DE102015114740A1 - Device for product presentation and positioning for use with a printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

At the same time, when creating individual imprints on products, it is intended to enable a product presentation of the different three-dimensional bodies for the customer at the point of sale and a supply of these bodies to a printhead in a printing device also at the point of sale. This is achieved with a device (1) for product presentation and positioning for use with a printing device, the device comprising a top-side connection region (2) to the product to be printed and a lower-side connection region (3) for establishing a detachable connection between the Device (1) and a defined connection area on a loading tray of the printing device.

Description

The invention relates to a device for product presentation and positioning for use with a printing device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a product presentation arrangement using the device.

For individual design of everyday electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, game consoles or other electronic devices, it is becoming increasingly popular to cover these with designed design foils or to provide the devices with design covers. Such films and covers can be created on the one hand by the selection of a design from an already existing design pool, or alternatively by completely individual designs, for example by private photographs.

It is state of the art to order such slides and design covers on specially furnished websites on the Internet, the order process is subject to a given routine. The films consist of a PVC vinyl with a honeycomb adhesive layer on the underside and a lamination film on the top side protecting the print layer. The design covers can be made of a suitable hard or soft plastic.

In addition to this order variant, the aim is recently to create customer-driven digital design film and design cover sales stations, which enable a short-term production of one or more prefabricated design films or covers locally in a shop. It should in this case a production of the design film or descover be achieved within a normal residence in a shop, the design film or cover should already be available as a finished product for mounting on the electronic device at the end of the process, so no continuing curing times, manual Cutting times or drying times are required.

A particular problem here is that the model variety is immense, especially in the field of mobile phones, which raises the question, especially in the point-of-sale design of design covers, how this variety of different sized cover a printing device can be fed and this without complex technical Solutions that require expert attention to the printing device that would impede a point-of-sale application. In addition to the variety of dimensions of the example. Mobile phones, the variety of forms is also increased by different types of covers such as hard cases or flip cases with integrated display flap.

From the publication WO 2012 139 573 A2 is a design foil and design cover sales station known in which design films and plastic covers can be printed using a UV LED printer. Here, it is also described that a tool for receiving, for example, the cover of mobile phones can be placed detachably on a printing plate, so that even three-dimensional objects up to a height of 5 cm of the printing unit can be supplied.

A similar disclosure can be found in the document US 2013 0335 464 A1 , which includes a printing system in which also various objects can be printed. These are transported on printing trays or trays, wherein trays in the required size of the objects to be printed are arranged in these trays.

The aim is to provide a system and method for printing on several different types of articles of manufacture by the same delivery system. The aim is to print any number of different designs for any given type of article of manufacture, which corresponds to the required quantity of the specific type of article of manufacture. So the pressure is to become more economical even from small numbers of a motive on an article of manufacture.

The disclosed system and method of US 2013 0335 464 A1 for a corresponding transfer printing system allows any number of print patterns to be printed on any number of different types of articles of manufacture in a continuous stream. Further, it may be realized that several different types of articles of manufacture are printed in a print production flow in any order and regardless of the type of article of manufacture.

This is realized after the US 2013 0335 464 A1 by a plurality of trays fed to the conveyor system in a print cartridge, each print cartridge being formed with at least one identifier and containing a plurality of articles such that the respective print surfaces of the articles are arranged along a common plane. The printing system receives the print cartridge from the transport system and the associated print job for the respective print area of the items.

From the publication DE 10 2006 003 056 A1 a method for printing objects is known in which the printed objects are supplied by means of a holding device or a label carrier of a printing device. This allows for printing various objects, wherein the retaining device or the label carrier are conveyed into the printing press, printed there at a defined location and then ejected again. So also stacked holding device or label carrier can be processed. Since it is a structurally complex process, it is unsuitable for use at the point of sale.

From the publication US 2015/0029285 A1 discloses a method for individual product design at the point of sale, with the emphasis here being on the use of sublimation or transfer printing in its production. It is therefore a complex and therefore cost-intensive approach.

From the patent DE 10 2008 060 451 B4 a positioning device is known which serves to receive label carriers, which in turn contain, for example, labels to be printed, which are detached after printing from the label carrier. The disclosed positioning device now picks up the label carriers so that they can be fed to a printer.

Other prior art disclosures disclose basic procedures for customizing skins or skins for electronic devices, particularly mobile phones, such as US 2008/0313552 A1 . US 2011/0048256 A1 . US 2013/0021630 A1 and US 2013/0184845 A1 , These documents disclose procedures in the creation of individual designs, leaving questions of the printing process open.

Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for product presentation and positioning for use with a printing device, which simultaneously allows a product presentation of the different three-dimensional bodies for the customer at the point of sale and a supply of these bodies a printhead in a printing device also at the point of sale allows. This device should also allow an advantageous product presentation arrangement.

This is achieved with a device having the features of claim 1.

The dependent claims 2-10 have advantageous embodiments of this invention the subject.

Claim 11 relates to a product presentation arrangement using the device.

The device for product presentation and positioning according to the invention is characterized in that on the one hand it receives the product to be printed, for example the cover of a mobile telephone, during the presentation at the point of sale. That is, the product to be printed is detachably attached to the device, and this combination of device and product to be printed is thus offered to the customer at the point of sale. In practice, this looks like that, for example, the printable cover for a mobile phone is optionally suspended with an additional outer packaging on a shelf of a shop, in which case a variety of different covers for different mobile phones with different dimensions can be offered on this device are arranged, which are adapted only in their dimensioning of the connection region to the product to this.

Here, the second function of the device is the inventive core, since upon acquisition of a product to be printed, the device with printed product arranged thereon are removed from the possibly existing outer packaging and directly with and through the device detachably connected to the device Printer can be added. In this case, it is the particular advantage of the device according to the invention that it has a constant underside connection region to a correspondingly formed connection region on the printer.

That is, either engages a bottom positively arranged connecting portion of the device in a negative trained recording on a loading tray of the printer or vice versa located on the loading tray of the printer, a correspondingly positively formed connecting portion, which in a lower side arranged negatively formed receptacle on the device even intervenes.

Hereby, it is a central feature that this underside connection area of the device to the printer is identical regardless of the product to be printed carried by the device and thus forms a defined constant connection to the charging tray of the printer, even if the connection contour of the device depending on the dimension of the product to be printed varies. In this way it is achieved that the connecting element remains unchanged on or in the loading tray of the printer regardless of the product to be printed.

An advantageous aspect is thus that in particular a defined constant alignment of the product to be oppressed on the loading tray of the printer can be achieved and thus the different products supplied to the printer always occupy a defined position to the print head. This is particularly relevant because it simplifies the process at the point of sale.

The customer first creates an individual design, for example, of a cover to be printed, for example on an operating monitor and must specify which product is to be printed, that is, for example, which cover for which type of mobile telephone. In this way, the dimension of, for example, the cover is already taken into account when creating the design. If the customer now removes the product specified by him, then this can be placed directly on the loading tray of the printer together with the inventive device for product presentation and positioning and is thus releasably fixed and positioned to be fed to the printing process.

However, this is in contrast to the mentioned document US 2013 0335 464 A1 not intended to print a variety of different items. Rather, it is about the device for product presentation and positioning to create a connection to the loading tray of a printing device to print a previously defined product, not to print in a printing a variety of products and this is not in one should be continuous but in a discontinuous sequence. It should always be an object to be printed with a defined print motif to be printed, the device according to the invention is intended to ensure that the different to be printed, for example, mobile phone cases are always aligned in the ideal position and pressure level relative to the print head.

Another important idea is that the loading tray can remain constant in height, since possibly variations in the height of the products to be printed by the device for product presentation and positioning can be compensated so that the printing plane always remains the same. Another inventive feature of the present product presentation and positioning apparatus for a printing station is that the design of the apparatus achieves consistent centering for the products to be printed.

The upper-side connection region to the product to be printed is varied according to the different dimensions of the products to be printed, whereas the lower-side connection region to the printing device is uniformly matched to the connection region on the charging tray. The aim of the device is that a variety of differently designed to be printed products can be prepared prepared for printing that treated the same for printing each of these products, namely with the already releasably secured device can be placed on the loading tray of the printer. The consistent underside connection area allows this, so that each of the offered, for example, cover independently of the model simply removed from the packaging and can be placed together with the already serving as a filling and holding body device in the packaging device on the loading tray of the printing device.

The upper-side connection region to the product to be printed is formed in a possible design so that it engages in the product, so that the product is detachably mounted on the connection region. This is useful, for example, in simple covers without display flap, which are designed to encompass a mobile phone at its outer edges, since the cover has a shape that allows placement on the top-side connection area readily.

Alternatively, the upper-side connection region has a depression for receiving the product in order to achieve a uniformly formed pressure plane, in particular in the case of more complex shapes. This is useful, for example, in the case of covers which have a display flap.

When the product is placed on the upper side, the connection area expediently has lateral retaining lugs which engage the inside of the attached product and thus releasably fix the product on the connection region. This structural design improves the grip of the product on the top connection area.

The lower-side connection region to the printing device is advantageously designed as a negative-shaped receptacle into which an analogously positively formed connection head engages on the charging tray of the printing device. In principle, it is likewise alternatively possible that the underside connecting region to the printing device is designed as a positively formed connecting head, which engages in a negative analog recording on the loading tray of the printing device.

It has proven to be advantageous if the device is formed in one piece, wherein the lower-side connecting portion is formed out of the upper-side connecting portion as a recess. In this way, production as a thermoformed product made of a plastic plate is possible, wherein a recess in the form of a circumferential ring in the form of the lower-side connecting region is embedded in the raised upper side connecting region. Through this A further central region is created within the depression, which forms the underside connection region, in which, for example, a connection head engages on the underside and thus fixes and positions the device on the charging tray.

The device according to an advantageous design is formed from the laterally encircling support surface to the loading tray of the printing device, the upper side connecting region, which is raised starting from the supporting surface, and the lower-side connecting region formed as a recess in the upper-side connecting region.

The underside connecting region expediently has a shape which produces a rotationally secure and clearly defined alignment of the device on the connecting region on the charging tray, for example the connecting head, of the printing device, so that the device can only be placed in a specific position on the connecting region of the charging tray , In a simply rectangular design of the connection head two orientations of the device would be possible, which can lead to errors in printing, as for example. Cover for mobile phones have to be considered recesses. The shape is therefore to be chosen so that only one orientation when placing on the tray is possible, for example, by differently shaped opposite edges.

Additional projections and / or recesses in the upper-side connection region of the device may be required in adaptation to the attached product. This is especially true for more complex shaped products to be printed.

The use of the device also allows an advantageous product presentation arrangement, as a product to be printed for the purpose of presentation at the point of sale is releasably attached to the device for presentation and positioning. It can either serve directly the device as the sole carrier of the product. In addition, the device can be placed in a further outer packaging with or without inserted product. Thus, the product is removed together with the device and can be fed directly to the printing device.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings.

Show it

1 a perspective view of the device according to the invention;

2 a side view of the device according to the invention;

3 a plan view of the device according to the invention in a second design and

4 a perspective view of the device according to the invention in a second design.

In 1 it can be seen that the device 1 consists of a one-piece component. In the illustrated design is a device produced by thermoforming, on the one hand a bearing surface 5 comprises, which is placed on a loading tray, not shown, a printer, not shown.

From this support surface 5 The upper-side connection area is formed bulging upwards 2 to the product to be printed. It is a uniformly shaped approximately rectangular attachment on the support surface 5 , the umseitig several retaining lugs 6 having. When using the device is in this case on this connection area 2 the product to be printed, such as the cover of a mobile phone, releasably attached. The out of bearing surface 5 plus top connection area 2 The height of the device formed is exactly determined so that when placing the device on the loading tray of a printing device, the product to be printed is aligned in the ideal printing plane for the print head.

Due to the one-piece design of the device is now also the underside connection region according to the invention 3 for placing on a connection area on the loading tray of the printing device directly from the top-side connection area 2 worked out. That is to say, in the case of, for example, a deep-drawing process, the surface-side connection area becomes flat 2 the connection area 3 formed down. He has here a circumferential groove-like recessed area 9 , which roughly matches the level of the bearing surface 5 having. At the heart of the depression 9 of the connection area 3 you will find the remaining not or only partially deepened area 10 , which forms the actual receiving area for a connection head on the loading tray. That is, the thus formed underside cavity of the lower-side connecting portion 3 serves as a receptacle and thus as centering and fixing the device on the loading tray.

This is also going through 2 clarifies that shows a side view of the device. Here is clearly visible from the outside laterally circumferentially arranged support area 5 from which upwardly formed the connection area 2 going on. He forms here approximately vertical lateral flanks, at the upper lateral end of the lateral retaining lugs 6 are arranged.

In the surface of the top-side connection area 2 worked into is the lower-side connection area 3 formed from the circumferential recess 9 , in the middle of which the negative education 4 is arranged. It becomes clear that the circumferential recess 9 in about the level of the bearing surface 5 having. In addition, a further approximately vertically extending inner surface of the negative trained recording forms 4 out in your level below the top-side connection area 2 runs.

In the 3 and 4 an alternative design of the device is shown, which now serves to print a different shaped design of a body. Here is a so-called flip cover to use, which has an additional display cover for a mobile phone. In contrast to the formation of the device according to 1 and 2 Here is the circumferential bearing surface 5 formed significantly reduced, whereas on the surface of the upper-side connection area 2 for taking up the oppressive cover depressions 8th are arranged to make a flat printable surface. In addition to this fundamental deepening 8th For receiving the dry product are also product specific further projections or depressions 7 on the top connection area 2 arranged, which are arranged specifically adapted to the product to be printed.

In the present case of the 3 and 4 is the lower-side connection area 3 analogous to the 1 and 2 educated. A difference to the design after the 1 and 2 is recognizable in the inner surface of the negative trained recording 4 because these are now additional grades 11 having. This is an alternative design which additionally provides improved fixation of the connector head from the loading tray in the lower-side connection area 3 should cause, wherein the upper side of the engaging connection head analogously has a step and thus in this structure of the inner surface of the negative trained recording 4 fixation engages. An additional anti-rotation is achieved.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2012139573 A2 [0006]
• US 20130335464 A1 [0007, 0009, 0010, 0025]
• DE 102006003056 A1 [0011]
• US 2015/0029285 A1 [0012]
• DE 102008060451 B4 [0013]
• US 2008/0313552 A1 [0014]
• US 2011/0048256 A1 [0014]
• US 2013/0021630 A1 [0014]
• US 2013/0184845 A1 [0014]

Claims (11)

Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning for use with a printing device, wherein - the device has a top-side connection area ( 2 ) to the product to be printed, and - a lower-side connection region ( 3 ) for making a detachable connection between the device ( 1 ) and a defined connection area on a loading tray of the printing device. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that the top-side connection region ( 2 ) to the product to be printed varies according to the different dimensions of the products to be printed, whereas the lower-side region of connection ( 3 ) is adapted to the printing device consistently matched to the connection area on the charging tray. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the top-side connection region ( 2 ) engages the product to be printed in this product, so that the product is releasably attached to the connection area. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to claim 3, characterized in that the top-side connection region ( 2 ) lateral retaining lugs ( 6 ), which engage the inside of the attached product and so the product on the connection area ( 2 ) releasably fix. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower-side connection region ( 3 ) to the printing device as a negative recording ( 4 ) is formed, in which engages a positive analogously formed connection head on the loading tray of the printing device. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lower-side connection region ( 3 ) is formed to the printing device as a positively formed connecting head, which engages in a negative analog recording on the loading tray of the printing device. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device is integrally formed, wherein the lower-side connection region ( 3 ) from the top-side connection area ( 2 ) is formed as a depression. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device is formed from - a laterally encircling support surface ( 5 ) to the loading tray of the printing device, - of the support surface ( 5 ) starting elevated arranged upper-side connection area ( 2 ) - as well as in the top-side connection area ( 2 ) formed as a recess bottom side connecting region ( 3 ). Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower-side connection region ( 3 ) has a shape that provides a rotationally secure and clearly defined alignment of the device ( 1 ) on the connection area on the loading tray of the printing device produces, so that the device can be placed only in a certain position on the connecting portion of the loading tray. Contraption ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that additional projections and / or recesses ( 7 ) in the top-side connection area ( 2 ) of the device are arranged in adaptation to the patch product. Product presentation arrangement using the device ( 1 ) for product presentation and positioning according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a product to be printed for the purpose of presentation at the point of sale detachable on the device ( 1 ) is attached for presentation and positioning.

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