Hand held electronic postage meter having secure postage meter doors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a postage meter of the type having means for printing postage and accounting means operatively coupled to the postage printing means for accounting for postage printed by said printing means, the improvement comprising:
- a secure housing for enclosing said postage printing means and said accounting means, said secure housing having first and second housing members movable in between a first position wherein said postage printing means is exposed and a second position where said postage printing means is enclosed;
actuating means coupled to said housing first member and said housing second member, said actuating means operable to move said housing first and second members between first position where said printing means is exposed and said second position where said printing means is enclosed;
said actuating means having a locking means for preventing said actuating means from being operable to move said housing first and second members from said second position where said printing means is enclosed to said first position where said printing means is exposed unless the postage funds available for printing in said accounting means is at least equal to the amount of postage to be printed by said printing means; and
tamper detecting means coupled to said accounting means for canceling remaining postage in said postage meter if an attempt is made to force open said secure housing.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pair of tamper proof postage meter doors which remain closed and locked until the proper combination of numbers is entered using the normal postage keyboard. The doors will not function if there is insufficient postage in the accounting registers. Means are also provided which will cause the ascending and descending registers in the postage meter to indicate zero postage remaining in the meter if an attempt is made to tamper with or force open the doors.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a postage meter of the type having means for printing postage and accounting means operatively coupled to the postage printing means for accounting for postage printed by said printing means, the improvement comprising:
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a secure housing for enclosing said postage printing means and said accounting means, said secure housing having first and second housing members movable in between a first position wherein said postage printing means is exposed and a second position where said postage printing means is enclosed; actuating means coupled to said housing first member and said housing second member, said actuating means operable to move said housing first and second members between first position where said printing means is exposed and said second position where said printing means is enclosed; said actuating means having a locking means for preventing said actuating means from being operable to move said housing first and second members from said second position where said printing means is enclosed to said first position where said printing means is exposed unless the postage funds available for printing in said accounting means is at least equal to the amount of postage to be printed by said printing means; and tamper detecting means coupled to said accounting means for canceling remaining postage in said postage meter if an attempt is made to force open said secure housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a hand held postage meter of the type having means for printing postage and accounting means operatively coupled to the postage printing means for accounting for postage printed by said printing means, the improvement comprising:
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a secure housing for enclosing said postage printing means and said accounting means, said secure housing having first and second cooperating clam shell type doors movable in between a first position where said postage printing means is exposed and a second position where said postage printing means is enclosed; actuating means coupled to said housing first clam shell door and said housing second clam shell door, said actuating means operable to move said housing first and second clam shell doors between said first position where said printing means is exposed and said second position where said printing means is enclosed; said actuating means having a locking means for preventing said actuating means from being operable to move said first and second clam shell doors from said second position where said printing means is enclosed to said first position where said printing means is exposed unless the postage funds available for printing in said accounting means is at least equal to the amount of postage to be printed by said printing means; a keyboard for entering data into said meter mounted on said secure housing; a display mounted on said secure housing operatively connected to said keyboard and said accounting means for displaying data; and tamper detecting means coupled to said accounting means for canceling remaining postage in said postage meter if an attempt is made to force open said secure housing. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification