JP7703963B2 - Transfer device, printing device, thermal transfer sheet and transfer method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transfer device, a printing device, a thermal transfer sheet, and a transfer method.

Conventionally, printing devices (nail printing devices) that print designs on fingernails and the like are known. In this nail printing device, a base layer of a color such as white may be formed on the nail before the color layer is formed so that the finished product is not dependent on the color of the nail itself. This base layer is often formed by hand painting.

On the other hand, there is a method of printing on nails that uses transfer printing. For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, ink applied to a printing plate is transferred to the nail using a pad to print. After use, the ink and dust are removed from the pad using a pad cleaning device.

JP 2004-216872 A

However, when forming a base layer using the technology described in Patent Document 1, printing must be performed according to the contours of each user's nail, which means that the pad needs to be cleaned after each nail is printed, resulting in poor printing efficiency.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to perform transfer printing efficiently.

In order to achieve the above object, the transfer device of the present invention comprises:
A detection means for detecting the shape of a printing object;
A conveying means for conveying a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer;
a first heating means for heating the heated medium transported by the transport means based on the shape of the printing target, and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
a pressing means for pressing the ink layer thermally transferred onto the transfer layer toward the printing target;
Equipped with.

According to the present invention, printing using transfer can be performed efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a main part of a printing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the printing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the printing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of a transfer unit main body according to the embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermal transfer sheet according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of a printing device and a terminal device according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of a printing process according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a printing process according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a printing process according to the embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.
In the following embodiment, the printing device is described as a nail print device that prints on the printing target of fingernails, but the printing target of the transfer device and printing device according to the present invention is not limited to fingernails, and may be, for example, toenails. In addition, the printing target may be anything other than human nails, such as nail tips or the surfaces of various accessories.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the main parts of a printing device 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are a plan view and a side view of the main parts of the printing device 1. As shown in FIG.
In the following embodiments, up/down, left/right, and front/rear refer to the directions shown in Fig. 1 etc. The X direction refers to the left/right direction, the Y direction refers to the front/rear direction, and the Z direction refers to the up/down direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a housing 11 formed in a substantially box shape.
An operation unit 12 is provided on the top surface (top plate) of the housing 11. The operation unit 12 is, for example, an operation button (power switch button) for turning on/off the power of the printing device 1. When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal is output to a control unit 82 (see FIG. 6 ), and the control unit 82 performs control according to the operation signal to operate each unit of the printing device 1.
The shape and arrangement of each part of the housing 11 are not limited to the illustrated example and can be set as appropriate. For example, the operation unit 12 may be provided on the side or back of the housing 11 instead of on the top. The printing device 1 may also operate according to an operation signal input from an external device such as a terminal device (not shown), in which case the housing 11 may not be provided with the operation unit 12. The housing 11 may also be provided with various display units, indicators, and the like.

An opening 13 is formed in the front side of the housing 11 (the front side of the printing device 1, the front side in FIG. 1) approximately in the center in the vertical direction. The opening 13 is an insertion port through which a finger U is inserted into the device.
A finger placement section 14 is provided inside the printing device 1 at a position corresponding to the opening 13, on which a finger U (see FIG. 2, etc.) having a nail T to be printed is placed. The finger placement section 14 includes a finger receiving member 15. The finger receiving member 15 supports the finger U inserted from the opening 13 from below, and is formed of, for example, a flexible resin. The configuration of the finger placement section 14 is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration that does not include the finger receiving member 15, for example.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the printing device 1 includes a transfer mechanism 3, a printing unit 4, a photographing unit 5, etc.

The printing unit 4 is a printing means that performs printing on the printing target, that is, the nail T. As described below, the printing unit 4 of this embodiment performs printing with color inks on the nail T to which the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 have been attached by the transfer mechanism 3.
Specifically, the printing unit 4 includes a print head 41 that performs a printing operation, a head moving mechanism 42 (see FIG. 6) that moves the print head 41, and the like.

The print head 41 is, for example, an inkjet head that performs printing by spraying minute droplets of ink onto a surface to be printed (i.e., the surface of the nail T). There is no particular limitation on the type of print head 41. For example, heads that perform printing using various methods, such as a thermal print head, can be used.
There is no limit to the colors that the print head 41 can eject or the number of heads, but it is capable of ejecting ink of various colors, such as cyan (C; CYAN), magenta (M; MAGENTA), and yellow (Y; YELLOW), making it possible to precisely draw various designs.

The print head 41 is supported movably on an X-direction guide rail 43 and a Y-direction guide rail 44 while being held by a holder (not shown).
The head moving mechanism 42 includes a motor (not shown) that moves the print head 41 in the X and Y directions. By driving the motor, the head moving mechanism 42 moves the print head 41 in the X and Y directions along the guide rails 43, 44.
The head movement mechanism 42 allows the print head 41 to move within a head movement range 4R including the printing area A1 in the XY plane. The printing area A1 is an area corresponding to the finger placement unit 14, and is an area where the print head 41 performs a printing operation. The head movement range 4R also includes an area where the print head 41 retreats rearward from the printing area A1 by a sufficient distance so as not to interfere with (contact with) the transfer unit main body 30 that has advanced into the printing area A1.

The imaging unit 5 is disposed inside the top surface (top plate) of the housing 11, above the finger placement unit 14. The imaging unit 5 images the surface of the nail (the finger including the nail) exposed above the finger placement unit 14, and obtains an image of the surface (an image of the finger including the nail, hereinafter referred to as a "nail image").
The photographing section 5 includes a photographing camera 51 and an illumination lamp 52 .
The photographing camera 51 is a small camera equipped with a solid-state photographing element, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type, having 2 million or more pixels, a lens, and the like.
The illumination lamp 52 is a light source disposed to the side of the photographing camera 51 for illuminating the nail to be photographed, and is, for example, a white LED.
The photographing unit 5 is not particularly limited in its specific location as long as it is provided at a position where it can photograph the surface of the nail of the finger placed on the finger placement unit 14. For example, the photographing unit 5 may be configured to be movable in the X and Y directions by a head moving mechanism 42 that moves the print head 41.

The transfer mechanism 3 adheres the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 of the thermal transfer sheet Ns to the nail T using thermal transfer. The transfer device according to the present invention includes the transfer mechanism 3, an image capturing unit 5, and a control unit 82 described below. Specifically, the transfer mechanism 3 includes a transfer unit main body 30.
The transfer unit main body 30 is movably supported on a guide rail 311 aligned in the Y direction. The transfer mechanism 3 includes a movement motor 30M (see FIG. 6) that moves the transfer unit main body 30 in the Y direction. By driving the movement motor 30M, the transfer unit main body 30 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 311.
The transfer unit main body 30 is movable within a transfer unit movement range 3R including the printing area A1 in the XY plane. The transfer unit movement range 3R also includes an area where the transfer unit main body 30 retreats forward of the printing area A1 by a sufficient distance so as not to interfere with (contact with) the print head 41 that has advanced to the printing area A1. The transfer unit main body 30 may be configured to be movable rearward of the transfer unit movement range 3R as long as it is at a height that does not cause contact with the print head 41.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a schematic view of the main part of the transfer unit main body 30. As shown in FIG.
As shown in this figure, the transfer unit main body 30 includes a sheet supply roller 31, a platen roller 32, a thermal head 33, a first collection roller , a pressing unit 35, and a second collection roller .
A sheet roll Nr having a thermal transfer sheet Ns wound in a roll shape is replaceably set on the sheet supply roller 31 .

Here, the thermal transfer sheet Ns will be described.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal transfer sheet Ns.
As shown in this figure, the thermal transfer sheet Ns is formed by laminating, in order from the bottom (the bottom when transported in the transport direction D), a release layer S1, a base layer S2, an ink receiving layer S3, and a transfer layer S4.

The release layer S1 is a release paper that covers the base layer S2 when not in use and has a release surface that is peeled off from the base layer S2 when in use. The release layer S1 is made of, for example, a PET film with a thickness of about 25 μm.

The base layer S2 is an example of an ink layer according to the present invention, and is the main body of the thermal transfer sheet Ns, serving as a base for design printing (color printing) by the printing unit 4. This base layer S2 has adhesive properties, and is pressed and attached to the surface of the printing target, such as a nail T, together with the ink receiving layer S3 by the transfer mechanism 3.
In addition, since the base layer S2 is a base when printing is applied to the surface, it is preferable that the layer is white or a color close to white (for example, light pink or light blue) so that the color of the ink will develop well, that is, so that it is not affected by the color of the nail itself. However, the base layer S2 is not limited to white, and may be transparent, translucent, etc. In this case, when the base layer S2 is applied to the nail T, the nail T underneath can be seen through the unprinted parts. Therefore, when a one-point pattern is applied partially or a design such as French nails is printed, a finish that looks as if the nail print was applied directly to the natural nail can be achieved.
The base layer S2 may also contain a fluorescent agent. In this case, the entire base layer S2 will also have a whitish appearance, resulting in a beautifully finished base layer S2.

The base layer S2 is formed, for example, by applying a base layer liquid and drying it.
The base layer liquid is prepared by dissolving and dispersing a mixture of, for example, nitrocellulose, acetyl tributyl citrate, alkyl acrylate copolymer, stearalkonium hectorite, octocrellin, dimethicone, simethicone, citric acid, disodium stearoyl glutamate, titanium oxide, etc., in a mixed solvent of butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and isopropanol, to which an adhesive solution (for example, an ethyl acetate solution of Cosmede Pharmaceutical's acrylic adhesive solution HiPAS10) is added and mixed.
The added adhesive solution (adhesive component) has a relatively weak adhesiveness at the temperature during thermal transfer, and becomes more adhesive at the temperature (lower temperature than that during thermal transfer) when the base layer S2 is applied to the nail T. This allows the base layer S2 to be favorably applied to the nail T.

The ink receiving layer S3 receives ink and makes it easier for the ink to adhere when design printing is performed by the printing unit 4.
The ink receiving layer S3 is formed, for example, by applying an ink receiving layer liquid and drying it.
The ink receiving layer liquid is prepared by dissolving, for example, ammonium acrylates copolymer, vinyl acetate/vinylpyrrolidone copolymer, denatured alcohol, phenoxyethanol, and silicic acid (Al/Mg) in a mixed solvent of water and ethanol.

The transfer layer S4 is a release paper that covers the ink receiving layer S3 when not in use, and is thermally transferred to the ink receiving layer S3 together with the base layer S2 during thermal transfer, and is peeled off from the ink receiving layer S3 after the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 are attached to the printing object.

To produce the thermal transfer sheet Ns, for example, first, an ink receiving layer liquid is applied to the adhesive release paper that constitutes the transfer layer S4 and then dried to form the ink receiving layer S3. Then, a base layer liquid is applied on top of that and dried to form the base layer S2, and the release paper that constitutes the release layer S1 is then laid on top of that. The resulting product is heated to approximately 70°C while being pressed, and then cut into a tape shape to complete the thermal transfer sheet Ns.

In addition, the adhesive strength between layers is important in the production of the thermal transfer sheet Ns. Adhesive strength (bonding strength) is a parameter that indicates "how strongly different materials are attached to each other." The strength of adhesive strength is determined by the compatibility between the materials, and materials with similar properties (similar molecular structures, etc.) tend to stick to each other, while materials with different properties tend not to stick to each other.
In the thermal transfer sheet Ns of this embodiment, the adhesive force between the ink receiving layer S3 and the transferred layer S4 is stronger than the adhesive force between the release layer S1 and the base layer S2 at the temperature (first temperature) during thermal transfer by the thermal head 33. Also, at the temperature (second temperature lower than the first temperature) during pressing by the pressing unit 35, the adhesive force between the nail T and the base layer S2 is stronger than the adhesive force between the ink receiving layer S3 and the transferred layer S4.
Furthermore, the ink receiving layer S3 and the transferred layer S4 are simply overlapped and not adhered when not heated, and when heated, the ink receiving layer S3 melts or softens, and is adhered with a stronger adhesive force than between the release layer S1 and the base layer S2. Therefore, when a peeling force is applied in the thickness direction of the thermal transfer sheet Ns, peeling occurs between the release layer S1 and the base layer S2, not between the ink receiving layer S3 and the transferred layer S4. Note that the adhesive force between the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 is the strongest among the adhesive forces between the layers of the thermal transfer sheet Ns, at least at the first and second temperatures.

As shown in Fig. 4, the platen roller 32 transports the thermal transfer sheet Ns along a transport direction D parallel to the X direction. As for the direction in which the thermal transfer sheet Ns is transported, transport to the right in Fig. 4 is referred to as forward transport, and transport to the left in Fig. 4 is referred to as reverse transport. The transport means according to the present invention includes at least the platen roller 32.
The thermal head 33 is a heating means having a plurality of heating elements and thermally transferring the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 to the transfer layer S4. A thermistor 33a for measuring the temperature of the thermal head 33 is embedded in the thermal head 33. The thermal head 33 is disposed opposite the platen roller 32, and heats the thermal transfer sheet Ns passing between the thermal head 33 and the platen roller 32 from below, thereby thermally transferring the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 to the transfer layer S4.

The first recovery roller 34 is disposed below the platen roller 32 via a driven roller 341 disposed downstream in the transport direction D. The first recovery roller 34 recovers the peeling layer S1 of the thermal transfer sheet Ns together with the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 that were not thermally transferred to the transfer layer S4 by the thermal head 33.

The pressing section 35 is positioned downstream in the transport direction D from the platen roller 32 and the driven roller 341, and presses the base layer S2 thermally transferred onto the transfer layer S4 together with the ink receiving layer S3 against a printing object such as a nail T to adhere them.
Specifically, the pressing unit 35 is located above the thermal transfer sheet Ns conveyed in the conveying direction D in a normal state (when not in operation), and is configured to be driven vertically by a motor (not shown) or the like, with the lower surface being a pressing surface having a sponge or the like. The pressing unit 35 may also have a heater 35a (see FIG. 6) inside, and press the thermal transfer sheet Ns while heating it with the heater 35a. The pressing unit 35 has an X-direction position corresponding to the finger placement unit 14, and when the transfer unit main body 30 is moved in the Y direction to position the finger placement unit 14 below the pressing unit 35 via the thermal transfer sheet Ns, the pressing unit 35 presses the thermal transfer sheet Ns against the nail T placed on the finger placement unit 14.

The second collection roller 36 is arranged below the driven roller 361, which is arranged downstream of the pressing unit 35 in the transport direction D. The second collection roller 36 collects the transferred layer S4 that has passed through the pressing unit 35.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram showing a schematic control configuration of the printing device 1 and a terminal device 9 (to be described later).
As shown in this figure, in addition to the operation unit 12, transfer mechanism 3, printing unit 4 and photographing unit 5 described above, the printing device 1 also includes a display unit 17, a communication unit 18, a memory unit 81, a control unit 82, etc.

The display unit 17 displays various information based on a display command from the control unit 82 .
The communication unit 18 transmits and receives various information to and from a terminal device 9 (described later) that operates in cooperation with the printing device 1. The communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 9 is performed, for example, by a wireless LAN. Note that the communication between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 9 is not limited to this, and may be by any method. For example, it may be a method using a network line such as the Internet, or a method using wireless communication based on a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. In addition, this communication is not limited to wireless, and may be a configuration in which various data can be transmitted and received between the two devices by a wired connection. The communication unit 18 is equipped with an antenna chip or the like that corresponds to the communication method of the terminal device 9.

The storage unit 81 includes, for example, a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), and stores various information and programs for operating the printing device 1. For example, the storage unit 81 stores a printing program for performing printing processing. The storage unit 81 may also store various data including images acquired by the photographing unit 5 and data on a design to be printed on a printing target.
The control unit 82 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls each part of the printing device 1. The control unit 82 loads the program in the storage unit 81 into a working area and executes it, thereby controlling each part of the printing device 1 in an integrated manner.

Furthermore, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be capable of communicating with a terminal device 9 , and executes printing operations and the like based on operational commands from the terminal device 9 .
The terminal device 9 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet that functions solely as a user interface for the printing device 1. However, the terminal device 9 is not particularly limited as long as it is an information processing device capable of communicating with the printing device 1, and may be, for example, a notebook or stationary personal computer, a terminal device for games, or the like.
Specifically, the terminal device 9 includes an operation unit 92, a display unit 93, a communication unit 94, a storage unit 96, a control unit 97, and the like.

The operation unit 92 is capable of performing various inputs, settings, etc. in response to operations by the user, and an input signal corresponding to the operation received by the operation unit 92 is transmitted to the control unit 97. In this embodiment, a touch panel is integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 93, and the user can also perform various inputs, settings, etc. by touching the touch panel.
The operation unit 92 for performing various input and setting operations is not limited to a touch panel. For example, various operation buttons, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. may be provided as the operation unit 92.

The display unit 93 displays various information based on a display command from the control unit 97 .
In this embodiment, the display unit 93 displays various information such as a nail design input/selected by the user via the operation unit 92 and a nail image transmitted from the printing device 1. As described above, the display unit 93 in this embodiment is integral with a touch panel for various inputs.

The communication unit 94 is configured to be capable of communicating with the communication unit 18 of the printing device 1. Note that the communication unit 94 may be any unit capable of communicating with the printing device 1, and a unit that matches the communication standard of the communication unit 18 of the printing device 1 is applied.

The memory unit 96 stores various programs and various data for operating each part of the terminal device 9. For example, the memory unit 96 stores various programs such as an operating program for controlling each part of the terminal device 9 as well as a nail print application program for performing nail printing using the printing device 1. The memory unit 96 also stores data on the design (nail design) to be printed on the printing target. This design may be an existing design prepared in advance, a design created by the user, or a design obtained from a server device (not shown) via the communication unit 94, etc.

The control unit 97 controls each part of the terminal device 9. The control unit 97 deploys the program in the memory unit 96 in the working area and executes it, thereby controlling each part of the terminal device 9 in an integrated manner.

Next, the operation of the printing device 1 when executing the printing process will be described. The printing process is a process of printing a nail design on the nail T of the finger U.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the printing process.
It is assumed that the nail design to be printed on the nail T has been selected and specified in advance by a user operation.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the printing process is executed, the user first places a finger U with a nail T to be printed on the finger placement section 14 of the printing device 1 (step S1).
Prior to the printing process, a coating agent that helps the nail T receive the base layer S2 that will be applied to the nail T in step S5 described below may be applied to the nail T by hand or other means.

The control unit 82 of the printing device 1 then controls the photographing unit 5 to photograph the surface of the nail (finger including the nail) placed on the finger placement unit 14 and acquire the image (nail image) (step S2). The acquired nail image is stored in the memory unit 81. At this time, the transfer unit main body 30 of the transfer mechanism 3 has already been retracted forward of the finger placement unit 14 (printing area A1).

Next, the control unit 82 detects (also called obtains or calculates) the shape (contour) of the nail to be printed by image analysis of the nail image acquired in step S2 (step S3). In other words, the control unit 82 here is a detection means for detecting the shape of the nail. The detected shape of the nail (nail shape) is stored in the storage unit 81.
At this time, the nail shape may be detected by further image analysis taking into consideration the curvature of the left and right portions of the nail T. In this case, the curvature may be determined by reading the distance with a distance measuring sensor or the like instead of image analysis.

Next, the control unit 82 controls the transfer mechanism 3 to thermally transfer the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3, each having a shape corresponding to the nail shape, onto the transfer layer S4 of the thermal transfer sheet Ns (step S4).
Specifically, the control unit 82 first controls the moving motor 30M of the transfer mechanism 3 to move the transfer unit main body 30 backward to advance to the printing area A1. Then, the control unit 82 drives the platen roller 32, the first collection roller 34, and the second collection roller 36 to unwind the thermal transfer sheet Ns from the sheet roll Nr of the sheet supply roller 31 and transport it in the transport direction D. Then, the control unit 82 heats the thermal transfer sheet Ns from below with the thermal head 33, thereby thermally transferring the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 having a shape corresponding to the nail shape to the transfer layer S4 (FIG. 8(a)). The temperature of the thermal head 33 at this time is measured by the thermistor 33a and is managed to a predetermined temperature. The base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 thermally transferred to the transfer layer S4 move toward the pressing unit 35 along the transport direction D, and the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 not thermally transferred to the transfer layer S4 are collected by the first collection roller 34 together with the peeling layer S1.
The shapes of the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 to be thermally transferred here may be the shape of only a part of the nail, rather than the entire nail, based on the nail design.

Next, the control unit 82 controls the transfer mechanism 3 to press and attach the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 thermally transferred onto the transfer layer S4 to the surface of the user's nail T (step S5).
Specifically, the control unit 82 controls the pressing unit 35 to move downward, and presses the base layer S2 and ink receiving layer S3, which have been transported above the finger placement unit 14 together with the transferred layer S4, against the surface of the nail T of the finger placement unit 14 to adhere them (FIGS. 8(b) and 9). At this time, the control unit 82 presses the pressing unit 35 while heating it to about 50° C. using the heater 35a. As a result, the base layer S2 and ink receiving layer S3 having a shape corresponding to the nail shape are adhered to the surface of the nail T (FIG. 8(c)). The transferred layer S4 from which the base layer S2 and ink receiving layer S3 have been removed is collected by the second collection roller 36.

Next, the control unit 82 controls the printing unit 4 to print a design on the base layer S2 and the ink receiving layer S3 attached to the nail T (step S6).
Specifically, the control unit 82 first controls the movement motor 30M of the transfer mechanism 3 to move the transfer unit main body 30 away from the printing area A1. The control unit 82 then generates print data based on the preselected nail design and nail shape, and controls the print head 41 and head movement mechanism 42 of the printing unit 4 based on the print data to print the nail T (FIG. 8(d)). Note that the print data may be generated at any time after the nail design and nail shape are acquired.
As a result, the desired nail design is printed on the nail T. Since this design is printed on the top side of the base layer S2, the ink has good color development. Also, since the design is printed on the ink receiving layer S3, the ink is easily fixed. Also, compared to a method of printing the base ink using the inkjet method, the time it takes for the ink solvent to evaporate can be reduced, so the drying time is shorter than with the inkjet method, and it is possible to move on to the design printing quickly.

Next, the user removes the finger U from the printing device 1 and applies a top coat to the nail on which the design has been printed in order to protect the design (step S7).
In this way, the printing process is completed. Note that the process in the printing device 1 itself may be completed in step S6.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the thermal transfer sheet Ns having the base layer S2 is heated by the thermal head 33 based on the nail shape, and the base layer S2 is pressed against the nail T by the pressing portion 35.
This means that, unlike the case where ink applied to a printing plate is transferred to a nail by a pad, there is no need to clean the pad every time printing on one nail is completed. Also, in the case of transfer by pad, if the pad cleaning time is shortened to increase efficiency, ink may remain on the pad. Therefore, with the configuration of this embodiment, printing using transfer can be performed efficiently.

According to this embodiment, the pressing portion 35 has the heater 35a, and the base layer S2 is pressed against the nail T while being heated by the heater 35a to be attached thereto.
This allows the base layer S2 to be attached to the surface of the nail T in a suitable manner.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the thermal transfer sheet Ns has an ink receiving layer S3 between the transfer layer S4 and the base layer S2, and this ink receiving layer S3 is thermally transferred to the transfer layer S4 together with the base layer S2 and attached to the surface of the nail T.
This allows the ink to be more easily fixed when the printing unit 4 subsequently prints a design.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the adhesive force between the transferred layer S4 and the ink receiving layer S3 is greater than the adhesive force between the base layer S2 and the release layer S1 at the temperature (first temperature) during thermal transfer by the thermal head 33, and is less than the adhesive force between the base layer S2 and the nail T at the temperature (second temperature lower than the first temperature) during pressing by the pressing section 35.
This allows the ink receiving layer S3 to be thermally transferred to the transfer layer S4 suitably during thermal transfer, and allows the base layer S2 to be attached to the nail T suitably during pressing.

Although the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, the pressing unit 35 heats the thermal transfer sheet Ns to approximately 50°C using the heater 35a while pressing it against the nail T. However, the heating temperature at this time is not particularly limited as long as it is a temperature that does not cause a burden to the user. This heating does not have to be performed.

In this embodiment, the base layer S2, which is white or a color similar to white and serves as a base for printing the design, is attached to the nail T using thermal transfer. However, this base layer S2 may be a color other than white, or may have a design (pattern). In this case, printing by the printing unit may be omitted, or after a portion of the design (pattern) is formed on the nail by attachment using thermal transfer, the remaining design (pattern) may be formed by printing by the printing unit.
The thermal transfer sheet Ns may have at least the transfer layer S4 and the base layer S2.

The transfer unit main body 30 is provided with at least a thermal head 33 and a pressing unit 35, and the other components of the transfer unit main body 30 may be provided in a replaceable cartridge that is detachable from the transfer unit main body 30.

The transfer unit main body 30 may also be configured to allow unused base layer S2 to be reused by reversing (rewinding) the thermal transfer sheet Ns. In this case, the amount of transport of the thermal transfer sheet Ns may be detected, for example, by an encoder or the like, and unused portions of the base layer S2 may be identified and reused. Reversing transport of the thermal transfer sheet Ns may be achieved by reversing the rotation of the transport rollers.

In addition, in order to make the transfer unit main body 30 smaller, the finger placement unit 14 and the pressing unit 35 may be provided between the sheet supply roller 31 and the thermal head 33 in the transport direction of the thermal transfer sheet Ns, that is, upstream of the thermal head 33. Specifically, the thermal transfer sheet Ns is assumed to be configured to include a base layer S2 (or a base layer S2 and an ink receiving layer S3) and a transfer layer S4, and the peeling layer S1 is excluded. In this case, for example, the thermal head 33 may heat the thermal transfer sheet Ns during reverse transport of the thermal transfer sheet Ns, and the pressing unit 35 may press the thermal transfer sheet Ns against the finger U placed on the finger placement unit 14 provided between the sheet supply roller 31 and the thermal head 33 in the transport direction. In this case, the first collection roller 34 and the driven roller 341 for collecting the peeling layer S1 can be removed from the configuration, and the distance between the thermal head 33 and the second collection roller 36 in the transport direction can be shortened, making it possible to make the transfer unit main body 30 smaller.

In addition, in this embodiment, the printing device 1 cooperates with the terminal device 9 to configure a printing system, and an example is given of a case in which operation control and execution are performed solely by the printing device 1. However, the degree of processing shared between the printing device 1 and the terminal device 9 is not particularly limited, and all processing, including user operations, may be performed solely by the printing device 1, or the terminal device 9 may perform various calculations.

Furthermore, various data such as the nail design, the captured image, and nail shape information may be stored in a storage unit of the terminal device, or may be stored in a storage unit of the printing device 1. In this embodiment, the photographing unit 5 is provided in the printing device 1, but the photographing unit may be provided in the terminal device, and the nail image may be transmitted to the printing device 1 via the communication unit. Furthermore, the nail shape may be detected by the terminal device.
Alternatively, various data may be stored in a server device or the like that can be connected via a network line, etc., and the terminal device or the printing device 1 may access the server device, etc., to refer to this data. In this way, it becomes possible to select a design to be printed from a larger number of nail designs.

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 its equivalents.
The inventions described in the claims originally attached to this application are set forth below. The claim numbers in the appended claims are the same as those in the claims originally attached to this application.
[Additional Notes]
<Claim 1>
A detection means for detecting the shape of a printing object;
A conveying means for conveying a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer;
a first heating means for heating the heated medium transported by the transport means based on the shape of the printing target, and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
and a pressing means for pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the printing target.
A transfer device characterized by:
<Claim 2>
A detection means for detecting a nail as a printing target;
A conveying means for conveying a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer;
a first heating means for heating the heated medium transported by the transport means and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
and a pressing means for pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the nail.
A transfer device characterized by:
<Claim 3>
the heated medium has an ink-receiving layer between the transfer layer and the ink layer,
the first heating means thermally transfers the ink layer and the ink receiving layer to the transfer layer;
the pressing means presses the ink layer and the ink receiving layer toward the printing target;
3. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member is a first member.
<Claim 4>
the heated medium has a release layer that is laminated on the opposite side of the ink layer from the transfer layer and is peeled off from the ink layer as the heated medium is transported;
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
<Claim 5>
the pressing means has a second heating means, and presses the ink layer toward the printing target while heating the ink layer with the second heating means;
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
<Claim 6>
the heated medium has a release layer that is laminated on the opposite side of the ink layer from the transfer layer and is peeled off from the ink layer as the heated medium is transported;
the pressing means has a second heating means capable of taking a second temperature when the ink layer and the ink receiving layer are pressed toward the printing object while being heated, the second temperature being lower than a first temperature when the first heating means thermally transfers the ink layer and the ink receiving layer to the transfer layer,
At the first temperature, the adhesive force between the transfer layer and the ink receiving layer is greater than the adhesive force between the ink layer and the release layer, and at the second temperature, the adhesive force between the transfer layer and the ink receiving layer is less than the adhesive force between the ink layer and the printing object;
the adhesive strength between the ink receiving layer and the ink layer is the largest adhesive strength between the layers of the heated medium at the first temperature and the second temperature;
4. The transfer device according to claim 3.
<Claim 7>
The pressing means is disposed downstream of the first heating means in a conveying direction by the conveying means.
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
<Claim 8>
Further, a photographing means for photographing the printing object is provided,
The detection means detects the shape of the printing object based on the image captured by the imaging means.
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
<Claim 9>
A transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
a printing means for printing on the printing object to which the ink layer is attached;
Equipped with
A printing device comprising:
<Claim 10>
A transfer layer;
an ink-receiving layer that is thermally transferable to the transfer layer and that receives ink;
An ink layer having adhesive properties;
a release layer having a releasable surface;
are layered in this order:
A thermal transfer sheet.
<Claim 11>
A detection step of detecting the shape of the printing object;
a first heating step of heating a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer based on the shape of the printing target, and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
a pressing step of pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the printing target;
Equipped with
A transfer method comprising:

1 Printing device 3 Transfer mechanism 4 Printing section (printing means)
5. Photography section (photography means)
9 Terminal device 14 Finger placement unit 30 Transfer unit main body 32 Platen roller (conveying means)
33 Thermal head (first heating means)
33a Thermistor 35 Pressing portion (pressing means)
35a heater (second heating means)
41 Print head 42 Head moving mechanism 82 Control unit A1 Print area D Transport direction Ns Thermal transfer sheet (medium to be heated)
S1 Release layer S2 Base layer (ink layer)
S3: Ink receiving layer S4: Transfer layer T: Nail (printing object)
U finger

Claims (11)

A detection means for detecting the shape of a printing object;
A conveying means for conveying a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer;
a first heating means for heating the heated medium transported by the transport means based on the shape of the printing target, and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
and a pressing means for pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the printing target.
A transfer device characterized by: A detection means for detecting a nail as a printing target;
A conveying means for conveying a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer;
a first heating means for heating the heated medium transported by the transport means and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
and a pressing means for pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the nail.
A transfer device characterized by: the heated medium has an ink-receiving layer between the transfer layer and the ink layer,
the first heating means thermally transfers the ink layer and the ink receiving layer to the transfer layer;
the pressing means presses the ink layer and the ink receiving layer toward the printing target;
3. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member is a first member. the heated medium has a release layer that is laminated on the opposite side of the ink layer from the transfer layer and is peeled off from the ink layer as the heated medium is transported;
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the pressing means has a second heating means, and presses the ink layer toward the printing target while heating the ink layer with the second heating means;
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the heated medium has a release layer that is laminated on the opposite side of the ink layer from the transfer layer and is peeled off from the ink layer as the heated medium is transported;
the pressing means has a second heating means capable of taking a second temperature when the ink layer and the ink receiving layer are pressed toward the printing object while being heated, the second temperature being lower than a first temperature when the first heating means thermally transfers the ink layer and the ink receiving layer to the transfer layer,
At the first temperature, the adhesive force between the transfer layer and the ink receiving layer is greater than the adhesive force between the ink layer and the release layer, and at the second temperature, the adhesive force between the transfer layer and the ink receiving layer is less than the adhesive force between the ink layer and the printing object;
the adhesive strength between the ink receiving layer and the ink layer is the largest adhesive strength between the layers of the heated medium at the first temperature and the second temperature;
4. The transfer device according to claim 3. The pressing means is disposed downstream of the first heating means in a conveying direction by the conveying means.
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Further, a photographing means for photographing the printing object is provided,
The detection means detects the shape of the printing object based on the image captured by the imaging means.
The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
a printing means for printing on the printing object to which the ink layer is attached;
Equipped with
A printing device comprising: A transfer layer;
an ink-receiving layer that is thermally transferable to the transfer layer and that receives ink;
An ink layer having adhesive properties;
a release layer having a releasable surface;
are layered in this order:
A thermal transfer sheet. A detection step of detecting the shape of the printing object;
a first heating step of heating a heated medium having at least a transfer layer and an ink layer based on the shape of the printing target, and thermally transferring the ink layer to the transfer layer;
a pressing step of pressing the ink layer thermally transferred to the transfer layer toward the printing target;
Equipped with
A transfer method comprising:

Images