Disposable cup insert for pad printing and decorating
A liquid supply assembly for use with a printing system of a type in which a liquid is deposited from the liquid supply assembly in a receiving region on a plate and any excess of the liquid in the receiving region is scraped from the plate by the liquid supply assembly. To this end, the liquid supply assembly employs a reusable cup, a disposable cup insert and a scraping element. As assembled, the reusable cup includes a reusable liquid reservoir, the disposable cup insert includes a temporary liquid reservoir holding the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir, and the scraping element includes a conduit facilitating a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate.
1. A liquid supply assembly for use with a printing system of a type in which a liquid is deposited from the liquid supply assembly in a receiving region on a plate and any excess of the liquid in the receiving region is scraped from the plate by the liquid supply assembly, the liquid supply assembly comprising:
a reusable cup including a reusable liquid reservoir;
a disposable cup insert including a temporary liquid reservoir operable to hold the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir wherein the disposable cup insert includes a hollow reservoir body having an open outlet and a closed base defining the temporary liquid reservoir and wherein the closed base has a flexible material composition to facilitate an expansion of the temporary liquid reservoir in response to an increase in gas pressure exerted by the liquid on the temporary liquid reservoir; and
a scraping element including a conduit operable to be in liquid communication with the temporary liquid reservoir and the plate to facilitate a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate,
wherein the open outlet includes a flange operable to be physically aligned with the scraping element to thereby establish the liquid communication between the temporary liquid reservoir and the conduit, and
wherein the flange includes a seat operable to support a seal ring between the flange and the scraping element.
2. The liquid supply assembly of claim 1 wherein the reservoir body includes an inner bottom portion and an outer lower portion separated by a recessed portion, such that the recessed portion is configured to mate with a conduit body, and the inner bottom portion and an outer lower portion are substantially collinear.
3. The liquid supply assembly of claim 1 wherein the reservoir body includes an inner bottom portion and an outer lower portion separated by a recessed portion, such that the recessed portion is configured to mate with a conduit body, and the inner bottom portion and an outer lower portion are not substantially collinear.
4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the disposable cup insert includes a closed upper portion and an open lower portion, and wherein the open lower portion rests upon the conduit, and wherein the conduit rests upon the plate.
5. A liquid supply assembly for use with a printing system of a type in which a liquid is deposited from the liquid supply assembly in a receiving region on a plate and any excess of the liquid in the receiving region is scraped from the plate by the liquid supply assembly, the liquid supply assembly comprising:
a reusable cup including a reusable liquid reservoir;
a disposable cup insert including a temporary liquid reservoir operable to hold the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir wherein the disposable cup insert includes a hollow reservoir body having an open outlet and a closed base defining the temporary liquid reservoir; and
a scraping element including a conduit operable to be in liquid communication with the temporary liquid reservoir and the plate to facilitate a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate wherein the open outlet includes a flange operable to be physically aligned with the scraping element to thereby establish the liquid communication between the temporary liquid reservoir and the conduit, wherein the flange includes a seat operable to support a seal ring between the flange and the scraping element.
6. A printing system, comprising:
a plate including a receiving region; and
a liquid supply assembly operable to deposit a liquid in the receiving region of the plate and to scrape any excess of the liquid in the receiving region from the plate, wherein the liquid supply assembly includes:
a reusable cup including a reusable liquid reservoir;
a disposable cup insert including a temporary liquid reservoir operable to hold the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir wherein the disposable cup insert includes a hollow reservoir body having an open outlet and a closed base defining the temporary liquid reservoir; and
a scraping element including a conduit operable to be in liquid communication with the temporary liquid reservoir and the plate to facilitate a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate; and
wherein the open outlet includes a flange operable to be physically aligned with the scraping element to thereby establish the liquid communication between the temporary liquid reservoir and the conduit, and
wherein the flange includes a seat operable to support a seal ring between the flange and the scraping element.
7. A liquid supply assembly for use with a printing system of a type in which a liquid is deposited from the liquid supply assembly in a receiving region on a plate and any excess of the liquid in the receiving region is scraped from the plate by the liquid supply assembly, the liquid supply assembly comprising:
a reusable frame including a reusable liquid reservoir;
a disposable cup insert including a temporary liquid reservoir operable to hold the liquid within the reusable liquid reservoir wherein the disposable cup insert includes a hollow reservoir body having an open outlet and a closed base defining the temporary liquid reservoir;
a seal; and
a scraping element including a conduit operable to be in liquid communication with the temporary liquid reservoir and the plate to facilitate a flow of the liquid held by the temporary liquid reservoir through the conduit to the plate,
wherein the open outlet includes a flange operable to be physically aligned with the scraping element to thereby establish the liquid communication between the temporary liquid reservoir and the conduit, and
wherein the flange includes a seat operable to support the seal between the flange and the scraping element.
8. The liquid supply assembly of claim 7 wherein the seal is disposed between the disposable cup insert and the reusable frame.
9. The liquid supply assembly of claim 8 wherein the closed base has a flexible material composition to facilitate an expansion of the temporary liquid reservoir in response to an increase in a gas pressure exerted by the liquid on the temporary liquid reservoir.
10. The liquid supply assembly of claim 7 wherein the seal is disposed between the disposable cup insert and the scraping element.
11. The liquid supply assembly of claim 10 wherein the closed base has a flexible material composition to facilitate an expansion of the temporary liquid reservoir in response to an increase in a gas pressure exerted by the liquid on the temporary liquid reservoir.
12. The liquid supply assembly of claim 7 wherein the closed base has a flexible material composition to facilitate an expansion of the temporary liquid reservoir in response to an increase in a gas pressure exerted by the liquid on the temporary liquid reservoir.