Method for transferring material with adhesive onto articles with a difference in degree of curing between the material and adhesive

• US 10,486,368 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Allen, Matthew Richard, Cassoni, Robert Paul, Ishihara, Tadayoshi, Baker, Paul Edmund
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoover, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/375,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0877 using electron radiation, e.g. beta-rays
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0866 using particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/38 Moulds, cores or other substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/42 Removing articles from moulds, cores or other substrates B29C33/444 and B29C37/0017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4825 Pressure sensitive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/485 Multi-component adhesives, i.e. chemically curing as a result of the mixing of said multi-components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0021 Multi-coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7158 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/008 for printing on three-dimensional articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 16/0086 for printing on articles with cylindrical surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• 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: B41M 5/0005 Enlarging or reduction of graphic information on a support by stretching or contracting the support, optionally in combination with the recording
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0256 the transferable ink pattern being obtained by means of a computer driven printer, e.g. an ink jet or laser printer, or by electrographic means
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/03 : by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/17 : Dry transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 1/021 : the label being applied by movement of the labelling head towards the article B65C1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/065 : by placing tubular labels around the container applying preformed tubular sheathings of plastics in general B29C63/18; applying protective covers to closures B67B5/03
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/08 : to container bodies B65C3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/26 : Affixing labels to non-rigid containers, e.g. bottles made of polyethylene, boxes to be inflated by internal air pressure prior to labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1873 : the transfer involving heating means, e.g. for decals
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1876 : and being transferred by suction means
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/28 : Air-blast devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/36 : Wipers; Pressers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/46 : Applying date marks, code marks, or the like, to the label during labelling manually-controlled or operable apparatus having printing equipment B65C11/02; ticket printing and issuing G07B1/00 ; apparatus for ticket validating or cancelling G07B11/00

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto the surface of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. In some cases, the apparatuses and methods involve providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of the surface of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the surface of the article.

Claims

1. A process for applying a transfer material onto the surface of a three-dimensional article comprising:

providing at least one three-dimensional article which has a surface;

providing a deposition device;

providing a transfer component with initial dimensions, a surface, and an initial configuration;

depositing a curable ink onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device;

curing said ink;

applying an adhesive to said cured ink to form a transfer material on said portion of the surface of said transfer component;

modifying the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to contact the surface of the article with said adhesive and conform the transfer component and transfer material to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article; and

transferring the transfer material onto the surface of said article.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said adhesive comprises a UV-curable adhesive or an electron beam-curable adhesive.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is uncured when it initially contacts the surface of the article, and further comprising a step of curing the adhesive after it contacts the surface of the article.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is partially cured when it initially contacts the surface of the article, and further comprising a step of curing the adhesive after it contacts the surface of the article.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is uncured when the transfer material is transferred onto the surface of the article, and further comprising a step of curing the adhesive after transferring the transfer material onto the surface of said article.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said adhesive is partially cured when the transfer material is transferred onto the surface of the article, and further comprising a step of further curing the adhesive after transferring the transfer material onto the surface of said article.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is applied by a digital printing device.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component with said transfer material thereon is deformed prior to contacting the surface of the article.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component with said transfer material thereon is deformed while contacting the surface of the article.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article comprises stretching at least the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component with said transfer material thereon to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article comprises contracting at least the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon.

12. The process of claim 10 wherein the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon is stretched prior to contacting the surface of the article.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the step of modifying the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article comprises:

providing a conforming component with a cavity therein;

drawing the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon into the cavity with said transfer material facing outward; and

, moving at least a portion of said article into said cavity so that a portion of the surface of the article contacts said transfer material.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the deposition device is a digital printing device, and the step of depositing a material onto a portion of said transfer component comprises digitally printing an image onto a portion of said transfer component with said printing device.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the deposition device is in-line with the transfer process.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the article is a container.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the article is a plastic container.

18. The process of claim 16 wherein the article has an interior that is at least partially hollow, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the article to which transfer material is to be applied is flexible, and the process further comprises a step of pressurizing the interior of the article prior to transferring the transfer material onto the surface of said article so that the portion of the surface of the article to which a transfer material is to be applied is less flexible.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component is a single use component.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component is a reusable component wherein after transferring the transfer material onto a portion of the surface of a three-dimensional article, said portion of the surface of said transfer component which had said transfer material thereon is again subjected to the steps of:

modifying the initial dimensions and/or the initial configuration of the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to conform the portion of the transfer component with said transfer material thereon to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article; and

transferring the transfer material onto the surface of said article.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component has a thickness that is greater than about 0.0025 mm and less than or equal to about 5 mm.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component is substantially incompressible when modifying the portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component and the transfer material to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the surface of the transfer component is treated to facilitate the release of the transfer material therefrom.

24. The process of claim 1 wherein the transfer component, or at least the surface of the transfer component, comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, silicone, or some other low surface energy material with a surface energy less than 45 dynes/cm.

25. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a material onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device comprises depositing at least one of a UV-curable ink and an electron beam-curable ink.

26. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing a material onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device comprises depositing a metallic material.

27. The process of claim 1 in which a multi-part adhesive system is used in which a first component of the adhesive system is applied to the transfer component by a first deposition device and a second component of the adhesive system is applied to the transfer component by a second deposition device.

28. The process of claim 1 further comprising a step of enclosing the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon and the article in a closed chamber and evacuating substantially all of the air between the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon and the surface of the article before transferring the transfer material onto the surface of the article wherein the transfer component is constrained in such a way that a vacuum is drawn in the space between the article and the transfer component to reduce the amount of air that is trapped between the transfer component and the surface of the article so that there are no visible air bubbles between the transfer material and the surface of the article.

29. The process of claim 1 wherein the deposition device comprises an ink jet printer, and:

(a) the transfer component is pre-stretched before the step of depositing a material onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device to form a transfer material on said transfer component, and is held in a stretched condition during said step of depositing a material onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device;

(b) the step of depositing a material onto a portion of the surface of said transfer component with said deposition device comprises ink jet printing an ink onto said portion of the surface of said transfer component, wherein the ink jet printing deposits a number of drops of ink per inch (DPI);

(c) the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon, which transfer material comprises the printed ink, is at least partially relaxed prior to the step of modifying a portion of said transfer component with said transfer material thereon; and

(d) the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon is subsequently stretched during said step of modifying to conform the portion of the transfer component with said transfer material thereon to at least a portion of the surface of said three-dimensional article.