摘要:
A fluorescent ink that makes tagger marks and is able to be used in valve jet printers at a rate of four #10 envelopes per second. The ink also penetrates paper at a rapid rate and dries at the same time it is penetrating the paper, without degrading the print quality. The penetrating agent solvent system may be isopropyl alcohol in combination with a surfactant. The surfactant may be polyethylene glycol ethers. Polyethylene glycol ethers have a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. The penetrating agent solvent system has a low boiling point and high vapor pressure and a low static and dynamic surface tension. This improves the inks rate of penetration into the paper and diminishes the amount of offset.
摘要:
A method of printing a composite image composed of a postage indicia image and an adjacent nondescript image on an image receiving medium is disclosed. The postage indicia image contains alpha-numeric data which must be machine readable and therefore must be printed with a high quality water fast ink, and is printed with a printing device utilizing ink jet technology. The nondescript image is merely a flag image containing fluorescent material and does not contain alpha-numeric data that must be machine readable, and therefore can be printed by any other suitable printer using commercially available fluorescent ink.
摘要:
Predetermined print control signals are provided to a digital printing mechanism that responds to the print control signals to print an image on a substrate. A reference signal is derived from said print control signals. The image is scanned to generate a post-print signal. The reference signal is compared with said post-print signal. If the reference signal and the post-print signal do not compare within predetermined standards, an output signal indicative of poor print quality is generated. The print mechanism can be incorporated into a postage metering system and the image can be a postal indicia. The postage meter is responsive to a signal generated as a function of the output signal to inhibit further printing of postal indicia. Prior to printing the image, a substrate upon which the image is to be printed is scanned to generate a reflectance signal, the reflectance signal being used to correct the post-print signal. The post-print signal can represent integration of reflectance over segments of the image, or can represent summation of scanned pixels over segments of the image.
摘要:
A flat bed printing mechanism for a postage meter is disclosed which includes a flat printing die, a platen mounted beneath the printing which is movable toward and away from the printing die to as to bring the image area of a mail piece disposed over the platen into printing contact with the printing die. The platen supports a resilient pressure pad which contacts the mail piece, and there is a resilient means interposed between the upper surface of the platen and the lower surface of the pressure pad to support the pressure pad in spaced relationship with the upper surface of the platen so that the pressure pad is free to move both linearly and angularly with respect to the platen when the platen moves upwardly to press the mail piece against the printing die, to cause the plane of the upper surface of the pressure pad to conform to the plane of the image area of the mail piece as the platen pushes the image area of the mail piece upwardly toward the printing die.
摘要:
An ink pad device for a high speed mailing machine is disclosed. The ink pad device includes an ink pad and an ink chamber in which the ink pad is at least partially disposed to sorb ink therefrom. The ink pad device may also comprise an ink reservoir and/or a pump for pumping ink from the reservoir to the ink chamber. The ink pad device is attachable to a drive for moving the ink pad horizontally and vertically from a horizontal home position to a horizontal inking position in which the ink pad is tamped against a printing device which imprints postage indicia. The ink pump comprises a deformable chamber which is compressed to pump ink from the reservoir to the ink chamber. In one embodiment, the ink pad and the ink chamber are provided as a disposable, non-replenishable, non-refillable unit containing a limited amount of ink for limited use. In another embodiment, the ink chamber, the ink pad, the reservoir and the pump form a unit in which ink is replenished from the reservoir to the ink chamber. In that embodiment, the entire unit may be made disposable and may be moved by the drive to the inking position. In still another embodiment, the ink pad and the ink chamber form a disposable, replenishable unit, and the reservoir is replaceable. In that embodiment, only the ink pad and the ink chamber are movable by the drive to the inking position.
摘要:
An ink jet printer comprising a replaceable cartridge having a supply of ink and a controller in operative communication with the cartridge. The controller keeps an estimate of an amount of ink remaining in the cartridge and provides a signal indicating that the cartridge is to be weighed in response to a predetermined event. A method of operating an ink jet printer, a postage printing apparatus and a method of operating a postage printing system are also provided.
摘要:
A mailing system includes a mailing machine having a printing mechanism for printing an indication of postage value on a mailpiece and structure for controlling relative movement between the printing mechanism and the mailpiece to ensure the mailpiece is properly positioned relative to the printing mechanism during printing of the indication of postage value; a meter vault having a securely sealed housing, and apparatus, within the securely sealed housing, for accounting for the printed indication of postage value, wherein the meter vault is removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a plug-in connector; and a printing mechanism control module for securely controlling printing by the printing mechanism based on data received from the meter vault, the printing mechanism control module being removably mounted in the mailing machine for easy removal via a quick disconnect connector; wherein the meter vault and the printing mechanism control module are in electrical communication via the mailing machine. The mailing system can also include ciphered communications between the vault and the printing mechanism.
摘要:
A method and system for printing a 2D-barcode corresponding to a binary data array and a substrate imprinted with such barcode. The barcode has I first columns of modules and J rows of modules transverse to columns. Each module having a one-to-one correspondence with a bit in a data array and comprising X columns and Y rows of pixels. All pixels are unprinted if said corresponding data bits for a module is not asserted; and otherwise: for pixel columns P(1) through P(X−H) and rows P(1) through P(Y−V), where H is in the range 0 to X−1 and V is in the range 0 to Y−1, all pixels are printed; for first columns P(X−H+1) through P(X) and rows P(1) through P(Y−V), all pixels are printed if a corresponding data bit for an adjacent module in the next module column is asserted; and for columns P(X−H+1) through P(X), rows P(Y−V+1) through P(Y) are not printed if a corresponding data bit for an adjacent or diagonally adjacent module in a next first is not asserted. H and V are not both equal to 0.
摘要:
A mailing machine comprising a printer module, a transport device and a controller in operative communication with the transport device and the printer module. The printer module including an array of ink jet print elements for printing on an envelope and a repositioning device in operative engagement with the array of ink jet print elements for moving the array of ink jet print elements between a maintenance position and a print position. The transport device including suitable structure for feeding the envelope in a path of travel so that the envelope passes in opposed relationship to the array of ink jet print elements when the array of ink jet print elements are in the print position. The controller keeps an indicator of an amount of time elapsed between printing successive envelopes. If the indicator reaches a predetermined threshold, then the controller causes the array of ink jet print elements to perform a maintenance operation by firing the array of ink jet print elements in the absence of the envelope while the printer module is in the print position.
摘要:
An ink tray has been improved to include a plurality of channel ribs formed on the bottom surface. The rib ends are spaced apart from the ink tray side walls. An ink pad is supported in the ink tray above the channels such that ink directed through the channels is absorbed by the ink pad. Replenishing ink is directed into the ink tray and caused to collect at one end of a first group of channel ribs and thereafter uniformly between each channel rib of the first group. The displaced ink is then caused to uniformly travel between a second group of channel ribs and exit the ink tray. The travel path of the ink allows for even absorption of ink by the ink pad and the removal of excess ink from the ink tray.