Abstract:
A franking machine including a printer for printing postal indicia on a mail item, a supplier for supplying postage printing ink to allow a refill of the printer with postage printing ink, and a self-obturating connection connected to the postage ink supply by an ink transferor and intended either to place the postage ink supply in communication with the printer in the case of postage ink printing or to isolate the postage ink supply from the printer in the other cases of printing.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/865,410 filed Jun. 10, 2004. The entire disclosure of the prior application, application Ser. No. 10/865,410 is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the exclusive domain of mail handling and more particularly to an inkjet franking machine provided with an integrated ink supply device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,735 discloses a franking machine provided with an ink supply device which comprises an intermediate reservoir for regulating the level of ink delivered to the ejection nozzles of the printing module from a principal ink reservoir. 
         [0004]    However, such a supply device appears complex and poorly adapted to the printing of postal indicia of which the slogan is of a colour different from that used for the postage printing ink. In effect, as this device continuously supplies the injection nozzles, it is necessary to provide as many devices as there are colours to be used, of which at least one for supplying postage printing ink (generally of a very specific colour), this resulting in a relatively expensive machine. 
         [0005]    In addition, any problem arising at the level of the intermediate reservoir or of the principal ink reservoir automatically prohibits any fresh print. 
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to overcome the afore-mentioned drawbacks by proposing a particularly high-performance franking machine which is nonetheless simple to use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    These objects are attained by a franking machine comprising means for printing postal indicia on a mail item and means for supplying postage printing ink to allow a refill of said printing means with postage printing ink, characterized in that it further comprises self-obturating connection means connected to said postage ink supply means by ink transfer means and intended either to place said postage ink supply means in communication with said printing means in the case of postage ink printing or to isolate said postage ink supply means from said printing means in the other cases of printing. 
         [0008]    With this particular structure of selective supply of the printing means, during the phases of printing with postage ink, the printing means are thus in direct connection with the postage ink supply means while they are disconnected in the other cases of print. It is thus possible, without resorting to a complex machine structure, to obtain prints in several colours, very simply. 
         [0009]    Regulating means are preferably disposed at the outlet of said postage ink supply means in order to regulate the pressure of ink supplying said printing means. 
         [0010]    The postage ink supply means are advantageously mounted above said printing means so as to allow the postage ink to flow by gravity. 
         [0011]    According to a preferred form of embodiment, the printing means comprise a receiving housing rendered air-tight by closure means and provided with at least one postage ink cartridge having an ink inlet port. The air-tight receiving housing may comprise two postage ink cartridges each comprising an ink inlet port and connection means of “T” type allowing the transfer of the ink from the self-obturating connection means towards the inlet ports of each of these two ink cartridges. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  schematically shows the material structure of a franking machine, 
           [0014]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are views in section of a franking machine according to the invention equipped with a refillable postage ink cartridge at the level of its printing means respectively in a position of maintenance and in a position of normal operation, 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are views in section of a franking machine according to the invention equipped with a standard ink cartridge at the level of its printing means respectively in a position of maintenance and in a position of normal operation, and 
           [0016]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are isometric views of a T-type connector in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  very schematically illustrates the general architecture of a machine for franking mail items. This machine  10 , intended for printing postal indicia  12  on a mail item  14 , such as an envelope or a label, and which may be disposed directly at the exit of a folding/insertion module  16 , comprises disposable inkjet printing means  18  for printing the postal indicia on this mail item, means for conveying the mail items through the machine formed by a plurality of series of conveyor rollers, for example  20   a ,  20   b  and  20   c , actuated by first motorization means  22 , and means  24  for accounting the frankings (in particular ascending and descending meters) and for control and sychronization of the phases of conveyance and of printing of the mail items in the machine as a function of the rate of arrival of these items. 
         [0018]    These general control means may be connected to an outside computer  26  which, in principle, also ensures control of the folding/insertion module. This computer is preferably connected to an outside server  30  of the Postal Service or of the exclusive agent for the franking machine through a communications network  28 . 
         [0019]    The printing means are mounted on a mobile carriage  32  which, under the action of second motorization means  34  actuated from the control means  24 , may move (for example via an endless screw) between a first position corresponding to a normal position of operation of the printing means (current position for printing the postal indicia) and a second position corresponding to a position of rest (or simply of temporary standby) or of maintenance. In this rest position, illustrated in phantom lines in  FIG. 1 , the printing means are disposed opposite a maintenance station  36 , for example of the type described in Applicants&#39; French Patent Application published under No. 2 768 078, comprising at least scraping means for ensuring cleaning thereof and protection means for avoiding the ink drying in the absence of printing. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the inkjet printing means  18  which are of disposable type, i.e. formed by a disposable ink cartridge integrating injection nozzles  18   a  controlled from the control means  24  and a linking connector  18   b , are mounted in a receiving housing advantageously formed by two housing parts  38   a ,  38   b  which fit in each other to form an air-tight receptacle. 
         [0021]    According to the invention, the franking machine further comprises postage ink supply means, constituted by a principal reservoir  40 , connected via ink transfer means such as a fixed tube  42 , to connection means  44  of the self-obturating type. 
         [0022]    The principal reservoir is preferably mounted above the printing means, for example beneath the cover of the franking machine, and the postage ink may therefore flow by gravity between the reservoir and the connector. Regulation means  46  are, however, connected at the outlet of the reservoir to regulate the pressure of ink supplying the printing means. When the reservoir is disposed otherwise, a pump (not shown) may advantageously be mounted in the hydraulic circuit between the reservoir  40  and the self-obturating connector  44  to ensure a perfect circulation of the ink in this circuit. 
         [0023]    In order to allow its refill with postage ink, the disposable postage ink cartridge  18  comprises an ink inlet orifice  18   c  and the housing  38   a ,  38   b  for receiving this cartridge comprises tight closure means  48  for isolating the ink cartridge when it is not in position of operation (and therefore in position of refill) and therefore maintaining the ink that it contains under pressure. Similarly, the self-obturating connector conventionally comprises a perforated needle  50  intended to cooperate with these tight closure means, advantageously a supple membrane forming seal mounted opposite the inlet orifice  18   c , to ensure the transfer of the postage ink. In this way, in position of printing ( FIG. 3 ), the ink may flow freely from the reservoir  40  towards the printing means  18  through the self-obturating connector  44  then in “open” position. On the contrary, in position of rest or of maintenance ( FIG. 2 ), the ink cartridge  18  is detached from the connector  44  and isolated via closure means  48  and the supply of postage ink is then automatically stopped by the self-obturation capacity of the connector  44  then in “closed” position. In this position, a change of ink type and/or colour does not raise any particular problem, it suffices to proceed with changing the housing containing the postage ink cartridge which may then be replaced by a standard disposable housing  38  containing a standard ink cartridge of any colour, this non-refillable cartridge not having an ink inlet orifice, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The printing may then be continued, like in a conventional machine, with the new housing in the position of operation of  FIG. 5 , the postage ink reservoir  40  being inactive, the flow of the postage ink being stopped by the self-obturating connector  44 . 
         [0024]    With this specific architecture and with respect to a conventional machine, it is no longer necessary to proceed with the regular changes of the printing means which become refillable via the postage ink reservoir. When these printing means comprise two disposable postage ink cartridges, the receiving housing  38   a ,  38   b  advantageously comprises connection means of “T” type (see  FIGS. 6A-6B ) to allow the transfer of the postage ink from the self-obturating connector  44  towards the two inlet orifices of each of these two cartridges. Referring to  FIGS. 6A-6B , input connector  52  directly cooperates with needle  50  of connector  44  and the output connectors  54   a ,  54   b  are inserted in each receiving housing  38  of each postal ink cartridge. In addition, contrary to the machine structure mentioned in the preamble, it becomes possible to print with inks of different colours. For example, if it is desired to print the slogan or bar codes with a black ink while the reservoir and the current printing means contain the red postage ink necessary for printing the postal data in accordance with regulations, it suffices to replace the sole red-ink printing means by standard black ink printing means, therefore not having any ink inlet orifice. Printing with black ink may, in effect, continue, the connection to the red ink reservoir having, of course, become impossible due to this absence of inlet orifice and the flow of the postage ink being stopped due to the faculty of obturation of the connector  44 . 
         [0025]    It may also be noted that the self-obturating connector being fast with the body of the franking machine in a determined position and the reservoir likewise, the tube which connects them is therefore fixed. This results in a not inconsiderable advantage in terms of dimensions and especially of wear and tear with respect to the device of the prior art mentioned hereinabove. 
         [0026]    Similarly, the addition of this postage ink reservoir does not change the conventional operation of the printing means of a standard machine which may therefore continue their printing (provided, of course, they still have sufficient ink available) even in the case of problems, for example at the level of the regulation means.