JP7415698B2 - Nail sticker manufacturing device, nail sticker manufacturing method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a nail seal manufacturing apparatus, a nail seal manufacturing method , and a program.

Conventionally, nail chips that are attached to nails have been known. When using nail tips, anyone can easily enjoy nail art, unlike when drawing nail designs directly on the nails with manicure or the like.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a nail tip making plate (hereinafter simply referred to as a "plate") made of a photocurable resin is placed on the natural nail, the plate is aligned with the shape of the natural nail, and then light is applied. A method for making a nail tip is disclosed, in which the nail tip is completed by applying the plate to hardening, then cutting the plate with scissors or the like to adjust the length, and smoothing the cut tip with a nail file or the like. .

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-254877

However, it is time-consuming for the user to shape the hardened plate (nail chip forming plate) to match the shape of his/her own nail by cutting or filing the hardened plate by himself/herself.
It takes considerable skill to shape the dominant plate into the appropriate shape, especially with the non-dominant hand.
Therefore, with this method, not everyone can easily enjoy nail art.

Furthermore, in the method described in Patent Document 1, the type of nail art to be applied to the nail is also determined at the time the plate is selected.
For this reason, for example, if a user wants to apply a different design to each fingernail, it would be necessary to prepare a plurality of types of plates for each type of design, which is inconvenient for the user.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a nail seal manufacturing apparatus, a nail seal manufacturing method, and a nail seal manufacturing method that can easily form a nail tip (hereinafter referred to as a nail seal) according to the shape of the nail. The advantage is that it provides programs.

In order to solve the above problems, a nail seal manufacturing device that is one aspect of the present invention includes an adhesive layer forming means for forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail, and an adhesive layer forming means that forms an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail, and a nail seal manufacturing device that includes an adhesive layer forming means that forms an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail, and a nail seal manufacturing device that includes an adhesive layer forming means that forms an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail, and a nail sticker that covers the area covered with the liquid. A sheet layer that forms a sheet layer on the adhesive layer by injecting the liquid onto the adhesive layer and curing the liquid by irradiating the liquid covering the adhesive layer with ultraviolet rays. It is characterized by comprising a forming means and a drawing means for drawing a design on the sheet layer .
Further, the method for manufacturing a nail seal, which is one aspect of the present invention, includes an adhesive layer forming step of forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail, and a step of forming an adhesive layer on the adhesive layer so that the area covered with the liquid is the area of the nail. a sheet layer forming step of forming a sheet layer on the adhesive layer by injecting the liquid agent and curing the liquid agent covering the adhesive layer by irradiating the liquid agent with ultraviolet rays; A drawing step of drawing a design on the layer.
Further, the program that is one aspect of the present invention causes the computer to form an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail using a predetermined adhesive layer forming means, and to apply a predetermined sheet layer forming means to an area covered with the liquid on the nail. A sheet layer is formed on the adhesive layer by injecting the liquid onto the adhesive layer so as to form an area of It is characterized by functioning as a control means for forming a design on the sheet layer and drawing a design on the sheet layer by a predetermined drawing means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily form a nail seal according to the shape of the nail.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of main parts of a printing device in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of a control configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of print processing according to the present embodiment. 7 is a flowchart showing printing processing in a seal forming mode in the present embodiment. It is an explanatory view explaining a procedure of forming a nail sticker on a nail. FIG. 2 is a top view of a finger including a nail with a nail seal formed thereon. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how a nail sticker is peeled off from a nail. FIG. 2 is a top view of a finger including a nail showing how a nail sticker is peeled off from the nail.

An embodiment of a printing device and a nail sticker forming method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.
Note that, although various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention are attached to the embodiments described below, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.
Furthermore, in the following embodiments, a case will be explained in which the printing device is a nail printing device that prints on the fingernails of the hand as an example, but the printing device in the present invention prints on the fingernails of the hand. The printing target is not limited to nails, and for example, toenails or the like may be printed.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the main configuration of a printing apparatus according to this embodiment, and a part of the internal configuration of the apparatus is shown by broken lines. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main control configuration of the printing apparatus.
The printing device 1 of this embodiment is a nail printing device that prints on a nail T of a finger U.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 2 that is formed into, for example, a substantially box shape.
At approximately the center of the housing 2 in the left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 1) and slightly above the center in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), there is a finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed. An insertion port 21 is provided for inserting the device into the device.
A finger holder (not shown) that holds a finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed is arranged on the back side of the insertion opening 21 . The finger U inserted through the insertion opening 21 is held in a position suitable for printing by this finger holding section.

Further, an opening 23 is provided in the upper part of the front side of the casing 2 (in the example shown in FIG. 1, the upper part of the front right side).
By opening the opening 23, the user can access each print head (that is, the inkjet head 41 and syringe type heads 42a to 42c) of the printing unit 40, which will be described later, and can attach/detach/replace the print head as appropriate. It is now possible to do so.
The opening 23 only needs to be formed at a position where the print head can be accessed in this way, and the specific position is not particularly limited.

An operating section 12 (see FIG. 2) of the printing apparatus 1 is provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2 and the like. The operation unit 12 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) for turning on/off the power of the printing apparatus 1. When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal is output to the control device 30 (see FIG. 2), and the control device 30 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each part of the printing apparatus 1.

Further, a display section 13 is installed on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 2.
The display unit 13 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display, or other flat display.
In the present embodiment, the display section 13 displays, for example, an image for photographing the finger U inserted through the insertion opening 21 to confirm the placement of the nail T in the device, or displays the outline shape of the nail T. is displayed, or an image of a design to be printed on the nail is displayed as appropriate. Further, the display unit 13 appropriately displays an instruction screen for displaying various instructions and messages.
Note that a touch panel may be integrally formed on the surface of the display section 13. In this case, the configuration is such that various input operations can also be performed by a touch operation of touching the surface of the display section 13.

A device main body 10 is housed inside the casing 2 .
A finger holding section is arranged in the device main body 10 at a position corresponding to the insertion port 21. Further, a photographing section 50 for photographing the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding section, a printing section 40 for printing on the nail T, and the like are provided.

The photographing unit 50 is disposed above the finger holding unit, and photographs the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit to create an image of the nail T (an image of the finger U including the nail T, a nail image). get.
The photographing unit 50 includes a photographing device 51 that is, for example, a camera, and an illumination device 52 that includes a white LED or the like that illuminates the nail T that is to be photographed (see FIG. 2).
The operation of the photographing section 50 is controlled by a photographing control section 311 (see FIG. 2) of the control device 30, which will be described later.
The image data of the nail image photographed by the photographing device 51 may be stored in the storage unit 32, which will be described later.

The printing unit 40 prints on the surface of the nail T, which is the surface to be printed, according to predetermined printing data, and coats the surface of the nail T with an adhesive layer F1, a sheet layer F2, a design layer F3, and a protective layer F4. A nail seal Fs (see FIG. 7, etc.) that is removable from the adhesive layer F1 is formed.
The printing unit 40 includes a carriage 401 on which a print head (an inkjet head 41 and syringe type heads 42a to 42c described later) for performing a printing operation is mounted, and a carriage moving mechanism 49 for moving the carriage 401.

The carriage movement mechanism 49 includes an ) includes a Y-direction movement mechanism 47 equipped with a Y-direction movement motor 48 for moving the carriage 401 in the left-right direction of the apparatus (X-direction ) and move the device in the front-back direction (Y direction).

In this embodiment, the carriage 401 includes an inkjet print head (hereinafter referred to as "inkjet head 41"), a print head having a syringe structure (hereinafter referred to as "first syringe head 42a, second syringe head 42b," It is equipped with a third syringe-type head 42c. Each of these print heads is configured to be removable from the carriage, and the user can open the aforementioned opening 23 and replace the print head as appropriate.

The inkjet head 41 is provided with an ink ejection surface (not shown) that ejects ink on a surface facing the nail surface, atomizes the ink into fine droplets, and prints from the ink ejection surface to the printing surface of the target (nail T). This is an inkjet print head that prints by spraying ink directly onto the nail surface. Although the structure of the inkjet head 41 is not particularly limited, it is, for example, a cartridge-integrated head in which an ejection mechanism such as an ink ejection surface and an ink cartridge (none of which are shown) are integrated.
The inkjet head 41 is capable of ejecting cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW) ink, for example, and is capable of color printing. It functions as a design layer forming means for forming the design layer F3. That is, the inkjet head 41 forms the design layer F3 on the nail T with the sheet layer F2 interposed therebetween.
Note that the type of ink provided in the inkjet head 41 is not limited to this.
The inkjet head 41 is mounted on the carriage 401 while being held by a head holder 411 provided on the carriage 401, and is movable in the X direction and the Y direction according to the movement of the carriage 401.

The first syringe head 42a, the second syringe head 42b, and the third syringe head 42c are mounted on the carriage 401 while being held by syringe holders 421, respectively.
The first syringe type head 42a, the second syringe type head 42b, and the third syringe type head 42c include an outer cylinder 422 having a cylinder tip 423 at the lower end, and a plunger provided inside the outer cylinder and operating in the vertical direction. 424.

Each syringe holder 421 has a first syringe drive section 43a, a second syringe drive section 43b corresponding to a first syringe head 42a, a second syringe head 42b, and a third syringe head 42c. , a third syringe drive section 43c is provided. The first syringe drive section 43a, the second syringe drive section 43b, and the third syringe drive section 43c are configured with, for example, a small actuator, and move the plunger 424 in the vertical direction.
A liquid is stored in the outer cylinder 422 of each of the first syringe head 42a, the second syringe head 42b, and the third syringe head 42c, and when the plunger 424 is pushed downward, An amount of liquid is injected from the tip 423 according to the amount of movement of the plunger 424. The injected liquid spreads on the surface of the nail T, and a layer is formed uniformly over the entire surface of the nail T.

In the present embodiment, the first syringe-type head 42a is an adhesive layer forming means for forming an adhesive layer F1 on the surface of the nail T, and applies an adhesive (liquid) (not shown) constituting the adhesive layer F1 to the nail T. inject onto the surface of An adhesive forming the adhesive layer F1 is stored in the outer cylinder 422 of the first syringe-type head 42a.
The first syringe-type head 42a may be one that injects the adhesive from the tip 423, or a piece of felt, sponge, etc. is attached to the tip 423, and this felt or the like comes into contact with the surface of the nail T. An adhesive may be applied to the surface of the nail T. By applying the adhesive by bringing the felt provided on the tube tip 423 into contact with the surface of the nail T, the adhesive can be spread more evenly over the entire surface of the nail T, and the adhesive can be efficiently and uniformly thick. A layer F1 can be formed.

In the present embodiment, the nail sticker Fs formed by the printing unit 40 is removable from the adhesive layer F1, and the adhesive forming the adhesive layer F1 is in close contact with the nail T, but is also removable. A suitable adhesive is used. For example, a transparent or translucent adhesive is used, but its color is not particularly limited.
Examples of adhesives include silicone adhesives, acrylic adhesives such as acrylic resins, vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymers, vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, and ethylene-acrylic adhesives. Examples of compositions include acid copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid ester copolymers, urethane-based adhesives, and rubber-based adhesives such as natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, and nitrile rubber.
Note that as the adhesive, a conventionally known adhesive can be used, and the specific components of the adhesive are not limited to the above examples. Note that the adhesive of this embodiment is used in contact with the nail T, which is a part of the human body. For this reason, a relatively mild silicone-based adhesive or an acrylic-based adhesive is preferred.

In this embodiment, the second syringe-type head 42b is a sheet layer forming means for forming a sheet layer F2 on the adhesive layer F1, and applies a liquid (not shown) constituting the sheet layer F2 onto the adhesive layer F1. eject. That is, the second syringe type head 42b forms the sheet layer F2 on the nail T with the adhesive layer F1 in between.
The second syringe type head 42b forms the sheet layer F2 on the adhesive layer F1 in this way. For this reason, a configuration is used in which the liquid agent can be injected without the tube tip 423 coming into contact with the adhesive layer F1.
A liquid agent forming the sheet layer F2 is stored in the outer cylinder 422 of the second syringe-type head 42b.

The sheet layer F2 is a layer formed of a photocurable material that is cured by irradiation with light. In this embodiment, the sheet layer F2 is a layer formed of a photocurable resin material that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light as a liquid agent. applies.
A UV lamp 14 is provided in the printing apparatus 1 as a light irradiation means for irradiating light (ultraviolet light) for curing the liquid agent.
Note that the type of liquid agent constituting the sheet layer F2 is not particularly limited. It may be cured by light other than ultraviolet rays. In this case, a means for irradiating light capable of curing the liquid agent is provided as a light irradiation means.

The liquid agent is used, for example, in gel nails. The hardness of the liquid agent when cured may vary depending on the material used. For example, in the cured state, it may be in the form of a film with some degree of flexibility, or it may be in a highly hard state such as a nail tip.
The printing unit 40 may be provided with a plurality of types of second syringe-type heads 42b that are replaceable and store liquid agents made of various materials. In this case, the user opens the opening 23 and attaches to the syringe holder 421 the second syringe-shaped head 42b containing a liquid agent capable of forming the sheet layer F2 of desired hardness.

The sheet layer F2 formed by the second syringe-type head 42b serves as a base for the next design layer F3.
Therefore, in order to improve the color development of the ink when printing with the inkjet head 41, it is preferable that the liquid forming the sheet layer F2 be white or a color close to this in the cured state. .
Moreover, since the sheet layer F2 thus becomes the base of the design layer F3, it is preferably formed based on the shape of the nail T detected by the nail shape detection section 313 described below.

In this embodiment, the third syringe-type head 42c is a protective layer forming means for forming a protective layer F4 that covers the design layer F3 from above after the design layer F3 is formed, and the third syringe-type head 42c is a A liquid agent that does not contain the liquid is injected onto the design layer F3. That is, the third syringe type head 42c forms a protective layer F4 on the nail T, which covers the design layer F3 with the design layer F3 interposed therebetween. Thereby, the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, the design layer F3, and the protective layer F4 are laminated on the nail T (see FIG. 5).
A liquid agent forming the protective layer F4 is stored in the outer cylinder 422 of the third syringe-type head 42c.
As the liquid agent for forming the protective layer F4, a coating agent (top coat, overcoat) used in ordinary nail art or gel nails, etc., which gives a transparent finish, is used. It is preferable that the protective layer F4 is resistant to water and external stimuli to some extent and is resistant to scratches on the surface.

The third syringe type head 42c forms the protective layer F4 on the design layer F3 as described above. For this reason, it is preferable to inject the liquid agent while the tube tip 423 does not contact the design layer F3, or to apply the liquid agent in a configuration that does not disturb the design of the design layer F3 even if the tip 423 contacts the design layer F3.
As a structure for applying a liquid agent in contact with the design layer F3, for example, a structure in which a brush or brush-like member is attached to the tip 423 is applied. In this case, by bringing a brush or a brush-like member into contact with the design layer F3 and applying the liquid, the liquid can be spread more evenly over the entire surface of the nail T, thereby creating a protective layer F4 with an even and uniform thickness. can be formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a drying section 15.
The drying section 15 dries the design layer F3 and the protective layer F4 formed on the surface of the nail T, and is preferably arranged near the nail T on which the design layer F3 and the protective layer F4 are formed. Note that the specific arrangement is not particularly limited.
In addition, when the design layer F3 and the protective layer F4 are also formed with a photocurable liquid agent like the sheet layer F2, after the design layer F3 and the protective layer F4 are formed, ultraviolet rays are applied using a light irradiation device such as a UV lamp 14. The drying section 15 may not be provided.

The drying section 15 includes a heater 151 for heating and a fan 152 for blowing air.
The heater 151 is, for example, a ceramic heater, and when the heater 151 is turned on, it generates heat and heats the surrounding air. Note that the heater 151 may be of a small size that can be incorporated into the printing apparatus 1, and its configuration is not particularly limited. For example, an electric heater made of a coiled heating wire such as a nichrome wire may be used.
Further, the fan 152 is, for example, an axial fan that sends air in the axial direction using propeller-shaped blades, and blows the air heated by the heater 151 to the nail T of the finger U as warm air. Note that the specific configuration of the fan is not particularly limited, and any small device having an air blowing function can be applied. Note that the fan only needs to be configured to be able to blow air into the printing apparatus 1, and may be installed at a position outside the apparatus.
The drying section 15 may be able to operate only the fan without operating the heater 151, and in this case, only cold air or normal temperature air is blown instead of hot air.

The control device 30 is mounted on, for example, a board (not shown) placed inside (lower surface side) of the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 2 .
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of this embodiment.
The control device 30 is composed of a control unit 31 composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (none of which are illustrated). The computer includes a storage unit 32. Note that the storage section 32 may be configured separately and provided outside the control device 30.

The storage unit 32 is provided with a program storage area 321, a design storage area 322, a nail shape storage area 323, and the like.
The program storage area 321 stores various programs for operating the printing apparatus 1, such as a printing program for performing print processing, for example. The control unit 31 develops these programs, for example, in a RAM work area, and the programs are executed by the control unit 31, thereby controlling each unit of the printing apparatus 1 in an integrated manner.

The design storage area 322 stores design data of a nail design to be printed on the nail T.
In addition, the nail shape storage area 323 stores various information such as data such as a nail image acquired by the imaging unit 50 and the contour shape of the nail (shape of the nail T, nail shape) detected from the nail image, etc. remembered. Note that various other information may be stored in the storage unit 32.

From a functional perspective, the control unit 31 includes a photographing control unit 311, a display control unit 312, a nail shape detection unit 313, a print data generation unit 314, a print control unit 315, a UV control unit 316, a drying control unit 317, etc. We are prepared. The functions of the photographing control section 311, display control section 312, nail shape detection section 313, print data generation section 314, print control section 315, UV control section 316, drying control section 317, etc. are the control section 31 and the storage section 32. This is realized by cooperation with the program stored in the program storage area 321 of.

The photographing control unit 311 controls the photographing device 51 and the illumination device 52 of the photographing unit 50 so that the photographing device 51 obtains an image of the finger U (nail image) including an image of the nail T of the finger U held in the finger holding portion. Have them take pictures. The photography control unit 311 acquires a nail image from the photography unit 50 and stores it in the storage unit 32.

The display control unit 312 controls the display operation of the display unit, and causes the display unit 13 to display various images such as the nail image that the photography control unit 311 acquired from the photography unit 50, various instruction screens, message screens, and the like.

The nail shape detection unit 313 is a nail shape detection means that detects information about the nail T of the finger U (the shape of the nail in this embodiment) based on the image of the nail T (nail image).
In the present embodiment, the nail sticker is formed according to the shape of the nail T detected by the nail shape detection section 313.
Note that the information detected by the nail shape detection section 313 is not limited to this.
For example, the nail shape detection unit 313 detects not only the outline of the entire nail T (nail shape, XY coordinates of the horizontal position of the nail T, etc.), but also the inclination angle of the surface of the nail T with respect to the XY plane (the inclination angle of the nail T). , nail curvature), etc. Further, if the height of the nail T (vertical position of the nail T) can be obtained from an image photographed by the photographing device 51, etc., the height of the nail T may also be included in the nail information.
Various types of information acquired by the nail shape detection section 313 are stored in the nail shape storage area 323 of the storage section 32.

The print data generation unit 314 is a control unit that generates print data based on the nail shape (nail outline shape) of the nail T detected by the nail shape detection unit 313 and the like.
In this embodiment, the print data generation unit 314 generates print data for the syringe-type heads 42a to 42c that specifies only the print area, which is generated from the nail shape (outline shape of the nail) of the nail T, and the print data for the syringe-type heads 42a to 42c that specify only the print area. The data of the design (nail design) is appropriately enlarged or reduced, and print data for the inkjet head in which the design is fitted within the range of the nail shape detected as the area of the nail T is generated.
Note that when the nail shape detection unit 313 acquires the curvature of the nail T, the print data generation unit 314 may appropriately perform curved surface correction on the print data based on the curvature of the nail T. When the curved surface correction is performed, print data that better matches the shape of the nail T can be generated.

The print control unit 315 controls the printing unit 40 to print on the nail T according to the print data generated by the print data generation unit 314.
Specifically, when printing is performed using the first syringe type head 42a to third syringe type head 42c, the print control unit 315 controls the printing unit based on print data for the syringe type heads 42a to 42c. 40, and the X-direction movement motor 46, Y-direction movement motor 48, first syringe drive unit 43a, and second The third syringe drive unit 43b, the third syringe drive unit 43c, and the like are controlled.
Further, when printing is performed using the inkjet head 41, the print control unit 315 outputs a control signal to the printing unit 40 based on the print data for the inkjet head 41, and prints the nail T according to this print data. The X-direction movement motor 46, the Y-direction movement motor 48, the inkjet head 41, etc. of the printing unit 40 are controlled so as to perform printing.

The UV control unit 316 controls ON/OFF of the UV lamp 14.
Specifically, when forming the sheet layer F2 with an ultraviolet curing liquid, after the liquid is injected from the second syringe-type head 42b, the UV lamp 14 is turned on and the nail T is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. do.
In addition, when lighting the UV lamp 14, before lighting the UV lamp 14, operate the carriage moving mechanism 49 to move the carriage carrying the second syringe type head 42b as far away from the ultraviolet irradiation field from the UV lamp 14 as possible. It is preferable to evacuate it to a new position. This prevents ultraviolet rays from reaching the second syringe head 42b (especially the tip 423 of the second syringe head 42b), thereby preventing the liquid agent attached to the tip 423 and the like from curing.

The drying control section 317 controls the operation of the heater 151 and fan 152 of the drying section 15.
Note that the heater 151 and the fan 152 may be operated after the printing operation by the inkjet head 41 is completed, or the heater 151 is turned on when the printing apparatus 1 is powered on, and only the fan 152 is used for printing. The operation may be performed after the operation is completed.
If it takes time for the heater 151 to warm up to a certain temperature, it is preferable to maintain a residual heat state to some extent. Furthermore, if the fan 152 is operated during the printing operation of each print head, the air flow may be disturbed and the liquid or ink may not land in the appropriate position, so the printing operation may be completely stopped. It is preferable to operate from

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8, a printing method including a nail seal forming method realized by the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described.
When the printing device 1 is powered on, a screen prompting the user to hold the finger in the finger holding section is displayed on the display section 13, and the user inserts the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed through the insertion slot 21. Insert it into the device and hold it in the finger holder.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, the finger U held by the finger holding section is photographed by the photographing section 50, and the control section 31 acquires a nail image (step S1).
When the nail image is acquired, the nail shape detection unit 313 detects the nail shape (nail outline shape) etc. from the nail image (step S2), and stores it in the nail shape storage area 323.

The printing device 1 of this embodiment has two types: a nail printing mode in which a nail design is printed on the nail T using the inkjet head 41, and a nail sticker mode in which a nail sticker Fs is printed (formed) on the surface of the nail T. It is configured to be able to execute the following print modes.
In this way, since it is possible to print in two types of print modes using one printing device 1, the user can select the desired print according to the purpose, necessity, situation, etc. when printing. You can choose and do it freely.
For example, a screen is displayed on the display unit 13 of the printing device 1, etc., inquiring which print mode should be used for printing. When the user performs an action to select one of them, the input signal is accepted by the control unit. The control unit 31 determines whether any print mode has been selected (step S3), and if no print mode has been selected (step S3; NO), repeats the determination in step S3. Note that a screen prompting the user to select one of the print modes may be displayed on the display unit 13 or the like.

When the print mode is input, the control unit 31 determines whether the print mode selected by the user is the nail print mode (step S4).
If the nail printing mode is selected (step S4; YES), the print data generation unit 314 fits the nail design to the nail shape detected by the nail shape detection unit 313, and generates print data for nail printing. Generate (step S5). That is, the data of the nail design is fitted within the range of the nail shape detected as the region of the nail T, and print data for printing the design by the inkjet head 41 is generated.
The generated print data is output to the printing unit 40, and a print process is performed to print a design on the nail T by the inkjet head 41 based on the print data (step S6).

On the other hand, if the selected printing mode is not the nail printing mode (step S4; NO), the control unit 31 determines that the nail sticker mode has been selected. Then, the print data generation unit 314 generates print data for seal formation based on the nail shape detected by the nail shape detection unit 313 (step S7).
That is, the print data generation unit 314 generates print data for a syringe-type head that specifies only the print area (liquid injection area) from the nail shape (outline shape of the nail) of the nail T, and nail design data for the nail T. Print data for forming a seal is generated, which includes print data for an inkjet head that fits within the range of the nail shape detected as a region.
Then, once the printing data for seal formation is generated, a printing process for forming the nail seal Fs (see FIG. 6, etc.) is performed according to the print data (step S8).

Next, details of the printing process (step S8 in FIG. 3) for forming the nail sticker Fs will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and the like.
In this case, first, print data for the syringe type head is output to the printing section 40. The print control unit 315 controls the first syringe drive unit 43a that operates the plunger 424 of the first syringe head 42a, and operates the plunger 424 of the first syringe head 42a at a predetermined timing (for example, at the first When the syringe head 42a is positioned above the approximate center of the nail T, it is pushed down by a predetermined amount to inject or apply an appropriate amount of adhesive (liquid) onto the surface of the nail T (step S11). Thereby, the adhesive layer F1 is formed on the surface of the nail T.

Next, the print control unit 315 controls the second syringe drive unit 43b that operates the plunger 424 of the second syringe type head 42b, and controls the plunger 424 of the second syringe type head 42b at a predetermined timing (for example, at a predetermined timing). At the timing when the No. 2 syringe-type head 42b is positioned above the approximate center of the nail T, the nail T is pressed down by a predetermined amount to inject an appropriate amount of liquid onto the adhesive layer F1 (Step S12). Thereby, the sheet layer F2 is formed on the adhesive layer F1.
When the liquid agent injected from the second syringe-type head 42b spreads almost uniformly over the entire adhesive layer F1 and the sheet layer F2 is formed, the UV control unit 316 turns on the UV lamp 14 to F2 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to harden the sheet layer F2 (step S13). Note that, as described above, it is preferable to move the carriage 401 to evacuate the print head (especially the second syringe-type head 42b) from the ultraviolet irradiation field before turning on the UV lamp 14. For example, if a standby space is provided in which the print head is kept on standby when not printing, the print head may be moved to this standby space. If a cap or the like is provided in the standby space to cover the tube tip 423, hardening of the liquid agent attached to the second syringe head 42b can be more reliably prevented.

Next, the control section 31 outputs print data for the inkjet head to the printing section 40. Then, the print control unit 315 moves the inkjet head 41 to a predetermined printing start position, operates the inkjet head 41, and prints a design on the sheet layer F2 according to the print data to form a design layer F3. (Step S14).
When the printing operation by the inkjet head 41 is completed, the drying control section 317 operates the drying section 15 to dry the design layer F3 (step S15).
Furthermore, the print control unit 315 controls the third syringe drive unit 43c that operates the plunger 424 of the third syringe type head 42c, and controls the plunger 424 of the third syringe type head 42c at a predetermined timing (for example, the third When the syringe-type head 42c is positioned above the approximate center of the nail T, it is pushed down by a predetermined amount to inject or apply an appropriate amount of liquid onto the design layer F3 (step S16). Thereby, a protective layer F4 is formed on the design layer F3.
When the liquid agent injected from the third syringe-type head 42c spreads almost uniformly over the entire design layer F3 and the protective layer F3 is formed, the drying control section 317 operates the drying section 15 to dry the protective layer F4. Drying is performed (step S17).

Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, the design layer F3, and the protective layer F4 are laminated in this order, and the nail seal Fs as shown in FIG. 6 is formed on the nail T.

The nail seal Fs thus formed can be peeled off from the first adhesive layer F1 formed in contact with the surface of the nail T, as shown in FIGS. It can be removed from.
The adhesive force of the adhesive layer F1 is such that it can withstand being attached and detached multiple times, and the nail sticker Fs once peeled off can be stored and used again by attaching it on the same nail T at any time. can.

As described above, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the first syringe-type head 42a that forms the adhesive layer F1 on the surface of the nail T, and the second syringe-type head 42a that forms the sheet layer F2 on the adhesive layer F1. syringe type head 42b, and an inkjet head 41 that prints on the sheet layer F2 to form the design layer F3, and on the surface of the nail T, the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, and the design layer F3 are formed. It is possible to form a nail seal Fs that can be peeled off from the adhesive layer F1.
Thereby, the nail sticker Fs can be formed directly on the user's nail T, making it possible to form an appearance as if nail art has been applied directly to the nail T, and also making it possible to peel it off from the adhesive layer F1. The nail art can be easily removed from the nail T without the hassle of wiping it off using a remover (nail polish remover) or the like.
Therefore, even a user who cannot go out with nail art applied to his nails T on weekdays due to work, for example, can easily enjoy nail art only on holidays.

In addition, this embodiment further includes a fourth syringe-type head 42c that forms a protective layer F4 covering the design layer F3 on the design layer F3, and the nail seal Fs is attached to the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, and the nail seal Fs. It has a structure in which a design layer F3 and a protective layer F4 are laminated.
Therefore, a nail seal Fs that lasts a certain amount of time can be formed without scratching the surface even if it gets wet with water or rubs against clothing or the like.

Further, in this embodiment, a nail shape detection section 313 that detects the shape of the nail T is provided, and the nail seal Fs is formed in accordance with the shape of the nail T detected by the nail shape detection section 313.
Therefore, the user can easily create a nail sticker Fs that matches the shape of his/her nail T without having to cut or scrape it himself to adjust the shape.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the printing head for forming the adhesive layer F1 is the first syringe-type head 42a having a syringe structure, and injects or applies the adhesive onto the surface of the nail T.
Therefore, even a relatively high viscosity liquid such as an adhesive can be easily injected or applied, and the adhesive layer F1 can be automatically formed using the printing device 1.

Further, in this embodiment, the print head for forming the sheet layer F2 is a second syringe-type head 42b having a syringe structure, and injects the liquid agent forming the sheet layer F2 onto the adhesive layer F1. .
Therefore, even a relatively high viscosity liquid agent, such as that used for gel nails, can be easily injected, and the sheet layer F2 can be automatically formed using the printing device 1.

Further, in this embodiment, the design layer F3 is formed by an inkjet head 41 that performs printing using an inkjet method by ejecting ink.
Therefore, even detailed designs that are difficult to reproduce by hand can be accurately printed, making it easy to enjoy high-quality nail art.

Further, in this embodiment, the sheet layer F2 is formed of a photocurable material.
Therefore, the relatively strong sheet layer F2 can be easily formed.
Further, in this embodiment, the apparatus includes a light irradiation means for irradiating light for curing the photocurable material.
Therefore, there is no need to take the finger U out of the device to cure the liquid, and the liquid is automatically cured while the finger is held in the finger holding part, forming the sheet layer F2 without requiring any effort on the part of the user. can do.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the nail sticker Fs that has been once peeled off can be reattached to the nail T.
Therefore, if you create a nail sticker Fs with a design you like, you can enjoy repeatedly pasting it on your nails T. In this case, you only need to paste the already created nail sticker Fs onto the nail T, so you can easily and quickly enjoy your favorite nail design with the nail sticker Fs shaped to match your own nails. becomes.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in this embodiment, the nail sticker Fs has a four-layer structure in which the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, the design layer F3, and the protective layer F4 are laminated. It is not essential for the printing apparatus 1 to include the means (in this embodiment, the third syringe type head 42c).
If the third syringe type head 42c is not provided, there is no need to provide the third syringe drive section 43c. Also, two syringe holders 421 may be prepared.
In this case, the nail sticker Fs may have a three-layer structure of the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, and the design layer F3, or the user may manually apply a coating agent or the like on the design layer F3 to form a protective layer. You may.

Furthermore, other layers may be added between the adhesive layer F1, sheet layer F2, design layer F3, and protective layer F4 as long as their functions are not impaired.
For example, one of the syringe holders 421 can be equipped with a syringe-type head that stores a liquid for the base, and in the case of the nail printing mode, the syringe-type head that stores the liquid for the base can be used before printing by the inkjet head 41. It may be configured such that the base can be automatically applied to the surface of the nail T.
When printing on the nail T with the inkjet head 41, it is necessary to form an ink-receiving layer on the surface of the nail T and apply a base such as white to improve the color development of the ink. This base coating process is generally performed manually by the user.
However, if a syringe-type head is provided that stores the liquid for the base, in the nail printing mode, the user does not need to manually apply the base before printing, and from the application of the base to printing (furthermore, this embodiment (up to the overcoat when the protective layer F4 is provided, such as in the case of providing the protective layer F4) can be automatically performed with one device.
This allows you to enjoy nail printing more easily.

Further, in this embodiment, the case where the printing device 1 includes three syringe holders 421 is illustrated, but the number of syringe holders 421 included in the printing device 1 may be four or more, or, for example, a configuration in which only one syringe holder 421 is provided. You can also use it as
When there is only one syringe holder 421, the user replaces the syringe holder 421 as appropriate each time each layer is formed so that a necessary syringe type head is attached to the syringe holder 421. In this case, a guide display or the like may be displayed on the display section 13 or the like to show the user which syringe type head should be attached next.

Further, the print heads for printing each liquid agent for forming the adhesive layer F1, the sheet layer F2, and the protective layer F4 are not limited to those shown in this embodiment.
The print head for printing each liquid agent only needs to be capable of dropping or applying an appropriate amount of the liquid agent to an appropriate position by ejecting or the like, and the specific shape, configuration, etc. can be changed as appropriate.

Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been exemplified in which the printing device 1 includes the nail shape detection section 313, the print data generation section 314, etc., but the printing device 1 is not limited to one that performs printing processing by itself. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which processing and operations other than printing operations (for example, detecting the shape of a nail, generating print data, etc.) are performed in a control unit on the terminal device side in cooperation with an external terminal device such as a smartphone.
In this way, when the printing device 1 cooperates with a terminal device, etc., an operation section, a display section, etc. are also provided on the terminal device side, and operation input by the user and display processing of various screens are performed on the terminal device side. A configuration may also be adopted in which the printing device executes various processes while communicating with the terminal device.
In this case, the configuration of the printing device can be simplified.

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, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalent ranges thereof. .
Below, the invention described in the claims first attached to the application of this application will be added. The claim numbers listed in the supplementary notes are as in the claims originally attached to the request for this application.
[Additional note]
<Claim 1>
an adhesive layer forming means for forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail;
sheet layer forming means for forming a sheet layer on the nail with the adhesive layer sandwiched therebetween;
a design layer forming means for forming a design layer on the nail with the sheet layer sandwiched therebetween;
A printing device comprising:
<Claim 2>
Further comprising a protective layer forming means for forming a protective layer covering the design layer with the design layer sandwiched between the nails,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer, the sheet layer, the design layer, and the protective layer are laminated.
<Claim 3>
comprising a nail shape detection means for detecting the shape of the nail,
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet layer is formed based on the shape of the nail detected by the nail shape detection means.
<Claim 4>
Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adhesive layer forming means has a syringe structure and injects or applies the adhesive constituting the adhesive layer onto the surface of the nail. The printing device according to item 1.
<Claim 5>
Any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet layer forming means has a syringe structure and injects a liquid agent constituting the sheet layer onto the adhesive layer. The printing device described in .
<Claim 6>
6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the design layer forming means is an inkjet print head that performs printing by ejecting ink.
<Claim 7>
The sheet layer is formed of a photocurable material that is cured by irradiation with light,
7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light irradiation means for irradiating light for curing the photocurable material.
<Claim 8>
The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adhesive layer is configured to be peelable from the surface of the nail.
<Claim 9>
9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive layer is configured such that it can be once peeled off from the surface of the nail and then reattached to the surface of the nail.
<Claim 10>
an adhesive layer forming step of forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail;
a sheet layer forming step of forming a sheet layer on the nail with the adhesive layer sandwiched therebetween;
a design layer forming step of forming a design layer on the nail with the sheet layer sandwiched therebetween;
Formation methods including.
<Claim 11>
to the computer,
Adhesive layer forming function that forms an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail,
a sheet layer forming function for forming a sheet layer on the nail with the adhesive layer sandwiched therebetween;
a design layer forming function of forming a design layer on the nail with the sheet layer sandwiched therebetween;
A program characterized by realizing the following.

1 Printing device 13 Display section 14 UV lamp 15 Drying section 31 Control section 32 Storage section 40 Printing section 41 Inkjet head 42a First syringe head 42b Second syringe head 42c Third syringe head 43a First syringe Drive section 43b Second syringe drive section 43c Third syringe drive section F1 Adhesive layer F2 Sheet layer F3 Design layer F4 Protective layer Fs Nail seal T Nail

Claims (6)

an adhesive layer forming means for forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail;
The liquid agent is injected onto the adhesive layer so that the area covered by the liquid agent is the area of the nail, and the liquid agent covering the adhesive layer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the adhesive layer. a sheet layer forming means for forming a sheet layer on the adhesive layer ;
a drawing means for drawing a design on the sheet layer ;
A nail seal manufacturing device comprising: further comprising a protective layer forming means for forming a protective layer on the sheet to cover the sheet layer on which the design has been drawn by the drawing means ;
The nail seal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sheet layer forming means injects the liquid agent in an amount based on the shape of the nail detected by a predetermined nail shape detection means.
The nail seal manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The adhesive in the adhesive layer is a silicone adhesive or an acrylic adhesive.
The nail seal manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: an adhesive layer forming step of forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail;
The liquid agent is injected onto the adhesive layer so that the area covered by the liquid agent is the area of the nail, and the liquid agent covering the adhesive layer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to cure the adhesive layer. a sheet layer forming step of forming a sheet layer on the adhesive layer;
a drawing step of drawing a design on the sheet layer;
A nail seal manufacturing method characterized by comprising: computer,
Forming an adhesive layer on the surface of the nail using a predetermined adhesive layer forming means,
Using a predetermined sheet layer forming means, the liquid agent is injected onto the adhesive layer so that the nail area is covered with the liquid agent, and the liquid agent covering the adhesive layer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. and curing to form a sheet layer on the adhesive layer,
drawing a design on the sheet layer by a predetermined drawing means;
A program characterized by functioning as a control means.

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