Honeycombed matrix device for contact decorating of articles

Abstract

 A device for decorating articles by contact transferring of dyes is mounted on a rotating cylinder (4) of a decorating machine, which includes conveying means (1) for articles (2) to be decorated, aimed at setting the articles in contact with the device (10). The decorating device includes a sleeve (10), which surrounds the outer surface of the rotating cylinder (4) and is divided in a plurality of working areas (11). Each of the working areas (11) includes at least one layer (5) of transferring material. A honeycomb matrix is made on each working area (11) to reproduce at least one decoration for the articles (2). Each of the working areas (11) has different hardness.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field concerned with decoration of articles, such as ceramic tiles, vases, bottles and others, by contact application of dyes.

[0002] In the industry, there are known different types of machines for decorating the above mentioned articles. To apply enamels, or other dyes, these machines carry out silk-screen processes, by which transferring is obtained by contact with surfaces with suitably arranged recesses, or other simila processes.

[0003] For instance, in ceramic tiles production field, there are known rotating machines which transfer enamel onto the tiles by means of a rotating cylinder device. The rotating machines of this kind convey tiles to be decorated-enameled by a conveying line, which is formed by a belt conveyor.

[0004] A cylinder, situated above the conveying line, having a decorating-enameling matrix made in its outer surface.

[0005] The matrix cylinder is driven into rotation with a peripheral speed equal to the speed of the conveying line forward movement.

[0006] The decorating-enameling matrix is obtained by a plurality of recesses made on a sleeve of elastic material placed around the outer surface of the cylinder.

[0007] The above mentioned sleeve is made of a homogenous layer of bouncing putty, therefore its hardness and thickness are constant along the entire extension of the surface.

[0008] The layer of bouncing putty features a series of circular recesses, which receive small quantities of enamel and deliver it onto the tiles.

[0009] The recesses are obtained by known embossing laser techniques and their dimensions change in relation to the pattern to be obtained.

[0010] The enamel is fed to the honeycombed matrix of the rotating cylinder by a delivering nozzle connected with a container.

[0011] Rotation of the cylinder causes the of the enamel to the tiles situated below due to the direct contact therewith.

[0012] It is to be noted that the honeycomb matrix rolls on the tiles surface without rubbing.

[0013] The elastic deformability of the sleeve layer on which the honeycomb matrix is made, prevents any damages to the tiles during the decoration-enameling.

[0014] The layer of bouncing putty has a predetermined hardness, chosen in relation to the characteristics of the image to be reproduced on the articles to decorate.

[0015] Actually, the material reaction changes in relation to the hardness of the matrix layer, and consequently, also the characteristics of the decoration change.

[0016] This results in fact that the machine equipped with a decorating-enameling rotating cylinder as described above, allows to reproduce a fixed pattern, in relation to the hardness of the layer of deformable material that has been used.

[0017] However, it is desirable to produce decorated articles, which are not identical to one another, but suitably modified starting from a basic decorative pattern, mainly in order to obtain "handicraft" effect or others.

[0018] For example, slight decoration differences of various tiles can be combined to obtain particular decorative effects of the whole.

[0019] However, in order to obtain this result, it is necessary to set up a machine with two or more decorating-enameling stations, each of which is equipped with its own rotating cylinder with honeycomb matrix made in a layer of bouncing putty with suitable hardness, or use more machines of the described type, which obviously, increases the costs.

[0020] The object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problem of the prior art by proposing a device for decorating articles by contact transferring of dyes, which allows to obtain suitably variable decorations starting from a basic pattern.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to propose a decorating device, whose structure is very simple and functional, and which is cheap.

[0022] The above mentioned objects are obtained in accordance with the contents of the claims.

[0023] The characteristic features of the present invention will be pointed out in the following description of a preferred, but not unique embodiment, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic lateral view of a known rotating machine using the proposed device with a honeycomb matrix;
• Figure 1a is an enlarged view of the particular K of Figure 1;
• Figure 2 is a schematic lateral view of the rotating cylinder carrying a decorating device made in accordance with the present invention;
• Figure 2a is an enlarged view of the particular W of Figure 2;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of a sleeve which forms the decorating matrix of the devie of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a schematic lateral view of another embodiment of the decorating sleeve;
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of a device for obtaining the sleeve for the decorating device of the rotating cylinder.

[0024] The decorating device 10, realized according to the present invention, will be now described with reference to the above Figures, and with particular reference to its application to a rotating machine for decorating ceramic tiles by contact transferring of enamel.

[0025] This application is only an example of an advantageous use of the present invention.

[0026] Actually, the decorating device 10 can be applied not only to machines for decorating-enameling of ceramic tiles, but the same inventive idea can be applied to machines for decorating different articles, not necessarily flat, such as vases or bottles.

[0027] Figure 1 shows schematically the above mentioned machine for decorating-enameling of ceramic tiles 2.

[0028] The machine includes a rotating cylinder 4, arranged horizontally, with the decorating device 10 associated to its outer surface.

[0029] Moreover, the decorating machine includes means 1 for conveying the tiles 2, which support the latter and bring them into contact with the lateral surface of the cylinder 4, without rubbing against it, and synchronously with the rotation of the cylinder.

[0030] In particular, the conveying means 1 include a conveying belt, moving in the direction indicated with the arrow A and carrying the tiles 2, suitably spaced apart, on its upper run.

[0031] The dyes, in this case suitable types of enamel, are fed to the decorating device 10 by a delivering nozzle 7, according to known techniques.

[0032] A scraper member 8, of known type, is set in touch with the lateral surface of the cylinder 4 to scrap the latter in order to remove exceeding enamel therefrom.

[0033] According to Figures 2, the decorating device is formed by a sleeve, indicated generally with reference numeral 10, which surrounds the rotating cylinder 4.

[0034] A honeycomb matrix is made in the sleeve 10 (see Figure 1a), according to known techniques, for decorating-enameling articles 2 to be decorated, in the given example ceramic tiles.

[0035] The sleeve 10 features a series of working areas 11, regularly spaced apart, and including each one a layer 5 of a transferring material, e.g. elastic, and in particular bouncing putty.

[0036] As apparent from the particular W, shown enlarged in Figure 2a, the layer 5 of bouncing putty features circular recesses 6, which receive the enamel to be delivered onto the tiles 2.

[0037] The dimensions of each working area 11 correspond substantially to the dimensions of a single tile 2 being decorated-enameled and the hardness of each working area 11 is different from the other areas, as will be specified later.

[0038] The working areas 11 are incorporated into a strip 12 of inactive containment material, e.g. silicone.

[0039] A supporting strip 13 of a suitable binding material is applied to the containment strip 12 and the working areas 11 are incorporated thereinto.

[0040] The sleeve 10 is advantageously manufactured in a spread out configuration, as seen in Figure 3, and is then applied around the peripheral surface of the cylinder 4 by known techniques.

[0041] During the decorating-enameling step, due to the rotation of the cylinder 4, the enamel is transferred from each working area 11 of the sleeve 10 to a respective tile 2 passing on the conveying belt situated below with the speed equal to the speed of the rotating cylinder 4.

[0042] The different hardness of the layer of bouncing putty in each working area 11 makes the decoration of each tile correspondingly different, starting from a single basic decorative pattern.

[0043] Thus, the differently decorated tiles can be used in combination to obtain particular decorative effects of the whole.

[0044] What above results from the fact that, while lancing the honeycomb matrix, different layers having different hardness cause different effects of the lacing laser beam, and also from the fact that different hardness causes different elastic reaction of the working areas 11 acting on the tiles 2.

[0045] It has been noticed that, as the hardness increases, the honeycombed layer follows with more and more difficulty the irregularity of the tile surface, and consequently, the global aesthetic aspect of the decoration changes.

[0046] Obviously, the number of changed decorations obtained in the above way is equal to the number of working areas 11, two or more, made in the sleeve 10.

[0047] In the shown case, there are three working areas, in which three variants of the basic pattern are produced.

[0048] According to Figure 4, showing a different embodiment of the sleeve 10, in which the decorating-enameling matrix is embossed, the working areas 11 of different hardness follow one another without gapa, i.e. they are not incorporated into a containment inactive strip, which acts also as a spacer element between adjacent working areas.

[0049] The sleeve 10 can be preferably obtained by means of a drum device 14 shown in Figure 5.

[0050] The device 14 includes substantially a first external cylindrical jacket 15 and a second inner cylindrical jacket 16, which are coaxial and which define, therebetween, an interspace receiving the bouncing putty.

[0051] A plurality of removable radial separators 17 are situated inside the interspace, regularly spaced apart, which define a corresponding plurality of cylindrical sections 18, which form the above mentioned working areas.

[0052] The bouncing putty is injected into each cylindrical section 18 by respective nozzles 19 situated on a head of the drum device 14.

[0053] Obviously, each cylindrical section 18 receives the bouncing putty of different hardness.

[0054] Thus, the injection of bouncing putty into the cylindrical sections 18 forms areas of different hardness, delimited by the separators 17 and subsequently constituting different working areas 11.

[0055] After the bouncing putty has been injected into the cylindrical sections 18, the separators 17 are removed, so as to join the material of different sections and form the sleeve 10.

[0056] Time of removal of the separators 17 is suitably determined during the formation of the cylindrical sections 18, so that the adjacent: areas of two sections can be bound to each other.

[0057] It is to be pointed out that during the removal of the separators 17, the injected material in the joining areas between one cylindrical section and another can be spread, and consequently the hardness changes gradually and not suddenly, passing from one working area 11 to another.

[0058] According to a different construction technique, the different working areas 11 can be arranged one beside another, very close to each other, on a flat surface, e.g. a bowl of predetermined dimensions.

[0059] Like in the above described drum device 14, transversal separators are placed inside the bowl, to define areas, whose dimensions and positions correspond to those of the working areas 11.

[0060] Bouncing putty of different hardness is injected into the so defined areas, and then the transversal separators are removed in the already described way, so that the different working areas 11 weld one with another in correspondence to the respective peripheral opposite edges.

[0061] Consequently, the decorating device according to the present invention achieve the object to obtain tiles with suitably varied decorations, starting from a basic pattern, by changing only the hardness of different working areas 11.

[0062] It is to be noted that the above object is fulfilled by a structure which is simple to manufacture, functional and cheap.

[0063] What above is obtained by applying a sleeve 10 to the decorating-enameling cylinder 4, which sleeve has a series of working areas 11 of elastic material, each of which has different hardness.

[0064] The working areas 11 can have different hardness inside, in particular the hardness can change gradually through the thickness of the layer 5 of deformable material, e.g. it can be harder in the external part, or it can change along the longitudinal and/or transversal extension of its surface, e.g. from one end to the other of each single area.

[0065] The hardness can be also changed by applying different layers of different hardness.

[0066] Obviously, if the above described decorating device is used for decorating articles different than ceramic tiles, like vases, bottles or others, the structure of the machine can be different than the one described above.

[0067] Particularly, the conveying means 1 must be different in order to suit to different needs of articles to be supported and conveyed.

Claims

1. Device for decorating articles by contact transferring of dyes, the device being mounted on a rotating cylinder (4) of a decorating machine, the machine including:

- conveying means (1) for conveying articles (2) to be decorated, said conveying means co-operating with said rotating cylinder (4) to set said articles (2) in contact with said device (10) while moving them in synchrony with the rotation of the cylinder (4);

- delivering means (7) for delivering a suitable quantity of dyes onto said decorating device;

said decorating device being characterized in that it includes at least one sleeve (10), which surrounds the outer surface of said rotating cylinder (4) and is divided in a plurality of working areas (11), each of which includes at least one layer (5) of transferring material, on which an alveolate matrix is made to reproduce at least one decoration for said articles (2), with said working areas (11) having different hardness.

2. Device, according to claim 1, characterized in that said transferring material is an elastic material.

3. Device, according to claim 1, characterized in that strips (12) of containment material are introduced between said working areas (11).

4. Device, according to claim 1, characterized in that said working areas (11) are arranged substantially one beside another.

5. Device, according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the dimensions of each of said working areas (11) substantially correspond to the dimensions of the area to be decorated of a single article (2).

6. Device, according to claim 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that the hardness of said working areas (11) varies gradually through the thickness of said layer (5) of the transferring material.

7. Device, according to claim 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that the hardness of said working areas (11) varies along the longitudinal extension of their surface.

8. Device, according to claim 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that said working areas (11) are obtained by connecting two or more layers of elastic material of different hardness.

9. Device, according to claim 1, 3 or 4, characterized in that said working areas (11) varies along the transversal extension of their surface.

Drawing