Method for printing surfaces of three-dimensional objects and three-dimensional objects having print

• US 10,279,599 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Till GMBH (BGO Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Till GMBH (BGO Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH)
• Inventors: Till, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko, Leslie J
• Application Number:
  US15/021,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20160221359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 347 4, 101 35, 101 41, 101 381
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/40 Printing on bodies of particular shapes, e.g. golf balls, candles, wine corks sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design B41M5/035
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/165 Cylindrical cans

Abstract

A method for printing on surfaces of three-dimensional objects with a cylindrical or curved surface by means of inkjet print heads includes printing a base color layer onto the three-dimensional object. Then, an upper color layer is printed above the base color layer. The base color layer is printed smaller than the upper color layer. The dimensions of the base color layer are less than the dimensions of the upper color layer in all directions on the surface of the three-dimensional object such that the upper color layer securely covers a margin of the lower base color layer.

Claims

1. A method for printing a print of a print image on a surface of a three-dimensional object with a cylindrical or curved surface by inkjet print heads, the method comprising:

printing a base color layer onto the three-dimensional object; and

then

printing an upper color layer above the base color layer, wherein the base color layer is printed smaller than the upper color layer, the dimensions of the base color layer being less than the dimensions of the upper color layer in all directions on the surface of the three-dimensional object such that the upper color layer securely covers a margin of the lower base color layer and forms a visible part of the print image outside of the margin of the lower base color layer, the upper color layer representing the print image and being a reference for a size of the print,

wherein the base color layer with regard to print resolution indicated in pixels is smaller than the upper color layer by an amount in a range from 5 to 30 pixels.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a coating is printed over the upper color layer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the coating is formed wider than the upper color layer and the base color layer.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the coating with regard to the print resolution indicated in pixels is larger than the upper color layer by an amount in a range from 1 to 100 pixels.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the base color layer is decreased with reference to the upper color layer and the coating is increased with reference to the upper color layer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a primer is applied underneath the base color layer.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the primer is broader than the color layer.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the primer is narrower than the color layer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper color layer represents the print image without distortion.

10. A container with three-dimensional cylindrical or curved surface contours, with a print on a surface of the container, the print being of a print image obtained in a digital print process by inkjet print heads in several printing steps, wherein layers created in consecutive printing steps are subsequently broader going upwards so that each subsequent layer covers margins of the layer below it, and wherein an upper color layer, which is increased with reference to a base color layer below the upper color layer, represents the print image and is a reference for a size of the print, the upper color layer forming a visible part of the print image outside of the margin of the base color layer, wherein the base color layer with regard to print resolution indicated in pixels is smaller than the upper color layer by an amount in a range from 5 to 30 pixels.

11. The container according to claim 10, wherein, starting from the upper color layer that graphically contains the print image, any transparent or semi-transparent layers are broader going upwards.

12. The container according to claim 10, wherein, starting with the surface of the three-dimensional object to be printed, the base color layer is a first colored layer, and on top of it, the upper color layer is arranged as a second colored layer which is a color layer that includes a plurality mixed colors printed consecutively to generate the print image, with the base color layer being narrower than the second colored layer, and wherein, starting from the surface of the three-dimensional object to be printed, a primer is provided as a first transparent or semi-transparent layer, onto which the first and second colored layers are applied, and wherein a coating is provided as a second transparent layer that is applied onto the second colored layer and is wider than the primer.

13. The container according to claim 10, wherein the container is a bottle or a can.