JP7101339B2 - Portable image forming device and main body of portable image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable image forming apparatus and a portable image forming apparatus main body.

Conventionally, a portable image forming unit has a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material and a guiding means for guiding the user to a recording position by the recording unit, and forms an image on the recording material while being moved in the scanning direction. The device is known.

For example, the handy copier described in Patent Document 1 has a printing element as a recording unit and a printing guide scale provided on a side surface extending in a direction orthogonal to a scanning direction in the copier main body. The print guide scale as a guide means guides the user looking at the side surface of the handy copy machine to the printing range in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction (hereinafter referred to as the scanning orthogonal direction) on the paper surface.

This handy copier has a problem that it is difficult to form an image along the horizontal direction of the recording material.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, it has a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material and a guiding means for allowing the user to visually recognize the recording position by the recording unit, while being moved in the scanning direction. In the portable image forming apparatus for forming an image on the recording material, among a plurality of surfaces in the portable image forming apparatus main body, the opposite surface for recording opposite to the recording surface facing the recording material while moving in the scanning direction. A guide means is provided at a position facing the recording unit in the plane of the image, and a roller unit having a roller unit for moving the portable image forming apparatus straight along the scanning direction is removed. When the portable image forming apparatus is placed on the surface of the recording material, the recording surface is provided with three protrusions that come into contact with the recording material and support the portable image forming apparatus at three points. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that an image can be easily formed along the lateral direction of the recording material.

The external perspective view which shows the HMP which concerns on embodiment from diagonally above. The perspective view which shows the same HMP during a moving operation together with a recording material and an image part immediately after formation. The perspective view which shows the HMP in the state which the upper unit is open with respect to the lower unit. Bottom view showing the HMP from the recording surface side. The block diagram which shows a part of the electric circuit of the HMP. The perspective view for demonstrating the positional relationship between the print button of the HMP and a recording part. The plan view which shows the same HMP when the image is formed on the recording material together with the recording material P and the image part immediately after formation. The perspective view which shows the HMP which made the print button emit light. The perspective view which shows the HMP during image formation which concerns on 1st Example together with the recording material and the image part immediately after formation. Bottom view showing the same HMP with the roller unit removed. The perspective view which shows the HMP which is moved and operated along a curved trajectory. The plan view which shows the HMP which concerns on the 2nd Example during the moving operation together with the recording material and the image part immediately after formation. The perspective view which shows the HMP which concerns on the 3rd Example during a moving operation, together with a recording material and an image part immediately after formation. The perspective view which shows the HMP in the state which was turned upside down. A partial perspective view showing the recording unit of the HMP and its surroundings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a handheld mobile inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as HMP) which is a portable image forming apparatus will be described.
First, the basic configuration of the HMP according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the HMP1 according to the embodiment from diagonally above. The HMP 1 shown in the figure is mainly composed of an upper unit 2 and a lower unit 3. The HMP1 has a rectangular cuboid shape as a whole, and its width in the scanning direction (= printing direction: arrow X direction in the figure) is such that the user can grasp it with his / her palm.

The housing of the HMP1 extends in the scanning orthogonal direction (arrow Y direction in the figure), the recording surface 30 which is the surface where the recording unit of the inkjet head, which will be described later, faces the recording material such as paper, the upper surface 31 which is the opposite surface thereof. It has an existing left side surface 32 and the like. It also has a right side surface 33 extending in the scanning orthogonal direction (arrow Y direction in the figure), a back surface 34 extending in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the figure), a front surface 35 extending in the scanning direction, and the like. .. The scanning orthogonal direction is a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction on the surface of the recording material when the recording material is mainly used. Further, the scanning orthogonal direction when HMP1 is mainly used is a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction on the surface of the recording surface 30.

The HMP 1 shown in the figure is in a posture in which the recording surface 30 is directed downward in the vertical direction and the upper surface 31 opposite the recording surface is directed upward in the vertical direction. A print button 14 and a power button 15 are provided inside the outer edge (inside the frame) of the upper surface 31. Further, a USB connection port 6 is provided on the left side surface 32 of the upper unit 2.

The USB cable is connected to the USB connection port 6. The rechargeable battery (51 in FIG. 3) mounted in the HMP1 can be charged by supplying power from an external power source via a USB cable connected to the USB connection port 6. ..

The end portion of the lower unit 3 on the front surface 35 side is a grip portion 36 having a width wider than the portion other than the end portion of the lower unit 3. When the user moves the HMP1 on the surface of the recording material in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the drawing) for image formation, the user holds the grip portion 36 to move the HMP1. The grip portion 36 is wider than the other portions in the scanning orthogonal direction because the grip portion 36 is a battery accommodating portion, which will be described later, in addition to making it easier to hold by hand.

The user can switch the power on / off (ON / OFF) of the HMP1 by pressing and holding the power button 15. When the power is turned on, image information can be acquired from the control board provided in the upper unit 2 of the HMP1 by Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication with a smartphone or the like. Then, after placing the HMP1 on the surface of the recording material with the recording surface 30 facing the surface of the recording material, the print button 14 is pressed once, and then the HMP1 is moved along the scanning direction as shown in FIG. By doing so, an image can be formed on the surface of the recording material P. It should be noted that this HMP1 forms an image on the surface of the recording material when it is moved forward and backward along the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the figure) and when it is moved backward by the user's movement operation. Can be done.

The recording material is not limited to paper such as paper, but includes OHP, cloth, corrugated cardboard, packaging containers, glass, substrates, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing HMP1 in a state where the upper unit 2 is opened with respect to the lower unit 3. As shown in the figure, the upper unit 2 is held by the lower unit 3 so as to open and close with respect to the lower unit 3. A battery 51 for supplying power to each device of the HMP 1 is mounted in the internal space of the grip portion 36 of the lower unit 3.

An ink jet head 40 (ink cartridge) integrated with an ink tank is attached / detached to / from a portion of the lower unit 3 different from the grip portion 36. As shown in FIG. 3, the inkjet head 40, that is, the ink cartridge, includes a recording unit and an ink tank integrally, and is removable from the lower unit 3 of the HMP1. At this time, the recording unit that ejects the ink droplets is directed downward in the vertical direction. The inkjet head 40 discharges ink droplets from the recording unit to perform recording.

A head pressing plate spring 37 for pressing and locking the inkjet head 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 is fixed to the inner surface of the upper unit 2.

In this HMP 1, since the battery 51 is located on the side of the inkjet head 40 in the lower unit 3, the height of the HMP 1 is lower than that in the configuration in which the battery 51 is located on the upper side. As a result, by lowering the position of the center of gravity of the HMP 51, it is possible to suppress the HMP 1 from tipping over during the movement operation.

The HMP1 is designed to make the size (device width) in the scanning direction as small as possible. It is slightly wider than the inkjet head 40. As the width of the device increases, the range in which the HMP1 can be moved in the scanning direction on the surface of the recording material P becomes smaller, and the recordable range becomes narrower. By making the device width as small as possible, the recordable range on the surface of the recording material P can be made as wide as possible.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing HMP1 from the recording surface side. In the figure, the recording surface 30 as the recording surface of the HMP 1 is provided with an opening 30a for exposing the recording unit 41 of the inkjet head 40 mounted in the lower unit (3 in FIG. 3) to the outside. .. The recording unit 41 has a plurality of ejection holes 41a, and can individually eject ink droplets from the respective ejection holes 41a by driving the piezoelectric element.

The recording unit 41 is a region of the substrate of the inkjet head 40 inside (on the side of the ejection hole 41a) of a plurality of inner leads provided so as to surround the ejection hole 41a in the substrate surface direction. In this HMP1, the region of the recording unit 41 on the substrate is painted white so that it can be clearly distinguished from the surrounding black region. That is, the white area is a mark indicating that it is the recording unit 41. The shape of this mark is rectangular as shown in the figure.

The inkjet head 40 is provided with an electric heat conversion element such as a piezoelectric actuator (laminated piezoelectric element or thin film piezoelectric element) and a heat generating resistor as a drive source for ejecting ink, and is composed of a vibrating plate and a counter electrode. An electric actuator or the like is used.

The "liquid" discharged from the discharge hole 41a of the recording unit 41 may have a viscosity and surface tension that can be discharged from the discharge hole 41a, and is not particularly limited, but is limited to normal temperature and pressure, or by heating or cooling. The viscosity is preferably 30 mPa · s or less. Specifically, the "liquid" is a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a coloring agent such as a dye or a pigment, a polymerizable compound, a resin, a functionalizing material such as a surfactant, DNA, an amino acid, a protein, calcium or the like. A solution, suspension, emulsion or the like containing a biocompatible material, an edible material such as a natural pigment, or the like. These can be used, for example, in inks for inkjet, surface treatment liquids, liquids for forming electronic elements and light emitting elements, liquids for forming electronic circuit resist patterns, and liquids for three-dimensional modeling.

Inside the outer edge of the recording surface 30, a position detection sensor 8 as a detection means for detecting the position of the HMP1 on the recording material, a rotatable left side first roller portion 17a, a left side second roller portion 17b, and a right side first roller portion 18a, a second roller portion 18b on the right side, and the like are provided.

When the HMP1 is moved in the scanning direction by the user, the above-mentioned four roller portions in contact with the surface of the recording material are rotated like a tire. By providing such a roller portion, the user can make the HMP1 go straight along the scanning direction. At this time, only the four roller portions of the HMP1 are in contact with the surface of the recording material, and the recording surface 30 is not in contact with the surface of the recording material. Therefore, it is possible to form a desired high-quality image by keeping the distance between the recording unit 41 of the inkjet head 40 and the surface of the recording material constant.

The position detection sensor 8 is a sensor that detects the distance to the surface of the recording material and the surface condition (for example, unevenness), and detects the moving distance of the HMP1. For example, it is an optical mouse (pointing device) of a personal computer. It is similar to the one used. The position detection sensor 8 irradiates a place (recording material) on which it is placed with light, and reads the state of that part as a "pattern". Then, the movement amount is calculated by continuously capturing how the "pattern" moves with respect to the movement of the position detection sensor 8.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a part of the electric circuit of HMP1.
The control board 57 includes a CPU 55 that performs various arithmetic processes and program execution, a Bt (Bluetooth) board 52, a RAM 53 that temporarily stores data, a ROM 54, a recording control unit 56, and the like. The control board 57 is fixed at a position on the back side of the USB connection port (6 in FIG. 2) in the hollow of the upper unit (2 in FIG. 1).

The Bt board 52 communicates data by Bluetooth communication with an external device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Further, the ROM 54 stores the firmware for controlling the hardware of the HMP 1, the drive waveform data of the inkjet head 40, and the like. Further, the recording control unit 56 executes data processing for driving the inkjet head 40 and generates a driving waveform.

A gyro sensor 58, a position detection sensor 8, an LED lamp 59, an inkjet head 40, a print button 14, a power button 15, a battery 51, and the like are electrically connected to the control board 57.

The gyro sensor 58 detects the inclination and rotation angle of the HMP1 by a well-known technique, and transmits the result to the control board 57. The LED lamp 59 is provided inside the exterior cover made of a light-transmitting material for the print button 14, and causes the print button 14 to emit light.

When the power button 15 is pressed to turn on the power of the HMP 1, power is supplied to each module, the CPU 55 starts a startup operation based on the program stored in the ROM 54, and the program and each data are expanded in the RAM 53. When the image data to be formed is received from an external device by Bluetooth communication. The recording control unit 56 generates a drive waveform according to the image data. Then, the ejection of ink from the inkjet head 40 is controlled so as to form an image corresponding to the position on the surface of the recording material detected by the position detection sensor 8.

Next, the problems in the handy copier described in Patent Document 1 will be described.
When forming an image with this handy copier, the handy copier is moved straight in the operation direction while checking the print guide provided on the side surface of the handy copier. Then, an image portion immediately after formation (hereinafter referred to as an image portion immediately after formation) can be seen in the region immediately after passing through the handy copier in the entire surface of the recording material. The position of the image portion immediately after formation in the scanning orthogonal direction is substantially the same as the position of the print guide provided on the side surface of the handy copier.

In order to form an image straight along the vertical and horizontal directions of the recording material, it is necessary to move the handy copier while maintaining the posture of the handy copier as follows. That is, the scanning orthogonal direction of the handy copy machine (direction orthogonal to the scanning direction on the surface of the recording material: the arrow Y direction in FIG. 1) and the four sides of the outer edge of the recording material that extend straight in the scanning orthogonal direction. It is a posture to make and parallel. However, during image formation, the user is paying attention to the print guide provided on the side surface of the handy copier, and it is difficult to capture the above-mentioned side with the line of sight.

For example, when an image is formed along a straight horizontal direction with respect to a recording material placed in a vertically long posture, it is necessary to make the scanning orthogonal direction of the handy copier parallel to the long side of the recording material. .. The long side exists on the left hand side and the right hand side of the user, respectively. The scanning direction of this handy copier is from the left-hand side to the right-hand side of the user who puts the recording material in front. The print guide is attached to the side surface on the upstream side in the scanning direction. In order for the user to see the print guide from the beginning of printing, place the recording material and the handy copier at a position shifted to the right hand side from the front, and look at the above-mentioned side of the handy copier. You need to turn to the right hand side. After that, the handy copier is further moved to the right hand side to form an image, so that the user keeps looking at the right hand side. In this process, the long side of the recording material on the left hand side goes out of the user's field of view. Moreover, since the long side of the recording material on the right hand side is hidden behind the handy copier, it is difficult to see the long side on the right hand side. As a result, it is difficult to maintain the posture of the handy copier that makes the scanning orthogonal direction of the handy copier parallel to the long side of the recording material. It is difficult to form an image.

In addition, when an image is formed by aligning an image in a horizontal direction with respect to a recording material placed in a horizontally long posture, it is difficult to visually grasp the short side of the recording material. For this reason, it becomes difficult to form an image along a straight line in the horizontal direction, as in the case where the recording material is placed in a vertically long posture.

Next, the characteristic configuration of HMP1 according to the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the positional relationship between the print button 14 of the HMP1 and the recording unit 41. In the figure, the print button 14 is provided in the surface of the upper surface 31 as the opposite surface for recording. Further, the recording unit 41 is provided in the surface of the recording surface 30. The print button 14 is arranged at a position where the projected image of the print button 14 in the direction facing the recording surface 30 and the upper surface 31 is overlapped with the recording unit 41. That is, the print button 14 is arranged directly above the recording unit 41.

The plane shape and plane size of the print button 14 are the same as the plane shape and plane size of the above-mentioned mark (dotted line in the figure) indicating that the printing unit 41 is. Here, the same as the plane shape and the plane size includes not only the case where they exactly match but also the case where there is a slight dimensional difference.

The print button 14 is also used as a guide means for guiding the recording position by the recording unit 41 to the user who looks at the upper surface 31 in addition to the button on which the print command operation is performed by the user. By paying attention to the upper surface 31 of the HMP1, the user can know the recording position in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the figure) and the recording position in the scanning orthogonal direction (arrow Y direction in the figure) with respect to the surface of the recording material. can.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing HMP1 when an image is formed on the recording material P together with the recording material P and the image portion immediately after formation. The user moves the HMP1 placed on the surface of the recording material P in the direction of the arrow in the drawing to cause the HMP1 to execute the image forming process. At this time, the line of sight paying attention to the print button 14 as the guiding means is an angle that looks straight down at the HMP1 as shown in the figure. Then, since the left-hand side side and the right-hand side side of the recording material P can be easily visually recognized, the longitudinal direction of the HMP1 (arrow Y direction in the figure) and the left-hand side side of the recording material P, or It becomes possible to easily maintain the posture of the HMP1 so as to be parallel to the side on the right hand side. Therefore, it is possible to easily realize that the image is formed along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the recording material P.

Since the print button 14 as a command operation means also serves as a guide means, when the user presses the print button 14 to start printing, the user can not only visually check the recording position by the recording unit 41 but also tactilely. Also recognize. As a result, the user can easily grasp the recording position.

When the control board 57 previously shown in FIG. 5 acquires image data by Bluetooth communication with an external device, the LED lamp 59 is blinked to cause the light-transmitting print button 14 to emit light and blink. The user who sees this knows that the image data acquisition of HMP1 has been completed. After that, the HMP1 is placed on the recording material P, and the print button 14 is pressed.

On the other hand, when the control board 57 starts blinking control of the LED lamp 59, the control board 57 waits for the print button 14 to be pressed. Then, when the print button 14 is pressed, the LED lamp 59 is continuously turned on, so that the print button 14 continuously emits light as shown in FIG. The user who sees this starts the operation of moving the HMP1 in the scanning direction. At this time, since the print button 14 continuously emits light, it is possible to further encourage the user to grasp the recording position.

The user who has completed the movement operation of the HMP1 picks up the HMP1 from the recording material P and puts it on a table or the like. The position detection sensor 8 cannot detect the position when the HMP1 is picked up from the recording material P. The control board 57 turns off the LED lamp 59 and stops the light emission of the print button 14 at the timing when the position detection sensor 8 no longer detects the position. The user who sees this can grasp that the processing for printing of HMP1 is completed.

It is not necessary to keep pressing the print button 14 during the movement operation. If the print button 14 is pressed and released prior to the movement operation, the image formation process based on the detection result by the position detection sensor 8 is continued until the end of image formation or until the position cannot be detected by the position detection sensor 8.

Next, each example in which a more characteristic configuration is added to the HMP1 according to the embodiment will be described. Unless otherwise specified below, the configuration of HMP1 according to each embodiment is the same as that of the embodiment.
[First Example]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the HMP1 during image formation according to the first embodiment together with the recording material P and the image portion immediately after formation. In this HMP 1, a guide mark 61 is attached as a guide means to a specific area at the lower end of the left side surface 32. Specifically, the specific region is a region in which the projected image in the scanning direction of the guide mark 61 and the projected image in the vertical direction of the recording unit (41 in FIG. 6) are overlapped with each other.

When the HMP1 is moved on the surface of the recording material P, the user visually checks whether or not there is a positional deviation between the image portion immediately after formation and the guide mark 61 in the scanning orthogonal direction (arrow Y direction in the figure). This confirms whether or not the HMP1 is slightly displaced in the scanning orthogonal direction between the time when the image portion is formed immediately after the formation and the time until the present time. When a slight displacement is recognized, the HMP1 is slightly displaced in the direction opposite to the displacement amount to reduce the positional deviation in the scanning orthogonal direction in each part of the image scanning direction (arrow X direction in the figure). can do.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing HMP1 with the roller unit removed. The HMP 1 has a left roller unit 17 and a right roller unit 18. The left side roller unit 17 is attached to the end portion of the HMP1 on the left side surface 32 side in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the drawing). Further, the right side roller unit 18 is attached to the end portion on the right side surface 33 side in the scanning direction of the HMP1.

The left side roller unit 17 includes a metal shaft member 17c, a left side first roller portion 17a fixed to one end side in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a left side second roller portion 17b fixed to the other end side. ing. Each of the left side first roller portion 17a and the left side second roller portion 17b is made of a material having a large frictional resistance such as rubber.

The right roller unit 18 includes a metal shaft member 18c, a right first roller portion 18a fixed to one end side in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a right second roller portion 18b fixed to the other end side. ing. Each of the right first roller portion 18a and the right second roller portion 18b is also made of a material having a large frictional resistance such as rubber.

The left roller unit 17 is rotatably held by the slide bearing 73 by engaging each of the vicinity of both ends of the shaft member 17c in the longitudinal direction with the slide bearing 73 fixed to the HMP1. The sliding bearing 73 is provided with a notch in the circumferential direction, and the shaft member 17c is inserted into the bearing through the notch. At this time, by temporarily distorting the shaft member 17c due to the pushing force, the notch portion having a width smaller than the diameter of the shaft member 17c is usually expanded to a value substantially the same as the diameter of the shaft member 17c. When the shaft member 17c is completely pushed into the sliding bearing 73, the distortion of the sliding bearing 73 is eliminated, and the width of the notch becomes smaller than the diameter of the shaft member 17c. As a result, the left roller unit 17 is rotatably held by the sliding bearing 73.

Although the left side roller unit 17 has been described, the right side roller unit 18 is also rotatably held by the slide bearing 72 fixed to the HMP 1 in the same manner as the left side roller unit 17.

The left side roller unit 17 and the right side roller unit 18 are for improving the straight running performance of the HMP1 in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the drawing). The left first roller portion 17a and the left second roller portion 17b fixed to the shaft member 17c rotate integrally with each other, while the right first roller portion 18a and the right second roller portion fixed to the shaft member 18c are integrally rotated. By rotating integrally with 18b, straight running performance is improved.

By attaching the left side roller unit 17 and the right side roller unit 18 in this way, it is possible to improve the straight running performance of the HMP1 in the scanning direction. However, when it is desired to move the HMP1 along the curved orbit, the left roller unit 17 and the right roller unit 18 hinder the movement of the HMP1 along the curved orbit.

Therefore, in this HMP1, as shown in the figure, the left side roller unit 17 and the right side roller unit 18 can be easily removed from the HMP1. In addition, three protrusions 71 that enable three-point support are provided on the recording surface 30. When the HMP1 is placed on the surface of the recording material P with the two roller units (17, 18) removed from the HMP1, each of the three protrusions 71 made of plastic or the like comes into contact with the recording material P to make the HMP1 three. Support the point. Since it is supported at three points, the bending runnability of HMP1 is improved as compared with the case where two roller units are attached. Further, in the three-point support, since the recording surface 30 is not in contact with the surface of the recording material P, it is possible to prevent the image portion immediately after the formation of the surface of the recording material P from being rubbed and disturbed by the recording surface 30. Can be done.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing HMP1 being moved and operated along a curved orbit. A guide mark 62 is provided as a guide means in a specific area at the lower end of the right side surface 33 of the HMP1. Specifically, the specific region is a region in which the projection image in the lateral direction of the guide mark 62 and the projection image in the vertical direction of the recording unit (41 in FIG. 6) are overlapped with each other.

The user makes the image into a curved trajectory by positioning the guide mark 62 on the planned curved trajectory on the surface of the recording material P while the HMP1 is being operated to bend and move on the surface of the recording material P. It can be easily formed along.

As the guide mark 61 and the guide mark 62, those having a color different from the surroundings by printing or the like can be exemplified. A convex shape or a concave shape may be provided at the mark portion of the casing of the HMP1. Further, the appearance may be different from that of the surroundings by lighting the light source or the like. Further, a part different from the casing such as a seal may be fixed to the casing. Not only may the colors be different, or the shapes may be convex or concave, but characters or icons may be attached.

[Second Example]
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing HMP1 according to the second embodiment during the moving operation together with the recording material P and the image portion immediately after formation. Two guide marks 63 are attached to the upper surface 31 of the HMP1. One guide mark 63 is provided at the end of the upper surface 31 in the lateral direction (arrow X direction in the figure) on the left side surface 32 side, and the other guide mark 63 is provided at the end portion on the right side surface 33 side.

When the user moves the HMP 1, the user confirms the positional relationship between the guide mark 63 on the left side surface 32 side and the image portion immediately after formation, and the position between the guide mark 63 on the right side surface 33 side and the ruled line of the recording material P. Check the relationship and adjust the traveling direction of HMP1. This makes it possible to easily form an image that is straight along the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the figure).

[Third Example]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing HMP1 according to the third embodiment during the moving operation together with the recording material P and the image portion immediately after formation. Further, FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing HMP1 in an inverted state. Further, FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view showing the recording unit 41 of the HMP1 and its surroundings. As shown in these figures, the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33 of the HMP1 are provided with guide marks 64 over the entire height direction. Further, on the upper surface 31, guide marks 64 connected to the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33 are attached to both sides of the print button 14. Further, the back surface 34 is provided with a guide mark 64 extending over the entire area in the height direction. Further, the recording surface 30 is provided with guide marks 64 on both sides of the recording unit 41.

In this HMP1, since the guide mark 64 can be visually recognized from various angles, it is possible to easily form an image extending in the direction desired by the user.

The guide mark 64 attached to the back surface 34 guides the recording position in the scanning direction (arrow X direction in the drawing). As shown in FIG. 13, by aligning the guide mark 64 with the recording start position in the scanning direction of the already formed image, the recording start position of the image to be formed can be aligned.

On the recording surface 30, the guide marks 64 attached to both sides of the recording unit 41 inform the user of the position of the recording unit 41 in an easy-to-understand manner, and the hand stains and the recording unit caused by the user accidentally touching the recording unit 41. The damage of 41 can be suppressed.

Although the example in which the present invention is applied to the inkjet type HMP1 has been described above, the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus by another image forming method. For example, it can be applied to a recording device of an appropriate method such as a heat-sensitive method or a thermal transfer method. Since the thermal transfer type HMP is provided with an ink ribbon as a storage container for storing liquid, a recess is formed at the bottom of the ink ribbon, and position detection is performed as a detection means for detecting a recording material in the space formed by the recess. The sensor may be accommodated.

What has been described above is an example, and has a unique effect in each of the following aspects.
[First aspect]
The first aspect is for a user who sees a surface different from the recording surface (for example, the recording surface 30), which is the surface on which the recording unit (for example, the recording unit 41) for recording an image faces the recording material (for example, the recording material P). It has a guiding means (for example, a print button 14, a guide mark 61, 62, 63, 64) for guiding a recording position by the recording unit, and an image is printed on the recording material while being moved in the scanning direction (for example, the arrow X direction). In the portable image forming apparatus to be formed (for example, HMP1), it is inside the outer edge of the recording opposite surface (for example, the upper surface 31) which is the surface opposite to the recording surface, and the recording surface and the recording opposite surface face each other. It is characterized in that the guide means is provided at positions overlapping in a direction (for example, the direction of arrow Z).

In the first aspect, the portable image forming apparatus placed on the recording material on the desk for image forming faces the surface of the recording material with the recording surface facing downward, and the opposite side of the recording is directly above. Turn to. When the user moves and operates this portable image forming apparatus, the line of sight of the user who pays attention to the guidance means in the plane opposite to the recording is different from the line of sight when moving the handy copier described in Patent Document 1. , The direction is to look straight down at the portable image forming apparatus. In this direction, both the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the recording material can be easily seen in the field of view, so that the upstream side and the downstream side in the scanning direction of the portable image forming apparatus are parallel to those sides. Will be easier to maintain. Therefore, it is possible to easily form an image along the lateral direction of the recording material.

[Second aspect]
The second aspect is the first aspect, wherein the guidance means also serves as a command operation means (for example, a print button 14) on which a user operates a recording unit operation command.

In the second aspect, in addition to having the user visually grasp the recording position by the recording unit of the portable image forming apparatus, the user is asked to tactilely grasp the recording position when commanding the guidance means. This makes it easier for the user to grasp the recording position.

[Third aspect]
The third aspect is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, a light source (for example, an LED lamp 59) for causing the guide means to emit light is provided.

In the third aspect, by making the guiding means emit light, it is possible to have the user grasp the recording position more easily as compared with the configuration in which the user grasps the recording position only by the color and the shape. Furthermore, even in a dark environment, the recording position can be easily grasped.

[Fourth aspect]
In the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, an image information acquisition means (for example, Bt substrate 52) for acquiring image information and a control means for causing the light source to emit light based on the acquisition of image information by the image information acquisition means. (For example, the control board 57) is provided.

In the fourth aspect, it is possible to easily inform the user that the image information sent from an external device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal has been acquired by light emission.

[Fifth aspect]
In the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, a displacement detecting means (for example, a position detecting sensor 8) for detecting a position displacement on a recording material of a portable image forming apparatus is provided, and the light source is based on the detection result by the displacement detecting means. It is characterized in that the control means is configured so as to carry out a process of stopping the light emission of the above.

In the fifth aspect, the portable image forming apparatus that the user has been moving is picked up from the recording material, and the light emission of the light source is stopped based on the fact that the position displacement cannot be detected by the displacement detecting means. You can do the following: That is, when the image formation is completed, the user can be informed that there is no remaining image operation in the portable image forming apparatus. In addition, if the image formation has not been completed, the user can be informed that the subsequent image formation operation cannot be performed.

[Sixth aspect]
In the sixth aspect, in the first, second, third, fourth or fifth aspect, a mark indicating that the image is to be recorded is provided in the recording unit, and the planar shape and the planar size of the guiding means are provided. Is the same as the plane shape and plane size of the recording unit.

In the sixth aspect, the user can easily grasp the position of the recording unit on the surface of the recording material.

[7th aspect]
In the seventh aspect, in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth aspect, the guiding means is placed on each of the two side surfaces (for example, the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33) arranged in the scanning direction. It is also characterized by being provided in.

In the seventh aspect, as described in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the positional deviation in the scanning orthogonal direction in each portion of the scanning direction of the image. Also, the image can be easily formed along the curved trajectory.

[8th aspect]
The eighth aspect is a portable type including a recording surface which is a surface for facing a recording unit for recording an image to a recording material, and a guiding means for guiding a user who sees a surface different from the recording surface to a recording position. The portable image forming apparatus having the image forming apparatus main body and the recording unit detachable from the portable image forming apparatus main body and forming an image on the recording material while being moved in the scanning direction. The guide means is provided at a position in the frame of the recording opposite surface, which is the surface opposite to the recording surface in the main body of the mold image forming apparatus, at a position where the recording surface and the recording opposite surface overlap in the opposite direction. It is characterized by that.

In the eighth aspect, it is possible to easily realize that the image is formed along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the recording material.

P: Recording material X: Scanning direction Z: Opposite direction 1: HMP (portable image forming apparatus)
8: Position detection sensor (displacement detection means)
14: Print button (command operation means, guidance means)
30: Recording surface 31: Top surface (opposite surface of recording)
32: Left side (one of the two sides)
33: Right side (the other of the two sides)
41: Recording unit 52: Bt board (image information acquisition means)
57: Control board (control means)
59: LED lamp (light source)
61, 62, 63, 64: Guide mark (guidance means)

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-178659

Claims (8)

A portable device that has a recording unit that records an image on the recording material and a guiding means that allows the user to visually recognize the recording position by the recording unit, and forms an image on the recording material while being moved in the scanning direction. In the type image forming apparatus
Of a plurality of surfaces in the main body of the portable image forming apparatus, in the surface opposite to the recording surface facing the recording material while moving in the scanning direction, at a position facing the recording unit. Guidance means are provided,
When the portable image forming apparatus is placed on the surface of the recording material in a state where the roller unit having a roller portion for moving the portable image forming apparatus straight along the scanning direction is removed, the portable image forming apparatus comes into contact with the recording material. The portable image forming apparatus is characterized in that the recording surface is provided with three protrusions that support the portable image forming apparatus at three points . The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The guide means is a portable type that is in the plane opposite to the recording unit and is a command operation button for operating a recording unit operation command by a user provided at a position facing the recording unit. Image forming device. In the portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
A portable image forming apparatus provided with a light source for emitting light of the guiding means. In the portable image forming apparatus of claim 3,
A portable image forming apparatus provided with an image information acquisition means for acquiring image information and a control means for causing the light source to emit light based on the acquisition of image information by the image information acquisition means. In the portable image forming apparatus of claim 4,
The control means is configured so as to provide a displacement detecting means for detecting a position displacement on a recording material of the portable image forming apparatus and to perform a process of stopping the light emission of the light source based on the detection result by the displacement detecting means. A portable image forming apparatus characterized by the displacement. In the portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
A mark indicating that the image is to be recorded is provided in the recording unit.
A portable image forming apparatus characterized in that the planar shape and the planar size of the guiding means are the same as the planar shape and the planar size of the recording unit. In the portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.
A portable image forming apparatus characterized in that the guiding means is provided on each of the two side surfaces arranged in the scanning direction. The portable image forming apparatus main body, a recording unit that records an image on a recording material and can be attached to and detached from the portable image forming apparatus main body, and the portable device so that the user can visually recognize the recording position by the recording unit. In the portable image forming apparatus main body of the portable image forming apparatus having the guiding means provided in the type image forming apparatus main body,
Of a plurality of surfaces in the main body of the portable image forming apparatus, in the surface opposite to the recording surface facing the recording material while moving in the scanning direction, at a position facing the recording unit. Guidance means are provided,
When the portable image forming apparatus is placed on the surface of the recording material in a state where the roller unit having a roller portion for moving the portable image forming apparatus straight along the scanning direction is removed, the portable image forming apparatus comes into contact with the recording material. The portable image forming apparatus main body is characterized in that the recording surface is provided with three protrusions that support the portable image forming apparatus at three points .

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