Fargo Electronics, Inc.

Hid Global Corporation

Assa Abloy Ab

Martin A Pribula

Gary M Klinefelter

James R Meier

Stacy W Lukaskawcez

Gary A Lenz

Jeffrey D Upin

Chadwick M Johnson

Matthew K Dunham

Thomas C Platner

Jon J Ibs

Leon Gershenovich

Ryan G Park

Gary Countryman, Jr

Anthony L Lokken

Leonid S Gershenovich

Brent D Lien

Steven J Brandt

Spencer L Tapp

James M Meier

Kathleen Phillips

Gary P Countryman

Meier James M M

Leon Gershenovic

A credential substrate rotator includes a substrate support, a substrate feeder and a substrate sensor. The substrate support is configured to support a substrate in a substrate support plane and rotate about a central axis. The substrate feeder is configured to feed a substrate along the substrate support plane. The substrate sensor includes a substrate position indicator that is aligned with the central axis and has first and second positions. The first position indicates an absence of a substrate from a predetermined location of the substrate support. The second position indicates a presence of a substrate in the predetermined location of the substrate support. Also disclosed, is a credential substrate processing module that includes a credential substrate rotator, a first data encoder and a module controller. The credential substrate rotator includes a substrate support configured to support a substrate in a substrate support plane and rotate about a central axis, and a substrate feeder. The first data encoder is configured to encode data to a substrate presented by the substrate rotator.

Credential substrate rotator and processing module

An identification card printer includes a card input, a card transport, a printhead, and a card output. The card transport is configured to feed a card from the card input along a print path. The printhead is positioned below the print path and is configured to print an image on a surface of the card. The card can then be discharged through the card output.

Identification card printer having ribbon cartridge with cleaner roller

Print supply monitoring

A printer includes a substrate input, a substrate transport, a printhead, a removable ribbon cartridge, a ribbon cartridge receiver, and a substrate output. The substrate transport is configured to feed a substrate from the substrate input along a print path. The printhead is positioned below the print path and is configured to print an image on a surface of the substrate. The ribbon cartridge is received in the ribbon cartridge receiver and contains a supply of print ribbon that extends between supply and take-up spools and over the printhead. The substrate can then be discharged through the substrate output.

Printer and ribbon cartridge

A card singularization gate for use in an identification card printer includes a roller support, a guide roller, and a card stop. The roller support is positioned between a card feeder and the card transport mechanism. The guide roller is supported by the roller support for rotation about an axis that is substantially parallel to a card feed plane and transverse to a card path. The guide roller includes a card engaging side adjacent the card feed plane where non-abrasive contact of a first surface of the lead card is made during the card feed operation. The card stop is positioned adjacent a side of the guide roller that is opposite the card engaging side. During card feed operations, the lead card is allowed passage to the card transport mechanism along the card engaging side of the guide roller while cards that are stacked upon the lead card are blocked by the card stop.

Card singularization gate

A card cartridge includes a housing having a pair of opposing side walls, a top, a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, and a base. The housing includes an interior cavity that is sized to accommodate a stack of cards, a card access, and a card output slot. The card access allows a card transport mechanism to engage a lead card contained in the housing and feed the lead card through the card output slot.

Card cartridge

The present invention is directed to an identification card printer that can be used with a card cartridge that protects a stack of cards stored therein from environmental contamination and establishes a card transport plane, from which other components of the identification card printer can be aligned, independent of the card cartridge. The identification card printer includes a cartridge receiver adapted to receive the card cartridge and a card transport mechanism. The card transport mechanism includes a pair of feed rollers, portions of which extend to the cartridge receiver and define the card transport plane.

Identification card printer

In a method of forming an identification card printer a sheet feed printer is provided having a printhead and a sheet feed mechanism that is driven by a sheet feed drive to feed paper sheets to the printhead for printing. Next, the sheet feed mechanism is replaced with a card transport mechanism that is used to feed cards from a card supply to the printhead for printing. The card transport mechanism is then linked to the sheet feed drive through a feed drive link. Finally, a master controller for controlling the operation of the card transport mechanism is installed. Additional aspects of the present invention relate to an identification card printer formed in accordance with the above-described method.

Identification card printer formed from a sheet feed printer

A roller support includes a body member, a bushing member, and a step member. The body member includes a first guide roller receiver that is adapted to receive an end of a first guide roller. The bushing member extends from a surface of the body member and has a central bore that extends through the body member. The step member is positioned adjacent the bushing member and extends from the surface of the body member in the direction of the bushing member.

Card transport mechanism roller support

A card supply for use with an identification card printing system includes a card hopper and a supply circuit. The card hopper contains a stack of cards. The supply circuit is mounted to the card hopper that includes a memory containing supply information relating to parameters of the card supply.

Method and apparatus for communicating between printer and card supply

An ink jet card printer is disclosed that includes an ink jet printhead and a transport mechanism. The ink jet printhead is adapted to print on portions of a surface of a card that are presented in a print position along a print path. The transport mechanism includes at least one cantilevering mechanism that is positioned to a side of the print position along the print path. The cantilevering mechanism is adapted to unobstructively present the surface of the card to the printhead in the print position.

Ink jet card printer

A card hopper includes a control gate that reliably allows cards of varying thicknesses to be fed individually through an outlet opening without adjustment. The hopper is configured to hold a stack of plastic cards or similar, fairly rigid, substrates. The control gate is positioned at the outlet opening and includes a flexible blade that reduces a height of the outlet opening to less than a thickness of an end card of the stack, whereby the flexible blade flexes in response to the end card when driven through the outlet opening. Also disclosed is a card feeder assembly that includes the above-described hopper.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Martin A Pribula