Appeal No. 1999-1629
Application 08/510,491
Appellant discloses two embodiments to solve the problem.
In a first embodiment, a controller operates a fixed set of
consecutively disposed nozzles, the set being less than all
the nozzles in the row, to print a postal mark on a mail item,
and then operates the other nozzles when there is no mail item
in front of the print head, such that the other nozzles are
cyclically purged (claims 1, 3, 7, and 9). In a second
embodiment, a controller alternatively operates different sets
of consecutively disposed nozzles, each set having a number of
nozzles less than the total number of nozzles in the row, to
print the postal mark on a plurality of mail items, such that
in time, all of the nozzles are operated (claims 4-6, 8, and
10).
Claim 1 is reproduced below.
1. A franking machine comprising:
an inkjet print head including a row of nozzles;
a controller for selectively operating said
print head to print a postal mark on a mail item passing
under said print head with said print head in a print
position, only a set of said nozzles which are disposed
consecutively in the row being operated by the controller
to print the postal mark, said set being less than a
total number of said nozzles in the row,
wherein said controller further operates other
of said nozzles of said row of nozzles, different than
- 3 -
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007