Apparatus and method for orienting a beverage container end closure and applying indicia in a predetermined location

• US 9,259,913 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ball Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ball Corporation
• Inventors: Ellefson, Dean C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tankersley, Blake A
• Application Number:
  US14/332,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20150027327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 51/44 Making closures, e.g. caps folded of thin metal foils in the way of making paper caps B31D5/00; making closures in conjunction with applying same B67B
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/00 Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/002 Supports of workpieces in machines for printing on hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/006 for printing on curved surfaces not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/16 on end or bottom surfaces thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/22 by rolling contact
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/28 for printing on curved surfaces of conical or frusto-conical articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 17/4012 for opening partially by means of a tearing tab
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/24 orientating the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/244 by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/841 Devices having endless travelling belts or chains equipped with article-engaging elements

Abstract

An apparatus and method of orienting and decorating container end closures is provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to position container end closures in a predetermined orientation and then decorate a predetermined portion of the end closures.

Claims

1. A method of orienting and decorating an end closure for a beverage container, comprising:

providing an end closure comprising a peripheral curl, a chuck wall extending downwardly from the peripheral curl, a countersink interconnected to a lower end of the chuck wall, a central panel interconnected to the countersink, a tear panel in the central panel, and a pull tab operably interconnected to an exterior surface of the central panel;

placing an orientation head in rotational contact with an exterior surface of the end closure;

rotating said orientation head and the end closure to a predetermined orientation;

securing the end closure in said predetermined orientation;

disengaging said orientation head from the end closure; and

decorating a predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure with an image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein decorating a predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure further comprises:

forming a recess in a printing blanket, wherein said recess is adapted to receive the tab;

removably affixing said printing blanket onto a drum of a coater;

applying a base coat material to a predetermined portion of said printing blanket; and

transferring the base coat material from said printing blanket to the predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein decorating a predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure further comprises:

forming a recess in a printing blanket, wherein said recess is adapted to receive the tab;

removably affixing said printing blanket onto a drum of a printer;

forming said image on a print head;

applying ink to said image;

transferring the ink from said print head to a predetermined portion of said printing blanket; and

transferring the ink from said printing blanket to the predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said print head comprises six print heads, and wherein each print head receives a different color or type of ink.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising removably affixing a plurality of additional printing blankets with recesses to said drum of said printer, wherein the plurality of additional printing blankets are removably affixed to a circumference of said drum of said printer, and wherein a plurality of end closures can be decorated simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the end closure on a die cap, said die cap operable to selectively prevent rotation and movement of the end closure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the end closure to said predetermined orientation further comprises rotating the end closure until a Y-axis of the end closure is substantially parallel to a reference axis.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an angle between the Y-axis and said reference axis is less than about 5°

.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said orientation head comprises a body portion, a face portion, a pocket formed in said face portion to receive the pull tab of the end closure, a tapered portion extending from said face portion to a bottom of said pocket, and a wall extending from said bottom of said pocket substantially vertically to said face portion, and wherein when the orientation head is rotated the pull tab slides into said pocket and is retained in said pocket by said wall.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein decorating the predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure comprises decorating at least one of the central panel, the tear panel, and the pull tab.

11. An apparatus for orienting and decorating an exterior surface of an end closure which is adapted for interconnection to a neck of a beverage container, comprising:

an orientor including an orientation head, said orientor operable to receive a holder with an end closure, said orientation head having a geometry adapted to locate and engage a pull tab interconnected to an exterior surface of the end closure and rotate the end closure to a predetermined orientation, wherein said holder prevents rotation of the end closure from the predetermined orientation; and

a printer operable to transfer an image to a predetermined portion of the end closure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a balancer operable to receive the end closure and place the end closure in the holder, the holder operable to move the end closure through the apparatus and selectively prevent rotation of the end closure;

a coater operable to apply a base coat material to the predetermined portion of the exterior surface of the end closure; and

at least one curer operable to cure the base coat material and the image.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the orientation head comprises a body portion, a face portion, a pocket formed in said face portion to receive the pull tab of the end closure, a tapered portion extending from said face portion to a bottom of said pocket, and a wall extending from said bottom of said pocket substantially vertically to said face portion, and wherein the orientation head is operable to rotate around a longitudinal axis of said body portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the printer further comprises:

at least one print head with the image formed thereon;

an inker operable to transfer ink to the image on said print head; and

a drum, said drum having a circumference with one or more printing blankets affixed thereto, said printing blankets each having a recess adapted to receive the pull tab interconnected to the exterior surface of the end closure, said drum operable to move said printing blankets into rotational contact with said print head and the exterior surface of the end closure, wherein the image is transferred from said print head to said printing blankets and then to the predetermined portion of the end closure.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the holder includes a clamp that applies pressure to the end closure to hold the end closure in the predetermined orientation.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is operable to orient and decorate from 1 to 5 end closures simultaneously.