1. A printer for cutting-out a printed image on a medium to be processed that is located on a surface traveling in a first direction, the printer comprising:
a cutting head coupled for movement in a second direction;
an ink head detachably coupled to the cutting head for movement in the second direction; and
a fixed base for supporting the surface, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
2. The printer of claim 1, wherein the cutting head moves the ink head.
3. The printer of claim 1, wherein the cutting head and the ink head are disconnectably mounted and, upon the cutting head being activated, the ink head is disconnected.
4. The printer of claim 1, wherein when the cutting head and the ink head are disconnectably mounted and, upon the ink head being activated, the cutting head is disconnected.
5. The printer of claim 1, wherein further comprising a capping apparatus for protecting the ink head.
6. The printer of claim 5, wherein the capping apparatus caps at least one ink nozzle of the ink head when the ink head is not in use.
7. A printer for cutting-out a printed image on a medium to be processed that is located on a surface traveling in a first direction, the printer comprising:
a conveyor for transporting a medium to be processed along a first direction;
an ink head having at least one ink nozzle, the ink head disposed for movement in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a cutting head detachably coupled to the ink head; and
a sensor for detecting a distance of the medium to be processed from the at least one ink nozzle and the cutting head during transportation by the conveyor.
8. The printer of claim 7, wherein the conveyor comprises a belt conveyor.
9. The printer of claim 7, wherein the conveyor is supported by a conveyor support base for supplying the at least one ink nozzle for printing an image on the medium to be processed through the ink head.
10. The printer of claim 9, further comprising means for vertically moving the conveyor support in response to the distance detected by the sensor.
11. The printer of claim 7, wherein the cutting head moves the ink head.
12. The printer of claim 7, wherein the cutting head and the ink head are disconnectably mounted and, upon the cutting head being activated, the ink head is disconnected.
13. The printer of claim 9, wherein when the ink head is printing the image, the cutting head is disconnected from the ink head.
14. The printer of claim 10, wherein the means for vertically moving the conveyor support means utilizes a ball screw push within a ball screw shaft apparatus.
15. The printer of claim 7, further comprising means for providing a vacuum to an undersurface of the medium to be processed for securing the medium to the conveyor.
16. The printer of claim 9, further comprising means for providing a vacuum to an undersurface of the medium to be processed for securing the medium to the conveyor.
17. The printer of claim 10, further comprising means for providing a vacuum to an undersurface of the medium to be processed for securing the medium to the conveyor.
18. The printer of claim 7, further comprising a capping apparatus for protecting the ink head.
19. The printer of claim 18, wherein the capping apparatus caps the at least one ink nozzle of the ink head when the ink head is not in use.
20. An apparatus for creating an image on a sheet, the apparatus comprising:
means for moving the sheet in a first direction;
a cutting head having a cutter supported for movement on a guard rail positioned in a second direction for cutting the image from the sheet;
an ink head disposed on the guard rail and positioned on a side of the cutting head for creating the image on the sheet;
means for controlling movement of the cutting head and the ink head on the guard rail in response to image data;
a first connection means disposed on a side of the cutting head; and
a second connection means disposed on a side of the ink head for detachably coupling with the first connection means.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first direction is an X direction and the second direction is a Y direction.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for locking the ink head to a member which is installed on an undersurface of the ink head in a Z direction of the ink head.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the ink head is unlocked from the member for creating the image in response to the image data.
25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising means for controlling the cutting head and the ink head for connecting and disconnecting from one another.
26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the ink head and the cutting head are moved integrally on the guard rail located in the Y direction in response to the image data utilized to create the image.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the cutting head cuts the image in response to the image data, and the locking means locks the ink head to the member.
28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the ink head is separated from the cutting head by separating the first connecting means from the second connecting means.
29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controlling means moves the cutting head on the guard rail in the Y direction based on the image data so that the image is cut on the sheet.
30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein at least one of the first and the second connection means comprises a magnetic means.
31. The apparatus in claim 23, wherein the locking means comprises an additional capping apparatus for performing maintenance of the ink head.
32. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a capping apparatus for protecting the ink head.
33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the capping apparatus caps at least one ink nozzle of the ink head when the ink head is not in use.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A scratch-off lottery ticket, comprising:
a substrate having at least one play area with play indicia provided thereon;
a luminescent scratch-off material layer disposed over said play indicia; and
wherein an attempt to discern the play indicia by removal of a portion of said scratch-off layer results in an optically apparent lack of luminescence upon excitation of said play area with an excitation source such that the optically apparent lack of luminescence is only detectable when the player area is excited.
2. The scratch-off lottery ticket as in claim 1, wherein said luminescent scratch-off layer comprises one of a fluorescent or phosphorescent compound.
3. The scratch-off lottery ticket as in claim 1, wherein said luminescent scratch-off material layer exhibits a uniform luminescent pattern over the entire surface thereof.
4. The scratch-off lottery ticket as in claim 1, wherein said luminescent scratch-off material layer exhibits a geometric luminescent pattern over the surface thereof such that a visually discernable break in said pattern results from removal of a portion of said scratch-off material layer.
5. A scratch-off lottery ticket system for detecting compromised lottery tickets, comprising:
scratch-off lottery tickets, each of said tickets further comprising
a substrate with at least one play area with play indicia provided thereon;
a luminescent scratch-off material layer disposed over said play indicia;
an excitation source configured to emit an excitation energy that causes said luminescent material to produce an optically detectable signal;
a display configured with said excitation source to display results of the excitation of said lottery tickets; and
wherein an attempt to discern the play indicia by removal of a portion of said scratch-off material layer results in an optically apparent lack of luminescence upon excitation of said play area with said excitation source such that the optically apparent lack of luminescence is only detectable when the player area is excited.
6. The system as in claim 5, wherein said excitation source comprises a scanner through which said lottery tickets are conveyed, said scanner individually irradiating said lottery tickets with said excitation energy, said display comprising a video screen that depicts the individual scans of said lottery tickets.
7. The system as in claim 5, wherein said luminescent scratch-off material layer comprises one of a fluorescent or phosphorescent compound.
8. The system as in claim 5, wherein said luminescent scratch-off material layer exhibits a uniform luminescent pattern over the entire surface thereof.
9. The system as in claim 5, wherein said luminescent scratch-off material layer exhibits a geometric luminescent pattern over the surface thereof such that a visually discernable break in said pattern results from removal of a portion of said scratch-off material layer.