US 11,238,330 B2 · Card printing mechanism with card return path

Abstract

Card processing mechanisms and methods whereby after a card has been processed on one surface thereof at a card processing station such as, but not limited to, a card printing mechanism, the card can be recirculated back upstream of the card processing station along a return card travel path that is separate from the primary card travel path through the card processing station where the card can then be reintroduced back into the primary card travel path and transported through the card processing station a second time. As the card is being returned along the return card travel path, the card can be flipped over so that when the card is transported back through the card processing station, the opposite surface of the card can be processed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A card processing system, comprising:

a card processing path;
a card printing mechanism disposed along the card processing path, the card printing mechanism includes:
a primary card travel path along which cards can travel in a downstream direction;
at least one drop-on-demand print station on the primary card travel path that performs a drop-on-demand printing operation on a surface of a card on the primary card travel path using ultra-violet (UV) curable ink;
a return card travel path along which a card that has been fed through the at least one drop-on-demand print station can be diverted from the primary card travel path and returned back to the primary card travel path at a location upstream of the at least one drop-on-demand print station to be fed again through the at least one drop-on-demand print station;
and
a UV curing station on the primary card travel path located downstream of the at least one drop-on-demand print station.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/291,739Filed 4 Mar 2019 · continuation

Priority

8 Jan 2016

Published

US 2019/0197388 A127 Jun 2019

Granted

1 Feb 2022

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06K 19/10
Using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical…:…
B41J 3/60
Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed: for printing on both faces of…
B41J 13/12
Sheet holders, retainers , movable guides, or stationary guides: specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards,…
B65H 85/00
Recirculating articles, i.e. feeding each article to, and delivering it from, the

Family

Application62/276,375Us provisional application · filed 8 Jan 2016

Application15/395,309Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2016

Application15/958,842Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Apr 2018

US 2019/0197388 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Jun 2019

US 10,262,258 B2Parent of this continuation

US 10,049,320 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2017/0200074 A1Published application

US 2018/0240007 A1Published application

US 11,238,330 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Card printing mechanism with card return path

Life of this patent

Card printing mechanism with card return path

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14