MX2014002120A - Variable printing of thermochromic codes. - Google Patents

Abstract

Promotional codes (204) are printed using thermochromic inks in a manner that conceals the codes (204) until a beverage or other article is cooled sufficiently to reveal the codes.

Description

VARIABLE PRINTING OF THERMOMOTIC CODES DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Printed articles of manufacture may contain hidden codes or other indications that may be used to redeem promotional materials or other valuable items. By way of example, a risk status can be carried out using printed cards using a plasticized ink to cover an area of the card that indicates a cash amount that can be revealed by scraping the plasticized ink. A bottled soda can be sealed with a corcholata, inside which contains a promotional code that is redeemed through the use of the Internet. A chocolate bar wrapper may also have an interior surface carrying this type of code, which is only revealed after the chocolate bar is opened. Promotional indicia may be printed on bars of soap as shown in U.S. Patent No. 7,743,704.

Thermochromatic inks are not generally considered useful in the variable printing of promotional codes or other codes. This is because thermochromatic inks contain thermochromatic pigments in the form of microcapsules which are typically melamine-formaldehyde microcapsules, for example, as taught in U.S. Patent No. 5,591,255 issued to Small et al, which is incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as reproduced in full herein. These microcapsules vary in size with particle diameters of 0.5 to 15 microns. These particle sizes may not work well with individually configured printing systems, such as by inkjet printing.

The present description overcomes the problems presented in the foregoing and anticipates the technique by providing methods and apparatuses for variable printing of promotional codes or other codes using thermochromatic inks.

In one embodiment, a label is provided that supports variable printing of codes using thermochromatic ink. It can be printed on a background using a background ink that has a primary color. A thermochromic ink is printed to superimpose the background ink, and a means is adopted to hide a code that is revealed when the thermochromatic ink undergoes a color transition. This means, for example, can be according to one embodiment, a code printed by means of the background ink, a code that has been printed with an ink that matches the background ink. The thermochromic ink is colorless at room temperature and shows a color change upon cooling sufficiently to reveal the code.

In one embodiment, the means for hiding can be a code printed by means of the thermochromatic ink on the background ink. The code is printed with an ink that is colorless at room temperature and shows a color change upon cooling enough to reveal the code.

In one embodiment, according to these methods, a label is provided to support the use of variable printing of matrix codes using thermochromatic ink. A first matrix code is printed using a first thermochromatic ink that is colorless until it is cooled to a first predetermined temperature which makes the first visible matrix code visible in a primary color. A second printed matrix code using a second thermochromatic ink that provides a second code when cooled to a second predetermined temperature showing the second visible matrix code in a secondary color. The first thermochromatic ink and the second thermochromatic ink are transparent at normal room temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a system for variable printing of thermochromatic codes according to a modality; Figure 2 shows a label that has been partially printed using the system of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a label that has been printed completely using the system of Figure 1 / Figure 4 shows a label of Figure 3 adhered to a beverage bottle; Figure 5 shows a label in successive phases of printing according to a laser ablation mode; Figure 6 shows a label in successive stages of printing according to an ink overlay mode; Figure 7 shows a label in successive stages of printing according to an ink overlay mode; Figures 8A and 8B show a label in successive phases of the printing according to two dimensional matrix overlay modes.

The system 100 contains a roll 102 of material that is continuously unwound to form a network 104. The net 104 for example may be, for example, a paper material or plastic material adhered to a release layer from which labels can be produced selectively separable adhesives or an aluminum sheet. The printing stations 106, 108 apply ink to the through network 104. The printing station 110 is known in the art as rotogravure. A laser station 112 is positioned for operations on the printed network 104. An assembly 114, 116 of Optional plate is placed for vertical traces 118 to cut selected portions of network 104 into separable labels (not shown). The printed web 104 is wound onto a removable reel 120 for later use. A programmable computer 122 governs the operations of the system 100.

Figure 2 shows a label 200 containing the surface 202 with indicia including a promotional code 204 in the area 206. The promotional code 204 can be printed using thermochromatic ink of any color, such as thermochromatic ink that can be purchased by commercial order of Chromatic Technologies, Inc., of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The area 206 may be left unprinted with ink or may be covered with ink that differs from the code 204 thermochromic ink. The promotional code 204 and any ink optionally placed in the area 206 may be printed, for example, using the print head 106 ( see Figure 1). As shown in Figure 3, area 206 and promotional code 204 (not shown) have been covered with ink 300 as applied by printing station 108 (See Figure 1). The printing station 110 has applied additional ink to form the indicia 302, 304. The indicia 304 optionally offers instructions for the use of the promotional code 204 in the printing station 110, such as "Cool to Reveal." Figure 4 shows the label 200 applied to a bottle 400.

The print sequence in area 206, promotional code 204 and ink 300 may be provided in any combination. For example, in one embodiment, neither the ink in the area 206 or the ink 300 required. In one embodiment, the indicia on the label 200 may consist only of the promotional code 204 and the upper ink layer 300.

The reel 120 shown in Figure 1 may contain a plurality of such labels 200, each having a different promotional code 204 according to the programming instructions of the computer 122 (see Figure 2). The labels can be separated from the reel 120 and applied to the bottles by automated equipment as is well known in the art. The reel 120 is not essential and the network 104 runs for direct use in any previous process.

Laser ablation Promotional code 204 can be formed using laser ablation. One solution is to perform the laser ablation of the ink. By way of example, the mesh print can be used to completely cover the area 206 of Figure 2 with a band of thermochromic ink that is colorless when hot and which exhibits a color change when it is cold. This color change can be, for example, from clear to blue. The laser station 112 eradicates unwanted portions of the ink in area 206 to leave the promotional code 204 using the methodologies reported, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No.US.2009 / 0128860 a Graushar et al., Which is incorporated by reference to the same degree as it is thought fully replicated in the present. The laser wavelength, the pulse frequency and the applied power can resort to accommodating particular thermocatic inks. While some 'clear' thermocatic inks used in this application are undetectable, other inks may leave a residue that is slightly visible. Under these circumstances the upper layer 300 (see Figure 3) can be used to hide this residue.

In one embodiment, zone 206 may be a mesh printed with a color ink, as well as a white ink, and coated with thermocatic ink that is clear at normal room temperature. The thermocatic ink can be eradicated by laser to form a code 204 leaving the ink intact in the area 206. The thermocatic ink forming the code 204 changes color when cooled to a predetermined temperature in contrast to that of the area 206, for example. forming the code 204 in blue on the white background of the area 206. The ink 300 can seal or protect the code 204 and cover any verifiable difference, such as a change in brightness that code 204 could otherwise reveal to the unaided eye, even before the label is cooled to the predetermined color transition temperature.

In another example, Figure 5 shows a label 500 at different printing stages 502 (Figure 5A), 506 (Figure; 5B) and 508 (Figure 5C). A background area 504 is printed in step 502. This background may be, for example, a white or gray background. A thermocatic band 508 may be printed in step 506 and the ablation laser in step 510 to form the promotional code 512.

Direct printing in Thermocatic Band with Background Match A thermocic pigment is prepared as shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,591,255, except the pigment is projected to remove larger particle sizes. By way of example, the pigment can be centrifuged to separate the particles by density gradient, and / or pass tgh a polyester or nylon mesh, as well as those obtainable in commercial order from Miami Aqua-culture of Boynton-Beach Florid, or any other source of micron meshes known in the art. The projection can remove particles of more than a certain size, such as by removing larger particles to a size that can be problematic for printing by ink-jet. Generally, this should remove the particles for about 5 microns in diameter. Preferably, the particles have a size of less than 3 microns and this is more preferably less than 1 micron. The projected pigment can then be used as a pigment in a conventional formulation for inkjet ink, for example, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 5,207,824 issued to Moffatt et al., Which is incorporated by reference in the same measure, although fully replicated in the present. In ink preparation, care is taken to select ingredients from the list of optional ingredients in Moffat et al. in order to avoid the use of aldehydes, ketones and diols, and more aromatic compounds. The ink thus prepared can be used in the system 100 for the inkjet printing of thermocatic inks.

Figure 6 shows a label 600 in various printing stages 602, 604, 606. In step 602, the background ink 608 is printed on a white background. Step 604 involves printing a thermocatic web 610 onto the background ink 608 by screen printing or alternatively, ink jet printing using the ink described above. A promotional code 612 is printed on the thermocatic band 610 using the same ink used as the background 608 ink. The 610 thermocatic band is colorless at normal room temperature changes color when cooled to a predetermined temperature. This predetermined temperature can be, for example, the temperature of 5 ° C, which indicates that a beverage has been cooled to an optimum temperature to improve the organoleptic properties of a beverage. The color transition makes the 612 code visible to the naked eye, as the code 612 contrasts with the 610 thermochromatic b This color transition of the thermochromatic b610 can be, for example, from light to blue. The promotional code 612 optionally is coated with a clear layer 614 to hide the differences in brightness between the background 608 ink 612 code.

Direct Printing on Thermochromatic Bwith Correspondence Background Figure 7 shows a label 700 in various printing stages 702, 704. In step 702, a thermochromatic ink 706 is printed. In step 706, a promotional code 708 is printed. The ink used to print the promotional code exactly matches the color of the thermochromatic background ink 706 at normal room temperature, such as matching burgundy colors. The thermochromatic thermochromatic background ink 706 changes color when cooled to a predetermined temperature, for example, the transition from burgundy to blue. As shown in the view Figure 7A, the promotional code 708 can be streaked with thermochromatic ink to hide small differences between the background ink 708 the thermochromatic ink that is used to make the promotional code 708.

Matrix Code Figure 8A is a first two-dimensional code 800 matrix that can be printed as a label 802 using a first thermochromatic ink that is clear at normal room temperature becomes a visible color such as orange, when cooled to a first default temperature. Label 802 is printed with a second thermochromic ink having a color transition temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature. The second thermochromatic ink has, for example, transitions from clear to a color, such as black, to reveal a second matrix code 804. Thus, tag 802 is provided with a first matrix code 800 that can be revealed when one beverage is cooled to a refrigerator code state, another matrix code 804 when the beverage is cooled to be a freezer cold. The codes of matrix 800, 804 can be scanned using, for example, an application for iPhone transmitted to a central server for processing according to the rules of the promotional contest.

Claims (5)

1. A label that supports the use of variable printing of the codes that use thermochromatic ink, characterized in that it comprises: a background ink that has a primary color; a thermochromatic ink that superimposes the background ink; Y means to hide a code that is revealed when the thermochromatic ink undergoes a color transition.

2. The label according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for hiding includes a code printed by means of the background ink, the code that is printed with an ink that matches the background ink; Y The thermochromatic ink is colorless at room temperature and shows a color change after cooling enough to reveal the code.

3. The label according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for hiding includes a code printed in thermochromatic ink through the background ink, the code that is printed with an ink that is colorless at room temperature and shows a color change after cooling enough to reveal the code.

4. A label that supports the use of printing variable codes that use thermochromatic ink, characterized because it comprises: a first printed matrix code using a first thermochromatic ink that is colorless until it is cooled for a first predetermined temperature which makes the first matrix code visible in a primary color; and a second printed matrix code that uses a second thermochromatic ink that provides a second matrix code when cooled to a second predetermined temperature that makes the second matrix code visible in a secondary color, the first thermochromatic ink and the second thermochromatic ink are transparent at normal room temperature.

5. A system for use in variable impressions of thermochromatic labels, comprises: means for printing a code on a substrate; and means to hide the code in the substrate until the substrate is cool enough to reveal the code.