Assa Abloy Ab

Michael Jon Woizeschke

John P Skoglund

Ted M Hoffman

Tanya Jergeris Snyder

Tanya Jegeris Snyder

Timothy Joel Wolf

A card substrate laminating device including a transfer roller configured to heat a portion of a transfer layer of a transfer ribbon and transfer the portion of the transfer layer from a carrier layer of the transfer ribbon to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller includes a diameter of less than 0.537 inches and a compliant exterior surface layer or coating. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can include silicon rubber. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can be approximately 0.020 inches thick. An internal heating element is configured to heat the transfer roller from an ambient temperature to a laminating temperature, at which laminating operations are performed, within 40 seconds.

Card substrate laminating device

The disclosure describes a method for aligning a card on a printer belt. A printer includes the belt, a print unit having a head, and a card feeder having an alignment bracket. The card feeder deposits a card onto the belt along a processing axis in a first orientation. The belt moves the card away from the card feeder in a first direction. The card feeder is positioned in a second orientation where the alignment bracket aligns with the belt. The alignment bracket has a rear wall and a guide extending therefrom that align the card within the alignment bracket. The belt is overdriven in a second direction and the card moves into the alignment bracket for alignment. The belt then moves in the first direction and the card clears the alignment bracket. The card feeder is then positioned in a third orientation to allow printing with the head.

Card printer alignment bracket

A card substrate laminating device includes a transfer ribbon and a transfer roller. The transfer ribbon includes a carrier layer and a transfer layer attached to the carrier layer. The transfer roller is configured to heat and transfer a portion of the transfer layer from the carrier layer to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller has a circumference that is less than one-half of a length of the card substrate.

A method of laminating a transfer section of a transfer layer to a substrate is performed using a reverse-image transfer printing device. The device includes a transfer ribbon, a print ribbon, a print head, and a laminating device. The transfer ribbon comprises the transfer layer, which is attached to a carrier layer. The print head is configured to transfer print material from the print ribbon to the transfer layer. Non-transfer portions of the transfer section are heated to a deactivation temperature using the print head. The transfer section is laminated to the substrate by heating the non-transfer portions and transfer portions of the transfer section using the laminating device. This bonds the transfer portions the substrate. The carrier layer is the removed from the transfer portions leaving the transfer portions bonded to the substrate. The non-transfer portions remain attached to the carrier layer.

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Shakopee, MN, United States of America

Michael Jon Woizeschke