Ink jet card printer having a card position sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759198-B2
Application number	US-201916265292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

In a method of operating an ink jet card printer, which includes a transport belt, a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry, a card is loaded onto the transport belt along a processing axis using an exposed surface of the transport belt. The sensor and the ink jet print head are moved relative to the card using the gantry. A current position of the card is detected using the sensor. An image is printed to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is supported on the transport belt in a print position. Printing is interrupted when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is not in the print position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an ink jet card printer having a transport belt, a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry supporting the ink jet print head and the sensor for movement relative to the transport belt, the method comprising:
loading a card onto the transport belt including engaging the card with an exposed surface of the transport belt and driving the card along a processing axis using the exposed surface of the transport belt;
moving the sensor and the ink jet print head relative to the card using the gantry;
detecting a current position of the card relative to the processing axis using the sensor;
printing an image to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is supported on the card transport belt in an active print zone of the ink jet print head; and
interrupting printing an image to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is not in the active print zone;
wherein interrupting printing an image to the card comprises:
compensating for misregistration between the detected current position of the card and the active print zone including shifting the active print zone relative to the card to a modified active print zone corresponding to the detected current position of the card; and
printing an image to the card and within the modified active print zone using the ink jet print head;
wherein shifting the active print zone to the modified active print zone comprises shifting the active print zone along the processing axis and a slow scan axis that is substantially perpendicular to the processing axis.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the current position of the card comprises at least one of:
detecting a position of the card along the processing axis using the sensor;
detecting a position of the card along the slow scan axis using the sensor; and
detecting a skew angle of the card relative to the processing axis using the sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the current position of the card along the processing axis comprises:
moving the ink jet print head and the sensor using the gantry along a fast scan axis of the gantry, which is substantially parallel to the processing axis;
detecting a position of one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of the card, which are displaced from each other along the processing axis, using the sensor; and
determining whether the card is in the active print zone based on the detected position of the leading or trailing edge.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the position of the card along the slow scan axis comprises:
moving the ink jet print head and the sensor along the slow scan axis;
detecting a position of one of a first side edge or a second side edge of the card, which are displaced from each other along the slow scan axis, using the sensor; and
determining whether the card is in the active print zone based on the detected position of the first or second side edge.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the skew angle of the card relative to the processing axis comprises:
moving the ink jet print head and the sensor relative to the card using the gantry;
detecting positions of first and second points along an edge of the card using the sensor; and
determining the skew angle of the card relative to the processing axis based on the detected positions of the first and second points.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein prior to printing an image to the card, the method comprises:
discharging the card from the transport belt including driving the card along the processing axis using the transport belt;
reloading the card onto the transport belt including driving the card along the processing axis using the transport belt; and
detecting a new current position of the card relative to the processing axis using the sensor;
wherein printing an image to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is in the active print zone comprises printing an image to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected new current position of the card indicates that the card is in the active print zone.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein shifting the active print zone of the ink jet print head to the modified active print zone comprises adjusting an orientation of a fast scan axis of the gantry relative to the processing axis from substantially parallel to the processing axis to approximately the skew angle.

8. A method of operating an ink jet card printer having a card transport including first and second belts, and a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry, the method comprising:
loading a first card onto the first belt including engaging the first card with an exposed surface of the first belt and driving the first card along a processing axis using the exposed surface of the first belt;
loading a second card onto the second belt including engaging the second card with an exposed surface of the second belt and driving the second card along the processing axis using the exposed surface of the second belt;
moving the sensor and the ink jet print head over the first and second cards using the gantry;
detecting current positions of the first and second cards relative to the processing axis using the sensor;
printing a first image to the first card and a second image to the second card during a same print operation using the ink jet print head when the detected current positions of the first and second cards indicate that the first card is supported on the first belt in a first print position, and the second card is supported on the second belt in a second print position; and
interrupting printing images to the first and second cards when the detected current position of the first card indicates that the first card is not in the first print position, or when the detected current position of the second card indicates that the second card is not in the second print position.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein detecting the current positions of the first and second cards comprises at least one of:
detecting a position of the first card along the processing axis and detecting a position of the second card along the processing axis using the sensor;
detecting a position of the first card along a slow scan axis of the gantry that is substantially perpendicular to the processing axis, and detecting a position of the second card along the slow scan axis using the sensor; and
detecting a skew angle of the first card relative to the processing axis, and detecting a skew angle of the second card relative to the processing axis using the sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
printing a first image to the first card and a second image to the second card comprises printing a first image to the first card and a second image to the second card when:
the detected current positions of the first and second cards indicate that the first and second cards are respectively in the first and second print positions;
the detected current position of the first card indicates that the first card is correctly registered with a first active print zone of the ink jet print head, in which the ink jet print head is configured to print the first image; and
the detected current position of the second card indicates that the second card is correctly registered with a second active print zone of the ink jet print head, in which the ink jet print head is configured to print the second image; and

interrupting printing images to the first and second cards comprise

Assignees

• Assa Abloy Ab

Inventors

• Snyder Tanya
• Fowell Daniel
• Lien Brent

Classifications

• B65H2701/1914

  Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards · CPC title

• B65H5/02

  by belts or chains {, e.g. between belts or chains (by combinations of endless conveyors and grippers B65H5/085; by suction belts B65H5/224)} · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J11/00

  Devices or arrangements  {of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers,} for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form (script supports connected to the typewriter or printer B41J29/15) · CPC title

• B41J3/00 Primary

  Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed · CPC title