JP2007190886A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can execute printing appropriately and precisely to a lens sheet with a rotating axial direction, when a parallax image is visually recognized, which tilts in one direction. <P>SOLUTION: This printer 10 prints the lens sheet 12 which has a plurality of lens 12A1 arranged in one longer direction, with the purpose to form a parallax image corresponding to a plurality of parallaxes, to one surface. The lens sheet 12 is unique in that the rotating axial direction when the parallal image is visually recognized, tilts in one direction. In addition, the printer 10 comprises a printing head 32 which discharges ink droplets to the lens sheet 12, rotary mechanisms 26 and 27 which rotate the printing head 32 in a direction along the longer direction of the lens 12A1, and a discharge control means 100 which controls the timing of ink droplet discharge from the printing head 32, in the state that the printing head 32 is set along the longer direction of the lens 12A1 by the rotary mechanisms 26 and 27. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer.

  Among various printing techniques, there is one that prints a printed image on a recording layer of a lens sheet that includes a lenticular lens in which a large number of cylindrical convex lenses (hereinafter referred to as convex lenses) are arranged in parallel. In such a printing technique, a large number of stripe-shaped subdivided images corresponding to the pitch of the convex lenses are recorded side by side on the recording layer of the lens sheet. And according to the kind of subdivision image, it becomes possible to make it the photograph (animation) which the image visually recognized is viewed stereoscopically or changes the viewing angle.

  By the way, the lens sheet generally has an arrangement in which the rotational axis direction when visually recognized is perpendicular or horizontal to the longitudinal direction of the convex lens (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3471930 (see paragraph numbers 0066 to 0076, FIG. 1, FIG. 5, FIG. 8, FIG. 9 etc.)

  By the way, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, printing is executed in a state where the longitudinal direction of the convex lens is parallel to or perpendicular to the paper feed direction. In this case, since the scanning direction of the carriage or the paper feeding direction is parallel to the direction of the lens arrangement, printing is easy to execute.

  Here, when printing is performed in a state in which the rotation axis direction at the time of visual recognition is vertical or horizontal with respect to the longitudinal direction of the convex lens as in Patent Document 1, the printable width within the convex lens (printing) The number of parallaxes that can be handled is limited due to the relationship of (width). Conversely, when the number of parallaxes increases, the print width decreases. By the way, the number of parallaxes affects the smoothness of the printed image. Also, the print width per parallax affects the image quality.

  In order to achieve a good balance between the printing width and the number of parallaxes as described above, for example, a lens sheet is arranged so that its four sides are inclined with respect to the paper feed direction, etc. On the other hand, it is conceivable to adopt a method of forming a print image. Here, in a general method (arrangement in which the length of the convex lens is horizontal or vertical with respect to the rotation axis direction), for example, when printing is performed on a lens sheet of 60 LPI, if the print resolution is 2880 dpi, 48 The printing width is a dot (= 2880/60). However, when the print image is inclined 45 degrees, if the print resolution is the same, the print width is approximately 67 dots (≈48 / cos (45 × π / 180)).

  However, current printers do not support printing with the lens sheet inclined. Further, when printing is performed in a state where the lens sheet is inclined, the printing is apparently equivalent to printing on a lens sheet whose width is increased by the inclination. Therefore, it may be necessary to increase the width of the paper feed mechanism of the printer. Here, when there is a size limitation in the printer, it is difficult to print with the lens sheet tilted.

  From the above, it is conceivable to newly manufacture a lens sheet (an oblique lens sheet) in which the length of the convex lens is inclined with respect to the rotational axis direction of the lens sheet. It is desired to make a printer mechanism correspond to printing.

  The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to appropriately print on a lens sheet in which the rotation axis direction when viewing a parallax image is inclined with respect to one direction. In addition, an object is to provide a printer that can be executed with high accuracy.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a lens sheet for forming a parallax image corresponding to a plurality of parallaxes on one surface while a plurality of lenses having one direction as a longitudinal direction are arranged. The printing head is a printer for executing printing on a lens sheet whose rotation axis direction when viewing a parallax image is inclined with respect to one direction, and ejects ink droplets onto the lens sheet. And a rotation mechanism for rotating the print head in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the lens, and the timing of ejecting ink droplets from the print head in a state where the print head is moved along the longitudinal direction of the lens by the rotation mechanism. Discharge control means for controlling.

  In such a configuration, since the rotation mechanism is provided, the print head can be rotated along the length of the lens by the rotation mechanism. Thereby, even in a lens sheet in which the length of the lens is inclined, the dots formed by ejecting ink droplets can be along the longitudinal direction of the lens. Also, it is possible to prevent dots formed by ejection of ink droplets from being present between lenses. Therefore, it is possible to improve the printing quality for the lens sheet.

  In addition, the number of parallaxes can be increased by increasing the print width per lens. In addition, it is not necessary to cut out a printed image as in the prior art, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary portions from being generated on paper, lens sheets, and the like.

  According to another invention, in addition to the above-described invention, the rotation mechanism supports one end side of the support shaft that supports the slide of the print head, and slides the slide member provided so as to be slidable. Driving means for providing a driving force to be applied.

  In such a configuration, one end side of the support shaft is slidably provided by the slide member, and the slide member is slidable by the driving force from the driving means. Thereby, only the one end side of a support shaft can be slid, and the print head which slides along this support shaft can be inclined according to the inclination condition of a lens. In addition, in this rotation mechanism, not only the inclination angle of the print head but also the sliding direction of the print head is inclined, so that dots formed on the lens sheet by ink ejection are printed on the lens sheet where the lens is not inclined. It will be the same. Thereby, it is possible to further improve the printing quality for the lens sheet.

  Further, according to another invention, in addition to each of the above-described inventions, the rotation mechanism includes an attachment part attached to a support shaft that supports the slide of the print head, and a carriage provided with the attachment part and the print head. A rotation mechanism provided between the rotation mechanism and a driving means for applying a driving force for rotation to the rotation mechanism.

  In such a configuration, a rotation mechanism is provided between the attachment site and the carriage, and a driving force for rotation is given by the driving means, so that the carriage and the print head are inclined by the lens. It can be rotated according to the angle. Thereby, the dots formed by discharging the ink droplets can be along the longitudinal direction of the lens. Also, it is possible to prevent dots formed by ejection of ink droplets from being present between lenses. Therefore, it is possible to improve the printing quality for the lens sheet.

  In addition to the above-described inventions, the other invention further includes a judging means for judging whether one direction of the lens sheet is inclined with respect to the rotation axis direction, and one direction is determined by the judging means. Drive control means for controlling and driving the drive means according to the state of the inclination when it is determined that it is inclined with respect to the direction of the rotation axis.

  In such a configuration, the determination unit determines whether or not the rotation axis direction of the lens sheet is inclined with respect to one direction (longitudinal direction of the lens). When it is determined that the rotation axis direction is inclined, the driving of the driving means is controlled according to the inclined state. In this way, even a lens sheet whose rotation axis direction is inclined with respect to one direction of the lens can be distinguished from a normal lens sheet and can be printed favorably. In other words, the lens is inclined, and ink droplets corresponding to the visual image data can be ejected for each lens pitch and can be made to correspond to oblique printing.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above-described inventions, another invention further includes a lens detection means for outputting a lens signal corresponding to the lens pitch of the lens in the lens sheet by scanning the lens sheet, and a determination means. Is for comparing lens signals of different parts in the sub-scanning direction output by the lens detection means, and calculating the tilt angle of the lens with respect to one direction by comparison.

  When configured in this manner, the lens detection unit scans the lens sheet at a different part in the sub-scanning direction and outputs a lens signal. Further, the judging means compares the lens signals of the different parts (two or more) and calculates the tilt angle of the lens by the comparison.

  In this way, it is possible to appropriately calculate the tilt angle with respect to one direction of the longitudinal direction of the lens. Therefore, it is possible to eject ink droplets at an appropriate position in consideration of the tilt angle of the lens. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the printed image from being shifted or bent as in the case of ejecting ink droplets without considering the tilt angle of the lens.

  According to another invention, in addition to the above-described invention, the determination unit irradiates light to the lens sheet, reads the light reflected from the lens sheet, and outputs read data corresponding to the lens sheet. A scanner unit; and a calculation unit that calculates pattern information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution of the lens from the read data, and calculates a lens pitch or lens resolution based on the measurement of the pattern information. is there.

  In such a configuration, the scanner unit outputs the reading data of the lens sheet while irradiating the lens sheet with light. In this case, since a plurality of lenses are arranged on the lens sheet, information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution of the lens is also included in the read data. The calculating means calculates pattern information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution from the read data, and further calculates the lens pitch or lens resolution based on the measurement of the pattern information.

  In this way, if the lens sheet is read using the scanner unit, the lens pitch or the lens resolution can be calculated easily and automatically. In addition, the tilt angle of the lens with respect to one direction in the longitudinal direction can be appropriately calculated. Therefore, it is possible to eject ink droplets at an appropriate position in consideration of the tilt angle of the lens. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the printed image from being shifted or bent as in the case of ejecting ink droplets without considering the tilt angle of the lens.

  Furthermore, in another invention, in addition to each of the above-described inventions, the lens sheet has a rectangular external appearance due to the outer edges of the four sides, and the outer edges are provided in parallel to the rotation axis direction. When configured in this manner, the rotation axis direction is parallel to the outer edge, so that the user can easily understand the rotation axis direction at the time of visual recognition. Further, it becomes easy to perform operations such as paper feeding in the printer.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the printer 10 of the present embodiment is an ink jet printer, but the ink jet printer may be an apparatus that employs any ejection method as long as the apparatus is capable of printing by ejecting ink. Further, the present invention can be applied to printers other than the ink jet type such as a laser type, a sublimation type thermal transfer type, and a dot impact type.

  In the following description, the lower side refers to the side where the printer 10 is installed, and the upper side refers to the side away from the installed side. Further, a direction in which a carriage 30 described later moves is a main scanning direction, a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and a direction in which the lens sheet 12 is conveyed is a sub-scanning direction. Also, the side on which the lens sheet 12 is supplied will be described as a paper feed side (rear end side), and the side on which the lens sheet 12 is discharged will be described as a paper discharge side (front side).

  In the following description, each element expressed in parentheses will be described sequentially. In the following description, the configuration (1) including a rotation mechanism and the configuration (2) including another rotation mechanism are selective elements, and among (1) and (2), Although it is a principle to provide only either, the structure (1) provided with a rotation mechanism and the structure (2) provided with another rotation mechanism may be employ | adopted together.

<About lens sheet>
First, the lens sheet 12 that is a printing object will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the lens sheet 12 includes a lenticular lens 12A located on the front surface, an ink absorbing layer 12B in contact with the back surface of the lenticular lens 12A, and an ink transmission layer 12C located on the back surface of the lens sheet 12. It has. Among these, the lenticular lens 12A has a configuration in which a plurality of cylindrical convex lenses (convex lenses 12A1) whose longitudinal direction is one direction are arranged in parallel at a constant pitch. In the lenticular lens 12A, the curvature of the convex lens 12A1 is formed so that the focal point of the light traveling through each convex lens 12A1 is located on the back surface (boundary surface Q with the ink absorbing layer 12B) of the lenticular lens 12A.

  In this embodiment, the pitch of the alignment of the convex lenses 12A1 in the lenticular lens 12A is an integer multiple of the pitch of the alignment of the line patterns of the scale 81 described later. For example, when the line pattern of the scale 81 is 1/180 inch, the pitch of the convex lens 12A1 is 10 lpi (lens per inch; the number of convex lenses 12A1 per inch), 20 lpi, 30 lpi, 45 lpi, 60 lpi, 90 lpi, 100 lpi, Some have 130 lpi and 180 lpi. However, the pitch of the convex lens 12A1 is not limited to this example, and various changes may be made in addition to these lens pitches. Further, in the lens sheet 12, usually, there is a slight deviation from the pitch of the convex lens 12A1 due to a manufacturing error or the like.

  Further, the ink permeable layer 12C is a portion to which the ink droplet ejected from the nozzle 33a is first attached, and is a portion through which the attached ink passes. The ink permeable layer 12C is made of, for example, fine particles of titanium oxide, silica gel, PMMA (methacrylic resin), barium sulfate, glass fiber, plastic fiber, or the like. The ink absorption layer 12B is a part that absorbs and / or fixes the ink that has passed through the ink transmission layer 12C. The ink absorbing layer 12B is made of, for example, a hydrophilic polymer resin such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), a cationic compound, fine particles such as silica, or the like. The lenticular lens 12A is made of PET, PETG, APET, PP, PS, PVC, acrylic, UV resin, or the like.

  The ink absorption layer 12B is transparent, and the ink transmission layer 12C is white. However, the ink absorption layer 12B may be white, the ink transmission layer 12C may be transparent, and both the ink transmission layer 12C and the ink absorption layer 12B may be transparent. In the present embodiment, since the ink permeable layer 12C exists, the lens sheet 12 can be immediately touched even after printing. However, the lens sheet 12 may adopt a configuration that does not include the ink transmission layer 12C.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lens sheet 12 in the present embodiment has a rectangular appearance, and the edge 12E of the lens sheet 12 that forms the rectangular appearance has a convex lens 12A1. It is provided in a state inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction (corresponding to one direction). That is, the longitudinal direction of the convex lens 12A1 is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the outer frame (edge 12E) of the rectangular lens sheet 12. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ with respect to the edge 12E of the convex lens 12A1 is set to about 10 degrees. However, the tilt angle is not limited to 10 degrees, and various tilt angles can be employed within a range of 0.1 to 45 degrees, for example.

<Configuration (1) for Printer Rotation Mechanism>
As shown in FIG. 3 and others, the printer 10 conveys the lens sheet 12 by a carriage mechanism 20 that reciprocates the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction by a carriage motor (CR motor 22) and a PF motor 41 (corresponding to a paper feed motor). In addition, there is a sheet transport mechanism 40 and the like, and there is a control unit 100 shown in FIG.

  Here, the carriage mechanism 20 will be described. The carriage mechanism 20 includes a carriage 30 as shown in FIGS. The carriage mechanism 20 includes a carriage shaft 21 that slidably holds the carriage 30, a carriage motor (CR motor 22), a gear pulley 23 attached to the CR motor 22, an endless belt 24, A driven pulley 25 that stretches the endless belt 24 between the gear pulley 23, a rotation mechanism (oblique scanning mechanism 26), and a linear encoder 80 are provided.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the present embodiment, the carriage mechanism 20 includes a rotation mechanism (an oblique scanning mechanism; a mechanism for rotating the carriage shaft 21 corresponding to the support shaft; Hereinafter, an oblique scanning mechanism 26 is provided. The oblique scanning mechanism 26 mainly includes a slide plate 261, guide pins 265, a rack gear 266, a pinion gear 267, a rotating shaft 268, and a gear wheel train 269.

  One end side 21a (see FIG. 2) of the carriage shaft 21 is supported by a slide plate 261 corresponding to the slide member and is slidable in the paper feed direction. On the other hand, the other end 21b (see FIG. 3) of the carriage shaft 21 is provided so as not to slide in the paper feeding direction. That is, the other end 21b is provided so as not to slide with respect to the side plate 28a of the support frame 28 that is fixedly provided to a chassis (not shown). Thereby, the carriage shaft 21 is provided so as to be rotatable about the other end side 21b.

  The rotation angle of the carriage shaft 21 corresponds to the inclination angle θ of the convex lens 12A1 described above. That is, it is in a state perpendicular to the paper feed direction and parallel to the platen 50, and is rotated within a range of, for example, 0.2 to 45 degrees around 10 degrees in the direction of sliding to the downstream side of the paper feed. It is provided as possible. However, the rotation angle of the carriage shaft 21 may be provided so as to rotate within the range of 0.2 to 45 degrees as described above in the direction of sliding to the upstream side of the paper feed. Moreover, in the above-mentioned case, it is not restricted to 0.2 degree-45 degree | times, for example, as long as it is larger than 0 degree | times, the structure rotated many times may be sufficient.

  When the one end side 21a of the carriage shaft 21 is viewed in plan, the one end side 21a rotates to draw an arc. Therefore, the one end side 21a moves in a direction in which the distance in the main scanning direction is slightly closer to the other end side 21b. However, when the turning angle is as small as about 10 degrees, the moving distance (adjacent distance) in the main scanning direction is not large. Therefore, if the slide plate 261 is provided with a play that allows movement in a direction slightly close to the main scanning direction, the amount of movement can be absorbed. Note that when the amount of movement in the approaching direction is large, a separate configuration is required.

  In addition, a standing portion 262 that is bent from the plate portion 261 a having the largest area toward the other end side (not shown) in the longitudinal direction of the printer 10 is provided at the upper end of the slide plate 261. A locking hook 263 is provided on the front end side of the bent portion 262. The locking hook 263 is bent so that the tip of the locking hook 263 is directed toward the plate portion 261 a rather than the base of the locking hook 263. The linear scale 81 is locked to the locking hook 263 through the locking hole 81 a of the linear scale 81. With this locking, the linear scale 81 can be supported in a stretched state. That is, in the oblique scanning mechanism 26 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the linear scale 81 is slidable together with the carriage shaft 21, so that the carriage 30 (printing) can be performed even after the carriage shaft 21 is rotated. It is possible to accurately detect the position of the head 32).

  The plate portion 261a is provided with a guide long hole 264 that functions as a part of the slide guide means. In the present embodiment, a pair of guide long holes 264 are provided, for example, and the two guide long holes 264 are separated from each other by a certain distance. A guide pin 265 is inserted into the guide long hole 264. The guide pin 265 is a member that protrudes from the side plate 28 a toward the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the printer 10. By inserting the guide pin 265 into the guide long hole 264, the slide plate 261 can slide along the paper feeding direction. In order to make the slide of the slide plate 261 stable, it is preferable that, for example, two guide pins 265 are inserted into any of the guide long holes 264.

  A rack gear 266 is provided at the lower edge of the plate portion 261a. The rack gear 266 meshes with the pinion gear 267. The pinion gear 267 is provided so as to rotate synchronously with the final gear of the gear wheel train 269 outside the side plate via the rotation shaft 268. As a result, a driving force of a motor (not shown) (corresponding to driving means) is applied to the pinion gear 267 via the gear wheel train 269.

  The motor for sliding the slide plate 261 (rotating the carriage shaft 21) may be provided independently of other motors such as the PF motor 41, and driving from the PF motor 41 is also possible. You may employ | adopt the structure which distributes force. The oblique scanning mechanism 26 is realized by the engagement of the rack gear 266 and the pinion gear 267 together with the slide of the slide plate 261. However, the oblique scanning mechanism 26 is realized by providing a cam mechanism instead of the rack gear 266 and the pinion gear 267. For example, other configurations may be used.

  4 and 5, the other end 21b (see FIG. 2) of the carriage shaft 21 is provided so as not to slide in the paper feeding direction. However, the other end 21b may be configured to slide in the same manner as the one end 21a. In this case, the slide plate 261 and the like are also arranged on the other end side 21b and have the same configuration as the one end side 21a.

<Regarding Configuration (2) Related to Other Turning Mechanism of Printer>
A rotation mechanism other than the rotation mechanism (the oblique scanning mechanism 26) that rotates the one end side of the carriage shaft 21 as described above may be employed. As an example, there is a configuration in which the print head 32 is rotated with respect to the carriage shaft 21 as shown in FIGS. Also in this case, the rotation angle of the print head 32 corresponds to the inclination angle θ of the convex lens 12A1 described above, and is about 10 degrees with respect to the direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction and parallel to the platen 50. For example, it is provided to be rotatable within a range of 0.2 to 45 degrees. The rotating mechanism ejects ink droplets in a state where the print head 32 is inclined (oblique) with respect to the carriage shaft 21. Therefore, in the following description, this type of rotation mechanism will be described below as the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b.

  The rotation mechanism 27 a shown in FIG. 6 is configured so that the print head 32 rotates with respect to the carriage 30. When such a configuration is employed, for example, there is a configuration in which a rotary table 271 is provided below the carriage 30 and the print head 32 is attached to the rotary table 271. In this case, the rotation of the print head 32 relative to the carriage 30 is realized by mounting a motor (corresponding to the driving means) and gears (not shown) on the carriage 30.

  When the print head 32 rotates with respect to the carriage 30, the cartridge 31 and the print head 32 are connected by a tube made of, for example, a flexible material so as to correspond to the rotation of the print head 32. A configuration that takes rotation into account, such as supplying ink, is employed. Further, for example, the flow path of the ink droplets supplied from the cartridge 31 to the print head 32 may be formed in an arc shape so as to correspond to the rotation.

  Further, the oblique discharge mechanism 27b shown in FIG. 7 is configured to rotate together with the carriage 30 with respect to the attachment portion 272 with respect to the carriage shaft 21. The oblique discharge mechanism 27 b has an attachment portion 272 that can be slid with respect to the carriage shaft 21. A part of the belt 24 is fixed to the back surface of the attachment portion 272. The attachment portion 272 has a shaft hole 273, and the carriage shaft 21 is inserted through the shaft hole 273. In addition, the mounting portion 272 is provided with a bearing 274 having a shaft insertion hole 275 that extends in the vertical direction. Further, the carriage 30 is provided with a rotation shaft 276 along the vertical direction corresponding to the bearing 274. The rotation shaft 276 is fixed to the carriage 30. Thereby, a configuration in which the carriage 30 rotates with respect to the attachment portion 272 is realized. Further, for example, a motor 277 (corresponding to the driving means) is disposed at the attachment portion 272, and a gear mechanism 278 is provided at the attachment portion 272 and the rotation shaft 276. Thus, when the motor 277 is driven, the carriage 30 is rotated.

  In this way, the print head 32 is inclined relative to the carriage shaft 21, and the inclination angle can be in a state corresponding to the inclination angle θ of the convex lens 12A1. 4 and 5, the main scanning direction itself is rotated by the rotation of the carriage shaft 21. In contrast, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the print head 32 rotates, but the main scanning direction itself does not rotate as in the conventional printer 10. For this reason, as will be described later, print data for ejecting ink droplets by driving the print head 32 includes the case where the oblique scanning mechanism 26 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is employed, and the case shown in FIGS. This is different from the case where the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b shown are employed.

<Other various printer configurations>
As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the carriage 30 is provided so as to face the platen 50. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, an ink cartridge 31 of each color is detachably mounted on the carriage 30. A print head 32 is provided below the carriage 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the nozzles 33 a are arranged in a row in the print head 32, and the nozzle rows 33 corresponding to the respective color inks are formed. In this embodiment, the nozzle row 33 is composed of, for example, 180 nozzles 33a. Of these, the 180th nozzle 33a is located on the paper feed side, and the first nozzle 33a is located on the paper discharge side. ing.

  In addition, a piezo element (not shown) is arranged for each nozzle 33a in the nozzle row 33 provided below the carriage 30 and associated with each ink. By the operation of this piezo element, it is possible to eject ink droplets from the nozzle 33a at the end of the ink passage. The print head 32 is not limited to a piezo drive system using a piezo element. For example, a heater system that uses ink to heat ink with a heater, a magnetostriction system that uses a magnetostrictive element, or an electrostatic force. Other methods such as an electrostatic method and a mist method in which the mist is controlled by an electric field may be used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the printer 10 includes a paper transport mechanism 40. The paper transport mechanism 40 includes a PF motor 41 (see FIG. 3) for transporting the lens sheet 12 and the like, and a paper feed roller 42 for feeding plain paper or the like. A pair of PF rollers 43 for conveying / clamping the lens sheet 12 is provided on the paper discharge side with respect to the paper supply roller 42. Of the PF roller pair 43, the PF drive roller 43a is transmitted with the driving force from the PF motor 41 and enables the lens sheet 12 to be conveyed step by step.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the platen 50 and the above-described print head 32 are arranged on the paper discharge side of the PF roller pair 43 so as to face each other in the vertical direction. The platen 50 supports the lens sheet 12 conveyed below the print head 32 by the PF roller pair 43 from below. Further, a paper discharge roller pair 44 similar to the above-described PF roller pair 43 is provided on the paper discharge side from the platen 50. Of the pair of paper discharge rollers 44, the drive power from the PF motor 41 is transmitted to the paper discharge drive roller 44a together with the PF drive roller 43a.

  Further, an opening 45 is provided in the printer 10 on the rear end side opposite to the paper discharge side and on the lower side of the paper feed roller 42. The opening 45 is an opening for allowing a printing object, such as the lens sheet 12, that is difficult to bend, to pass on the rear end side of the printer 10. In addition, the lens sheet 12 may be passed through the opening 45 in a state where it is placed on a tray or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 and the like, a lens detection sensor 60 corresponding to a lens detection unit that detects the lens pitch of the convex lens 12A1 in the lens sheet 12 is provided at a portion between the lower surface of the carriage 30 and the platen 50. Is arranged. The lens detection sensor 60 corresponds to the lens detection means, and is a light projection / reception system (transmission system) sensor, and includes a light emitting unit 61 and a light receiving unit 62 as shown in FIGS. is doing. The light emitting unit 61 is provided on the platen 50 side (lower side), and the light receiving unit 62 is provided on the carriage 30 side (upper side).

  Among these, the light emission part 61 is comprised from many light emitting diodes (LED; light emitting diode). Note that some LEDs emit light having various wavelengths such as visible light or infrared light. However, in order to suppress glare, it is preferable to use an infrared LED that emits infrared light. Further, the light emitting part 61 is provided in the recessed part 51 existing on the rear end side of the platen 50. The recessed portion 51 is a portion that is recessed from the other portions of the platen 50. The recessed portion 51 is provided in a state having a depth dimension greater than or equal to a certain depth so that the light source group 611 (light source 612) can be separated from the diffusion plate 613 by a certain distance.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the light receiving unit 62 is attached to the lower surface of the carriage 30, and is attached to, for example, a part away from the home position in the main scanning direction and the paper feeding side in the sub scanning direction. ing. The light receiving section 62 is composed of a number of light receiving elements such as phototransistors and photodiodes. In addition, it is preferable that the light receiving unit 62 has a slit at the light emission portion and suppresses light diffusion. However, a configuration in which light is diffused may be employed without adopting such a configuration.

  When the light emitting unit 61 adopts a direct type, the configuration is not limited to a configuration in which a large number of light emitting diodes are arranged, and a linear light source having a longitudinal direction in the main scanning direction may be used. Specifically, a cathode fluorescent lamp (CFL), a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), or electroluminescence (EL) can be used as the line light source. is there. In addition, the light emitting unit 61 may use a laser oscillator, a lamp, or the like that can generate laser light such as visible light or infrared light.

  Further, as the light emitting unit, an edge light type configuration may be adopted without adopting the direct type. In this case, the light emitting unit includes a light source disposed at an end in the main scanning direction, a reflector that reflects light from the light source toward the main scanning direction, and the light travels inside and has the main scanning direction as a longitudinal direction. A light guide plate, a reflective member attached to the lower surface side, the side surface side, and the other end of the light guide plate in the longitudinal direction of the light guide plate, reflecting light; a diffusion film for diffusing the light emitted toward the upper surface side; And a reflective dot that is disposed on the lower surface of the light plate and diffuses light.

  Further, in order to measure the distance PG between the lens sheet 12 and the nozzle 33a, it is preferable that a gap detection sensor 70 exists on the lower surface of the carriage 30 in addition to the lens detection sensor 60. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the gap detection sensor 70 that detects the distance PG. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the gap detection sensor 70 includes a light emitting unit 71 and two light receiving units (a first light receiving unit 72a and a second light receiving unit 72b). The light emitting unit 71 includes a light emitting diode and irradiates the lens sheet 12 with light. The first light receiving unit 72a and the second light receiving unit 72b each have a light receiving element that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light received. The second light receiving unit 72b is provided at a position farther from the light emitting unit 71 than the first light receiving unit 72a.

  The light emitted from the light emitting unit 71 is applied to the lens sheet 12 and reflected. The reflected light is incident on the above-described light receiving element, and is converted into an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of light incident on the light receiving element. Here, when the distance PG is small, the light reflected by the lens sheet 12 is mainly incident on the first light receiving portion 72a, but only the diffused light is incident on the second light receiving portion 72b. Therefore, the output signal of the first light receiving unit 72a is larger than the output signal of the second light receiving unit 72b.

  On the other hand, when the distance PG is large, the reflected light is mainly incident on the second light receiving portion 72b, and only the diffused light is incident on the first light receiving portion 72b. Therefore, the output signal of the second light receiving unit 72b is larger than the output signal of the first light receiving unit 72a. For this reason, if the relationship between the ratio of the output signals of the first light receiving unit 72a and the second light receiving unit 72b and the distance PG is obtained in advance, the distance PG corresponding to the lens sheet 12 or the like based on the ratio of the output signals. Can be detected. In this case, information regarding the relationship between the ratio of the output signals of the light receiving units 72a and 72b and the distance PG may be stored in the ROM 102 or the nonvolatile memory 104 as a table.

  Such output signal detection is performed while driving the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction. In this driving, the distance PG in the main scanning direction of the lens sheet 12 can be detected by corresponding to the position detection of the linear encoder 80 described later.

  The gap detection sensor 70 can also be used as the lens detection sensor 60 described above. In this case, if the optical axis of the light emitting unit 61 is disposed so as to be inclined, and the ratio of the output signals between the first light receiving unit 72a and the second light receiving unit 72b changes according to the distance PG, the gap It becomes possible to share the detection sensor 70 and the lens detection sensor 60.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the carriage mechanism 20 is provided with a linear encoder 80 corresponding to the position detecting means. The linear encoder 80 outputs a light toward the scale 81 in which a line pattern composed of a black printed portion and a transparent portion that transmits light is repeated, and outputs the light reflected from the scale 81 to the electric light. And a linear sensor 82 that converts the signal into a specific signal (encoder signal; hereinafter referred to as an ENC signal) and transmits the converted signal to the control unit 100.

  Next, the configuration of the signal forming unit 90 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the signal forming unit 90 includes a filter 91, an amplifier (AMP) 92, and a binarization processing unit 93. Among these, the filter 91 is connected to one end side of the signal line 94. The other end side of the signal line 94 is connected to the light receiving unit 62 (light receiving element 623) described above. For this reason, the analog signal generated in the light receiving unit 62 is transmitted to the filter 91 via the signal line 94, but the filter 91 removes frequency components other than the predetermined band from the analog signal (see FIG. 14). Is done. Thereby, a digital signal (lens signal) as shown in FIG. 14 is generated.

  The signal passing through the filter 91 is input to the AMP 92 and amplified to a predetermined voltage or the like (for example, 40 times). The amplified signal is then input to the binarization processing unit 93, and an H level or L level binary signal (2) depending on whether the input signal exceeds a threshold value. Value signal). In this state, the lens pitch of the lens sheet 12 can be measured by inputting a binarized signal to the control unit 100 described later and detecting the switching timing of the H / L signal.

  Next, the control unit 100 will be described. The control unit 100 is a part that performs various controls, and corresponds to a discharge control unit, a drive control unit, a determination unit, and a calculation unit, which will be described later in a modified example, and is for detecting a paper width (not shown). Output signals of a PW sensor, a lens detection sensor 60, a gap detection sensor 70, a linear sensor 82, a rotary encoder 132 to be described later, a power supply SW for turning on / off the printer 10, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 100 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102 for storing various programs, a RAM 103 for temporarily storing data, a nonvolatile memory (PROM) 104, an ASIC 105, a head driver 106, and the like. These are connected via a bus 107. A processing flow described below is realized by adding a circuit for performing such cooperation or specific processing.

  The configuration for executing the processing flows in FIGS. 15 and 16 below may be realized in hardware or in software.

  Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes an interface 131. The computer is connected to the computer 130 via the interface 131. The printer 10 includes a rotary encoder 132. Unlike the above-described linear encoder 80, the rotary encoder 132 is provided with a scale 132a in a disk shape. However, the other configuration is the same as that of the linear encoder 80.

<About the basic processing flow for printing>
A basic processing flow for performing printing in the case of operating the printer 10 using the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the inclination angle θ of the lens sheet 12 shown in FIG. 2 is recognized in advance on the printer 10 side, and the subsequent processing is performed by reflecting the inclination angle θ.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an outline of processing when printing is performed on the lens sheet 12 illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 15, first, processing for creating image data is performed (S10). When the computer 130 is connected to the printer 10, the image data is created by a program separately stored in a hard disk or the like on the computer 130 side. Further, when the computer 130 is not connected to the printer 10, the program is separately stored in a storage part on the printer 10 side.

  Next, printing is performed based on the image data created in S10 (S20). When printing is performed, one of the rotating mechanisms described above (either the oblique scanning mechanism 26 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 or the oblique ejection mechanisms 27a and 27b shown in FIGS. 6 and 7) is activated. Then, printing is executed.

<Processing flow for creating image data>
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an outline of a process for creating image data. As shown in FIG. 16, first, image data transformation processing is performed (S101). This image will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 17A shows an image of image data corresponding to the normal printer 10. In this case, if printing is performed by a normal printer 10 that does not include the oblique scanning mechanism 26, the four pieces of image data shown in FIG. 17A are combined to form a rectangular print image on the lens sheet 12. It is formed.

  However, if the image data in FIG. 17A is not processed, and the oblique scanning mechanism 26 is operated as it is and printing is performed in a state where the image data is inclined by a predetermined inclination angle θ, the printing created after printing is performed. The image appears to be in a state equivalent to printing based on the image data shown in FIG. That is, if no correspondence is made to the predetermined inclination angle θ, the printed image after printing will be in a state of rising to the right.

  Therefore, when image data is created after the oblique scanning mechanism 26 is operated, first, an inclination angle that rises to the right by the operation of the oblique scanning mechanism 26 based on each of the original image data shown in FIG. In order to cancel out the amount of θ, it is deformed so as to fall to the right by the amount of the inclination angle θ. At this time, the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, resolution conversion processing and image composition processing are performed on each original image data.

  Further, when the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b are operated, the image data in FIG. 19 (A) is tilted by a predetermined inclination angle θ by operating the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b as it is without any processing. When printing is performed in a state, a print image created after printing is apparently equivalent to a state where printing is performed based on the image data shown in FIG. That is, if no correspondence is made to the predetermined inclination angle θ, the printed image after printing is in the state shown in FIG.

  Therefore, when image data is created after the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b are operated, first, the upper portions are operated by the operation of the oblique discharge mechanisms 27a and 27b based on the original image data shown in FIG. Is processed so that the upper part is inclined to the right by the inclination angle θ, so that the inclination angle θ is offset to the left. At this time, the state shown in FIG.

  After the processing of S101 as described above, processing for creating and combining strip images is performed (S102). In the processing for creating the strip image, resolution conversion processing and image composition processing are performed on each original image data.

  Here, in the resolution conversion process, for example, when the print size is 100 mm (horizontal; main scanning direction) × 148 mm (vertical; sub-scanning direction), the lens resolution is 60 LPI, and the printing resolution is 1440 dpi, the number of pixels in the main scanning direction is 236 pixels (≈148 / 25.4 / 1440)). Note that 236 pixels at this time is the number of convex lenses 12A1 in the main scanning direction.

  After such resolution conversion, image composition processing is performed. At this time, strip-shaped image data are combined while considering the number of pixels of each parallax that can be arranged in one convex lens 12A1. For example, when the number of parallaxes is 4, the number of pixels per parallax in one convex lens 12A1 is 6 pixels (= (1440/60) / 4). Here, when combining strip images, image data for one convex lens 12A1 (= 1 × 8390) is extracted in order from each original image data, and is multiplied by the number of pixels (= 6 × 8390). Then, the image data multiplied by the number of pixels is combined in the order of parallax. Thereby, strip-shaped image data (= 24 × 8390) for one convex lens 12A1 is completed. This process is repeated for the number of convex lenses 12A1. Then, the process of creating and combining strip images by combining the strip-shaped image data ends (states of FIGS. 18C and 20C).

  Thereafter, halftone processing or the like is performed on the image data created by the image composition processing (S103). In addition to the halftone process, it is preferable to perform the color conversion process from the RGB system to the CMYK system that can be expressed by the printer 10, and it is also preferable to perform the creation of print data. The print data includes raster data indicating the dot recording state during scanning in the main scanning direction, data indicating the feed amount in the sub-scanning direction, and the like.

<About the processing flow during printing>
Next, a processing flow during printing will be described with reference to FIG. First, it is determined whether or not ink droplets are ejected with reference to the edge of the lens sheet 12 (S201). In this determination, when ink droplets are ejected using the edge as a reference (in the case of Yes), the ink droplets are set to be ejected based on the ENC signal (S202). Here, the case where the ENC signal is used as a reference is a case where a certain condition is satisfied, for example, the lens pitch is accurate.

  In the above-described determination of S201, when ink droplets are ejected without using the edge as a reference (in the case of No), a setting is made to eject ink droplets based on the lens signal (S203). In this case, printing is executed while detecting the lens pitch of the lens sheet 12 using the lens detection sensor 60 described above.

  In addition, after the settings in S202 and S203 described above are completed, the diagonal printing setting is turned on in order to correspond to the diagonal printing (S204). At this time, in the configuration including the oblique scanning mechanism 26, the carriage shaft 21 rotates by the inclination angle θ. In the configuration including the oblique ejection mechanisms 27a and 27b, the carriage shaft 21 does not tilt, and the print head 32 rotates by the tilt angle θ.

  Then, after the setting in S204 described above, the printing corresponding to each setting is executed (S205). Printing is executed as described above. When printing is executed, a print image shown in FIGS. 18D and 20D is formed.

  According to the printer 10 having such a configuration, when the oblique scanning mechanism 26 or the oblique ejection mechanism 27 is provided, the print head 32 is rotated by the oblique scanning mechanism 26 or the oblique ejection mechanism 27 so as to follow the length of the convex lens 12A1. Can be made. Thereby, also in the lens sheet 12 as shown in FIG. 2, the dots formed by the ejection of the ink droplets from the print head 32 can be along the longitudinal direction of the convex lens 12A1. Further, it is possible to prevent dots formed by ejection of ink droplets from existing (not straddling) between the convex lens 12A1 and the convex lens 12A1. Therefore, when a parallax image is printed, the print quality can be improved, for example, the switching of the image for each parallax is improved.

  In addition, the number of parallaxes can be increased by increasing the printing width per convex lens 12A1. In addition, it is not necessary to cut out a printed image as in the prior art, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary portions from being generated on paper, lens sheets, and the like.

  Further, in the oblique scanning mechanism 26 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the one end side 21 a of the carriage shaft 21 is provided so as to be slidable via the driving force of the motor and the slide plate 261. Therefore, the carriage shaft 21 can be rotated with the other end side 21b as a fulcrum, and the print head 32 can be inclined according to the inclination of the convex lens 12A1 by the rotation. Thereby, good printing can be realized. In addition, in the oblique scanning mechanism 26, as shown in FIG. 23, not only the inclination angle of the print head 32 but also the sliding direction of the print head 32 is inclined. For this reason, the dots formed on the lens sheet 12 by the ejection of ink droplets are the same as those printed on a normal lens sheet in which the convex lens 12A1 is not inclined. Thereby, it is possible to further improve the printing quality for the lens sheet 12.

  Furthermore, in the oblique ejection mechanisms 27a and 27b shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the carriage head 21 does not rotate, but the print head 32 can be rotated. As a result, the print head 32 can be rotated in accordance with the inclination angle θ of the convex lens 12A1, and the dots formed by the ejection of the ink droplet do not exist between the adjacent convex lenses 12A1, but the valleys of the convex lens 12A1. Etc. Therefore, it is possible to improve the printing quality for the lens sheet 12.

  Further, the lens sheet 12 has a rectangular appearance, and an edge portion is provided in parallel with the reference direction L. Thereby, the reference direction L of the lens sheet 12 is parallel to the edge, and the user can easily understand the reference direction L at the time of visual recognition. Further, it becomes easy to perform operations such as paper feeding in the printer 10.

  In the present embodiment, the reference direction L of the lens sheet 12 is inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to the length of the convex lens 12A1. For this reason, when the lens sheet 12 is rotated, the angle of the surface of the convex lens 12A1 changes not only in the direction crossing the convex lens 12A1, but also in the reference direction L of the lens sheet 12. Accordingly, the compressed original image data constituting the parallax image can be arranged not only in a straight line in the transverse direction but also in a planar shape, and when viewing parallax images corresponding to a plurality of parallaxes, the parallax image Can be smoothly switched, and a natural impression can be given to the visually recognizing user.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be variously modified. This will be described below.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, only one lens detection sensor 60 is provided in a part that is separated from the home position. However, the number of lens detection sensors 60 is not limited to one, and a plurality of lens detection sensors 60 may be provided on the carriage 30. For example, when the lens detection sensors 60 are attached to both ends of the lower surface of the carriage 30 in the main scanning direction, the lens pitch can be measured before printing in each reciprocation of the carriage 30, and the lens sheet. 12 can be executed by reciprocation.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ENC signal and the lens signal are pulse signals, and the encoder cycle information / lens cycle information is the positive edge / negative edge. However, the ENC signal and the lens signal may be analog signals. When these are analog signals, a count value or the like can be calculated if the predetermined threshold value of the voltage is encoder period information / lens period information.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lens sheet 12 has a configuration in which many convex lenses 12A1 are arranged. However, the lens sheet is not limited to this, and may be a lens sheet in which a large number of concave lenses are arranged. . In this case, it is preferable that the above-described processes are based on the detection of a negative edge instead of a positive edge.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where printing is performed on the lens sheet 12 having the specified inclination angle θ is described. However, the control unit 100 or the like may perform processing for calculating how much the tilt angle (the tilt angle θ in FIG. 2) is. For this calculation, for example, as shown in FIG. 22, a distance Q between a point A and a point B separated from the point A by a predetermined distance along the sub-scanning direction is measured. Further, the distance AL to the valley portion existing on either the right side or the left side (right side in FIG. 22) with respect to the point A on the straight line along the crossing direction of the convex lens 12A1 perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction, and the above-described crossing The distance BL to the valley portion existing on either the right side or the left side of the point B in the direction (right side in FIG. 22) is measured. Then, after the measurement of the distances AL, BL and the distance Q is completed, the inclination angle θ is subsequently calculated. When θ is expressed in degrees, the inclination angle θ is obtained by θ = ATAN (Δ / Q) × 180 / π. Note that Δ is a difference between the distance BL and the distance AL. As described above, the inclination angle θ of the convex lens 12A1 is calculated.

  In this way, the lens sheet 12 is a normal lens sheet or the convex lens 12A1 is inclined by scanning the print head 32 so as to pass through the points A and B as in the printer 10 described above. It can be determined whether or not For this reason, even when it is determined that the head is inclined, it is possible to make a good print by distinguishing it from a normal lens sheet. That is, the convex lens 12A1 is inclined, and it is possible to eject ink droplets corresponding to this lens pitch and to correspond to oblique printing.

  As shown in FIG. 22, when the lens pitch is measured at two points, the inclination angle θ with respect to one direction of the longitudinal direction of the convex lens 12A1 can be appropriately calculated, and the inclination angle of the convex lens 12A1 is taken into consideration. Thus, it is possible to eject ink droplets at appropriate positions. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the print image from being shifted or bent as in the case of ejecting ink droplets without considering the inclination angle of the convex lens 12A1.

  In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 is not limited to a printer that only performs printing, and may be a complex printer that also functions as a copy / fax / scanner. In the above-described embodiment, a direct drawing type case in which a print image is directly printed on the lens sheet 12 is described. However, it is of course possible to apply the present invention to a separation type in which a separately printed product is bonded to a lens sheet. When a printer having a scanner function is used, the scanner function corresponds to a part of the scanner unit and the determination unit.

  At this time, the scanner function irradiates the lens sheet 12 with light, and outputs the read data of the lens sheet 12 while irradiating the lens sheet 12 with light. In this case, since a plurality of convex lenses 12A1 are arranged on the lens sheet 12, information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution of the lens sheet 12 is also included in the read data. Further, the control unit 100 calculates pattern information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution from the read data, and further calculates the lens pitch or lens resolution based on the measurement of the pattern information.

  In this way, if the lens sheet 12 is read using the scanner function, the lens pitch or the lens resolution can be calculated easily and automatically. In addition, the inclination angle of the convex lens 12A1 with respect to one direction in the longitudinal direction can be appropriately calculated. Therefore, it is possible to eject ink droplets at an appropriate position in consideration of the inclination angle of the convex lens 12A1. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the print image from being shifted or bent as in the case of ejecting ink droplets without considering the inclination angle of the convex lens 12A1.

It is front sectional drawing which shows the structure of the lens detection sensor which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows schematic structure of a lens sheet. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the rotation mechanism which moves the one end side of a carriage shaft. It is a perspective view which shows the structure which looked at the rotation mechanism from the outer side of the side plate. It is a bottom view which shows the rotation mechanism in which a printing head rotates. It is a perspective view which shows the rotation mechanism rotated between a carriage and an attachment member. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a portion related to paper feeding of the printer. It is a bottom view which shows the lower surface of a carriage. It is a sectional side view showing the shape near a platen. It is side sectional drawing which shows structures, such as a lens detection sensor. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of a gap sensor. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a signal output part. It is a figure which shows the analog signal and digital signal of lens pitch detection. It is a figure which shows the basic processing flow for performing printing. It is a figure which shows the outline of the process for producing image data. It is a figure which shows the image when not processing using an oblique scanning mechanism. It is a figure which shows the image which performs an appropriate image process using an oblique scanning mechanism. It is a figure which shows the image when not processing using an oblique discharge mechanism. It is a figure which shows the image which performs an appropriate image process using an oblique discharge mechanism. It is a figure which shows the processing flow for performing printing. It is a figure which shows calculation of an inclination angle, and shows a lens signal.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printer, 12 ... Lens sheet, 12A1 ... Convex lens, 20 ... Carriage mechanism, 21 ... Carriage shaft (corresponding to a support shaft), 26 ... Oblique scanning mechanism (corresponding to rotation mechanism), 27 ... Oblique ejection mechanism (rotation) 30 ... carriage, 50 ... platen, 60 ... lens detection sensor (corresponding to lens detection means), 61 ... light emitting unit, 62 ... light receiving unit, 80 ... linear encoder, 81 ... scale, 100 ... control unit ( 261 ... slide plate (corresponding to slide member), 277 ... motor (corresponding to drive means)

Claims (7)

A lens sheet for forming a parallax image corresponding to a plurality of parallaxes on one surface, with a plurality of lenses having one direction as a longitudinal axis, and a rotation axis for viewing the parallax image A printer for executing printing on a lens sheet whose direction is inclined with respect to the one direction;
A print head for ejecting ink droplets to the lens sheet;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the print head in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the lens;
Discharge control means for controlling the discharge timing of ink droplets from the print head in a state where the print head is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the lens by the rotation mechanism;
A printer comprising: The rotation mechanism is
A slide member that supports one end of a support shaft that supports the slide of the print head and is slidable;
Driving means for applying a driving force for sliding the slide member;
The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: The rotation mechanism is
An attachment portion attached to a support shaft that supports the slide of the print head;
A rotation mechanism that is rotatably provided between the attachment portion and a carriage on which the print head is provided;
Driving means for applying a driving force for rotation to the rotation mechanism;
The printer according to claim 1, further comprising: A determination means for determining whether one direction of the lens sheet is inclined with respect to the rotation axis direction;
Drive control means for controlling and driving the drive means according to the state of the inclination when the determination means determines that the one direction is inclined with respect to the rotation axis direction;
The printer according to claim 2, further comprising: A lens detection unit that outputs a lens signal corresponding to the lens pitch of the lens in the lens sheet by scanning the lens sheet, and
The determination unit compares the lens signals output from the lens detection unit at different parts in the sub-scanning direction, and calculates the tilt angle of the lens with respect to the one direction by the comparison.
The printer according to claim 4. The determination means includes
A scanner unit that irradiates light to the lens sheet, reads light reflected from the lens sheet, and outputs read data corresponding to the lens sheet;
Calculating the pattern information corresponding to the lens pitch or lens resolution of the lens from the read data, and calculating the lens pitch or lens resolution based on the measurement of the pattern information;
The printer according to claim 4, further comprising: The lens sheet has a rectangular outer appearance due to the outer edges of the four sides, and the outer edges are provided in parallel to the rotation axis direction.
The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:

Images