Print head assembly for applying images over a contoured axially symmetric object

In conjunction with an ink delivery system capable of drawing ink from a plurality of ink reservoirs and delivering a color image to a plurality of inkjet printing heads to produce a printed image on a media object surface, said ink delivery system controlled by a computer system capable of receiving user control inputs, a direct-to-object printing system utilizing a print head assembly capable of printing on the surface of a media object having an axially symmetrical, contoured exterior surface, comprising:

• a. a print job profile holding geometric information representative of the shape of said media object and an image file, said print job profile adapted for providing print directions to said computer system;
• b. at least one movable ink jet assembly holding an ink jet printing head coupled to said ink delivery system for receiving ink from said reservoirs, said assembly capable of moving said printing head in 3-dimensions of space and controllable to follow the surface contours of said object for printing thereupon;
• c. a motion control system electrically connected to said ink jet assembly for controlling movement of said same in 3-dimensions to follow the surface contours of said media object simultaneously with rotation of said object;
• d. means for holding said media object for printing, said holding means including means for rotating said media object at a controlled rotational rate;
• e. a frame for supporting said at least one movable ink jet assembly and said holding means;
• and,
• f. wherein said frame includes means for moving said media object and said at least one movable ink jet assembly together laterally such that said media object and said inkjet printing head are movable to a position adjacent to one another in controllable relation for said print head to print an image on said media object surface;
• g. wherein said ink jet assembly comprises:
• i. a backing member slidably supported by said frame, said backing member connected to an actuator also supported by said frame, said backing member movable laterally relative to said frame upon movement of said actuator;
• ii. a pair of parallel actuator columns slidably supported by said backing member and including at least one actuator for movement thereof, said columns including shafts independently movable up and down relative to said backing member by said at least one actuator;
• iii. holding means for supporting an inkjet printing head at a lower end of said pair of parallel actuator columns and connecting the pair together, said holding means pivotally connected to said pair of actuator columns at a lower end thereof such that independent movement of said actuator column shafts pivots said inkjet head relative to said backing member;
• and,
• iv. wherein said column and backing member actuators are responsive to actuating commands sent by said motion control system for moving said inkjet head in three dimensions of space.

In conjunction with an ink delivery system capable of drawing ink from a plurality of ink reservoirs and delivering a color image to a plurality of inkjet printing heads to produce a printed image on a media object surface, said ink delivery system controlled by a computer system capable of receiving user control inputs, a direct-to-object printing system capable of printing on the surface of a media object having an axially symmetrical, contoured exterior surface with an inkjet print head assembly, comprising the steps of:

• a. creating a print job profile holding geometric information representative of said media object;
• b. loading print job profile onto said computer system controlling said print system;
• c. loading said media object onto a mandrel and rotating said object around its axially symmetric radial axis, said axially symmetrical media object having a contoured exterior surface;
• d. closing the distance laterally between said rotating media object and said inkjet printing assembly, wherein each said inkjet printing assembly includes backing means supported by a frame on said direct-to-object printing system and arranged to be in slidable relation and movable laterally relative to said frame and at least one inkjet printing head for printing on said media object, holding means for supporting said at least one inkjet printing head, tilt extension means supported by said backing means for pivotally supporting said inkjet holding means and for extending and tilting said holding means downward along said backing means, said tilt extension means connected to at least one actuator supported by said backing means for causing extension and tilting of said inkjet holding means;
• e. as said media object moves past said at least one inkjet printing head, independently adjusting the space and angle of said at least one inkjet printing head to conform to a target printing distance spaced from the surface of said media object, wherein the angle of each said printing head is adjusted to conform to the slope of the contour along said surface as said printing heads move past said surface by tilting and varying the distance of said ink jet holding means relative to the surface of said media object and by moving said backing means vertically and laterally relative to said frame;
• and,
• f. as said media object moves past said at least one printing head, printing an image on the surface of said media object.

In a direct-to-object printing system, a method for printing onto the surface of an axially symmetrical contoured surface of a media object using a print head assembly capable of moving in 3-dimensions of space and including backing means supported by a frame on said direct-to-object printing system and arranged to be in slidable relation and movable laterally relative to said frame, said backing means including at least one inkjet printing head for printing on said media object, a holding means for supporting said at least one inkjet printing head, a tilt extension means supported by said backing means for pivotally supporting said inkjet holding means and for extending and tilting said holding means downward along said backing means, said tilt extension means connected to at least one actuator supported by said backing means for causing extension and tilting of said inkjet holding means, comprising the steps of:

• a. rotating said media object along a rotational axis such that its surface presents a static radial distance from said axis at any point along the length of its exterior;
• b. positioning said media object and said inkjet print head so that said print head is adjacent to the surface of said media object during rotation, said step of positioning said media object and said inkjet print head including the steps of tilting and varying the distance of said ink jet holding means relative to the surface of said media object by moving said backing means vertically and laterally relative to said frame and also simultaneously canting said inkjet holding means;
• c. further adjusting the space of said inkjet head print from the surface of said media object as said surface moves past said print head responsive to a CAM table of precalculated values that causes positioning commands to be issued by a printing control system to alter the position of each inkjet print head in 3-dimentionsal space, wherein said space adjusting step results in said print head being spaced from said media surface by a predetermined target amount;
• d. wherein said print head expresses ink simultaneously over the surface of said media object while moving said media object past said print heads to print an image on the exterior of said media, wherein the amount of ink expressed decreases responsive to the radius to the surface point at which the ink is being expressed relative to the rotational axis of said rotating media as said radius decreases;
• and, e. exposing said printed surface to UV light to harden said deposited ink.

In conjunction with a direct-to-object printing system having a frame, an ink delivery system supported by said frame, capable of drawing ink from a plurality of ink reservoirs and delivering a color image to a plurality of inkjet printing heads to produce a printed image on a media object surface, said ink delivery system controlled by a computer system capable of receiving user control inputs and print directions based on a print profile for said media object, and a motion control system for electrically controlling movement of said print heads in 3-dimensions to follow the surface contours of said media object simultaneously with rotation of said object, a print head assembly capable of printing on the surface of media object having an axially symmetrical, contoured exterior surface, comprising:

• a. a backing member slidably supported by said frame, said backing member connected to an actuator also supported by said frame, said backing member movable laterally relative to said frame upon movement of said actuator;
• b. a pair of parallel actuator columns slidably supported by said backing member and including at least one actuator for movement thereof, said columns including shafts independently movable up and down relative to said backing member by said at least one actuator;
• c. holding means for supporting an inkjet printing head at a lower end of said pair of parallel actuator columns and connecting the pair together, said holding means pivotally connected to said pair of actuator columns at a lower end thereof such that independent movement of said actuator column shafts pivots said inkjet head relative to said backing member;
• and,
• d. wherein said column and backing member actuators are responsive to actuating commands sent by said motion control system for moving said inkjet head in three dimensions of space.