Printing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12076982-B2
Application number	US-202217699700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A printing system and method direct a printing assembly to apply a first ink of a first color toward first areas of a machine-readable data representation on a corrugated material surface, and direct the printing assembly to apply a second ink of a second color toward second areas of the machine-readable data representation on the corrugated material surface. The second color of the second ink is different from the first color of the first ink. The first and second areas are not identical to each other. The printing assembly is directed to apply the first ink and to apply the second ink to form the machine-readable data representation for machine scanning of the machine-readable data representation while on the corrugated material surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
directing a printing assembly to apply a first ink of a first color toward first areas of a machine-readable data representation on a corrugated material surface; and
directing the printing assembly to apply a second ink of a second color toward second areas of the machine-readable data representation on the corrugated material surface, the second color of the second ink being different from the first color of the first ink, wherein the first and second areas are not identical to each other,
wherein the printing assembly is directed to apply the first ink and to apply the second ink to form the machine-readable data representation for machine scanning of the machine-readable data representation while on the corrugated material surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing assembly is directed to apply the first ink toward the first areas and to apply the second ink toward the second areas such that the second areas extend over less than an entirety of the first areas.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing assembly is directed to apply the first ink toward the first areas and to apply the second ink toward the second areas such that the first areas and the second areas are not completely coextensive with each other.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first areas and the second areas are interdigitated with each other.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the corrugated material surface by at least a first nozzle of the printing assembly and by at least a second nozzle of the printing assembly such that the corrugated material surface moves by the at least the first nozzle before moving by the at least the second nozzle.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein directing the printing assembly to apply the first ink includes directing the at least the first nozzle to apply the first ink onto the corrugated material surface and directing the printing assembly to apply the second ink includes directing the at least the second nozzle to apply the second ink onto the corrugated material surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the printing assembly to apply the first ink includes directing the printing assembly to apply a white ink onto the corrugated material surface and directing the printing assembly to apply the second ink includes directing the printing assembly to apply a black ink onto the corrugated material surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the printing assembly to apply the first ink and directing the printing assembly to apply the second ink forms a bar code on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the printing assembly to apply the first ink and directing the printing assembly to apply the second ink forms a matrix barcode on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the printing assembly to apply the first ink and directing the printing assembly to apply the second ink forms a QR code on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corrugated material surface is a porous surface of one or more of containerboard, a liner, cardboard, fiberboard, shrink-wrapped cardboard, or coated cardboard.

12. A printing system comprising:
a controller configured to direct a printing assembly to apply a first ink of a first color toward first areas of a machine-readable data representation on a corrugated material surface, the controller configured to direct the printing assembly to apply a second ink of a second color toward second areas of the machine-readable data representation on the corrugated material surface, the second color of the second ink being different from the first color of the first ink, wherein the first and second areas are not identical to each other,
wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink and to apply the second ink to form the machine-readable data representation for machine scanning of the machine-readable data representation while on the corrugated material surface.

13. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink toward the first areas and to apply the second ink toward the second areas such that the second areas extend over less than an entirety of the first areas.

14. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink toward the first areas and to apply the second ink toward the second areas such that the first areas and the second areas are not completely coextensive with each other.

15. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the first areas and the second areas are interdigitated with each other.

16. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct a conveyance system to move the corrugated material surface by at least a first nozzle of the printing assembly and by at least a second nozzle of the printing assembly such that the corrugated material surface moves by the at least the first nozzle before moving by the at least the second nozzle.

17. The printing system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the at least the first nozzle to apply the first ink onto the corrugated material surface and to direct the at least the second nozzle to apply the second ink onto the corrugated material surface.

18. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply a white ink onto the corrugated material surface as the first ink and to direct the printing assembly to apply a black ink onto the corrugated material surface as the second ink.

19. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink and the second ink to form a bar code on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

20. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink and to apply the second ink to form a matrix barcode on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

21. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the printing assembly to apply the first ink and to apply the second ink to form a QR code on the corrugated material surface as the machine-readable data representation.

22. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the corrugated material surface is a porous surface of one or more of containerboard, a liner, cardboard, fiberboard, shrink-wrapped cardboard, or coated cardboard.

23. A printing system comprising:
a printing assembly configured to print a first ink of a first color and a second ink of a second color; and
a controller configured to direct the printing assembly to direct the first ink toward first areas on a corrugated material surface and to direct the printing assembly to direct the second ink toward second areas on the corrugated material surface, the controller configured to direct the printing assembly to direct the first ink and the second ink toward the corrugated material surface to print a machine-readable data representation on the corrugated material surface

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Liker Stephen Jay
• Mackay Donald
• Du Yu
• Chen Tzer-Yi

Classifications

• B41J2/2103

  Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations · CPC title

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• B41J3/01 Primary

  for special character, e.g. for Chinese characters or barcodes · CPC title

• B41M3/008

  Sequential or multiple printing, e.g. on previously printed background; Mirror printing; Recto-verso printing; using a combination of different printing techniques; Printing of patterns visible in reflection and by transparency; by superposing printed artifacts · CPC title

• G06K1/123

  for colour code marks · CPC title