EP1147908A2

EP1147908A2 - Jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: EP1147908A2
Application number: EP00310418A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Shigeru Master Mind Co. Ltd. Hayashi
Original assignee: Master Mind Co Ltd
Current assignee: Master Mind Co Ltd
Priority date: 2000-04-17
Filing date: 2000-11-23
Publication date: 2001-10-24
Also published as: EP1147908A3; CA2320584A1

Abstract

A printing method and an apparatus are disclosed for cutting and then printing jigsaw puzzles using computer controlled printing and printing on a wide format printing machine which adjusts the distance between the printing surface and a print head of an ink jet printer.

Description

Background of the Invention

Generally, jigsaw puzzles are manufactured by making an image receiving surface on the surface of an original puzzle base printing picture designs, or other puzzle material, are printed on the image receiving surface, and then, cutting and separated each piece of the puzzle.
This manufacturing method cuts the puzzle base after the puzzle is printed on the image receiving surface. Since the cutting is the final process, a jigsaw puzzle manufacturer must use a cutting press machine in order to manufacture desirable jigsaw puzzles by printing desirable puzzle designs on the original puzzle base
However, since it is prohibitive to use a press machine, generally, desirable jigsaw puzzles could not easily be manufactured. Also, it is not desirable to do press cutting after the printing because the printing surface of the cut portion of a press blade will crunch the base and the entire printed image will be deteriorated.

Summary of the Invention

An issue of this invention is to propose a manufacturing method that can easily manufacture desirable jigsaw puzzles.
This method prepares an original puzzle base 8, creates the image receiving layer 82 that is adequate for printing of water soluble ink on the surface 81, and then the original puzzle base 8 is cut into each puzzle piece 8(n). Then, the printed image such as picture designs is created on the image receiving layer 82 of the original puzzle base 8 by using an ink jet printer. By preparing a blank original puzzle base that has been cut into puzzle pieces 8(n), desirable original jigsaw puzzles can be easily manufactured by using an ink jet printer or personal computer.
The present invention is a jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method that uses an ink jet printer for printing on a recording medium placed on the medium transporting tray and by transporting the medium transporting tray with the recording medium through the printing position set by the ink jet head. First, the method creates the image receiving layer on the surface of the original puzzle base, then cuts the original puzzle base into each puzzle piece and then creates the printed images such as puzzle picture on the image receiving surface of the original puzzle base by transporting the original puzzle base that has been cut into each puzzle piece on the medium tray through the printing position set by the ink jet head.
The method of this invention prints picture designs by using an ink jet printer after cutting the original puzzle paper into puzzle pieces. When the original puzzle paper is cut into puzzle pieces, the portion of the paper that is cut along the line is depressed and the image receiving surface will be uneven. However, although there are some uneven parts on the surface, desirable printed images can be created on the image receiving surface by using the ink jet printer.
Therefore, by preparing the original puzzle base that is cut into each puzzle piece, a user can print desirable picture designs, or other puzzle material on the original puzzle base by using, for example, his or her personal computer or ink jet printer and produce original jigsaw puzzles.
Here, for the original puzzle bases, besides generally used bond papers, the original that are made of highly absorbent materials such as wood boards can also be used. In this case, the image receiving surface that is adequate for printing can be created by pasting the film that can carry the printed images made by water soluble ink on the surface of the original puzzle base. Very permanent image receiving surfaces can be made by forming the image receiving layer by applying emulsion adhesive.
Also, in order to improve durability of the printed images, it is desirable to cover the printed images created on the image receiving surface by a protection layer.
Here, it is desirable to have the printing area set by the ink jet head one size bigger than the printing area of the image receiving surface of the original puzzle base. This can prevent from not printing some parts on the edges of the original puzzle base and can create the high quality printed images in general.
The following sections explain a jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of this invention using an ink jet printer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the ink jet printer of this invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view on the line II-II of the ink jet printer in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross section in the line III-III of the ink jet printer in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a perspective of the medium transporting tray of the ink jet printer in Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the medium transporting tray of the ink jet printer in Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a view showing the side construction of the medium transporting tray of the ink jet printer in Fig. 1; and
Figs. 7(a) through 7(d) are views showing the printing method of this invention for making jigsaw puzzles.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

First, the ink jet printer used in the method of this invention will be described later by referring to the drawings. It is a system to print on the recording medium on the medium transporting tray and transporting the transporting tray through the printing position set by the ink jet head.
Jigsaw puzzle manufacturing by using an ink jet printer is done as follows. As indicated in Fig. 7(a), first, the original puzzle base 8 is prepared. Next, as indicated in Fig. 7(b), the image receiving layer 82 that is adequate for creating the printed images of water soluble ink on the surface 81 of the original puzzle base 8 is created. This image receiving layer 82 is generally created by applying a film that can carry the picture quality printed images on the surface before the original puzzle base 8 is cut.
Then, as indicated in Fig. 7(c), the original puzzle base 8 is cut into each puzzle piece 8 (n) by cutting the image receiving layer 82 created on the original puzzle base 8.
Then, the printed image 83 such as puzzle picture designs, or other puzzle materials are created on the image receiving surface 82 of the original puzzle base 8 by transporting the original puzzle base 8 that has been cut into each puzzle piece 8 (n) on the medium tray through the printing position set by the ink jet head.
In creating the printed image 83, it is desirable to have the printing area set by the ink jet head that is one size bigger than the necessary printing area of the printed image 83 and to prevent some parts on the edges of the printed image 83 from not being printed.
This manufacturing method prints picture designs, and the like by using an ink jet printer after cutting an original puzzle base into each puzzle piece. When the original puzzle paper is cut into puzzle pieces, the portion of the paper that has been cut along the cutting line is depressed and the image receiving surface will be uneven. However, although there are some uneven parts on the surface, desirable printed images can be created on the image receiving surface by using the ink jet printer.
Also, it is convenient to be able to manufacture jigsaw puzzles with desirable picture designs if the original cut puzzle paper is prepared individually.
Next, by referring to Figs. 1 through 6, an example of the ink jet printers that are useful for the manufacturing method of this invention.
An example of ink jet printers that are useful for the printing method described below will be explained.
As seen in the drawings, referring first to Figs. 1 through 3, the ink jet printer 1 of this example has a raised frame 2 of suitable height, an ink jet head unit 3 located almost at the center of the top of this frame, a paper feeding side tray guide 4 located on the paper feeding side of this head unit 3, a paper ejecting side tray guide 5 located on the paper ejecting side of the head unit 3, and a tray transporting means or unit 6 located between the head unit 3 and the paper feeding side tray guide 5. Also, it has a medium transporting tray 7 that moves back and forth along the transporting path through the font position 31 of the head unit 3 by this transporting unit 6. If desired or preferred, the transport may be of another type using feed rollers and means for aligning the media while permitting vertical adjustment of the space between the print head and the transported media.
Fig. 4 is a perspective that shows a medium transporting tray. As indicated in Fig. 4, the medium transporting tray 7 has a square board 71 with specific thickness and sprocket holes 72 and 73 that are placed in lines toward a transporting direction along both sides of this square board. The area surrounded by a dotted line on the flat surface of the square board 71 is a receiving surface 74 for a recording medium. A recording medium 8 such as a thick wood board or a thick plastic panel, and the like, is placed on this receiving surface 74.
Figs. 5 and 6 are a perspective and a side elevation that indicate outlined construction of a tray transporting unit 6. By referring to these Figs., it will be seen that the tray transporting unit 6 has a pair of sprockets 61 and 62 that can engage in the sprocket holes 72 and 73 on both sides of a medium transporting unit 7 and an interval adjustment mechanism 10 that moves these sprockets 61 and 62 to a position closer to or away from the nozzle surface 33 (see Fig. 2) of an ink jet head 32 of a head unit 3 and a driving power transmitting mechanism 9 that rotates the pair of sprockets 61 and 62.
The sprocket 61 of this example is composed of a pair of gears 63 and 64, a belt with gears 65 that is placed over these gears, and protruding pins 66 created at a certain interval on the outer circumference of this belt with gears 65. The belt with gears 65 is hung toward the transporting direction of the medium transporting tray as it draws along an oval loop. The sprocket 62 also has the same structure and has a pair of gears 67 and 68 and a protruding pin 70 on the outer circumference of this belt with gears 69. A flat outer run on the top of these pairs of belts with gears 65 and 69 regulates the height of the transporting surface of the medium tray and, therefore, the position of a medium relative to the print head.
An interval adjustment mechanism 10 has a common rotating shaft 11 that is for the gears 63 and 67 of each sprocket 61 and 62 and a common rotating shaft 12 for other gears 64 and 68 of each sprocket 61 and 62. These rotating shafts 11 and 12 are supported to rotate freely by a supporting means 13. The supporting means 13 has a bottom plate 131 and side plates 132 and 133 that stand perpendicularly at both sides of this bottom plate 131. Rotating shafts 11 and 12 are placed horizontally and parallel to a perpendicular direction of the transporting direction between both side plates 132 and 133.
The center of the bottom plate 131 is supported by an elevating means 14. The elevating means 14 has side plates 143 and 144 with horizontal notches 141 and 142 into which the bottom plate 131 of support 13 can be inserted from the horizontal direction and a flat bottom board plate 145 that connects bottom sides of these side plates 143 and 144.
Also, one rotating shaft 145 is placed on the top of the horizontal notches 141 and 142 between the side plates 143 and 144. Top supporting rollers 146 and 147 are placed on both sides of this rotating shaft 145 to rotate freely. Two rotating shafts 148 and 149 are placed horizontally on the bottom of the notches 141 and 142 between the side plates 143 and 144 and bottom supporting rollers 151, 152 and 153, 154 are placed on both sides of each rotating shaft 148 and 149 to rotate freely.
The bottom plate 131 of the supporting means that is inserted horizontally into the flat notches 141 and 142 on the side plates 143 and 144 is held by the top supporting rollers 146 and 147 and the bottom supporting rollers 151, 152 and 153, 154. Therefore, it can elevate the supporting board 13 to slide horizontally.
One of the side plates 143 of the elevating means 14 has a part 156 that is extended to the bottom. A perpendicular rack 16 is formed on this part. This rack 16 engages a pinion 17 and this pinion 17 is mounted to the output shaft 181 of an elevating stepping motor 18.
Therefore, when the stepping motor 18 is activated, the elevating means 14 is elevated or lowered, the supporting means 13 is also elevated or lowered and the sprockets 61 and 62 of the rotating shafts 11 and 12 on this supporting means 13 will also be elevated. As a result of the above described means, the distance between the transporting surface of the medium transporting tray that is regulated by these sprockets 61 and 62 and the ink jet head 32 of the head unit 3 will be increased or decreased. Equivalently, the head may be moved vertically toward and away from the transporting means.
A drive transmitting mechanism rotates the sprockets 61 and 62 and includes one side of the rotating shaft 11 of the sprockets 61 and 62, a drive gear 19 fixed on the same shaft. This drive gear 19 engages a driving gear 20 that is placed on the side of a raised frame 2. The driving gear 20 is connected to a motor (not indicated in the figure) through a decelerating gear row 21. Therefore, when the driving motor is activated, the rotating shaft 11 rotates through the driving gear 20 and the following gear 19 and the sprockets 61 and 62 also rotate as one unit to transport the medium transporting tray 7 on these sprockets 61 and 62.
Now, both sides of two rotating shafts 11 and 12 extend outward horizontally through the side plates 132 and 133 on both sides of the supporting means 13. A guide 22 that has arched slots 221 and 222 and a guide 23 that arched slots 231 and 232 are placed on the outside of the side plates 132 and 133. Both sides of the rotating shafts 11 and 12 extend through 221, 231, and 222, 232 of each guide 22 and 23.
As explained well in Fig. 6, the elevating gear 19 engages the driving gear 20 that is located in a fixed position. In order to always engage the gear 19 with the driving gear 20, the gear 19 needs to be elevated along a circle trace 19a that surrounds the center of the rotation 20a of the driving gear 20. In this example, the rotating shafts 11 and 12 slide along the arched slots 221, 231, and 222, 232 along this arc 20b.
Now, in order to elevate the rotating shafts 11 and 12 along the arched notches, they need to move horizontally as they move through arc 20b. In this example, as mentioned earlier, the rotating shafts 11 and 12 support the supporting means 13 to slide horizontally by the elevating means 14 with the top supporting rollers 146 and 147 and the bottom supporting rollers 151, 152, and 153, 154. Therefore, the gear 19 can be elevated while engaging with the driving gear 20.
Next, the ink jet printer 1 of this example elevates flat beds 4 and 5 along with the elevation of the sprockets 61 and 62. As a result, the transporting side that is regulated by the sprockets 61 and 62 and the transporting side of the medium transporting tray 7 by the flat beds 4 and 5 are placed on the same side.
By referring to Fig. 1 or 3, each flat bed 4 and 5 has tray guides 41, 42, and 51, 52 that guide the side of the medium transporting tray 7 on both sides. Also, the flat beds have multiple numbers of rollers 43 and 52 that regulate the transporting side of the medium transporting tray 7. The horizontal support frames 45 and 55 for the rotating shafts 44 and 54 that support rollers 43 and 53 to rotate freely are supported by perpendicular linear guides 46 and 56 to be elevated. The horizontal support frames 45 and 55 have brackets 47 and 57 that are extended to the bottom. The racks 48 and 58 are perpendicularly placed on these brackets 47 and 57. The pinions 50 and 60 that are placed on the output shaft of each bed elevating motor 49 and 59 engage each rack 48 and 58.
When the motors 49 and 59 are activated, the horizontal support frames 45 and 55 can be elevated. In this example, by activating the elevating motor 18 along with the driving of the motors 49 and 59 of the tray transporting unit 6, the tray transporting side that is always regulated by the sprockets 61 and 62 and the tray transporting side that is regulated by each flat bed 4 and 5 are placed at the same height.
As explained above, the ink jet printer 1 of this example can print on the recording medium 8 on the medium transporting tray by moving the medium transporting tray 7 back and forth through the font position of the print head. Since the medium transporting tray 7 is transported by the sprockets 61 and 62, this printer can easily transport heavier recording media than a friction type transporting mechanism using general paper sending rollers can transport, but general paper sending rollers may be adequate for some light weight media of different thickness.
Also, according to the thickness of the recording medium 8 to be put on the medium transporting tray 7, a gap between the recording medium 8 to be transported and the nozzle side 33 of the ink jet head 32 can and should be maintained at constant distance. Therefore, thick recording media of different thicknesses can be printed.
Furthermore, in this example, the printer has the flat beds 4 and 5 located in front and back of the transporting direction. These flat beds elevate along with the sprockets 61 and 62 as one unit. Therefore, these flat beds 4 and 5 can support the medium transporting tray 7 to transport a long medium transporting tray 7.

Claims

A jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method using an ink jet printer that prints a puzzle on a recording base transported through the printing position set by an ink jet head, including: the steps forming an image receiving layer on the surface of an original puzzle base, cutting the original puzzle base into individual puzzle pieces and printing images of the puzzle picture on the image receiving surface of the original puzzle base by transporting the original and puzzle base through the printing position set by the ink jet head.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 1, including forming the image receiving layer by applying an image receiving layer which receives printed images made by water soluble ink on the surface of the original puzzle base.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 2, including forming the image receiving layer by applying emulsion adhesive on the surface of the original puzzle base.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 2, including the step of covering the printed image with a protection layer after the printing.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 3, including the step of covering the printed image with a protection layer after the printing.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 1, including the step of having the printing area set by the ink jet head that is larger than the printing area of the image receiving surface of the original puzzle base.
The jigsaw puzzle manufacturing method of claim 4, including the step of having the printing area set by the ink jet head that is larger than the printing area of the image receiving surface of the original puzzle base.