Apparatus and method for printing multi-color images onto cylindrical body

• US 5,970,865 A
• Filed: 02/20/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Horth, Roland, Choate, Paul, Fleischer, Karl, Whipple, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grohusky, Leslie J.
• Application Number:
  US09/026,920
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 101/35, 101/38.1, 101/39, 101/40, 101/40.1
• US Class Current: 101/40
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/22 by rolling contact
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/06 Lithographic printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/14 Multicolour printing
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for printing multi-color images onto a cylindrical body includes ink adhesion mechanisms that adhere different colors of ink to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body. Ink drying mechanisms are included for drying the different colored inks adhered to the cylindrical body after the completion of the respective ink adhesion processes. Each of the ink adhesion mechanisms is arranged such that a mandrel, about which the cylindrical body is held, is moved in an arc along the outer periphery of a cylinder-shaped blanket which is disposed around the outer peripheral surface of an blanket cylinder. Ink is applied to the cylindrical body from the blanket at a position where the cylindrical body contacts the blanket. The blanket cylinder is rotated about an axis thereof in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the mandrel. The mandrel is rotated about an axis thereof so that a relative velocity of the cylindrical body and the blanket at the contact portion is zero. With this arrangement, multi-color images of high quality can be printed onto the cylindrical body at a high velocity with pinpoint accuracy.

Claims

1. A method for performing multi-color printing on a cylindrical body, comprising the steps of:

adhering a first color of ink onto an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, including,

holding the cylindrical body on a mandrel by inserting said cylindrical body over said mandrel,

applying to said cylindrical body the first color of ink from a blanket disposed about a blanket cylinder by,

contacting at a contact portion the cylindrical body to the blanket which has said first color ink thereon,

rotating the blanket and blanket cylinder in a predetermined direction about an axis of said blanket cylinder,

rotating the mandrel and the cylindrical body in another direction opposite to said predetermined direction and about an axis of said mandrel, and

moving said mandrel and said cylindrical body along an arc that follows a periphery of said blanket cylinder such that a relative motion is zero at said contact portion between said cylindrical body and said blanket;

drying the first color of ink; and

repeating said adhering and drying steps for another color of ink applied by another blanket and another blanket cylinder.

2. A multi-color printing apparatus for printing on a cylindrical body, comprising:

a plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms configured to adhere different colors of ink onto an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, respective of said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms having a blanket cylinder and a blanket disposed around an outer periphery of the blanket cylinder, said blanket being configured to transfer one of the different colors of ink onto the cylindrical body by contacting the blanket to the cylindrical body at a contact position;

a cylindrical body moving mechanism configured to successively hold and move the cylindrical body to said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms, including,

a plurality of mandrels, each having an axis parallel with an axis of the blanket cylinder and each mandrel being configured to hold the cylindrical body thereon by inserting the cylindrical body over the mandrel,

a plurality of mandrel moving mechanisms configured to move the cylindrical body and respective of the plurality of mandrels in an arc along the outer periphery of the blanket of a corresponding one of the plurality of ink adhesion mechanism so as to contact the cylindrical body with the blanket at said contact position, and

a plurality of rotation control mechanisms each configured to rotate the blanket cylinder of a corresponding one of the plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms about an axis of the blanket cylinder in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the cylindrical body that is in contact with the blanket, and configured to rotate the mandrel about an axis of the mandrel so that a relative velocity of the cylindrical body and the blanket at the contact position is zero; and

a plurality of ink drying mechanisms each configured to dry respective of said different colors of ink applied by one of the plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms directly upstream of respective of said plurality of ink drying mechanisms, where upstream is relative to a moving direction of said cylindrical body moving mechanism.

3. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cylindrical body moving mechanism further comprises:

a wheel having the plurality of mandrels disposed along the outer periphery of the wheel; and

a wheel driving mechanism configured to rotate said wheel about an axis of the wheel, wherein

the blanket cylinders and the blankets of said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms are disposed around the wheel at equal intervals in a peripheral direction thereof in parallel with the axis of the wheel, and

said wheel driving mechanism is configured to rotate said wheel to successively move the plurality of mandrels to the respective contact positions with respective of the blankets.

4. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each of said plurality of rotation control mechanisms includes a mandrel side gear fixed to a shaft of the mandrel and coaxially aligned with the axis of the mandrel; and

respective blanket side gears are fixed to respective shafts of the blanket cylinders and are coaxially aligned with respective axes of the blanket cylinders such that when the respective of the plurality of mandrels move in arcs along respective outer peripheries of respective of the blankets, the mandrel side gear is coupled with the blanket side gear.

5. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

each of said plurality of rotation control mechanisms includes a mandrel side gear fixed to a shaft of the mandrel and coaxially aligned with the axis of the mandrel; and

respective blanket side gears are fixed to respective shafts of the blanket cylinders and are coaxially aligned with respective axes of the blanket cylinders such that when the respective of the plurality of mandrels move in arcs along respective outer peripheries of respective of the blankets, the mandrel side gear is coupled with the blanket side gear.

6. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

each of said rotation control mechanisms includes positioning means for causing the contact position to remain unchanged with respect to said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms at all times when a first color ink of the different colors ink is applied by a first blanket of a first of said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms.

7. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

each of said rotation control mechanisms includes positioning means for causing the contact position to remain unchanged with respect to said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms at all times when a first color ink of the different colors ink is applied by a first blanket of a first of said plurality of ink adhesion mechanisms.

8. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said positioning means includes an intermediate gear disposed between respective of adjacent of said ink adhesion mechanisms and coupled with the blanket side gear of each ink adhesion mechanism; and

the mandrel side gear is coupled so as to rotate and move, while being engaged, between a corresponding one of the blanket side gears and the intermediate gear.

9. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

said positioning means includes an intermediate gear disposed between respective of adjacent of said ink adhesion mechanisms and coupled with the blanket side gear of each ink adhesion mechanism; and

the mandrel side gear is coupled so as to rotate and move, while being engaged, between a corresponding one of the blanket side gears and the intermediate gear.

10. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

each of said plurality of ink drying mechanism is configured to dry one of the different colors of ink of the cylindrical body on the mandrel side gear when the mandrel side gear coupled with the intermediate gear.

11. The multi-color printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

each of said plurality of ink drying mechanisms is configured to dry one of the different colors of ink of the cylindrical body on the mandrel side gear when the mandrel side gear coupled with the intermediate gear.

12. A multi-color printing apparatus for printing on a cylindrical body, comprising:

means for adhering a first color of ink onto an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, including, a mandrel;

means for holding the cylindrical body on the mandrel,

means for applying to said cylindrical body the first color of ink from a blanket of a blanket cylinder, including,

means for contacting at a contact portion the cylindrical body to the blanket which has said first color ink thereon,

means for rotating the blanket and the blanket cylinder in a predetermined direction about an axis of said blanket cylinder,

means for rotating the mandrel and the cylindrical body in another direction opposite to said predetermined direction and about an axis of said mandrel, and

means for moving said mandrel and said cylindrical body, along an arc that follows a periphery of said blanket cylinder such that a relative motion is zero at said contact portion between said cylindrical body and said blanket;

means for drying the first color of ink; and

means for adhering and drying another color of ink applied by another blanket and another blanket cylinder to said cylindrical body.

13. An apparatus for applying different colors of ink to a cylindrical body, comprising:

a plurality of color application stations, each comprising means for applying a predetermined color of different colors of ink to a peripheral surface of said cylindrical body;

means for rotatably supporting said plurality of color application stations, having,

a first member configured to rotate in a first direction about a first axis,

first motive means for effecting a rotational motion of said first member about said first axis; and

a plurality of mandrel housing means for moving respective of a plurality of mandrels attached thereto in a rotational movement about a housing means axis, wherein

said means for rotatably supporting said plurality of color application stations includes second motive means associated with respective of said plurality of mandrel housing means for effecting a rotation movement of each of said mandrel housing means about the housing means axis,

respective of said mandrel housing means includes a mandrel of said plurality of mandrels and means for rotating said mandrel about a mandrel axis, said mandrel axis being in a predetermined eccentric position in said mandrel housing means with respect to said mandrel housing axis such that the rotational movement of said mandrel housing means about the housing means axis effects an orbital motion of said mandrel relative to said housing means axis, said mandrel being configured to support the cylindrical body thereon for presentation to at least one of the plurality of color application stations, and

said means for rotatably supporting includes third motive means in operative communication with respective of said mandrels for rotating respective of said mandrels about the mandrel axis at a predetermined rate of speed for at least a portion of each rotation of said mandrel housing means about said mandrel housing means axis when said mandrel is proximate at least one of said color application stations.