Method and apparatus for applying a material onto articles using a transfer component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020254792-A1
Application number	US-202016787065-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 13, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for transferring a transfer material from a transfer component to an article, the apparatus comprising:
an array of cavities, wherein each cavity of the array of cavities comprises: a frame, wherein the frame comprises a front face having a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, an upper portion, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion and a frame body joined to the front face; a chamber defined by the frame body, wherein the front face substantially surrounds an opening to the chamber; a sealing portion extending about at least a portion of the front face and adjacent to the opening; a clamp disposed within the cavity; and a first support member disposed within the opening, wherein the first support member is adjacent to the front face, and wherein the first support member is configured to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a drum configured to rotate about an axis, wherein the array of cavities are joined to the drum and configured to rotate about the axis.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first cavity of the array of cavities and a second cavity of the array of cavities are positioned such that the frame of the first cavity is adjacent to the frame of the second cavity.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front face of the frame has a curved external surface.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of conduits, wherein the plurality of conduits operatively connect the sealing portion to a vacuum source.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises a first clamp portion disposed within the cavity in a first configuration and a second clamp portion disposed within the cavity and positioned opposite the first clamp portion, wherein the first clamp portion is configured to move from the first configuration to a second configuration.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , comprising a first transition member, wherein the first transition member comprises a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, wherein the first end portion engages the first clamp portion and the second end portion is configured to engage an article.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , comprising a second transition member, wherein the second transition member comprises a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, and wherein the first end portion engages the second clamp portion and the second end portion is configured to engage the article.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first transition member defines a fluid tunnel extending from the first end portion of the first transition member to the second end portion of the first transition member.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support member comprises a first plate and a second plate positioned within the opening and each of the first plate and the second plate extend from the upper portion of the frame to the lower portion of the frame, wherein the first plate has a first side positioned adjacent to the front face and a second side opposite the first side and the second plate has a first side portion adjacent to the front face and a second side opposite to the first side.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second side of the first plate has a first end profile and the second side of the second plate has a second end profile, and wherein the first end profile is different than the second end profile.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support member comprises a plurality of support fingers.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame body comprises one or more conduits operatively connected to a vacuum source.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing portion comprises an adhesive.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first support member comprises a stepped surface.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp defines a conduit configured to introduce a fluid into an article.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of cavities comprises an odd number of cavities.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a first article and a second article, wherein the first article comprises a first face and a second face and the second article comprises a first face and a second face, wherein a first cavity is configured to receive the first article such that the second face is in facing relationship with a portion of the frame body of the first cavity and a second cavity is configured to receive the second article such that the first face is in facing relationship with a portion of the frame body of the second cavity, and wherein the first cavity is adjacent to the second cavity.

19 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion are configured to operatively engage the article in the second configuration.

20 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first clamp portion is configured to move to the first configuration to form a loading gap.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a second support member disposed within the opening, wherein the second support member is adjacent to the front face, wherein the second support member is configured to rotate about a support member axis in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction.

22 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clamp comprises a first clamp portion disposed within the cavity and a second clamp portion disposed within the cavity, wherein the first clamp portion and the second clamp portion are configured to orient an article about an article axis.

23 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a transfer component positioned adjacent to the frame, wherein the sealing portion is configured to secure a portion of the transfer component to the front face of the frame.

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to rotate a first article about an article axis.

25 . An apparatus for transferring a transfer material from a transfer component to an article, the apparatus comprising:
an array of cavities, wherein each cavity of the array of cavities comprises: a frame, wherein the frame comprises a front face having a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, an upper portion, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion and a frame body joined to the front face; a chamber defined by the frame body, wherein the front face substantially surrounds an opening to the chamber; a sealing portion extending about at least a portion of the front face and adjacent to the opening; and a first support member disposed within the opening, wherein the first support member is adjacent to the front face, and wherein the first support member is configured to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction.

26 . An apparatus for transferring a transfer material from a transfer component to an article, the apparatus comprising:
an array of cavities, wherein each cavity of the array of cavities comprises: a frame, wherein the frame comprises a front face having a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, an upper portion, and a lower portion op

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Cassoni Robert Paul
• Bourgeois Marc Richard
• Allen Matthew Richard
• Hargett Mark Mason
• Clare Benjamin Jacob
• Donner Christopher Gerald
• Orndorff Jason Matthew
• Yeagle Todd Michael

Classifications

• B41M1/22

  Metallic printing; Printing with powdered inks · CPC title

• B41M5/025

  by transferring ink from the master sheet · CPC title

• B41F16/008 Primary

  for printing on three-dimensional articles · CPC title

• B41F16/0086

  for printing on articles with cylindrical surfaces · CPC title

• B41J3/4073 Primary

  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