JP2017148968A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A printing apparatus capable of forming a print image at an appropriate position on a medium is provided. The support surface includes a support surface that can support a medium, moves in a moving direction A, and a printing unit that prints on the medium supported by the support portion. Is provided with a display unit 13 for displaying a display object 12 corresponding to a print image to be printed on a medium. By using the printing apparatus having such a configuration, it is possible to form a print image at an appropriate position on the medium. [Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

Conventionally, various printing apparatuses are used. Among such printing apparatuses, a printing apparatus configured to support a medium on a support surface of a support unit is used.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a T-shirt as a medium is supported on a mounting surface (support surface of a support unit) of a medium setting table, and a T-shirt photographed with a CCD camera is displayed on a separately prepared display device. An inkjet printer (printing apparatus) that adjusts the position of a printed image is disclosed.

JP 2007-31888 A

  However, the printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is only supported by the support surface of the support unit by adjusting the position of the print image using a display screen of a display device prepared separately from the printing apparatus. It does not display the position of the print image on the medium. For this reason, the adjustment accuracy of the position of the medium with respect to the support surface (that is, the adjustment accuracy of the position of the print image) is low. Therefore, there is a case where a print image cannot be formed at an appropriate position on the medium.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to form a print image at an appropriate position on a medium.

  The printing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem has a support surface capable of supporting a medium, and prints on the support part that moves in the moving direction and the medium supported by the support part. And a display unit that displays a display object corresponding to a print image printed on the medium.

  According to this aspect, the display unit that displays the display object corresponding to the print image printed on the medium is provided on the support surface. That is, the display object corresponding to the print image can be displayed on the medium supported on the support surface by transmitting the medium. Therefore, a print image can be formed at an appropriate position on the medium by adjusting the position of the medium in accordance with the position of the display object.

  The printing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the display unit is a liquid crystal display.

  According to this aspect, the display unit is a liquid crystal display. For this reason, the display object corresponding to the print image can be accurately displayed on the medium supported by the support surface, and in particular, the print image can be formed at an appropriate position of the medium.

  In the printing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the display unit is a touch panel that accepts a change operation of the display object on a display screen.

According to this aspect, the display unit is a touch panel that receives a change operation of a display object on the display screen. Therefore, the display corresponding to the print image can be easily changed by the touch panel.
The “display object changing operation” means, for example, an operation of changing the position or size of the display object corresponding to the print image.

  The printing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the printing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the display unit is configured by arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes, and the light emitting diodes located in a region corresponding to the printed image are arranged. The display object is displayed by emitting light.

  According to this aspect, the display unit is configured by arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes, and displays a display object by causing the light emitting diodes located in the region corresponding to the printed image to emit light. Since the light-emitting diode has low power consumption, display corresponding to a printed image can be performed while reducing power consumption.

  In the printing apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the display unit is capable of changing a display intensity of the display object.

According to this aspect, the display unit can change the display intensity of the display object. For this reason, for example, the display intensity of the display object corresponding to the print image can be adjusted according to the thickness or material of the medium to be used.
The “display intensity” means, for example, the emission intensity of the display unit when the display unit is configured to display a display object by emitting light.

  A printing apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the printing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, further comprising a detection unit that detects that the medium is supported by the support unit, and the display unit is configured to detect the medium by the detection unit. The display intensity is increased when it is detected that it is supported by the support portion.

According to this aspect, the detection unit that detects that the medium is supported by the support unit is provided, and the display unit increases the display intensity when the detection unit detects that the medium is supported by the support unit. For this reason, the power consumption is reduced when the medium is not supported by the support part, and the display of the display object corresponding to the print image on the medium is made easy to understand as the medium is supported by the support part. Can do.
Note that “increasing the display intensity” includes not only increasing the display intensity from a weak display intensity to a strong display intensity, but also changing the display object from a non-display condition to a display condition. Meaning.

  In the printing apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth or sixth aspect, the display unit weakens the display intensity when printing is started by the printing unit.

According to this aspect, the display unit weakens the display intensity when printing is started by the printing unit. For this reason, power consumption can be reduced at the start of printing after the medium is supported at an appropriate position of the support portion.
Note that “decreasing the display intensity” includes not only reducing the display intensity from strong display intensity to weak display intensity, but also changing the display object from being displayed to not being displayed. Meaning.

1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating a main part of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view illustrating a main part of a printing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Hereinafter, a printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[Example 1] (FIGS. 1 to 5)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, showing a state in which a medium support unit 2 is at a printing start position. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, showing a state in which the medium support unit 2 is at the medium setting position.

  The printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a medium support unit 2 that moves in the movement direction A while the medium is supported by the support surface 8 of the tray 4. The medium support unit 2 includes a tray 4 that is a medium support unit. The printing apparatus 1 includes a medium transport unit 3 that transports the medium supported by the tray 4 in the movement direction A. The moving direction A is a direction including a direction A1 and a direction A2 opposite to the direction A1. The tray 4 is detachably mounted on the stage 5. Here, the attaching / detaching direction C of the tray 4 with respect to the stage 5 is a vertical direction in the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. The tray 4 moves in the direction (vertical direction) along the attachment / detachment direction C by rotating the lever 9 together with the stage 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 9 is provided on the arm portion 11 of the medium support unit 2. As the medium, various materials such as textiles (woven fabric, cloth, etc.), paper, vinyl chloride resin can be used.

  Although details will be described later, the tray 4 of this embodiment includes a touch panel type liquid crystal display as the display unit 13 on the support surface 8. The display unit 13 can display the display object 12 corresponding to the print image.

In addition, a printing head 7 capable of printing on a medium by ejecting ink is provided inside the main body of the printing apparatus 1. The printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment reciprocates the carriage 6 provided with the print head 7 in the scanning direction B intersecting the movement direction A, thereby reciprocating the print head 7 in the scanning direction B. Ink is ejected from the print head 7 onto the medium supported by the tray 4 to form a desired image.
In the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the front side (lower left direction) in FIG. 1 is a medium setting position on the tray 4 (see FIG. 3). Then, after moving the tray 4 in which the medium is set in the direction A1 in the movement direction A to the printing start position on the back side (upper right direction) in FIG. 1, the tray 4 is moved in the direction A2 in the movement direction A. Print while.

The printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the print head 7 that performs printing while reciprocating in the scanning direction B. However, the printing apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of nozzles that eject ink in a crossing direction that intersects the moving direction of the medium. A printing apparatus including a line head may be used.
Here, the “line head” is a nozzle area formed in a crossing direction that intersects the moving direction of the medium so as to cover the entire crossing direction, and relatively moves the print head or the medium. The print head is used in a printing apparatus that forms an image. Note that the nozzle area in the cross direction of the line head may not be able to cover the cross direction of all the media supported by the printing apparatus.
The print head 7 according to the present embodiment is a printing unit that can print by ejecting ink onto the medium. However, the printing head 7 is not limited to such a printing unit. For example, the color material is transferred to the medium for printing. A transfer type printing unit may be used.

Next, an electrical configuration of the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
The control unit 19 is provided with a CPU 20 that controls the entire printing apparatus 1. The CPU 20 is connected via a system bus 21 to a ROM 22 that stores various control programs executed by the CPU 20 and a RAM 23 that can temporarily store data.

The CPU 20 is connected to a head drive unit 24 for driving the print head 7 via the system bus 21.
The CPU 20 is connected to the motor drive unit 25 via the system bus 21. The motor drive unit 25 is provided in the medium transport unit 3 for transporting the medium (that is, moving the medium support unit 2), the carriage motor 26 for moving the carriage 6 provided with the print head 7. The transfer motor 27 is connected.
Further, the CPU 20 is connected to the input / output unit 28 via the system bus 21. The input / output unit 28 is connected to the tray 4, a sensor 30 that is provided on the tray 4 and can detect whether or not a medium is set, and a PC 29 that transmits and receives data such as print data and signals.

Next, the main part of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing the tray 4 which is a main part of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, a display unit 13 that displays a display object 12 corresponding to a print image is provided on the support surface 8 of the tray 4 of this embodiment. Specifically, the display unit 13 in the tray 4 of the present embodiment is a touch panel type liquid crystal display.

Further, the medium support unit 2 of this embodiment has a frame portion 10 as shown in FIG. 5, supports the medium on the support surface 8 of the tray 4, and attaches the frame portion 10 to the tray 4 that supports the medium. By fitting, the medium is positioned and fixed to the support surface 8 of the tray 4.
Here, a sensor 30 serving as a detection unit that detects that the medium is supported on the tray 4 is provided at a position facing the frame unit 10 on the support surface 8. The sensor 30 is a pressure-sensitive sensor, and is configured to detect that the medium is supported on the tray 4 by detecting the pressure that the medium is supported on the tray 4 and pressed by the frame portion 10. It is not limited to such a configuration.

Here, as described above, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has the support surface 8 capable of supporting the medium, and performs printing on the tray 4 that moves in the moving direction A and the medium that is supported by the tray 4. And a print head 7.
As described above, the support surface 8 is provided with the display unit 13 that displays the display object 12 corresponding to the print image printed on the medium.
That is, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to display the display object 12 corresponding to the print image on the medium supported by the support surface 8 through the medium. Therefore, it is possible to form a print image at an appropriate position on the medium by adjusting the position of the medium in accordance with the position of the display object 12.

  Further, as described above, the display unit 13 of the present embodiment is a liquid crystal display. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, the display object 12 corresponding to the print image (in the present embodiment, “ABC”) can be accurately displayed on the medium supported by the support surface 8. It is possible to form a print image at an appropriate position on the medium.

As described above, since the display unit 13 of the present embodiment is a touch panel type liquid crystal display, it is possible to accept a change operation of the display object 12 corresponding to the print image on the display screen (on the display unit 13). . That is, the display unit 13 of the present embodiment is a touch panel that accepts a change operation of the display object 12 corresponding to the print image on the display screen, and the display object 12 can be easily changed by the touch panel.
Here, the display unit 13 of the present embodiment is a touch panel type liquid crystal display, but is not limited to such a configuration, and may be a liquid crystal display that is not a touch panel type or a touch panel other than the liquid crystal display.
The “changing operation of the display object 12” means, for example, an operation of changing the position and size of the display object 12.
Here, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment reflects the content of the change work of the display object 12 performed using the display unit 13 under the control of the control unit 19 (that is, the changed position and size). Can be printed on media.

Further, the display unit 13 of the present embodiment can change the display intensity of the display object 12 corresponding to the print image. For this reason, for example, the display intensity of the display object 12 corresponding to the print image can be adjusted according to the thickness or material (that is, light transmittance) of the medium to be used.
The “display intensity” is, for example, the light emission of the display unit 13 when the display unit 13 displays the display object 12 corresponding to the print image by emitting light as in the present embodiment. It means intensity (in this embodiment, light emission intensity of a backlight of a liquid crystal display) and the like.

In addition, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the sensor 30 that detects that the medium is supported on the tray 4 as described above. When the display unit 13 detects that the medium is supported on the tray 4 by the sensor 30 under the control of the control unit 19, the display unit 13 increases the display intensity. For this reason, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment reduces the power consumption when the medium is not supported by the tray 4, and responds to the print image on the medium as the medium is supported by the tray 4. The display object 12 can be easily understood.
Note that “increasing the display intensity” includes not only increasing the display intensity from a weak display intensity to a strong display intensity, but also changing the display object from a non-display condition to a display condition. Meaning.

In the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the display unit 13 weakens the display intensity when printing is started by the print head 7 under the control of the control unit 19. For this reason, the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to reduce power consumption at the start of printing after the medium is supported at an appropriate position on the tray 4.
Note that “decreasing the display intensity” includes not only reducing the display intensity from strong display intensity to weak display intensity, but also changing the display object from being displayed to not displaying the display object. Meaning.
Here, the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment increases the display intensity when the sensor 30 detects that the medium is supported on the tray 4 and decreases the display intensity when printing is started by the print head 7. However, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which only one of them is possible.

Here, the tray 4 of the present embodiment has a touch panel type liquid crystal display as described above. For this reason, the tray 4 of the present embodiment can also be used as a liquid crystal display when removed from the printing apparatus 1. In addition, the tray 4 of this embodiment includes a control unit including a CPU, a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and the like, and can be used as a PC including a touch panel type liquid crystal display. However, it is not limited to such a configuration.
Note that when the tray 4 is configured to be used as a liquid crystal display when the tray 4 is detached from the printing apparatus 1, the tray 4 can be made self-supporting by forming a leg portion. Become.

[Example 2] (FIG. 6)
Next, the printing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the tray 4 that is a main part of the printing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 5 of the printing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.
The printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as the printing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment except for the configuration of the tray 4, and the same components as those of the printing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the printing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the display unit 13 of the tray 4 is configured with a touch panel type liquid crystal display.
On the other hand, in the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the display unit 13 of the tray 4 is configured by arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and corresponds to a print image as shown in FIG. The display object 12 corresponding to the printed image is displayed by causing the light emitting diode located in the area to emit light to emit light. Specifically, a rectangle corresponding to the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the print image is displayed in correspondence with the arrangement position of the print image. Here, the vertical dimension of the print image is a dimension of the portion where the vertical dimension (height) in the print image is maximum, and the horizontal dimension of the print image is the maximum horizontal dimension (width) of the print image. The size of the part. Since the power consumption of the light emitting diode is small, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment performs the display object 12 corresponding to the print image more easily than the printing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment while reducing the power consumption (accurately). The position of the print image and the size of the print image can be displayed instead of a simple print image).

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the range of the invention described in the claim, and it cannot be overemphasized that they are also contained in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 2 ... Medium support unit, 3 ... Medium conveyance part, 4 ... Tray (support part),
5 ... Stage, 6 ... Carriage, 7 ... Print head (printing unit), 8 ... Support surface, 9 ... Lever,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Frame part, 11 arm part, 12 ... Display object corresponding to printed image, 13 ... Display part,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Control part, 20 ... CPU, 21 ... System bus, 22 ... ROM, 23 ... RAM,
24 ... head drive unit, 25 ... motor drive unit, 26 ... carriage motor,
27 ... Conveyance motor, 28 ... Input / output unit, 29 ... PC, 30 ... Sensor (detection unit)

Claims (7)

A support portion having a support surface capable of supporting the medium and moving in the moving direction;
A printing unit that performs printing on the medium supported by the support unit,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display unit that displays a display object corresponding to a print image printed on the medium is provided on the support surface. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The printing apparatus, wherein the display unit is a liquid crystal display. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The printing apparatus, wherein the display unit is a touch panel that receives a change operation of the display object on a display screen. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The display unit is configured by arranging a plurality of light emitting diodes, and displays the display object by causing the light emitting diodes located in a region corresponding to the print image to emit light. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The printing apparatus, wherein the display unit is capable of changing a display intensity of the display object. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
A detection unit for detecting that the medium is supported by the support unit;
The display device increases the display intensity when the detection unit detects that the medium is supported by the support unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6,
The display device reduces the display intensity when printing is started by the printing unit.

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