US 5,427,025 AGranted

Compliant platen for high speed flat bed printer

AssigneePitney Bowes Inc.

InventorsHenry Lee, James A. Salomon, Daniel B. Young, Jerome E. Jackson

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Abstract

A flat bed printing mechanism for a postage meter is disclosed which includes a flat printing die, a platen mounted beneath the printing which is movable toward and away from the printing die to as to bring the image area of a mail piece disposed over the platen into printing contact with the printing die. The platen supports a resilient pressure pad which contacts the mail piece, and there is a resilient means interposed between the upper surface of the platen and the lower surface of the pressure pad to support the pressure pad in spaced relationship with the upper surface of the platen so that the pressure pad is free to move both linearly and angularly with respect to the platen when the platen moves upwardly to press the mail piece against the printing die, to cause the plane of the upper surface of the pressure pad to conform to the plane of the image area of the mail piece as the platen pushes the image area of the mail piece upwardly toward the printing die.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A flat bed postage indicia printing mechanism for a postage meter, said printing mechanism comprising:

A. a flat printing die fixedly mounted in the printing mechanism,
B. a platen mounted beneath said printing die and having an upper surface normally disposed in spaced parallel relationship with the printing surface of said printing die,
C. a pressure pad positioned on said upper surface of said platen for contacting the lower surface of a mail piece,
D. means for moving said platen toward and away from said printing die so as to bring a printing portion of the upper surface of a mail piece resting on said platen into contact with said printing surface of said printing die, and
E. means disposed between said upper surface of said platen and said pressure pad for supporting said pressure pad on said platen for limited linear and angular movement with respect to said upper surface of said platen,
whereby as said platen moves upwardly, said pressure pad moves linearly with respect to said upper surface of said platen to absorb the shock of high speed impact with said image area portion of the mail piece and angularly with respect to said upper surface of said platen so that the plane of the upper surface of said pressure pad conforms to the plane of said image area portion as said platen pushes said image area portion upwardly toward said printing die.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.