Printing – Embossing or penetrating – Processes
Utility Patent
1999-07-14
2001-01-02
Asher, Kimberly (Department: 2854)
Printing
Embossing or penetrating
Processes
C101S004000, C400S130000
Utility Patent
active
06167804
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for personalizing flat supports, an apparatus for effecting the method, and a support obtained by the method.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Methods for personalizing metal or plastic cards by embossing alphanumerical characters are known.
These methods generally involve the use of a gripper which from a holder containing a plurality of stacked cards withdraws one card and transfers it into a position below an embossing unit which forms in relief a series of alphanumerical characters corresponding to the data to be personalized on the card, and also effects other possible processes to which the card has to be subjected.
With the increasing use of bar code readers in recent years, card personalizing methods have been proposed using a bar code. This system of personalization has however not been found to be reliable because it does not enable the correctness of the data transferred to the card to be checked after processing.
Moreover, attempts to personalize the card either by embossing alphanumerical data or by embossing data in bar code have encountered a considerable limitation because the card obtained may carry impressed alphanumerical data and bar code data not corresponding to the effective data to be personalized. Again, whereas incorrect cards can be eliminated by visual reading if in alphanumerical code, the same cannot be said if in bar code, which as stated cannot be checked.
To this must be added the fact that after the control system for the embossing unit has transferred the data to said unit, it generally eliminates the data from its memory, hence if the data embossed in bar code do not correspond to the alphanumerical data, not only is the card unusable but in addition the control system has to be reloaded with the data, with considerable time loss.
JP-A-1.253.495 discloses an apparatus for personalizing flat supports comprising a hopper, a printer, an embossing unit and a typing unit under the control of a controller.
The object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by providing a method for personalizing a flat support which enables data to the embossed both in alphanumerical characters and in bar code, the method enabling the correctness of the embossed bar code data to be checked.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object and other ones are attained according to the invention through a method for personalizing flat supports by embossing, comprising the following stages:
withdrawing from a holder a card to be personalized,
transferring said card into an embossing station in which a bar code is embossed corresponding to the data to be personalized, said data being memorized in a control unit,
transferring said embossed card to a bar code reading station,
verifying in the control unit that the bar code read in the reading station corresponds to the data memorized in the control unit, and if they do not correspond then eliminating said card, or if they do correspond then returning said card to said embossing station for completing the embossing cycle with the alphanumerical characters corresponding to the bar code characters as memorized in the control unit.
To effect the method an apparatus is provided comprising:
at least one container for a plurality of card a to be personalized,
a same embossing unit both for alphanumerical characters and for bar code characters,
a bar code reader,
a discharge station,
a station for feeding the cards to other processing stages,
a movable member for transferring said card between said container, said embossing unit and one of said stations,
a control unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3029920 (1962-04-01), Seifried
patent: 3820455 (1974-06-01), Hencley et al.
patent: 4088216 (1978-05-01), LaManna et al.
patent: 4441831 (1984-04-01), Tipple et al.
patent: 5479003 (1995-12-01), Yamada
patent: 0251637 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 0296024 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 0431172 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 0440124 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 01253495 (1989-10-01), None
Asher Kimberly
C.I.M. Card Identification Machines S.p.A.
Grohusky Leslie
Hoffman Wasson & Gitler PC
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