METHOD FOR PRINTING A SURFACE WITH A PRINTED PATTERN AND ASSOCIATED PRINTING DEVICE

Abstract

A method for printing a surface (1) with a printed pattern (2) includes printing a first partial structure (3) of the printed pattern (2), printing a second partial structure (3) of the printed pattern (2) at a distance from the first printed structure (3) and treating at least one region (7) between the first printed structure (3) and the second printed structure (3), and the irradiating the region (7) between the first printed structure (3) and the second printed structure (3) with electromagnetic waves and/or soundwaves.

Claims

1. A method for printing a surface with a printed pattern, comprising: printing a first partial structure of the printed pattern; printing a second partial structure of the printed pattern at a distance from the first printed structure; treating at least one region between the first printed pattern and the second printed pattern by irradiating the region with electromagnetic waves and/or soundwaves.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiation of the region is carried out to reduce viscosity of the paint in the region sufficiently to join the first partial structure and the second partial structure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of treating the at least one region takes place at the same time as at least one of the printing steps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are in the UV range and/or IR range.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the paint comprises at least first color particles and additive particles; and the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves are suitable for exciting the color particles and/or the additive particles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first partial structure and the second partial structure are strips.

7. A device for printing a surface with a printed pattern, comprising: a printhead, and an application head that comprises a first emitting device and a second emitting device, the first emitting device being set configured for emitting electromagnetic waves and the second emitting device being configured for emitting soundwaves.

8. The device of claim 8, wherein the application head is on the printhead.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a printed pattern made up of individual partial structures.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a printing operation according to the invention that is given by way of example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a component 1, on which a schematic printed pattern 2 is arranged. The printed pattern 2 comprises individual partial structures in the form of printed strips 3 that are arranged close together. Free spaces are arranged between the printed strips 3 to illustrate that the printed strips 3 are not printed right up against one another during the printing but at small distances from one another. It is usually attempted to choose the viscosity of the paint such that the paint runs or flows a little at the margins of the printed strips, and as a result the free spaces are closed.

[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the printing method according to the invention on the basis of the printed pattern 2 shown in FIG. 1. The individual printed strips 3 are printed by a printhead 4, which by way of example has a rectangular form here. The printhead 4 in this case is moved from left to right in a printing direction indicated by the arrow 5 and applies the strips 3 in series from the bottom upward. A treated region 7 is shown between the uppermost printed strip 3 and the one arranged under it. The treated region 7 comprises at least the region between the two printed strips 3 and also includes marginal regions of the two printed strips 3. The treated region 7 may be treated expediently during the printing of the uppermost printed strip 3 by an application head 6 that is arranged behind the printhead 3 with respect to the direction of movement 5 of the printhead 3 so that the application head 6 is taken along during the printing. Consequently, the treatment in the treated region 7 takes place in a continuously incrementally adapted manner from one side to the other of the treated region 7. More particularly, as soon as a second line of paint is applied by the printhead 4, the joint between the lines can be treated by means of the application head 6, so that the paint in the treated region 7 can run better.

[0020] To illustrate the functional principle of the method according to the invention, the lowermost three printed strips in FIG. 2 are arranged at a distance from one another, although the free spaces between these three printed strips 3 are closed or covered with paint, since corresponding treated regions have already been irradiated with electromagnetic radiation and/or with ultrasound.