Shielding Enclosure for UV Curing in Container Printers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container treatment machines face issues with nozzle clogging and reduced print quality due to unintentional curing of printing ink by direct light or scattered light from curing devices, and there is a health hazard and protection concern for UV-sensitive components from UV radiation.
Innovation Solution
A container treatment machine design where the curing device is stationary, and each container receptacle has a shielding housing with an access opening, along with a shielding element on the curing device that interacts with the access opening to prevent direct light emission, creating a quasi-closed chamber to shield the direct print heads from light radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stationary curing device is used to cure printing ink on containers, then curing effectiveness is improved, but direct light and scattered light from the curing device can reach the direct printheads and unintentionally harden the printing ink, causing nozzle clogging and reduced print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional zones: a printing zone with direct printheads and a curing zone with a stationary UV curing device. Physical barriers (shielding housings) segment the light paths, allowing the curing device to operate effectively without its light reaching the printheads, thus resolving the contradiction between curing effectiveness and preventing unintentional ink hardening
Solution Approach 2:
Shielding housings and light barriers act as intermediaries between the stationary curing device and the direct printheads. These intermediaries block direct and scattered UV light from reaching the printheads while allowing the curing process to proceed effectively on the containers, eliminating the harmful side effect of unintentional ink curing
2Productivity
If UV light is used for curing printing ink, then curing speed and quality are improved, but health risks to operators from UV radiation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful UV radiation is extracted and contained within a dedicated curing zone. The stationary curing device is positioned and shielded so that UV light is directed only at the containers needing curing, not at the operator area. This separation maintains high curing speed while protecting operator health by removing the harmful radiation from the operator's environment
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding housings that block UV light from reaching printheads also serve to contain and direct UV radiation toward the containers. The potentially harmful scattered light is converted into a beneficial focused curing effect on the target surface, while operator exposure is minimized through strategic positioning and shielding
3Manufacturing precision
If direct printheads are positioned close to containers for printing, then printing precision is improved, but the printheads become more susceptible to light radiation from the curing device
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses spatial segmentation to separate the printing function (requiring close printhead-to-container positioning for precision) from the curing function (requiring UV light exposure). Shielding structures create distinct light zones that allow high-precision printing close to the container while preventing curing light from reaching the printheads
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
This solution effectively prevents unintentional curing of printing ink in the nozzles and reduces health risks from UV radiation, ensuring better print quality and protecting UV-sensitive components within the machine.
Implementation Method 1
a shielding element (62) that interacts with the access opening (71) of at least one shielding enclosure (7) in such a way that direct light emission is prevented
Implementation Method 2
The initially liquid printing ink is cured on the containers by a curing unit stationary on the carousel, for example, using UV light
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Container handling machine (1) for printing on containers (2) with a transport device (3) optionally designed as a carousel for transporting the containers (2) in rotating container holders (4), with at least one direct print head (5w, 5c, 5y, 5M, 5K) for printing with a light-curing printing ink and with a stationary curing device (6) for curing the printing ink on the containers (2) by means of light radiation, optionally UV light radiation, characterized in that the container holders (4) are each designed with a shielding enclosure (7) for shielding the light radiation, which has at least one access opening (71) for the curing device (6), and the curing device (6) is designed with a shielding element (62) which interacts with the access opening (71) of at least one shielding enclosure (7) in such a way that direct light emission is prevented.