EP0219847A2 - Automatisches Tintenstandsüberwachungssystem - Google Patents

Automatisches Tintenstandsüberwachungssystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0219847A2
EP0219847A2 EP86114531A EP86114531A EP0219847A2 EP 0219847 A2 EP0219847 A2 EP 0219847A2 EP 86114531 A EP86114531 A EP 86114531A EP 86114531 A EP86114531 A EP 86114531A EP 0219847 A2 EP0219847 A2 EP 0219847A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
component
response
indicia
level
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP86114531A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0219847A3 (de
Inventor
Robert R. Reid
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP0219847A2 publication Critical patent/EP0219847A2/de
Publication of EP0219847A3 publication Critical patent/EP0219847A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41L—APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES
    • B41L27/00—Inking arrangements or devices
    • B41L27/04—Ducts, containers, or supply devices or ink-level control devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00185—Details internally of apparatus in a franking system, e.g. franking machine at customer or apparatus at post office
    • G07B17/00193—Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
    • G07B2017/0025—Storage of, e.g. ribbon
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07B—TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS
    • G07B17/00—Franking apparatus
    • G07B17/00459—Details relating to mailpieces in a franking system
    • G07B17/00508—Printing or attaching on mailpieces
    • G07B2017/00653—Special inks, e.g. fluorescent

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to the field of value printing devices, and more particularly to an automatic value printing control system for controlling the ink level of the printed value indicia of value printing devices such as mailing machine postage meters.
  • Postage meters dispense value in the form of printed postage on a document fed to the meter for printing of a metered package impression at the proper location and within specified print density levels. Postage is dispensed in desired increments by printing a postage indicia generally including a selected postage value, the date, and one or more symbols, on the document which may be an envelope, mail label or the like. Postage meters are an example of the general class of printing devices referred to as value printing devices which print indicia representative of value.
  • Postage meters print postage indicia onto a document by contacting the surface with print characters which are inked typically just prior to the print event.
  • the print characters are contained on a rotary print head which revolves relative to a stationary inking roller during the print cycle. When the raised print characters encounter the inking roller, they make contact and are thus inked.
  • the print characters are contained on a horizontal printing head and the inking roller is moved across the print character just before printing.
  • the document to be marked is placed into contact with the printing head with enough force to result in printing of the postage indicia.
  • the inking roller does not have enough ink, the postage indicia will be printed with an ink level (i.e. quantity of ink on the paper surface) which is too light and conversely, if the roller has too much ink the ink level of the printed indicia will be too dark.
  • One prior art method for maintaining minimum ink levels involved a mechanism for limiting the number of cycles of a postage meter in accordance with the capacity of the inking roller, whereupon the roller must be replaced before the printer can be reactivated.
  • Another approach requires the operator to monitor output documents to determine when the printed indicia have become too faint, at which point the operator must take action, such as replacing the inking roller or activating a mechanism for adding ink to the roller.
  • apparatus for controlling the inking level of a printed indicia in a value printing machine having a controllable inker for providing ink to the indicia die using an ink having a luminescent component.
  • the apparatus comprises means for sensing the ink level of the printed indicia and for generating a control signal in response to the sensed level as well as means for controlling the inker of the value printing machine in response to the control signal.
  • FIG. 1 is an illustration of a specific embodiment of a mailing machine 10 having a postage meter 20 in accordance with the invention.
  • the mailing machine 10 includes a document feeder bin 12 for holding documents for an automatic feeder 13 which feeds to a conventional belt and roller document transport mechanism (not shown) contained within an upper housing 14 and a lower housing 15.
  • the document feeder 13 and transport mechanism are driven in the conventional manner by an electric motor (not shown) also contained within the housing 14.
  • An adjustment knob 16 permits adjustment of the feeder 13 to provide for a range of envelope thicknesses.
  • the transport mechanism includes a transport belt (not shown) to move each document along a document deck 18 to the package meter 20 which, when activated, prints a postage indicia on the document.
  • the mailing machine 10 may also include means for sealing the document envelope.
  • a control panel 22, including control keys and a visual display, provides for operator control of the mailing machine 10 functions.
  • a machine operate lever 24 permits the meter to be disabled so that the. mailing machine 10 only seals envelopes without printing a postage indicia, and further permits the meter to be detached from the rest of the mailing machine.
  • a document detector e.g. photo-sensor or microswitch, not shown
  • a document solenoid (not shown) which activates the postage meter 20.
  • the postage meter 20 operates in conjunction with the mailing machine 10 with the mailing machine 10 providing a base and a power source for the postage meter 20 as well as providing the ink supply and the means for transporting the documents to the postage meter 20.
  • the ink supplied by the mailing machine is typically a special ink for use in postage meters having a secondary, non-visible but detectable component such as a phosphorescent component (e.g. zinc sulfide) for security purposes.
  • a secondary, non-visible but detectable component such as a phosphorescent component (e.g. zinc sulfide) for security purposes.
  • Such value printing machines may also use ink with other non-visible, detectable, secondary components in the illustrated embodiment such as other luminescent materials (i.e. a material which radiates visible light when stimulated) including phosphorescent (long persistence), fluorescent (short persistence) materials, or cathodoluminescent materials (stimulated by a electron beam) or magnetic materials (e.g. Iron
  • the postage meter 20 comprises a rotating print drum 30 having a printing indicia die 31 for printing the postage indicia including a selected postage value, the date, and one or more postage symbols.
  • a document ejection drum 34 is provided which acts in conjunction with the a second document ejection drum 36, mounted in the mailing machine as shown, to eject a document after printing.
  • the mailing machine 10 transports the document 52 to the mailing machine 20 along the document deck 18 where it is positioned over a document carriage drum 38, as shown.
  • the postage meter is then activated such that the print drum 30 rotates (counter-clockwise in the illustrated embodiment) bringing the printing die 31 in contact with the document 52 thus printing the indicia and moving the document 52 forward until it is captured by the ejection drum 34, 36.
  • the document is then ejected out of the machine under a secondary component sensor unit 54.
  • the printing die 31 contacts an inking roller 43 which rolls over the printing die 31 thereby inking the die on each rotation.
  • the inking roller 43 runs low on ink the printing die 31 will not be adequately inked and the postage indicia will be printed to lightly.
  • Ink can be added to the inking roller 48 from an ink reservoir 42 by the action of an ink solenoid 40, an intermediate ink transfer roller 46, and an ink reservoir roller 44, configured as shown.
  • ink 41 having a phosphorescent component in a standard mailing machine
  • This ink transfer is the result of the rotational motion of the rollers caused by contact with the rotating print drum 30.
  • This ink roller mechanism permits automatic control of the ink level (i.e. the quantity of ink printed onto the page surface).
  • the secondary component sensor unit 54 (in the illustrated embodiment sensor unit 54 is a phosphorescent sensing unit) is mounted at the point of exit of the documents form the postage meter for sensing the ink level of the printed indicia and generating an output control signal in response to the sensed ink level.
  • This sensor 54 detects the ink level of the printed indicia by measuring the magnitude of the non-visible, detectable secondary component of the indicia.
  • this secondary component is a luminescent material, typically a phosphorescent material as is standard in mailing machine inks.
  • This sensed phosphorescent level is coupled to the mailing machine control circuitry 50 via a conductor 27, as shown.
  • the mailing machine control circuitry 50 controls the functions of the mailing machine as well as the automatic inking system. A separate control circuit may also be used to control the automatic inking system using the signals from sensor unit 54.
  • the mailing machine control circuitry 50 generates a control signal to extend the solenoid armature 43 (i.e. activate the solenoid) if the sensed level from the sensor 54 is less than a predetermined minimum.
  • the transfer roller 46 will then remain in contact with rollers 44, 48 due to the extended solenoid armature 43, thereby continually increasing the ink level until the sensed level from the sensor 54 equals or exceeds a predetermined maximum.
  • the control circuit 50 will generate a signal to retract (i.e. deactivate) the solenoid armature 43 pulling the transfer roller 46 out of contact with the rollers 44 and 48, thereby terminating the ink transfer process.
  • FIG 3 is a detailed block diagram of a specific embodiment of the electronic circuitry of the secondary component sensor unit 54 (see Figure 2) in accordance with the invention.
  • the sensor unit 54 comprises an excitation source 56 for stimulating emissions from the printed indicia by illuminating the surface of the document 52, as shown.
  • the excitation source 56 may be an electron source in the event the secondary ink component is a cathodoluminescent or a light source in the event that a photoluminescent is utilized. Other sources may be used, or none at all, depending on the secondary component used in the ink.
  • the excitation source 56 is an ultraviolet source coupled to a power source - (not shown).
  • the ultraviolet light source is used in sensor unit 54 in conjunction with inks having .certain phosphorescent or fluorescent secondary components, as in postage meter ink.
  • the sensor unit 54 also comprises a detector 58 (e.g. a photodetector such as a photo diode) which detects the magnitude of the emitted light from the secondary component of the printed indicia ink.
  • the photo detector 58 as shown, generates a signal representative of the magnitude of the light emitted which is coupled via conductor 27 to the machine control logic 50 (see Figure 2).
  • An optional filter 60 can be located in front of the photo detector 58 to filter out all light except the wavelengths which are emitted by the secondary component due to the excitation source 56, thereby reducing interference from extraneous light sources.
  • the excitation source 56 may be eliminated and only a detector is required (e.g. if a magnetic secondary ink component is utilized).
  • a microcomputer 202 - (e.g., an Intel 8031) provides the central processing capability for the mailing machine 10 with its internal oscillator regulated by a crystal and capacitor network 201 and power-up reset provided by a capacitor 203.
  • Such microcomputer controlled mailing machines are well known in the art.
  • An electronically programmed read only memory (EPROM) 204 provides field programmable program memory for the microcomputer 202.
  • This programmable device 204 is addressed by the microcomputer 202 via a bus 208 coupled to bus interface buffers 210, as shown. Additional address and control signals are coupled from the microcomputer 202 to the EPROM 204 via the bus 206 and addressed data from the EPROM 204 is coupled to a data bus 214, as shown.
  • the bus interface buffer 210 additionally provides buffering for passing data between bus 208 and the data bus 214, as shown.
  • Sensor signals which utilize an interrupt input to the microcomputer 202 are coupled through the interrupt buffer 224 to selected interrupt inputs 223.
  • Any additional inputs required for mailing machine operation are coupled through the input buffer 226 to the data bus 214 and through to the microcomputer 202 via the bus interface 210.
  • the secondary component level signal (e.g. phosphorescent level signal in the illustrated embodiment), which is coupled from the secondary component sensor unit 54 (shown in Figure 2) to an Analog to Digital (A/D) converter 229 via the conductor 27, as shown.
  • the A/D converter 229 converts the analog signal from the sensor unit 54 to a digital signal which is coupled via the conductors 228 through the input buffer 226 to the data bus 214.
  • These signals are then coupled via the bus interface 210 to the microcomputer which analyses the digitized signal and produces a control signal to activate or deactivate the ink solenoid 40 at the appropriate time.
  • Control signals such as the signal controlling the ink solenoid 40 and the document solenoid 232, are coupled from the microcomputer 202 thru the data base 214 to the output power buffers 230, as shown.
  • the output power buffers in response to the control signals from the microcomputer, drive the control solenoids and in addition, control the motor (not shown) which drives the document feeder and transport mechanism.
  • the microcomputer 202 also communicates with a control panel 22 via an interface buffer 234 which couples, as shown, to the data bus 214.
  • the data coupled through the buffer 234 permits operator control of the mailing machine 10.
  • Figure 5 is an illustration of a flow diagram of a specific routine for the microcomputer 202 to con-trol the ink solenoid 40 according to the invention.
  • the routine of Figure 5 is entered at block 300 after the printing of each indicia, and program control immediately proceeds to block 310 where initialization occurs setting up any required initial values, such as minimum and maximum secondary component values.
  • the current secondary component value (SC) is then read from the A/D converter 229 (see Figure 4) as indicated as 320 and the current value is compared to the predetermined minimum as illustrated at 330. If the result of the comparison at 330 is positive the microprocessor 202 activates the ink solenoid 40 as indicated at 350 and then the ink solenoid control routine is exited as indicated at 360.
  • the ink solenoid control routine is exited as illustrated at 390, and if the result at block 370 is positive, the ink solenoid 40 is deactivated as illustrated at block 380. After the ink solenoid 40 has been deactivated the ink solenoid control routine is exited as shown at block 390.
  • a specific embodiment of the novel method and apparatus for controlling the inking level of a printed indicia in a value printing machine has been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be made and used.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Checking Fares Or Tickets At Control Points (AREA)
EP86114531A 1985-10-21 1986-10-21 Automatisches Tintenstandsüberwachungssystem Withdrawn EP0219847A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US78988185A 1985-10-21 1985-10-21
US789881 1985-10-21

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0219847A2 true EP0219847A2 (de) 1987-04-29
EP0219847A3 EP0219847A3 (de) 1988-01-07

Family

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EP86114531A Withdrawn EP0219847A3 (de) 1985-10-21 1986-10-21 Automatisches Tintenstandsüberwachungssystem

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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0321098A3 (de) * 1987-12-17 1990-02-28 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Modulare Postbearbeitungsmaschine
GB2312873A (en) * 1996-05-08 1997-11-12 Neopost Ltd Identifying printing origins
EP0881079A3 (de) * 1997-05-01 1999-07-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Vorrichtung zum Erfassen des Tintenleerstandes für Tintenstrahldrucker
EP0782107A3 (de) * 1995-12-27 1999-11-03 Pitney Bowes Inc. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum gesicherten Drucken eines Postwertzeichenbildes mit underschiedlicher Punktdichte in zwei seiner Richtungen
EP1473099A1 (de) 2003-05-02 2004-11-03 O-Oka Corporation Zahnrad für ein Getriebe und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
EP1630748A2 (de) 2004-08-30 2006-03-01 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Detektor für fluoreszierende Tinte
EP1630749A3 (de) * 2004-08-30 2006-04-26 Pitney Bowes, Inc. System und Verfahren zur Identifkation von Druckertinte
USRE40443E1 (en) * 1998-05-22 2008-07-22 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for accounting for postage for mail
US7878615B2 (en) 2005-12-14 2011-02-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for detecting defective ink jet nozzles

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH113837A (de) * 1925-04-22 1926-05-17 Henry Baer & Co Farbwerk für Bureau-Druckmaschinen, insbesondere für Markendruck- und Frankiermaschinen.
US3567923A (en) * 1968-04-03 1971-03-02 Hurlectron Inc System for monitoring and controlling the color density of ink during printing
US3835777A (en) * 1973-01-16 1974-09-17 Harris Intertype Corp Ink density control system
BR7503349A (pt) * 1974-06-05 1976-05-25 Pitney Bowes Inc Mecanismo de estrado para uma maquina de franquiar
GB1536403A (en) * 1975-12-12 1978-12-20 Pitney Bowes Inc Fluorescent machine readable ink compositions
DE3241489A1 (de) * 1982-11-10 1984-05-10 Dirk H Dickfeld Verfahren zur markierung und identifizierung von durchsichtigen behaeltern fuer fluessige arzneimittel u.dgl.
DE3322665A1 (de) * 1983-06-23 1985-01-03 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Farbdichtemessgeraet
US4649502A (en) * 1983-11-04 1987-03-10 Gretag Aktiengesellschaft Process and apparatus for evaluating printing quality and for regulating the ink feed controls in an offset printing machine

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0321098A3 (de) * 1987-12-17 1990-02-28 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Modulare Postbearbeitungsmaschine
EP0782107A3 (de) * 1995-12-27 1999-11-03 Pitney Bowes Inc. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum gesicherten Drucken eines Postwertzeichenbildes mit underschiedlicher Punktdichte in zwei seiner Richtungen
GB2312873A (en) * 1996-05-08 1997-11-12 Neopost Ltd Identifying printing origins
US5937762A (en) * 1996-05-08 1999-08-17 Neopost Limited Apparatus for printing postal impressions and method of identifying origin of postal impression
GB2312873B (en) * 1996-05-08 1999-09-22 Neopost Ltd Apparatus for printing postal impressions and method of identifying origin of postal impression
US6312072B1 (en) 1997-05-01 2001-11-06 Pitney Bowes Inc. Disabling a printing mechanism in response to an out of ink condition
EP0881079A3 (de) * 1997-05-01 1999-07-07 Pitney Bowes Inc. Vorrichtung zum Erfassen des Tintenleerstandes für Tintenstrahldrucker
USRE40443E1 (en) * 1998-05-22 2008-07-22 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for accounting for postage for mail
EP1473099A1 (de) 2003-05-02 2004-11-03 O-Oka Corporation Zahnrad für ein Getriebe und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
EP1630748A2 (de) 2004-08-30 2006-03-01 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Detektor für fluoreszierende Tinte
EP1630749A3 (de) * 2004-08-30 2006-04-26 Pitney Bowes, Inc. System und Verfahren zur Identifkation von Druckertinte
EP1630748A3 (de) * 2004-08-30 2006-05-10 Pitney Bowes, Inc. Detektor für fluoreszierende Tinte
US7438378B2 (en) 2004-08-30 2008-10-21 Pitney Bowes Inc. Fluorescent ink detector
US8342625B2 (en) 2004-08-30 2013-01-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. Printer ink identification system and method
US7878615B2 (en) 2005-12-14 2011-02-01 Pitney Bowes Inc. System and method for detecting defective ink jet nozzles

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Publication number Publication date
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