US 12,280,585 B2
Systems and methods for registering and printing a flexible web
Theodore F. Cyman, Grand Island, NY (US); Anthony Vincent Moscato, N. Tonawanda, NY (US); and Frank J. Rocco, N. Tonawanda, NY (US)
Assigned to Cryovac, LLC, Charlotte, NC (US)
Appl. No. 17/910,441
Filed by Cryovac, LLC, Charlotte, NC (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 11, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/021852
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/183733, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/988,474, filed on Mar. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0117460 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. B41F 13/02 (2006.01); B41F 33/00 (2006.01); B41J 3/54 (2006.01); B41J 11/46 (2006.01)
CPC B41F 13/025 (2013.01) [B41F 33/0081 (2013.01); B41J 3/543 (2013.01); B41J 11/46 (2013.01); B41J 2203/01 (2020.08)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing system, comprising:
a transport apparatus adapted to transport a flexible web of heat-shrinkable polymeric material along a process direction, the heat-shrinkable polymeric material having a total free shrink of at least 10% at 185° F., as measured by ASTM D2732;
first and second individually controllable ink jet imager units offset from one another along the process direction wherein each of the first imager unit and the second imager unit includes a first portion operable to print on a first portion of the web of heat-shrinkable polymeric material and a second portion operable to print on the second portion of the web of heat-shrinkable polymeric material wherein each of the first portion and second portion of the first and second imager units is stationary along the process direction and the lateral direction;
a position encoder adapted to develop a signal representing web position;
at least one image sensor adapted to detect printing on the web of heat-shrinkable polymeric material; and
a control system responsive to the position encoder and the image sensor and adapted to register first content printed by the first portion of the first imager unit with content printed by the first portion of the second imager unit, register content printed by the second portion of the first imager unit with content printed by the second portion of the second imager unit, independently control the first portion and the second portion of the first imager unit, and independently control the first portion and the second portion of the second imager unit.