Atlantek, Inc.

Datacard Corporation

Edward A Nardone

Paul R Caron

Paul S Follett

Harold D Schofield

Christian S Rothwell

Harry D Schofield

Chris S Rothwell

Gary Field

Paul V Corpus

An apparatus for printing and laminating plastic cards consists of a thermal transfer printing station including ribbon and a thermal printhead for printing an image on a receptor surface of a receptor card, a laminating station including laminating film and a heated laminating roller mounted for engagement with said receptor surface of said receptor card during a laminating operation, and a guided carriage for transporting the receptor card beneath the printhead and the heated laminating roller. The carriage includes a resilient surface for receiving the receptor card with a receptor surface facing upwardly. The carriage is guided on a pair of rails to insure proper registration and tracking of the receptor card. The carriage is driven by a threaded rod which passes through a threaded bore in the carriage wherein rotation of the threaded rod by a motor causes movement of the carriage along the guide rails. The apparatus further includes a hopper for storing a plurality of cards for printing, a cleaning station for cleaning the receptor surface of the card prior to printing, and a pair of output nip rollers including a heated lower roller for engaging and heating a lower surface of the receptor card. The carriage enable the card to be transported by a single carrier from the hopper to the output nip rollers.

Card printing and laminating apparatus

An apparatus for printing and laminating plastic cards consists of a thermal transfer printing station including ribbon and a thermal printhead for printing an image on a receptor surface of a receptor card, a laminating station including laminating film and a heated laminating roller mounted for engagement with the receptor surface of the receptor card during a laminating operation, and a guided carriage for transporting the receptor card beneath the printhead and the heated laminating roller. The carriage includes a resilient surface for receiving the receptor card with a receptor surface facing upwardly. The carriage is guided on a pair of rails to insure proper registration and tracking of the receptor card. The carriage is driven by a threaded rod which passes through a threaded bore in the carriage wherein rotation of the threaded rod by a motor causes movement of the carriage along the guide rails. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus further includes an in-line flip station for reversing the print surface of the card so that printing can be accomplished on both sides of the card.

In-line flip station for a card printing apparatus

A die-punch cutting apparatus for a continuous web thermal printer consists of a die body having a longitudinal I-shaped cutting opening and a punch body having a longitudinal I-shaped cutting blade which is slidably received in interfitting engagement within the I-shaped cutting opening of the die body. The I-shaped cutting opening and cutting blade include first and second spaced longitudinal cutting edges symmetrically disposed on opposing sides of a longitudinal centerline, and further include terminal end portions which are outwardly rounded in configuration. In operation, the first and second cutting edges of the punch body are slidably engaged with the first and second cutting edges of the die body for severing a printed section of print media from a continuous web, wherein the first cutting edges of the die body and the punch body cooperate to cut rounded corners at the trailing edge of a previously printed section of media, and the second cutting edges of the die body and the punch body cooperate to cut rounded corners at the leading edge of a section of print media to be subsequently printed.

Die-punch cutting apparatus for a continuous web thermal printing device

An apparatus for printing plastic cards consists of a thermal transfer printing station including ribbon and a thermal printhead for printing an image on a receptor surface of a receptor card, and a guided carriage for transporting the receptor card beneath the thermal printhead. The carriage includes a resilient surface for receiving the receptor card with a receptor surface facing upwardly. The carriage is guided on a pair of rails, and is driven by a threaded rod which passes through a threaded bore in the carriage, wherein rotation of the threaded rod by a motor causes movement of the carriage along the guide rails. The apparatus further includes a hopper for storing a plurality of cards for printing, and a cleaning station for cleaning the receptor surface of the card prior to printing. The threaded-rod driven carriage insures proper registration and tracking of the receptor card as it passes underneath the printhead.

Card printing apparatus

A system for the automated production of an identification card includes a two-part security media and apparatus for printing, laminating and die-cutting the security media to form discrete identification cards. The two-part security media includes a continuous web of an opaque backing film, and a continuous web of a clear cover film which acts as a receptor for receiving a thermally printed digital card image. A first thermal web printer is operative for printing a reversed digital card image onto an inner surface of the cover film adjacent a terminal end thereof. A second thermal web printer prints a second image onto the back of the backing film at a terminal end thereof. The printed ends of the backing and cover films are advanced to a cutting station wherein they are aligned in overlying relation and severed from their webs. The aligned films are then advanced to a laminating station including a heated input nip for laminating the films under pressure and heat, a heated platen for heat-fusing the thermoplastic films together, and fan-cooled heat sinks for cooling the fused film construction. The fused laminate film construction is advanced to a die-cutting device which die cuts a predetermined size card from the laminate construction, and advances the die-cut card to a magnetic stripe encoder for encoding of a magnetic stripe on the back surface of the backing film.

Apparatus for automated one-up printing and production of an

A three-pass thermal color printer for printing a color image on a continuous web of thermal print media consists of a thermal printhead having an upstream side adjacent the roll of print media and an opposite downstream side. The printer further consists of an associated printhead platen, and a set of drive rollers positioned between the printhead and the roll of print media. The drive rollers are operative for drawing the print media through the printhead in an upstream direction, i.e. toward the roll of print media, and advancing the print media in a downstream direction. In operation, the drive rollers draw the print media in an upstream direction whereby the printhead prints an image on the print media starting from a mid-point on the print media to the terminal end thereof. The drive rollers then advance the print media in a downstream direction so that the next printing operation can be overlayed onto the first printed image. The printer reciprocates the print media back and forth until three separate color images are overlayed to achieve a full-color image. The drive rollers are further operative for advancing the print media in a downstream direction to eject the printed image form the printer. The instant printing arrangement has no wasted print media when the printed image is severed from the continuous web.

Three-pass thermal dye transfer color printer with continuous web print

A removable cassette assembly is provided for mounting thermal transfer ribbon in a single-pass multi-color thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a platen roller, a web of receptor media received around the platen roller, a thermal print head, a cantilever support for mounting the print head in corresponding relation to the platen roller, and a pair of drive rollers for advancing the receptor media. The cassette assembly consists of a cassette body, a supply roll for storing a length of unused thermal transfer ribbon, a take-up roll for taking up used ribbon. The rolls are mounted for rotation on the cassette body and the cassette body is received onto the cantilever support for positioning of the ribbon between the print head and the receptor media. The ribbon is driven through the print nip by friction between the receptor media and the print head. The take-up roll engages with a drive motor when the cassette is received onto the cantilever for driving take-up of the ribbon. In a similar manner, the supply roll engages with a clutch mechanism to control pay-out of the ribbon when the cassette is received onto the cantilever.

Cassette assembly for mounting thermal transfer ribbon in a thermal

A slidable transport assembly is provided for a single-pass multi-color thermal printer including a plurality of platen rollers mounted in spaced relation, a web of receptor media received around the platen rollers, a plurality of print heads each mounted in corresponding relation to a respective platen roller, and a pair of drive rollers. The slidable transport assembly consists of a frame having a pair of spaced walls, a base for supporting the frame, a tray mounted on the base for holding the receptor media, and a slide rail for slidably supporting the base. The platen rollers and the drive rollers are mounted between the wall of the frame for integral movement thereof. The transport system is slidably movable between a printing position wherein the platen rollers are positioned beneath the print heads for printing, and a withdrawn position wherein the platen rollers are slidably withdrawn from beneath the print heads for receptor media loading.

Slidable media transport system for a single-pass multi-color thermal

A pivotable mounting assembly for a thermal print head enables the print head to spherically pivot with respect to its associated support arm. The print head is attached to a mounting head and an associated support arm is attached to a cantilever support. A spherical bearing assembly interconnects the mounting head with the support arm and enables the print head to spherically pivot with respect to the support arm. The spherical bearing connection equalizes tangential pressure when the print head is biased against a platen roller. The mounting assembly further includes sub-assemblies for adjusting the rotational and front-to-back alignment of the print head dot line with respect to the support arm, as well as the side-to-side registration of the dot line.

Pivotable mounting assembly for a thermal print head

A seven color, single-pass thermal print engine includes three platen rollers equally spaced over a 180 degree arc, an uninterrupted length of receptor media which is received around the platens, three thermal printheads which make tangential contact with a respective platen, and a pair of output drive rollers for pulling the media around the platen rollers. The print engine further includes a media tensioning system consisting of a media tray, an 'S' shaped media guide with an idler roll mounted inside the curve of the 'S', a tensioning arm for applying tangential pressure to the receptor media and a pair of input pinch rollers. Color transfer ribbons surround each printhead and are contained in re-loadable cassettes. The platens, pinch rollers and tensioning assembly are mounted on a slide assembly so that the platen rollers, the pinch rollers and the tensioning system can be slidably withdrawn from the print engine for receptor media loading and ribbon cassette replacement.

Single-pass multi-color thermal printer

A printer apparatus including a slide assembly for advancing a receptor material and a ribbon material relative to a print head and platen for printing color images.

Growing community of inventors

Wakefield, RI, United States of America

Edward A Nardone