Pad printing of recessed surfaces

Abstract

Pad printing techniques are used to print into recesses to provide high quality, visually distinctive decorative items, including automobile emblems with a recess. To facilitate the pad printing, the recess is provided with angled sidewalls and an arcuate transition. This combination allows the pad to wet the entire printable surface without forming air gaps that would hinder the pad printing process. A rounded shoulder is provided around the recess and the rounded should is free from ink. The rounded shoulder provides a highly visible boundary that reflects light when viewed from different angles.

1 . An emblem for mounting on an article of manufacture, the emblem comprising: 
 a first surface configured for attachment to the article of manufacture;    a second surface opposite the first surface;    a boundary surface forming a portion of the second surface; and    a recess in the second surface and bordered by the boundary surface, the recess including 
 a generally planar recess floor configured to receive ink,  
 a sidewall interconnecting the generally planar recess floor and a portion of the boundary surface, wherein the sidewall forms an acute angle with a plane that is orthogonal to the recess floor,  
 a floor-sidewall transition interconnecting the generally planar recess floor with the sidewall, wherein the floor-sidewall transition is an arcuate comer formed by an arc segment,  
 a convex rounded comer interconnecting the sidewall with the portion of the boundary surface, wherein the convex rounded comer is formed by an arc segment,  
 an ink layer disposed on at least a portion of the generally planar recess floor, and  
 a reflective surface forming at least a portion of the boundary surface and the convex rounded comer.  
   
     
     
         2 . The emblem of  claim 1 , wherein the ink layer terminates on an edge between the floor-sidewall transition and the convex rounded comer so that the convex rounded comer is devoid of ink, wherein the ink layer is pad printing ink applied during a pad printing process.  
     
     
         3 . The emblem of  claim 1 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the plane generally defined by the boundary surface and the generally planar recess floor, wherein the depth is between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.050 inches.  
     
     
         4 . The emblem of  claim 1 , wherein the arc segment of the floor-sidewall transition has a radius between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         5 . The emblem of  claim 1 , wherein the arc segment of the convex rounded comer has a radius between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         6 . An emblem comprising: 
 a boundary surface; and    a recess in the boundary surface, the recess including 
 a floor,  
 an arcuate shoulder adjacent to the boundary surface and adapted to reflect light,  
 a sidewall having one end adjacent to the arcuate shoulder and a second end adjacent to the floor, and  
 a printable coating layer disposed on the floor via a pad printing process.  
   
     
     
         7 . The emblem of  claim 6 , further comprising an arcuate comer adjacent to the floor and the second end of the sidewall.  
     
     
         8 . The emblem of  claim 7 , wherein the arcuate comer is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         9 . The emblem of  claim 7 , wherein the printable coating layer substantially covers the entire floor and at least a portion of the printable coating layer terminates between the arcuate comer and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         10 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the sidewall forms an acute angle with a plane that is orthogonal to the floor.  
     
     
         11 . The emblem of  claim 10 , wherein the acute angle is between about 0 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         12 . The emblem of  claim 10 , wherein the acute angle is between about 50 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         13 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the floor, said depth being between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.050 inches.  
     
     
         14 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the floor, said depth being between about 0.010 inches and about 0.030 inches.  
     
     
         15 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         16 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         17 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the printable coating layer is set within the recess below the lower most point of curvature for the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         18 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the printable coating layer is ink.  
     
     
         19 . The emblem of  claim 6 , wherein the recess is configured such that when an area of contact between a printing pad and the floor is expanded by the pad being increasingly compressed against the floor, the area of contact expands without forming significant air pockets between the pad and the recess.  
     
     
         20 . An emblem for mounting on an article of manufacture, the emblem comprising: 
 a boundary surface; and    a recess within the boundary surface, the recess including 
 a generally planar recess floor,  
 a sidewall interconnecting the recess floor and the boundary surface, 
 wherein the sidewall forms an acute angle with a plane that is orthogonal to the recess floor,  
 
 an arcuate comer interconnecting the recess floor with the sidewall,  
 an arcuate shoulder that transitions from the sidewall to the boundary surface, and  
 a printable coating layer disposed on the recess floor via a pad printing process.  
   
     
     
         21 . The emblem of  claim 20 , further comprising a reflective surface formed on at least a portion of the boundary surface and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         22 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the arcuate comer is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         23 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the printable coating layer substantially covers the entire planar recess floor and at least a portion of the printable coating layer terminates between the arcuate comer and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         24 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the acute angle is between about 0 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         25 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the acute angle is between about 50 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         26 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the generally planar recess floor, said depth being between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.050 inches.  
     
     
         27 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the generally planar recess floor, said depth being between about 0.010 inches and about 0.030 inches.  
     
     
         28 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         29 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         30 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the printable coating layer is set within the recess below the lower most point of curvature for the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         31 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the printable coating layer is ink.  
     
     
         32 . The emblem of  claim 20 , wherein the recess is configured such that when an area of contact between a resilient printing pad and the recess floor is expanded by the resilient pad being increasingly compressed against the recess floor, the area of contact expands without forming significant air pockets between the resilient pad and the recess.  
     
     
         33 . A method for making an emblem, the method comprising: 
 providing a work piece comprising a boundary surface and a recess within the boundary surface, the recess including a floor and a sidewall interconnecting the floor and the boundary surface;    depositing a printable coating on a resilient pad; and    making a first area of contact between the resilient pad and the floor, wherein, as the resilient pad is increasingly compressed against the floor, the first area of contact expands without forming significant air pockets between the resilient pad and the recess.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the sidewall forms an acute angle with a plane that is orthogonal to the floor.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the acute angle is between about 0 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the acute angle is between about 50 degrees and about 85 degrees.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the recess further comprises an arcuate comer interconnecting the floor with the sidewall.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the arcuate comer is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the recess further comprises an arcuate shoulder that transitions from the sidewall to the boundary surface, wherein the printable coating layer substantially covers the entire floor and at least a portion of the printable coating layer terminates between the arcuate comer and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the recess further comprises an arcuate shoulder that transitions from the sidewall to the boundary surface  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising applying a reflective surface to at least a portion of the boundary surface and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing a venting template including an opening with irregularly shaped borders, wherein the shape of the opening generally corresponds to the shape of the recess.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising applying a printable coating to an etched cliché.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising passing a doctor blade over the etched cliché.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising pressing the resilient pad against the etched cliché.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the resilient pad is silicon rubber.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the printable coating is an ink.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the plane generally defined by the boundary surface and the plane generally defined by the floor, said depth being between about 0.0005 inches and about  0 . 050  inches.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the plane generally defined by the boundary surface and the plane generally defined by the floor, said depth being between about 0.010 inches and about 0.030 inches.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the recess further comprises an arcuate shoulder that transitions from the sidewall to the boundary surface, wherein the printable coating layer is set within the recess below the lower most point of curvature for the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         53 . An emblem comprising: 
 a boundary surface; and    a recess in the boundary surface, the recess including 
 a floor,  
 a sidewall generally between the floor and the boundary surface and forming an obtuse angle with the floor,  
 an arcuate comer that transitions from the recess floor to the sidewall,  
 an arcuate shoulder that transitions from the sidewall to the boundary surface, and  
 a printable coating layer disposed on the floor via a pad printing process.  
   
     
     
         54 . The emblem of  claim 53 , further comprising a reflective surface formed on at least a portion of the boundary surface and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         55 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the arcuate comer is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         56 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the printable coating layer substantially covers the floor and at least a portion of the printable coating layer terminates between the arcuate comer and the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         57 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the obtuse angle is between about 90 degrees and about 175 degrees.  
     
     
         58 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the obtuse angle is between about 140 degrees and about 175 degrees.  
     
     
         59 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the floor, said depth being between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.050 inches.  
     
     
         60 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the recess has a depth defined between the planes generally defined by the boundary surface and the floor, said depth being between about 0.010 inches and about 0.030 inches.  
     
     
         61 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.0005 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         62 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the arcuate shoulder is formed by an arc segment having a radius of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.6 inches.  
     
     
         63 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the printable coating layer is set within the recess below the lower most point of curvature for the arcuate shoulder.  
     
     
         64 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the printable coating layer is ink.  
     
     
         65 . The emblem of  claim 53 , wherein the recess is configured such that when an area of contact between a resilient printing pad and the floor is expanded by the resilient pad being increasingly compressed against the floor, the area of contact expands without forming significant air pockets between the resilient pad and the recess.