EP3551459B1 - Container holder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tool for holding a vessel according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for thermal transfer printing for applying prints to vessels according to claim 10.

A suitable tool of the type mentioned is, for example, from U.S. 3,839,754 A known.

The US 2014/246550 A1 discloses a tool with at least a first leg and a second leg which are connected to one another via a hinge pin, one leg being designed in the form of a bilateral lever with a force arm below a connection point and a load arm above the connection point.

The U.S. 4,583,707 A discloses an articulated device for connecting a base part to a top part for holding a beverage container.

A method for thermal transfer printing and the use of an apparatus in the known method is, for example, from US Pat DE 199 37 8 22 known. The one from the DE 199 37 8 22 known method is using transfer papers, in which the transfer paper provided with the print image is pressed onto the surface of the object to be printed by an electrically heatable pressing tool. The pressing tool is an electrically heatable heating jacket or heating mat with an adjustable snap connection at its ends.

The disadvantage of the known pressing tool is that the length-adjustable snap connection arranged at the ends of the heating sleeve or heating mat is on the insertion and removal side of the heating jacket for a vessel. If, for example, a cup is inserted into the known pressing tool designed as a heating sleeve, the length-adjustable snap connection has to be laboriously and time-consuming guided or threaded through the handle of the cup. The same applies vice versa after the thermal pressure when removing the cup from the heating jacket. A further complicating factor is that the cup surface and the snap connection are heated by the action of heat, so that removal from the heating sleeve by opening the snap connection can only take place after a certain cooling time. In this respect, the known pressing tool is not suitable for an automated process or for a cost-effective method.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a tool with which the disadvantages known in the prior art can be at least partially overcome. In particular, it is the object of the present invention to design a tool for holding vessels, in particular cups and / or bottles, in such a way that it can hold the vessel firmly and release it again with simple movements, in particular to print the vessel held by the tool using the thermal printing process to be able to. In addition, the tool should be designed in such a way that it can be used to carry out a simplified, automated thermal transfer or sublimation printing process for applying prints to vessels.

The above object is achieved by a tool for holding a vessel with the features of claim 1 and by a method using the tool according to the invention with the features of claim 9.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the description and the drawings.

According to the invention, the closed position of the legs is held securely by at least one fixing element which is operatively connected to at least one force arm and / or at least one cross member. A fixing element that is operatively connected to a cross member or a power arm can be, for example, a closure element in the form of a hook or a hook / eye connection, the hook being rotatably movable on the one lower cross member or the power arm is connected and in the closed position engages in the lower cross member running parallel thereto or the other power arm or engages around this or this. To transfer the tool from the closed position to the open position, the hook around or into the lower cross member or the power arm is first released and the fixation element in the closed position is thereby released again. It is also conceivable to achieve a fixation in the closed position of the tool by means of a fixation element arranged on the load arm side.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the fixing element is designed as a yoke in the form of a ring, which engages around the two legs together at their power arms, wherein in the open position of the tool, the ring is arranged in the direction of the connection point, ie in the upper portion of the power arms, which is advantageous for a maximum opening of the tool with maximum spreading of the force arms, the ring is shifted or arranged just below or at the level of the connection point. When the force arms are brought together relative to one another, with the tool being transferred from the open position to the closed position, the ring advantageously slides independently along the force arms in the direction of the lower crossbars up to the point at which there is a force fit and / or form fit between the load arms and a vessel inserted between the load arms. To transfer the tool from the closed position back to the open position, this point can be overcome by further bringing the force arms together to an approximately parallel position of the force arms to one another, with the fixing element encompassing the force arms in the form of a ring in the parallel position of the force arms the upper area of the power arms, ie can be pushed back in the direction of the connection point. So that when the fixing element is returned to the connection point, whereby the return can take place, for example, by rotating the tool by 180 °, the fixing element does not slide past the connection point along the leg, it is advantageous to have at least one leg between the power arm and the load arm in the area of the Connection point arranged a stopper for the fixing element. The stopper can advantageously be designed as a nose designed monolithically with the rail, which is advantageously designed to run orthogonally to the leg, at the level of the connection point.

The tool according to the invention should advantageously serve as a holder for vessels to be treated or printed in thermal transfer or sublimation printing processes, the holder with a vessel clamped therein being exposed to a heat source, for example an oven. For the sublimation processes known in thermal printing, temperatures of 95 ° C. to 150 ° C. and, moreover, particularly preferably of 160 ° C. to 210 ° C. are known, with the process speed being advantageously able to be increased significantly at high temperatures above 150 ° C. The tool according to the invention should advantageously be adapted to the temperatures mentioned with regard to its material selection.

In the context of the present invention, sublimation printing or thermal transfer printing is to be understood as a thermal printing process in which the dye is evaporated (sublimed) in or onto the material of the vessel to be printed. Transfer papers and foils as well as dyes or special inks are used for this, which are sublimed onto the vessel. In a step prior to the thermal printing process, a paper web or a special film is first printed with suitable dyes (reversed) and then transferred to the vessel by means of the thermal or sublimation printing process in the transfer printing process by heating to up to 210 ° C. The prerequisite is that the dyes sublime in the range from 95 ° C. to 150 ° C. and particularly preferably in the range from 160 ° C. to 210 ° C. at a sufficient rate.

In the context of the present invention, a “connection point” between the two legs is to be understood as a connection which allows an at least sectionally rotational movement of the two legs relative to one another. In the context of the present invention, such a connection should advantageously be understood as an articulated or articulated connection, the legs connected to one another via the connection point being connected to one another in an articulated manner.

The formation of at least one leg designed as a two-sided lever, which is connected to another leg via at least one connection point, wherein the other leg can also be, for example, a shape adapted to the vessel or a surface to which the connection point is attached is, a movement of the load arm can be carried out by actuating the leg designed as a lever on the side of the power arm. For this structure, in which only one leg is designed as a lever, a connection of the two legs via at least two connection points in the form of joints is advantageously suitable, so that the two legs work according to the toggle lever principle, whereby, in contrast to the simple articulated connection, the The open position and the closed position of the tool result from a movement of the power arm opposite to that known from the simple articulated connection. Regardless of whether only one leg or two or more legs of the tool according to the invention are designed as a lever, each with a force arm and a load arm, the tool according to the invention offers the advantage over the tool known from the prior art that the force to fix a The vessel received in the tool is applied to the side opposite to the introduction of the tool on the force arm side and the force acts mediated via the connection point on the load arm side. This advantageous embodiment makes an additional securing of the tool on the load arm side, for example in the form of a snap lock, superfluous, making a vessel completely barrier-free, that is, without passing through or threading a lock, for example the one from the DE 199 37 8 22 known snap connection through the handle of a cup, inserted in the open position of the tool between the legs or can be removed from the fixation by the legs, for example after a thermal sublimation process, by loosening the fixation on the power arm side.

Both the first and the second leg are designed in the form of a two-sided lever, each with a power arm and with a load arm, the load arms of the two legs being connected to one another via at least one joint, so that when the power arms of the two are brought together Leg, the load arms act in opposite directions on the vessel inserted between the load arms of the two legs in a fixing manner in the closed position. By designing both legs as levers, the tool according to the invention can be used to execute a grip-like movement, the load arms of the two legs encompassing the vessel inserted between the load arms in the pliers grip, at least in sections, in a fixating manner.

The two legs can advantageously be placed one on top of the other in the form of a two-sided lever and secured with a connection point designed as a hinge pin. In this way, the legs can rotate against one another at least in sections due to their mounting at the connection point on the hinge pin. I. E. rotate around the pivot pin.

The tool can be designed as a pushed-through craft, in which the one leg designed as a lever is passed through an opening in the other leg designed as a lever and the legs are secured with a hinge pin. The advantage of this tool, which is designed as a push-through trade, is that the guide in the joint, i. H. at the connection point between the two legs even if the hinge pin has increased play due to wear.

The cuff is designed in such a way that it can encase the vessel inserted between the legs, at least in sections, by the cuff arranged between the two legs. The cuff can preferably be stretched around the vessel when it is moved from the open position to the closed position, whereby on the one hand the vessel is held securely, ie fixed in the closed position between the legs and on the other hand a transfer paper or transfer film placed on the surface of the vessel is fixed with a pressure lying to the surface of the vessel in his or her position on the surface of the vessel during the thermosublimation process by the cuff clamping the vessel and is pressed against the surface of the vessel. The transfer paper or the transfer film is pressed evenly through the evenly snuggling of the sleeve around and against the surface of the vessel. Because the cuff snuggles evenly A uniform print image with outstanding color brilliance and depth of color can advantageously be produced around and on the lateral surface of the vessel.

So that the cuff can encompass the vessel over the entire height of the vessel or encircle it in the closed position, a transverse traverse is advantageously connected to the legs, at least with the load arm of the one leg above the connection point, at which the cuff is in the longitudinal extension of the Cross member is arranged. Particularly advantageous is on both legs, running orthogonally to the two legs, on their load arms above the connection point each connected a cross member, wherein the cross members are arranged parallel to each other and the sleeve is connected to the cross members with one longitudinal side in the longitudinal extent of the cross members, wherein the cuff is advantageously suspended between the cross members running parallel to one another. The length of the cross member or cross members and thus the total length of the tool according to the invention can advantageously be adapted to the overall height of the vessel. Thus, a tool using cross members of different lengths and cuffs with different longitudinal dimensions is advantageously suitable, for example, for use in a thermal printing process for bottles and for use in a thermal printing process for cups. The shape and material of the sleeves can also be varied advantageously. If, for example, a tapered cup or a very bulky bottle is to be held by the tool according to the invention, the shape of the sleeve built into the tool can be adapted to the shape of the cup or the shape of the bottle, or the sleeve can be exchanged. The material of the cuff can also be adapted according to the requirements of the thermal transfer or sublimation process or the weight of the vessel. A rubber-elastic material such as silicone, which is advantageously crosslinking at high temperatures, and the even more advantageously catalyzed addition of SI-H groups to silicon-bonded vinyl groups, both of which in the polymer chains or on theirs, is advantageously suitable as the material for the cuff End are built in, can be produced in a networking mechanism. But there are also other materials for the formation of the cuff conceivable, which for example have only low elastic properties or no elastic properties.

Advantageously, a first and a second leg are connected to each of the two ends of the parallel crossbars, the legs each being designed in the form of a bilateral lever with a load arm and a force arm each, and the crossbars extending parallel to one another with their ends on both sides are connected to the legs opposite each other at both ends of the crossbars with their load arms, and wherein the sleeve is advantageously arranged between the legs arranged on both sides of the crossbars and connected in the longitudinal direction with the crossbars, d. H. the cuff is suspended or hooked in between the two cross members running parallel to one another.

In a particularly advantageous manner, additional crossbars are connected with their ends on both sides with the legs opposite to one another at both ends of the crossbars with their power arms. The additional lower cross members connected to the power arms of the legs are advantageously arranged parallel to the upper cross members connected to the load arms of the legs. This configuration of the tool according to the invention allows particularly good stability of the tool both in the open position and in the closed position with or without a vessel received in the tool. In addition, the lower cross members are suitable as a point of attack for a fixing element. In an automated process or method, for example, hooks or other fixing means guided in opposite directions on a chain or in each case a band could engage in each of the lower cross members arranged parallel to one another, for example a hook tape or a hook chain with at least one hook in the one lower cross member and the other hook tape or the other hook chain engages with at least one hook in the other lower cross member. When the chains or bands are guided in opposite directions, the tool can advantageously be automatically transferred into an open position and automatically transferred back into a closed position by changing the direction of the opposite direction of the bands or chains. With both belts or chains guided in parallel, the tool can then advantageously be used in an automated process Thermal transfer or sublimation printing process with the vessel clamped in it past a heat source or guided or driven through the heat source, for example an oven, with the tool being transferred from the closed position back to the open position after leaving the oven by moving the bands or chains in opposite directions and releases the vessel after the sublimation process.

The legs, the cross members and the fixing element of the tool according to the invention can advantageously be produced from a suitable plastic or a plastic metal alloy in the context of a plastic injection molding process. However, the tool can also advantageously be produced from metal or a metal alloy outside of a plastic injection molding process. A combination of at least two of the materials mentioned here is also conceivable. Overall, the material that is used for the production of the device according to the invention is only limited to the extent that it leads to a stable design of the tool, which is intended to ensure that a vessel is held. In addition, the material must meet the requirements for heat resistance. In this respect, the tool according to the invention could also be produced from a heat-resistant, thermoplastic fiber composite material.

The object of the invention is also achieved by a method for thermal transfer or sublimation printing for applying prints to vessels, in particular cups and / or bottles with a hard and smooth surface using the tool according to the invention.

Another aspect of the present invention is a modular system comprising cross members of different lengths, different lengthways, cuffs made from different materials and different lengths and proportions of the power arms to the load arms. These components or assemblies are advantageously suitable for assembling a tool according to the invention therefrom. In addition, the modular system advantageously comprises fixing elements, hinge pins and / or hinge connections and other small parts and, if necessary, tools that are required for assembling the tool according to the invention become. Thus, by means of the modular system according to the invention, it is possible to adapt a tool optimally and flexibly and without complex technical changes, for example to the shape or size of a vessel. For this purpose, the tool can be assembled and dismantled from the modular system. The modular system according to the invention thus enables a precisely fitting tool to be produced in a simple manner for holding a vessel, for example for use in a thermal transfer or sublimation printing process.

Further measures improving the invention are illustrated in more detail below with the description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures are only of a descriptive character and are not intended to restrict the invention in any form.

Fig. 1

eine Prinzipskizze eines erfindungsgemäßen Werkzeugs in Offenstellung in perspektivischer Ansicht von vorne,

Fig. 2

das Werkzeug aus Figur 1 mit einem als Joch ausgebildeten Fixierelement in perspektivischer Ansicht von vorne,

Fig. 3

das Werkzeug aus Figur 2 mit einer zwischen den Quertraversen angeordneten Manschette in Frontalansicht von vorne auf zwei als Hebel ausgebildete Schenkel,

Fig. 4

das Werkzeug aus Fig. 3 in Schließstellung in Frontalansicht von vorne,

Fig. 5

das Werkzeug aus Figur 2 in einer Draufsicht von oben auf die zwischen den beiden Quertraversen eingespannte Manschette,

Fig. 6

eine Ausführungsvariante einer Manschette in Draufsicht von oben,

Fig. 7

das Werkzeug aus Fig. 4 in Schließstellung mit einer von der Manschette umspannten Tasse in Frontalansicht von vorne,

Fig. 8

das Werkzeug aus Fig. 7 in perspektivischer Ansicht von schräg vorne,

Fig. 9

das Werkzeug aus Fig. 7 in Draufsicht von oben auf den Tassenhenkel,

Fig. 10

das Werkzeug aus Fig. 7 in Draufsicht von oben auf den Tassenhenkel mit der in Fig. 6 dargestellten und in dem Werkzeug verbauten Manschette

und Fig. 11

eine Ausführungsvariante des erfindungsgemäßen Werkzeugs in Draufsicht von oben, bei der sich die Manschetten in Schließstellung berühren.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic diagram of a tool according to the invention in the open position in a perspective view from the front,

Fig. 2

the tool off Figure 1 with a fixing element designed as a yoke in a perspective view from the front,

Fig. 3

the tool off Figure 2 with a cuff arranged between the cross members in a front view from the front on two legs designed as levers,

Fig. 4

the tool off Fig. 3 in the closed position in a frontal view from the front,

Fig. 5

the tool off Figure 2 in a plan view from above of the sleeve clamped between the two cross members,

Fig. 6

a variant of a cuff in a plan view from above,

Fig. 7

the tool off Fig. 4 in the closed position with a cup encircled by the cuff in a frontal view from the front,

Fig. 8

the tool off Fig. 7 in perspective view obliquely from the front,

Fig. 9

the tool off Fig. 7 in top view from above of the cup handle,

Fig. 10

the tool off Fig. 7 in top view of the cup handle with the in Fig. 6 shown and built into the tool sleeve

and FIG. 11

an embodiment of the tool according to the invention in a plan view from above, in which the cuffs touch in the closed position.

In the different figures, the same parts are always provided with the same reference numerals, which is why they are usually only described once.

Figure 1 shows a tool 1 according to the invention in the open position. A first limb 2 and a second limb 3 are connected to each of the two ends of the upper crossbars 8.2 running parallel to one another, the limbs 2 and 3 each being designed in the form of a two-sided lever with a load arm 2.2 and 3.2 and a force arm 2.1 and 3.1 are. The legs 2 and 3 arranged on both sides of the tool 1 are placed one above the other in the form of a two-sided lever and secured with a connection point 7 designed as a hinge pin. By mounting the legs 2 and 3 at the connection point 7 on the hinge pin, the legs can rotate around the virtual central axis DD around at least in sections against each other, ie rotate around the connection point 7 both counterclockwise and clockwise. The virtual central axis DD, on which on both sides of the tool 1 each via a connection point 7, in the present case in the form of a hinge pin, the superimposed legs 2 and 3 are secured against each other and rotatably arranged, forms a dividing line between a load arm area between the two load arms 3.2 and 2.2 lies above the connection point 7, and a force arm area which lies between the two force arms 2.1 and 3.1 below the connection point 7. The upper cross members 8.2 are arranged on both sides parallel to the virtual central axis DD. Like in the Figure 1 shown, the two front legs 2 and 3 with the two rear legs 2 and 3 are not only connected to one another via the upper cross members 8.2 but also via the lower cross members 8.1 connected. The lower cross members 8.1 connect the front and rear power arms 2.1 and 3.1 with one another. This configuration offers increased stability of the tool 1 according to the invention. Running orthogonally to the two legs 2, a nose 9 is formed at the level of the connection point 7 on both the front and rear legs 2. The nose 9 is used to prevent the movement of a fixing element 6, which is exemplified in Figure 2 is shown as a yoke in the form of a ring to stop in the direction of the load arm area, or to allow a return of the fixing element 6 only up to the level of the connection point 7. The upper cross members 8.2 are in the present case secured on both sides at their ends passed through the legs 2 and 3 by means of self-locking washers 10. In contrast, the lower cross members 8.1 are secured on both sides by means of a screw connection 11 at their ends passed through the legs 2 and 3. The screw connection 11 is designed in the form of a union nut which can be rotated or screwed onto a thread formed at the ends of the crossbars 8.1. In this variant, the cross members 8.1 and 8.2 can advantageously be formed from a threaded rod. The advantageous connection types shown between the cross members 8.1 and 8.2 and the legs 2 and 3 can also be combined in a uniform manner or in all conceivable variants.

In contrast to the smooth edges of the load arms 2.2 and 3.2 of the legs 2 and 3, the upper edges of the force arms 2.1 and 3.1 have a tooth section with a toothing. The teeth in the tooth section are used to make the in Figure 2 To hold the fixing element 6 shown when the load arms 2.1 and 3.1 are brought together in a position determined by the teeth, in order to thereby achieve a closed position of the tool 1, as exemplified in FIG Figures 7 and 8 shown to secure.

Figure 2 shows the tool 1 according to the invention Figure 1 with a fixing element 6 shown as a yoke in the form of an oval chain link or a ring. In the illustrated maximum open position of the tool 1, the fixing element 6 is up to the level of the connection point 7 at which the two superimposed legs 2 and 3 cross, ie up to Moved into the uppermost load arm area, and engages around the two load arms 2.1 and 3.1 of the two legs 2 and 3 at their uppermost point. Due to the mirror-symmetrical structure of the tool 1, whereby the mirror axis is arranged in the middle of the cross members 8.1 and 8.2, running orthogonally to them, a fixing element 6 in the form of an oval chain link or a ring, the load arms 2.1 and 3.1 of the two legs, is also located on the rear legs 2 and 3 2 and 3 encompassing, arranged in the illustrated open position of the tool at the level of the rear connection point 7.

The Figures 3 and 4 show the tool 1 from the previous figures with cuff 12 in a front view of the two front legs 2 and 3. The cuff 12 is suspended between the upper crossbars 8.2, which run parallel to one another, with one longitudinal side, that is, the cuff 12 on both sides in the longitudinal extension of the Crossbars 8.2 is connected between the front and rear legs 2 and 3 with the crossbars 8.2 (see also Figure 5 ). Depending on how the cuff 12 is dimensioned, in the context of the present invention the longitudinal side of the cuff 12 is understood to be either a longitudinal edge or an end face of the cuff 12. In the simplest case, the long sides of the sleeve 16 are turned over and form a tunnel passage for the cross members 8.2 on both sides. In the in Figure 3 In the open position of the tool 1 shown in the figure, a vessel, for example a cup 50, can be inserted into the tool 1 via the open power arm area, the cup 50 being received or held by the cuff 12. Figure 4 shows an example of the tool 1 in the closed position, whereby it can be seen that the fixing element 6 is shifted in the direction of the lower crossbars 8.1 and is held in this position in the lowest power arm area by the teeth of the tooth section on the outer edges of the power arms 2.1 and 3.1.

Figure 5 shows the tool Figure 3 in a plan view from above of the cuff 12 which is suspended between the two upper cross members 8.2 and which is stretched between the upper cross members 8.2 to accommodate a vessel.

Figure 6 shows a variant of a cuff 12 with overlapping sections 13 which overlap the lower longitudinal side of the cuff 12 shown in the figure, through which a cross member 8.2 is guided. The sections 13 are used to this for example by a handle 51 of a cup 50 and / or around to be able to place the handle 51 all the way under the parallel cross member 8.2 in the closed position of the tool 1 in order to be able to press a transfer printing paper in these areas of the handle through the sections 13 onto the surface of the cup 50. As an alternative to this, the cross members 8.2 can deform, for example, in the form of semi-arcs (see Sect. Figure 11 ) along their longitudinal extent, which, for example, enables the cuff 12 to be supported through the handle 51 and around the handle 51 (not shown here). By means of the sections 13 or the deformed cross member 8.2, a print image can be transferred to the entire surface of the cup 50, the area around the handle 51 also being covered.

The Figures 7 and 8 show the tool 1 in the closed position with a cup 50 received in the tool 1. The load arms 2.2 and 3.2, which run in opposite directions from the open position into the closed position, act on the vessel inserted between the load arms 2.2 and 3.2 of the two legs 2 and 3 in the closed position fixing. The cuff 12 was stretched around the cup 50 when it was moved from the open position to the closed position, whereby on the one hand the cup 50 is held securely in the closed position between the legs 2.2 and 3.2 and on the other hand a transfer paper placed on the surface of the cup 50 with it a pressure lying to the surface of the cup 50 is fixed in its position on the surface of the cup 50 during a thermal sublimation process by the cuff 12 clamping the cup 50 and is pressed against the surface of the cup 50 to achieve an excellent printing result.

The Figures 9 and 10 show the tool 1 with the clamped cup 50 of FIG Figures 7 and 8 in a plan view from above of the handle 51 of the cup 50 shown in FIG Figure 10 as well as the cuff 12 is shown in broken lines. As can be seen, the upper crossbars 8.2 are in the closed position on both sides, in the figure from above and from below, brought up directly to the handle 51, so that the crossbars 8.2 are only slightly spaced from one another, whereby only a very small gap between the crossbars 8.2 is formed, which is not covered by the sleeve 12. In the Figure 10 this gap is defined by the sections 13 of the Figure 6 shown cuff 12 overlapping bridged, wherein the sections 13 overlap the attached to the lower cross member 8.2 long side of the sleeve 12 below the in the Figure 10 The upper cross member 8.2 shown is guided in the closed position of the tool 1 and held by the upper cross member 8.2. In this way, the entire surface of the vessel 50 is spanned by the cuff. The lower cross members 8.1 are opaque parallel to the upper cross members 8.2, which is why the lower cross members 8.1 cannot be seen in the top view from above.

Finally shows Figure 11 an alternative embodiment of the tool 1 according to the invention, in which the upper crossbars 8.2 each have two half-arcs in the form of an S at their two ends, whereby the crossbars 8.2 lying parallel to one another with their middle parts, on which the collar 12 is suspended between the crossbars 8.2, in the closed position of the tool 1 are flush against each other. This configuration of the tool 1 is particularly suitable for printing bottles or, in the present case, a cup 50 without a handle, which is shown in FIG Figure 11 as well as the cuff 12 is shown in broken lines. In order to be able to ensure a flush closing of the cross members 8.2, the lower cross members 8.1 are advantageously adapted accordingly to the deformation or the shape of the upper cross members 8.2. In conclusion, however, it should be stated that even with non-deformed crossbars 8.2 and 8.1, as shown in the previous figures, a flush merging of the crossbars 8.2 can be carried out in the closed position of the tool 1, but they can be brought together flush with the handle shown in the figures 51 of the cup 50 clamped in the tool 1 is inhibited.

Claims (10)

1. A tool (1) for supporting a vessel (50), in particular a cup and/or a bottle, comprising at least one first side (2) and one second side (3) which are connected together in at least one connection point (7), wherein at least one side (2, 3) is designed in the form of a two-sided lever with a force arm (2.1, 3.1) below the connection point (7) and a load arm (2.2, 3.2) above the connection point (7), it being possible to transition the load arm (2.2, 3.2) of one side (2, 3) above the connection point (7) relative to the other side (3, 2) from an open position to a closed position and vice versa when the force arm (2.1, 3.1) is actuated, it being possible for the load arm (2.2, 3.2) of one side (2, 3) and the other side (2, 3) to hold, at least frictionally and/or interlockingly, the vessel (50), which is inserted between the sides (2, 3), in the open position, a cuff (12) being located between the two sides (2, 3) above the connection point (7), said cuff holding the vessel (50) inserted between the sides (2, 3) in the open position, and the sides (2, 3), which are designed in the form of levers, being connected together by way of at least one hinge, there being crossbars (8.2, 8.2) connected at the two ends thereof to a load arm (2.2, 3.2), respectively, of a first side (2, 2) in the form of a two-sided lever, and to a load arm of a second side (3, 3) in the form of a two-sided lever, the sides (2, 3) designed in the form of levers each being connected together on both sides of the crossbars (8.2, 8.2), respectively, in at least one connection point (7, 7), and the cuff (12) being located between the sides (2, 3) on both sides of the crossbars (8.2, 8.2) and being connected to the crossbars (8.2, 8.2) in the longitudinal direction, a first front side (2), a second front side (3), a first rear side (2), and a second rear side (3) being provided, the first and second sides (2, 3) which are designed in the form of levers being connected together by way of at least one hinge, characterized in that the closed position of the sides (2, 3) can be held in place by at least one fixing element (6) which is in operative connection with at least one force arm (2.1, 3.1) and/or at least one crossbar (8.1, 8.2).
2. The tool (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second sides (2, 3) are designed in the form of a two-sided lever having a respective force arm (2.1, 3.1) and a respective load arm (2.2, 3.2), wherein the load arms (2.2, 3.2) of the two sides (2, 3) have a fixing effect in the closed position when the force arms (2.1, 3.1) of the two sides (2, 3) are brought together in opposite directions toward the vessel (50) inserted between the load arms (2.2, 3.2) of the two sides (2, 3).
3. The tool (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two sides (2, 3) are placed atop one another in the form of a two-sided lever and are secured by way of a hinge bolt.
4. The tool (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a push-through craft, wherein a side (2, 3) designed as a lever is passed through an opening in the other side (3, 2) designed as a lever, and the sides (2, 3) are secured by way of a hinge bolt.
5. The tool (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vessel (50) inserted between the sides (2, 3) may be covered at least in sections by the cuff (12) located between the two sides (2, 3).
6. The tool (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a crossbar (8.2) is connected to at least the load arm (2.2, 3.2) of a side (2, 3) above the connection point (7), the crossbar running orthogonal to the sides (2, 3), the cuff (12) being located on the crossbar (8.2) in the longitudinal direction thereof.
7. The tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a respective crossbar (8.2, 8.2) is connected to the load arms (2.2, 3.2) of both sides (2, 3) above the connection point (7), the bars running orthogonal to the two sides (2, 3), the crossbars (8.2, 8.2) being arranged in parallel with each other and a respective longitudinal side of the cuff (12) being connected to the crossbars (8.2, 8.2) in the longitudinal extension of the crossbars (8.2, 8.2).
8. The tool (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sides (2, 3) can be transitioned from the closed position to the open position by canceling the effect of the fixing element (6) on the force arm (2.1, 3.2) and/or the crossbar (8.1, 8.2).
9. A method for the thermal transfer or sublimation pressure for applying pressure to vessels (50), in particular cups and/or bottles having hard and smooth surfaces, using the tool (1) according to one of the preceding claims.
10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that by covering the vessel (50) with the cuff (12) at least in sections, in the closed position of the tool (1), transfer paper provided with a print image is pressed onto the surface of the vessel (50) to be printed.

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