Identification card printer-assembler for over the counter card issuing

• US 20040066441A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing, LLC (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing, LLC (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Robert, Bi, Daoshen, Mailloux, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/101
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/508 Supports
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0027 using protective coatings or layers by lamination or by fusion of the coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/40 Manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/435 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/45 Associating two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/475 Cutting cards

Abstract

The present invention relates to assembling identification documents in an over-the-counter issuing environment. In one implementation of the present invention, we provide an ink jet printer-based assembling system. An identification document substrate receives ink jet printed information. The printed substrate is laminated. In another implementation, a carrier web carries lamination pieces. Both the carrier web and the document substrate include form feed holes or other registration notches. The holes or notches are used to align the substrate with the lamination pieces, and to align a laminated document substrate for final cutting.

Claims

1. A system to intermittently assemble identification documents, an identification document comprising a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces being laminated, said system comprising:

a first ink jet printer operable to print first information on a top surface of a substrate sheet, said first ink jet printer including a print tray or input to receive the substrate sheet;

a conveyor to convey the once printed substrate sheet from the first ink jet printer;

a second ink jet printer to receive the once printed substrate sheet from the conveyor, the once printed substrate sheet being conveyed in such a manner so as to position a bottom surface of the substrate sheet to receive second information from the second ink jet printer, the second ink jet printer being operable to print the second information on the bottom surface of the substrate sheet;

a laminator operable to receive the twice printed substrate sheet and to provide a top laminate in contact with the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and a bottom laminate in contact with the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet, the laminator laminating the top laminate to the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and laminating the bottom laminate to the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet;

a cutter to cut excess material from the laminated, twice printed substrate sheet, the cut, laminated twice printed substrate sheet forming the identification document.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cooler to receive a recently laminated twice printed substrate sheet, the cooler comprising at least one of a plurality or rollers, a cooling belt and a heat sink.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the laminator comprises a top laminate supply and at least a laminator roller to heat and press the top laminate obtained from the top laminate supply to the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the laminator further comprises a bottom laminate supply and at least a laminator roller to heat and press the bottom laminate obtained from the bottom laminate supply to the bottom surface the twice printed substrate sheet, the bottom laminator roller being relatively positioned below the top laminator roller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the substrate, top laminate and bottom laminate includes a magnetic stripe, and wherein said system further comprises a magnetic stripe encoder to encode data in the magnetic stripe.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one of a scrap material collector to collect residual scrap material, a shedder to shred residual scrap material, a stacker to stack residual stack material, and a rewinder to rewind residual scrap material.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said cutter comprises at least one of a blanking die cutter, laser cutter, a rotary die cutter and a steel rule die cutter.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein said top laminate and bottom laminate each comprise a continuous web of lamination material, and said system further comprises a pair of pulling rollers to pull the continuous web of lamination material through the laminator and cooler.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the top laminate and bottom laminate each comprise an individual sheet of lamination material, said top laminate and bottom laminate being respectively carried by a top carrier web and a bottom carrier web, wherein the top carrier web comprises a top opening and the top laminate is positioned over the top opening, and wherein the bottom carrier web comprises a bottom opening and the bottom laminate is positioned over the bottom opening.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a pair of pulling rollers to pull the carrier web through the laminator and cooler.

11. The system claim 9, wherein each of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web includes a plurality of form feed holes, and said system further comprises a pin belt including a plurality of pins to engage at least one of the top form feed holes and bottom form feed holes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the engagement serves to transport at least one of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web through the laminator and cooler as the pin belt moves.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the engagement serves to transport the carrier web including the laminated substrate sheet to the cutter as the pin belt moves.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the engagement serves to align the carrier web in the cutter.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the substrate sheet including a plurality of form feed holes.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the form feed holes of the substrate sheet and at least one of the top carrier web form feed holes and bottom carrier web form feed holes are aligned to register the substrate with respect to at least one of the top laminate and bottom laminate.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate sheet comprises at least one of a microporous material, a material capable of accepting at least one of a phase change, solvent-based, and aqueous based ink jet inks, a silica-filled polyolefin, and TESLIN.

17. A system to intermittently assemble identification documents, an identification document comprising a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces being laminated, said system comprising:

a first ink jet printer operable to print first information on a top surface of a substrate sheet, said first ink jet printer including an input to receive the substrate sheet and an output from which a printed substrate sheet exits the first ink jet printer;

a first conveyor to convey a once printed substrate sheet from the first ink jet printer output back to the first ink jet printer input, the first conveyor conveying the once printed substrate sheet so as to be positioned to receive printed information on a bottom surface of the substrate sheet, the top and bottom substrate surfaces being different surfaces, the first ink jet printer being operable to print second information on the bottom surface of the substrate sheet;

a second conveyor to convey a twice-printed substrate sheet from the first ink jet printer output;

a laminator operable to receive the twice printed substrate sheet and to provide a top laminate in contact with the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and a bottom laminate in contact with the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet, the laminator laminating the top laminate to the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and laminating the bottom laminate to the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet;

a cutter to cut excess material from the laminated, twice printed substrate sheet, the cut, laminated twice printed sheet forming the identification document.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a cooler to receive a recently laminated twice printed substrate sheet, the cooler comprising at least one of a plurality or rollers, a cooling belt and a heat sink.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the laminator comprises a top laminate supply and at least a laminator roller to heat and press the top laminate obtained from the top laminate supply to the top surface the twice printed substrate sheet.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the laminator further comprises a bottom laminate supply and at least a laminator roller to heat and press the bottom laminate obtained from the bottom laminate supply to the bottom surface the twice printed substrate sheet, the bottom laminator roller being relatively positioned below the top laminator roller.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the substrate, top laminate and bottom laminate includes a magnetic stripe, and wherein said system further comprises a magnetic stripe encoder to encode data in the magnetic stripe.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising at least one of a scrap material collector to collect residual scrap material, a shedder to shred residual scrap material, a stacker to stack residual stack material, and a rewinder to rewind residual scrap material.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said cutter comprises at least one of a blanking die cutter, laser cutter, a rotary die cutter and a steel rule die cutter.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of said top laminate and bottom laminate comprises a continuous web of lamination material, and said system further comprises a pair of pulling rollers to pull the continuous web of lamination material through the laminator and cooler.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the top laminate and bottom laminate comprises an individual sheet of lamination material, said top laminate and bottom laminate being respectively carried by a top carrier web and a bottom carrier web, wherein the top carrier web comprises a top opening and the top laminate is positioned over the top opening, and wherein the bottom carrier web comprises a bottom opening and the bottom laminate is positioned over the bottom opening.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a pair of pulling rollers to pull the carrier web through the laminator and cooler.

27. The system claim 25, wherein at least one of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web includes a plurality of form feed holes, and said system further comprises a pin belt including a plurality of pins to engage at least one of the top form feed holes and bottom form feed holes.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the engagement serves to transport at least one of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web through the laminator and cooler as the pin belt moves.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the engagement serves to transport the carrier web including the laminated substrate sheet to the cutter as the pin belt moves.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the engagement serves to align the carrier web in the cutter.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the substrate sheet including a plurality of form feed holes.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the form feed holes of the substrate sheet and at least one of the top carrier web form feed holes and bottom carrier web form feed holes are aligned to register the substrate with respect to at least one of the top laminate and bottom laminate.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web comprises a continuous web.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one of the top carrier web and bottom carrier web comprise a carrier web sheet.

38. The method of claim 17 wherein the substrate sheet comprises at least one of a microporous material, a material capable of accepting at least one of a phase change, solvent-based, and aqueous based ink jet inks, a silica-filled polyolefin, and TESLIN.

35. A system to intermittently assemble identification documents, an identification document comprising a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface, the top and bottom surfaces being laminated, said system comprising:

a first ink jet printer operable to print first information on a top surface of a substrate sheet;

a second ink jet printer to operable to print second information on a bottom surface of a substrate sheet, the second ink jet printer being constructed and arranged relative to the first ink jet printer such that the substrate sheet can travel along a predetermined path and have its top side printed by the first ink jet printer and its bottom side printed by the second ink jet printer without having to change the orientation of the substrate along the predetermined path; and

a laminator operable to receive the twice printed substrate sheet and to provide a top laminate in contact with the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and a bottom laminate in contact with the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet, the laminator laminating the top laminate to the top surface of the twice printed substrate sheet and laminating the bottom laminate to the bottom surface of the twice printed substrate sheet, the laminated, twice printed substrate sheet comprising the identification document.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the first and second ink jet printers are constructed and arranged to print the substrate sheet at substantially the same time.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein the substrate sheet comprises at least one of a microporous material, a material capable of accepting at least one of a phase change, solvent-based, and aqueous based ink jet inks, a silica-filled polyolefin, and TESLIN.

40. A method of assembling an identification document, the assembled identification document including at least a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate being laminated, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate sheet having printing thereon, the substrate sheet having been perforated or cut so as to include the outline of card;

separating the card from the substrate sheet, the card having a top surface and a bottom surface;

providing a top laminate so as to contact the card'"'"'s top surface and providing a bottom laminate so as to contact the card'"'"'s bottom surface, said top laminate, substrate and bottom laminate forming a card sandwich, said providing laminates steps being preformed at a first station;

heating and pressing the card sandwich to facilitate lamination of the card sandwich at a second station, the second station being separate from the first station; and

cooling the laminated card sandwich at a third station, the third station being separate from the first and second stations.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of ejecting the cooled, laminated card sandwich, the ejected cooled, laminated card sandwich comprising the identification document.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein after said first station, but before said second station, said method comprises placing a platen cover on each of the top laminate and bottom laminate, wherein said heating and pressing step and said cooling step respectively comprises heating and pressing the platens and cooling the platens.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein after said cooling step, said method further comprising the step of opening the cooled platens in a separate station.

44. The method of any claim 40, wherein said first station comprises two separate stations to respective handle the bottom laminate and the top laminate.

45. The method of claim 40 further comprising encoding a magnetic stripe carrier by the laminated, cooled card sandwich at a fourth station that is separate from each of the first, second and third stations.

46. A method of assembling an identification document in an intermittent assembling environment, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling ink jet printing of an identification document substrate so as to print first information on a first surface of the document substrate and to print second information on a second surface of the document substrate, the second information including at least one set of data that is unique with respect to the first information;

controlling lamination of the printed document substrate so as to provide a top laminate in contact with the first surface of the document substrate and to provide a bottom laminate in contact with the second surface of the document substrate; and

controlling alignment of the laminated document substrate through at least form feed holes placed along at least one of an edge of the document substrate and a carrier web that carries the top or bottom laminate,

wherein the alignment relates to at least one of cutting, material registration and the placement of security features on the laminated document substrate.

47. A system to produce an identification document from a substrate having first and second sides and comprising a predetermined material, the system comprising:

means for printing to the first side of the substrate, said means for printing operable to print the identification document using an ink having an affinity for the predetermined material;

means for laminating at least one side of the identification document; and

means for transferring the printed substrate to the means for laminating;