Card printing apparatus

• US 20110083572A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaneoya, Daisuke, Fujimoto, Toshiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/425
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards

Abstract

A card printing apparatus for sequentially printing a plurality of colors on a card has a card supply unit for supplying a card; a card conveyance path provided linearly from the card supply unit for conveying the card; a conveyance device provided on the card conveyance path for conveying the card; a printing unit provided on the card conveyance path; a card cleaning member disposed between the card supplying unit and the printing unit provided within the returning range of the card while printing the card conveyed in reverse; and a card cleaning member moving device for moving the card cleaning member to a retreated position separated from the card cleaning member and the card conveyance path, and an operating position. The card cleaning member is moved to the retreated position when the card is conveyed in reverse while printing.

Claims

1. A card printing apparatus for sequentially printing plurality of colors on a card, comprising:

a card supply unit for supplying a card;

a card conveyance path provided linearly from the card supply unit to convey the card;

a conveyance device provided on the card conveyance path for conveying the card;

a printing unit provided on the card conveyance path, the printing unit printing a first color while conveying the card and printing a next color while conveying the card in a reverse direction after positioning the card,

a card cleaning member disposed between the card supply unit and the printing unit within a returning range of the card while printing the card conveyed in reverse, the card cleaning member contacting the card supplied from the card supply unit and cleaning the card; and

a card cleaning member moving device for moving the card cleaning member to a retreated position separated from the card conveyance path, and an operating position where the card cleaning member contacts the surface of the card being conveyed by advancing into the card conveyance path,

wherein the card cleaning member is moved to the retreated position when the card is conveyed in reverse while printing.

2. A card printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a card discharging member disposed under the card supply unit and discharging the card printed,

a moving mechanism for moving a part of the conveyance device to form a discharging path to discharge the card from the card discharging member,

wherein the moving mechanism moves the conveyance device in between a level conveyance path to print and supply cards, and an oblique conveyance path to discharge the printed card.

3. A card printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the card cleaning member comprises a cleaning roller having an adhesiveness;

the conveyance device comprises a conveyance roller conveying a card; and

the conveyance roller and the cleaning roller convey a card by nipping the card in a condition that the conveyance roller is positioned in the level conveyance path, and the cleaning roller is positioned in the operating position.

4. A card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the card cleaning member is moved to the operating position when the card is supplied.