Printing device, printing control method and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing device, a printing control method and a recording medium capable of stably performing high-quality printing. The printing device (100) comprises: a movable body (410) capable of accommodating a storage unit (411) for storing ink, and performing printing in a printing action area (Ar1) in the device; a moving mechanism capable of at least moving the movable body (410) to the printing action area (Ar1) and a stirring area (Ar2) arranged outside the printing action area (Ar1); and a stirring unit (30) disposed in the stirring area (Ar2) capable of stirring the ink in the storage unit (411); when the movable body (410) moves to the stirring area (Ar2) through the moving mechanism, the stirring unit (30) and the movable body (410) are locked to stir the ink in the storage unit (411).

Description

[0001] Citation of Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-007682 filed on January 21, 2021, and this application cites the entire contents of that basic application. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a printing device, a printing control method and a recording medium. Background Art

[0004] Conventionally, ink used in printing is a mixture of various solutes dissolved in a solvent such as water, and the state in which the solute is dissolved in the entire solvent in a uniform or nearly uniform state is the state originally intended during use.

[0005] For example, in a printing device (nail printing device) for printing a design on a nail, a base layer of white or the like is formed on the surface of the nail before printing the nail design on the nail in order to make the result present a beautiful color without being affected by the color of the nail. The base ink of white or the like applied as a base contains a solute with a large specific gravity such as titanium oxide as a white component, which is easy to precipitate.

[0006] If printing is performed using ink with severe solute sedimentation, the printing result may be uneven in color or have horizontal stripes due to deviations in ink concentration, or the ink may not be ejected normally due to nozzle clogging, thereby reducing the printing quality.

[0007] As a method of stirring the ink to eliminate the sedimentation state, for example, it is also possible to shake the ink storage part by hand, but since the shaking method and the degree of force applied vary from person to person, bubbles may be generated in the storage part due to insufficient stirring or excessive shaking. In addition, stirring by hand is a workload for the user and becomes a burden.

[0008] Regarding this point, Japanese Patent No. 5471358 describes a structure in which a stirring section (a swing mechanism in Patent Document 1) is provided on a carriage that holds and moves a print head (a recording head in Japanese Patent No. 5471358), and ink is stirred by swinging the ink appropriately.

[0009] This allows the user to perform stable stirring without having to use his hands, and even ink containing a solute with a large specific gravity such as the base ink can be kept in a state where high-quality printing can be performed.

[0010] However, when the carriage is provided with a stirring unit as in Patent Document 1, when the print head is moved, the stirring unit also moves together, so that a space for their movement must be secured, resulting in an increase in the size of the device. Summary of the invention

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing device, a printing control method, and a recording medium capable of stably performing high-quality printing.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the printing device of the present invention comprises: a movable body, which can accommodate a storage section for storing ink and perform printing action in a printing action area in the device; a moving mechanism, which at least moves the above-mentioned movable body to the above-mentioned printing action area and a stirring area arranged outside the above-mentioned printing action area; and a stirring section, which is arranged in the above-mentioned stirring area and can stir the above-mentioned ink in the above-mentioned storage section; when the above-mentioned movable body is moved to the above-mentioned stirring area by the above-mentioned moving mechanism, the above-mentioned stirring section and the above-mentioned movable body are in a locked state and stir the above-mentioned ink in the above-mentioned storage section.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, high-quality printing can be performed stably. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the appearance structure of the main parts of the printing device according to the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a control block diagram showing a schematic control structure of the printing device according to the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a front view of the main part of the device body of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a front view of the main part of the device body of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a side view of the main parts showing the stirring part, the moving body and their surroundings according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 It is a main part perspective view showing the structure of the moving body and its periphery according to the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 It is a main part perspective view showing the locking part of the movement guide part and the frame according to the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 It is a perspective view of the main parts showing the locked state of the locking portion of the movement guide and the frame according to the embodiment.

[0023] Fig. 9 It is an enlarged perspective view showing the locked portion of the movement guide and the frame in the locked state according to the embodiment.

[0024] Fig.10 It is a perspective view of the stirring part of embodiment.

[0025] Fig.11 It is a perspective view of the main parts showing the vicinity of the locking portion of the stirring portion and the moving body according to the embodiment.

[0026] Fig.12 (a) will be in Fig.11 1 is an enlarged perspective view within a frame indicated by a one-dot chain line, and (b) is a view schematically showing the structure of the locking portion of the stirring portion and the moving body.

[0027] Fig.13 It is a perspective view of main parts showing a locked state of a stirring portion and a moving body according to an embodiment.

[0028] Fig.14 (a) to (d) are front views of the stirring portion for explaining the operation of the stirring portion according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 14 (a) to (d) of the present invention describe an embodiment of a printing device, a printing control method, and a recording medium according to the present invention.

[0030] In addition, in the embodiment described below, various limitations which are technically preferred for carrying out the present invention are included, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and the illustrated examples.

[0031] In addition, in the following embodiments, the printing device is described as a nail art printing device that prints on finger nails as the printing object, but the printing object of the printing device of the present invention is not limited to finger nails, for example, toe nails can also be used as the printing object. In addition, objects other than nails, such as nail art sheets or the surfaces of various accessories, can also be used as the printing object.

[0032] Figure 1 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the main parts of the printing device (nail printing device) of this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the control structure of the main parts of the printing device.

[0033] In the following embodiments, it is assumed that up and down, left and right, and front and back refer to Figure 1 In addition, it is assumed that the X direction and the Y direction refer to Figure 1 The direction indicated in .

[0034] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the printing device 100 has a housing 1 formed in a substantially box shape.

[0035] An operation unit 12 is provided on the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 1 .

[0036] The operation unit 12 allows the user to perform various inputs.

[0037] The operation unit 12 includes operation buttons for performing various inputs, such as a power switch button for turning the power of the printing apparatus 100 on and off, a stop switch button for stopping the operation, and a print start button for instructing to start printing.

[0038] When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal corresponding to the operation is output to the control device 80 , and the control device 80 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each unit of the printing device 100 .

[0039] On the front surface side of the housing 1 of the printing device 100 (at Figure 1 The Y direction is the front side) and the left and right directions of the device ( Figure 1 A finger insertion port 13 is formed in a substantially central portion (in the X direction) of the printing device 100 as an opening portion into which a finger is inserted when printing.

[0040] Furthermore, a device main body 2 is accommodated inside the casing 1 .

[0041] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a front view of the device body viewed from the front side of the device.

[0042] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the device body 2 includes a base 20 and a printing unit 40 and a stirring unit 30 (see Fig.10 ) etc. In addition, inside the housing 1, a photographing unit 50 etc. is also provided (see Figure 2 ).

[0043] A finger placement portion 21 for placing and holding a finger (a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed) inserted from the finger insertion port 13 is provided on the base 20 at a portion corresponding to the finger insertion port 13 .

[0044] The portion where the finger placement section 21 is provided (the region substantially in the center in the X direction and near the front of the device) is a printing operation region Ar1 where printing is performed by a printing section 40 described later.

[0045] In addition, outside the printing operation area Ar1 in the device (in this embodiment, the area at the left end in the X direction and near the front of the device), a stirring area Ar2 is provided for stirring the ink by the stirring unit 30 described later. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown in FIG. 1 , the region on the left end portion in the X direction on the base 20 and near the front side of the device is defined as the stirring region Ar2 .

[0046] An ink receiving portion 22 for receiving ink droplets (including liquid ink droplets and mist-like ink droplets) generated from the ejection portion 412 is provided on the base 20 and in the stirring area Ar2.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the ink receiving portion 22 functions as a maintenance portion that performs maintenance on the print head 41. The configuration of the ink receiving portion 22 is not particularly limited, but a configuration using a material that absorbs ink is preferred.

[0048] In addition, on the base 20, in an area other than the printing action area Ar1 and the stirring area Ar2 (for example, the area behind the device), there may also be a waiting area (initial position) for the print head 41 to wait when not printing, a maintenance area for performing maintenance on the print head 41, etc. (all not shown).

[0049] The printing unit 40 includes a printing head 41 and a head moving mechanism 49 as a moving mechanism (see Figure 2 ).

[0050] The print head 41 includes a storage portion 411 for storing ink and a discharge portion 412 .

[0051] In this embodiment, the printing head 41 includes: a base head 41 (41a), which stores base ink in a storage unit 411. The base ink contains a solute such as titanium oxide as a white component, and forms a white base (white or pink, blue, etc. that are close to white) on the nail before the pattern is printed; and a pattern head 41 (41b), which stores pattern inks of various colors such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW) to print nail art patterns.

[0052] When printing on nails, applying base ink to the nails before printing the nail pattern with the design ink can improve the color of the design ink, thereby enabling printing with beautiful results (nail printing).

[0053] Furthermore, by providing both the base head 41 a and the pattern head 41 b , it is possible to automatically perform everything from application of the base to printing of the nail pattern using one printing device 100 .

[0054] In the present embodiment, when simply referred to as a print head 41 , it includes a base head 41 a and a pattern head 41 b .

[0055] The ejection unit 412 has a plurality of nozzle openings (not shown) for ejecting ink on the surface facing the nail surface, and ejects the ink stored in the storage unit 411. The method of ejecting ink by the ejection unit 412 is not particularly limited, and for example, the ejection unit may be an inkjet method that prints by making ink droplets and directly ejecting ink from the nozzle openings to the surface of the nail to be printed, which is the printing object (nail). The print head 41 (the base head 41a and the pattern head 41b) ejects ink from the ejection unit 412 in the printing operation area Ar1 to perform printing.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the print head 41 (base head 41a and pattern head 41b) is a cartridge in which a storage unit 411 and a discharge unit 412 are integrally formed and the cartridge is integrally mounted on a holder 42 described later.

[0057] Specifically, the print head 41 (the base head 41 a and the pattern head 41 b ) in which the storage unit 411 and the discharge unit 412 are integrally configured is held by the holder 42 and moves on the frame 451 by the head moving mechanism 49 .

[0058] In the present embodiment, the print head 41 is movable in the XY directions on the base 20 , and the head moving mechanism 49 includes an X-direction moving mechanism 45 for moving the print head 41 in the X direction and a Y-direction moving mechanism 47 for moving the print head 41 in the Y direction.

[0059] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the X-direction moving mechanism 45 includes a frame 451 , an X-direction moving motor 46 , and the like.

[0060] The Y-direction moving mechanism 47 includes a support portion 471 assembled on the base 20 , a Y-direction guide shaft 472 arranged parallel to the left and right of the X-direction and attached to the support portion 471 , a Y-direction moving motor 48 , and the like.

[0061] The left and right ends of the frame 451 in the X direction are respectively attached to the left and right Y-direction guide shafts 472 , and the frame 451 moves in the Y direction along the Y-direction guide shafts 472 when the Y-direction movement motor 48 is operated.

[0062] The head moving mechanism 49 including the X-direction moving motor 46, the Y-direction moving motor 48, etc. is a moving mechanism for moving at least the storage unit 411. The head moving mechanism 49 as a moving mechanism can move the storage unit 411 (a moving body 410 described later that can accommodate the storage unit 411) to the stirring area Ar2.

[0063] An X-direction guide shaft 452 and the like are provided along the X-direction in a frame 451 constituting the X-direction moving mechanism 45 . The moving guide 44 is attached to the X-direction guide shaft 452 .

[0064] Figure 5 1 is a side view showing the main parts of the stirring part, the moving body and its surroundings. Figure 5 The X-direction guide shaft 452 and the like constituting the head moving mechanism 49 are omitted from illustration.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the moving guide portion 44 has a shaft insertion hole 442 (see FIG. 1 ) through which the X-direction guide shaft 452 is inserted. Figure 5 , Figure 7 ), and moves along the X-direction guide shaft 452 while the X-direction guide shaft 452 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 442.

[0066] A holder holding portion 43 for holding a holder 42 on which the print head 41 is mounted is locked to the movement guide portion 44 .

[0067] In this embodiment, a movable body 410 (in Figure 5 The range of the moving body 410 is indicated by a dotted line).

[0068] Figure 6 It is a main part perspective view showing the structure of a moving object and its surroundings.

[0069] like Figure 6 As shown, on the rear side of the bracket 42 ( Figure 6 A locking portion 423 is provided on the rear side of the device in the Y direction, and a locking receiving portion 431 for receiving the locking portion 423 is provided on the bracket holding portion 43 and on the front side of the device in the Y direction.

[0070] Since the locking portion 423 is locked to the locking receiving portion 431 , the print head 41 can move integrally with the holder holding portion 43 while being held by the holder 42 .

[0071] The holder holder 43 is locked to the moving guide 44 , and the moving body 410 is mounted on a conveying mechanism such as an X-direction guide shaft 452 via the moving guide 44 , and moves along the X-direction guide shaft 452 together with the moving guide 44 when the X-direction moving motor 46 is actuated.

[0072] In addition, the movable guide portion 44 allows a certain degree of looseness, and when passing through the stirring portion 30 (see Fig.10When the moving body 410 is swung by the action of the moving body 410 (such as the movement of the moving body 410), the locked state is maintained to prevent the moving body 410 from being separated from the moving guide part 44. In addition, the structure of the moving guide part 44 that allows looseness is not particularly limited. For example, the structure that allows looseness can be realized by providing a clearance in the swing direction of the moving body 410 (in the vertical direction in this embodiment) in the shaft insertion hole 442 for inserting the X-direction guide shaft 452.

[0073] Furthermore, even when the moving body 410 swings, the moving guide 44 does not come off from the X-direction guide shaft 452 .

[0074] Specifically, as described above, the movable guide portion 44 is provided with a shaft insertion hole 442 for inserting the X-direction guide shaft 452, and when the stirring portion 30 is locked to the movable body 410, the movable guide portion 44 is locked to a main body locking portion 451a provided on the device main body side (in this embodiment, the frame 451).

[0075] Figure 7 4 is a main part stereogram showing the positional relationship between the main body stopper and the moving guide portion of the frame 451. Figure 8 This is a main part stereogram showing a state where the moving guide portion is locked in the main body locking portion. Fig. 9 Yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional view of the main parts, in which the locking parts of the main body locking part and the moving guide part are enlarged.

[0076] like Figure 7 to Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the main body stopper 451a is a convex portion such as a side metal plate provided on the frame 451 as the device main body side. In the moving guide 44, a concave portion 441 for receiving and locking the main body stopper 451a is provided at a position corresponding to the main body stopper 451a.

[0077] During the stirring operation by the stirring section 30 , the main body locking portion 451 a is locked in the recessed portion 441 , and the movement guide portion 44 does not significantly shake relative to the frame 451 .

[0078] That is, the structure is such that only the moving body 410 (in Figure 5 The parts in the range surrounded by the dotted line in the figure are provided so that no shaking occurs on the moving guide part 44.

[0079] Therefore, even if the movable body 410 (the storage part 411 of the print head 41 included in the movable body 410) mounted on the frame 451 is swung to stir the ink, the influence of the swing of the movable body 410 caused by the stirring part 30 on the head moving mechanism 49 can be suppressed to a minimum, and the movable guide part 44 and the movable body 410 clamped thereon can be normally transported after the stirring action.

[0080] Here, refer to Figure 10 to Figure 13 The stirring unit of this embodiment will be described.

[0081] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the stirring unit 30 is arranged on the base 20 and in the stirring area Ar2, and can stir the ink in the storage unit 411. In this embodiment, the stirring unit 30 at least swings the storage unit 411 to stir the ink. In addition, the stirring unit 30 may also have a structure for stirring the ink by a method other than the method of swinging the storage unit 411.

[0082] When the moving body 410 moves to the stirring region Ar2, the stirring section 30 and the moving body 410 are in a locked state (connected state). Then, in this locked state, a stirring operation is performed by swinging the storage section 411.

[0083] Fig.10 This is a perspective view of the main parts of the stirring unit locked with the moving body.

[0084] like Fig.10 As shown, the stirring portion 30 includes a supporting frame 31, a lifting slider 32 supported by the supporting frame 31, a stirring motor 33 as a power source, and a motion conversion mechanism connected to the stirring motor 33 and converting the driving force of the stirring motor 33 from rotational motion to linear reciprocating motion.

[0085] The support frame 31 is connected by screws 31a (see Figure 5 , Fig.11 , Fig.13 ) etc. are fixed on the base 20.

[0086] The lifting slider 32 is a plate-shaped member supported by the support frame 31. The lifting slider 32 is supported by the support frame 31, so that it does not wobble when reciprocating in the up-and-down direction, and can perform stable linear motion.

[0087] The elevating slider 32 has a long hole 321 extending in the lateral direction formed near the center thereof.

[0088] Furthermore, a moving body locking portion 322 protruding upward is provided on the upper portion of the lifting slider 32 .

[0089] Fig.11 It is a perspective view of the main parts showing the periphery of the locking portion between the stirring portion and the moving body according to the embodiment.

[0090] like Fig.11As shown in the figures, a recess 433 for receiving and locking the moving body stopper 322 is formed in the lower portion 432 of the holder holding portion 43 constituting the moving body 410, which is a portion supporting the holder 42 from the lower side. When the moving body 410 including the storage portion 411 moves to the stirring area Ar2, the moving body stopper 322 is embedded in the recess 433 and becomes a locked state, and the stirring portion 30 is locked (connected) to the moving body 410.

[0091] When the movable body locking portion 322 is locked (ie, locked), the stirring portion 30 and the movable body 410 are locked, and a stirring operation is performed to swing the storage portion 411 (including the print head 41 of the storage portion 411 ).

[0092] The movable body locking portion 322 is locked to and released from the movable body 410 by the movement of the movable body 410 including the storage portion 411 , and the movable body locking portion 322 is released from being locked to the movable body 410 by the movable body 410 moving in a direction away from the stirring area Ar2 .

[0093] Fig.12 (a) will be in Fig.11 The enlarged stereogram in the frame indicated by the single-dot chain line in FIG. Fig.12 (b) is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the locking portion of the stirring part and the moving body. Fig.13 It is a perspective view of main parts showing a locked state of a stirring portion and a moving body according to an embodiment.

[0094] like Fig.12 As shown in (b), the movable body locking portion 322 is provided with a locking protrusion 322a, and a recessed portion 433a is formed at a position corresponding to the locking protrusion 322a in the recessed portion 433 for the locking protrusion 322a to be embedded. Fig.12 (b) on the left side), R processing or chamfering is applied to form a shape that makes it easy to introduce the moving body locking portion 322 into the recessed portion 433. In addition, the shapes of the locking protrusion 322a and the recessed portion 433a are not limited to the examples shown in the figure.

[0095] By forming the movable body stopper 322 and the recess 433 in such a shape, the movable body stopper 322 can be easily and smoothly stopped in the recess 433 by only moving the movable body 410 to the stirring area Ar2 (see FIG. Fig.13 ), preventing the stirring portion 30 from being separated from the moving body 410 during the stirring action. In addition, when the moving body 410 moves in a direction away from the stirring area Ar2, the moving body locking portion 322 is easily separated from the recessed portion 433, and the locked state is released.

[0096] In addition, as described above, when the stirring part 30 and the moving body 410 are in the locked state, the main body locking part 451a provided on the frame 451 side is locked to the recessed part 441 provided on the moving guide part 44 (see Figure 8 ) Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vibration of the stirring operation of the stirring unit 30 is suppressed from affecting the various parts of the conveying mechanism such as the X-direction guide shaft 452.

[0097] In addition, the stirring motor 33 is a driving source of the stirring part 30, and has an output shaft 331 that rotates by the rotation of the motor. In addition, the rotation direction of the stirring motor 33 is clockwise or counterclockwise. In addition, the rotation speed of the motor is appropriately set. It can be imagined that the faster the rotation speed, the more the stirring effect is improved, but the faster the rotation speed, the louder the motor sound. Therefore, the rotation speed of the stirring motor 33 is determined according to the use status, etc. The rotation speed can be fixed or variable.

[0098] A bearing member 332 having an eccentric shaft 333 eccentric with respect to the output shaft 331 is attached to the output shaft 331 of the stirring motor 33 .

[0099] The free end of the eccentric shaft 333 is disposed in the long hole 321 of the elevating slider 32 , and the eccentric shaft 333 moves in the long hole 321 in response to the rotation of the stirring motor 33 , so that the elevating slider 32 performs a linear motion in the up-and-down direction.

[0100] In this embodiment, the bearing member 332 having the eccentric shaft 333 and the lifting slider 32 having the long hole 321 constitute a motion conversion mechanism for converting the driving force of the stirring motor 33 from a rotational motion to a linear reciprocating motion.

[0101] In the embodiment, a scotch yoke mechanism is used as the motion conversion mechanism, but the motion conversion mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it can convert the driving force of the stirring motor 33 from rotational motion to linear reciprocating motion. For example, other mechanisms such as a slider crank mechanism may be used as the motion conversion mechanism.

[0102] like Figure 5 As shown, even when the moving body stopper 322 is locked to the recess 433 and the stirring part 30 and the moving body 410 are in a locked state, the X-direction guide shaft 452 constituting the head moving mechanism 49 is only inserted into the shaft insertion hole 442 of the moving guide part 44, and the moving body 410 including the storage part 411 that swings by the stirring action is not directly locked to the conveying mechanism such as the X-direction guide shaft 452. Therefore, the head moving mechanism 49 is not easily affected by the vibration caused by the stirring, and a high-precision conveying action can be performed even after the stirring action.

[0103] The control device 80 mounted in the printing device 100 includes a control unit 81 (see FIG. 1 ) which is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown. Figure 2 ), and a storage unit 82 including a ROM (Read Only Memory) 821 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 822 (see Figure 2 ) computer.

[0104] In the present embodiment, the control unit 81 mainly functions as a photographing control unit 811 , a stirring control unit 812 , a printing control unit 81 and the like.

[0105] The storage unit 82 is a non-transitory recording medium that stores programs and the like executed by the control unit 81. The storage unit 82 stores various programs and various data and the like for operating the printing device 100. The functions of the control unit 81 as the photographing control unit 811, the stirring control unit 812, the printing control unit 81 and the like are realized by the cooperation of the CPU of the control unit 81 and the programs stored in the ROM 821 and the like of the storage unit 82.

[0106] The printing device 100 includes an imaging device 51 and an illumination device 52 , and the imaging control unit 811 controls the operation of the imaging unit 50 .

[0107] The imaging device 51 is a small camera including, for example, a solid-state imaging element having about 2 million pixels or more, a lens, etc. The lighting device 52 is, for example, a lighting lamp such as a white LED.

[0108] The photographing unit 50 illuminates the nail of the finger placed in the printing operation area Ar1 by means of the lighting device 52. Then, the photographing device 51 photographs the finger to obtain an image of the nail of the finger, that is, a nail image.

[0109] In addition, the image data of the image photographed by the photographing unit 50 is acquired by the photographing control unit 811 and stored in the storage unit 82, etc. In addition, when the printing device 100 includes a communication unit that can communicate with an external terminal device, etc. (not shown), the nail image acquired by the photographing unit 50 may also be sent to the terminal device, etc. via the communication unit.

[0110] Furthermore, the stirring control unit 812 controls the operation of the stirring motor 33 of the stirring unit 30 so as to stir the ink stored in the storage unit 411. In addition, the stirring time (i.e., the time for operating the stirring motor 33 to perform the stirring action) and the rotation speed of the stirring motor 33 during stirring are appropriately set according to the usage conditions, etc.

[0111] The stirring time and the rotation speed may be set according to an input instruction from the operation unit 12 or the like, or may be appropriately set by the stirring control unit 812 in consideration of the ink usage status (e.g., the time elapsed since the last printing, the ink standing time, etc.), the type of ink to be stirred, the ink remaining amount, etc. Alternatively, a predetermined value may be set by default.

[0112] The stirring operation of the stirring section 30 may be performed in response to input of an operation instruction to the operation section 12 or the like, or may be controlled by the stirring control section 812 to be performed at a predetermined timing such as before the start of the printing operation.

[0113] The printing control unit 813 controls the printing unit 40 to perform printing processing.

[0114] Specifically, the operation of each motor (X-direction moving motor and Y-direction moving motor) of the head moving mechanism 49 is controlled based on the printing data, and the operation of the ejection unit 412 of the print head 41 (base head 41a and pattern head 41b) is controlled to appropriately eject ink droplets.

[0115] In addition, the control device 80 can also function as a nail information detection unit and a print data generation unit by performing image analysis on the nail image obtained by the photographing unit 50, for example, to detect the range of the nail to be printed (i.e., the nail outline), combining the desired nail art pattern into the nail outline to generate print data, etc. In addition, various correction processes can be performed on the print data. In addition, such nail information detection, print data generation, print data correction processes, etc. can also be performed by an external terminal device, and the final print data is received in the control device 80 of the printing device 100 to perform printing processing.

[0116] Next, the operation of the printing device 100 and the printing control method according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0117] When printing is performed by the printing device 100, print data for printing a desired nail art pattern on the nail is prepared. Then, when the printing start is instructed by inputting to the operation unit 12, the control unit 81 operates the Y-direction moving motor 48 of the head moving mechanism 49, and moves the frame 451 of the X-direction moving mechanism 45 toward the front side of the device in the Y direction (for example, Figure 3 status shown).

[0118] When the frame 451 moves to the front in the Y direction, the control unit 81 then operates the X-direction moving motor 46 to move the moving body 410 in the frame 451 (i.e., the bracket 42 carrying the print head 41 including the storage unit 411) to the stirring area Ar2. In this embodiment, the moving body 410 is moved to the left end in the X direction (e.g. Figure 4 status shown).

[0119] When the moving body 410 moves to the stirring area Ar2, the moving body stopper 322 provided on the lifting slider 32 of the stirring section 30 is stopped by the recess 433 provided on the lower portion 432 of the holding section, and the stirring section 30 and the moving body 410 are stopped (see Fig.13 wait).

[0120] At this time, the main body locking portion 451a provided on the frame is received in the recessed portion 441 of the movable guide portion 44 where the bracket 42 is locked, so that the movable guide portion 44 is locked to the frame 451 as a mechanism on the device main body side (see Figure 6 , Figure 8 In this state, the stirring control unit 812 operates the stirring motor 33 of the stirring unit 30 to swing the storage unit 411, thereby stirring the ink in the storage unit 411.

[0121] Fig.14 (a) to (d) are front views of the stirring section showing the operation of the lifting slider of the stirring section.

[0122] Fig.14 (a) shows a state where the eccentric shaft 333 disposed in the long hole 321 of the lifting slider 32 is at the lowest position. At this time, the height of the upper end of the lifting slider 32 (i.e., the upper end of the moving body locking portion 322 locked to the moving body 410) is at the position "H1" indicated by the dotted line.

[0123] Fig.14 (b) means from Fig.14 The stirring motor 33 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the state (a). At this time, the eccentric shaft 333 moves to the left end in the long hole 321, and the lifting slider 32 is pushed up as a whole in accordance with the rise in the height position of the eccentric shaft 333. At this time, the height of the upper end of the lifting slider 32 (the upper end of the moving body stopper 322) is the position "H2" indicated by the dotted line, which is higher than Fig.14 The state "H1" shown in (a) Fig.14 (b) is indicated by a single dotted line).

[0124] Fig.14 (c) indicates that Fig.14 From the state (b) of the stirring motor 33, the stirring motor 33 is further rotated 90 degrees clockwise (from Fig.14At this time, the eccentric shaft 333 moves to the central part of the long hole 321, and the height position of the eccentric shaft 333 is the highest. Corresponding to the increase in the height position of the eccentric shaft 333, the lifting slider 32 is further pushed up as a whole, and the height of the upper end of the lifting slider 32 (the upper end of the moving body locking part 322) at this time becomes the position "H3" indicated by the dotted line, which is the same as Fig.14 The state "H1" shown in (a) Fig.14 It is the highest compared with (indicated by a single-dot chain line in (c)).

[0125] Fig.14 (d) indicates that Fig.14 From the state (c) of the stirring motor 33, the stirring motor 33 is further rotated 90 degrees clockwise (from Fig.14 At this time, the eccentric shaft 333 moves to the right end of the long hole 321, and the height position of the eccentric shaft 333 becomes the same as that of the long hole 321. Fig.14 The height position of the eccentric shaft 333 is the same as (b). Fig.14 The state (c) of the lifting slider 32 becomes lower, and the lifting slider 32 as a whole also descends. At this time, the height of the upper end of the lifting slider 32 (the upper end of the moving body locking portion 322) is the position "H4" indicated by the dotted line, which is the same as Fig.14 The same height as the state "H2" shown in (b).

[0126] Then, if the stirring motor 33 is rotated clockwise by another 90 degrees, the height position of the eccentric shaft 333 returns to Fig.14 In the state (a), the height of the upper end of the lifting slider 32 (the upper end of the moving body locking portion 322) is also lowered to Fig.14 By repeating such actions, the lifting slider 32 repeatedly moves up and down, and the moving body 410 to which the lifting slider 32 is locked swings (vibrates) up and down, stirring the ink in the storage section 411.

[0127] In addition, in this embodiment, the storage unit 411 and the ejection unit 412 constituting the movable body 410 are integrated. Therefore, if the storage unit 411 swings, ink droplets may drip from the ejection unit 412 or ink mist may fly. In this regard, since the ink receiving unit 22 is provided in the stirring area Ar2, the ink droplets dripping from the ejection unit 412 are received by the ink receiving unit 22, so that the inside of the device is not contaminated.

[0128] When the ink stirring operation is performed for a predetermined time, the control unit 81 stops the stirring operation and shifts to the printing operation.

[0129] In addition, the print head 41 may be maintained after the stirring action and before the printing action. With regard to maintenance, for example, the state of the nozzle of the ejection portion 412 may be adjusted by forcibly ejecting ink from the ejection portion 412 to the ink receiving portion 22. For example, if a maintenance area is separately provided, the print head 41 may be moved to the maintenance area after the stirring action and before the printing action to perform maintenance actions such as cleaning or wiping.

[0130] During the printing operation, the control unit 81 operates the motors (X-direction moving motor 46 and Y-direction moving motor 48) of the head moving mechanism 49 to move the print head 41 to the printing operation area Ar1, and ejects ink from the ejection unit 412 of the print head 41 according to the printing data to print on the nail surface.

[0131] In this embodiment, the base ink is first ejected from the base head 41a to form a base layer on the nail surface. Although the white component and the like are easily separated and precipitated in the base ink, the white component and the like are almost uniformly dispersed by stirring in the stirring section 30. Therefore, a base layer with a beautiful result without uneven concentration can be formed. In addition, since it is stirred (swung) together with the storage section 411 including the bracket 42, the stirring effect is higher than that of a method such as vibration.

[0132] When the base layer is formed, the control unit 81 ejects pattern inks of various colors from the pattern head 41 b onto the base layer to print the nail pattern, and the printing process ends.

[0133] As described above, in the present embodiment, a pattern can be printed on a base layer without uneven concentration, so high-quality nail art printing can be performed.

[0134] As described above, according to this embodiment, the printing device 100 comprises: a movable body 410, which at least includes a storage section 411 for storing ink; a head moving mechanism 49 as a moving mechanism, which moves the storage section 411; and a stirring section 30, which is arranged in a stirring area Ar2 outside a printing action area Ar1 provided in the device and can stir the ink in the storage section 411; when the movable body 410 moves to the stirring area Ar2, the stirring section 30 and the movable body 410 are in a stopped state, and the stirring section 30 stirs the ink in the storage section 411.

[0135] Thus, the ink can be stirred automatically without the user having to do anything. In addition, during stirring, the moving body 410 moves to the stirring area Ar2 and becomes locked with the stirring portion 30. Thus, the ink in the storage portion 411 can be stirred without moving the stirring portion 30 itself. Therefore, the enlargement of the device can be avoided, and even if the motor of the head moving mechanism 49 is not high-output, it can be handled.

[0136] Furthermore, since the ink can be properly stirred in the printing device 100, when printing is performed using ink containing a solute with a large specific gravity such as titanium oxide (in this embodiment, a base ink such as white ink), the ink can be stirred without taking the storage unit 411 out of the device, and can be kept in a proper state without causing uneven concentration, etc. Therefore, high-quality printing can be performed stably.

[0137] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the stirring section 30 at least swings the storage section 411 to stir the ink in the storage section 411 .

[0138] This enables the ink to be efficiently stirred.

[0139] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a discharge unit 412 for discharging ink stored in the storage unit 411 is further provided, and the storage unit 411 and the discharge unit 412 are integrally configured.

[0140] When the print head 41 is of an integrated cartridge type as described above, it is not necessary to connect the storage unit and the discharge unit with a supply pipe, and the device structure can be simplified.

[0141] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the ink receiving portion 22 for receiving ink droplets generated from the ejection portion 412 is provided in the stirring region Ar2.

[0142] When the integrated cartridge print head 41 is stirred, ink droplets may drip from the ejection portion 412 during or after the stirring operation. In this regard, since the ink receiving portion 22 is provided, even if ink droplets drip, the inside of the device will not be contaminated.

[0143] In addition, in this embodiment, the stirring section 30 includes a moving body locking portion 322 that is locked and detached relative to the moving body 410 through the movement of the moving body 410 including the storage portion 411. When the moving body locking portion 322 is in a locked state, the stirring section 30 and the moving body 410 are in a locked state, causing the storage portion 411 to swing and stir the ink in the storage portion 411.

[0144] Thus, the agitating unit 30 and the moving body 410 can be locked and released simply by moving the moving body 410 without separately providing a complicated structure.

[0145] In addition, in this embodiment, the movable body 410 is locked to the movable guide part 44 that moves along the X-direction guide shaft 452 and moves together with the movable guide part 44. When the movable body locking part 322 is in a locked state, the movable guide part 44 is locked to the main body locking part 451a provided on the frame 451 of the mechanism part serving as the main body side of the device.

[0146] Thus, by indirectly attaching the moving body 410 to the head moving mechanism 49 via the moving guide 44, when the moving body 410 is swung by stirring, the vibration of the moving guide 44 is suppressed, and the influence on the head moving mechanism 49 can be suppressed. Therefore, even if stirring is performed in the device, high-precision conveyance can be maintained.

[0147] Furthermore, by locking the moving guide portion 44 to the frame 451 during stirring, it is possible to prevent the moving guide portion 44 from being separated from or deviated from the X-direction guide shaft 452 due to vibration caused by stirring.

[0148] In addition, in this embodiment, the stirring section 30 includes a stirring motor 33 and a motion conversion mechanism for converting the driving force of the stirring motor 33 from rotational motion to linear reciprocating motion, and the storage section 411 is swung by the driving force of the stirring motor 33 converted into linear reciprocating motion by the motion conversion mechanism.

[0149] Thus, the storage section 411 can be effectively swung even in a narrow device, and the ink can be sufficiently stirred.

[0150] Furthermore, in the maintenance step, the print head may be maintained at least after the stirring operation and before the printing operation is started.

[0151] Therefore, even when the ejection section 412 and the storage section 411 are integrally formed in the print head 41 and ink droplets fly out from the ejection section 412 when the storage section 411 is swung, printing can be performed in an appropriate state, thereby achieving high-quality printing.

[0152] Furthermore, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0153] For example, in this embodiment, the motion conversion mechanism that converts the driving force of the stirring motor 33 from rotational motion to linear reciprocating motion is used to explain the case where the rotational motion is converted into linear reciprocating motion in the up and down directions, but the motion conversion mechanism can also be a mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear reciprocating motion in the left and right directions, etc.

[0154] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the stirring portion 30 includes the stirring motor 33 is exemplified, but the motor serving as the driving source of the stirring portion 30 is not limited to the stirring motor 33 .

[0155] For example, the motor (eg, X-direction moving motor 46) included in the head transport mechanism 49 may also be configured to operate as a driving source for the stirring section 30. In this case, the number of motors provided in the device can be reduced, thereby further miniaturizing and reducing the weight of the device.

[0156] In addition, the stirring area Ar2 may be an area outside the printing operation area Ar1 and is not limited to the position shown in this embodiment.

[0157] For example, the region at the left end in the X direction and at the rear of the device may be set as the stirring region Ar2 where the stirring section 30 is provided.

[0158] In addition, in the present embodiment, the ink receiving portion 22 is provided in the stirring area Ar2, but the provision of the ink receiving portion 22 is not essential.

[0159] For example, when the stirring area Ar2 is provided at the rear of the device as described above, a maintenance unit for maintaining the print head 41 may be provided in or around the stirring area Ar2. The maintenance unit may include, for example, a cleaning unit for receiving ink ejected forcibly from the nozzle, a wiping unit for wiping the ejection unit 412 and removing the ink attached to the nozzle opening, etc. The cleaning unit may also function as an ink receiving unit for recovering ink droplets and ink mist generated by the stirring action.

[0160] In addition, in this embodiment, the printing device 100 is described as an example in which it has both the base head 41a and the pattern head 41b, but the printing device is not limited to this. For example, the printing device may also be a dedicated machine for base printing that only has the base head 41a that stores the base ink that needs to be stirred by the stirring part 30. In this case, after the base is printed, the nail is put into the printing device having the pattern head that prints various color inks (i.e., pattern inks) to print the nail pattern.

[0161] In addition, in this embodiment, although the case where the base head 41a and the pattern head 41b are held on one holder 42 and moved integrally is exemplified, the configuration of the printing unit 40 is not limited to this.

[0162] For example, the base head 41a and the pattern head 41b may be held in different holders and moved independently. In this case, when the ink to be stirred is only the base ink, only the storage portion storing the base ink may be stirred by the stirring portion 30, or only the holder holding the base head 41a and the stirring portion 30 may be locked during the stirring operation to perform stirring.

[0163] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the printing device 100 is configured to be able to perform a printing operation as a single unit is exemplified, but the printing device 100 is not limited to the configuration shown here.

[0164] For example, a printing system may be formed in cooperation with an external terminal device (such as a smart phone or tablet terminal). In this case, for example, almost all processing other than the ink stirring action and printing action, such as the selection of nail art patterns and the generation of printing data, may be performed on the external device side such as the terminal device.

[0165] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A printing device, characterized in that: have: A movable body capable of accommodating a storage portion for storing ink and performing a printing operation in a printing operation area within the device; A moving mechanism that moves the moving body to at least the printing action area and a stirring area disposed outside the printing action area; and A stirring section having a support frame fixed to the device in the stirring region, a movable body stopper movable in a predetermined direction relative to the support frame, and a driving section driving the movable body stopper in the predetermined direction, and capable of stirring the ink in the storage section; When the movable body moves to the stirring area through the moving mechanism, the movable body locking portion and the movable body are in a locked state. When the movable body locking portion is in the locked state, the driving portion drives the movable body locking portion in the specified direction, thereby the movable body locking portion moves relative to the supporting frame, so that the stirring portion stirs the ink in the storage portion.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The stirring portion causes at least the storage portion to swing.

3. The printing device according to claim 2, characterized in that The moving body locking portion is locked and released relative to the moving body through the movement of the moving body; When the moving body is locked by the moving body locking portion, the stirring portion and the moving body are brought into the locked state, and the storage portion is swung.

4. The printing device according to claim 3, characterized in that The moving body is locked to a moving guide portion that moves along the guide shaft and moves together with the moving guide portion; In the locked state, the movement guide portion is locked to a main body locking portion provided on the device main body side.

5. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that further comprising a discharge unit for discharging the ink stored in the storage unit; The storage part and the ejection part are integrated.

6. The printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that The stirring region further includes an ink receiving portion for receiving ink droplets generated from the ejection portion.

7. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The stirring section includes a motor as the driving section and a motion conversion mechanism for converting the driving force of the motor from a rotational motion to a linear reciprocating motion; The stirring portion drives the movable body locking portion in the predetermined direction by the driving force of the motor converted into a linear reciprocating motion by the motion conversion mechanism.

8. A printing control method, characterized in that: include: a head moving step of moving the printing head to at least a printing action area and a stirring area provided outside the printing action area, wherein the printing head is a printing head in which a movable body capable of accommodating a storage portion storing ink and an ejection portion ejecting the ink stored in the storage portion are integrated; a stirring step, wherein a stirring unit causes the printing head to swing to stir the ink in the storage unit, the stirring unit comprising a support frame fixed to the device in the stirring area, a movable body stopper movable in a specified direction relative to the support frame, and a driving unit driving the movable body stopper in the specified direction; and A printing process, in which printing is performed by the printing head in the printing action area; In the above-mentioned stirring process, when the above-mentioned printing head moves to the above-mentioned stirring area, the above-mentioned movable body locking portion and the above-mentioned movable body are in a locked state. When the above-mentioned movable body locking portion is in the above-mentioned locked state, the above-mentioned driving portion drives the above-mentioned movable body locking portion in the above-mentioned specified direction, thereby the above-mentioned movable body locking portion moves relative to the above-mentioned supporting frame, so that the above-mentioned stirring portion stirs the above-mentioned ink in the above-mentioned storage portion.

9. The printing control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes a maintenance process for maintaining the print head; The maintenance step is performed at least after the stirring step and before the process proceeds to the printing step.

10. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer of a printing device to execute a process, characterized in that: The printing device comprises: A movable body capable of accommodating a storage portion for storing ink and performing a printing operation in a printing operation area within the device; A moving mechanism that moves the moving body to at least the printing action area and a stirring area disposed outside the printing action area; and A stirring section having a support frame fixed to the device in the stirring region, a movable body stopper movable in a predetermined direction relative to the support frame, and a driving section driving the movable body stopper in the predetermined direction, and capable of stirring the ink in the storage section; The program causes the computer of the printing device to execute the following processing: The movable body is moved to the stirring area, and when the movable body and the movable body locking portion are in a locked state, the driving portion drives the movable body locking portion in the specified direction, thereby causing the movable body locking portion to move relative to the supporting frame, so that the stirring portion stirs the ink in the storage portion.

Images