Information card producing device

• US RE38,295 E1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nisca Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takehito, Shiina, Toshihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A.
• Application Number:
  US09/962,414
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 235/449, 235/493, 235/494, 235/475, 235/477, 235/483, 235/380, 235/384, 235/379, 235/375, 235/480, 347/218, 101/232
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• 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: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material

Abstract

Recording units including a printer for printing information data on at least one surface of a recording medium card are arranged vertically one over another in an information card producing device. Card turning portions are disposed confronting the respective recording units, so that the card can be transferred between the card turning portions and the recording units and turned over, thereby recording the desired information data on one or both of the surface of the card. The recording unit includes a magnetic encoder and/or IC memory reader/writer and has a function of verifying the information data written to the card so as to send out the card to a card discharge port when adequately recorded or to a card reject port when a write error is found.

Claims

1. An information card producing device comprising:

a recording portion having recording units, at least one of said recording units including means for printing information data on at least one surface of a recording medium card, said recording units being arranged one over another;

each of said recording units having a card feeding path, at least one of said card feeding paths being reversible; and

a card transfer portion for transferring said recording medium card relative to said recording units through said card feeding paths and for turning over said recording medium card .

2. An information card producing device according to claim 1, wherein said printing means is a thermal transfer printer.

3. An information card producing device according to claim 1, wherein one of said recording units includes a magnetic recording encoder and/or an IC memory reader/writer.

4. An information card producing device according to claim 2, wherein one of said recording units includes a magnetic recording encoder and/or an IC memory reader/writer.

16. An information card producing device according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge stacker positioned adjacent to said card transfer portion, wherein said recording media card is transferred backward along said reversible card feeding path and is discharged into said discharge stacker.

27. The information card producing device according to one of claims 1, 17, 20 or 22, further comprising a card supply device positioned at a card supply side and a card discharge device positioned at an opposite card discharge side.

28. The information card producing device according to one of claims 1, 17, 20 or 22, further comprising a card supply device positioned adjacent to a card supply side wall and a card discharge device positioned adjacent to an opposite card discharge side wall.

29. The information card producing device according to claim 27, wherein said card discharge device is positioned adjacent to said card transfer portion.

30. The information card producing device according to claim 27, further comprising a discharge stacker at said card discharge device.

44. The information card producing device according to claim 28, wherein said card discharge device is positioned adjacent to said card transfer portion.

45. The information card producing device according to claim 28, further comprising a discharge stacker at said card discharge device.

5. An information card producing device comprising:

a casing having a card supply side wall with a card supply port, an opposite card discharge side wall with a card discharge port, a first feeding path extending through said card supply port, and a second feeding path formed beneath said first feeding path in substantially parallel with said first feeding path;

a card supply portion mounted onto said card supply port;

a recording portion including a first recording unit disposed on said first feeding path for recording unit disposed on said first feeding path for recording information data on at least one surface of a card, and a second recording unit disposed on said second feeding path for recording information data on at least one surface of said card; and

a card transfer portion including a first card turning portion confronting said first recording unit on said first feeding path for transferring and turning over said card, and a second card turning portion confronting said second recording unit on said second feeding path for transferring and turning over said card;

wherein said card is sent from one of the first feeding path and the second feeding path to the other of the first feeding path and the second feeding path by operating the card transfer portion.

6. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein one of said recording units is a thermal transfer printer, and the other recording unit includes a magnetic recording encoder and/or an IC memory reader/writer.

7. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said first and second recording units each are formed of a thermal transfer printer.

8. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said card transfer portion is interposed between said card supply portion and said recording portion.

9. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said card transfer portion is interposed between said recording portion and said card discharge portion.

10. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said discharge port is disposed on the level with said first feeding path, and further comprising a discharge stacker disposed outside said casing confronting said card discharge port.

11. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said card discharge port is disposed on the level with said second feeding path, and further comprising a discharge stacker disposed outside said casing confronting said card discharge port.

12. An information card producing device according to claim 5, further comprising a card reject port disposed on said second feeding path and formed under said card supply port in said casing, so that when finding a faulty card causing write error in at least one of said recording units, said faulty card is discharged through said card reject port.

13. An information card producing device according to claim 5, further comprising cleaning means formed of rollers disposed between said first card turning portion and said first recording unit on said first feeding path for cleaning at least one surface of said card.

14. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein each of said first and second card turning portions includes a rotating frame supported by a rotating shaft placed on said first or second feeding path, paired feeding rollers rotatably supported by said rotating frame, and press rollers coming in elastic contact with said feeding rollers on said first or second feeding path, so as to hold a card therebetween,

which device further comprises a feeding motor connected to said feeding rollers of said first and second being portions through rotation transmitting means so as to transmit rotation to said feeding rollers to transfer said card, and a revolving motor for giving rotation to both said rotating frames of said first and second card turning portions to permit said rotating frames to revolve around said rotating shafts,

said feeding rollers being driven so that, when revolving said rotating frames by driving said revolving motor, transmission of rotation from said feeding motor to said feeding rollers is negated.

15. An information card producing device according to claim 5, wherein said card transfer portion includes a plurality of card sensors for detecting the card.

17. An information card producing device, comprising:

18. The information card producing device of claim 17, further comprising a card feed roller to transfer said recording medium card along said card feed plane.

19. The information card producing device of claim 17, further comprising a pair of card feed rollers to transfer said recording medium card along said card feed plane.

35. The information card producing device according to one of claims 17, 20, 22 or 25, wherein one of said recording units is a thermal printer.

36. The information card producing device according to one of claims 17, 20, 22 or 25, wherein one of said recording units includes a magnetic recording encoder.

37. The information card producing device according to one of claims 17, 20, 22 or 25, wherein one of said recording units includes an IC memory reader/writer.

38. The information card producing device according to one of claims 17, 20, 22 or 25, wherein said recording units are each formed of a thermal transfer unit.

39. The information card producing device according to claim 36, wherein said magnetic encoder includes a magnetic head for verifying properly encoded data.

40. The information card producing device according to 37, wherein said IC memory reader/writer verifies properly inputted data.

20. An information card producing device, comprising:

21. The information card producing device of claim 20, wherein said card transfer portion also includes a press roller operating in conjunction with said card feed roller.

22. An information card producing device, comprising:

23. The information card producing device of claim 22, wherein said card conveyor includes a card feed roller.

24. The information card producing device of claim 22, wherein said card conveyor also includes a press roller operating in conjunction with said card feed roller.

25. An information card producing device, comprising:

26. The information card producing device of claim 25, wherein said card conveyor includes a card feed roller.

31. The information card producing device according to claim 25, further comprising a card supply device positioned at a card supply side and a card discharge device positioned at an opposite card discharge side.

32. The information card producing device according to claim 25, further comprising a card supply device positioned adjacent to a card supply side wall and a card discharge device positioned adjacent to an opposite card discharge side wall.

33. The information card producing device according to claim 31 or 32, wherein said discharge device is positioned adjacent to said card conveyor.

34. The information card producing device according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising a discharge stacker at said card discharge device.

41. An information card producing device, comprising:

43. An information card producing device according to claim 41, wherein said transferring roller transfers a recording media card from said first recording unit to said second recording unit and from said second recording unit to said card discharge port.

42. An information card producing device, comprising: