JP2020059019A - Syringe for decorative ink, syringe set and decoration system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a decorative ink which can easily give a special design with unevenness on demand, and a decoration method with use of the decorative ink.SOLUTION: A syringe 30 for decorative ink comprises: a cylindrical body part 31; and a storage medium 36 which is provided on the body part 31, and stores ink information which includes at least recommendation discharge part shape, recommendation discharge pressure, and recommendation syringe movement speed, and enables discharge of a decorative ink 10. Further, a decoration system 1 comprises: a syringe 30 for accommodating the decorative ink 10; a syringe holder 52; a dispenser 40; mobile devices 50, 60, 70; a reading device 48; and a control device 80. The reading device 48 is located at a position facing the storage medium 36 of the syringe 30 mounted on the syringe holder 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a decorative ink syringe, a syringe set, and a decorative system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a demand for imparting a high-class feeling and a special design by providing irregularities to daily necessities such as cosmetic cases and mobile phone cases, and exterior materials of electronic devices. Such a partially uneven design is generally prepared, for example, when a main body such as a case or an exterior material is manufactured by preparing a mold having unevenness corresponding to the intended design, and Mold integrally. However, this method requires a mold to be prepared at the time of manufacturing the main body, and is suitable for mass production. However, it is necessary to meet the demand (demand) of a design that satisfies various user preferences. The load is large in order to easily form a number. Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed to perform pseudo embossing printing (also referred to as 2.5D printing) with plateless and unevenness by an inkjet printer using a UV curable resin as ink (for example, Patent Document 1). 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5805633 Japanese Patent No. 50010077

  Printing by the inkjet method has an advantage that a highly accurate uneven shape can be printed. However, since the inkjet method ejects ink as minute droplets on the order of picoliters, the printing time is extremely long even with 2.5D printing in which a three-dimensional convex portion is printed on a part of a plane (2D). There is a problem of becoming longer. For example, it takes several hours to print a convex portion that can be felt by touching with human hands. In addition to the use of colored ink, for example, there is a demand for the ink to contain decorative particles such as lame for the purpose of improving decorativeness. However, in the inkjet method, it is not possible to use an ink containing highly decorative particles having a size of about 1 μm or more or an ink containing a high concentration of pigment due to the structure of the discharge nozzle, and there is a limit to the width of lame decoration. .

  Therefore, the present inventor carries out three-dimensional printing (sometimes referred to as 2.5D printing) by supplying a decorative ink, which is not used in the inkjet method, to the object to be decorated using a syringe. I thought about doing it. At the same time, in order to realize various decorations, it is envisioned to provide decoration inks of various configurations. However, the decorative ink that enables 2.5D printing generally has a higher viscosity than the inkjet ink, for example, from the viewpoint of maintaining a three-dimensional shape or maintaining the dispersibility of the decorative particles. Liquidity is low. In addition, if the composition of the decorative ink is changed, its properties can change greatly. Therefore, for example, even if a syringe for liquid application and a digital syringe moving device are provided, the decorative ink cannot be ejected from the syringe depending on the property of the decorative ink, in other words, the decorative ink. It has been found that it is possible to frequently fall into a state in which it is not possible to find a discharge condition from the syringe according to the above. As a result, there is a problem that it takes time or a large amount of the adjusted decorative ink is consumed to find out the discharge condition of the decorative ink stored in the syringe.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the conventional technology, and an object thereof is to provide a syringe for containing 2.5D decorative ink, which is immediately used when the decorative ink is contained. It is to provide a technology that enables ejection and a peripheral technology.

  The technology disclosed herein provides a syringe for decorative ink. This decorative ink syringe (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “syringe”) is a syringe for containing a decorative ink suitable for 2.5D decoration, and includes a tubular body and An introducing portion for introducing a fluid into the main body portion, an ejecting portion for ejecting the decorative ink sent by the fluid, and an ejecting portion of the main body portion for ejecting the decorative ink including at least a recommended ejection pressure. And a storage medium for recording possible ink information.

  According to the above configuration, the decorative ink syringe can attach at least information regarding the recommended ejection pressure of the decorative ink to be stored. Therefore, even when various decorative inks are stored in a large number of syringes, the user reads the recommended ejection pressure recorded in the storage medium when any user uses the decorative ink-containing syringe. Printing can be started immediately. As a result, it is not necessary to search for ink ejection conditions from scratch, and various decorations can be easily performed in a short time. Further, the above configuration is preferable in the case where the syringe set is provided with a plurality of such syringes, and at least two syringes contain decorative inks different from each other, since the advantages thereof are particularly exhibited.

  A technique for accommodating the coating liquid in a syringe and supplying it to the substrate is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2. However, in the application of solder or adhesive to the printed wiring board described in Patent Document 2, there is almost no difference because the types and properties of the coating liquid used in one coating device are controlled to be constant. In other words, in this type of technical field, it is required that the amount of solder or adhesive applied does not vary, and therefore the properties of the coating liquid and the coating conditions are not significantly changed. Even if the solder or adhesive is improved, the discharge conditions do not change dramatically to the extent that they cannot be discharged at all, and when the syringe mounted on the coating device is replaced, the discharge conditions are changed each time the syringe is replaced. You don't have to explore. Therefore, this type of problem does not occur in the technical field of Patent Document 2.

  The technology disclosed herein also provides a decoration system. This decoration system includes a syringe containing a decoration ink, a syringe holder to which the syringe is detachably mounted, a dispenser for supplying a fluid to the syringe, and the syringe holder relative to the object to be decorated. A moving device for moving, a reading device, and a control device are provided. The syringe is any one of the syringes suitable for 2.5D decoration, or one of the syringes included in the syringe set, and the reading device is the syringe attached to the syringe holder. Is arranged at a position facing the above storage medium.

  According to the above configuration, by mounting the syringe on the syringe holder, the reading device can automatically read the ink information of the decorative ink contained in the syringe from the storage medium. As a result, the user does not need to manually read out the ink information such as the recommended ejection pressure, and the printing with the decorative ink can be started smoothly.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a technique for allowing a syringe for containing 2.5D decorative ink to immediately eject the decorative ink when containing the decorative ink.

It is a perspective view showing the composition of the decoration system concerning one embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the composition of the syringe concerning one embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the mode of the convex part drawn by the decoration system using decoration ink. It is a figure which illustrates a mode of a convex part drawn on a different condition by a decoration system using decoration ink. It is a figure which illustrates the mode of the convex part drawn by the decoration system using different decoration inks. It is a figure which illustrates a mode that the decorated object provided with an image was decorated.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that matters other than matters particularly referred to in the present specification (for example, the configuration of the decorative ink syringe and the decorative system) and matters necessary for carrying out the present invention (for example, details of the decorative ink (Configuration, adjustment method, etc.) can be understood based on the technical contents taught by the present specification and general technical common sense of those skilled in the art. The present invention can be carried out based on the contents disclosed in this specification and the common general technical knowledge in the field. In the present specification, the notation “A to B” indicating a range means A or more and B or less.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a decoration system 1 according to an embodiment. Reference characters U, D, F, Rr, L, and R in the drawings indicate up, down, and front, rear, left, and right in the vertical direction, respectively. However, the left and the right respectively mean the left and the right as seen from the operator in front of the decoration system 1, and the front and the rear are the directions from the decoration system 1 to the operator, respectively. The direction to move away is the rear. Reference numeral Y in the drawing represents the main scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. Reference symbol X in the drawing represents the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is a direction that intersects the main scanning direction Y, and in the present embodiment is a front-back direction that intersects the main scanning direction Y at a right angle in the horizontal plane. The symbol Z in the drawing represents the height direction. The height direction is a direction intersecting the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X, and the height direction Z is the vertical direction in this embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the directions X, Y, and Z can be spatial coordinate systems orthogonal to each other. However, the above directions are merely defined for convenience, and should not be interpreted in a limited manner.

  The decorating system 1 decorates the decorating object 5 placed on the table 20 by ejecting the decorating ink 10 contained in the syringe 30. The syringe 30 will be described below while describing the configuration of the decoration system 1. The decoration system 1 includes a table 20, a syringe 30, a syringe holder 52, a dispenser 40, moving devices 50, 60, 70, a reader / writer 38, and a control device 80.

  The syringe 30 is a container capable of containing the decorative ink, and its capacity, constituent material, etc. are not particularly limited. The syringe 30 is, for example, a resin syringe (syringe) having a capacity of about 1 mL to 500 mL. The syringe 30 may be made of a material that suppresses deterioration, deterioration, etc., depending on the properties of the decorative ink contained therein. For example, the syringe 30 may be made of a material capable of suppressing alteration of the decorative ink from at least one of oxygen, moisture, heat, light, electromagnetic waves, metal ions, microorganisms, enzymes and the like. For example, when the decorative ink to be contained contains a substance having a photo-curing property (for example, UV curable resin) or a photo-altering property, it is preferable that the syringe 30 has a light-shielding property (for example, UV-cutting property). . Further, for example, when the decorative ink to be contained contains a substance or the like that is susceptible to oxidative deterioration, the syringe 30 may be made of a material having low oxygen permeability. In the syringe 30, a part or all of the syringe may be colored transparent or colorless transparent for easy identification of the contents.

  The syringe 30 typically includes a tubular main body portion 31, an introduction portion 32 provided at one end of the main body portion 31 in the cylinder axial direction, and a discharge portion 34 provided at the other end. The introduction part 32 is usually an opening for accommodating the decorative ink, and is also an introduction port into which a fluid is introduced by the dispenser 40 described later. As a preferable example, the shape of the main body 31 and the shape of the introduction portion 32 in the cross section of the syringe 30 are the same. A flange portion 33 is provided at an end portion of the main body portion 31 on the introduction portion 32 side, the flange portion 33 protruding outward (outside the radius of the cross section). The flange portion 33 may be provided over the entire circumference of the introduction portion 32, or may be provided on a part of the peripheral edge of the introduction portion 32. In the syringe of the present embodiment, the flange portion 33 is extended at two opposing positions on the peripheral edge of the main body portion 31. The ejection unit 34 is usually an opening for ejecting the decorative ink from the syringe 30. The cross-sectional area of the discharge part 34 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the main body part 31. Further, the ejection portion 34 of the present embodiment is provided with a needle 35 that narrows the diameter of the ejection port. Instead of the needle 35, a conical ejection port tip (not shown) formed such that the diameter of the ejection port is tapered may be attached to the ejection unit 34. Further, these needles 35 and tips can be arbitrarily replaced with ones having various tip shapes and opening diameters.

  The syringe 30 is provided with a storage medium 36. The storage medium 36 has a function of storing ink information that enables the contained decorative ink to be ejected. The storage medium 36 only needs to be configured to be able to read ink information, and is more preferably read and write. The storage medium 36 may be configured to read the ink information in either a contact state or a non-contact state, and in one example, it is more preferable that the storage medium 36 is configured to be able to read the ink information in a non-contact state. The configuration of the storage medium 36 is not specifically limited, and for example, a storage medium having a size sufficiently smaller than that of the syringe 30 is preferable. Examples of the storage medium 36 include one that stores information in characters and symbols, one-dimensional code represented by a bar code, two-dimensional code represented by a QR code (registered trademark), IC tag, and the like. It may be an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tag or the like. However, the use of the one-dimensional code represented by a bar code and the like can be limited in that the amount of information that can be stored is limited and the dedicated reading device is relatively large. In addition, barcodes and QR codes (registered trademark) are dirty when the barcodes are used because it is necessary to recognize them as a figure with a camera or laser in order to read each tag with a laser. Usage may be limited in that it cannot be recognized when hidden. On the other hand, the RFID tag is a desirable storage medium 36 in that, in addition to being writable, a plurality of RFID tags can be read at the same time even if they are in contact or non-contact and hidden from the reading device. Above all, a passive type RFID tag that operates using radio waves from a reader as an energy source is particularly preferable. In the present specification, the RFID tag includes an IC (integrated circuit) capable of storing ID information and the like, and a short distance (depending on the frequency band, several cm to several m, for example, using an electromagnetic field or radio wave). 1 cm to 5 m) refers to a general device that can read and write information by wireless communication.

  The ink information includes at least the recommended ejection pressure. The ink information includes, in addition to the recommended ejection pressure, a syringe scanning speed, a line interval for solid coating, a combination of the ejection pressure for drawing a line with a specific thickness and a syringe scanning speed, and the like. Furthermore, the ink information may include information such as the minimum diameter of the ejection portion 34 or the needle 35 of the syringe 30 in which the decoration ink is stored, the average particle diameter of particles included in the decoration ink, and the like. These pieces of ink information may be included as one-point information for each item, or may be included as information of an ejectable area (for example, a numerical range determined by an upper limit value and a lower limit value). Good. Further, the ink information may include ID information for identifying the syringe, expiration date information in consideration of properties of the contained decorative ink, expiration date information after opening, and the like. In the storage medium 36, ink information about the decorative ink to be stored is stored at the same time as the decorative ink is stored in the syringe 30. The initial ink information including the recommended ejection pressure may be stored before the syringe 30 containing the decorative ink is provided to the user or used by the user. Therefore, the ink information may not be recorded in the storage medium 36 of the syringe 30 that does not contain the decorative ink. When the storage medium 36 is readable and writable, the date and time when the user first opened the syringe 30 can be added to the storage medium 36 as new ink information. The opening date and time of the syringe 30 may be written by a reader / writer 38 described later, or, for example, the date and time when the syringe 30 is first attached to the syringe holder 52 is automatically stored by automatically detecting it as an attachment signal. It may be configured to write to the medium 36. The opening date and time information may be stored in the control device 80 together with the ID information and the like. Further, it is configured such that new ink information can be added to the storage medium 36 not only before the user uses the decorative ink contained in the syringe 30 but also after the user starts using the contained decorative ink. May be. Such new ink information may be a combination of the ejection pressure and the syringe scanning speed suitable for the user to make a desired decoration.

  The storage medium 36 as described above may be provided at any position of the syringe 30 as long as the stored information can be read by the reading device. Since the above-mentioned one-dimensional code and two-dimensional code (these may be a recording medium) are generally required to be directly (for example, optically) readable by a reading device, for example, a position that is easily visible, For example, it is desirable to be arranged on the surface of the main body 31. On the other hand, the RFID and the IC chip are capable of exchanging information by using wireless communication by electromagnetic waves (for example, radio waves), and therefore, the arrangement with respect to the syringe 30 is not limited. As an example, since it is possible to confirm the correct mounting of the syringe 30, it is preferable to arrange the syringe 30 on the flange portion 33 as shown in FIG. 2, for example. For example, the flange portion 33 is preferably arranged at a position facing the reader / writer 38 provided in the syringe connection portion 48 of the dispenser 40 described later. The reader / writer 38 is an example of the reading device in the present invention. The reader / writer 38, when combined with the storage medium 36, is capable of reading information from the storage medium 36 and writing information to the storage medium 36. At least one of the storage medium 36 and the reader / writer 38 may be configured to be able to detect contact between the syringe 30 (for example, the storage medium 36) and the syringe connection part 48 (for example, the reader / writer 38).

  The decorative ink 10 disclosed here is an ink composition capable of forming a design due to unevenness on the base material by supplying the decoration target 5 (may be simply referred to as “base material”) with the syringe 30. It is a thing. The decorative ink 10 is a liquid (including a viscous body) in the state as it is. Then, the decorative ink 10 is supplied to a desired position on the base material in a desired form, and then cured as necessary to become a solid, thereby forming a convex portion having a desired design.

  The decorative ink 10 is required to be a non-Newtonian fluid in order to be able to form as high a convex portion as possible in one supply scan to the base material. The composition of the decorative ink 10 is adjusted so as to exhibit non-Newtonian fluidity. As a result, as described above, when the syringe 30 supplies the decorated object 5, the sagging can be suppressed and the cross-sectional shape can be maintained for a longer time.

  Here, the non-Newtonian fluid is a general term for fluids that do not apply to Newtonian fluid, and has a viscosity in which the relationship between the shear stress (tangential stress) of the flow and the velocity gradient (shear velocity, shear velocity) of the flow is not linear. Means a fluid. The decorative ink 10 is more preferably a pseudo plastic fluid. Since the decorative ink 10 is a pseudo-plastic fluid, the viscosity is lowered by applying a force, and the viscosity is high until the force is applied. This is preferable because, when the decorative ink is supplied from the syringe 30, for example, supply pressure is applied to improve the supply (fluidity) of the decorative ink 10. Further, the decorative ink discharged from the syringe 30 and released from the shear rate is preferable because the fluidity of the decorative ink is reduced on the base material so that it is less likely to bleed or sag, and decoration with high shape accuracy can be performed.

  Such a decorative ink 10 is not strictly limited in its characteristics as long as it has the above properties. For example, the decorative ink 10 limits the content and elution amount of heavy metals in accordance with the Food Sanitation Law, European Toy Directive, ST (Safety Toy) standard, etc., depending on the application, and (Including) can be said to be safe and satisfy safety standards. The decorative ink 10 may be composed of, for example, an edible material (food). The food as the decorative ink 10 may be one that is placed on the base material and is not cured or is cured to decorate the base material. The base material in this case may or may not be food. Examples of foods include seasonings such as mayonnaise, meat pastes such as animals and fish, and their internal organs, various vegetable pastes, foods for confectionery such as chocolate, fresh cream, and mousse.

  The specific composition of the decorative ink 10 is not particularly limited. The decorative ink 10 may include a curing mechanism that cures after being supplied to the base material. For example, the curing mechanism of the decorative ink 10 is a solvent volatilization type (which may be a dry curing type) that cures when a solvent or a dispersion medium volatilizes, a moisture curing type that cures by reacting with moisture in the atmosphere, and heating. As a result, the curing agent in the decorative ink 10 is activated and cured, a heat-curing type that cures in a short time by irradiating energy rays such as ultraviolet rays, and a curing method when supplied in a heated and melted state and cooled. It may be a heat melting type or the like. Moreover, the decorative ink 10 may decorate the base material by being placed on the base material without being cured. From the viewpoint of easily maintaining the form of decoration with the decorative ink 10, the decorative ink 10 is preferably curable. From the viewpoint that a desired uneven design can be formed in a shorter time without being affected by the composition and size of the base material, the decorative ink 10 is an energy ray-curable resin composition. preferable. Suitable examples of the energy ray curable resin composition include acrylic resin and silicone resin that undergo radical polymerization, and epoxy resin that undergoes cationic polymerization. The energy rays for curing these resin compositions include light such as ultraviolet rays (UV), visible rays, and infrared rays, α rays, β rays, γ rays, electron beams, neutron rays, and X rays. Such radiation etc. are mentioned.

  The convex portion formed from the decorative ink 10 includes, for example, a curable resin composition (polymerizable compound) serving as a base and various coloring materials and decorative materials in order to achieve high designability. You can The resin composition serving as a base is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride-based, acrylic resin-based, polycarbonate-based, polyolefin-based, polyester-based, epoxy-based, polystyrene-based, urethane resin-based, and silicone resin-based polymerizable compounds. Is mentioned. The decorative ink 10 is preferably capable of visually recognizing the underlying pattern applied to the base material after curing and visually recognizing the designability of the decorative material contained therein. In addition, it is preferable that the convex portion formed from the decorative ink 10 is resistant to discoloration when used outdoors, and has strength and durability against cracking, chipping and the like depending on the application. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the base material of the decorative ink 10 is transparent, has excellent weather resistance, and has high strength. A preferable example of the decorative ink 10 satisfying such properties with respect to the cured product is a polymerizable compound containing an acrylic resin as a main component. These decorative inks 10 may be any of water-based inks containing water as a medium (including emulsion inks), solvent-based inks containing a solvent as a medium, and solventless inks not containing a medium.

  Hereinafter, a case where the decorative ink 10 contains a polymerizable compound that constitutes an acrylic resin as a main component will be described. The term "main component" as used herein refers to a monomer unit that is most contained among the monomer units that form the polymer that is a cured product of the ink composition. In the case of an acrylic resin-based ink composition, the monomer unit preferably contains an acrylic monomer unit in an amount of 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, and further preferably 70% by mass or more, for example. It is particularly preferable to contain 80% by mass or more.

  As a suitable example, the decorative ink 10 disclosed herein includes an acrylic resin-based organic material (polymerizable compound) that changes from a liquid (including a viscous body) to a solid by the action of energy rays, and a polymerization initiator. Including and Here, the energy rays are, for example, ultraviolet rays, and the polymerizable compound can be, for example, an ultraviolet curable compound. This polymerizable compound typically contains any one or more of a monomer (monomer), an oligomer, and a prepolymer. The monomer is a substrate for carrying out the polymerization and is also the minimum unit constituting the polymer. The oligomer may be a low polymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less, and is preferably a dimer or trimer. A prepolymer is an intermediate product obtained by stopping the polymerization or condensation reaction of a monomer at an appropriate place. For example, a prepolymer having a weight average molecular weight of more than 10,000 and a degree of polymerization of 1,000 or less (one which does not reach a polymer) is used. Say. In the decorative ink 10 disclosed herein, the polymerizable compound preferably contains at least an oligomer component, and more preferably contains a monomer and an oligomer. Since the oligomer generally has a higher viscosity than the monomer component and the like, it may be a component particularly suitable for preparing the non-Newtonian flowable decorative ink 10 that realizes the fine line continuous drawing property as described above.

  The polymerizable compound preferably contains a monomer or oligomer containing a monomer unit derived from an acrylic monomer. As a result, when cured, it has excellent transparency and exhibits an effect of enhancing the design of the convex portion to be formed. Further, it is preferable because it has appropriate hardness and is excellent in durability and weather resistance. Examples of such a monomer unit include methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, propyl (meth) acrylate, isopropyl (meth) acrylate, n-butyl (meth) acrylate, isobutyl (meth) acrylate, s- Butyl (meth) acrylate, pentyl (meth) acrylate, isopentyl (meth) acrylate, hexyl (meth) acrylate, heptyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate, octyl (meth) acrylate, isooctyl (meth) acrylate, Nonyl (meth) acrylate, isononyl (meth) acrylate, decyl (meth) acrylate, isodecyl (meth) acrylate, undecyl (meth) acrylate, lauryl (meth) acrylate, Alkyl such as ridecyl (meth) acrylate, tetradecyl (meth) acrylate, pentadecyl (meth) acrylate, hexadecyl (meth) acrylate, heptadecyl (meth) acrylate, octadecyl (meth) acrylate, nonadecyl (meth) acrylate, eicosyl (meth) acrylate (Meth) acrylate may be mentioned. In addition, in this specification, "(meth) acrylate" means an acrylate and / or a methacrylate.

  Further, these monomer units may contain other monomer copolymerizable with the alkyl (meth) acrylate. Examples of such other monomer (copolymerizable monomer) include a carboxy group, a hydroxyl group, a polar group such as a nitrogen atom-containing ring, a silicon-containing group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, an epoxy group, an amide group, a urethane group, Examples of the monomer include a polyester group.

  The polymerization initiator absorbs an energy ray and is activated (excited) to generate a substance (for example, a radical molecule or hydrogen ion) which initiates a polymerization reaction of the polymerizable compound, thereby generating a three-dimensional structure of the polymerizable compound. It plays a role of causing polymerization and crosslinking. As the polymerization initiator, various known compounds of this kind such as a photoradical polymerization initiator, a photocationic polymerization initiator and a photoanionic polymerization initiator can be used. Examples of the photoradical polymerization initiator include, for example, acetophenone photopolymerization initiator, benzoin ether photopolymerization initiator, p-anisyl photopolymerization initiator, benzyl photopolymerization initiator, and benzoin photopolymerization initiator. , A benzophenone photopolymerization initiator, an α-ketol photopolymerization initiator, a ketal photopolymerization initiator, an aromatic sulfonyl chloride photopolymerization initiator, and the like. The amount of the polymerization initiator used is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, about 0.01 to 5 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the monomer component in the polymerizable compound.

  Each of the above components can be prepared as a water-based UV ink by using water (for example, ion-exchanged water) as a diluent or a solvent-based UV ink by using a solvent. From the viewpoint of reducing environmental load, water-based UV ink is preferable. Further, instead of using the above-mentioned monomers and oligomers and the photopolymerization initiator, a prepolymer having a number average molecular weight of 500,000 or less (for example, about 100,000 to 50 full) is dispersed in an aqueous diluent together with an appropriate dispersant and the like. Thus, it can be prepared as an emulsion type water-based acrylic ink. As the water-based diluent, it is preferable to use water (for example, pure water or ion-exchanged water), or a mixture of water and a water-soluble organic solvent. Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent include lower alcohols having 1 to 6 carbon atoms such as ethanol and n-propanol, polyhydric alcohols such as diethylene glycol and glycerin, and pyrrolidone-based solvents such as n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Etc. By using such an aqueous ink, it is possible to perform decoration without emitting odor, for example.

  When the decorative ink 10 includes a coloring material, examples of the coloring material include dyes and pigments. The coloring materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the decorative ink 10 contains a coloring material, it is preferable that the decoration ink 10 contains a dye, although not limited thereto. As such a dye, for example, various dyes known to be usable in the ultraviolet curable decorative ink 10 can be used, and examples thereof include a direct dye, an acid dye, and an edible dye. , Basic dyes, reactive dyes, disperse dyes and the like. The colors of such dyes may be various, for example, cyan dyes, magenta dyes, yellow dyes, black dyes, light cyan dyes, light magenta dyes, light yellow dyes, gray dyes, and various colors. It may be a fluorescent dye and dyes of other colors.

On the other hand, when the decorative ink 10 contains a coloring material, it is preferable that it contains a pigment from the viewpoint of high light resistance, durability, chemical stability and the like, although not limited thereto. As such a pigment, both an inorganic pigment and an organic pigment can be used. The pigment may have various colors, for example, black pigment, cyan pigment, magenta pigment, yellow pigment, light cyan pigment, light magenta pigment, light yellow pigment, gray pigment, and fluorescent pigment of each color. And other color pigments. More specifically, examples of organic pigments include azo pigments (eg, azo lake, insoluble azo pigments, condensed azo pigments, chelate azo pigments, etc.), polycyclic pigments (eg, phthalocyanine pigments, perylene pigments, perinone pigments, Anthraquinone pigment, quinacridone pigment, dioxazine pigment, indigo pigment, thioindigo pigment, isoindolinone pigment, quinofuraron pigment, etc.), dye chelate (eg, basic dye type chelate, acid dye type chelate, etc.), nitro pigment, nitroso pigment, aniline Examples include black. Examples of inorganic pigments include titanium oxide, zinc white, zinc sulfide, lead white, calcium carbonate, precipitated barium sulfate, white carbon, alumina white, kaolin clay, talc, bentonite, black iron oxide, cadmium red, red iron oxide, molybdenum, molybdenum. Red, molybdate orange, chrome vermillion, yellow lead, cadmium yellow, yellow iron oxide, titanium yellow, chromium oxide, viridian, titanium cobalt green, cobalt green, cobalt chrome green, Victoria green, ultramarine blue, navy blue, cobalt blue, cerulean. Blue, cobalt silica blue, cobalt zinc silica blue, manganese violet, cobalt violet and the like can be mentioned.

When the decorative ink 10 contains a decorative material, examples of such a decorative material include a material having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more. Although not particularly limited, as the decoration material, the decoration ink 10 may be one having an average particle diameter of 1/10 or less, for example, 1/20 or less of the dimension of the ejection port such as the ejection portion 34 or the needle 35. Can be suitably included without impairing the discharge supply property. The average particle size of the decorative material is, for example, preferably 5 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, and for example, 20 μm or more. The upper limit of the average particle diameter of the decorative material is not strictly limited, but for example, about 100 μm or less can be used as a guide. When the decorating material has such a large size, the function and properties of the decorating material can be exhibited to effectively decorate the base material. Incidentally, the average particle diameter of the general pigment contained in the ink used in the ink jet printer is 200 nm or less, and in reality, it is less than 1 μm at most. Further, a special ink for an inkjet printer, which contains a pigment or the like having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more, cannot contain the pigment in a large amount (high concentration). In the technique disclosed here, the base material can be suitably decorated by using the decorative ink 10 containing such a large decorative material. In addition, the average particle diameter in this specification is a cumulative 50% particle diameter (D ₅₀ ) in a volume-based particle size distribution measured by a laser diffraction method.

  The decorating material is not necessarily limited to this, but for example, it is preferable that the decorating material is more effective when the size thereof is large. Examples of such a decorative material include a white pigment that is difficult to obtain color at low concentrations, a metallic pigment that exhibits metallic luster, a pearl pigment that exhibits a pearly luster that is softer than a metallic pigment, and a three-dimensional hologram. Preferable examples include hologram glitter provided with a pattern and metal oxide particles capable of exhibiting various optical properties. More specifically, examples of the white pigment include inorganic white particles such as titanium dioxide and silica. Examples of the metallic pigment include scale-like metal pigments obtained by thinly spreading metal powders of aluminum, gold, silver, copper, bronze, stainless steel, nickel and the like. The pearl pigment is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that realizes multi-layer reflection of light. For example, mica (mica), which is a natural or artificial layered particle, is used as a core, and the surface thereof is titanium dioxide, iron oxide, or oxide. Coated mica coated with a high-refractive material such as aluminum, magnesium oxide, silicon dioxide, cerium oxide, or a fluorine compound, or an interference color aluminum pigment whose surface is coated with a high-refractive material similar to the above with a thin piece of aluminum as a core, talc. Examples of the core include a talc pearl pigment whose surface is coated with the same high refractive material as described above. The hologram glitter is a powder of a hologram film that exhibits a prism effect by applying ultrafine hologram embossing to a resin film such as aluminum vapor-deposited polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP). , Holographic glitter powder and the like. Examples of the metal oxide particles include ultraviolet scattering agents such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, cerium oxide and iron oxide, and extender pigments such as talc, kaolin, mica and metal soap. The decorative ink 10 may include any one of such decorative materials alone, or may include two or more kinds in combination. By using the decorative ink 10 containing such a decorative material, the base material can be decorated with the convex portions having design characteristics such as metallic tone, pearl tone, holographic glitter tone, and gloss.

  When the decorative ink 10 contains a decorative material, its proportion cannot be generally stated because it depends on the viscosity of the resin composition as the base and the like, but it may be, for example, about 1 to 20 mass%. it can. If the proportion of the decorating material is less than 1% by mass, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient decorating effect, and it may be necessary to print the decorating ink a plurality of times at the same location, which is not preferable. The proportion of the decorative material is preferably 2% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and for example, 10% by mass or more. However, if the proportion of the decorative material is more than 20% by mass, the ejection port of the needle 35 or the like is likely to be clogged, which is not preferable. The proportion of the decorative material is, for example, preferably 18% by mass or less, and may be 15% by mass or less.

  The decorative ink 10 may contain an additive, if necessary, in addition to the polymerizable compound and the polymerization initiator, as long as the essence of the technique disclosed herein is not impaired. Examples of such additives include rheology modifiers, leveling agents, plasticizers, dispersants, thickeners, surfactants, antioxidants, defoamers, pH adjusters, light stabilizers and antifungal agents. One or more of them may be mentioned. The total addition amount of these additives is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 3% by mass or less of the total amount of the decorative ink 10.

  The rheology modifier is a thixotropic agent that reduces the viscosity of the decorative ink 10 when supplied from the syringe 30 to improve the fluidity and recovers the viscosity after the supply from the syringe 30 to prevent sagging. Various compounds that give the The rheology modifier may be a solid (for example, powder) or a liquid, and is preferably a liquid from the viewpoint of easy mixing. As such a compound, for example, a compound mainly composed of an inorganic material such as a layered inorganic additive may be used, or a compound having various functional groups or a crystal structure may be used to form a tertiary compound in the dispersion medium of the decorative ink 10. A compound mainly composed of an organic polymer forming an original network may be used. As an example of the rheology modifier, specifically, for example, a mineral-based thickener (organically modified layered inorganic additive) mainly composed of ferrosilicate such as modified bentonite or synthetic hectorite; xanthan gum, methyl cellulose, Examples thereof include hydroxyalkyl cellulose, polyoxyethylene urethane resin, modified urea (modified carbamide) resin, acrylic resin, alkali swellable emulsion (ASE) of these, and hydrophobic associative thickener obtained by hydrophobically modifying these. Examples of the hydrophobic associative type thickener include, for example, a hydrophobic polyoxyethylene urethane resin or a nonionic hydrophobic polyoxyethylene block copolymer (HEUR), a hydrophobic modified alkali-soluble emulsion (HASE), a hydrophobic hydroxyethyl cellulose ( Typical examples include HMHEC). In the decorative ink 10 containing a decorative material, the rheology adjusting material is also preferable in that it can exhibit the action of preventing the decorative material from settling.

  The viscosity of the decorative ink 10 may vary depending on the type of color material, the presence or absence of decorative particles, their concentration, and the like. Although not limited to this, the viscosity of the decorative ink 10 that is desired to be used for decoration using the syringe 30 disclosed herein is as a viscosity at 25 ° C. and a shear rate of 1000 / s. , Over a wide range of, for example, about 10 m · Pa to 5 Pa. Although it depends on the shape of the syringe 30, for example, in order to realize smoother ejection, the decorative ink 10 preferably has a viscosity at 25 ° C. and 1000 / s of 2 Pa · s or less, for example, 1 Pa · s. s or less, more preferably 500 mPa · s or less. However, if the viscosity at 1000 / s is too low, the viscosity of the decorative ink 10 ejected from the nozzle is too low and sagging occurs, which is not preferable. The lower limit of the viscosity at 1000 / s is not limited to this, but a preferable example is 80 mPa · s.

  Such a decorative ink 10 can be prepared by uniformly mixing the above components according to a known method. For example, it can be prepared by uniformly mixing a polymerizable compound, a polymerization initiator, an emulsion containing a coloring material and other components with a known mixing device or a stirring device.

  The syringe 30 disclosed herein is decorated by filling the main body 31 with the decorative ink 10 and then sealing (for example, sealing) the introduction portion 32 and the ejection portion 34, thereby providing a decoration. The ink 10 can be stored for a long time. At this time, the storage medium 36 stores ink information for ejecting the filled decorative ink. The syringe 30 containing such decorative ink 10 can be used as an ink cartridge in the decorative system 1. Such an ink cartridge is, as described above, ink of various shades such as black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, light magenta, light yellow, gray, and fluorescent colors, and white, It is possible to store a special color ink containing gold, silver, or pearly colored particles, or a colorless transparent ink containing no coloring material. Moreover, the ink cartridge can store the decorative ink 10 made of food.

  The decorating system 1 disclosed herein is suitable because a plurality of ink cartridges containing different decorative inks having different design properties as described above can be provided to form convex portions having various design properties. Is. Therefore, for example, a syringe 30 containing a plurality of decorative inks 10 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “ink cartridge”) may be used as a syringe set. In the syringe set, at least two syringes 30 contain different decorative inks. In the syringe set, all the syringes 30 may contain different decorative inks. Further, the syringe set may include syringes 30 having different capacities. It is preferable to use such a syringe set in the decoration system 1 because the advantages of the technology disclosed herein become clearer.

  The dispenser 40 is a fluid supply device that is used by being attached to the syringe 30 and that can accurately and quantitatively supply the fluid (here, decorative ink) in the syringe 30 to the outside. In the dispenser 40, the method for quantitatively supplying the fluid is not particularly limited, and may be a flow rate control method, a volume measuring method, or the like. Further, in the dispenser 40, the method of correcting the head difference for quantitatively supplying the fluid is not particularly limited, and may be a time correction method, a pressure correction method, or the like. Although the dispenser 40 is not limited to this, it is typically a gas pressure delivery dispenser, and a gas is supplied to the syringe 30 to discharge the decorative ink 10 contained in the syringe 30 from the ejection unit 34. (Here, air) is supplied. The dispenser 40 typically includes a pressure pump 44, a dispenser controller 42, a supply tube 46, and a syringe connection 48. The syringe connecting part 48 is configured to be airtightly attachable to and detachable from the introducing part 32 of the syringe 30. The syringe connection part 48 is provided with, for example, a sensor (not shown), and detects, for example, the pressure inside the syringe, the distance (surface height) to the contents inside the syringe 30, and the like. Further, the syringe connecting portion 48 of this example includes a reader / writer 38 at a position facing the flange portion 33 of the syringe 30. The supply tube 46 connects the syringe 30, the dispenser controller 42, the dispenser controller 42, and the pressure feed pump 44 via the syringe connecting portion 48. The dispenser controller 42 is configured to control the drive of the pressure pump 44 so as to send a gas (air) of a predetermined pressure into the syringe 30 while correcting the head difference based on the information from the sensor, for example. The dispenser controller 42 is electrically connected to the control device 80 and its drive is controlled.

  The syringe holder 52 detachably holds the syringe 30 in order to scan the syringe 30, and fixes it to the moving device. The syringe holder 52 of this embodiment is provided in the syringe moving device 50. The syringe holder 52 holds the syringe 30 such that the cylinder axis of the main body 31 is in the vertical direction. The syringe holder 52 may be configured to be able to move the syringe 30 by a predetermined minute dimension (for example, 5 cm or less) in the height direction Z by, for example, an electromagnetic coil or the like. The syringe moving device 50 moves the syringe 30 in the main scanning direction Y via the syringe holder 52. Although the configuration of the syringe moving device 50 is not limited to this, for example, a guide rail provided along the main scanning direction, and a pair of pulleys installed near both ends of the guide rail, It can be configured by an endless belt that is wound around a pulley and a Y-direction motor that rotationally drives one pulley. The syringe holder 52 is fixed to the endless belt. When the Y-direction motor rotates the pulley in one direction, the syringe holder 52 moves to the right, for example, and when the Y-direction motor rotates the pulley in the other direction, the syringe holder 52 moves to the left, for example. To do. The Y-direction motor is electrically connected to the control device 80 and its drive is controlled. The position of the syringe 30 in the main scanning direction Y and its moving speed are controlled by the syringe moving device 50.

  The table 20 on which the decorated object 5 is placed is arranged below the lower end of the syringe 30 held by the syringe holder 52. The table 20 may include fixing means such as a jig for fixing the decorated object 5 or a table suction device. The syringe 30 is arranged above the table 20. The table 20 is supported by the vertical movement device 70 and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Although the configuration of the vertical movement device 70 is not limited to this, for example, a plurality of (for example, four) ball screws installed along the height direction and lifting and lowering fixed to nuts of each ball screw. Part, the endless belt wound around the screw shaft of each ball screw, and the Z-direction motor fixed to the endless belt. The table 20 is fixed to the lifting unit. When the Z-direction motor rotates in one direction, the endless belt rotates the screw shaft in a predetermined direction to feed the nut upward, and the Z-direction motor rotates the endless belt in another direction. , An endless belt rotates the screw shaft in the other direction to feed the nut, for example downward. The Z-direction motor is electrically connected to the control device 80 and its drive is controlled. The position of the table 20 in the height direction Z with respect to the syringe 30 is controlled by the vertical movement device 70.

  The vertical movement device 70 is supported by the front-back movement device 60 and is configured to be movable in the front-back direction. The configuration of the front-rear moving device 60 is not limited to this, but for example, a plurality of (for example, two) X guide rails laid along the sub-scanning direction X and slidable on the X guide rails. A base member that is mounted on the base plate to support the vertical movement device 70, a pair of pulleys that are installed between the X guide rails in the sub-scanning direction, an endless belt that is stretched around the pulleys, and one pulley that rotates. And an X-direction motor drivably connected thereto. The base member is fixed to the endless belt. When the X-direction motor rotates the pulley in one direction, the endless belt rotates in a predetermined direction, the base member moves forward, for example, and the Y-direction motor rotates the pulley in another direction. The endless belt rotates in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and the base member moves backward, for example. The X-direction motor is electrically connected to the control device 80 and its drive is controlled. The position of the table 20 in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the syringe 30 is controlled by the front-back movement device 60.

  The control device 80 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit of the decoration system 1. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited. For example, an interface (I / F) that transmits and receives various information such as print data from an external device such as a host computer, and a central processing unit that executes a command of a control program. (Central processing unit: CPU), ROM (read only memory) storing a program executed by the CPU, RAM (random access memory) used as a working area for developing the program, program, decorative drawing data, etc. And a storage device that stores various types of data. Further, the control device may be configured by a rewritable programmable logic device such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array). The FPGA can include, for example, a CPU core configured by an integrated circuit, a multiplier, a RAM, and related peripheral circuits. Although not specifically shown, the decoration system 1 is for confirming an input device for a user to send an instruction to the control device 80, a decoration condition of the decoration system 1, an operation state, and the like. The display device may be provided.

  The control device 80 is electrically connected to, for example, the motors of the moving devices 50, 60 and 70, the electromagnetic coil of the syringe holder 52, the dispenser controller 42, and the reader / writer 38, and controls the drive and operation thereof. By the control device 80 controlling the moving devices 50, 60, and 70, the three-dimensional relative positional relationship between the decorated object 5 placed on the table 20 and the syringe 30, and the syringe 30 with respect to the decorated object 5. And the relative moving speed of the are controlled arbitrarily. Further, the control device 80 controls the dispenser controller 42 to control the ejection, stop, and ejection amount of the decorative ink 10 from the syringe 30. The control device 80 can drive the electromagnetic coil of the syringe holder 52 as necessary to lower the syringe 30 or pull it up. Then, the control device 80 drives each of these parts based on the decoration data on the design to be decorated on the decorated object 5, so that the decoration system 1 adds the decoration on the decorated object 5. The decorative ink can be supplied in the shape of a straight line, a curved line, a dotted line, or an independent point based on the decoration data. In a typical example, the control device 80 causes the height position of the ejection unit 34 of the syringe 30 held by the syringe holder 52 to be a predetermined drawing height position with respect to the base material from the syringe standby position. The syringe holder 52 is lowered, and then drawing with the decorative ink is started. Then, when drawing with the decorative ink is completed, the syringe holder 52 is moved up from the drawing height position to the syringe standby position.

  Further, the control of each unit at the time of drawing with the decorative ink can be performed by, for example, the route control unit included in the control device 80 based on the decorative data. Generally, a user designs a decoration content by using a computer graphic technique (for example, a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) function), and converts the decoration content into a vector image such as a DXF file format. That is, the decoration data is generally created as vector data. Based on such decoration data, the path control unit can determine the movement path of the ejection unit 34 of the syringe 30 held by the syringe holder 52 by using, for example, a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) function. it can. The method of determining the movement route may be, for example, a known PTP (Point To Point) control method, a CP (Continuous Path) control method, another method, or a combination thereof. For example, the route control unit may be configured to design a moving route by a teaching function, an offline teaching function, or a path planning function that automatically designs a moving route (path). The path planning function may be configured to determine the travel route using a trained model of the travel route design. The route control unit may include a CAD / CAM device having such a function, or may be configured to be communicable with such a CAD / CAM device. Thereby, the position of the discharge part 34 of the syringe 30 held by the syringe holder 52 can be moved along a predetermined trajectory. Further, the decoration ink can be ejected from the ejection unit 34 when the ejection unit 34 of the syringe 30 is at a predetermined position. As a result, a predetermined pattern can be drawn.

  Actually, the decoration by the decoration system 1 can be performed as follows. That is, first, the user prepares the decorated object 5 and the ink cartridge used for the decoration. Then, the decorated object 5 is placed and fixed on the table 20. Further, the seals that have sealed the introduction portion 32 and the ejection portion 34 of the ink cartridge are peeled off and the syringe holder 52 is mounted. Here, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the predetermined position of the syringe holder 52, the mounting signal is sent to the control device 80 by pressing the switch of the ink cartridge of the ink cartridge 52 or the like. Based on this, the controller 80 operates the reader / writer 38 to read ink information including the recommended ejection pressure and the recommended syringe moving speed from the storage medium 36 of the ink cartridge. The read ink information is stored in, for example, a storage device. Unless otherwise instructed by the user, the control device 80 instructs the dispenser controller 42 on the discharge pressure to be applied to the syringe 30, and causes the moving devices 50, 60, 70 to move the syringe 30 based on the recommended discharge conditions. Instruct the speed. Then, based on the user's instruction to start decoration, the dispenser controller 42 adjusts the amount of air supplied by the pressure pump 44 to the syringe 30 so that the recommended discharge pressure is realized. Further, for example, the moving device 50 rotates the Y-direction motor so that the recommended syringe moving speed is realized, and adjusts the speed at which the single belt is sent, and thus the speed at which the syringe holder 52 is moved. As a result, the decoration cartridge can be linearly ejected from the ejection unit while the ink cartridge moves at a predetermined recommended moving speed. The ejected decorative ink is cured by the volatilization of the solvent to form a convex portion. As a result, a linear convex portion is formed.

  Note that, for example, FIG. 3 uses an ink cartridge (syringe 30) containing a decorative ink 10 containing glitter, which is based on a transparent water-based acrylic resin and contains 1% by mass of glitter powder (about 0.075 mm square). It is a figure which shows a mode that the basic system registered beforehand was drawn by the decoration system 1. Ink containing such large-sized glitter cannot be printed by an inkjet printer. When the decorative ink 10 is stored in the syringe 30, the recommended discharge pressure recommended for discharging the decorative ink 10 is 0.1 to 0.2 MPa, and the recommended moving speed is 30 to 100 mm / s ( For example, it was 30 mm / s when the discharge pressure was 0.1 MPa. In this example, the diameter of the needle 35 attached to the discharge part 34 of the syringe 30 is φ0.4 mm. The storage medium 36 of the ink cartridge stores "0.1 MPa" as the recommended ejection pressure and "30 mm / s" as the recommended syringe moving speed. When the user mounts the ink cartridge on the syringe holder 52, the control device 80 automatically reads the recommended ejection conditions and sends an instruction to the moving devices 50, 60, 70 and the dispenser controller 42. FIG. 3 shows a decoration result when drawing is performed with such a discharge pressure and a syringe moving speed, for example. In this example, the line width W of the convex portion obtained by curing the decorative ink 10 is 2.666 mm, the height H is 0.38 mm, and the H / W is about 0.14. As a precaution, when the discharge pressure in this example was set to 0.01 MPa, the decorative ink could not be discharged from the syringe 30 regardless of the syringe moving speed.

  By the way, the user wants to make the line width of the convex portion shown in FIG. Therefore, the user manually drew the ink in the decoration system 1 while changing the syringe moving speed to “100 mm / s” while keeping the discharge pressure at “0.1 MPa”. FIG. 4 shows a decoration result when the same syringe 30 is used and drawing is performed with such discharge pressure and syringe moving speed. In this example, the line width W of the convex portion obtained by curing the decorative ink 10 is 1.850 mm, the height H is 0.51 mm, and the H / W is 0.28. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 3 and 4, since the amount of the decorative ink that is co-supplied per unit area is reduced by increasing the ejection speed, the line width of the obtained convex portion becomes thin. However, the height did not decrease, but rather increased slightly. It is expected that this is affected by the surface tension. From this, it was found that the characteristics of the decorative ink itself were well reflected in the height of the decorative portion. As a result, there is a difference in the lame density of the convex portion when seen in a plan view. The lame density of FIG. 3 is high and is gorgeous, and the lame density of FIG. 4 is light and cool, which is a completely different design. Can be expressed. Therefore, the user can use the input device to instruct the control device 80 to store the ejection conditions. By such an instruction, the control device 80 is configured to operate the reader / writer 38 to store the combination of the ejection pressure and the syringe moving speed as the user ejection condition in the storage medium 36 of the ink cartridge. There is. Thereby, when the user wants to reproduce the design of the convex portion shown in FIG. 4, the user ejection condition can be read only by mounting the ink cartridge on the decoration system 1. According to this method, it is preferable that the user ejection condition can be easily referred to even when the ink cartridge is mounted on a different decoration system 1 and used. In addition, the control device 80 may additionally store the user ejection condition together with the decorative ink information in the storage unit in the control device 80.

  For reference, FIG. 5 is an ink cartridge (syringe 30) containing a decorative ink 10 containing glitter, which is based on a transparent water-based acrylic resin and contains 5% by mass of glitter powder (about 0.075 mm square). It is a figure which shows the result of drawing the same basic figure as FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 by the decoration system 1 using. In this example, the diameter of the needle 35 attached to the discharge part 34 of the syringe 30 is φ0.4 mm, and the storage medium 36 of this ink cartridge has a recommended discharge pressure of “0.1 MPa” and a recommended syringe moving speed of “0.4 MPa”. 20 mm / s "is stored. The figure in FIG. 5 is drawn under such ejection conditions. The line width W of the convex portion shown in FIG. 5 is 3.161 mm, the height H is 0.55 mm, and H / W is 0.17, which are almost the same as those in FIG. However, since the concentration of the lame powder contained in the decorative ink 10 was high in the convex portion shown in FIG. 5, the convex portion having a higher glossiness and a metallic appearance than that in the case of FIG. 3 was formed. There is.

  As described above, in the cartridge, the ejection conditions of the decorative ink 10 can greatly vary depending on the properties of the decorative ink 10, for example. It may also differ depending on the compatibility between the decorative ink 10 and the syringe 30. Therefore, the control device 80 of the decoration system 1 cannot set the condition necessary for ejecting the decoration ink 10 from the syringe 30 without any information. Therefore, the control device 80 reads the ink information including the recommended ejection pressure from the storage medium 36 provided in the syringe 30 by the reader / writer 38 as described above. Preferably, the ink information including the recommended ejection pressure and the recommended movement speed is read. The controller 80 controls the dispenser controller 42 so that the recommended discharge pressure is applied inside the syringe 30. As a result, the decorative ink 10 can be surely ejected from any syringe 30 without needless trial. In addition to the control of the dispenser controller 42, the control device 80 controls the moving devices 50, 60, and 70 so that the moving speed of the syringe 30 becomes the recommended moving speed, so that the decorative ink 10 is supplied from any syringe 30. It is possible to surely discharge in the recommended prescribed linear shape.

  Although not limited to this, it is preferable to adjust the combination of the syringe 30 and the decorative ink so that the recommended discharge pressure of the syringe 30 can be set in the range of 0.1 MPa or more and 0.7 MPa or less. This is because by setting the lower limit of the air pressure to 0.1 MPa, sagging can be suppressed and continuous linear protrusions can be easily formed. Further, from the viewpoint of reducing the load on the syringe 30 and discharging the decorative ink, the upper limit of the air pressure is preferably about 0.7 MPa.

  Further, it is preferable to adjust the combination of the syringe 30 and the decorative ink so that the recommended moving speed of the syringe 30 can be set in the range of 10 mm / s or more and 250 mm / s or less. Considering practical productivity, the lower limit of the syringe moving speed is preferably about 10 mm / s. The syringe moving speed is preferably 20 mm / s or more, more preferably 30 mm / s or more, particularly preferably 50 mm / s or more, and for example, 100 mm / s or more. Further, in consideration of the reasonable syringe moving speed realized by the widely used moving devices 50, 60, 70, the upper limit of the dispenser moving speed in such evaluation is preferably set to about 250 mm / s.

  According to the decorating system 1, the shape of the convex portion formed by one-time supply can be adjusted by adjusting not only the specific properties of the decorating ink 10 but also the configuration of the syringe 30 to be used and the ejection conditions. It can be set arbitrarily. For example, as an example, a single supply of the decorative ink 10 from the syringe 30 forms a linear convex shape having a line width of about 0.5 to 5 mm and a height of about 0.3 to 2.5 mm. It has been confirmed that this is possible. The height-to-width ratio (H / W) of such protrusions may be, for example, 0.1 or more, may be 0.15 or more, may be 0.2 or more, and may be 0, for example. 0.25 or more. Needless to say, the decorative ink can be solid-coated or over-coated with a proper design of the scanning path.

  There are no particular restrictions on the material constituting the decorated object 5 to be decorated in this decoration system 1, and examples thereof include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylic resin, polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene. , Resin materials such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers, metal materials such as gold, silver, copper, platinum, brass, aluminum, iron, titanium, stainless steel, ceramics, glass, rubber , Leather, wood boards, carbon, papers, cloths, and foods. The shape of the base material is not particularly limited, and may be a sheet shape, a mobile phone case, a cosmetic case, an electronic cigarette exterior material, a three-dimensional structure such as an accessory or a photo frame.

  In the configuration in which the decorative ink 10 does not include a coloring material, the ink cured product formed on the surface of the decorated object 5 may be transparent. Therefore, the surface of the base material can be visually recognized and appear in appearance. Therefore, in the decoration system 1 disclosed herein, a design may be printed in advance in a desired color on the surface of the base material that is the object to be decorated 5. For example, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an application example of decoration using the decoration system 1. In FIG. 6, a known inkjet printer is used as the decorated object 5, and a photo frame in which an image in which a photograph, characters, and marks are combined is color-printed on an acrylic resin plate is used. Then, in this photo frame, the heart mark indicated by D1, the block character with a thick line width indicated by D2, and the block character with a thin line width indicated by D3 are projected by the decorating system 1 in a plentiful convex portion. The design was decorated. The image data used in the decoration system 1 is the image data used in the inkjet printer. Although not shown in detail in the drawing, a transparent ink syringe 30 containing high-concentration gold glitter was used for decoration of D1, and a syringe 30 containing transparent ink containing silver glitter was used for decoration of D2 and D3. . For the decoration of D1, a syringe 30 containing a decoration ink having a relatively low viscosity and a high leveling property was used so that the decoration ink supply path by the decoration system 1 did not remain. D2 and D3 are decorated using the syringe 30 containing the decorative ink of the same composition, but D3 decorates according to the ink information (recommended decorating condition), and D2 adjusts the syringe moving speed slower. It is an example decorated with. According to the present decorating system 1, even when such various decorating inks are exchanged for each part and used, the trial design can be eliminated or omitted, and the smooth design of 2.5D can be achieved. Decoration can be carried out. Further, by using the same decorative ink and slightly adjusting the decorative condition based on the ink information (recommended decorative condition), various 2.5D designs can be easily realized. This makes it possible to easily realize a three-dimensional design with color by combining the surface design of the base material as the base and the uneven design of the ink cured product.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other modes. For example, in the above embodiment, the decorative ink 10 was a water-based volatile ink. However, the configuration of the decorative ink 10 is not limited to this. For example, the decorative ink 10 may be an energy ray curable acrylic ink (for example, a UV curable ink) or other resin-based ink. In this case, the decoration system 1 may include an energy ray generator (typically, an ultraviolet lamp) for curing the decoration ink 10. The decorating system 1 can include, for example, an ultraviolet lamp (not shown) in the syringe holder 52. For example, one ultraviolet lamp may be arranged on each side of the syringe 30. The ultraviolet lamp is electrically connected to the control device 80 to control its operation. The control device 80 controls the dispenser controller 42 to supply the decorative ink 10 from the syringe 30 to the decorated object 5, and causes the decorative ink 10 on the decorated object 5 to emit ultraviolet rays by an ultraviolet lamp. The decorative ink 10 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays and cured to form an ink cured product. As a result, decoration can be performed in a shorter time than in the case where the volatile ink is used. For example, it is possible to repeatedly decorate the formed convex design to form a bulkier convex design.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the decoration system 1 did not manage the syringe 30 by the expiration date. However, for example, when the properties of the decorative ink 10 contained in the syringe 30 change with time, there is a concern that appropriate decoration may not be performed. For example, while the syringe 30 is stored, the decorative particles contained in the decorative ink 10 may settle, or the components of the decorative ink 10 may be separated and deteriorated. There is a possibility that the needle 35 may be clogged, or component unevenness may occur for each decorative portion. Further, for example, when the decorative ink 10 is food, there is a possibility that the expiration date or expiration date of the food may be exceeded while the syringe 30 is stored or while the syringe 30 is in use. It is also conceivable that the degree of change in the properties of the decorative ink 10 may change before and after opening the seal of the syringe 30 containing the decorative ink 10. In such a case, the storage medium 36 may include, as the ink information, an expiration date that is determined according to the decorative ink 10 to be contained and that can properly use the syringe 30. The storage medium 36 may include, as ink information, a post-opening expiration date that allows the decorative ink 10 to be used appropriately after the syringe 30 is opened. The expiration date after opening is set, for example, as the day when a predetermined number of days have elapsed after opening within a range not exceeding the expiration date. When the storage medium 36 is provided with the expiration date of the decorative ink 10 and the expiration date after opening, the decoration system 1 is preferably designed to perform the decoration in consideration of these expiration dates.

  For example, the control device 80 of the decoration system 1 additionally includes an expiration date management unit (not shown). When the syringe 30 is attached to the syringe holder 52, the ink information stored in the storage medium 36 of the syringe 30 is read by the reader / writer 38. The ink information includes, for example, decoration information including at least recommended ejection pressure, ID information, expiration date information, and, if necessary, post-opening expiration date information. The expiration date management unit reads and stores the expiration date information and, if necessary, the expiration date information after opening by the reader / writer 38.

  Here, when the ink information does not include the opening date / time information (when the opening date / time information is not recorded), the expiration date management unit determines that the syringe 30 has just been opened, and the current date / time is used. Determine whether it is within the deadline. If the current date and time is within the expiration date, the syringe 30 can be used for decoration, and therefore the expiration date management unit determines that the decoration process may continue. Based on the determination by the expiration date management unit, the control device 80 proceeds with the decoration process. Further, the expiration date management unit causes the reader / writer 38 to store in the storage medium 36 of the syringe 30 when the syringe 30 is attached to the syringe holder 52 as opening date information. However, when the current date and time has exceeded the expiration date, the syringe 30 cannot be used for decoration, and therefore the expiration date management unit notifies the user of the unusability or replacement of the syringe 30, and the decoration step. To stop.

  When the ink information includes the opening date / time information (when the opening date / time information is recorded), the expiration date management unit determines that the syringe 30 has been opened in the past, and the current date and time is within the expiration date after opening. To determine if. The expiration date management unit determines that there is no significant difference in the expiration date before and after opening for the syringe 30 for which the expiration date after opening is not set, and uses the expiration date instead of the expiration date after opening. When the current date and time is within the expiration date after opening, since the syringe 30 can be used for decoration, the expiration date management unit determines that the decoration step may be continued. Based on the determination by the expiration date management unit, the control device 80 proceeds with the decoration process. However, if the current date and time has exceeded the expiration date after opening, the syringe 30 cannot be used for decoration, and thus the control device 80 notifies the user that the syringe 30 cannot be used or performs the decoration process. It will be stopped.

  The mounting of the syringe 30 on the syringe holder 52 can be detected by various sensors provided on at least one of the syringe 30 and the syringe holder 52. As the sensor, a switch sensor, a level sensor, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an object, and at least one of position, displacement, size, pressure, torque, weight, angle, magnetism, light, etc. of the object by contact or non-contact. You can The sensor may be, for example, a micro switch, a Hall element, a photoelectric sensor, various proximity switches, a pressure sensitive diode, a piezoelectric element, a strain gauge, or the like. The sensor is preferably, for example, a contact-type switch sensor that can provide an appropriate click feeling when the syringe is attached. The sensor may be provided on the flange portion 33 of the syringe 30 at a position facing the syringe connection portion 48 of the dispenser 40. The sensor may be provided in the syringe connecting portion 48 of the dispenser 40 and at a position facing the flange portion 33 of the syringe 30. For example, when the sensor detects the contact between the syringe 30 and the syringe holder 52, the control device 80 determines that the syringe 30 is attached to the syringe holder 52.

In addition, the expiration date management unit, when the syringe 30 is attached to the syringe holder 52, the current date and time exceeds the expiration date (or the expiration date after opening) at any timing or periodically. It may be configured to check for absence. Accordingly, even when the syringe 30 is not attached to the syringe holder 52, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the syringe 30 containing the decorative ink 10 that has exceeded the expiration date (or the expiration date after opening) is used for decoration. .
Further, by storing the opening date and time information in the storage medium 36 of the syringe 30, the decoration system 1 can acquire the opening date and time of the syringe 30 even when a different decoration system 1 is used. Is preferred.
Such a function is particularly effective when the decoration is performed using the syringe 30 containing the decoration ink 10 whose properties change with time.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the dispenser had a needle-shaped discharge portion. However, the shape of the discharge part of the dispenser is not limited to this, and various known discharge parts and the like can be used. An example of such a discharge part is a cone-shaped (tapered) discharge part. By adopting such a conical ejection unit, pressure loss in the syringe is suppressed, and for example, smooth ejection can be realized when a highly viscous decorative ink is used.

  Specific examples of the present invention have been described above in detail, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. For example, although acrylic emulsion paint is used as the decorative ink in the above example, the type of the decorative ink 10 is not limited to this. The decorative ink disclosed herein may be, for example, an energy curable resin composition that is cured by irradiation with energy rays. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.

1 Decoration System 10 Decoration Ink 30 Syringe 36 Storage Medium 40 Dispensers 50, 60, 70 Moving Device

Claims (10)

A syringe for containing a decorative ink,
A tubular body for containing the decorative ink,
An introducing portion for introducing a fluid into the main body portion,
An ejection unit that ejects the decorative ink sent by the fluid,
A storage medium that is provided in the main body section and records ink information that enables at least a recommended ejection portion shape, a recommended ejection pressure, and a recommended syringe moving speed to eject the decorative ink,
A decorative ink syringe comprising:   The syringe for decorative ink according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is readable and writable.   The syringe for decorative ink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage medium is configured to be able to write user ink information that is a combination of ejection pressure and movement speed set by a user. The main body portion includes a flange portion that discharges outward in the vicinity of the introduction portion,
The syringe for decorative ink according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is arranged on the flange portion. The main body contains a first decorative ink,
The syringe for decorative ink according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ink information is ink information for ejecting the first decorative ink.   The syringe for decorative ink according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ink information further includes expiration date information of the first decorative ink. A plurality of syringes according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are provided,
A syringe set in which at least two of the syringes contain different decorative inks. A syringe containing decorative ink,
A syringe holder for detachably mounting the syringe,
A dispenser for supplying fluid to the syringe,
A moving device that moves the syringe holder relative to the object to be decorated,
A reader,
A control device,
Equipped with
The syringe is the syringe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or any of the syringes included in the syringe set according to claim 7,
The decorating system, wherein the reading device is arranged at a position where the ink information stored in the storage medium of the syringe mounted on the syringe holder can be read.   The control device is configured to be able to control the supply of the fluid by the dispenser and the moving speed of the syringe by the moving device based on the ink information read by the reading device from the storage medium. The decoration system according to claim 8, wherein   The ink information determines whether or not the syringe is within the expiration date based on the expiration date information of the decorative ink read by the reading device from the storage medium, and when the syringe is within the expiration date. The decoration system according to claim 8 or 9, which performs decoration using the decoration ink.