Shrink-Label Graphics for Sporting Goods
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for applying graphics to sporting goods, such as silk-screening and decals, are labor-intensive and costly, especially on tapered or contoured products like ball bats, where image clarity and registration are challenging, leading to high costs and limited graphic size due to distortion issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of a shrink-label formed from a shrink-sleeve or shrink-wrap with pre-printed graphics that closely conforms to the item's surface, including tapered regions, optionally with an automated application and a clear coat for durability, using high-strength adhesives and materials like poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) or oriented polystyrene (OPS) films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If silk-screening is used to apply graphics to sporting goods, then graphics can be applied to the item, but the process becomes labor intensive and costly due to separate application of each color and precise aligning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple color images into a single decal label that contains all graphic elements. This eliminates the need for separate silk-screening operations for each color, reducing labor intensity and improving production efficiency while maintaining graphic quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-prints all graphic elements onto a single decal label before application. This preliminary action of creating a complete multi-color graphic on one label eliminates the need for multiple sequential application steps and precise registration operations during production.
2Manufacturing precision
If silk-screening is used on tapered products like ball bats, then graphics can be applied, but image clarity and registration become extremely difficult due to varying diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible decal label that can conform to the tapered surface of the sporting good item. The thin film nature of the decal allows it to wrap around and adhere to surfaces with varying diameters, maintaining image clarity and eliminating registration difficulties associated with rigid silk-screening on tapered objects.
3Ease of manufacture
If decals are used to apply graphics to sporting goods, then cost savings of 25-40% are achieved and quality increases, but manual labor is required for application due to inability of automated equipment to handle highly contoured products
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible decal label design enables automated application equipment to successfully apply graphics to highly contoured products. The thin film can conform to complex surfaces during automated application, eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining the cost and quality advantages of decal technology.
4Ease of manufacture
If decals are applied to impact items like ball bats, then graphics can be applied cost-effectively, but additional protection is required due to lack of durability against abrasion and chipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure by applying a durable clear coat over the decal label. This composite material system combines the graphic quality and cost-effectiveness of the decal with the abrasion and chip resistance of the clear coat, achieving both economic and durability requirements for impact items.
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 method allows for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality graphic application over the entire length of sporting goods without distortion, providing exceptional durability and abrasion resistance, reducing costs by 25-40% compared to traditional methods and maintaining image clarity on highly contoured items.
Implementation Method 1
A sporting good item or other item includes a 'shrink-label' formed from a shrink-sleeve, shrink-wrap, or a stretch-sleeve adhered to or otherwise affixed to an outer surface of the item
Data Source
AI summary
A sporting good item or other product includes a “shrink-label” formed from a shrink-sleeve, shrink-wrap, or a stretch-sleeve adhered to or otherwise affixed to an outer surface of the item. The shrink-label includes pre-printed graphics and closely conforms to the item's outer surface, including any contours or tapered regions, so that the graphics may be displayed anywhere on the item. The shrink-label may optionally be applied to the item via an automated device. A clear coat or other protective layer may optionally be applied to an outer surface of the shrink-label to increase its durability and resistance to abrasion, which is particularly beneficial when the shrink-label is applied to an item intended for impact applications, such as a ball bat.