Large-batch digital clothing printer

Abstract

A digital apparel printing system for printing and drying apparel, the digital apparel printing system comprising: a loading station for loading apparel for printing onto a tray; a conveyor; at least one printing function unit; an unloading station; a dryer; and a drying belt for transporting the apparel through the dryer after printing wherein the unloading station comprises an automatic unloader for removing the apparel from the tray and placing the apparel on the drying belt.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 326,969, filed on April 4, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] Technical field and background technology

[0004] The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a high-volume digital garment printer.

[0005] As the demand for digital printers increases, there is a need for larger batch production lines with better operability and more economical and sustainable properties.

[0006] To this end, the next generation of direct-to-garment (DTG) digital printers may be expected to be faster, with more prints per hour, automatic loading and unloading of garments; lower operating costs, less manual operations, minimal human-in-the-loop, minimal floor space, and less ink consumption; flexible, supporting different types and sizes of garments, supporting printed images of different designs and sizes, and the digital printer can be scalable, that is, it can support a single printer to an entire fleet or factory through intelligent load balancing, and the digital printer should also be modular, that is, each printer can be adjusted according to specific needs by adding or removing specific modules.

[0007] Additionally, as the industry moves toward a more holistic approach with full connectivity and automation, there is an increasing need and rationale for a complete solution approach rather than a combination of independent subsystems. In the printer’s world, this approach should cover as much of the printed garment manufacturing cycle as possible, including storage, handling, loading, image printing, neck label printing, drying, unloading, folding and packaging of garments or media.

[0008] So instead of having separate systems for each stage in the process, with very loose integration between systems, and individual human operators operating those systems, the new approach focuses on more complete integrated systems with as many functional systems as possible and as few operators as possible.

[0009] In addition, such an integrated system can be flexible and modular to allow manufacturers to configure the system directly according to their needs. That is, it should be easy to remove components that the manufacturer already has and / or add components that the manufacturer needs to upgrade.

[0010] In summary, there is a pressing need for a true mass production digital DTG printer with the ability to consume and add additional functionality during the manufacturing cycle.

[0011] Current large-scale production lines for digitally printed textiles are typically based on multiple printing lines, each of which uses a small to medium batch production system, i.e. the printer and additional facilities in its vicinity (e.g. storage places, conventional dryers, etc.).

[0012] For example, a factory with a low production volume (orders), producing about 1,000 shirts per day, can use one printer and one dryer, during a 10-hour shift, during which about 100 shirts can be processed per hour. If the orders are of a moderate volume of about 10,000 pieces per day, the production line may need 10 such printers operating in parallel. As shown in Figure 1, multiple printers can use a single dryer, where three production cells are formed, each with three printers and one dryer. The shirts need to be loaded on the printer and then transferred to the dryer.

[0013] It is important to note that because printing requires very precise alignment, and the dryer is very hot, it is not possible to use the same tray to transport the shirt directly from the printer to the dryer. Instead, the shirt must be unloaded from the very precise tray used by the printer and then transferred to the dryer. The tray may typically include a neck label printing surface, which may require some type of release mechanism to release the shirt.

[0014] This simple solution is very expensive both in terms of the equipment’s floor space — that is, the factory floor space required for all the printers and dryers — and in terms of the manpower required to operate the equipment, since each printer requires at least one human operator throughout its operation.

[0015] For a truly large-scale production plant, say one that prints more than 10,000 shirts a day, the floor space and number of human operators required becomes critical to the overall economics of the plant.

[0016] The system of Figure 1 requires an excessively large factory floor area. Specifically, the printers are dispersed in a large workspace, resulting in high overhead for accessing the printers, delivering ink and parts, maintaining the printers, etc.

[0017] The significant distance between the printer and its associated dryer results in additional time overhead for the now unloaded shirts to reach the dryer and then return to the printer. Therefore, many operators are required per shift, i.e., at least one operator is required for each printer, and some of these operators may become redundant in slow shifts with less printing volume. On the other hand, when the workload is large, the system operators must manually load and unload the garments, and thus become a major bottleneck for large-scale production.

[0018] Regarding the current solution of scaling up by adding printers, a typical factory based on prior art printers is limited in its manufacturing capacity and is not flexible enough to handle all optional order volumes. However, since the high-precision printing tray cannot be fed into the dryer, integration between the printer and the dryer is not possible. Summary of the invention

[0019] The present embodiment relates to the interface between the printing part of the system and the drying part of the system, so that the garments are automatically fed from the printing part to the drying part. This can be achieved by an automatic unloader, which removes the garments from the printing tray - including releasing the neck label printing surface where applicable, and the automatic unloader places the garments on the drying belt, and the present embodiment can also relate to the coordination between the printing speed and the drying speed, i.e. the speed of the drying belt. In an embodiment, the loading and unloading of the tray is carried out at the same end of the conveyor, i.e. the loading and unloading of the tray is carried out on the same side of the printing unit, and therefore a two-part conveyor system can be used, wherein one part of the conveyor transports the tray with garments from the loading area to the printing area, and the other part of the conveyor brings the tray back to the loading area. The two conveyor parts can be side by side or one is located below the other.

[0020] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a digital clothing printing system for printing and drying clothing, the digital clothing printing system comprising:

[0021] a loading station for loading garments to be printed onto a pallet;

[0022] conveyor;

[0023] at least one printing functional unit;

[0024] Unloading station;

[0025] Dryers; and

[0026] A drying belt for conveying the garments through a dryer after printing the garments, wherein the unloading station comprises an automatic unloader for removing the garments from the tray and placing the garments on the drying belt. The unloader may include functionality for releasing the neck label where applicable.

[0027] In an embodiment, the loading station and the unloading station are located on the same side of the printing functional unit.

[0028] In an embodiment, the conveyor includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor, and the system also includes an elevator for lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor and a descender for lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, the elevator and the descender are respectively located at opposite sides of the printing function unit, and the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor each extend between the elevator and the descender.

[0029] In an embodiment, the width of the drying belt accommodates a first number of garments, the first number being greater than 1, and the speed of the drying belt is set to advance one garment width during the time the first number of garments are provided from the printing function unit, thereby coordinating the drying speed with the printing speed.

[0030] In an embodiment, the drying belt is configured to advance continuously, and the automatic unloader is configured to place successive garments at successive positions on the drying belt.

[0031] In an embodiment, the length of the dryer is selected to provide a predetermined drying time for the garments as they advance through the dryer on the drying belt at a drying speed.

[0032] Embodiments may include a tray sizing station, wherein a tray is altered in configuration to accommodate a given garment.

[0033] Embodiments may include heating and curing chambers located within the dryer, the heating and curing chambers operating at different temperatures.

[0034] Embodiments may include another printing function located on the lower conveyor.

[0035] Embodiments may include a reader such as a barcode reader or RFID reader for reading the data supplied with the garment, or an automatic system that identifies the type of garment by its main characteristics, thereby printing each garment according to the data.

[0036] The automatic unloader may include a clamp that extends to release the neck label printing mechanism before the garment is unloaded from the tray.

[0037] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-speed digital clothing printing method for printing and drying clothing, the method comprising:

[0038] Loading the garments to be printed onto the pallet;

[0039] transporting the garments to a printing function unit for printing;

[0040] Releases the neck tag of the garment from the tray when necessary;

[0041] Unloading garments from pallets and placing them on drying belts; and

[0042] The garments are dried, wherein the speed of the drying belt is coordinated with the garment printing output of the printing functional unit.

[0043] The method may include performing loading and unloading on the same side of the printing functional unit.

[0044] The method may include lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor, and lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, the lifting and lowering being performed at opposite sides of the printing function unit, respectively.

[0045] In an embodiment of the method, the width of the drying belt accommodates a first number of garments, the first number being greater than 1, and the speed of the drying belt is set to advance one garment width during the time the first number of garments are provided from the printing function unit, thereby coordinating the drying speed with the printing speed.

[0046] The method may include continuously advancing a drying belt and placing successive garments at successive locations on the drying belt.

[0047] In an embodiment of the method, the length of the dryer is selected to provide a predetermined drying time for the garments as they advance through the dryer on the drying belt at a drying speed.

[0048] The method may include changing the tray configuration to accommodate a given garment.

[0049] The method may include operating separate heating and curing chambers in the dryer at different temperatures, respectively.

[0050] The method may include performing a printing or drying or depositing function on the lower conveyor.

[0051] The method may include reading data supplied with the garments, thereby printing each garment in accordance with the data.

[0052] The loader may be used to automatically or semi-automatically load garments from a stack of garments onto the print tray.

[0053] According to a third aspect of the present embodiment, a digital clothing printing system for printing clothing is provided, the system comprising:

[0054] a loading station for loading garments to be printed onto a pallet;

[0055] conveyor;

[0056] at least one printing functional unit;

[0057] Wherein, the conveyor includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor, and the system also includes an elevator for lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor and a descender for lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, the elevator and the descender are respectively located on opposite sides of the printing function unit, and the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor each extend between the elevator and the descender, wherein the lower conveyor includes a second functional unit.

[0058] In an embodiment, the second functional unit is at least one member of the group consisting of a printing station, a drying station and a storage station.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to the methods and materials described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention, exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. In the event of a conflict, the patent specification including the definitions shall prevail. In addition, materials, methods and examples are merely illustrative and are not necessarily intended to be limiting.

[0060] The implementation of the method and / or system of the embodiments of the present invention may include performing or completing selected tasks manually, automatically, or in combination thereof. In addition, actual instruments and devices according to the embodiments of the method and / or system of the present invention may use an operating system to implement multiple selected tasks by hardware, software, or firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0061] For example, the hardware for performing selected tasks according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a chip or circuit. As software, the selected tasks according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by multiple software instructions executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one or more tasks according to the exemplary embodiments of the method and / or system described herein are performed by a data processor, such as a computing platform for executing multiple instructions. Optionally, the data processor includes a volatile memory for storing instructions and / or data and / or a non-volatile storage device for storing instructions and / or data, such as a magnetic hard disk and / or a removable medium. Optionally, a network connection is also provided. A display and / or a user input device such as a keyboard or a mouse are also optionally provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Some embodiments of the present invention are described herein by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the accompanying drawings in detail, it is emphasized that the details shown are by way of example and for the purpose of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, the description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings makes it apparent to those skilled in the art how to practice the embodiments of the present invention.

[0063] In the attached picture:

[0064] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a prior art high throughput printing system;

[0065] Figure 2a and Figure 2b are a side view and a top view, respectively, of a block of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 3a and Figure 3b are a side view and a top view, respectively, of a block of a printing system according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 4 is a simplified diagram showing a perspective view of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 5 is a top view of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0069] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A more detailed view of an implementation of

[0070] Figure 7 is a side view showing how a garment for printing may be moved through the stations of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0071] Figure 8 is a simplified top view of an interface between a printing portion and a drying portion of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0072] Fig. 9 It is shown from the perspective Figure 8 A simplified diagram of the interface, with some parts cut away;

[0073] FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D is a simplified diagram showing an unloader device on tracks and a neck label printing tray extension according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0074] Fig.11 is a simplified diagram showing an integrated barcode reader according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0075] Fig.12is a simplified diagram illustrating an excess fluid management system for a print tray in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] The present invention in some of its embodiments relates to a high volume digital garment printer and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a high volume automated digital printer for textile garments based on a vertical tray conveyor system with lifts on both sides, a return conveyor with or without functionality and an optional functional module in the middle. The conveyor system is connected to an associated dryer using a garment unloader with pick and place capabilities to place the garments in an optimized manner for drying.

[0077] A digital garment printing system for printing and drying garments includes: a loading station for loading garments for printing onto a tray; a conveyor; at least one printing functional unit; an unloading station; a dryer; and a drying belt for conveying the garments through the dryer after printing, wherein the unloading station includes an automatic unloader for removing the garments from the tray and placing them on the drying belt. Where applicable, the automatic unloader may include a feature for releasing a neck tag of the garment.

[0078] The conveyor may be arranged on two levels, with tray lifting mechanisms on both sides to raise and lower the tray. The horizontally moving conveyor may return the carriage to the loading / unloading station with or without printing media. Embodiments may have at least one garment loading and / or unloading station and at least one garment printing station.

[0079] Additional functional modules within the equipment may include manual or automatic garment loaders and unloaders, tray size and shape adjustment, wet and / or dry pre-treatment, white and / or color printing, visual inspection, garment identification, neck label printing, additional decoration, post-print drying and / or curing within the conveyor path and / or as a separate additional module, and garment pickers / folders / packers. Garment identification may utilize barcodes and / or specialized sensors to detect garment type and characteristics.

[0080] Embodiments may relate to a system, sequence and workflow and may be used for any digital printing on textiles, whether multiple copies or a one-time print.

[0081] This embodiment may use a vertical architecture for the conveyor, where two levels of conveyors are combined with elevators at both ends for transferring print trays between one level and another.

[0082] In this embodiment, the feature is the location of the unloading module, which can be located on the same side as the loading station. This arrangement means that the tray returns to the loading station below the main conveyor system with the printed shirts on it, rather than returning to the loading station after unloading the printed shirts.

[0083] This embodiment may provide an interface, such as a smart interface, to an adaptive inline dryer where the transfer of print media may be performed using an automatic unloader.

[0084] These changes may allow for better utilization of occupied space while having improved ergonomics.

[0085] As mentioned, the loading station and the unloading station may be on different sides of the printing functional unit, see below Figure 2a and Figure 2b , or possibly on the same side of the printed functional unit, see below Figure 3a and Figure 3b .

[0086] The conveyor may include an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor. The lifter may lift the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor, and the descender may lower the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor. The lifter and the descender may be located at opposite sides of the printing function unit, respectively, and the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor may each extend between the lifter and the descender.

[0087] The drying belt may be of a width that accommodates a specific number of garments, which number is greater than one. The drying belt may be set to a speed that advances by the width of one garment during the time that the specific number of garments is provided from the printing function unit, thereby coordinating the drying speed with the printing speed. Thus, if the width is three garments, the belt advances by the width of one garment in the time that three garments are printed.

[0088] The drying belt can be continuously advanced, and the automatic unloader places successive garments at successive positions on the drying belt as the drying belt advances, thereby producing a striking effect.

[0089] The length of the dryer is to provide a predetermined drying time for the garments as they advance through the dryer on the belt at a drying speed. Thus, if one shirt is provided every nine seconds and the width of the belt can accommodate three shirts, then the belt advances the width of one shirt every 27 seconds. A typical drying time may be about four minutes.

[0090] The tray may be a flexible tray that can be resized or reconfigured for different kinds of garments. A tray sizing station may be included where the configuration of the tray is changed to accommodate a given garment.

[0091] The system may include separate heating and curing chambers in the dryer. The heating and curing chambers may be operated at different temperatures to perform the different functions of the heating and curing chambers.

[0092] The system may include other functional units positioned on the lower conveyor. The lower conveyor may not have all the mechanical devices required to accurately position the tray, so this position may be reserved for functions that do not require high precision positioning. Such low-precision functions may include the deposition of post-printing material, and pre-drying by infrared or other means.

[0093] The system may use a reader that reads data supplied for a garment, such as a barcode or RFID. Unlike the manually operated readers typically used in front of a loading station, the reader may be embedded within the system and may establish the information for the next (N+1) shirt in sufficient time to allocate and load the necessary job data. The data may define the desired printing operation, such as indicating the material of the garment, the size or type of garment, and the print file for printing. Thus, the data may be used to print each garment in an automated manner as required.

[0094] Thus, the present embodiment can provide a printing system for high-volume digital printing, wherein the module provides the required functionality. It can provide: automatic or semi-automatic loading of garments, such as from a stack of garments; automatic release of garments from any specific mounting device in the tray, such as from a neck label surface; automatic unloading of garments, which can be directly to an online high-volume dryer, an adaptive multi-channel dryer fully integrated with the printer, and an automatic tray size adjustment mechanism can be provided to support a variety of garment types and sizes without manual intervention.

[0095] For the purpose of better understanding some embodiments of the present invention, reference is first made to the configuration and operation of the prior art system illustrated in FIG. 1 and already mentioned in the background.

[0096] As shown in Figure 1, several production units 10, 12 and 14 can be constructed, each unit including one or more direct-to-garment printers 16. Here, three printers are shown in each unit. The printers are concentrated around the input end of the direct-to-garment dryer 18.

[0097] Thus, each unit constitutes a printing line, each of which uses a small to medium batch production system, namely a printer and its adjacent additional facilities such as a common dryer 18. As explained, a factory with low production volume (orders), producing about 1,000 shirts per day, can use one printer 16 and one dryer 18, during a 10-hour shift, during which about 100 shirts can be processed per hour. If the order is a medium volume of about 10,000 pieces per day, the production line may require ten such printers to operate in parallel. As shown, multiple printers can use a single dryer, and three production units 10, 12 and 14 can be formed, each with three printers 16 and one dryer 18. The shirts need to be loaded on the printer and then transferred to the dryer. As explained above, since printing requires very precise alignment and the dryer is very hot, it is not possible to use the same tray to transport the shirts directly from the printer to the dryer. Instead, the shirts must be unloaded from the precise room temperature tray used by the printer and then transferred to the dryer.

[0098] This straightforward solution is expensive in terms of both the floor space of the equipment, i.e., the factory floor space required for all the printers and dryers, and the manpower to operate the equipment, since each printer requires at least one human operator for the duration of any given operation.

[0099] Before describing in detail at least one embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components and / or methods set forth in the following description and / or illustrated in the drawings and / or examples. The present invention is capable of other embodiments or can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0100] Now refer to Figure 2a and Figure 2b , Figure 2a and Figure 2b The block diagrams are respectively shown as viewed from the side and from the top of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] At the pallet lift 20, the pallet is provided to the upper transverse conveyor 22. The conveyor conveys the pallet to the garment loader 24, where the garments are collected from a stack or a batch of garments and placed on the pallet. The garments are conveyed to the printer 26, where printing and other related operations, such as various pre-printing processes, can be performed. The pallet with the printed garments then travels to the garment unloader 28, where the neck tag mechanism is released if the feature is present, and the printed garments are then removed. The pallet then travels to the pallet lowerer 30, where the pallet is lowered to the lower transverse conveyor 32 and returned to the pallet lift 20. The pallet is lifted by the elevator.

[0102] Now refer to Figure 3a and Figure 3b , Figure 3a and Figure 3b Block diagrams from the side and from above, respectively, of alternative embodiments of the invention.

[0103] At the tray lift and unloader 40, the tray is provided to an upper transverse conveyor 42. The conveyor conveys the tray to a garment loader 44, where the garments are collected from a stack or batch of garments and placed on the tray. The garments are conveyed to a printer 46, where printing and other related operations, such as various pre-printing processes, can be performed. The tray with the printed garments then travels to a tray lowerer 48, where the tray is lowered to a lower transverse conveyor 50 and returned to the tray lift 40. The tray is lifted by the lift, and the garments are released and removed by the unloader.

[0104] Thus, the architecture may be based on moving the tray horizontally through at least one functional module, such as a printer, using a vertical conveyor system having at least one upstream elevator and at least one downstream elevator and a return conveyor between the at least one upstream elevator and the at least one downstream elevator.

[0105] The tray can be moved between different modules on the conveyor system with or without printed garments. In each cycle of the system, the tray stops at each functional station to perform a different function of a complete printing sequence.

[0106] The present architecture can support one or more printing stations, for example printing different colors, and / or adding additional decorations to the printed image. The different colors or decorations must be precisely aligned with each other, and therefore providing these features in different stations requires very high precision positioning of the tray and print media with reference to each station and the print array to ensure that the ink is deposited exactly where it is needed on the media at each station.

[0107] Now refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 6 is a diagram showing a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. The high-volume printer 60 includes a loader 62, a printing station 64, an elevator 66 located at either end of the printing station, and an unloader 68. The upper and lower conveyors extend between the elevators 66 and are not visible in this view. The dryer 70 has its own conveyor and is connected to the unloader 68. Thus, a continuous system for feeding garments is provided, which starts with the loader 62, passes the garments through the printing station 64, and then passes the garments through the dryer 70. However, the garments are unloaded from the tray before entering the dryer so that the high-precision positioning mechanism used by the tray will not be damaged by the heat of the dryer.

[0108] Now refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 is a simplified block diagram from above illustrating a printing system 72 according to the present embodiment in more detail. The various functional parts of the system may include a shirt loading station 74, which may be a manual station, a semi-automatic station, or even a fully automatic station, where a garment may be automatically picked up from a stack of garments. The loader may be followed by a tray automatic sizing station 76, where the mechanical configuration of the tray is automatically or manually changed to support the form and size of all printed garments. Thus, a section may be added to increase the width of the tray, or a shaped collar section or the like may be added or removed. A pre-treatment station 78 may apply any pre-treatment process prior to the printing stage, including but not limited to a fixer, heat press, heat pre-treatment, etc. One or more printing stations may then apply digital prints including white and color inks on the garments. In the illustrated example, a separate white printing station 80 and color printing station 82 are provided.

[0109] After applying the pre-treatment fluid (eg, fixer, ink, etc.), a dedicated fluid management system may be provided to collect excess fluid from the system, either by direct draining or by forced suction to an external reservoir. Such a fluid management system is applicable to any embodiment herein.

[0110] Then, the downstream lifter 84 transports the tray to the lower conveyor after printing.Optionally, other stations can be set along the lower conveyor.

[0111] A shirt unloading station may be provided, which may be manual or automated, and is shown here in conjunction with the upstream lifter station 86. In an embodiment, an automated unloading station may be combined with the upstream lifter 86, and a manual loading / unloading station may be combined with the pallet automated assembly station 74. Thus, automated loading may be used for standard garments, and manual loading and unloading may be used for non-standard or special garments that the automated system does not know how to handle.

[0112] The lower tray conveyor, not visible in this view, returns the tray with or without garments to the tray's original position.As mentioned, the lower conveyor may include additional function stations to apply other functions to the printed garments.

[0113] After printing, the downstream elevator 84 moves the tray down from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor.

[0114] An upstream lift at station 86 moves the tray from the lower conveyor up to the upper conveyor where an automatic unloader waits to release and remove the printed garments and place them on a dryer.

[0115] The unloader at station 86 may be an automatic unloader that interfaces between the printer and the dryer, and may provide multiple lane placement of garments on a dryer belt 88. The dryer extending from the dryer belt 88 dries and cures the printed garments, and a station for post-printing processing may be provided at the distal end of the dryer - the station including a folder for folding the garments, an automatic robotic arm for packaging or placing the printed garments in a warehouse, etc., or the like.

[0116] Now refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A more detailed view of the printing system. Figure 5 The same parts are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again except for the sake of understanding. Figure 6 Other than what is required.

[0117] Garments arriving at the system may include a barcode or RFID that may indicate what type of garment the garment is or what printing operation is required. Thus, the system may include a barcode or RFID reader 89 for reading the code and setting the system to perform the desired operation, as described below with respect to Fig.11 discussed in more detail.

[0118] The mixing system 92 can prepare the pre-printed mixture according to the type of garment. Thus, for example, a wool garment may require a different pre-printed mixture than a nylon garment.

[0119] A wrinkle detection system 94 may be added which checks whether the garment advancing towards the printer is indeed flat. Upward wrinkles in the folds may interfere with the printing process and may further contaminate the printing nozzles.

[0120] Now refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 A basic conveyor circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. A pallet 100 is loaded with garments 102 at a loader 104 and travels on a conveyor 106 to a garment printer 108 where various printing processes are performed. The pallet then reaches a descender 110 and is lowered to a lower horizontal conveyor 112. The pallet is then conveyed to an elevator 116 via an optional functional module 114 and is unloaded and moved to a multi-shirt dryer 118.

[0121] Notably, in embodiments, lower conveyor 110 may not include the precise alignment mechanisms required for digital printing, and thus functional modules 112 may be reserved for functions that do not require precise alignment, such as spraying the entire garment with a printed composition.

[0122] Now refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating the interface between the printer portion 120 of the system and the dryer portion 122 of the system. The interface at the dryer can be based, for example, on an automatic unloader 124 that releases the neck tags of garments from a tray, picks up or unloads the printed garments from the tray, moves the printed garments to the dryer, and places the printed garments in multiple lanes on the dryer belt. The unloader can include one or more robotic arms with gripper attachments to grab garments in corners, etc. to remove them from the tray and place them flat on the conveyor belt 126 of the dryer 128. It should be noted that the garment placement operation can be timed to accommodate the output from the printer and the output through the dryer.

[0123] Dryer 128 may be a wide dryer with multiple lanes. This configuration can reduce the length and overall footprint of the dryer since multiple garments are dried simultaneously in the same chamber. However, this arrangement requires a complex unloader to place the garments at different locations on the belt during each cycle, so the unloader motion is different during each portion of the cycle.

[0124] like Figure 8As shown, the garment 130 that arrives at the end of the printer is picked up and placed on the conveyor belt 126. Successive garments are placed in successive positions #1, #2, and #3 on the conveyor. The conveyor advances continuously so that the successive garments are staggered in the width direction on the conveyor. The speed of the conveyor can be controlled so that for the width of n garments, in this case the width of 3 garments, the conveyor moves 1 / n of the total garment width for the placement of each garment. Therefore, these garments are correctly attached to each other in the length direction.

[0125] That is, the conveyor speed and size calculations for the dryer are derived from the output of the printer, and this is possible because both the printer and the dryer are on-line and synchronized with each other.

[0126] The printer produces a new printed shirt every Tp cycle time and unloads the shirt onto a dryer with N lanes. Each position on the belt needs to be free for a new shirt within N*Tp (seconds). The position width can be equal to the widest applicable shirt (W); therefore, the belt speed is V=W / N*Tp.

[0127] For example: Printer throughput = 400 shirts per hour (sph), equivalent to one shirt every 9 seconds. Number of dryer passes = 3, as shown, and maximum shirt width = 60 cm.

[0128] Therefore, belt speed = 60 / (3x9) = 60 / 27 = 2.2 cm / sec ~ 135 cm / min.

[0129] In turn, the belt speed defines the dryer length (L) according to the total drying time (Td): L = V*Td.

[0130] In the above example, if the drying time is 4 minutes, the minimum dryer length is:

[0131] L=135*4=540cm~5.5m.

[0132] Now refer to Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 1 is a simplified diagram showing a perspective view of a printer dryer interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printer chassis 130 leads to an unloader 132. The unloader includes an arm and clamp or any other suitable system for sliding a garment 134 off a print tray 135 and placing the garment 134 in one of the possible positions on a conveyor belt 136 of a dryer 138.

[0133] Now refer to FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D , FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D The diagram shows how the automatic neck label release mechanism is implemented. Fig. 10AA print tray 150 is shown with a neck label mechanism 152 that is provided with a raised surface for printing a neck label that is attached to a garment. The mechanism includes a print surface 154 and a frame 156. In a loading position for printing, as shown in FIG. Fig. 10C As shown, the print surface 154 extends beyond the frame 156 so that the label on the print surface is flush with the print surface of the main tray. Fig. 10B In the unloading state shown, the printing surface 154 is retracted below the surface of the frame to release the garment. The garment is printed in the loading position and unloaded in the unloading position. To unload the garment from the print tray, the unloading mechanism uses the clamp 158 to interface with a release mechanism such as a snap on the neck label mechanism 152 and thereby release the garment.

[0134] Now refer to Fig.11 , Fig.11 A barcode reader 160 is illustrated, which is incorporated into the printing system and reads data attached to a single garment, such as the data of the checked barcode pattern 62. The barcode can identify the type of garment and the main features of the garment, thereby allowing the printer to print each garment according to the data. In an embodiment, the data can be used to correctly place the garment on the drying belt. The reader embedded in the system is different from the manually operated reader usually used in front of the loading station. The reader according to this embodiment can establish the information of the next (N+1) shirt with enough time to distribute and load the necessary job data. The data can define the required printing operation, such as indicating the material of the garment, the size or type of the garment, and the print file to be used for printing. Therefore, the data can be used to print each garment in an automatic manner as required.

[0135] Now refer to Fig.12 , Fig.12A fluid management system is illustrated, which is used to manage excess fluids that may occur at different points in the printing system, such as excess ink or excess pre-treatment or post-treatment fluids. After applying the pre-treatment fluid (e.g., fixer, ink, etc.), a dedicated fluid management system can be provided to collect excess fluids in the system by direct discharge or by forced suction to an external reservoir. The pump can be arranged at selected locations around the printer where excess fluids may occur, such as around and below the print tray. In some cases, the discharge hole may be sufficient, and depending on the liquid and process, the waste liquid can be collected for reuse or discharged. However, the print tray moves, and the discharge hole may be impractical. Therefore, a pump mechanism can be used. The excess fluid management system for excess fluids may include a suction system 170, which includes two cylindrical members 172, each of which is combined with a rigid pipe 174 and attached to a frame 176. A control element 178 with a pump is attached to the frame 176 and is provided with a piston to perform suction. The barrel is positioned above the suction point with a certain amount of clearance above the surface of the tray to eliminate possible blockages by solid objects.

[0136] It is expected that during the life of the patent at the commencement of this application, many related feeding technologies, transfer technologies, and textile printing technologies will be developed, and the scope of these and other terms is intended a priori to include all such new technologies.

[0137] The terms "includes," "comprising," "including," "containing," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to."

[0138] The term "consisting of" means "including and limited to."

[0139] As used herein, the singular form "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0140] It should be understood that certain features of the invention described in the context of separate embodiments for clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment, and this description should be interpreted as if these embodiments are explicitly set forth herein. Conversely, various features of the invention described in the context of a single embodiment for brevity may also be provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination, or may be suitable as modifications of any other described embodiments of the invention, and this description should be interpreted as if these individual embodiments, sub-combinations, and modified embodiments are explicitly set forth herein. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments should not be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment does not function without these elements.

[0141] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is intended to encompass all of these alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

[0142] The applicant's intention is that all publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are incorporated by reference in their entirety into this specification, just as each individual publication, patent or patent application is specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in this article when cited. In addition, the citation or identification of any reference in this application should not be interpreted as an admission that the reference can serve as the prior art of the present invention. In terms of using section headings, section headings should not be understood as necessary limitations. In addition, any priority document of the present application is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.

Claims

1. A digital clothing printing system for printing and drying clothing, the digital clothing printing system comprising: a loading station for loading garments for printing onto a pallet; conveyor; at least one printing functional unit; Unloading station; Dryer; as well as A drying belt for conveying the garments through the dryer after printing, wherein the unloading station includes an automatic unloader for removing the garments from the tray and placing the garments on the drying belt.

2. The digital clothing printing system according to claim 1, wherein: The loading station and the unloading station are located on the same side of the printing function unit.

3. The digital clothing printing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The conveyor includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor, and the system also includes an elevator for lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor and a descender for lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, the elevator and the descender are respectively located at opposite sides of the printing function unit, and the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor each extend between the elevator and the descender.

4. A digital garment printing system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The width of the drying belt accommodates a first number of garments, the first number being greater than 1, and the speed of the drying belt is set to advance one garment width during the time the first number of garments is provided from the printing function unit, thereby coordinating the drying speed with the printing speed.

5. The digital clothing printing system according to claim 4, wherein: The drying belt is configured to advance continuously, and the automatic unloader is configured to place successive garments at successive positions on the drying belt.

6. The digital clothing printing system according to claim 5, wherein: The automatic unloader is configured with a clamp that can be extended to release a neck label printing mechanism before the garment is unloaded from the tray.

7. The digital clothing printing system according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein: The length of the dryer is selected to provide a predetermined drying time for the garments as they advance through the drying machine on the drying belt at the drying speed.

8. The digital garment printing system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a tray sizing station, wherein: The tray is varied in configuration to accommodate a given garment.

9. The digital garment printing system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising heating and curing chambers located in the dryer, the heating and curing chambers respectively operating at different temperatures.

10. The digital garment printing system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising another printing function unit located on the lower conveyor.

11. The digital garment printing system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a reader for reading data supplied with the garments, so as to print each garment according to the data.

12. A high-speed digital clothing printing method for printing and drying clothing, the method comprising: Loading the garments to be printed onto the pallet; Transmitting the garment to a printing function unit for printing; Unloading the garments from the tray and placing them on a drying belt; as well as The clothing is dried, wherein the speed of the drying belt is coordinated with the clothing printing output of the printing function unit.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising performing loading and unloading on the same side of the printing functional unit.

14. The method according to claim 12 or claim 13 comprises lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor, and lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, wherein the lifting and the lowering are respectively performed at opposite parts of the printing function unit.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The width of the drying belt accommodates a first number of garments, the first number being greater than 1, and the speed of the drying belt is set to advance one garment width during the time the first number of garments is provided from the printing function unit, thereby coordinating the drying speed with the printing speed.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising continuously advancing the drying belt and placing successive garments at successive positions on the drying belt.

17. The method according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein: The length of the dryer is selected to provide a predetermined drying time for the garments as they advance through the drying machine on the drying belt at the drying speed.

18. The method of any one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising changing the tray configuration to accommodate a given garment.

19. A method according to any preceding claim comprising operating separate heating and curing chambers in the dryer at different temperatures respectively.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 19, comprising performing a printing or drying or depositing function on the lower conveyor.

21. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 20, further comprising reading data supplied with the garments, whereby each garment is printed according to said data.

22. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein: The loading of garments includes automatically or semi-automatically loading the garments from a stack of garments onto a printing tray.

23. A digital clothing printing system for printing clothing, the digital clothing printing system comprising: a loading station for loading garments to be printed onto a pallet; conveyor; at least one printing functional unit; Wherein, the conveyor includes an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor, and the system also includes an elevator for lifting the tray from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor and a descender for lowering the tray from the upper conveyor to the lower conveyor, the elevator and the descender are respectively located on opposite sides of the printing function unit, and the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor each extend between the elevator and the descender, wherein the lower conveyor includes a second functional unit.

24. The digital printing station of claim 23, wherein: The second functional unit is at least one member of the group consisting of a printing station, a drying station and a storage station.

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