Patent Publication Number: US-7212981-B2

Title: Postage franking device and method

Description:
This disclosure relates generally to postage franking systems, and more particularly to a postage franking system including a franking device and method. 
     In the past, applying postage to an envelope in an office environment typically meant either moving from one&#39;s desk to a postage franking device in a central mail room or work area, or applying preprinted stamps at one&#39;s own desk. In either the office environment or a home environment, applying preprinted stamps typically requires guessing at the amount of postage required for a particular sealed envelope. Unfortunately, guessing at the correct postage often resulted in applying excess postage and wasting money, or not applying enough stamps and then posting the envelope with postage due to be paid by the recipient. Even the use of a small desktop scale upon which an envelope was placed to determine the envelope&#39;s weight required a user to keep a supply of stamps on hand, and often the correct denomination was unavailable for incremental weights above the minimum (e.g., above one ounce in the United States for first class mail), again resulting in overpayment. Alternatively, for those without a desktop scale or those not in an office environment with a central mail room, a visit to the post office during normal business hours was required to have the envelope weighed to determine the correct amount of postage, which typically was then applied by the postal clerk. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a postage franking device that includes a scale, an envelope holder and a printer. The envelope holder is suspended from the scale and defines a print zone. The printer, which is supported by the holder, is configured to apply imaging material to an envelope in the print zone. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a postage franking method that includes suspending an envelope from a scale, weighing the suspended envelope with the scale, determining postage for the envelope based on its weight and printing the postage on the suspended envelope. These and other embodiments of the invention may be adapted for use in small hand held postage franking devices that help relieve some of the inconveniences associated with conventional postage franking techniques. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a postage franking device according to one embodiment of the invention in which a single printer moves across the print zone. 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the postage franking device of  FIG. 1 , shown with an envelope being inserted into the device. 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the postage franking device of  FIG. 1 , shown when postage is applied to the envelope. 
         FIG. 4  is a left side elevation view of the postage franking device of  FIG. 1  prior to franking, with an alternate position for easy envelope insertion shown in dashed lines. 
         FIG. 5  is a right side elevation view of the postage franking device of  FIG. 1 , shown during the franking process. 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of a postage franking device according to another embodiment of the invention in which the printer is driven across the print zone. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a postage franking method according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a postage franking device according to another embodiment of the invention in which multiple stationary printers are used to cover the print zone. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a postage franking device according to another embodiment of the invention in which a single stationary printer with multiple print heads is used to cover the print zone. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 5  illustrate a postage franking device  10  according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1–5 , postage franking device  10  includes a head  12  and a body  14  coupled together by a neck  16 . The head  12  includes an onboard power source, such as a replaceable battery or batteries  18 , and a scale  20 , selected to weigh a variety of different weights of envelopes in accordance with a user&#39;s desired implementation. In the illustrated embodiment, the neck  16  includes an upper portion  22  coupled to a weighing arm of scale  20 . A variety of different weighing devices may be used. The illustrated scale  20  may operate in the same fashion as a vegetable scale in a grocery store or as a fishing scale having a weighing arm from which anglers hang their fish to determine the weight of their catch. Preferably, scale  20  will provide an electronic signal indicative of an envelope&#39;s weight. The neck  16  also includes a lower portion  24  extending from the body  14 . The upper neck portion  22  is pivotally coupled to the lower neck portion  24  by a pivot pin or post  26 , which allows the body  14  to pivot into an insertion position for ease of use, as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 4 . 
     The body  14  includes an envelope holder  27 , here illustrated as opposing jaws  28  and  30 , which may also be referred to as a lower jaw  28  and an upper jaw  30  when rotated into the insertion position shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 4 . The jaws  28  and  30  define a slot  32  and each jaw has opposing envelope gripping features, such as teeth or nibs  34  and  36  projecting from jaw  28  that meet with nibs  38  and  40 , respectively, projecting from jaw  30  to narrow the width of slot  32  at these locations. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the opposing pairs of nibs  34 ,  38  and  36 ,  40  cooperate to grip an inserted envelope  42  to secure the envelope in position for the franking process. 
       FIG. 2  shows the envelope  42  being inserted into the holder  27 , with the final location for franking being shown in  FIGS. 3 through 5 . Preferably, the body  14  is equipped with a sensor  44  that senses the presence of envelope  42  when it is in the correct position for franking, here, being fully inserted in slot  32 . For instance, the sensor  44  may be an optical sensor unit having optical communication which is blocked by the presence of envelope  42 , with an envelope engagement or insertion signal being generated when the envelope  42  is properly positioned for weighing and franking. To indicate to a user that the envelope  42  is fully inserted within holder  27  and ready for franking, an indicator light  48  may be provided on either the head  12  or the body  14 , for instance, with the light  48  changing from red to green upon proper insertion. 
     The postage franking device  10  includes an imaging member, represented in this embodiment as a printer  50  carried by a sliding carriage of  52 . While printer  50  represents generally any suitable imaging member, a replaceable printing cartridge using inkjet imaging technology, such as thermal or piezoelectric inkjet printheads or other commercially available inkjet printhead technology is preferred because it is small, available commercially and easily adapted for use in a small postage franking device. For instance, one replaceable inkjet print cartridge sold by the Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif., is the “hp 34” black inkjet print cartridge, product number C6634AN, although other inkjet cartridges may be more suitable in other implementations, such as those employing semipermanent printheads where only the ink supply is normally replaced, known in the industry as a “snapper” cartridge. Of course, while the “hp 34” cartridge is supplied with black ink, the technology employed in producing this cartridge may be used to dispense other colors of ink should they be desired or required. Indeed, using current inkjet printhead technology, printheads having nozzles expanding a length which extends the entire postage printing width may be constructed to carry permanently attached or to receive replaceable ink reservoirs. 
     The carriage  52  is supported in holder  27  by a pair of opposing carriage support arms  54 ,  56  which slide in slots  58 , shown in  FIG. 1 , in upper jaw  30 . If positional feedback as to the location of carriage  52  and printer  50  along the guide slots  58  is desired, an optical, magnetic or other suitable encoder strip  60  and a corresponding encoder strip reader  62 , shown in  FIG. 5 , may be located along one of the arm guide slots  58  to read the position of carriage  52  and printer  50  along slots  58 . Optical carriage position feedback mechanisms are typically employed in the inkjet printing arts, and may take on a variety of different configurations, for example, with the encoder strips being either of a clear plastic bearing various markings, or a metallic encoder strip having various windows cut therethrough. Indeed, the encoder strip markings may be embedded within one of the carriage arm guide slots  58 , and formed as an integral part thereof or as a separate component attached thereto. 
     Printer  50  travels across a print zone opening  64  in holder  27  to apply a postage image  65  to envelope  42 . Print zone  64  is configured as necessary to expose to printer  50  that portion of envelope  42  on which the desired postage  65  is printed. In most applications, therefore, print zone  64  will be configured to expose the upper right hand corner of envelope  42 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The print zone  64  may be characterized by an upper border  66  and a lower border  68 , with the carriage  52  being located adjacent to the upper border  66  in  FIG. 2 , and closer to the lower border  68  in  FIG. 3 . 
     A single printer  50  that travels back and forth across print zone  64  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1–5 . In some implementations, however, it may be desirable to employ two or more stationary printers, such as printers  50   a – 50   c  shown in  FIG. 8  or a single stationary printer with multiple print heads, such as printer  50  with print heads  51   a – 51   e  in  FIG. 9 , to cover print zone  64 . 
     The embodiment of franking device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1–5  includes a printhead service station  70 . The components of service station  70  are shown in  FIGS. 2–5 . The service station  70  includes an elastomeric wiper  72  and a capping unit  74 . The wiper  72  may be constructed of a resilient, non-abrasive, elastomeric material, such as nitrile rubber, ethylene polypropylene diene monomer (EPDM), or other comparable materials known in the art which are compatible with the ink dispensed by the printer  50 . A variety of different printhead wiper designs are known in the inkjet arts, and for clarity, the wiper  72  is shown as a rectangular elastomeric blade projecting upwardly from the lower jaw  28 . 
     The capping unit  74  includes a movable sled  76  which is supported by four sled support posts  78 , with each post  78  riding within an associated slot  80  defined by the upper jaw  30 . Each of the slots  80  are at an angle with respect to a plane of carriage travel defined by the carriage arm guide slots  58 . The sled  76  carries an elastomeric sealing lip  82  sized to surround a group of ink ejecting nozzles defined by a printhead portion  84  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) of the inkjet cartridge  50 . The sealing lip  82  may be constructed of the same material used to construct wiper  72 , as described above. A variety of different styles of caps, sleds, and cap venting systems are known in the inkjet arts, and may be suitably employed or modified in constructing the capping unit  74 , as well as in assembling servicing units for printheads  50   a – 50   c  and  51   a – 51   e  of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , respectively. Indeed, some of the more sophisticated inkjet printhead servicing units, such as that used in the Hewlett-Packard Company&#39;s HP 2000C Professional Series Color Inkjet Printer, employ separate motors, cams and other mechanisms to move servicing components, such as caps and wipers into engagement with inkjet printheads for servicing. 
     To move the sled  76  between a rest position as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , and an active capping or sealing position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the capping unit  74  includes an activation arm  85  which extends outwardly from the sled  76 . From the rest position of  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the printer carriage  52  upon returning to the service station  70 , contacts the activation arm  85  and pushes the sled  76  to travel in an upward direction along slots  80  toward the printhead  84 , until the cap lip  82  is tightly sealed to surround the ink ejecting nozzles in the sealing position of  FIGS. 2 and 4 . In the sealing position of  FIG. 2 , the activation arm  85  has been pushed adjacent to the window upper border  66 , while in the rest position of  FIG. 3 , the sled  76  has traveled downwardly, under the force of gravity, in slots  80  to define a gap between arm  85  and border  66 . This downward travel of the sled  76  away from the cartridge  50  disengages cap  82  from the printhead  84  in an uncapping action, due to the slanted orientation of slots  80  with respect to a path of carriage travel defined by the arm guide slots  58 . Similar ramped capping action has been used in the inkjet arts for years to seal inkjet printheads during periods of inactivity, with a carriage being used to position the cap sled between an active capping position and a resting uncapped position. Indeed, other capping systems may also be used to seal printhead  84  including more complicated motorized mechanisms and the like, with the illustrated capping system being preferred for its light weight, simplicity, and reliability. 
     The arrangement of the illustrated service station  70  allows the printhead  84  following uncapping to be cleaned by wiper  72  prior to entering the print zone  64 , so the ink ejecting nozzles are cleaned prior to printing. Furthermore, following printing, the wiper  72  cleans the printhead  84  prior to being capped for storage. Moreover, while a single wiper blade  72  is illustrated, in some implementations multiple wiper blades may prove useful, as well as wiper blades having non-rectangular contours. More advanced service station designs may include other printhead servicing features, such as printhead primers, ink solvent applicators, and scrapers for removing ink residue from the wiper blade  72 . Again, while more elaborate and complicated service station designs may be employed in the postage franking device  10 , the illustrated service station  70  is preferred for its simplicity, reliability and economic value. 
     Due to the pivotal attachment of the head  12  to the body  14  by pivot pin  26 , holder  27  may be rotated with respect to the head  12  to facilitate easier insertion of envelope  42  into slot  32 , as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 4 . Allowing this rotation of holder  27  may be particularly useful when the franking device  10  is suspended from a wall, file cabinet, divider or other vertical surface. Following this rotation to insert envelope  42 , the holder  27  should be rotated downward into the hanging position illustrated in solid lines in  FIG. 4  to assure accurate weighing by scale  20 . To determine when the holder  27  has been rotated back into the weighing position, the postage franking device  10  includes a position sensor  86 . Sensor  86  generates a signal indicative of whether the holder  27  is in an insertion position (dashed lines in  FIG. 4 ) or oriented in a weighing position (solid lines in  FIG. 4 ). 
     The postage franking device  10  includes a controller  90  housed within the head  12 . The controller  90 , a microprocessor or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for example, is electronically coupled to scale  20  and printer  50 . Controller  90  is configured to receive input signals from scale  20  and to generate output signals for printer  50  in response to the input signals. One set of output signals generated by controller  90 , for example, are firing signals for selectively firing each of the printhead nozzles in printer  50  to eject ink in a selected pattern, such as the postage franking pattern  65  shown printed on the envelope  42  in  FIG. 3  within the print zone  64 . 
     Also coupled to the head  12  and electrically coupled to controller  90  is an electrical conductor  92 . In one embodiment, electrical conductor  92  may be coupled to a computer to transport electrical control signals between controller  90  and the computer. In another embodiment, the electrical conductor  92  may be used to supply power to the postage franking device  10 , thereby eliminating the need for a battery unit  18 , or relegating the battery unit for portable or backup power use. 
     The head  12  may be equipped with one or more slots  94  configured to receive a memory card  95 , or other storage device. Preferably the memory card  95  is a read/write device which carries various information concerning weights vs. postal rates for use by controller  90  to allow the postage franking device  10  to be easily updated for changes in postal rates. Furthermore, the memory card  95  may also be used to store postage credits, and could be sold by the postal service, with the controller  90  deducting credits as they are used when franking an envelope as shown in  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, the memory card  95  may be used to store postage debits, which may then be periodically deducted from a user&#39;s account, for instance, by inserting the card into a reader on a user&#39;s computer which is coupled through the Internet to a user&#39;s postage account. In a further alternative embodiment, the memory card  95  may be eliminated, and such postage credit or debit information may be communicated from the postage franking device  10  via conductor  92  to a user&#39;s computer and then to the Internet to the postage account. 
     Instead of using either conductor  92  or the memory card  95  to communicate postage information, the head  12  may be connected with an infrared communication port  96 , or similar communications port which does not require physical linking of the franking device  10  with a user&#39;s computer. In such an embodiment, placing the infrared communication port  96  adjacent to a computer&#39;s infrared communication port is adequate to communicate postage debit and credit information between the franking device  10  and the postage account tracking system. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a franking device  100  in accordance with another embodiment of the invention in which the printer  50  is automatically driven across the print zone  64  with a motor. Several of the components shown in  FIG. 6  may be constructed as described above with respect to franking device  10  shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , and are thus numbered accordingly. Referring to  FIG. 6 , franking device  100  includes a head  102  and a body  104  which may be coupled together by a neck  16  as described above, including a sensor  86  to signal controller  90  when the holder  27  is in a free hanging position with the envelope  42  ready for weighing. As mentioned previously, rather than using a pivoting neck  16 , a solid neck portion may be used instead to couple the body  104  to the weighing arm of scale  20 . In contrast to the franking device  10  of  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the franking device  100  has a head  102  with a convenient handle  106  which allows a user to grip the head  102  with their fingers, and activate a start button  108  supported along the top surface of the head  102 . Of course, prior to activating the start button  108 , the indicator light  48  should first indicate that the envelope  42  has been properly inserted within holder  27  in response to a correct insertion signal from sensor  44 . 
     The postage franking device  100  includes a motor  110 , which operates upon activation of the start button  108 . The motor  110  drives a lead screw  112  located along the print zone  64 . The lead screw  112  is threaded into and drives printer carriage  52  through an internally threaded receptacle  114 . At the end of print zone  64 , the lead screw  112  terminates at a stop  116  to end travel of the carriage  52 . In this embodiment, the carriage support arm  56  moves in guide slot  58  as described above with respect to  FIGS. 1 through 5  to keep the carriage  52  properly aligned while traveling across the print zone  64 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a postage franking method  122  according to one embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 7 , an envelope  42  is suspended from scale  20  by inserting the envelope into holder  27  (step  124 ). If a position sensor  44  is used, then a determination is made as to whether the envelope  42  is inserted fully to the proper position (step  126 ). If the envelope  42  is not inserted fully, as indicated by a NO signal  128  from sensor  44 , the user is signaled to reinsert the envelope  42  (step  130 ), for instance, by leaving the indicator light  48  emitting red light. If the envelope  42  is inserted fully, as indicated by a YES signal  132  from sensor  44 , which preferably causes the indicator light  48  to emit a different color, such as green light, the envelope  42  is weighed (step  134 ). The desired postage is determined based on the weight of the envelope (step  136 ). While it is expected that the controller  90  will usually compute postage based on a signal from scale  20  corresponding to the weight of envelope  42 , if an external link, such as conductor  92 , is used, postage information may be obtained via conductor  92  by a computer remote from the postage franking device  10 . 
     After the correct postage has been determined in step  136 , a print postage/franking step  138  may be performed. In a motor driven or automatic embodiment of franking device  100  in  FIG. 6 , controller  90  issues a drive signal to motor  110  and printhead firing signals to the inkjet printer  50 , which then operate in a coordinated fashion using inkjet technology to print the postage on envelope  42 , forming an image  65  in print zone  64  with the correct postage for the weight of the particular envelope being franked. In the manual embodiment of franking device  10  in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the print postage step  138  involves having a user grip the printer  50  or more preferably the carriage  52 , and scan the printer  50  across print zone  64 . In some implementations, the carriage  52  may be equipped with a handle which extends over the printer  50 , so the carriage is moved rather than risking having the operator unseat printer  50  during scanning. During manual scanning, the controller  90  receives positional feedback from the encoder reader  62  mounted on carriage support arm  56  ( FIG. 5 ) as the reader monitors the encoder strip  60 . The controller  90  then coordinates firing of the ink ejecting nozzles of the printhead  84  to print the postage  65  on envelope  42 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . For the automated franking device  100  of  FIG. 6 , the position of carriage  52  can be determined by counting the number of turns of motor  110  or the lead screw  112 , with the number of turns being correlated with carriage position at the factory and stored within controller  90 . The franking step  138  in the embodiments of  FIGS. 8 and 9  is accomplished through the issuance of firing signals to the printheads  50   a – 50   c  and  51   a – 51   e , respectively, without requiring printhead motion. 
     Following the franking step  138 , the controller  90  updates the postage account in step  140  by storing the amount of postage within a portion of the controller, or on memory card  95 . Alternatively, the postage just printed may be relayed to a computer via cable  92 , or at some later point after accumulation of postage relayed to a computer via infrared port  96 . As explained above, if postage credits are stored the memory card  95 , then the credits are spent or deducted during the updating step  140 . Alternatively, the controller  90  or memory card  95  may accumulate postage debits, which are then deducted by inserting the memory card  95  into a receptacle on a central computer, or by linking controller  90  via infrared port  96  to a computer or other postage accounting device. 
     Following the franking step  138 , in a returning step  142 , the printer  50  is returned to service station  70 , either manually by an operator when using franking device  10 , or automatically using motor  110  when using franking device  100 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a servicing unit may be engaged with printheads  50   a – 50   c  and  51   a – 51   e  via manual means, such as by moving a lever, or by automatic means, such as by using a motor. On returning to the service station  70 , the printhead orifice plate  84  is cleaned by wiper  72 , and carriage  52  contacts activation arm  85  to elevate the cap sled  76  to the sealing position shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . Following the returning step  142 , an operator removes the envelope from jaws  28  and  30  in step  144 . In some manual implementations it may be desirable to have the carriage  52  be spring biased toward the service station  70 , such that upon completion of the franking step  138 , the carriage automatically returns to the service station, rather than relying on a user remembering to push the carriage back. Such an automatic carriage return feature would prevent a user from accidentally leaving the printhead uncapped during periods of printing inactivity and thus avoid letting the printhead dry out. 
     The present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.