Roller assembly for heat transfer printing system or hot stamp foil application system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940684-B2
Application number	US-201816178245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2017
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A roller assembly for a heat transfer printing system or hot foil transfer system is provided. The roller assembly includes a cylindrical roller core that extends around a center axis. The roller core includes an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface. The exterior surface is positioned to face a target object being printed upon. The roller assembly also includes a pliable tube in contact with the exterior surface and positioned to contact a thermal print ribbon disposed between the tube and the target object while the roller core is rotated to apply pressure on the ribbon and print onto the target object from the ribbon. The tube is not bonded to the roller core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roller assembly for a heat transfer printing system or hot foil transfer system, the roller assembly comprising:
a cylindrical roller core that extends around a center axis, the roller core including an exterior surface and an opposite inner surface, the exterior surface positioned to face a target object being printed upon;
a clamping ring configured to be coupled with the roller core, the roller core including a first protrusion extending in a first direction and the clamping ring including a second protrusion extending in an opposite second direction with the first and second protrusions opposing each other and axially extending toward each other in the first and second directions that are parallel to the center axis of the roller core; and
a pliable tube in contact with the exterior surface and positioned to contact a thermal print ribbon disposed between the tube and the target object while the roller core is rotated around the center axis to apply pressure on a ribbon and print onto the target object from the ribbon, the tube including first and second grooves on opposite sides of the tube, the first groove extending into the tube along the first direction and the second groove extending into the tube along the second direction, the first groove of the tube positioned to receive the first protrusion of the roller core, the second groove of the tube positioned to receive the second protrusion of the clamping ring, wherein the tube is not bonded to the roller core.

2. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube can be slid off the roller core in the first direction that is parallel to the center axis.

3. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube is not chemically bonded with the roller core.

4. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube is not secured to the roller core using any adhesive between the tube and the roller core.

5. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tube is not secured to the roller core using any material between the tube and the roller core.

6. The roller assembly of claim 1 , wherein the roller core extends from a first end to an opposite second end in the second direction, and wherein the clamping ring attaches to the first end of the roller core with the tube disposed between the clamping ring and the first end of the roller core in the first and second directions that are parallel to the center axis.

7. A method for replacing a pliable first tube from a cylindrical roller core in a roller assembly for a heat transfer printing system or hot foil transfer system, the method comprising:
detaching a clamping ring from the roller core such that a first protrusion axially extending away from the clamping ring in a first direction that is parallel to a center axis of rotation of the roller core is removed from a first groove axially extending into the first tube in the first direction;
removing the first tube from the roller core by sliding the first tube in a second direction that is parallel to the center axis of rotation of the roller core and that is opposite the first direction such that a second groove in the first tube is removed from a second protrusion axially extending away from the roller core in the second direction;
sliding a replacement tube onto the roller core in the first direction, the replacement tube sliding onto the roller core by placing a third groove that axially extends into the replacement tube in the second direction onto the second protrusion of the roller core; and
attaching the clamping ring to the roller core by placing the first protrusion of the clamping ring into a fourth groove that axially extends into the replacement tube in the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tube is removed from the roller core without damaging the first tube.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tube is removed from the roller core without cutting the first tube.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first tube is removed from the roller core without removing any material between the roller core and the first tube.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the replacement tube is coupled to the roller core by the clamping ring without chemically bonding the replacement tube with the roller core.

12. A roller assembly for a heat transfer printing system or hot foil transfer system, the roller assembly comprising:
a cylindrical roller core that extends around a center axis, the roller core including an exterior surface and an opposite interior surface, the exterior surface positioned to face a target object being printed upon, the roller core including a first protrusion that axially extends away from the roller core in a first direction that is parallel to the center axis, wherein the exterior surface of the roller core is shaped to receive a pliable tube by placing a first groove axially extending into the tube along the first direction onto the first protrusion of the roller core without the roller core being bonded to the tube such that the tube is positioned to contact a thermal print ribbon disposed between the tube and the target object while the roller core is rotated to apply pressure on the ribbon and print onto the target object from the ribbon; and
a clamping ring having a second protrusion that axially extends from the clamping ring in a second direction that is parallel to the center axis of the roller core, the clamping ring configured to attach to the roller core with the second protrusion received into a second groove of the tube that axially extends into the tube in the second direction such that the tube is disposed between the clamping ring and the roller core with the first and second protrusions extending toward each other.

13. The roller assembly of claim 12 , wherein the roller core extends from a first end to an opposite second end along the center axis, and wherein the clamping ring attaches to the first end of the roller core.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Fisher Joseph Michael
• Burt Timothy Spencer
• Denny Brenda Lee

Classifications

• B41F16/0026

  with means for applying print under heat and pressure, e.g. using heat activable adhesive · CPC title

• B41J2/315

  characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material (B41J2/385, B41J2/435 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41F16/006 Primary

  Arrangements for moving, supporting or positioning the printing foil or band · CPC title

• B41F16/00 Primary

  Transfer printing apparatus · CPC title

• B41F30/00

  Devices for attaching coverings or make-ready devices; Guiding devices for coverings (make-ready devices B41N6/00) · CPC title