SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRINTING ON A FLEXIBLE BODY

摘要

A printing system includes carriage assemblies, a preparation station, a printing station, and a selection station. The carriage assemblies receive flexible bodies and are coupled to a conveyance assembly that moves the carriage assemblies along a direction of travel. The preparation station receives the flexible bodies from the loading station and manipulates the flexible bodies to at least partially flatten printing surfaces of the flexible bodies. The printing station prints images on the flexible bodies. The selection station examines the images on the flexible bodies and selects one or more of the flexible bodies based on the images. The selection station also individually grips and removes selected flexible bodies from the carriage assemblies and conveys the selected flexible bodies to a first collection location while the other flexible bodies remain on the carriage assemblies and are conveyed to a different, second collection location.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a carriage assembly having a supporting surface configured to support a flexible body along a first direction, the carriage assembly also configured to grasp a first end of opposite ends of the flexible body; and a preparation station configured to at least partially flatten a printing surface of the flexible body by engaging a second end of the opposite ends of the flexible body and moving the second end of the flexible body in a second direction oriented away from the first end of the flexible body that is grasped by the carriage assembly and oriented transverse to the first direction during a time period that the first end of the flexible body is grasped by the carriage assembly, wherein the preparation station is configured to at least partially flatten the printing surface of the flexible body prior to printing an image on the printing surface of the flexible body.