Ink jet postage printing apparatus

Claim 2

In a postage meter having a printing station and a means for supporting at said printing station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; a first printing means for printing fixed information of said postage indicia such as the city and state; a second printing means for printing variable information of said indicia such as the postage amount; said second printing means consisting of an ink jet printing device that is adapted to project ink droplets onto said document so as to form said variable information of said postage indicia; and security means adapted to prevent the effective operation of said jet printing device during at least a portion of the operation of said first printing means and to permit the effective operation of said jet printing device only during a limited period of time, said limited period of time being less than the period of time during which said first printing means is operative.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said security means includes a masking member movably mounted in said meter and when in a first operative position being adapted to permit said ink droplets to reach said document and when in a second operative position being adapted to prevent said ink droplets from reaching said document.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein said first printing means includes a die plate carried by a drum that is rotatably mounted in said meter; wherein at least a portion of said jet printing device is mounted within said drum; aNd wherein said die plate and the peripheral walls of said printing drum are provided with mutually registering apertures which permit said ink droplets to reach said document when said apertures are respectively located in a position between said jet printing device and said document; and wherein said security means includes an unapertured portion of said peripheral walls which when said apertures are not located between said jet printing device and said document prevent any of said ink droplets from reaching said document.

Claim 5

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document so as to thereby define at least a portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a movable member having a wall that is formed with at least one aperture therethrough, the remaining portion of said postage indicia being adapted to be printed by means carried by the side of said wall remote from said ink jet printing device; said member when in a position where said aperture is operatively disposed between said jet printing device and said document permitting passage of said ink droplets onto said document, and when in a position where said aperture is not disposed between said jet printing device and said document preventing passage of said ink droplets onto said document.

Claim 6

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document so as to thereby define at least a portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a movable member having a wall that is formed with at least one aperture therethrough, the remaining portion of said postage indicia being adapted to be printed by means carried by the side of said wall remote from said ink jet printing device; said member when in a position where said aperture is operatively disposed between said jet printing device and said document permitting passage of said ink droplets onto said document, and when in a position where said aperture is not disposed between said jet printing device and said document preventing passage of said ink droplets onto said document.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined by claim 4 wherein said member is defined by a peripheral portion of a drum that is rotatably mounted in said meter.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined by claim 4 wherein said member carries a die plate that is adapted to print fixed information of said postage indicia, said die plate being formed with at least one aperture which is disposed in registration with the said aperture formed in said member.

Claim 9

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document for printing the postage amount portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a masking member movably mounted in said meter and when in a first operative position being adapted to permit said ink droplets to reach said document and when in a second operative position being adapted to block passage of any of said ink droplets to said document.

Claim 10

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document for printing the postage amount portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a masking member movably mounted in said meter and when in a first operative position being adapted to permit said ink droplets to reach said document and when in a second operative position being adapted to block passage of any of said ink droplets to said document.

Claim 11

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document for printing the postage amount portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a masking member movably mounted in said meter and when in a first operative position being adapted to permit said ink droplets to reach said document and when in a second operative position being adapted to block passage of any of said ink droplets to said document.

Claim 12

In a postage meter: a printing station; means for supporting at said station a document such as an envelope, label or the like that is to have postage indicia printed thereon; an ink jet printing device adapted to project a predetermined sequence of ink droplets onto said document for printing the postage amount portion of said postage indicia; security means mounted in said meter for movement through the region between said document and said ink jet printing device; said security means including a masking member movably mounted in said meter and when in a first operative position being adapted to permit said ink droplets to reach said document and when in a second operative position being adapted to block passage of any of said ink droplets to said document.