Thermal printing postage meter system

Abstract

The thermal printing postage meter includes a base supporting a registration wall and a deck, and a thermal print head mounted to the registration wall above a portion of the deck to define a print station. A position sensing assembly is provided for sensing the presence of the envelope's leading edge in the print station and informing a microcontroller. A thermal tape cassette is mounted to the registration wall such that a portion of the thermal ribbon passing below the thermal print head. A platen roller assembly and position assembly are responsive to instruction from the microcontroller for causing the platen roller to assume either a position biasing the envelope against the thermal ribbon and thermal print head or a retracted position. An ejection roller assembly having position assembly is responsive to instruction from the microcontroller for causing the ejection roller to assume either a retracted position or a position biasing the ejection roller against the envelope and an ejection plate. A motor which is responsive to the microcontroller causes the platen roller or the ejection roller to rotate. The microcontroller is programmed such that in response to activation of the position sensing means by the envelope, the microcontroller causes the platen roller assembly to bias the envelope and to initiate print sequence instruction to the print head while synchronously causing the drive means to cause the platen roller to rotate at a first speed. Upon completion of the print sequence, the microcontroller causes the platen roller to assume a retracted position and the ejection roller assembly to assume a biasing position and causing the ejection roller to rotate at a second speed for envelope ejection.