Electronic manual postage meter machine having a recharging and cleaning adapter

US5880448A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Francotyp-Postalia GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Ulrich Hetzer · Berlin, DE
• Volker Herbig · Berlin, DE
• Juergen Quass · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 12, 1996
• Grant date: Mar 9, 1999
• Expiry date: Jun 12, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07B2017/00532
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An arrangement for an electronic manual franking machine having an ink printer head and having an integrated system for controlling and supplying the ink printer head includes a housing containing a first assembly composed of a carriage, an ink printer head with a replaceable ink tank, and a second assembly composed of a write-read unit for a postage credit card, a microprocessor as well as a rechargeable battery with charging terminal, and an adapter with a mains terminal and, as needed, a data terminal. The adapter includes a battery charging device and a cleaning device and is fashioned as a deposit and docking station for recharging, cleaning and sealing of the manual franking machine. The carriage is fashioned so that the recording medium is rendered taut in the printing region. The cleaning ensues by ink ejection and/or extraction into the sealing cap, by sucking the sealing cap empty with a suction pump and wiping the ink printer head at a wiper lip.