Printing device for curved surfaces and method thereof

Abstract

A device and method for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces. In the preferred embodiment, the device is an inkjet printer including a printing rack that holds a plurality of cylindrical objects like test tubes or pipes, a printing unit including a UV light source and a removable ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes a plurality of ink nozzles and ink reservoir. In the preferred embodiment, the printing rack moves the printing objects relative to the printing unit. The printing unit preheats the printing objects prior through the use of the UV light source, and after printing the UV light source is used to cure the ink on the surface to produce a high quality print result.

Claims

1. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces, comprising: a. a printing unit applying UV curable ink to said curved surfaces; b. a curved surface pre-heating and ink curing UV-light source unit; c. a moving printing platform; d. a removable printing rack, configured to support a plurality of cylindrical shaped objects, adapted to be attached to said moving printing platform; e. a base unit, wherein said printing unit and said UV light source unit are mounted to the base unit, and wherein said moving printing platform is mounted below said printing unit and said UV-light source unit such that the removable printing rack travels in a two-dimensional horizontal plane underneath the UV-light source unit and the printing unit wherein said cylindrical surfaces are both pre-heated before printing via said UV-light unit source and, following printing, said ink is cured by said UV-light source unit.

2. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 1, wherein the UV-light source unit is an LED.

3. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 1, wherein the UV-light source unit is a bulb.

4. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 1, wherein the moving printing platform is mounted on a plurality of powered tracks.

5. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 4, wherein there are two powered tracks that are perpendicular to one another.

6. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 5, wherein the removable ink cartridge has a plurality of built-in ink nozzles.

7. A device for printing on cylindrical curved surfaces of claim 1, wherein the printing unit further comprise at least one removable ink cartridge.

8. A method of printing on cylindrical curved surfaces comprising: a. loading a plurality of cylindrical objects onto a printing rack; b. mounting the printing rack onto a printing platform; c. moving the cylindrical objects underneath a UV-light source unit to preheat the surfaces of the cylindrical objects; d. moving the cylindrical objects underneath a printing unit to print and dispense ink onto the surfaces of the cylindrical objects; e. moving the cylindrical objects underneath said UV-light source unit once again to cure the ink; f. retrieving the printing rack from the printing platform to retrieve the printed cylindrical objects.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure and the following detailed description of certain embodiments thereof may be understood by reference to the following figures:

(2) FIG. 1A depicts a front perspective view of a curved surface printing device.

(3) FIG. 1B depicts the rear perspective view of a curved surface printing device.

(4) FIG. 2A depicts an exploded view of a curved surface printing device, with FIG. 2B depicting the internal view of the curved surface printing device.

(5) FIG. 3 depicts the moving platform and the printing unit of a curved surface printing device.

(6) FIG. 4A depicts the printing unit on a curved surface printing device.

(7) FIG. 4B depicts the bottom portion of printing unit on a curved surface printing device.

(8) FIG. 5 depicts the ink dispensing unit on the printing unit on a curved surface printing device.

(9) FIG. 6A depicts the UV light source unit on the printing unit on a curved surface printing device.

(10) FIGS. 6B and 6C depict alternate views of the UV light source unit on the printing unit on a curved surface printing device.

(11) FIGS. 7A and 7B depict the perspective views of the printing platform and powered tracks on a curved surface printing device.

(12) FIGS. 7C and 7D depict the powered tracks on the printing platform on a curved surface printing device.

(13) FIGS. 8A and 8B depict the printing racks on a curved surface printing device, with 11A showing one possible version of the rack in an unloaded state, and 11B showing a loaded rack.

NUMERAL REFERENCE INDEX

(14) 100—Curved surface printing device

(15) 200—Enclosure

(16) 210—Handle

(17) 220—Print Unit Opening

(18) 300—Base Unit

(19) 310—Emergency Button

(20) 320—LED

(21) 330—Safety Sensor

(22) 340—Mount

(23) 400—Printing unit

(24) 410—UV Light Source

(25) 411—Data Cable Ports

(26) 412—UV Light Source unit.

(27) 420—Ink Dispensing Unit

(28) 421—Data Cable Ports

(29) 422—Ink Cartridge Holder

(30) 423—Ink Cartridge Tab

(31) 430—Ink Cartridge

(32) 431—Ink Nozzles

(33) 440—Printing Unit Post

(34) 450—Data Cables

(35) 510—X-Axis Powered Track

(36) 520—Y-Axis Powered Track

(37) 530—Printing Rack Platform

(38) 600—Printing Rack

(39) 620—Cylindrical Object

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(40) Referring to FIG. 1, a possible embodiment of a curved surface printing device 100 is illustrated here. Referring to FIG. 2A, the enclosure 200 has a handle 210 to lift open and close the enclosure during printing operations. An opening 220 is provided to allow room for the enclosure 200 to move around the printing unit 400 during opening and closing.

(41) Referring to FIG. 2B, the base of the curved surface printing device 300 has an emergency stop button 310 and LED lights 320 to display the status of the machine. A safety sensor 330 can also be provided to ensure that the enclosure is closed before the printing process begins. The printing unit 400 is mounted to the base 300 using the printing unit mount 340, safely securing the printing unit above the printing rack 600, which is mounted on the moving printing platform 530. In one possible embodiment, the printing platform 530 rests on a pair of powered tracks that are perpendicular with one another, allowing the printing platform to move in a two-dimensional plane below the printing unit 400 and the UV light source unit 412. The x-axis powered track 510 is paired with the y-axis powered track 520 to allow positioning the plurality of cylindrical objects 600 underneath the UV light source unit and printing unit depending on the different stages of pre-heating, printing, and curing. The printing unit 400 has the UV light source unit 410 and the ink dispensing unit 420.

(42) Referring to FIG. 3, an exploded view of the printing unit 420, the printing rack platform 530 supported by the x-axis powered track 510 and y-axis powered track 520, and the printing rack mounted to the platform 530 is provided for better understanding of the mechanism in one possible embodiment.

(43) Referring to FIG. 4A, the printing unit 400 has the UV light source unit 410 and the ink dispensing unit 420. Referring to FIG. 4B, in which the bottom view of the printing unit is displayed, the UV light unit 412 and ink nozzles 431 are mounted on top of the printing rack, providing UV light and ink from above as the printing rack travels underneath the printing unit.

(44) Referring to FIG. 5, The ink dispensing unit 420 has a plurality of data cable ports 421 and a plurality of ink cartridge holders 422. The ink cartridge 430 is mounted on the ink cartridge holder 422, and the ink cartridge tab 423 can be pushed down to dismount the ink cartridge 430 from the ink cartridge holder 422 to replace the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 430 has a plurality of ink nozzles 431 built into the ink cartridge, so the maintenance of the ink nozzles can be performed by simply replacing the ink cartridge with new ink nozzles that are integrated to the removable cartridges.

(45) Referring to FIG. 6A, the UV light source unit is a self-contained unit that has several data and power cable connections 421 that allows power and data instructions to be sent/received to the light source unit at the upper portion of the unit as seen in FIG. 6C in greater detail. At the bottom portion of the unit as shown in FIG. 6B, in a possible embodiment, a UV LED-unit facing the printing rack is provided to allow preheating and curing of the cylindrical print objects during the printing process. The UV LED unit can be substituted with other suitable UV light sources including conventional UV light bulbs or hot/cold cathode UV lamps.

(46) Referring to FIG. 7A and 7B, in one possible embodiment, the printing rack platform 530 is mounted to set of perpendicular powered tracks that allow the printing rack 600 mounted on the to move in a two-dimensional plane relative to the printing unit 400. In one possible embodiment, the x-axis powered track 510 allows the printing platform move the mounted printing rack laterally on a two-dimensional plane below the printing unit, with the y-axis powered track 520 allows the printing rack to move perpendicularly to the x-axis powered track on a plane below the printing unit. FIG. 7C and 7D depict one possible embodiment of the x-axis powered track and the y-axis powered track.

(47) Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the printing rack 600 is used to load and hold the cylindrical objects 620 for the printing process. In one possible embodiment, the printing rack may hold a plurality of small test tubes, medical vials, pipes, or any other cylindrical objects that require printing on their surfaces. The printing rack is mounted to the top portion of the Printing Rack Platform by using a pin or other means of securing the printing rack to the printing rack platform. The rack can be configured in a way that organizes the cylindrical objects into rows and columns that correspond with the printing software such that it is possible for the user to print on a specific row and/or column, or to customize different print functions on each row and column.

(48) The sequential method of printing using the device comprises of loading a plurality of cylindrical objects to a printing rack, mounting the printing rack to a printing platform, moving the cylindrical objects underneath a UV-light source unit to preheat the cylindrical surfaces of the print objects, moving the cylindrical objects underneath a printing unit to print and dispense ink to the cylindrical surfaces of the print objects, moving the cylindrical objects underneath a UV-light source unit to cure the ink, and finally retrieving the printing rack from the printing platform to retrieve the printed cylindrical objects.

(49) The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software, program codes, and/or instructions on a processor. The processor may be part of a server, client, network infrastructure, mobile computing platform, stationary computing platform, or other computing platform. A processor may be any kind of computational or processing device capable of executing program instructions, codes, binary instructions and the like. The processor may be or include a signal processor, digital processor, embedded processor, microprocessor or any variant such as a co-processor (math co-processor, graphic co-processor, communication co-processor and the like) and the like that may directly or indirectly facilitate execution of program code or program instructions stored thereon. In addition, the processor may enable execution of multiple programs, threads, and codes. The threads may be executed simultaneously to enhance the performance of the processor and to facilitate simultaneous operations of the application. By way of implementation, methods, program codes, program instructions and the like described herein may be implemented in one or more thread. The thread may spawn other threads that may have assigned priorities associated with them; the processor may execute these threads based on priority or any other order based on instructions provided in the program code. The processor may include memory that stores methods, codes, instructions and programs as described herein and elsewhere. The processor may access a storage medium through an interface that may store methods, codes, and instructions as described herein and elsewhere. The storage medium associated with the processor for storing methods, programs, codes, program instructions or other type of instructions capable of being executed by the computing or processing device may include but may not be limited to one or more of a CD-ROM, DVD, memory, hard disk, flash drive, RAM, ROM, cache and the like.

(50) A processor may include one or more cores that may enhance speed and performance of a multiprocessor. In embodiments, the process may be a dual core processor, quad core processors, other chip-level multiprocessor and the like that combine two or more independent cores (called a die).

(51) The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through a machine that executes computer software on a server, client, firewall, gateway, hub, router, or other such computer and/or networking hardware. The software program may be associated with a server that may include a file server, print server, domain server, internet server, intranet server and other variants such as secondary server, host server, distributed server and the like. The server may include one or more of memories, processors, computer readable media, storage media, ports (physical and virtual), communication devices, and interfaces capable of accessing other servers, clients, machines, and devices through a wired or a wireless medium, and the like. The methods, programs or codes as described herein and elsewhere may be executed by the server. In addition, other devices required for execution of methods as described in this application may be considered as a part of the infrastructure associated with the server.

(52) The server may provide an interface to other devices including, without limitation, clients, other servers, printers, database servers, print servers, file servers, communication servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of program across the network. The networking of some or all of these devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, all the devices attached to the server through an interface may include at least one storage medium capable of storing methods, programs, code and/or instructions. A central repository may provide program instructions to be executed on different devices. In this implementation, the remote repository may act as a storage medium for program code, instructions, and programs.

(53) The software program may be associated with a client that may include a file client, print client, domain client, internet client, intranet client and other variants such as secondary client, host client, distributed client and the like. The client may include one or more of memories, processors, computer readable media, storage media, ports (physical and virtual), communication devices, and interfaces capable of accessing other clients, servers, machines, and devices through a wired or a wireless medium, and the like. The methods, programs or codes as described herein and elsewhere may be executed by the client. In addition, other devices required for execution of methods as described in this application may be considered as a part of the infrastructure associated with the client.

(54) The client may provide an interface to other devices including, without limitation, servers, other clients, printers, database servers, print servers, file servers, communication servers, distributed servers and the like. Additionally, this coupling and/or connection may facilitate remote execution of program across the network. The networking of some or all of these devices may facilitate parallel processing of a program or method at one or more location without deviating from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, all the devices attached to the client through an interface may include at least one storage medium capable of storing methods, programs, applications, code and/or instructions. A central repository may provide program instructions to be executed on different devices. In this implementation, the remote repository may act as a storage medium for program code, instructions, and programs.

(55) The methods and systems described herein may be deployed in part or in whole through network infrastructures. The network infrastructure may include elements such as computing devices, servers, routers, hubs, firewalls, clients, personal computers, communication devices, routing devices and other active and passive devices, modules and/or components as known in the art. The computing and/or non-computing device(s) associated with the network infrastructure may include, apart from other components, a storage medium such as flash memory, buffer, stack, RAM, ROM and the like. The processes, methods, program codes, instructions described herein and elsewhere may be executed by one or more of the network infrastructural elements.

(56) The methods, program codes, and instructions described herein and elsewhere may be implemented on a cellular network having multiple cells. The cellular network may either be frequency division multiple access (FDMA) network or code division multiple access (CDMA) network. The cellular network may include mobile devices, cell sites, base stations, repeaters, antennas, towers, and the like.

(57) The methods, programs codes, and instructions described herein and elsewhere may be implemented on or through mobile devices. The mobile devices may include navigation devices, cell phones, mobile phones, mobile personal digital assistants, laptops, palmtops, netbooks, pagers, electronic books readers, music players and the like. These devices may include, apart from other components, a storage medium such as a flash memory, buffer, RAM, ROM and one or more computing devices. The computing devices associated with mobile devices may be enabled to execute program codes, methods, and instructions stored thereon. Alternatively, the mobile devices may be configured to execute instructions in collaboration with other devices. The mobile devices may communicate with base stations interfaced with servers and configured to execute program codes. The mobile devices may communicate on a peer to peer network, mesh network, or other communications network. The program code may be stored on the storage medium associated with the server and executed by a computing device embedded within the server. The base station may include a computing device and a storage medium. The storage device may store program codes and instructions executed by the computing devices associated with the base station.

(58) The computer software, program codes, and/or instructions may be stored and/or accessed on machine readable media that may include: computer components, devices, and recording media that retain digital data used for computing for some interval of time; semiconductor storage known as random access memory (RAM); mass storage typically for more permanent storage, such as optical discs, forms of magnetic storage like hard disks, tapes, drums, cards and other types; processor registers, cache memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory; optical storage such as CD, DVD; removable media such as flash memory (e.g. USB sticks or keys), floppy disks, magnetic tape, paper tape, punch cards, standalone RAM disks, Zip drives, removable mass storage, off-line, and the like; other computer memory such as dynamic memory, static memory, read/write storage, mutable storage, read only, random access, sequential access, location addressable, file addressable, content addressable, network attached storage, storage area network, bar codes, magnetic ink, and the like.

(59) The methods and systems described herein may transform physical and/or or intangible items from one state to another. The methods and systems described herein may also transform data representing physical and/or intangible items from one state to another.

(60) The elements described and depicted herein, including in flow charts and block diagrams throughout the figures, imply logical boundaries between the elements. However, according to software or hardware engineering practices, the depicted elements and the functions thereof may be implemented on machines through computer executable media having a processor capable of executing program instructions stored thereon as a monolithic software structure, as standalone software modules, or as modules that employ external routines, code, services, and so forth, or any combination of these, and all such implementations may be within the scope of the present disclosure. Examples of such machines may include, but may not be limited to, personal digital assistants, laptops, personal computers, mobile phones, other handheld computing devices, medical equipment, wired or wireless communication devices, transducers, chips, calculators, satellites, tablet PCs, electronic books, gadgets, electronic devices, devices having artificial intelligence, computing devices, networking equipment, servers, routers and the like. Furthermore, the elements depicted in the flow chart and block diagrams or any other logical component may be implemented on a machine capable of executing program instructions. Thus, while the foregoing drawings and descriptions set forth functional aspects of the disclosed systems, no particular arrangement of software for implementing these functional aspects should be inferred from these descriptions unless explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context. Similarly, it will be appreciated that the various steps identified and described above may be varied, and that the order of steps may be adapted to particular applications of the techniques disclosed herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. As such, the depiction and/or description of an order for various steps should not be understood to require a particular order of execution for those steps, unless required by a particular application, or explicitly stated or otherwise clear from the context.

(61) The methods and/or processes described above, and steps thereof, may be realized in hardware, software or any combination of hardware and software suitable for a particular application. The hardware may include a dedicated computing device or specific computing device or particular aspect or component of a specific computing device. The processes may be realized in one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, embedded microcontrollers, programmable digital signal processors or other programmable device, along with internal and/or external memory. The processes may also, or instead, be embodied in an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, programmable array logic, or any other device or combination of devices that may be configured to process electronic signals. It will further be appreciated that one or more of the processes may be realized as a computer executable code capable of being executed on a machine readable medium.

(62) The computer executable code may be created using a structured programming language such as C, an object oriented programming language such as C++, or any other high-level or low-level programming language (including assembly languages, hardware description languages, and database programming languages and technologies) that may be stored, compiled or interpreted to run on one of the above devices, as well as heterogeneous combinations of processors, processor architectures, or combinations of different hardware and software, or any other machine capable of executing program instructions.

(63) Thus, in one aspect, each method described above and combinations thereof may be embodied in computer executable code that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps thereof. In another aspect, the methods may be embodied in systems that perform the steps thereof, and may be distributed across devices in a number of ways, or all of the functionality may be integrated into a dedicated, standalone device or other hardware. In another aspect, the means for performing the steps associated with the processes described above may include any of the hardware and/or software described above. All such permutations and combinations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

(64) While the invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, various modifications and improvements thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present disclosure is not to be limited by the foregoing examples, but is to be understood in the broadest sense allowable by law.