Printing – Printing members – Blanks and processes
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-05
2003-11-25
Evanisko, Leslie J. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Printing members
Blanks and processes
C101S116000, C101S114000, C101S129000, C347S091000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651560
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method, a device and a printing form for transferring free-flowing printing ink onto a printing material.
Printing processes are known wherein fluid or liquid printing ink is transferred to printing material by contact between a printing form and the printing material. In these conventional processes, the patterns to be printed are applied to the printing form. The patterns can be applied in the form of depressions or elevations to an area. Printing ink is then applied to the elevations (letter press) or forced into the depressions (gravure), and transferred to the printing material by contact with the printing material.
The aforementioned processes have the disadvantage that each new pattern to be printed requires a new printing form.
2. Summary of the Invention
It is accordingly an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a method and a device for printing on printing materials whereon different patterns are printable with only one printing form.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a printing form for transferring free-flowing printing ink to a printing material to be printed, comprising a body having a surface formed with a multiplicity of openings coverable by printing ink; a multiplicity of gas-containing cavities formed in the body, the cavities, respectively, terminating in the openings, respectively, at the surface of the body; and devices assigned to the cavities, respectively, for producing a vacuum therein for sucking printing ink covering the openings of the cavities into a region adjacent to the openings of the cavities, respectively, when a vacuum is produced by the devices in the cavities, respectively.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the devices, respectively, for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities have a cooling device for at least one of cooling a gas in the cavity and letting a gas in the cavity cool, the cooling device serving for at least one of cooling the gas in the cavity and letting the gas in the cavity cool, when the respective opening of the respective cavity is covered with printing ink, for subjecting the gas in the cavity to a vacuum for sucking the printing ink into the cavity.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the devices, respectively, for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities have a heater for heating the gas in the respective cavities by previously heating the gas in the respective cavities and, then, at least one of cooling the gas in the respective cavities and letting the gas cool, when the respective opening of the respective cavity is covered with printing ink, for subjecting the gas in the cavity to a vacuum for sucking the printing ink into the cavity.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the heater is formed as a resistance heating element.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the heater is formed as a heating element heatable by absorption of electromagnetic radiation.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the heating element has a metal oxide.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the devices for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities are operative by one of inductively, capacitively and resistively coupling energy into gas volumes in the respective cavities.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the devices for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities are operative by absorption of electromagnetic radiation by gas volumes in the respective cavities.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the respective devices for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities have at least one wall region which is at least one of deformable and movable for changing the volume of the respective cavities, so that when the respective openings of the respective cavities are covered with printing ink, the gas therein is subjectible to a vacuum that sucks printing ink into the respective cavities by at least one of deforming and moving the respective wall regions for the purpose of enlarging the volume of the respective cavities.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the wall regions of the respective cavities are prestressed into a first position, and an actuator is included for transferring the wall regions from the first position thereof into a second position thereof, the volume of the respective cavities in the first position of the wall region being greater than in the second position thereof.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the vacuum-producing devices are energizable by at least one of capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, and electromagnetic radiation.
In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, the printing form includes devices assigned to the cavities for participating in applying printing ink from the respective cavities to the printing material.
In accordance with still an additional feature of the invention, the devices for participating in applying printing ink to a printing material, and the devices for producing a vacuum in the cavities have common elements arranged on the body.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the cavities are positively pressurizable for at least partially ejecting printing ink therefrom.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a respective wall region of the cavities is one of deformable and movable for reducing the volume thereof so as to eject at least part of the printing ink from the respective cavities.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the gas in the respective cavities is heatable so as to eject at least part of the printing ink from the respective cavities.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the devices for producing a vacuum in the respective cavities are operatable so that vacuums of different strengths are settable in the respective cavities for sucking into the respective cavities different quantities of printing inks.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the devices for participating in applying printing ink from the respective cavities to the printing material are differently operatable for applying different quantities of the printing ink.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the printing form includes devices for participating in applying printing ink from the respective cavities to the printing material, the devices for participating in applying printing ink being operatable in accordance with the operation of the devices for producing the vacuum in the respective cavities.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the gas in the cavities is air.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing form for transferring free-flowing printing ink to a printing material to be printed, comprising a body having a surface formed with a multiplicity of openings, a multiplicity of cavities formed in the body and terminating in the openings, respectively, the cavities being filled with gas, and heaters assigned to the cavities, respectively, for heating the gas in the cavities, whereby, after heating the gas in a respective cavity, covering the opening of the cavity with printing ink, and subsequently having the gas in the cavity cooled, the printing ink is sucked into a region close to the opening of the cavity.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the heater in the cavity is constructed as a resistance heating element.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the heater is constructed as a heating element heatable by absorption of electromagnetic radiation.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the heating element has a metal oxide.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, at least one of, on the one hand, the devices for producing the vacuum in the resp
Evanisko Leslie J.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Locher Ralph E.
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