JP7294284B2 - printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to printing apparatuses.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing device (nail printing device) that prints a nail design on a fingernail or the like is known.
When printing on a nail with such a printing apparatus, printing cannot be performed normally unless the nail to be printed is placed in the correct position and in the correct orientation.

In this respect, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-100003 has a placing portion on which a finger to be printed on a nail is placed and a positioning portion, and the finger is fixed between the placing table and the positioning portion by the biasing force of a biasing member. A configuration is disclosed.
Fixing the finger in this way forces the nail to be positioned and oriented correctly.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-028406

However, it is not always possible to insert a finger or hand in the correct direction between the placement table and the positioning portion as described in Patent Document 1, and in some cases, the user may be forced to take an unnatural posture. There is a possibility that it will become.

In particular, when printing is performed by inserting a plurality of fingers or the entire hand into the printing device instead of inserting each finger, the inserted finger or hand tends to be angled. As a result, some or all of the claws may not be positioned and oriented correctly.

If the nails are not arranged in the correct position or orientation, it is possible to deal with this by adjusting the data of the image to be printed. A high-quality finish may not be obtained.
In addition, when correction such as image interpolation is performed in order to avoid deterioration of image quality, the processing becomes complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and enables the user to position his/her fingers and hands in a more natural posture, and prints with the fingernails positioned and oriented in the correct position. It is an advantage to provide a printing device capable of

In order to solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes:
a placement portion having a placement surface provided with a placement index portion serving as an index of a position for placing at least one finger;
a support plate that supports the mounting portion from below;
a fixing mechanism having a first fixing portion provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion and a second fixing portion provided on the support plate;
with
The mounting portion is rotatable about a specific point in an in-plane direction of the mounting surface,
The first fixed part is fixed to the second fixed part,
A plurality of the second fixing portions for fixing the first fixing portion are provided corresponding to positions at which each of the plurality of fingers is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction of the device.
It is characterized by

According to the present invention, it is possible for the user to position his/her fingers and hands in a more natural posture, and to print with the fingernails positioned and oriented in the correct position.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to this embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of main parts showing a control configuration of a printing apparatus and a terminal apparatus cooperating with the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. (a) is a top view schematically showing a support plate that constitutes a print object placement mechanism in the first embodiment; (b) is a schematic top view of a placement section that constitutes the print object placement mechanism; 1 is a top view of FIG. FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fixing mechanism for fixing the mounting portion, in which (a) shows how the fixed projection is inserted into the fixed recess, and (b) shows the fixed projection fixed in the fixed recess; (c) shows how the fixing projection is removed from the fixing recess. It is explanatory drawing explaining the motion of the placing part which placed the hand. (a) is a diagram showing a state in which the hand is placed obliquely with respect to the width direction of the device, and (b) is a diagram showing a state in which a circumscribing rectangular frame circumscribing the nail of the middle finger shown in (a) is set. It is a figure and (c) is a figure which shows the state rotated according to the orientation of the circumscribed rectangular frame of the nail|claw shown in (b). (a) is a diagram showing a state in which the hand is arranged perpendicular to the width direction of the device, and (b) is a circumscribed rectangular frame that circumscribes the nail of the middle finger shown in (a). FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a state in which the design is aligned with the orientation of the circumscribing rectangular frame of the nail shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a top view showing a modified example of the print object arrangement mechanism in the first embodiment; 8A and 8B are side views of a printing object arrangement mechanism according to a second embodiment, in which (a) shows a state in which the placement section is rotatable, and (b) shows a state in which the placement section is fixed to the base; is shown. (a) is a top view of the base part shown in FIG. 9, (a) is a top view of the mounting part shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of arranging each finger at an appropriate position on the placing section according to the second embodiment; (c) if the little finger is properly placed, (d) if the index finger is properly placed, (e) if the thumb is properly placed indicates the case. FIG. 12A is a side view of a modified example of the print object arrangement mechanism according to the second embodiment, in which (a) shows a state in which the placement section is rotatable, and (b) shows the placement section attached to the base section; Indicates a fixed state.

An embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Although various technically desirable limitations are attached to the embodiments described below for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.
Further, in the following embodiments, a nail printing apparatus in which the printing apparatus prints on fingernails as an object to be printed will be described as an example, but the printing object of the printing apparatus in the present invention is limited to fingernails. Instead of objects, for example, toe nails or the like may be printed. In this case, "hands" in the following embodiments are appropriately read as "legs".

[First embodiment]
First, a first embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7(a) to 7(c).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a printing device (nail printing device) according to this embodiment. Further, in this embodiment, a case in which a printing device prints on a nail in cooperation with a terminal device is exemplified. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device cooperating therewith.
In the following embodiments, up and down, left and right, and front and back refer to directions shown in FIG. Also, the X direction and the Y direction refer to the directions shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 has a housing 11 that is substantially box-shaped.
An operation unit 12 is installed on the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 11 .
The operation unit 12 is an operation unit through which a user performs various inputs.
The operation unit 12 includes operation buttons for performing various inputs, such as a power switch button for turning on the power of the printer 1, a stop switch button for stopping operation, and a print start button for instructing start of printing. there is
When the operation section 12 is operated, an operation signal corresponding to the operation is output to the control device 30, and the control device 30 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each section of the printing apparatus 1. FIG.
Instead of the operation unit 12, each unit of the printer 1 may operate according to an operation signal input from an operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7, which will be described later.

The printing device 1 also includes a communication unit 13 (see FIG. 2). The communication unit 13 is configured to be able to transmit and receive information to and from the terminal device 7 .
Communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 is performed by, for example, a wireless LAN. The communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 is not limited to this, and any method may be used. The communication unit 13 includes an antenna chip and the like compatible with the communication method of the terminal device 7 .
The communication unit 13 is connected to a communication control unit 311 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30 to be described later, and is controlled by the communication control unit 311 .

A finger insertion opening 15, which is an opening into which a hand H or a finger U is inserted during printing by the printing device 1, is formed on the front side (the front side in the Y direction in FIG. 1) of the housing 11 of the printing device 1. .
Inside the finger insertion opening 15, a printing target placement mechanism 2 for placing and holding the hand H or the finger U inserted when printing on the nail T is provided.
Specifically, a support plate 21 is arranged inside the housing 11 at a position corresponding to the finger insertion opening 15 , and a placement section 22 is arranged on the support plate 21 . In the present embodiment, the printing object placement mechanism 2 is configured by including the support plate 21 and the placement section 22 .

FIG. 3(a) is a top view schematically showing a support plate that constitutes a printing object arrangement mechanism in this embodiment, and FIG. 1 is a top view shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3A , the support plate 21 is a plate-like portion extending in the device width direction X of the printing device 1 . The size of the support plate 21, the range in which the support plate 21 is provided, and the like are not limited to the illustrated examples as long as they can be accommodated within the housing. For example, the support plate 21 may be provided widely in the device width direction (the X direction in FIG. 1) and the device depth direction (the Y direction in FIG. 1) so as to partition the inside of the housing 11 into upper and lower parts.

A guide portion is provided on the surface of the support plate 21 to serve as a guide when the mounting portion 22 moves. In this embodiment, the guide portion is the guide groove portion 211 .
As will be described later, the mounting portion 22 of this embodiment moves on the support plate 21 from one side to the other side in the device width direction X along an arc-shaped track, and the guide groove portion 211 is circular. It is a recess formed in an arc shape.
A second fixing portion for fixing a first fixing portion provided on the mounting portion 22, which will be described later, is formed on the surface of the support plate 21 (that is, below the mounting portion 22). In this embodiment, the first fixing portion is the fixing protrusion 222 projecting downward, and the second fixing portion provided on the support plate 21 is the fixing recess 212 for fixing the fixing protrusion 222 .
The shape of the second fixing portion is not particularly limited as long as it can fix the first fixing portion. For example, the second fixing portion provided on the support plate 21 may be a fixing protrusion that protrudes upward, and the first fixing portion provided on the mounting portion 22 may be a fixing recess for fixing the fixing protrusion. . Further, the fixing portion for fixing the fixing convex portion is not limited to the concave portion, and may be a hole portion vertically penetrating the support plate 21 .

The mounting portion 22 is, for example, a plate-like portion such as a rectangle. The upper surface of the placing portion 22 serves as a placing surface 220 on which the hand H or at least one finger U is placed.
The placement portion 22 may be any device as long as the hand H or the fingers U can be placed thereon, and the size, shape, range of installation, etc. thereof are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the placing portion 22 may be shorter (narrower) in the width direction than the illustrated example, as long as one or more fingers U can be placed thereon, even if the entire hand H cannot be placed thereon.
Further, the placing portion 22 may be formed in a shape other than a rectangle such as a circle or an oval, or may be formed in various irregular shapes that naturally fit the shape of the finger U or the hand H. good.

The mounting portion 22 is configured to be rotatable in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface 220 around a specific point (hereinafter also referred to as the “rotation center Rc”; see FIG. 5).
Specifically, a guided portion is provided at a position corresponding to the guide groove portion 211 of the support plate 21 on the lower surface of the mounting portion 22 . In this embodiment, the portion to be guided corresponds to the guide groove portion 211 and is a convex portion 221 that fits therein and is guided within the guide groove portion 211 . By moving the convex portion 221 along the guide groove portion 211 , the mounting portion 22 can move on the support plate 21 along an arc-shaped track. In the present embodiment, a case where the placement section 22 moves on the support plate 21 by rotating the user's wrist will be described as an example.
Note that the configuration for rotating the placing section 22 is not limited to a mechanical configuration that is manually rotated by the user. For example, a driving means such as a motor for rotating the mounting section 22 is provided, and the mounting section 22 is rotated by driving the driving means according to the control of the control section 30 (see FIG. 2) described later. configuration.

A first fixing portion is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion 22 at a position corresponding to the second fixing portion of the support plate 21 . The first fixing portion and the second fixing portion of the support plate 21 are provided with a fixing mechanism 210 (FIGS. 4A to 4C) for fixing the mounting portion 22 when the mounting portion 22 is arranged at a specific position. 4(c), see FIG. 5).
The fixing mechanism 210 fixes the mounting section 22 when the mounting section 22 is arranged at a specific position.
In this embodiment, the first fixing portion is the fixing protrusion 222 fixed to the fixing concave portion 212, which is the second fixing portion.
It should be noted that the first fixing portion may correspond to the second fixing portion of the support plate 21, and is not limited to the fixing convex portion 222 as described above.
In the present embodiment, a pair of fixing projections 222 as the first fixing portion and a pair of fixing recesses 212 as the second fixing portion are provided. It is not limited to one pair. For example, if the entire hand is to be placed on the placing portion 22, a pair of the fixed convex portion 222 and the fixed concave portion 212 may be provided for each finger. A plurality of them may be provided corresponding to the fingers.

Here, the “specific position” where the fixing mechanism 210 fixes the placing section 22 is the hand H or the plurality of fingers U when the hand H or the plurality of fingers U are placed on the placing surface 220 of the placing section 22. It is a position where one of the fingers U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X (see FIG. 3A, FIG. 5, etc.).
In this embodiment, only one fixing mechanism 210 is provided when five fingers U (thumb to little finger) of one hand are placed on the placement surface 220 of the placement section 22 as described above. . In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the position where the middle finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X is defined as the "specific position".
The position where the finger U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the apparatus width direction X is not limited, but the recognition of the nail T and the printing based on the recognition result are performed when the placement unit 22 It is done in a fixed state of "specific position". For this reason, when there is only one fixing mechanism 210, it is necessary to arrange the finger U in the device width direction X so that as many fingers as possible are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the device width direction X or in a direction as close to this as possible. It is preferable to align the middle finger, which is approximately the center of the hand H, in a direction perpendicular to the width direction X of the apparatus.
As described above, a plurality of pairs of fixing protrusions 222 and fixing recesses 212 are provided corresponding to each finger (for example, the four fingers of the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger, or five fingers including the thumb). may In this case, the finger U to be fixed next (that is, the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed next) should be perpendicular to the device width direction X (see FIGS. 3A, 5, etc.). , is the “specific position” where the fixing mechanism 210 fixes the mounting portion 22 .

In addition, the fixing mechanism 210 is configured such that once the first fixing portion (fixing convex portion 222 in this embodiment) is fixed to the second fixing portion (fixing concave portion 212 in this embodiment), the fixed state is maintained. lock mechanism 210a (see FIG. 4(b)).
FIG. 4(a) shows how the fixing protrusion is inserted into the fixing recess, FIG. 4(b) shows the state (locked state) in which the fixing protrusion is fixed in the fixing recess, and FIG. c) shows how the fixing protrusion is removed from the fixing recess.
As shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c), the locking mechanism 210a is formed, for example, at the lower end of the fixed recess 212, and includes an overhanging portion 212a having a larger diameter than the other portion of the recess. It is composed of a projecting/retractable portion 222a which is configured to be retractable within the overhanging portion 212a.

When the fixing protrusion 222 is inserted into the fixing recess 212 as shown in FIG. 4A, when the lower end of the fixing protrusion 222 reaches the projecting portion 212a, as shown in FIG. The protruding/retracting part 222a protrudes into the overhanging part 212a and serves as a retainer, and the fixed state in which the fixed convex part 222 is fixed to the fixed concave part 212 is maintained. Then, when the projecting/retracting portion 222a is accommodated in the fixing protrusion 222 again and the fixed state is released, the fixing protrusion 222 can be removed from the fixing recess 212 as shown in FIG. 4(c).
It should be noted that it is not essential that the locking mechanism 210 a is provided in the fixing mechanism 210 , and the fixing convex portion 222 may simply be fixed to the fixing concave portion 212 . When the locking mechanism 210a is provided, the configuration for making the retractable part 222a retract is not particularly limited. For example, when the lower end of the fixed protrusion 222 is pressed against the bottom of the fixed recess 212 once, the retractable part 222a protrudes. 222a may be accommodated, or the retractable part 222a may be retracted under the control of the controller 30, which will be described later. Various known configurations can be applied as a configuration for causing the retractable portion 222a to appear and retract, and the details thereof will be omitted.

A placement index portion 223 is provided on the upper surface of the placement portion 22, which is the placement surface 220, as an index of the position on which the hand H or fingers U are placed.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, concave portions are formed as guides for arranging the fingers U when the hand H is placed on the placement surface 220 .
Note that the placement index portion 223 is not limited to a concave portion, but may be formed by three-dimensional printing, for example, with a fingertip or the like so that the user can intuitively and sensuously grasp the positions of the hand H and the finger U. It is preferable that the position to be arranged can be known just by touching. Further, the placement index portion 223 may be, for example, a Braille character that indicates where the finger should be placed just by touching it.

Note that the shape, arrangement, number, and the like of the placement index portions 223 are not particularly limited. When placing the hand H or a plurality of fingers U on the placement surface 220 , it is preferable that the placement index portion 223 is provided for each finger U.
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3B, the five fingers U of one hand can be placed on the placement surface 220, and the placement index portion 223 allows the hand H to be placed with the fingers slightly spaced apart. Five placement indicator portions 223 are provided in such an arrangement that the position of each finger U can be appropriately defined when placed. By arranging the placement index portion 223 in such a manner, the user can place the finger U more easily than placing the fingers in a straight line, which is preferable.

Further, inside the housing 11, there are provided a printing unit 40 for printing on the nail T of the finger U (the surface of the nail T), an imaging unit 50 for acquiring an image of the finger U including the nail T, and the like. .

The printing unit 40 is printing means for printing on the nail T of the finger U placed at a specific printing position. The printing unit 40 includes a print head 41 for printing on the surface of the nail, and the print head 41 in the X direction (the X direction in FIG. It has a head moving mechanism 49 (see FIG. 2) and the like for moving in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus 1).
The print head 41 is supported by an X-direction movement stage for moving the print head 41 in the X direction and a Y-direction movement stage for moving the print head 41 in the Y direction (both not shown). The moving mechanism 49 includes an X-direction moving motor 46, a Y-direction moving motor 48, and the like, which serve as drive units for appropriately moving the print head 41 in the X and Y directions.

The print head 41 has, for example, an ink ejection surface 411 (not shown) for ejecting ink on the surface facing the nail surface. This is an inkjet head that prints by spraying ink directly onto the surface of the nail, which is a surface.
The print head 41 can eject, for example, cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), yellow (Y; YELLOW), and other inks. In addition, the type of ink that can be ejected from the print head 41 is not limited to this, and ink of other colors (for example, white) may be ejected.
The configuration of the print head 41, the type of ink that can be ejected from the print head 41, and the like are not particularly limited.

Further, the photographing unit 50 includes a photographing device 51 and an illumination device 52, as shown in FIG.
Also, the photographing device 51 is a compact camera including a solid-state photographing element having pixels of, for example, about 2 million pixels or more, a lens, and the like. Also, the lighting device 52 is, for example, a lighting lamp such as a white LED.
The imaging unit 50 illuminates the hand H and the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement unit 22 with the illumination device 52 . Then, the finger U is photographed by the photographing device 51 to obtain a nail image that is an image of the nail T of the finger U (an image of the hand H and the finger U including the image of the nail T).
When the entire hand H is placed on the placing portion 22, a photographing device 51 is applied that can fit the entire hand H within the angle of view.

Note that even when the entire hand H is placed on the placement unit 22, the image capturing unit 50 is not limited to capturing the image of the entire hand H. For example, the photographing device 51 may focus on each finger U (finger U including nail T) one by one, and photograph the same number of fingers U multiple times. Also, one hand H may be photographed several times, such as the index finger and the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger, and the thumb.
When the photographing unit 50 photographs the entire hand H and obtains nail images of all fingers U (five fingers U of one hand), or when the fingers U of the hand H are photographed a plurality of times, in which case? However, it is preferable that the photographing device 51 has an angle of view that can photograph the entire mounting portion 22 .

The photographing unit 50 is connected to a photographing control unit 312 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30, which will be described later, and is controlled by the photographing control unit 312. As shown in FIG.
Note that the image data of the image captured by the imaging unit 50 may be stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later. Also, the nail image acquired by the imaging unit 50 may be sent to the terminal device 7 via the communication unit 13 .

The photographing unit 50 may be provided at a position where the finger U placed on the placing unit 22 can be photographed, and the specific arrangement is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the photographing device 51 and the lighting device 52 are fixed at a position inside the top surface of the housing 11 so as to be able to face the nail T (surface of the nail T) of the finger U held by the mounting portion 22. are placed.
Note that the imaging unit 50 may be configured to be movable in the XY directions by a head moving mechanism 49 that moves the print head 41 .

The control device 30 mounted on the printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 31 (see FIG. 2) configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory). etc. (none of which are shown) and a storage unit 32 (see FIG. 2).

The storage unit 32 stores various programs and data for operating the printing apparatus 1 .
Specifically, the storage unit 32 is provided with a program storage area 321 storing various programs such as a print program for performing print processing, a nail information storage area 322 storing various information related to the nail T, and the like. there is
A program stored in the program storage area 321 is executed by the control device 30, so that each part of the printing device 1 is controlled in an integrated manner.

The control unit 31 includes a communication control unit 311, an imaging control unit 312, a nail information detection unit 313, a print data generation unit 314, a print control unit 315, and the like from a functional point of view. Functions of the communication control unit 311, the photographing control unit 312, the nail information detection unit 313, the print data generation unit 314, the print control unit 315, etc. are stored in the CPU of the control unit 31 and the program storage area 321 of the storage unit 32. This will be realized in collaboration with the program.

The communication control section 311 controls the operation of the communication section 13 . In this embodiment, communication with the terminal device 7 is controlled, and when data such as nail design data is transmitted from the terminal device 7, it is received.
Moreover, when the nail image is acquired by the photographing unit 50 , the nail image data may be transmitted to the terminal device 7 .

The imaging control unit 312 controls the imaging device 51 and the lighting device 52 of the imaging unit 50 so that the imaging device 51 captures a finger image including an image of the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement unit 22 (hereinafter referred to as “ (referred to as “nail image”).
Image data of the nail image acquired by the imaging unit 50 is transmitted to the terminal device 7 via the communication unit 13 . Note that the image data may be stored in the storage unit 32 .

The nail information detection unit 313 detects nail information about the nail T of the finger U based on the image of the nail T of the finger U placed on the placement unit 22 captured by the imaging device 51 .
Here, the nail information includes, for example, the contour of the nail T (nail shape, XY coordinates of the horizontal position of the nail T, etc.), the inclination angle of the surface of the nail T with respect to the XY plane (the inclination angle of the nail T, the nail curvature). etc. Note that when the height of the nail T (vertical position of the nail T, hereinafter also referred to as “vertical position of the nail T” or simply “position of the nail T”) can be obtained from an image or the like photographed by the photographing device 51. also includes the height of the nail T in the nail information.

The print data generation unit 314 sets a print area for the printing unit 40 based on the detection result of the nail information detection unit 313, and generates print data.
In this embodiment, the image capturing unit 50 captures an image of the nail T to be printed, and the nail information detection unit 313 detects nail information such as the contour of the nail T from the image of the nail. The print data generation unit 314 sets a print area (nail area) by the print unit 40 based on the detection result, and generates print data.
Specifically, the print data generation unit 314 sets the circumscribed rectangular frame Ft (see FIGS. 6B and 7B) for the detected nail region, and also sets the nail design selected by the user (simply A rectangular frame Fd is also set for the image data of D), which is appropriately scaled according to the shape of the nail region (the contour shape of the nail T), and print data is generated.
If the nail information detection unit 313 detects the curvature of the nail T, the print data generation unit 314 may perform curved surface correction on the print data based on the curvature of the nail T. When curved surface correction is performed, print data more suitable for the shape of the nail T can be generated.

The print control unit 315 is control means for controlling the operation of the print head 41 . Specifically, a control signal is output to the printing unit 40 based on the printing data generated by the printing data generating unit 314, and the printing unit 40 performs printing on the nail T according to the printing data. , the X-direction movement motor 46, the Y-direction movement motor 48, the print head 41, and the like.

As described above, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 operates in cooperation with the terminal device 7 .
The terminal device 7 is, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smart phone. Note that the terminal device 7 is not limited to a smart phone. For example, it may be a tablet personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), a notebook PC, a stationary PC, a game terminal device, or the like.
As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 7 includes an operation section 71, a display section 72, a communication section 73, a control device 80, and the like.

The operation unit 71 can perform various inputs and settings according to user's operations, and is, for example, a touch panel integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 72 . When the operation portion 71 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is transmitted to the control portion 81 .
Various operation screens are displayed on the touch panel configured in the display unit 72 according to the control of the display control unit 812, which will be described later, and the user can perform various operations such as input and setting by touching the touch panel. .
Note that the operation unit 71 for performing various input/setting operations is not limited to a touch panel, and various operation buttons, a keyboard, and the like may be provided as the operation unit 71, for example.

In this embodiment, the user operates the operation unit 71 to output various instructions such as printing start from the terminal device 7 to the printing device 1 . It also functions as an operation part.
Also, the user can select a nail design to be printed on the nail T by operating the operation unit 71 .

The display unit 72 is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic ELD, other flat display, or the like.
Note that, as described above, a touch panel for performing various inputs may be integrally formed on the surface of the display unit 72 . In this case, the touch panel functions as the operation unit 71 .
In this embodiment, the nail design input/selected by the user through the operation unit 71, various guide screens, warning display screens, and the like can be displayed on the display unit 72. FIG.

The communication section 73 is configured to be able to communicate with the communication section 13 of the printing apparatus 1 .
The communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 may be, as described above, either a wireless connection method or a wired connection method, and the specific method is not limited. The communication unit 73 may be any unit that can communicate with the printing apparatus 1, and one that conforms to the communication standard of the communication unit 13 of the printing apparatus 1 is applied.
The communication unit 73 is connected to a communication control unit 811 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 80 to be described later, and is controlled by the communication control unit 811 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 80 of the terminal device 7 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 81 configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (not shown). (random access memory) or the like.

The storage unit 82 stores various programs, various data, and the like for operating each unit of the terminal device 7 .
Specifically, in the ROM or the like of the present embodiment, in addition to an operation program 821a for controlling each part of the terminal device 7, a nail print application program 821b (hereinafter referred to as a nail print application program 821b) for performing nail printing using the printing device 1 is stored. "Nail print AP") and other various programs are stored. Each part of the device 7 is controlled in an integrated manner.

Further, the storage unit 82 of the present embodiment is provided with a design storage area 822 for storing nail design data.
Note that the nail design (design) stored in the design storage area 822 may be an existing design prepared in advance or a design created by the user himself/herself. Further, when the terminal device 7 can be connected to various networks, it may be possible to import a nail design stored in a network-connectable server device (not shown) or the like.

The control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 includes a communication control unit 811, a display control unit 812, etc. from a functional point of view. The functions of the communication control unit 811, the display control unit 812, and the like are realized by cooperation between the CPU of the control unit 81 and the programs stored in the ROM of the storage unit 82. FIG. Note that the functions provided by the control unit 81 of the terminal device 7 are not limited to this, and may be provided with various other functional units.
The communication control section 811 controls the operation of the communication section 73 . In this embodiment, communication with the printing device 1 is controlled, and nail design data and the like are transmitted to the printing device 1 .
The display control unit 812 also controls the display unit 72 to display various display screens on the display unit 72 .

Next, the operation of the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described.
When performing nail printing using the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the user operates the operation unit 12 of the printing apparatus 1 to turn on the power.
Also, the power of the terminal device 7 is turned on, and execution of nail print processing is selected from the operation section 71 of the terminal device 7 . This activates the nail print AP 821b.
When the nail print AP 821b is activated, the display control section 812 of the terminal device 7 causes the display section 72 to display a list of nail designs and a message instructing the user to select a desired design. Next, the user selects a nail design to be printed on the nail T by operating the touch panel or other operating section 71 . As a result, an operation signal is sent to the control device 80, and the desired nail design is selected as the design to be printed on the nail T. FIG. Information on the selected nail design is also transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the control device 30 of the printing device 1 .

Next, the display control unit 812 of the terminal device 7 displays an instruction screen for instructing the display unit 72 to place the hand H including the nail T (and its finger U) to be printed on the placement unit 22 of the printing device 1. display.
For example, when printing on all five fingers U (thumb to little finger) of the right hand, a screen is displayed to instruct the user to place the right hand on the placement section 22 .

The user puts the right hand into the printing apparatus 1 at an angle that is easy for the user to put it on the placing surface 220 of the placing section 22 . At this time, each finger U is positioned by placing each finger U in alignment with the placement index portion 223 .
When the hand H is placed, the user rotates the wrist while pushing down the placing portion 22 . For example, when the hand H is placed on the left side of FIG. Rotate your wrist to the left.
As a result, the mounting portion 22 is guided along the guide groove portion 211 and rotates in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface 220 about a specific point (that is, around the rotation center Rc).
Then, when the mounting portion 22 is moved to a position where the fixed convex portion 222 corresponds to the fixed concave portion 212, the fixed convex portion 222 is fitted into the fixed concave portion 212, and the mounting portion 22 is moved to a “specific position” (a mounting portion in FIG. 5). 22 and the hand H placed thereon are fixed at a position where one of the fingers (the middle finger in the illustrated example) is arranged orthogonal to the device width direction X, which is indicated by a solid line. state. If the fixing mechanism 210 has a locking mechanism 210a, the locking mechanism 210a works at this time, and the fixed state of the mounting section 22 is maintained even if the user loosens the force pushing down the mounting section 22. FIG.

When the placement section 22 is fixed at the "specific position", the entire hand H and the finger U are photographed by the photographing section 50, and a nail image is acquired. Then, the nail information detection unit 313 performs image processing on the nail image acquired by the photographing unit 50 to detect nail information such as the contour of the nail T (nail area within the contour).
When nail information is detected by the nail information detection unit 313, the print data generation unit 314 matches data of nail design D (simply referred to as design D) to the nail region, which is the print range, based on the nail information, and prints the data as appropriate. Correction or the like is performed to generate print data.

For fitting the design D into the nail region, for example, a circumscribing rectangular frame Ft (see FIG. 6B) that circumscribes the nail region is set, and the similar rectangular frame Fd is set for the design D (see FIG. 6C). is set and the two are superimposed.
For example, when the hand H is placed as indicated by the two-dot chain line on the left side of FIG. are placed. In this case, for example, if the region of the nail T of the middle finger (nail region) is cut out and a circumscribed rectangular frame Ft is set, a tilted frame as shown in FIG. 6B is set. Design D is supposed to be printed on a target that is arranged perpendicular to the device width direction X. Therefore, if rectangular frame Fd is set in accordance with circumscribing rectangular frame Ft of the nail area, the result shown in FIG. 6 ( As shown in c), it becomes necessary to rotate the original image data for design D according to the inclination of the circumscribing rectangular frame Ft. However, when the image data is rotated, the pixel position shifts, resulting in deterioration of the image quality. Further, when data correction/interpolation is performed to avoid deterioration of image quality, processing becomes complicated. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid rotation of image data as much as possible.

In this regard, in this embodiment, when five fingers U (thumb to little finger) of one hand are placed on the placement surface 220 of the placement portion 22, as shown in FIGS. , the placing portion 22 is fixed at a position where the middle finger is arranged to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the device. As a result, when the region of the nail T of the middle finger (nail region) is cut out and the circumscribed rectangular frame Ft is set, a frame that is orthogonal to the device width direction X as shown in FIG. 7B is set. be done. Therefore, the rectangular frame Fd set for the design D also has the same orientation as the original image data, so that image quality does not deteriorate.

Note that when only one fixing mechanism 210 is provided as in this embodiment, fingers U other than the finger U (middle finger in FIG. At least the index, middle, and ring fingers are oriented in a similar manner, although they are not oriented perpendicular to each other. Therefore, it is not necessary to rotate the rectangular frame Fd set for the design D from the original image data. In addition, the thumb and little finger are arranged more inclined than the index finger, middle finger and ring finger, but the thumb and little finger located at both ends of the hand are less conspicuous than the index finger, middle finger and ring finger located in the center. , even if the image quality of the print data deteriorates to some extent, this can be tolerated.
Further, the placing position of each finger U may be indicated by the placing index portion 223 so that all the fingers U placed on the placing portion 22 are oriented substantially in the same direction. In this case, when the placing portion 22 is fixed at a position where any reference finger U such as the middle finger is arranged to be orthogonal to the apparatus width direction X, the finger is placed on the placing portion 22. All the fingers U are aligned in a direction substantially orthogonal to the device width direction X, and deterioration of image quality of print data is less likely to occur.

When the print data generation unit 314 generates the print data, the print control unit 315 outputs the print data to the print unit 40 and cooperates with the print processing program or the like to cause the print operation to be performed.
That is, the print control unit 315 controls the operations of the X-direction movement motor 46 and the Y-direction movement motor 48 to appropriately move the print head 41, and controls the print head 41 to apply ink to the nail T as appropriate. Printing is performed while discharging.

By doing so, even if the user puts the whole hand H or the fingers U in a comfortable posture, the nail T can be arranged at an appropriate position, and a high-quality nail print can be realized. .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the printing device 1 includes the printing unit 40 for printing on the nail T of the finger U, and the placement surface 220 on which the hand H or at least one finger U is placed. The mounting portion 22 is configured to be rotatable in the in-plane direction of the mounting surface 220 about a specific point (rotation center Rc). A fixing mechanism 210 is provided to fix the placing section 22 when it is arranged at the "specific position".
As a result, even when the user inserts the hand H or the finger U into the device in a direction that is easy for the user to insert, the placement portion 22 can be rotated in the in-plane direction of the placement surface 220 around a specific point (rotation center Rc). Thus, the orientation of the finger U can be corrected to an appropriate orientation, and printing can be performed with the nail T arranged in the correct position and orientation.
Therefore, it is possible to place the fingers and hands in a more natural posture with less burden on the user, and it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the image quality of the print data and realize a high-quality nail print.

Further, in this embodiment, a placement index portion 223 is formed on the placement surface 220 as an index of the position on which the hand H or fingers U are placed.
As a result, when the user places the hand H and the fingers U on the placement section 22, it is easy to understand where and in what direction the hand H and the fingers U should be placed, and the user can easily place the hand H and the fingers U at appropriate positions. can be done.

Further, in this embodiment, when the hand H or a plurality of fingers U are to be placed on the placing surface 220 of the placing portion 22, the placing indicator portion 223 is provided for each finger U. As shown in FIG.
As a result, even when a plurality of fingers U are to be placed, it is easy for the user to understand where and in what direction each finger U should be placed, and the hand H and fingers U can be easily placed in appropriate positions. .

Further, in the present embodiment, when the hand H or a plurality of fingers U are placed on the placing surface 220 of the placing portion 22, the “specific position” at which the fixing mechanism 210 fixes the placing portion 22 is the hand. It is a position where any finger U among H and a plurality of fingers U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
Design D, which is the basis of the print data, is supposed to be printed on a target arranged orthogonal to the device width direction X, so the direction of the nail region, which is the target of printing, is slanted. Then, it becomes necessary to rotate the original image data of design D accordingly, and the image quality of the data of design D deteriorates.
In this respect, as in the present embodiment, by fixing the placing portion 22 at a position where one of the fingers U (for example, the middle finger) is arranged to be orthogonal to the device width direction X, at least The nail T of the finger U can be printed without rotating the design D.
Therefore, high-quality printing can be achieved.

Further, in this embodiment, a fixing convex portion 222 as a first fixing portion is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion 22, and a fixing convex portion 222 as a first fixing portion is provided below the mounting portion 22. A fixing concave portion 212 is formed as a second fixing portion for fixing the convex portion 222 .
Accordingly, the mounting section 22 can be fixed at an appropriate position by the first fixing section and the second fixing section.
Further, when the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are the fixing convex portion 222 and the fixing concave portion 212 as in the present embodiment, the mounting portion 22 can be reliably fixed with a simple configuration. can.

Further, in the present embodiment, a guide groove portion 211 as a guide portion for guiding the mounting portion 22 is provided below the mounting portion 22 , and a guide groove portion 211 is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion 22 to guide the guide groove portion 211 . A convex portion 221 is formed as a guide portion.
In this way, by providing a guide for turning the mounting section 22, anyone can easily and smoothly move the mounting section 22 along a predetermined track, and the mounting section 22 can be moved to an appropriate position. can be placed.

As shown in the present embodiment, when the guide portion is the guide groove portion 211 and the guided portion is the convex portion 221 corresponding to the guide groove portion 211, the mounting portion 22 can be reliably moved to the predetermined position with a simple configuration. can be moved along the trajectory of
Note that the guide portion and the guided portion are not limited to the guide groove portion 211 and the convex portion 221 . For example, it may be a guide rail and wheels corresponding thereto.

Note that the configuration of the print object placement mechanism 2 is not limited to that shown in this embodiment.
For example, in the present embodiment, the specific point (rotation center Rc) is outside the mounting surface 220 of the mounting portion 22 (see FIG. 5), but the position of the specific point (rotation center Rc) is It is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the center of rotation Rc of the placement section 24 in the print object placement mechanism 2A may be set within the placement surface 240 of the placement section 24 .
That is, in this case, the mounting portion 24 is provided with a rotation shaft 241 centered on the rotation center Rc, and the mounting portion 24 rotates on the mounting surface 240 around the center of the rotation shaft 241 which is the rotation center Rc. It is configured to be rotatable in the in-plane direction.
With such a configuration, the mounting portion 24 rotates around the axis set in the mounting surface 240, so when the center of rotation Rc is outside the mounting surface of the mounting portion (for example, The moving range is narrower than the example shown in FIG. 5), which contributes to miniaturization of the apparatus.

In this case, the guide portion and the guided portion may be provided on the inner side in the insertion direction of the hand H across the rotation center Rc from the hand H and the finger U placed on the placement surface 240 .
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , a guide groove portion 231 as a guide portion for guiding the mounting portion 24 is provided below the mounting portion 24 , and a guide groove portion 231 is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion 24 to guide the guide groove portion 231 . A case where a convex portion 242 is formed as a guide portion is shown.
Even in such a configuration, when the user rotates the wrist, the placement section 24 is guided by the guide groove section 231 and rotated around the rotation center Rc.

Further, in this case, the convex portion 242 as the guided portion may also serve as the fixing convex portion as the first fixing portion.
That is, when the fixing mechanism 230 is composed of the fixing convex portion 242 as the first fixing portion and the fixing concave portion 232 as the second fixing portion, the fixing concave portion 232 is inserted into the guide groove portion 231 and is further removed from the guide groove portion 231. are also formed as deep recesses. Then, the protrusion 242 is guided along the guide groove 231 and is fixed in the fixing recess 232 when it reaches the position where the fixing recess 232 is formed.
In this case, since the convex portion 242 functions as the guided portion and the fixed convex portion, the configuration can be made simpler than when the guided portion and the fixed convex portion are provided separately.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of fingers (corresponding to five fingers of one hand in FIG. 8) are provided in the guide groove portion 231 corresponding to positions where each finger U is arranged to be orthogonal to the device width direction X. and 5) fixing recesses 232 are provided.
For example, when printing on the nail T of the middle finger, as shown in FIG. Thereby, the middle finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the device.
When printing on the nail T of the little finger, the protrusion 242 is fixed to the fixing recess 232 at the left end in FIG. 8, the convex portion 242 is fixed to the second fixing concave portion 232 from the left in FIG. Similarly, when printing on the nail T of the thumb, the projection 242 is fixed to the fixing recess 232 on the right end in FIG. The protrusion 242 is fixed to 232 .

In this manner, when the fixing concave portion 232 to be fixed can be switched according to the finger U to be printed next, printing is performed while each finger U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X. etc. can be performed, and higher quality nail prints can be performed for all fingers U.
The switching of the fixed concave portion 232 to which the convex portion 242 is fixed may be performed manually by the user (that is, by rotating the wrist by himself/herself), or may be automatically performed by a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor. good too.
For example, in the case where the order in which each finger U should be printed is defined in advance and the data of the design to be printed is prepared accordingly, when the printing for one nail T is completed, the next nail to be printed is printed. The control unit 31 controls the motor or the like so that the finger U corresponding to T is arranged to be orthogonal to the device width direction X, and automatically switches the fixed concave portion 232 to which the convex portion 242 is fixed. can be
Note that the fixing mechanism 230 may have a locking mechanism as shown in FIG. 4(b). In this case, the operation of the lock mechanism may also be controlled by the controller 31 .

When setting a specific point (rotation center Rc) within the mounting surface of the mounting portion, the position of the rotation center Rc is not limited to the example shown in FIG.
The center of rotation Rc is preferably positioned on a line passing through the central portion of the rotating mounting portion in the device width direction X, but the position in the direction perpendicular to the device width direction X (device depth direction Y) is not particularly limited. Instead, for example, it may be in the vicinity of the far side (that is, the upper side in FIG. 8) or near the front side (that is, the lower side in FIG. 8) in the depth direction Y of the apparatus. When the center of rotation Rc of the mounting section is set to the far side or the front side in the depth direction Y of the apparatus, the rotation shaft 241 is also provided at a position centered on the center of rotation Rc, and the center of rotation of the mounting section is set. It is configured to be rotatable around Rc.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. Since the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the configuration of the print target arrangement mechanism, the points that differ from the first embodiment will be described below.

9(a) and 9(b) are side views showing the configuration of the print object arrangement mechanism according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the print target arrangement mechanism 2B in this embodiment includes a base section 25 and a placement section 26 arranged below the base section 25. there is
The mounting portion 25 has a specific point (rotation center Rc) within the mounting surface 260 that is the center of rotation of the mounting portion 25 .
Specifically, the print object placement mechanism 2B in this embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and a substantially cylindrical base portion 25 and a similarly cylindrical mounting portion 26 are arranged vertically. are arranged in layers.

FIG. 10(a) is a top view showing an example of a base part that constitutes the print object arrangement mechanism in this embodiment, and FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of a part.
As shown in FIG. 10A, the upper surface of the base portion 25 is formed with a guide groove portion 251 as a guide portion along the outer circumference. The guide groove portion 251 guides the movement of the mounting portion 26 when it rotates around the center of rotation.
A fixing recess 252 deeper than the guide groove 251 is formed in the guide groove 251 . The fixing recessed portion 252 is a second fixing portion for fixing a first fixing portion, which will be described later.

The guide groove portion 251 and the fixed recess portion 252 are substantially the same as the guide groove portion 231 and the fixed recess portion 232 described in FIG. It is preferable that a plurality of fixing recesses 252 are provided according to the number of fingers U placed on the placing portion 26 .
In the present embodiment, a case where five fingers U of one hand H are placed on the placing portion 26 will be described as an example. In this case, five fixing recesses 252 are provided at positions corresponding to each finger U, respectively.
In the present embodiment, the “specific position” at which the fixing mechanism 250 fixes the placement unit 26 is such that the finger U to be printed next among the hand H and a plurality of fingers U is orthogonal to the device width direction X. It is preferred that the position be arranged such that By providing the fixing recesses 252 corresponding to the positions where each finger U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X, it is possible to set the placing portion 26 at any position (rotation angle in the in-plane direction). , it becomes easier for the user to understand whether the finger U to be printed next is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the device.

In the printing target arrangement mechanism 2B of this embodiment, the center of rotation Rc is set substantially at the center of the cylinder.
As will be described later, the mounting portion 26 is provided with a rotating shaft 261 whose axis coincides with the rotation center Rc. 253 are formed. The bearing portion 253 is a recess or hole having an inner diameter larger than that of the rotating shaft 261 and receiving the lower portion of the rotating shaft 261 .

As shown in FIG. 10(b), the mounting portion 26 has a rotating shaft 261 vertically provided on the lower surface thereof (that is, the lower surface facing the base portion 25). there is The diameter and length (dimension in the height direction) of the rotating shaft 261 are not particularly limited as long as it can be stably rotated with the hand H placed thereon.

Further, on the lower surface of the mounting portion 26 , a convex portion 262 is formed as a portion to be guided by the guide groove portion 251 at a position corresponding to the guide groove portion 251 .
In the present embodiment, the projection 262 as the guided portion also functions as a fixing projection as the first fixing portion.
That is, the fixing mechanism 250 (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)) of this embodiment is composed of a convex portion 262 as a first fixing portion and a fixing concave portion 252 as a second fixing portion. ing. The fixed concave portion 252 is formed in the guide groove portion 251 as a concave portion deeper than the guide groove portion 251. When the convex portion 262 is guided along the guide groove portion 251 and reaches the location where the fixed concave portion 252 is formed, is fixed within the fixing recess 252 . Note that the fixing mechanism 250 may have a lock mechanism as shown in FIG. 4(b).
Note that the convex portion 262 is the same as the convex portion 242 described with reference to FIG. 8, so description thereof will be omitted.

The upper surface of the placing portion 26 serves as a placing surface 260 on which the hand H and the fingers U are placed. A placement index portion 263 is formed.
In this embodiment, the entire hand H is placed on the placement surface 260, and five placement index portions 263 are provided corresponding to each finger U (five fingers from the thumb to the little finger). is provided.
Note that the placement indicator portion 263 is the same as the placement indicator portion 223 (see FIG. 3B) in the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the lower surface of the mounting portion 26 and the surface on which the second fixing portion is formed (that is, the surface of the base portion 25). An urging mechanism 255 is provided between the upper surface).
The urging mechanism 255 in this embodiment includes an abutting member 256 and an urging member 257 provided on the lower surface of the abutting member 256 .
In this embodiment, by rotating the mounting portion 26 while pushing down the mounting surface 260 with the hand H placed on the mounting portion 26, the convex portion 262, which is the portion to be guided and the first fixed portion, is moved. It is guided along the guide groove portion 251, which is the guide portion, and is fitted and fixed in the fixing recess portion 252 when it reaches the place where the fixing recess portion 252, which is the second fixing portion, is formed. Since the mounting portion 26 is urged upward by the urging mechanism 255, when the force of pushing down the mounting surface 260 with the hand H weakens (when the depressed state is released), the urging mechanism 255 is urged. The urging force of the force member 257 restores the mounting surface 260 to its original height, releasing the state (fixed state) in which the protrusion 262 is fitted in the fixing recess 252 .

The abutting member 256 is an annular plate member formed along the outer peripheries of the base portion 25 and the mounting portion 26 so as not to interfere with the rotating shaft 261 and the convex portion 262 . When the placing portion 26 is pushed down by the hand H, the lower surface of the placing portion 26 abuts against the upper surface of the abutting member 256, and the abutting member 256 is pushed down together with the placing portion 26. As shown in FIG. In this manner, the pressing member 256 receives the placed portion 26 with its surface, so that the placed portion 26 can be stably rotated.
Note that the abutment member 256 may be any member as long as it does not interfere with the rotating shaft 261 and the convex portion 262, and its shape and the like are not limited.

The urging member 257 is provided between the lower surface of the abutting member 256 and the upper surface of the base portion 25, and urges the mounting portion 26 upward via the abutting member 256. For example, a coil Spring.
In order to stably support the abutting member 256 and the placing section 26, it is preferable that three or more biasing members 257 are provided with a substantially equal feel. The position, number, etc. of the biasing member 257 are not particularly limited.
In addition, it is not essential that the biasing mechanism 255 includes the abutment member 256 , and the biasing mechanism 255 may be configured only with the biasing member 257 .

Since other configurations are the same as those shown in the first embodiment and FIG. 8, description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the printing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.
Here, the action of the print object placement mechanism 2B, which is a part different from the first embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS. 11(a) to 11(e).
As shown in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(e), also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the user places the entire hand H (right hand in the illustrated example) on the placement section 26. Place on surface 260 . Then, the printing process is sequentially performed for the nails T of the five fingers U. FIG.

For example, when printing on the nail T of the middle finger, as shown in FIG. 11A, the convex portion 262 is fixed to the fixed concave portion 252 provided in the center of the five fixed concave portions 252 . That is, the placing portion 26 is pushed down with the hand H placed on the placing surface 260 so that the convex portion 262 fits into the fixing concave portion 252 provided in the center (see FIG. 9B). If the fixing mechanism 250 (see FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)) has a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism operates at this time to maintain the fixed state.
Thereby, the middle finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
In this state, the photographing unit 50 performs photographing, obtains a nail image of the middle finger, and detects information of the nail T (nail region, etc.) from the nail image. Then, the design D is matched according to the detected nail area and the like, print data is generated, and printing is performed on the nail T of the middle finger.

When the force of pushing down the mounting surface 260 with the hand H weakens (when the depressed state is released), the mounting surface 260 is pushed up by the biasing force of the biasing member 257 of the biasing mechanism 255 and returns to its original height. It returns, and the state (fixed state) in which the protrusion 262 is fitted in the fixing recess 252 is released (see FIG. 9A).
When locked by the locking mechanism, the placement surface 260 returns to its original height by the biasing force of the biasing member 257 after the lock is released.
It is preferable that the protrusion 262 does not come off the guide groove 251 even in this state. In other words, the protrusion 262 stays within the guide groove 251 but is not fitted into the stop recess 252 deeper than the guide groove 251 .
When the fixed state of the fixing mechanism 250 is released, the placement section 26 becomes rotatable about the rotation center Rc. The mounting section 26 is rotated to a position where the U is orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.

For example, when printing on the nail T of the ring finger next, as shown in 11(b), the protrusion 262 is fixed to the fixing recess 252 second from the left among the fixing recesses 252 . As a result, the ring finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
When printing on the nail T of the little finger, the protrusion 262 is fixed to the fixing recess 252 at the left end of the fixing recesses 252, as shown in 11(c). As a result, the little finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
Similarly, when printing on the nail T of the index finger, as shown in 11(d), the projection 262 is fixed to the second fixing recess 252 from the right. As a result, the index finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X. As shown in FIG.
When printing on the nail T of the thumb, as shown in 11(e), the projection 262 is fixed to the fixing recess 252 on the right end. Thereby, the thumb is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the device.

In this way, when the fixing concave portion 252 to be fixed is switched according to the finger U to be printed next, printing is performed while each finger U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X. etc. can be performed, and higher quality nail prints can be performed for all fingers U.

Other points are the same as those of the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
That is, in the present embodiment, the center of rotation Rc (a specific point serving as the center of rotation) of the mounting section 26 is set within the mounting surface 260 .
As a result, it is possible to make the trajectory of the mounting section 26 to be rotated compact, and to realize the print object arrangement mechanism 2B without increasing the size of the printing apparatus.
In addition, since the movement required for switching the finger U to be printed can be as small as twisting the wrist, the burden on the user is reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the hand H or a plurality of fingers U are placed on the placement surface of the placing portion 26, the “specific position” at which the fixing mechanism 250 fixes the placing portion 26 is the hand. This is the position where the finger U to be printed next among H and a plurality of fingers U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
In this way, by fixing the placing portion 26 when the finger U to be printed next is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the apparatus width direction X, the design can be applied to the area of the nail T arranged in the correct direction. D can be matched, and printing data can be generated without deteriorating the image data of design D.
As a result, a high-quality nail print can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the hand H or a plurality of fingers U are placed on the placing surface 260 of the placing portion 26, the second fixing portion for fixing the convex portion 262 which is the first fixing portion is provided. A plurality of fixing recesses 252 are provided corresponding to positions where each finger U is arranged to be orthogonal to the width direction X of the apparatus.
In this way, by providing the fixing recesses 252 corresponding to the positions where each finger U is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X, any position (in-plane direction) of the placing portion 26 can be determined. rotation angle), it is easy for the user to understand whether the finger U to be printed next is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction X, and anyone can easily print on the nail T in an appropriate arrangement. be able to.

In addition, in the present embodiment, a guide groove portion 251 as a guide portion for guiding the mounting portion 26 is provided below the mounting portion 26, and the guide groove portion 251 is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion 26. A convex portion 262 is formed as a guided portion to be guided.
As a result, only by fitting the convex portion 262 into the guide groove portion 251, the mounting portion 26 can smoothly rotate without deviating from the trajectory around the rotation center Rc (that is, centering on a specific point).

In addition, in the present embodiment, an urging mechanism for urging the mounting portion 26 upward is provided between the lower surface of the mounting portion 26 and the surface in which the fixing recessed portion 252, which is the second fixing portion, is formed. A biasing member 257 of 255 is provided, and when the mounting surface 260 is pushed down by a hand H or a finger U, the convex portion 262 as the first fixing portion is pushed down by the fixing concave portion 252 as the second fixing portion. When the pressed state is released, the placement surface 260 returns to its original height due to the biasing force of the biasing member 257, and the fixed state between the convex portion 262 and the fixed concave portion 252 is released.
Therefore, the placement section 26 once fixed can be automatically returned to a rotatable state.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fixed concave portion 252 as the second fixing portion is a concave portion formed in the guide groove portion 251 deeper than the guide groove portion 251 , and the convex portion 262 is guided along the guide groove portion 251 . In addition to functioning as a portion to be guided, which is configured to be fixable in the fixing concave portion 252, it also functions as a fixing convex portion which is the first fixing portion.
In this manner, one convex portion 262 serves as both a guided portion and a first fixing portion, so that the printing object placement mechanism 2B can be realized with a simple configuration.

In the present embodiment, the print object arrangement mechanism 2B includes a biasing mechanism 255 composed of a ring-shaped abutment portion 256 and a biasing member 257, and the biasing mechanism 255 causes the placement portion 26 to Although the configuration for urging from the side has been described, the configuration for urging the placing section 26 from the bottom side is not limited to this.
For example, instead of the biasing mechanism 255 including the abutting portion 256 and the biasing member 257, a biasing member such as a coil spring may be provided around the rotating shaft 261 as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b). 275 may be arranged in the print object arrangement mechanism 2C so that the biasing member 275 biases the placement section 26 from the lower surface side. 9(a) and 9(b) are the same as those shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) except for the urging member 275, so the same reference numerals are given to the same portions and the description thereof will be omitted.
Even in such a configuration, when the force of pushing down the mounting portion 26 by the hand H is weak, the mounting portion 26 is pushed up by the biasing force of the biasing member 275, and the convex portion 262 is separated from the fixed concave portion 252. It will come off and will be in the state where the fixed state was cancelled|released (refer Fig.12 (a)). Further, when the placing portion 26 is strongly pushed down by the hand H, the placing portion 26 moves downward against the biasing force of the biasing member 275, and the convex portion 262 is fixed where the fixing concave portion 252 is provided. It fits into the recess 252 and becomes fixed (see FIG. 12(b)).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the five fingers U of one hand are placed on the placement surface to perform printing, but the hand H and fingers U placed on the placement surface are not limited to this. .
For example, the four fingers of the right hand (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) are placed on the placement section for printing, and then the four fingers of the left hand (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) are placed on the placement section. Printing is performed by placing the thumbs of both hands on the placing portions, and printing is performed by placing the thumbs of both hands on the placing portions. may
In this case, since the four fingers U from the index finger to the little finger are not significantly different between the left and right hands H, the same placement index portion may be used for both the left and right hands, but the position of the thumb is the same as that of the other four fingers. to differ greatly. For this reason, the placement index portions indicating the positions of the thumbs of both hands may be provided on the placement surface separately from the placement index portions for the other four fingers.
The position and orientation of the thumb are significantly different from those of the other four fingers. Therefore, by printing only the thumb separately from the other four fingers, it is possible to print in a more natural posture without forcing the user to take an unreasonable posture.
In addition, since the angles of the four fingers other than the thumb do not differ greatly, when printing the four fingers of one hand (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger) and the thumb separately, the four fingers other than the thumb , only one finger U (for example, the middle finger) serving as a reference may be arranged so as to be perpendicular to the device width direction X, and in this state, print processing and the like may be performed for all four fingers. In this case, it is possible to omit the trouble of rotating the placing portion for each finger U, and not only the reference finger U (for example, the middle finger) but also the other fingers U are rotated in the apparatus width direction X. High-quality printing can be performed without a large deviation from the position orthogonal to the .

In addition, on the mounting surface of the mounting section, there are various types of fingers to be printed, such as for printing on the right hand, for printing on the left hand, for printing on the four fingers of one hand (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger), and for printing on the thumbs of both hands. A plurality of patterns of placement indicator portions may be provided according to the number of fingers U to be placed at one time (left or right, or the type of finger such as index finger, middle finger, etc.).
In this case, it is preferable that the placement index portions are configured to be distinguishable by changing the color or shape of the placement indicator for each pattern. As a result, a single placement section can handle any pattern in which the fingers U are arranged, and in any case, the user can easily find the appropriate position where each finger U should be arranged.

Furthermore, the placement section may be configured to be detachable from the print target placement mechanism of the printing apparatus.
In this case, a mounting unit having a plurality of types of mounting surfaces is prepared for each of the plurality of patterns as described above, and the target to be printed (that is, the nail T of which finger U of the left or right hand H is printed) It is preferable that the placement section can be replaced as appropriate depending on whether or not
This makes it easier for the user to understand the appropriate positions where each finger U should be placed, no matter what pattern the fingers U are placed.

Further, the hand H to be placed on the placing portion is not limited to one hand, and may be formed so that both hands can be placed.
In this case, printing may be sequentially performed on the nails T of the ten fingers U of both hands, or four fingers (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) may be placed together on the placement portion for printing. Alternatively, printing may be performed by placing the thumbs of both hands on the placing portion.

Alternatively, the photographing unit 50 may photograph the state in which the hand H or the finger U is placed on the placing portion or the manner in which it is placed, and may be displayed on the display unit 72 or the like of the terminal device 7 . In this case, the placement state of the hand H and the finger U becomes easier for the user to understand.
A display section may be provided in the printing apparatus 1. In this case, the display section on the printing apparatus 1 side may display the state or manner in which the hand H or the finger U is placed on the placement section.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the printing apparatus 1 cooperates with the terminal device 7 to perform print processing. Various processing may be performed in .

It should be noted that the content of each of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately combined and applied to a printing apparatus.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalent ranges thereof. .
The invention described in the scope of claims originally attached to the application form of this application is additionally described below. The claim numbers in the appendix are as in the claims originally attached to the filing of this application.
[Appendix]
<Claim 1>
a printing means for printing on a finger nail;
a placement portion whose upper surface serves as a placement surface for placing a hand or at least one finger;
with
The mounting portion is configured to be rotatable about a specific point in an in-plane direction of the mounting surface,
1. A printing apparatus, comprising: a fixing mechanism for fixing said placing portion when said placing portion is arranged at a specific position.
<Claim 2>
2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said specific point is set within said mounting surface.
<Claim 3>
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a placement index portion serving as an index of a position on which a hand or fingers are placed is formed on the placement surface.
<Claim 4>
When placing a hand or a plurality of fingers on the placement surface of the placement section,
4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the placement indicator portion is provided on at least one of the plurality of fingers.
<Claim 5>
When placing a hand or a plurality of fingers on the placement surface of the placement section,
The specific position at which the fixing mechanism fixes the placing portion is a position where any one of a hand or a plurality of fingers is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction of the device. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
<Claim 6>
The fixing mechanism is
a first fixing portion provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion;
a second fixing portion provided at a lower position of the placing portion;
with
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first fixing portion is fixed to the second fixing portion.
<Claim 7>
6. The first fixing portion is one of a convex portion and a concave portion, and the second fixing portion is the other of the convex portion and the concave portion to be fitted with the first fixing portion. The printing device according to .
<Claim 8>
When placing a hand or a plurality of fingers on the placement surface of the placement section,
6. A plurality of said second fixing parts for fixing said first fixing part are provided corresponding to positions where each finger is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the device width direction. 8. A printing device according to claim 7.
<Claim 9>
a biasing member that biases the mounting portion upward is provided between the lower surface of the mounting portion and the surface on which the second fixing portion is formed;
The first fixing portion is fixed to the second fixing portion by pressing the placement surface with a hand or a finger, and when the pressed state is released, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the above-described movement of the first fixing portion. 9. The fixing state between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion is released by returning the placing surface to the original height. The printing device according to .
<Claim 10>
A guide portion for guiding the placing portion is provided at a lower position of the placing portion,
10. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion is formed on the lower surface of the placing portion.
<Claim 11>
11. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the guide portion is a guide groove portion, and the guided portion is a convex portion corresponding to the guide groove portion.
<Claim 12>
The first fixing portion is a fixing projection, the second fixing portion is a fixing recess that fits into the first fixing portion, and
The fixed concave portion is a concave portion formed deeper than the guide groove portion in the guide groove portion,
12. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the fixed convex portion functions as a guided portion that is guided along the guide groove portion and is configured to be fixable within the fixed concave portion.

1 printing device 2 printing target placement mechanism 7 terminal device 21 support plate 22 placement section 31 control section 40 printing section 210 fixing mechanism 211 guide groove section 212 fixing concave section 220 placement surface 222 fixing convex section 223 placement index section 313 nail information detection Unit 314 Print data generation unit 315 Print control unit D Design H Hand Rc Center of rotation T Nail U Finger

Claims (7)

a placement portion having a placement surface provided with a placement index portion serving as an index of a position for placing at least one finger;
a support plate that supports the mounting portion from below;
a fixing mechanism having a first fixing portion provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion and a second fixing portion provided on the support plate;
with
The mounting portion is rotatable about a specific point in an in-plane direction of the mounting surface,
The first fixed part is fixed to the second fixed part,
A plurality of the second fixing portions for fixing the first fixing portion are provided corresponding to positions at which each of the plurality of fingers is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction of the device.
A printing device characterized by: a placement portion having a placement surface provided with a placement index portion serving as an index of a position for placing at least one finger;
a support plate that supports the mounting portion from below;
a fixing mechanism having a first fixing portion provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion and a second fixing portion provided on the support plate;
with
The mounting portion is rotatable about a specific point in an in-plane direction of the mounting surface,
The first fixed part is fixed to the second fixed part,
A biasing member is provided between the mounting portion and the support plate to bias the mounting portion upward,
The first fixing portion is fixed to the second fixing portion by pressing the mounting surface with a hand or at least one finger, and when the pressing state is released, the biasing member is biased. The mounting surface is returned to the original height by force, and the fixed state between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion is released.
A printing device characterized by: a placement portion having a placement surface provided with a placement index portion serving as an index of a position for placing at least one finger;
a support plate that supports the mounting portion from below;
a fixing mechanism having a first fixing portion provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion and a second fixing portion provided on the support plate;
with
The mounting portion is rotatable about a specific point in an in-plane direction of the mounting surface,
The first fixed part is fixed to the second fixed part,
The support plate is provided with a guide portion for guiding the placement portion,
A guided portion for being guided by the guide portion is provided on the lower surface of the mounting portion, the guide portion is a guide groove portion, and the guided portion is a convex portion corresponding to the guide groove portion. ,
the first fixing portion is a fixing convex portion protruding downward;
The second fixing portion is a fixing concave portion that fits with the first fixing portion and is formed in the guide groove portion below and deeper than the guide groove portion,
The fixed convex portion functions as a guided portion that is guided along the guide groove portion and is fixable in the fixed concave portion.
A printing device characterized by: 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said specific point is set within said mounting surface. 5. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the placement indicator portion is provided for each finger among a plurality of fingers. When placing a plurality of fingers on the placement surface of the placement section,
A position where the fixing mechanism fixes the placing portion is a position where one of a plurality of fingers is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the width direction of the device. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The first fixing portion is either a convex portion or a concave portion, and the second fixing portion is the other of the convex portion or the concave portion that fits with the first fixing portion. 3. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2.

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