Rotary system and method for printing containers

• US 9,032,872 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• 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): Tankersley, Blake A
• Assistant Examiner(s): FERGUSON SAMRETH, MARISSA LIANA
• Application Number:
  US13/189,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 101/35, 101/38.1, 101/39, 101/40, 101/40.1, 101/37, 347/4
• US Class Current: 101/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/18 on curved surfaces of articles of varying cross-section, e.g. bottles, lamp glasses
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/28 for printing on curved surfaces of conical or frusto-conical articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/30 for printing on curved surfaces of essentially spherical, or part-spherical, articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00218 Constructional details of the irradiation means, e.g. radiation source attached to reciprocating print head assembly or shutter means provided on the radiation source
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• 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: B41P 2217/00 Printing machines of special types or for particular purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2217/61 internally, e.g. for mugs or goblets
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2217/62 externally, e.g. for bottles

Abstract

A system for digitally printing directly on a plurality of containers is provided. In an embodiment, the system includes a device configured to determine an initial position or orientation of an individual container; a plurality of print heads configured to print directly on said containers; and a plurality of container holders configured hold or retain an individual container, to rotate the individual container, and to maintain a rotational position of the individual container relative to at least one print head while printing occurs; and one or more curing devices. The system may be configured such that the plurality of container holders are configured to move along a linear or curved path, and the plurality of container holders may be configured to controllably rotate about a container axis.

Claims

1. A system for digitally printing directly on a plurality of containers in the form of plastic bottles, the system comprising:

an inner wheel and an outer wheel, the inner wheel and the outer wheel having a substantially common axis of rotation;

wherein the outer wheel is configured to generally rotate in a rotational direction, and the inner wheel is configured to rotate in the same rotational direction as the outer wheel and in a rotational direction opposite the rotational direction of the outer wheel;

a plurality of print heads provided on the inner wheel and configured to print directly on a side portion of each of said containers;

a plurality of container holders provided on the outer wheel, the holders are each configured to hold or retain an individual container, to rotate the individual container, and to maintain a rotational position of the individual container relative to at least one of the print heads while printing occurs; and

one or more curing devices provided on the inner wheel and configured to cure a side portion of said containers;

wherein the plurality of container holders are configured to move along a holder path having a portion with a radius, the plurality of print heads are configured to move along an arcuate print head path, and the print heads are configured to print on said containers while said containers and the print heads are moving.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the container holders are each configured to rotate an individual container about a container axis.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the container holders is rotated by a servo motor.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of container holders is configured to rotate 90 degrees or more.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of container holders is configured to rotate 180 degrees or more.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of container holders are configured to move along the holder path and rotate about a container axis simultaneously.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of container holders are configured to rotate about a container axis when the containers are at a substantially stationary position along the holder path.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the container holders move along the holder path, rotate the container about the container axis, or move and rotate said containers to an orientation position.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said containers include a non-cylindrical surface and the system is configured to print on the non-cylindrical surface of said containers.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a pre-treating device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to maintain a substantially constant stand-off distance between the print heads and an outer surface of said containers to be printed.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the inner wheel is configured to index and rotate in a direction opposing a rotational direction of the outer wheel.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the outer wheel is configured to rotate at a substantially constant rotational speed.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein during printing a rotational speed of the inner wheel is configured to substantially match a rotational speed of the outer wheel.