JP2006289654A - Printer and plant with image printed - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can improve the workability of printing work of images by enabling the images of characters, figures and the like to be printed on plants simply and in a short time, and to provide plants with images printed by the printer. <P>SOLUTION: The printer 10 is equipped with a body 11, an insertion hole 12 which is formed in the body 11 and in which a petal 2 is inserted, a placement part 13 which is set in the body 11 and where the petal 2 inserted in the insertion hole 12 is placed, an ink jet head 16 which is set opposed to the placement part 13 and ejects ink to a printing face of the petal 2 placed on the placement part 13 from orifices 18B, 18C, 18M and 18Y, a driving belt 22 and a stepping motor 102 which move the ink jet head 16 in a direction X, and a ball screw 24 and a stepping motor 103 which move the placement part 13 in a direction Y nearly orthogonal to the direction X. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of printing images such as letters and figures on plant petals and the like, and a plant on which an image is printed.

  In general, flowers such as roses and carnations are exchanged as gifts for various reasons to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, promotions, retirements and other meaningful events. It is also used to express feelings of gratitude, friendship, affection, love, and compassion.

  On the other hand, when sending flowers, you can add your own feelings on a message card and send them directly to yourself or through a florist to add emotion to your feelings.

  In addition, recently, there is something that transcribes characters directly on the petals and sends them to the other party, so that you can convey your feelings more emotionally. In order to transfer characters to conventional petals, the plate photosensitive material, which is the transfer surface, is photoetched using a positive film, ink is applied to the plate, and then a transfer medium such as a pad is in contact with the plate. The transfer medium is then carried away from the image area of the plate, creating a reverse image on the medium, and then transferring the image drawn with the ink to the petals by the transfer medium. Some of them are fixed to petals (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-504535 A

  However, such conventional methods include a step of photoetching characters on a plate photosensitive material as a transfer surface using a positive film, applying ink to the plate, and placing a transfer medium in contact with the plate, After carrying the ink from the image area of the plate and creating a reverse image on the medium, it is necessary to transfer the image drawn with ink to the petals by the transfer medium, and this process must be performed manually For this reason, the work for transferring the characters has become very troublesome and time consuming.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and can improve the workability of image printing work by making it possible to print images such as characters and figures on plants easily and in a short time. And a plant on which an image is printed by the printing device.

  The printing device of the present invention is a printing device that prints an image on a predetermined printing surface of a plant, and is provided in the housing, the insertion portion that is provided in the housing, and that passes through the plant, and is provided in the housing. A mounting unit on which the plant inserted through the insertion unit is mounted; and an inkjet head that is provided in the housing and ejects ink from an ink ejection hole onto a printing surface of the plant mounted on the mounting unit. And a first moving means for moving the inkjet head in a predetermined direction, and a second moving means for moving the mounting portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

With this configuration, the inkjet head is ejected to the plant while being moved in a predetermined direction by the first moving unit, and the placement unit is moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the predetermined direction by the second moving unit, Images such as letters and figures can be printed on the printing surface of plants.
For this reason, images such as characters and figures can be printed on the plant easily and in a short time, and the workability of the image printing work can be improved.

In addition, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a third moving unit that moves the mounting portion toward and away from the ink jet head.
With this configuration, the mounting portion can be moved closer to or away from the ink jet head, so that the distance between the print surface and the ink ejection holes of the ink jet head can be adjusted to make this distance constant. Printing can be performed.

In addition, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a rotation device that rotates the placement unit.
With this configuration, by rotating the placement portion on which the plant is placed, ink can be ejected over a wide range of the print surface, and various characters and figures can be formed on the print surface. .

  Further, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a distance measuring unit that measures a distance between the printing surface of the plant placed on the mounting unit and the inkjet head, and the third measuring unit based on a measurement result of the distance measuring unit. And a movement control means for controlling the movement means.

  With this configuration, the distance between the print surface and the ink jet holes of the ink jet head is automatically fixed by measuring the distance between the print surface and the ink jet head and controlling the third moving unit based on the measurement result. It can be adjusted and high-performance printing can be performed.

The printing apparatus of the present invention controls the first and second moving means based on the shape detection means for detecting the shape of the plant placed on the placement section and the detection result of the shape detection means. And a second movement control means.
With this configuration, since the shape of the plant can be detected, printing according to the shape of the plant can be performed by ejecting ink onto the printing surface in accordance with the size of the plant.

Moreover, the printing apparatus of this invention is comprised from what the said printing surface is a petal.
With this arrangement, messages can be printed and sent directly to the petals to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, promotions, retirements and other meaningful events.

Moreover, the plant of this invention is comprised from what the image printed on the predetermined printing surface by the said printing apparatus.
With this arrangement, messages can be printed and sent directly to plants to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, promotions, retirements and other meaningful events.

Moreover, the plant of this invention is comprised from the said printing surface is a petal.
With this arrangement, messages can be printed and sent directly to the petals to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, promotions, retirements and other meaningful events.

  According to the printing apparatus and the plant on which an image is printed according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and quickly print an image such as a character or a graphic on the plant, thereby improving the workability of the image printing work. It is possible to provide a printing apparatus capable of printing and a plant on which an image is printed by the printing apparatus.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 1-9 is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment of the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the plant by which the image was printed.

  First, the configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, for example, a letter 3 “I LOVE YOU” is written on a petal (predetermined printing surface) 2 of a rose 1 as a plant, and this letter 3 is printed on the petal 2 by a printing device. Is.

  Further, what is printed on the petal 2 may be a graphic such as a company logo in addition to the character 3. In short, any image can be used. In the present embodiment, a character will be described as an image to be printed. In addition to the petals 2, the predetermined print surface may be a stem or a leaf.

  2 to 7 are diagrams showing the printing apparatus. In FIG. 2, an insertion hole (insertion portion) 12 is formed in the main body (housing) 11 of the printing apparatus 10, and the petals 2 are inserted into the main body 11 through the insertion hole 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a mounting portion 13 is provided in the main body 11, and the mounting portion 13 is provided on a curved plate 14 on which the petals 2 are placed and a lower portion of the plate 14. The base 15 is provided.

  In addition, an ink jet head 16 is provided above the mounting portion 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink jet head 16 has recording heads 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y integrated therein. 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y include a plurality of orifices (ink ejection holes) 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y that eject black (B), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) for each color. Are arranged in substantially the same plane. That is, the ink jet head 16 of the present embodiment is a color ink jet head.

  Each recording head 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y is provided with a common liquid chamber, and ink is provided along the wall surface of the liquid passage that communicates with the common liquid chamber and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y. A heating resistor for generating the jet energy is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 100 drives (energizes) the corresponding heating resistor by the image signal corresponding to the character 3 printed on the print surface of the petal 2 by driving the head drive circuit 101. The ink in the liquid chamber is boiled, and ink is ejected from the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y by the pressure generated at that time.

  The recording heads 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y are mounted on a carriage 19, and the carriage 19 is provided with a printed wiring board 20 that controls ink ejection by the inkjet head 16. The printed wiring board 20 is a controller. 100 and a flexible cable 21 connected to the inkjet head 16.

  The carriage 19 is connected to the drive belt 22 and is slidably attached to the guide rail 23. The controller 100 drives the stepping motor 102 to drive the drive belt 22 in the X direction in FIG. As a result, the carriage 19 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 23.

  At this time, ink is ejected from the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y of the recording heads 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y, thereby printing on the print surface of the petal 2 as described later.

  When performing monochrome printing, only the recording head 17B is driven to eject ink from the orifice 18B. The orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y for ejecting the respective colors are arranged in the Y direction that is substantially orthogonal to the X direction in which the inkjet head 16 moves. In the present embodiment, the drive belt 22 and the stepping motor 102 constitute first moving means.

  On the other hand, a nut (not shown) is fixed in the base portion 15 of the mounting portion 13, and this nut is screwed into the ball screw 24. A stepping motor 103 is provided at one end of the ball screw 24, and the ball screw 24 is rotationally driven by the stepping motor 103, so that the placement unit 13 is in the Y direction substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the inkjet head 16. It is supposed to move. An insertion hole 12 is provided on the front side of the mounting portion 13 (in FIG. 6, the front side of the mounting portion 13 in the moving direction).

The other end of the ball screw 24 is supported by a support plate 25, and the ball screw 24 is supported by the stepping motor 103 and the support plate 25 and is stably rotated.
A guide rail 26 is inserted through the base 15 and both ends of the guide rail 26 are fixed to support plates 27a and 27b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the mounting portion 13 from rotating by the base 15 being guided along the guide rail 26 when the mounting portion 13 moves in the Y direction as the ball screw 24 rotates. Can do.

  The support plates 25, 27 a, 27 b and the stepping motor 103 are fixed to the base 28, and the placement unit 13 is supported on the base 28 via the support plates 25, 27 a, 27 b and the stepping motor 103. . In the present embodiment, the ball screw 24 and the stepping motor 103 constitute second moving means.

  In addition, cylinder members 104 are provided at four corners of the base 28, and the mounting portion 13 is moved closer to and away from the ink jet head 16 by raising and lowering the cylinder members 104. In the present embodiment, the cylinder member 104 constitutes third moving means.

Further, a camera (shape detection means) 105 and a laser measuring device (distance detection means) 106 are provided above the ink jet head 16 on the insertion hole 12 side with respect to the ink jet head 16.
The camera 105 images the petals 2 placed on the plate 14 and outputs this imaging information to the controller 100. The controller 100 analyzes the shape of the petal 2 by performing image processing on the output information.

  Based on the analysis result, the stepping motors 102 and 103 are controlled to move the inkjet head 16 and the mounting portion 13 in the XY direction, while the orifices 18B, 18C of the recording heads 17B, 17C, 17M, and 17Y, By ejecting ink from 18M and 18Y, characters of an arbitrary size corresponding to the size of the petals 2 are printed on the printing surface. In the present embodiment, the controller 100 constitutes a second movement control means.

  Further, the laser measuring device 106 detects the reflected laser light by irradiating the petal 2 with the laser beam when the placement unit 13 on which the petal 2 is placed is positioned below the laser measuring device 106, and the controller 100. Detection information is output to.

  In the controller 100, the basic distance between the lower surface of the inkjet head 16, that is, the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y and the mounting portion 13 at the home position (predetermined elevation position of the cylinder member 104) is stored in memory. The cylinder member 104 is controlled to move up and down so that the distance between the petal 2 and the inkjet head 16 is constant based on the difference between the detection information of the laser measuring device 106 and the basic position. In the present embodiment, the laser measuring device 106 and the controller 100 constitute distance measuring means, and the controller 100 constitutes first movement control means.

  Further, an operation switch 107 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 11, and a signal is output to the controller 100 when the operation switch 107 is pressed.

  When this output signal is input, the controller 100 drives the head driving circuit 101, the stepping motors 102 and 103, the cylinder member 104, the camera 105, and the laser measuring device 106 to print on the petals 2.

Next, a method for printing characters by jetting ink onto the print surface of the petal 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
At the home position, the placement portion 13 is located in the vicinity of the insertion hole 12 and at a certain height, which is the basic position. Therefore, the rose 1 petal 2 can be easily placed on the plate 14 of the placement portion 13 from the insertion hole 12.

  In this state, when the operator places the petal 2 on the plate 14 and then presses the operation switch 107, the controller 100 drives the stepping motor 103. At this time, since the ball screw 24 rotates in one direction, the mounting portion 13 is moved to the inkjet head 16 side by a nut that is screwed into the base portion 15.

  Next, when the petal 2 is positioned below the camera 105 and the laser measuring device 106 (see FIG. 9A), the camera 105 images the printing surface of the petal 2 and the laser measuring device 106 prints the petal 2 printing surface. And the distance of the laser measuring device 106 is measured.

  The controller 100 analyzes the shape of the petal 2 and the distance between the petal 2 and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y of the inkjet head 16 based on the output information of the camera 105 and the laser measuring device 106.

  Based on the analysis result, the controller 100 drives the stepping motor 103 to rotate the ball screw 24 to move the mounting portion 13 below the inkjet head 16 and drives the cylinder member 104 in the Z direction to drive the base 28. (See FIG. 9B), the height of the print surface of the petal 2 and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y are made constant.

  When the stepping motor 102 is driven in this state, the drive belt 22 rotates and the carriage 19 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 23, so that the inkjet head 16 moves in the X direction. In this state, the head driving circuit 101 ejects ink onto the petals 2.

  Further, by driving the stepping motor 103, the placement unit 13 is moved in the Y direction. As a result, the ink 3 is jetted in the X-Y direction on the print surface of the petal 2 so that characters 3 such as “I LOVE YOU”, “Happy Birthday”, “Thank you”, etc. are printed on the print surface. Is done.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the ink jet head 16 is moved in the X direction by the drive belt 22 and the stepping motor 102 while ink is ejected onto the print surface of the petal 2, and the mounting portion 13 is moved by the ball screw 24 and the stepping motor 103. By moving in the Y direction substantially orthogonal to the X direction, images such as characters and figures can be printed on the print surface of the petal 2.
For this reason, images such as characters and figures can be printed on the petals 2 easily and in a short time, and the workability of image printing work can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, a cylinder member 104 that moves the placement unit 13 toward and away from the inkjet head 16 is provided, and the controller 100 prints the petal 2 placed on the placement unit 13 and the inkjet head. Since the cylinder member 104 is controlled based on the measurement result of the laser measuring device 106 that measures the distance of 16, the distance between the petal 2 and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y of the inkjet head 16 is adjusted. This distance can be automatically made constant, and high-performance printing can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, a camera 105 that detects the shape of the petals 2 placed on the placement unit 13 is provided, and the controller 100 controls the stepping motors 102 and 103 based on the detection result of the camera 105. Since the inkjet head 16 and the mounting portion 13 are moved in the XY direction, printing according to the shape of the petal 2 is performed by ejecting ink onto the petal 2 in accordance with the size of the petal 2. Can do.

  In this embodiment, the print surface is petal 2 so that a message can be directly transcribed and sent to petal 2 to celebrate anniversary, birthday, graduation, promotion, retirement and other meaningful events. it can.

  10 and 11 are diagrams showing a second embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention and a plant on which an image is printed. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. The description is omitted.

  10 and 11, a groove 51a is formed in the base 51 along the longitudinal direction, and a rack member 52 is slidably fitted into the groove 51a. The rack member 52 extends in the longitudinal direction. Concave and convex portions 52a are formed on both side surfaces.

  The rack member 52 is not formed with an uneven portion in the portion accommodated in the groove 51a so that the rack member 52 can slide smoothly with respect to the groove 52a, and the uneven portion 52a is formed in a portion protruding from the groove 51a. ing.

  In addition, a driving gear 53 and a driven gear 54 driven by a stepping motor 110 are provided at one end of the base 51, and the driving gear 53 and the driven gear 54 are engaged with the concave and convex portions 52a of the rack member 52, respectively. Yes. A drive motor 111 is provided at the other end of the rack member 52, and the motor shaft of the drive motor 111 is fixed to the mounting portion 13.

  The stepping motor 110 is driven by the controller 100. When the stepping motor 110 is driven, the driving gear 53 rotates and the placement unit 13 moves in the Y direction via the rack member 52. At this time, since the rack member 52 meshes with the driven gear 54, the rack member 52 slides smoothly in the Y direction. In the present embodiment, the rack member 52, the drive gear 53, and the driven gear 54 constitute second moving means.

  Further, the drive motor 111 is driven by the controller 100, and the drive motor 111 rotates the placement unit 13. In the present embodiment, the drive motor 111 constitutes a rotating means.

  An opening 51 b is formed in the base 51 located below the ink jet head 16, and the opening 51 b has a larger area than the base 15 of the mounting portion 13. When the base 15 is positioned in the opening 51a and the drive motor 111 is driven, the mounting portion 13 is allowed to rotate.

Next, a method for printing characters by jetting ink onto the print surface of the petal 2 will be described.
When the operator places the petal 2 on the plate 14 and presses the operation switch 107, the controller 100 drives the stepping motor 110. At this time, since the drive gear 53 rotates, the rack member 52 moves in one direction along the groove 51a, so that the mounting portion 13 moves to the inkjet head 16 side.

  Next, when the petal 2 is positioned below the camera 105 and the laser measuring device 106, the camera 105 captures an image of the printing surface of the petal 2 and the laser measuring device 106 sets the distance between the petal 2 printing surface and the laser measuring device 106. taking measurement.

  The controller 100 analyzes the shape of the petal 2 and the distance between the petal 2 and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y of the inkjet head 16 based on the output information of the camera 105 and the laser measuring device 106.

  Based on the analysis result, the controller 100 drives the stepping motor 111 to rotate the drive gear 53 to move the rack member 52 in one direction to move the mounting portion 13 below the ink jet head 16 and the cylinder. By driving the member 104 in the Z direction and raising the base 51, the height of the print surface of the petal 2 and the orifices 18B, 18C, 18M, and 18Y is made constant.

  When the stepping motor 102 is driven in this state, the drive belt 22 rotates and the carriage 19 moves in the X direction along the guide rail 23, so that the inkjet head 16 moves in the X direction. In this state, the head drive circuit 101 ejects ink onto the print surface.

  Further, by driving the stepping motor 110, the placement unit 13 is moved in the Y direction. As a result, the ink 3 is jetted in the X-Y direction on the print surface of the petal 2 so that characters 3 such as “I LOVE YOU”, “Happy Birthday”, “Thank you”, etc. are printed on the print surface. Is done.

  When the petal 2 imaged by the camera 105 is large and the printing area is large, or when the character 3 is printed on the entire petal 2, the controller 100 drives the drive motor 111 to place the placement unit 13. Is rotated on the opening 51b.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, ink is ejected onto the print surface of the petal 2 while the inkjet head 16 is moved in the X direction by the drive belt 22 and the stepping motor 102, and the placement unit 13 is moved to the rack member 52 and the drive gear 53. By moving the driven gear 54 and the stepping motor 110 in the Y direction substantially orthogonal to the X direction, it is possible to print images such as characters and figures on the print surface of the petal 2, as in the first embodiment. The effect of can be obtained.

  In addition to this, in the present embodiment, since the mounting portion 13 is made rotatable by the drive motor 111, the ink can be ejected over a wide range of the print surface of the petal 3, and the print surface can be varied. Character and figure can be formed.

  In each of the above embodiments, an image is printed on the rose 1. However, it goes without saying that the plant may be a carnation or a lily. In short, any plant having a printing surface such as petals, stems, and leaves may be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, the mounting portion 13 is moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the inkjet head 16 by the ball screw 24 or the rack member 52, but the present invention is not limited to this structure.

  As described above, the printing apparatus according to the present invention and the plant on which the image is printed can easily print an image such as a character or a graphic on the plant in a short time, and the image printing work can be performed. It is useful as a printing device that can print images, such as letters and figures, on the petals of plants and the like, and plants that have images printed by the printing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment of the plant in which the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the image was formed, The figure which shows the rose by which the character was printed on the petal by the printing apparatus The external view of the printing apparatus of 1st Embodiment, and the figure which shows the rose 1 is a schematic front view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the inside of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. The perspective view of the inkjet head of the printing apparatus of 1st Embodiment Schematic side view of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment Block diagram of a control system of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic internal configuration diagram illustrating a state in which petals are attached to the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the distance of a petal when the petal of 1st Embodiment is located under a laser measuring device, and an inkjet head, (b) is a petal when a petal is located under an inkjet head Diagram showing distance of inkjet head It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of the plant in which the printing apparatus which concerns on this invention, and the image was formed, The schematic block diagram inside a printing apparatus Block diagram of the control system of the printing apparatus of the second embodiment

Explanation of symbols

1 Rose (plant)
2 Petals (predetermined printing surface)
3 characters (image)
10 Printing Device 11 Body (Case)
12 Insertion hole (insertion part)
13 Placement Unit 16 Inkjet Head 22 Drive Belt (First Moving Means)
24 Ball screw (second moving means)
52 Rack member (second moving means)
53 Drive gear (second moving means)
54 Driven gear (second moving means)
100 controller (distance measuring means, first movement control means, second movement control means)
102 Stepping motor (first moving means)
103 Stepping motor (second moving means)
104 Cylinder member (third moving means)
105 Camera (shape detection means)
106 Laser measuring device (distance measuring means)
111 Drive motor (turning means)

Claims (8)

A printing device for printing an image on a predetermined printing surface of a plant,
A housing,
An insertion portion provided in the housing, for inserting the plant;
A mounting unit provided in the housing and on which a plant inserted through the insertion unit is mounted;
An inkjet head that is provided in the housing and ejects ink from an ink ejection hole onto a printing surface of a plant placed on the placement unit;
First moving means for moving the inkjet head in a predetermined direction;
A printing apparatus comprising: a second moving unit configured to move the placement unit in a direction substantially orthogonal to the predetermined direction. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third moving unit that moves the placement unit toward and away from the inkjet head. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation unit configured to rotate the placement unit. Distance measuring means for measuring the distance between the printing surface of the plant installed in the mounting section and the inkjet head, and first movement control means for controlling the third moving means based on the measurement result of the distance measuring means. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: Shape detection means for detecting the shape of the plant placed on the placement section, and second movement control means for controlling the first and second movement means based on the detection result of the shape detection means. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing surface is a petal. A plant, wherein an image is printed on a predetermined printing surface by the printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The plant according to claim 7, wherein the printing surface is a petal.

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