The present invention relates to sheet printing, more particularly, to a system and a method for producing printed items.
Production of printed items such as stickers and roll labels is generally a multi-step process which requires specialized machinery for each stage of the production process. Generally, the printed material is supplied in a roll.
The initial stage may be followed by a second stage where a second machine may be used to adhere material (e.g. a laminated printed material) to the surface of a base item, for example, to the surface of a double-sided adhesive tape. Prior to the second stage, in an optional intermediate is stage, a machine may be used to emboss or embed the printing on the printed material. In a third stage, a machine may be used to form perforations in the printed material while adhered to the base item, outlining a shape of the final item. In a fourth stage, cutting may be performed along the perforations, either manually or using a machine, to produce the printed item.
It is believed that the following publications represent the relevant technology in the field: U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,277 (Nolan et al., 1978 Jun. 6); U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,503 (Wilen, 1989 Apr. 25); U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,932 (Uchibori, 1997 Jul. 8); U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,128 (Malhotra, 1998 Jun. 9); U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,683 (Trask, 2001 Jan. 9); U.S. Pat. No. 7,824,029 (Jones et al., 2010 Nov. 2); US 2003/167,944 (McKillip, 2003 Sep. 11); US 2004/221,947 (Haldner, et al., 2004 Nov. 11); US 2005/109850 (Jones, 2005 May 26); US 2006/234,014 (Liu et al., 2006 Oct. 19); US 2006/191,426 (Timmerman et al., 2006 Aug. 31); US 2007/012,775 (Cote, 2007 Jan. 18); US 2007/175,573 (Fox et al., 2007 Aug. 2); US 2008/248,261 (Bonnett et al., 2008 Oct. 9): US 2012/132,339 (Foley et al., 2012 May 31); US 2012/211,154 (Brownell, 2012 Aug. 23); and US 2014/290,834 (Egron et al., 2014 Oct. 2).
The present invention relates to a system and a method for producing roll printed items. The printing system and method utilize a feeding unit designed for feeding individual/single sheets, one at a time, rather than requiring a feeding roll of printed material. The individual (single) sheets are adhered to a continuous sheet, thereby turning each one of the single and separate printed sheets into a continuous printed sheet (roll). This allows utilizing a separated sheet printer for producing the continuous printed sheet.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a system as defined in claim 1 and the claim(s) dependent therefrom.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method as defined in claim 18 and the claim(s) dependent therefrom.
In an attempt to allow smaller printing companies to produce smaller amounts of printed product at relatively feasible production costs, self-adhesive paper is typically used. The small printing company may then perform the printing on the rolls, including embossing/embedding, as may be required: and may perform the perforating and/or cutting, as may be required. Such rolls are relatively costly, and the rolls come in predetermined lengths which are not always fully utilized by the small printing company, further increasing the cost of the material.
Production costs may be reduced, particularly for the small printing company, by reducing, if not eliminating, the need to purchase sheet material in ready-form rolls, and by allowing use of flat printed sheet materials thereby reducing material waste as may be typically encountered when using the ready-form labels. Further, easily operated existing and less expensive printing machines can be used, whereby less labor is required.
Printing machines that take a blank label roll, and print on that roll to make labels are very expensive. In contrast, the present system and method provides a “sheet-to-roll” production, in contrast to the common “roll-to-roll” or “roll-to-sheet systems/methods.
It is important to note that, the present system and method not only allows for arrangement of printing on the separate/individual sheets, they also allow for arrangement between those sheets so the printing is arranged equidistantly throughout the entire roll that is produced. In other words, the equidistant spacing between the printed items (e.g. labels) is not just spaced equidistantly on the same page/sheet, rather also all along the roll. Specifically, the distance between a printed item located at the edge of one sheet is spaced apart from the closest printed item on an adjacent sheet as it is to the printed item next to it on the same sheet. Thus, all the printed items are spaced apart the same on the entire resultant roll. This sheet-to-sheet arrangement of printed items can be very precise, which is very important in the printing industry, for example when printing labels, in particular for the cutting process and other post-printing processes.
Further, another possible advantage of the present system and method is that the overlapping sheets mitigate the chance of adhesive/glue seepage. This can be a serious issue as such seepage can shut down the entire printing system, require labor-intensive work to get the system online, and cause serious and costly delays.
In addition, the present system and method take advantage of (previously) printed individual sheets, with printed material (e.g. from an under-employed sheet printing machine) and makes the individual (single)/separate sheets into a roll of labels. Printing machines these days are under-employed for a variety of reasons, including electronic screens are used instead of paper (e.g. restaurant menus are often provided in via a computer tablet rather than a printed menu; brochures, etc. also); and digital advertising rather than paper/material fliers. The system and method take advantage of this by using the existing regular printing machines to make the single printed sheets (i.e. not those that use a roll as in typically label making machines) and can increase the printing opportunities and profitability.
The present system can take virtually any size and weight paper, not just the standard (limited) size/weight as in the typically expensive continuous roll machines, and can thus increase the variety of possible printed products.
The invention may be more clearly understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.
Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features/components of an actual implementation are necessarily described.
One improvement provided by the present system and method is to feed or otherwise arrange the singular fed sheets so as to slightly overlap (i.e. the front edge of the subsequent sheet is disposed slightly on top of the rear edge of the previous sheet—or vice versa). In some embodiments, such overlapping may be in the range of 0.1-150 mm.
Such an arrangement of sheets helps prevent a situation that occurs with touching “kissing” (rear edge to subsequent front edge of adjacent sheets), wherein adhesive/glue can seep between the sheets and compromise the process; e.g. dirt the printing machine. Moreover, the glue applicator cylinder/roll drum should thereby stay uniform in order to provide the proper glue application and prevent “jumping” due to a non-uniform layer of glue on the roll.
In an alternate and/or additional feature or aspect, instead of gluing and then adding a (e.g. silicone) cover sheet, the individual/single sheets can be produced with double-sided adhesive, thereby eliminating the gluing and “silicone” (cover layer) step.
To ensure that the stamping/cutting is accurate after the printed sheets 12 enter the connection station (using lamination; double-sided self-adhesive paper; or cellophane tape), there may be a monitoring and distance-adjustment unit 37 that follows an eye mark 47 that recalculates the distances between printed items 74 (
Sheet feeding station 14 may be the first station and include an automatic feeder 13 to accommodate printed sheets 12. Printed sheets 12 may include paper sheets or other flat paper-based products (e.g. polyester, vinyl, self-adhesive paper, etc.) having printed matter such as shapes, figures, letters, and/or numbers. Printed sheets 12 may be subject to lamination and adhered to a base item to form adherable stickers such as magnetic stickers, labels, paper stickers, as well as other types of flat printed items 74, which may be laminated. The lamination can be applied to the upper and/or lower sides of the sheet 12, as illustrated in
Laminating station 18 may be the next station and may include a laminating material roll 19 and a pressing roller 17. Laminating material roll 19 provides a laminating film 16 which may include a transparent or translucent plastic film or other type of polymer cover, which may be adhered to an upper side of printed sheets 12 by pressing roller 17 as the printed sheet is fed between the pressing roller and a platform or surface top 15 of platform 11.
Embedding/embossing station 20 may include an embedding/embossing press machine 21, which may be used to embed or emboss printed matter on printed sheets 12. Embedding/embossing station 20 may be an optional intermediate station, following laminating station 18, and may be either temporarily installed in the system as required for embedding/embossing printed processes, or may be permanently mounted on platform 11 and only used when required.
Base item application station 24 may be the next station in the system 10, following laminating station 18, and optionally following embedding/embossing station 20. Base item application station 24 may adhere an underside of printed sheet 12 to an upper side of a base item 25, which may include a silicone material (e.g. silicone paper), a rubber, or other polymeric material, and may serve as a base for an underside of the flat laminated printed item. Base item 25 may include a magnetic material. Additionally or alternatively, base material may include an applied adhesive on an underside of base item 25 covered with a removable adhesive-resistant material (e.g. silicone) paper or carton. It is possible to coat the paper or silicone/carton/magnet.
Base item application station 24 may include an adhesive applying subsystem 27 and a base item supply subsystem 29. Adhesive applying subsystem 27 may include a glue container 45, a glue pump 46, a glue applicator 44, a top guide roller 22a and a bottom guide roller 22b. Glue container 45 may be any type of container suitable for storing glue, which may be used for adhering printed sheet 12 to base item 25. Glue pump 46 may apply glue by means of glue applicator 44 to bottom guide roller 22b, which may in turn apply the glue to the underside of printed sheet 12 as it passes between top guide roller 22a and bottom guide roller 22b. Top guide roller 22a guides printed sheet 12 between the two rollers as the glue is applied to the underside. Base item supply subsystem 29 may include a base item roll 23 and a feed roller 23a (
There may be a glue application quality control system (not shown) that checks the state of glue application on the paper/silicone to ensure that the glue application is proper and uniform. Glue applicator 44 may have associated therewith an intercooler unit (not shown) configured to cool the hot glue.
Shape-cutting station 28 may be the next station in system 10 following base item application station 24. Shape-cutting station 28 may include a perforating machine 31 for creating perforations on printed sheet 12 while adhered to base item 25. The perforations may be according to a predetermined pattern, and may be associated with a shape of the final printed laminated item 36a (
Processed sheet collection station 33 may include a collection roller 30 which may be used to separate sections of processed printed sheet 12 from base item 25 that do not form part of final processed item 36a; and to collect the separated sections 60 on the roller (
Stripping unit or item cutting station 32 may include a stripping station 35 and/or a cutting machine 38, which may be used in place of perforation station 24 or alternatively, may supplement the perforation station. Stripping station 35 may be used to cut out a predetermined shape of final laminated/processed item 36a from printed sheet 12 adhered to base item 25 (i.e. the shape is separated from the printed sheet adhered to the base item). Cutting machine 38 may be used to cut shapes of predetermined dimensions from printed sheet 12 adhered to base item 25. Item cutting station 32 may be an optional intermediate station in system 10 following sheet collection station 33, and stripping station 35 and/or cutting machine 38 may be either temporarily installed in the system when required, or may be permanently mounted on platform 11 and only used when required.
An item collection station 41 may be the next station following any one of the optional stations 28, 33 and 32, and may serve to collect final printed item 36a in any one of its forms (perforated shapes, punched out shapes, cut out rectangular shapes, or other possible shapes and/or combinations thereof). Item cutting station 32 may be in communication with item collection station 41 by means of an opening through which final printed item 36a may drop onto a conveyor 40 which transports the final printed item to a collection container 42. As illustrated in
Transport roller station 39 may include a collection roller 43 and may provide a transport mechanism for pulling on film 16 to transport printed sheet 12 through the stations of system 10. Printed sheet 12 may also be transported through stations while adhered to base item 25 and may be collected by collection roller 43 following prior collection of final printed item 36a. Alternatively, prior collection of final printed item 36a may not be performed, rather accumulated on collection roller 43 for further processing. Alternatively, transport roller station 39 may pull on base item 25 with attached perforated shapes of final printed item 36a while sections 60 of Printed sheet 12 which do not form part of the final printed item are collected by sheet collection station 33. Following prior collection of final printed item 36a, remaining base item 25 may be collected by collection roller 43. Alternatively, base item 25, including final printed item 36a, may be collected on collection roller 43.
With reference to
As illustrated in
It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination: and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.