Three-dimensional printing on glass containers
AssigneeOwens-Brockway Glass Container Inc.
InventorsBrian J. Chisholm, Cedric Charretton, Olivier Dangmann, Eva Misfud, Susan L. Smith, Ludovic Valette
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Abstract
This disclosure describes substrate(s) formed with a three-dimensional (3D) feature thereon, and method(s) of printing the same. One method includes identifying a plurality of locations on a substrate surface where the three-dimensional feature will be formed, determining a height value of the three-dimensional feature at each location, assigning a grayscale value to each location based on the height value, and applying ink to the substrate surface at each location according to the assigned grayscale value.
Claims27
A method of printing a three-dimensional feature on a substrate having a surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) identifying at least one location on the surface where the three-dimensional feature will be formed;
- (b) determining a height value of the three-dimensional feature at each location;
- (c) assigning a grayscale value to each location based on the height value;
- (d) applying ink to the surface in at least one layer according to the assigned grayscale value at each location, where the ink is curable in response to ultraviolet (UV) light;
- and
- (e) applying UV light to cure the ink, wherein steps (d) to (e) are repeated until the ink reaches the respective height value at each location to form the three-dimensional feature.
A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) feature on a glass substrate using an ultraviolet (UV)-curable varnish, comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a layer of UV-curable varnish within a boundary of the 3D feature on a surface of the glass substrate;
- (b) curing the varnish layer by directing UV light toward the applied varnish layer;
- (c) based on an assigned grayscale value, applying one or more additional layers of UV-curable varnish within the boundary of the 3D feature on the surface of the glass substrate;
- and
- (d) curing the one or more additional layer of UV-curable varnish by directing UV light toward each additional varnish layer after it is applied, wherein the cured varnish layers form at least a portion of the 3D feature on the glass substrate.
A method of forming a lubricious glass container having a three-dimensional (3D) feature, comprising:
- (a) forming the glass container without a hot end coating;
- (b) annealing the glass container without container-to-container contact;
- and
- (c) printing at least one layer of varnish on at least a portion of the glass container to form the three-dimensional (3D) feature, where the at least one layer of varnish provides lubricity for the glass container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.