Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PCT/EP2018/075159
METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRINTING CERTIFIED IDENTIFICATION
ELEMENTS ON A WEB
Field of the Art
The present invention relates to a method for continuously printing certified
identification elements on a web, thereby obtaining a web with a sequence of
printed
identification elements, where the identification elements that are actually
printed on defect-free
web segments can be certified, which thereby allows one to be certain that no
identification
element is lost as a result of being printed on a defective web segment, and
generally allows
assuring that all the elements of a given set of identification elements have
actually been printed.
The method is applicable for the promotion of products with identification
elements that
can be used to give out a prize, or to allow a return, or for the biunivocal
identification of a group
of pharmaceutical products, or for other similar uses.
State of the Art
The individual printing of unique and distinctive identification elements is
known in the
industry. For example, a code or number including the printing or
manufacturing date, the
product batch or the like is usually included, but in such case the codes used
are typically
sequential, and therefore predictable, which is of no interest for carrying
out drawings or giving
out prizes since it allows for counterfeiting.
The inclusion of random identification elements, such as alphanumeric codes,
precisely
for the purpose of participating in drawings or handing out prizes, is also
known. The randomness
of the identification elements makes it very unlikely for a counterfeiter to
use a code which
would by chance correspond with one of the codes actually used in the drawing
or prize.
However, precisely because they are unpredictable, random codes, there is a
need to
maintain a register of the generated identification elements to be able to
subsequently carry out
the drawing from among the generated and printed identification elements.
However, there is currently the risk of printing defects occurring which, due
to the
continuous printing speed, can cause hundreds or thousands of identification
elements to be
printed on defective web segments that cannot be put on the market, where it
can lead to changes
or errors in the probability of obtaining a prize, or to giving out prizes to
identification elements
not put on the market as they were damaged during the printing tasks.
There is still no known document or prior art which offers a solution to this
problem that
allows automatically obtaining a register of printed certified identification
elements
corresponding with absolute certainty to correctly printed identification
elements that are ready to
be put on the market on packages or bags of unitary products obtained from the
printed web.
Disclosure of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for continuously printing certified
identification elements on a web.
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It will be understood that the continuously-printed web is a web of material
that
continuously moves in one direction, and that the identification elements are
printed on said web
without said web stopping.
The identification elements are symbols, signs, codes, sequences of numbers,
letters or
combinations thereof that are not repeated, where they are different every
time they are printed,
and are therefore univocal identifiers.
Said identification elements will be printed in pre-established areas of the
web. Typically,
the web will then be cut into sections corresponding to product units, for
example, for forming
packets, bags or wrappers for consumables. The identification elements will be
printed on the
web for each product unit to contain an identification element distinguishing
it from the rest of
the product units that will have different identification elements.
This can be useful, for example, for carrying out drawings which assign a
prize to a
specific product unit associated with an identification element, or for
assuring the authenticity of
the product, which allows assuring that a product unit is not a fraudulent
copy thereof, checking
that the identification element corresponds to a certified identification
element.
Said web will usually contain other prints other than the print of the
identification
elements, for example the identification of the product which the future
packet or bag will
contain. Said former print can be made in the same printing unit in which the
identification
elements are printed or in another printing unit where the web wound onto
reels which
subsequently feed it into the unit in which the identification elements are
printed. In any case, the
web will preferably include a former print.
The proposed method for continuously printing certified identification
elements on a web
therefore includes randomly generating, by means of a computing unit,
identification elements
that are all different from one another.
Said identification elements are printed in series on the web under the
control of a
processing unit.
In a novel manner, the invention proposes storing in a register of printed
identifiers a
copy of the series of identification elements that have been printed on the
web, including the
printing order. Said register of printed identifiers is obtained with the
processing unit.
The processing unit can be part of the computing unit or independent thereof.
During the printing process the method contemplates detecting a defective
printed web
segment including a defect selected from:
o defect in the identification element printing process;
o defect in the position or state of the web, including tears therein;
o defect in a former print of the web;
and in response to said detection of a defective web segment:
= identifying the contiguous identification elements which are contiguous
to the defective
web segment and communicating said contiguous identification elements to the
processing unit;
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= the processing unit eliminating all the identification elements comprised
between the
contiguous identification elements from the register of printed identifiers;
= discarding the defective web segment;
such that the register of printed identifiers contains all the identification
elements printed on the
defect-free web, assuring the certified condition thereof.
Defects in the web will preferably be detected automatically. For example, the
printing
unit in charge of printing the identification elements can communicate the
correct operation
thereof to the processing unit, where any incident is thus detected, or the
correct position of the
web can be detected at all times by means of optical sensors, where any
deviation is detected.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the invention also contemplates an operator
being able to indicate
any detected incident to the processing unit.
It will be understood that the contiguous identification elements of the
defective web
segment are the last identification element printed outside or the first
identification element
printed inside the defective web segment, which demarcate one of the ends of
the defective web
segment, and the first identification element again printed outside or the
last identification
element printed inside the defective web segment, demarcating the other end of
the defective web
segment.
Therefore, the contiguous identification elements can be the first and last
identification
elements printed on the defective web segment, and the last identification
element correctly
printed before the defective web segment and the first identification element
again correctly
printed after the end of the defective web segment.
The entire defective web segment and all the identification elements printed
thereon will
therefore be comprised between both identification elements.
Said defective web segment will be discarded since it cannot be used for
production as it
contains effors or defects; therefore all the identification elements that
have been printed on that
defective web segment will also be discarded and will not reach consumers. The
physical
elimination of said defective web segment will be performed by an operator who
will discard said
defective web segment and join the web segments before and after the defective
web segment,
giving continuity back to the web.
To prevent the register of printed identification elements from containing
identification
elements that do not actually end up reaching consumers, which can be
problematic in the case of
using said identification elements to carry out drawings, for example, the
contiguous
identification elements mentioned above are indentifiecl, communicating them
to the processing
unit which will eliminate from the register of printed identification elements
all those
identification elements comprised between the contiguous identification
elements, also including
said contiguous identification elements if they correspond to identification
elements printed on
the defective web segment.
In this manner, only those identification elements that have actually been
printed on the
defect-free web segments and that will reach consumers remain in the register
of printed
identification elements.
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According to one embodiment, the processing unit can deduce the contiguous
identification elements based on the moment the inspection device detects a
defect. In such case,
the processing unit will indicate the contiguous identification elements to
the aforementioned
operator so that said operator can correctly identify the defective web
segment to be eliminated.
It is also contemplated for the processing unit to be connected to a
recognition device
aimed at the area of the web where the identification elements are printed,
such that upon
detecting a printing defect, said recognition device can identify the
contiguous identification
elements by combining its readings with the readings of the inspection device.
According to another embodiment, it is also contemplated for the
aforementioned
operator to be in charge of identifying the beginning and the end of the
defective web segment
during elimination, and therefore to be in charge of communicating the
contiguous identification
elements to the processing unit, either by means of manual input or by showing
said contiguous
identification elements to an identification element reader connected to said
processing unit.
This allows the register of printed identification elements to certify the
correctly printed
identification elements, where the presence of a person in charge of
performing such certification,
such as a notary or the like, is therefore unnecessary.
According to a proposed embodiment, the identification elements are all
generated by the
computing unit before starting the printing process and stored in a register
of identifiers to be
printed that can be accessed by the processing unit, and from which the
identifiers to be printed
are gradually eliminated after printing, therefore the already printed
identification elements
contained in the register of printed identification elements, as well as the
identification elements
still to be printed contained in the register of identification elements to be
printed, are known at
all times.
In such case, as the identification elements eliminated from the register of
printed
identifiers have been printed on a defective web segment, they can be re-
entered in the register of
identifiers to be printed for subsequent printing, which thereby allows one to
be certain at the end
of the process that all the identification elements initially included in the
register of identification
elements to be printed have finally been printed correctly.
It is proposed for the identification elements to be numeric codes, alphabetic
codes, or
alphanumeric codes, which can be readily entered in the processing unit
manually for
communicating the contiguous identification elements, or alternatively it is
contemplated for
them to be barcodes or QR codes, which can be readily communicated to the
processing unit by
means of an optical reader.
According to another embodiment, the web with correctly printed identification
elements
is wound in a winding unit generating several reels of printed web, and
wherein the register of
printed identifiers also stores, in association with the register of
identification elements, the sub-
sets of identification elements contained in each individual reel, which
thereby allows knowing
exactly which correctly printed identification elements are contained in each
individual reel.
Each individual reel can furthermore receive an identification label
associated with the
sub-set of identification elements from the register of printed identifiers.
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Preferably, the identification elements are printed by means of a laser
printing unit, which
allows quick and precise continuous printing on the web, changing the
identification elements in
each printing. The laser printing unit can communicate the printed
identification elements to the
processing unit as it prints them on the web.
It is also proposed for an image capturing units to analyze at least the area
of the web
where the identification elements have been printed, delivering the captured
images to the
processing unit for analysis for identifying a defective web segment, for
example detecting a web
movement, an incorrect printing of the identification element or a tear in the
web. Said image
capturing unit may be configured to capture stroboscopic images in
coordination with the speed
of movement of the web, i.e., it would capture images in which the position of
the identification
elements within the image would always be the same in all the captured images,
despite the
continuous movement of the web.
It will be understood that references to geometric positions, such as, for
example,
parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc., allow deviations up to 15 with
respect to the theoretical
position defined by said nomenclature.
It will also be understood that the end values of any offered range of values
may not be
optimal and may require adaptations of the invention so that said end values
are applicable, said
adaptations being within reach of a person skilled in the art.
Other features of the invention will be seen in the following detailed
description of an
embodiment.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more clearly
understood based
on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the
attached drawings
which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in
which:
Figure 1 shows a list of the main steps of the proposed method, briefly
outlining said
method;
Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a device envisaged for applying the
proposed
method.
Detailed Description of an Embodiment
The attached drawings show illustrative and non-limiting embodiments of the
present
invention.
According to one embodiment, the proposed method commences by printing, in a
flexographic printing unit, a web 1 of flexible material with a repeating
motif. Said web 1 is
envisaged to be cut into pieces, each piece corresponding to a product unit
printed with said
motif, for example, to form a box, bag or wrapper for a product that can be
put on the market.
The printed flexible web I is wound onto reels.
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Said reels are then unwound, feeding a unit in which identification elements 2
are
printed. When one reel finishes, a new reel is fed by joining the end of one
reel to the beginning
of the next reel, thereby achieving continuous feeding.
The flexible web I that is fed goes through a laser printing unit 30
configured for printing
an identification element 2 on the flexible web 1 in coincidence with the
repeating motif
previously printed on the web I, printing a single identification element 2 on
each product unit.
A computing unit generates a list of random, unique and non-repeating
identification
elements 2 and stores them in a register 11 of identification elements to be
printed. In this
example, the identification elements 2 are alphanumeric codes having 10
digits, but it is
understood that said codes can have a different number of digits, or can be
another type of code.
The register 11 of identification elements to be printed is communicated with
a
processing unit 10 connected to the laser printing unit 30.
As the flexible web I goes through the laser printing unit 30, different
identification
elements 2 present in the register II of identification elements to be printed
are printed on the
web I by means of the laser printing unit 30. Every time an identification
element 2 is printed,
the processing unit 10 eliminates said identification element 2 from the
register 11 of
identification elements to be printed, and transfers it to a register 12 of
printed identification
elements, where it is stored by printing order.
After the printing of the identification elements 2, the web I is wound up
again
generating reels with identification elements 2. When a reel is complete, the
web is cut and
winding onto a different reel follows.
In this embodiment, the machine has an inspection device 20 implemented, for
example,
by means of optical sensors which detect if the flexible web 1 moves laterally
with respect to the
forward movement direction, or if the identification element 2 has been
correctly printed or
printed in the cori-ect position. Said optical sensors can also detect a tear
in the flexible web 1.
If a deviation greater than threshold values indicative of a defect is
detected, printing is
stopped.
An operator eliminates the web segment 1 containing said defect and joins the
defect-free
web segments to one another again. The operator then communicates the
contiguous
identification elements of the defective web segment to the processing unit 10
by means of an
interface. In this example, the operator enters in the interface the last
correctly printed
identification element 2 before the defective web segment and the first
correctly printed
identification element 2 after the defective web segment.
Said interface can be a screen with a keypad, or an optical reader for reading
alphanumeric codes, barcodes or QR codes, or other identification elements
used.
Alternatively, the interface can be in charge of communicating to the operator
where the
detected defective web segment begins and ends, communicating the contiguous
identification
elements to said operator.
The processing unit 10, knowing the contiguous identification elements,
identifies all the
identification elements 2 that have been printed on the detective web segment,
eliminates them
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from the register 12 of printed identification elements and incorporates them
again in the register
11 of identification elements to be printed so that they are reprinted on a
defect-free web segment
This thereby allows one to be certain that all the identification elements 2
initially
contained in the register 11 of identification elements to be printed will end
up being printed on a
defect-free web segment 1, and will therefore end up reaching consumers.
This allows obtaining a certified register 12 of printed identification
elements.
The present embodiment also contemplates communicating to the processing unit
at least
the first and/or the last identification element 2 of a web segment forming a
reel. This allows the
processing unit 10 to also store in the register 12 of printed identification
elements information
about which reel contains each identification element 2, creating sub-sets of
identification
elements 2 in the register 12 of printed identification elements.
The processing unit 10 can generate a label associated with each of said sub-
sets, and
identify each reel with one of said labels.
This invention is particularly useful for including unique codes relating to
drawings or
promotions included in packages for products, for example edible products, as
it allows having a
certified register 12 of printed identification elements without a certifying
person who records the
identification elements 2 that have actually been printed correctly having to
be present during the
printing process.
It will be understood that the different parts forming the invention described
in one
embodiment can be freely combined with the parts described in other different
embodiments even
though said combination has not been explicitly described, provided that there
is no drawback to
the combination.
