Continuously updatable rotary pad printing apparatus and method

• US 8,800,439 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• 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): Colilla, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tankersley, Blake A
• Application Number:
  US11/777,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 101/41, 101/40, 101/35, 101/42, 101/93, 101/193, 101/194, 101/195, 101/200, 101/287, 101/297, 101/492, 347/103
• US Class Current: 101/41
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/001 Pad printing apparatus or machines
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material

Abstract

A rotary pad printing system comprises a compressible pad wheel (105), one or more inkjet or other image applicator heads (400), optional treatment stations (500), a shaft encoder (535), a control unit (540), and an image source (565). The image applicator heads apply an image to the wheel and the treatment stations can supply treatments such as heat, gas, light, overcoats, and undercoats. The image is then transferred to a receiving surface (532). An optional cleaning station (510) cleans the rotary pad prior to application of the next or a continuous image. Each image can be different and can be applied to a moving surface. Since the rotary pad can continuously receive updated image information, the area printed can range from a single pixel to an image of indefinite length. In an alternative embodiment, a domed pad is used. In another alternative embodiment, a flexible belt (1000) is used instead of a rotary wheel. In another alternative embodiment, a segmented pad (2205) is used.

Claims

1. A pad printing system for printing onto a receiving surface, comprising:

(a) a rotatable shaft having an axis,

(b) a plurality of resilient pads secured to said rotatable shaft, each of said plurality of resilient pads having an arcuate ink-receiving-and-releasing surface, said arcuate ink-receiving-and-releasing surface having an axis that is coaxial with said axis of said rotatable shaft,

(c) a first motive source for rotating said shaft,

(d) an ink source containing ink of at least one color,

(e) an image source that supplies at least one reverse-reading image,

(f) at least one ink-applicator means extending parallel to said axis of said shaft and spaced a predetermined distance from said axis of said shaft, said applicator means being connected to said image source and supplied with said ink from said ink source and arranged to print said reverse-reading image with said ink directly and without use of an intermediate release surface onto said surface of at least one of said pads while said shaft rotates,

(g) a second motive source arranged to urge said receiving surface and said surface of said at least one of said pads into stamping contact at a predetermined time,

(h) a control unit where said control unit causes;

(1) said first motive source to cause said shaft to rotate,

(2) said ink applicator means to print said reverse-reading ink image directly onto said surface of said one pad while said pad rotates beneath said ink-applicator means,

(3) said first motive source to rotate said one pad over said receiving surface and stop with said one pad positioned over said receiving surface, and

(4) at said predetermined time, said second motive source to urge said one pad into stamping contact with said receiving surface while said first motive source is stopped so that said reverse-reading ink image is transferred by stamping onto said receiving surface as a right-reading ink image,

whereby said reverse-reading ink image is printed with said ink onto said one of said pads while said one of said pads rotates, and then rotation of said one of said pads is stopped and said one of said pads is urged into stamping contact with said receiving surface while said one of said pads is stopped in order to transfer said reverse-reading ink image from said one of said pads onto said receiving surface as said right-reading ink image, thereby printing said right-reading ink image onto said receiving surface while improving reliability by requiring few parts and eliminating degradation of said right-reading ink image by using only a single transfer of said ink from said pad to said receiving surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said ink is selected from the group consisting of frit, particle, metallic, magnetic, dye, pigment-containing, ultraviolet-curable, infrared-curable, light-curable, heat-curable, cold-curable, catalyst-curable, microwave-curable, water-based, wax-based, solvent-based, oil-based, and multi-component and evaporating inks.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said ink applicator is selected from the group consisting of offset, dye transfer, wax transfer, inkjet, spray, and electrostatic applicators.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said pads comprise a material selected from the group consisting of gelatin, caoutchouc, latex rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone rubber, and plastic materials.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said surface of said pad is selected from the group consisting of smooth and textured surfaces.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and said second motive sources are selected from the group consisting of electrical, pneumatic, magnetic, and hydraulic sources.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said ink can be cured by a treatment selected from the group consisting of liquid sprays, powder sprays, vapors, sonic energy, heat, light including ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, magnetic fields, electrostatic fields, and plasma discharges.

8. The system of claim 1, further including at least one treatment applicator responsive to said commands issued by said control unit and capable of applying at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of liquid spray, powder spray, vapor, sonic energy, heat, light including ultraviolet light, x-ray, gamma ray, magnetic field, electrostatic field, and plasma discharge applicators.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the material comprising said pad is selected from the group consisting of insulative and conductive materials.

10. The system of claim 1, further including at least one source of electrical potential connected between said pad and said ink applicator means.

11. A method for pad printing an image onto a receiving surface, comprising:

(a) providing a rotatable shaft having an axis,

(b) providing a plurality of resilient pads secured to said rotatable shaft, each of said plurality of resilient pads having an arcuate ink-receiving-and-releasing surface, said arcuate ink-receiving-and-releasing surface having an axis that is coaxial with said axis of said rotatable shaft,

(c) providing a first motive source for rotating said shaft,

(d) providing an ink source containing ink of at least one color,

(e) providing an image source that supplies at least one reverse-reading image,

(f) providing at least one ink-applicator means extending parallel to said axis of said shaft and spaced a predetermined distance from said axis of said shaft, said applicator means being connected to said image source and supplied with said ink from said ink source and arranged to print said reverse-reading image with said ink directly onto said surface of at least one of said pads while said shaft rotates and without use of an intermediate release surface,

(g) providing a second motive source arranged to urge said receiving surface and said surface of said at least one of said pads into stamping contact at a predetermined time,

(h) providing a control unit where said control unit causes;

(1) said first motive source to cause said shaft to rotate,

(2) said ink applicator means to print said reverse-reading ink image directly onto said surface of said one pad while said pad rotates beneath said ink-applicator means,

(3) said first motive source to rotate said one pad over said receiving surface and stop with said one pad positioned over said receiving surface, and

(4) at said predetermined time, said second motive source to urge said one pad into stamping contact with said receiving surface while said first motive source is stopped so that said reverse-reading ink image is transferred by stamping onto said receiving surface as a right-reading ink image,

whereby said reverse-reading ink image is printed with said ink onto said one of said pads while said one of said pads rotates, and then rotation of said one of said pads is stopped and said one of said pads is urged into stamping contact with said receiving surface while said one of said pads is stopped in order to transfer said reverse-reading ink image from said one of said pads onto said receiving surface as said right-reading ink image, thereby printing said right-reading ink image onto said receiving surface while improving reliability by requiring few parts and eliminating degradation of said right-reading ink image by using only a single transfer of said ink from said pad to said receiving surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first and said second motive sources are selected from the group consisting of electrical, pneumatic, magnetic, and hydraulic sources.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said ink is selected from the group consisting of water based, wax-based, solvent-based, oil-based, and multi-component inks and coating materials.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said ink applicator is selected from the group consisting of offset, dye transfer, wax transfer, inkjet, spray, and electrostatic applicators.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said pads comprise materials selected from the group consisting of gelatin, caoutchouc, latex rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone rubber, and plastic materials.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said surface of said pads is selected from the group consisting of smooth and textured surfaces.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the material comprising said pad is selected from the group consisting of insulative and conductive materials.

18. The method of claim 11, further including at least one source of electrical potential connected between said at least one of said pads and said ink applicator.

19. The method of claim 11, further including a plurality of said ink applicators.

20. The method of claim 11, further including at least one ink applicator arranged to apply at least one treatment to said pad, said treatment selected from the group consisting of liquid sprays, powder sprays, vapors, sonic energy, heat, light including ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, magnetic fields, electrostatic fields, and plasma discharges in response to said commands issued by said control unit.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving surface is selected from the group consisting of flat, curved, and irregular surfaces.

22. A pad printing system for printing a right-reading ink image onto a receiving surface, comprising:

(a) a plurality of non-contiguous, resilient pads, each pad having a circularly arcuate surface having an axis of curvature and arranged to directly receive and temporarily retain a reverse-reading copy of said ink image, each of said pads rigidly secured to a rotatable shaft having the same axis as said pads,

(b) a control unit for issuing commands for operation of said system,

(c) an actuable first motive source for rotating said shaft,

(d) a second motive source for urging said surface of at least one of said plurality of resilient pads into stamping contact with said receiving surface while said first motive source is inactivated,

(e) an image source containing at least one original image that has been separated into a plurality of reverse-reading images comprising a plurality of respective color components of said original image,

(f) said first and said second motive sources and said image source being responsive to commands from said control unit,

(g) a plurality of ink applicators, each of said ink applicators being connected to an ink source, each of said ink sources being arranged to supply ink of the same color as said respective color components of said original right-reading image, each of said ink applicators being an equal distance from said shaft,

(h) each of said ink applicators being responsive to said commands from said control unit for applying said color component portion of said original image directly, without use of an intermediate release surface, from said ink applicator onto said surface of said pad in registration with said original image while said first motive source is actuated and said shaft rotates,

whereby, when urged by said commands from said control unit, said color components of said image are applied as said reverse-reading images to said pad while said pad rotates, and then said pad is stopped and urged into stamping contact with said receiving surface, thereby simultaneously transferring all of said color components of said image in registration as a right-reading image onto said receiving surface at the same time while obviating the need for an intermediate release surface.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said ink applicator means are selected from the group consisting of offset, dye transfer, wax transfer, inkjet, spray, and electrostatic applicators.

24. The system of claim 22, further including at least one treatment applicator responsive to said commands issued by said control unit and capable of applying at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of liquid spray, powder spray, vapor, sonic energy, heat, light including ultraviolet light, x-ray, gamma ray, magnetic field, electrostatic field, and plasma discharge applicators.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said inks can be cured by a treatment selected from the group consisting of liquid sprays, powder sprays, vapors, sonic energy, heat, light including ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, magnetic fields, electrostatic fields, and plasma discharges.