WO2008037455A1

WO2008037455A1 - Arrangement and method for producing a lenticular film web and a lenticular label web

Info

Publication number: WO2008037455A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/008380
Authority: WO
Inventors: Werner Ehrmann
Original assignee: Ccl Label Gmbh
Priority date: 2006-09-27
Filing date: 2007-09-26
Publication date: 2008-04-03
Also published as: DE102006045640A1

Abstract

To produce a printed lenticular film web, in particular a lenticular label web, a lens forming device (1), which forms a lenticular lens system on a first flat side (3) of a transparent film web (7), and a printing device (9), which prints a lenticular image on a second flat side (11) of the film web (7), facing away from the lenticular lens system, are combined to form a machine unit (13), in which the film web (7) is passed both through the lens forming device (1) and through the printing device (9) in a single continuous run. The printing device (9) is preferably a central-cylinder printing machine, the central cylinder (25) of which may be formed on its circumferential surface as a lens forming surface, and so the central cylinder (25) at the same time carries out the lens forming. Since the lens forming device (1) and the printing device (9) are combined to form a unit, the accuracy of the register of the lenticular film web can be increased considerably.

Description

Arrangement and method for producing a lenticular film web and a lenticular label web

description

The invention relates to an arrangement for producing a lenticular film web, in particular a printed lenticular film web, and to a method for producing a lenticular label web.

Lenticular lens systems allow viewing of different images of a lenticular image depending on the viewing direction. Examples of such lenticular lens systems and associated lenticular images are described in US 4,920,039 A ₁ US 4,935,335 A and US 6,424,467 B1. The lenticular lens system usually consists of a plurality of mutually parallel, elongated lenses made of a transparent plastic material with a flat rear side, on the raster of the lenses in strips divided images are arranged nested. The lenses focus on the image strips of different images depending on the viewing direction.

For the production of the lenticular film web it is known from US 4 414 316 A and 4 420 502 A, a transparent film web with unhardened

To coat plastic material and in the coating by means of a

Lens shaping roller to form a lenticular lens system before then hardening the lens system formed to the coating. From US

It is also known to extrude the uncured material of the lens system directly onto a lens forming roll and transfer it to the film web by means of the lens forming roll where it is then cured.

Printed lenticular films are often processed into labels which are applied to upright objects, such as bottles or the like. should be applied to the same, wherein the image content of the lenticular image should change when the view of the observer moves horizontally around the upright object around. To be able to donate such labels easily from a label tape with conventional labeling machines, the lenses of the lenticular lens system should extend with their longitudinal direction transversely to the longitudinal direction of the label strip, which also benefits the flexibility of the label.

The lenticular lens system has to be manufactured with very high precision. This is most easily achieved when the forming roll used to form the lenticular lens system has circumferentially extending mold cavities, as described in US 4,414,316 A and US Pat

4 420 502 A is described. However, such a forming roller produces along the film web extending lenses. For the production of a label tape, therefore, as described in US 6,596,361 B2, the printed

Lenticular film web are divided into sections, which must then be transferred in each case on a carrier tape.

From WO 2004/063775 A2 it is known to provide the lens forming roll with parallel to its axis extending mold cavities. The lenses made with such a lens forming roll extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the film web, which is wound into a roll for further use.

The lenticular image is either printed directly on the flat back of the lenticular sheet or printed on a separate backing which is then laminated to the lenticular sheet. Extremely high demands are placed on the registration accuracy, especially when high-resolution lens systems with 50 lenses per centimeter and more are to be used. In areas with image content that changes according to the viewing direction, the lens must overlap with several image raster strips assigned to the different images. Registration errors considerably reduce the image quality. It is known from WO 2005/051675 A2 to emboss a diffraction grating of a hologram on a flat side of a transparent film web by coating this flat side of the film web with a lacquer curable by ultraviolet light (UV light) and by means of a diffraction grating on its peripheral surface provided embossing roll is guided. The lacquer layer is exposed to the embossing roller of a UV light source and covered after curing in-line operation with a reflective metal layer. The depth and width dimensions of the image content of the hologram representing diffraction grating are in the range of a few tenths of a micrometer, the requirements for the registration accuracy of, for example, pressure applied metallization are very low.

It is an object of the invention to show a way how a printed lenticular sheet can be made with very high register accuracy between the lenticular lens system and the lenticular image.

The invention is based on an arrangement for producing a printed lenticular film web with a lens forming device forming a lenticular lens system on a first flat side of a transparent film web and a printing device imprinting a lenticular image on a second flat side of the film web remote from the lenticular lens system.

The above object is achieved in that the lens forming device and the printing device are connected to a machine unit in which the film web is guided in a single, continuous pass both through the lens forming device and the printing device.

It has been shown that register errors of conventional lenticular systems result to a significant extent from the fact that first the lenticular Film web is produced as a semi-finished product, which is then optionally printed after a temporary storage in a separate step in a separate printing press. By contrast, the invention makes use of the precision of the printing machine by integrating the lens forming process into the printing press and applying both the lenticular lens system to the film web under uniform working conditions and by printing the film web. In particular, the production process takes place at predetermined temperatures and predetermined tension forces acting on the film web. If the manufacturing parameters change, these changes have the same effect on the production of the lens system and the printing process.

In a preferred embodiment, the lens shaping device has a rotating lens forming roller with a peripheral surface designed as a shaping surface for the lenticular lens system, wherein the lens shaping roller is integrated into the film web guide path for the formation of the lenticular lens system. The peripheral surface of the lens forming roll may uniformly form the forming surface over its entire circumference. However, since the printing machine and the lens forming roller operate synchronously at the same film feeding speed, it is sufficient if the lens forming roller is provided with lens forming nests only in the areas printed by the printing machine. In this way, in a preferred embodiment, the lens forming roll can be coated on its circumference in the manner of a printing unit with a die containing the shaping nests or the like, in which the shaping surface is aligned in register with the printing unit of the printing press that is printed in sections. The Formungsnester may be designed linear shape, but also have other grid structures, such. B. in the manner of a fly facet eye.

In particular, when the lens forming roll forms the lens forming surface on its entire circumference, it is advantageous if the lens forming surface associated therewith Materialauftragwerk is designed as a printing unit that allows a material application with an order length shorter than the circumferential length of the lens forming roller. The order also does not have to be full in width. The printing unit fills the shaping nests of the lens forming roller only in those areas which should have a lenticular effect according to the intended use of the film web. In the same way, the printing unit can only partially apply the lens-forming material to the film which brings it into contact with the lens-forming roller. It is thus possible, for example, to produce labels or images which only show lenticular effects in sections. The partial coating of the film web reduces the production costs. The idea of using a printing unit to form the lenticular lens system only partially on the film web has independent inventive significance, regardless of whether the lenticular film web is printed in the same operation or later with the lenticular image or another Use is supplied. For example, articles or the like which can be used as enlarging films in this way can be produced in a continuous web process.

On the film web inlet side of the lens shaping device, a material application device may be arranged which applies to the first flat side of the film web and / or the peripheral surface of the lens forming roll flowable but non-flowable material for forming the lenticular lens system through the lens forming roll. The flowable material can be a radiation-crosslinkable material, in particular lacquer and especially by UV radiation but also electron beam crosslinkable material which is applied by means of a printing unit either directly on the film web or on the peripheral surface of the lens forming roller. The material may also be a two-component material which cures or crosslinks only when its two components are combined. Conveniently, in this case, one component is applied to the film web and the other component to the lens Forming roller applied so that the components are combined during the lens forming process. Also suitable are pulverulent, thermally fusible or crosslinkable materials which can be applied, for example, by an electrostatic powder coating method.

The material intended for the lenses, in each case transparent, may have matching optical properties, in particular refractive properties, with the optical properties of the material of the film web. Different optical properties are acceptable, as they can be compensated by appropriate sizing of the lens mold. Correspondingly, it is also possible to compensate for changes in the shape and / or volume of the lenses, as may occur, for example, as a function of the material during the transition from the flowable to the non-flowable, solid state. For example, it is known that UV-crosslinkable paints shrink slightly during crosslinking. The change in shape and volume can be compensated by suitably dimensioning the shaping nests of the lens forming roll. For example, ink jet paint with the designation UCL 9509 from Sun Chemical or relief paint with the designation UVDO 1109 from XSYS Print Solution has proven to be suitable.

The material applicators can be conventional application or printing units, as are customary in rotary printing presses for the application of paint. The material applicators may have a plurality of material distribution rollers and / or be designed as chamber doctor blade systems. In a preferred variant, digital printing units can also be provided for the application of material, for example by the inkjet principle or by digital printing units operating according to the electrophotographic principle. Under a digital printing unit is to be understood here and below generally a pixel-wise electronically controllable printing unit. Such digital printing units can be used for targeted filling of the molding nests, especially when the Forming surface does not extend over the entire circumference of the lens forming roll or the lenticular lenses are to be generated only in partial sections of the circumferential length. However, it is understood that these material applicators can also apply the material directly to the film web, which then brings it into contact with the forming roller.

In lenticular lens systems, the lens system must be a predetermined distance from the lenticular image. In order to be able to exactly keep this distance, it is preferably provided that the film web is first passed through the lens forming device and then through the printing device, so that thickness variations due to the color of the image do not affect the imaging quality of the lenticular lens system.

The lenticular image can be printed in any printing technique, ie as high-pressure or planographic printing or gravure printing or by means of a pixel-by-pixel-controllable digital printing unit. Preferred are central cylinder printing machines with a central cylinder and usually several arranged around the central cylinder satellite printing units, as they have proven, for example, in rotary high-pressure machines, such as flexographic printing machines. The central cylinder is tempered and guides the film web so that the satellite printing units operate under uniform conditions. Although the lens forming roll may be an additional roll, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the central cylinder of the central cylinder printing machine is also used as a rotating lens forming roll and its peripheral surface forms the shaping surface for the lenticular lens system. In this way, the lenticular image printing satellite printing units and the lens forming roller can be operated under uniform operating conditions. A significant advantage is that the film web is guided during the entire lens forming process and the entire printing process on the central cylinder and thus a particularly good registration accuracy can be achieved. The position of the lenticular image printed on the film web by the printing device and / or the position of the lenticular image produced by the lens forming device on the film web.

5 Linsensystems are suitably adjustable by adjusting means, which allow to adjust the printing device and the lens forming device relative to each other. The adjusting means may be a mechanical position adjustment of the printing device and / or the lens forming device relative to a foil web guide, for example a central cylinder, guiding the film web in the machine unit. However, the adjusting means may also comprise a position control, which adjusts the position of the printing device and / or the lens forming device relative to each other depending on preferably mounted in the machine unit on the film web registration marks. For example, the registration marks can be printed by a printing unit on the film web before the film web reaches the lens forming device.

In order to be able to compensate for distortions caused by stretching or shrinkage of the film web already provided with the lenticular lens system, the printing device may comprise at least one digital printing unit printing lenticular images whose printing position in the longitudinal direction and / or transverse direction of the film web by means of a electronic control is controllable. In this case, the printing position 5 can not only be positioned as a whole controllable in the longitudinal or transverse direction, but it can also be provided that the magnification of the lenticular image in the longitudinal direction and / or in the transverse direction of the film web is variably controlled in a position-dependent manner in relation to one of these directions Reason for shrinkage or stretching to be able to compensate for changing distortion, ie to be able to adapt the lenticular image to a progressive change in size of the lenticular lens system in these directions. Such electronic control allows pixel print command signals relative to that Move pixel grid so that the pixel to be printed is printed at a different location of the film web without adjusting the position of the digital printing unit as such.

In order to produce the lenticular lens system with consistent properties, the lens forming material should be rapidly curable and substantially coatable and embossable, free of air bubbles on the film web. The material must also adhere better to the film web than on the lens forming surface of the lens forming device and it must be free of residue in the cured state of the lens molding surface. It has proven favorable in this context if the material forming the lenses, which is, for example, a paint or the like, has low viscosity so that it can run or flow and defoam optimally on the lens molding surface. Conveniently, the viscosity should be less than 100 mPas, better still less than 50 mPas.

The material forming the lenses should desirably contain a releasing agent, such as a surfactant, such as silicone oil or low molecular weight silicone acrylate, which aids separation from the lens forming surface. Preference is given in the material rapidly migrating release agent, which migrate between the application of the material and the film web and its lens forming on the free surface of the applied material, where they promote the lens forming in the separation of the lens forming surface. It is understood that alternatively or additionally, the lens molding surface may be coated with a release agent, for. B. with a plasma coating with SiO structure.

Conventional lenticular lens systems are overall transparent and uniformly colorless or uniformly colored. As part of the invention, the lenticular lens system in one and the same operation with the Lenticular image is produced, the lenticular lens system can also be used to produce effects. For example, it is possible to add pigment, in particular glittering pigment, to the material to be formed over the whole surface or even only partially. Safety aspects can also be realized with the aid of the technology according to the invention. For example, by means of the printing device on the flat side of the film web, on which the lenticular lens system is subsequently attached, an application can be applied or printed whose size is substantially below the optical perception limit of the human eye. The application may contain references or be used as a security feature. Since it can not be perceived by the naked eye and is protected between the film web and the lenticular lens system, it is tamper-proof.

In the running direction after the printing device, the film web is preferably passed through a laminating station, which removably laminates the lenticular film web with its printed with the lenticular image flat side on a carrier web. Subsequently, the laminate is passed through a label punching station, which removes from the lenticular film web detachably adhering to the carrier web labels. The lenticular film web is expediently detachably fastened to the carrier web by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The adhesive layer may be applied in a conventional manner directly to the printed lenticular sheet or web, e.g. be printed. Also, to improve the opacity, an opaque topcoat can be printed or an opaque adhesive bond can be laminated. The lens shaping device forms, as was explained at the beginning, preferably elongated lenses extending transversely to the direction of travel of the film web.

The invention further relates to a method by which an exactly registered lenticular label web can be produced. According to this method, on a first flat side of a transparent, elongate film A lenticular lens system is formed and a lenticular image is repeatedly printed on a second flat side of the film web. Preferably, the film web is releasably laminated with its printed flat side on a carrier web and then lenticular images containing, releasably adhering to the carrier web labels are punched out of the film web. Again, the lenticular lens system is expediently formed on the film web with lenses extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the film web. The printed film web can be removably attached to the carrier web in a manner known per se by means of pressure-sensitive adhesive. However, the provided with the lenticular image and the lenticular lens system film web can also be integrated in a multi-layer laminate.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Hereby shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a system for producing a lenticular label web.

Fig. 2-4 are schematic partial views of variants of the system of FIG. 1;

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of another system for

Producing a lenticular label web and FIGS. 6 and 7 variants of the system according to FIG. 5.

1 shows, in a schematic side view, a lens forming device 1 which, on a first flat side 3 of a transparent film web 7 coming from a supply roll 5 made of a flexible, substantially dimensionally stable plastic, has a transparent lenticular lens system with lenses arranged in a predetermined pattern anformt. The film web provided with the lenticular lens system subsequently passes through a printing device, in this case a multi-color printing central cylinder high-pressure machine 9, which is connected to the lenticular lens system remote second flat side 11 of the film web 3 imprinted a lenticular image in the grid of the lenticular lens system. Details of the lenticular lens system and the lenticular image are known, for example from US 4,920,039 A, US 4,935,335 A or US 6,424,467 B1. The lens forming apparatus 1 is integrated into the central cylinder high-pressure machine 9 and is connected to the high-pressure machine 9 to a machine unit 13 in which the film web 7 is guided in a single, continuous pass both through the lens forming apparatus 1 and the high-pressure machine 9.

The lens forming apparatus 1 comprises a lens forming roller 15 whose peripheral surface has a forming surface 17 uniformly provided with molding nests for the lenticular lens system. A material applicator 19, here in the form of an applicator roll immersed in a storage trough, coats the forming surface 17 with a flowable, but by radiation, here ultraviolet radiation, curable or crosslinkable, paint-like material which in the course of rotation of the lens forming roller 15 of a pressure roller 21 in the Mold cavity of the molding surface 17 is pressed and calibrated in thickness applied to the flat side 3 of the film web 7. It is understood that the lens material may also be applied in a thickness of material that is thicker than the depth of the molding nests to increase overall film thickness. In this way, thickness tolerances of the film web 7 can be compensated. The material applicator 19 can work in a conventional manner with a doctor, for example in the manner of a chamber doctor blade.

UV light sources 23, whose light penetrates the transparent film web 7, initiate the curing process. The material of the lenticular lens system is expediently a solvent-free solid material system, for example a UV varnish. Coating systems that can be crosslinked by heat, microwave radiation or electron radiation can also be used. The shaping surface 17 preferably generates transverse to the longitudinal direction of the film strip 7, that is, perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1 extending lenses. The molding nests of the lenses may be formed directly in the peripheral surface of the lens forming roll 15; but they can also be provided in a detachable formed on the circumference of the lens forming roller 15 forming mold, similar to a gravure die. In this case, the lens-forming nests can essentially extend only over the surface regions of the label surface regions to be subsequently printed by the high-pressure machine 9. It is understood, however, that the molding surface may also extend beyond or may cover the entire peripheral surface of the lens forming roll 15. When the forming surface is formed by a detachable forming die, it is possible to easily "print" a wide variety of lenticular lens systems, In particular, it is possible to produce not only parallel, rectilinearly elongated lenses but also lenticular lens systems with respect to one Lenticular labels based on such lenticular lens systems can be used, for example, for labeling frustoconical containers or for generating three-dimensional effects In order to better demould the lenticular lens system, the peripheral surface of the lens gripping roller 15 may be coated with a release agent Alternatively or additionally, the material to be formed into the lenses may also be a substance serving as a release agent contain.

The central cylinder high-pressure machine 9 is conventionally designed and has a central cylinder 25 acting here as a counter-pressure cylinder, on which the film strip 7 provided with the lenticular lens system is guided with a lenticular lens system facing radially inward. Around the central cylinder 25 are several satellite printing units 27th consecutively printing the lenticular image corresponding to the grid of the lenticular lens system in multiple colors. Each printing unit 27 is associated with a paint applicator 29 and a drying device 31 for drying the imprinted on the flat side 11 sub-picture. The printing units 27 print in high pressure, for example in flexographic printing. The drying devices 31 can also be combined to form a common drying device (not shown). The central cylinder 25 is cooled or tempered in the usual way.

It should be understood that the lenticular image printing rotary printing units are also gravure or lithographic printing machines, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Offset printing units, can act.

On the flat side of the printed lenticular film web T printed with the lenticular image, a carrier web 35 fed from a supply roll 33 is subsequently detachably laminated, for example by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is applied in a manner not shown, for example by means of an additional satellite printing unit of the high-pressure machine 9 on the printed lenticular film web T. The carrier web 35 is release-coated, for example siliconized, so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive remains on the film web T during detachment. In a punching station indicated at 37, the label areas which are repeated along the film web T are punched free and the punched grid resulting therefrom is pulled off so that only the labels remain ready to be donated on the carrier tape 35. The carrier tape 35 with the labels detachably adhering thereto is wound into a roll 39. To improve the opacity of the labels, an opaque layer can be printed as the last color layer before the pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied. Instead of the opaque printing layer, an opaque adhesive bond can also be added.

In the following, variants of the system explained with reference to FIG described. Equivalent components are denoted by the reference numerals of Fig. 1 and provided with a letter for distinction. To explain the structure, the mode of action and possible variants, reference is made to the respective preceding description.

The variant of FIG. 2 differs from the system of FIG. 1 essentially only in that the material applicator 19a applies the material to be formed and to be hardened in the lens molding device 1a to the flat side 3a of the film web 7a. For this purpose, the material application 19a comprises an application or pressure roller 41, a pressure roller 43 pressing the film web 7a against the pressure roller 41, and a conventional application roller 45 or a doctor blade system or the like. However, the material applicator can also be a digital printing unit, as will be explained below with reference to FIG. 3.

It is understood that instead of using the material applicator 19a, the lens material can also be extruded directly into the gap between the flat side 3a of the film web 7a and the forming surface 17a of the lens forming roller 15a via an extruder indicated at 47.

Fig. 3 shows a variant in which the material forming the lenses via a pixel-by-pixel controllable digital printing unit 19b, which e.g. similar to an ink-jet printing unit, is directly injected into the molding nests of the molding surface 17b at the periphery of the lens forming roller 15b. The digital printing engine may also be similar to a dry toner printing unit, e.g. a laser printing unit or a Nasstoner printing unit work by an electrophotographic process. Also suitable is a powder coating printing unit which applies a thermally or radiation crosslinkable powdery material in an electrostatic field.

In the variants described above, the lenticular lens system is made of a crosslinkable by heat or high-energy radiation material produced. 4 shows a variant in which the lenses of the lenticular lens system consist of a two-component material. The two components are individually flowable, but harden only on unification. In the variant of FIG. 4, the first component is applied by means of a material applicator 49 similar to the material applicator 19a of the variant of FIG. 2 on the flat side 3c of the film web 7c, while the second component with a material applicator 51 similar to the material applicator 19 in FIG is applied directly to the molding surface 17c of the lens forming roller 15c. The two components cure as soon as the pressure roller 21c presses the film web 7c against the lens forming roller 15c.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, the lens forming roll, for example, the lens forming roll 15 of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is integrated with the machine unit 13 in addition to the cylinders and rolls of the high pressure machine 9. Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which one of the central cylinder of a central-cylinder printing machine is also utilized for the lens forming. The printing machine according to FIG. 5 is a central-cylinder high-pressure machine 9d, whose central cylinder 53 at the same time forms the lens shaping surface 17d at its circumference, ie is provided with molding nests for the individual lenses of the lenticular lens system. The material to be applied to the flat side 3d of the film web 7d for lens shaping is in turn free-flowing and subsequently curable, for example by a UV radiation source 23d, curable or crosslinkable. The material application plant 19d performs the material similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1 directly to the lens shaping surface 17d. The material is calibrated by means of the pressure roller 21 d between the film web 7 d and the lens forming surface 17 d in its thickness. Since the film web 7d in the high-pressure machine 9d for the printing process leading central cylinder 53 is also utilized for the lens forming, extremely accurate Passerungen between the lenticular lens system and the lenticular image can be generated. The central cylinder 53 has the preceding explained Function of the explained with reference to FIG. 1 central cylinder 25 and at the same time takes over the function of the lens forming roller 15. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the central cylinder 53 can be operated in the manner of a gravure cylinder to which the lens material on the

5 material applicator 19d is supplied. The material applicator 19d may be a roll mill or a chamber doctor blade system, but also a digital printing unit, as explained with reference to FIG. Also, the lens shaping surface 17d may be formed directly in the central cylinder 53; but it can also be provided on a detachable held on the central cylinder 53 forming die.

The lenticular sheet of film printed in multicolor in the printing machine 9d with the lenticular image is in turn releasably laminated to a carrier web 35d fed from a supply roll 33d, whereupon labels embossing the lenticular image portions corresponding to lenticular image portions and adhering to the carrier web 35d are punched free in a stamping station 5. The carrier tape 35d with the labels ready to be dispensed releasably adhered to it is also wound into a roll 39d here. FIG. 6 shows a variant of the arrangement from FIG. 5, in which, similar to the variant in FIG. 2, the lens material is not supplied directly directly to the lens shaping surface 17e. Rather, the material applicator 19e prints on the flat side 3e of the film web 7e running onto the central cylinder 53e of the central cylinder high-pressure machine 9e. The central cylinder 53e is again provided on its peripheral surface with a lens forming surface 17e, as explained with reference to FIG. The pressure roller 21 e in turn calibrates the thickness of the material layer between the film web 7 e and the lens molding surface 17 e. Again, the lens forming surface 17e may be the surface of a removable mold die, similar to a gravure die.

It is understood that, corresponding to FIG. 2, also in the variant of FIG. 6, the lens material is connected between the film web 7e by means of an extrusion die and the lens molding surface 17e can be extruded.

Also with the embodiment of Fig. 6, the lenticular lens system can be made of two-component material. By means of the material support 19e, a first component of the two-component material can be applied to the flat side 3e of the film web 7e, while the second component similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4 by means of a material applicator 51 e directly on the lens forming surface 17e of the central cylinder 53e is applied. The material cures in the union of the two components between the film web 7e and the lens forming surface 17e.

FIG. 7 shows a variant of the arrangement from FIG. 5, in which the central-cylinder printing machine 9f comprises a plurality of digital printing units 27f which print the flat side 11f of the film web 7f with the lenticular image. The lens shaping surface 17f of the central cylinder 53f is also printed with the lens material by means of a digital printing unit 19f. As indicated at 45f, additionally or alternatively, the flat side 3f of the film web 7f can also be printed with the lens material by means of a digital printing unit. Since only digital printing units are used for the production of the lenticular lens system and the lenticular image, the system can be used very variably. Similar to the previously described rotary printing units, the film web 7f can also be printed only in sections which are shorter in the longitudinal direction of the film web 7f than the circumferential length of the lens molding surface 17f. The order also does not have to be full in width. In this way, labels can be produced, which are provided only in partial areas with a lenticular lens system.

As indicated at 55 in FIG. 7, the adhesive layer required for laminating the carrier web 35f may optionally also be applied with a rotary printing unit. Not shown in detail is the printing of an opaque, for example white color layer to increase the opacity of this label. Optionally, an opaque adhesive bond may be laminated instead of the opaque ink layer.

The digital printing units can work according to the inkjet principle or even according to an electrophotographic principle, be it with dry toner or wet toner. Instead of the above-described rotary printing units or digital printing units but also electrostatic printing units can be used, as used for example in powder coating devices. Such powder coating devices spray in an electrostatic electric field powder on the surface to be coated, which is then subsequently crosslinked by thermal or radiation, sintered or melted to a solid.

The lenticular image is screened according to the grid of the lenticular lens system. The printing units of the printing device, such as the printing device 9 in Fig. 1, are therefore in the longitudinal direction and / or in the transverse direction of the film web 7 relative to this adjustable in its printing position, as in Fig. 1 for the adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the film web 7 by a Arrow 57 is also indicated for the other preceding explained printing units. The position adjustment 57 can take place manually-mechanically, in particular if, as in FIGS. 5 to 7, the lens shaping takes place on the circumference of a central cylinder common to the printing device. The lens forming device, for example 1 in FIG. 1, can be preceded by an additional printing unit 59 which imprints register marks on the film web 7, aligning the printing units of the printing device 9 automatically relative to the lenticular lens system on the basis of the position control circuits (not shown). It is understood that such control circuits can also be used in the other embodiments. As far as the printing units are pixel-controllable digital printing units, the adjustment of the lenticular image relative to the lenticular lens system can also be achieved via the pixel control of the digital printing units. In particular, the pixel control also allows a variation of the image scale of the lenticular image and thus also an adaptation of the lenticular image to a distortion of the lenticular lens system due to a shrinkage or elongation of the film web.

Because the lenticular lens system and the lenticular image are fabricated on the same machine in a single operation, additional effects can be created. For example, pigment, in particular a glittering pigment, can be added to the material which forms the lenses over the entire surface or partially, in order in this way to achieve a gloss or glitter effect in addition to the lenticular effect. If the printing unit 59 explained with reference to FIG. 1 is arranged on the flat side 3 of the film web 7 to be provided with lenses, then it can be used to print an information print which is later protected between the film web 7 and the lenticular lens system, for example a non-removable indication of origin be used. The information imprint can also have such small dimensions that it can not be perceived by the naked eye, so that it can serve as a security feature or authenticity control feature. It will be appreciated that instead of printing, another application, e.g. a hologram or the like can be attached. Such imprints or applications can also be used in the other, previously explained variants of the system. It is further understood that the hologram can also be imprinted directly into the material of the lenticular lens system by means of the lens shaping roller or an additional embossing roller.

The production of the provided with the lenticular lens system film web was preceded by in connection with the printing of the lenticular image and the subsequent further processing to a label web explained. It is understood that the subsequent further processing to a label web is merely an example. Also, the production of the unprinted, provided with the lenticular lens system film web for later printing in a separate printing press or for other uses of the lenticular sheet is intended to be within the scope of the invention.

Claims

claims

An arrangement for producing a printed lenticular film web comprising: a first flat side (3) of a transparent film web

(7) Lenticular lens system forming lens forming device (1) and

• one on a lenticular lens system facing away from the second

Flat side (11) of the film web (7) or / and on the first flat side (3) a printing device imprinting lenticular images

(9), characterized in that the lens forming device (1) and the printing device (9) are connected to a machine unit (13), in which the film web (7) in a single, continuous pass both through the lens forming device (1) as well as the printing device (9) is guided.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the lens forming device (1) has a rotating lens forming roller (15; 53) having a forming surface (17) for the lenticular lens system formed peripheral surface and the lens forming roller (1) in the film web guide path the printing device is integrated.

3. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the film web (7) is guided first through the lens forming device (1) and then through at least one printing unit of the printing device (9).

4. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the printing device (9d-f) a the film web (7d-f) on its first flat side

(3d-f) leading to the lens forming roller forming central cylinder (53; 53e, f) and at least one second flat side (11d-f) of the film web (7d-f) in the region of the central cylinder (53; 53e, f) imprinting Satellite printing unit (27d-f) has.

5. Arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that in the region of the film web feed side of the lens forming roller (15;

15a-c; 53, 53e) a material applicator device (19; 19a-f; 51; 51 e, f; 45f) is arranged, which acts on the first flat side (3a, c, e, f) of the film web (7a, c, e, f). and / or the peripheral surface of the lens forming roll (15; 15b, c; 53; 53e, f) is flowable but non-flowable material for forming the lens forming roll (15;

Lenticular lens system by the lens forming roller (15; 15a-c; 53; 53e, f) applies.

6. Arrangement for producing a lenticular film web comprising a on a flat side (3) of a transparent film web (7)

Lenticular lens system forming lens forming device (1) with a rotating lens forming roller (15; 53) whose peripheral surface (17) is formed as a shaping surface for the lenticular lens system and one in the region of the film web feed side of the lens forming roller (15; 53) arranged Material application device (19;

19a-f; 51; 51e, f; 45f), which on the flat side (3) of the film web (7) and / or on the peripheral surface (17) of the lens forming roll (15; 53) flowable, but in a non-flowable state material for shaping the Lenticular.Linsensystems by the Lining roller (15; 53) applies, characterized in that the material application device comprises at least one formed as a printing unit material applicator, which allows a material application with an application length along the film web (7) shorter than the circumferential length of the lens forming roller (15;

7. Arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the flowable material is a radiation-crosslinkable lacquer, in particular is a crosslinkable by UV radiation varnish.

8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the lens shaping device (1) for the crosslinking of the radiation-crosslinkable lacquer in the region of the lens forming roller (15, 53;

53e) on the side facing away from the lens forming roller (15; 53; 53e) side of the film web (7) arranged radiation source (23), in particular a UV light source.

9. Arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the flowable material is or contains a powdery, thermally fusible or crosslinkable material.

10. Arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the material application device comprises a plurality of material applicators, of which a first material applicator (49; 19e) comprises a first material component of a two flowable components comprising, when combining the components of the curing material system on the first flat side (3c e) the film web (7c, e) applies and a second material applicator (51; 51 e) the second

Material component on the peripheral surface of the lens forming roll (15 c, 53 e) applies.

11. Arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized marked, that the material application device of the lens forming device comprises at least one digital printing unit (19b, f).

12. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the printing device comprises at least one digital printing unit (27f).

13. Arrangement according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the digital printing unit (19b, f; 27f) than after the InkJet- Principle working printing unit or is designed as working according to the electrographic principle printing unit.

14. Arrangement according to one of claims 5 to 10, characterized marked 5 net, that the material application device of the lens forming device

(1) at least one rotary printing unit (19; 45).

15. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 14, characterized in that the printing device (9) at least one rotary printing unit (27).

16. Arrangement according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the rotary printing unit (19, 27) is designed as a high-pressure unit or as a flat printing unit or as a gravure printing unit. 5

17. Arrangement according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the material application device of the lens forming device

(I) comprises at least one powder material electrostatically or tribostatically on the film web or / and the lens forming roll aufsprühendeso powder coating plant.

18. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 17, characterized in that the film web (7) in the direction of the printing device (9) by a laminating station, the lenticular film web (7 ¹ ) with their with the Lenticular image printed flat side

(II) releasably laminated to a carrier web (25) and a label punching station (37) is guided, the releasable from the lenticular film web releasably on the carrier web (35) sticking labels. 0 19. An arrangement according to claim 18, characterized in that the lenticular film web (7 ¹ ) releasably secured by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the carrier web (35).

20. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the lens forming device (1) transverse to the running direction of the film web (7) elongated lenses forms.

21. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the printing device (9) and / or the lens forming device (1) adjusting means (57), comprising an adjustment of the position of the lenticular image on the film web (7) and of the lenticular lens system on the film web (7) relative to each other.

22. Arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the adjusting means (57) a mechanical position adjustment of the printing device (9) and / or the lens forming device (1) relative to a film web (7) in the machine unit (13) leading film web guide , in particular a central cylinder (25; 53) allow.

23. Arrangement according to one of claims 21 or 22, characterized in that the adjusting means (57) comprise a position control, the position of the printing device and / or the lens forming device (1) depending on preferably mounted in the machine unit on the film web (7) Register mark adjusted relative to each other.

24. Arrangement according to one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the printing device (9) comprises at least one lenticular image pixel-wise printing digital printing unit whose pixel print command signals are displaceable relative to the pixel grid by means of an electronic control.

25. Arrangement according to claim 24, characterized in that the pixel print command signals relative to the pixel grid position-dependent are variably displaceable.

26. Arrangement according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that the magnification of the lenticular image in the pixel grid is position-dependent variably controllable.

27. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the lens shaping device (1) has a releasing the lenticular lens system facilitating release agent coated lens molding surface (17).

28. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 27, characterized in that in the lens forming device (1) to be molded material to a lens detachment of the lenticular lens system of a lens-shaping surface (17) of the

Lens shaping device (1) facilitates release agent.

29. An arrangement according to claim 28, characterized in that the release agent in the lens-forming material is capable of migration0 and the lens forming device (1) has a material application device

(19a, e, 45, 45f) which applies the material to the film web (7a, c, e, f).

30. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 29, dadurch5 characterized in that the material to be formed to a lens

Viscosity of less than 100 mPas, preferably less than 50 mPas.

31. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 30, characterized in that the lens material to be formed material contains pigment, in particular glittering pigment.

32. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 31, characterized in that the printing device (9) comprises means (59) which, on the first flat side (3) of the film web (7) in the region of the film upstream side of the lens forming device (1), apply an application whose size is substantially below the optimum perception limit of the human Eye is lying.

33. Arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 32, characterized in that the lens forming roller (15, 53) and / or an additional, rotating forming roller has a certain for embossing a hologram structure in the material of the lenticular lens system peripheral surface.

34. A method for producing a lenticular label web, characterized in that formed on a first flat side (3) of a transparent, elongated film web (7) a lenticular lens system and in the course of the same, continuous feed movement of the film web (7) on a second Flat side (11) of the film web (7) a lenticular image are repeatedly printed and then that the film web (7) with its printed flat side is releasably laminated to a carrier web (35) and then lenticular images containing detachable on the carrier web ( 35) adhering labels are punched out of the film web.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the lenticular lens system on the film web (7) with transverse to

Longitudinal direction of the film web (7) elongated extending lenses is formed.

36. The method of claim 34 or 35, characterized in that the printed film web (7) by means of pressure-sensitive adhesive to the carrier web (35) is releasably secured.

37. A lenticular sheet or section thereof A transparent film web (7),

A lenticular lens system arranged on a first flat side (3) of the film web,

A lenticular image arranged on a second flat side (11) of the film web (7) facing away from the lenticular lens system, characterized in that the lenticular lens system contains a pigment, in particular a glittering pigment, and / or on the first flat side (3 ) is applied between the film web (7) and the lenticular lens system, an application whose size is substantially below the optical perception limit of the human eye.

38. A lenticular sheet or section thereof

A film web, a film arranged on a first flat side of the film web

Lenticular lens system

A lenticular image located between the lenticular lens system and the film web.