Surface tracking rotary pad printing apparatus and method

• US 8,356,552 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brian A. Brown, Lloyd Douglas Clark
• Original Assignee: Brian A. Brown, Lloyd Douglas Clark
• Inventors: Clark, Lloyd Douglas, Brown, Brian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yan, Ren
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERGUSON SAMRETH, MARISSA LIANA
• Application Number:
  US12/124,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20080289521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 101/35, 101/41, 101/44, 101/DIG.40, 101/33, 101/43, 101/163, 101/328, 101/492, 101/493, 101/42, 101/401
• US Class Current: 101/41
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/001 Pad printing apparatus or machines
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• 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 3/407 for marking on special material

Abstract

In one aspect of a first embodiment, a rotary pad printing system comprises a controller (400), an image source (498) that provides an image to the controller, a rotary pad (200) that is urged to rotate by a first motive source, a monochrome or color ink source or applicator such as an inkjet (215), and an actuator (235, 730). The system has the ability to print onto a flat or uneven surface (410). The controller actuates the ink source, causing it to deposit an ink image (202) onto a rotating pad wheel (200). As the surface moves, the wheel is held in contact with the surface by an actuator (235) or arm (705). As the wheel turns in contact with the surface, the ink image comes into contact with the surface and transfers to it, thereby printing the ink image onto a flat or uneven surface.

Claims

1. A surface-tracking, rotary pad printing system for printing onto a surface of an object, comprising:

a controller for operating said surface-tracking, rotary pad printing system,

an image source for providing an image,

a pad, said pad being rotatably mounted,

a motive source responsive to said controller that causes said pad to rotate,

a load cell connected to said pad and arranged to sense horizontal and vertical force components against said pad and arranged to supply a signal representative of said horizontal and vertical force components to said controller,

a source of ink,

an ink applicator connected to said source of ink and said controller and said image source, said ink applicator being arranged to apply ink from said source of ink in the form of a representation of said image directly onto said pad,

an actuator connected to said controller and arranged to urge said pad against said surface of said object with a constant normal force and thereby causing said pad to remain in contact with said surface of said object as said pad rotates,

said controller arranged to receive said signal representative of said horizontal and vertical force components from said load cell, said controller containing instructions that cause said force components to actuate said motive source and said actuator in a predetermined fashion so that said pad remains in constant contact with said surface of said object while said pad rotates,

said ink being arranged to adhere preferentially to said surface of said object rather than said pad, so that said ink transfers from said pad to said surface of said object at the region of contact between said pad and said surface of said object and adheres to said object,

whereby said ink applicator applies said image to said pad while said pad rotates in contact with said surface, and said image is transferred from said pad to said surface of said object as said pad rotates in contact with said surface of said object in a single transfer step, thereby printing said image onto said surface of said object without multiple transfers.

2. The system of claim 1, further including at least one treatment station for applying a coating to said surface of said object.

3. The system of claim 1, further including at least one station capable of applying to said surface of said object at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, heat, gas, and ultrasound.

4. The system of claim 1, further including rotary encoder means arranged to report an angular position of said pad to said controller in order that said controller can cause said source of ink to apply said image to said pad prior to transfer of said image to said surface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said source of ink is arranged to supply inks having a plurality of colors.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein a shape of said surface is selected from the group consisting of flat, uneven, and sloped surfaces.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said pad is made of an elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, caoutchouc, latex, gelatin, and alginate.

8. The system of claim 1, further including said load cell sensing and reporting at least one force component acting on said pad to said controller.

9. A method for contour pad printing, comprising:

providing a surface,

providing an image source for supplying an image,

providing an activatable controller containing instructions for contour pad printing onto said surface,

providing sensing means connected to said controller for sensing X and Y components of force between said surface and said pad,

providing a pad, said pad being rotatably mounted,

providing a motive source for rotating said pad,

providing a source of ink,

providing an applicator connected to said controller, said image source, and said source of ink for applying said image containing said ink to said pad,

providing an actuator connected to said controller and arranged to provide a normal force between said pad and said surface for urging said pad into contact with said surface as said pad rotates,

activating said controller so that said controller;

(a) receives from said sensing means said X and Y components of force between said surface and said pad,

(b) causes said actuator to urge said pad against said surface with a normal force so that said pad rotates in contact with said surface,

(c) causes said applicator to receive said image from said image source and apply said image containing said ink from said ink source directly to said pad while said rotary motive source urges said pad to rotate,

whereby said image is printed directly onto said pad while said pad rotates in contact with said surface with a predetermined normal force having X and Y components sensed by said sensing means and then said image is transferred from said pad to said surface in a single transfer step, thereby avoiding image degradation due to multiple transfers of said image.

10. The method of claim 9, further including at least one treatment station for applying a coating to said surface.

11. The method of claim 9, further including at least one station for_applying to said surface at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, heat, gas, and ultrasound.

12. The method of claim 9, further including rotary encoder means arranged to report an angular position of said pad to said controller in order that said controller can cause said source of ink to apply said image to said pad prior to transfer of said image to said surface.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said source of ink is supplied with inks in a plurality of colors.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein a shape of said surface is selected from the group consisting of flat, uneven, and sloped surfaces.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said pad is made of an elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, caoutchouc, latex, gelatin, and alginate.

16. A system for pad printing an image onto a surface, comprising:

controller means,

an image source connected to said controller means for supplying said image,

a pad, said pad being rotatably mounted,

a motive source for rotating said pad,

a source of ink,

applicator means connected to said controller means and said source of ink and said image source for applying a reverse copy of said image containing said ink directly to said pad without use of an intermediate release surface,

sensing means connected to said controller means for sensing X and Y components of force between said surface and said pad,

actuator means connected to said controller means and arranged to provide a normal force between said pad and said surface_for urging said pad against said surface, wherein said surface is non-cylindrical,

said controller means being arranged to;

(a) receive said X and Y components of force between said surface and said pad from said sensing means,

(b) receive said image from said image source

(c) cause said applicator means to apply said image to said pad while also causing said motive source to rotate said pad, and

(d) cause said actuator means to urge said pad against said surface with a predetermined normal force comprising said X and Y components,

whereby when said actuator means causes said pad to rotate in contact with said surface at a predetermined normal force and said image is applied to said pad and then transferred to said surface with a single transfer step.

17. The system of claim 16, further including at least one treatment station for applying a coating to said surface.

18. The system of claim 16, further including at least one station for applying to said surface at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, heat, gas, and ultrasound.

19. The system of claim 16, further including rotary encoder means arranged to report an angular position of said pad to said controller in order that said controller can cause said source of ink to apply said image to said pad prior to transfer of said image to said surface.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein said source of ink is supplied with inks in a plurality of colors.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein a shape of said surface is selected from the group consisting of flat, uneven, and sloped surfaces.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein said pad is made of an elastomeric material selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, caoutchouc, latex, gelatin, and alginate.