Abstract:
A hollow plastic container having a closed lower supporting base, a sidewall extending upwardly from the closed base, and an upper portion having a dispensing opening therein extending upwardly from the sidewall. The container also includes a digitally printed base coat on the sidewall having a thickness of from 1 to 200 microns, and preferably includes printed areas over at least portions of the base coat to provide a distinctive appearance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/798,900, filed May 9, 2006. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to plastic containers having a base or undercoat thereon, particularly a digitally printed base coat. 
         [0003]    It is highly desirable to provide a plastic container with sharp and clear printing and/or pictorial designations thereon. Conventional techniques for printing onto plastic containers, especially those having curved surfaces thereon, are subject to significant drawbacks. For example, it is difficult to obtain proper registration between colors, and changing images, designs or wording is expensive and time consuming. Inkjet printing with multiple nozzles is useful for flat surfaces; however, it is difficult to satisfactorily use multiple nozzles on curved surfaces. 
         [0004]    It would be highly desirable to provide a plastic container, especially those having a curved surface, with good printing, images and/or pictorial designations thereon, wherein the resultant container has optimal image and/or print quality. It would be particularly desirable to print a digitally generated image directly onto a plastic container, particularly a curved plastic container, wherein the printing can be done at a reasonable speed and at a reasonable cost. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention the foregoing objectives are readily achieved. 
         [0006]    The present invention provides a plastic container, particularly a curved plastic container, with a digitally printed base or undercoat. The containers with the digitally printed base coat are desirably provided with an outer label printed over the base coat as, for example, an inkjet coated label. The label or the printed area over the base coat can be simply a graphical or product or trademark designation, and are preferably comprised of digitally printed ink or a variety of digitally printed ink colors. The base coat may be either clear or colored, as an opaque color. The base coat desirably enhances the look of the outer coated label by adding layering effects with varying thicknesses of ink which provides a three dimensional effect. 
         [0007]    Thus, in accordance with the present invention the container of the present invention comprises: a hollow plastic container having a closed lower supporting base, a sidewall extending upwardly from the closed base; and an upper portion having a dispensing opening therein extending upwardly from the sidewall; and a digitally printed base coat on said sidewall, wherein said base coat has a thickness of from 1 to 200 microns. Preferably there are printed areas over at least portions of said base coat. In an advantageous embodiment portions of the sidewall are uncoated. 
         [0008]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will be discussed hereinbelow. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention will be more readily understandable from a consideration of the following illustrative drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a plastic container of the present invention with a digitally printed base coat and a printed area over the digitally printed base coat; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a plastic container of the present invention with a digitally printed base coat; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a plastic container as shown in  FIG. 2  with a thicker digitally printed base coat; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a plastic container as shown in  FIG. 3  with a thicker digitally printed base coat. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , blow molded plastic container  10  is provided having a base coat  12  which has been digitally printed thereon. The digital printing procedure desirably includes clamping the empty container and optionally applying internal pressure to the inside of the container, as for example at a pressure range starting at a vacuum, e.g., from −1 psi to 5 psi. The clamped and pressurized container is preferably pre-treated, as by a heat treatment or corona treatment, to raise the surface energy of the container to insure ink adhesion thereon. The thus treated container will then have the desired base or undercoat digitally printed thereon. This may be a direct drop on demand inkjet head or an indirect drop on demand inkjet pad. If desired, the digitally printed area could be silk screened or manually applied with a draw-down tool. U.V. ink may be applied directly on the desired container surface in one pass. The container thus printed with a base coat will then be treated in a curing station to cure the base coat thus applied. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a digitally printed base coat  12  is applied on the container  10  sidewall  14 , with base area  16 , shoulder area  18  and neck or upper area  20  with dispensing opening  21  therein left untreated. The base coat is preferably provided circumferentially on substantially the entire sidewall, although one can readily leave desired areas of the sidewall untreated. In addition, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  reverse print area  22  identified by the work “label” is uncoated; whereas the raised print area  24  identified by the word “sample” is printed over the base coat and can be seen to have a distinctive three dimensional appearance. Additional printing can be applied to the remainder of the base coat to provide a desired color and/or label appearance, with identification, pictorial representations, descriptive material or the like thereon. Similarly, the uncoated, reverse print area has a distinctive, three dimensional appearance. 
         [0016]    As indicated above, the base coat can have any desired appearance, as with a clear or opaque color. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1  the base coat has a light color. The base coat has the effect of enhancing the look of the label printed or applied thereon, as by adding layering effects with varying thicknesses of ink which provides a three dimensional effect. The base coat may be applied in such a way as to allow the substrate color, bottle color or the like to show through as part of the graphic design of the label. This can be done in such a way as to accentuate certain blown-in characteristics of the container, such as lettering within a logo or distinctive features, such as water drops which are shown by way of example in  FIGS. 2-4 . The base coat can also at least in part have a raised or textured appearance to enhance the look, feel and/or grip. 
         [0017]    Thus,  FIG. 2  shows an alternate embodiment of a blow molded plastic container  30  having a base  32 , sidewall  34 , shoulder portion  36  and neck or upper portion  38  with dispensing opening  39  therein, similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 . Sidewall portion  34  is provided with a digitally printed base coat  40 , as with base coat  12  in  FIG. 1  and shoulder portion  36 , neck or upper portion  38  and base  32  are uncoated. However, the blown in water drop configurations  42  have no base coat thereon. Therefore, when a label area is printed over the base coat as in  FIG. 1  and not over the water drop configurations, the distinctive container sidewall will be quite impressive, with the water drops  42  having no printing or coating thereover. 
         [0018]    Container  50  in  FIG. 3 , similar to container  40 , has a digitally printed base coat  52  and water drops  54  which are uncoated. However, base coat  52  is thicker than base coat  40  and the thicker portions have a darker appearance. Similarly, container  60  in  FIG. 4 , similar to container  40 , has a digitally printed base coat  62  and water drops  64  which are uncoated. However, base coat  62  is thicker than base coat  52  and has a still darker appearance. Therefore, when a label area is printed over the base coats in  FIGS. 3 and 4  as in  FIG. 1  and not over the water drop configurations, the distinctive container sidewall will be quite impressive as with  FIG. 2 . If desired, one can provide the thicker base coat portions over only portions of the sidewall to give a light-dark color arrangement or a variation in color appearance. 
         [0019]    The container of the present invention with digitally printed base coat has significant advantages. The base coat, which can be white, opaque or any desired color, allows for better color management typical of inkjet processes. The base coat provides a consistent and uniform surface which can conveniently receive multicolor graphics via an inkjet process. Moreover, the digitally printed base coat provides the proper surface energy (dynes per square centimeter) required for optimal image/print quality. 
         [0020]    The base coat is from 1 to 200 microns thick, preferably from 3 to 100 microns thick and optimally from 15 to 50 microns thick. The base coat has desirable features, as it is generally chemical resistant, scratch or scuff resistant and can be solvent based, water based or radiation curable. Moreover, a wide variety of base coat colors can be used, preferably clear or opaque. The base coat can provide a barrier layer for decreased permeability of the surface that is applied. The specific gravity of the base coat should be at least one, and is preferably from 1.25 to 1.5. Moreover, a wide variety of application methods can be used and distinctive features or designs can readily be printed or applied thereover. 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrations described and shown herein, which are deemed to be merely illustrative of the best modes of carrying out the invention, and which are susceptible of modification of form, size, arrangement of parts and details of operation. The invention rather is intended to encompass all such modifications which are within its spirit and scope as defined by the claims.