Patents Assigned to Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
  • Patent number: 8702090
    Abstract: A modular placement device for a feed station of a mail processing apparatus, wherein the feed station includes an ejection roller, has a housing that is separate for the modular placement device located upstream, in terms of the mail flow, of the feed station. The housing has a cavity therein to receive a stack of mail items, and a pressure element mounted so as to be pivotable and so as to be plugged into the cavity. The pressure element exerts a pressure force on the stack of mail items in the cavity, with a bottommost item of mail being pressed against the ejection roller so that the bottommost item of mail is propelled in the mail flow direction. The weight loss of the stack due to removal of the bottommost item of mail therefrom is counteracted by the pressure element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Geserich, Stefan Beckmann
  • Patent number: 8702229
    Abstract: A modular printing apparatus has a printing device with an inkjet print head and a box-shaped module that urges items toward the print head, for printing thereon. In an operating mode, the box-shaped module is inserted into the printing apparatus via a mechanical connection and can be removed from the printing apparatus in a service mode. A triggering mechanism acts on a locking mechanism with first and second force components that couple the locking mechanism and the mechanical connection element to one another in the operating mode to lock the box-shaped module in a bay of the printing apparatus at the printing apparatus. The second force component acts in an opposite direction in the service mode, to disengage the locking mechanism and the mechanical connection element to unlock and remove the box-shaped module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Ortmann, Wolfgang Muhl, Dieter Woelm
  • Patent number: 8698012
    Abstract: A fast, dynamic scale has a weighing unit formed by a weighing cell and a transport mechanism with a first motor to drive the transport mechanism. The transport mechanism) is arranged with the motor on the weighing cell, so the weighing cell is loaded with a preliminary load. A first sensor is located at the beginning of the weighing unit. This first sensor emits a first signal to a control unit to start the weighing process for a cargo piece B. A second sensor emits a second signal to the control unit that thereupon generates a communication that a cargo piece Bn following the cargo piece B can be supplied. A weighing unit with a shortened effective length for the weighing is provided. The shortened length allows the interval between successive cargo pieces to be correspondingly shortened. A switchable extraction device is arranged after the weighing unit in the transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Huebler, Axel Kieser
  • Patent number: 8682801
    Abstract: In a method and an arrangement for provision of at least one secured service via a security module of a franking machine for at least one procedure for data processing that is executed in a data processing device that can be connected with the franking machine, the procedure requests a secured first service from the security module in a request step; and the security module provides the first service in a provision step subsequent to the request step. The security module verifies an authorization to request the first service via the procedure in a verification step preceding the provision step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Gerrit Bleumer, Clemens Heinrich
  • Publication number: 20140076042
    Abstract: A sealing liquid for sealing mail pieces contains water and a penetration agent. The sealing liquid is applied by letter-closing devices and franking machines containing such a sealing liquid. Once sealed, the opening of the letter produces a pronounced pattern so that it is clear that the letter has been opened. Therefore any attempts to reseal the once opened enveloped are easily detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Francotyp-Postalia Gmbh
    Inventors: THOMAS GERHARDT, WOLFGANG MUHL
  • Patent number: 8668329
    Abstract: A printing apparatus has a path for transporting flat items in the x-direction, and allows insertion and removal of a box-shaped module along the y-direction. The box-shaped module has a pressure device that exerts pressure in the z-direction on the flat items to be transported. The x-direction, y-direction and z-direction are orthogonal to one another. The components of the box-shaped module in combination with guides of the printing apparatus cooperate to initially move the pressure device along the z-direction during insertion of the box-shaped module into the printing apparatus and to move said box pressure device opposite along the z-direction upon reaching a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Ortmann, Wolfgang Muhl, Dieter Woelm
  • Patent number: 8567779
    Abstract: An apparatus for pressing flat materials onto a transport module with a transport belt includes a holding carrier for pressing elements being disposed under a feed table. At least one of the pressing elements is mounted on the holding carrier with a multiplicity of individual resilient or sprung constituent parts, or a multiplicity of pressing elements are disposed on the holding carrier below the transport belt in a transport direction. The pressing elements can protrude through an opening in the feed table, in order to provide suitable pressure from below on the transport belt of the transport module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hantel, Wolfgang Muhl, Dieter Woelm, Axel Ortmann
  • Patent number: 8562097
    Abstract: A transport apparatus for flat materials to be printed includes a transport belt guided over a plurality of rollers along a centrally indented oval curve and supported on a supporting plate disposed above a supporting region of a roller carrier between a shaped partial plate and a bearing plate. A supporting surface area of the supporting plate is greater than a surface area of a printing window, and the transport belt has a width in the y-direction of a Cartesian coordinate system being wider than a width of the printing window. The indented section of the oval curve is configured at least partially for receiving a printing module or the bottom of at least one ink cartridge having a print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8405693
    Abstract: A transport apparatus for flat materials which are to be printed has a number of spacer pieces which lie axially parallel with respect to one another and are disposed at two ends of a bearing plate of a roller carrier between a first and a second shaped part plate. The bearing plate is equipped with a pull rod for the defined deflection of the roller carrier with corresponding loading of the bearing plate by a mechanical tensile stress which is exerted by the pull rod, and is also equipped with a stressing and setting device, by way of which the tensile stress can be set, which is transmitted through stressing device to the two ends of the bearing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8292525
    Abstract: In a method for controlling a print head with a number of printing elements operating according to the thermotransfer principle, an energy quantity is fed to a printing element in a feed step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head to a substrate associated with the ink carrier device to generate an image point of a barcode, with the energy quantity being adjusted dependent on the position of the image point in the barcode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Kieser, Raimund Nisius, Frank Reisinger, Dirk Rosenau, Sabine Roth, Olaf Turner
  • Patent number: 8262178
    Abstract: An apparatus for changing ink cartridges of a printing apparatus having a transport apparatus for flat goods, a pressing apparatus and a printing module. The transport apparatus is disposed in a stationary manner in the printing apparatus opposite a pressing apparatus which presses an item of mail onto a transport belt. The transport belt, in a transport region, acts with a predetermined adhesive friction on a part of a surface of the item of mail which is not printed but is close to a region to be printed. A change position for ink cartridges is located before the transport region on a front side of the printing apparatus or above the transport region of an appropriately constructed transport apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8245662
    Abstract: A method and a configuration provide dynamic control of a liquid supply for a moisturizing storage device for sealing glued edges of a envelope flap of letter envelopes. Once a measured value has been measured for a sealing liquid which is stored in the tank of a moisturizing apparatus, the type of sealing liquid that is used is qualitatively analyzed on the basis of the measured value and of at least one material parameter as a comparison value. The amount of liquid stored in the moisturizing storage device is then measured by at least one further measurement to allow dynamic control of the liquid supply to the moisturizing storage device as a function of the material parameter and of at least one measured value, which is related to the liquid consumption, in the result of the at least one measurement of the amount of liquid stored in the moisturizing storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhardt, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8240824
    Abstract: A plug connection for an ink supply, which has an ink supply connector, allows removable connection of the ink supply to an ink-consuming component that carries a rapid action cartridge coupling that forms a fluid connection with the ink supply connector. An ink connection holder is attachable to the ink supply connector and has an opening therein receives the rapid action cartridge coupling. An unlocking element releasable holds the ink connection holder to the ink supply connector when the rapid action cartridge coupling is inserted therein. The ink connection holder has a guide for the rapid action cartridge coupling, and each of the guide and the rapid action cartridge coupling are coded, with complementary mechanical codings, so that the ink connection holder can receive only an appropriately coded rapid action cartridge coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Kieser, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Publication number: 20120200029
    Abstract: An apparatus for pressing flat materials onto a transport module with a transport belt includes a holding carrier for pressing elements being disposed under a feed table. At least one of the pressing elements is mounted on the holding carrier with a multiplicity of individual resilient or sprung constituent parts, or a multiplicity of pressing elements are disposed on the holding carrier below the transport belt in a transport direction. The pressing elements can protrude through an opening in the feed table, in order to provide suitable pressure from below on the transport belt of the transport module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventors: ULRICH HANTEL, WOLFGANG MUHL, DIETER WÖLM, AXEL ORTMANN
  • Patent number: 8236130
    Abstract: The invention concerns a sealing liquid comprising water and a penetration agent for sealing of mail pieces, the use of said sealing liquid as well as sealing devices and franking machines containing such a sealing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhardt, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 8208174
    Abstract: In a method and printing device, a deviation from a predetermined desired pitch that occurs between at least two points of at least one print image in a print direction is reduced. In a printing step, the at least one print image is generated on a substrate with at least one print head of the printing device with a relative movement between the at least print head and the substrate. In a determination step preceding the printing step, an initial deviation from a desired pitch between the two points is determined first and correction information to reduce the deviation is determined from the determined initial deviation. In the printing step, control signals for the at least one print head are generated depending on the correction information to generate the at least one print image. A variable delay of at least one of the control signals is predetermined by the correction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Kieser, Olaf Turner
  • Patent number: D689130
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Lorenzen
  • Patent number: D689131
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Lorenzen
  • Patent number: D689132
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Lorenzen
  • Patent number: D689133
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Lorenzen