Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer capable of achieving size and weight reduction.SOLUTION: A printer 2 comprises: a holder 16 including a first placement part 16a and a second placement part 16a tiltable relative to the first placement part 16b; a head part 20 for discharging ink toward the nails 12 of fingers 10 placed on the holder 16; a lifting / lowering mechanism 34 for lifting / lowering the holder 16 relative to the head part 20; and a tilting mechanism 36 for tilting the second placement part 16b relative to the first placement part 16a. The tilting mechanism 36 includes a dial 48a to be rotatingly operated by a user, a shaft 52 rotating in conjunction with rotating operation of the dial 48a, and a conversion mechanism 54 for converting the rotation of the shaft 52 into tilting motion of the second placement portion 16b. The lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36 are coupled to each other via the shaft 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device for applying printing to a user's fingernails. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a printing device for printing colors or patterns for manicure on the nails of a user's fingers using an inkjet method (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of printing device includes a holder for placing the finger, a head unit for ejecting ink toward the nail of the finger placed on the holder, a lifting motor for raising and lowering the holder relative to the head unit to adjust the height position of the nail of the finger placed on the holder, and a tilting motor for tilting the holder relative to the head unit to adjust the inclination of the nail of the finger placed on the holder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-12682 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the printing device disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is provided with a lifting motor and a tilting motor, which causes a problem that the entire device becomes large and heavy.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a printing device that can be made smaller and lighter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a printing device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a printing device for printing on the nail of a user's finger, comprising: a holder for placing the finger, the holder having a first placement portion and a second placement portion tiltable relative to the first placement portion; a head portion for ejecting ink toward the nail of the finger placed on the holder; and a printing device for adjusting the height position of the nail of the finger placed on the holder to a target height position a predetermined distance away from the head portion by attaching the holder to the head portion. and a tilting mechanism for tilting the second mounting portion relative to the first mounting portion in order to adjust the inclination of the nail of the finger placed on the holder, the tilting mechanism having a dial that is rotated by the user, a shaft that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the dial, and a conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the shaft into a tilting motion of the second mounting portion, and the lifting mechanism and the conversion mechanism of the tilting mechanism are connected to each other via the shaft.

[0007] According to this aspect, the tilt mechanism is manually operated by the user, so the weight of the printing device can be reduced. Also, the lifting mechanism and the conversion mechanism of the tilt mechanism are connected to each other via a shaft, so the conversion mechanism of the tilt mechanism rises and falls in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder by the lifting mechanism. This allows the arrangement of the lifting mechanism and the tilt mechanism to be compact, and the printing device to be made smaller.

[0008] For example, in a printing device according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the conversion mechanism may include a cam that rotates integrally with the shaft, and a lift mechanism that tilts the second mounting portion relative to the first mounting portion by pushing the second mounting portion toward the head portion as the cam rotates, and the cam may be configured to be arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanism in the left-right direction.

[0009] According to this aspect, the conversion mechanism can be made smaller and lighter.

[0010] For example, in a printing device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the lift mechanism may include a rotating member having a first end on which a protrusion is formed and a second end opposite the first end, the rotating member being rotatable about a rotation axis disposed between the first end and the second end, a first biasing member biasing the rotating member so as to press the protrusion of the rotating member against the cam, and a lift member disposed between the second end of the rotating member and the second mounting portion of the holder, and may be configured such that when the protrusion of the rotating member is lowered by the biasing force of the first biasing member in accordance with the rotation angle of the cam, the lift member is pushed up by the second end of the rotating member, thereby pushing the second mounting portion toward the head portion.

[0011] According to this aspect, the lift mechanism can be made smaller and lighter.

[0012] For example, in a printing device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the tip of the second end may be configured to be longer than the distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the protrusion.

[0013] According to this aspect, even if the outer diameter of the cam is reduced, the amount of rise of the second end of the rotating member when the rotating member rotates can be made greater than the amount of descent of the protrusion of the rotating member.

[0014] For example, in a printing device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the tip of the first end may be configured to be longer than the distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the tip of the second end.

[0015] According to this aspect, the load applied to the first biasing member when the finger is placed on the holder can be made smaller than the holding force of the finger.

[0016] For example, in a printing device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the dial may be configured to be movable in the forward and backward directions in conjunction with the lifting and lowering action of the holder by the lifting mechanism.

[0017] According to this aspect, when the holder is raised and lowered relative to the head portion by the lifting mechanism, the movement of the dial is restricted in the front-to-rear direction, thereby making it possible to suppress up-and-down wobble of the dial.

[0018] For example, in a printing device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the printing device may further include a housing, the dials are provided in pair, and the pair of dials may be arranged on both the left and right side surfaces of the housing, respectively.

[0019] According to this aspect, while the user places the fingers of one hand on the holder, the user can easily operate one of the pair of dials with the other hand.

[0020] For example, in a printing device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the lifting mechanism may be configured to have a base member that supports the holder, and a second biasing member that biases the base member toward the head portion.

[0021] According to this aspect, the lift mechanism is configured to be manually operated by the user, so the printing device can be made even lighter. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, a printing device can be made smaller and lighter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a printing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2]1 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a printing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing an adjustment unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a tilt mechanism of the adjustment unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 6A and 6B are perspective views for explaining the operation of the tilting mechanism of the adjustment unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are perspective views for explaining the operation of the tilting mechanism of the adjustment unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a printing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an adjustment unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of a tilting mechanism according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of a tilting mechanism according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a printing device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an adjustment unit according to embodiment 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0025] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Overview of the printing device] First, an overview of a printing device 2 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the printing device 2 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the printing device 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0026] 1 and 2, the left-right direction of the printing device 2 is defined as the X-axis direction, the front-rear direction of the printing device 2 as the Y-axis direction, and the up-down direction of the printing device 2 as the Z-axis direction.

[0027] 1 and 2, the printing device 2 includes a housing 4, a printing unit 6, and an adjustment unit 8. The printing device 2 is a so-called nail printer for printing, for example, a color or a pattern for manicure on the nails 12 of the fingers 10 of a user's hand.

[0028] The printing device 2 is capable of wireless communication with an external terminal (not shown), such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. A user can operate the printing device 2 by using a dedicated application installed in the external terminal as a user interface.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 4 is made of, for example, resin and formed in a box shape. An opening 14 is formed in the front of the housing 4 for inserting the user's finger 10. A holder 16 is disposed below the opening 14 (negative side of the Z axis) for placing a portion of the user's finger 10 including the nail 12 (for example, a portion from the tip of the finger 10 to the second joint). In addition, a pressing cover 18 is disposed above the opening 14 (positive side of the Z axis) for pressing the user's finger 10 from above.

[0030] The holder 16 can be raised and lowered between an upper limit position and a lower limit position in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) relative to the head unit 20 (described later) by the adjustment unit 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the holder 16 has a first mounting portion 16a and a second mounting portion 16b. The first mounting portion 16a is fixed to the upper end of a base member 40 (described later). The second mounting portion 16b is disposed at a position adjacent to the first mounting portion 16a at the upper end of the base member 40, and is disposed on a side farther from the opening 14 of the housing 4 than the first mounting portion 16a. A concave mounting surface is formed on the upper surface of the first mounting portion 16a for mounting, for example, a portion of the finger 10 from the first joint to the second joint. Also, a concave mounting surface is formed on the upper surface of the second mounting portion 16b for mounting, for example, a portion of the finger 10 from the tip to the first joint. One end of the second mounting portion 16b (the end closer to the first mounting portion 16a) is tiltably supported on one end of the first mounting portion 16a (the end closer to the second mounting portion 16b) via a rotation shaft 19 extending in the X-axis direction. This allows the second mounting portion 16b to tilt with respect to the first mounting portion 16a, centered on the rotation shaft 19.

[0031] 2, the printing unit 6 is a unit for printing nail polish on the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16, and is disposed inside the housing 4. The printing method of the printing unit 6 is an inkjet method that prints by ejecting ink in a mist toward the nail 12 of the finger 10. The printing unit 6 has a head unit 20 for ejecting the ink, and a drive mechanism 22 for driving the head unit 20.

[0032] The head unit 20 has a carriage 24 and an ink tank 26 mounted on the carriage 24. The ink tank 26 is filled with, for example, four types of ink, CMYK (C: cyan, M: magenta, Y: yellow, K: black). A nozzle surface 28 in which a plurality of fine nozzle holes are arranged is formed at the lower end of the head unit 20. The nozzle surface 28 ejects ink supplied from the ink tank 26 downward toward the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16. The nozzle surface 28 is disposed on a horizontal plane (XY plane).

[0033] The driving mechanism 22 is a mechanism for two-dimensionally moving the head unit 20 in a main scanning direction (X-axis direction) and a sub-scanning direction (Y-axis direction) substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction. Although not shown, the driving mechanism 22 has an X-axis driving mechanism for moving the head unit 20 in the main scanning direction relative to the nail 12 of the finger 10, and a Y-axis driving mechanism for moving the head unit 20 in the sub-scanning direction relative to the nail 12 of the finger 10.

[0034] The adjustment unit 8 raises and lowers the holder 16 in the vertical direction relative to the head unit 20 in order to adjust the height position (position in the Z-axis direction) of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 relative to the head unit 20 to a target height position that is a predetermined distance (for example, about 2 mm) away from the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20. The adjustment unit 8 also tilts the second mounting portion 16b of the holder 16 relative to the first mounting portion 16a in order to adjust the inclination of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16. Note that the "inclination of the nail 12" refers to the inclination of the upper surface of the nail 12 relative to the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20 in the YZ side view. For example, when the upper surface of the nail 12 is approximately parallel to the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20, the inclination of the nail 12 is 0°.

[0035] 2, a mirror 30 is disposed on the side of the holder 16 inside the housing 4. The mirror 30 is a side-view mirror having a mirror surface for reflecting the side of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16. The mirror 30 is disposed so that the mirror surface faces diagonally upward with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0036] Furthermore, inside the housing 4, a camera unit 32 is disposed above the holder 16. The camera unit 32 directly captures an image of the front of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 from directly above, and also captures an image of the side of the nail 12 of the finger 10 reflected on the mirror surface of the mirror 30. Image data of the nail 12 captured by the camera unit 32 is wirelessly transmitted from the printing device 2 to an external terminal and displayed on a display unit of the external terminal.

[0037] When printing with the above-described printing device 2, first, the user inserts the finger 10 into the opening 14 of the housing 4 in a straight state with the nail 12 of the finger 10 facing upward, and places the pad side of the finger 10 on the holder 16. As a result, the part of the finger 10 including the nail 12 is positioned inside the housing 4.

[0038] Next, the user manually operates the adjustment unit 8 to raise the holder 16 relative to the head portion 20. As a result, the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 is sandwiched between the holder 16 and the pressing cover 18 from above and below.

[0039] Next, the user manually operates the adjustment unit 8 while viewing the image data of the nail 12 displayed on the display unit of the external terminal, thereby tilting the second mounting portion 16b of the holder 16 relative to the first mounting portion 16a. This makes it possible to adjust the tilt of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16, and for example, to adjust the position of the nail 12 within a range of approximately 6 mm in the upward direction and approximately 3 mm in the downward direction. Next, the printing unit 6 prints on the nail 12 of the finger 10.

[0040] [1-2. Configuration of the adjustment unit] Next, the configuration of the adjustment unit 8 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the adjustment unit 8 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an enlarged tilt mechanism 36 of the adjustment unit 8 according to the first embodiment. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views for explaining the operation of the tilt mechanism 36 of the adjustment unit 8 according to the first embodiment.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the adjustment unit 8 has a lifting mechanism 34 and a tilting mechanism 36.

[0042] First, the configuration of the lifting mechanism 34 will be described. The lifting mechanism 34 is a mechanism for lifting and lowering the holder 16 relative to the head unit 20 in order to adjust the height position of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 relative to the head unit 20 to a target height position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lifting mechanism 34 has a guide member 38, a base member 40, and a coil spring 42 (an example of a second biasing member).

[0043] The guide member 38 is provided upright on the upper surface of a base plate 44 arranged inside the housing 4 .

[0044] The base member 40 is formed in a generally rectangular tubular shape, and is supported so as to be able to rise and fall by the guide member 38. The base member 40 is able to rise and fall in the vertical direction along the guide member 38. The holder 16 is supported on the upper end of the base member 40.

[0045] The coil spring 42 biases the base member 40 toward the head portion 20. The upper end of the coil spring 42 is engaged with the inside of the base member 40, and the lower end of the coil spring 42 is engaged with the upper surface of the base plate 44.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tilt mechanism 36 includes a pair of support plates 46a, 46b, a pair of dials 48a, 48b, a pair of gear mechanisms 50a, 50b, a shaft 52, and a conversion mechanism 54.

[0047] The pair of support plates 46a, 46b are disposed inside the housing 4 and stand on the upper surface of the base plate 44. The pair of support plates 46a, 46b are disposed so as to face each other in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the support plate 46a is formed with a guide hole 58a extending along the front-rear direction and a guide hole 60a extending along the up-down direction. The guide hole 60a is disposed closer to the front surface of the housing 4 than the guide hole 58a. As shown in FIG. 3, the support plate 46b is formed with a guide hole 58b extending along the front-rear direction and a guide hole 60b extending along the up-down direction. The guide hole 60b is disposed closer to the front surface of the housing 4 than the guide hole 58b.

[0048] Each of the pair of dials 48a, 48b is formed in a circular shape and is rotated by a user. As shown in Fig. 1, the pair of dials 48a, 48b are disposed on both the left and right side surfaces of the housing 4 outside the housing 4. Specifically, the pair of dials 48a, 48b are disposed on the left and right sides of the housing 4 when facing the front surface of the housing 4.

[0049] The gear mechanism 50a includes a link 62a, a large diameter gear 64a, and a small diameter gear 66a.

[0050] The link 62a is for connecting the large diameter gear 64a and the small diameter gear 66a to each other. The link 62a is formed with an insertion hole 68a and a bearing portion 70a.

[0051] The large diameter gear 64a is disposed facing the rear surface of the dial 48a (i.e., the surface closer to the side of the housing 4). The rotation shaft 72a of the large diameter gear 64a is fixed to the rear surface of the dial 48a through the insertion hole 68a of the link 62a. This allows the dial 48a to rotate integrally with the large diameter gear 64a. The rotation shaft 72a of the large diameter gear 64a is also inserted into the guide hole 58a of the support plate 46a so as to be movable and rotatable. This allows the dial 48a to move integrally with the large diameter gear 64a along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the guide hole 58a relative to the housing 4.

[0052] The small diameter gear 66a is meshed with the large diameter gear 64a. The number of gear teeth of the small diameter gear 66a is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the large diameter gear 64a. The rotating shaft 74a of the small diameter gear 66a is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 70a of the link 62a, and is rotatably and movably inserted into the guide hole 60a of the support plate 46a. This allows the shaft 52 to move integrally with the small diameter gear 66a along the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) of the guide hole 60a.

[0053] It should be noted that the large diameter gear 64a and the small diameter gear 66a may be interchanged to make the large diameter gear 64a a small diameter gear and the small diameter gear 66a a large diameter gear. The number of gear teeth of each of the large diameter gear 64a and the small diameter gear 66a is selected from an optimum value based on the relationship between the operation torque of the dial 48a and the load torque of the cam 76, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the dial 48a and the rotation angle of the cam 76.

[0054] The gear mechanism 50b includes a link 62b, a large diameter gear 64b, and a small diameter gear 66b.

[0055] The link 62b is for connecting the large diameter gear 64b and the small diameter gear 66b to each other. The link 62b is formed with an insertion hole 68b and a bearing portion 70b.

[0056] The large diameter gear 64b is disposed facing the rear surface of the dial 48b (i.e., the surface closer to the side surface of the housing 4). The rotation shaft 72b of the large diameter gear 64b is fixed to the rear surface of the dial 48b through an insertion hole 68b of the link 62b. This allows the dial 48b to rotate integrally with the large diameter gear 64b. In addition, the rotation shaft 72b of the large diameter gear 64b is inserted into the guide hole 58b of the support plate 46b so as to be movable and rotatable. This allows the dial 48b to move integrally with the large diameter gear 64b along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the guide hole 58b relative to the housing 4.

[0057] The small diameter gear 66b is meshed with the large diameter gear 64b. The number of gear teeth of the small diameter gear 66b is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the large diameter gear 64b. The rotating shaft 74b of the small diameter gear 66b is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 70b of the link 62b, and is rotatably and movably inserted into the guide hole 60b of the support plate 46b. This allows the shaft 52 to move integrally with the small diameter gear 66b along the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) of the guide hole 60b.

[0058] It should be noted that the large diameter gear 64b and the small diameter gear 66b may be interchanged to make the large diameter gear 64b a small diameter gear and the small diameter gear 66b a large diameter gear. As the number of gear teeth of each of the large diameter gear 64b and the small diameter gear 66b, an optimal value is selected based on the relationship between the operation torque of the dial 48b and the load torque of the cam 76, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the dial 48b and the rotation angle of the cam 76.

[0059] The shaft 52 extends in the left-right direction. One end of the shaft 52 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to a rotating shaft 74a of the small diameter gear 66a of the gear mechanism 50a. The other end of the shaft 52 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to a rotating shaft 74b of the small diameter gear 66b of the gear mechanism 50b. This allows the shaft 52 to rotate integrally with each of the small diameter gears 66a, 66b. The shaft 52 also passes through the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34. That is, the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36 are connected to each other via the shaft 52.

[0060] The conversion mechanism 54 is a mechanism for converting the rotation of the shaft 52 into a tilting motion of the second mounting portion 16b. As shown in FIG.

[0061] The cam 76 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 52 and can rotate integrally with the shaft 52. The center of rotation of the cam 76 coincides with the center of rotation of the shaft 52. The cam 76 has a shape in which the distance from the center of rotation of the cam 76 to the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76 changes according to the rotation phase of the cam 76. In addition, the cam 76 is disposed adjacent to the lifting mechanism 34 in the left-right direction.

[0062] The lift mechanism 78 is a mechanism for tilting the second mounting portion 16b relative to the first mounting portion 16a by pushing up the second mounting portion 16b toward the head portion 20 as the cam 76 rotates. The lift mechanism 78 has a rotating member 80, a torsion spring 82 (an example of a first biasing member), and a lift member 84.

[0063] The rotating member 80 has a first end 86, a second end 88 opposite to the first end 86, and a rotating shaft 90 disposed between the first end 86 and the second end 88. A protrusion 92 that protrudes toward the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76 is formed on the first end 86. The second end 88 is engaged with the lower end of the lift member 84. The rotating shaft 90 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion (not shown) disposed inside the housing 4. This allows the rotating member 80 to rotate about the rotating shaft 90.

[0064] The torsion spring 82 is disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 90 of the rotation member 80. One end of the torsion spring 82 is engaged with a first end 86 of the rotation member 80, and the other end of the torsion spring 82 is engaged with an engagement portion (not shown) disposed inside the housing 4. The torsion spring 82 biases the rotation member 80 in a predetermined rotational direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4) so ​​as to press a protrusion 92 (i.e., the first end 86) of the rotation member 80 against the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76.

[0065] The lift member 84 is disposed between the second end 88 of the rotating member 80 and the second mounting portion 16b of the holder 16. Specifically, the lift member 84 is disposed below the second mounting portion 16b, and the upper end of the lift member 84 is in contact with the lower surface of the second mounting portion 16b. In addition, the lower end of the lift member 84 is engaged with the second end 88 of the rotating member 80.

[0066] Here, the operation of the lifting mechanism 34 will be described. When the user places the finger 10 on the holder 16 before starting printing, the holder 16 is held in a standby position between the upper limit position and the lower limit position by a latch (not shown) provided on the base member 40. From this state, the user presses the holder 16 from the standby position to the lower limit position with the finger 10 against the biasing force of the coil spring 42, and the latch of the base member 40 is released. As a result, the holder 16 receives the biasing force of the coil spring 42 and rises from the lower limit position to the upper limit position together with the base member 40. Then, when the vicinity of the first joint of the finger 10 comes into contact with the pressing cover 18 (see FIG. 1), the holder 16 stops rising. As a result, the finger placed on the holder 16 is sandwiched between the holder 16 and the pressing cover 18 from above and below.

[0067] As described above, the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36 are connected to each other via the shaft 52, so that as the base member 40 moves up and down, the conversion mechanism 54 moves up and down together with the shaft 52. At this time, the shaft 52 moves up and down along the guide holes 60a, 60b of the pair of support plates 46a, 46b, and each of the small diameter gears 66a, 66b moves up and down together with the shaft 52. The lifting and lowering movement of the small diameter gear 66a is converted into the forward and backward movement of the large diameter gear 64a via the link 62a, and the lifting and lowering movement of the small diameter gear 66b is converted into the forward and backward movement of the large diameter gear 64b via the link 62b.

[0068] That is, as the shaft 52 moves up and down along the guide holes 60a, 60b of the pair of support plates 46a, 46b, the rotating shaft 72a of the large diameter gear 64a moves in the front-rear direction, for example, about 5 to 10 mm, along the guide hole 58a of the support plate 46a, and the rotating shaft 72b of the large diameter gear 64b moves in the front-rear direction, for example, about 5 to 10 mm, along the guide hole 58b of the support plate 46b. As a result, each of the pair of dials 48a, 48b moves in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder 16 by the lifting mechanism 34.

[0069] In this way, the height position of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 relative to the head unit 20 is adjusted to a target height position that is a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20. By changing the target height position, the density of the color printed on the nail 12 can be adjusted.

[0070] However, since there are individual differences in the shape and size of the nail 12 for each user, at this point, the upper surface of the nail 12 of the finger 10 may not be approximately parallel to the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20. Therefore, after adjusting the height position of the nail 12 as described above, the user manually operates the tilting mechanism 36 as described below to adjust the tilt of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 so that the upper surface of the nail 12 of the finger 10 is approximately parallel to the nozzle surface 28 of the head unit 20.

[0071] Next, the operation of the tilt mechanism 36 will be described. For example, when the user places the finger 10 of the right hand on the holder 16, the dial 48a is rotated in a predetermined direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5) with the left hand. When the user places the finger 10 of the left hand on the holder 16, the dial 48b may be rotated in a predetermined direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5) with the right hand. In this embodiment, the rotation directions of the dials 48a and 48b are the above-mentioned predetermined directions (the directions indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5), but are not limited thereto, and may be opposite to the above-mentioned predetermined directions. Below, a case where the user rotates the dial 48a in a predetermined direction with the left hand will be described.

[0072] When the dial 48a is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation of the dial 48a is transmitted to the shaft 52 via the large diameter gear 64a and the small diameter gear 66a, causing the shaft 52 to rotate in the predetermined direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5). That is, the shaft 52 rotates in the predetermined direction in conjunction with the rotation of the dial 48a. At this time, the rotation of the shaft 52 is transmitted to the dial 48b via the small diameter gear 66b and the large diameter gear 64b, causing the dial 48b to rotate in the predetermined direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5).

[0073] When the dial 48b is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation of the dial 48b is transmitted to the shaft 52 via the large diameter gear 64b and the small diameter gear 66b, causing the shaft 52 to rotate in the predetermined direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5). That is, the shaft 52 rotates in the predetermined direction in conjunction with the rotation of the dial 48b.

[0074] As the shaft 52 rotates in a predetermined direction, the cam 76 rotates integrally with the shaft 52. As a result, the protrusion 92 of the rotating member 80 slides circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76 relative to the cam 76 while being pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76 by the biasing force of the torsion spring 82. As a result, the position of the contact point between the protrusion 92 and the outer circumferential surface of the cam 76 gradually approaches the center of rotation of the cam 76. That is, in response to a change in the rotation angle of the cam 76, the rotating member 80 rotates in a direction in which the protrusion 92 descends and the second end 88 ascends (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6).

[0075] 6, the lift member 84 is pushed up by the second end 88 of the rotating member 80, thereby pushing up the second mounting portion 16b toward the head portion 20. As a result, the second mounting portion 16b tilts relative to the first mounting portion 16a, and the inclination of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 is adjusted. At this time, the user can fine-tune the inclination of the nail 12 by fine-tuning the amount of rotation of the dial 48a.

[0076] 4, it is preferable that the distance B between the rotation shaft 90 of the rotating member 80 and the tip of the second end 88 (i.e., the portion that engages with the lift member 84) is longer than the distance A between the rotation shaft 90 of the rotating member 80 and the protrusion 92. This makes it possible to make the amount of lift of the second end 88 of the rotating member 80 larger than the amount of descent of the protrusion 92 of the rotating member 80 when the rotating member 80 rotates, even if the outer diameter of the cam 76 is reduced.

[0077] 4, it is preferable to make the distance C between the rotation axis 90 of the rotating member 80 and the tip of the first end 86 longer than the above-mentioned distance B. This makes it possible to make the load applied to the torsion spring 82 when the finger 10 is placed on the holder 16 smaller than the holding force of the finger 10 (for example, about 15 N or more).

[0078] [1-3. Effects] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 34 and the tilting mechanism 36 are each configured to be manually operated by the user, thereby making it possible to reduce the weight of the printing device 2. In addition, the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36 are connected to each other via the shaft 52, so that the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36 rises and falls in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder 16 by the lifting mechanism 34. This allows the arrangement of the lifting mechanism 34 and the tilting mechanism 36 to be compact, making it possible to reduce the size of the printing device 2.

[0079] (Embodiment 2) The configuration of a printing device 2A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 10. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the printing device 2A according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an adjustment unit 8A according to the second embodiment. Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views for explaining the configuration of a tilting mechanism 36A according to the second embodiment. In the following embodiments, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0080] In a printing device 2A according to the second embodiment, the configuration of a tilting mechanism 36A of an adjustment unit 8A is different from that of the above-described first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 to 10, the tilting mechanism 36A has a pair of support plates 46Aa, 46Ab, a pair of dials 48a, 48b, a pair of gear mechanisms 50Aa, 50Ab, a shaft 94, a friction unit 96, a shaft 52A, and a conversion mechanism 54.

[0081] The support plate 46Aa is for rotatably supporting the dial 48a and the gear mechanism 50Aa, and is erected on the upper surface of the base plate 44. The support plate 46Ab is for rotatably supporting the dial 48b and the gear mechanism 50Ab, and is erected on the upper surface of the base plate 44. The pair of support plates 46Aa, 46Ab do not have the guide holes described in the above embodiment 1. That is, in this embodiment, the pair of dials 48a, 48b are configured not to move in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 4 (see FIG. 1) in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder 16 by the lifting and lowering mechanism 34. For convenience of explanation, the pair of support plates 46Aa, 46Ab are omitted from illustration in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

[0082] The gear mechanism 50Aa includes a large diameter gear 98a, a medium diameter gear 100a, a small diameter gear 102a, and a link 104. The large diameter gear 98a and the small diameter gear 102a may be interchanged to make the large diameter gear 98a a small diameter gear and the small diameter gear 102a a large diameter gear. The number of gear teeth of each of the large diameter gear 98a, the medium diameter gear 100a, and the small diameter gear 102a is selected from an optimal value based on the relationship between the operation torque of the dial 48a and the load torque of the cam 76, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the dial 48a and the rotation angle of the cam 76.

[0083] The large diameter gear 98a is disposed opposite to the rear surface of the dial 48a. A rotating shaft 106a of the large diameter gear 98a is fixed to the rear surface of the dial 48a and is rotatably supported by a support plate 46Aa.

[0084] The medium diameter gear 100a is disposed below the large diameter gear 98a and is engaged with the large diameter gear 98a. The number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 100a is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the large diameter gear 98a. A rotating shaft 108a of the medium diameter gear 100a is rotatably supported by a support plate 46Aa.

[0085] The small diameter gear 102a is disposed below the medium diameter gear 100a and is engaged with the medium diameter gear 100a. The number of gear teeth of the small diameter gear 102a is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 100a. The rotating shaft 110a of the small diameter gear 102a is rotatably supported by the support plate 46Aa.

[0086] The link 104 is for connecting the large diameter gear 98a of the gear mechanism 50Aa and a large diameter gear 114 (described later) of the friction unit 96 to each other.

[0087] The gear mechanism 50Ab includes a large diameter gear 98b, a medium diameter gear 100b, and a small diameter gear 102b. The large diameter gear 98b and the small diameter gear 102b may be interchanged to make the large diameter gear 98b a small diameter gear and the small diameter gear 102b a large diameter gear. The number of gear teeth of each of the large diameter gear 98b, the medium diameter gear 100b, and the small diameter gear 102b is selected from an optimal value based on the relationship between the operation torque of the dial 48b and the load torque of the cam 76, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the dial 48b and the rotation angle of the cam 76.

[0088] The large diameter gear 98b is disposed opposite to the rear surface of the dial 48b. A rotating shaft 106b of the large diameter gear 98b is fixed to the rear surface of the dial 48b and is rotatably supported by the support plate 46Ab.

[0089] The medium diameter gear 100b is disposed below the large diameter gear 98b and is engaged with the large diameter gear 98b. The number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 100b is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the large diameter gear 98b. A rotating shaft 108b of the medium diameter gear 100b is rotatably supported by the support plate 46Ab.

[0090] The small diameter gear 102b is disposed below the medium diameter gear 100b and is engaged with the medium diameter gear 100b. The number of gear teeth of the small diameter gear 102b is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 100b. The rotating shaft 110b of the small diameter gear 102b is rotatably supported by the support plate 46Ab.

[0091] The shaft 94 extends in the left-right direction. One end in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 94 is fixed to the rotating shaft 110a of the small diameter gear 102a of the gear mechanism 50Aa. The other end in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 94 is fixed to the rotating shaft 110b of the small diameter gear 102b of the gear mechanism 50Ab. This allows the shaft 94 to rotate integrally with each of the small diameter gears 102a, 102b.

[0092] The friction unit 96 is a unit that moves up and down in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder 16 by the lifting mechanism 34. The friction unit 96 has a support cover 112, a large diameter gear 114, a medium diameter gear 116, and a small diameter gear 118. Note that the large diameter gear 114 may be a small diameter gear and the small diameter gear 118 may be a large diameter gear by interchanging the large diameter gear 114 and the small diameter gear 118. In addition, the number of gear teeth of each of the large diameter gear 114, the medium diameter gear 116, and the small diameter gear 118 is selected from an optimal value based on the relationship between the operation torque of the dial 48a and the load torque of the cam 76, and the relationship between the rotation angle of the dial 48a and the rotation angle of the cam 76.

[0093] The support cover 112 is supported so as to be movable up and down in the vertical direction inside the housing 4. For convenience of explanation, the support cover 112 is omitted from illustration in Figs.

[0094] The large diameter gear 114 is meshed with the large diameter gear 98a of the gear mechanism 50Aa. A rotating shaft 120 of the large diameter gear 114 is rotatably supported by the support cover 112.

[0095] The medium diameter gear 116 is disposed below the large diameter gear 114 and is in mesh with the large diameter gear 114. The number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 116 is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the large diameter gear 114. A rotating shaft 122 of the medium diameter gear 116 is rotatably supported by the support cover 112.

[0096] The small diameter gear 118 is disposed below the medium diameter gear 116 and is engaged with the medium diameter gear 116. The number of gear teeth of the small diameter gear 118 is smaller than the number of gear teeth of the medium diameter gear 116. A rotating shaft 124 of the small diameter gear 118 is rotatably supported by the support cover 112.

[0097] The shaft 52A extends in the left-right direction. One end of the shaft 52A in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the rotating shaft 124 of the small diameter gear 118 of the friction unit 96. As a result, the shaft 52A can rotate integrally with the small diameter gear 118 of the friction unit 96. The other end of the shaft 52A in the longitudinal direction penetrates the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and is rotatably supported by the base member 40. That is, the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36A are connected to each other via the shaft 52A. As a result, in conjunction with the lifting and lowering operation of the holder 16 by the lifting mechanism 34, the support cover 112, the large diameter gear 114, the medium diameter gear 116, and the small diameter gear 118 move up and down integrally. At this time, the link 104 keeps the large diameter gear 98a of the gear mechanism 50Aa and the large diameter gear 114 of the friction unit 96 in mesh with each other.

[0098] Next, the operation of the tilt mechanism 36A will be described. For example, when the user places the fingers 10 of the right hand (see FIG. 1) on the holder 16, the user rotates the dial 48a in a predetermined direction with the left hand. When the user places the fingers 10 of the left hand on the holder 16, the user can rotate the dial 48b in a predetermined direction with the right hand. In this embodiment, the rotation directions of the dials 48a and 48b are the above-mentioned predetermined directions, but this is not limited thereto, and the direction may be opposite to the above-mentioned predetermined direction. Below, a case where the user rotates the dial 48a in a predetermined direction with the left hand will be described.

[0099] When the dial 48a is rotated in a predetermined direction, the rotation of the dial 48a is transmitted to the shaft 94 via the large diameter gear 98a, the medium diameter gear 100a, and the small diameter gear 102a of the gear mechanism 50Aa, causing the shaft 94 to rotate in the predetermined direction. At this time, the rotation of the shaft 94 is transmitted to the dial 48b via the small diameter gear 102b, the medium diameter gear 100b, and the large diameter gear 98b of the gear mechanism 50Ab, causing the dial 48b to rotate in the predetermined direction.

[0100] Furthermore, the rotation of the large diameter gear 98a of the gear mechanism 50Aa is transmitted to the shaft 52A via the large diameter gear 114, the medium diameter gear 116, and the small diameter gear 118 of the friction unit 96, thereby rotating the shaft 52A in a predetermined direction. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, the second mounting portion 16b tilts with respect to the first mounting portion 16a, and the tilt of the nail 12 of the finger 10 placed on the holder 16 is adjusted.

[0101] Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0102] (Embodiment 3) The configuration of a printing device 2B according to embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a printing device 2B according to embodiment 3. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing an adjustment unit 8B according to embodiment 3.

[0103] In a printing device 2B according to the third embodiment, the configuration of a tilting mechanism 36B of an adjustment unit 8B is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the tilting mechanism 36B has a pair of guide posts 126a, 126b, a pair of dials 48a, 48b, a shaft 52, and a conversion mechanism 54.

[0104] The pair of guide posts 126a, 126b are disposed inside the housing 4 (see FIG. 1) and stand on the upper surface of the base plate 44. The pair of guide posts 126a, 126b are disposed to face each other in the left-right direction. The pair of guide posts 126a, 126b are formed with guide slits 128a, 128b extending in the up-down direction, respectively.

[0105] The shaft 52 extends in the left-right direction. One end of the shaft 52 in the longitudinal direction is movably inserted into the guide slit 128a of the guide post 126a and is fixed to the back surface of the dial 48a. The other end of the shaft 52 in the longitudinal direction is movably inserted into the guide slit 128b of the guide post 126b and is fixed to the back surface of the dial 48b. The shaft 52 also penetrates the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34. That is, the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36B are connected to each other via the shaft 52.

[0106] As described above, the base member 40 of the lifting mechanism 34 and the conversion mechanism 54 of the tilting mechanism 36B are connected to each other via the shaft 52, so that as the base member 40 moves up and down, the conversion mechanism 54 moves up and down together with the shaft 52. In addition, since the pair of dials 48a, 48b are directly fixed to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 52, the pair of dials 48a, 48b move up and down together with the shaft 52 as the base member 40 moves up and down.

[0107] Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0108] (Modification) Although the printing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0109] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the tilting mechanism 36 (36A, 36B) has a pair of dials 48a, 48b, but is not limited to this, and may have only one of the pair of dials 48a, 48b. [Industrial Applicability]

[0110] The printing device according to the present invention can be applied as, for example, a nail printer for printing on the nails of a user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 2,2A,2B Printing device 4. Chassis 6 Printing unit 8,8A,8B Adjustment unit 10 fingers 12 Claws 14 Openings 16 Holder 16a First placement portion 16b Second placement portion 18 Presser cover 19, 72a, 72b, 74a, 74b, 90, 106a, 106b, 108a, 108b, 110a, 110b, 120, 122, 124 Rotating shaft 20 Head section 22 Drive mechanism 24 Carriage 26 Ink tank 28 Nozzle surface 30. Mirror 32 Camera unit 34 Lifting mechanism 36,36A,36B Tilt mechanism 38 Guide member 40 Base material 42 Coil spring 44 Base Plate 46a, 46b, 46Aa, 46Ab Support plate 48a, 48b Dial 50a, 50b, 50Aa, 50Ab Gear mechanism 52,52A,94 Shaft 54 Conversion Mechanism 58a, 58b, 60a, 60b Guide holes 62a,62b,104 Link 64a, 64b, 98a, 98b, 114 Large diameter gear 66a, 66b, 102a, 102b, 118 Small diameter gear 68a, 68b Insertion holes 70a,70b Bearing part 76 Cam 78 Lift Mechanism 80 Rotating member 82 Torsion spring 84 Lifting materials 86 First end 88 Second End 92 Protrusion 96 Friction Unit 100a, 100b, 116 Medium diameter gear 112 Support cover 126a, 126b Guidepost 128a, 128b Guide slits

Claims

1. A printing device for printing on a user's fingernails, comprising: a holder for placing the finger, the holder having a first placement portion and a second placement portion tiltable relative to the first placement portion; a head portion that ejects ink toward the nail of the finger placed on the holder; a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the holder relative to the head unit in order to adjust a height position of the nail of the finger placed on the holder to a target height position that is a predetermined distance away from the head unit; a tilting mechanism that tilts the second placement portion relative to the first placement portion in order to adjust a tilt of the nail of the finger placed on the holder, The tilt mechanism includes: a dial that is rotated by the user; A shaft that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the dial; A conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the shaft into a tilting motion of the second placement portion, The lifting mechanism and the conversion mechanism of the tilting mechanism are connected to each other via the shaft. Printing device.

2. The conversion mechanism is A cam that rotates integrally with the shaft; a lift mechanism that tilts the second mounting portion relative to the first mounting portion by pushing up the second mounting portion toward the head portion as the cam rotates, The cam is disposed adjacent to the lifting mechanism in the left-right direction. The printing device of claim 1 .

3. The lift mechanism includes: a rotating member having a first end portion on which a protrusion is formed and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, the rotating member being rotatable about a rotation axis disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion; a first biasing member that biases the rotating member so as to press the protrusion of the rotating member against the cam; a lift member disposed between the second end of the rotating member and the second mounting portion of the holder, When the protrusion of the rotating member is lowered by the biasing force of the first biasing member in accordance with the rotation angle of the cam, the lift member is pushed up by the second end of the rotating member, thereby pushing up the second placement portion toward the head portion. The printing device according to claim 2 .

4. The distance between the rotation shaft of the rotating member and the tip of the second end is longer than the distance between the rotation shaft of the rotating member and the protrusion. The printing device according to claim 3 .

5. The distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the tip of the first end is longer than the distance between the rotation axis of the rotating member and the tip of the second end. The printing device according to claim 3 .

6. The dial is movable in the front-rear direction in association with the raising and lowering operation of the holder by the raising and lowering mechanism. The printing device of claim 1 .

7. The printing device further includes a housing. The dial is provided in pair, The pair of dials are disposed on the left and right side surfaces of the housing, respectively. The printing device of claim 1 .

8. The lifting mechanism includes: A base member for supporting the holder; and a second biasing member that biases the base member toward the head portion. The printing device of claim 1 .

Images