Digital printing plastic container

• US 9,272,815 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• 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): NGUYEN, LAMSON D
• Application Number:
  US13/799,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20130193022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 347/16, 347/4, 347/105
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17509 Whilst mounted in the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/377 Cooling or ventilating arrangements
• 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: B65D 25/00 Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers

Abstract

A plastic container includes a medium applied to a portion of the container. A digital image is applied to a portion of the medium, the digital image being comprised of a plurality of ink droplets. Methods for digital printing on a portion of a medium that is applied to a container are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for making a plastic article with a digitally printed image, the method comprising:

providing a plastic article having a surface;

providing a medium on at least a portion of the surface of the plastic article, the medium comprising a separately applied label as an in-mold label, a glued-upon label, a pressure-sensitive label, an adhesive label, or a heat transfer label;

moving the plastic article in a substantially vertical orientation to or by a station with a plurality of horizontally movable print heads configured for horizontal printing;

providing one or more of the plurality of horizontally movable print heads at a distance relative to the surface;

horizontally side printing, on the substantially vertically-oriented plastic article, a plurality of ink droplets on at least a portion of the separately applied label; and

curing the plurality of ink droplets.

2. The method of claim 1, including confirming the presence of the medium on at least a portion of the surface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a scanning device is used to confirm the presence or the accurate placement of the medium.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the presence of the medium is confirmed prior to printing the plurality of ink droplets on at least a portion of the medium.

5. The method of claim 1, including simultaneously printing the plurality of ink droplets on two different portions of the article.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the plurality of ink droplets ranges from about 10 microns to about 200 microns.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the plurality of ink droplets ranges from about 30 microns to about 90 microns.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ink droplets are provided with a range between about 200 to about 1200 drops per inch (DPI).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ink droplets are provided with a range between about 300 to about 1200 drops per inch (DPI).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitally printed plurality of ink droplets form part of a digital image, and the digital image includes text, graphics, or text and graphics.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the curing takes place between 0.5 seconds and 5 seconds after the ink droplets contact the container surface.

12. A plastic container comprising:

a plastic container;

a medium comprising a separately applied label that is applied directly to a portion of the container as an in-mold label, a glued-upon label, a pressure-sensitive label, an adhesive label, or a heat transfer label; and

a digital image that is digitally printed on a portion of the separately applied label after the separately applied label has been applied to the portion of the container;

wherein the digital image is comprised of a plurality of printed ink droplets provided directly on at least a portion of the separately applied label, the ink droplets have diameters within the range of about 10 microns to about 200 microns and the ink droplets forming a digital image with a range between about 200 to about 1200 drops per inch (DPI).

13. The plastic container of claim 12, wherein the medium includes one or more pre-printed portions.

14. The plastic container of claim 12, wherein two or more separate mediums are applied to two or more different portions of the container.

15. The plastic container of claim 12, wherein the plurality of printed ink droplets are cured.

16. The plastic container of claim 12, wherein the medium is white or clear.

17. The plastic container of claim 12, wherein the medium is comprised of one or more colors.

18. The method of claim 12, including confirming the presence of the medium on at least a portion of the surface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the presence of the medium is confirmed prior to printing the plurality of ink droplets on at least a portion of the medium.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a scanning device is used to confirm the presence or the accurate placement of the medium.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of ink droplets are horizontally side printed on a vertically upstanding plastic container.

22. The method of claim 12, including simultaneously printing the plurality of ink droplets on opposing sides of the container.