CN1240552C - Ink jet card printer - Google Patents

Abstract

An ink jet card printer (20) is disclosed that includes an ink jet printhead (22) and a transport mechanism (24). The ink jet printhead (22) is adapted to print on portions of a surface (42) of a card (21) that are presented in a print position (44) along a print path (39). The transport mechanism (24) includes at least one cantilevering mechanism (62, 64) that is positioned to a side of the print position (44) along the print path (39). The cantilevering mechanism (62, 64) is adapted to unobstructively present the surface (42) of the card (21) to the printhead (22) in the print position (44).

Description

Inkjet Card Printer

technical field

The present invention relates to a card printer for printing images on rigid or semi-rigid flat media, and more particularly to an inkjet card printer having the ability to print the entire page including margins on the surface of the media Function.

Background technique

Card printers are used to print images on semi-rigid flat media surfaces. These media include (but are not limited to): plastic cards, tickets, and other rigid or semi-rigid flat media. All references to "card" and "media" below refer to this and other types of rigid or semi-rigid media in various shapes and sizes.

In the past, graphic and textual information was transferred to such cards using a labeling process, for example an identification card where personal data was manually imprinted on the card. In addition, instant photos are sometimes used to photograph objects and then paste or laminate them on the card.

Card printers and computers are now commonly used to print images on cards. The image printed on the card is usually first processed by an application program running on the computer. The processed image data is then provided to the printer in the form of a print job. The printer executes the printing task to print the image on the surface of the card. Images are generally in the form of a combination of text and graphic parts, which come from the main program running on the computer or other input devices, such as keyboards, scanners, and digital cameras. Many programs expect printers to offer the ability to print the entire page including margins, so that the image covers the entire surface of the card.

Most card printers are thermal printers that include ribbons with process-color dyed bars and a thermal printhead. One type of thermal printer is a dye printer in which the print head heats the ribbon to cause the dye to leave the dye strip and apply to the surface of the card. However, these printers can only dye cards with a specially treated surface. Additionally, such printers typically cannot print the entire page including the margins due to problems with the ribbon being stuck to the margins of the card. Another type of thermal printer prints the image onto a film, which is then laminated to the card. This thermal printer has the capability to print the entire page including margins by first printing the image on a film that is slightly larger than the surface of the card to be laminated. However, such printers tend to be complex and expensive for small jobs.

Another type of card printer is an inkjet printer. The structure of this type of printer is generally simpler, and the price is easier for users to accept than a thermal printer. An inkjet printer mainly includes an inkjet print head and a transport mechanism. The conveying mechanism conveys the surface of the card to the printing position corresponding to the inkjet printing head, and the inkjet printing head ejects ink to the corresponding part of the card surface to print the desired image on the card surface. A common transport mechanism includes a platform positioned immediately below the print head, and rollers adjacent to the print head that clamp the card on the platform and transport it through the printing station. Ordinary inkjet printers generally cannot print semi-rigid media, only thin and soft media can be wound around the platform and rollers of the transport mechanism during transport. In addition, in the printing position, the roller generally contacts the edge of the card surface, so that this part of the card surface is blocked, and the print head cannot print on the surface of these positions. Therefore, such inkjet printers cannot print the entire page including the margins on the card. Even if the position of the rollers of the transport mechanism does not affect the printing of the print head, for example, the print head can print from one edge of the card to the opposite edge on the other side, but in order to print the entire page including the edge on the card, the ink The platform and other parts of the transport mechanism are polluted by being sprayed beyond the edge of the card, so that this printer still cannot print to the edge. In addition to potentially clogging the transport mechanism and shutting down the printer, contamination of the transport mechanism components can result in dirty ink being transferred to the cards being processed. So most inkjet card printers cannot be used to print the entire page including the margins, but only within a small area defined by the margins along the edges of the media.

However, there are also inkjet card printers with improved transport mechanisms that avoid some of the drawbacks described above. These printers can print semi-rigid cards, and the transport mechanism has a transport tray on which the cards are transported through the printer. The transfer tray is generally provided with a depression matching the shape of the card and exposing the upper surface of the card. However, such printers still cannot print entire pages, including margins, without contaminating the transport tray and other components of the transport mechanism. Also, these printers obviously can only handle a limited number of cards without user intervention.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved inkjet card printer capable of printing semi-rigid cards and having the function of printing the entire page including margins.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet card printer comprising an inkjet printing head and a transport mechanism. The inkjet printhead can print on portions of the surface of the card that are transported along the printing path to a printing location. The conveying mechanism includes at least one suspension supporting mechanism located on one side of the printing position along the printing path. The suspension mechanism can transfer the card surface to the unobstructed printing position of the corresponding print head.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inkjet identification card printer capable of printing entire pages including margins, the printer comprising: an inkjet print head for processing cards sent to a printing position along a printing path and a conveying mechanism including a first suspension support mechanism disposed on an input side of the printing position for supporting the card in a first position, wherein the head of the card is suspended through the printing position, so that The printhead is configured to print on a surface of the head as it is suspended through a printing position.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inkjet card printer comprising: an input section having a supply of cards, each card having a surface bounded by a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposite sides; an ink printhead for printing on a surface portion of at least one card delivered to the printing position; a conveying mechanism comprising a first suspension support mechanism disposed on an input side of the printing position for supporting the card at the second a position, wherein the head of the card is suspended through the printing position, the print head is configured to print on the surface of the head when the head is suspended through the printing position; and a controller for controlling the input portion , transfer mechanism, and inkjet printhead.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of printing an entire page, including margins, on the surface of a card using an inkjet card printer comprising an inkjet printhead capable of The method comprises the steps of: suspending a header of a card, the card surface including a head edge passing through a printing position; and Print on the surface.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an inkjet card printer according to various embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an inkjet printhead at a printing position;

3A-C are working schematic diagrams according to various embodiments of the present invention, respectively describing the state when the card is transported to the first, second and third positions of the printing position by the transport mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of a transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a guide wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6A and 6B are top and front views of a suspension support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

7A and 7B are side and front schematic views of a suspension support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of a suspension support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of overspray ink collectors according to various embodiments of the present invention;

10 is a schematic side view of selected components of an output section of a card printer according to various embodiments of the invention.

Detailed ways

Figure 1 shows a simplified block diagram of an inkjet card printer 20 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. The printer 20 basically includes an inkjet printhead 22 , a transport mechanism 24 , an input section 26 , an output section 28 and a controller 30 . A personal computer 34 is coupled to the controller 30 via an input/output (I/O) or data bus 36 . Data bus 36 may be any suitable connection, such as a parallel cable. A serial cable or hub (USB) cable through which data is transmitted to the controller 30 in the printer 20 . The user operates the personal computer 34 to create and process a print job with a certain application program. Then the data of the printing task is provided to the controller 30 through the data bus 36, and the controller 30 utilizes these data to control various components of the inkjet identification card printer 20 to execute the printing task.

Inkjet printhead 22 includes an ink cartridge 38 containing a supply of ink. The printhead 22 generally moves along an axis that is directed into the paper by sliding along a rod 40, ie in the direction shown in FIG. 1 . The movement of the printhead 22 is controlled by a controller 30 in a prior art manner. As shown in FIG. 2 , printhead 22 is used to print a corresponding portion of surface 42 of card 21 that is conveyed along printing path 39 to printing location 44 .

The printing position 44 is basically defined by such a spatial range: within this spatial range, the surface 42 of the card 21 is transported to a position corresponding to the print head 22 to ensure that the image can be accurately printed on the surface 42 . Print path 39 (see FIG. 1 ) passes through the center of print location 44 and defines the preferred location for surface 42 of card 21 . The distance between print path 39 and print head 22 is typically approximately 0.025-0.050 inches. The print position 44 has a range of length L, width W, and depth D. Length L is generally defined by the extent to which printhead 22 moves along rod 40 , as indicated by arrowed line 45 . The width W is the width printed by the print head 22 every time it passes through the printing medium. The print width W of a typical inkjet printhead 22 is approximately 0.4 inches. The depth D of the print location 44 is the range of the print head 22 from the print path within which ink can be properly transferred from the print head 22 to the surface 42 . Depth D is generally about 0.01 inches. Therefore, the surface 42 of the card 21 is preferably positioned within plus or minus 0.005 inches of the print path 39 . Printing accuracy is also affected by variations in the distance between the printhead 22 and the printing surface 42 . Such variations can result in variations in the color of the printed image, resulting in inaccurately controlled movement of the card 21 as it passes the printing position, resulting in streak defects. The printhead 22 can accurately supply ink to the surface 42 portion of the card 21 only when the card 21 is passed by the print station 44 along the print path 39 by the transport mechanism 24 at a very precise and approximately constant distance from the printhead 22 .

A feature of the present invention is that the conveying mechanism 24 can enable the printer 20 to have the function of printing the entire page including the margin, while avoiding the contamination of the conveying mechanism 24 by the ink sprayed from outside. To this end, the transfer mechanism 24 can take at least one card 21 from the input portion 26 and transfer the entire surface 42 of the card 21 to the printing position 44 of the corresponding print head 22 along the printing path 39 . As shown in FIG. 2 , surface 42 is generally bounded by leading edge 48 , trailing edge 50 , and side edges 52 , 54 . Therefore, the printer 20 is able to jet ink on the surface 42 of the card 21 to print an image on the entire surface 42 of the card 21 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the transfer mechanism 24 includes first and second suspension support mechanisms 62 , 64 . The first and second suspensions 62, 64 are located on the input and output sides 66, 68, respectively, of the printing station 44 so as to avoid contamination by ink sprayed from the printhead 22 beyond the edge of the card 21. In addition, there is another protective measure to avoid contamination by external spray ink, that is, external spray ink collector 120 (see FIG. 1 ), which will be described in detail later.

3A-C illustrate the three illustrated positions through which the card 21 is supported by the first and second suspension support mechanisms 62, 64 as the surface 42 of the card 21 is transported past the printing station 44. FIGS. 3A shows that the card 21 is supported by the first suspension mechanism 62 at the first shown position, the card 21 moves along the printing path 39 in the direction of the arrow 46, and the head 56 of the surface 42 is sent to the printing position corresponding to the print head 22. The head portion 56 is a portion extending from the head edge 48 to the tail edge 50 between the sides 52 , 54 of the upper surface 42 of the card 21 . As the tip 56 is suspended past the print station 44, the print head 22 can pass the tip 56 of the surface 42 without obstruction. Thus, the printhead 22 is capable of ejecting ink over the entire head 56 of the surface 42, including the head edge 48 and the sides 52,54.

3B shows that the card 21 is in the second shown position. The transport mechanism 24 transports the card 21 along the printing path 39 in the direction of the arrow 46 , and the middle portion 58 of the surface 42 is transported to the printing position 44 corresponding to the print head 22 . The middle portion 58 is a partial area extending from the leading portion 56 to the trailing edge 50 between the sides 52 , 54 of the surface 42 . In this position, the card 21 is simultaneously supported by the first and second suspensions 62 , 64 , and the print head 22 can pass through the central portion 58 without obstruction as the central portion 58 moves past the printing position 44 . Thus, with the card 21 supported in the second position, the printhead 22 is able to eject ink across the entire middle portion 58 of the card surface 42 .

3C shows that the card 21 is supported by the second suspension support mechanism 64 in the third shown position, the card 21 is transported along the printing route 39 in the direction of the arrow 46, and the tail 60 of the surface 42 is sent to the printing position 44 corresponding to the print head 22. The trailing portion 60 is the portion between the sides 52 , 54 of the surface 42 extending from the trailing edge 50 to the central portion 58 . In this position, the print head 22 can pass the tail 60 without obstruction as the tail 60 moves past the printing position 44 . Thus, the printhead 22 is able to eject ink over the entire trailing portion 60 of the surface 42, including the sides 52, 54 and the trailing edge 50 of the card 21.

Therefore, in the three positions, the transport mechanism 24 supports the card 21 to move along the printing path 39, so that the print head 22 can pass the entire surface 42 of the card 21 without hindrance. As a result, the print head 22 can cover the entire surface 42 of the card 21 with ink.

Each suspension mechanism 62 and 64 includes a guide 70 for achieving the desired suspension function. The primary function of guide 70 is to maintain card 21 in a generally horizontal planar position generally parallel to card 21 surface 42 and print path 39 as card 21 passes print station 44 . The guide 70 can take many different forms to achieve the desired suspension support features of the present invention. Some examples of suitable guides 70 and suspension structures are described in more detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-C , in one embodiment, the suspension support mechanisms 62 and 64 include a guide 70 consisting of a pair of upper guide wheels 72 and a lower guide wheel 74 . The upper guide wheels 72 are spaced apart along the printing path 39 , while the lower guide wheels 74 are positioned so that the card 21 is clamped by the upper guide wheels 72 and the card 21 is transported along the printing path 39 in the direction of the arrow 46 . Each suspension mechanism 62 and 64 stabilizes the card 21 in a planar position parallel to the surface 42 of the card 21 and the printing path 39 and is suspended through the printing station 44 .

As shown in FIG. 3A, the card 21 from the input section 26 is picked up by the first suspension mechanism 62 and sandwiched between the upper guide wheels 72A and 72B and the lower guide wheel 74 to be transported to the first position. When the first edge 48 is in contact with the output side of the upper guide wheel 72C and the lower guide wheel 74 of the second suspension support mechanism 64, the card 21 is clamped in it and pulled forward to the output side of the upper guide wheel 72D, so that the card 21 is is placed in the second position supported simultaneously by the first and second suspension support mechanisms 62 and 64, as shown in FIG. 3B. As shown in FIG. 3 , when the trailing edge 50 of the card 21 is separated from the first suspension mechanism 62 , the card 21 is in the third position, and its tail 60 is supported by the second suspension mechanism 64 at the printing position 44 .

The lower guide wheels 74 of the first and second suspension mechanisms 62 and 64 are driven by a motor (not shown) in the prior art to drive the card 21 to move along the printing path 39 . The surface 76 of the lower guide wheel 74 is preferably formed with a layer of elastic material, such as rubber, which can be used to assist it to clamp the card 21 to the upper guide wheel 72 . In order to accurately control the movement of the card 21 as it passes the printing station 44, the clamping force on the card 21 must be appropriate. The force required to clamp the card 21 can be selected by selecting an appropriate rubber coating and adjusting the separation distance between the lower and upper guide wheels. It is also possible to use a spring to bias the roller 74 to the upper guide wheel 72 according to the prior art.

In summary, when the card 21 is conveyed through the printing position 44, the depth D of the printing position 44 (see FIG. 2 ) is only allowed to have a small deviation from the printing route 39, so it is important that the suspension of the conveying mechanism 24 The tolerances of the support mechanism are very tight. As shown in FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, a bushing 75 secures the upper guide wheel 72 and the lower guide wheel 74 . Each bushing 75 may be secured to a suitable side wall (not shown) of the transfer mechanism 24 . Due to the unique structure of the bushing 75, it provides tight tolerances for the spatial positional relationship of the upper guide wheel 72 and the lower guide wheel 74. Adjusting the fixed angle of the sleeve 75 on the side wall of the conveying mechanism 24 can make the running angle of the card 21 along the printing path 39 be adjusted. Those skilled in the art can understand that the guide 70 of the transport mechanism 24 can also be fixed in many other ways to ensure that the surface 42 of the card 21 is just at the printing position 44 when the card 21 moves along the printing path 39 .

As shown in Figure 4, the upper guide wheel 72 is preferably made of steel into a cylinder, and its outer surface 78 that contacts the upper surface 42 of the card 21 can be coated with a layer of anti-stick coating, such as Teflon, Used to prevent contamination of the surface 42. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the upper guide wheel 72, which includes a side wheel 80 and a shaft 82 connecting the side wheels. Each side wheel 80 has an inner guide surface 84 . The distance between the two spaced inner guide surfaces 84 is approximately the same as the width between the sides 52 and 54 of the card 21 (see FIG. 2 ). The embodiment of the upper guide wheel 72 limits the deviation of the card 21 toward both sides when it moves along the printing path 39 , and also leads to a more accurate positioning of the surface 42 of the card 21 at the printing position 44 .

The first and second suspension support mechanisms 62 and 64 utilize the replacement structure of the guide wheels 72 and 74, including turning over the positions of the upper and lower guide wheels 72 and 74, and also a plurality of guide wheels 72, such as using the second pair of guide wheels Guide wheel 72 replaces lower guide wheel 74. An outstanding advantage of reversing the positions of the upper and lower guide wheels 72 and 74 of the second suspension support mechanism 64 is that the card 21 is first supported by the upper guide wheel 72C when it is transported to the second position (see FIG. 3A ).

6A and 6B are top and front views, respectively, of another embodiment of the guide 70 used to form the first and second suspension mechanisms 62 and 64. As shown in FIG. 5B , the guides 70 are groove guide wheels 86 , each of which is provided with a guide groove 88 roughly matching the sides 52 and 54 of the card 21 , and its outer side 90 is chamfered away from the card 21 to facilitate the insertion of the card 21 . In addition, the grooved guide wheels 86 can be made of a resilient material to enhance their ability to grip the card 21 and allow precise control of movement of the card 21 through the printing station 44 . The card 21 of the standard specification that is provided with the rounded corner 87 (see FIG. 4 ) is also conducive to improving the ability of the groove guide wheel 86 to clamp the card 21 . The groove guide wheels 86 are positioned so that the card 21 is clamped and support the sides 52 and 54 of the card 21 in the guide groove 88 to provide suspension support for it. At least one slot guide wheel 86 is motor driven to rotate about an axis 94 to transport the card 21 in the desired direction.

In the described embodiment, the sufficient diameter of the groove guide wheel 86 and the shape of the guide groove 88 make the groove guide wheel 86 as the first suspension support mechanism 62 and the second suspension support mechanism 64 respectively, and the card 21 can The first position (see FIG. 3A ) and the third position (see FIG. 3B ) can be respectively supported by only a pair of guide wheels 86 . Of course, multiple pairs of grooved guide wheels 86 can also be provided to ensure proper support for the card 21 .

7A and 7B are side and front views of yet another example of the guide 70 used by the first and second suspension mechanisms 62 and 64 to suspend the card 21 in the first, second and third positions, respectively. . Among them, an upper guide 70 includes several flexible finger-like protrusions 96 that sandwich the card 21 between the lower guide wheel 74 and the non-stick bottom surface 98 of the protrusions 96 . Embodiments of the guide 70 generally include front and rear protrusions 96 that function similarly to the upper guide wheel 72 shown in FIGS. 3A-3C . The fingers 96 may be continuous in the width direction (i.e., toward the inside of the paper as in FIG. 7) and extend across the card 21 between its sides 52 and 54, or as shown in FIG. A plurality of front and rear projections 96 are formed at intervals between the sides 52 and 54 of 21 .

FIG. 8 is another embodiment of the guide 70 as the suspension mechanism 62 and 64 of the present invention. Herein, the conveyor belt 100 is used instead of a lower guide 70, and its function is similar to that of the lower guide wheel 74 (see FIGS. 3A-3C). The conveyor belt 100 includes tracks 102 supporting the cards 21 . Track 102 is driven by rollers 104, at least one of which is driven by a motor in a desired direction in a known manner. An upper guide 70, here the upper guide wheel 72, clamps the card 21 against the track 102 and a roller 104 and provides the necessary support for the card 21 to be supported in the first and third positions.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the input portion 26 is disposed adjacent to the transport mechanism 24, and provides at least one card to the transport mechanism 24 at a time. The input portion 26 includes a supply of cards 21 stored in a container 106 . The container 106 is made in the shape of a card box, and it is inserted into a corresponding slot in the input portion 26 so that the cards can be easily extracted therefrom. In one embodiment, container 106 is provided with a bottom slot 108 sized to allow passage of individual cards, thereby preventing unnecessary feeding. As shown in FIG. 1 , the container 106 may be placed at an angle such that the cards 21 stored therein are tilted and the leading edge 48 of the card 21 on the bottom protrudes from the slot 108 .

An infeed mechanism 110 is used to extract a card 21 from the slot 108 of the container 106 and transfer the card 21 to the transfer mechanism 24 where it is picked up by the first suspension mechanism 62 . It is also possible to allow the input portion 26 to be configured so that the card 21 is delivered directly to the transfer mechanism 24 through the slot 108, so that the feed mechanism 110 can be eliminated. Feed mechanism 110 includes a pair of pinch wheels 112 and 114, each driven by a motor (not shown) in a prior art manner. Pinch wheels 112 draw cards 21 through slot 108 from a supply of cards stored in container 106 . The extracted card 21 is then conveyed to the pinch wheel 114 , and the extracted card 21 is provided to the conveying mechanism 24 .

After the card 21 is transported to the transport mechanism 24, the card 21 is transported through the first, second and third positions, during which the print head 22 records an image on the surface 42 according to the print job. In order to ensure that the image is printed on the entire page including the margins on the surface 42 of the card 21 , the image of the print job is generally set larger than the surface 42 of the card 21 . Printhead 22 will therefore eject ink beyond leading edge 48 , trailing edge 50 , and sides 52 and 54 . As mentioned above, the first and second suspensions 62 and 64 are preferably separated from the printing station 44 by a suitable distance (eg, 0.3 to 0.6 inches) in order to avoid contamination by sprayed ink. Of course, in order to better ensure that the ink sprayed outside does not pollute the conveying mechanism 24 and other components of the printer 20, as shown in FIG. The closer the printing position 44 is, the better, and the transmission of the card 21 must not be hindered.

9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of various embodiments of a controller 120 for ejecting ink according to the present invention. The controller 120 for ejecting ink generally includes a groove 122 whose width is preferably greater than the width W of the printing position 44 and whose length is greater than the distance between the sides 52 and 54 of the card 21 (see FIG. 2 ). Grooves 122 contain ink absorbing material 124 for absorbing ink with which it comes into contact. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9A, several layers 124A-124E of ink absorbing material 124 are disposed in recess 122. In the embodiment shown in FIG. After the topmost layer of ink absorbing material 124A has been impregnated with ink, it can be removed to expose the underlying layer of ink absorbing material 124B.

The embodiment of the overspray ink collector 120 shown in FIG. 9B includes several protrusions 126 for absorbing and capturing overspray ink, thereby reducing potential contamination of the reverse side 128 (see FIG. 1 ) of the card 21, and further Reduce the pollution of the sprayed ink to other parts of the printer 20. For better effect, the size, direction and quantity of the protrusions 126 can be adjusted. In addition, the material of the protrusion 126 and the extended base 130 is an ink-absorbing material, so as to increase the adsorption amount of the ink sprayed to the outside.

The outer spray ink collector 120 can also be charged, and the charged charge is opposite to that of the ink that is not adhered to the surface 42 of the card 21, so that particles around it can be adsorbed to improve the absorption of the outer spray ink collector 120. ink capacity.

Output section 28 (see FIG. 1 ) receives printed cards 21 from transport mechanism 24 and may be provided with various components for post-printing printed cards 21 . FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the output section 28 illustrating several optional components that may be used to form the output section 28 . These components include a drying unit 132, an encoder 134, a card flipper 136, a laminator 138, a stamper 140, and an output bin 142 for collecting and stacking the printed cards 21. The output section 28 may be provided with one or more of the components as required.

The drying device 132 is used to dry the ink printed on the card 21 . The drying device 132 is provided inside the output section 28 along the printing path 39 . The drying device 132 can be a fan, a heater, an ultraviolet light source, or other types of drying devices. Drying unit 132 may also be a heated roll, as described in the applicant's co-pending US patent application Ser. No. 09/702,116, entitled "Ink Jet Card Printing System", incorporated by reference.

Encoders 134A and 134B encode card 21 in a prior art manner. Encoder 134A is a magnetic card encoder used to enter data into the magnetic stripe (not shown) of card 21 . The encoder 134B encodes the encoding circuit on the card 21, such as "new card circuit", "memory card", "card processor", or "stored value circuit" well known in the industry. In a word, besides the information stored in the magnetic strip, other information can be stored on the identification card 21 by using the electronic circuit. The use of encoders 134A and 134B to enter data onto the card may employ prior art methods.

Card flipper 136 enables printer 20 to selectively feed card 21 up or down to encoder 134A or 134B. The card flipper 136 can also turn the card 21 over so that the reverse side 128 (see FIG. 1 ) faces up and allows the print head 22 to print images thereon. In order to print on the reverse side 128 of the card 21, the card 21 must be sent back to the transport mechanism 24 via a suitable feed mechanism, such as a roller 144 that is used to pick up the card 21 from the transport mechanism 24 and transport it to the output section 28, also used Used as a feeding mechanism to return the card 21 to the transport mechanism 24 . The card flipper 136 preferably avoids contact with the printed surface 42 of the card 21, so pairs of grooved guide wheels 86 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B can be used.

The laminator 138 is used to lay a protective layer on the card 21, so that the printing on the surface 42 can be waterproof, light-resistant, chemically resistant, and prevent the printing on the card 21 from being damaged by other objects or effects. In one embodiment, the laminator 138 applies a protective layer by spraying the sealant. In another embodiment, the protective layer is a laminated material 150 that is transferred from a feed wheel 152 to a take-up wheel 154 and passed around a roller 156 and a heater 158 . The laminate 150 comprises a layer of heat transfer laminated film pressed against the surface 42 of the card 21 by means of pressure from the platform 160 . The laminate 150 may comprise multiple layers of different laminates attached to the web. The size of each layer of laminated material is consistent with the margin of the card 21, so that after the card 21 is laminated, the laminated material should be trimmed.

The embossing machine 140 is used to emboss security (anti-counterfeit) marks on the surface 42 of the card 21 . The embossing machine 140 is provided with an embossing wheel 162 for embossing the desired indicia on the surface 42 of the card 21 in a known manner.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, changes in form and details can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and inventive concept of the present invention. For example, various components of the present invention, such as transport mechanism 24 and input section 26, can be modified to allow several cards 21 to be processed simultaneously. Several cards 21 may be arranged in a row and simultaneously transferred to the transport mechanism 24 by the input section 26, with the leading edge 48 and the trailing edge 50 of the cards aligned respectively. The number of cards that can be fed in a row is limited to no more than the length L of the printing position 44 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the guide 70 can also have various forms to support the card 21 in the first, second, and third positions. In addition to the examples already given above, the guide 70 could also be provided with a vacuum gripper instead of using the upper and lower guides to transport the card 21 to the printing position in the manner described above. In addition, the embodiment of the external spray ink collector 120 is only an example of a structure capable of absorbing external spray ink, and there may be many other suitable forms of the external spray ink collector. Therefore, the independent claims cover all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (57)

1. An inkjet identification card printer capable of printing entire pages including margins, the printer comprising: an inkjet printhead for printing on the surface portion of the card as it is fed to the printing station along the printing path; and a transport mechanism comprising a first suspension support mechanism disposed on the input side of the print station for supporting the card in a first position wherein the head of the card is suspended through the print station, the printhead being configured to Printing occurs on the surface of the header as it is suspended through the printing station. 2. A printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism comprises: a second suspension support mechanism on the output side of the printing position, the second suspension support mechanism supports the card in a third position, wherein the tail of the card is suspended through the printing position, the printhead is configured to be suspended when the tail is suspended The support prints on the surface of the tail as it passes through the print position. 3. A printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second suspension supports cooperate to support the card in a second position such that the middle of its surface is conveyed past the printing position. 4. A printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second suspension mechanism comprises at least one guide. 5. A printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide member can be selected from the group consisting of a guide wheel, a pair of side wheels, a grooved guide wheel, a heated roller, and a conveyor belt. 6. A printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes two upper guide wheels and a lower guide wheel. 7. A printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms comprises two lower guide wheels and an upper guide wheel. 8. A printer according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes a conveyor belt and an upper guide, the card moves between the upper guide and the conveyor belt. 9. A printer according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes a pair of grooved guide wheels. 10. A printer according to claim 1, including an outspray ink collector adjacent to the printing station and opposite the printhead for absorbing ink sprayed beyond the surface of the card. 11. A printer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer jet ink collector comprises a groove. 12. A printer according to claim 10, wherein the outer jet ink collector comprises an ink absorbing material. 13. A printer according to claim 10, wherein the outer jet ink collector comprises layers of layered ink absorbing material. 14. A printer according to claim 10, wherein the outspray ink collector is oppositely charged to ink not adhered to the card such that ink particles are attracted to the outjet ink collector. 15. A printer as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outer jet ink collector comprises protrusions. 16. A printer as claimed in claim 1, comprising an input section provided with a supply of cards. 17. A printer as claimed in claim 16, wherein the input section includes a card magazine containing a supply of cards. 18. A printer as claimed in claim 16, wherein the input section includes a card feed mechanism for obtaining at least one card from a card supply. 19. A printer as claimed in claim 1, comprising a controller for controlling the conveying mechanism and the inkjet printing head to print images on the surface of the card. 20. A printer as claimed in claim 1, comprising a card output section for receiving the card conveyed from the conveying mechanism. 21. A printer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the card output section includes a drying device for drying the ink printed on the surface of the card. 22. A printer as claimed in claim 21, wherein the drying means is selected from the group consisting of a heated roller, an ultraviolet light source, a fan, and a heater. 23. A printer according to claim 20, wherein the card output section includes a laminator. 24. A printer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the card output section comprises a stamper. 25. A printer as in claim 20, wherein the card output section includes an encoder. 26. A printer according to claim 20, wherein the card output section includes a card flipper. 27. A kind of printer as claimed in claim 26, wherein the card turner is used to receive a printed card from the transfer mechanism, turn the printed card over to expose its blank side for printing, and send the card to Return to the transport mechanism for printing on its blank side. 28. A printer according to claim 1, wherein the card comprises sides, the header of the card comprises a leading edge, and the print head is adapted to print on the face of the card and at least the sides and the leading edge. 29. A kind of printer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the card comprises sides, the header of the card comprises the leading edge, the tail of the card comprises the trailing edge, and the print head is adapted to print on the face of the card and at least the sides, the leading edge and the trailing edge . 30. An inkjet card printer comprising: an input section having a supply of cards, each card having a surface bounded by a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposing sides; an inkjet printhead for printing on a surface portion of at least one card fed to the printing station; a transport mechanism comprising a first suspension support mechanism disposed on the input side of the print station for supporting the card in a first position wherein the head of the card is suspended through the print station, the printhead being configured to printing on the surface of the header as it is suspended through the printing position; and A controller for controlling the input section, the transport mechanism, and the inkjet printhead. 31. A printer as claimed in claim 30, wherein the transport mechanism comprises: a second suspension support mechanism on the output side of the printing position, the second suspension support mechanism supports the card in a third position, wherein the tail of the card is suspended through the printing position, the printhead is configured to be suspended when the tail is suspended The support prints on the surface of the tail as it passes the print position. 32. A printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first and second suspension supports cooperate to support the card in a second position such that the middle of its surface is conveyed past the printing position. 33. A printer as claimed in claim 31, wherein the second suspension mechanism comprises at least one guide. 34. A printer as claimed in claim 33, wherein the guide is selected from the group consisting of a guide wheel, a pair of side wheels, a grooved guide wheel, a heated roller, and a conveyor belt. 35. A printer according to claim 31, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes two upper guide wheels and a lower guide wheel. 36. A printer according to claim 31, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes two lower guide wheels and an upper guide wheel. 37. A printer as in claim 31, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes a conveyor belt and an upper guide between which cards move. 38. A printer as in claim 31, wherein at least one of the first and second suspension mechanisms includes a pair of grooved guide wheels. 39. A printer according to claim 30 including an outspray ink collector adjacent the printing station and opposite the printhead for absorbing ink sprayed beyond the surface of the card. 40. A printer as in claim 39, wherein the outer jet ink collector includes a groove. 41. A printer as in claim 39, wherein the overspray ink collector comprises an ink absorbing material. 42. A printer as in claim 39, wherein the outer jet ink collector comprises layers of layered ink absorbing material. 43. A printer as in claim 39, wherein the outspray ink collector is oppositely charged to ink not adhered to the card such that ink particles are attracted to the outspray ink collector. 44. A printer as in claim 39, wherein the outer jet ink collector includes protrusions. 45. A printer as in claim 30, wherein the input portion includes a card magazine containing a supply of cards. 46. A printer according to claim 30, wherein the input section includes a card feed mechanism for obtaining at least one card from a card supply. 47. A printer as claimed in claim 30, which includes a card output section for receiving cards conveyed from the conveying mechanism. 48. A printer as claimed in claim 47, wherein the card output section includes a drying device for drying the ink printed on the surface of the card. 49. A printer as claimed in claim 48, wherein the drying means is selected from the group consisting of a heated roller, an ultraviolet light source, a fan, and a heater. 50. A printer as in claim 47, wherein the card output section includes a laminator. 51. A printer as in claim 47, wherein the card output section includes a stamper. 52. A printer as in claim 47, wherein the card output section includes an encoder. 53. A printer as in claim 47, wherein the card output section includes a card flipper. 54. A kind of printer as claimed in claim 53, wherein the card turner is used to receive a printed card from the transport mechanism, turn the printed card over to expose its blank side for printing, and send the card to Return to the transport mechanism for printing on its blank side. 55. A method of printing an entire page including margins on a card surface using an inkjet card printer, the inkjet printer comprising an inkjet printhead capable of printing a portion of the surface delivered to a print station, the The method includes the following steps: overhanging the head of the card, the face of the card including the head edge passing through the print location; and Printing is performed on the surface of the card header as the header is suspended through a printing position. 56. A method as claimed in claim 55, comprising printing on the tail of said card as the tail is suspended through the printing position. 57. A method as claimed in claim 56 including absorbing ink not adhered to the card.

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