Abstract:
A processing system according to the present invention includes a printer that receives unprocessed marker tubing stock (i.e., multiple rows of uncut and unprinted tubing mounted on a carrier) for simultaneous printing of the marker tubing and the carrier with a single print head. A cutting device is configured to sever the marker tubing rows into sections, regardless of the width of the tubing and regardless of whether there are two rows or four rows of tubing. Since the tubing has its longitudinal axes aligned with a longitudinal axis of the carrier, activation of the cutting device can be controlled to sever sections of marker tubing in varying customized widths. In the same cutting stroke, the carrier can be scored or perforated (“perfed”). A rewinder or the like then takes up the severed and perfed stock.

Description:
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for processing marker tubing, and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for printing on marker tubing stock and its carrier and separating the printed stock into tubing sections. The present invention claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 60/341,374 filed Dec. 17, 2001. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Heat-shrinkable marker tubing is used in various assemblies and configurations. In exemplary applications, printed marker tubing sections are applied to wires, substrates and other objects and heat-shrinkable for marking the objects. 
   It is desirable from a processing and inventory standpoint to print identifying indicia on both the marker tubing and the carrier. Typically separate printing processes are required to effect printing on both the marker tubing and a carrier due to the orientation of the marker tubing stock on the carrier and due to the necessarily non-planar configuration of the marker tubing stock mounted on the carrier. As a consequence, typical printing assemblies either require multiple print heads or multiple passes through a single print head. 
   It is also desirable to enable the marker tubing stock to be severed in varying widths while being maintained on the carrier. In this manner, varying lengths of marker tubing sections can he configured for customized applications. 
   Typically, tubing sections are pre-cut and mounted to a carrier such that longitudinal axes aligned perpendicular with a carrier longitudinal axis, and customizing lengths of the tubing sections is thus not possible. Moreover, conventional marker tubing stock and carrier arrangements are not easily separable into individual sections. 
   SUMMARY THE INVENTION 
   The present invention endeavors to overcome the disadvantages of previous marker tubing processing methods and apparatus. 
   A processing system according to the present invention includes a printer that receives unprocessed marker tubing stock (i.e., multiple rows of uncut and unprinted tubing mounted on a carrier) for simultaneous printing of the marker tubing and the carrier with a single print head. A cutting device is configured to sever the marker tubing rows into sections, regardless of the width of the tubing and regardless of whether there are two rows or four rows of tubing. Since the tubing has its longitudinal axes aligned with a longitudinal axis of the carrier, activation of the cutting device can be controlled to sever sections of marker tubing in varying customized widths. In the same cutting stroke, the carrier can be scored or perforated (“perfed”). A rewinder or the like then takes up the severed and perfed stock. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a carrier assembly for a marker tubing print process includes a substantially planar carrier, and a plurality of marker tubing sections removably secured to the carrier in at least two rows. The marker tubing sections have respective longitudinal axes disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the carrier. The plurality of marker tubing sections may be secured to the carrier via an adhesive and may have consistent lengths and/or widths. The carrier is preferably formed of paper, and the plurality of marker tubing sections is entirely disposed on the carrier. 
   In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a cutting device for cutting a carrier assembly in a marker tubing print process includes at least one cutting blade aligned with at least one of the two rows of marker tubing sections. The cutting blade is provided with angled side sections that converge toward an apex such that a cut width is dependent on a cut depth. The cutting device may comprise two cutting blades. Moreover, as the apex points in a cutting direction, the cutting device further comprises structure that drives the cutting blade in the cutting direction. A controller communicates with the driving structure representing the cut depth. 
   In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a cutting device for cutting a carrier assembly in a marker tubing print process includes (a) determining a size of the marker tubing sections to be cut, and (b) driving the cutting blade in a cutting direction by a distance determined according to the size of the marker tubing sections and cutting at least the marker tubing sections. Step (b) may be practiced by driving the cutting blade in the cutting direction by a distance determined according to the size of the marker tubing sections, cutting the marker tubing sections, and perfing the carrier. Step (b) may alternatively cut both the marker tubing sections and the carrier. 
   Step (b) is preferably practiced by driving the cutting blade in the cutting direction by a distance determined according to the size of the marker tubing sections and cutting the marker tubing sections and the carrier. Step (a) may be practiced by determining a width of the marker tubing sections when secured to the carrier, and step (b) is practiced by driving the cutting blade in the cutting direction by a sufficient distance to cut the entire width of the marker tubing sections. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the marker tubing processing apparatus components; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the print mechanism of the invention including a modified roller platen; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a side view of a cutting blade for the shearing mechanism of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a printed marker tubing stock attached to a carrier with top of form marks printed on the carrier; and 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the print mechanism of the invention including a modified roller platen having a slip surface smaller in diameter than the drive surface. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   While the preferred embodiment of the present invention applies to marker tubing stock, the apparatus and method of the invention could applied to cutting labels or any printable, cuttable material, especially material having at least two non-planar surfaces. For simplicity, the descriptions set forth below refers only to marker tubing stock. 
   The marker tubing processing apparatus  10  according to the invention is illustrated schematically in  FIG. 1 . A suitably programmed computer  12  communicates with the components of the apparatus  10  to coordinate printing, shearing and winding operations according to operator input parameters. That is, the computer  12  is provided with operator interface structure to receive information from the operator such as the specific data to be printed on the marker tubing sections and the carrier, a desired end-size of the sections, etc. The computer  12  communicates with a printer  14  that effects simultaneous printing on the marker tubing and the carrier, and a cutting device  16  that separates the marker tubing stock into tubing sections while also perfing or cutting the carrier. A rewinder  18  takes up the processed marker tubing sections for subsequent applications. A power source is coupled with the system via an AC adapter  19  or the like. 
   The marker tubing stock  20  and carrier  22  are fed through the printer  14  in any suitable manner to a print head assembly  24  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The print head assembly  24  includes a print head  26  that is disposed facing a roller platen  28 . The print head  26  is preferably a thermal print head, although any type of print head such as impact, laser, ink jet, etc. may be used. 
   The roller platen  28  is rotated with the movement of the carrier  22  and marker tubing stock  20  across the print head  26 . As noted above, in conventional arrangements, simultaneous printing on tubing material and its carrier has been impossible due to the non-planar configuration of the timing stock mounted on a carrier. To overcome this problem, the platen  28  according to the invention includes a drive surface  30  and at least one slip surface  32 . In the preferred embodiment, platen  28  includes a drive surface  30  is formed of rubber that supports both the carrier  22  and the marker tubing stock  20  as shown and two surrounding slip surfaces  32 , having a larger diameter relative to the drive surface, that support the carrier  22  only. In a different embodiment, the drive surface  50  could have a larger diameter relative to the slip surface  52  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
   With the arrangement of the smaller diameter drive surface  30  and the larger diameter slip surfaces  32 , the marker tubing stock  20  and the carrier  22  can be positioned in a substantially common plane as the product passes the print head  26 . As a consequence, the print head  26  can simultaneously print identifying indicia on both the tubing stock  20  and the carrier  22 . 
   Since the surrounding slip surfaces  32  of the platen roller  28  have a larger diameter than the drive surface  30 . The surface speed of the slip surfaces  32  may be undesirably higher than the surface speed of the drive surface  30 . To accommodate the different surface speeds, the surrounding slip surfaces  32  must be allowed to slip relative to the drive surface  30 . The slip is preferably accomplished either by separating the surrounding surfaces  32  into individual rollers such that the surrounding surfaces  32  can rotate at different speeds than the drive surface  30 , or by making the surface friction of the surrounding surfaces  32  much lower than the drive surface  30  to allow the surrounding surfaces  32  to slip relative to the carrier  22 . In this context, a non-stick type such as Teflon™ or Kapton™ tape may be wrapped on the roller. With this arrangement, the platen roller  28  can be formed integrally of one piece with the larger diameter surrounding surfaces  32  wrapped with the non-stick tape. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the relative sizes of the drive surface  30  and surrounding surfaces  32  are primarily dependent on the thickness of the marker tubing stock  20 , although a slight tolerance and the pliability of the marker tubing stock  20  enable a single configuration to process a range of marker tubing stock widths. 
   In the printing process as shown in  FIG. 4 , the print head  26  simultaneously effects printing of top of form marks  405  on either or both of the marker tubing stock  402  and the carrier  401  according to the parameters input by the operator via the computer  12 . Additionally, the computer can print other information such as text  403  on the tubing stock. The top of form marks indicate where the marker tubing stock is to be cut by the cutting device. The cut slits  406  are depicted in  FIG. 4 . Accordingly, the distance between the top of form marks indicates the length of each section of marker tubing stock. 
   The printed tubing stock  20  and carrier  22  are then fed to the cutting device  16  to be cut into marker tubing sections. In this context, however, the system can be readily configured such that the printer and cutting device locations are reversed. With reference to  FIG. 3 , the cutting device  16  includes a sensing mechanism (not shown) that recognizes the top of form marks and at least one cutting blade  36  aligned with a corresponding rows of marker tubing stock  20 . Two cutting blades  36  are actually shown in  FIG. 3 . The cutting blades  36  each include angled side sections  38  that converge toward an apex  40 . The angled side sections  38  of the blades  36 , as an alternative to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , may be truncated such that the blades  36  terminate in a flat surface  42  (shown in phantom) that is substantially parallel to the carrier  22 . 
   The cutting blade  34  is coupled with a driving apparatus  44  that drives the cutting device  34  in a substantially vertical orientation in cutting direction as shown by arrow A in  FIG. 3 . The driving direction of the driving apparatus  44  corresponds to a direction in which the apex  40  of the blade side sections  38  points. The driving apparatus  44  can be configured with any suitable construction to effect reciprocal motion of the cutting device  34 . For example, a rotating cam or the like can be used to effect linear reciprocal motion of the cutting device, or a direct linear driving apparatus such as a piston or the like could also be used. Any suitable driving construction can be used provided that a driving distance can be readily controlled. 
   In this context, the sensing mechanism relays the driving mechanism the location of the top of form marks and the the driving mechanism drives the cutting blade to cut the marker tubing at these marks. The computer  12  controls the driving distance of the cutting device  34  according to a desired cutting depth of the blades  36 , which cutting depth is based on a width and thickness of the marker tubing stock  20  mounted on the carrier  22 . Because of the angled side sections of the cutting blades  36 , the cut width by the cutting device  16  is dependent on the cut depth. That is, the deeper the cutting blades  36  are driven into the marker tubing stock  20 , the wider the cut will be. The computer  12  is thus programmed to communicate an appropriate signal to the driving device  44  based on an operator indication of the type (i.e., size, thickness. etc.) of tubing stock  20  being processed. Moreover, because a longitudinal axis of the tubing stock  20  is parallel to a moving direction of the carrier  22 , the tubing section lengths can be varied and customized according to operator preference. 
   In the same cutting stroke, by virtue of the angled side sections  38  of the blades  36 , the blades  36  perforate the carrier  22  for subsequent separation. In this context, some or the entire blade  36  may include serrated or staggered edges to effect at least partially a discontinuous perforation. 
   The thus processed marker tubing sections are then fed to the rewinder  18  that takes up the carrier and processed marker tubing sections for subsequent applications. 
   With the construction of the marker tubing processing apparatus according to the present invention, complete processing of the tubing stock into tubing sections can be achieved in a simple operation. A printer effects simultaneous printing of the tubing stock and carrier, thereby requiring only one print head, and a cutting device severs the tubing stock into custom length sections while perforating the carrier. The resulting processed marker tubing sections can then be readily used for subsequent applications. 
   With the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.