head 31, respectively. Traction drive 33 passes on. The control line 38 is provided for the transmission of the drive energy. The signal transmission of the light barrier 36 on the conveyor line 6 to the controller 35 takes place via control line 39.

As already described above, the processing in the franking machine can respectively. Franking, in particular mail items 2 ≤ C5 / 6, can be carried out via manual actuation of a pusher or touchscreen 40 connected to the controller 35, which is wired to the controller 35, which moves the print head 31 via the sensor 34 into the corresponding standby position before Offset printing path, wherein the sensor 34 forwards the arrival of a mailing item 2 via a signal line 41 to the controller 35 and thus triggers the printing process.

Alternatively, the processing can take place automatically by placing the mail items 2 in the separating device 4 via a letter release lever 49. The letter release lever 49 emits a control pulse via a light barrier 48 to the controller 35, which triggers the processing or franking.

Claims (15)

1. Method for franking mail items (2) which are fed to a franking machine (3), such as envelopes, padded envelopes, wrappers, cards, labels, printed products or the like, which are removed from a stack (5) from/on the underside for separation and/or are fed individually on a conveying line (6) which is connected upstream of the franking machine (3) to a printing unit (30) which has a print head (31) for franking and, after franking, are discharged from the printing unit (30) in the opposite conveying direction, the mail items (2) being fed via a diverter section of the conveying line (6) to the franking machine (3) and, after franking, being conveyed via the diverter section which is shifted in order to change the conveying direction of the mail items (2) into a delivery apparatus (17) which is arranged below the diverter section, the mail items (2) being guided into the printing position in the mouth region of the franking machine (3) and being returned from the printing position, characterized in that the printing position of a mail item (2) which is fed in each case to the printing unit (30) is determined by way of the print head (31), the movement of which is controlled out of a standby position in accordance with the format length of the said mail item (2).
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the printing operation/the printing travel of the print head (31) and the return thereof into the standby position and the printing position of a mail item (2) and the removal of the printed/franked mail item (2) take place by way of a sensor (34) which is fastened to the print head (31) and is connected to a controller (35).
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the case of the printing position of the mail item (2) in the franking machine (3) being reached, the print head (31) which is controlled in a manner which can be initiated by sensor brings about the printing operation and the subsequent return of the franked mail item (2) out of the printing position into a delivery apparatus (17) and the return of the print head (31) into the/a standby position.
4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the processing takes place in a manner which is based on the processing cycle of the franking machine (3)/the printing unit (30) thereof or the separating apparatus (4).
5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the printing operation for mail items (2) < C5/6 takes place by way of manual actuation of a pushbutton or touchscreen (37) which is connected to the programmed controller (35) or by way of a control command which is brought about by means of a letter release lever (49) of the separating apparatus (4).
6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the printing operation/printing travel is initiated in the standby position of the print head (31).
7. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that the print head (31) can be moved out of a rest position into the standby position and back.
8. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the length and width (measured on the conveying path to the franking machine (3)) of a mail item (2) are used for the determination of the printing position of the mail item (2) and the standby position and triggering of the print head (31) and the return (following the printing operation/printing path) of the print head (31) and the return of the printed mail item (2).
9. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the mail items (2) are firmly held in a mechanical/frictionally locking manner in the printing position by way of a return apparatus during the printing operation/printing path.
10. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the printing path/the printing position of the print head (31) is determined by way of the length (measured/detected on the conveying path/conveying line (6)) of a mail item (2) and is transmitted to the controller (35) of the franking machine (3).
11. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the mail item length (2) is measured on the conveying line (6) at one or between two measuring points LS1 and LS2, and the measured result is transmitted to the controller (35) for the determination of the standby position of the print head (31) and the printing position of the mail item (2).
12. Method according to Claim 9 or 11, characterized in that the spacing of two measuring points LS1 and LS2 corresponds to less than or at least the length of the shortest mail item (2) intended for printing/franking.
13. Device for carrying out the method according to one of Claims 1 to 12, consisting of a franking machine (3) and a conveying device (50) which is connected upstream of it, for the transport of mail items (2) which are drawn off or fed individually to/from the underside of a stack (5) in a separating apparatus (4), which mail items (2) are guided, via a diverter (23) which is arranged on a conveying line (6) of the conveying device (50), to the printing unit (30) which is configured with a controlled print head (31) and, after the printing operation, are returned in the opposite conveying direction via the changed diverter (23) into a provided delivery apparatus (17), characterized in that the print head (31) is configured by way of a sensor (34) which is connected to a control apparatus (35) and faces the front end of a mail item (2) which is guided into the printing position of the franking machine (3).
14. Device according to Claim 13, characterized in that the mouth region into the printing unit (30) of the franking machine (3) is configured by way of a return apparatus which holds the mail items (2) in the printing position.
15. Device according to Claim 14, characterized in that the return apparatus is configured by way of a pair of conveying rollers (20, 21) which are arranged above one another and hold the mail items 2 in each case in the printing position in a mechanical or frictionally locking manner.

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