The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 09, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 10, 1997
Gerhard Eduard-Franz Pawelka, Lexington, MA (US);
Jesse Erin Ambrosina, Somerville, MA (US);
Datacard Corporation, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a thermal printer for printing a card. The printer includes a housing having an input/output end configured for both inputting the card into the housing and outputting the card from the housing. A print head is positioned within the housing for printing the card. A card input station and a card output station are located at the input/output end of the housing. A stationary diverter ramp is positioned between the input/output end of the housing and the print head. The diverter ramp has a sloped diverting surface generally facing away from the input/output end of the housing. The printer is also equipped with a mechanism for feeding the card from the input station, past the diverter ramp, to the print head. The printer further includes a mechanism for reversing direction of the card and feeding the card from the print head back towards the diverter ramp such that the card engages the sloped diverting surface of the diverter ramp and is directed toward the output station.