Patent ID: 7384500
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: B43M

Abstract:
1. A manually operated moistener for moistening a liquid-activatable glue on a flap of an envelope attached to an envelope body, said moistener comprising: an upper part having a substantially vertical placement wall adjoining a substantially horizontal platform; a blade and rocker assembly attached to said platform, said blade and rocker assembly comprising a blade configured to interact with the flap of an envelope manually supplied to the blade with the flap beneath the envelope body and away from said placement wall, and a moistener rocker attached by a hinge to said blade allowing said moistener rocker to be opened upwardly by rotation with respect to said hinge, a spring biasing said moistener rocker being at said hinge, and said hinge comprising a locking arrangement that locks said moistener rocker, when opened upwardly, in an upwardly open position against a force exerted by said spring; a lower part forming a liquid tank, said lower part being attached below said upper part by releasable fastening elements that are released exclusively from above through said upper part; an anti-bacterial water transfer element comprised of anti-bacterial material and having a lower portion extending into said lower part and a curved upper portion mounted in said upper part; an anti-bacterial moistening element comprised of anti-bacterial material and mounted in said upper part abutting said curved upper portion of said water transfer element with a contact surface allowing water transfer between said water transfer element and said moistening element; said moistener rocker having a clamping groove and said moistening element having a clamping region held in said clamping groove; and said flap of said envelope being manually moved against said moistening element in a transport direction as the envelope is manually supplied to the blade, and said moistening element being mounted in said moistener rocker with a first edge of said moistening element closer to said placement wall than a second edge of said moistening element, said second edge having a larger width in said transport direction than said first edge.