Card products include, for example, credit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, passports, and other card products. Such card products generally include printed information, such as a photo, account numbers, identification numbers, and other personal information. Credentials can also include data that is encoded in a smartcard chip, a magnetic stripe, or a barcode, for example.
Card production systems include processing devices that process card substrates (hereinafter “cards”) to form the final card product. Such processes may include a printing process, a laminating or transfer process, a data reading process, a data writing process, and/or other process used to form the desired credential. An ink jet card printer is a form of card production system that utilizes an ink jet print head to print images to cards.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an ink jet card printer, a method of feeding a card in an ink jet card printer, and a card feeder. One embodiment of the ink jet card printer includes an ink jet print head, a gantry, and a card feeder. The ink jet print head is configured to perform a print operation on a card supported in a print position along a processing axis. The gantry is configured to move the print head through a print zone. The card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism. The first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis. The lift mechanism is configured to move the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair between a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, and a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone.
In one embodiment of a method of feeding a card in an ink jet printer, which includes an ink jet print head supported for movement within a print zone during printing of an image to a card supported along a processing axis, a card is supported in a card feeder in a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone. The card is fed from the card feeder along a card feed axis that is substantially parallel to the processing axis to a card transport using a first pinch roller pair supported by a feeder frame of the card feeder. The feeder frame, the first pinch roller pair, and the card feed axis is pivoted about a pivoted axis to a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone and the card feed axis is oblique to the processing axis, using a lift mechanism.
One embodiment of the card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism. The first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis. The lift mechanism is configured to pivot the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair about a pivot axis between a lowered position, in which the card feed axis has a first angular position about the pivot axis, and a raised position, in which the card feed axis has a second angular position about the pivot axis that is different from the first angular position.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the Background.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to a card feeder of an ink jet card printer that is configured to facilitate the feeding individual cards to a print position for printing by an ink jet print head that is moved through a print zone using a gantry during printing operations. The card feeder has a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone. As a result, the card feeder would obstruct printing operations if left in the raised position. This issue is avoided by moving the card feeder to a lowered position during printing operations, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, using a lift mechanism.
These and other embodiments of the present disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements that are identified using the same or similar reference characters refer to the same or similar elements. The various embodiments of the present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In some embodiments, the printer 100 includes a controller 118, which represents one or more distinct controllers of the printer 100, each of which includes at least one processor that is configured to execute program instructions stored in a computer-readable media or memory of the printer 100, which may also be represented by the controller 118, or another location. Any suitable patent subject matter eligible computer readable media or memory may be utilized including, for example, hard disks, CD-ROMS, optical storage devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices, or other suitable computer readable media or memory that do not include transitory waves or signals. The execution of the instructions by the controller 118 controls components of the printer 100 to perform functions and method steps described herein.
As discussed in greater detail below, the card printer 100 may include one or more card feeders 120, such as card feeders 120A and 120B, that are each configured to deliver cards 106 to, and receive cards 106 from, the card transport 104. The printer 100 may also include one or more conventional card flippers 122, such as flippers 122A and 122B, that are configured to invert the cards 106. A conventional card supply 124, such as a card cartridge containing a stack of cards, may be provided to supply cards 106 for processing by the printer 100, and processed cards may be discharged and collected by a suitable card collector (e.g., a hopper) 126.
The ink jet print head 110 may be any suitable conventional ink jet print head that is configured to perform a direct printing operation to individual cards 106 supported in the print positions 114 along the processing axis 108. The gantry 112 includes a conventional gantry for moving the print head 110 along a fast scan axis 130 that is substantially parallel to the processing axis 108, and a slow scan axis 132 that is substantially perpendicular to the processing axis 108, as shown in
In some embodiments, the gantry 112 and the print head 110 may occupy the print zone 116 during printing operations, which is indicated by dashed boxes in
In some embodiments, the card feeders 120 each include a lift mechanism 134 to move the card feeders 120 to a lowered position 136, in which the card feeders 120 are displaced from the print zone 116, such as below the print zone 116, as indicated by card feeder 120A in
The lift mechanisms 134 may also move the card feeders 120 to a raised position 138, in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 extend into the print zone 116, and the card feeders 120 are positioned to feed cards 106 to, or receive cards 106 from, the card transport 104, as indicated by the card feeder 120B in
Thus, the lift mechanisms 134 may be used to move the card feeders 120 from their raised positions 138, in which at least a portion of the card feeders 120 would obstruct a printing operation, to their lowered positions 136, in which the card feeders 120 do not obstruct the print zone 116, to enable the print head 110 to be moved through the print zone 116 by the gantry 112 and perform a printing operation.
In some embodiments, the card transport 104 includes belts 140, such as first and second belts 140A and 140B (i.e., belt feeders or conveyors), that are each supported by rollers 142 for movement along a belt path. In one example, the first and second belts 140A and 140B are each supported by four rollers 142, which are supported by a belt frame 144, such as side walls 146A and 146B of the belt frame 144 (
Motors 154A and 154B are respectively configured to independently drive the first and second belts 140A and 140B along their belt paths. Thus, the exposed portion 150 of the first belt 140A may independently feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 in a direction toward the second belt 140B or in a direction toward the card feeder 120A using the motor 154A, and the exposed portion 150 of the second belt 140B may independently feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 in the direction toward the first belt 140A, or in the direction toward the card feeder 120B using the motor 154B.
The belts 140 of the card transport 104 may take on any suitable form. In some embodiments, the belts 140 are conventional vacuum belts that are coupled to a vacuum source 158 (i.e., a source of negative pressure), such as a regenerative vacuum blower. The vacuum source 158 may be shared by the belts 140, as shown in
During a printing operation, with the card feeders 120 in their lowered positions 136, each of the belts 140 may feed a card 106 along the processing axis 108 to the corresponding print position 114, in which the exposed top surfaces 166 of the cards 106 are at the border of the print zone 116, as shown in
For example, referring to
To print a full edge-to-edge image on a card 106, the print head 110 may be configured to print an image that is slightly larger than the surface 166 of the card 106. As a result, some ink will overspray the edges of the card 106.
In some embodiments, the exposed surface 150 of each belt 140 has a smaller surface area than the card 106. That is, the width and length of the exposed belt surfaces 150 are selected such that they are less than the corresponding width and length of the cards 106, as generally shown in
In some embodiments, the printer 100 includes an ink overspray collector 182 that surrounds a perimeter of the exposed belt surface 150 and extends beyond the edges of the cards 106 when in their print positions 114, as shown in
As mentioned above, the card feeders 120 are each configured to deliver cards 106 to, and receive cards 106 from the card transport 104 when in their raised positions 138 (
In some embodiments, the card feeders 120 each include at least one pinch roller pair 190, such as pinch roller pairs 190A and 190B, as shown in
The card feeders 120A and 120B respectively include motors 204A and 204B (
The card feed axis 208 of each feeder 120 is substantially parallel to a vertical plane extending through the processing axis 108. Thus, as shown in the top view of
In some embodiments, the lift mechanisms 134 pivot the frame 200 of the card feeders 120 about a pivot axis 210 (
In some embodiments, the pivot axis 210 is defined by a pivotable connection 212 between the card feeder frame 200 and the belt frame 144, as indicated in
In one exemplary embodiment, each lift mechanism 134 includes a cam 216, a cam follower 218 and a motor 220, as shown in
During an exemplary lift operation, in which the card feeder 120 is moved from the lowered position 136 (
Alternative lift mechanisms 134 may also be employed. For example, different lift mechanisms may be used to pivot the card feeders 120 between their raised and lowered positions 138 and 136, such as a screw drive, or another suitable lift mechanism. Additionally, the lift mechanisms 134 may be configured to move the card feeders 120 linearly between the raised and lowered positions 138 and 136.
In some embodiments, a lateral stabilizer 230 is used in connection with each of the card feeders 120 to ensure substantial coaxial alignment in the horizontal plane between the card feed axis 208 and the processing axis 108 of the adjacent belt 140, as shown in
In one embodiment, the lateral stabilizer 230 includes a first stabilizing member 232 connected to the card feeder frame 200, and a second stabilizing member 234 connected to the belt frame 144. Thus, the first stabilizing member 232 moves with movement of the card feeder frame 200 about the pivot axis 210 relative to the second stabilizing member 234. The first stabilizing member 232 engages with the second stabilizing member 234 in a cooperating manner when the card feeder 120 is moved from the lowered position 136 to the raised position 138 to provide the desired lateral alignment of the card feed axis 208 and the processing axis 108. In some embodiments, the first and second stabilizing members 232 and 234 are displaced from each other when the card feeder 120 is in the lowered position 136.
In one exemplary embodiment, the first stabilizing member 232 is in the form of a rib member and the second stabilizing member is in the form of a groove 234, as shown in
Ideally, each card feeder 120 supports a received card 106 such that a central axis of the card 106 is aligned with the card feed axis 208. This ensures that the card 106 is fed to the adjacent belt 140 in alignment with the processing axis 108, which allows for accurate positioning of the card 106 in the print position 114 on the belt 140 and accurate printing of an image to the card surface 166.
In some embodiments, each card feeder 120 includes a card alignment mechanism 240, an example of which is illustrated in the top view of a portion of the printer 100 provided in
As a card 106 is received by the card feeder 120 with the central axis of the card 106 being offset from the card feed axis 208 or non-parallel to the card feed axis 208, the pusher wall 244 pushes the card 106 toward the reference wall 242 due to the bias produced by the biasing mechanism 246. This causes an edge of the card 106 to engage the reference wall 242. As the card 106 continues to be fed into the card feeder 120 by the pinch roller pairs 190, the edge of the card 106 engaging the reference wall 242 aligns with the reference wall 242 and aligns the central axis of the card 106 with the card feed axis 208.
The printer 100 may include one or more sensors 250 to facilitate various card feeding operations, such as receiving a card 106 in the card feeders 120 and positioning a card 106 in the print position 114 on the belts 140. In one embodiment, the printer 100 includes a card sensor 250 for detecting the presence or absence of a card at each side of the card transport 104, as indicated in
During reception of a card 106 by a card feeder 120 in its lowered position 136, the sensor 250 may be used to detect the leading edge of the card 106 being fed toward the card transport belt 140, which may indicate that the card 106 is fully received in the card feeder 120. The card feeder 120 may then be moved from the lowered position 136 to the raised position 138. After the card feeder 120 is moved to the raised position 138, the corresponding card sensor 250 may be used to detect the trailing edge of the card 106 as the card is fed to the adjacent belt 140. The controller 118 may use this detection of the trailing edge of the card 106 to control the belt 140 to position the card 106 in the desired print position 114.
The card sensors 250 may also be used by the controller 118 to control the reception of cards 106 fed from the belts 140 by the card feeders 120. For example, as a card 106 is fed from the belt 140 toward the card feeder 120, the card sensor 250 may detect the leading edge of the card 106. This detection may be used by the controller 118 to control the pinch roller pairs 190 to receive the card 106 in the card feeder 120. The card 106 may then be fed into the card feeder 120 using the pinch roller pairs 190 until the sensor 250 detects the trailing edge of the card 106 indicating that the card 106 has been fully received within the card feeder 120 and that the card feeder 120 is ready to be moved to its lowered position 136.
As mentioned above, the printer may optionally include one or more card flippers 122 that may be used to invert cards 106 to facilitate printing operations on both sides of the cards 106. Each card flipper 122 may be configured to receive a card 106 from the adjacent card feeder 120, the card supply (flipper 122A) or the card collector (flipper 122B), rotate the card 106 about a flipping axis 260 to invert the card 106, and pass the inverted card 106 back to the adjacent card feeder 120, which can deliver the inverted card 106 to the card transport 104 and the print unit 102 for a printing operation. The card flippers 122 may each be conventional card flippers. One suitable card flipper 122 which may be used by the printer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,505, which issued to HID Global Corporation and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In some embodiments, each flipper 122 includes a pinch roller pair 262 that is configured to hold the card 106 during rotation about the flipping axis 260. One or more motors 264 (
Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of printing an image to one or more cards 106 using the ink jet card printer 100. In one embodiment of the method, a card 106, which may have been received from the supply 124 and fed to the card feeder 120A by the card flipper 122A, is supported by the pinch roller pairs 190 of the card feeder 120A while in its lowered position 136, as shown in
Some embodiments of the method involve performing a print operation using the ink jet card printer 100 to print images on two cards 106 simultaneously. One example of such a method will be described with reference to
With the cards 106A and 106B supported in their print positions 114 on the belts 140B and 140A, and the card feeders 120A and 120B in their lowered positions 136 (
After the images have been printed to the cards 106A and 106B, the card feeders 120A and 120B are returned to their raised positions 138 by the lift mechanisms 134, and the cards 106A and 106B are delivered to the adjacent card feeders 120A and 120B using the belts 140A and 140B, as indicated in
With images printed to both sides of the cards 106A and 106B, the cards may be discharged to the collector 126 using the card feeder 120B. The card feeder 120B is first moved to the raised position 138, and the belt 140B feeds the card 106A to the card feeder 120B. The card feeder 120B is then moved to its lowered position 136, and the card 106A is fed to the collector 126 through the flipper 122B (
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It is appreciated that certain features of the present disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the present disclosure, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the present disclosure. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements. As used herein the term “approximately,” “about” or “substantially” generally refers to ±5% of the referenced value and denotes equality with a tolerance of at most 5%, unless stated otherwise. The terms “substantially parallel” or “substantially perpendicular” refer to a tolerance of ±5 degrees, unless otherwise specified.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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6672720 | Smith | Jan 2004 | B2 |
6702282 | Pribula et al. | Mar 2004 | B2 |
7063013 | Jones et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
20140232799 | Sano | Aug 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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WO-2019010027 | Jan 2019 | WO |
Entry |
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“European Application Serial No. 20154289.1, Extended European Search Report dated may 15, 2020”, 10 pgs. |