Vacuum cylinder with recessed portions for holding articles for printing

摘要

A customization system for an article of equipment includes a printing system for printing a graphic onto the article. The customization system also includes a cylinder for holding the article for printing a graphic upon the article. The cylinder can include one or more recesses in the outer surface of the cylinder to accommodate the article. A partial vacuum applied to the article when disposed within the recess through ports in the bottom surface of the recess holds the article in place within the recess while the cylinder rotates during printing. A gasket can be included between the recess in the cylinder and the article to provide an airtight seal to hold the article in place.

主权项

1. A customization system for printing a graphic onto an article of equipment, comprising:
a printing system, including a printer; a cylinder for holding the article in proximity to the printer, wherein the cylinder and the printer are movable with respect to each other; a vacuum system in fluid communication with the cylinder; wherein the article is entirely disposed within a recess in an outer surface of the cylinder; wherein a depth of the recess is equal to a thickness of the article so that an exterior surface of the article is flush with the outer surface of the cylinder; and wherein the vacuum system is configured to apply a partial vacuum to the article to hold the entire article within the recess.