Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-01
2001-08-21
Osele, Mark A. (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S234000, C156S238000, C156S240000, C156S247000, C156S289000, C156S064000, C156S361000, C156S540000, C427S147000, C428S914000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277230
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method and a system for efficiently using media that can be stamped on a substrate.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Conventional stamping machines and processes are carried out on a moving web including a preprinted substrate material. To add design, security, or informational elements that are part of a completed web, a decal or section of foil constituting such an element is stamped out of the foil onto the web at defined locations. The stamping operation is typically accomplished by means of a rotary stamper that is provided with a die mounted onto its outer surface. The die comes into contact with a separate foil tape bearing the decals or design elements that are to be transferred, and transfers one such element to the substrate web by pressing down on it against the web. In some operations, heat may be applied to achieve the desired effect.
A disadvantage of such a process lies with the expense of the foil tape. The tape is often very expensive in relation to the underlying substrate, and therefore adds disproportionately to the overall cost of the competed web. Costs become accentuated as end-users process expensive tapes such as holograms and other metallic decals onto the material with which their product is packaged. Typically, the decal stamped from the tape onto the substrate web occupies only a very small fraction of the length of each individually completed design on the substrate. In the area at which the foil is stamped, the foil preferably has a velocity that matches the velocity of the facing web so as to properly register with the web. A conventional method of assuring such a match in velocities includes the step of feeding the foil through the apparatus and to the stamping area at a uniform velocity equal to the velocity of the web. However, the so-called continuous feed approach inevitably wastes most of the foil, for only that portion of the foil that registers with the die when the die cycles over the desired section of the web is ever used. The remainder of the foil is discarded as waste.
Various schemes have been proposed to make more efficient use of the foil. Generally speaking, they all present some structural arrangement by which the speed of the foil at the die is altered between the web velocity, at which the foil can most easily be stamped and registered onto the web substrate, and a lesser velocity. In other words, such arrangements aim to make better use of the foil by feeding it in an intermittent manner to the die area, as opposed to the continuous feed arrangement described above. Conventional means for accomplishing intermittent feed employ a rotary stepper motor to pivot a rocker arrangement about which the tape is wound. The rotary movement of the rocker arms imparts a component of velocity to the foil wound about the rocker arms. Unfortunately, the use of rotary motion to control the linear position of a moving foil presents errors and uncertainties in the position of the foil that exacerbates the problem of registration between the foil and the substrate web, which is of utmost importance in many applications. Also, the use of such structure adds to the maintenance costs of the apparatus.
There remains a need for a foil stamping apparatus that makes efficient use of the foil and that provides enhanced registration capabilities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a system for efficiently using a media that can be stamped on a substrate. The system includes a feedroller, a shuttle, a cylinder and a control arrangement. The media has at least one registration mark. The feedroller is coupled to the media and provides the media with a first velocity component. The shuttle is coupled to the feedroller via the media and moves linearly with a variable periodic velocity. The shuttle provides the media with a second velocity component, the second velocity component being a function of the velocity of the shuttle. The cylinder has at least one die and a stamping area in which one of the at least one die urges the media against a substrate. The media and the substrate have same velocity in the stamping area during the urging, but the substrate has a greater average velocity than an average velocity of the media. The control arrangement is coupled to the feedroller, the shuttle and the cylinder. The control arrangement maintains a registration between the media and substrate. The control arrangement detects a position of at least one of the at least one registration mark, the feedroller and the cylinder and modifies a gear ratio to reduce errors in the registration based upon the detected position. The gear ratio represents a ratio between a cycle on the media and a cycle on the substrate.
The present invention provides a method for efficiently using media that can be stamped on a substrate. The method includes the steps of providing the media with a first velocity component from a feedroller; providing the media with a second velocity component that is a function of a velocity of a shuttle, the shuttle moving linearly with the velocity being variable and periodic; urging the media against a substrate, the media and the substrate having same velocity in a stamping area of a cylinder with at least one die, the substrate having a greater average velocity than an average velocity of the media; and maintaining a registration between the media and the substrate via a control arrangement by detecting a position of at least one of at least one registration mark on the media, the feedroller and the cylinder and by modifying a gear ratio to reduce errors in the registration based upon the detected position, the gear ratio representing a ratio between a cycle on the media and a cycle on the substrate.
The present invention also provides a method of maintaining a registration between a media and a substrate in a system for efficiently using media that can be stamped on a substrate. The system including a feedroller, a shuttle and a cylinder. The feedroller is coupled to the media, the feedroller providing the media with a first velocity component. The shuttle is coupled to the feedroller via the media, the shuttle moving linearly with a variable periodic velocity. The shuttle provides the media with a second velocity component, the second velocity component being a function of the velocity of the shuttle. The cylinder has at least one die and a stamping area in which one of the at least one die urges the media against the substrate. The media and the substrate have the same velocity in the stamping area, but the substrate has a greater average velocity than an average velocity of the media. The method includes the steps of detecting a position of at least one of at least one registration mark on the media, a feedroller and a cylinder; and modifying a gear ratio to reduce errors in the registration based upon the detected position, the gear ratio representing a ratio between a cycle on the media and a cycle on the substrate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5115737 (1992-05-01), Amendola
patent: 5207855 (1993-05-01), Nyfeler et al.
patent: 5464690 (1995-11-01), Boswell
patent: 5486254 (1996-01-01), Gallagher et al.
patent: 2254586 A (1992-10-01), None
patent: WO 98/12051 (1998-05-01), None
Kenyon & Kenyon
Lorengo J. A.
Osele Mark A.
VITS-America, Inc.
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