Dye sublimation printing on polymer film for molded package printing
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorJoseph M. Ferrara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for printing a package substrate prior to molding the package substrate into a desired shape. The present teachings include printing an aqueous ink onto a sacrificial carrier to form an ink pattern, and then drying the ink pattern on the carrier. The carrier and ink pattern are aligned with a package substrate and placed into a mold fixture. The ink pattern is transferred to the package substrate within the mold fixture during the molding of the package substrate into the desired shape. The ink pattern may be transferred from the sacrificial carrier to the package substrate using, for example, a dye sublimation (dye diffusion) process.
Claims17
A method for forming a printed molded package container, comprising:
- printing an ink pattern onto a sacrificial carrier to form a printed sacrificial carrier;
- aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a package substrate;
- heating the printed sacrificial carrier while heating the package substrate to transfer the ink pattern from the printed sacrificial carrier to the package substrate to form a printed package substrate;
- and
- molding the package substrate during the heating of the package substrate.
A method for forming a printed molded package container, comprising:
- printing an ink onto a synthetic composite transfer paper to form a printed sacrificial carrier, wherein ink is an aqueous dye sublimation ink;
- aligning the printed sacrificial carrier with a package substrate, wherein the package substrate comprises polyester;
- heating the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate while physically contacting the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier with the package substrate;
- during the heating of the ink on the printed sacrificial carrier and the package substrate, molding the package substrate;
- and
- separating the synthetic composite transfer paper from the package substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.