printer, replaceable cartridge, ribbon cartridge, method for facilitating and ensuring substrate cleaning on a printer, method of cleaning a substrate cleaning element, and card printer

摘要

"PRINTER, REPLACABLE CARTRIDGE, RIBBON CARTRIDGE, METHOD TO EASY AND ENSURE CLEANING SUBSTRATES ON A PRINTER, SUBSTRATE CLEANING ELEMENT CLEANING METHOD," AND CARD PRINTER. The present invention relates to a printer (10), configured to print on substrates (22) that undesirably tend to collect waste prior to printing, comprises a printing station including a printhead (60) and a The printer is configured to receive a replaceable cartridge (64) that contains a printer consumable material (such as a ribbon) (66) and a substrate cleaning frame (16). The printer body is constructed and arranged such that when a cartridge is received in the body, the cleaning structure becomes operable to at least aid in the removal of debris from a substrate. The cleaning structure may comprise a sticky or adhesive belt, mat or roll (32). The cleaning structure may be configured to have a sticky surface for a primary cleaning element that engages and cleans the substrates. Alternatively, the cleaning structure may be configured to directly engage and clean the substrates. Preferably, the service life of the cleaning structure and printer consumable are coincident. A replaceable cartridge 64 having both a consumable printer material and a substrate cleaning structure is also shown, the cartridge being configured such that when it is received in a printer, it becomes operable in the direction Of at least aiding in the removal of substrate debris, a method of cleaning a substrate information receiving surface and a method of cleaning a substrate cleaning element of a substrate printer are also described.