Carrier-less patch protection including cassette and separation device

• US 20030085249A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Mabit, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 7,201,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 225/4
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/002 Precutting and tensioning or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0046 characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/10 from or with devices for breaking partially-cut or perforated webs, e.g. bursters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1059 Splitting sheet lamina in plane intermediate of faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 of continuous or running length bonded web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1184 Piercing layer during delaminating [e.g., cutting, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/16 Transversely of continuously fed work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/35 Work-parting pullers [bursters]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/393 Web restrainer

Abstract

The present invention is a laminate media, in the form of a continuous strip of carrier-less, pre-cut plastic patch protections, connected by perforations. The invention further describes both a method for separating the patches from each other by stressing the perforated patch area without stopping the driving process and a cassette within which the separation process occurs.

Claims

1. An unsupported media comprising a continuous strip of patches, each patch having a front end and a back end, the front end of one patch being coupled to the back end of another patch by perforations.

2. The unsupported media of claim 1, wherein each patch has rounded edges.

3. The unsupported media of claim 1, wherein the continuous strip of patches is wound around a spool.

4. The unsupported media of claim 1, wherein the continuous strip of patches is stacked in accordion fashion.

5. The unsupported media of claim 1, wherein the configuration of the perforation is 1 mm tie for 4 mm cut.

6. The unsupported media of claim 1, the patch being narrower than a card the media is to be placed on.

7. The unsupported media of claim 1, wherein the patch has a cutout allowing a portion of a card to remain uncovered after lamination.

8. A device used to separate perforated media, the media being in a continuous strip connected by perforations, the device comprising:

first and second drive rollers, the first drive roller being parallel to and spaced from the second drive roller by a distance L, the distance L being greater than a length of one unit of media, but not more than two units of media;

first and second pressure rollers being coupled to the first and second drive rollers, respectively, the first pressure roller being parallel to the second pressure roller,

wherein the media is adapted to be driven between the first drive roller and the first pressure roller and then between the second drive roller and the second pressure roller; and

first and second drive means coupled to the first and second drive rollers, respectively, wherein the speed of the second drive means is greater than the speed of the first drive means.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first and second drive means are motors.

10. A device used to separate perforated media, the device comprising:

first and second drive rollers, the first drive roller being parallel to and spaced from the second drive roller by a distance L, the distance L being greater than a length of one unit of media, but not more than two units of media;

first and second pressure rollers being coupled to the first and second drive rollers, respectively, the first pressure roller being parallel to the second pressure roller,

wherein the media is adapted to be driven between the first drive roller and the first pressure roller and then between the second drive roller and the second pressure roller;

the first drive roller having a first diameter;

the second drive roller having a second diameter greater than the first diameter; and

drive means coupled to both the first and second drive rollers.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the drive means comprise at least one motor.

14. The device of claim 8, 10, 12 or 13, wherein the media comprises a continuous strip of carrier-less perforated patches.

12. A device used to separate perforated media, the device comprising the following:

first and second drive rollers, the first drive roller being parallel to and spaced from the second drive roller by a distance L, the distance L being greater than a length of one unit of media, but not more than two units of media;

first and second pressure rollers being coupled to the first and second drive rollers, respectively, the first pressure roller being parallel to the second pressure roller,

wherein the media is adapted to be driven between the first drive roller and the first pressure roller and then between the second drive roller and the second pressure roller; and

a translator coupled to the second drive roller generating a second linear speed, the first drive roller having a first linear speed, the second linear speed being greater than the first linear speed.

13. A device used to separate perforated media, the device comprising:

a drive roller;

a pressure roller being positioned parallel to the pressure roller;

a static pinching device adapted to immobilize a subsequent unit of media,

the static pinching device being located a distance L from the drive roller, the distance L being greater than a length of one unit of media, but not more than two units of media; and

a motor coupled to the drive roller to drive the media.

15. A method of separating a patch from a continuous strip of carrier-less perforated patches, wherein the strip passes between a first drive roller and a first pressure roller and then between a second drive roller and a second pressure roller, where the first and second drive rollers are separated by a distance L, the distance L being greater than one patch length, but not more than two patch lengths, the method comprising the steps of:

driving the first drive roller at a first speed;

driving the second drive roller at a second speed, wherein the second speed is greater than the first drive speed; and

automatically separating the patch from the strip when a perforation is between the first and second drive rollers.

16. A method of separating a patch from a continuous strip of carrier-less perforated patches, wherein the strip passes between a first drive roller having a first diameter and a first pressure roller and then between a second drive roller having a second diameter and a second pressure roller, where the second diameter is greater than the first diameter, and where the first and second drive rollers are separated by a distance L, the distance L being greater than one patch length, but not more than two patch lengths, the method comprising the steps of:

driving the first and second drive roller; and

automatically separating the patch from the strip when a perforation is between the first and second drive rollers.

17. A method of separating a patch from a continuous strip of carrier-less perforated patches, wherein the strip passes by a static pinching device and then between a drive roller and a pressure roller, where the drive roller and the static pinching device are separated by a distance L, the distance L being greater than one patch length, but not more than two patch lengths, the method comprising the steps of:

driving the drive roller; and

automatically separating the patch from the strip when a perforation is between the drive roller and the static pinching device.

18. A device comprising:

a body having a media holder;

a first drive roller coupled to the body at a first end;

a roller casing coupled to the body at a first end;

a first pressure roller coupled to the roller casing at a first end, wherein the first pressure roller is adapted to contact the first drive roller;

a second drive roller coupled to the body at a second end;

a door pivotally coupled to the body at the second, the door being adapted to pivot between an open loading position and a closed operational position; and

a second pressure roller coupled to the door and adapted to contact the second drive roller when the door is in the closed operational position.

19. The device of claim 18, the first pressure roller being adapted to contact the first drive roller at an offset from each other.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first pressure roller is adapted to contact the first drive roller 45 degrees, downstream of a media flow, from the drive roller.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the first drive roller has a diameter greater than the second drive roller.

22. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one belt coupled to the first and second drive rollers; and

at least one motor coupled to the first drive roller and adapted to drive the at least one belt and the second drive roller.

23. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one belt coupled to the first and second drive rollers; and

at least one motor coupled to the second drive roller and adapted to drive the at least one belt and the first drive roller.

24. The device of claim 22 or 23, the roller casing further comprising at least one arm to cover the at least one belt.

25. The device of claim 18, further comprising a first set of ridges coupled to the body between the first and second drive rollers and adapted to maintain a media substantially flat and to guide media from the second drive roller to the first drive roller.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the first set of ridges are adapted to contact 20% of area of media as it passes over the first set of ridges.

27. The device of claim 18, further comprising a second set of ridges coupled to the door between an end of the door and the second pressure roller, the second set of ridges being adapted to maintain a media substantially flat position and to guide media from the second drive roller to the first drive roller when the door is closed.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the second set of ridges are adapted to contact 20% of area of media as a media passes over the second set of ridges.

29. The device of claim 18, wherein the device is adapted to be operable in any orientation.

30. The device of claim 18, further comprising a handle coupled to a top of the door and being adapted to open and close the door.

31. The device of claim 18, wherein the door is adapted to create a core through a center of the media holder when the door is in the closed position.

32. The device of claim 18, wherein the roller casing is adapted to be removably coupled to the body.