APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PRINTING ON ARTICLES HAVING A NON-PLANAR SURFACE

• US 20130265353A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Plastipak Packaging Incorporated (Plastipak Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Uptergrove, Ronald L., Senta, Manish K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,302,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/9
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/00 Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00 Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form script supports connected to the typewriter or printer B41J29/15
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/00 Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
• 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: B41M 5/0082 Digital printing on bodies of particular shapes sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design B41M5/035
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0088 by ink-jet printing

Abstract

A method for printing on an article having a non-planar surface in an embodiment includes obtaining coordinates or a geometry for a non-planar surface of an article; determining a tangent orientation for a print head in three dimensions; and using the tangent orientation and positioning the print head relative to the non-planar surface of the article. Embodiments of apparatus for printing on articles having non-planar surfaces are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for printing on an article having a non-planar surface, the method comprising:

obtaining coordinates or a geometry for a non-planar surface of an article;

determining a tangent orientation for a print head in three dimensions; and

using the tangent orientation and positioning the print head relative to the non-planar surface of the article.