Dye sublimation printing on polymer film for molded package printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9707713-B2
Application number	US-201414507496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 6, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A method for printing a package substrate prior to molding the package substrate into a desired shape. The present teachings include printing an aqueous ink onto a sacrificial carrier to form an ink pattern, and then drying the ink pattern on the carrier. The carrier and ink pattern are aligned with a package substrate and placed into a mold fixture. The ink pattern is transferred to the package substrate within the mold fixture during the molding of the package substrate into the desired shape. The ink pattern may be transferred from the sacrificial carrier to the package substrate using, for example, a dye sublimation (dye diffusion) process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a printed molded package container, comprising:
printing an ink pattern onto a sacrificial carrier to form a printed sacrificial carrier;
aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a package substrate;
heating the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate to a temperature of from 375° C. to 400° C. to transfer the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate to form a printed package substrate; and
molding the package substrate during the heating of the package substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a polyester package substrate during the alignment of the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing an aqueous ink onto the sacrificial carrier during the printing of the ink pattern, wherein the aqueous ink comprises a dye solute and a water solvent.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the printing of the aqueous ink further comprises printing a dye sublimation ink.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising evaporating an amount of the water solvent from the dye sublimation ink prior to the transfer of the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising heating the dye sublimation ink to a temperature of 190° C. or less during the evaporating of the amount of the water solvent.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising winding the sacrificial carrier and the ink pattern onto a take-up reel prior to the transfer of the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
placing the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate into a mold fixture; and
simultaneously heating the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate within the mold fixture to transfer the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the molding of the package substrate is performed simultaneously during the transfer of the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
physically contacting the ink pattern on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate; and
performing the heating of the printed sacrificial carrier while physically contacting the ink pattern with the package substrate.

11. A method for forming a printed molded package container, comprising:
printing an ink onto a synthetic composite transfer paper to form a printed sacrificial carrier, wherein ink is an aqueous dye sublimation ink;
aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a package substrate, wherein the package substrate comprises polyester;
heating the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate while physically contacting the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate;
heating the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate to a temperature of from 375° C. to 400° C. during the heating of the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate while physically contacting the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate;
during the heating of the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate, molding the package substrate; and
separating the synthetic composite transfer paper from the package substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a polyethylene terephthalate package substrate during the alignment of the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dye sublimation ink comprises a water solvent and a dye solute and the method further comprises evaporating the water solvent from the dye solute by heating the dye sublimation ink to a temperature that is below a sublimation point of the dye sublimation ink to form a dried ink pattern.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dye sublimation ink comprises a water solvent and a dye solute and the method further comprises evaporating the water solvent from the dye solute by heating the dye sublimation ink to a temperature of 190° C. or less to form a dried ink pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising cooling the dried ink pattern to a temperature of about 27° C. or less prior to the heating of the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate while physically contacting the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising cooling the dried ink pattern to a temperature of about 27° C. or less.

17. A method for forming a printed molded package container, comprising:
printing an ink onto a synthetic composite transfer paper to form a printed sacrificial carrier, wherein ink is an aqueous dye sublimation ink comprising a water solvent and a dye solute;
aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a package substrate, wherein the package substrate comprises polyester;
heating the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate while physically contacting the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate;
during the heating of the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate, molding the package substrate;
evaporating the water solvent from the dye solute by heating the dye sublimation ink to a temperature of 190° C. or less to form a dried ink pattern;
cooling the dried ink pattern to a temperature of about 27° C.; and
separating the synthetic composite transfer paper from the package substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a polyethylene terephthalate package substrate during the alignment of the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Ferrara Joseph M

Classifications

• B29C51/165 Primary

  combined with the feeding or the shaping of the lining or the labels (by injection moulding B29C45/14008, B29C45/1418) · CPC title

• B29L2031/712

  Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages (closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418) · CPC title

• B29K2067/003

  PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate · CPC title