A DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR CLAMPINGLY POSITIONING A HEAT TRANSFER SHEET AROUND A SUBSTRATE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for clampingly holding against a substrate (8), for example a drinking cup, a heat transfer sheet (5) using a clamping sheet (2), the method comprising the steps of:providing a device (1) with a substrate holder (10) for clampingly holding the substrate (8);providing a clamping sheet (2) with a width and a length, said length being measured between longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet (2), and wherein at the longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet (2) coupling means (3) are provided,positioning in catch means (4) of a positioning device the coupling means (3) for keeping the clamping sheet (2) in a first position; especially wherein the method further comprises the steps of:positioning on the clamping sheet (2) a heat transfer sheet (5) wherein a layer comprising a transferrable ink is to be directed towards the substrate (8);positioning against each other the substrate (8) and the heat transfer sheet (5);moving along the substrate the coupling means (3) and at least partially extending the clamping sheet (2); andmoving towards each other the coupling means (3) that are provided at respective ends of. the clamping sheet (2) for clamping the heat transfer sheet (5) in a second position against the substrate (8) wherein the clamping sheet (2) has a substantially maximum extension.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for clampingly holding against a substrate a heat transfer sheet using a clamping sheet, the method comprising the steps of: providing a device with a substrate holder for clampingly holding the substrate; providing a clamping sheet with a width and a length, said length being measured between longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet, and wherein at the longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet coupling means are provided; and positioning in catch means of a positioning device the coupling means for keeping the clamping sheet in a first position; and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: positioning on the clamping sheet a heat transfer sheet wherein a layer comprising a transferrable ink is to be directed towards the substrate; positioning against each other the substrate and the heat transfer sheet; moving along the substrate the coupling means and at least partially extending the clamping sheet; and moving towards each other the coupling means that are provided at respective ends of the clamping sheet for clamping the heat transfer sheet in a second position against the substrate wherein the clamping sheet has a substantially maximum extension.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of mutually coupling the coupling means.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of positioning in the second position on both sides of a support member of the substrate the coupling means that are positioned at opposite longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet.

19. A method for transferring an image from a heat transfer sheet to a substrate, comprising the steps of performing the method according to claim 16 and further comprising the steps of mutually coupling coupling means that are positioned at opposite longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet and placing the substrate and the heat transfer sheet and clamping sheet clamped thereon in a heating device for a predetermined time and at a predetermined temperature.

20. A device for clampingly holding against a substrate a flexible and stretchable clamping sheet and a heat transfer sheet, wherein the clamping sheet has a width and has a length, said length being measured between longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet and wherein at the longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet coupling means are provided, said device having a substrate holder with a positioning-axis which is embodied for holding the substrate, such that a longitudinal axis of the substrate substantially coincides with the positioning axis of the substrate holder, and wherein the device further comprises: a table for carrying the clamping sheet and the heat transfer sheet in a first position at a distance from the substrate holder; and a translation device for moving the table and the substrate holder mutually towards each other, such that the translation is preferably performed substantially perpendicular to a surface of the table; and wherein: the substrate holder is coupled substantially rigidly to a main frame of the device; the translation device is coupled movably with respect to the main frame of the device; said translation device comprising a first sub frame with a rotatable camshaft, a first cam of which runs over a first cam support rigidly coupled to the frame and of which a second cam runs over a second cam support forming part of a second sub frame; and said second sub frame comprising catch means for holding the clamping sheet and the heat transfer sheet and such that: when the camshaft rotates over a first rotation angle the first cam moves the two sub frames in the direction of the substrate; and in a subsequent rotation of the camshaft through a second rotation angle the second cam moves the second sub frame further such that the second sub frame is situated at least partly on both sides of the substrate.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the device is embodied for positioning the clamping sheet around a cylindrical body.

22. The device according to claim 20, wherein the substrate is an outer wall of a drinking cup.

23. The device according to claim 20, wherein the table comprises mutually rotatable table parts, wherein: a central table part is rigidly coupled to the first sub frame; and second table parts are provided at ends of the central table part such that each are rotatably connected to the first sub frame around a rotation axis on the one hand and are rotatably connected to an arm that is provided at the second sub frame on the other hand; and such that a translation of the second sub frame with respect to the first sub frame makes said both second table parts that are provided at the ends rotate around the rotation axis.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein ends of the second table parts are displaced towards one another upon a rotation of the second table parts provided at the ends to a second position of the device and at least partly around the substrate, for positioning the clamping sheet and the heat transfer sheet under tension around the substrate.

25. The device according to claim 20, wherein the table comprises a storage surface for the clamping sheet which is defined in the first position by a plane through catch means for holding coupling means that are provided at longitudinal ends of the clamping sheet.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the catch means are positioned such as to clampingly hold the clamping means of the clamping sheet in the catch means.

27. The device according to claim 25, wherein the catch means are embodied such that, in the second position of the device, a translation of the coupling means towards each other disconnects same from the catch means.

28. The device according to claim 20, wherein the clamping sheet comprises a silicone rubber.

29. The device according to claim 20, wherein the coupling means are embodied integrally with the clamping sheet, preferably are embedded over the width of the clamping sheet in the material of the clamping sheet.

30. A positioning device for positioning a heat transfer sheet in a device according to claim 20, comprising stop surfaces arranged at a circumference of a support surface for the heat transfer sheet, the stop surfaces being formed, for example, of pins, cams, angle profiles or combinations thereof.

Description

[0037] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. The drawing shows in:

[0038] FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 a side view of the device according to the invention in a starting position,

[0039] FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 a perspective view of the device according to the invention in a starting position,

[0040] FIG. 7 a side view of the device according to the invention in a subsequent position,

[0041] FIG. 8 a perspective view of the device according to the invention in a subsequent position,

[0042] FIGS. 9 and 11 a side view of the device according to the invention in a final position,

[0043] FIGS. 10 and 12 a perspective view of the device according to the invention in a final position,

[0044] FIG. 13 a substrate for use in the invention.

[0045] In the figures, the same parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. However, not all parts necessary for a practical implementation of the invention are shown, due to the simplicity of the display.

[0046] FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 show a side view of a device 1 according to the invention in a starting position. FIG. 1 shows the side view of the entire device 1, while in FIG. 3 a part on the outside of the device for clarification has been removed. FIG. 5 shows a view as in FIG. 1, with the proviso that in FIG. 5 a clamping sheet 2 is placed. The clamping sheet 2 comprises coupling means 3 that are shown in FIG. 6, which are clamped in catch means 4 of the device 1, so that the clamping sheet 2 is kept taut. A heat transfer sheet 5 can be laid on the clamping sheet 2, whereby it can be easily centered within centering pawls 6. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the heat transfer sheet 5 has a handle 7 for easy handling.

[0047] A substrate 8, in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 designed as a mug 8 with an ear 9 as support member 9, is placed around the substrate holder 10 and clamped firmly there, so that it is coupled substantially immovably to the device 1. The ear 9 is turned away from the clamping sheet 2 and the heat transfer sheet 5.

[0048] The device 1 comprises a main frame 12 to which at least the substrate holder 10 and a cam support 13 are attached. This can be a bearing cam support 13. The device 1 furthermore comprises a translation element 14 which is displaceable relative to the main frame 12 and which comprises, inter alia, the catch means 4 for the clamping sheet 2 and the centering pawls 6 for the heat transfer sheet 5.

[0049] The translation member 14 comprises a first sub frame 15 having a cam shaft 16 with cams 17, 18. A first cam 17 extends over the cam support 13. Rotation of the handle 19 in the direction of the arrow 20 will cause a rotation of the camshaft 16 to be induced such that the first sub frame 15 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, 8 is moved towards the substrate holder 10. The cam 17 will occupy the position as shown in FIG. 7. Upon further rotation of the handle 19, the cam 18 will run over a cam support 21 which is attached to the second sub frame 22 (as for instance clearly shown in FIG. 3), so that the cam support 21 and the second sub frame 22 are moved away from the first sub frame 15. As a result, the catch means 4 of the device are brought to a position next to or even beyond the substrate 8 and laid against the substrate 8 so that the heat transfer sheet 5 lies tightly against the surface 23 of the substrate 8. Under the right conditions, the surface 23 of the substrate 8 can absorb ink present on the heat transfer sheet 5 so that an image is obtained on the surface 23 of the substrate 8.

[0050] To obtain the aforementioned movement of the catch means 4, reference is made to the construction as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. When the cam 18 is rotated, the cam support 21 will be moved away from the axis of rotation 16. The cam support 21 forms, together with the catch means 4, which are respectively provided on outer table parts 24, 25, part of the second sub frame 22. These outer table parts 24, 25 form in the first position as shown in FIG. 1-6 the plane where the clamping sheet 2 is placed. The term table should be regarded as a fictitious indication of a table and does not have to form a physical support surface for the clamping sheet 2 to be placed. The table parts likewise comprise material parts which comprise the clamping members defining the fictive surface of the table. The table parts 24, 25 are here formed by arms which at their ends comprise the catch means 4.

[0051] The arms 24, 25 are coupled to the first sub frame 15 by means of shafts 26, 27. Further, the second sub frame 22 comprises a transverse arm 28 coupled to the cam support 21 and comprising two coupling arms 29, 30, each coupled by means of shafts 31, 32 to the arms. 24, 25, which coupling arms 29, 30 cause the arms 24, 25 to rotate about the axes 26 and 27, respectively, when the second sub-frame 22 is moved. As a result, the ends of the arms 24, 25 will fold around the substrate 8 and the clamping sheet 2 will allow the heat transfer sheet to lie tight against the surface of the substrate 8. By means of the catch means 4, the clamping sheet 2 will be under a continuous tension because the clamping sheet is slightly stretched during the movement.

[0052] The device 1 according to the invention has the advantage that during the first displacement is placed against the substrate 8 by means of the cam 17 over the cam support 13, whereafter during the second displacement, when the cam 18 is guided over cam support 21, a slight further extension takes place so that the heat transfer sheet is pressed tightly against the substrate. Due to the symmetrical embodiment and the fact that pressure is immediately applied during the first contact between heat transfer sheet and substrate 8, no shift of the heat transfer sheet 5 will occur.

[0053] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the figures. The invention is only limited by the appended claims. For example, the clamping sheet may extend beyond the top edge and bottom edge of the substrate.

[0054] The invention also extends over any combination of features which are described independently for this purpose.