Toy fixture and printing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337258-B2
Application number	US-202318476490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A printing system includes: a plurality of unitary objects each having a unique identification code, a plurality of fixtures arranged on a base, and a printer controller. Each unitary object includes a uniquely-shaped three-dimensional body fixed to a plate by a connection mechanism. Each fixture includes: a fixture block defining a printing opening; and a plate guide defined in the fixture block and configured to receive the plate. A target region of the three-dimensional body is aligned within the printing opening of the fixture block when the plate is fixed within the plate guide. The printer controller is configured to: detect the unique identification code of each unitary object; and control an ink dispenser to print a unique topographical design on each aligned target region of each three-dimensional body, the unique topographical design being associated with the detected unique identification code.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system comprising:
a plurality of unitary objects each having a unique identification code, with each unitary object including a uniquely-shaped three-dimensional body fixed to a plate by a connection mechanism;
a plurality of fixtures arranged on a base, each fixture comprising:
a fixture block defining a printing opening; and
a plate guide defined in the fixture block and configured to receive the plate;
wherein a target region of the three-dimensional body is aligned within the printing opening of the fixture block when the plate is fixed within the plate guide; and

a printer controller configured to:
detect the unique identification code of each unitary object; and
control an ink dispenser to print a unique topographical design on each aligned target region of each three-dimensional body, the unique topographical design being associated with the detected unique identification code.

2. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the unique identification code is a unique combination of numbers, letters, alphanumeric characters, characters, symbols, or matrix barcodes.

3. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body is a three-dimensional head of a toy figure.

4. The printing system of claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional head includes one or more unique facial features.

5. The printing system of claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional head is defined by a three-dimensional head base region, a three-dimensional scalp region, and a three-dimensional face region; and the connection mechanism extends from the scalp region or the head base region.

6. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the connection mechanism comprises a plurality of posts, and each post extends from a respective first post end to a respective second post end, with the first post end fixed at a location of the plate and the second post end detachably fixed to a location of the body.

7. The printing system of claim 6 , wherein the second post end is formed with a tapered shape that permits the second post end to be detached from the body.

8. The printing system of claim 7 , wherein each post includes a main post that extends from the first post end to the tapered shape along a post axis, and each tapered shape is angled relative to the post axis of the main post, the relative angle between the tapered shape and the post axis depending on the normal to the surface of the body at which the second post end is fixed.

9. The printing system of claim 6 , wherein each post extends along a Zu post axis between the plate location and the body location, and a length of each post along the Zu post axis depends on the location of the body at which the post is fixed relative to the plate at which the post is fixed.

10. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the printer controller being configured to control the ink dispenser comprises registering a distance between the ink dispenser and a registration location in the printing opening.

11. The printing system of claim 10 , wherein, when each plate is received in its respective plate guide, a registration region of the body is aligned with the registration location in the printing opening.

12. The printing system of claim 11 , wherein the registration locations in the printing openings of the fixture blocks are at the same location relative to the ink dispenser when aligned with the ink dispenser during printing.

13. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein each connection mechanism comprises a plurality of posts and each body is fixed to its respective plate by the posts, and the number of posts in the connection mechanism is between 10 and 50.

14. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the plate guide is configured to receive the plate in one or more orientations.

15. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the unique identification code is a visible code located on the plate of each unitary object.

16. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the plate of each unitary object is associated with a unique manufacturing recipe that comprises information about hair associated with the three-dimensional body, information about a scale and/or geometry of the three-dimensional body, information about a toy figure to which the three-dimensional body is fixed, and the unique identification code.

17. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a base identification code, the base identification code comprises each unique identification code of each unitary object received within each fixture arranged on the base.

18. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the unique topographical design is based on a two-dimensional print design.

19. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein each three-dimensional body is defined by a scale percentage that is between a minimum scale percentage of 0% and a maximum scale percentage.

20. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the printer controller is configured to detect the unique identification code of the unitary object when the plate associated with the unitary object is received in the fixture block and the fixture is arranged on the base.

21. The printing system of claim 7 , wherein the tip of the tapered shape is smaller than about 1 millimeter (mm), smaller than 0.5 mm, smaller than 0.1 mm, or smaller than 0.05 mm.

22. The printing system of claim 7 , wherein the second post end has a width, the width is larger than about 0.5 millimeter (mm), larger than 1 mm, larger than 1.5 mm, larger than 2 mm, larger than 2.5 mm, or larger than 3 mm.

23. The printing system of claim 14 , wherein an orientation of the body in the fixture is defined by an orientation of its associated plate received in the plate guide, the body orientation determining which one or more target regions of the body are aligned within the printing opening of the fixture block.

24. The printing system of claim 17 , wherein the printer controller is configured to detect the base identification code and control the ink dispenser to print a unique topographical design associated with each unique identification code included in the base identification code.

25. The printing system of claim 19 , wherein the maximum scale percentage is 18%.

Assignees

• Hasbro Inc

Inventors

• Belknap Jr William Howard Lyon
• Mackowiak Robert Chester
• Marr Patrick
• D'Amico Daniel Anthony
• Nelson Tyler

Classifications

• B41J3/40731 Primary

  Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects · CPC title

• B41F17/30

  for printing on curved surfaces of essentially spherical, or part-spherical, articles · CPC title

• B41J3/4073

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title

• A63H9/00 Primary

  Special methods or compositions for the manufacture of dolls, toy animals, toy figures, or parts thereof · CPC title