Three-dimensional printing on glass containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065375-B2
Application number	US-202318102487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2023
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

This disclosure describes substrate(s) having a three-dimensional (3D) feature formed thereon and methods of forming the features. One method involves applying a first layer of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass container around a circumference of the container and curing the first layer of UV-curable material to produce a first cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a first 3D feature. The method further comprises applying a second layer of UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container, spaced apart from the first 3D feature, around the circumference of the container, and curing the second layer of UV-curable material to produce a second cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a second 3D feature. The portion of the glass container between the first and second 3D features has a circumference less than that of the first or second 3D features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of printing three-dimensional (3D) features on a glass container, the method comprising:
applying a first layer of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass container around a circumference of the container;
curing the first layer of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied first layer of UV-curable material to produce a first cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a first 3D feature on the glass container;
applying a second layer of UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container, spaced apart from the first 3D feature, around the circumference of the container; and
curing the second layer of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied second layer of UV-curable material to produce a second cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a second 3D feature on the glass container,
wherein a portion of the glass container between the first and second 3D features has a circumference less than that of the first or second 3D features,
wherein the applying of the first layer and the second layer of UV-curable material is based on assigned grayscale values.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
applying one or more additional first layers of UV-curable material to the previously applied and cured first layer of UV-curable material;
curing the one or more additional first layers of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward each additional first material layer after it is applied;
applying one or more additional second layers of UV-curable material to the previously applied and cured second layer of UV-curable material; and
curing the one or more additional second layers of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward each additional second material layer after it is applied.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second 3D features are upper and lower 3D features and the portion of the glass container between the upper and lower 3D features is a container body radially recessed with respect to the upper and lower 3D features.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 , wherein the radially recessed container body is free of the UV-curable material.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first 3D feature is circumferentially continuous around the circumference of the glass container.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second 3D feature is circumferentially continuous around the circumference of the glass container.

7. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first 3D feature is circumferentially discontinuous around the circumference of the container.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second 3D feature is circumferentially discontinuous around the circumference of the container.

9. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the UV-curable material layer is applied via a digital inkjet printer.

10. The method set forth in claim 1 , wherein the UV-curable material of each of the first layer(s) and the second layer(s) of UV-curable material includes a varnish.

11. The method set forth in claim 2 , wherein the applying of one or more first or second additional layers of UV-curable material is based on assigned grayscale values.

12. The method set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
flame treating the surface of the glass container before applying the first layer(s) and the second layer(s) of UV-curable material.

13. A method of printing three-dimensional (3D) features on a glass container, the method comprising:
applying a first layer of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass container around a circumference of the container;
curing the first layer of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied first layer of UV-curable material to produce a first cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a first 3D feature on the glass container;
applying a second layer of UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container, spaced apart from the first 3D feature, around the circumference of the container; and
curing the second layer of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied second layer of UV-curable material to produce a second cured material layer that forms at least a portion of a second 3D feature on the glass container,
wherein a portion of the glass container between the first and second 3D features has a circumference less than that of the first or second 3D features,
wherein the applying of the first layer or the second layer of UV-curable material is based on assigned grayscale values, wherein the assigned grayscale values correspond to an amount of the UV-curable material and, thus, a height of the UV-curable material applied to the surface of the glass container.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the assigned grayscale values correspond to a height of at least one of the first or second layers of UV-curable material.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the applying steps includes
applying a first amount of ink to form a first height or thickness of the UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container associated with a darker or higher grayscale value, and
applying a second amount of ink, the second amount of ink being less than the first amount of ink to form a second lesser height or thickness of the UV-curable material on the surface of the glass container associated with a lighter or lower grayscale value.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV-curable material is applied as drops or droplets corresponding to the assigned grayscale values.

17. A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) feature on a glass substrate, the method comprising:
applying at least two layers of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass substrate based on more than one assigned grayscale value; and
curing the at least two layers of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied at least two layers of UV-curable material to produce at least two cured material layers that form at least a portion of the 3D feature on the glass substrate resulting in the at least two cured material layers having different heights compared to each other.

18. A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) feature on a glass substrate, the method comprising:
applying one or more layers of UV-curable material on a surface of the glass substrate based on one or more assigned grayscale values; and
curing the one or more layers of UV-curable material by directing UV light toward the applied one or more layers of UV-curable material to produce one or more cured material layers that form at least a portion of the 3D feature on the glass substrate, wherein the one or more assigned grayscale values correspond to an amount of the UV-curable material and, thus, a height of the UV-curable material applied to the surface of the glass substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the applying step includes
applying a first amount of UV-curable material to form a first height or thickness of the UV-curable material on the surface of the glass substrate associated with a darker or higher grayscale value, and
applying a second amount of UV-curable material, the second amount of UV-curable material being less than the first amount of UV-curable material to form a second lesser height or thickness of the UV-curable material on the surface of the glass substrate associated with a lighter or lower grayscale value.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the UV-c

Assignees

• Owens Brockway Glass Container

Inventors

• Chisholm Brian J
• Charretton Cedric
• Dangmann Olivier
• Mifsud Eva
• Smith Susan L
• Valette Ludovic

Classifications

• B05D2203/35

  Glass · CPC title

• B05D5/066

  achieved by multilayers · CPC title

• B05D5/065

  having colour interferences or colour shifts or opalescent looking, flip-flop, two tones · CPC title

• B05D5/061

  Special surface effect · CPC title

• C03C2218/31

  Pre-treatment · CPC title