Electrophotography – Image formation – Transfer
Patent
1997-10-15
1999-04-06
Grimley, Arthur T.
Electrophotography
Image formation
Transfer
101 35, 399296, 399316, 399338, 430126, G03G 1516, G03G 1520
Patent
active
058930167
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to printing of images in general and, more particularly, to devices and methods for printing images on a cylindrical surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Multi-color printing on cylindrical objects, such as food or beverage cans, is well known.
In general, each can is centered on and rotates about a mandrel during the printing process. Afterwards, the can is filled and sealed, usually at another site.
The inability of the prior art to print on filled cans has several disadvantages. For example, placing the cans on a mandrel increases the time and cost of manufacture. In addition, customized printing is relatively expensive and logistically cumbersome, since printing and filling are generally carried out at different sites.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide improved apparatus and methods for centerless multi-color printing on circularly cylindrical or elliptically cylindrical objects. Such objects may include images and designs and may be printed on objects such as cans before or even after full or partial filling with liquid, carbonated beverages or other fillings either vacuum packed or with a gas filling the nonliquid filled portions of the can, or other tubular objects such as bottles, pens, markers, etc. Images or designs may, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, be printed directly onto elliptically cylindrical objects. Using the present invention, the cylindrical objects may be customized with greater ease and at lower cost than the prior art.
In simplified terms, cylindrical objects are brought into rolling contact with a printing device which prints on the surfaces of the objects as they roll about their own axis. More specifically, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical objects are supported by an impression guide surface and brought into contact with a rotating toner image bearing surface of an imaging apparatus. Since the cylindrical objects contact both the impression guide surface and the toner image bearing surface, rotation of the image bearing surface causes the objects to roll about their own axis along the toner image bearing surface.
The rotating image bearing surface transfers an electrostatic image or design to the objects as they roll. There is no need for holding the objects on a guiding mandrel; the objects simply roll about their own axis and are printed as they roll.
The objects must be aligned with and conveyed to the rotating toner image bearing surface so that the images can be transferred onto the surfaces of the objects in a controlled manner. This is accomplished, in one embodiment of the invention by using a rotating dispenser which supplies the objects from to the impression guide surface. The dispenser incorporates a gating system designed to hold the objects and deliver them to the impression surface at the correct time so that they are aligned for proper transfer of images thereon from the image bearing surface.
Where the units being printed are short compared to the width of the image bearing surface, a plurality of units may be delivered, end to end, for simultaneous printing.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gating system comprises a series of axial member disposed about the turning axis of the dispenser and may be disposed, in circumferentially disposed sets, axially along the dispenser. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser dispenses two objects at a time to the image bearing surface for printing, the objects being spaced axially of each other. The rotating image bearing surface prints on the circumferential surfaces of the two objects during part of one revolution of the image bearing surface. The continuously turning image bearing surface then prints on the circumferential surfaces of a second set of axially spaced cylindrical objects during a second part of a revolution. There is a sufficient gap between printing on each set of two cylindrical objects to ensure that the objects do
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Almog Yaacov
Landa Benzion
Lior Ishaian
Chen Sophia S.
Grimley Arthur T.
Indigo N.V.
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