Custom printing line for drinking straws
The platen printing method addresses the challenge of personalizing drinking straws by aligning and printing them precisely, ensuring high-quality, automated production without additional costs or slowing down the manufacturing process, particularly for bio-based materials.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies fail to personalize drinking straws in small-batch production while meeting constraints of geometry alignment, food safety, printing speed, print quality, and material compatibility, particularly for bio-based materials, without incurring significant additional costs or slowing down manufacturing.
A platen printing method transforms continuous straw production into discrete, rapid production by aligning and securely holding straws on a platen, passing them through a printing chamber, and ensuring precise positioning for automated printing, followed by packaging with customer-specific references.
The method achieves personalized, high-quality printing on bio-based materials like cardboard and sugar cane pulp straws with minimal human intervention, maintaining manufacturing efficiency and compliance with food safety standards.
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Custom printing line for drinking straws
[0001] The present invention relates to a personalized printing line for drinking straws.
[0002] Drinking straws are known, through which liquid is sipped from a glass or bottle. These straws are currently standard and are not personalized with the colors, brand, or logo of the restaurant owner who distributes them to their customers.
[0003] Currently, there is no way to personalize drinking straws in small-batch production for distributors or end customers such as restaurants. The invention aims to address this gap and offers a complete device for personalizing drinking straws.
[0004] Mass production of straws is particularly difficult because it involves a combination of very specific constraints. The first constraint lies in the geometry of the straw, which is a cylindrical tube that is difficult to align and aim precisely. The second constraint lies in the very nature of the drinking straw, which must meet numerous food safety requirements to be placed on the market. The third constraint is the printing speed, which must allow for rapid bulk production. The fourth constraint is the print quality, which must appeal to customers with a resolution and printing precision that meets consumer printing standards.
[0005] A primary objective is to avoid generating significant additional costs and therefore to minimize human intervention in this printing process. The personalization printing must therefore be automated and integrated into the straw manufacturing process.
[0006] One objective of the invention is to provide a system that does not slow down the manufacturing chain.
[0007] One objective of the invention is to provide a manufacturing chain that allows continuous flow printing by automatically allocating the manufactured products to the customer.
[0008] One objective of the invention is to offer a quality product.
[0009] One objective of the invention is to be able to print so-called bio-based materials such as straws with components made of cardboard, sugar cane or beet pulp.
[0010] In a principal aspect, the invention proposes a printing process known as a platen printing method. What the invention achieves is to transform a continuous flow of straw production into a discrete, i.e., discontinuous and rapid, production of printed straws. The straws are securely held on a platen and pass through a printing chamber.
[0011] The invention will be better understood upon reading the accompanying figures, which illustrate a particular embodiment
[0012] [Fig-1] shows a top view of a schematic diagram of the printing chain according to the invention
[0013] [Fig.2] shows a top view of a schematic diagram of the mounting plate printing according to the invention
[0014] [Fig.3] shows, in side view, a schematic diagram of the straw support on the support platform according to the invention
[0015] [Fig. 1]] shows a top view of a schematic diagram of the printing chain according to the invention with a conveyor belt (10) that collects – Phase 1 of collection – the straws (1) produced at the output of the extrusion process. The straws arrive in a scattered order. A series of known steps, which we group under the name – Phase 2 of flow regulation – are used to align them and ensure a regular flow of straws conveyed on the conveyor belt.Phases 3, 4, and 5 that follow will transform this continuous flow into a discrete discontinuous flow - Phase 3 - Discontinuity in altitude of the conveyor platform with a gravity step, the straws fall onto a second conveyor belt (11) and roll and are wedged by a wedger (55) in wedges (301) of a wedge plate (30) attached to the second conveyor belt (11) - Printing Phase 4 - the platform arrives under the printer (40), the straws being precisely positioned under the printing area, and for a short time the whole is engraved - Phase 5 - the platforms are emptied by a new gravity drop onto a third conveyor platform (12) and finally - Phase 6 - All the straws, which are precisely counted and identified, can be packaged in a packet, bag or carton (60) with a customer reference to identify the particular nature of the printing.
[0016] [Fig.2] shows a top view of a schematic diagram of the mounting plate printing according to the invention with its wedges (301) which retain the straws (1).
[0017] [Fig.3] shows, in side view, a schematic diagram of the straw support on the shimming platform according to the invention with a shimming machine (55) comprising a series of brushes which come under pressure from above to roll them and shimmy them on the shims (301) of the shimming platform (30).
[0018] The present invention therefore consists of a printing line for drinking straws at the end of production, the straws (1) are conveyed on a conveyor belt (10) and end up packaged in a pack (60) characterized in that the entire conveying system is discontinuous and comprises, following the first conveyor belt (10), a second conveyor belt (11) onto which the straws fall. A positioning machine (55) positions the straws in the holders (301) of the positioning tray (30) attached to the second conveyor belt (11). The trays pass under a printer (40) which prints the straws, which then pass onto a third conveyor tray (12) which directs them into their packaging pack.
[0019] It is understood that variants of this wording are covered by equivalence or substitution which are included within the scope of the invention
Claims
[Claim 1] Demands In a printing line for drinking straws at the production output, the straws (1) are conveyed on a conveyor belt (10) and end up packaged in a pack (60) characterized in that the entire conveying system is discontinuous and includes, following the first conveyor belt (10), a second conveyor belt (11) on which the straws fall. A caliper (55) wedges the straws into the wedges (301) of the caliper tray (30) attached to the second conveyor belt (11). The trays pass under a printer (40) which prints the straws, which then pass onto a third conveyor tray (12) which directs them into their packaging pack (60).