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US 12,558,904 B2Granted
Drop-on-demand ink delivery systems and methods with tankless recirculation for card processing systems
AssigneeEntrust Corporation
InventorsDaniel Sarkinen, Brian O'Dell, Randy Jordan, Andrew Luu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
DOD ink delivery systems and methods are described herein that are used in DOD card printing systems of card processing systems for supplying ink for DOD printing on plastic cards. The ink delivery systems are configured to recirculate the ink without using a recirculation tank separate from an ink supply. The ink can be recirculated back into the ink supply or, when the ink supply is not present, the ink can be recirculated from a return header tank to a supply header tank.
Claims11
A drop-on-demand card printing system, comprising:
- a drop-on-demand print head having an ink inlet and an ink outlet;
- an ink delivery system connected to the drop-on-demand print head, the ink delivery system includes:
- a first ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink inlet and a second ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink outlet;
- an ink recirculation system defining an ink recirculation path that is configured to permit ink recirculation through the second ink header tank and the first ink header tank, the drop-on-demand card printing system is devoid of an ink supply tank;
- the ink recirculation system includes a single use ink bottle with an inlet and an outlet and containing ink therein;
- a vacuum system fluidly connected to the first ink header tank and the second ink header tank and that applies a vacuum to the drop-on-demand print head;
- wherein the ink recirculation system includes a supply pump fluidly connected to the first ink header tank and a return pump fluidly connected to the second ink header tank.
4 more elements
A drop-on-demand card printing system, comprising:
- a drop-on-demand print head having an ink inlet and an ink outlet;
- an ink delivery system connected to the drop-on-demand print head, the ink delivery system includes:
- a first ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink inlet and a second ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink outlet;
- an ink recirculation system defining an ink recirculation path that is configured to permit ink recirculation through the second ink header tank and the first ink header tank, the drop-on-demand card printing system is devoid of an ink supply tank;
- the ink recirculation system includes a single use ink bottle with an inlet and an outlet and containing ink therein;
- a vacuum system fluidly connected to the first ink header tank and the second ink header tank and that applies a vacuum to the drop-on-demand print head;
- wherein the first ink header tank has a nominal full capacity level, and the first ink header tank has capacity to receive ink from the second ink header tank to fill the first ink header tank past the nominal full capacity level.
4 more elements
A card processing system, comprising:
- a card input that is configured to hold a plurality of plastic cards to be printed on;
- and
- a drop-on-demand card printing system downstream from the card input and receiving plastic cards that are input from the card input, the drop-on- demand card printing system comprises:
- a drop-on-demand print head having an ink inlet and an ink outlet;
- an ink delivery system connected to the drop-on-demand print head, the ink delivery system includes:
- a first ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink inlet and a second ink header tank fluidly connected to the ink outlet;
- an ink recirculation system defining an ink recirculation path that is configured to permit ink recirculation through the second ink header tank and the first ink header tank, the drop-on-demand card printing system is devoid of an ink supply tank;
- the ink recirculation system includes a single use ink bottle with an inlet and an outlet and containing ink therein;
- a vacuum system fluidly connected to the first ink header tank and the second ink header tank and that applies a vacuum to the drop-on-demand print head.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.