# US 11,305,523 B2 · Holding device for holding a necked tubular object in a printing system and method of loading and unloading object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,523 B2 - Document ID: US11305523B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/346,214 - Filed: 2017-11-02 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-02 - Assignees: Tonejet Limited - Applicants: Tonejet Limited - Inventors: John Lawton Sharp; Ian Philip Butler Ingham; Jeffrey Mark Woods - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305523B2 ## CPC - B41F 17/002: {Supports of workpieces in machines for printing on hollow articles} - B41F 17/18: on curved surfaces of articles of varying cross-section, e.g. bottles, lamp glasses - B41F 17/20: on articles of uniform cross-section, e.g. pencils, rulers, resistors - B41J 3/4073: {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)} - B41J 3/40733: {Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles} - B41J 11/002: {Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating} - F16D 27/01: with permanent magnets - B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES ## Abstract A printing system for printing on an outer surface of a tubular object is provided. The printing system comprises at least one printing station for printing on the outer surface of the tubular object (100); and at least one holding device for holding the tubular object during a printing process. The holding device comprises: a substantially annular gripper ring (200) adapted to be partially inserted into a tubular object. The gripper ring comprises a radially compressible portion (201) configured to securely engage with an inner surface of the tubular object. The radially compressible portion exerts a radially outward mechanical restoring force when compressed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing system for printing on an outer surface of a tubular object, the printing system comprising: at least one printing station for printing on the outer surface of the tubular object; and at least one holding device for holding the tubular object during a printing process, the at least one holding device comprising: a substantially annular gripper ring adapted to be partially inserted into the tubular object, the gripper ring comprising an annular base and a resilient radially compressible portion configured to securely engage with an inner surface of the tubular object, wherein the resilience of the radially compressible portion causes the radially compressible portion to exert a radially outward mechanical restoring spring force when compressed, and wherein the radially compressible portion of the gripper ring comprises a plurality of fingers that extend axially from the annular base, whereby radial compression of the plurality of fingers causes each of the fingers to bend towards a central axis of the gripper ring. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fingers comprises a leading portion having an outer radius that tapers from a maximum radius at a boundary region to a minimum radius at its end and shaped such that, when an opening of a tubular object is axially pushed over the leading portion, a force exerted by the opening of the tubular object on the leading portion causes the radially compressible portion to be progressively compressed. ### Claim 3 A holding device for holding a necked tubular object, the holding device comprising: a substantially annular gripper ring, the gripper ring comprising an annular base and a plurality of fingers that extend axially from the annular base, wherein each of the plurality of fingers comprises: a first portion extending axially from base of the gripper ring up to a boundary region, and a second portion extending axially from the first portion and connected to the first portion at the boundary region; and wherein, in its rest position, a maximum outer radius of each finger occurs at the boundary region between the first portion and the second portion such that, when an opening of a necked tubular object is axially pushed over the gripper ring, a force exerted by the opening of the necked tubular object on the second portion of each finger causes each finger to be progressively bent inwards towards the axis of the gripper ring until the opening of the necked tubular object has passed over the boundary region, whereupon each finger resiliently springs radially outwards such that an outer surface of the first portion contacts an inner surface of the necked tubular object, thereby providing a holding force for holding the necked tubular object onto the gripper ring. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein, in its rest position, the front of the gripper ring is tapered whereby an outer radius of the second portion of each finger decreases in an axial direction from a maximum outer radius at the boundary region to a minimum outer radius at its end. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein, the gripper ring is necked whereby, in its rest position, an outer radius of the first portion of each finger varies in an axial direction from a minimum outer radius adjacent to the base to a maximum outer radius at the boundary region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the first portion of each of the plurality of fingers is shaped such that engagement with an inner surface of the necked tubular object produces a force having an axial component that urges the necked tubular object towards the base of the gripper ring. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the first and second portions of each finger are integrally formed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the gripper ring is mounted on a rotatable mandrel, with the gripper ring being coaxial with an axis of rotation of the rotatable mandrel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The holding device of claim 8, the rotatable mandrel further comprising an adjustable end-stop against which a rim of the necked tubular object is held by the axial component of the force that urges the necked tubular object towards the base of the gripper ring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The holding device of claim 8, wherein the rotatable mandrel further comprises: an interior axial channel in fluid communication with an opening in the annular base of the gripper ring; and a gas inlet channel connecting the interior axial channel to the outside of the rotatable mandrel, thereby allowing compressed gas to be provided into the rotatable mandrel via the gas inlet channel in order to produce a displacing pressure at the base of the necked tubular object to eject the necked tubular object from the gripper ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, further comprising a base support element disposed coaxially within the gripper ring, the base support element comprising a circular rim configured to slot into a circular channel at the base of the necked tubular object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The holding device of claim 11, wherein the base support element is mounted on a rotatable mandrel, with the circular rim of the base support element being coaxial with an axis of rotation of the rotatable mandrel, and wherein the rotatable mandrel further comprises: an interior axial channel in fluid communication with a first opening of the base support element; and a gas inlet channel connecting the interior axial channel to the outside of the rotatable mandrel, thereby allowing compressed gas to be provided into the rotatable mandrel via the gas inlet channel in order to produce a displacing pressure at a second opening of the base support element to displace the necked tubular object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The holding device of claim 11, wherein the base support element is mounted on a rotatable mandrel, with the circular rim of the base support element being coaxial with an axis of rotation of the rotatable mandrel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The holding device of claim 11, wherein the base support element comprises a hollow cylindrical main body having a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second end, wherein the second opening is defined by the circular rim. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the necked tubular object is a necked metal monobloc container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the necked tubular object is a necked multipart container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the necked tubular object is a plastic container comprising an integrated neck portion and closed base. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) The holding device of claim 3, wherein the holding device forms part of a carrying device configured to move objects between printing stations in a printing system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The holding device of claim 18, wherein the holding device is one of a plurality of holding devices that each form part of one of a plurality of carrying devices, each of which is configured to be independently moved between printing stations in the printing system. ### Claim 20 A method of loading a necked tubular object onto a holding device, the holding device comprising: a substantially annular gripper ring, the gripper ring comprising an annular base and a plurality of fingers that extend axially from the annular base, wherein each of the plurality of fingers comprises: a first portion extending axially from base of the gripper ring up to a boundary region, and a second portion extending axially from the first portion and connected to the first portion at the boundary region; wherein, in its rest position, a maximum outer radius of each finger occurs at the boundary region between the first portion and the second portion such that, when an opening of a necked tubular object is axially pushed over the gripper ring, a force exerted by the opening of the necked tubular object on the second portion of each finger causes each finger to be progressively bent inwards towards the axis of the gripper ring until the opening of the necked tubular object has passed over the boundary region, whereupon each finger resiliently springs radially outwards such that an outer surface of the first portion contacts an inner surface of the necked tubular object, thereby providing a holding force for holding the necked tubular object onto the gripper ring; the method comprising: axially pushing the necked tubular object onto the gripper ring of the holding device with the necked tubular object being held in axial alignment with the gripper ring. ### Claim 21 A printing system for printing on an outer surface of a tubular object, the printing system comprising: at least one printing station for printing on the outer surface of the tubular object; and at least one holding device for holding the tubular object during a printing process, the at least one holding device comprising: a substantially annular gripper ring adapted to be partially inserted into the tubular object, the gripper ring comprising an annular base and a resilient radially compressible portion configured to securely engage with an inner surface of the tubular object, wherein the resilience of the radially compressible portion causes the radially compressible portion to exert a radially outward mechanical restoring spring force when compressed, wherein the gripper ring further comprises a plurality of fingers that extend axially from the annular base, wherein each of the plurality of fingers comprises: a first portion extending axially from base of the gripper ring up to a boundary region, and a second portion extending axially from the first portion and connected to the first portion at the boundary region; and wherein, in its rest position, a maximum outer radius of each finger occurs at the boundary region between the first portion and the second portion such that, when an opening of a necked tubular object is axially pushed over the gripper ring, a force exerted by the opening of the necked tubular object on the second portion of each finger causes each finger to be progressively bent inwards towards the axis of the gripper ring until the opening of the necked tubular object has passed over the boundary region, whereupon each finger resiliently springs radially outwards such that an outer surface of the first portion contacts an inner surface of the necked tubular object, thereby providing a holding force for holding the tubular object onto the gripper ring. ### Claim 22 A method of unloading a necked tubular object from a holding device, the holding device comprising a substantially annular gripper ring adapted to be partially inserted into the necked tubular object, the gripper ring comprising a resilient radially compressible portion configured to securely engage with an inner surface of the necked tubular object, wherein the resilience of the radially compressible portion causes the radially compressible portion to exert a radially outward mechanical restoring spring force when compressed; the method comprising: providing compressed gas into an inside of the necked tubular object, thereby causing an increased pressure on a base of the necked tubular object sufficient to overcome a retaining force provided by the gripper ring.