# US 2025/0083459 A1 · Pretreatment device and ink jet digital printing machine including said pretreatment device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0083459 A1 - Document ID: US20250083459A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/566,387 - Filed: 2022-05-27 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-06-08 - Assignees: QUANTIX DIGITAL S.r.l. - Applicants: QUANTIX DIGITAL S.r.l. - Inventors: Ivan RIBONI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250083459A1 ## CPC - B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)} - 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 3/40731: {Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects} - B41J 3/40733: {Printing on cylindrical or rotationally symmetrical objects, e. g. on bottles} - B41J 25/316: with tilting motion mechanisms relative to paper surface - B41J 29/377: Cooling or ventilating arrangements - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract The pretreatment device for pretreating at least one container with a longitudinal axis having an outer surface to be subjected to ink jet digital printing, comprises plasma emitting means, a table supporting at least one support spindle supporting the at least one container, wherein the table has an axis of rotation, wherein the spindle has an axis oriented radially with respect to the rotation axis of the table, wherein the table is configured to carry and park the spindle at an exposure position in which the outer surface of the container is exposed to the plasma. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pretreatment device pretreating at least one container with a longitudinal axis having an outer surface to be subjected to ink jet digital printing, wherein the pretreatment device comprises one or more plasma emitters, a table supporting at least one support spindle, the spindle supporting said at least one container, wherein said table has a rotation axis, wherein said at least one spindle has an axis oriented radially with respect to said rotation axis of said table, wherein said table is configured to carry and park said at least one spindle at an exposure position in which said outer surface of said at least one container is exposed to plasma emitted from the one or more plasma emitters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pretreatment device according to claim 1, wherein said exposure position at said least one spindle is rotatable around its axis for the progressive exposure to the plasma of said outer surface of said at least one container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The pretreatment device according to claim 1, wherein said one or more plasma emitters comprise composable plasma emitting modules. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pretreatment device according to claim 3, wherein said plasma emitting modules are arranged in succession in a direction of the axis of the spindle and consecutive modules (105i, 105j) in the direction of the axis of the spindle have a section of overlap in the direction of the axis of the spindle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The pretreatment device according to claim 4, wherein first plasma emitting modules of the plasma emitting modules are arranged at a first angular position around the axis of said spindle parked in said exposure position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pretreatment device according to claim 5, further comprising a direction variation means for varying an emission direction of said first plasma emitting modules. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The pretreatment device according to claim 6, further comprising a distance variation means for varying a radial distance of said first plasma emitting modules from the axis of said spindle parked in said exposure position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The pretreatment device according to claim 5, further comprising one or more second plasma emitting modules (105j, 105jj) arranged at a second angular position around the axis of said spindle parked in said exposure position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pretreatment device to claim 8, wherein said first emitting modules are in a position diametrically opposite of said one or more second modules with respect to the axis of said spindle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An ink jet digital printing machine for printing on said at least one container, comprising the pretreatment device according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The ink jet digital printing machine according to claim 10, further comprising at least one printing station provided with at least one printing head, wherein said table is configured to carry and park said at least one spindle at said at least one printing station in which said at least one spindle is rotatable around its axis, wherein said at least one spindle parked at said at least one printing station has its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said at least one printing head, the ink jet digital printing machine further comprising a pretreatment station in which said pretreatment device is positioned, and wherein said table is configured to carry and park said at least one spindle at said at least one pretreatment station before carrying and parking said at least one spindle at said at least one printing station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The ink jet digital printing machine according to claim 11, further comprising a detection station for detecting an eccentricity profile of said at least one container, and including distance sensor supported by said at least one spindle rotating on itself, and wherein said table is configured to carry and park said at least one spindle at said at least one detection station for detecting the eccentricity profile before carrying and parking said at least one spindle at said at least one pretreatment station. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The ink jet digital printing machine according to claim 12, further comprising an actuation controller for controlling the actuation of a distance variation means for varying a radial distance at least of said first plasma emitting modules, said distance variation means configured to move at least said first modules, during rotation of said at least one spindle on itself at said at least one pretreatment station, with a motion law unequivocally determined by said eccentricity profile so as to maintain constant the distance of at least said first emitting modules from said at least one container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The ink jet digital printing machine according to claim 10, wherein said table has a vertical rotation axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The ink jet digital printing machine according claim 11, further comprising, immediately downstream of said pre-treatment station, a container cooling station comprising at least one cooling module including a cooling compressed air emission pipe and a heated air suction pipe, in that said spindle can be parked at said cooling station with said axis of said spindle parallel to an axis of the emission pipe and to an axis of the suction pipe.