Bottling plant with an information-adding station configured to add information on the outer surface of a bottle or container

• US 10,166,781 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Schach, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Weeks, Gloria R
• Application Number:
  US12/762,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,179 Days
• Field of Search: 53411, 531312, 101212, 101213, 101216, 101221, 101 35, 101 36, 101 381, 101 39, 101103, 101379
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles

Abstract

Container printing arrangement for printing bottles or similar containers on an outer surface thereof. The container printing arrangement comprises one or more printing stations and a container conveyor. The printing station has a print head, a conveyor arrangement, and transfer elements which are moved by the conveyor arrangement. The transfer elements each comprise a first resilient layer and a second resilient layer which supports the first resilient layer. The first resilient layer has a transfer surface which receives a print image from the print head, and then transfers the print image onto a container.

Claims

1. A method of printing bottles or similar containers on an outer surface thereof using a container printing arrangement, said method comprising:

moving containers on rotatable container supports of a container conveyor past at least one printing station, said at least one printing station comprising;

at least one print head, a conveyor arrangement, and transfer elements;

moving, with said conveyor arrangement, said transfer elements from said at least one print head to a printing region, which transfer elements each comprise a first resilient layer and a second resilient layer which supports said first resilient layer;

receiving, from said at least one print head, a print image onto a transfer surface of said first resilient layer;

moving said container conveyor synchronously with said conveyor arrangement, at least in the printing region, and thereby moving each container into contact with a corresponding one of said transfer elements throughout the transfer of a print image onto each container; and

rotating each of said container supports, and thus each container supported thereby, to roll each container on and with said transfer surface, essentially without slip, and thereby transferring a complete print image onto and about an outer surface of the container.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises moving container carriers of said container conveyor along a path of movement which follows or substantially follows a portion of the path of movement of said transfer elements on said conveyor arrangement.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first resilient layer and/or said second resilient layer comprises one or more individual layers.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said method further comprises compensating, using said second resilient layer, for dimensional tolerances in the diameters or shape of the containers.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of moving said container carriers along a path of movement comprises moving said container carriers around a curved or arcuate path which follows or substantially follows a portion of a curved or arcuate path of movement of said transfer elements on said conveyor arrangement.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of moving said container carriers along a path of movement comprises moving said container carriers along a linear path which follows or substantially follows a portion of a linear path of movement of said transfer elements on said conveyor arrangement.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises compensating, using said second resilient layer, for dimensional tolerances of as much as 0.5 millimeter to 0.7 millimeter in the diameters of the containers, or for unevenness in the outer surface of the containers.

8. A container printing arrangement for printing bottles or similar containers on an outer surface thereof, said container printing arrangement comprising:

at least one printing station;

a container conveyor configured to move containers past said at least one printing station;

said at least one printing station comprising;

at least one print head, a conveyor arrangement, and transfer elements;

said conveyor arrangement is configured to move said transfer elements from said at least one print head to a printing region;

said transfer elements each comprise a first resilient layer and a second resilient layer which supports said first resilient layer;

said first resilient layer comprises a transfer surface configured to receive a print image from said at least one print head, and to transfer a print image onto a container;

said container conveyor comprising rotatable container supports;

said container conveyor being configured to move synchronously with said conveyor arrangement, at least in the printing region, so as to move each container into contact with a corresponding one of said transfer elements throughout the transfer of a print image onto each container; and

each of said container supports being configured to rotate each container supported thereby to roll each container on and with the transfer surface, essentially without slip, and thereby permit the transfer of a complete print image onto and about an outer surface of each container.

9. The container printing arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said first resilient layer and/or said second resilient layer comprises one or more individual layers.

10. The container printing arrangement according to claim 9, said container conveyor is configured to move said container carriers along a path of movement which follows or substantially follows a portion of the path of movement of said transfer elements on said conveyor arrangement.

11. The container printing arrangement according to claim 10, wherein each of said at least one print head is configured to print a complete negative print image.

12. The container printing arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the container printing arrangement comprises at least one cleaning station configured to clean said transfer surfaces, which at least one cleaning station is disposed upstream of said at least one print head in the direction of movement or direction of transport of said conveyor arrangement.

13. The container printing arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said container conveyor is a linear conveyor, or is a rotary conveyor configured to rotate about a vertical machine axis.

14. The container printing arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said conveyor arrangement comprises a transfer drum configured to be rotated about a drum axis configured to be disposed parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of containers to be printed, and said transfer surface is curved in a convex or arcuate manner.

15. The container printing arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said conveyor arrangement comprises at least one band-like, belt-like or chain-like transport element forming a closed loop, and said transfer surface is planar or substantially planar.

16. The container printing arrangement according to claim 8, wherein:

each of said first resilient layer and said second resilient layer having a length, width, and thickness, which thickness is substantially constant over the length and the width and is substantially less than the length and the width;

each of said first resilient layer and said second resilient layer comprises a first surface defined by the length and the width, and a second surface defined by the length and the width, wherein said first surface is disposed to face away from said second surface; and

said second resilient layer is disposed to support said first resilient layer thereon, such that a substantial portion of said second surface of said first resilient layer is in contact with a substantial portion of said first surface of said second resilient layer.

17. The container printing arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said first resilient layer comprises a different material than said second resilient layer.

18. The container printing arrangement according to claim 17, wherein each of said transfer elements comprises a third layer which connects said second layer to said conveyor arrangement, which third layer comprises a different material than said first and second layers.

19. The container printing arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said second resilient layer is sufficiently resilient to compensate for dimensional tolerances of as much as 0.5 millimeter to 0.7 millimeter in the diameters of containers to be printed on, or to compensate for unevenness in the outer surface of containers to be printed on.