US 6,236,420 B1 · Sublimating card printing apparatus and method

Abstract

A sublimating card printing apparatus, the size of which is reduced with a simple construction while providing multiple functions. A sublimating card printing apparatus for recording predetermined information in a magnetic recording medium and/or semiconductor memory provided on a card material and printing an image based on a supplied printing signal on the card material. The apparatus comprises a rotary transporting device for switching a transporting direction of the card material, provided along a linear transport path of the card material, a card tray for containing the card material transported by the rotary transporting device where errors occur in recording onto the magnetic recording medium or memory recording medium, and both a memory recording/reproducing device and a magnetic recording/reproducing device provided on the rotary transport path through the rotary transporting device, the length of the transport path thereby being reduced and the card tray being contained in the apparatus, the whole apparatus thereby being minimized in size and complexity while retaining multiple functions.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A sublimating card printing apparatus for recording predetermined information in a medium provided on a card and printing an image on the card, the image being based on a supplied printing signal, comprising:

recording predetermined information in the medium on the card;
detecting whether or not the predetermined information is correctly recorded in the medium;
transporting the card along a first transport path, after recording the predetermined information in the medium;
printing the image on the card, the image being based on the supplied printing signal;
detecting whether or not the image is correctly printed on the card;
transporting the card along a second transport path which is along a plane different than a plane along the first transport path, after printing the image on the card;
providing the card to a card tray along a third transport path, if either the image is not correctly printed on the card or the predetermined information is not correctly recorder in the medium, wherein the third transport path is along a plane different than the plane along the first transport path and the plane along the second transport path;
and
rotating the card at a single location, to align the card either along the first transport path, the second transport path or the third transport path.

6 more elements

means for recording predetermined information in the medium on the card;
means for transporting the card along a first transport path, after recording the predetermined information in the medium;
means for printing the image on the card, the image being based on the supplied printing signal;
means for transporting the card along a second transport path which is along a plane different than a plane along the first transport path, after printing the image on the card;
means for providing the card to a card tray along a third transport path, wherein the third transport path is along a plane different than the plane along the first transport path and the plane along the second transport path;
and
means for rotating the card at a single location, to align the card either along the first transport path, the second transport path or the third transport path.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sublimating card printing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Sublimating card printing apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14