Card printing using thermal transfer print ribbon with radiation curable ink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020338902-A1
Application number	US-202016923524-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Oct 29, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.

First claim

1 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . A desktop plastic card printing system, comprising:
a card input hopper configured to hold a plurality of plastic financial cards to be printed, each plastic financial card having an integrated circuit chip and/or a magnetic stripe; a plastic card output configured to hold a plurality of the plastic financial cards after printing; a thermal transfer print station downstream from the card input hopper, the thermal transfer print station includes a thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink, a ribbon supply that supplies the thermal transfer print ribbon, and a ribbon take-up that takes-up used portions of the thermal transfer print ribbon; and a radiation curing station downstream from the card input hopper, the radiation curing station includes one or more light emitting diodes that emit radiation to cure radiation curable ink applied to a plastic financial card.

23 . The desktop plastic card printing system of claim 22 , wherein the radiation cured ink on the plastic financial card has an abrasion resistance of at least 400 cycles.

24 . The desktop plastic card printing system of claim 23 , wherein the abrasion resistance value is between about 600 cycles to about 800 cycles.

25 . The desktop plastic card printing system of claim 22 , further comprising a card flipper.

26 . The desktop plastic card printing system of claim 22 , further comprising a magnetic stripe station downstream from the card input hopper.

27 . The desktop plastic card printing system of claim 22 , further comprising an integrated circuit chip station downstream from the card input hopper.

28 . A plastic financial card produced using the desktop plastic card printing system of claim 22 .

29 . A plastic card printing system, comprising:
a plastic card input and a plastic card output; a thermal transfer print station that prints on a plastic card that has been input from the plastic card input, the thermal transfer print station includes a thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink, a ribbon supply that supplies the thermal transfer print ribbon, and a ribbon take-up that takes-up used portions of the thermal transfer print ribbon; a radiation curing station that includes one or more ultraviolet lights that emit ultraviolet radiation to cure radiation curable ink that has been applied from the thermal transfer print ribbon to a surface of the plastic card; wherein the radiation cured ink on the surface provides an abrasion resistance that is sufficient to permit the plastic card to be issued to a cardholder without a protective laminate or coating overlaying the radiation cured ink on the surface.

30 . The plastic card printing system of claim 29 , wherein the radiation cured ink on the plastic card has an abrasion resistance of at least 400 cycles.

31 . The plastic card printing system of claim 30 , wherein the abrasion resistance value is between about 600 cycles to about 800 cycles.

32 . The plastic card printing system of claim 29 , further comprising a card flipper.

33 . The plastic card printing system of claim 29 , further comprising a magnetic stripe station downstream from the plastic card input.

34 . The plastic card printing system of claim 29 , further comprising an integrated circuit chip station downstream from the plastic card input.

35 . A plastic card produced using the plastic card printing system of claim 29 .

Assignees

• Entrust Datacard Corp

Inventors

• Beech Brian

Classifications

• B41J13/12

  specially adapted for {small} cards, envelopes, or the like {, e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards} · CPC title

• B41J11/00214

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J3/38 Primary

  for embossing, e.g. for making matrices for stereotypes · CPC title

• B41J2/44

  using single radiation source {per colour}, e.g. lighting beams or shutter arrangements (B41J2/475 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J11/002

  Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating · CPC title