Printing – Special article machines – Bed and platen
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-09
2003-02-11
Hirshfield, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Special article machines
Bed and platen
C101S163000, C101S170000, C101S492000, C430S258000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06516716
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to product marking and identification and more particularly to a much improved industrial stamp pad printing system.
There is a need to piece identify many products with variable (changeable) information. Pad printing such products with an ink pattern is a proven low cost, aesthetically pleasing marking technique, which produces high contrast, durable marks. Unfortunately, the markings provided by traditional pad printed markings are difficult and/or slow to change, because they create the image using either an etched pattern in a cliché or a pre-formed stamp. Increasingly, there is an identified need to produce unique stamped ink indicia upon each product piece and to change the indicia pattern quickly.
As an example as to how conventional stamp pad printing techniques work, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,594. In particular,
FIG. 7
of this patent is reproduced as
FIG. 1
herein. A silicone rubber pad,
72
, is used to imprint a product (not shown) when it is in a lowered position. The image to be imprinted is etched into a cliché plate,
69
, at a surface,
70
, which retains ink from a reservoir,
1
, when it is extended to the leftmost position (dashed lines). Pad
72
then lowers to pick up the ink resident in the etched area, the cliché is retracted, and pad
72
then extends to the bottommost position to apply the image onto the product.
Cliché plate
69
must be changed if the ink pattern is to be changed. This is a time consuming, manual process, because ink reservoir
1
must be manually removed (clamped and inverted as is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,847) prior to changing cliché plate
69
. This process, then, must be reversed to install a new cliché plate bearing a new image.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a stamp marking apparatus wherein the pattern can be changed rapidly and easily so that variable on demand information can be imprinted. It is to such a need that the present invention is addressed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method for imaging a product with a pattern commences by forming a film of a wet or tacking marking material on a cliché. A negative of the pattern is ablatively imaged into the film on the cliché. The negative image then is pressure transferred from the cliché onto a marking pad. Finally, the negative image is pressure transferred from the marking pad onto the product. Preferably, the cliché where the film is formed contains recesses.
The apparatus for practicing the instant method has a moveable cliché having a recessed pocket. An ink reservoir transfers ink into the recessed pocket. A laser imaging system images a pattern into ink contained in the recessed pocket. A stamp pad moves from a home position to contact the imaged pattern for pressure transferring the pattern onto the stamp pad, and then moves to a printing station to pressure transfer the pattern onto a product.
Advantages of the present invention include the ability to pressure print products rapidly. Another advantage is the ability to vary the pattern easily without interrupting the production line. These and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the disclosure set forth herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4905594 (1990-03-01), Phillip et al.
patent: 5401616 (1995-03-01), Isomi et al.
patent: 5422167 (1995-06-01), Robertson et al.
patent: 5694847 (1997-12-01), Kleist
patent: 5855969 (1999-01-01), Robertson
Hudelson G. David
O'Neal Edward S.
Robertson John A.
Vaughn Ken R.
Culler Jill E
Hirshfield Andrew H.
Mueller and Smith LPA
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