Systems and methods for substrate decoration
AssigneeACTEGA North America Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMichael Clarke Woods, Michael Medeiros
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for applying decorations onto substrates. Decorations can be transported on a web along the web path to an application station at which the decorations are applied to substrates. Movement of substrates through the application station can be controlled to effect transfer of a decoration to a substrate. The web and a substrate support that urges a substrate into contact with a decoration on the web can be moved in the same direction, e.g., at different speeds. The substrate can be rotated during decoration transfer about an axis that passes through the substrate, e.g., the substrate can be rotated 180 degrees or more during transfer.
Claims39
A method for decorating a substrate, comprising:
- moving a web having a decoration on a first side of the web at an application station such that the decoration is moved at a web speed in a web direction, the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web;
- moving a substrate support at the application station at a support speed along the web direction, the substrate support urging a substrate into contact with the decoration by applying a force to the substrate that is directed toward the decoration and is perpendicular to the web direction simultaneous with movement of the substrate in the web direction;
- rotating the substrate at the application station about a rotation axis that passes through the substrate;
- and
- transferring the decoration from the web to the substrate at the application station while the decoration moves in the web direction, the substrate moves in the web direction, the substrate rotates about the rotation axis and the substrate support moves along the web direction.
A system for decorating substrates, comprising:
- a web including a plurality of decorations on a first side of the web, each decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web;
- an application station at which the decorations are applied from the web to substrates;
- a web path along which the web travels to transport the decorations to the application station;
- a web control system configured to control movement of the web along the web path;
- a substrate transport having a portion configured to urge a substrate into contact with a decoration on the web at the application station;
- and
- a controller configured to control operation of the web control system and the substrate transport to transfer decorations from the web to substrates at the application station, the controller configured to control the web control system to move a portion of the web bearing the decoration to move along a first direction at the application station and to control the portion of the substrate transport to move along the first direction while urging the substrate into contact with the decoration moving at the application station by applying a force to the substrate that is directed toward the decoration and perpendicular to the first direction simultaneous with movement of the substrate in the first direction and causing the substrate to rotate about a rotation axis that passes through the substrate.
A method for decorating a substrate, comprising:
- moving a web having a decoration on a first side of the web at an application station such that the decoration is moved at a web speed along a first direction, the decoration having an adhesive exposed on a surface of the decoration facing outwardly from the first side of the web;
- moving a substrate support at the application station at a support speed that is different from the web speed along the first direction, the substrate support urging a substrate into contact with the decoration by applying a force to the substrate that is directed toward the decoration and is perpendicular to the first direction simultaneous with movement of the substrate in the first direction;
- and
- transferring the decoration from the web to the substrate at the application station while the decoration moves along the first direction at the web speed and the substrate support moves along the first direction at the support speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.