Printing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing apparatus that can shorten the time from when the material to be printed is filled into the container until printing begins on the top surface of the material to be printed. [Solution] A printing apparatus comprising a mounting section having a mounting surface on which a container filled with a material to be printed can be placed, a printing section capable of printing an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed, and a support section that supports the printing section, wherein the printing section is supported by the support section and prints an image only on a planar printing area of ​​a predetermined height, and the mounting surface is further provided with a positioning section on which at least one container is placed and which positions the container so that the upper surface of the material to be printed corresponds to the printing area, and the positioning section contacts the arc-shaped outer surface of one container placed on the mounting surface at at least two points.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing an image on an upper surface of food and drink in a container. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a printing apparatus (inkjet printer) capable of printing an image on the upper surface of a foamy beverage filled in a container (see paragraphs

[0031] to

[0043] of Patent Document 1). Such a printing apparatus includes: a stage on which a container can be placed; an inkjet head provided above the stage and ejecting ink; a printed material detection sensor attached to the inkjet head for measuring a distance to the upper surface of the stage, a distance to the upper surface of the container placed on the stage, and a distance to the upper surface of the beverage in the container; and a control unit that controls lifting and lowering of the inkjet head, ink ejection, and horizontal movement of the stage to print an image on the upper surface of the beverage. After the container is placed on the stage with a mark attached to the stage as an indicator, the inkjet head is raised and the stage is moved in the horizontal direction to cause the printed material detection sensor to measure each distance. Based on the measured distances and movement distances of the inkjet head and the stage, measurement information of the planar position of the container relative to the stage, the height of the container, and the inner diameter of the upper end of the container is acquired. Based on the measurement information, the inkjet head is lowered according to the height of the container, the stage is horizontally moved according to the planar position of the container and the inner diameter of the container, and ink is ejected from the inkjet head, thereby printing an image on the surface of the foam. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-123142 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned printing apparatus, the container is placed on the mounting surface (stage) of the mounting platform without being positioned at a specific location on the platform. The printing unit (inkjet head) moves along the mounting surface, and measurement information including the planar position of the container relative to the mounting surface, the height of the container, and the inner diameter of the upper end of the container is obtained by measuring with a sensor. This meant that there was a risk of a considerable amount of time being required between the time the material to be printed (beverage) filled the container and the start of printing on the top surface of the material to be printed.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its objective is to provide a printing apparatus that can shorten the time from when the material to be printed is filled into the container until printing begins on the upper surface of the material to be printed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The following are effective solutions for achieving the above-mentioned objectives. Explanations of their operation and other aspects will be provided as needed. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, corresponding configurations and other aspects will be shown in the embodiments of the invention as appropriate, but these are not limiting.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is: A printing apparatus comprising: a mounting section having a mounting surface on which a container filled with a material to be printed can be placed; a printing section capable of printing an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed; and a support section for supporting the printing section, The printing unit is supported by the support unit and prints the image only on a planar printing area of ​​a predetermined height. At least one of the containers is placed on the aforementioned mounting surface. The system further includes a positioning unit that positions the container on the mounting surface such that the upper surface of the material to be printed corresponds to the printing area. The positioning portion contacts the arc-shaped outer surface of one container placed on the aforementioned surface at at least two points. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] According to the printing apparatus of the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the printing unit is supported by a support unit and prints an image only on a flat printing area of ​​a predetermined height, at least one container is placed on the mounting surface, and the apparatus further includes a positioning unit that positions the container on the mounting surface so that the upper surface of the material to be printed corresponds to the printing area, and the positioning unit contacts the outer peripheral surface of the container placed on the mounting surface at at least two points, so that the image can be printed on the upper surface of the material to be printed by the printing unit immediately after the container is placed on the mounting surface so as to contact the positioning unit, without having to measure the container placed on the mounting surface as in the conventional method, and the time from when the material to be printed is filled into the container until printing starts can be shortened. In addition, when the material to be printed is a beverage or the like with a foamy top, some of the foam disappears over time and the upper surface of the material to be printed is prevented from falling below the printing area, thereby preventing the inability to print an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed.

[0009] The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is, The positioning portion is provided between the aforementioned mounting surface and the printing portion such that the upper surface of the positioning portion is located closer to the printing portion than the aforementioned mounting surface. It is characterized by the following:

[0010] According to the printing apparatus of the present invention as described in claim 2 above, the positioning unit is provided between the mounting surface and the printing unit such that the upper surface of the positioning unit is located closer to the printing unit than to the mounting surface. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the container, the container can be positioned relative to the mounting surface so that the upper end of the container is located near the positioning unit. Even if the containers have different shapes, if the inner and outer diameters of the containers are approximately the same, printing can be performed continuously without changing the printing area settings. Furthermore, when the container placed on the mounting surface comes into contact with the positioning unit and the container is positioned relative to the mounting surface, the impact of contact prevents the container from tilting or tipping over, making it easier to position the container relative to the mounting surface, and further shortening the time from when the container is filled with the material to be printed until printing begins on the upper surface of the material to be printed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to shorten the time from when a container is filled with a printing medium until printing is started on the upper surface of the printing medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the printing apparatus with a placement surface raised. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the printing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning portion. [Figure 5] (a) is a plan view of the positioning portion, (b) is a front view of the positioning portion, and (c) is a view taken along line A-A in FIG. 5(a). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning portion according to another aspect. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a positioning portion having a front portion of a different aspect. [Figure 8] (a) is a plan view of a positioning portion having a front portion of a different aspect, (b) is a front view of the positioning portion having a front portion of a different aspect, and (c) is a view taken along line A-A in FIG. 8(a). MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] A printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a placement portion 2 having a placement surface 2a on which a container J can be placed, a printing portion 3 capable of printing an image on the upper surface of a printing medium B filled in the container J, and a support portion 4 that supports the printing portion 3.

[0015] The printed material B has a foamy top when filled in container J, and this foamy top decreases towards the top of the container over time. Specifically, container J is a mug with a handle, and the printed material B is beer filled in container J. Alternatively, container G, which is a glass without a handle and shorter in height, or container M, which is an even shorter mug, may be used instead of container J. If container G is used, the printed material B may be used, or food items such as jelly or cake may be used instead of the printed material B. If container M is used, the printed material C, which is coffee with a foamy top, may be used instead of the printed material B. The cross-section of these containers has at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface (a portion of the outer circumferential surface excluding protrusions such as handles) formed in an arc shape, and the upper end of the inner circumferential surface formed in a circular shape.

[0016] A conventional printing apparatus capable of printing an image on the upper surface of a substrate B, which is a mug of coffee filled with foamy coffee, includes, for example, sensors that measure the distance to the mounting surface, the distance to the upper surface of the container placed on the mounting surface, and the distance to the upper surface of the substrate inside the container. After the container is placed on the mounting surface using a mark attached to the mounting surface as an indicator, the sensors are raised and the mounting surface is moved horizontally to measure each distance. Based on the measured distances and the distance the mounting surface has been moved, measurement information is obtained regarding the planar position of the container relative to the mounting surface, the height of the container, and the inner diameter of the upper end of the container. Based on this measurement information, the ink head is lowered according to the height of the container, the mounting surface is moved horizontally according to the planar position of the container and the inner diameter of the container, and ink is ejected from the ink head to print an image on the upper surface of the substrate. However, in conventional printing devices, the container is placed on the mounting surface without being positioned, the mounting surface is moved to acquire measurement information using sensors, and then the image is printed on the top surface of the material to be printed based on the measurement information. This meant that a considerable amount of time could be required from the time the container filled with the material to be printed was placed on the mounting surface until printing began on the top surface of the material to be printed. In addition, some bubbles would disappear over time, causing the top surface of the material to drop below the printing area, which could prevent the image from being printed on the top surface of the material. The printing device 1 will be described further below with the aim of resolving these problems.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the printing apparatus 1 with the placement surface 2a raised. As shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, the placement section 2 includes a placement table 21 forming the placement surface 2a, a base 22 placed on a work surface such as a table or a work bench, and a spacer (not shown) placed on the base 22 and supporting the placement table 21 from below. The spacer only needs to be capable of being placed on the base 22, supporting the placement table 21 from below, and changing the height of the placement surface 2a relative to the base 22. The spacer may be formed of a plurality of blocks with different heights that can change the height of the placement surface 2a stepwise, or may be formed of a so-called jack or the like that can change the height of the placement surface 2a steplessly. In the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the upper limit of the printable height is the height of the container J. In this case, the spacer is removed, the placement table 21 is supported on the base 22, and the height of the placement surface 2a is set.

[0018] The placement table 21 is formed in a substantially box shape with an open lower surface, and the upper surface forms the placement surface 2a on which the container J is placed. For example, even when the printing material B overflows from the container J onto the placement surface 2a, it is possible to suppress the printing material B from remaining on the placement surface 2a, and further suppress the printing material B from entering the inside of the apparatus. From the viewpoint of improving stability, the placement table 21 is preferably detachably fixed to the juxtaposed support sections 4 via fixing members such as magnets or screws after being raised or lowered. In addition, at least one container J (two containers J in the present embodiment) can be placed on the placement surface 2a, and the placement surface 2a may be formed with marks such as points or circles that serve as positioning indicators for each container J.

[0019] The support section 4 of the present embodiment is juxtaposed on the base 22 of the placement section 2. Specifically, the support section 4 is arranged side by side along one left-right side of the base 22 (the right side in the drawing in the present embodiment). Note that the support section 4 may, for example, be provided upright from the base 22. The support section 4 has a substantially box-shaped exterior 41 having an opening 41b on a side surface 41a on the base 22 side, and the side surface 41a is used for fixing the placement table 21 described above.

[0020] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical connections of the printing device 1. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the printing unit 3 has an ink head 31 that ejects ink downwards and a drive unit 35 that moves the ink head 31 horizontally. The printing unit 3 only needs to be able to form an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed B by moving the ink head 31 horizontally by the drive unit 35 and ejecting ink downwards from the ink head 31. The ink ejected from the ink head 31 may be supplied from outside the printing device 1 by connecting an ink tank or the like containing the ink, or the ink may be contained inside the printing device 1, such as by having a replaceable cartridge filled with a predetermined amount of ink in the printing unit 3. Furthermore, the ink head 31 only needs to be capable of ejecting at least one color of ink. For example, if only one color of ink is used, the ink used will be a color that approximates the color of the lower part of the material to be printed B, and will be composed of components similar to the material to be printed B.

[0021] The drive unit 35 includes a first drive unit 36 ​​that supports the ink head 31 so that it can move in the left-right direction, and a second drive unit 37 that supports the first drive unit 36 ​​so that it can move in the front-rear direction. The second drive unit 37 is composed of, for example, a main shaft that is supported within the outer casing 41 of the support unit 4 and extends in the front-rear direction, a movable body that can move in the front-rear direction along the main shaft, and a drive source such as a motor that moves the movable body. The first drive unit 36 ​​is composed of, for example, a main shaft that is fixed to the movable body of the second drive unit 37 and extends above the mounting surface 2a through the opening 41b of the outer casing 41, a movable body that can move in the left-right direction along the main shaft, and a drive source such as a motor that moves the movable body.

[0022] Since the ink head 31 is fixed to the movable body of the first drive unit 36, it is only possible to eject ink below the movable range that is moved by the drive unit 35 at a height position supported by the support unit 4 via the drive unit 35. In order to print a clearer image on the upper surface of the substrate B, it is desirable that such an ink head 31 be provided such that the distance from the lower end of the ink head 31 to the upper surface of the substrate B is in the range of 2 mm to 8 mm, more preferably in the range of 4 mm to 6 mm. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is capable of printing an image in a printable area on a plane located at a predetermined height from the base 22, within the movable range of the ink head 31, and where the support unit 4 and the positioning unit 5 (described later) are not located below the ink head 31, and prints an image only in the printable area corresponding to the upper surface of the substrate B filled in the container J positioned within the printable area.

[0023] Furthermore, the ink head 31 is moved between an extended position, which is a printable range within which an image can be printed on the material B to be printed, and a retracted position, which is moved away from the extended position. In this embodiment, the retracted position is a position where the front end of the first drive unit 36 ​​is located behind the rear end of the front part 52 of the positioning unit 5, which will be described later, and the ink head 31 is housed inside the outer casing 41 of the support unit 4. With this printing unit 3, when the container J is placed on the mounting surface 2a, collision between the container J and the ink head 31 or the second drive unit 37 can be suppressed, and contamination of the container J, ink head 31 and the first drive unit 36 ​​can be suppressed.

[0024] The printing apparatus 1 further includes a positioning unit 5 that positions a container J placed on the mounting surface 2a at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the positioning unit 5, Figure 5(a) is a plan view of the positioning unit 5, Figure 5(b) is a front view of the positioning unit 5, and Figure 5(c) is a view taken along arrow AA in Figure 5(a).

[0025] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 to 5(c), the positioning section 5 has at least an upper surface section 51, a front surface section 52 extending downward from the front edge of the upper surface section 51, and a mounting side surface section 53 extending downward from the right edge of the upper surface section 51. The positioning section 5 in this embodiment further has a rear surface section 54 extending downward from the rear edge of the upper surface section 51, and a side surface section 55 extending downward from the left edge of the upper surface section 51, and is formed in a substantially box shape with an open bottom. The positioning section 5 is supported by the support section 4 and is located between the mounting surface 2a and the printing section 3.

[0026] The mounting side portion 53 has an opening 53a that opens upward from the lower end, and the opening 53a functions as an engaged portion that engages with a U-shaped engaging portion (not shown) in front view, which is formed to protrude from the side portion 41a of the support portion 4. The positioning portion 5 is positioned relative to the support portion 4 when the opening 53a of the positioning portion 5 is engaged with the engaging portion of the support portion 4, and is also detachably fixed to the support portion 4.

[0027] The upper surface of the upper portion 51 is formed in a planar shape that is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane when the positioning portion 5 is positioned and fixed to the support portion 4, and is located closer to the printing portion 3 than the mounting surface 2a, specifically, in the range of 2 mm to 8 mm from the lower end of the ink head 31 (in this embodiment, 5 mm from the lower end of the ink head 31). The upper surface of the upper portion 51 can indicate to the user of the printing device 1 the height position at which the image will be formed by the printing portion 3, and can prevent other containers of the wrong height from being placed on the mounting surface 2a.

[0028] The front portion 52 has a contact portion 52a that abuts against the arc-shaped outer surface of the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a. The contact portion 52a has a planar first surface portion 52b that abuts against the container J, and a planar second surface portion 52c that abuts against the container J at a predetermined angle relative to the first surface portion 52b, and is formed in a substantially V-shape that protrudes toward the rear in a plan view. As a result, the container J and the contact portion 52a abut at least two points. From the viewpoint of the stability of the container J abutted against the positioning portion 5, the inclination angle between the first surface portion 52b and the second surface portion 52c is preferably in the range of 90 to 140 degrees, and in this embodiment, the inclination angle is formed at 120 degrees. If the container J has a cylindrical outer shape, the container J and the contact portion 52a abut in two linear directions, one above and one below, and the wobbling of the container J is suppressed, thereby improving the stability of the container J positioned on the positioning portion 5.

[0029] The positioning unit 5 is supported by the support unit 4 so as to form a predetermined gap between the lower end of the contact unit 52a and the mounting surface 2a, and the upper part of the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a (for example, the part above the half of the container J) comes into contact with the contact unit 52a. In other words, in the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the height of the mounting surface 2a at which the gap with the positioning unit 5 is smallest is the upper limit height of the mounting surface 2a.

[0030] Furthermore, the front portion 52 may have an inclined surface 52d that slopes downward toward the front between the first surface portion 52b and the second surface portion 52c and the upper surface portion 51. The inclined surface 52d suppresses contact between the front portion 52 and the upper end of the container J, and the first surface portion 52b and the second surface portion 52c contact the upper part of the container J excluding the upper end of the container J. As a result, the upper end of the container J, which is the drinking spout of the container J, does not come into contact with the positioning portion 5, and soiling of the drinking spout of the container J is suppressed. The vertical length of the inclined surface 52d is in the range of 1.5 cm to 5.0 cm from the viewpoint of effectively avoiding contact between the contact portion 52a and the upper end of the container J, and in this embodiment, it is 2.5 cm.

[0031] The positioning section 5 is preferably formed from a colored resin (particularly a resin of a different color from the mounting section 2, printing section 3, and support section 4), which improves the visibility of the positioning section 5 to the user of the printing device 1, and for example, can prevent the user from accidentally colliding the container J with the positioning section 5.

[0032] Furthermore, the positioning portion 5 may be configured such that the side portion 55 has an opening that is an engaged portion similar to the mounting side portion 53, and the rear portion 54 has a contact portion 52a similar to the front portion 52. For example, by making the angle of inclination between the first surface portion 52b and the second surface portion 52c of the contact portion 52a formed on the front portion 52 different from the angle of inclination between the first surface portion and the second surface portion of the contact portion formed on the rear portion 54, and fixing the positioning portion 5 to the support portion 4 so as to swap the front portion 52 and the rear portion 54 according to the diameter of the container, the positioning accuracy of the container relative to the positioning portion 5 can be improved.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment further comprises a control unit 6 that controls the printing unit 3, an operation unit 7 that outputs operation signals to the control unit 6 in accordance with the user's operation, and a display unit 8 that displays the settings for controlling the printing unit 3 to the user. From the viewpoint of suppressing external contamination, it is preferable that the control unit 6 be housed in, for example, the outer casing 41 of the support unit 4. The operation unit 7 and the display unit 8 may be integrally formed using, for example, a touch panel and attached to the outer casing 41 of the support unit 4, or a monitor as the display unit 8 may be attached to the upper front of the outer casing 41, and a plurality of operation switches may be provided near the display unit 8. In addition, a terminal (mobile terminal) P can be connected to the control unit 6 from the outside.

[0034] When the operation unit 7 and the display unit 8 are integrally formed as a touch panel, the user of the printing device 1 can select the type of container, the type of image, and the printing direction of the image while viewing the selection display shown on the display unit 8. The operation unit 7 outputs information about the container selected by the user, information about the image selected by the user, and information about the printing direction selected by the user to the control unit 6. In addition, the operation unit 7 and the display unit 8 may have a start button to start printing on the material to be printed B, and may also have a stop button to stop printing on the material to be printed B. They may also display a progress display showing the current printing status, a completion display to indicate that printing is complete, and an error display to indicate that a malfunction has occurred in the printing unit 3. They may also emit a notification sound corresponding to each display.

[0035] The control unit 6 includes a processing unit 61 that outputs control signals to the printing unit 3 and the display unit 8, and a storage unit 62 that stores information about the container J and images. In this embodiment, the storage unit 62 stores information about the printing area for each type of container, as well as information about multiple images. The information stored in the storage unit 62 is input from the terminal P. Here, the information about the printing area is information about the area within the printable range of the printing unit 3 described above where printing is performed so as to correspond to the inner diameter of the upper end of the container J. This information is composed of coordinate information of at least two points on the plane where the inner diameter of the upper end of the container J is located when the container J is placed on the mounting surface 2a and positioned by the positioning unit 5, and information about the inner diameter of the upper end of the container J. The information about the images is information that has been processed according to the printing area of ​​the image taken in by the terminal P.

[0036] The processing unit 61 acquires print area information and image information stored in the storage unit 62 according to the container and image selected by the user, and when the print start operation is performed, it controls the printing unit 3 based on the print area information and image information. Specifically, for example, when the power is turned on, the processing unit 61 outputs a control signal to the second drive unit 37 so that the first drive unit 36 ​​is positioned as far back as possible, and also outputs a control signal to the first drive unit 36 ​​so that the ink head 31 is positioned as far right as possible, moving the ink head 31 to the retracted position. Next, when a container and image are selected and the print start operation is performed, the processing unit 61 outputs control signals to the ink head 31, the first drive unit 36 ​​and the second drive unit 37 based on the print area information and image information to print the image on the top surface of the material to be printed B. In addition, the processing unit 61 may move the ink head 31 to the retracted position after printing on the material to be printed B is completed and notify the outside from the display unit 8 that printing is complete.

[0037] In this embodiment, the printing device 1 is configured to include the control unit 6, operation unit 7, and display unit 8 described above. However, a terminal P provided outside the printing device 1 and connected to the printing unit 3 of the printing device 1 may also be configured to include the control unit 6, operation unit 7, and display unit 8 instead of the printing device 1. Furthermore, although the printing device 1 in this embodiment changes the printing area according to the shape of the container, the positioning unit 5 is located between the mounting surface 2a and the printing unit 3, and the upper surface of the upper part 51 of the positioning unit 5 is located closer to the printing unit 3 than to the mounting surface 2a. As a result, the upper part of the container J contacts the contact part 52a, and the container J can be positioned relative to the mounting surface 2a so that the upper end of the container J is located near the positioning unit 5 regardless of the shape of the container J. Therefore, even if the containers have different shapes, if the inner and outer diameters of the containers are approximately the same, it is possible to print continuously. In this embodiment, the printing area may not be changed according to the shape of the container.

[0038] According to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the printing unit 3 is supported by a support unit 4 and prints an image only on a printing area of ​​a predetermined height on a plane, two containers J can be placed on the mounting surface 2a, and a positioning unit 5 is provided to position the containers J on the mounting surface 2a so that the upper surface of the material to be printed B corresponds to the printing area, and the positioning unit 5 has a contact portion 51a that contacts the arc-shaped outer surface of the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a at at least two points, so that the printing unit 3 can print an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed B immediately after the container J is placed on the mounting surface 2a so as to contact the contact portion 51a of the positioning unit 5, and the time from when the material to be printed B is filled into the container J until printing starts can be shortened without measuring the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a as in the conventional method. In addition, the disappearance of some bubbles over time and the descent of the upper surface of the material to be printed B from the printing area can be suppressed, thereby preventing the image from being printed on the upper surface of the material to be printed B.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the positioning unit 5 is located between the mounting surface 2a and the printing unit 3, and the upper surface of the upper part 51 of the positioning unit 5 is located closer to the printing unit 3 than to the mounting surface 2a. Therefore, regardless of the shape of the container J, the container J can be positioned relative to the mounting surface 2a so that the upper end of the container J is located near the positioning unit 5. Even if the containers have different shapes, if the inner and outer diameters of the containers are approximately the same, printing can be continued without changing the printing area settings. In addition, because the container J can be positioned relative to the mounting surface 2a so that the upper end of the container J is located near the positioning unit 5 regardless of the shape of the container J, the time it takes for the ink head 31 to move from the retracted position to the printing start position is shortened, and the time from when the container J is filled with the material to be printed B until printing begins on the upper surface of the material to be printed B can be further shortened.

[0040] Furthermore, when the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a comes into contact with the contact portion 52a and is positioned relative to the mounting surface 2a, the upper part of the container J comes into contact with the contact portion 52a. This suppresses the problem of the container J tilting or tipping over due to the impact of contact, which can occur when, for example, the contact portion is provided on the mounting surface 2a and the lower part of the container J comes into contact with the contact portion. This makes it easier to position the container J relative to the mounting surface 2a and further shortens the time from when the container J is filled with the material to be printed B until printing begins on the upper surface of the material to be printed B.

[0041] Since the contact portion 52a of the positioning portion 5 has a flat first surface portion 52b that contacts the container J and a flat second surface portion 52c that contacts the container J at a predetermined angle inclined with respect to the first surface portion 52b, the container J can be easily positioned relative to the mounting surface 2a by bringing the container J into contact with either the first surface portion 52b or the second surface portion 52c, and then bringing the container J into contact with the other side along the side that has been in contact. This further shortens the time from when the container J is filled with the material to be printed B until printing begins on the upper surface of the material to be printed B. Although the first surface portion 52b and the second surface portion 52c are formed as flat surfaces, they may also be formed as gently convex curved surfaces.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the mounting surface 2a of the mounting section 2 is movable in the vertical direction, and the vertical distance between the printing area and the mounting surface 2a can be changed. Therefore, by changing the distance between the printing area and the mounting surface 2a in advance according to the height of the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a, before the container J is filled with the material to be printed B, the time from when the container J is filled with the material to be printed B until printing begins on the top surface of the material to be printed B can be further shortened without having to measure the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a as in the conventional method.

[0043] Furthermore, according to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the ink head 31 of the printing unit 3 moves between an advanced position where an image can be printed on the material B to be printed and a retracted position where it is moved away from the advanced position. As a result, the ink head 31 is moved to the retracted position in advance before the container J is placed on the mounting surface 2a, which suppresses contact between the container J and the printing unit 3 when the container J is positioned on the mounting surface 2a. This further shortens the time from when the container J is filled with the material B to when printing begins on the upper surface of the material B.

[0044] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is further equipped with a control unit 6 that controls the printing unit 3 to form an image in the printing area based on coordinate information indicating the position on the plane of the inner diameter of the upper end of the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a and in contact with the positioning unit 5, and image information indicating the image. As a result, the printing unit 3 can print an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed B immediately after the container J is positioned on the mounting surface 2a, and the time from when the container J is filled with the material to be printed B until printing on the upper surface of the material to be printed B can be further shortened without measuring the container J placed on the mounting surface 2a as in the conventional method.

[0045] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another embodiment of the positioning unit 5. As shown in Figure 6, the positioning unit 5 may further include an inspection unit 56 that checks whether the height of the container J is at a preset height. The inspection unit 56 is composed of a plate-shaped member that is rotatably mounted on the upper surface 51 and can move between a protruding position that protrudes toward the container J positioned by contacting the contact portion 52a of the positioning unit 5, and a retracted position located above the upper surface 51. The inspection unit 56 is rotated along the upper surface 51 by the user.

[0046] The inspection unit 56 has a plate-shaped main body 56a, a fixing part 56b that fixes the main body 56a to the upper surface 51 so that the bottom surface of the main body 56a can slide on the upper surface 51, and an operating part 56c formed on the main body 56a that extends outward from the upper surface 51. In the inspection unit 56 of this embodiment, when the operating part 56c is operated backward, the main body 56a is rotated forward around the fixing part 56b and moved to a protruding position where the main body 56a protrudes forward of the front surface 52, and when the operating part 56c is operated forward, the main body 56a is rotated backward around the fixing part 56b and moved to a retracted position where the main body 56a is retracted behind the front surface 52.

[0047] According to the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the operating section 56c of the inspection section 56 is operated and the main body section 56a is moved to the protruding position, if the container J that has been positioned by contacting the contact section 52a of the positioning section 5 does not come into contact with the main body section 56a, the user can be notified that the container J is of the appropriate height and that the mounting surface 2a is positioned at a height at which printing is possible on the material B to be printed that is filled in the container J without the printing section 3 and the container J coming into contact, thereby preventing the printing section 3 and the container J from being soiled by contact between the container J and the printing section 3.

[0048] The following describes in detail the positioning section 5 in different configurations of the front section 52. Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the positioning section 5 in different configurations of the front section 52, Figure 8(a) is a plan view of the positioning section 5 in different configurations of the front section 52, Figure 8(b) is a front view of the positioning section 5 in different configurations of the front section 52, and Figure 8(c) is a view taken along arrow AA in Figure 8(a).

[0049] As shown in Figures 7 to 8(c), the positioning part 5 of this embodiment has a front part 52 that is formed in a stepped shape such that the upper part of the front part 52 is recessed to the rear. More specifically, the front part 52 of this embodiment is composed of a stepped surface 52f extending downward from the front end of the upper surface part 51, an inclined surface 52e that slopes downward toward the front from the lower end of the stepped surface 52f, and a contact part 52a extending downward from the lower end of the inclined surface 52e.

[0050] According to the positioning section 5 of this embodiment, since the front section 52 has a stepped surface 52f located behind the contact section 52a on its upper part, it is possible to suppress the upper end of the container J, which is the drinking spout, from coming into contact with the positioning section 5 when it comes into contact with the contact section 52a. This prevents the upper end of the container J from coming into contact with the positioning section 5 and becoming soiled, and also prevents a portion of the printed material B that overflows from the container J and adheres to the positioning section 5 from adhering to another container J and soiling that container J. This reduces the discomfort caused to the person receiving the printed material B filled in the container J. The combined vertical length of the stepped surface 52f and the inclined surface 52e is in the range of 1.5 cm to 5.0 cm, and in this embodiment, it is 2.5 cm, from the viewpoint of effectively avoiding contact between the contact section 52a and the upper end of the container J.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the positioning unit 5 of this embodiment, since there is an inclined surface 52e between the stepped surface 52f and the contact portion 52a, even if the material to be printed B overflows from the container J that is in contact with the contact portion 52a toward the front portion 52, the material to be printed B flows down sequentially along the stepped surface 52f, the inclined surface 52e, and the contact portion 52a, preventing the material to be printed B from adhering to the stepped front portion 52, and thus keeping the positioning unit 5 clean.

[0052] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, as shown below.

[0053] In other words, the above embodiment shows a method of printing an image on the upper surface of the printable object B, which is beer filled in a container J, which is a mug. However, the invention is not limited to this, and by positioning the container with respect to the mounting surface 2a and obtaining in advance the position of the inner diameter of the upper end of the container and the inner diameter of the upper end of the container, the image may also be printed on the upper surface of the printable object B, which is beer filled in a container G, which is a glass. Alternatively, the image may be printed on the upper surface of the printable object C, which is coffee with a foamy top filled in a container M, which is a mug. In this case as well, the same effects and advantages as described above can be achieved. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1 Printing device 2 Mounting section 3 Printing Department 4 Support part 5 Positioning section 52a Contact part 6 Control Unit B Printing material J container

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising: a mounting section having a mounting surface on which a container filled with a material to be printed can be placed; a printing section capable of printing an image on the upper surface of the material to be printed; and a support section for supporting the printing section, The printing unit is supported by the support unit and prints the image only on a planar printing area of ​​a predetermined height. At least one of the containers is placed on the aforementioned mounting surface. The system further includes a positioning unit that positions the container on the mounting surface such that the upper surface of the material to be printed corresponds to the printing area. The positioning portion contacts the arc-shaped outer surface of one container placed on the aforementioned surface at at least two points. A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The positioning portion is provided between the aforementioned mounting surface and the printing portion such that the upper surface of the positioning portion is located closer to the printing portion than the aforementioned mounting surface. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

Images