Untitled record

full description

Sister's wallpaper

This invention relates to the device for decorating packages with the method

Metal cans such as aluminum and steel beverage cans are usually made in two parts, with the first part being a cylindrical can body with an integrated base that is shaped from a circular metal disc using a scheme and ironing process. The second part consists of an end with a hole or a pull ring formed with it. The bottle is eg filled with the drink and the end is then fixed to the housing using a coupling and sealing process.

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Packaging decorating devices are defined in the field of decorating the outer surface of the can body. A typical decorating device is used to apply the decoration to the can body before it is filled and before it is finished. The pre-designed package decorating device is a relatively complex device but is illustrated in Figure 1. Shown on the left side of the figure is the package body transmission mechanism, which consists of a set of rotating shafts (mandrels) rotating on a common axis. Unprinted or off-print packages are loaded onto these columns and then rotated in the printing zone where the package bodies come into contact with pre-inked covers attached to a blanket wheel through the relevant cover sections. Figure 1 shows a blanket wheel consisting of eight covers.

Figure 1 also shows six ink stations, each consisting of an ink tank, a print plate (with an image etched on it) and a coupling mechanism to ensure that the ink is placed evenly from the ink station onto the print plate. Each plate passes through the ink station in sequence to form on the cap that leaves last ink station composite ink image (in this case, six colors)

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formed on its print surface. This composite image is transferred to the can body in the printing zone. Figure 2 shows a 6-colour printing process where the first five ink stations sequentially place the letters of the word “PRINT” in different colours. 5 The last ink station (which puts red ink) puts the background color on the cover. It would be best to form the word backwards on the cover so that it appears correctly when transferred from the printing surface of the cover to the can body.

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In some production lines, the can body has already been covered with a primer, which may be a white substrate that must dry before entering the can body into the decorating device (Fig. 1). The decorating device then puts colored decorating on the can body above The base coat, and in some cases the base coat may be transparent.

The most common packaging decorating devices print different colors (i.e. according to different ink stations) in non-overlapping areas of the can body. However, it is possible to print colors on top of each other i.e. different ink stations print on top of different colors On covers, this is referred to as wet-on-wet printing.

15th Packaging decorating devices are described in detail in WO 148576/2012 and US Patent No. 3,766,851.

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Existing packaging decorating devices are very effective in producing packaging compatible with the overall design. Several thousand packs per minute (eg 2400) can be produced by a single decorating device. High production rates can be achieved by using so-called dual decorating devices that use a pair of parallel decorating devices.

Nine beverage and packaging companies to produce a specific difference in design between packages that are produced on a single production line eg using a single garnishing device without interrupting production; Ie changing the print sheets. Companies particularly strive to produce individual sheets including a mix of package designs. Although the required design variation may be relatively minor (in the context of

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full package design); eg designs may vary by printing specific words in certain positions, but this has proven very difficult to achieve in a commercial production line.

General description of the invention

According to the first aspect of this invention, a device for decorating the can body is provided, consisting of:

<p>5 The can body conveyor mechanism for transporting the packaging structures to the printing zone, the blanket wheel consisting of a set of blanket segments, and a cover installed on each printing surface covering part, where the blanket wheel is configured to make the Printing printing surface Coverage is touching the packaging bodies in the mentioned printing zone, and there are a set of ink stations ink</p>

<p>10 Each station consists of a printing plate configured to come into contact with the printing surfaces of the passing coatings in order to transfer the primary ink image to the printing surfaces. printing zone; where at least one of the mentioned printing stations consists of a set of printing plates</p>

<p>15th Which is configured to work on contact of different printing plates with the printing surfaces of different covers. The device also consists of a driving mechanism that rotates the printing plates, with a controller for the driving mechanism to vary the rotation speeds of the printing plates to synchronize the locations of the printing plates with the covers to which the ink images are transferred.</p>

According to another aspect of the invention; The machine consists of a can body conveying mechanism for transporting 20 cans bodies to the printing zone, and a blanket wheel consisting of

A group of covering parts, mounted on each cover portion, and a cover containing a printing surface where the blanket wheel is configured to make the cover print surfaces contact the package bodies in said printing zone, and a group of ink station each consists From a print plate configured to contact print surfaces

<p>25 printing surface of the pass-through covers in order to transfer the ink image to the printing surfaces and thus</p>

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Forms an inkjet image superimposed on each printing surface of the cover and is printed on the can body upon contact with the printing surface of the cover and can body in the printing zone.

5 The machine is configured so that at least one of the covers has a discrepancy in the height of the print surface to represent a secondary image that is transferred onto the packaging bodies that the cap touches.

The device also consists of a guide shaped alignment device that can be removable removable to a support or to the cover portion of the cover assembly, where the guide consists of an alignment surface against which the cover can be placed in order to allow the covers and the cover portions to be aligned correctly so that each printing surface cover there is a secondary parallel composite ink image

10 secondary image correctly.

The guide alignment surface can be single edged so that the hood is supported at the trailing edge and the machine side of the hood portion; The release portion of the tracking edge and its lateral location are determined by a guide rod protruding.

Conversely; The guide can be double flanged to support the cover at the tracer edge and the mechanism side of the part and release on both edges.

In another embodiment, the guide may be flanged and the cover is supported away from the tracking edge and the side of the machine with a timed lateral position of the cover determined by the protruding guide arms.

An alignment device, rather than a mechanical device such as a guide, may consist of features such as those between marking lines 1 and 4, on the cap portion to indicate the correct cap position.

20 Depending on the required position, the number of marking lines is chosen to be a minimum of one and a maximum of four.

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In this embodiment; Marking lines can be provided on the lid and the lid portion to indicate the correct position. Cover marks should ideally be outside the printable areas so that they do not interfere with the design.

The alignment device may consist of low-position location pins with reciprocating perforations in a textile adhesive layer of the cover. The holes should not pass through the top layers of the cover so that the pins are not protruding and the cover is flat. The staples and holes should preferably be located in front of the point where the package first touches the lid on the edge of the main package.

The final form of the aligner can consist of a non-contact aligner. One of those parts is an oscillating permissible arm known as a "laser curtain" in one or two directions at 90 degrees to indicate

10 correct situation. The arm consists of laser beams that must be invisible so that no form of scattering occurs in the atmosphere but produces a guide line on the surface of the part. The advantage of the laser curtain is that it avoids the need for tools and/or marking on the cover portion.

The second non-contact alignment device uses an area or magnetic fields to properly attach and/or position the cover. The third non-contact alignment device consists of removable cap parts with caps

15th Pre-installed and precisely aligned to the machine. An alignment aid is then developed to allow the part to be re-installed precisely. There should be a well-engineered, comprehensive quick-release mechanism for this alignment device in order to change up to a dozen such assemblies. It is believed that the heart only needs to be changed part by part; Like the upper deck.

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An embodiment of the invention will implement the cover portions and related covers as separate cover portions and covers; For example, with spaces between the alignment parts of the cap and the caps. However, an alternate incarnation can implement one or more of those components as sectors of a continuous component. For example, covers may consist of a section of a continuous cover-belt secured around the edges of the blanket wheel and its highest parts.

Other aspects of the invention are described in the accompanying claims.

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Brief explanation of the drawings

Figure 1 depicts a package decorating device according to the pre-design.

Figure 2 depicts a process carried out using the Figure 1 apparatus.

Figure 3 depicts the improved packaging decoration process by utilizing the secondary image formed on the cover print layer 5.

Figure 4 visualizes a cover with a secondary image etched or cut out to allow printing of a negative secondary image.

Figure 5 depicts an optimized package decorating process by utilizing a secondary image formed on a printing surface covering to form a secondary positive image.

10 Figure 6 depicts two perspective drawings of a cover containing a secondary image etched in order to allow the printing of a positive secondary image, and Figure 6a depicting the cover and printing plate to form a positive secondary image.

Figure 7 depicts a can decorated using the lid of Figure 5.

Figure 8 depicts a cover part and an attached one, as the cover part is marked with alignment marks

.alignment

<p>15th Figure 9 depicts a modified package decorating device consisting of a continuous cap sealer.</p>

Figure 10 depicts a modified package applicator that presents a cap-appliance force characteristic.

Figure 11 depicts a cover used with the device in Figure 10.

Figure 12 depicts a variable printing plate for use with the package decorating device.

Figure 13 depicts a package decorating device that includes an ink station with multiple 20 print plates and a varying speed.

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Figure 14 depicts a packaging decorating device that includes an ink station modified with a stencil.

Figure 15 depicts a bottle decorating device with an ink removal station.

Detailed description:

The package decorating device is generally described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The 5 package decorating device specifically includes a 1 can body transfer mechanism to connect 2 package bodies in sequence.

to the 3 printing zone; a 4 blanket wheel, and a series of 5 ink station. The other components of the package decorating device are known to an experienced person and will not be described herein. Reference should be made instead to previous design disclosures including, for example, 2012/148576 WO and US Patent No. 10 3,766,851.

4 blanket wheel; They are configured to rotate on a central axis and consist of a set of 6 cap parts each with a cap attached 7. Caps are usually removable flexible sheets that are secured to the cap parts with adhesive. Coverings may have a ply design as a mesh bottom, a compressible middle layer, and a flexible rubber or plastic layer (other layers may be provided, including a middle mesh).

Plasticine is a printing surface of the cover. due to depreciation; Covers are periodically removed and replaced with production line actuators. While Figure 1 shows a single-line package decorating device; However, it is preferable to have a double-line package decorating device so that it is possible to decorate two parallel lines of package bodies simultaneously.

<p>20 As mentioned above; The problem with existing packaging decorating devices is that it is not possible to diversify the decorating in a specific line; Or at least it is not possible without stopping the production line and changing the print sheets at the 5 ink station. To address this problem it is proposed here to complement the primary decorating design or the image formed on the printing surfaces of the covers 7 by printing plates with one or more secondary images 8 formed by providing a variation in length over a range of surfaces</p>

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Printing 9 caps 7. This concept prevents ink sticking to these areas of print surfaces by reducing height and/or preventing ink from printing on the can body (due to lack of contact). This secondary image 8 can range between caps on a cap wheel 4 blanket wheel, allowing several decorative designs to be printed on different package structures in the same line

<p>5 Package decorating device in Figure 1; This includes eight cap compartments6 allowing up to eight different caps7 to be used to produce eight different designs in the same production line.</p>

Figure 3 depicts a modification of the decking process in the previous design and the device in Figures 1 and 2. While the 5 ink station ink stations and accompanying print sheets produce the same multicolor composite image (the raw image) on the pass-through covers (“PRINT” with a red background), the imaged cover

<p>10 The text “IMAGE” appears inverted (secondary image) etched on the print surface 9. The red ink will not stick to this cut area. (Note: Adjustment of the shape rollers at the ink station may be required to smooth out or remove any remaining ink on the plates. Printing due to non-adherence to the printing surface of the envelope but the shape of this modification will be obvious to an experienced person). 7 When the cover contacts the packaging body 2 can body in the printing area</p>

<p>15th 3 printing zone, the raw image (ie “PRINT” with a red background) will be printed on the chassis</p>

Package 2 can body. However, the red ink will not be printed on the case where the etched secondary image remains, causing the “IMAGE” image to appear on the package as an unprinted area i.e. a negative.

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Figure 4 depicts a perspective drawing of cover 7 with an IMAGE etched or cropped region. The text can be formed by removing or drilling into the cover or by removing or drilling (at least part) through one or more of the upper layers. The cover 7 can also be formed by cutting a single thin layer and sticking it to the backing of the cover. Prepare by keeping the back attached to the cover part for an extended period, removing only the top layer and attaching it repeatedly.

Figure 5 shows an alternative process for making use of the cover shown in Figure 6. This allows the IMAGE secondary image to be printed on the can body as a positive image instead of appearing as a negative.

<p>25 Referring to Figure 6; The contrast in length on the print surface leaves the secondary image 8 present</p>

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As an island in an area surrounded by 10 with a low elevation. The setting of the print surface is that the ink adheres to the top surface of the secondary image as well as to the area of ​​the primary image but does not adhere to those areas immediately around the secondary image. Referring to Figure 5; A rectangular area 11 surrounding the IMAGE sub-image remains on the can body without printing.

<p>5 Note that the cover 7 shown in Figure 6 contains a small area of ​​the word IMAGE that needs to be inked. Using a regular ink roller at the ink station, Cap 7 will contain ink and transfer to the packaging. This is considered undesirable if only a positive image is required. To address this, it is suggested to employ a system as shown in Figure 6a. Secondary image 8 is the only area that requires inking. Element 61 of the printing plate 62 is used as a surface</p>

<p>10 To deliver ink or inking pad. The raised element 61 captures the ink and then applies it to the positive image 8 of the cap rather than the entire cap. The motion of the raised element 61 is timed and recorded to match the raised elements of the cut-out cover. The size of the protruding element 61 is limited so as not to interfere with the cover area outside the cut.</p>

15 A more attractive design can be achieved if the lower elevation area is completely present in the initial non-printing design. This is shown in Figure 7 where the secondary image IMAGE appears in the design within a general unprinted swirl 12 of the primary image.

It is noted that with decking devices of earlier designs, with the lids having a larger surface area than the package bodies, precise alignment of the lids and lid parts is not required. The ink stations are parallel so that the image mounted on the cap appears in the correct position relative to the . area

<p>20 Printing zone and package structures provided. However, presenting a secondary image on the lid 7 introduces a requirement for accurate alignment between the lids 7 and the lid 6 parts. If the alignment is not achieved, the secondary image 8 will appear on the can body 2 in an incorrect position. Alignment characteristics must be provided on the cover and the cover parts. These characteristics shall allow for lid meridian alignment over the hood portion and for correct angular alignment around the hood portion; Example to prevent winding</p>

<p>25 the lid. As specified above, the alignment is enhanced using an alignment device</p>

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In addition to alignment properties. An example of an alignment device is a guide with a single, double, or even edgeless edge.

The cover 7 is shown parallel to the cover portion 6 of the 4 blanket wheel. The cap portion is supplied with a set of four 14A-D alignment marks corresponding to all angles

<p>5 Cap 7. A linear actuator is responsible for attaching the cap to the part of the cap where the four corners are aligned with the relevant alignment marks. Alternatively or additionally, alignment properties can be provided on the print surface or the edges of the cover.</p>

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as an alternative or additional arrangement; The router 14e is shown, a structure that can be temporarily placed on the cover section 6 by means of an actuator. The guide shown in Figure 8 is a simple arrangement that the operator places against the end surface of the cover portion 6 when a new cover is installed 7. The first surface of the guide 14e supports an opposite surface of the cover portion 6, so the operator can support the edge of the cover 7 against a second surface 14G from wave 14H. The guide then has two edges that allow cover 6 to be precisely aligned with cover portion 7.

It is preferable to use various different designs of the router which can be temporarily attached to the cover portion in a variety of ways depending on the characteristics of the cover portion. for example; If the cover part has holes or holes in a layer of it; An alignment or routing device can then be fitted with 14H pins or studs at corresponding low level locations to match those holes. Conversely, the alignment surface 14i of the 14j guide can have a single edge to support the cover in the tracking state and the machine side of the cover portion is attached to the tracer flange.

<p>20 and by determining the lateral position through the guide rail. in another embodiment; The 14k guide can be flanged and the cover is supported from the tracking edge and the side of the machine with a timed profile set to the cover by 14k guide rails. The final form of the alignment device may consist of a 14L discontinuous aligner. One such non-contact alignment device 14L is the support arm that swings quickly like a laser blind in one or two directions at 90 degrees to indicate the correct position. y ar</p>

<p>25 The support is an invisible laser without any form of atmospheric scattering but produces a directed line on a surface</p>

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Section. The advantage of the laser curtain is that it avoids the need for tools and/or marking on the cover portion.

Once cover 7 is precisely aligned on cover portion 6 using the alignment device or guide 14e and secured to cover portion 6; The 14e guide is removed and can be reused to align more covers

5 With additional parts.

Now referring to Figure 9; The modification of the packaging device described above involves replacing the individual covers 7 with a belt or roller of continuous covers 15. In addition to the support with the blanket 4 wheel, the cover pulley extends around three additional rollers 16, 17, 18. These rollers can be free-wheeling or It may be geared to aid the movement of the cover pulley around the wheel and across the area

10 3 printing zone. It is desirable that the length of the cover roller be greater than the circumference of the blanket wheel.

According to this embodiment; Single caps 7 are defined as consecutive sections or areas 19 of a cap beam 15. In accordance with the embodiments described above; There are secondary images engraved or embedded in the covers 7 For example the covers can be attached to a support beam using adhesive or it can be shaped to be combined with the jamb.

15th Given the length of the cover-retainer 15, a relatively large number of lids will be determined by the packer. The number is certainly higher than the number of different caps supplied by the pack decorating device in Figure 1 (ie eight). A pack decorating device with a continuous cap sealer can for example enable the production of one hundred and fifty different secondary images on a single production line .

A number of alternatives and/or additions for using the printing surface 20 cover differently will now be described to enable the printing of multiple different secondary images.

Cover strength variance

Figure 4 shows the first contrast, which consists of a complete process and mechanism similar to the one described with reference to Figure 1. While it is expected that covers 7 will not have any contrasts in the printing surfaces, that is, the surfaces will be smooth, but the situation does not need to be so, that is, the secondary images maybe

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be etched into the surfaces of the cap. There is a set of pistons or other pressure devices incorporated into each part of the hood, an example of installing a piston 20 is shown in Figure 10 with one of the parts of the hood 6.

Single pistons 21 are configured from the piston mount 20 and actuated to exert force on the cap 7 with

5 It passes through the printing zone, that is, during the step of printing the package, where the piston works to pull the attached cover area away from the printing zone. In the area where force is exerted on the cap, no ink will be transferred onto the surface of the package (or a blurred image may be printed if minimal contact occurs). For example, suppose the ink travels to the surface of the cap to select a set of six characters on the cap. As shown in Figure 11,

10 These letters define a set of six alternate subordinate images. The piston of the relevant cap part consists of six pistons that are configured to fit behind the respective letters. With the cover entering the printing zone a set of five 21 presses are activated to pull the respective areas of the printing surface of the cover out of contact with the package. This will cause only one cap to enter the printing zone where the corresponding press has a second set of five presses

15th Activated, which causes the printing of only one letter B. This is repeated in a periodic order so that the successive packages get a different letter from the six letters printed on each one of them. It would be best if the other areas of the cap are lifted off the surface of the package in order to allow the same raw image to be printed on all packages.

Various Printing Sheets

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In the embodiment described in Figures 1 through 8, each 5 ink station consists of a “plate cylinder” (not visible) with one or more printing plates attached to its surface. These plates have images affixed (that is, engraved or printed) to their surfaces. Plate change is relatively time consuming and damages the production line To allow images to change during production or during very short interruptions, configurable printing plates can be offered in one or more

25 ink station.

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An example should be considered as a printing plate 25 consisting of a relatively large array of electrically directed and single staples 26 as shown in Figure 12. (Note: the plate in Figure 12 is flat; In practice, however, the plate would be bent to encase the surface of the platen roller). Each pin 26 can be separately raised and removed to the surface of the platen roller, allowing the pattern to be printed on the print surface 25. In Figure 12, the plate is shown with the letter E printed. Of course, the staples raised from the bottom must be reinforced with sufficient strength in order to allow them to withstand the relatively high force that affects the staples during the process of printing on pass-through covers. In an ideal production process, for example, the staples can be reformatted after each rotation of the blanket wheel. This methodology may require a tougher surface than conventional covers. Of course, 25 configurable print sheets can be supplied to one or more ink stations.

ink station with multi-sheet printing at varying speed

As mentioned above; It is known that in previous designs two different printing plates are fitted onto the platen cylinder at a specific ink station in order to allow different images to be transferred to successive covers. To ensure that a specific image can be printed on the entire surface of the package;

15th The circumference of the sheet cylinder should be at least twice that of a conventional sheet cylinder. Larger plate cylinders require a complete redesign of the packaging decorating device, as it becomes increasingly difficult to fit more than two print plates onto a single plate roller.

Figure 13 depicts a possible solution to this problem, which involves incorporating a standardized 30-plate cylinder into one of the printing stations (ie with a circumference equal to the slope of the cover) and modifying it to contain several

20 31 print sheets (six in the example shown are marked with numbers 1 to 6). It will undoubtedly be noted that if the 30 page cylinder could rotate freely with the blanket wheel (as is the case with the sheet cylinders of other ink station) it would make more contact

From one printing plate 31 with the same cover. This is considered unacceptable; That is, to be able to prevent this from happening, there is a 32 differential velocity guiding mechanism built into the 30 plate cylinder. Controlled

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With the mechanism, the plate cylinder is directed and pulled from the blanket wheel depending on the relevant positions of the printing plates and coverings passing through.

Consider this process in more detail; The 30 sheet roller rotates during printing at its normal speed. When the tracing edge of a particular printing plate meets the cap, the platen roller is retracted. Which

5 A residual lid trace area remains uninked at this ink station, so the guiding mechanism 32 rotates the platen roller (now in the drawn position) at a slightly higher speed in order to align the position of the next print plate with the next advance cap, and then the platen roller is slowed down The platen returns to its normal speed and moves to the next cover in order to contact the print plate 2 with the next cover. (It would be preferable to vary the speeds and times to match the times required to move the inlet and outlet cylinder to achieve cylinder acceleration and deceleration.)

An alternative to accelerating the platen roller in order to align the next nature plate with the next cap is to slow the platen roller between ink transfers. It would be preferable to have a blank between the printing plates without making contact between the plates and the caps, as this allows the roller to slow down without causing any damage to the plates or caps. The platen roller 15 should be slowed down to the extent that the blank between the tracing edge of the previous and next print plate is closed at the time the next cover is in place.

Transferring ink through the stencil

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Figure 14 depicts another surrogate and secondary image printing process with several variations on a single product line. In this machine, a stencil firmer is incorporated into one of the ink stations and at the end closest to the blanket wheel, the stencil firmer travels around a modified plate cylinder. At the far end of the blanket wheel the stencil belt travels around a second support roller (which can be freely rotating or may be geared). The stencil belt travels around the support rollers in a direction opposite to the rotating blanket wheel. Provide engraved or printed drawings or stencils at spaced intervals on the outer surface of the packaging. It is done on the outside

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It is necessary to put the ink through a series of inking rollers. The space between the drawings exists so that the drawings are presented in turn on the successive covers that pass through the ink station. The packet can be made to be durable by forming patterns (patterns) or stencils on a metal backing. Spaces will be required on the packet between successive stencils to avoid unwanted inking of the cover. This is not required where printing plates or graphics are supplied printed instead of a stencil.

An extended determination of graphics methodology increases the number of different graphics that can be printed on a single production line. In contrast to the previously described device of varying speed; The use of a continuous firmer does not require any variations in speed.

<p>10 Optionally remove ink</p>

Another alternative device involves the use of a optional cap-removal mechanism and this is illustrated in Figure 15. One or more ink stations are supposed to produce one color on each cap in a specified area. Other areas will be initially inked to be transferred to packaging. The device includes a 50 ink removal station configured to remove a contrasting ink drawing from each of these 15 areas. The ink removal station 50 as shown may consist of a continuous strip (or very long) 51

Where it is printed on its bottom surface or formed adhesive graphics 52. Each graphic can be formed by printing or adhesive tape. A roller mechanism (not shown) is incorporated into the ink station 50 to pull the tape through the station bringing the bottom surface of the tape in contact with the caps as it passes through the ink station. The ink is removed from the caps whenever 20 contacts the adhesive graphics. It would be preferable to print various decals along the tape allowing a large number of different secondary images to be printed on packages passing through the package decorating device.

It would be better for a person skilled in the design to make various modifications to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

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