Inkjet product coding printing system and method
10179466 ยท 2019-01-15
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
B41J25/304
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J25/006
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B41J25/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J25/304
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B41J2/165
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
An inkjet product coding printing system comprises a plurality of printing objects comprising a travel direction and a printing surface arranged vertically; at least one inkjet printer head, wherein the inkjet printer head further comprises a plurality of ink nozzles facing the printing surface of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of ink nozzles is arranged in a plurality of rows configured along the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the inkjet printer head can move up and down vertically, wherein the inkjet printer head moves orthogonally to the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects when the inkjet printer head ejects an ink; a motion unit connected with the inkjet printer head; and at least one control system controlling the motion unit and the inkjet printer head, and a method of printing product coding information by the inkjet product coding printing system.
Claims
1. An inkjet product coding printing system comprising: (a) a plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of printing objects further comprises a travel direction, wherein the plurality of printing objects further comprises a printing surface arranged vertically; (b) at least one inkjet printer head, wherein the inkjet printer head further comprises a plurality of ink nozzles facing the printing surface of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of ink nozzles is arranged in a plurality of rows configured along the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the inkjet printer head can move up and down vertically, wherein the inkjet printer head moves orthogonally to the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects when the inkjet printer head ejects an ink; (c) a motion unit connected with the inkjet printer head; and (d) at least one control system controlling the motion unit and the inkjet printer head; (e) wherein the motion unit further comprises a supporting frame and a weight-compensation linear motor, wherein the motion unit is fastened on the supporting frame.
2. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 1, wherein the motion unit moves at a predetermined constant speed when the inkjet printer head injects the ink.
3. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 1, further comprising an ink purge system, wherein the ink purge system further comprises a housing and a vacuum means to provide a negative pressure to absorb the ink into the housing.
4. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 3, further comprising a cylinder communicated with the housing; a piston inside the cylinder; and a pneumatic device connected with the piston, wherein the pneumatic device retracts the piston from a first end of the cylinder to a second end of the cylinder to cause a vacuum environment in the housing and suck the ink into the cylinder.
5. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 3, wherein the ink purge system further comprises an ink contact disposed in the housing.
6. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 1, further comprising a safety guarding system; wherein the safety guarding system further comprises at least a shelter enclosing the inkjet printer head and the motion unit inside the shelter, at least an access opening formed on the shelter, at least an access door configured on the access opening, at least one door sensor, and at least a shut-off switch communicating with the at least one door sensor with the inkjet product coding printing system.
7. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 1, wherein the inkjet product coding printing system is configured to communicated with a production line through the at least one control system.
8. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control system further comprises a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions and a processor configured to execute the plurality of instructions configured to control the inkjet product coding printing system, to select a speed of the motion unit, to set up a plurality of fault situations and a plurality of alarms in response to the plurality of fault situations, to manage recipe that configures a plurality of parameters for a plurality of print distances, a plurality of print cycle speed, and an initial vertical position of the inkjet printer head.
9. The inkjet product coding printing system of claim 8, further comprising a user interface to display and receive a plurality of inputs to communicate with the control system.
10. An inkjet product coding printing system comprising: (a) a plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of printing objects further comprises a travel direction, wherein the plurality of printing objects further comprises a printing surface arranged vertically; (b) at least one inkjet printer head, wherein the inkjet printer head further comprises a plurality of ink nozzles facing the printing surface of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of ink nozzles is arranged in a plurality of rows configured along the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the inkjet printer head can move up and down vertically, wherein the inkjet printer head moves orthogonally to the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects when the inkjet printer head ejects an ink; (c) a motion unit connected with the inkjet printer head, wherein the motion unit further comprises a supporting frame and a weight-compensation linear motor, wherein the motion unit is fastened on the supporting frame, wherein the motion unit moves at a predetermined constant speed when the inkjet printer head injects the ink; (d) an ink purge system, wherein the ink purge system further comprises a housing and a vacuum means to provide a negative pressure to absorb the ink into the housing; (e) a safety guarding system; wherein the safety guarding system further comprises at least a shelter enclosing the inkjet printer head and the motion unit inside the shelter, at least an access opening formed on the shelter, at least an access door configured on the access opening, at least one door sensor, and at least a shut-off switch communicating with the at least one door sensor with the inkjet product coding printing system; (f) at least one control system controlling the motion unit and the inkjet printer head, wherein the control system further comprises a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions and a processor configured to execute the plurality of instructions configured to control the inkjet product coding printing system, to select a speed of the motion unit, to set up a plurality of fault situations and a plurality of alarms in response to the plurality of fault situations, to manage recipe that configures a plurality of parameters for a plurality of print distances, a plurality of print cycle speed, and an initial vertical position of the inkjet printer head; and (g) a user interface to display and receive a plurality of inputs to communicate with the control system.
11. A method of printing product coding information on a plurality of printing objects, comprising: (a) moving one of the plurality of printing objects with a vertically arranged printing surface in a travel direction; (b) providing an inkjet product coding printing system, where the inkjet product coding printing system further comprises at least one inkjet printer head, wherein the inkjet printer head further comprises a plurality of ink nozzles facing the printing surface of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the plurality of ink nozzles is arranged in a plurality of rows configured along the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects, wherein the inkjet printer head can move up and down vertically; a motion unit connected with the inkjet printer head; and at least one control system controlling the motion unit and the inkjet printer head; wherein the motion unit further comprises a supporting frame and a weight-compensation linear motor, wherein the motion unit is fastened on the supporting frame; (c) providing one of the plurality of printing objects relatively under the inkjet printer head; (d) moving the inkjet printer head orthogonally across the traveling direction of the plurality of printing objects; and (e) injecting an ink from the inkjet printer head on one of the plurality of printing objects at a same time as moving the inkjet printer head.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the motion unit further comprises a weight-compensation linear motor and wherein the motion unit moves at a predetermined constant speed when the inkjet printer head injects the ink.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising an ink purge system, wherein the ink purge system further comprises a housing and a vacuum means to provide a negative pressure to absorb the ink into the housing.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a cylinder communicated with the housing; a piston inside the cylinder; and a pneumatic device connected with the piston, wherein the pneumatic device retracts the piston from a first end of the cylinder to a second end of the cylinder to cause a vacuum environment in the housing and suck the ink into the cylinder.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the ink purge system further comprises an ink contact disposed in the housing.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising: powering up the at least one inkjet printer head and the motion unit; initializing the at least one control system; building a reference position of the inkjet printer head; recording the reference position in the one control system; optionally purging the inkjet printer head; optionally clearing data; receiving a plurality of predetermined printing instructions by the control system; moving the inkjet printer head to a printing position in accordance with the plurality of predetermined printing instructions; receiving a set of printing data comprising a set of product coding data; receiving a printing command by the control system; moving the inkjet printer head for a preconfigured distance in the plurality of predetermined printing instructions; printing on one of the plurality of printing objects as inkjet printer head moves orthogonally across the travel direction of the plurality of printing objects; pausing the printing for the printing command until completing the plurality of predetermined printing instructions; and moving the inkjet printer head away.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: providing a safety guarding system, wherein the safety guarding system further comprises at least a shelter enclosing the inkjet product coding printing system inside the shelter, at least an access opening formed on the shelter, at least an access door configured on the access opening, at least one door sensor, and at least a shut-off switch communicating with the at least one door sensor with the inkjet product coding printing system; locking the access door after initializing the inkjet product coding printing system; and unlocking the access door after completing the printing.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) It should be understood that the drawings are merely representative, are not necessarily drawn to scale, and are not intended to limit the subject matter of this application.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(19) Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to a particular embodiment described, and as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is to describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
(20) Where a range of values are provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included in the invention.
(21) Other than in the embodiment or example, or where indicated otherwise, all numbers indicating ingredient quantities and/or reaction conditions are to be understood as being modified in every instance by the word about, which means the ingredient quantities or reaction conditions are within 10 percent to 15 percent of the indicated value.
(22) Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, some potential and exemplary methods and materials may now be described.
(23) It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, and the may also include the plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
(24) It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any element that may be optional. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as solely, only and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or the use of a negative limitation.
(25) As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.
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(28) The inkjet printer head 10 can traverse across or move orthogonally to the travel direction 60 of the printing object 30. To print the coding information 50 on the printing object 30, the printing object needs to be remained unmoved under the inkjet printer head 10 when the inkjet printer head 10 is moving over the printing object 30, preferably, at a predetermined constant speed and printing the coding information 50 on the printing object 30. When completing of printing the coding information 50, the inkjet printer head moves to an initial position, and the printing object 30 is moved away the inkjet printer head 10 in the travel direction 60, and the blank printing object 80 will be indexed under the inkjet printer head 10 for next printing. It should be noted that the ink nozzles are not necessary arranged in a straight line or lined up in each row. They can be arranged to form a row direction in general. It is also noted that the communication means can be traditional wire, glass optical fiber, or wireless communication transmission.
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(38) As described above, the embodiments of the invention can solve the issue of low printing quality due to inconstant traveling speed of the label or printing object. They also solve the issue of slow printing. Instead of trying to move the label or printing object in a higher speed or trying to stabilize the traveling speed of printing object, the embodiments of the invention inventively and innovatively moves the inkjet printer head to print while the label or printing object remains unmoved. There is no precedent that the inkjet printer in production line has ever tried that. It is also a novelty that the inkjet printer head of the inkjet of current invention is turned 90 degrees so that the rows of ink nozzle are along or in a direction same as the travel direction of the label web or printing object line. The inkjet printer is driven by a motion unit with the capability to accelerate the inkjet printer to a predetermined constant speed in a short time.
(39) It is understood that the embodiments of the invention and its constituent parts described herein is an exemplary indication of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is given by way of illustration only. In other words, the concept of the present invention may be readily applied to a variety of preferred embodiments, including those disclosed herein. While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.