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WO2009037166A1 - Procédé pour imprimer une carte lenticulaire, carte lenticulaire imprimée et imprimante pour carte lenticulaire - Google Patents

Procédé pour imprimer une carte lenticulaire, carte lenticulaire imprimée et imprimante pour carte lenticulaire Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009037166A1
WO2009037166A1 PCT/EP2008/062009 EP2008062009W WO2009037166A1 WO 2009037166 A1 WO2009037166 A1 WO 2009037166A1 EP 2008062009 W EP2008062009 W EP 2008062009W WO 2009037166 A1 WO2009037166 A1 WO 2009037166A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
card
image
intermediate film
printing
lenticular
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2008/062009
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jean-Luc Lesur
Original Assignee
Gemplus
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gemplus filed Critical Gemplus
Publication of WO2009037166A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009037166A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/0057—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
    • B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
    • B65H23/18—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web
    • B65H23/188—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web in connection with running-web
    • B65H23/1882—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally by controlling or regulating the web-advancing mechanism, e.g. mechanism acting on the running web in connection with running-web and controlling longitudinal register of web
    • B65H23/1886—Synchronising two or more webs

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method for printing a lenticular card, a printed lenticular card and a thermal sublimation printer adapted for the printing of lenticular cards.
  • the invention is located in the area of identification documents with or without integrated circuits such as driving licences, identity cards, membership cards, access cards, passports, bankcards, electronic purses, multi-application cards and other secure documents. Due to the value and the importance of all these documents, they are often the subject of unauthorised copying, alterations, changes and counterfeiting.
  • lenticules were only used for identification cards as a security element to display two different pieces of information depending on the degree of inclination of the card.
  • lenticules have not yet been used over all or part of the surface of such cards, for example to display an image or photograph in three dimensions.
  • Lenticular cards are generally made of large sheets or plates.
  • At least one flat plate on which images are printed is fixed to a lenticular plate, with indexing holes provided in each plate in order to ensure proper registration between the images and the lenticules.
  • the cards are cut out.
  • the plates are printed by means of lithographic offset printing or screen printing.
  • Another method described in patent application US2002/0187215, consists in printing at least one plate having indexing holes and then assembling that plate onto another transparent plate that also has indexing holes. A special tool is then used to form lenticules in the transparent plate, using the indexing holes to make sure that the image printed on the first plate is registered correctly with the lenticules to be made. The cards are then cut out. With these existing methods, it is not possible to individualise the cards by printing personal data such as the photograph of their holder, for example, on each card.
  • D2T2 Dense Diffusion Thermal Transfer
  • This printing technique uses heat-sensitive inking ribbons that are divided into panels. At the time of printing, the dyes are sublimated, that is they go from the solid state to the gaseous state because of the action of a heated point, and are deposited on the substrate to print. The coloured panels pass fully on the document to print, and the inking panels can thus be used only once.
  • YMCK yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a printer 10 using reverse thermal sublimation.
  • the printer comprises a thermal printing head 11 that is used to print an image on an intermediate retransfer film 16 by heating a four-colour YMCK ribbon 12 that is fed out from a roll 17A.
  • the intermediate film 16 printed in this way is fed out from a roll 17B.
  • the card to print 20 is inserted in the printer so that the surface 22 to be printed, opposite to lenticules 21 , is located opposite the intermediate film 16 to be transferred.
  • the intermediate film 16 is then pressed against the surface 22 of the card to be printed by means of a thermal roller 18 that hot laminates the intermediate film.
  • the intermediate film used actually comprises two transparent layers. One of them, on which the image is printed, is designed to be fixed to the lenticular card by means of hot laminating, while the other 19 is designed to be removed after the image 23 is transferred to the card.
  • the card printed in this way comes out of the printer, while the second transparent layer 19 of the intermediate film is wound onto a core 17C and then disposed of or recycled.
  • the first drawback of this printing method lies in the use of fully transparent transfer film, which calls for an additional subsequent stage where an opaque layer 24 is laminated in order to increase the opaqueness of the lenticular card to offer a background for the printed image 23.
  • Another drawback lies in the fact that it is very difficult to register the image on the intermediate film in relation to the lenticules of the card.
  • document US 6, 712, 536 proposes such a reverse thermal transfer printer adapted for printing lenticular cards.
  • a mark is made on the flat surface to be printed on the lenticular card.
  • An optical sensor placed at the entry of the printer is used to detect the mark and then send a signal to a central command system so as to position the intermediate film in relation to the lenticules.
  • the printer adapted in this way is expensive and complex to implement, because it requires means for sensing, analysis and processing before it can start any printing. As a result, printing requires a large number of stages, which extends the printing time and increases production costs.
  • one of the technical problems addressed by this invention is to offer a printer using reverse thermal sublimation and an associated method, which would make it possible to print lenticular cards reliably, while providing correct registration between the image to print and the lenticules of the card, in order to obtain a high-quality three-dimensional image.
  • the printer must also be simplified in its construction and inexpensive.
  • the solution to the technical problem posed is achieved according to this invention by the fact that the printer includes
  • a feed roller designed to catch the lenticular card and set it into motion, the said roller having one ribbed surface, where the shape of the ribbing follows that of the convex lenticules of the lenticular card,
  • thermal roller designed to catch the intermediate film bearing the image to print and to set it into motion
  • the said feed and thermal rollers are placed opposite one another and work in synchrony so as to keep the lenticular card and the intermediate film bearing the image to print under pressure while fixing the said film by means of hot lamination and enabling the automatic mechanical registration of the image in relation to the lenticules.
  • the mechanical system comprises a feed roller with a ribbed surface, the shape of which follows that of the convex lenticules of the card. In that way, after it is inserted in the printer, the card is caught by the feed roller, making it possible to guide the card relatively to the intermediate printed film to transfer.
  • the feed roller is placed opposite a thermal roller, so that during the stage when the film bearing the image to print is laminated, the lenticular card is kept under pressure between the feed roller and the thermal roller.
  • the film bearing the image to print is positioned in relation to the feed roller.
  • the feed roller and the thermal roller function synchronously so as to register the image to print correctly in relation to the lenticules.
  • the associated printing method is remarkable in that it comprises the following stages: - the lenticular card is fed mechanically by means of a ribbed feed roller and, simultaneously, the intermediate film bearing the image to print is positioned relative to the lenticules by means of a thermal roller that functions synchronously with the card feed roller,
  • the intermediate film bearing the image to print is applied and fixed by hot lamination on the flat surface of the lenticular card. In that way, the card is fed by a fully mechanical system.
  • the intermediate retransfer film bearing the image to print is positioned in relation to the mechanical feed system and not the card. Such positioning allows the reliable automatic registration of the image in relation to the lenticules, as the mechanical feed system makes it possible to guide the lenticular card relative to the intermediate film bearing the image to transfer.
  • the invention further relates to a lenticular card printed using the method of reverse thermal sublimation method according to the invention.
  • the invention relates to the intermediate retransfer film that is designed to be used for printing the surface of an object using reverse thermal sublimation, in order to obtain, in a single stage, a printed object such as a lenticular card with an opaque background so that there is no need for the further lamination of an opaque layer.
  • the intermediate film comprises a first opaque layer that supports the image and a second substrate layer on a surface of the opaque layer opposite the image.
  • the second layer is dissociated from the opaque layer that bears the image during the hot lamination of the retransfer film that is designed to transfer the image onto the surface of the object to print.
  • FIG. 1 is a sectional diagram of a reverse thermal sublimation printer according to the prior art
  • FIG. 2A is a sectional diagram of a reverse thermal sublimation printer according to the invention.
  • - figure 2B is a detailed diagram of the mechanical feed system of the printer in figure 2 A
  • - figures 3A, 3B and 3C are a sectional view of a lenticular card during printing, a top view of an intermediate retransfer film and a perspective view of a lenticular card printed according to the invention respectively, and
  • FIG. 4A, 4B and 4C are schematic drawings of a lenticular card with the lenticules turned obliquely, a feed roller for such a card and a drawing illustrating the relative movement of the printer head in relation to the intermediate film to which the image that will then be printed on the lenticular card with oblique lenticules is transferred respectively.
  • FIG. 2A is a schematic drawing of a reverse thermal sublimation printer 30 according to the invention. Like conventional printers, it includes feed rollers 37A and 37B respectively, a four-colour ribbon 32 of the YMCK type and an intermediate retransfer film ribbon 36. A thermal head 31 is used to locally heat the ink panels of the YMCK ribbon 32 and transfer them to the intermediate film 36 so that the image to print on the lenticular card 40 is first transferred to the intermediate film 36. The lenticular card 40 to print is inserted in the printer and set in motion by means of a first feed roller 34.
  • the printer further comprises a mechanical feed system 38 designed to catch the card, set it in motion, keep it under pressure at the time of printing and thus ensure proper registration of the intermediate film bearing the image to print in relation to the lenticules of the card.
  • That mechanical system as illustrated in figure 2B comprises a feed roller 38 with a ribbed surface.
  • the shape of the ribs 38A follows that of the convex lenticules 21 of the lenticular card.
  • a thermal roller 39 is used to hot laminate the intermediate film 36 onto the flat surface 42 of the lenticular card 40 and thus fix the image to print on it.
  • the feed roller 38 and the thermal roller 39 are placed opposite one another, on either side of the card to print.
  • the intermediate retransfer film 36 comprises lateral perforations 36C, of the cinema perforation type, on at least one of the two longitudinal edges of the film so that the film 36 is caught by sprockets or teeth placed on the lateral edges of the thermal roll 39 and the intermediate film 36 is correctly set in motion in relation to the lenticular card 40.
  • the feed roller 38 and the thermal roller 39 which synchronously and mechanically feed the intermediate retransfer film 36, are placed so as to function synchronously in order to ensure the correct registration of the image to print in relation to the lenticules of the card.
  • the feed roller 38 is opposite the thermal roller and they press against each other so as to hold the card correctly in position during the stage of lamination and fixing the image on its surface 42. As a result, thanks to that mechanical feed system, registration is completely controlled and automated.
  • the printed card 40 delivered by the printer has printing 43 on the side opposite the lenticules 41 and an opaque background 36A placed on the printing for obtaining better rendering and better contrast of the printed image.
  • the printed image and the background are applied simultaneously when the intermediate film is laminated by using the special intermediate film described in greater detail below. In that way, there is no need for additional lamination to apply an opaque background on the printing, which reduces the time and cost of printing lenticular cards.
  • the lenticules 41 of the card are preferably directed parallel to the printing direction, that is they are placed in the direction of the length L of the card in the example in figures 2A to 3C.
  • Such orientation advantageously makes it possible to better position the picture in relation to the lenticules and obtain high-quality sharp printing. That is because of the mechanical adjustment of the printing head 31 in relation to the feed rollers 38, 39 of the card and the intermediate film.
  • the intermediate film 36 is unfolded perpendicularly to the printing head 31 , so that the printing lines on the film are parallel to the direction of movement of the intermediate film 36.
  • the film is then positioned parallel to the lenticular card. In this case, all the play in the mechanical feeding of the various parties does not affect the alignment of the lenticular cards.
  • a lenticular card may also be made with the lenticules 41 oriented obliquely, that is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the printing direction.
  • a schematic drawing of such a lenticular card has been provided in figure 4A.
  • the feed roller 38 as shown in figure 4B comprises helically tilted notches or ribbing 38, so that it can follow the lenticules of the card.
  • a control system designed to control the movement of the printing head is required to adjust the position of the printing head in relation to the intermediate film while the image is being transferred to the intermediate film.
  • the movement direction of the printing head 31 is schematically shown by the double arrow T, whilst the movement direction of the intermediate film 36 is shown by the arrow F.
  • the printing method used by the printer thus consists in positioning the intermediate film 36 bearing the image to print in relation to the ribbed feed roller 38.
  • the intermediate retransfer film 36 comprises lateral perforations 36C, of the cinema perforation type, on at least one of the two longitudinal edges of the film so that it is caught by sprockets or teeth placed on the lateral edges of the thermal roller 39, and can thus be positioned in relation to the feed roller 38 of the card.
  • the last stage consists in hot laminating the intermediate film onto the flat surface of the lenticular card in order to transfer the image to it.
  • FIG 2B is a more detailed perspective view of a lenticular card 40 when the retransfer film is laminated between the thermal roller 39 and the ribbed feed roller 38.
  • the card is fed by the rollers in the direction indicated by arrow D.
  • the lenticules of the card are turned in the lengthwise direction L of the card and are parallel to the movement direction of the card and the direction of the printing lines.
  • the intermediate film is also fed in the same direction as the card, and when it is pressed against the flat surface of the card, between the feed roller 39 and the ribbed roller 38, it is simultaneously heated, so that the image to transfer is fixed onto the flat surface 42 of the card.
  • Figures 3A, 3B and 3C are schematic drawings of the card just before and just after the lamination of the intermediate film 36, bearing the image 43 to transfer to the card 40.
  • the intermediate film 36 used is in fact a multilayer film. It comprises a first opaque layer 36A and a second support layer 36B. Optionally, it also comprises a layer of glue or equivalent, which binds the first opaque layer to the second support layer and which is designed to disappear or change state when the two layers are separated by the thermal effect during the lamination.
  • the image 43 to print on the card is transferred by means of a YMCK ribbon that is heated by the thermal head 31 of the printer, on the external side of the opaque layer 36A, opposite the support layer 36B.
  • the second support layer 36B is made of material designed to be separated from the first opaque layer 36A containing the image, under the effect of heat, that is during the lamination stage.
  • the lamination temperature is temperature that is typically used in the manufacture of cards, that is it ranges from 115 to 200 0 C. As a result, the material that makes up the support layer must have a melting point sufficiently high to withstand that temperature.
  • the material that makes up the second support layer 36B may for example by polyethylene or paper or any other material with similar properties.
  • the support layer 36B is dissociated from the first printed layer 36A during the lamination stage, then it is taken up on a core 37C for example. That wound up layer may be either recombined to form a new intermediate film or disposed of.
  • the layer may be transparent or opaque.
  • the support layer 36B may be chosen so that it is wider than the opaque layer 36A, so that the lateral perforations 36C are only arranged on the lateral edges of the support layer 36B. In that way, the perforations disappear with the support layer 36B, when it is separated from the opaque layer during the lamination stage, and do not appear on the finished product.
  • the material that makes up the first layer 36A of the intermediate film 36 must for its part be opaque and resistant to the lamination temperature. It must be able to be glued at the lamination temperature on the flat surface 42 of the lenticular card 40.
  • the material may for example be polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), with or without filler, or polycarbonate (PC) with opaquing filler or any other material with similar properties.
  • PET polyethylene terephthalate
  • ABS acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
  • PC polycarbonate
  • the first layer 36A, the external surface 43 of which is printed may for example be about 50 ⁇ m thick.
  • the opaque layer 36A may itself be made up of an assembly of several layers, one being designed to receive the image printed by the printing head and the second layer being designed to achieve opaqueness.
  • the lenticular card 40 has a transparent body made of polycarbonate, for example, or polyethylene terephthalate or polyvinylchloride or any other material with similar properties.

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  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé et une imprimante à sublimation thermique inversée conçue pour imprimer la surface plate (42) d'une carte lenticulaire (40), ladite surface plate se trouvant sur le côté opposé aux lenticules (41), par l'application d'un film intermédiaire (36) portant l'image devant être imprimée. L'imprimante comporte : - un système mécanique (38) conçu pour saisir la carte lenticulaire, pour la mettre en mouvement et pour la maintenir sous pression pendant l'application d'un film intermédiaire portant l'image devant être imprimée, et - un moyen pour positionner le film intermédiaire (36) par rapport au système mécanique (38) de façon à repérer l'image devant être imprimée par rapport aux lenticules de la carte.
PCT/EP2008/062009 2007-09-19 2008-09-10 Procédé pour imprimer une carte lenticulaire, carte lenticulaire imprimée et imprimante pour carte lenticulaire WO2009037166A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP07291117.5 2007-09-19
EP07291117A EP2039525A1 (fr) 2007-09-19 2007-09-19 Procédé d'impression d'une carte lenticulaire, carte lenticulaire imprimée, et imprimante pour carte lenticulaire

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009037166A1 true WO2009037166A1 (fr) 2009-03-26

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PCT/EP2008/062009 WO2009037166A1 (fr) 2007-09-19 2008-09-10 Procédé pour imprimer une carte lenticulaire, carte lenticulaire imprimée et imprimante pour carte lenticulaire

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2039525A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2009037166A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2018217687A1 (fr) * 2017-05-22 2018-11-29 Entrust Datacard Corporation Impression par retransfert hors séquence
WO2023046994A1 (fr) * 2021-09-27 2023-03-30 Fotostax Ltd. Imprimante lenticulaire

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR3033522B1 (fr) 2015-03-12 2017-04-14 Evolis Machine de traitement avec un module de laminage.

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5764266A (en) * 1995-05-11 1998-06-09 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Apparatus for printing image data
US6276269B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2001-08-21 Lenticular Technologies, Llc Guide roll for use in printing lenticular materials
US20020186289A1 (en) * 2001-06-07 2002-12-12 Wataru Tsuruta Printing apparatus
US20030026635A1 (en) * 2001-08-03 2003-02-06 Wataru Tsuruta Printing apparatus and printing method
US20030068184A1 (en) * 2001-10-09 2003-04-10 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Printer

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6276569B1 (en) * 2000-09-12 2001-08-21 Chun-Lung Tsai Liquid container press bottle cap

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5764266A (en) * 1995-05-11 1998-06-09 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Apparatus for printing image data
US6276269B1 (en) * 1999-09-07 2001-08-21 Lenticular Technologies, Llc Guide roll for use in printing lenticular materials
US20020186289A1 (en) * 2001-06-07 2002-12-12 Wataru Tsuruta Printing apparatus
US20030026635A1 (en) * 2001-08-03 2003-02-06 Wataru Tsuruta Printing apparatus and printing method
US20030068184A1 (en) * 2001-10-09 2003-04-10 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Printer

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2018217687A1 (fr) * 2017-05-22 2018-11-29 Entrust Datacard Corporation Impression par retransfert hors séquence
US10421291B2 (en) 2017-05-22 2019-09-24 Entrust Datacard Corporation Out-of sequence retransfer printing
CN110650845A (zh) * 2017-05-22 2020-01-03 恩图鲁斯特咨询卡有限公司 无序再转印
CN110650845B (zh) * 2017-05-22 2022-05-06 恩图鲁斯特咨询卡有限公司 一种无序再转印方法
WO2023046994A1 (fr) * 2021-09-27 2023-03-30 Fotostax Ltd. Imprimante lenticulaire

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