Printing – Processes – Electric or magnetic transfer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-07
2003-03-25
Eickholt, Eugene H. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Processes
Electric or magnetic transfer
C347S112000, C347S115000, C347S117000, C347S139000, C347S153000, C347S124000, C101SDIG029
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536346
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a process and apparatus for decorating an article, more particularly on the basis of a program containing digitised image information.
It will be noted at this juncture that when reference is made to decorating an article or to decoration, that term is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. On the contrary the term decorate, decoration and so forth is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, for example in such a way as also to embrace not just images but any other graphics, description, other text, digits, numbers and the like. Similarly the term article is intended to embrace any form of article to which the process and apparatus according to the invention can be applied, one such example thereof being a CD, as well as credit cards, telephone cards and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nowadays the procedure for printing on individual articles such as CDs, credit cards, telephone cards and similar articles is implemented without exception with the use of processes in which the printing inks are applied to the article to be decorated by means of at least one transfer element and the transfer element is of a configuration corresponding to the print image to be transferred or is provided with the print image to be transferred. The former case can involve for example the use of a screen printing arrangement in which the printing ink is applied to the article by means of a squeegee or doctor, through a stencil which is provided with the print image. The second case frequently involves the use of the offset printing process in which the printing ink corresponding to the print image to be produced is firstly applied to the printing blanket on a cylinder and from there to the article.
A common aspect of all those processes which, for transfer of the ink on to the article to be printed, require contact between the article and the transfer means, is that the printing mechanisms must be of such a configuration as to correspond to the print image to be produced on the article, that is to say for example they must be provided with print blocks or plates or stencils of a suitable configuration. The consequence of this is that, upon a change in the articles to be printed upon and thus upon a change in the print image to be applied, the printing mechanism has to be appropriately converted, that is to say, it has to be fitted with a new screen printing stencil or a new plate cylinder. That conversion procedure can demand a considerable amount of time, during which production ceases, particularly when the apparatus has a plurality of printing mechanisms, as is the case for example when producing a multi-color print image. Furthermore, with the machines which are usually employed nowadays, the conversion procedure, which includes the necessary step of adjusting and setting the printing mechanisms to the print image of the respectively following batch of articles to be printed upon, requires operators of a very high level of skill and training if the machine is to produce a high-quality print image after conversion. The problems which arise in such a context can give rise to major disadvantages not least for the reason that in many cases, for example when dealing with CDs, telephone cards and credit cards, very small batch numbers frequently have to be printed upon. Batch sizes of only several hundreds of CDs or telephone cards are not uncommon. At the same time the demands made in terms of the quality of the print image are becoming greater and greater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a process for decorating an article, which makes it possible to produce high-quality print images, with a high production capacity, while at the same time apparatus conversion times can be so short that it is possible to economically decorate even very small batch numbers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which while being of a simple structure and involving a simple mode of operation can produce high-quality print images with a high rate of item production, together with a capability for rapid conversion from one printing mode to another.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process for printing on an article, which affords an enhanced degree of adaptability to varying operating and production requirements.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, in a first aspect of the process, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a process for decorating an article in which printing ink is applied from nozzles in dot form to the article which is carried by a holder, in dependence on a program which contains digitised image information, and individual ink dots go together to form at least a partial print image. The holder carrying the article to be printed upon is moved along a transport path through at least one print station provided with a print head having the nozzles which are controllable in dependence on the program. At least a part of the nozzles is actuated in accordance with the program during the transportation movement of the article, and the holder for the article is transported using a linear motor along the transportation path.
As will be seen in greater detail from the description hereinafter of preferred embodiments of the invention, this process in the first aspect of the invention can be considered as involving an inkjet process in combination with a program containing digital image information, for printing on individual objects, and makes it possible to produce print images, including multi-color images, of very high quality. It is also possible to achieve a high production rate. This is also to be attributed to the fact that printing on the article can take place during the transportation movement through the printing machine, which is necessary in any case. The use of a linear motor contributes considerably to achieving a good quality of print image as the linear motor permits accurate co-ordination of the speed of transportation movement and the printing operation in the respective print station.
Further in accordance with the principles of the present invention, in a second aspect of the process of the invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by a process for decorating an article in which firstly in dependence on a program including digitised image information, a latent image which is formed by electrostatically charged regions on a dielectric surface of the article to be decorated and which corresponds to the decoration to be applied is produced by charge transfer, whereupon the surface is brought into contact with ink particles of opposite charge, in order thereby to produce a decoration corresponding to the latent charge pattern. The article is moved along a transportation path through at least one station provided with an ionographic print head which is controllable in dependence on the program and in which charge carriers are generated by means of electrodes. A stream of charge carriers of the desired polarity is transferred on to dielectric regions of the surface of the article to form a latent pattern. The holder for the article is transported using a linear motor along the transportation path.
As will be seen in greater detail hereinafter, in that procedure therefore the ionographic print head in which the charged particles are generated, which are then transferred in the form of an ion stream on to the dielectric surface to form the latent pattern, by virtue of the voltage drop between the print head or electrodes therein and the article to be decorated, is controlled in dependence on the digital image information-containing program. In this respect, as background information, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,656, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated hereinto as appropriate by virtue of reference thereto.
Further in accordance with the invention, in a first aspect of the apparatus, the foregoing and other objects are attained by an apparatus for decorating an article using
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Eickholt Eugene H.
Werner Kammann Maschinenfrabrik GmbH
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