Patents Assigned to Postalia GmbH
  • Publication number: 20090152802
    Abstract: An apparatus for pressing flat materials onto a transport module includes pressing elements acting on the flat material with a spring force through an opening in a feed table for flat materials. The feed table is mounted above a lower housing shell. The pressing elements are configured as spring elements which can be lowered and are anchored in the lower housing shell. An actuating element is disposed in an indentation of a front wall of the lower housing shell in order to actuate a lowering apparatus disposed in the lower housing shell. The lowering apparatus has a lever connected mechanically to the actuating element and a slide coupled to the lever for lowering the spring elements upon actuation of the actuating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hantel, Wolfgang Muhl, Michael Winck, Dieter Wolm
  • Publication number: 20090153637
    Abstract: An apparatus for free-spraying an inkjet printhead includes a feed table with a slot carrier which can be deflected counter to a spring force and has at least one free-spraying slot disposed opposite at least one inkjet printhead. The slot carrier is shaped in such a way that the at least one free-spraying slot is deflected out of a transport path corresponding to an entry of an item of mail being fed in.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Muhl, Axel Ortmann, Marc Tallgau
  • Publication number: 20090153609
    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: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Publication number: 20090153636
    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: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Hantel, Wolfgang Muhl, Dieter Wolm
  • Patent number: 7508405
    Abstract: In a printer and a method for control of the print head thereof operating according to the thermotransfer principle, the print head having a number of printing elements for which an energy quantity to be supplied to one of the printing elements is determined in a determination step and the energy quantity is supplied to that printing element in a supply step in order to transfer ink from an ink carrier device associated with the print head onto a substrate associated with the ink carrier device, by the energy quantity is determined in the determination step dependent on the print image type of the print image in the region of the image point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Kunde, Raimund Nisius, Frank Reisinger
  • Patent number: 7431419
    Abstract: In a method for free spraying of the nozzles of an inkjet print head, in particular in a franking and/or addressing machine, in which the print media are directed past a stationary inkjet, at least the nozzles that are not participating in the generation of the current information-conveying print image are freely sprayed onto the current print medium in a mode that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation, while retaining the print position for the inkjet print head. The image-irrelevant mode can be free spraying in a region that is irrelevant for the print image evaluation or in a print pattern that cannot be evaluated. The size and/or number of the dots per pixel is thereby significantly smaller than for an evaluatable pixel. It is thereby ensured that each nozzle is activated at least once during the print image generation. Time is saved and the letter travel is optimized by the retention of the print position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Olaf Turner, Uwe Hübler, Axel Kieser
  • Patent number: 7411599
    Abstract: A mail processing apparatus has a field table and a printer disposed above the feed table for printing indicia on a mailpiece moved in a movement direction along the feed table. A start sensor detects a leading edge of the mailpiece and supplies a signal to a microprocessor controller that operates the printer, in order to initiate a printing event on the mailpiece. An ejection roller is disposed following the printer and is operated by a motor to eject the mailpiece from the printer. An end sensor is disposed near the ejection roller and detects a trailing edge of the mailpiece, and supplies a signal to the microprocessor controller that causes the microprocessor controller to disconnect the voltage from the motor that operates the ejection roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Geserich, Frank Reisinger
  • Patent number: 7384500
    Abstract: A manually-operated moistener, to which a mail piece is supplied lying flat with a down-turned but not yet adhered flap on the underside of the envelope, has a blade in an upper part and a moistener rocker that can be opened upwardly and can be rotated with at least one locking contour on an associated hinge on the blade so as to be spring-supported as well as locked in a maintenance position. The upper part and a lower part of the moistener are connected by connection elements that can be detached only from above. An antibacterial upper moistening element is disposed in the upper part with a clamping region thereof in a clamping groove of the moistener rocker. A water transfer element protrudes into the lower part, which element is curved at its other, upper end. Both possess a shared contact surface for water transfer that is enlarged by the curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Detlef Lüdtke
  • Publication number: 20080111851
    Abstract: A printing mechanism, especially for a franking machine, has a print head operating by the ink jet principle and a suction mechanism for suctioning away the ink spray arising when ink drops are ejected from at least one nozzle of the print head. The suction mechanism has a suction inlet, which in at least one first operating condition of the print head, when the print head is ejecting ink drops from the at least one nozzle, is arranged directly next to the at least one nozzle, so that a substantially undisturbed suction flow can be created between the at least one nozzle and the suction inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: 7358450
    Abstract: In a method for weighing a number of items, such as letters to be franked, on a transport belt that moves over a weighing plate, the base of which is formed by the transport belt, the transport speed of the belt is slowed within a measurement time range, that starts from the beginning of a weighing event on the weighing plate until a stable weight measurement occurs, and is accelerated outside of this measurement time range, after the occurrence of a stable weight value for a current item on the weighing plate, the next-following item is transported onto the weighing plate by the belt, and the weight of the next-following item is determined by the weight increase due to inflow of the next-following item and the weight decrease due to outflow of the current item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Hübler, Christoph Kunde, Michael Schmidt-Kretschmer
  • Patent number: 7346743
    Abstract: In a method and arrangement for manipulation of the contents of a data memory with which a processing device can be connected to manipulate (in at least one manipulation step at least one first memory range of the data memory, the processing device monitors a monitoring range of the first memory range, the state progression of which allowing the conclusion of the manipulation of the first memory range to be detected. A processing device with a buffer is used, into which buffer the data are read from the data memory. A sub-range of the data memory is established as a first exclusion range of the data memory. The first exclusion range not being read into the buffer. The first exclusion range is established in an establishing step preceding the manipulation step. The exclusion range includes the monitoring range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Müller
  • Patent number: 7343359
    Abstract: A franking machine has a housing with at least a first housing part which is configured such that a retrofittable weighing unit can be fitted therein. The first housing part defines a recess in the housing. The recess is configured such that the weighing unit can be inserted. Fastening devices are provided at the recess for fastening a second housing part which closes the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Paul James Fearis, Iain James Sabberton, Peter David Cauwood
  • Publication number: 20080029220
    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: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: FRANCOTYP-POSTALIA GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Gerhardt, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Patent number: D587298
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D587299
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D587300
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D587301
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D587302
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D587747
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp - Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler
  • Patent number: D589082
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Hübler