Finger holding device

Abstract

To provide a printer capable of preventing deterioration of printing quality of a printed content after printing.SOLUTION: A printer 1 comprises: mounting means 32 on which a finger U is mounted, the finger corresponding to a nail T being a printing object; and a tongue piece 30 which serves as pressing means and is movable between at least, a first position for regulating a movement of the finger U mounted on the mounting means 32 and a second position where regulation for the finger U is released and a distance from the mounting means 32 is relatively large relative to that in the first position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to Finger holding device This is regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, printing devices (nail printers) that print designs on fingernails are known. In the nail printer, the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed is placed on a finger placement table, and a printing process is performed on the nail using, for example, an inkjet method. When performing nail printing, if the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed moves during printing, high-precision printing cannot be performed. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a nail printer that fixes a finger corresponding to the nail to be printed by clamping the finger placed on a placing plate (placing means) and a pressing plate (pressing means) provided above the finger. If the finger can be properly held in place while printing on the nail, print quality can be maintained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-031670 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However and others, As in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when a finger is pinched between a mounting plate (mounting means) and a pressure plate (pressing means) to restrict movement during printing, the distance between the mounting means and the pressure means cannot be made very wide. eye, When trying to remove the finger from the device, the fingernail came into contact with the surrounding parts. There was a risk of it affecting the fingernails.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, A finger holding device that can reduce the impact on fingernails The purpose of this invention is to provide the following: [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the finger holding device of the present invention comprises a placing member on which a finger is placed on a predetermined placing surface, a biasing member that biases the placing member upward from below the placing member, and a pressing member that is attached to the lid so as to be located above the placing surface when the lid is in a closed state, and that pinches the finger placed on the placing surface between the placing member biased by the biasing member and the pressing member, a first end of the lid is connected to the housing at a front end of an upper surface of the housing so as to be rotatable relative to the housing, and the pressing member is attached to a second end of the lid; The pressing member is a long branch portion and a short branch portion. The long branch The present invention is characterized in that the support surface is formed as an L-shaped member extending along the length of the finger placed on the support surface and having an end portion corresponding to the tip side of the finger as a free end. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, It is possible to provide a finger holding device that can reduce effects on fingernails. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts showing the external configuration of the printing device according to the embodiment, with the front cover closed. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts showing the external configuration of the printing device according to the embodiment, with the front cover open. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the printing device in the closed state shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the printing device in the closed state shown in FIG. 1 taken along line III-III. [Diagram 5] 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the printing device in the open state shown in FIG. 2 taken along line VV. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a side view of the finger rest with a finger placed thereon and a cross section of a modified example of the tongue. FIG. [Figure 7] 13(a) and 13(b) are cross-sectional views of a modified example of the tongue. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a modified example of the finger rest with a finger placed thereon. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. In addition, in the following embodiment, a printing device is described as an example in which the printing device prints on the printing target of a fingernail, however, the printing target of the printing device in this invention is not limited to fingernails, and the printing target may be, for example, the nails of toes.

[0010] 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the external configuration of the main parts of a printing device in this embodiment, with FIG. 1 showing a state in which the front cover is closed and FIG. 2 showing a state in which the front cover is open. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of the printing device in the closed state shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line III-III of the printing device in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line VV of the printing device in the open state shown in Fig. 2. Note that while Figures 1 and 2 show a state where no finger is placed on the finger rest, Figures 3 to 5 show a state where a finger is placed on the finger rest. Also, some of the configuration inside the housing is not shown in Figures 3 to 5. In the following embodiments, up / down, left / right, and front / rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the X direction and the Y direction refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. An opening 21 is formed over almost the entire surface in the left-right direction (lateral direction of the printer 1, left-right direction in FIG. 1, X direction) in the lower part of the front side of the housing 2 (housing main body 20). In addition, the upper part of the front side of the housing 2 (housing main body 20) is a front wall 22, and a notch 23 is formed contiguous to the upper side of the opening 21 in the front wall 22 at approximately the center of the housing 2 in the left-right direction. The notch 23 functions as an entrance / exit when the print head 41, described later, is attached to and detached from the device.

[0012] The housing 2 also has a front cover 25 that covers the cutout portion . The front cover 25 is rotatably connected to the housing body 20 via a hinge mechanism 26 or the like provided on the upper end of the front wall portion 22 or the front end of the upper surface (top plate) of the housing body 20, for example. Specifically, the front cover 25 is rotatable around the rotation axis 261 of the hinge mechanism 26 from a closed state (the state shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4) in which it covers the front side of the front wall 22 of the housing main body 20 to an open state (the state shown in Figures 2 and 5) in which the front side of the housing main body 20 is opened (in this embodiment, the front wall 22 including the cutout portion 23 is exposed).

[0013] A window portion 251 is provided in the front cover 25 at approximately the center in the left-right direction of the housing 2. A window member 252 made of transparent or semi-transparent resin or the like is fitted into this window portion 251. This allows the user to visually check the state inside the device from the outside through the window member 252 even when the front cover 25 is closed. In this embodiment, a tongue piece 30 is provided connected to the window member 252 and formed in a substantially L-shape with a tip side (free end side) extending toward the inside of the device.

[0014] The tongue 30 functions as a holding means that is movable at least between a "first position" in which the movement of the finger U is restricted, and a "second position" in which the distance from the placing means 32 described later is relatively greater than that of the "first position" and the restriction of the finger U is released. In this embodiment, when the front cover 25 is in the closed state, the tongue piece 30 comes into contact with the upper surface of the finger U placed on the finger rest 3 described below, presses the upper surface of the finger U from above, and is positioned in a "first position" that restricts the height direction position of the finger U. When the front cover 25 is in the open state, the tongue piece 30 moves away from the upper surface of the finger U and is positioned in a "second position" where the restriction of the finger U is released.

[0015] The tongue 30, which functions as a pressing means, regulates the height of the finger U so that the nail T is positioned at a height suitable for printing (i.e., a position where the distance between the surface of the nail T and the ink ejection surface of the print head 41 (not shown) is neither too close nor too far), and when positioned in the "first position", it is configured to abut against the upper surface of the finger U, preventing the finger U from rising above the appropriate height position and maintaining the finger at an appropriate height. The tongue piece 30 may be formed as a single piece from the same material as the window member 252, or may be attached to the lower end of the window member 252 as a separate member. In addition, in this embodiment, Figure 2 and other figures illustrate a case where the tongue piece 30 is a transparent or translucent material, like the window member 252, but when the tongue piece 30 is formed as a separate member from the window member 252, the tongue piece 30 is not limited to being transparent or translucent, and may be an opaque resin plate, etc.

[0016] The tongue piece 30 only needs to be able to contact the upper surface of the finger U placed on the finger rest 3 and determine its position (mainly in the height direction and Z-axis direction), and there are no particular limitations on the width or thickness. However, if the width is too narrow, it becomes difficult to stably contact the upper surface of the finger U with a surface. On the other hand, if the width is too wide, there is a risk of interference with surrounding structures when moving from the "first position" to the "second position" and from the "second position" to the "first position". For this reason, it is preferable that the tongue piece 30 be approximately the same as the width dimension of the finger rest 3.

[0017] Furthermore, if the tip (free end) of tongue piece 30 is too long, when front cover 25 is rotated, the tip of tongue piece 30 will hit a finger U or the like placed on finger rest 3 before front cover 25 is completely closed, and tongue piece 30 will not be able to lower to a sufficient height position. For this reason, in this embodiment, the length of the tongue piece 30 is set to a length from just below (indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 3) the rotation shaft 261 (the rotation shaft when the front cover 25 rotates) of the hinge mechanism 26 that rotates the front cover 25 to the near side in the finger insertion direction, and is set not to be longer than that toward the back side of the device. This prevents the tip of the tongue piece 30 from hitting the finger U when the front cover 25 is rotated and the front cover 25 is completely closed.

[0018] An operation unit 27 of the printing device 1 is provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2. The operation unit 27 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) that turns the power of the printing device 1 ON / OFF. When the operation unit 27 is operated, an operation signal is output to a control unit (not shown), and the control unit performs control according to the operation signal to operate each unit of the printing device 1. For example, if the operation unit 27 is a power switch button, the power of the printing device 1 is turned ON / OFF in response to button operation. In addition, if the printing device 1 operates in cooperation with various external mobile terminal devices, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "external devices"), each part of the printing device 1 may operate in accordance with operation signals input from the operation part of the external device, instead of or together with the operation part 27.

[0019] The external configuration of the printing device 1, the shape of each part of the housing 2, the arrangement of each part, etc. are not limited to the illustrated example, and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 27 may be provided on the side or back of the housing 2 instead of on the top surface. In addition, the housing 2 may be provided with various other operation buttons as the operation unit 27, and various display units, indicators, etc. may be provided.

[0020] The housing 2 accommodates an apparatus main body 10 including a base 11 and the like. A finger rest 3 is disposed on the base 11 at approximately the center in the left-right direction (X direction) on the front side of the device.

[0021] The finger rest 3 of this embodiment includes a case 31 and a support means 32 arranged within the case 31. The support means 32 supports the finger U placed on the finger rest 3 by pushing it up from below (i.e., the pad side of the finger U). At least the portion of the support means 32 that comes into direct contact with the finger U is preferably made of a flexible material such as various resins. 3 and other figures, the tongue 30 is positioned only up to the front side of the nail T in the insertion direction of the finger U, exposing the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement means 32. This allows the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement means 32 to be held in a state in which it can be photographed by a camera (not shown) of the photographing unit 5 and printed by the printing unit 4.

[0022] The placement means 32 of the present embodiment is configured to have a plurality of members (a first member 321, a second member 322, a third member 323) that are connected to each other, arranged along the insertion direction of the finger U, and each of which can move up and down (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the first member 321 is positioned relatively closer to the user in the finger insertion direction (front-to-back direction), the second member 322 is positioned relatively further back (the farthest back in this embodiment) in the finger insertion direction, and the third member 323 is positioned between the first member 321 and the second member 322.

[0023] The first member 321 includes a member body 321a and a biasing member 321b that biases the member body 321a upward. The upper surface of the member body 321a is a generally V-shaped inclined surface that slopes downward from both sides toward the center along the finger insertion direction, preventing the finger U from wobbling from side to side when the finger U is placed on it.

[0024] The second member 322 is integrated with the third member 323 so as to sandwich the third member 323. The second member 322 includes a member main body 322a and a biasing member 322b that biases the member main body 322a upward. The member body 322a engages with the member body 321a of the first member 321, so that when the first member 321 is pushed down, the position of the member body 322a of the second member 322 (and the member body 323a of the third member 323) also drops.

[0025] The third member 323 includes a member body 323a and a biasing member 323b that biases the member body 323a upward. The member body 323a is inclined so as to gradually become higher from the front side to the back side in the finger insertion direction, and the backmost part forms a nail placement part 33 that supports the tip of the nail (or the tip of the finger). The biasing member 321b of the first member 321, the biasing member 322b of the second member 322, and the biasing member 323b of the third member 323 are each, for example, a coil spring, but are not limited to this.

[0026] In addition, within the device body 10, a printing unit 4 (see FIG. 2), a photographing unit 5 (see FIG. 1), etc. are assembled. The printing unit 4 performs printing on the nail T, which is a printing object, and includes a print head 41 as a printing means, a movement mechanism (not shown) for appropriately moving the print head 41, and the like. The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is a cartridge-integrated head in which a storage section (ink cartridge) for storing ink and a discharge section (neither shown) are integrally formed. The specific configuration for discharging ink from the discharge section may be of any type and is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, a discharge surface (ink discharge surface, not shown) having nozzle discharge openings for discharging ink (liquid agent) is formed on the lower surface of the print head 41 (the surface facing the surface of the nail T placed on the mounting means 32). The print head 41 is an inkjet type head that performs printing by spraying fine droplets of ink from the discharge surface onto the printing target surface (the surface of the nail).

[0027] The inks stored in the print head 41 are, for example, inks of various colors such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW) (hereinafter referred to as "color inks"). ). Note that the ink ejected from the print head 41 is not limited to this, and it may be possible to eject ink of other colors. Furthermore, the print head 41 is not limited to one that ejects colored ink, and may be one that ejects, for example, a liquid agent that serves as a base (base ink such as white) before printing a design. The printing device 1 may have any one print head 41, or may be equipped with multiple print heads 41.

[0028] The print head 41 is detachably held in a holder 42 (see FIG. 2, etc.). In this embodiment, the print head 41 is held by a holder 42 and mounted on a carriage (not shown) that extends in the X direction of the device, and is movable in the XY directions on the base 11. Specifically, the movement mechanism (not shown) that moves the print head 41 includes an X-direction movement mechanism that has an X-direction movement motor or the like (not shown) and moves the print head 41 in the X direction within the carriage, and a Y-direction movement mechanism that has a Y-direction movement motor or the like (not shown) and moves the carriage carrying the print head 41 in the Y direction.

[0029] The photographing unit 5 includes a camera, a light source, and the like (neither of which are shown), and is attached, for example, to the inside of the top surface of the housing 2, or to a support member (not shown) erected on the device main body. As shown in Fig. 1, the photographing unit 5 is disposed above the finger placement stand 3, and is capable of photographing the nail T of a finger U placed on the placement means 32.

[0030] Although not shown, the printing device 1 is equipped with a control device that is composed of a control unit, a storage unit, etc. The control unit, etc. are mounted on a board, etc. (not shown) that is arranged, for example, on the inside (lower side) of the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 2. The control unit is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and the storage unit is configured with a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (neither of which are shown). The storage unit stores various programs for operating the printer 1, such as a printing program for performing print processing, and the control unit expands these programs, for example, in a working area of ​​RAM, and the programs are executed in the control unit to centrally control each part of the printer 1. The control device, which includes a control unit and a storage unit, is a computer that realizes various functions through cooperation between the control unit and the programs stored in the storage unit.

[0031] Next, the operation of the printing device in this embodiment will be described. When the printing device 1 is stored, it is in a "closed state" in which the front cover 25 covers the front wall portion 22 as shown in FIG. When printing on the nail T using the printing device 1, the front cover 25 is rotated from the closed state shown in FIG. 1 to the "open state" shown in FIG. The configuration for moving the front cover 25 from the "closed state" to the "opened state" is not particularly limited, and for example, the user may rotate it manually, but if the hinge mechanism 26 is equipped with a motor or the like for rotating, for example, when the power of the device is turned ON by operating the operation unit 27, the front cover 25 may automatically rotate upward (in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2) to enter the "opened state." Furthermore, if there is an operation button for opening and closing the front cover 25, the user may be prompted by a display or a sound to operate the button.

[0032] When the front cover 25 is in the “open state”, the user places a finger U on the placement means 32 of the finger placement stand 3, the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed. For example, when the printing device 1 cooperates with an external device (not shown), a command screen, guide screen, or the like that urges the user to place the finger U on the placement means 32 of the finger placement stand 3 may be displayed on a display unit, or the like, of the cooperating external device (for example, a mobile terminal device, or the like). In addition, when the printing device 1 or the external device has a speaker, or the like, a message urging the user to place the finger U on the placement means 32 may be given by voice guidance.

[0033] For example, when applying a base coat to a nail T, drying it, and then printing various designs, the user places the finger U corresponding to the nail T to which the base coat has been applied on the placement means 32 of the finger placement stand 3. Since the finger rest 3 of this embodiment is open at the top, the user does not need to press down on the rest means 32, but only needs to place the corresponding finger U on the rest means 32.

[0034] When a finger U is placed on the placement means 32 (see Figure 5), the front cover 25 is again rotated around the rotation axis 261 of the hinge mechanism 26 (rotated in the opposite direction to the arrow shown in Figure 2), and the front cover 25 is placed in the "closed state" (see Figures 3 and 4). The timing for bringing the front cover 25 into the "closed state" is, for example, when the user places a finger U on the placement means 32 and inputs an instruction to start printing from the operation unit 27, etc. The rotation of the front cover 25 may be performed manually or automatically. In addition, when rotating the front cover 25 automatically, for example, an image acquired by a camera of the photographing unit 5 or the like may be analyzed to recognize that a finger U (nail T of the finger U) has been placed on the placement means 32, and based on this recognition result, a drive means (for example, a motor not shown) may be operated to rotate the rotation shaft 261 of the hinge mechanism 26 in the direction of closing the front cover 25.

[0035] As a result, the tongue piece 30 functioning as a pressing means is disposed in the "first position" which is a position for restricting the movement of the finger U (particularly, the upward lifting). Note that the finger U placed on the mounting means 32 may be in a state where the upper surface of the finger U is positioned higher than a position that is originally suitable for printing (i.e., a position where the distance to the ink ejection surface of the print head 41 is neither too close nor too far) because the mounting means 32 is urged upward by the urging member 321b of the first member 321, the urging member 322b of the second member 322, and the urging member 323b of the third member 323. In particular, in the case of a user whose fingers are extremely tall (thick), there is a noticeable tendency for the upper surface of the finger U to be too high.

[0036] Even in such a case, when the front cover 25 is put into the "closed state", the tongue 30 functioning as the pressing means moves while slightly pressing down the upper surface of the finger U (while slightly pressing down the placement means 32 together with the finger U). As a result, when the tongue 30 is placed in the "first position", the upper surface of the finger U is placed at a height position where the nail T is placed in a position suitable for printing, and in this position, the lower surface of the tongue 30 is kept in contact with the upper surface of the finger U, thereby determining the height position of the finger U.

[0037] Then, printing processing is performed on the nail T in a state in which the tongue piece 30 is disposed in the "first position" and the front cover 25 is in the "closed state." In the printing process, first, the finger U including the nail T is photographed by the camera of the photographing unit 5 to obtain a nail image, and the nail contour that defines the area of ​​the nail T is detected from the nail image. When the nail contour is detected, a control unit or the like fits the design desired by the user within the range of the nail contour, and performs necessary corrections as appropriate to generate data for printing (print data). Furthermore, the printing unit 4 is operated according to the print data to print a design on the nail T. In addition, even if the print head 41 of the printing device 1 is not for printing a design but for printing a base using a liquid agent (base ink) such as white, the flow of detecting the nail outline to generating print data and performing a printing operation based on the print data is the same. The process from detecting the nail outline to generating print data may be performed by the control unit of the printing device 1 or may be performed by the control unit of a linked external device.

[0038] When the printing operation is completed, the front cover 25 is rotated again around the rotation shaft 261 of the hinge mechanism 26 (rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2) to bring the front cover 25 into the "open state" (see FIGS. 2 and 5). The timing for putting the front cover 25 into the "open state" is, for example, when the control unit determines that printing on the nail T is completed. If the hinge mechanism 26 is equipped with a motor or the like for rotating the hinge mechanism 26, the control unit automatically opens the front cover 25 when it determines that printing is completed. Even in this case, for example, an image acquired by a camera or the like of the photographing unit 5 may be subjected to image analysis or the like to recognize that printing on the nail T of the finger U on the mounting means 32 has been completed, and based on this recognition result, a motor or the like may be operated to rotate the rotating shaft 261 of the hinge mechanism 26 in the direction of opening the front cover 25.

[0039] The opening and closing of the front cover 25 is not limited to being automatic. For example, when the printing device 1 is linked to an external device not shown, an instruction screen or the like urging the user to open the front cover 25 may be displayed on the display unit of the linked terminal device or the like, or a voice message may be output, thereby causing the user to manually open the front cover 25, or if there is an operation button for opening the front cover 25, the user may be urged to operate the button.

[0040] In addition, when the front cover 25 is opened, a message to that effect may be displayed in advance on a display unit of a linked external device (e.g., a terminal device, etc.) to warn the user not to move finger U until the front cover 25 is opened. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which the front cover 25 is locked so as not to be opened while the printing process is being performed. Also, as the front cover 25 rotates and opens, a display or the like may be displayed to guide the user to remove the finger U from the finger rest 3 in accordance with the movement of the front cover 25, thereby guiding the user in the action of pulling out the finger U. Specifically, if the finger U is moved upward after printing, there is a possibility that the nail T may hit the front cover 25 or the tongue piece 30. Therefore, for example, the user may be instructed by illustrations to pull the finger U diagonally upward toward the user along the trajectory of the movement of the front cover 25.

[0041] When the front cover 25 is opened in this manner, the tongue 30, which functions as a pressing member, also changes from a state in which it is pressing against the upper surface of the finger U (i.e., a state in which it is disposed in the "first position") to a state in which it releases the restriction on the finger U (i.e., a state in which it is disposed in the "second position"), resulting in a large space being opened above the finger U and the nail T. Therefore, there is no risk of the nail T hitting or rubbing against surrounding members after printing, and it can be removed from the device while maintaining the high quality of the print.

[0042] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes the print head 41 as a printing means for printing on the nail T that is the printing target, the placement means 32 for placing the finger U corresponding to the nail T, and the tongue 30 as a pressing means that is movable at least between a "first position" in which the movement of the finger U is restricted, and a "second position" in which the distance from the placement means 32 is relatively greater than the "first position" and the restriction of the finger U is released, and the tongue 30 is positioned at the "first position" at least when a printing operation is being performed by the print head 41. As a result, after printing, when the front cover 25 is opened and the tongue 30 as the pressing means is placed in the "second position," a large space is created above the finger U and the nail T. Therefore, there is no risk of the nail T hitting or rubbing against surrounding members after printing, and it can be removed from the device while maintaining the high quality of the print.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the tongue 30 as a pressing means presses the upper surface of the finger U from above when positioned in the "first position", and is equipped with a pressing means (pressing member 321b, pressing member 322b, pressing member 323b) that presses the placing means 32 upward. As a result, when the user places the finger U on the placement means 32, the user does not need to perform any pressing action, and the biasing means can simply place the finger U on the placement means 32, and the finger U can be prevented from sinking too far down. In addition, when the user places the finger U on the placement means 32, there is no pressing means or the like covering the top of the finger U, so even if the user wants to set a nail that has already been painted with a base coat in the printing device 1 and print a design, there is no risk of damaging the nail surface compared to inserting the finger into a space surrounded by a frame. Then, when the tongue piece 30 is placed in the "first position", the finger U is restricted to an appropriate height position by pressing the upper surface of the finger U from above, and the nail T is maintained at a height position suitable for printing while the printing operation is being performed. This allows high-quality printing to be performed.

[0044] In this embodiment, a housing 2 is provided to house the device main body 10, and the tongue 30 as a pressing means is provided on a front cover 25, which is a rotating member in the housing 2, and is configured to be movable between a "first position" and a "second position" by rotating the front cover 25. In this way, printing can be performed simply by providing the tongue 30 as a pressing means on the rotating front cover 25. When the front cover 25 is closed, the height of the finger U is regulated by the tongue 30, and when the front cover 25 is open, the finger U can be freely inserted and removed. Therefore, while the finger U is held in an appropriate position during printing, it is possible to prevent the nail T from contacting surrounding members, etc. before or after printing.

[0045] The holding means may also be configured to automatically move between the "first position" and the "second position" by a motor or the like as a driving means. In this case, the camera or the like of the photographing unit 5 may function as a detection unit capable of detecting the state of the nail T or finger U, and the driving means such as a motor may automatically move the holding means based on the detection results of the detection unit (e.g., an image captured by the camera). In this case, the user does not have to change the position of the pressing means depending on the state of the finger U or nail T, and the like, and the pressing means can be automatically switched to an appropriate state.

[0046] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0047] For example, the shape, configuration, etc. of the tongue piece 30 serving as the pressing means are not limited to the illustrated example. A cushioning member 302 may be provided on the surface of the tongue 30 serving as the pressing means that comes into contact with the finger U at least when the tongue 30 is in the "first position". 6, for example, a case is illustrated in which the tongue 30a has a tongue body 301 connected to the window member 252, and a buffer member 302 disposed on the lower surface of the tongue body 301 (i.e., the surface that comes into contact with the finger U). The method of providing the buffer member 302 on the lower surface of the tongue body 301 is not particularly limited. For example, various methods can be used, such as attachment with various adhesives or double-sided tape, or fixing with screws. The cushioning member 302 may be made of, for example, urethane resin, but is not limited to this and may be made of various resins. As a result, when the tongue piece 30a comes into contact with the upper surface of the finger U, the impact or the like applied to the finger U can be suppressed, and the burden on the finger U of the user can be reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, in the tongue piece 30b serving as the pressing means, at least the portion that is placed on the finger U when in the "first position" may be a buffer portion 303 made of a flexible material. For example, FIG. 7(a) illustrates a case in which the tongue piece 30b is a buffer portion 303 formed of a flexible material, such as various resin materials, different from the material forming the window member 252. As a result, when the tongue piece 30b comes into contact with the upper surface of the finger U, the impact or the like applied to the finger U can be suppressed, and the burden on the finger U of the user can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(b), an end portion 305 on the free end side of a tongue piece body 304 of a tongue piece 30c serving as a pressing means may be rounded. In this case, the shape of the end 305 is not limited to the illustrated example, and it is sufficient if the shape is such that the tongue 30c is unlikely to hit or rub against the upper surface of the finger U when moving from the "first position" to the "second position" and from the "second position" to the "first position". With such a shape, the burden on the user's finger U can be reduced.

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been given of the tongue piece 30 serving as a pressing means being connected to the window member 252 provided on the front cover 25 of the housing 2, but the pressing means is not limited to being provided on the housing 2 side. The pressing means only needs to be movable between a "first position" in which the movement of the finger U is restricted, and a "second position" in which the distance from the placing means 32 is relatively greater than that of the "first position."

[0051] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a finger rest 3b having a placement means 32 may be provided with a pressing means 35 that is movable up and down. In this case, the pressing means 35 is, for example, a frame-shaped member provided so as to surround the finger U placed on the placement means 32, and the inner top surface abuts against the upper surface of the finger U to regulate its height position. The state in which the pressing means 35 abuts against the upper surface of the finger U is the "first position" (the state shown by the solid line in Figure 8), and from this "first position", at least the portion abutting against the upper surface of the finger U rises to the "second position" (the state shown by the dotted line in Figure 8).

[0052] With this configuration, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the pressing means can take a "first position" and a "second position" in which the distance from the pressing means 32 is relatively greater than that of the "first position" without changing the shape of the housing 2. Even in this case, when the pressing means is in the "second position", a large space is created above the finger U and the nail T, so there is no risk of the printed nail T hitting or rubbing against surrounding parts, and the printed nail T can be removed from the device with the high quality printing still intact.

[0053] Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, a pressing means that is vertically movable may be provided on the housing 2 side. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the housing 2 with a rotatable front cover 25, hinge mechanism 26, etc., and instead, a mechanism for moving the pressing means vertically is provided.

[0054] In addition, whether the finger rest 3b having the mounting means 32 is provided with a pressing means 35 that is movable up and down, or the housing 2 is provided with a pressing means that is movable up and down, the pressing means may be moved up and down manually or automatically. When the pressing means is to be moved up and down manually, for example, a knob or handle is provided on the pressing means, which is grasped by fingers U or the like and slid up and down like a shutter. Note that the specific configuration and details of the operation are not limited to those exemplified here.

[0055] In addition, when the pressing means is moved up and down automatically, for example, an image acquired by a camera or the like of the photographing unit 5 can be analyzed to recognize that a finger U (nail T of the finger U) has been placed on the placement means 32, and in response to this recognition result, a drive means (for example, a motor or the like not shown) can be operated in the direction of lowering the pressing means, and when an image acquired by a camera or the like of the photographing unit 5 can be analyzed to recognize that printing on the nail T of the finger U on the placement means 32 has been completed, in response to this recognition result, a motor or the like can be operated in the direction of raising the pressing means.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, in a printing device 1a, a housing 2a that houses the device main body 10 has a housing main body 20a and a lid portion 20b that is detachable from the housing main body 20a, and a tongue piece 30 serving as a pressing means may be provided on the lid portion 20b. In this case, when the lid portion 20b is attached to the housing main body 20a (i.e., in the state shown in Figure 9), the tongue piece 30 is positioned in the "first position", and when the lid portion 20b is removed, for example, from the housing main body 20a in the direction indicated by the white arrow in the figure, the tongue piece 30 is positioned in the "second position".

[0057] Thereby, simply by attaching and detaching the lid portion 20b, it is possible to switch between a state in which the height of the finger U is restricted by the tongue piece 30 and a state in which the finger U can be freely inserted and removed. Even in this case, when the pressing means is in the "second position", a large space is created above the finger U and the nail T, so that the nail T after printing is not likely to hit or be rubbed against surrounding parts, and can be removed from the device while maintaining high quality of the print.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 is configured to include an inkjet type print head 41 as the print head 41, but the configuration of the print head 41 is not limited to this. The print head 41 may have a different configuration from the inkjet type print head 41, such as a syringe type head or a pen type head.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is given of the printing device 1 printing on nails in cooperation with an external device such as a terminal device, but the printing device 1 is not limited to the one shown here and may be configured to complete the printing operation on its own. For example, in the present embodiment, various instruction screens are displayed on the display unit of an external device, but for example, the printing device 1 may be provided with a display unit, in which case a touch panel may be integrally provided with the display unit. If the printing device 1 is provided with a touch panel, the touch panel may function as the operation unit 27.

[0060] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, 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. The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application. [Additional Notes] <Claim 1> a placement means for placing a finger corresponding to the nail to be printed; and a pressing means that is movable at least between a first position, which is a position where the movement of the finger placed on the placement means is restricted, and a second position, which is a position where the distance from the placement means is relatively larger than that of the first position and where the restriction of the finger is released. A printing device comprising: <Claim 2> Further comprising a printing means for printing on the nail, the pressing means is disposed at the first position at least when the printing operation is being performed by the printing means; 2. The printing device according to claim 1 . <Claim 3> The placement means includes a biasing means for biasing the placement means upward, the pressing means presses down the finger and the placement means from above when the finger moves from the second position to the first position, and the biasing means biases the placement means upward, thereby restricting the movement of the finger. 3. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2. <Claim 4> A housing for accommodating a device main body, The pressing means is movable between the first position and the second position by rotating a rotating part provided on the housing. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. <Claim 5> a housing that houses a device body and has a lid that is detachable from the device itself; the pressing means is provided on the front cover portion, and is in the first position when the cover portion is attached to the housing body, and is in the second position when the cover portion is detached from the housing body. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. <Claim 6> The pressing means is provided on a finger rest or a housing having the placing means so as to be movable up and down, and is raised from a state in which the pressing means is disposed at the first position to the second position. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. <Claim 7> a driving means capable of moving the pressing means between the first position and the second position; A detection unit capable of detecting the state of the nail and the finger, The driving means moves the pressing means based on a detection result of the detection unit. 7. The printing device according to claim 1, [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 Printing device 10. Device body 11 Foundation 2. Chassis 25 Front cover 26 Hinge mechanism 261 Rotational Axis 3 Finger rest 30 Tongue (holding means) 32 Mounting means 4 Printing Department 41 Print Head 42 Holder 5. Photography Department T-claw U finger

Claims

1. A placement member on which a finger is placed on a predetermined placement surface; a biasing member that biases the placement member upward from below the placement member; a pressing member attached to the lid so as to be positioned above the placement surface when the lid is in a closed state, the pressing member pinching a finger placed on the placement surface between the placement member and the placement member biased by the biasing member; Equipped with a first end of the lid is connected to the housing at a front end of an upper surface of the housing so as to be rotatable relative to the housing, and the pressing member is attached to a second end of the lid; The pressing member is formed as an L-shaped member having a long branch portion and a short branch portion, the long branch portion extending along the length direction of the finger placed on the placement surface, and an end portion corresponding to the tip side of the finger being provided as a free end. A finger holding device characterized by:

2. The length of the long branch portion of the pressing member is set so that the end portion provided as the free end is located closer to the base of the finger placed on the placement surface than the nail of the finger placed on the placement surface.

2. The finger holding device according to claim 1 .

3. The pressing member has a short branch portion attached to the lid and is made of a transparent or translucent material.

3. The finger holding device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The pressing member is attached to the second end portion via a window member for making the inside of the housing visible. The finger holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The placement member is configured so that the finger is placed on the placement surface with the palm side of the finger facing the placement surface. The finger holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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