The illustrative embodiments described in the present application are useful in systems including those for providing funds accounting and evidencing and more particularly are useful in systems including those for providing for accounting of postage and evidence of postage by printing postage indicia on an envelope using an ink jet printer.
Mailing machines including postage meters often employ an ink-jet printing unit for printing evidence of postage payment in the form of postage indicia. Systems for printing information on a mailing medium are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,994B2, issued Apr. 22, 2003 to Manduley.
The print head of an ink jet printing mechanism such as that in a mailing machine may become inoperable during the life of the printing mechanism. In such a situation, the print head would need to be replaced. If the print heads are removable, they are typically latched into a print head carriage. Many typical printing mechanism systems include latching mechanisms for latching a print head to a print carriage that use a large number of small parts. Using such a large number of small parts adds to the cost and complexity of the printing mechanism.
Additionally, such typical systems often do not adequately address that fact that the face of the print head and its surrounding edges may have accumulations of ink and paper dust on them. During the print head removal process, the debris can be transferred to the electrical connector contacts for the print head in the print carriage. Such debris could form an insulating barrier causing the new print head to malfunction. Furthermore, the typical latching mechanism is usually incorporated into the print carriage such that any malfunction or failure of the latching mechanism would require that a technician replace the entire print carriage.
Accordingly, the prior art does not provide a print head latching system that prevents or reduces debris accumulation. Furthermore, the prior art does not provide a print head latching system having a small number of parts that are incorporated into the print head.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present application to describe illustrative print head latching systems that prevent or reduce debris accumulation. It is an additional object of the present application to describe illustrative print head latching systems having a small number of parts that are incorporated into the print head.
The illustrative embodiments of the present application describe a mailing machine print head and carriage that use one or more systems or elements to latch the print head in a controlled location and to guide it into and out of that location in a manner that prevents debris from being transferred to the electrical connector contacts. In at least one embodiment, the latching components are a part of the print head so that the operator can fix a broken latch problem by installing a new print head.
Therefore, it should now be apparent that the invention substantially achieves all the above aspects and advantages. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Various features and embodiments are further described in the following figures, description and claims.
The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.
In the illustrative mailing machine and postage meter described in the present application, a print head carriage and print head having a latching system is shown.
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to
The postage meter 10 includes a housing 12 formed of a lower case section 14 and an upper case section 16. A slot 18 formed in the front 20 of the housing 12 allows a mail piece (not shown) to be transported through the postage meter 10. The postage meter 10 also includes a transport unit 22 (partially visible through the slot 18) positioned at the slot 18 to transport the mail piece from an infeed side 24 of the slot 18 to an outfeed side 26 of the slot 18. The postage meter 10 further includes a user interface 28 at the front 20 of the housing 12, and a lever 30 positioned below the slot 18 to aid in clearing jams from the transport unit 22.
The postage meter 10 also includes a waste ink purge unit 42. At appropriate times, the purge unit 42 may come into engagement with the print head 40 to remove excess ink, dried or partially dried ink and/or air bubbles from the print head 40. By a mechanism which is not shown, the print head 40 may be moveable in fore-and-aft directions between a print position adjacent the front of the meter 10 and a purge position that is aft of the print position. When in the print position, the print head 40 may operate to print postage indicia on mail pieces. When in the purge position, the print head 40 may be purged of waste ink by the purge unit 42. Print head 40 includes a connector 41 having electrical contacts.
The postage meter 10 further includes a metal chassis 44. The metal chassis 44 includes a vertical section 46 to which certain components (not shown in
Also included in the postage meter 10 is a waste ink tray assembly 50. When the postage meter 10 is in an assembled condition (not shown in
Referring to
The print head 101 includes two sliding latches 106 that each has a latch 136 connected to a flexible spring loaded thumb ear 146. The latches 136 engage the latch sockets 126 molded into the print head carriage 102. The print head 101 includes a set of lower guide pins 120 and upper guide pins 122 that engage the respective guide slots 104, 105 of the print head carriage 102.
In
Also included, but not shown in the figures is a ramped shape of the top of the latches that urge the print head downward to the vertical datum for the print head in the print carriage. Also included, but not shown in the figures is a single compression spring that is used to move the latches into their respective openings in the print carriage when they are released. Accordingly, in this illustrative embodiment, the system for control and latching of the print head requires only four parts including the two identical latches, a compression spring and a cover to trap them against the body of the print head. Additionally, in this illustrative embodiment, the four parts are a part of the print head assembly rather than a part of the print carriage assembly. In a situation in which the latches are broken, the print head may simply replaced by the operator rather than requiring that a technician replace the print carriage. In an alternative, the four parts are incorporated in the carriage.
The present application describes illustrative embodiments of a printing mechanism. The embodiments are illustrative and not intended to present an exhaustive list of possible configurations. Where alternative elements are described, they are understood to fully describe alternative embodiments without repeating common elements whether or not expressly stated to so relate. Similarly, alternatives described for elements used in more than one embodiment are understood to describe alternative embodiments for each of the described embodiments having that element.
The described embodiments are illustrative and the above description may indicate to those skilled in the art additional ways in which the principles of this invention may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of each of the claims is not to be limited by the particular embodiments described.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. section 119(e) from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/481,859, filed Jan. 5, 2004, entitled POSTAGE METER PRINT HEAD AND CARRIAGE, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5208610 | Su et al. | May 1993 | A |
6234694 | Brookner | May 2001 | B1 |
6846067 | Lim | Jan 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050264606 A1 | Dec 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60481859 | Jan 2004 | US |