Patent ID: 6050182
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: B41F

Abstract:
A balloon printing apparatus for printing an image on the outer surface of a number of inflatable elastic balloons of the type defining a main body and a neck opening allowing access into said main body, said apparatus comprising:a) a conveyor device movable in a closed path in an intermittent manner;b) a plurality of nozzles spacedly carried by said conveyor device, insertable into a balloon neck opening and for inflating a balloon;c) as many balloon supporting frames as air nozzles, carried by said conveyor device, each nozzle adjacent to a corresponding frame, each frame sized to partly surround and support the main body of an inflated balloon installed on the adjacent nozzle with a portion of said inflated balloon protruding from said frame, said body remaining in a stable position relative to said conveyor device while said inflated balloon is transported by said nozzle and frame through said closed path;d) a number of stations located along said conveyor device and comprising:a balloon installing station for successively installing the balloons on said nozzles;at least one balloon inflating station, wherein the balloons are inflatable by said nozzles upon the ballons fitting inside their respective frames, and at least one balloon printing station in which a printing plate is movable towards a frame stopped at said station and in which ink is applicable onto the protruding portion of the inflated balloon supported by said stopped frame;wherein said supporting frame comprises a pair of similar, spaced, parallel frame sections, each having an opening which registers with the opening of the other frame section and which is of a shape conforming to the cross-sectional shape of the inflated balloon and of a size smaller than the maximum cross-sectional size of the inflated balloon.