Printing plastic containers with digital images

• US 7,736,713 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Uptergrove, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye; Rena L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kashnikow; Erik
• Application Number:
  US11/446,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35.7, 428/36.9, 428/195.1, 156/244.6, 156/277, 264/132, 264/459.5, 264/509, 264/523, 264/537, 101/35
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• 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: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0082 Digital printing on bodies of particular shapes sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design B41M5/035
• 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: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]

Abstract

A method for printing digital images on plastic containers having curved surfaces, including providing a series of hollow plastic containers, moving the containers along a track past first and second digital printing locations, and printing first and second digital images on the curved container surfaces while maintaining the container being printed under internal pressure and while firmly holding the container being printed at spaced locations thereon.

Claims

1. A plastic container having curved surfaces with digital images thereon, which comprises:

a hollow plastic container having curved external surfaces, said container having a first multiple color, single-cured digital image on a first curved surface having a non-constant radius of curvature, and a second multiple color, single-cured digital image on a second curved surface having a non-constant radius of curvature, wherein said second curved surface is spaced from said first curved surface, and wherein said first and second curved surfaces are on opposed surfaces;

wherein said digital images are printed with a plurality of independently movable print heads.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein said container is oval.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein said container is one of an injection molded plastic container and a blow molded plastic container.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein said container is one of polyethylene terephthalate and high density polyethylene.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein said digital images are inkjet printed digital images.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein said digital images are printed on said container at different times.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein said digitally printed surfaces include UV-reactive ink.

8. A container according to claim 1, wherein said digitally printed surface is the final coating.

9. A container according to claim 5, wherein said container is pre-treated to raise the surface energy prior to digital printing.

10. A container according to claim 5, wherein the inkjet printing is a drop on demand printing.

11. A container according to claim 5, wherein the inkjet printed image is a UV reactive ink and is cured by UV light.

12. A container according to claim 1, wherein said container is configured to hold an internal pressure of from 0.125 to 10.0 psi.

13. A container according to claim 1, wherein each image is printed in one pass.