Card substrate rotator with lift mechanism

1. A card substrate rotator for use in a credential processing device comprising:

a substrate support configured to receive a card substrate, the substrate support comprising a feed roller driven by a gear;

a rotator mechanism configured to rotate the substrate support about a horizontal axis; and

a lift mechanism configured to move the substrate support and the axis in a vertical plane.

2. The substrate rotator of claim 1 , wherein the rotator mechanism rotates the substrate support responsive to movement of the substrate support in the vertical plane.

3. The substrate rotator of claim 1 , wherein the rotator mechanism comprises:

a rotator gear coupled to the substrate support, the rotator gear configured to rotate about the axis with the substrate support; and

a rack gear comprising gear teeth, wherein the rack gear is movable between a first position, in which the gear teeth of the rack gear engage the rotator gear, and a second position, in which the gear teeth of the rack gear are disengaged from the rotator gear.

4. The substrate rotator of claim 3 , wherein the rotator mechanism rotates the substrate support responsive to movement of the substrate support in the vertical plane when the rack gear is in the first position.

5. The substrate rotator of claim 3 , wherein:

the lift mechanism further comprises a bracket attached to the substrate support;

the rack gear contacts a portion of the bracket during movement of the substrate support in the vertical plan; and

the rack gear is directed toward one of the first and second positions responsive to said contact between the rack gear and the bracket.

6. The substrate rotator of claim 5 , wherein the rack gear comprises a rail and the bracket comprises a member that rides against the rail during movement of the substrate support in the vertical plane, the contact between the member and the rail directs the rack gear toward one of the first and second positions.

7. The substrate rotator of claim 1 further comprising a first portal at which card substrates are received by, or discharged from, a substrate support in a horizontal orientation, which is transverse to the vertical plane.

8. The substrate rotator of claim 7 , wherein:

the substrate rotator comprises a second portal that is displaced from the first portal in a vertical direction that is substantially parallel to the vertical plane; and

the substrate support is configured to discharge card substrates through, or receive card substrates from, the second portal.

9. The substrate rotator of claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism comprises:

a lead screw;

a bracket attached to the lead screw and the substrate support, the bracket configured to move in the vertical plane responsive to rotation of the lead screw; and

a motor configured to drive rotation of the lead screw.

10. A card substrate processing device comprising:

a first substrate processing component;

a first processing path in line with the first substrate processing component and a first portal;

a second substrate processing component;

a second processing path in line with the second substrate processing component and a second portal, wherein the second processing path is above the first processing path; and

a card substrate rotator comprising:

a substrate support configured to receive a card substrate, the substrate support comprising a feed roller driven by a gear;

a rotator mechanism configured to rotate the substrate support about a horizontal axis; and

a lift mechanism configured to move the substrate support and the axis in a vertical plane between a first position, in which the substrate support is aligned with the first portal and the first processing path, and a second position, in which the substrate support is aligned with the second portal and the second processing path;

wherein the feed roller is configured to feed a substrate through the first portal when the substrate support is in the first position, and the feed roller is configured to feed a substrate through the second portal when the substrate support is in the second position.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the rotator mechanism rotates the substrate support responsive to movement of the substrate support in the vertical plane by the lift mechanism.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first and second substrate processing components are selected from the group consisting of a print head, a laminating roller and a data reader and writer.

13. The device of claim 12 , further comprising a card hopper beneath the substrate support, wherein cards fed through the first portal fall into the card hopper when the substrate support is displaced from the first position.

14. A method comprising:

providing a substrate processing device comprising:

a first substrate processing component; and

a first processing path in line with the first substrate processing component and a first portal; and

a card substrate rotator comprising:

a substrate support configured to receive a card substrate, the substrate support comprising a feed roller driven by a gear;

a rotator mechanism configured to rotate the substrate support about a horizontal axis; and

a lift mechanism configured to move the substrate support and the axis in a vertical plane;

processing a card substrate using the first substrate processing component;

feeding the card substrate along the first processing path, through the first portal and into the substrate support using the feed roller; and

moving the substrate support, the card substrate and the axis away from the first processing path in a direction that is transverse to the first processing path using the lift mechanism.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

rotating the substrate support and the card substrate about the axis using the rotator mechanism;

aligning the substrate support with the first portal; and

feeding the card substrate through the first portal using the feed roller.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

raising the substrate support above the first processing path; and

discharging the card substrate through the first portal and into a card hopper positioned below the substrate support.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the substrate processing device further comprises:

a second substrate processing component; and

a second processing path in line with the second substrate processing component and a second portal;

moving the substrate support, the card substrate and the axis away from the first processing path comprises moving the substrate support, the card substrate and the axis in alignment with the second processing path using the lift mechanism; and

the method further comprising:

feeding the card substrate through the second portal and along the second processing path using the feed roller; and

processing the card substrate using the second processing component.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

feeding the card substrate through the second portal and into the substrate support using the feed roller;

moving the substrate support, the card substrate and the axis toward the first processing path using the lift mechanism; and

rotating the card substrate about the axis using the rotator mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein rotating the card substrate about the axis occurs responsive to moving the substrate support, the card substrate and the axis toward the first processing path using the lift mechanism.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein processing a card substrate comprises performing at least one process on the card substrate selected from the group consisting of printing an image on a surface of the substrate, laminating a surface of the substrate, reading data from the substrate, and writing data to the substrate.