Stenciling Patents (Class 101/114)
  • Patent number: 7337717
    Abstract: An ink residue lifting and transfer mechanism is provided on a printing mechanism of a screen printing machine to pneumatically horizontally drive an ink reclaiming blade, so that the ink reclaiming blade is in complete contact with a scraper of the printing mechanism to hold ink residue after one printing in a space contained between the closely contacted scraper and the ink reclaiming blade, preventing the ink residue from dripping off from the scraper to the screen plate to smudge the printed object in the course of ink reclaiming. And, the ink residue is lifted and transferred by the closely contacted scraper and ink reclaiming blade to an initial position for reuse in the next printing without being wasted. Therefore, an improved accuracy of printing can be achieved at reduced cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Atma Champ Enterprise Corporation
    Inventor: Tung Chin Chen
  • Patent number: 7314003
    Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus according to the present invention rubs powdery ink into a screen having a predetermined printed pattern formed therein, and applies a voltage between the screen and an object so as to attach the powdery ink to the object. A plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so that the plurality of screens are movable to a position located above the object (1). The plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so as to be rotatable about a shaft (46). The screens (34a-34d) are rotated about the shaft (46) to move the screens (34a-34d) to the position located above the object (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Berg Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kesao Ando
  • Patent number: 7311041
    Abstract: A printing device contains a printing medium supporting member having a supporting face for supporting a printing medium; a screen plate fitting detachably onto said supporting face in a state where the printing medium is sandwiched between said screen plate and said supporting face of said printing medium supporting member; and an ink emission section for emitting ink onto the printing medium on said supporting face. A printing system has the printing device described above, and ink color determining means for setting the color of the ink used in printing by means of said screen plate to a lighter color than the ink used in printing by means of said ink emission section. A printing method contains the step of screen printing for printing onto a printing medium by means of a screen plate, and the step of ink emitting for emitting ink of a darker color than the ink used in said screen printing step, onto the screen printed region, from an ink emission section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiko Niimi
  • Publication number: 20070277685
    Abstract: The invention relates generally to a printing process. In particular, the invention relates to a printing process where a first-printed feature or vanishing trace causes a second-printed feature to have a smaller dimension than it would in the absence of the first-printed feature or vanishing trace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Cabot Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony R. James
  • Patent number: 7287469
    Abstract: Devices and method for continuous printing of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are described. A substrate with or without coating is provided as strip material on a roll, and is fed through a device with movable screens for imprinting by screen printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Birnstock, Joerg Blaessing, Karsten Heuser, Georg Wittmann
  • Patent number: 7287465
    Abstract: A stencil printing machine is provided with a printing drum and a second printing drum. The stencil printing machine makes first and second stencil having first and second images perforated, winds the first and second stencil sheets around the first and second printing drums respectively, and presses print sheets on the first and second printing drums. The stencil printing machine includes a controller for performing a printing operation of firstly allowing the first printing drum to print the first printed sheets by a required number per one class and subsequently allowing either the second printing drum only or the first and second printing drums to print a single second printed sheet or the required number of second printed sheets. This printing operation is carried out by the controller, with respect to each class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Nojiri, Satoshi Kouzai, Keiji Oishi
  • Patent number: 7231873
    Abstract: A print carousel for color images having a plurality of radial arms carrying objects to be printed incrementally reaching a corresponding number of work stations by sequential incremental rotation of the carousel by a certain angle, a silk-screen printing ink-pot functionally installed in several of said work stations alternately to work stations of drying/polymerization of respective silk-screen printing ink or paste applied in the work station precedingly reached by the object to be printed, has at least one of said work station equipped with a supporting structure for a color digital plotter mounted on slides running on radially oriented guides, from an outermost limit position to an innermost limit position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Colorprint Di Macchi L. & C. S.N.C.
    Inventor: Luigi Macchi
  • Patent number: 7156940
    Abstract: This invention is a method for the precise placement of indicia with high resolution into the wall of a hollow-form, molded plastisol part. The method includes the steps of preparing a plastisol graphic transfer by casting a base layer of plastisol onto a carrier sheet, printing indicia with pigmented plastisols onto the base layer of plastisol to form a graphic transfer, and over printing the graphic transfer with a body layer of plastisol. After each layer of plastisol is deposit, the layer cured by heating before depositing the next layer and the transfer is heated to cure the final, body layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Inventors: Michael J. Stevenson, Robert A. Reeves
  • Patent number: 7131373
    Abstract: A screen printing manual repetition system semi-automates use of a screen with a manual printing press. The screen has a screen frame and a screen mesh. The manual repetition system (MRS) has an MRS frame mountable to the screen frame, a track system, and a height adjustor configured to adjust the height of the track system relative to the MRS frame. A squeegee has a squeegee frame with a blade, guide members configured to guide the squeegee through the track system, and an angle adjustor configured to adjust the angle of the blade relative to the screen mesh during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Inventor: Michael S. Edson
  • Patent number: 7127988
    Abstract: A screen printing manual repetition system semi-automates use of a screen with a manual printing press. The screen has a screen frame and a screen mesh. The manual repetition system (MRS) has an MRS frame mountable to the screen frame, a track system, and a height adjustor configured to adjust the height of the track system relative to the MRS frame. A squeegee has a squeegee frame with a blade, guide members configured to guide the squeegee through the track system, and an angle adjustor configured to adjust the angle of the blade relative to the screen mesh during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Inventor: Michael S. Edson
  • Patent number: 7125644
    Abstract: Optical disks include machine readable data that is written with dye that is invisible to the naked eye and a laser-imagable coating that forms marks that are visible to the naked eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Andrew L. Van Brocklin, Cari Dorsh, Makarand P. Gore
  • Patent number: 7080597
    Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus according to the present invention rubs powdery ink into a screen having a predetermined printed pattern formed therein, and applies a voltage between the screen and an object so as to attach the powdery ink to the object. A plurality of screens (34a–34d) are provided so that the plurality of screens are movable to a position located above the object (1). The plurality of screens (34a–34d) are provided so as to be rotatable about a shaft (46). The screens (34a–34d) are rotated about the shaft (46) to move the screens (34a–34d) to the position located above the object (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Berg Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kesao Ando
  • Patent number: 7066086
    Abstract: In a stencil printer, a diaphragm pump is used as an ink supply pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Endo, Yasuo Yamamoto, Tadayuki Wakatabi
  • Patent number: 7047879
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a cantilever type screen-printing machine with double platforms that possess a gear reducer motor with a hollow shaft to rotate a screw of a threaded screw unit and further drive a threaded rod to move upward and downward without rotation inside the hollow shaft thus make a transverse sliding assembly move vertically and synchronously with the threaded rod. Moreover, by a rectangular frame and two sets of horizontal micro adjustable chase clamping mechanism transversely fixed on the rectangular frame, the relative position between the chase and the print materials is adjusted directly. The upper and the lower platforms are driven and powered by two gear reducer motors and a homocentric coaxial-type driving mechanism respectively. By the simplified driving mechanism, the printing efficiency and productivity are enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: ATMA Champ Enterprise Corp.
    Inventor: Tung-Chin Chen
  • Patent number: 7040221
    Abstract: To keep a printing paste, which is most influential to a printing performance, always in a uniform state, carry out printing at a high accuracy and in a stable manner, and use an expensive paste with no waste, there is provided a printing paste automatic supplying apparatus which supplies a predetermined amount of printing paste (5) by charging the printing paste (5) in a printing paste supply bag (15) and pressurizing the printing paste (5), provided with a mechanism for opening and closing a printing paste supply port (7) by bringing a printing paste supply plate (6) having the printing paste supply port (7) into contact with the back surface side of a squeegee (4) and vertically moving them, and further provided with a scraper (9) which scrapes up the printing paste on a screen printing plate (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Minami Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Murakami, Shunji Murano, Takamasa Miyata
  • Patent number: 7017480
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic machine for photoengraving or photoetching screen printing plates for screen-printing high quality compact discs or CD's, comprising a central control unit operatively coupled to a photoengraving station, including a frame or plate conveyor to convey printing frames or plates under a frame photoengraving assembly adapted to scan, by a polygonal mirror and a flat field lens, a laser light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Inventor: Paolo Fracas
  • Patent number: 7013801
    Abstract: A screen printing manual repetition system semi-automates use of a screen with a manual printing press. The screen has a screen frame and a screen mesh. The manual repetition system (MRS) has an MRS frame mountable to the screen frame, a track system, and a height adjustor configured to adjust the height of the track system relative to the MRS frame. A squeegee has a squeegee frame with a blade, guide members configured to guide the squeegee through the track system, and an angle adjustor configured to adjust the angle of the blade relative to the screen mesh during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Michael S. Edson
  • Patent number: 6983690
    Abstract: A transfer heat press which is intended for use with a rotary screen printing machine, incorporates a C shaped frame mounted on a support and moveable vertically relative to said support. A heater platen is mounted to the top of the C frame. A lower platen adapted to support the pallet of the rotary screen printing machine is mounted on the lower part of the C frame. The lower platen is moveable toward the upper platen. The lower platen applies a force to the underside of the pallet arm of a screen printing machine which results in the platen frame being allowed to move downwardly. This downward movement is guided and cushioned by a pneumatic or hydraulic spring. This arrangement means that the force on the pallet arm is equal to the weight of the platen frame less the upthrust of the pneumatic hydraulic ram. This reduces the risk of damage to the pallet arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Reefdale PTY LTD
    Inventor: Otto Richard Eppinger
  • Patent number: 6968780
    Abstract: A hand accent stencil applicator system for positioning a design on a surface is provided. The applicator system comprises an applicator handle and a compression housing mounted to the applicator housing. A bladder is positioned within the compression housing for holding a texture material. A design template is mounted to the compression housing wherein the applicator handle exerts forces into the compression housing causing a texture flow from the bladder through the design template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: University of Wyoming
    Inventor: Shane D. Birch
  • Patent number: 6945168
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of making a silkscreen mesh holding apparatus is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured to allow a silkscreen mesh to be adhesively bonded to the apparatus while preventing the formation of residual staining liquids thereon. In one configuration, the apparatus formed of tubular material and is coated with a powder coating configured to allow the apparatus to be easily cleaned with more environmental safe types of cleaning solvents. In one embodiment, the apparatus is coated with a powder coating configured to provide an adhesive attached thereto a bond strength, within a bond strength range, that allows a silkscreen mesh bonded therewith to be removed by peeling such silkscreen mesh and adhesive from the apparatus without the use of solvents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Inventor: John O. H. Niswonger
  • Patent number: 6923117
    Abstract: When solder paste passes through a first gap located between a pressurizing member and a printing mask during solder paste printing, a pressure directed toward the printing mask is applied from the pressurizing member to the solder paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Onishi, Toshinori Mimura, Naoichi Chikahisa, Ken Takahashi, Toshiyuki Murakami, Hitoshi Nakahira, Sadayuki Nagashima
  • Patent number: 6899028
    Abstract: A container is provided which comprises a cylindrical main body having an end wall at an end thereof; an outlet projecting from an outer surface of the end wall for allowing a content to be supplied; and a protecting member disposed on the outer surface of the end wall so that it surrounds the outlet and defines a groove portion between the outlet and the protecting member. The protecting member is preferably a continuous or discontinuous annular projection. A conduit of a pump can be coupled to the groove portion by engaging an inner circumferential surface of the protecting member with an outer circumferential surface of the conduit, or by engaging an outer circumferential surface of the outlet with an inner circumferential surface of the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Masakatsu Arai, Takahiro Wakayama
  • Patent number: 6841233
    Abstract: The invention relates a source sheet for stencil printing comprising: a porous support material; a porous resin film formed on a surface of the porous support material; wherein, the porous support material has a maximum air permeability of 90 s/100 cc; and, the porous resin film has a maximum air permeability of 600 s/100 cc; preferably, the air permeability of the porous support material?the air permeability of the porous resin film. According to the source sheet and plate manufacturing method of the present invention, the plate for the stencil printing can be obtained which is superior in the pore block property and in which the thermal deformation of the source sheet during the plate manufacturing is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kinoshita, Yasuo Yamamoto, Tsutomu Nio, Toru Nakai, Yuichi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6834583
    Abstract: A stencil screen with a desired pattern to be imprinted is supported on a stencil screen frame. The frame has upstanding elongated sidewalls joined by spaced apart end walls to circumscribe a screen window opening. The stencil screen has sufficient strength transversely to plane of the screen to allow deflection from the plane of the screen without elastic deformation. The stresses produced by the deflection of the screen produce repeated flexing of fatigue resistant and resilient screen frame sidewalls and screen support arms at opposite end of these side walls by the provision of sufficient resiliency to restore the stencil screen to a stencil screen support plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Miller Screen & Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Miller, Larry J. Miller
  • Publication number: 20040250715
    Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus according to the present invention rubs powdery ink into a screen having a predetermined printed pattern formed therein, and applies a voltage between the screen and an object so as to attach the powdery ink to the object. A plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so that the plurality of screens are movable to a position located above the object (1). The plurality of screens (34a-34d) are provided so as to be rotatable about a shaft (46). The screens (34a-34d) are rotated about the shaft (46) to move the screens (34a-34d) to the position located above the object (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventor: Kesao Ando
  • Patent number: 6817288
    Abstract: A screen-printing apparatus having pneumatically operated clamping devices for clamping one edge of a print screen frame to the print head of the apparatus. In a screen-printing operation where multiple print screens must be quickly interchanged, efficiency of time and energy may be achieved by a manually activated pneumatic clamping device that quickly secures and releases one edge of the screen frame to the print head. The screen-printing apparatus is not limited to a single print head, and multiple pneumatic clamping devices are envisioned for as many screen print heads as are mounted on the screen-printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Inventor: Jerry L. Flatt
  • Patent number: 6805048
    Abstract: A stencil comprises an electret film, wherein the film has at least one perforation having a perimeter that defines an area, and wherein the area is greater than or equal to about one square centimeter. Methods of marking a substrate using stencils of the present invention are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Scott D. Pearson, Vivek Bharti
  • Patent number: 6802250
    Abstract: A stencil design for solder paste printing, or other metal stencil printing, is disclosed. A stencil for stencil printing of solder onto a semiconductor wafer for semiconductor wafer bumping includes a substrate. The substrate has a hole defined therein substantially shaped to correspond to and receptive to the semiconductor wafer. An interior edge of the substrate surrounds the hole, and has an upper lip under which the semiconductor wafer is positioned. The upper lip of the interior edge of the substrate surrounding the hole substantially prevents the solder from flowing onto sides and a bottom of the semiconductor wafer during stencil printing of the solder. The cross-profile shape of the upper lip may in one embodiment be rectangular, whereas in another embodiment be triangular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Chao-Yuan Su, Chia-Fu Lin, Hsin-Hui Lee, Yen-Ming Chen, Kai-Ming Ching, Li-Chih Chen
  • Publication number: 20040187715
    Abstract: A printing device contains a printing medium supporting member having a supporting face for supporting a printing medium; a screen plate fitting detachably onto said supporting face in a state where the printing medium is sandwiched between said screen plate and said supporting face of said printing medium supporting member; and an ink emission section for emitting ink onto the printing medium on said supporting face. A printing system has the printing device described above, and ink color determining means for setting the color of the ink used in printing by means of said screen plate to a lighter color than the ink used in printing by means of said ink emission section. A printing method contains the step of screen printing for printing onto a printing medium by means of a screen plate, and the step of ink emitting for emitting ink of a darker color than the ink used in said screen printing step, onto the screen printed region, from an ink emission section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akiko Niimi
  • Patent number: 6789473
    Abstract: A quick release pallet for a screen printing machine in which the pallet has locating recesses at either ends which locate the pallet on the pallet arm of the screen printing machine by engaging locating lugs on the pallet arm. A toggle clip secures the pallet in position. The advantages are that the pallet has no attachments and can be very quickly positioned and released. Because there are no screw holes in the top surface of the pallet it has a larger print area. The pallet can be modified to a vacuum pallet with a perforated or porous top plate and a vacuum manifold connected to the base plate and air spaces being provided by machined channels in the base plate or a mesh interposed between the base plate and the top plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Reefdale Proprietary Limited
    Inventor: Otto R. Eppinger
  • Patent number: 6779443
    Abstract: A stencil in sheet or roll form that is adapted for stenciling large surfaces such as walls or ceilings, particularly when those surfaces are of a delicate nature. The stencil is a laminar structure including an outer layer of a absorbent flexible material such as paper permanently adhered to a flexible barrier layer. On the side of the barrier layer opposite the outer layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive layer that is fixed to the barrier layer, yet temporarily and releasably adheres the stencil to the surface to be decorated. The pressure sensitive adhesive may be covered with a release liner that is easily removed to expose the adhesive for application of the stencil sheet to the surface, and that prior to being removed, permits the stencil sheets to be formed conveniently into a roll or stacked without adhering to itself or one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc.
    Inventors: Jose M. Martinez, Michael D. Bozich, Christopher Tyra, Martin Homes
  • Publication number: 20040123750
    Abstract: A screen printing apparatus includes a source of solder paste. The solder paste further includes solder and flux. The screen printing apparatus also includes a stencil having openings therein, and an apparatus for forcing the solder paste into the openings of the stencil. The screen printing apparatus also includes a source of vibration attached to the stencil. In some embodiments, the source of vibration is an ultrasonic generator or a plurality of ultrasonic generators. The stencil can also include a frame. The source of vibration can be attached to the frame, or both the frame and the stencil. The source of vibration is positioned to overcome a surface tension between the solder paste and an opening in the stencil. A method for screen printing onto a substrate includes positioning a stencil having openings therein over a substrate, filling the openings in the stencil with solder paste, and vibrating the stencil to release the solder paste within the opening and deposit the solder paste onto the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventor: Frederick F. Rezaei
  • Publication number: 20040123751
    Abstract: A computer readable storage medium having embedded thereon one or more computer programs is described. The one or more computer programs are configured to effectuate printing onto a medium and include a set of instructions configured to cause a printer to apply a material onto a mesh-like substrate having a plurality of holes to form a pattern, filling at least a portion of the holes with the material and expel a fluid from a nozzle at a substantially high rate of speed toward the material held within the hole, wherein the fluid is configured to contact the material and cause the material to be substantially forced out of the hole and applied onto the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventor: Ramon Vega
  • Patent number: 6749996
    Abstract: The present invention is a puff heat transfer, a puff transfer composition, and a method of making a puff transfer composition. The puff transfer composition, i.e., ink, is actually loaded with the color. In particular, the transfer composition comprises effective amounts of a transfer base material, at least one pigment concentrate, and a puff base material. The transfer base material and the pigment concentrate may be mixed together and then loaded into the puff base material to form the transfer composition. The transfer composition may be deposited on a transfer sheet to make the heat transfer. The transfer sheet may be a substrate that is treated with QUILLON™. By using a substrate sheet that is treated with QUILLON™, the puff of the present invention has an improved, velvet-like feel when the transfer sheet is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Impulse Wear, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Roberts, Lawrence Levine
  • Patent number: 6737219
    Abstract: The invention provides a photopolymer package for use in making a hand stamp plate, the package consisting of a sachet containing a photocurable liquid polymer, the walls of the sachet being formed of material capable of being released from the cured photopolymer. Methods for the formation of the package and the hand stamp plate are also provided. The invention eliminates the requirement for the use of a backing layer in the package and thereby offers significant advantages over the prior art in terms of cost and efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Inventors: Paul Mayo Holt, Maria Peneva Dincheva
  • Patent number: 6736056
    Abstract: A manual ink applicator for use in screen printing which uses a squeegee that is mounted on a pair of pivoting links. The links in turn are mounted on a pair of shuttle blocks. The pivoting links raise the squeegee from the screen surface when the shuttle blocks make contact with the top and bottom ends of the screen frame or adjustable stops mounted to the sides of the screen frame, and the operator continues in the same direction as the squeegee was moving just prior to the blocks making said contact. The operator then changes the direction of movement of the squeegee. There is a handle and a brace attached to the shaft. The user places his or her arm through the brace and grasps the handle. By applying the force to the squeegee through the handle, brace and shaft, the force to the squeegee is substantially greater than if just applied to the squeegee by the user's hands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: A Marek Ken Company
    Inventor: Kenneth I. Marek
  • Publication number: 20040089413
    Abstract: Customer data relating to the location and character of features (e.g., conductive pads to which electronic parts are soldered on a printed circuit board) are stored in a digital form (e.g., as “Gerber data”). A library of footprints that characterize the features is created from this data. A footprint filter and a modification parameter are then applied to the footprint library to select footprints for modification and to make a desired change to the selected footprints. In a printed circuit board embodiment, apertures in a stencil designed for printing solder on the printed circuit board are then cut in accordance with the footprints. Data representing all the apertures to be cut in the stencil can be moved or scaled to compensate for variations in the printed circuit board manufacturing and stencil manufacturing processes. The above-described method can be carried out via instructions stored as software code on a computer-readable medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Michael Murphy, Eric Schmidt, Aly Diaz
  • Patent number: 6698346
    Abstract: A printing-agent replenishing device including a replenisher which has a container for accommodating a printing agent and a delivery nozzle disposed at one end of the container and which is operable to delivery the printing agent from the delivery nozzle, for replenishing a printing-agent replenishment object in a screen printer, the device further including a cutting wire for cutting off a mass of the printing agent which extends from a free end of the delivery nozzle, and a cutting-wire holding device which holds the cutting wire such that the cutting wire is held in contact with or in close proximity to the free end face of the delivery nozzle, so as to traverse an opening in the free end face, and such that the cutting wire is rotatable about an axis substantially aligned with an axis of the delivery nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Shimizu, Manabu Mizuno, Jun Adachi
  • Patent number: 6662717
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus for controlling a stencil printing machine (50, 100), wherein a stencil sheet, which is made on the basis of image data, is wound around a printing drum (25; 125, 126) with which a print sheet (34; 141) is held in pressured contact to perform a stencil printing operation, provides the stencil printing machine with image data representative of an image to be reproduced as an object, and printing order information representative of a page order in which the printing operation is performed using image data, an ink color for the printing drum to be used, and a timing in which one printing drum is replaced with another one. In accordance with the printing order information, the ink color contained in image data is detected and an order for each page to be printed is determined on the basis of a user's print request to execute the printing operation according to the page order and to reduce the number of times the printing drum is replaced with.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuko Kubota, Michael Mehigan, Musashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 6663712
    Abstract: A dual track stencil system includes a first set of rails and a second set of rails, each of the rails being independently controlled for allowing for independent movement of circuit boards through the stencil system for processing. A stencil, having two patterns, each aligned with a respective working area of each track is suspended above the dual track system. In one embodiment, the solder dispensing unit includes a squeegee arm with a solder gathering head. During operation using the squeegee arm with the solder gathering head, two circuit boards are fed to the working area, and both of the circuit boards are serially processed, with excess solder being removed from the board after the processing of each of the boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Speedline Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis G. Doyle, Steven W. Hall, Gary T. Freeman
  • Patent number: 6655270
    Abstract: A printing unit includes two screen-printing cylinders and two transfer cylinders that cooperate with the screen-printing cylinders and which define a printing gap or nip. At least one of the screen-printing cylinders has a screen surface and an interior doctor blade. A support element is provided for handling radially outwardly directed pressure exerted by the doctor blade on the screen surface in one section of the screen surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Koenig & Bauer Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Johannes Georg Schaede
  • Patent number: 6651560
    Abstract: A printing form for transferring free-flowing printing ink to a printing material to be printed includes a body having a surface formed with a multiplicity of openings coverable by printing ink; a multiplicity of gas-containing cavities formed in the body, the cavities, respectively, terminating in the openings, respectively, at the surface of the body; and devices assigned to the cavities, respectively, for producing a vacuum therein for sucking printing ink covering the openings of the cavities into a region adjacent to the openings of the cavities, respectively, when a vacuum is produced by devices in the cavities, respectively; an ink transferring device including the printing form; and a method of producing the printing form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventor: Dietmar Neuhaus
  • Patent number: 6647883
    Abstract: Method and apparatus in which a first liquid is extruded through a porous printing plate to its printing surface, a second liquid is externally applied over the first liquid on the printing surface, and a sheet material is contacted with the printing surface in order to print the second liquid onto the sheet material. In some embodiments, the first liquid is a release agent, the second liquid is a printing agent, and a sheet material is contacted with the printing agent on the printing surface, whereby the release agent prevents the adhesion of the printing agent and the sheet material to the printing surface and thereby allows the sheet material to be easily separated from the printing surface. In some embodiments, the printing agent is an adhesive and the release agent prevents the adhesive from strongly adhering to or accumulating on the printing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Kevin Benson McNeil
  • Patent number: 6640715
    Abstract: A process in which a scented ink is applied to an article. An oil-based scent is mixed with a plastisol-type ink and applied to an article, such as a t-shirt. All layers of the ink forming the design, including the base layer, the color layers and a top special effects clear plastisol ink, include the scent. The combination of a plastisol ink and the oil-based scent results in a design with a positive “hand”, where elevated temperatures activate the scent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Inventors: Patrick L. Watson, Joshua L. Hewitt
  • Patent number: 6634287
    Abstract: A stencil disposal box is detachably provided to a stencil printing machine main body, and used stencil sheets are stored therein when the stencil disposal box is mounted to the stencil printing machine main body. An opening, through which a stencil sheet is conveyed, is formed on the stencil disposal box. The stencil disposal box includes a stencil disposal box main body for storing the conveyed stencil sheets, a sweeping member rotatively provided so as to move between an innermost position approximately adjacent to an inner surface of the stencil disposal box main body and a sweeping position located more adjacently to the opening side than the innermost position, and an operation lever portion, which can operate the movement of the sweeping member. This operation lever portion can be operated while gripping a handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Mizutani, Atusi Kanai
  • Patent number: 6634290
    Abstract: A method of printing a printing material on an object, including the steps of printing the printing material on the object through a mask having at least one through-hole formed through a thickness thereof, inspecting the printing material printed on at least one portion of the object through the at least one through-hole of the mask, and re-printing, when the inspection shows that an amount of the printing material printed on the at least one portion of the object is short, the printing material on the at least one portion of the object through the at least one through-hole of the mask to compensate for the short amount of the printing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Shimizu, Jun Adachi, Manabu Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20030177920
    Abstract: An image display medium 1 includes a film body 2 having a number of microscopic film pieces 2a. The film body 2 is sandwiched between a supporting member 3 having receiving spaces 5 and a cover member 4. The image display medium 1 is brought into contact with a rotary drum 26 of an image generating apparatus. Corresponding to a perforated image in a stencil sheet 101 attached to the rotary drum 26, the respective microscopic film pieces 2a of the film body 2 are selectively absorbed to the cover member 4 or partitions 5a of the supporting member 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventor: Koichi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 6619197
    Abstract: To keep a printing paste, which is most influential to a printing performance, always in a uniform state, carry out printing at a high accuracy and in a stable manner, and use an expensive paste with no waste, there is provided a printing paste automatic supplying apparatus which supplies a predetermined amount of printing paste (5) by charging the printing paste (5) in a printing paste supply bag (15) and pressurizing the printing paste (5), provided with a mechanism for opening and closing a printing paste supply port (7) by bringing a printing paste supply plate (6) having the printing paste supply port (7) into contact with the back surface side of a squeegee (4) and vertically moving them, and further provided with a scraper (9) which scrapes up the printing paste on a screen printing plate (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Minami Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehiko Murakami, Shunji Murano, Takamasa Miyata
  • Patent number: 6612231
    Abstract: A squeegee for forcing a print material into apertures of a mask screen which is disposed on an object, so as to print the print material on the object. The squeegee includes: (a) a plate body movable relative to the mask screen in sliding contact thereof with one of opposite surfaces of the mask screen which is remote from the object, while taking a rearward inclined posture in which the plate body is inclined such that a distal end portion of the plate body is positioned on a forward side of a proximal end portion of the plate body as viewed in a squeegee moving direction in which the plate body is moved relative to the mask screen; and (b) a bank portion provided on one of opposite surfaces of the plate body which is remote from the mask screen, and having a blocking surface which projects from the distal end portion of the plate body in a direction away from the mask screen. The bank portion is made of a material softer than a material of the plate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Shimizu, Manabu Mizuno, Jun Adachi, Mamoru Tsuda
  • Patent number: 6578482
    Abstract: A variable volume container includes a cylindrical main body having an end wall at an end thereof; an outlet projecting from an outer surface of said end wall for allowing a content to be supplied; a piston member fitted into said main body sealingly and slidably in an axial direction of said main body for defining a variable volume storage chamber between itself and said end wall; a plug member detachably mounted to said outlet; and an impact resisting reinforcement disposed at said end wall. The reinforcement may be a part of said end wall having a thickness gradually increased toward said outlet, or may be a rib shaped projection. Such a variable volume container placed upside down in packaging or transport is reinforced at the end wall of the main body where the outlet is disposed. Thus, impact is not concentrated at the root portion of the outlet but distributed, so that the outlet is prevented from being damaged, and the container is placed more stably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Wakayama, Takeshi Hirohira