INK FOR INK-JET PRINTING, PRINTED CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20150010722A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOMATEC Co., Ltd. (Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tokan Material Technology Co., Ltd. (Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.), Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamada, Koji, Hayashi, Kenji, Saito, Yukiko, Shimomura, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,815,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/40733 Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0088 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/009 using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 13/02 Organic and inorganic ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/10 based on artificial resins
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/322 Pigment inks
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/36 based on non-aqueous solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/38 characterised by non-macromolecular additives other than solvents, pigments or dyes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]

Abstract

An ink for ink-jet printing used for ink-jet printing images onto the ink non-absorptive surfaces of cylindrical containers, and comprising at least a water-soluble solvent, a coloring material, a surfactant, a thickener and/or a binder resin, the coloring material being contained in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight, the surfactant in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight, the thickener in an amount of not more than 10% by weight, and the binder resin being contained in an amount of not more than 30% by weight . Owing to its ink-jet printability, the ink for ink-jet printing of the invention can be favorably used for printing images on the non-absorptive cylindrical containers such as seamless cans that are used for containing beverages and foods.

Claims

1. An ink for ink-jet printing used for ink-jet printing images onto the ink non-absorptive surfaces of cylindrical containers, and comprising at least a water-soluble solvent, a coloring material, a surfactant, a thickener and/or a binder resin, the coloring material being contained in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight, the surfactant in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight, the thickener in an amount of not more than 10% by weight, and the binder resin being contained in an amount of not more than 30% by weight.

2. The ink for ink-jet printing according to claim 1, wherein said binder resin comprises any one of an urethane resin, an epoxy resin, a polyester resin, a melamine resin or an acrylic resin, and is contained in an amount of 5 to 30% by weight.

3. The ink for ink-jet printing according to claim 1, wherein said water-soluble solvent is at least one of a dialkyl glycol ether solvent, an ethylene glycol ether solvent or a propylene glycol ether solvent.

4. The ink for ink-jet printing according to claim 1, wherein said water-soluble solvent has a boiling point of not lower than 120°

C.

5. The ink for ink-jet printing according to claim 1, wherein said thickener is at least one of a cellulose ether soluble in alcohol or a polyvinyl acetal soluble in alcohol.

6. The ink for ink-jet printing according to claim 1, wherein said surfactant is a siloxane modified with polyether.

7. A printed cylindrical container having an ink-jet printed layer formed on the ink non-absorptive surface of a cylindrical container by using the ink for ink-jet printing of claim 1 and, further, having a finishing varnish layer formed on the ink-jet-printed layer.

8. The printed cylindrical container according to claim 7, wherein said finishing varnish layer comprises an aqueous finishing varnish using, as the base resin, any one of an acrylepoxy resin, acrylamino resin, polyester resin or polyesteramino resin.

9. The printed cylindrical container according to claim 7, wherein a white coating and/or an anchor coating is formed under the ink-jet-printed layer.

10. A method of producing a printed cylindrical container by adjusting the temperature on the ink non-absorptive surface of a cylindrical container to lie in a range of 25 to 100°

C. effecting an ink-jet printing on the ink non-absorptive surface by using the ink for ink-jet printing of claim 1, and applying a finishing varnish thereon.

11. The method of producing a printed cylindrical container according to claim 10, wherein the image that is ink-jet-printed is false-baked before applying the finishing varnish and, thereafter, the finishing varnish that is applied is baked and cured.

12. The method of producing a printed cylindrical container according to claim 10, wherein the image is printed by the plate-type printing before or after the ink-jet printing.

13. The method of producing a printed cylindrical container according to claim 10, wherein the ink-jet printing is effected through at least one ink-jet printing station in which a plurality of ink-jet heads are arranged.