Printer for printing deformable flat supports and its loader

Printer for printing preferably by thermal transfer, of deformable flat supports (1) such as cards, in particular of plastic material, of the type comprising, from upstream to downstream, a loader (2) for the supports (1) to be printed, adapted to coact with a drive element (3) for the outlet of the supports (1) from the loader (2) of the type constituted by a cylinder (3) in contact with the supports (1) to be printed by means of an opening (4) provided in a wall (7) of the loader (2), a printing device (9) and transfer means delimiting a sequence of gripping regions (8) forming a transport path (8A) to lead sequentially the printed supports (1) from the outlet (5) of the loader (2) to the printing device (9) and from the printing device (9) to collection means (10) for the printed supports (1), said collection means (10) being disposed below the loader (2),

• characterized in that at least a portion of the wall (7) with the opening (4) of the loader (2), positioned adjacent the outlet (5) of the loader (2), is inclined at a positive angle relative to the transport path (8A) to give to the support (1) to be printed, at the outlet of the loader (2), an inclination such that the support (1) and the transport path (8A) form, adjacent the inlet of the first gripping region (8) of the transport path (8A), an obtuse angle, the inlet of the first gripping region (8) of the transport path (8A) being provided with a deflector (11) oriented on the one hand in the direction of the first gripping region (8) to bring the support (1) which strikes it into tangential position in the first gripping region (8) of the transport path (8A), on the other hand toward the collection receptacle (10) to permit evacuation by simple gravity of the printed support (1) into the collection receptacle (10).