JP2009119791A - Image engraving apparatus and image engraving method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in which no highly accurate hidden image can be formed because a wall face or a bottom shape of a groove is different depending on an angle when the hidden image is imbedded by forming striped grooves of different angles, in an image engraving apparatus which forms an image by engraving on a special synthetic paper or a plastic thin plate by scanning through relative movement between an engraving needle and a plate to be engraved. <P>SOLUTION: With a rotary driving part provided in an image engraving apparatus, engraving is performed by equalizing the extending direction of the striped grooves of a hidden image and the forming direction of engraving. As a result, the wall face of the grooves is always formed by the same side of the engraving needle, eliminating ruggedness caused on the wall face of the grooves and similarly making the bottom face uniformly shaped. Consequently, accuracy of the hidden image is increased to further enhance the effect as the hidden image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  When engraving a hidden image formed by striped grooves with different angles on an image card on which an image is formed by engraving on a cardboard made of paper or plastic, the striped grooves can be accurately engraved The present invention relates to a simple image engraving apparatus.

  There is an image engraving apparatus that performs engraving on a thin plate made of paper or plastic by a relative movement of an engraving needle and an engraved plate (image card) (see Patent Document 1). In this image engraving apparatus, a plate to be engraved mounted on a base (support) reciprocates in the horizontal direction, and the engraving needle lowered from the vertical direction contacts the plate to be engraved and scrapes the surface. By changing the thickness direction of the plate to be engraved, openwork is performed.

  The engraved board (image card) thus engraved is used as a personal authentication card or a security sheet for important documents (see Patent Documents 2 and 3). These image cards used as security documents have a technical requirement to show their correctness by embedding a hidden image, but there has been no method for forming a hidden image in the engraving.

  As a prior art, there has been a method of distinguishing an original printed material from a copy of the printed material by printing a striped pattern of line patterns arranged at different angles (Patent Document 4). There was no method of embedding a hidden image using a three-dimensional shape of an object or a method of forming a combination of a hidden image and an openwork in the same plane.

  Therefore, it is possible to embed a hidden image by forming the stripe-shaped grooves at different angles. However, in the conventional image engraving apparatus as shown in Patent Document 1, depending on the angle of the stripe-shaped grooves. Unevenness appears on the stripe wall. Due to the difference, when observed from above the plane, the difference due to the stripe-like angle is visible, and there is a problem that the image is not hidden.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-024394 JP 2007-118395 A JP 2007-130855 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-297077

  The problem to be solved is that, when an image card created by engraving is used to form a hidden image using striped grooves at different angles, the wall surface of the striped grooves is engraved with high accuracy. It was a point that could not be done.

  The image engraving apparatus of the present invention includes an engraving needle driving unit that drives an engraving needle in a vertical direction and an engraving plate driving unit that drives an engraved plate in a horizontal direction, and the engraving needle and the engraved plate An image engraving apparatus for engraving the plate to be engraved in a scanning manner by relative motion of the plate, having a rotation drive unit that rotates the plate to be engraved in a horizontal direction, and rotated by a predetermined angle by the rotation drive unit. The main feature is to form a striped groove by engraving a to-be-engraved plate in a scanning manner.

  The image engraving method of the present invention comprises engraving needle driving means for driving the engraving needle in the vertical direction and engraved plate driving means for driving the plate to be engraved in the horizontal direction, the engraving needle and the plate to be engraved An image engraving method performed using an image engraving apparatus for engraving the engraved plate in a scanning manner by relative movement of the image engraving, the image engraving apparatus having a rotation driving means for rotating the engraved plate in a horizontal direction The striped grooves are formed by performing engraving on the plate to be engraved rotated at a predetermined angle by the rotation driving means.

  The image engraving apparatus of the present invention includes an engraving needle driving unit that drives an engraving needle in a vertical direction and an engraving plate driving unit that drives an engraved plate in a horizontal direction, and the engraving needle and the engraved plate An image engraving apparatus for engraving the plate to be engraved in a scanning manner by relative motion of the plate, having a rotation drive unit that rotates the plate to be engraved in a horizontal direction, and rotated by a predetermined angle by the rotation drive unit. The most important feature is to form a striped groove by engraving a to-be-engraved plate in a scanning manner. Therefore, when forming a hidden image by engraving with different angles of the striped groove Further, by matching the engraving groove angle and the engraving direction, the unevenness generated on the wall surface of the striped groove is eliminated, and the striped groove can be engraved with high accuracy. As a result, the effect of the hidden image as a hidden image is enhanced.

  The image engraving method of the present invention comprises engraving needle driving means for driving the engraving needle in the vertical direction and engraved plate driving means for driving the plate to be engraved in the horizontal direction, the engraving needle and the plate to be engraved An image engraving method performed using an image engraving apparatus for engraving the engraved plate in a scanning manner by relative movement of the image engraving, the image engraving apparatus having a rotation driving means for rotating the engraved plate in a horizontal direction The striped groove is formed by scanning the engraving plate rotated at a predetermined angle by the rotation driving means to form the striped groove, so that the angle of the striped groove is varied. When engraving and forming a hidden image, by aligning the angle of the engraving groove with the engraving direction, the unevenness generated on the wall surface of the striped groove is eliminated, and the striped groove is accurately engraved. Became possible. As a result, the effect of the hidden image as a hidden image is enhanced.

  The image engraving apparatus of the present invention has a problem that the shape of the groove differs depending on the angle when the hidden image is formed by the striped groove having an angle different from the image card on which the image is formed by engraving. The problem has been solved by providing the image engraving apparatus with a rotation drive unit for making the groove direction coincide with the engraving direction.

[Hidden image]
First, an image card (a plate to be engraved) embedded with a hidden image formed by striped grooves having different angles will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a view of an image card (a plate to be engraved) as viewed from vertically above.

  In FIG. 1, an English letter “A” is drawn. The character portion is a striped pattern formed by a horizontal striped groove, and the non-character portion is a vertical striped pattern. It is formed. In the horizontal stripe pattern and the vertical stripe pattern, the line width and the distance between the lines are formed to be equal to each other, and thus the image density is the same. If the image is separated from the eye by a distance where the line pattern is not clear, it becomes difficult to discriminate what is written in the image.

  In engraving with an actual image engraving apparatus, it is possible to form 10 lines within a width of 1 mm, so that the horizontal width of the entire rectangle including the characters shown in FIG. Yes, with the naked eye from above, it is difficult to recognize the image of the “A” character, which is a hidden image.

  However, it is possible to discriminate characters by observing the image from a direction parallel to the respective striped patterns in the oblique direction.

[Device configuration]
Next, an image engraving apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is a top view (A) and a side view (B) of the image engraving apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention.

  The image engraving apparatus 1 includes an engraving needle 2, an engraving needle support bar 3, an engraving needle drive unit 4, an engraving needle support bridge 5, an engraving needle support column 6, an engraving apparatus support base 7, an X direction moving stage 8, and a Y direction moving. It has a stage 9, a rotary stage 10, an X-direction drive unit 11 (sculpted plate drive unit), a Y-direction drive unit 12 (engraved plate drive unit), and a rotation drive unit 13.

  An image card 100, which is a plate to be engraved, is fixed on the rotary stage 10 of the image engraving apparatus 1. In the side view of FIG. 1 (B), the Y-direction transition stage 9 is placed in the direction indicated by the arrow Y in the figure. A cross-sectional view of the image card 100 is shown, showing the slit 100s formed by the engraving needle 2 by moving.

  The engraving needle 2 has a cutting edge made of diamond or cemented carbide at the tip, and engraves by scraping the surface of the image card 100.

  The engraving needle support bar 3 supports the engraving needle 2 and is movable in the vertical direction by the engraving needle driving unit 4.

  The engraving needle drive unit 4 is fixed to the engraving needle support bridge 5 and drives the engraving needle support bar 3 in the vertical direction to adjust the depth direction (arrow Z axis direction) for engraving.

  The engraving needle support bridge 5 is fixed to the engraving needle support column 6 and becomes a base of the engraving needle driving unit 4. The engraving needle support bridge 5 and the engraving needle support bar 3 are connected by an engraving needle rail mechanism 5r, and the engraving needle support bar 3 can be slid in the vertical direction by the engraving needle driving unit 4.

  The engraving needle support column 6 is fixed to the engraving support base 7 and supports the engraving needle support bridge 5.

  The engraving apparatus support base 7 is a fixed base of the image engraving apparatus 1.

  The X-direction moving stage 8 is a stage (base) that can move on the engraving apparatus support base 7 in the X-axis direction indicated by the arrow X by a rail mechanism similar to the engraving needle rail mechanism 5r (not shown).

  The Y-direction moving stage 9 is a stage (base) movable on the X-direction moving stage 8 in the Y-axis direction indicated by an arrow Y by a rail mechanism similar to the engraving needle rail mechanism 5r (not shown).

  The rotary stage 10 is a rotatable stage (base) that is pivotally supported on a Y-direction moving stage 9 by a rotary mechanism disposed below the rotary stage 10. An image card 100 that is a plate to be engraved is fixed on a rotary stage. As a fixing method, the image card 100 is fixed by vacuum suction or the like from a fine hole opened on the rotary stage 10.

  The X direction drive unit 11 (the engraving plate drive unit) is a moving mechanism unit that moves the X direction moving stage in the X axis direction. The X-direction drive unit 11 includes a drive stepping motor 11m, a pinion 11p attached to the rotation shaft of the motor, a rack 11r attached to the edge of the X-direction movement stage 8, and a non-attachment attached to the lower part of the X-direction movement stage 8. It is comprised from the rail mechanism of illustration.

  The Y direction driving unit 12 (the engraving plate driving unit) is a moving mechanism unit that moves the Y direction moving stage in the Y axis direction. The Y-direction drive unit 12 includes the same motor, rack and pinion, and rail mechanism as the X-direction drive unit 11.

The rotation drive unit 13 is a mechanism unit that rotates the rotation stage 10, and includes a rotation mechanism that pivotally supports a motor, a rack and pinion, and a rotation stage disposed below the rotation stage, similar to the X-direction drive unit 11.
[Engraving procedure]
FIG. 3A illustrates a engraving method in an image engraving apparatus that does not have a conventional rotation driving unit.

  In FIG. 3A, the engraving method of the English letter “A” shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

  In the center of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, an engraving needle 2 for engraving and an engraving needle support bar 3 are arranged. When engraving, the surface of the image card is scraped off by the engraving needle 2 as the image card 110 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow Y. A groove is formed.

  In the conventional type shown in FIG. 3A, since there is no rotation drive unit, when forming a character portion, the engraving scanning direction does not coincide with the character groove direction. Raise and lower to process. As a result, the quality of formation of the wall surface and bottom surface of the groove is greatly different between the groove (part other than the character) coincident with the scanning direction and the groove (character part) perpendicular to the scanning direction, and the scanning direction of the engraving and the groove direction of the character In a portion where the two do not match, a phenomenon occurs in which the wall surface and the bottom surface are uneven.

  The enlarged view of the groove | channel formed in FIG. 4 is shown. Grooves are formed by movement in the Y-axis direction of FIG. 4, but the wall surface 115Wy of the groove whose engraving direction coincides with the extension direction of the groove has a straight wall surface, but the extension direction of the groove The wall surface 115Wx of the groove whose engraving direction is shifted by 90 degrees is uneven as shown in the figure.

  A similar effect occurs not only on the wall surface but also on the bottom surface of the groove, and as a result, the shape of the groove varies depending on the angle in the direction of extension of the groove. A hidden image can be seen by observation from above.

  Compared to this, the image engraving apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the rotary stage 10 and the rotation driving unit 13, so that the extension direction of the groove can coincide with the engraving direction.

  An actual engraving procedure will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the image card 100 is sequentially engraved with a groove other than the characters whose groove direction and engraving direction coincide with each other from the left side of the image.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (C), the image card 100 is rotated 90 degrees in the direction of the rotation arrow Rc by the rotation drive unit, and the striped grooves of the character portion (“A” portion) coincide with the engraving direction. And engraving.

  An enlarged view of the groove engraved by the method shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C is shown in FIG.

  The wall surface 105Wy of the groove extending in the Y-axis direction and the wall surface 105Wx of the groove extending in the X-axis direction in FIG. 5 can form an uneven wall surface because the engraving direction of the engraving needle 2 is the same as the extending direction of the groove. It was.

[Effect of Example]
When forming striped grooves with different angles by the image engraving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rotation driving unit is rotated in accordance with the angle of the striped groove, and then the horizontal driving unit. Since the image card is moved by this movement to form a groove, the extending direction of the groove is the same as the engraving direction of the groove, and it is possible to finish the side and bottom shapes of the groove uniformly. In addition, the necessity of driving the engraving needle in the vertical direction is reduced, and as a result, the working time can be shortened. Further, the occurrence of jaggies (unevenness) on the groove side surface of the image is eliminated, and the image accuracy is remarkably improved.

[Others]
In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of a hidden image is shown by assigning two stripe patterns intersecting at an angle of 90 degrees with the lightness and darkness of the image as two values. However, the lightness and darkness of the image is not limited to binary values. It is also possible to use a value or more (for example, 256 values expressed by 8 bits). In these cases, various images can be displayed by changing the angle of the viewpoint.

  As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the image formed by the image card may be a character, a photographic image, or a figure.

  In the image engraving apparatus 1 shown in the embodiment, the drive stage and the drive mechanism associated therewith overlap in the order of the Y-direction drive stage, the X-direction drive stage, and the rotary drive stage from the base side. For example, the rotational drive unit may be in the lowermost part, or the X-direction drive stage and the Y-direction drive stage may be in a different order. In addition, other different mechanisms may be used as long as the rotation driving unit and the horizontal driving unit are combined to form grooves at different angles in a scanning manner on the image card.

It is an example of the hidden image formed by the striped groove engraved on the image card. It is the upper side figure and side view of the image engraving apparatus of an Example of this invention (Example 1). (Example 1) which is a figure which shows the difference in the production method of an image card with the conventional image engraving apparatus and the image engraving apparatus of the Example of this invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the groove shape at the time of engraving a hidden image with the conventional image engraving apparatus. It is a schematic explanatory drawing of the groove shape at the time of engraving a hidden image with the image engraving apparatus of the Example of this invention (Example 1).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image engraving apparatus 2 Engraving needle 3 Engraving needle support bar 4 Engraving needle drive part 5 Engraving needle support bridge 6 Engraving needle support pillar 7 Engraving apparatus support base 8 X direction movement stage 9 Y direction movement stage 10 Rotation stage 11 X direction drive (Sculpture plate drive)
12 Y-direction drive unit (sculpture plate drive unit)
13 Rotation Drive Unit 100 Image Card of the Embodiment of the Present Invention (Engraved Plate)
110 Conventional engraved image card (sculpture board)

Claims (5)

An engraving needle driving unit for driving the engraving needle in a vertical direction;
An engraved plate driving unit that drives the engraved plate in the horizontal direction,
An image engraving device for engraving the engraved plate in a scanning manner by relative movement of the engraving needle and the engraved plate,
It has a rotation drive part that rotates the plate to be engraved in the horizontal direction,
An image engraving apparatus characterized in that a striped groove is formed by performing engraving on a plate to be engraved rotated at a predetermined angle by the rotation driving unit. The image engraving apparatus according to claim 1,
The image engraving apparatus, wherein the rotation driving unit rotates so that an extending direction of the striped groove and an engraving direction by the engraving needle coincide with each other. The image engraving apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An image engraving apparatus characterized in that a hidden image is engraved by forming the striped grooves formed in the engraved plate at different angles according to the degree of shading of the image. The image engraving apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An image engraving apparatus characterized by engraving the hidden image with a striped groove that has a binary shade of the image and that directly crosses the binary shade. Engraving needle driving means for driving the engraving needle in the vertical direction;
Engraving plate driving means for driving the engraved plate in the horizontal direction,
An image engraving method performed using an image engraving apparatus for engraving the engraved plate in a scanning manner by relative movement of the engraving needle and the engraved plate,
The image engraving apparatus has a rotation driving means for rotating the plate to be engraved in the horizontal direction,
An image engraving method comprising: forming a striped groove by performing engraving on a plate to be engraved rotated at a predetermined angle by the rotation driving means.

Images