Coating control device, program, and coating control method

Abstract

To provide a coating control device, a program, and a coating control method that enable generation of protruding from a nail or uneven coating of coating liquid to be easily suppressed.SOLUTION: A coating control device 100 includes a coating device 1 and a control device 2. The control device 2 includes: acquisition means (control unit 21) that acquires nail width information being information related to a length in a width direction of a nail; setting means (control unit 21) that sets a coating pitch being an interval of a coating position of coating liquid T by the coating device 1 such that the coating pitch in an end portion in the width direction of the nail is smaller than the coating pitch of a center part of the width direction of the nail; and control means (control unit 21) that controls a discharge amount of the coating liquid T to each coating position by the coating device 1 such that a film thickness formed by the coating liquid T becomes even on the basis of the set coating pitch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating control device, a program, and a coating control method. [Background technology]

[0002] People sometimes apply a coating to their nails for decorative purposes, and there are a variety of ways to apply such nail coatings, including doing it yourself (hereinafter referred to as "self-nail") or asking staff at a specialized store to do it for you. Of these, self-nail application can be done by hand using a brush or the like, but since this type of work is time-consuming, it would be preferable if it could be done automatically using a device.

[0003] In view of this, there is known a device that can automatically apply a coating liquid to a nail by setting a movement trajectory of an application means based on an image of the nail (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-175732 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although such devices can automatically apply a coating liquid to the nails of a user of the device, because the application means is merely a brush that applies the liquid evenly, the liquid tends to spill out of the nail and uneven application (variation in the thickness of the formed film) tends to occur.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a coating control device, a program, and a coating control method that can easily prevent coating liquid from spilling out of the nail and the occurrence of uneven coating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the application control device of the present invention includes an application means for applying a coating liquid to a nail, a nail width information acquisition means for acquiring nail width information which is information related to the width of the nail, a setting means for setting a coating pitch which is the distance between points at which the coating liquid is applied by the application means based on the nail width information so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends of the nail in the width direction than at the center of the nail in the width direction, and a discharge amount control means for controlling the amount of the coating liquid discharged by the application means to each application point based on the application pitch so that the film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform.

[0008] In addition, the program of the present invention causes a computer to function as: an acquisition means for acquiring nail width information, which is information related to the width of the nail; a setting means for setting a coating pitch, which is the distance between points at which the coating liquid is applied to the nail by a coating means that applies the coating liquid to the nail, based on the nail width information, so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends of the nail in the width direction than at the center of the nail in the width direction; and a control means for controlling the amount of the coating liquid ejected by the coating means to each coating point based on the coating pitch so that the film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform.

[0009] In addition, the application control method of the present invention acquires nail width information, which is information related to the width of the nail, and sets a coating pitch, which is the distance between points at which the coating liquid is applied to the nail by a coating means that applies the coating liquid to the nail, based on the nail width information, so that the coating pitch is smaller at the width ends of the nail than at the width central part of the nail, and controls the amount of the coating liquid ejected by the coating means to each application point based on the coating pitch so that the film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coating control device, a program, and a coating control method that can easily prevent coating liquid from spilling out of the nail and the occurrence of uneven coating. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a coating control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at the center in the X-axis direction, showing a state during coating of the coating control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of operations of the coating control device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a nail image according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement of application points set on a nail image in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a coating control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

[0013] [1 Configuration Description] 1, the coating control device 100 includes a coating device 1 and a control device 2. Information can be transmitted and received between them by wired communication using a communication cable or wireless communication.

[0014] [(1) Coating equipment] The application device 1 is a device for applying application liquid T to the nails of a user of the application control device 100, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes an air dispenser 11, an application liquid storage unit 12, a connection hose 13, a drive unit 14, a finger support unit 15, and an imaging unit 16.

[0015] In the following, the directions and axes are defined as shown in Fig. 1. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, left and right, front and rear, and up and down are defined, and the axis along the left and right direction is set as the X-axis, the axis along the front and rear direction is set as the Y-axis, and the axis along the up and down direction is set as the Z-axis, so that the three axes are mutually orthogonal. Moreover, the plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis is the XY plane, the plane including the X-axis and the Z-axis is the XZ plane, and the plane including the Y-axis and the Z-axis is the YZ plane.

[0016] The air dispenser 11 is a device for ejecting air at a pressure set according to the control of the control device 2, and is connected to the coating liquid storage unit 12 via a connection hose 13 as shown in FIG. The air dispenser 11 is not particularly limited as long as it can eject air at a pressure set according to the control of the control device 2.

[0017] 2, a discharge hole 121 is formed at the bottom end, and one end of a connection hose 13 is connected to an opening 122 at the top end. With this configuration, by applying pressure from the opening 122 at the top end, an amount of coating liquid T according to the pressure can be discharged from the discharge hole 121 at the bottom end. The coating liquid T is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid used for coating nails, such as a general nail polish.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connection hose 13 is a hose that connects the air dispenser 11 and the coating liquid storage section 12, and one end is connected to the opening 122 at the upper end of the coating liquid storage section 12 and the other end is connected to the air dispenser 11. The connecting hose 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can connect the air dispenser 11 and the coating liquid storage unit 12 in this manner.

[0019] The driving unit 14 is a means for moving the coating liquid storage unit 12 in three dimensions and adjusting the position at which the coating liquid T is ejected from the ejection hole 121, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a base 141, a Y-axis direction driving unit 142, an X-axis direction driving unit 143, a Z-axis direction driving unit 144, and a plate-shaped member 145.

[0020] The base 141 is a plate-like member located below the driving unit 14, and is used to place the coating device 1 on a flat surface.

[0021] The Y-axis direction drive unit 142 is a means for moving the coating liquid storage unit 12 in the Y-axis direction, and as shown in FIG. 1, is placed on a base 141 and moves a plate-like member 145 connected thereto within a predetermined range in the Y-axis direction.

[0022] The X-axis direction driving unit 143 is a means for moving the coating liquid storage unit 12 in the X-axis direction, and as shown in FIG. 1, is connected near the upper end of the plate-like member 145, and moves the Z-axis direction driving unit 144 connected thereto within a predetermined range in the X-axis direction.

[0023] The Z-axis direction driving unit 144 is a means for moving the coating liquid storage unit 12 in the Z-axis direction, and as shown in FIG. 1, is connected to the X-axis direction driving unit 143 and moves the coating liquid storage unit 12 connected thereto within a predetermined range in the Z-axis direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the plate-like member 145 is a member formed in a plate shape along the XZ plane, and connects between the Y-axis direction driving unit 142 and the X-axis direction driving unit 143 as described above.

[0025] Since the drive unit 14 is configured in this manner, it is possible to freely move the ejection position (position of the ejection hole 121) of the coating liquid T from the coating liquid storage unit 12 connected to the drive unit 14 within a specified range in three dimensions.

[0026] The finger support portion 15 is provided on a base 141 as shown in FIG. 1, and has a groove portion 151 in the center in the X-axis direction as shown in FIGS.

[0027] The groove portion 151 is formed so as to have a shape corresponding to a human finger, and is formed so that the position can be fixed by fitting the finger therein as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 show a case where a finger model F is set, which is a model in the shape of a human finger and equipped with a nail portion N corresponding to a nail, rather than a real human finger.

[0028] The imaging unit 16 is a camera for imaging the nail portion of the finger fixed to the finger fixing portion 15 from above and acquiring an image of the nail portion in a planar view (in this case, an image of the portion including the nail portion N of the finger model F viewed from above), and has, for example, an optical system such as a lens, and an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, and is configured to be able to acquire an image in the direction of the optical axis of the lens.

[0029] The coating device 1 is configured to apply the coating liquid T by alternately repeating the movement and application, without performing them simultaneously, in such a manner that the position of the discharge hole 121 of the coating liquid storage section 12 is moved to a first discharge location by the drive section 14, and after the movement is completed, the driving of the drive section 14 is stopped and a predetermined amount of the coating liquid T is discharged to the first discharge location, and after the discharge is completed, the position of the discharge hole 121 of the coating liquid storage section 12 is moved to a second discharge location by the drive section 14, and after the movement is completed, the driving of the drive section 14 is stopped and a predetermined amount of the coating liquid T is discharged to the second discharge location.

[0030] [(2) Control device] The control device 2 is a computer for controlling the operation of the coating device 1, and includes, for example, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23, as shown in FIG.

[0031] The control unit 21 is a part that controls the operation of the control device 2 and is configured, for example, with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and controls each part of the control device 2 in cooperation with the CPU and program data, etc. stored in the memory unit 22.

[0032] The memory unit 22 is a part where various information required for operation of the control device 2 is stored, and is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), semiconductor memory, etc., and stores data required for operation of the control device 2, such as program data, in a manner that can be read and written by the control unit 21.

[0033] A pitch setting table 221 is stored in the storage unit 22. The pitch setting table 221 is a table including information related to a coating pitch set for each nail width based on a typical nail curved shape corresponding to the nail width, and is used when setting the coating pitch in step S3 in the description of the operation described later. The information contained in the pitch setting table 221 will be described in the explanation of operation.

[0034] The storage unit 22 also stores a program including various commands to the control unit 21 for operating the control device 2 as described later in the description of the operation.

[0035] The communication unit 23 is a part used for communication between the control device 2 and the coating device 1, and is, for example, a communication interface having a communication IC (Integrated Circuit) and a communication connector, and performs data communication using a predetermined communication protocol under the control of the control unit 21.

[0036] [2 Operation Description] Next, the operation of the application control device 100 according to this embodiment when performing a coating process (a process of applying application liquid T) on a nail (in this case, the nail portion N of a model finger F) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0037] When the coating process is performed on the nail portion N by the application control device 100, first, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 acquires nail image data D1 which is image data obtained by capturing an image of the nail portion N of the finger model F (step S1).

[0038] Specifically, the control unit 21 controls the imaging unit 16 of the application device 1 to image the portion of the finger model F including the nail portion N from directly above, and then transmits nail image data D1, which is data relating to the captured image, to the control device 2 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] The image (nail image G) according to the nail image data D1 is an image of a portion including the nail portion N of the finger model F captured from directly above along the Z axis, as shown in FIG.

[0040] In the control device 2 that receives the nail image data D1, the control unit 21 identifies the area occupied by the nail portion N in the nail image G on the XY plane (identifies the position of the contour of the nail portion N in a planar view) and also identifies the nail width W, i.e., the widthwise length of the nail portion N (step S2). The method of identification is not particularly limited, and may be determined using an existing method related to image processing.

[0041] The width direction of the nail refers to the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the finger (the direction in which the outstretched finger is at its longest) (in this case, the X-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction). Also, the length of the nail portion N in the width direction refers to the length of the part of the nail portion N that is at its longest in the width direction of the nail portion N (in this case, the length of the part that is at its longest in the X-axis direction).

[0042] Next, the control unit 21 sets the application pitch (the interval between successive application points) of the application liquid T to the nail portion N to be used in step S5 based on the nail width identified in step S2 (step S3).

[0043] At this time, control unit 21 sets the coating pitch based on the nail width specified in step S2 so that the coating pitch becomes smaller as it approaches the ends of the nail in the width direction (ends in the X-axis direction) and becomes larger as it approaches the center of the nail in the width direction (center in the X-axis direction), as shown in Fig. 5. This results in the coating pitch being set so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends of the nail in the width direction than at the center of the nail in the width direction.

[0044] In this case, it is preferable that the application pitch gradually decreases from the center to the ends in the width direction of the nail through multiple steps, but the application pitch may be changed in multiple steps, for example, in two steps, three steps, etc. Figure 5 shows a case where the application pitch changes in three steps.

[0045] In addition, when the application pitch is set in accordance with the position in the width direction of the nail in this manner, this is considered to be included in the case where the application pitch is set based on the nail width.

[0046] Specifically, the control unit 21 may use the pitch setting table 221 stored in the storage unit 22 to set the application pitch to be used in step S5.

[0047] Pitch setting table 221 is a table containing information regarding the coating pitch set for each nail width based on the typical curved shape of the nail according to the nail width, and contains multiple patterns of information regarding the coating pitch set so that the coating pitch becomes smaller as the coating pitch approaches the end of the nail in the width direction and becomes larger as the coating pitch approaches the center of the nail in the width direction (for example, in 1 mm increments) for each nail width.

[0048] In other words, since the curvature shape of the nails has a certain degree of commonality for nails of the same nail width, an appropriate coating pitch can be set for each nail width so that the coating pitch becomes smaller as the nail approaches the widthwise ends of the nail where the curvature becomes larger and the coating pitch becomes larger as the nail approaches the widthwise center of the nail where the curvature becomes smaller, and information related to the coating pitches of the multiple patterns set in this way can be stored in a table as pitch setting table 221.

[0049] The control unit 21 extracts information corresponding to the nail width identified in step S2 from such pitch setting table 221, thereby setting the application pitch to be used in step S5.

[0050] As an example, FIG. 5 illustrates a case in which application points are arranged on a straight line along the Y axis, and application liquid T is applied sequentially to each application point on the straight line along the straight line.

[0051] That is, in FIG. 5, the application points are arranged along the Y axis at a first pitch on the first line L1 located at the right end of the nail portion N, the application points are arranged along the Y axis at a second pitch larger than the first pitch on the second line L2 located to the left of the first line L1 of the nail portion N, the application points are arranged along the Y axis at a third pitch larger than the second pitch on the third line L3 located to the left of the second line L2 of the nail portion N and located in the center of the X-axis direction of the nail portion N, the application points are arranged along the Y axis at a third pitch larger than the second pitch on the fourth line L4 located to the left of the third line L3 of the nail portion N, and the application points are arranged along the Y axis at a second pitch smaller than the third pitch on the fourth line L4 located to the left of the fourth line L4 of the nail portion N and located at the left end of the nail portion N.

[0052] In FIG. 5, the spacing between each line and the spacing between application points on each line are shown broadly to simplify the drawing, but in reality, these spacings are set so that the application liquid T can be applied without any gaps, and more rows and application points are set than are shown in the drawing.

[0053] Next, the control unit 21 sets the discharge amount of the coating liquid T for each coating location to be used in step S5 based on the coating pitch set in step S3 (step S4).

[0054] At this time, the control unit 21 sets the amount of the coating liquid T discharged to each coating location so that the thickness of the film formed on the nail portion N by the coating liquid T becomes uniform.

[0055] In addition, even if the film thickness formed by the coating liquid T is not completely uniform, if the amount of coating liquid T ejected to each coating point is set so that the difference in film thickness (the difference in thickness between the thickest and thinnest parts) is smaller compared to the case where a uniform amount of coating liquid T is applied to each coating point, this is considered to be included in the case where the amount of coating liquid T ejected to each coating point is set so that the film thickness formed by the coating liquid T is uniform.

[0056] Specifically, as described above, the coating pitch set in step S3 is set so that the coating pitch becomes smaller as one approaches the ends of the width of the nail and becomes larger as one approaches the center of the width of the nail. Therefore, the coating points become more densely distributed as one approaches the ends of the width of the nail and more sparsely distributed as one approaches the center of the width of the nail.

[0057] Therefore, in order to set the amount of coating liquid T discharged to each coating location so that the film thickness formed on the nail portion N is uniform, the control unit 21 sets the amount of coating liquid T discharged to each coating location so that the amount of coating liquid T discharged to each coating location decreases as the distance to the end portion in the width direction of the nail (end portion in the X-axis direction) increases as the distance to the center portion in the width direction of the nail (center portion in the X-axis direction) increases. This sets the amount of coating liquid T discharged to each coating location so that the amount of discharged to the coating locations located at the end portions in the width direction of the nail is smaller than the amount of discharged to the coating locations located at the center portion in the width direction of the nail.

[0058] In the example shown in FIG. 5, a first discharge amount is set for application points arranged at a first pitch on a first line L1 located at the right end of the nail portion N, a second discharge amount larger than the first discharge amount is set for application points arranged at a second pitch larger than the first pitch on a second line L2 located to the left of the first line L1 of the nail portion N, and a third discharge amount larger than the second pitch is set for application points arranged at a third pitch larger than the second pitch on a third line L3 located to the left of the second line L2 of the nail portion N and in the center of the nail portion N in the X-axis direction. A third discharge amount larger than the second discharge amount is set for application points located on the fourth line L4 located to the left of the third line L3 of the nail portion N and at a second pitch smaller than the third pitch, a second discharge amount smaller than the third discharge amount is set for application points located on the fourth line L4 located to the left of the fourth line L4 of the nail portion N and at a first pitch smaller than the second pitch on a fifth line L5 located to the left of the fourth line L4 of the nail portion N and at the left end of the nail portion N, a first discharge amount smaller than the second discharge amount is set for application points located on the fourth line L4 of the nail portion N and at a first pitch smaller than the second pitch on a fifth line L5 located at the left end of the nail portion N.

[0059] After the application pitch is set in step S3 and the amount of application liquid T discharged for each application location is set in step S4, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 then controls the application device 1 to apply the application liquid T to the nail portion N (step S5).

[0060] Specifically, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the drive unit 14 of the coating device 1 by transmitting information related to the control of the drive unit 14 (drive control information D2) as shown in FIG. 1, thereby causing the position of the discharge hole 121 of the coating liquid storage unit 12 to move sequentially over each coating location in accordance with the coating order, in accordance with the coating pitch set in step S3.

[0061] Furthermore, when the position of the discharge hole 121 moves above the application point, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the air dispenser 11 of the application device 1 by transmitting information related to the control of the air dispenser 11 (air pressure control information D3) as shown in FIG. 1, and thereby adjusts the air pressure of the ejected air to discharge the coating liquid T from the discharge hole 121 at each application point according to the discharge amount of the coating liquid T at each application point set in step S4.

[0062] That is, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the Y-axis direction driving unit 142 and the X-axis direction driving unit 143 of the driving unit 14 to move the position of the discharge hole 121 in the XY plane to above the first application location, and then controls the Z-axis direction driving unit 144 of the driving unit 14 to bring the discharge hole 121 into contact with the claw portion N, and then controls the air dispenser 11 to discharge the amount of coating liquid T set in step S4 for the first application location.

[0063] Next, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the Y-axis direction drive unit 142 and the X-axis direction drive unit 143 of the drive unit 14 to move the position of the discharge hole 121 on the XY plane by the application pitch set in step S3 between the first application location and the second application location, thereby moving it onto the second application location, and then controls the Z-axis direction drive unit 144 of the drive unit 14 to bring the discharge hole 121 into contact with the claw portion N, and then controls the air dispenser 11 to discharge the amount of coating liquid T set for the second application location in step S4.

[0064] By repeating this control for the third application location and onwards, the application of the application liquid T to the nail portion N can be performed according to the application pitch set in step S3 and the discharge amount set in step S4.

[0065] [3 Explanation of effects] Next, the effects of the coating control device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0066] According to the coating control device 100 of this embodiment, the control device 2 acquires nail width information, which is information related to the widthwise length of the nail portion N, and based on the acquired nail width information, sets the coating pitch, which is the distance between the points at which the coating liquid T is applied by the coating device 1, so that the distance between the coating points is smaller at the widthwise ends of the nail portion N than at the widthwise center of the nail portion N, and controls the amount of coating liquid T discharged by the coating device 1 to each coating point based on the set coating pitch so that the film thickness formed on the nail portion N by the coating liquid T is uniform.

[0067] As a result, the coating pitch is set smaller at the widthwise ends of the nail portion N, where overflow is more likely to occur, compared to the center, and accordingly, the amount of coating liquid T discharged to each coating point is smaller at the widthwise ends of the nail portion N than at the widthwise center of the nail portion N, making it easier to suppress overflow of the coating liquid T from the nail portion N and also making it less likely that uneven coating (variation in the film thickness formed on the nail portion N by the coating liquid T) will occur.

[0068] Furthermore, since the coating device 1 is equipped with a drive unit 14 that moves the coating point of the coating liquid T in three mutually perpendicular axial directions (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis), the coating point of the coating liquid T can be freely moved in three dimensions in response to the three-dimensional shape of the nail portion N.

[0069] Furthermore, the coating device 1 controls the amount of the coating liquid T discharged by adjusting the pressure that the air dispenser 11 applies to the coating liquid T, so that the amount of the coating liquid T discharged can be easily controlled by adjusting the pressure.

[0070] Furthermore, by adjusting the pressure applied to the coating liquid T by adjusting the air pressure, which is easy to adjust, it becomes possible to control the discharge amount even more easily.

[0071] In addition, in the control device 2, by obtaining information related to the nail width W from the nail image G, which is an image of the nail portion N captured while fixed to the finger support portion 15 of the application device 1, it becomes easier to obtain accurate information related to the nail width based on the image.

[0072] In addition, by setting the coating pitch using a table in which the relationship between information related to the nail width W and the coating pitch to be set is predetermined, the coating pitch according to the nail width can be easily set by simply referring to such a table.

[0073] [4 Variations] Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described.

[0074] [(1) Modification 1: Change in discharge method] In the above description of the operation, the coating liquid T is discharged by applying air pressure from the air dispenser 11 to the coating liquid T stored in the coating liquid storage unit 12. In this regard, although the method using air pressure is most preferable, the method of discharging the coating liquid T is not limited to the method using the air dispenser 11.

[0075] For example, the coating liquid T may be discharged by applying pressure to the coating liquid T stored in the coating liquid storage unit 12 using a dispenser that applies mechanical pressure using a motor or the like.

[0076] In this case, too, the amount of coating liquid T discharged can be easily controlled by adjusting the pressure applied to the coating liquid T, similarly to the case where air is used.

[0077] [(2) Modification 2: Replacement of the coating liquid storage unit] The coating liquid storage unit 12 may be of a cartridge type and may be replaceable.

[0078] This makes it possible, for example, to prepare a plurality of coating liquid storage units 12 each containing a different color of coating liquid T, and to easily change the color of the coating liquid T to be applied to the nail by replacing the coating liquid storage unit 12.

[0079] Furthermore, by preparing a plurality of coating liquid storage units 12 each having a different size (diameter) of the discharge hole 121, it becomes possible to change the size of the discharge hole 121 by replacing the coating liquid storage unit 12. This makes it possible, for example, to change the size of the discharge hole 121 depending on the viscosity of the coating liquid T, so that when the viscosity of the coating liquid T is high, it is difficult for the coating liquid T to be discharged from the discharge hole 121, and when the viscosity of the coating liquid T is low, it is easy for the coating liquid T to be discharged from the discharge hole 121, so that the discharge hole 121 can be made larger.

[0080] [(3) Variation 3: Control using sensors] A sensor for detecting the pressure actually applied to the coating liquid T by the air dispenser 11 and / or the actual moving speed of the coating liquid storage unit 12 by the drive unit 14 may be provided.

[0081] This allows the control device 2 to acquire information detected by the sensor, thereby making it possible to implement control using information related to the actually detected pressure and / or movement speed.

[0082] [(4) Variation 4: Application to a portion of the nail] In the above description of the operation, the case where the coating liquid T is applied to the entire nail portion N has been described. However, the coating liquid T may be applied to only a part of the nail portion N.

[0083] In this case, in the control device 2, the control unit 21 sets an application area of ​​the application liquid T to a part of the nail portion N from the image of the nail portion N captured in the nail image G, and performs the processing from step S3 onwards only within that range.

[0084] In this case as well, by going through the above-described steps, it becomes easier to prevent the coating liquid T from spilling out of the nail and the occurrence of coating unevenness within the coating area set in this manner.

[0085] The coating area to be set may be, for example, only the vicinity of the tip of the nail portion N. Also, the shape of the coating area may be set to have some kind of design (a shape that imitates some kind of object).

[0086] [(5) Modification 5: Change in the method for setting the coating pitch] In the above operation, a case has been described in which the coating pitch is set using pitch setting table 221, which is a table containing information relating to the coating pitch set for each nail width based on a typical curved shape of the nail according to the nail width. However, the method of setting the coating pitch is not limited to this as long as it can be set so that the coating pitch used in step S5 is smaller at the ends of the nail in the width direction (ends in the X-axis direction) than at the center of the nail in the width direction (center in the X-axis direction).

[0087] For example, the coating pitch may be set using a relational expression determined in advance to indicate the relationship between the nail width, the position in the width direction of the nail, and the coating pitch, so that the coating pitch becomes smaller as the nail approaches the edge in the width direction, and becomes larger as the nail approaches the center in the width direction. In this case, too, the same effect as when a table is used can be obtained.

[0088] Also, although not preferred, the application pitch may be set based on the acquired nail width information without using a table or a relational expression, by applying a predetermined pitch to a predetermined percentage of the nail width, such as the largest pitch in the central 20% of the nail width, an intermediate pitch in the 20% on either side of that, and the smallest pitch in the 20% near both ends.

[0089] [(6) Variation 6: Control of movement speed] The control device 2 may be configured to control the moving speed of the coating liquid storage section 12 by the drive section 14 of the coating device 1. In this case, for example, in a case where coating is performed without stopping the coating liquid storage unit 12 unlike the present embodiment, it is also possible to control the discharge amount by adjusting the movement speed.

[0090] In this case, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the Y-axis direction driving unit 142 and the X-axis direction driving unit 143 of the driving unit 14, and when moving the position of the discharge hole 121 on the XY plane, controls not only the position but also the moving speed during movement.

[0091] In addition, when controlling the discharge amount by adjusting the moving speed in this way, the coating part is captured as a line, not a dot, but in this case, the line width is determined by the relationship between the moving speed and the discharge pressure (air pressure applied to the coating liquid T in the coating liquid storage part 12 by the air dispenser 11). That is, the line width becomes wider as the moving speed of the discharge hole 121 becomes slower, and the line width becomes wider as the discharge pressure by the air dispenser 11 becomes higher. Therefore, for example, a table showing the relationship between the moving speed and the discharge pressure and the line width is prepared, and the moving speed and the discharge pressure are controlled according to this, so that the discharge part can be formed with an arbitrary line width. In addition, since the line width is also slightly affected by the viscosity of the coating liquid T, it is preferable to prepare multiple patterns of such a table according to the viscosity of the coating liquid T.

[0092] By setting the coating pitch (in this case, the distance between the linear coating spots) for the coating spots formed in this manner in the same manner as described in step S3, the film thickness formed by the coating liquid T can be controlled in the same manner as described in the description of the above operation. In this case, the film thickness is controlled by the relationship between the line width and the coating pitch. That is, since the film thickness increases as the line width increases and the film thickness increases as the coating pitch decreases, for example, a table showing the relationship between the line width and coating pitch and the film thickness to be formed is prepared, and the line width and coating pitch are controlled according to this table, so that the coating solution T can be applied at an arbitrary film thickness.

[0093] [(7) Variation 7: Setting the application pitch taking into account the three-dimensional shape of the nail] In the above operation, the application pitch is set based on the nail width (length in the X direction) when the nail is viewed in a plane, using pitch setting table 221 created based on a typical nail curvature shape corresponding to the nail width. However, in addition to the nail width, information related to the curvature shape of the actual nail portion N (three-dimensional shape including the shape in the Z axis direction in addition to the X axis and Y axis directions) may also be obtained, and the application pitch may be set using such information.

[0094] Such information regarding the three-dimensional shape can be obtained by providing imaging units that capture images from above the nail portion N along the Z-axis direction as described above, as well as imaging units that capture images along the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, and then having the control unit 21 of the control device 2 identify the three-dimensional shape of the nail portion N from multiple images captured by these multiple imaging units.

[0095] Then, a table or relational equation for setting the coating pitch is created in advance so that information related to the three-dimensional shape of the nail, such as the inclination and curvature of the curved part of the nail, is linked to the coating pitch to be set, and the coating pitch can be set using such a table or relational equation.

[0096] In this case, since the actual three-dimensional shape of the claw portion N is taken into consideration, it is possible to set a more accurate and appropriate application pitch in accordance with the actual shape of the claw portion.

[0097] [(8) Modification 8: Consideration of the viscosity of the coating liquid when adjusting the air pressure] In the above description of the operation, the case has been described where the amount of coating liquid T discharged at each coating location is controlled by adjusting the air pressure of the air jetted from the air dispenser 11 when coating is performed in step S5.

[0098] In this regard, it is more preferable to adjust the air pressure sprayed from the air dispenser 11 in accordance with the viscosity of the coating liquid T, taking into consideration the viscosity of the coating liquid T. That is, even with the same air pressure, there is a possibility that the discharge amount will vary slightly depending on the viscosity of the coating liquid T, so the control unit 21 acquires information related to the viscosity of the coating liquid T to be used in advance, and adjusts the air pressure according to such viscosity information so as to provide an appropriate discharge amount.

[0099] That is, the air pressure is adjusted so that the higher the viscosity is, the higher the air pressure is, and the lower the viscosity is, the lower the air pressure is.

[0100] Specifically, for example, the air pressure to be applied can be adjusted according to the viscosity by multiplying the correction coefficient according to the viscosity (which is 1.0 for a standard viscosity, and the higher the viscosity, the larger the value, and the lower the viscosity, the smaller the value).

[0101] This makes it easier to prevent differences in the discharge amount caused by fluctuations in the viscosity of the coating liquid T used.

[0102] [(9) Modification 9: Other Modifications] It goes without saying that the detailed configuration and operation of each device constituting the coating control device 100 in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0103] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 100 Coating control device 1 Coating device (coating means) 11 Air dispenser 12 Coating liquid storage section 121 Discharge hole 13 Connecting hose 14 Drive unit 15 Finger fixation part 16 Imaging unit 2. Control device 21 Control unit (nail width information acquisition means, setting means, discharge amount control means, movement speed control means, application area determination means, shape information acquisition means) 22 Memory section 221 Pitch setting table 23 Communications Department T Coating liquid N Claw W Claw width G Claw Image

Claims

1. An application means for applying a coating liquid to the nail; a nail width information acquiring means for acquiring nail width information which is information relating to the length of the nail in the width direction; a setting means for setting a coating pitch, which is an interval between the locations at which the coating liquid is applied by the coating means, based on the nail width information so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends in the width direction of the nail than at the center of the width direction of the nail; a discharge amount control means for controlling a discharge amount of the coating liquid to each coating point by the coating means so that a film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform based on the coating pitch; and A coating control device comprising:

2. The coating control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the discharge amount control means controls the discharge amount of the coating liquid to each coating point so that the discharge amount at the coating points located at the ends of the nail in the width direction is smaller than the discharge amount at the coating points located in the center of the nail in the width direction.

3. 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge amount control means controls the discharge amount by adjusting a pressure applied to the coating liquid.

4. 4. The coating control device according to claim 3, wherein the discharge amount control means adjusts the pressure applied to the coating liquid in accordance with the viscosity of the coating liquid.

5. 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the nail width information acquiring means acquires the nail width information from an image of the nail captured while the nail is fixed at a predetermined position.

6. 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting means sets the coating pitch using a table in which a relationship between the nail width information and the coating pitch is previously determined.

7. 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting means sets the coating pitch using a relational expression that defines a relationship between the nail width information and the coating pitch in advance.

8. 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, further comprising a moving speed control means for controlling a moving speed of the coating means.

9. a coating area determining means for determining an area on the nail where the coating liquid is to be applied; 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the coating means applies the coating liquid only within the coating area.

10. a shape information acquiring means for acquiring shape information relating to a three-dimensional shape of the nail, 3. The coating control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting means sets the coating pitch based on the shape information in addition to the nail width information.

11. Computer, An acquisition means for acquiring nail width information which is information relating to the length of the nail in the width direction; a setting means for setting a coating pitch, which is an interval between coating points of the coating liquid applied to the nail by a coating means that applies the coating liquid to the nail, based on the nail width information so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends in the width direction of the nail than at the center part in the width direction of the nail; a control means for controlling an amount of the coating liquid discharged by the coating means to each coating location based on the coating pitch so that a film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform; A program to function as a

12. Acquire nail width information which is information related to the length of the nail in the width direction, based on the nail width information, a coating pitch, which is an interval between coating points of the coating liquid by a coating means that applies the coating liquid to the nail, is set so that the coating pitch is smaller at the ends in the width direction of the nail than at the center part in the width direction of the nail; A coating control method comprising controlling an amount of the coating liquid discharged by the coating means to each coating location based on the coating pitch so that a film thickness formed by the coating liquid is uniform.

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