Recording device

• US 6,249,303 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Tatsuo, Kubota, Tsuyoshi, Nakazawa, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US09/460,657
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 347/171, 347/218, 347/222, 400/521, 400/543, 400/541, 400/531, 400/532
• US Class Current: 347/222
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/325 by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/35 Thermal printing on id card
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/342 with change of plane of displacement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1421 rotating, pivoting or oscillating around an axis, e.g. parallel to the roller axis
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/58 Article switches or diverters

Abstract

A recording device having a first card transfer passage with a card supply unit and a second card transfer passage intersecting the first card transfer passage enables the component elements including an information recording means such as a thermal-transfer printer to be assembled compact and efficiently handle one or more cards at one time. Such rational arrangement of the first and second card transfer passages includes a card turning means located at the intersection of the passages for transferring the card between the first and second card transfer passages and recording or printing information on either or both surfaces of the card. By adding a third card transfer passage extending radially from the intersection of the first and second card transfer passages, desired information can be recorded on the card in different manner.

Claims

1. A card recording device comprising a first card transfer passage, a card supply unit for containing one or more cards, said card supply unit being disposed on a first card transfer passage, a second card transfer passage intersecting with said first card transfer passage at an intersection point, card recording means for recording information on the card fed from said card supply unit, said card recording means being disposed on said second card transfer passage, and card turning means for transferring or turning the card, said card turning means being rotatably disposed at said intersection point of said first and second card transfer passages.

2. A card recording device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second card transfer passages intersect at right angles.

3. A card recording device according to claim 1, wherein said first card transfer passage extends substantially horizontally, and said second card transfer passage extends substantially vertically.

4. A card recording device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second card transfer passages extend radially from said intersection point of said passages.

5. A card recording device according to claim 1, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located at the other end of said first card transfer passage.

6. A card recording device according to claim 2, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located at the other end of said first card transfer passage.

7. A card recording device according to claim 3, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located at the other end of said first card transfer passage.

8. A card recording device according to claim 4, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located at the other end of said first card transfer passage.

9. A card recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaner for cleaning the card fed from said card supply unit, said cleaner being disposed between said card supply unit and said card turning means on said first card transfer passage.

10. A card recording device according to claim 5, further comprising a cleaner for cleaning the card fed from said card supply unit, said cleaner being disposed between said card supply unit and said card turning means on said first card transfer passage.

11. A card recording device according to claim 1, wherein said information recording means is a thermal-transfer printer.

12. A card recording device according to claim 5, wherein said information recording means is a thermal-transfer printer.

13. A card recording device according to claim 9, wherein said information recording means is a thermal-transfer printer.

14. A card recording device comprising a first card transfer passage, a card supply unit for containing one or more cards, said card supply unit being disposed on a first card transfer passage, a second card transfer passage intersecting with said first card transfer passage at an intersection point, first card recording means for recording information on the card, said first card recording means being disposed on said second card transfer passage, a third card transfer passage intersecting with said first and second card transfer passages at an intersection point, second card recording means for recording information on the card, said second card recording means being disposed on said third card transfer passage, and card turning means for transferring or turning the card, said card turning means being rotatably disposed at said intersection point of said first, second and third card transfer passages.

15. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said first and second card transfer passages intersect at right angles.

16. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said first card transfer passage extends substantially horizontally, and said second card transfer passage extends substantially vertically.

17. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said first, second and third card transfer passages extend radially from said intersection point of said passages.

18. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located at the other end of said first card transfer passage.

19. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said card supply unit is located at one end of said first card transfer passage, and further comprising a card discharge unit located on said third card transfer passage.

20. A card recording device according to claim 14, comprising a card discharge unit disposed on one of said first to third card transfer passages, and an error-card rejecting unit disposed on the other one of said first to third card transfer passages.

21. A card recording device according to claim 14, further comprising a cleaner for cleaning the card fed from said card supply unit, said cleaner being disposed between said card supply unit and said card turning means on said first card transfer passage.

22. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein one of said first and second information recording means is a thermal-transfer printer, and the other information recording means is a magnetic encoder.

23. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein one of said first and second information recording means is a thermal-transfer printer, and the other information recording means is an IC writer.

24. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said first and second information recording means arc thermal-transfer printers.

25. A card recording device according to claim 24, wherein one of said first and second information recording means is a thermal-fusing type thermal-transfer printer, and the other information recording means is a thermal-sublimation type thermal-transfer printer.

26. A card recording device according to claim 14, wherein said card supply unit is provided with a lid having a card aligning member to push forward the cards stacked in said card supply unit when closing said lid.