Method of printing a pictorial image onto the circumferential outer surface of beverage bottles and filling beverage bottles in a bottling plant for filling bottles with a liquid beverage filling material in rotary filling machinery and apparatus therefor
First Claim
1. A container-printing arrangement configured to print graphic, numeric, and/or alpha-numeric information or an image directly on an external surface of a container comprising a bottle or similar container, said container-printing arrangement comprising:
- at least one electrostatic print head comprising a housing configured to contain printing liquid therein;
said housing comprises a plurality of openings configured to dispense printing liquid in a controlled manner directly onto an external surface of a container;
said at least one electrostatic print head comprises a plurality of electrodes, each paired with and disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of said openings;
a container handling arrangement being configured to dispose a container adjacent said at least one electrostatic print head to permit dispensing of printing liquid directly onto an external surface of a container;
said plurality of openings being disposed such that at least one of said openings is disposed at a greater height than at least one other of said openings; and
an arrangement configured to rotate a first of said at least one print head about a machine axis such that a greater centrifugal force is generated at said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings such that the difference in pressure in said plurality of said openings between said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings being configured to compensate for the difference in the pressure caused by gravity at said plurality of openings of said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A container-printing arrangement configured to print graphic, numeric, and/or alpha-numeric information or an image on an external surface of a bottle or similar container. The arrangement comprises at least one electrostatic print head having a plurality of openings configured to dispense printing liquid and a plurality of corresponding electrodes. The openings are located in a row one after another along a print head longitudinal axis. A container handling arrangement is used to position a container adjacent the at least one electrostatic print head to permit dispensing of printing liquid onto an external surface of the container.
28 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A container-printing arrangement configured to print graphic, numeric, and/or alpha-numeric information or an image directly on an external surface of a container comprising a bottle or similar container, said container-printing arrangement comprising:
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at least one electrostatic print head comprising a housing configured to contain printing liquid therein; said housing comprises a plurality of openings configured to dispense printing liquid in a controlled manner directly onto an external surface of a container; said at least one electrostatic print head comprises a plurality of electrodes, each paired with and disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of said openings; a container handling arrangement being configured to dispose a container adjacent said at least one electrostatic print head to permit dispensing of printing liquid directly onto an external surface of a container; said plurality of openings being disposed such that at least one of said openings is disposed at a greater height than at least one other of said openings; and an arrangement configured to rotate a first of said at least one print head about a machine axis such that a greater centrifugal force is generated at said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings such that the difference in pressure in said plurality of said openings between said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings being configured to compensate for the difference in the pressure caused by gravity at said plurality of openings of said at least one of said openings disposed at a greater height than said at least one other of said openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A container-printing arrangement configured to print graphic, numeric, and/or alpha-numeric information or an image directly on an external surface of a container comprising a bottle or similar container, said container-printing arrangement comprising:
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at least one electrostatic print head comprising a housing configured to contain printing liquid therein; said housing comprises a plurality of openings configured to dispense printing liquid in a controlled manner directly onto an external surface of a container; said at least one electrostatic print head comprises a plurality of electrodes, each paired with and disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of said openings; a container handling arrangement being configured to dispose a container adjacent said at least one electrostatic print head to permit dispensing of printing liquid directly onto an external surface of a container; a rotor configured to be rotated about a vertical machine axis to move containers, wherein; said at least one print head being supported on said rotor; and said direction of said print heads being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical machine axis such that, during rotation at a predetermined speed of said rotor, differences in pressures on printing liquid at said openings generated by gravity and also centrifugal force generated by the rotation of said rotor are caused to essentially offset one another to maintain a constant or approximately constant pressure at said openings.
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16. A method of printing on an external surface of a bottle or similar container using a container-printing arrangement comprising:
- at least one electrostatic print head comprising a housing configured to contain printing liquid therein, which said housing comprises a plurality of openings, in a row, configured to dispense printing liquid in a controlled manner onto an external surface of a container; and
a plurality of electrodes, each paired with and disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of said openings, said method comprising the steps of;positioning said at least one electrostatic print head and then said row of openings at a non-zero, acute angle with respect to the vertical, adjacent to a container such that a first of said openings is higher than a second of said openings thereby generating a higher pressure by gravity at said second opening than said first opening; rotating said print head and said container about a machine axis and generating a higher pressure by centrifugal force at said first opening than said second opening; and printing by activating at least one of said electrodes and dispensing printing liquid out through the openings which correspond to the activated electrodes and directly onto the external surface of said container. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
- at least one electrostatic print head comprising a housing configured to contain printing liquid therein, which said housing comprises a plurality of openings, in a row, configured to dispense printing liquid in a controlled manner onto an external surface of a container; and
Specification