Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-29
2001-05-29
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S050000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238038
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of mail handling, and in particular to the field of ink-jet digital print assemblies for printing a postage imprint.
PRIOR ART
In a conventional postage metering or franking system (i.e. in a conventional postage meter) comprising a base and an associated print head, the devices for keeping metering accounts (in particular up/down counters) and for printing postage imprints (e.g. a rotary print drum) are placed in a secure enclosure disposed at the print head and sealed in tamper-proof manner so that access is denied to any unauthorized person, i.e. any person other than an authorized employee of the postal authorities or of the manufacturer. Therefore, whenever problems arise with the print device (e.g. the print wheels jam or the print plates are clogged on the rotary drum), then, since the user is denied access to the print head, it is necessary to call out an authorized person from outside the firm to repair the print head, and then to return it to the postal authorities for it to be validated again. Unfortunately, as a result, the postage meter remains unusable for a length of time that can, in some circumstances, be quite lengthy.
It is known, in particular from the Applicants' European Patent Applications BP 0 775 986, EP 0 775 987, and EP 0 775 988, that it is possible to provide a modular postage meter in which the metering accounts device is separated from the postage print device. The accounts device is an electronic module connected to a conventional computer, and the print device is a general-purpose printer.
OBJECT AND DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a postage meter that does not suffer from the above-mentioned drawbacks, and in particular that remains of conventional architecture while mitigating the problems involved in detaching the print head. In addition, this novel type of meter should be reliable and also be lower in cost than conventional meters.
These objects are achieved by a postage meter in which the accounts device is separate from the print device, the accounts device being integrated in the base of the postage meter, and the print device being constituted by a disposable digital print module and being connected to the base of the postage meter via a secure-type link.
Thus, the conventional structure of the postage meter is retained, while, by making provision for the print module to be disposable, the invention offers a major advantage of avoiding all of the problems of maintenance related to the print elements. In addition, it is still possible to have one or more print modules in reserve so as to avoid running out and being obliged to interrupt franking. Credit can be recharged in conventional manner via an IC card by using the Applicant's “CREDIPAC” system, or remotely via the telephone network.
The present invention also provides the disposable print module for this postage meter, which module is designed to be mounted on the base of a postage meter for the purpose of printing a postage imprint, and contains at least one standard ink cartridge for ink-jet printing, which cartridge is provided with electrical contacts, said print module comprising a rigid cartridge support for receiving said at least one standard ink cartridge, a protective casing entirely encasing said at least one standard ink cartridge and fixed indissociably to said rigid cartridge support, and a flexible link support provided with electronic integrated circuits and with a plurality of series of electrical contacts for connecting the integrated circuits respectively to said at least one standard ink cartridge and to said postage meter base so as to enable said at least one standard ink cartridge to be controlled directly from the base of the postage meter.
Thus, the print module can be a consumable (disposable) product of reasonable cost while being secure from any attempts at using it fraudulently.
Preferably, the cartridge support can receive two standard ink cartridges. Advantageously, the standard ink cartridge is glued to the cartridge support, and the flexible link support is glued both to the protective casing and to the cartridge support. Similarly, the protective casing is fixed to the cartridge support by gluing or else optionally by welding.
Advantageously, the cartridge support and the protective casing are each provided with at least one slot to enable the flexible link support to pass through.
In order to prevent it physically from being mounted in a standard printer, the print module of the invention is provided with a keying mechanism.
In a preferred embodiment, the electronic integrated circuits include a microprocessor circuit and a memory circuit containing at least one determined identity number specific to the print module in question. These electronic integrated circuits further include control circuits for controlling each of the ink jet nozzles of said at least one standard ink cartridge.
In another embodiment, the memory circuit is replaced with an identity label bearing the determined identity number, which label is embedded in the protective casing and is accessible in contact-free manner by means of a transponder read circuit disposed in the base of the postage meter.
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patent: 4831555 (1989-05-01), Sansone et al.
patent: 5359357 (1994-10-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 5359359 (1994-10-01), Dietrich et al.
patent: 5519422 (1996-05-01), Thoman et al.
patent: 5539436 (1996-07-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5684949 (1997-11-01), Naclerio
patent: 0 393 896 A2 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 0 522 809 A2 (1993-01-01), None
patent: 0 717 374 A2 (1996-06-01), None
Gilham Dennis
Le Jaoudour Thierry
Paul Arsène
Le N.
Neopost Industrie
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Vo Anh T. N.
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