CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.

63/040,834, which was filed on 18-June-2020, and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field.

[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to ribbons used for hot stamp printing.

Discussion of Art.

[0003] Some known printing ribbons used in hot stamping systems provide a single color that is transferred onto an article to be printed on by a die. One problem with this technique is that only a single color may be used to print on the article. To stamp multiple different colors on the article, however, multiple different ribbons having the different colors usually must be used. This can significantly lengthen the time needed to decorate on the target object as multiple rolls of the ribbons may need to be used and same article may need to be printed upon multiple times or with multiple stampings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0004] In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes moving a multi color ribbon over a target object. The multi-color ribbon has different color inks or pigments in different areas of the multi-color ribbon. For example, instead of just having a black ink, the ribbon may have several different shades, hues, or other colors (e.g., red, blue, green, yellow, etc.). The method also includes applying heat and pressure onto the multi-color ribbon to transfer two or more of the different color inks or pigments to the target object during a single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0005] In one embodiment, a multi-color ribbon configured for use in a hot stamp printing system is provided. The multi-color ribbon includes an elongated carrier that continuously extends from a first end to an opposite end and multiple, differently colored inks or pigments disposed in different areas of the elongated carrier between the first end and the second end of the elongated carrier. The elongated carrier is configured to be moved across a target object with heat and pressure applied to the elongated carrier to transfer two or more of the differently colored inks or pigments to the target object during a single pass of the elongated carrier across the target object for hot stamp printing of the two or more of the differently colored inks to the target object.

[0006] In one embodiment, a multi-color hot stamp ribbon is provided that includes an elongated carrier configured to be unrolled from a first reel and rolled onto a second reel of a hot stamp printing system and two or more different color inks or pigments disposed in one or more of different lanes or different panels of the carrier. The different color inks or pigments are located on the carrier such that two or more of the different color inks or pigments are transferred onto one or more of a common location or different locations of a target object that is printed on by the hot stamp printing system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The inventive subj ect matter may be understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below:

[0008] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a hot stamp printing system;

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates one example of a hot stamp multi-color ribbon shown in

Figure 1; [0010] Figure 3 illustrates another example of a hot stamp multi-color ribbon;

[0011] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a top view of one example of a target object shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

[0012] Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for multi color hot stamp printing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a hot stamp printing system 100. The printing system 100 includes an unwind reel 102 holding a multi-color ribbon 104. The ribbon 104 extends from the unwind reel 102 to a wind-up reel 106. The ribbon 104 is unwound from the unwind reel 102 to the wind-up reel 106 along a web or ribbon direction 108. The web or ribbon direction 108 represents the direction in which the ribbon 104 moves during printing (e.g., from the unwind reel 102 to the wind-up reel 106). As the ribbon 104 moves along the web or ribbon direction 108, a heated die 110 strikes the ribbon 104 along a transfer direction 112. The pressure and heat of the die 110 transfers at least some of the coatings from the ribbon 104 to a target object 116 to be printed upon, such as an intravenous (IV) bag, a card, a document, or any of a variety of other objects. This stamping onto the target object 116 transfers the pigments or inks that are in the ribbon 104 onto the target object 116. The target object 116 may be one of several target objects 116 that are successively printed on by the printing system 100. For example, several target objects 116 may move in a machine direction to successively print on the target objects 116. The machine direction in which the target objects 116 move may be the same as the web or film direction 108 or may be different from the web or film direction 108. The machine direction may be orthogonal to the web or film direction 108 (e.g., into or out of the plane of Figure 1) or at another angle to the web or film direction 108.

[0014] In contrast to some known hot stamp ribbons that have only a single color of ink (coatings) or pigments in the ribbon, the ribbon 104 includes inks or pigments of multiple colors in different areas of the ribbon 104. Two or more of these colors can be transferred from the ribbon 104 onto the target object 116 during a single strike of the die 110

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates one example of the multi-color ribbon 104 shown in

Figure 1. As shown, the ribbon 104 is an elongated carrier 214 continuously extending from a trailing end 200 to a leading end 202. The carrier 214 also can be referred to as a film 214 or carrier film 214. The leading end 202 may be the end of the ribbon 104 that is initially coupled with the wind-up reel 106. The ribbon 104 may be pulled in the ribbon direction 108 during the printing process described above in connection with Figure 1.

[0016] The ribbon 104 includes different areas 204, 206, 208 that hold different colored inks or pigments. In the illustrated example, the ribbon 104 includes the elongated areas 204, 206, 208 that each extend from one end 200 to the opposite end 202. These areas 204, 206, 208 are elongated in the machine direction 108 during hot stamp printing. While three areas 204, 206, 208 are shown, alternatively, the ribbon 104 may include two areas (such that the ribbon 104 holds two different colored inks or pigments) or more than three areas (such that the ribbon 104 holds three or more different colored inks or pigments).

[0017] Figure 3 illustrates another example of a multi-color ribbon 304. The ribbon

304 may be used in place of the ribbon 104 shown in Figures 1 and 2 in a hot stamp printing process. The ribbon 304 is an elongated carrier 314 continuously extending from a trailing end 300 to a leading end 302. The carrier 314 optionally can be referred to as a film 314 or carrier film 314. Similar to the ribbon 104, the leading end 302 may be the end of the ribbon 304 that is initially coupled with the wind-up reel 106. The ribbon 304 may be pulled in the machine direction 108 during the printing process described above in connection with Figure 1.

[0018] The ribbon 304 includes different areas 304, 306, 308 that hold different colored inks or pigments. These areas 304, 306, 308 optionally can be referred to as panels. In the illustrated example, the ribbon 304 includes the elongated areas 304, 306, 308 that do not extend from one end 300 to the opposite end 302. For example, the areas 304, 306, 308 extend across the entire width of the ribbon 304 from one edge 310 of the ribbon 304 to the opposite edge 312 of the ribbon 304, with each edge 310, 312 extending from one end 300 to the other end 302. Conversely, none of the areas 204, 206, 208 in the ribbon 104 extends across the entire width of the ribbon 104 from one edge 310 to the opposite edge 312 as in the ribbon 304. Instead, the area 204 in the ribbon 104 extends from one edge partially toward (e.g., a third of the way) the opposite edge, the area 206 extends from the area 204 partially toward (e.g., another third of the way) to the opposite edge, and the area 208 extends from the area 206 to the opposite edge. While three areas 304, 306, 308 are shown, alternatively, the ribbon 304 may include two areas (such that the ribbon 304 holds two different colored inks or pigments) or more than three areas (such that the ribbon 304 holds three or more different colored inks or pigments).

[0019] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a top view of one example of the target object 116 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The visible side of the target object 116 in Figure 4 can be the surface that is contacted by the ribbon 104 or 304 when the die 110 strikes the ribbon 104 or 304 to transfer inks or pigments from the ribbon 104 or 304.

[0020] The arrangements of the different inks in the ribbons 104, 304 can allow or prevent different colors of inks or pigments from being transferred to different areas of the target object 116. During printing with either ribbon 104, 304, a single strike of the die 110 can transfer multiple, different colored inks from the ribbon 104, 304 to the target object 116. For example, the die 110 can strike multiple areas 204, 206, and/or 208 of the ribbon 104 at the same time to simultaneously transfer different colored inks from the areas 204, 206, and/or 208 that are stricken. Because different areas 204, 206, 208 of the ribbon 104 move over different areas 404, 406, 408 of the target object 116, however, the ribbon 104 may only be able to transfer certain colors to certain areas 404, 406, 408 of the target object 116.

[0021] For example, the ribbon 104 may be able to transfer the color of the ink in the area 204 to a first area 404 of the target object 116 as the area 204 of the ribbon 104 moves over this first area 404 of the target object 116. The ribbon 104 may not transfer the ink or pigment having another color in the area 206 or 208 to the first area 404 of the target object 116 as neither the area 206 nor the area 208 of the ribbon 104 move over the first area 404 of the target object 116.

[0022] Similarly, the ribbon 104 may be able to transfer the color of the ink in the area 206 to a different, second area 406 of the target object 116 as the area 206 of the ribbon 104 moves over this second area 406 of the target object 116. The second area 406 does not overlap the first area 404 in the illustrated example. The ribbon 104 may not transfer the ink or pigment having another color in the area 204 or 208 to the second area 406 of the target object 116 as neither the area 204 nor the area 208 of the ribbon 104 move over the second area 406 of the target object 116.

[0023] The ribbon 104 may be able to transfer the color of the ink in the area 208 to a different, third area 408 of the target object 116 as the area 208 of the ribbon 104 moves over this third area 408 of the target object 116. The third area 408 does not overlap the first area 404 or the second area 406 in the illustrated example. The ribbon 104 may not transfer the ink or pigment having another color in the area 202 or 204 to the third area 408 of the target object 116 as neither the area 202 nor the area 204 of the ribbon 104 move over the third area 408 of the target object 116.

[0024] Conversely, the ribbon 304 may transfer any of the inks or pigments in any of the areas 304, 306, 308 that extend across the width of the ribbon 304 to any area of the target object 116 (that the ribbon 304 moves over during the die strike). For example, the ink or pigment in the area 304 can be transferred to any of the areas 404, 406, 408, the ink or pigment in the area 306 can be transferred to any of the areas 404, 406, 408, and the ink or pigment in the area 308 can be transferred to any of the areas 404, 406, 408 because each of the areas 304, 306, 308 extends across the entire width of the ribbon 304.

[0025] The ribbons 104, 304 may be used to change the shading or color of the ink that is transferred from any of the areas 204, 206, 208, 304, 306, 308. For example, the same die 110 may repeatedly strike the ribbon 104, 304 in one or more of the areas 204, 206, 208, 304, 306, 308 to overprint the same location on the target object 116. This overprinting can increase the amount of ink that is transferred to the target object 116. The ink that is repeatedly transferred from the ribbon 104, 304 may be from the same area 204, 206, 208, 304, 306, 308 to change the shade (e.g., darken) of the color transferred to the target object 116. With respect to the ribbon 304, the die 110 may repeatedly strike different areas 304, 306, 308 of the ribbon 304 in the same location of the target object ' 16 to transfer and mix multiple colors in the same location or area of the target object 116. For example, the die 110 can strike the area 304 in one location of the target object 116and then strike the area 306 or 308 in the same location of the target object 116 to mix the color of the ink in the area 304 with the ink in the area 306 or 308 on the target object 116.

[0026] The transfer of different colored inks or pigments to different locations on the target object 116 and/or overprinting onto the target object 116 can transfer multiple, different colors from the ribbon 104, 304 to the target object 116 during a single pass of the ribbon 104, 304 over the target object 116 and/or during a single strike of the die 110 on the target object 116. For example, the ribbon 104, 304 may be unwound from the unwind reel 102 to the wind-up reel 106 a single time while transferring multiple, different colors to the target object 116 (or multiple target object 116).

[0027] The different colored inks or pigments can be transferred from the ribbon

104, 304 using different dies 110. For example, the die 110 can be changed for printing on different target objects 116 with the different dies 110 used to hot stamp print different information (e.g., different alphanumeric strings) using multiple, different colors.

[0028] Figure 5 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a method 500 for multi-color hot stamp printing. The method 500 can include operations described herein to transfer multiple, different colors in a hot stamp system using the ribbon 104, 304 (or another ribbon having different areas with different colored inks or pigments). At 502, a multi-color ribbon is obtained. As described above, this ribbon can have elongated areas having different colored inks or pigments, with the different areas extending end-to-end along the length of the ribbon. Optionally, the ribbon can have panels with different colored inks or pigments, with the different areas extending edge-to-edge along the width of the ribbon.

[0029] At 504, the ribbon is moved over one or more target objects during a single pass. For example, the ribbon may be unwound from one reel and wound onto another reel a single time while passing over one or more target objects. At 506, two or more of the different areas or panels of the ribbon are stricken by a die. This action transfers two or more different colors from the ribbon onto the target object. As a result, multiple, different colors can be printed onto each of one or more target objects during a single pass of the ribbon.

[0030] In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes moving a multi color ribbon over a target object. The multi-color ribbon has different color inks or pigments in different areas of the multi-color ribbon. The method also includes applying heat and pressure onto the multi-color ribbon to transfer two or more of the different color inks or pigments to the target object during a single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0031 ] Optionally, the multi-color ribbon is moved across the target obj ect in a web direction with the different areas of the multi-color ribbon being elongated along the web direction from one end of the multi-color ribbon to an opposite end of the multi-color ribbon along a length of the multi-color ribbon.

[0032] Optionally, the multi-color ribbon is moved across the target object in a web direction with the different areas of the multi-color ribbon extending from one edge of the multi-color ribbon to an opposite lateral edge of the multi-color ribbon.

[0033] Optionally, the heat and pressure are applied to transfer the two or more of the different color inks or pigments onto different locations of the target object.

[0034] Optionally, the heat and pressure are applied to change a shade of at least one of the different color inks or pigments that is transferred onto the same location of the target object multiple times during the single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0035] Optionally, the heat and pressure are applied to mix the two or more of the different color inks or pigments on the same location of the target object multiple times during the single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0036] In one embodiment, a multi-color ribbon configured for use in a hot stamp printing system is provided. The multi-color ribbon includes an elongated carrier that continuously extends from a first end to an opposite end and multiple, differently colored inks or pigments disposed in different areas of the elongated carrier between the first end and the second end of the elongated carrier. The elongated carrier is configured to be moved across a target object with heat and pressure applied to the elongated carrier to transfer two or more of the differently colored inks or pigments to the target object during a single pass of the elongated carrier across the target object for hot stamp printing of the two or more of the differently colored inks to the target object.

[0037] Optionally, the areas of the elongated carrier having the differently colored inks or pigments are elongated lanes that continuously extend from the first end to the second end of the carrier.

[0038] Optionally, the ribbon includes opposite first and second edges that each extend from the first end to the second end of the ribbon. The areas of the elongated carrier having the differently colored inks or pigments can be panels that continuously extend from the first edge to the second edge of the carrier.

[0039] Optionally, the differently colored inks are disposed in the different areas of the elongated carrier such that the two or more of the differently color inks or pigments are transferred onto different locations of the target object.

[0040] Optionally, the differently colored inks or pigments are disposed in the different areas of the elongated carrier such that the two or more of the differently colored inks are transferred onto the same location of the target object multiple times during the single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0041] Optionally, the differently colored inks or pigments are disposed in the different areas of the elongated carrier such that the two or more of the differently colored inks or pigments are transferred onto the same location of the target object multiple times during the single pass of the multi-color ribbon across the target object.

[0042] In one embodiment, a multi-color hot stamp ribbon is provided that includes an elongated carrier configured to be unrolled from a first reel and rolled onto a second reel of a hot stamp printing system and two or more different color inks or pigments disposed in one or more of different lanes or different panels of the carrier. The different color inks or pigments are located on the carrier such that two or more of the different color inks or pigments are transferred onto one or more of a common location or different locations of a target object that is printed on by the hot stamp printing system.

[0043] Optionally, the two or more different color inks or pigments are in the different lanes of the carrier.

[0044] Optionally, the different lanes of the carrier are elongated in directions that extend along a direction in which the carrier is unrolled from the first reel and rolled onto the second reel.

[0045] Optionally, the two or more different color inks or pigments are in the different lanes of the carrier such that the two or more different color inks or pigments are transferred onto different locations of the target object.

[0046] Optionally, the two or more different color inks or pigments are in the different panels of the carrier. [0047] Optionally, the different panels of the carrier oriented in directions that extend perpendicular to a direction in which the carrier is unrolled from the first reel and rolled onto the second reel.

[0048] The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description may include instances where the event occurs and instances where it does not. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it may be related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately,” may be not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges may be identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.

[0049] This written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments, including the best mode, and to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The claims define the patentable scope of the disclosure, and include other examples that occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.