Claims
- 1. A carrier for use with a printer to support a substrate having a thickness, an irregularly outer edge, and a top surface including a flat printable surface on which material is to be printed, the carrier comprising:
a first planar member having a bottom surface, a top surface, a thickness, and an inner edge that is shaped to conform to the outer edge of the substrate; and a second planar member having a top surface coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member, wherein the inner edge of the first planar member and the top surface of the second planar member form a recess that is adapted to receive the substrate such that the top surfaces of the substrate and the first planar member are coplanar.
- 2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first planar member corresponds to the thickness of the substrate.
- 3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first and second planar members are integrally formed.
- 4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the first and second planar members are rigid planar members.
- 5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein:
the substrate has an irregularly shaped bottom surface; and the bottom surface of the second planar member is shaped to conform to the bottom surface of the substrate.
- 6. The carrier of claim 1, wherein;
the substrate has an irregularly shaped bottom surface; and the second planar member is at least partially formed of a compressible material that conforms to the bottom surface of the substrate.
- 7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of an identification card, a key fob, a token, a tag, and an ornament.
- 8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein:
the first planar member includes a border portion, whereby the border portion overlaps a portion of the top surface of the substrate thereby limiting the area of the top surface that can be printed on.
- 9. A carrier for use with a printer having a substrate, the carrier comprising:
a first rigid planar member having bottom surface, a top surface, and a thickness; a second planar member having a top surface coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member; and a removable substrate formed of a portion of the first rigid planar member as defined by an outer edge.
- 10. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the first rigid planar member and the second planar member are integrally formed.
- 11. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of an identification card, a key fob, a token, a tag, and an ornament.
- 12. A carrier for use with a printer to support a substrate having a thickness, an outer edge, and a top surface on which material is to be printed, the carrier comprising:
a first planar member having a bottom surface, a top surface, a thickness, an inner edge that is shaped to conform to the outer edge of the substrate, and a border portion, whereby the border portion overlaps a portion of the top surface of the substrate thereby defining a print area of the top surface which can be printed on; and a second planar member having a top surface coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member, wherein the inner edge of the first planar member and the top surface of the second planar member form a recess that is adapted to receive the substrate such that the top surfaces of the substrate and the first planar member are coplanar.
- 13. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the first and second planar members are integrally formed.
- 14. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the first and second planar members are rigid planar members.
- 15. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the first planar member and the substrate are formed of the same material.
- 16. The carrier of claim 12, wherein:
the substrate has an irregularly shaped bottom surface; and the bottom surface of the second planar member is shaped to conform to the bottom surface of the substrate.
- 17. The carrier of claim 12, wherein:
the substrate has an irregularly shaped bottom surface; and the second planar member is at least partially formed of a compressible material that conforms to the bottom surface of the substrate.
- 18. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the substrate is selected from a group consisting of an identification card, a key fob, a token, a tag, and an ornament.
- 19. A method of forming a carrier for use with a printer to support a substrate on which material is to be printed, the method comprising steps of:
(a) providing a first planar member having a bottom surface, and a top surface; (b) cutting a planar portion from the first planar member, the planar portion having a shape that conforms to the substrate; and (c) mounting the bottom surface of the first planar member to a top surface of a second planar member such that the substrate portion is removable.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the substrate portion forms the substrate.
- 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
(d) removing the substrate portion to form a recess that is adapted to receive the substrate such that a top surface of the substrate and the top surface of the first planar member are coplanar.
- 22. A method of forming a carrier for use with a printer to support a substrate having a thickness, an irregularly shaped outer edge, and a top surface on which material is to be printed: the method comprising steps of:
(a) providing a planar member having a top surface and a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the substrate; (b) cutting a planar portion from planar member, the planar portion having a shape and thickness that conforms to the substrate; and (c) removing the planar portion from the planar member, whereby a recess is formed that is shaped to receive the substrate such that the top surfaces of the substrate and the planar member are coplanar.
- 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the planar portion forms the substrate.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/165,347, entitled “SUBSTRATE AND CARRIER AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME,” filed on Nov. 12, 1999.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60165347 |
Nov 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09711755 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10113741 |
Apr 2002 |
US |