# US 9,517,623 B2 · Continuous motion printing on cylindrical objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,623 B2 - Document ID: US9517623B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/608,176 - Filed: 2015-01-28 - Published: 2016-07-28 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-28 - Assignees: INX International Ink Company - Applicants: INX International Ink Company - Inventors: John Randel LaCaze - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517623B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/2132: {Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding (methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40)} - B41J 2/1433: {Structure of nozzle plates} - B41J 3/00: Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed - 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 25/00: Actions or mechanisms not otherwise provided for - B41J 25/005: {for serial printing movements superimposed to character- or line-spacing movements} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A method for printing a digitally-stored image on the surface of a cylindrical object comprises the steps of axially moving the object along a line of travel that is aligned with the object's long axis until it is underneath one or more printheads, each of which have a plurality of ink nozzles that may be arranged in one or more columns while simultaneously rotating the object with respect to the printheads and simultaneously causing a pre-determined number of nozzles to eject ink onto the surface of the object. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for process printing a multicolor image onto a cylindrical printing area of an object having a longitudinal axis in a single printing pass using an array of yellow, cyan, magenta and black printheads located around the longitudinal axis of the object comprising: positioning the nozzles of each printhead in a column aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical printing area, the yellow nozzles being represented as 2a:n, the cyan nozzles being represented as 2b:n, the magenta nozzles being represented as 2c:n and the black nozzles being represented as 2d:n, where n is an integer from 1 to an integer representing the number of nozzles in each printhead; advancing the cylindrical printing area along its longitudinal axis while simultaneously rotating it about the axis; firing the printhead nozzles beginning when the leading edge of the printing area enters the nozzle array to deposit successive yellow, cyan, magenta and black color dots over each in order from light colors to dark colors corresponding to the order from yellow to black, the firing of the yellow, cyan, magenta and black nozzles proceeding in successive sequences each producing successive overlapping helical deposition patterns, the first sequence in which n=1 comprising firing yellow nozzle 2a:n to deposit a yellow dot, followed by nozzle 2b:n+1 of the cyan printhead to deposit a cyan dot, followed by nozzle 2c:n+2 of the magenta printhead to deposit a magenta dot, followed by nozzle 2d:n+3 of the black printhead to deposit a black dot; continuing to fire the nozzles as required to deposit color dots over each other in the successive overlapping helical deposition patterns as necessary to complete the image where n increases by 1 in each successive sequence through n=the number of nozzles in each printhead, whereupon n begins again at 1 until the image is completed; and withholding firing of selected printhead nozzles as required by the image and to ensure that color dots are deposited over each other in order from light colors to dark colors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which each of the color dots deposited over each other are overlaid exactly on one another. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which each of the color dots deposited over each other is offset from its predecessor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which the native resolution of each printhead is the space between the printhead nozzles and the native resolution is increased in the axial direction by firing each nozzle of each printhead twice in succession such that the second dot is deposited at a location between the nozzle spacing defining the image resolution. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 in which the rotating of the cylindrical printing area about its longitudinal axis is slowed to ensure that the second fired dots are properly deposited. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which each printhead has two adjacent nozzle columns with adjacent nozzles and the adjacent nozzles are fired to deposit successive yellow, cyan, magenta and black dots. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 in which alternating adjacent nozzles are fired to print in alternating image columns. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 in which the native resolution of each printhead is the space between the printhead nozzles in the nozzle columns and the image resolution is increased by firing each nozzle of each printhead column twice in succession such that a second dot is deposited at a location between the nozzle spacing defining the native resolution. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 in which the native resolution of each printhead is the space between the printhead nozzles in the nozzle columns and the image resolution is increased by firing each nozzle of each printhead column a plurality of times in succession such that successive dots are deposited at locations between the nozzle spacing defining the native resolution. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which each printhead has a plurality of nozzle columns with adjacent nozzles and the adjacent nozzles are fired in succession across the columns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 in which alternating adjacent nozzles are fired to print in alternating image columns. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 in which the native resolution of each printhead is the space between the printhead nozzles in the nozzle columns and the image resolution is increased by firing each nozzle of each printhead column twice in succession such that a second dot is deposited at a location between the nozzle spacing defining the native resolution. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 in which the native resolution of each printhead is the space between the printhead nozzles in the nozzle columns and the image resolution is increased by firing each nozzle of each printhead column a plurality of times in succession such that successive dots are deposited at locations between the nozzle spacing defining the native resolution.