EP0558419A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Card printing apparatus
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1993-02-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-02-25
Abstract
Abstract The apparatus is used for printing a graphic design on the surface of a card. It comprises a card stage (2) adapted to mount the card (1) on its upper surface, a mechanism (17) for feeding the card stage (2) along a straight linear path being parallel to its upper surface and, a card stock (7) containing a plurality of cards (1). In response to the feeding of the card stage (2), the cards (1) are withdrawn from the card stock (7) one by one so that the card (1) is mounted onto the card stage (2). A printer section (4,40-46) is operative for printing the graphic design on the surface of the card (1) being mounted on the card stage (2), and an ejector (8) is responsive to the feeding of the card stage (2) and thereafter ejects the card (1) from the card stage (2) to a card collection zone.
Inventors
- 👤 Nobuo c/o Sony Corporation Kohno
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:00
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H3/00; B65H3/32; B41; B41J; B41J13/00; B41J13/10; B41J13/12; B65H3/24; G; G07; G07B; G07B1/00; B65H2301/00; B65H2301/40; B65H2301/42; B65H2301/423; B65H2301/4232; B65H2301/42322
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A card printing apparatus for printing a graphic design on the surface of a card (1), comprising: a card stage (2) adapted to mount the card on the upper surface thereof; feeding means (17) for feeding said card stage along a straight linear path being parallel to the upper surface thereof; card stock means (7) for stocking a plurality of cards; means responsive to the feeding of said card stage for withdrawing the card from said card stock means one by one so that the card is mounted onto said card stage; printing means (4,40-46) for printing the graphic design on the surface of the card being mounted on said card stage; and ejector means (8) responsive to the feeding of said card stage for ejecting the card being mounted on said card stage to a card collection zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said printing means comprises a thermal print head (4), and a thermal transfer sheet bearing (3) thermally transferrable printing material on the surface thereof and passing between said thermal print head and said card stage (2).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said printing means further comprising a thermal print head transfer means (43) for transferring said thermal print head (4) between first position where said thermal print head presses said thermal transfer sheet (3) so as to contact said thermal transfer sheet to the card mounted on said card stage (2) and second position where said thermal transfer head is apart from said thermal transfer sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said thermal print head (4) has at least one row of thermal elements being aligned with an axis perpendicular to the straight linear path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of said card stage (2) is formed with first plane operative to receive the card thereon and second plane being aligned with parallel to said first plane, the distance between said first and second plane is substantially equal to a thickness of the card.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said withdraw means has an arm (5) operative to move between first position where the card (1) on said card stage (2) is prevented to move along with said straight linear path against said card stage and second position where the same is allowed to move along with said straight linear path against said card stage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said arm (5) is installed to said card stage (2).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said arm (5) is moved in response to the feeding of said card stage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said card stock means (7) stacks a plurality of cards (1) in tiers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said stock means (7) comprises a lower plate (33) for stocking the plurality of cards thereof in tiers and a biasing means (36) for biasing said lower plate upwardly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a roller (6) secured adjacent to the upper surface of said card stage (2) and rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the straight linear path so as to press the card (1) onto the upper surface of the card stage thereby.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ejector means (8) comprises a roller (57) secured adjacent to the upper surface of the card stage (2) and rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the straight linear path, and means for preventing a rotation of said roller when the card mounted on said card stage is to be ejected.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
The card printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ejector means (8) comprises a roller (57) secured adjacent to the upper surface of the card stage and rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the straight linear path, and means (59) for compulsory rotating said roller to a direction of which the card on said card stage is ejected to said card collection zone where the card is to be ejected.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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