Inx International Ink Company

The Procter Gamble Company

John Randel LaCaze

Robert Paul Cassoni

Matthew Richard Allen

Joseph Finan

Jon Campbell

James Lambert

Fenlong Lin

Apparatuses and methods for depositing a substance onto an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of directly printing on three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed thereby or having a substance deposited thereon. In some cases, the apparatuses and methods involve creating a re-circulating relative motion between at least one article and a substance deposition device. In some embodiments, the articles can be conveyed in a closed loop path past one or more substance deposition devices. The articles can be conveyed past the substance deposition device(s) one or more times, and during each pass by the substance deposition device(s), a portion of a predetermined pattern may be applied to the articles by the substance deposition device(s).

Apparatus and method for depositing a substance on articles

A method for printing a digitally-stored image on the surface of a cylindrical object comprises the steps of axially moving the object along a line of travel that is aligned with the object's long axis until it is underneath one or more printheads, each of which have a plurality of ink nozzles that may be arranged in one or more columns while simultaneously rotating the object with respect to the printheads and simultaneously causing a pre-determined number of nozzles to eject ink onto the surface of the object.

Continuous motion printing on cylindrical objects

An ink jet printer for printing on an at least partially cylindrical objects comprises one or more printheads positioned above a line of travel and a carriage assembly configured to hold an at least partially cylindrical object axially aligned along the line of travel and to position said object relative to the printheads, and then rotate the object relative to said one or more printheads. The printer also includes a curing device located along the line of travel and configured to emit an energy suitable to cure the deposited fluid.

Apparatuses for printing on generally cylindrical objects and related methods

An ink jet printer for printing on an at least partially cylindrical objects comprises one or more printheads positioned above a line of travel and a carriage assembly configured to hold an at least partially cylindrical object axially aligned along the line of travel and to position said object relative to the printheads, and then rotate the object relative to said one or more printheads. The printer also includes a curing device located along the line of travel and configured to emit energy suitable to cure the deposited fluid.

An ink supply system for ink jet printers includes a recirculation tank coupled to a recirculation pump configured to provide a substantially pulseless flow of ink. A heating assembly having an ink conduit formed into a spiral in thermal contact with at least one heating element receives ink from the pump and outlets to a sensor assembly with temperature and pressure sensors that measure ink parameters both as the ink enters a printhead and is returned from the printhead. The returned ink is then ported to a recirculation tank from which the pump draws the recirculating ink. An air pump is coupled to the recirculation tank in order to maintain a substantial vacuum within the tank.

Ink supply system for ink jet printers

High resolution liquid level gauge includes a float member with a buoyant, free end, and an opposing end rotatably attached to an interior surface of a reservoir such that the float member is free to rotate about an axis of rotation. A single magnet defining a single magnetic field is attached to the pivoting end such that the magnetic field is centered on the axis of rotation and rotates with the float member. A magnetic rotary encoder chip configured to detect angular position of the magnetic field is positioned to be aligned with the axis of rotation on the exterior of the reservoir at a distance from the magnet to detect the magnetic field. The encoder is configured to provide a signal representative of the angle of the magnetic field. A computer processor determines the liquid level within the reservoir based upon the signal.

Growing community of inventors

Hampton Cove, AL, United States of America

John Randel LaCaze