The Technology Partnership, Plc.

Francotyp-Postalia Ag & Co. Kg

Anthony Hailes

Iain Ansell

Michael John Cox

Martin Scott Goodchild

An electronic drive system for a droplet spray generation device has a droplet generator with a perforate membrane driven by a piezoelectric transducer. An electronic circuit controls a power supply to control the charging of a capacitor to supply a drive signal to the piezoelectric transducer. The electronic circuit is arranged to control the operation of the power amplifier at substantially its resonant frequency.

Droplet spray generation device

An electronic drive system for a droplet spay generation device of the type having a droplet generator including a perforate membrane driven by a piezoelectric transducer, the electronic drive system comprising: a programmable micro-controller providing a power supply for converting, in use, a battery supply voltage to power the device; a power amplifier connected to receive electric power from the power supply and supply a drive signal to the piezoelectric generator in use; and wherein the micro-controller is also arranged: to control the operation of the power amplifier, including the drive signal operating frequency at substantially its resonant frequency; to measure the current provided to the power amplifier by the power supply at a plurality of different frequencies; to determine, as the resonant frequency of the droplet generator, the frequency at which the maximum power is consumed by the amplifier, and to set the drive signal operating frequency at the resonant frequency.

Electronic drive system for a droplet spray generation device

An electrically operated consumable module to be inserted into a holder of an electronic appliance, in particular an ink cartridge for the printing device of a franking machine, has a consumable device, electrical connecting elements which are connected thereto and which have contact elements to connect the consumable module to a consumable-module controller of the electronic appliance. The consumable module also has a projection to interact with the holder to prevent an insertion into other types of holders. The connecting elements are configured and/or assigned to the projection in such a way that they are at least partly destroyed in the event of an unauthorized removal of the projection.

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Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Anthony Hailes