An apparatus is disclosed for printing images on generally cylindrical objects. The apparatus comprises an impression station that includes a movable imaging surface for bearing an ink image; and a transport mechanism for advancing the objects through the impression station, comprising a drive member rotatably connected to a plurality of rotatable mandrels, each for mounting a respective one of the objects, the transport mechanism being configured to cause each object to rotate during passage through the impression station such that, within a nip region of the impression station, the surface of the object makes rolling contact with the imaging surface, thereby causing the ink image to be impressed on the object. An impression platen is provided opposite the imaging surface within the nip region, the impression platen being configured to apply a force, directly or indirectly, to the objects to ensure rolling contact between the objects and the imaging surface.

A device for printing two-dimensional code identifiers in an intelligent manufacturing system is composed of a damping and positioning part and a two-dimensional code printing part. The invention can meet the demand for printing two-dimensional code identifiers in an intelligent manufacturing system, and has ideal effects and high efficiency. The operation is safe and reliable, with high degree of automation, and is especially suitable for mass production on the production line.

The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

An apparatus is disclosed for printing images on generally cylindrical objects. The apparatus comprises an impression station that includes a movable imaging surface for bearing an ink image; and a transport mechanism for advancing the objects through the impression station, comprising a drive member rotatably connected to a plurality of rotatable mandrels, each for mounting a respective one of the objects, the transport mechanism being configured to cause each object to rotate during passage through the impression station such that, within a nip region of the impression station, the surface of the object makes rolling contact with the imaging surface, thereby causing the ink image to be impressed on the object. An impression platen is provided opposite the imaging surface within the nip region, the impression platen being configured to apply a force, directly or indirectly, to the objects to ensure rolling contact between the objects and the imaging surface.

The invention relates to a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system capable of control the temperature, viscosity and colorant concentration of an ink in an ink cup. Such controls are achieved by continuously adding and mixing a cold ink having a composition identical to the ink in the ink cup but having a lower temperature. The continuous addition of a small amount of a cold ink into the ink cup could compensate heat generated by the friction between the ink cup and a cliché and could minimize the evaporation of a diluent in the ink and change in the concentration of colorants in the ink and ink viscosity. The invention also relates to use of a pad printing instrument comprising an ink supply system of the invention for producing colored hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

The present invention relates to a method for providing a multi-layered, hollow, chocolate figure with a print in edible colour preparation, comprising providing one half of a hollow, chocolate figure with one or more types of edible colour preparation by means of an elastic pad, characterised in that the printing takes place at a pressure of between 8 and 12 bar and wherein the figure is situated in a mould-half during printing.

A printing technique is presented for efficiently printing (i.e. with production lines rates at high resolution and high accuracy) on outer surfaces of a plurality of objects passing in an optimized stream through a printing route/zone. According to this technique, at least one array of printing head units is provided being configured to define at least one printing route along a printing axis, where the at least one printing route is a substantially linear segment of a closed loop lane along which the objects are progressing.

A printing technique is presented for efficiently printing (i.e. with production lines rates at high resolution and high accuracy) on outer surfaces of a plurality of objects passing in an optimized stream through a printing route/zone. According to this technique, at least one array of printing head units is provided being configured to define at least one printing route along a printing axis, where the at least one printing route is a substantially linear segment of a closed loop lane along which the objects are progressing.

A pad printing device for printing a window of a display device includes a pad to transfer ink to the window. The pad includes a printing portion to transfer the ink to the window by being pressed against the window and a body portion disposed on the printing portion and to apply a pressure to the printing portion. A hardness of the printing portion is less than a hardness of the body portion, and a sidewall of a portion of the pad where the printing portion contacts the body portion is substantially perpendicular to the window.

In a forward movement, an article is conveyed to a printing device via a transfer position while being kept mounted in a first holder for printing by the printing device. The article is returned to the transfer position together with the first holder after printing. An article to be printed after the above article is mounted into a second holder in parallel with at least a part of the forward movement, the printing and a return movement. This is capable of printing on the articles in a short throughput time also when the articles are those having a three-dimensional shape such as bottles and in-vehicle components.