Method and device for ink-jet printing onto containers
AssigneeKrones AG
InventorAndreas Sonnauer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a device for ink-jet printing onto containers is described, in which at least one container is rotated and/or transported along a curved path, and associated surface velocities of partially circumferential portions of a lateral container surface are measured, where the printing times and/or a rotational velocity of the containers associated with the partially circumferential and/or intermediately disposed portions are adapted to the surface velocities. Changes in the print advance rate caused by different surface velocities in front of print heads can thereby be compensated. This allows for uniform print resolution and seamless joining of partial prints.
Claims20
A method for ink-jet printing onto containers, where a print advance with respect to at least one print module is created at least by rotation of said containers about themselves and/or by transporting said containers along at least one curved trajectory, where surface velocities of lateral portions of said containers are measured during said rotation/said transport and fluctuations of the surface velocity of individual lateral portions, caused by eccentrically held and/or non-rotationally-symmetrical container cross-sections, are measured upstream of the ink-jet printing onto the containers, and where time intervals between printing times of said print module and/or an angular velocity of said rotation are adapted in dependence of said measured surface velocities, where time intervals between printing times of individual nozzles or rows of nozzles of said print module are defined, and wherein the measured surface velocities correspond to actual print advance rates of individual lateral portions of the containers relative to the print module.
A device for ink-jet printing onto containers, comprising:
- at least one print module;
- at least one positioning unit for holding and rotating a container about itself in front of said print module;
- at least one measuring device for measuring surface velocities of lateral portions of said rotating container;
- wherein said measuring device operates in a contactless manner on the basis of an optical and/or acoustic scanning beam, and wherein time intervals are adjusted by a temporal offset, the temporal offset based on associated print distances;
- and
- a control device, said control device containing instructions for actuating said print module while adapting time intervals between printing times of said print module in dependence of said measured surface velocities, where time intervals between printing times of individual nozzles or rows of nozzles of said print module are defined, and wherein the measured surface velocities correspond to actual print advance rates of individual lateral portions of the containers relative to the print module.
A device for ink-jet printing onto containers, comprising:
- at least one print module;
- a carousel with positioning units circulating thereon for holding and rotating said containers about themselves;
- at least one measuring device for measuring surface velocities of lateral portions of said circulating containers;
- and
- a control device for actuating said print module while adapting time intervals between printing times of said print module in dependence of said measured surface velocities, where time intervals between printing times of individual nozzles or rows of nozzles of said print module are defined, and wherein the measured surface velocities correspond to actual print advance rates of individual lateral portions of the containers relative to the print module;
- and wherein the time intervals are adjusted by a temporal offset, the temporal offset based on associated print distances.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.