Ink-receptive card substrate
View Patent ↗In a method of forming an ink-receptive card substrate, an ink-receptive material is provided. The ink-receptive material includes a backing layer and an ink-receptive coating on a surface of the backing layer. Next, a card member is provided. Finally, the ink-receptive material is laminated to a surface of the card member with the ink-receptive coating facing the surface of the card member. This results in the bonding of the ink-receptive coating to the surface of the card member. Additional embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices that are configured to perform the above-identified method.
1. A method of forming an identification card comprising steps of:
a) providing an ink-receptive material that includes a backing layer and an ink-receptive coating on a surface of the backing layer;
b) providing a card member;
c) laminating the ink-receptive material to a surface of a card member such that the ink-receptive coating is bonded to the surface of the card member
d) removing the backing layer from the ink-receptive coating; and
e) printing an image to a surface of the ink-receptive coating following the removing step.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminating step c) includes applying heat and pressure to the ink-receptive material and the card member.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-receptive material overhangs edges of the card member during the laminating step c).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-receptive material is in the form of an individual ink-receptive sheet.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ink-receptive sheet completely covers the surface of the card substrate during the laminating step c).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-receptive material is in the form of an ink-receptive film.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the ink-receptive film is supported on a supply roll.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the card member is sized in accordance with standardized identification card substrates.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the card member is in the form of a sheet of card substrate material.
10. The method of claim 9 including cutting an identification card substrate from the sheet of card substrate material following the laminating step c).
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the card member includes an embedded chip having exposed contacts.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ink-receptive coating does not bond to the exposed contacts during the laminating step c).
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink receptive coating is in contact with the surface of the backing layer in step (a) and the ink-receptive coating completely covers the surface of the card member in step (c).
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-receptive coating is in contact with the surface of the backing layer in step (a).
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink-receptive coating completely covers the surface of the card member in step (c).
16. A device for forming a card substrate comprising:
a supply of ink-receptive material having a backing layer and an ink-receptive coating on the surface of the backing layer;
a laminating section configured to laminate the ink-receptive material to a surface of a card member, wherein the ink-receptive coating is bonded to and completely covers the surface of the card member; and
a separator configured to remove the backing layer of the ink-receptive material from the ink-receptive coating and the card member.
17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the laminating section includes a heated roller.
18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the supply of ink-receptive material includes at least one ink-receptive sheet.
19. The device of claim 18 including a sheet feed mechanism configured to transport individual ink-receptive sheets from the supply of ink-receptive material to the laminating section.
20. The device of claim 16 wherein the supply of ink-receptive material includes an ink-receptive film contained on a supply roll.
21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the laminating section includes a heated roller and the ink-receptive film is fed between the heated roller and the card member.
22. The device of claim 16 , including a card supply containing a plurality of card members and a card feed mechanism configured to transport individual card members to the laminating section.
23. The device of claim 16 , wherein the card member is sized in accordance with an identification card substrate.
24. The device of claim 16 , wherein the card member is a sheet of identification card substrate material.
25. The device of claim 16 including a printhead configured to receive the ink-receptive material and print an image on the ink-receptive coating.
26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the printhead is an ink jet printhead.
27. The device of claim 16 , wherein the separator includes at least one peeling wedge.
28. The device of claim 16 , wherein the separator includes a peeling roller that directs the ink-receptive material away from the ink-receptive coating bonded to the card member at an acute angle relative to the card member.
29. The device of claim 28 , wherein an axis of rotation of the peeling roller is at an acute angle relative to a direction in which the card member travels.