Cap Platen With Biasing Arms For Flat Printing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Printing graphics on three-dimensional articles like shoes and caps poses challenges due to their shape and contours, particularly in simultaneously printing on both surfaces with quality, and the tongue of shoes is often encumbered by other parts, making it difficult to achieve efficient customization.
Innovation Solution
A uniquely designed platen system that securely holds headwear and shoes, featuring adjustable components like vise plates, face plates, and biasing mechanisms to create a flat printing surface, allowing for simultaneous printing on both sides and the tongue of shoes, using a combination of slots, pegs, and elastic rods to ensure proper alignment and tension for accurate graphic application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional printing methods are used on three-dimensional articles like caps and shoes, then the printing process becomes complex and time-consuming, but the articles cannot be printed efficiently due to their contours and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The platen is divided into multiple functional components including a vise plate for the bill, a face plate for the crown, and adjustable arms with clips. This segmentation allows each component to address specific geometric challenges of the cap, enabling efficient printing on three-dimensional surfaces without requiring a complex overall system.
2Manufacturing precision
If the platen components are adjusted to accommodate different cap sizes and shapes, then the printing quality improves, but the setup time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The platen incorporates dynamically adjustable components including movable arms with spring-loaded clips and adjustable positioning mechanisms. These dynamic features allow rapid adaptation to different cap sizes and shapes without requiring complex manual setup procedures, maintaining printing quality while reducing operational time.
3Manufacturing precision
If the cap is held firmly to maintain a flat printing surface, then printing quality improves, but the cap may deform or the printing process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The platen applies localized pressure through specific contact points including the vise plate under the bill, the face plate against the crown, and spring-loaded clips on the sides. This distributed local pressure creates a flat printing surface without concentrating force that could deform the cap structure, maintaining both printing quality and cap integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and high-quality printing of customized graphics on various articles, including shoes and caps, by maintaining the articles in a taut and flat position, ensuring precise and even application across multiple surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
A pair of arms can be attached to the vise plate or the face plate to apply a biasing force against the sides of the cap to push the sides of the cap outwardly away from the face plate
Data Source
AI summary
A cap platen to securely hold headwear, such as caps, hats, and the like, so that graphics, including custom graphics, can be printed on the cap automatically. The platen has a vise plate to support the bill of a cap and a face plate attached to the vise plate to hold the crown of cap. Arms can be attached to the vise plate or the face plate to apply a biasing force against the sides of the cap pushed the sides of the cap outwardly away from the face plate.