Apparatus for applying indicia on web substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124573-B2
Application number	US-201615225014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2011
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A gravure printing system comprising a gravure cylinder having a first plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof is disclosed. Each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells has a nominal diameter and is capable of receiving a fluid that is a first combination of at least two primary fluids. The fluid is fluidically displaceable through a discrete channel having a single entry point at said first position and a single exit point into a first cell of said first plurality of discrete cells. The outer surface has a metal plating disposed thereon. The metal plating reduces the nominal diameter of each cell of the first plurality of discrete cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gravure printing system comprising a gravure cylinder having a first plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof, each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells having a nominal diameter and being capable of receiving a fluid that is a first combination of at least two primary fluids, a first portion of a first of said at least two primary fluids being mixed with a second of said at least two primary fluids at a first position internal to said gravure cylinder and a second portion of said first primary fluid being mixed with a third primary fluid at a second position internal to said gravure cylinder, said fluid being fluidically displaceable through a discrete channel having a single entry point at said first position and a single exit point into a first cell of said first plurality of discrete cells and wherein a discrete channel for each respective fluid of said at least two primary fluids provides fluid communication of said respective fluid from a position external to said gravure cylinder to said first position internal to said gravure cylinder, said discrete channel for each respective fluid having a single entry point at said position external to said gravure cylinder and a single exit point at said first position internal to said gravure cylinder, said outer surface having a metal plating disposed thereon, said metal plating reducing said nominal diameter of each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells.

2. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein said metal plating reduces said nominal diameter of each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells from about 0.005 inches (0.13 mm) to about 0.002 inches (0.05 mm).

3. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells has an aspect ratio of at least about 25:1.

4. The gravure printing system of claim 3 wherein each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells has an aspect ratio of at least about 60:1.

5. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein each cell of said first plurality of discrete cell is disposed at an angle ranging from between about 20 degrees to about 90 degrees relative to said outer surface.

6. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein a first cell of said first plurality of discrete cells is disposed within about 0.0005 inches (0.013 mm) from an adjacent cell of said first plurality of discrete cells.

7. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of cells provide a halftoning of greater than about 20 dpi print resolution.

8. The gravure printing system of claim 1 wherein said first plurality of discrete cells are arranged in an array, said array comprising a pattern.

9. A gravure printing system comprising a gravure cylinder having a plurality of discrete cells each being disposed upon an outer surface thereof and having a nominal diameter, a first of said plurality of discrete cells being capable of receiving at least one fluid from a first channel having a single entry point and a single exit point and extending from a position external to said gravure cylinder and a second of said plurality of discrete cells being capable of receiving a first portion of a second fluid and a third fluid from a second and third channel each respectively extending from a second and third position external to said gravure cylinder, said first portion of said second fluid and said third fluid being mixed internally to said gravure cylinder prior to deposition into said second of said plurality of discrete cells, each of said fluids being fluidically displaced into said first and second cells from said channels at a position internal to said gravure cylinder and wherein a second portion of said second fluid is disposable into a third of said plurality of discrete cells, said outer surface having a metal plating disposed thereon, said metal plating reducing said nominal diameter of each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells.

10. The gravure printing system of claim 9 wherein said metal plating reduces said nominal diameter of said first of said plurality of discrete cells from about 0.005 inches (0.13 mm) to about 0.002 inches (0.05 mm).

11. The gravure printing system of claim 9 wherein said first of said plurality of discrete cells has an aspect ratio of at least about 25:1.

12. The gravure printing system of claim 9 wherein said first of said plurality of discrete cells and said second of said plurality of discrete cells provides a halftoning of greater than about 20 dpi print resolution.

13. A gravure printing system comprising:
a gravure cylinder having a plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof, each cell of said plurality of discrete cells having a nominal diameter, said outer surface having a metal plating disposed thereon, said metal plating reducing said nominal diameter of each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells;
a first portion of said plurality of discrete cells receiving a first portion of a first fluid from a first at least one channel disposed internal to said gravure cylinder and extending from a first position external to said gravure cylinder to said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
a second portion of said plurality of discrete cells receiving a second fluid from a second at least one channel disposed internal to said gravure cylinder and extending from a second position external to said gravure cylinder to said second portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
said first and second at least one channels each having a single entry point at said respective first and second position external to said gravure cylinder and discrete exit point at said respective first and second portion of discrete cells of said plurality of discrete cells;
said first and second portions of discrete cells being disposed adjacent each other upon said outer surface of said gravure cylinder;
wherein said first fluid is different from said second fluid;
wherein said adjacent first and second portions of discrete cells are disposed away from each other in at least two directions upon said outer surface and have distinct fluids disposed therein,
wherein a second portion of said first fluid is disposable from said first at least one channel to a third portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
wherein a first and second portion of said first at least one channel supplies said first and second portions of said first fluid to each of said first and third portions of said discrete cells, respectively.

14. The gravure printing system of claim 13 wherein said metal plating reduces said nominal diameter of each cell of said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells from about 0.005 inches (0.13 mm) to about 0.002 inches (0.05 mm).

15. The gravure printing system of claim 13 wherein each cell of said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells has an aspect ratio of at least about 25:1.

16. The gravure printing system of claim 13 wherein said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells provide a halftoning of greater than about 20 dpi print resolution.

17. The gravure printing system of claim 13 wherein said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells are arranged in a first array and said second portion of said plurality of discrete cells arranged are in a second array and wherein said first array is a first pattern and said second array is a second pattern and said first and second patterns are different.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Mcneil Kevin Benson
• Prodoehl Michael Scott
• Mellin Gustav André
• Byrne Thomas Timothy

Classifications

• B41F13/187 Primary

  for rotogravure · CPC title

• B41F9/028

  of the satellite type · CPC title

• B41F3/54

  Impression cylinders; Supports therefor · CPC title

• Y10T428/24802

  Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.] · CPC title

• B41F9/061

  Inking devices · CPC title