# US 2014/0360393 A1 · Apparatus for applying indicia on web substrates

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- Number: US 2014/0360393 A1
- Document ID: US20140360393A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/470,125
- Filed: 2014-08-27
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-04
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Kevin Benson MCNEIL; Thomas Timothy BYRNE; Gustav André MELLIN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360393A1

## CPC

- B41F 9/061: {Inking devices}
- B01F 35/81: Forming mixtures with changing ratios or gradients
- B41F 9/003: {Web printing presses (B41F9/023 takes precedence)}
- B41F 9/025: {with horizontally arranged printing units}
- B41F 9/028: {of the satellite type}
- B41F 13/11: Gravure cylinders {(attaching cylindrical formes B41F27/105)}
- B41F 31/22: for inking from interior of cylinder
- B41F 33/0036: {Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control}
- D21H 23/58: Details thereof, e.g. surface characteristics, peripheral speed
- D21H 19/66: Coatings characterised by a special visual effect, e.g. patterned, textured (marbled paper D21H27/04)
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A contact printing system is disclosed. A gravure cylinder having a plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof. A first portion of a first fluid and a second portion of a second fluid are disposed from a respective channel disposed internal to the gravure cylinder. The gravure cylinder, including the first and second at least one channels and the plurality of discrete cells, is formed so that the gravure cylinder has a unibody construction and has no moving parts interior to the gravure cylinder.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A contact printing system comprising:
a gravure cylinder having a plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof,
a first portion of said plurality of discrete cells receiving a first portion of a first fluid from a first at least one channel disposed internal to said gravure cylinder and extending from a first position external to said gravure cylinder to said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
a second portion of said plurality of discrete cells receiving a second fluid from a second at least one channel disposed internal to said gravure cylinder and extending from a second position external to said gravure cylinder to said second portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
said first and second at least one channels each having a single entry point at said respective first and second position external to said gravure cylinder and discrete exit point at said respective first and second portion of discrete cells of said plurality of discrete cells;
said first and second portions of discrete cells being disposed adjacent each other upon said outer surface of said gravure cylinder;
wherein said first fluid is different from said second fluid;
wherein a second portion of said first fluid is disposable from said first channel to a third portion of said plurality of discrete cells;
wherein a first and second portion of said first at least one channel supplies said first and second portions of said first fluid to each of said first and third portions of said discrete cells, respectively;
wherein said gravure cylinder, including first and second at least one channels and said plurality of discrete cells, is formed such that said gravure cylinder has a unibody construction; and,
wherein there are no moving parts interior to said gravure cylinder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said first portion of said plurality of discrete cells are arranged in a first array.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The contact printing system of claim 2 wherein said first array is a pattern.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein said gravure cylinder is formed in situ, and said in situ formation is selected from the group consisting of SLA/stereo lithography, SLM/Selective Laser Melting, RFP/Rapid freeze prototyping, SLS/Selective Laser sintering, SLA/Stereo lithography, EFAB/Electrochemical fabrication, DMDS/Direct Metal Laser Sintering, LENS®/Laser Engineered Net Shaping, DPS/Direct Photo Shaping, DLP/Digital light processing, EBM/Electron beam machining, FDM/Fused deposition manufacturing, MJM/Multiphase jet modeling, LOM/Laminated Object manufacturing, DMD/Direct metal deposition, SGC/Solid ground curing, JFP/Jetted photo polymer, EBF/Electron Beam Fabrication, LMJP/liquid metal jet printing, MSDM/Mold shape deposition manufacturing, SALD/Selective area laser deposition, SDM/Shape deposition manufacturing, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast.

### Claim 6 (depends on 15)

The contact printing system of claim 15 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast using an inverse roll.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein inverse fluid delivery channels corresponding to the fluid delivery channels are fabricated and said gravure cylinder, including said plurality of discrete cells, is cast around said inverse fluid delivery channels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The contact printing system of claim 7 wherein said inverse fluid delivery channels are fabricated from a soluble material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The contact printing system of claim 8 wherein said soluble material is removed after said fabrication of said gravure cylinder which includes said plurality of discrete cells.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said fluid delivery channels are fabricated in situ as a manifold, said manifold being in fluid communication with at least two of said plurality of discrete cells.

### Claim 11

A contact printing system comprising:
a gravure cylinder having a plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof;
a first of said plurality of discrete cells being capable of receiving at least one fluid from a first channel having a single entry point and a single exit point and extending from a position external to said gravure cylinder;
a second of said plurality of discrete cells being capable of receiving a first portion of a second fluid and a third fluid from a second and third channel each respectively extending from a second and third position external to said gravure cylinder;
said first portion of said second fluid and said third fluid being mixed internally to said gravure cylinder prior to deposition into said second of said plurality of discrete cells;
each of said fluids being fluidically displaced into said first and second cells from said channels at a position internal to said gravure cylinder and wherein a second portion of said second fluid is disposable into a third of said plurality of discrete cells;
wherein said gravure cylinder, including said first, second, and third channels and said plurality of discrete cells, is formed such that said gravure cylinder has a unibody construction; and,
wherein there are no moving parts interior to said gravure cylinder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The contact printing system of claim 11 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The contact printing system of claim 12 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast using an inverse roll.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein inverse fluid delivery channels corresponding to the fluid delivery channels are fabricated and said gravure cylinder, including said plurality of discrete cells, is cast around said inverse fluid delivery channels.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The contact printing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said fluid delivery channels are fabricated in situ as a manifold, said manifold being in fluid communication with at least two of said plurality of discrete cells.

### Claim 16

A contact printing system comprising:
a gravure cylinder having a first plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof;
each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells being capable of receiving a fluid that is a first combination of at least two primary fluids;
a first portion of a first of said at least two primary fluids being mixed with a second of said at least two primary fluids at a first position internal to said gravure cylinder and a second portion of said first primary fluid being mixed with a third primary fluid at a second position internal to said gravure cylinder;
said fluid being fluidically displaceable through a discrete channel having a single entry point at said first position and a single exit point into a first cell of said first plurality of discrete cells;
wherein a discrete channel for each respective fluid of said at least two primary fluids provides fluid communication of said respective fluid from a position external to said gravure cylinder to said first position internal to said gravure cylinder;
said discrete channel for each respective fluid having a single entry point at said position external to said gravure cylinder and a single exit point at said first position internal to said gravure cylinder;
wherein said gravure cylinder, including said discrete channel for each respective fluid and said plurality of discrete cells, is formed such that said gravure cylinder has a unibody construction; and,
wherein there are no moving parts interior to said gravure cylinder.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The contact printing system of claim 16 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The contact printing system of claim 17 wherein said gravure cylinder is cast using an inverse roll.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The contact printing system of claim 16 wherein inverse fluid delivery channels corresponding to the fluid delivery channels are fabricated and said gravure cylinder, including said plurality of discrete cells, is cast around said inverse fluid delivery channels.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The contact printing system of claim 16 wherein at least one of said fluid delivery channels are fabricated in situ as a manifold, said manifold being in fluid communication with at least two of said plurality of discrete cells.