Printing device and printing control method

Abstract

To provide a printing device that enables a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed to be appropriately arranged, and a printing control method.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 includes: a placement table 151 on which at least a finger U corresponding to a nail T to be printed is placed; a finger fixation part 3 that is movable on the placement table 151 and fixes a finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the placement table 151; and a concave 154 and a convex 33 as engagement means capable of locking the finger fixation part 3 at a position corresponding to the finger U1 corresponding the nail to be printed among a plurality of positions on the placement table 151.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing control method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printing devices (nail printing devices) that print various designs on printing targets such as people's nails have become known. In such a printing device, if the position of the nail to be printed is misaligned, high-quality printing cannot be performed.

[0003] Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the nail to be printed and the finger corresponding to the nail are fixed by a finger fixing unit (referred to as a "finger fixing mechanism" in Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-153940 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when printing on fingernails, if the finger is held in an unnatural position, the finger is likely to shake during printing. Furthermore, if multiple fingers are placed in a small space, the fingernails may come into contact with other fingers or various components within the device, causing the printing to peel off or become damaged.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a printing device and a printing control method that can appropriately position fingers corresponding to nails that are to be printed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the printing device of the present invention comprises: at least The four fingers of one hand (excluding the thumb) can be placed side by side across the width of the hand. A mounting table; On the mounting table The width direction of the hand a finger fixing unit that is movable in the left-right direction of the printing device and fixes a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed on the placing table; The aforementioned Among a plurality of positions in the left-right direction of the printing device on the mounting table, a position corresponding to the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed To, The finger fixing portion is fixed in the front-rear direction of the printing device. In the specified position in A locking means capable of locking; It is characterized by having the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately position the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main internal configuration of the printing device according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the index finger of the right hand is placed on the finger support portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main internal configuration of the printing device according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the thumb of the left hand is placed on the finger support portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an engagement portion between the base and the finger fixing portion in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device linked thereto according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the main internal configuration of a printing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device linked thereto according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printing apparatus and a printing control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. In the following embodiment, the printing device will be described as a nail printing device that prints on fingernails, etc. However, the printing device in the present invention is not limited to printing devices that print on fingernails.

[0011] [First embodiment] First, a first embodiment of a printing apparatus and a printing control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the main part of a printing apparatus (nail printing apparatus) according to this embodiment. In the following embodiments, up / down, left / right, and front / rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1 etc. Also, the X direction and Y direction refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1 etc.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 formed in a substantially box shape. On the front side of the housing 2 (the front side of the printing device 1, the front side in FIG. 1), a wide opening 21 is formed in the approximate center in the left-right direction (the lateral direction of the printing device 1, the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the X direction). The opening 21 is wide enough to allow at least one hand to be inserted into the device. The opening 21 may also be wide enough to allow both hands to be inserted into the device.

[0013] An operation unit 22 is provided on the top surface (top panel) or side surface of the housing 2. The operation unit 22 is a functional unit through which the user performs various inputs. In this embodiment, an example in which the operation unit 22 is provided on the top surface of the housing 2 is illustrated. The operation unit 22 is, for example, a power switch button for turning on the power of the printing device 1, a stop switch button for stopping operation, etc., and when the operation unit 22 is operated, an instruction signal corresponding to the operation is output to the control unit 11 described below. In the illustrated example, the operation unit 22 is shown as being composed of one button, but the operation unit 22 may also be composed of multiple buttons provided on the top surface of the housing 2, etc. Furthermore, if a touch panel is integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 6 (described later), the touch panel also functions as the operation unit 22.

[0014] The housing 2 is also provided with a display unit 23. In the illustrated example, the display unit 23 is disposed on the top surface (top panel) of the housing 2. The display unit 23 is a display means for displaying various display screens based on image data etc. output from the control unit 11 (described later). The size and specific location of the display unit 23 are not limited to the illustrated example. The display unit 23 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or other flat display. A touch panel may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 23. In this case, the touch panel also functions as the operation unit 22.

[0015] The housing 2 accommodates the main body of the printing device 1 including a base 15 . 3 and 4 are plan views showing the main internal configuration of the printing apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a printing mechanism 4 is provided on a base 15 of the apparatus main body.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the printing mechanism 4 includes a print head 41, an X-direction movement motor 45, a Y-direction movement motor 47 (see FIG. 5) and the like as head movement means. The print head 41 of this embodiment is an inkjet printing means in which the surface facing the nail surface (the lower surface) is an ink ejection surface equipped with a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting ink (neither of which is shown), and prints by forming the ink into fine droplets and spraying (ejecting) the ink from the ink ejection surface directly onto the nail surface. The specific ink ejection method, etc., is not particularly limited. The configuration of the print head 41 is not particularly limited, but it may be, for example, a cartridge-integrated head in which an ejection mechanism, such as the ink ejection surface, and an ink cartridge for storing ink are integrated. The print head 41 is capable of ejecting color inks such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW). The type and number of print heads 41 are not particularly limited. For example, in addition to print heads that eject the color inks described above, a base print head that prints a base liquid (such as white ink) before printing the design may also be provided.

[0017] The print head 41 is supported by an X-direction guide shaft 44 that extends in the X direction, and is guided by the X-direction guide shaft 44 when an X-direction movement motor 45 is operated, allowing the print head 41 to move left and right (X direction) of the device. Furthermore, Y-direction guide shafts 46 are provided on both ends of the base 15 in the X direction, spanning the Y direction of the device. The X-direction guide shaft 44 is suspended between a pair of Y-direction guide shafts 46, and when a Y-direction movement motor 47 operates, the print head 41 supported by the X-direction guide shafts 44 is guided by the Y-direction guide shafts 46, making it possible to move in the front-to-back direction of the device (Y direction). The X-direction movement motor 45 and the Y-direction movement motor 47 are, for example, stepping motors, and the operations thereof are controlled by the control unit 11.

[0018] The rear side of the base 15 (the far side in the Y direction of the device) is a base rear section 152 in which a standby area 16 for the print head 41 and a maintenance area 17 are provided. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the standby area 16 is located on the rear right side of the base rear section 152, and the maintenance area 17 is located on the rear left side. Note that the location of each area is not limited to the example shown in the figures.

[0019] The standby area 16 is an area where the print head 41 is placed when not printing. The standby area 16 is provided with a cap (not shown) that covers the ink ejection surface of the print head 41 to protect it from drying out when not printing, for example. The maintenance area 17 is an area where maintenance is performed on the print head 41. Although not shown in the figure, the maintenance area 17 is provided with a purge unit that performs a purge process to forcibly eject ink from the ink ejection ports on the ink ejection surface, a wipe unit that performs a wipe process to wipe the ink ejection surface, and the like.

[0020] In addition, the front part of the base 15 (the front side in the Y direction of the device) serves as a placement table 151 on which fingers U (fingers U other than "finger U1" will be referred to as "finger U2") including the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed (the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed will be referred to as "finger U1" hereinafter) are placed. The table 151 is provided with a finger fixing portion 3 for fixing a finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the table 151.

[0021] The finger fixing portion 3 includes a fixing portion main body 31 on which the finger U1 is placed, and a nail placing portion 32 provided on the fixing portion main body 31 at the rear side in the finger insertion direction (the rear side in the Y direction of the device). When a finger U1 is placed on the fixing part main body 31, the tip of the finger U1 abuts against the nail placement part 32. When the nail T extends beyond the tip of the finger U1, the tip of the nail T can be hooked onto the nail placement part 32. The shape and configuration of the nail placement portion 32 are not limited to the illustrated example. The nail placement portion 32 is not essential, and the configuration may not include this.

[0022] The finger holding unit 3 can be moved on the mounting base 151 in the left-right direction of the device (X direction), and can be locked at multiple positions on the mounting base 151 by a locking means. The position at which the finger holding unit 3 is locked among the multiple positions on the mounting base 151 depends on the position where the user can assume the most comfortable posture when printing on the nail T, and the finger holding unit 3 is locked at a position corresponding to the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed. In this embodiment, the user manually moves the finger holding unit 3 and locks it on the mounting base 151 at the desired position. In this embodiment, the locking means includes a plurality of locking portions (recesses 154 described later) at different positions provided on the mounting base 151, and a locked portion (protrusions 33 described later) provided on the finger holding portion 3 that is selectively locked to one of the locking portions.

[0023] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main configuration of the transition portion between the front side and the rear side of the base and the finger holding portion placed on the placement base. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the portion of the base 15 that serves as the mounting base 151 is lower than the rear portion 152 of the base by approximately the height of the finger holding portion 3, and there is a step at the transition portion between the mounting base 151 (front side) and the rear portion 152 of the base 15 (rear side). The stepped portion is an abutment wall portion 153 that rises to the extent of the step, and the finger holding portion 3 placed on the mounting base 151 abuts against the abutment wall portion 153, thereby determining its position in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) of the device and preventing it from being pushed too far into the back of the device. In addition, a plurality of recesses 154 recessed from the front side of the device toward the rear side are provided at approximately equal intervals on the abutting wall portion 153. In this embodiment, the recesses 154 are a plurality of locking portions provided on the mounting table 151 at different positions.

[0024] The finger holding section 3 has two protrusions 33 provided at a position corresponding to the abutment wall section 153 (i.e., on the end face on the tip side of the finger holding section (the side on which the tip side of the finger fixed to the finger holding section is placed, the rear side in the Y direction of the printing device 1) as shown in FIG. 4), spaced apart by the same distance as the distance between the recesses 154. In this embodiment, the protrusions 33 are locked sections that are selectively locked to one of the locking sections (i.e., the recesses 154 provided in the mounting table 151).

[0025] Specifically, the protrusions 33 protrude toward the abutment wall 153 by approximately the same amount as the depth of the recesses 154, and are adapted to fit into any two of the recesses 154. In this embodiment, two protrusions 33 are formed side by side in the X direction on the end face on the rear side in the Y direction of the fixing part main body 31 of the finger fixing part 3. Since the recesses 154 are provided at approximately equal intervals as described above, two protrusions 33 provided at an interval equal to the interval between the recesses 154 can fit into either of two adjacent recesses 154. In this way, the two protrusions 33 fit into any two recesses 154, so that the finger hold part 3 is fixed to any position on the abutment wall part 153 without wobbling.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, in this embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which a plurality of recesses 154 are provided on the mounting base 151 as locking portions, and a protrusion 33 is provided on the finger fixing portion 3 as a locked portion that is locked to one of the recesses 154, but the configuration of the locking means is not limited to this. For example, the mounting base 151 may be provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the finger holding portion 3 may be provided with a recess that can be locked onto any of the protrusions. Furthermore, the recessed portion 154 and the protruding portion 33 may have any shape as long as they fit together, and are not limited to the shapes shown in the figures. Furthermore, the number of latched portions (protrusions 33 in this embodiment) provided on the finger holding unit 3 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. However, if latched with only one, there is a risk of wobbling. On the other hand, if there are three or more, there is a risk that even a slight deviation in the distance between the latching portion of the mounting base 151 and the latched portion of the finger holding unit 3 will cause them to no longer fit together, so a high degree of precision is required during manufacturing. Furthermore, the locking portion and locked portion (concave portion and convex portion) that are the locking means are not limited to being provided on the abutment wall portion 153 and the end face on the tip side (rear side in the Y direction) of the finger holding unit 3 that faces the abutment wall portion 153. For example, a concave portion may be provided on the upper surface of the mounting base 151, and a convex portion may be provided on the bottom surface of the finger holding unit 3, so that they fit together. Conversely, a configuration in which the locking portion provided on the upper surface of the mounting base 151 is a convex portion, and a concave portion that fits into the convex portion is provided on the bottom surface of the finger holding unit 3 is also possible, but since a finger U2 is placed on the mounting base 151, if a convex portion is provided on the upper surface of the mounting base 151, the convex portion will come into contact with the finger U2, which is not preferable.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a state in which the protrusions 33 of the finger holding portion 3 are locked in two recesses 154 near the left end of the base 15 (left side in the X direction in FIG. 2). For example, when printing on the nail T of the index finger of the right hand (similarly for the little finger of the left hand), by engaging the finger fixing unit 3 in a position as shown in FIG. 2, compared to when the finger fixing unit 3 is fixed to the center in the width direction of the device, the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed (for example, the index finger of the right hand (or the little finger of the left hand)) can be placed in a natural posture on the finger fixing unit 3, and a wider space can be secured for placing fingers U2 other than the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed (that is, the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger of the right hand; when printing on the nail T of the little finger of the left hand, the ring finger, middle finger, and index finger of the left hand).

[0028] When printing on the nail T of the thumb, unlike when printing on the nails T of other fingers U1 (i.e., the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger), it is difficult to position a finger U2 other than the finger U1 next to the thumb. In this case, for example, as shown in Figure 3, the convex part 33 of the finger holding part 3 is engaged with the concave part 154 near the center of the device, the thumb is placed on the holding part main body 31 of the finger holding part 3, and the finger U2 other than the thumb is placed in the space below the base 15 (see space 155 in Figure 1), and the thumb, which is the finger U1, is fixed by holding the placing base 151 between the thumb and the other fingers U2. In this case, the position where the finger holding portion 3 is fixed is not limited to the illustrated example, and the finger holding portion 3 may be fixed at a position where the user can assume the most comfortable posture.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the printing device of this embodiment and the terminal device that cooperates with it. As shown in FIG. 5, the printing device 1 includes the operation unit 22, the display unit 23, the printing mechanism 4, and also includes a photographing unit 5, a communication unit 25, and the like.

[0030] The photographing unit 5 is disposed, for example, on the back side of the top surface of the housing 2, and includes a camera 51 and a light source 52. The camera 51 is a small-sized photographing device equipped with a solid-state photographing element having, for example, about 2 million pixels or more, a lens, etc., and is an image acquisition means for acquiring various images by photographing a finger U1 including a nail T placed inside the printing device 1. The light source 52 is, for example, an illumination lamp such as a white LED. The photographing unit 5 illuminates a photographing target such as a finger U1 or nail T placed on the finger holding unit 3 with a light source 52. Then, the finger U1 or the like is photographed with a camera 51 to obtain a finger image (an image of the finger U including an image of the nail).

[0031] In this embodiment, the finger holding portion 3 is movable in the X direction, and if the angle of view of the camera 51 is narrow, depending on the position of the finger holding portion 3, part or all of the nail T of the finger U1 fixed to the finger holding portion 3 may fall outside the angle of view of the camera 51. For this reason, it is preferable to use a camera 51 with a wide angle of view that can capture almost the entire mounting table 151.

[0032] In this embodiment, the printing device 1 acquires data on the design (nail design) to be printed on the nail T via an external device, and the printing device 1 has a communication unit 25 that transmits and receives information to and from the external device. Here, the external device is, for example, the terminal device 7 described below or various servers. Communication between the printing device 1 and the external device is performed, for example, via a wireless LAN. However, communication between the printing device 1 and the external device is not limited to this and may be performed using any method. For example, it may use a network line such as the Internet, or may be wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. Furthermore, this communication is not limited to a wireless connection method, and may be configured to allow various data to be sent and received between the two via a wired connection. The communication unit 25 is equipped with an antenna chip and the like that supports the communication methods and communication standards of various external devices with which communication is expected.

[0033] The control device 10 installed in the printing device 1 is a computer equipped with a control unit 11 having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and a memory unit 12 (neither shown) having a ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) etc. (neither shown). The ROM of the storage unit 12 stores various programs and data for operating the printing device 1. The control unit 11 loads various programs stored in the ROM or the like into a work area of ​​the RAM and executes them, thereby controlling the operations of the various parts of the printing device 1 in an integrated manner.

[0034] That is, the control unit 11 cooperates with a program (for example, a print processing application program) to realize various functions for the printing device 1 to perform print processing and the like. Each function of the control unit 11 may be realized by the control unit 11 executing a program (software), or may be realized by a dedicated module (hardware). In this embodiment, the control unit 11 mainly functions as a print control means for controlling the operation of each part of the printing mechanism 4, an imaging control means for controlling the operation of each part of the imaging unit 5, a display control means for controlling the operation of the display unit 23, etc.

[0035] The control unit 11 as a print control means operates the print head 41 of the printing mechanism 4 and each motor (X-direction movement motor 45, Y-direction movement motor 47), etc., to print various designs (nail designs) on the nail T of the finger U placed on the finger holding unit 3 in accordance with the print data. The print data may be generated by the control unit 11, or may be received from an external device such as the terminal device 7 via the communication unit 25.

[0036] The control unit 11 as a display control means controls the operation of the display unit 23 to display images according to various image data. In addition, the position of the finger fixing portion 3 and the state of the finger U1 placed on the finger fixing portion 3 may be photographed by the camera 51 of the photographing unit 5, and when such images are acquired, the control unit 11 as a display control means may cause these images to be displayed on the display unit 23.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 11 as an image capturing control means controls the operations of the camera 51 and light source 52 of the image capturing unit 5 to capture an image of a finger or the like. In this embodiment, the finger fixing portion 3 is movable in the X direction. For this reason, the control unit 11, which serves as an imaging control means, derives a correction value from the position of the finger U1 in the acquired image. That is, the control unit 11 calculates to which side or to what extent the positions of the finger U1 and nail T in the finger image are shifted compared to when the nail T is positioned at the center. Then, based on the calculation result of the amount of shift, it derives how much the printing position coordinates and the like should be corrected compared to when the nail T is positioned at the center.

[0038] The printing device 1 of this embodiment is also configured to cooperate with a terminal device 7 as an external device. In this embodiment, the terminal device 7 is assumed to be a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Note that the terminal device 7 is not limited to a smartphone, as long as it is capable of communicating with the printing device 1. For example, the terminal device 7 may be a terminal device for games, etc.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 7 includes an operation unit 73, a display unit 74, a communication unit 75, a control device 70, and the like.

[0040] The operation unit 73 is capable of performing various inputs, settings, etc. in response to user operations, and when the operation unit 73 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is transmitted to the control device 70. In this embodiment, a touch panel is integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 74, and the user can also perform various inputs, settings, etc. by touching the touch panel. The operation unit 73 for performing various input and setting operations is not limited to a touch panel. For example, various operation buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. may be provided as the operation unit 73. Furthermore, various inputs, settings, etc. may be performed in the printing device 1 by operating the operation unit 73 of the terminal device 7. For example, the user may be able to start the printing operation of the printing device 1 by operating the operation unit 73.

[0041] The display unit 74 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or other flat display. The display unit 74 is capable of displaying, under the control of the control unit 71, for example, images based on various image data, message screens for the user, various guide screens, and the like. Message screens, guide screens, and the like for the user may be displayed on the display unit 23 of the printing device 1, or may be displayed on the display unit 74 of the terminal device 7 instead of on the display unit 23. As described above, a touch panel for various inputs may be integrally configured on the surface of the display unit 74. In this case, the touch panel also functions as the operation unit 73.

[0042] The communication unit 75 is a communication means for communicating with the communication unit 25 of the printing device 1. For example, the communication unit 75 receives from the printing device 1 finger image data obtained by photographing a finger U1 including a nail T placed inside the printing device 1 with the camera 51. The communication unit 75 includes a wireless communication module that can communicate with the communication unit 25 of the printing device 1, etc. The communication unit 75 may be any unit that can communicate with the printer 1, and a unit that conforms to the communication standard of the communication unit 25 of the printer 1 is applied.

[0043] The control device 70 is a computer including a control unit 71 configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like (not shown), and a storage unit 72 configured with a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like (not shown).

[0044] The storage unit 72 is provided with a program storage area 721 in which various programs for operating the various units of the terminal device 7, various data, and the like are stored. In this embodiment, the program memory area 721 stores various programs, such as an operating program (not shown) for controlling each part of the terminal device 7, an application program (referred to as "nail print AP721a" in Figure 5) for performing nail print processing to perform printing processing using the printing device 1, and the control device 70 controls the terminal device 7 by expanding and executing these programs, for example, in a working area of ​​RAM. The storage unit 72 may also store data of a design (nail design) to be printed on the nail T by the printing device 1.

[0045] The control unit 71 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit of the terminal device 7. The control unit 71 cooperates with a program (such as "nail print AP 721a") stored in the storage unit 72 to realize various functions for performing printing processing by the printing device 1 and processing for displaying display images and the like on the display unit 74.

[0046] Next, the operation of the printing device of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, when performing nail printing using the printing device 1, first turn on the power of the printing device 1 and the power of the terminal device 7. This starts up the "nail print AP 721a" on the terminal device 7, and a screen prompting the user to place the finger U1 whose nails T are to be printed on the finger holding unit 3 in the printing device 1 is displayed on the display unit 23 of the printing device 1 and the display unit 74 of the terminal device 7. The user places the finger holding part 3 in a position where it is easy to place the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed, and fits the convex part 33 of the finger holding part 3 into the recess 154 provided in the abutment wall part 153 that forms the step at the boundary between the mounting base 151 of the base 15 and the rear part 152 of the base, allowing the finger holding part 3 to be placed in the desired position (or a position close to it), thereby locking the finger holding part 3.

[0047] Then, while the finger holding part 3 is kept locked in that position, the finger U1 is placed on the holding part main body 31 of the finger holding part 3, and the nail T is hooked on the nail placing part 32 to fix the position. Furthermore, a finger U2 other than the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed is placed on the table 151 in the spaces on the left and right of the finger fixing portion 3. When the position of the finger U1 is fixed, the camera 51 of the photographing unit 5 photographs the finger U1 including the nail T to obtain a finger image, and the control unit 11 calculates the amount of deviation from a state in which the nail T is captured at the center of the angle of view based on the position of the nail T in the finger image, and derives a correction value. Then, print data is generated by fitting a design to the nail area detected from the finger image, and the data is output to the printing mechanism 4, which operates the print head 41 to print on the nail T.

[0048] Note that the derivation of the correction value, the detection of the nail area, the generation of print data, etc. may be performed by the control unit 71 of the terminal device. In this case, when a finger image is acquired by the camera 51 of the photographing unit 5, the control unit 11 transmits the data of the finger image to the terminal device 7 via the communication unit 25, and the control unit 71 of the terminal device 7 performs appropriate image processing on the finger image to derive the correction value, etc.

[0049] For example, when printing on the nail T of a finger U (middle finger, etc.) near the center of the hand, and when printing on the nail T of a finger U (little finger, etc.) at the left or right end of the hand, the number of fingers U2 placed on the left and right of the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed differs. For example, when printing on the nail T of the little finger of the right hand, three fingers U2 will be placed to the left of the little finger, which is finger U1, whereas when printing on the nail T of the index finger of the right hand, three fingers U2 will be placed to the right of the index finger, which is finger U1. For this reason, when the position of the finger holding section 3 is fixed, it is difficult to print with all fingers U in a comfortable position unless there is space for three fingers on each side of the finger holding section 3. In this respect, in this embodiment, the finger holding section 3 can be moved and fixed (locked) to any position in the left-right direction (X direction) of the device. Therefore, no matter what kind of finger U1 is placed on the finger holding section 3, a wide space can be secured for placing other fingers U2.

[0050] As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a placing table 151 on which fingers U, including a finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed, a finger fixing unit 3 that is movable on the placing table 151 and fixes the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the placing table 151, and a recess 154 and a protrusion 33 as a locking means that can lock the finger fixing unit 3 at multiple positions on the placing table 151.

[0051] When printing on the nail T of finger U1, a relatively comfortable position for the user is to line up the fingers U of one hand (four fingers U from the index finger to the little finger excluding the thumb) including the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed across the width of the hand. However, as mentioned above, if printing is to be performed on the nails T of all fingers U, a space for three fingers is required on the left side of the finger holding unit 3 on which the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed is placed, and a space for three fingers on the right side as a space for waiting the finger U2. If the nail T has already been printed or has a primer or the like applied, there is a risk that the ink or the like that has already been applied will peel off or be damaged if the fingers bump into or overlap each other, and there is also a risk that the ink or the like will adhere to and stain other fingers U, other nails T, or various components within the device. For this reason, it is preferable to provide a certain amount of space for waiting fingers U2 other than the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed. On the other hand, if the waiting space for the finger U2 is made large, the printing device 1 will become larger accordingly, which is undesirable, especially for devices for individual users. In this regard, in this embodiment, the finger fixing unit 3 can be moved and fixed (locked) to any position in the left-right direction (X direction) of the printing device 1. For this reason, when the finger fixing unit 3 is fixedly arranged in the center of the X direction or the like on the mounting base 151, it is necessary to secure a space on the mounting base 151 that is the width of the finger fixing unit 3 plus three fingers on the left side and three fingers on the right side. However, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, it is sufficient to secure a space that is the width of the finger fixing unit 3 plus three fingers, and it is possible to secure a large space in which to keep the other finger U2 on standby no matter which finger U1 is placed on the finger fixing unit 3, while avoiding an increase in the size of the printing device 1.

[0052] The locking means of this embodiment also includes a plurality of locking portions (recesses 154 in this embodiment) at different positions provided on the mounting base 151, and a locked portion (protrusion 33 in this embodiment) provided on the finger fixing portion 3 that is selectively locked to one of the locking portions (recesses 154). As a result, even if the finger holding part 3 is movable on the table 151, the finger U1 can be placed with the finger holding part 3 locked at a desired position, and printing can be performed on the nail T.

[0053] In addition, the locking portion in this embodiment is a plurality of recesses 154 provided at intervals on the mounting base 151, and the locked portion is a protrusion 33 provided on the finger holding portion 3 that is locked into one of the recesses 154. As a result, by fitting the recess 154 into the protrusion 33, the finger holding part 3 can be easily and reliably locked at a desired position.

[0054] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of a printing device and a printing control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the configuration for fixing (locking) the finger fixing unit at a desired position on the mounting table, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the main internal configuration of the printing device according to this embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the main control configuration of the printing device according to this embodiment and a terminal device that cooperates with it.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6, a mounting table 151a of a printing device 1a in this embodiment is provided with a guide portion 157 that guides the finger fixing portion 3a in the left-right direction of the device (that is, the X direction, horizontal direction). The guide portion 157 is, for example, a guide shaft, belt, rail, etc., and constitutes a fixed portion moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the finger fixed portion 3a. A locking portion (not shown) that is locked to the guide portion 157 and can move along the guide portion 157 is provided at the bottom or the like of the finger fixed portion 3a.

[0056] The fixing portion moving mechanism includes a finger fixing portion moving motor 35. In this embodiment, the finger fixing portion moving motor 35 is a moving means for moving the finger fixing portion 3a, and the control portion 11, which functions as a movement control means described later, controls the operation of the finger fixing portion moving motor 35, causing the finger fixing portion 3a to move in the X direction along the guide portion 157. The finger holding part moving motor 35 is, for example, a stepping motor, and as will be described later, the amount of movement and the direction of movement (whether movement is to the left or right in the X direction) can be accurately determined based on the information of the input pulses input to the finger holding part moving motor 35. In addition, by applying an appropriate voltage or current to the finger holding part movement motor 35, its movement can be stopped and the finger holding part 3a, which is the object to be moved, can be maintained (fixed, locked) at any position.

[0057] On the mounting base 151a other than the location where the finger fixing portion 3a is placed, a finger U2 other than the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed is placed. For this reason, it is preferable that the guide portion 157 is embedded inside the base 15 so as not to get in the way when placing the finger U2. The guide portion 157 may be positioned so as not to get in the way when the finger U2 is placed on the placement base 151a, and the portion that is engaged with the guide portion 157 is not limited to the bottom of the finger holding portion 3a. For example, similar to the first embodiment, if the base 15 is provided with an abutment wall 153, the guide portion 157 may be provided on this abutment wall 153. In this case, a locking portion that locks onto the guide portion 157 may be provided on the end face or the like on the tip side of the finger hold portion 3a (the side on which the tip side of the finger U1 fixed to the finger hold portion 3a is positioned, the Y direction rear side of the printing device 1), for example.

[0058] As in the first embodiment, the printing device 1a of this embodiment includes a printing mechanism 4, a photographing unit 5, and the like. As in the first embodiment, when the position of the photographing unit 5 is fixed, it is preferable to provide a camera 51 with a wide angle of view so that the finger U1 placed on the finger holding unit 3a can be photographed no matter where the finger holding unit 3 is placed.

[0059] The photographing unit 5 may be configured to be movable in accordance with the position of the finger holding unit 3a. 。 exampleFor example, the camera 51 may be provided near the print head 41 of the printing mechanism 4, and the camera 51 may be moved by a mechanism such as the X-direction movement motor 45 that moves the print head 41.

[0060] If the camera 51 is not fixed, it is necessary to accurately identify where the position of a pixel in the image captured by the camera 51 (camera coordinates) corresponds in the printing position (print coordinates) in the printing mechanism 4, and it is necessary to align the camera coordinates with the print coordinates. In this regard, if the camera 51 and the like are moved by the mechanism that moves the print head 41, this can be addressed by correcting the coordinates by the amount that the print head 41 is moved, and alignment can be easily achieved. Furthermore, for example, the camera 51 of the photographing unit 5 may be moved using the finger holding unit moving motor 35 that moves the finger holding unit 3a. As mentioned above, the finger holding part movement motor 35, which is a stepping motor or the like, can accurately grasp the amount and direction of movement of the finger holding part 3a based on information about the input pulses that are input. Furthermore, when the finger holding part 3a and the photographing part 5 are moved by the same finger holding part movement motor 35, there is no discrepancy between the amount of movement of the finger holding part 3a and the amount of movement of the photographing part 5, making it relatively easy to align the printing coordinates when printing with the camera coordinates of the camera 51 of the photographing part 5.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, the printing device 1a of this embodiment is equipped with a control device 10 as a computer including a control unit 11 and a storage unit 12. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the printing device 1a controls the printing mechanism 4, the photographing unit 5, etc., as in the first embodiment, and also functions as a movement control unit that controls the operation of the finger holding unit movement motor 35.

[0062] Specifically, finger holding portion moving motor 35 in this embodiment is a stepping motor that operates in response to input pulses, and control unit 11, which serves as movement control means, inputs the necessary input pulses to finger holding portion moving motor 35 in response to the desired position of finger holding portion 3a, thereby moving finger holding portion 3a to the desired position. Furthermore, when the finger holding portion 3a is positioned at the desired position, the movement of the finger holding portion movement motor 35 is stopped by applying an appropriate voltage or current to the finger holding portion movement motor 35, and the finger holding portion 3a is locked at the desired position so that it does not move.

[0063] In this embodiment, information regarding the finger type, such as which finger U1 of the left or right hand corresponds to the nail T to be printed, is input from the operation unit 22 or the operation unit 73 of the terminal device 7 described later, and the control unit 11, which serves as a movement control means, operates the finger fixing unit movement motor 35, which serves as a movement means, in accordance with the information regarding the finger type, and locks the finger fixing unit 3a at a position corresponding to the finger type. Information on the appropriate position of the finger holding portion 3a when printing the nail T of each finger U1 (generally a position where the finger U1 can be placed in a relatively natural posture) is stored in advance in the memory unit 12, etc., and the control unit 11 controls the operation of the finger holding portion movement motor 35 so as to move the finger holding portion 3a to a position corresponding to the input finger type.

[0064] The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same members are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] Next, a printing control method (the operation of the printing device) according to this embodiment will be described.

[0066] First, when printing using a printing device, the user inputs which finger U of the left or right hand the nail T to be printed belongs to via the operation unit 22 or the operation unit 73 of the terminal device 7 described later. The finger type may be input in any manner, such as by operating a button or by selecting from a touch panel. The input information about the finger type is accepted by the control unit 11, which derives how far to move the finger holding unit 3a in either the left or right direction in the X direction from the current position information of the finger holding unit 3a and information about the appropriate position according to the finger type.

[0067] Then, the necessary number of input pulses to move the finger holding portion 3a are input to the finger holding portion movement motor 35. When the finger holding portion 3a has moved to the appropriate position according to the finger type, the control unit 11 applies a predetermined voltage or current to stop the movement of the finger holding portion movement motor 35, and maintains (locks) the position of the finger holding portion 3a so that it does not move.

[0068] When the finger holding portion 3a is locked, an instruction screen is displayed on the display portion 23 of the printing device 1 or the display portion 74 of the terminal device 7, prompting the user to place the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the finger holding portion 3a. In response to this, the user places the finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed on the finger holding portion 3a, and places the other fingers U2 on the mounting base 151 in the spaces to the left and right of the finger holding portion 3a. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, when printing on the nail T of the ring finger of the left hand (or the middle finger of the right hand), the ring finger of the left hand (or the middle finger of the right hand) is placed on the finger fixing portion 3a and fixed in position, and the other fingers U2 are placed on the mounting base 151 on the left and right of the finger fixing portion 3a.

[0069] For example, when printing on the nail T of the ring finger of the left hand, the ring finger of the left hand is placed on the finger fixing portion 3a, and the other fingers U2 of the left hand (other than the thumb) are placed such that the little finger is placed to the left of the finger fixing portion 3a on the mounting base 151, and the middle finger and index finger are placed to the right of the finger fixing portion 3a on the mounting base 151.

[0070] If the user positions each finger U but feels that the position of finger fixing portion 3a is not correct, the user can input an instruction to temporarily release the fixed position of finger fixing portion 3a, make finger fixing portion 3a movable again, fine-tune the position, and operate an OK button or the like, and control portion 11 can apply a predetermined voltage or current so that the position of finger fixing portion 3a is maintained in the appropriate position again.

[0071] Furthermore, for example, if user information is registered in the printing device 1, the position at which the finger fixing portion 3a is placed may be customized based on the registered information. That is, for example, when a user adjusts the proper position of the finger holding unit 3a when printing on a nail T, the user name, finger type, position information of the finger holding unit 3a after adjustment (information on position coordinates, etc.), etc. can be associated and stored in the storage unit 12, etc., and the next time the same finger type is selected, the proper position information of the finger holding unit 3a can be updated so that the finger holding unit 3a is automatically positioned at the registered position. In this case, the information on the proper position for positioning the finger holding unit 3a is customized to suit the user's fingers, and the device can be made to be one that can hold the finger U in a more natural position as the user uses the device more repeatedly.

[0072] Once each finger U (finger U1 and finger U2) has been positioned in the appropriate position, the nail T of finger U1 fixed to the finger fixing unit 3a is photographed with the camera 51 of the photographing unit 5 to obtain a finger image, and the nail area (the area inside the nail outline) that will be the printing area is detected from this image, and printing is performed by the printing mechanism 4 based on the printing data generated by fitting the design to this nail area. The printing process and other aspects are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described further.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, in this embodiment, the printing device is provided with a moving means for moving the finger fixing portion 3a and a movement control means for controlling the moving means. This allows the finger fixing portion 3a to be automatically positioned at an appropriate position without the user having to manually move or fix the finger fixing portion 3a.

[0074] The movement control means of this embodiment also operates the movement means in accordance with information about the type of finger U1 corresponding to the nail T to be printed, and locks the finger fixing portion 3a at a position corresponding to the finger type. As a result, the finger fixing portion 3a can be automatically positioned at an appropriate position simply by the user inputting which finger U of which hand and on which left or right hand the nail T to be printed is.

[0075] The moving means in this embodiment is a finger holding portion moving motor 35, which is, for example, a stepping motor, and the control unit 11, which serves as a movement control means, applies a voltage or current to the finger holding portion moving motor 35 to stop the movement of the finger holding portion moving motor 35 and lock the finger holding portion 3a at any position. This allows the finger holding part 3a to be reliably fixed (locked) at any position. Note that by moving and locking (fixing) the finger holding part 3a using the finger holding part movement motor 35, unlike when the finger holding part 3 is fixed by fitting a recessed part into a protruding part as shown in the first embodiment, for example, the finger holding part 3a can be locked at any position, improving the degree of freedom of the locking position.

[0076] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0077] For example, in the first embodiment, the finger holding portion 3 is configured to be locked by fitting the recessed portion 154 into the protruding portion 33, but the method for locking the finger holding portion 3 is not limited to this. For example, magnets may be provided at multiple positions on the mounting base 151, and the finger holding unit 3 may be provided with a magnet that attracts the magnets on the mounting base 151, so that the finger holding unit 3 is locked at a position where it attracts one of the magnets on the mounting base 151. In this case, it is also possible that neither the finger holding unit 3 nor the mounting base 151 has a magnet, but one of them has a magnet and the other has an iron material or the like that is attracted to a magnet. Furthermore, for example, a guide shaft or the like may be provided in the X direction of the printing device, and a feed screw mechanism may be provided that moves the finger holding portion 3 in the left-right direction of the device along the guide shaft by turning a feed screw. In this case, for example, the screw operating portion, such as a knob, can be placed outside the housing 2 so that the user can operate the feed screw from the outside. In this case, it is preferable to display the movement of the finger hold portion 3 on the display unit 23, 74 of the printing device 1 or the terminal device 7 so that it can be confirmed in real time.

[0078] Furthermore, an LED or the like may be provided near each recess 154, and when the user inputs the type of finger U1 corresponding to the nail T that he or she wishes to print, the corresponding recess 154 (the general appropriate position of the finger fixing portion 3 for that finger type) may be lit up to guide the user. In this way, the user does not have to worry about which recess 154 to fit the protrusion 33 of the finger holding part 3 into.

[0079] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when printing on each nail T, the type of finger U1 corresponding to the nail T on which printing is to be performed next is input, and the appropriate position of the finger holding portion 3a is automatically determined by the control portion 11, and the finger holding portion 3a is moved and locked, but the method of inputting the position at which the finger holding portion 3a is to be placed is not limited to this. For example, before starting printing, if you input that you want to print on the nails T of five fingers U of your right hand and specify the printing order (for example, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, and thumb), the control unit 11 can automatically move the finger fixing unit 3a to the position of the finger type in the specified printing order, without having to specify the next finger U1 each time printing on the nail T of one finger U1 is completed.

[0080] The placement of the finger fixing portion 3a may be performed by specifying a position on the placing table 151, instead of specifying the finger type by inputting it. For example, the central position of the mounting base 151 may be designated as "position 0," a position one step to the left of this designated as "-1," a position even further to the left designated as "-2," etc. Conversely, a position one step to the right of "position 0" designated as "+1," a position even further to the right designated as "+2," etc. The positions may be indicated by numbers, and the user may specify the desired position of the finger holding portion 3a by inputting these numbers. When the position of the finger holding part 3a is specified by finger type, the finger holding part 3a is placed in a general position where the finger can be placed in a relatively natural position when printing on the nail T of a certain finger U1, but the position where the finger U1 can be placed in a natural position varies depending on the size of the hand, etc., and is not necessarily a position that is comfortable for the user. In this regard, there are cases where the finger holding part 3a can be placed in a position that is more suitable for the user by specifying the position in detail using numerical values.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 operates as a standalone device, but the printing device 1 may also perform printing processes in cooperation with various external devices such as the terminal device 7. For example, input of a command to start printing processing in the printing device 1, selection of a nail design, etc. may be performed from the operation unit 73 of the terminal device 7, etc. Furthermore, image processing such as generating print data may be performed by an external device such as the terminal device 7. In this case, a finger image captured by the camera 51 of the printing device 1 is transmitted to the terminal device 7. In this case, for example, programs for performing various processes are stored in the storage unit 72 of the terminal device 7, and the control unit 71 of the terminal device 7 cooperates with these programs to realize various functions. In this way, when various processes are assigned to an external device such as the terminal device 7, the control unit 11 of the printing device 1 can be realized with a simpler configuration.

[0082] Furthermore, the design (nail design) data is not limited to data stored in the storage unit 12 of the printing device 1 or the storage unit 72 of various external devices such as the terminal device 7 . Alternatively, image data of the design may be stored in a server device or the like that can be connected via a network line or the like, and the design data may be accessed by accessing the server device or the like. In this way, it becomes possible to select a design to be printed from a wider range of nail designs without increasing the capacity of the storage unit 12 or the like.

[0083] 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 as follows. The claim numbers described in the appendix are the same as those of the claims originally attached to this application. [Note] <Claim 1> a placement table on which at least a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed is placed; a finger fixing unit that is movable on the mounting table and fixes a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed on the mounting table; a locking means for locking the finger fixing unit at a position corresponding to the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed among a plurality of positions on the placing table; Equipped with A printing device characterized by: <Claim 2> The locking means is The device includes a plurality of locking portions provided at different positions on the mounting base, and a locked portion provided on the finger fixing portion, which is selectively locked to any one of the locking portions. 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein: <Claim 3> the locking portion is a plurality of recesses or protrusions provided at intervals on the base, and the locked portion is provided on the finger fixing portion and is a protrusion that is locked to any of the recesses or a recess that is locked to any of the protrusions. 3. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein: <Claim 4> a moving means for moving the finger fixing portion; a movement control means for controlling the movement means; Equipped with 2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein: <Claim 5> the movement control means operates the movement means in accordance with information regarding the type of finger corresponding to the nail to be printed, and locks the finger fixing unit at a position corresponding to the type of finger. 5. The printing device according to claim 4. <Claim 6> the moving means is a moving motor, the movement control means applies a voltage or a current to the movement motor to stop the movement of the movement motor and lock the finger support part at a desired position; 6. The printing device according to claim 4 or claim 5. <Claim 7> a finger fixing unit for fixing a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed on the printing target is moved on a table on which at least the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed on is placed; the finger fixing unit can be locked at a position corresponding to the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed among a plurality of positions on the placing table; A printing control method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Printing device 2. Case 11 Control section 12 Storage section 15 Foundation 151 Mounting table 154 recess 3 Finger fixing part 33 Convex part 4 Printing mechanism 41 Print head 5. Filming Department 51 Camera 7 Terminal Equipment

Claims

1. 1. A printing device, comprising: a placement table on which at least four fingers from the index finger to the little finger, excluding the thumb, of one hand can be placed in a state of being aligned in the width direction of the hand; a finger fixing unit that is movable on the table in the left-right direction of the printing device, which is the width direction of the hand, and that fixes a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed on the table; a locking means that can lock the finger fixing unit at a predetermined position in the front-to-rear direction of the printing device, at a position corresponding to the finger corresponding to the nail to be printed, out of multiple positions in the left-to-right direction of the printing device on the mounting table.

2. The locking means is The device includes a plurality of locking portions provided at different positions on the mounting base, and a locked portion provided on the finger fixing portion and adapted to be selectively locked to any one of the locking portions.

2. The printing device according to claim 1.

3. the locking portion is a plurality of recesses or protrusions provided at intervals on the table, and the locked portion is provided on the finger fixing portion and is a protrusion that is locked to any of the recesses or a recess that is locked to any of the protrusions.

3. The printing device according to claim 2.

4. A printing control method for a printing device, A finger fixing unit for fixing a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed is moved in the left-right direction of the printing device, which is the width direction of the hand, on a placing table on which at least four fingers from the index finger to the little finger excluding the thumb of one hand can be placed in a state of being arranged in the width direction of the hand; the finger fixing unit is fixed at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction of the printing device, at a position corresponding to a finger corresponding to a nail to be printed, among a plurality of positions in the left-right direction of the printing device on the mounting table; A printing control method comprising:

Images