Printing system for printing to small recording medium

Abstract

To use a home printer to print index information etc. on a surface of a small recording medium such as a micro SD card.SOLUTION: A printing system includes: a circular medium 3 having a recessed part 32 for accommodating a micro SD card 41 and formed in substantially the same form as that of a CD, a DVD, or a blue-ray disc; a bottom surface holding part 33 provided at the bottom surface side of the recessed part 32 to fix the micro SD card 41; a disc tray 2 which is provided in a manner that the disc tray 2 can be set in a printer 1 and accommodates the circular medium 3; and printing means 5 which makes prints on the micro SD card 41 fitted in the recessed part 32 of the circular medium 3 housed in the disc tray 2 through the printer 1. When prints are made by the printing means 5, printing can be performed with a rotation direction of the circular medium 3 and a direction of the micro SD card 41 determined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system that enables printing on the surface of small storage media such as micro SD cards, and more specifically, to a printing system that enables easy printing of small characters, symbols, figures, etc. using an existing home printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, information such as documents, photographs, videos, and music entered into a computer is stored in the computer itself, and is also often stored on small, portable storage media for backup purposes.

[0003] When storing information on such small storage media, conventionally, data is stored on a CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc., and then information such as an index is printed on the surface using a home printer (Patent Document 1), or written on using a pen, etc. However, in recent years, storage media such as microSD cards have become smaller, making it more difficult to write indexes and other information on their surfaces.

[0004] In response to this problem, a pocket may be prepared for storing small storage media such as microSD cards, and index information for the small storage media may be written on the pocket (Patent Document 2). However, with this method, the small storage media may be mistakenly placed in the wrong pocket, and the information written on the pocket may not match the information on the small storage media stored therein. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-208084 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made with an eye on the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a printing system for small storage media that allows small letters, symbols, figures, etc. to be printed on the surface of small storage media using a home printer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In other words, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention comprises a circular medium having a recess for accommodating a small storage medium and configured in approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, a disc tray that can be set in a printer and accommodates the circular medium, and a printing means that prints via the printer on the small storage medium fitted into the recess of the circular medium accommodated in the disc tray.

[0008] With this configuration, a circular medium of approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc can be placed in a commercially available disc tray for printing on CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc., and a small storage medium such as a micro SD card, mini SD card, or SIM card can be inserted into the recess formed in the circular medium and printed on.This makes it possible to print small letters, symbols, figures, etc. on the surface of the small storage medium using existing printers and software for printing on CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.

[0009] In addition, in such an invention, when the small storage medium is a small storage medium having a directionality, the disc tray and / or the circular medium is provided with a positioning means for determining the direction in which the circular medium is accommodated.

[0010] With this configuration, when a micro SD card, mini SD card, SIM card, etc. is stored in a circular medium, the rotation direction of the circular medium can be determined and printing can be done on the stored small storage medium in the specified direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the printing means may include a printable area display means for displaying a printable area on the small storage medium.

[0012] In this way, it is possible to print outside the area where characters or the like have been printed in advance, and it is possible to prevent the overwriting of existing printed portions.

[0013] In addition, a bottom holding portion for holding the bottom of the small storage medium is provided in the recess of the circular medium.

[0014] In this way, the height of the surface of the small storage medium can be determined, and printing can be performed accurately. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a circular medium having approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc. can be set in a commercially available disc tray for printing on CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc., and a small storage medium such as a micro SD card, mini SD card, SIM card, etc. can be inserted into a recess formed in the circular medium and printed on. This makes it possible to print small letters, symbols, figures, etc. on the surface of the small storage medium using existing printers and software for printing on CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the disc tray, circular media, and microSD card in the same configuration. [Figure 3]A diagram showing the printing area of ​​the microSD card in the same format. [Figure 4] A diagram showing a print screen on a personal computer in the same format. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a positioning means in another embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a positioning means in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the printing system in this embodiment includes a printer 1, a disc tray 2 that is inserted into the printer 1's insertion slot 11, and a circular medium 3 that is inserted into the disc tray 2 and has approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc. The printing system is configured to print on the surface of a small storage medium 4 that is inserted into a recess 32 in the circular medium 3 using printing means 5, such as hardware or software, that prints on the surface of the CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc. This embodiment will be described in detail below. Note that in this embodiment, a microSD card 41 will be used as an example of the small storage medium 4.

[0019] First, a commercially available inkjet printer is preferably used as the printer 1. In such inkjet printers, the distance between the surface of the print medium and the nozzle is approximately 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, so that even if there is a gap between the surface of the microSD card 41 stored in the circular medium 3 and the nozzle, it is possible to print on the surface of the microSD card 41. This type of printer 1 is provided with an insertion slot 11 for a disc tray 2 that can store and print on CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc., and is configured so that by inserting the disc tray 2 into this insertion slot 11, the disc tray 2 can be moved by an internal drive unit (not shown) to print on the circular medium 3 and the microSD card 41.

[0020] This disc tray 2 is provided with a storage section 21 into which a circular medium 3 having approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc can be fitted from above, and a locking section 22 such as a claw is provided in the center thereof for fitting and locking the circular opening 31 of the circular medium 3.

[0021] Meanwhile, the circular medium 3 accommodated in the accommodation portion 21 of the disc tray 2 is a medium with the same outer dimensions, inner diameter, and thickness as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, and has a recess 32 on its surface for accommodating a microSD card 41 from above. The circular medium 3 may be an internal storage medium like a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, or it may be another medium with the same dimensions and thickness, or a medium with the same outer dimensions and thickness as the microSD card 41. Here, we assume that the circular medium 3 has the same outer dimensions, inner diameter, and thickness as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc. As shown in FIG. 2 , the recess 32 formed on the surface of the circular medium 3 penetrates from front to back, and a bottom support portion 33 is provided on its bottom side. The bottom support portion 33 supports the microSD card 41 from the bottom and is made of an adhesive and flexible material. The provision of this bottom holding portion 33 prevents the microSD card 41 from shifting inside the recess 32 during printing, and by pressing the bottom holding portion 33 from the bottom, the bottom holding portion 33 is raised from below, allowing the microSD card 41 to be removed. Generally, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs have a standard thickness of 1.2 mm, while the standard thickness of the microSD card 41 is 1.0 mm. Therefore, even when the microSD card 41 is placed in the recess 32, the difference in thickness between the two is 0.2 mm (see FIG. 2), which is within the range of distance from the nozzle that allows printing by the printer 1. While the microSD card 41 is used as an example here, a miniSD card has a thickness of 1.4 mm, and a SIM card has a thickness of 0.76 mm. Therefore, these cards can also be placed in the recess 32 of the circular medium 3 and printed on with an inkjet printer.

[0022] The printing means 5 is configured to be able to print using software and hardware that prints on the surface of the circular medium 3 set on the disc tray 2.

[0023] The printing means 5 (FIG. 1) is configured to be able to print on a positioned microSD card 41, and is configured by the hardware and software of the printer 1. When printing using the printing means 5, it is necessary to identify the position and orientation of the microSD card 41 stored in the circular medium 3. However, because the circular medium 3 is a rotating body, when the circular medium 3 is set in the disc tray 2, the position and orientation of the microSD card 41 cannot be determined. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the circular medium 3 is placed in the disc tray 2, marks 61A and 61B are attached to the circular medium 3 and the disc tray 2 in advance, and a positioning means 6 is provided that aligns the marks 61A and 61B to determine the position and orientation of the microSD card 41 in the disc tray 2.

[0024] Furthermore, the print output direction of a printer can vary depending on the characteristics of the printer or computer. For example, the print direction may be rotated 90 degrees or the image may be printed upside down. In such cases, as shown in FIG. 5, another positioning method 6 is used. A test circular medium 3A is placed on the disc tray 2 in advance, and printing is performed on the test circular medium 3A to check the print direction. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 5, the test circular medium 3A is marked with a mark 62A to match the mark 62B on the disc tray 2. It also has a scale 63A at regular intervals near the outer periphery. Then, with the mark 62A on the test circular medium 3A aligned with the mark 62B on the disc tray 2, a test arrow 64 is printed thereon, and the scale indicated by the tip of the arrow 64 (the 90-degree counterclockwise scale in the middle diagram of FIG. 5) is read. The test circular medium 3A is then removed, and a circular medium 3B containing a microSD card 41 is placed on the disc tray 2. This circular medium 3B has a scale 63B in the opposite rotation direction (clockwise) to that of the test circular medium 3A, and is set so that the same scale (90 degrees) as the scale indicated by the arrow on the previous test circular medium 3A matches the mark 62B on the disc tray 2. By doing this, it becomes possible to print in a printing direction that suits the characteristics of the printer, computer, etc.

[0025] 6, as another method, a graphic 640 such as a circle is printed in advance on a test circular medium 3A so that the scale and misalignment adjustment can be checked, and a graphic 64A of the same size is printed as a test print. Then, depending on whether the graphic 64A matches the graphic 640 printed in advance on the test circular medium 3A, it can be determined that there is no scale or misalignment, and printing can be carried out.

[0026] When printing on a microSD card 41 inserted in the disc tray 2, typically, the microSD card 41 is printed with information such as a manufacturer name 71, capacity 72, and specifications 73, as shown in FIG. 3, and therefore printing must be performed in an area other than these. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a pull-tab menu 51 is displayed on the computer screen to allow the user to select a manufacturer name. When a specific manufacturer name is selected, a printable area 7 corresponding to that manufacturer is displayed. Then, text is input into a text input field 52, and the text is displayed in the printable area 7. Here, the printable area 7 is displayed in addition to the manufacturer-specific information such as the manufacturer name 71, capacity 72, and specifications 73. However, if the microSD card 41 is provided with a pre-defined printable area using an inkjet printer or the like in the future, the printable area may be displayed instead. Alternatively, the entire surface may be used as a printable area, and symbols, pictures, colors, and the like may be printed thereon.

[0027] When predetermined characters, symbols, figures, etc. are input into such printable area 7, the printer 1 is driven using the printing means 5 by accepting input from the print execution button 53, and printing is then possible on the surface of the micro SD card 41 housed in the recess 32 of the circular medium 3.

[0028] Next, the flow of the printing system for the micro SD card 41 configured as above will be described.

[0029] First, when printing content information on the surface of the microSD card 41, the microSD card 41 is placed in the recess 32 of the circular medium 3 with the surface (the side without the connection terminals) of the microSD card 41 facing up. Then, the microSD card 41 is pressed from above to adhere to the bottom surface holder 33 provided on the bottom surface of the recess 32 of the circular medium 3. At this time, if the circular medium 3 is configured with the same thickness dimensions as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, the difference in thickness between the circular medium 3 and the surface of the microSD card 41 will be within a range of approximately 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0030] The circular medium 3 thus containing the micro SD card 41 is then placed in the containing portion 21 of the disc tray 2 and locked in place by the locking portion 22 in the center portion.

[0031] At this time, the circular medium 3 is aligned with the positioning means 6 such as the mark 61 displayed on the disc tray 2 (as shown in Figure 1), or, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, an arrow 64 or the like is printed on the test circular medium 3A, and the circular medium 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle to determine the position and orientation of the microSD card 41.

[0032] Next, the circular medium 3 accommodating the micro SD card 41 is fitted into the accommodation portion 21 of the disc tray 2 and locked, and then the disc tray 2 is set into the insertion slot 11 of the printer 1 .

[0033] Then, the printing software of the personal computer is started and the printable area 7 of the microSD card 41 is displayed. At this time, the manufacturer name 71 of the microSD card 41 is displayed on the pull-tab menu 51 and the user is prompted to select it, and the printable area 7 corresponding to that manufacturer is displayed.

[0034] Then, by accepting input of characters etc. in the character input field 52 and accepting input of the print execution button 53, the printer 1 is driven and characters etc. are printed on the surface of the micro SD card 41 housed in the circular medium 3.

[0035] After printing is completed, the disc tray 2 is removed, and after the ink has dried for a predetermined time, the bottom surface holding portion 33 provided in the recess 32 is pressed from the bottom side to remove the micro SD card 41.

[0036] As described above, according to the embodiment, the printer is provided with a circular medium 3 having a recess 32 for accommodating a microSD card 41 and configured to have approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc, a disc tray 2 that can be set in the printer 1 and accommodates the circular medium 3, and a printing means 5 that prints via the printer 1 on the microSD card 41 fitted into the recess 32 of the circular medium 3 accommodated in the disc tray 2. This makes it possible to print small letters, symbols, figures, etc. on the surface of the microSD card 41 using an existing printer 1 and software for CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various forms.

[0038] For example, in the above embodiment, a micro SD card 41 was used as an example of the small storage medium 4, but other types of small storage media such as mini SD cards and SIM cards, as well as newly standardized small storage media, may also be used.

[0039] In the above embodiment, a rectangular recess 32 is provided that penetrates from the front to the back, and an adhesive bottom holding portion 33 is provided on the bottom side of the recess 32. However, instead of attaching an adhesive member, the circular medium 3 may be hollowed out with a bottom so that the micro SD card 41 can be accommodated therein. When the micro SD card 41 can be accommodated in such a recess 32, the recess 32 may be hollowed out in the same shape as the outline of the micro SD card 41 so that the micro SD card 41 does not move inside the recess 32, and the micro SD card 41 may be locked from the side.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when characters are input, the displayable points and number of characters may be set in advance on the micro SD card 41, and input may be made within that range.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, small characters can be input and printed, but other characters such as symbols, figures, pictures, and colors can also be input and printed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1. Printer 2 Disc tray 21. Storage unit 3. Circular medium 32 Recess 33...Bottom holding part 4...Small storage medium 41. Micro SD card 5...Printing means 6. Positioning means 7...Print area

Claims

1. a circular medium having a recess for accommodating a small storage medium and configured in approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc; a disc tray that can be set in the printer and that accommodates the circular medium; a printing means for printing, via the printer, onto a small storage medium fitted into a recess of a circular medium housed in the disc tray; A printing system comprising:

2. the small storage medium is a directional small storage medium, 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the jig or the circular medium is provided with a positioning means for determining the orientation of the circular medium.

3. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein said printing means comprises a printable area display means for displaying a printable area on said small storage medium.

4. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface holding portion for holding a bottom of the small storage medium is provided in the recess of the circular medium.

5. A circular medium having approximately the same shape as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc that can be accommodated in a disc tray that can be set in a printer, a recess for fitting a small storage medium; The circular medium is fitted into the recess and stored in the disc tray, so that printing can be performed on the small storage medium via the printer.

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