WO2012139573A2

WO2012139573A2 - Customer-operated digital skin and design cover sales system

Info

Publication number: WO2012139573A2
Application number: PCT/DE2012/200024
Authority: WO
Inventors: Manuel NOACK
Original assignee: Deindesign Gmbh
Priority date: 2011-04-15
Filing date: 2012-04-12
Publication date: 2012-10-18
Also published as: WO2012139573A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a digital skin and design cover sales station (1) for short-term customer-assisted production at the point of sale. In order to implement this, an apparatus is described which comprises at least one editing interface (2) as an order terminal and also editing hardware and software for the customer to select the electronic device for which a skin is intended to be created, to choose and to accept the design to be printed and to handle the ordering procedure, an online connection for the editing interface (2) with editing hardware and software to a database shop system containing at least format templates for tailoring the skins and also design templates for the skins and design covers themselves and also further information for handling the order and production process, a UV-LED printing unit (7) for printing on PVC vinyl films (8) and plastic covers which is actuated by means of the user interface (2), and also an automatic laser-controlled cutting apparatus (12) for tailoring the skin (8) to precise contours on the basis of the previously defined device type, to which apparatus the cut template data are transmitted via a data link to the user interface (2) and to the database.

Description

Customer Operated Digital Design Foil and Design Cover Sales System

The invention relates to a digital Designfolien- and Designcover sales station for short-term customer-aided production on Sale.

For individual design of electronic Everyday devices such as mobile phones, laptops, game consoles or even printers it enjoys increasing popularity, this with designed design films too or to provide the devices with design covers. Such films can on the one hand by the selection of a design from an existing one Design pool can be created, or alternatively by completely individual Designs, for example through private photographs.

It is state of the art, such films and Designcover on specially furnished websites on the Internet too order, wherein the ordering process is subject to a predetermined routine. For example, indicate which type of device should be designed, since this determines the form specification for the design foil or cover. Furthermore, it is to make a selection regarding the subject and possibly also the material the design film to be printed. The films are made of a PVC vinyl with a bottom-side adhesive layer with honeycomb structure and a topside the Print layer protective laminating film. The design covers can be made from one suitable hard or soft plastic.

Due to the elaborate manufacturing process will be currently such design films or covers locally to a central Produced production, which resembles a commercial printing company, then to be sent to the end customer. It is the material around Vinyl films, which are usually in a digital printing process in CMYK color mode be printed. PVC vinyl films are usually made with solvent inks printed to ensure lasting color stability of the printed image on the PVC as well to achieve a durability against aging and external influences.

The films used in the form of polymeric or molded premium vinyl films are made very thin here (<80mü) and have a high flexibility in application periods of 5-10 Years.

In the field of photography it has been around for some time known, customer-operated stand-alone digital photo sales systems, For example, in drugstores, to provide in which for example, using inkjet or thermal printing technologies, photos directly can be produced on site. In this way it is possible for the customer directly on such a photo-sales system on a disk uploaded photographs, a selection of the paper, the Print formats and the number of deductions to be made and also to produce the photos directly at the point-of-sale. It is thus possible, even at very short notice deductions of digital photos in the store itself to be able to create while avoiding shipping costs.

Such a possibility of direct customer-driven production of design foils or covers at the point of sale or 'Point-of-sale' is not yet known in the field of design foils. The Photo sales systems used in the field of photo printing are for Printing the design foils or covers both in relation to the used Printing technique as well as in relation to the material used and the Requirement of the elaborate cutting of the 'Design foils for electronic devices' completely unsuitable.

There is only one known method in which realized a design foil production for electronic devices in a form, which also allows use in a shop. These are a method in which, after selecting a suitable motif, this one on a Foil is applied, which are applied to the electronic device can.

The actual process of applying the film However, the electronic device is very expensive this is not a base material in the form of a self-adhesive Vinyl film as it stands today in the design film sector (online processing with subsequent home delivery, as mentioned above) used exclusively but a type of foil that is without glue or with a very weak adhesive is provided, as this your customary hold through the shrinkage obtained by means of vacuum method. The film will be so not worked like other design foils in a certain shape and contour cut, but the foil is in the form of a standard measure printed (eg rectangle) and then in a technically complex Process shrunk onto the device directly, for example, the Mobile phone in a closed housing with the side to be printed on is inserted above, the slide with the design image in a guide frame is then fixed exactly in the correct position above the to be designed placed electronic device. The housing is now hermetically sealed and the film firmly by means of negative pressure on the electronic device shrunk.

This results in several disadvantages in this State of the art. First, it is a very elaborate technical process, as the shrinking on the electronic device by Negative pressure must occur.

Another problem is that even only then a design foil can be applied, albeit the appropriate one Device is in place at this moment. Making a design slide for example, as a gift for a person who is not on site, therefore not possible. Furthermore, with this method, only one to maximum Two devices can be personalized per run.

A very central disadvantage next to the high Time expenditure here is that applying a design film that already is adapted by its shape exactly to the device to be designed, in this method is not possible. It is rather a slide completely on The device shrunk and then has to be elaborate and some Skillful manual treatment step to the contour of the electronic device to be adapted, that is, in practice must be one Employees with a cutting knife or scalpel a contour on the device itself which, on the one hand, requires some skill and time and, on the other, does not is safe, because you can injure yourself in this work and the third can also cause damage to the electronic device, as up the device needs to be cut with the blade. Especially with mobile phones In addition, openings must be cut, for example Camera lenses, loudspeakers, light sensors and connections, etc. again release.

Also the techniques used so far in the Production of design foils or covers in a central production plant are not suited to this technique at the point-of-sale, that is for example, to be transferred to a shop. Here is in particular the Size of the printing devices and additionally held separately Further processing machines such as cutting plotters for contour cutting as well Protective laminator for laminating the transparent protective film problematic as well as the applied printing technology itself, without the use of solvent inks does not get by and therefore an application in one Shop in several ways impossible.

In the previous central and not mobile Production of the design films makes the use of solvent inks one Drying process of the design films required, according to the manufacturing specifications takes about 48 hours. This time is required for everyone Solvent from the printing ink before by the further processing applied protective layer can volatilize and as little as possible Solvent between printing film and laminating be included. One premature lamination of the laminating on the printed vinyl film leads without the drying time to be maintained directly to quality losses up to the Destruction of the print product.

It would thus come to include the Solvent between the printing film and the protective laminate within the Design foil, whereby u.a. the actual carrier adhesive layer for application an electrical appliance through the diffusing down through the printing film Solvent is attacked. It may be in addition to the insufficient grip of the Design film also come to adhesive residue when removing the design film, if the solvent is not before laminating the protective laminate completely leaked.

Another negative aspect is that one Production with solvent inks in a shop in the shop appropriate installation of extraction systems would require and also with the use of an extraction system the smell in the shop always present would be. These circumstances are not desirable in a shop.

Object of the present invention, it is before this Background, a customer-driven digital design foil and design cover Create a sales station, which is a short-term production of one or several contour-cut and ready-made design foils or Cover possible on site in a shop. It should be a production here the design foil or cover within a normal residence time in one Shop can be achieved, the design foil or cover at the end of the Procedure already as a finished product for mounting on the electronic Device should be present, so no continuing curing times, manual Cutting times or drying times are required.

The inventive sales system for design films and -cover consists of at least one customer usable Work terminal, for example in the form of a touchscreen monitor or other PC device via which the customer makes the entries regarding the Designskin, which are usually done via an online ordering process via website. These Procedure requires an online connection of the sales system to one centrally operated database containing both design and style sheets and a specially developed pre-press is provided after the order and before the start of production shortest time without user-required knowledge in graphics and Media department automates the finished artwork of the production line generated when the order and payment process is completed.

The central means of production of Sales device here is a UV LED printer, the previously on Customer terminal entered motif in the shape of the previously selected preset directly on a vinyl film or a plastic cover can muster. It is realized by the use of a UV LED printing system, to use solvent-free inks, directly by the UV effect within the printing process within milliseconds after application to the film or Curing the cover permanently, eliminating any further time wasting Drying process arises.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention It is intended to flexible inks in this UV-LED printer use a flexible shaping of the design foil or the design cover For example, allow in the edge region of an electronic device, without that the color print in this area tears or flakes off. It is this one Particularly advantageous aspect of the present sales system that the Application of the flexible inks to the design foils by the UV LED technology also allows a later final Aufkaschierung a To dispense with protective laminates and still obtain a design film, the withstand a permanent load.

The use of a UV LED printer avoids this advantageously the evaporation of solvents, while avoiding the problems mentioned above, at the same time allows the use of the LED technology that the device unlike traditional UV lamps in can be switched on and off in the shortest possible time, without having to start the engine Printing device would be required. Again, this is beneficial in the Use of a locally operated 'point-of-sale' printing device, since here the Speed in the creation of the design film is an elementary factor. In addition, it is advantageously an application technique that lasts long Lasts and thus allows low maintenance intervals, what also in particular with regard to an application as on-site in the shop used printing station makes sense, since so small structural units on many Sites are required in contrast to the local operation of a also locally maintained printing plant. The frequent maintenance intervals of Printing machine, and in particular the printheads, by solvent inks could pollute and harden, would be in the area of the shops costly problem.

Another aspect of using LED UV lighting can be seen in the fact that only through this technique printing of PVC films is possible, as the temperature here is called 'cold light' does not lead to deformation of the films, which, as previously said very are thin.

It is provided according to the invention, either a combination of a cutting device directly to the LED UV printing device to use, here foil material can be used by a roll. Printing and cutting device are summarized here as combination device. All Operations for making a contour-cut, self-adhesive Design film for electronic devices can be so without a material or Device changes are handled in one operation.

An alternative design provides, one UV LED desktop printer, inserting a customized Foil (sheet format) allows and contour-accurate cut for the End user then takes place in a second separate plotter, in which the printed film is to be inserted after printing.

When using for Designcover becomes a Table insert used in the form of a milled tool as Cover bracket acts and so it also allows cover as 3-dimensional Immediately print objects up to 5cm high. Instead of the Foil as in the previously described design, this shape for the cover the machine cocked and one or more covers for printing in the precisely fitting recordings of the form inserted. After the print run that is Printed covers like this are ready and ready for use. The downstream Contour cutting using a cutting plotter as required for the slides falls when printing the cover off, making a work step for the Production of the individualized cover in contrast to the individualized design foils is saved.

In the following, the invention with reference to two schematic and two perspective construction representations explained in more detail become. A fifth figure shows the mold for receiving a cover.

FIG. 1 shows a view of one Design Slide Sales Station 1 and its associated Design Terminals 2. The Design terminals 2 are here in the exemplary illustration with monitors 3 equipped with a processing of the design foils to be created as well as a Order processing by means of an input device, in the embodiment a keyboard 4, allow. There are shown to the left of this Illustration two further design terminals shown only as columns 2 shown schematically to indicate that here several design terminals 2 with the design film Verkausstation 1 can communicate.

The actual design film sales station 1 has Here also a PC unit 5, the actual operation and Control of the system reserved for use by the user only is. Again, we have a monitor in the example of the 3 by a Keyboard 4 can be operated with PC mouse.

On the left can be free on the here remaining shelf 6 additional accessories and Be integrated packaging. Basically, the sales station 1 provided as a visually appealing counter construction, in the well for example, in the left and right side panels drawer elements are integrated, which are not shown here in the drawing.

Central element in the sales station is the UV LED printer 7, which in the exemplary design via a roll feed. 8 the design film to be designed is supplied. This is already immediate after printing by means of an integrated and laser-controlled plotter on the individual shape of the adhered electronic device tailored, this cutter not here drawing is shown.

There is also an upper-side front surface 9 of the Sales station, for example, to arrange advertising information concerning the equipment or the manufacturer of the films.

It is at this first illustrated Design accordingly to an arrangement in which centrally in the middle of Sales station 1 of the UV LED printing and cutting area 7 is arranged, the frontally makes an output of the printed film section, the thus also frontal and can be removed without further effort. It is thus an aesthetically pleasing design possible, consisting of two lateral There are wings left and right of this central UV LED print and Cutting area 7 are arranged and shelves for clothing and accessories 6 as well as for the actual system control and the print preparation 10 Offer. In the illustrated advantageous embodiment is an additional Machine control 11 in the upper right corner of the pressure and Cutting device 1 is arranged.

Figure 2 illustrates an alternative design of Inventive sales station 1 for design films. In the bottom Image section are also here schematically represents the design terminals 2, on which a user interface 3 in the form of a screen and in this exemplary embodiment of an input device in the form of a keyboard. 4 is provided.

Above these design terminals 2 is schematic presented the actual design film sales station 1, on the in this Case central investment control and print job management 10 in the form of a Computer terminals 5 is provided, which also has a monitor 3 and a Input keyboard 4 features. This central control area is one here User reserved.

This alternative design has this one more compact design than the design shown in Figure 1, in which the central pressure area 7 two side wings are arranged. In this Embodiment, the sales station 1 is formed as a compact body, in the exemplary form on its left side the printing station. 7 and on its right side the plotter 12, in which the printed Foils are used to make the pre-cuts. In this design will be As a printer, a UV LED inkjet desktop printer 7 is used in the case of Production of the design foils the foil foil to be printed separately inserted and then taken out after printing and inserted into the plotter becomes.

In Figure 3, this compact design of the system as perspective side view shown, wherein the side surfaces of a Allow printing with advertising material or company name. Are frontal Drawers 13 embedded in which consumables and clothing as well Accessories are accommodated.

Figure 4 also shows a three-dimensional Design of the arranged in detail in Figure 1 arrangement of the sales station in perspective view. In this case, the roller guide 8 is centrally to Pressure unit 7 recognizable, which can be operated frontally. In the side wing 6 are also here drawer elements 13 for accommodating consumption and Fabrics and accessories arranged.

Figure 5 shows the mold 14 with in this Type 3 shots 15 for cover 16. These are indicated by the arrow Cover 16 inserted into the accurate recordings 15 and the mold 14th even placed on the work table of the printing device and so positioned the pressure directly on the upwardly facing outsides of the Cover 16 can be done. After printing, the cover 16 can be taken directly and be used due to the characteristics of the printing process. The Sales station is after removal of the mold again for Design foil printing usable without further alterations.

Claims

1. Digital Design Foil and Design Cover Sales Station (1) for short-term customer-assisted production at the point of sale full

a) at least one editing interface (2) as Ordering terminal as well as processing hardware and software for selecting the electronic device for which a design film is to be created, for Choice or acceptance of the motif to be printed as well as the execution of the Ordering process by the customer;

b) an online connection of the editing interface (2) with Containing processing hardware and software to a database shop system at least styles for cutting the design foils as well Design templates for the design foils and covers themselves as well as others Information on the processing of the order and Manufacturing process;

c) a UV LED printing unit (7) for printing PVC vinyl films (8) and plastic covers that are accessible via the user interface (2) is controlled as well

d) an automatic laser-controlled cutting device (12) for contour-accurate cutting of the design foil (8) depending on the previous one Defined device type that has a data connection to the user interface (2) and to the database the template data is transmitted.

2. Digital design foils and design cover sales station after Claim 1,

characterized in that

several processing interface stations (2) in the form of the customer operable touchscreens (3) to the design film and Designcover sales station (1) are arranged around, all in Data connection with the design film sales station (1) and the Online database stand.

3. Digital design foils and design cover sales station after Claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that

in the UV LED printing unit (7) flexible inks for the production used by elastic color coatings of PVC vinyl films become.

4. Digital design foils and design cover sales station after one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

a UV LED inkjet desktop printer as a print station (7) is used, wherein the printed sheets (8) in a separate Cutting device (12) are cut, which also on the Sales station (1) is arranged

5. Digital design foils and design cover sales station after one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

a UV LED printing unit (7) with integrated cutting unit is used, which fed the PVC vinyl films from a film roll (8) become.

6. Digital design foils and design cover sales station after one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

a molding tool (14) as a table insert with receptacles (15) for Cover (16) for accurately fitting the covers (16) in the mold (14) releasably attachable to the printing surface, so that even three-dimensional Objects with a height of up to 5cm can be fed to the UV LED printing unit (7) and to print directly.