Printing units for printing on bottles or similar containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a printing apparatus for printing bottles or similar containers, having several printing positions on a transport element, which can be driven in rotation, by which the printing positions and / or the containers are moved on a closed path of movement between at least one container take-up and at least one container drop, having rotating print heads for applying at least one print image, preferably multi-color, onto a region to be printed on the external container surface of the containers, in the event of relative movement of the external container surface and at least one print head, wherein at least one enclosure is present, into which each of the containers, which are provided at a print position, is housed during the printing process with at least the region to be printed thereof.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a printing device according to the preamble of claim 1 and thus in particular to a printing device for printing containers using at least one electronically or digitally triggerable printing head. Background technique [0002] It is basically known that the printing of containers, in particular the direct printing of containers, mainly comprises in the form of a preferably color printed image adapted to the container in question, constituting the basic elements of the assembly of the container in question, eg similar to conventional labels. In this regard, use is made of electrostatic printing heads, such as inkjet printing heads or printing heads known under the designation "Tonejet", i.e. operating according to the inkjet printing principle or the Tonejet principle and shown on the longitudinal axis of the printing head at At least one row of a plurality of individual nozzles is arranged consecutively on the active print head...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0003] A particular problem encountered especially in printing units for printing containers with print heads working according to the inkjet printing or Tonejet principle is that during the printing process part of the printing ink does not reach the outer surface area of ​​the container to be printed, but sprays into the surrounding air in which an aerosol comprising finely distributed ink or printing ink particles is formed

Atomized particles of these inks or printing inks are particularly undesirable to settle on the elements of the printing unit concerned, causing contamination that can only be removed with considerable cleaning effort

[0004] A further problem with known printing devices is that, especially in high-speed production, the containers are moved during the printing process at high transport speeds, one of the consequences of which is the generation of strong air eddies or turbulences around the containers during the printing process, Cause blurred and wrong or poor quality printed inks

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