Patent Application
20180282086
This disclosure relates generally to printing on three-dimensional (3-D) objects, and more particularly, to an apparatus adapted for general object holding while printing on such objects in a non-production environment.
Commercial article printing typically occurs during the production of the article. For example, ball skins are printed with patterns or logos prior to the ball being completed and inflated. Consequently, a non-production establishment, such as a distribution site, which customizes products, for example, in region in which potential product customers support multiple professional or collegiate teams, needs to keep an inventory of products bearing the logos of the various teams. Ordering the correct number of products for each different logo to maintain the inventory can be problematic.
One way to address these issues in non-production outlets would be to keep unprinted versions of the products, and print the patterns or logos on them at the distribution site. Adapting known printing techniques, such as two-dimensional (2-D) media printing technology, to apply image content onto three-dimensional objects would be difficult. Since the surfaces to be printed must be presented to the print heads as relatively flat, two-dimensional surfaces, the objects have to be maneuvered carefully to present portions of the articles as parallel planes to the print heads.
One Direct-to-Object printing system that accomplishes this is disclosed in copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,880, filed on May 25, 2016, and entitled SYSTEM FOR PRINTING ON THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) OBJECTS by Wayne A. Buchar et al (Attorney No. 20150747US01). This printing system includes a plurality of print heads arranged in a 2-D array, each printhead being configured to eject marking material, a support member positioned to be parallel to a plane formed by the 2-D array of print heads, a member movably mounted to the support member, an actuator operatively connected to the movably mounted member to enable the actuator to move the moveably mounted member along the support member, an object holder configured to mount to the movably mounted member to enable the object holder to pass the array of print heads as the moveably mounted member moves along the support member, and a controller operatively connected to the plurality of print heads and the actuator, the controller being configured to operate the actuator to move the object holder past the array of print heads and to operate the plurality of print heads to eject marking material onto objects held by the object holder as the object holder passes the array of print heads. This application is included herein by reference to the extent necessary to the practice the present disclosure and in its entirety.
A problem with this approach is that it requires a unique part gripper for each part that is to be printed. Part grippers are currently machined metal brackets with dedicated locating and fastening features machined into each gripper. Customer productivity is impacted using these part grippers due to the time required to design and make a unique mounting plate for each part and the costs associated with each part gripper design. A standalone spherical shaped conformable gripper filled with granular material is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,882,165 used to pick and place objects.
In answer to these shortcomings, disclosed is a universal gripper for many types of objects. The universal gripper includes a holder plate containing sliding spring loaded shutter plates with conformable elastic tubes filled with granular material attached to each shutter. An object is placed between the shutter plates that close and compress the tubes against the object. The tubes conform to the object surface. Vacuum is applied to each tube. Atmospheric air pressure compresses the elastic tubes and compacts the material inside the tubes forming a rigid gripper on each side of the object.
The foregoing aspects and other features of a printing system that prints images on 3-D objects are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
For a general understanding of the present embodiments, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate like elements.
Turning now to the present disclosure, a generic or universal object gripper 100 in
In practice, as shown in
It should now be understood that a universal part holder that can be used for holding objects in Direct-to-Object printing has been shown that includes conformable elastic tubes filled with granular particles (e.g., plastic) that go from a conformable to rigid state when vacuum is applied. The tubes are held against a part using spring-loaded plates, so that as the vacuum is applied the tubes will stay in contact with the part at a desired force. Inside the tubes are permeable dividers that keep the granular particles evenly spread throughout the tubes. The backside of each tube is held in a semi-circular channel in the spring-loaded plates to make sure that tubes do not squeeze out over the edges of the plate. Before gripping the part, it is placed in a locating fixture that orients and spaces the part with respect to machine print heads that will print onto the part. When printing is complete, the operator grips the part while the shutter plates slide open. Vacuum is removed from the tubes and the grippers return to the compliant state.
It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed apparatus and other features, and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
Cross-referenced is commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser, No. ______, and entitled APPARATUS FOR HOLDING DURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3-D) OBJECTS DURING PRINTING THEREON by Jeffrey J. Bradway et al (Attorney No. 20161211US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled VACUUM TUBE OBJECT CLAMPING ARRAY WITH CONFORMABLE PADS by Timothy P. Foley et al (Attorney No. 20161136US01); U.S. Application Serial No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled SPRING LOADED SUCTION CUP ARRAY GRIPPER by Paul M. Fromm et al (Attorney No. 20161213US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled UNIVERSAL OBJECT HOLDER FOR 3-D PRINTING USING A CONFORMABLE GRIPPER BALL by Erwin Ruiz et al (Attorney No. 20161214US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled UNIVERSAL PART GRIPPER USING 3-D PRINTED MOUNTING PLATE by Linn C. Hoover et al (Attorney No. 20161217US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled APPARATUS FOR GENERAL OBJECT HOLDING DURING PRINTING USING MULTIPLE CONFORMABLE BALLS by Jeffrey J. Bradway et al (Attorney No. 20161227US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled AIR PRESSURE LOADED MEMBRANE AND PIN ARRAY GRIPPER by Paul M. Fromm et al (Attorney No. 20161266US01); U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed Ser. No. ______, and entitled APPARATUS FOR REPEATABLE STAGING AND HOLDING OBJECTS IN A DIRECT TO OBJECT PRINTER USING AN ARRAY OF PINS by Jeffrey J. Bradway et al (Attorney No. 20170042US01); and U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed ______, and entitled SPRING LOADED IRIS MECHANISM STACK GRIPPER by Paul M. Fromm et al (Attorney No. 20161222US01); all of which are included in their entirety herein by reference.
