Patent US2713132A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0405356B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Office machine for expediting postal articles
Assignee: Quadient Technologies France SA
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Filing: 1990-06-22
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Granted: 1994-11-02
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Expires: 2010-06-22
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Philippe Michel
- 👤 Gilbert Sancenot
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:34
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00459; G07B17/00508; G07B2017/00516; G07B2017/00524; G07B2017/00532; G07B2017/00556; G07B2017/00564; G07B2017/00572; G07B2017/0058
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
412 words
Office machine for mailing mail items including a first print head (1) with a small number of unitary printing elements in a row on one side or base of the first print head, means (3, 8, 9, 10, 20) for moving the head relative to the mail item over the mail item and a first source (77) of data to be printed on the mail item connected to said first print head and operated synchronously with the relative displacement of the print head and the mail item, the machinefurther comprising: - means (32, 33, 34) for inserting one of the mail items under the first print head (1) mounted at a distance from the base of the first print head at least equal to the maximal thickness of the mail items to be processed to define an idle position of the first print head over the mail item being inserted, - first means (37) for sensing the presence of the mail item under the print head, triggering a mail item processing cycle, - means (25, 50, 60) for relative positioning of the print head and the mail item with a small and constant distance between the base of the first print head and the mail item, controlled by said first sensing means to define a working position of the first print head over the mail item for the mail item processing cycle, - second means (66, 67) for sensing a reference initial position of the first print head relative to the mail item for controlling, in conjunction with movement of the print head to the working position, the start and the end of the processing cycle, said machine being characterised in that said first data source (77) provides a dot matrix definition of a franking stamp and a postmark for a first printing area (41) and in that it further comprises: - control means (70) for said moving means (3; 8, 9, 10, 20) and the first data source (77) during the processing cycle to scan the first area on the mail item in successive lines in a first direction X transverse to the row of elements from said reference initial position and controlling the first source with the scanning of the successive lines during a first or processing phase of said cycle and for returning the print head to the reference initial position and isolating the first source and the print head during a second or return phase of said cycle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
Office machine according to claim 1 for franking mail items characterised in that said first print head (1) is an inkjet print head with nozzles constituting said unitary printing elements assigned for printing on the mail item the franking stamp and postmark defined by first data from said first source (77).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
Office machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that it further comprises a second print head (2) with a row (2B) of unitary printing elements identical and parallel to that (1B) of the first print head fixedly mounted relative to the first print head and assigned to printing in a second area that it scans during the processing cycle a promotional device defined by second data from a second data source (78) connected to it.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
120 words
Office machine according to claim 3 for further generating an accounting schedule relating to franking operations performed and stored in accounting means of the machine, characterised in that said accounting means (76) are connected at least to said second print head (2) and in that it comprises means (71) for selecting operating modes of said machine from the franking mode for which during said processing cycle the two print heads (1, 2) are controlled by said first and second sources (77, 78), respectively, and a schedule output mode in which during said processing cycle only said second print head is controlled by said accounting means (76) and output of instructions from the first and second sources of data is disabled.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
Office machine according to claim 4 for additionally addressing mail items, characterised in that it further comprises a third source of data (79) assigned to definition of addresses for an addressing area also connected to said second print head (2) by said machine operating mode selection means (71), said machine also having a schedule output mode for which during said processing cycle only the second print head is controlled by said third source to print destination addresses on the mail items while output of instructions by the first and second data sources and the accounting means is disabled.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
Office machine according to any one of claims 3 to 5 for further entry of fixed mail item sending data, characterised in that it further comprises a scanning or third head (2′) with a row of individual scanning elements corresponding to the row of elements of the second print head mounted in place of and instead of the second print head and assigned to scanning a graphic contained in a third area corresponding to the second area and in that the machine operating mode selection means (71) further have a second data input mode for which during said processing cycle the ordered generation of the second data by said third head (2′) for loading of said second source (78) while the output of instructions from said first source (77) is disabled.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
Office machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6 characterised in that said selection means include a keypad (71) connected to a microprocessor (80) which is part of the control means (70) and are associated with a screen (72) displaying each operating mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
Office machine according to any one of claims 3 to 7 characterised in that said moving means are connected to the print heads only and include a slider (3) carrying the print heads (1, 2, 2′) driven in the first direction (X) and a transverse second direction (Y) above the mail item which is held fixed in position in the insertion means (32) by said positioning means (50).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
Office machine according to claim 8 characterised in that said insertion means include a fixed bottom plate (33) on which the mail item is inserted under the print heads and an apertured top plate (34) also fixed in position and mounted directly under the print heads, an insertion slot (32) being delimited between the two plates, and the positioning means include a presser assembly (50) with presser fingers (56, 57) selectively retracted under the insertion plate or projecting through it.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
Office machine according to claim 9 characterised in that it comprises interface means (60, 25) between said presser assembly (50) and said moving means (20, 18) of the slider (3) for actuating the set of presser fingers (56, 57) from their retracted position to their position in which they project through the insertion plate (33) when the mail item being inserted is sensed under the print heads.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
Office machine according to claim 10 characterised in that said interface means include a cam (25) mounted on a drive shaft (18) of the control means (20) of the slider (3) in the second direction (Y) and a lever (60) bearing against the cam and actuating said presser assembly (50), said cam having a tooth (25A) projecting on its periphery assigned to holding each print head in said idle position over the mail item and controlling the initiation and the end of the processing cycle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
Office machine according to claim 11 characterised in that said second sensing means include a sensing finger (66) on the slider (3) and an associated fixed cell (67) initiating said processing phase.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
Office machine according to any one of claims 10 to 12 characterised in that said moving means include a first motor (10) for driving the slider in the X direction and a second motor (20) for driving the slider in the Y direction, energised alternately, the first motor in alternate directions and the second always in the same direction, during said processing phase, and at least the second motor being energised in the reverse direction during said return phase.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
61 words
Office machine according to claim 13 characterised in that said first and second motors (10, 20) are stepper motors who stepwise advances are sensed along each scanning line in the X direction for the first and from one line to the next for the second for their control one from the other by said control means (70) including a microprocessor (80).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
64 words
Office machine according to claim 14 characterised in that said slider (3) is mounted to move on cross-braced rods (4) between a pair of flanges (8, 9) and said flanges are mounted to move on guide columns (12) transverse to the rods, said first motor (10) driving the slider (3) on said rods and the second motor (20) driving the flanges on said columns.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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