Datacard Corporation

Entrust Datacard Corporation

Entrust Corporation

Mark James Sobania

Arthur Joseph Paulson

Patrick C Cronin

David Evert Wickstrom

David Alvig

David Alan Pierson

Peter David Schuller

Rajesh Kalachand Juriasingani

Donald J Galles

Bryan D B Hoeve

Arthur J Paulson

A desktop plastic card printer that is configured to allow installation of a smart card cartridge within an interior space of the printer housing through an opening, for example an opening in a side wall, in the printer housing. Both the mechanical installation and electrical installation of the smart card cartridge occurs via the opening. This allows the desktop plastic card printer to be quickly and easily retrofitted to have the ability to electronically read data from and/or electronically program data on an integrated circuit chip of a plastic card. The retrofitting can take place without using any mechanical tools and without having to remove the entire, or a substantial portion of, the printer housing.

Desktop plastic card printer with removably installable smart card cartridge

Systems and methods that utilize a card reorienting mechanism are described. Generally, the card reorienting mechanism can transport and rotate a card without substantially contacting one of the principal surfaces of the card. The use of the card reorienting mechanism permits reorienting of the card without substantially contacting the principal surface of the card after the operation has been performed on the principal surface of the card. The card reorienting mechanism of the present disclosure can be useful where rotation of the card without contacting the principal surfaces of the card is desired moments after ink is applied to one of the principal surfaces of the card. In addition, substantially the entire principle surface is accessible for processing operations while the card is on the reorienting mechanism, such as for laser personalization or for image capture.

Card reorienting mechanism and methods utilizing same

Modular print engines and print engine components that are usable in desktop card printers for personalizing plastic cards such as financial cards including credit and debit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, and other personalized plastic cards. The modular nature of the print engines and print engine components permit alteration in the specific functionality of the desktop card printers depending upon, for example, the personalization requirements of the plastic cards and intended applications of the desktop card printers. In addition, the modular print engine components can be completely tested prior to installation into the modular print engines to ensure that the modular print engine components are working correctly prior to installation. Furthermore, the modular print engine components add flexibility to the desktop card printers as upgraded functionality and features can be introduced by developing new modular components.

Modular print engines and modular print engine components

A desktop card processor having increased card processing capabilities without increasing the horizontal footprint of the card processor. The card processor utilizes multiple card processing levels stacked in vertically separated levels to minimize the horizontal footprint of the card processor.

Desktop card processor

A card reorienting mechanism and an input hopper of plastic card processing equipment, for example a desktop plastic card printer. The card reorienting mechanism is a modular unit that permits the entire mechanism to be inserted or removed as a single unit from the printer. In addition, the input hopper is designed as an interchangeable system that permits alteration in the card capacity of the hopper.

Growing community of inventors

Ham Lake, MN, United States of America

Mark James Sobania