Patent Publication Number: US-6698947-B2

Title: Substrate and carrier and method of forming same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 09/711,755, filed Nov. 13, 2000 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/165,347, entitled “SUBSTRATE AND CARRIER AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME,” filed on Nov. 12, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a carrier that is adapted to carry a substrate such that a printing system can print on a surface of the substrate. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Printing systems are used to print textual and graphical information on various substrates. Most printers require that the substrate be planar especially at the surface that is to be printed on. This is not a problem for paper substrates which can be laid across a roller at the print head to provide the desired planar surface. However, it is also desirable to print on substrates that are not as malleable as paper. 
     One such substrate is a compact disc (CD), on which labels must be printed. One method used to allow CD&#39;s to be passed through a printer involves the use of a carrier that holds the CD during the printing process and maintains the planar and regularly shaped CD at the proper orientation relative to a print head. Such a carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,688, which includes a recess that is substantially equal to the depth or thickness of the CD, so that the surface of the carrier and the surface of the DC held by the carrier form a substantially flat or coplanar surface on which the print head can print textual and graphical images. 
     One disadvantage of carriers of the prior art is that they are incapable of accommodating substrates having irregular shapes, such as those having irregular peripheral edges and variable thicknesses. For example, it would be desirable to have a carrier that could be used with a printer to support such substrates as key fobs, badges having irregular shapes, tokens, and many other types of irregularly shaped substrates. As a result, there is a need for a carrier that can support such irregularly shaped substrates in such a manner as to allow a printing system to print on a surface of the substrate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a carrier for use with a printer that can support irregularly shaped substrates having a top surface. The carrier includes first and second planar members. The first planar member has top and bottom surfaces, a thickness, and an inner edge that conforms to an irregularly shaped outer edge of a substrate. The second planar member has a top surface that is coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member. A recess, defined by the inner edge of the first planar member and the top surface of the second planar member, is adapted to receive the substrate such that the top surfaces of the substrate and the first planar member are coplanar. 
     The present invention is also directed to a carrier having a substrate that includes first and second planar members and a removable substrate. The first planar member has top and bottom surfaces and a thickness. The second planar member has a top surface coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member. The removable substrate is formed of a portion of the first planar member as defined by an outer edge. 
     Additional aspects of the present invention are directed to methods of forming the above described carriers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an example of a printing system with which a carrier of the present invention may be used. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of a carrier in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 3-6 are sectional views taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating methods of forming a carrier and a substrate in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention relates to a carrier, generally designated as  10 , that can support an irregularly shaped substrate such that textual and graphical images can be printed on the substrate by a printing system. The substrates can have many different shapes and can serve as, for example, identification cards, badges, tokens, key fobs, tags, ornaments, and many other irregularly shaped objects. The carrier supports the substrate as it is passed through a printing system and a top surface of the substrate is presented to a print head of the printing system such that the print head can render textual and graphical images on the top surface of the substrate. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a printing system  12  with which carrier  10  of the present invention may be used. Printing system  12  generally includes microcomputer  14 , memory  16 , input devices  18 , print head  20 , and carrier feeder mechanisms (not shown). Printing system  12  is adapted to print text and images onto a substrate  22  that is supported by carrier  10 , as shown in FIG. 2, using print head  20 . Printing system  12  can be an ink jet, a dye sublimation ribbon, or a resin based printing system, all of which are known in the art. 
     Microcomputer  14  is preferably a microprocessor-based device of a type well-known in the art. However, in other embodiments, microcomputer  14  can be any analog or digital circuitry capable of implementing the method of the present invention. Memory  16  is coupled to microcomputer  14  and can be any of a large variety of conventional data storage devices for temporarily and/or permanently storing data for use by microcomputer  14 . In other embodiments, memory  16  can be integrated within microcomputer  14  instead of being a separate device. Microcomputer  14  can be adapted to process image files produced by a software application and control print head  20  to render the image file on substrate  22 . 
     Input devices  18  are coupled to microcomputer  14  and can be any of a wide variety of devices adapted for providing information and/or control data to microcomputer  14 . For instance, input devices  18  can include, for example, a keyboard, a keypad entry device, a sensor, and other types of input devices. Additionally, input devices  18  can include a separate computing system which provides the image files to microcomputer  14  for processing, as mentioned above. 
     Print head  20  can be an ink jet print head used in an ink jet printing system  12 , or a thermal print head that is adapted for use with dye sublimation or resin based printing systems  12 . Print head  20  is adapted to print images on a print surface of substrate  22 , such as top surface  24  (FIG.  2 ), when substrate  22  is presented to print head  20  in carrier  10  along a printing path, generally designated by arrow  26  in FIG. 1. A carrier feeder mechanism (not shown) transports carrier  10  along the printing path  26  and presents carrier  10  and substrate  22  to print head  20  for printing in accordance with the specifications of the printing system  12 . The carrier feeder mechanism can include drive and pinch rollers, loading trays, or other transport mechanisms that are commonly found in printing systems  12 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, substrate  22  generally has an irregularly shaped exterior surface  28 , except for a portion which is a flat print surface or top surface  24 . In one embodiment, an outer edge  30  of exterior surface  28  is irregularly shaped and carrier  10  includes an irregularly shaped inner edge  32  that conforms to outer edge  30 , as shown in FIG.  2 . Alternatively, outer edge  30  can be a regular shape such as square, circular, and etc. while exterior surface  28  located below flat print surface  24  is irregularly shaped resulting in a variable thickness to substrate  22 . In yet another embodiment, both outer edge  30  and the portion of substrate  22  located below top surface  24  of substrate  22  are irregularly shaped. Substrate  22  could be, an identification card or badge, a token, an ornament, a key fob, or a tag, or other irregularly shaped object. The irregular shape could represent an object, a state, or a company logo, for example. 
     Various embodiments of carrier  10  are shown in FIGS. 3-6, which are sectional views of carrier taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . In order to simplify the discussion of the present invention, the elements of carrier  10  and substrate  22  shown in FIGS. 3-6, which are identified by the same or similar numbers are intended to identify the same or similar elements. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, carrier  10  includes first and second planar members  34  and  36 , respectively, as shown in FIGS. 3,  5 , and  6 . First planar member  34  includes bottom surface  38 , top surface  40 , thickness t, and inner edge  32 , which conforms to outer edge  30  of substrate  22 . Inner edge  32  can be cut using a laser cutter, an electric discharge machine, or other suitable cutting device. In one embodiment, thickness t of first planar member  34  conforms to a thickness of substrate  22 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. 
     Second planar member  36  includes top surface  42  that is coupled to bottom surface  38  of first planar member  34 . First and second planar members  34  and  36  are preferably rigid planar members, which can be formed of plastic, cardboard, metal or other suitable material. Although the depicted embodiments show first and second planar members  34  and  36  having portions removed, they will generally begin as planar members having continuous surfaces prior to being cut to form carrier  10 , as will be discussed below in the methods of the present invention. In another embodiment, first and second planar members  34  and  36  can be integrally formed of a single material to form a planar member  43 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     A recess  44  is defined by top surface  42  of second planar member  36  and inner edge  32  of first planar member  34 . Recess  44  is shaped to receive substrate  22  such that top surface  24  of substrate  22  and top surface  40  of first planar member are coplanar. In this embodiment, carrier  10  can be reused to support several different substrates  22 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, substrate  22  is formed of a portion of first planar member  34 , as shown in FIG.  5 . Here, inner edge  30  of substrate  22  is preferably be cut prior to the coupling of first planar member  34  to second planar member  36 . Once carrier  10  containing substrate  22  has been printed on, substrate  22  can be removed to expose recess  44 . Carrier  10  can then be discarded or reused by inserting another substrate  22 . 
     As mentioned above, substrate  22  can have an irregular bottom surface  46  as well as an irregular outer edge  30 . FIG. 6 shows one embodiment of carrier  10  that can accommodate the variable thickness of a substrate  22  resulting from irregular bottom surface  46 . Here, carrier  10  can be formed either by coupling first and second planar members  34  and  36 , respectively, together, or by a single integral unit such as planar member  43  of FIG.  4 . Here, top surface  42  of second planar member  36  is shaped to conform to the irregular bottom surface  46  of substrate  22 . Recess  44 , defined by inner edge  32  of first planar member  34  and top surface  42  of second planar member  36 , is shaped to receive substrate  22  having the irregularly shaped bottom surface  46  and/or an irregularly shaped outer edge  30 . In this embodiment of carrier  10 , first and second planar members are preferably integrally formed of molded plastic. In an alternative embodiment, second planar member  36  is formed of or contains a compressible material that can conform to the shape of irregular bottom surface  46  of substrate  22 . 
     FIG. 7 shows a top plan view of another embodiment of carrier  10  and FIG. 8 shows a sectional view at line  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . In this embodiment, first planar member  34  includes a border portion  48  having interior edge  50 . Border portion  48  overlaps a portion of substrate  22  and limits the portion of top surface  24  that can be printed on to the portion that is within edge  50  of border portion  48 . This embodiment of the invention allows top surface  24  of substrate  22  to have an irregular shape that inner edge  32  of first planar member  34  conforms to in order to present a coplanar surface to the printing system  12 . 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating methods of forming carrier  10  used to hold a substrate  22  in accordance with the various embodiments described above. The method of FIG. 9 relates to forming carrier  10  of separate (non-integral) first and second planar members  34  and  36 , respectively. At step  50 , a first planar member  34  is provided that has top surface  40  and bottom surface  38 . At step  52 , a planar portion is cut from the first planar member  34  that has a shape that conforms to substrate  22 , such as is shown in FIG.  5 . This can be done using a suitable cutting device as mentioned above. Finally, at step  54 , bottom surface  38  of first planar member  34  is mounted to a top surface  42  of second planar member  36  such that the planar portion is removable. Here, the planar portion can be replaced with a substrate  22  or the planar portion could form the substrate  22 . 
     The method illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 10 generally relates to a carrier that is formed of a single planar member  43 , as in the embodiment of carrier  10  depicted in FIG.  4 . At step  56 , a planar member  43  is provided that has a top surface  40  and a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the substrate  24  that is to be supported. A planar portion having a shape and thickness that conforms to the substrate  22  is cut from the planar member, at step  58 . Referring to FIG. 4, this step of the method can be accomplished by making a horizontal cut into a planar member  43  to form top surface  42  and another cut directed from top surface  40  to top surface  42  to form inner edge  32 . Finally, at step  60 , the planar portion is removed to form recess  44  that conforms to the shape of substrate  22 . Recess  44  can receive substrate  22  such that top surface  40  of planar member  43  and a top surface  24  of substrate  22  are coplanar. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.