Method and device for ink-jet printing onto containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159087-A1
Application number	US-201514963110-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and a device for ink-jet printing onto containers is described, in which at least one container is rotated and/or transported along a curved path, and associated surface velocities of partially circumferential portions of a lateral container surface are measured, where the printing times and/or a rotational velocity of the containers associated with the partially circumferential and/or intermediately disposed portions are adapted to the surface velocities. Changes in the print advance rate caused by different surface velocities in front of print heads can thereby be compensated This allows for uniform print resolution and seamless joining of partial prints.

First claim

1 . Method for ink-jet printing onto containers, where a print advance with respect to at least one print module is created at least by rotation of said containers about themselves and/or by transporting said containers along at least one curved trajectory, where surface velocities of lateral portions of said containers are measured during said rotation/ said transport, and where time intervals between printing times of said print module and/or an angular velocity of said rotation are adapted in dependence of said measured surface velocities.

2 . Method according to claim 1 , where time intervals being associated with different lateral portions and/or intermediately disposed portions are set respectively greater the lower said associated surface velocities are.

3 . Method according to claim 1 , where said time intervals between said printing times of individual nozzles or rows of nozzles of said print module are defined.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , where said surface velocities are measured during ongoing print advance.

5 . Method according to claim 1 , where said surface velocities are measured during rotation and/or transport at a known angular velocity.

6 . Method according to claim 1 , where said surface velocities are associated with rotational positions of said containers.

7 . Method according to claim 1 , where said surface velocities are measured with a friction wheel rolling laterally along said containers.

8 . Method according to claim 1 , where said surface velocities are measured in a contactless manner by optical and/or acoustic scanning of said lateral portions.

9 . Method according to claim 2 , where said printing times and/or said angular velocity are adapted to associated print distances from said lateral portions of said containers and/or intermediately disposed portions.

10 . Method according to claim 1 , where said containers are at least one of glass bottles with rotationally-symmetrical nominal cross-section and shaped bottles made of plastic.

11 . Device for ink-jet printing onto containers, comprising:
at least one print module; at least one positioning unit for holding and rotating a container about itself in front of said print module; at least one measuring device for detecting surface velocities of lateral portions of said rotating container; and a control device for, said control device containing instructions for actuating said print module while adapting time intervals between printing times of said print module in dependence of said measured surface velocities.

12 . Device according to claim 11 , where said measuring device comprises a friction wheel with a rotary encoder, and where said friction wheel is resiliently preloaded in a direction toward said container having its surface velocity detected.

13 . Device according to claim 12 , where at least one print head on said print module is movably supported together with said friction wheel in the direction toward said container.

14 . Device according to claim 11 , where said measuring device operates in a contactless manner on the basis of an optical and/or acoustic scanning beam.

15 . Device according to claim 14 , where said optical scanning beam is at least one of a laser light, an optical code reader, line scanner, and camera; and where said acoustic scanning beam is an ultrasound acoustic scanning beam.

16 . Device for ink-jet printing onto containers, comprising:
at least one print module; a carousel with positioning units circulating thereon for holding and rotating said containers about themselves; at least one measuring device for detecting surface velocities of lateral portions of said circulating containers; and a control device for actuating said print module while adapting time intervals between printing times of said print module in dependence of said measured surface velocities.

17 . Device according to claim 11 , where said measuring device comprises a friction wheel with a rotary encoder, and where said friction wheel is resiliently preloaded in a direction toward said container having its surface velocity detected.

18 . Device according to claim 16 , where at least one print head on said print module is movably supported with said friction wheel in the direction toward said container.

19 . Device according to claim 15 , where said measuring device operates in a contactless manner on the basis of an optical and/or acoustic scanning beam.

20 . Device according to claim 19 , where said optical scanning beam is at least one of a laser light, an optical code reader, line scanner, and camera; and where said acoustic scanning beam is an ultrasound acoustic scanning beam.

Assignees

• Krones Ag

Inventors

• Sonnauer Andreas

Classifications

• 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

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• B41M5/0088 Primary

  by ink-jet printing · CPC title

• B41P2217/62

  externally, e.g. for bottles · CPC title

• B41J2/04526 Primary

  controlling trajectory · CPC title