Printer, printing method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569552-B2
Application number	US-201916241921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2019
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A printer includes a print head and a processor. The processor controls operation of the head. In an area where the head is movable, (i) a drawing region where a finger or a toe is placed, and the head performs drawing on a nail of the finger or the toe, (ii) a standby region where the head is positioned during a no-drawing period, and (iii) a suspension region where the head can stop temporarily are provided such that a moving distance of the head from the suspension region to the drawing region is shorter than a moving distance of the head from the standby region to the drawing region. If nails are successively subjected to the drawing, the processor causes the head to stop temporarily in the suspension region between drawing operations on the nails without causing the head to move to the standby region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a print head; and
a processor which controls operation of the print head, wherein
wherein an area where the print head is movable includes (i) a drawing region where a finger or a toe is placed and the print head performs drawing on a nail of the finger or the toe, (ii) a standby region where the print head is positioned during a no-drawing period in which the print head does not perform the drawing, and (iii) a suspension region where the print head can stop temporarily, a moving distance of the print head from the suspension region to the drawing region being shorter than a moving distance of the print head from the standby region to the drawing region, and
wherein, when one nail is subjected to the drawing and successively a next nail is subjected to the drawing, the one nail and the next nail being nails among two or more nails to be successively subjected to the drawing, the processor causes the print head to stop temporarily in the suspension region between drawing operations on the one nail and the next nail without causing the print head to move to the standby region.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one maintenance unit which is provided in the suspension region and which performs maintenance of the print head.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the maintenance unit includes at least one of a purging unit which receives an ink forcibly ejected from an ink ejection surface of the print head and a wiping unit which wipes the ink ejection surface of the print head.

4. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the processor
obtains a suspension period which is a time elapsed from a start of the temporary stop of the print head in the suspension region, and
causes the maintenance unit to perform the maintenance of the print head each time the obtained suspension period exceeds a first period.

5. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein the processor causes the print head to move to the standby region when the obtained suspension period exceeds a second period which is longer than the first period.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a cap which is provided in the standby region and which covers an ink ejection surface of the print head.

7. A printing method for a printer including a print head, an area of the printer where the print head is movable including (i) a drawing region where a finger or a toe is placed and the print head performs drawing on a nail of the finger or the toe, (ii) a standby region where the print head is positioned during a no-drawing period in which the print head does not perform the drawing, and (iii) a suspension region where the print head can stop temporarily, a moving distance of the print head from the suspension region to the drawing region being shorter than a moving distance of the print head from the standby region to the drawing region, and the printing method comprising:
when one nail is subjected to the drawing and successively a next nail is subjected to the drawing, the one nail and the next nail being nails among two or more nails to be successively subjected to the drawing, causing the print head to stop temporarily in the suspension region between drawing operations on the one nail and the next nail without causing the print head to move to the standby region.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that is executed by a computer which controls a printer including a print head, an area of the printer where the print head is movable including (i) a drawing region where a finger or a toe is placed and the print head performs drawing on a nail of the finger or the toe, (ii) a standby region where the print head is provided during a no-drawing period in which the print head does not perform the drawing, and (iii) a suspension region where the print head can stop temporarily, a moving distance of the print head from the suspension region to the drawing region being shorter than a moving distance of the print head from the standby region to the drawing region, and the program causing the computer to:
when one nail is subjected to the drawing and successively a next nail is subjected to the drawing, the one nail and the next nail being nails among two or more nails to be successively subjected to the drawing, cause the print head to stop temporarily in the suspension region between drawing operations on the one nail and the next nail without causing the print head to move to the standby region.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagao Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/16538

  with brushes or wiper blades perpendicular to the nozzle plate · CPC title

• B41J11/008

  Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins · CPC title

• A45D29/02

  Nail clippers or cutters · CPC title

• A45D2029/005

  Printing or stamping devices for applying images or ornaments to nails · CPC title

• A45D29/00 Primary

  Manicuring or pedicuring implements · CPC title