Method and apparatus for printing a beverage label having a static part and a variable part

• US 6,705,218 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ecc-Jolt, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Jolt Company, Inc. (The Boylan Bottling Co.)
• Inventors: Rapp, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Funk, Stephen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamdan, Wasseem H.
• Application Number:
  US10/128,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 101/35, 101/38.1, 400/61, 400/70, 400/76, 345/1.1, 345/156, 358/1.9, 358/1.18, 273/292
• US Class Current: 101/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/02 Cards; Special shapes of cards card-printing methods B41K, B41M
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/003 Blackjack; Twenty one
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/005 Poker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0012 the other object being a container or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/001 Games or toys connected to, or combined with, other objects; Objects with a second use as a toy or game
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/14 of tags , labels, cards, coupons, decorations or the like B65D23/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/205 Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like; cards or coupons for the other types of rigid or semi-rigid containers B65D25/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/36 adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/06 the advertising matter being combined with articles for restaurants, shops or offices on paper articles G09F23/10

Abstract

One or more beverage container labels and the method for creating a first static part and a second variable part including printing the image on the label using a single pass. The printing apparatus having a computer with memory to store a first static portion of an image and a second variable portion of an image so that a rasterizer connected to the memory and combining the first static portion and the second variable portion can form an image for printing. The apparatus also has a printer connected to the rasterizer for printing the image on a label in one step.

Claims

1. A method of printing beverage labels comprising:

(a) printing a first side of a first label using a static printing process;

(b) forming an image for printing a second side of the first label, the image having a fixed part and a variable part;

(c) rasterizing the image;

(d) printing the rasterized image on the second side of the label;

(e) printing a first side of a second label using the static printing process;

(f) retrieving the image for printing the second side of the second label;

(g) changing the variable part;

(h) rasterizing the image; and

(i) printing the rasterized image on the second side of the second label.

2. A method of printing a plurality of beverage labels comprising:

(a) storing a static image portion of the label;

(b) storing a plurality of variable image portions of the label;

(c) combining the static image portion of the label incrementally with each one of the variable image portions of the label to produce a plurality of combined label images;

(d) rasterizing each of the combined label images; and

(e) printing each of the combined label images to produce the plurality of beverage labels having the static image portion common to each label and the variable image portion different from label to label.

3. Apparatus for printing a plurality of beverage labels comprising:

(a) a computer having memory storing a first static portion of an image and a plurality of second variable portions of an image;

(b) a rasterizer connected to the memory and combining the first static portion incrementally with each one of the second variable portions to form a plurality of combined label images for printing, each of the combined label images having the common image portion associated with a different variable image portion; and

(c) a printer connected to the rasterizer for printing each of the combined label images.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising a selector for selecting a variable portion to be combined with the static portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a counter connected to the printer and the selector changing the variable portion after a preselected number of labels have been printed.

6. A method of producing a plurality of different beverage labels comprising:

(a) storing a static image portion and a plurality of variable image portions in a computer memory;

(b) combining the static image portion incrementally with each of the variable image portions to produce a plurality of combined label images that differ one from another;

(c) rasterizing each of the combined label images; and

(d) printing each of the rasterized combined label images in a single pass to produce a plurality of labels, each of the label having the static image portion in common and a different variable image portion.

7. A method of printing a plurality of related beverage labels comprising:

(a) creating and storing a static portion of a beverage label;

(b) creating and storing a series of related variable portions of a beverage label;

(c) selecting one of the related variable portions of a beverage label; and

(d) sequentially creating a plurality of related but different beverage labels by repeating steps of

i) combining the stored static portion of the beverage label with the selected one of the variable portions of the beverage label

ii) rasterizing the combined static portion and the selected variable portion to produce a composite beverage label and

iii) printing the rasterized composite beverage label until a predetermined number of related beverage labels has been printed.