Patent Application
20080105145
The present invention relates generally to pad printing and in particular to pads for pad printing.
Pad printing has been used for many years to apply an image to a product. Pad printing is especially prevalent in applications for applying images to rounded or specially contoured products, such as syringes and golf balls.
In a typical pad printing system, a negative image is etched onto a surface of a cliché plate, leaving a raised positive image on its surface. The etched cliché plate receives a coating of ink. A doctor blade device removes excess ink from the inked plate, such as by moving the doctor device and cliché plate relative to each other. A pliable pad is pressed against the inked and doctored cliché plate, picking up ink in the pattern of the positive image, and the inked pad is then pressed against the product, transferring the image to the product. A doctor blade device is a knife-like blade that is used to scrape the puddle of ink from the clichés surface, leaving only the ink in the etched image. Doctor blades are found on open inkwell systems.
Historically, ink pads have been formed from silicone, polyurethane, and other such materials. The material must be sufficiently pliable as to deform against the object receiving the transferred ink and possibly the cliché plate, while being durable enough to last many iterations. Unfortunately, such materials tend to be relatively expensive.
Additionally, in some applications, the quality of the ink transfer is limited by the shape of the item being printed, as well as other factors.
Therefore, it would be desirable to create a pad that would overcome the aforementioned and other disadvantages.
One aspect of the present invention provides a pad for use in pad printing. The pad includes an inner core including a first set of physical characteristics. In addition, the pad includes an outer contact pad disposed on the inner core, the outer contact pad including an ink contact surface, the outer contact pad including a second set of physical characteristics, wherein the first set of characteristics is different than the second set of characteristics.
Another aspect of the invention provides a system for pad printing includes a cliché device and a pad for use in pad printing. The system includes an inner core including a first set of physical characteristics, and an outer contact pad disposed on the inner core, the outer contact pad including an ink contact surface, the outer contact pad including a second set of physical characteristics, wherein the first set of characteristics is different than the second set of characteristics.
Another aspect of the invention provides a pad for use in pad printing. The pad includes an inner core including a first set of physical characteristics. In addition, the pad includes an outer contact pad disposed on the inner core, the outer contact pad including means for covering the inner core and picking up ink from a cliché device and printing on a print object.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention, rather than limiting the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
Inner core 120 includes a first set of physical characteristics. In one embodiment, the physical characteristic is durometer. As used herein, the term “durometer” is used as a reference to a measure of hardness, and specifically to a resistance of a material to permanent indentation. Durometer, as expressed herein, can be measured using any appropriate scale, such as A, B, C, D, DO, E, M, O, OO, OOO, OOO-S, or R per ASTM testing standard D2240-00. The durometer of a particular material is dependent on the hardness, viscoelasticity, shape of the testing device, and the duration of the test. Hardness of a material refers to a material's ability to penetrate softer materials. Additionally, inner core 120 is composed of an appropriate material, such as silicone, polyurethane, rubber, plastic, or the like. In addition, the first set of physical characteristics may also include color, texture, and hardness. In one embodiment, the color of the inner core 120 is color coded to a separate property of the inner core 120, such as shape, durometer, or the like.
Outer contact pad 110 includes a second set of physical characteristics. In one embodiment, the second physical characteristic is durometer. Additionally, outer contact pad 110 can comprise any appropriate material for receiving ink from a cliché device and transferring the received ink to an object. Outer contact pad 110 also includes ink contact surface 140 for picking up ink from a cliché device and imprinting the picked up ink onto an object. In addition, the second set of physical characteristics may also include color, texture, and hardness.
The first set of physical characteristics differs from the second set of physical characteristics. In one embodiment, the outer contact pad comprises silicone with a relatively lower durometer, while the inner core comprises polyurethane with a relatively higher durometer. In one embodiment, the color of the outer contact pad 110 is color coded to the durometer of the outer contact pad 110.
In one embodiment, the inner core is shaped to be complementary to a shape of a print object. For example, if the pad 100 is to be used to transfer ink to a curved object, such as a golf ball or syringe, the inner core 120 can be shaped to complement the golf ball shape. In such embodiments, the shape of the inner core can increase the contact force between the outer contact pad and the print object. In another embodiment, the inner core comprises a bullet shape, such as the shape illustrated in
In one embodiment, outer contact pad 110 is at least partially translucent and the inner core is at least partially non-translucent so that light reflects from a surface of the inner core. In such an embodiment, light passes through the outer contact pad and at least partially reflects off the inner core and passes back through the outer contact pad. In these embodiments, the inner core is thus visible from outside the pad. In one embodiment, the outer contact pad 110 has a durometer of 30-75 shore.
In one embodiment, inner core 120 and outer contact pad 110 are adhered together with an adhesive. Depending on application, the adhesive can be non-structural or structural. In other embodiments, inner core 120 and outer contact pad 110 are not adhered together. In one embodiment, outer contact pad 110 connects to base 130, surrounding inner core 120 and maintaining inner core 120 in place. In such embodiments, outer contact pad 110 can be structurally or non-structurally adhered to base 130.
In operation of system 200, ink is deposited on the cliché device 210, and pad 220 is pressed against the inked cliché device 210, picking up at least a portion of the deposited ink. Pad 220 is then translated to press against an object held by device 230 to transfer an image engraved in the cliché device to the object held by device 230. Having transferred the image, the pad 220 is then translated back to the cliché device 210 to pick up additional ink to print another object.
Use of the disclosures herein can allow the appearance of pads for use in pad printing to differentiate products from a manufacturer or supplier, custom design for different physical properties in different areas of the pad, and/or use of lower grade materials for the inner core and higher grade materials for the outer contact pad.
In one implementation of method 300, the first set of physical characteristics includes a first durometer and wherein the second set of physical characteristics includes a second durometer, and wherein the first durometer is different than the second durometer.
In one implementation of method 400, the first set of physical characteristics includes a first durometer and wherein the second set of physical characteristics includes a second durometer, and wherein the first durometer is different than the second durometer.
A composite pad as disclosed herein can provide multiple benefits over the prior art. For example, the use of a pad that includes distinct durometers for an inner core and outer contact pad can improve ink transfer. This is particularly true in the case of a complexly contoured object, such as a golf ball. In addition, use of a pad that includes distinct durometers for an inner core and outer contact pad can provide cost benefits via use of less expensive materials for the inner core than the outer contact pad. Further, in the event of a relatively translucent outer contact pad, the inner core can be color coded to provide information to an operator. The information can include intended product application (i.e. an inner core colored green is associated with golf balls, while an inner core colored red is associated with syringes, etc.), or durometer information (data indicative of physical properties can be imprinted on the inner core and visible from the exterior. Additionally, the visual appearance may be considered desirable.
It is important to note that the figures and description illustrate specific applications and embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure or claims to that which is presented therein. Upon reading the specification and reviewing the drawings hereof, it will become immediately obvious to those skilled in the art that myriad other embodiments of the present invention are possible, and that such embodiments are contemplated and fall within the scope of the presently claimed invention.
While the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are presently considered to be preferred, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.
This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Application 60/864,518 filed Nov. 6, 2006.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60864518 | Nov 2006 | US |
