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US 11,794,468 B2Granted
Device for printing cans, a process for printing cans, a printed can and a transfer blanket
AssigneeBall Beverage Can South America S.A.
InventorsJoao Vilas Boas, Jeffrey Lewis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for imprinting cans comprises a plurality of ink cartridges that supply ink to a plurality of printing plates; the printing plates communicate with transfer blankets fixed to a drum, the transfer blankets move ink from the printing plates and apply it to cans; each transfer blanket includes a different art in low relief which produces an image on cans in addition to the image produced by printing plates; the device is preferably a rotary dry offset printer.
Claims11
A method of producing a plurality of beverage cans on a beverage can imprinting device, the method comprising the steps:
- applying ink to a first printing plate surface in a first ink pattern to a first printing plate, wherein the first printing plate surface comprises a printing plate finished art in high relief;
- transferring the first ink pattern to a first transfer blanket surface of a first transfer blanket, wherein the first transfer blanket surface has a first finished art in low relief recessed thereon;
- transferring the first ink pattern to a first beverage can, wherein the first beverage can exhibits a first decoration comprising a first shape corresponding to the first ink pattern and a first transfer blanket shape corresponding to the first finished art;
- applying ink to the first printing plate surface in the first ink pattern to a first printing plate;
- transferring the first ink pattern to a second transfer blanket surface of a second transfer blanket, wherein the second transfer blanket surface has a second finished art in low relief recessed thereon;
- and
- transferring the first ink pattern to a second beverage can, wherein the second beverage can exhibits a second decoration comprising the first shape corresponding to the first ink pattern and a second transfer blanket shape corresponding to the second finished art,
- wherein each of the first and second transfer blanket surfaces comprise a smooth portion in high relief which engages the printing plate finished art in high relief and engages the first and second beverage cans under pressure to transfer ink therefrom to the first and second beverage cans, respectively, wherein the first and second transfer blanket finished arts in low relief are vertically offset from the smooth portion in high relief such that substantially no ink from the first and second transfer blanket finished arts in low relief is transferred to the first and second beverage cans, respectively.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.