Stamp face forming device, method of forming stamp face, and non-transitory storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302520-B2
Application number	US-201414508255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2014
Priority date	Oct 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A stamp face forming device, including: a stamp face forming unit that forms a stamp face on a stamp material while pressing the stamp material held on a stamp material holder; a conveying unit that causes the stamp material holder to move relative to the stamp face forming unit; and a support unit that supports the stamp material holder in order to prevent tilting of the stamp material holder with respect to a conveyance path for the stamp material holder of the stamp face forming unit, at least when the stamp face is being formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for forming a stamp face, comprising:
a stamp face forming unit configured to press a stamp material held in a stamp material holder to form the stamp face in the stamp material;
a conveying unit configured to move the stamp material holder relative to the stamp face forming unit along a conveyance path; and
a support unit configured to support the stamp material holder in such a way as to cancel out a torque generated by a force applied by the stamp face forming unit to the stamp material holder that would cause the stamp material holder to tilt with respect to the conveyance path for the stamp material holder, at least when the stamp face is being formed,
wherein the support unit includes a plurality of support members, and
wherein the plurality of support members are provided along a direction perpendicular to a direction of relative movement of the stamp material holder to be used in the device.

2. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stamp face forming unit is a thermal head having therein a plurality of heat-generating units arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction of relative movement of the stamp material holder and parallel to a surface of the stamp material holder in which the stamp material is held, the thermal head being provided with a driver circuit for controlling a heating state of the plurality of heat-generating units, the driver circuit being proximal to the plurality of heat-generating units, and
wherein the stamp material is a porous material having thermosetting properties such that heat applied by the plurality of heat-generating units causes the stamp material to become non-porous.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the stamp material to be used in the device is attached to the stamp material holder to be used in the device such that a main surface of the stamp material where the stamp face is to be formed protrudes in a direction of thickness from a surface of the stamp material holder on which the stamp material is not held.

4. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a step is present between a main surface of the stamp material to be used in the device and a surface of the stamp material holder, to be used in the device, on which the stamp material is not being held, and
wherein the support unit supports the stamp material holder in such a way as to cancel out said torque generated due to the step when the stamp material holder moves relative to the stamp face forming unit.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the support unit is provided in an exit hole for the stamp material holder to be used in the device in a device case.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support members are provided on a front side of the stamp material holder, said front side being defined as a side to which the stamp material holder moves relative to the stamp face forming unit before the stamp material held in the stamp material holder is pressed.

7. A method of forming a stamp face, comprising:
pressing a stamp material held in a stamp material holder using a stamp face forming unit to form the stamp face in the stamp material;
conveying the stamp material holder to move relative to the stamp face forming unit along a conveyance path when pressing the stamp material; and
supporting the stamp material holder by a support unit in such a way as to cancel out a torque generated by a force applied by the stamp face forming unit to the stamp material holder that would cause the stamp material holder to tilt with respect to the conveyance path for the stamp material holder, at least when the stamp face is being formed,
wherein the support unit includes a plurality of support members, and
wherein the plurality of support members are provided along a direction perpendicular to a direction of relative movement of the stamp material holder.

8. The method of forming a stamp face according to claim 7 ,
wherein, in pressing the stamp material, the stamp face is formed in the stamp material by a thermal head having therein a plurality of heat-generating units arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction of relative movement of the stamp material holder and parallel to a surface of the stamp material holder in which the stamp material is held, the thermal head being provided with a driver circuit for controlling a heating state of the plurality of heat-generating units, the driver circuit being proximal to the plurality of heat-generating units, and
wherein the stamp material is a porous material having thermosetting properties such that heat applied by the plurality of heat-generating units causes the stamp material to become non-porous.

9. The method of forming a stamp face according to claim 7 , wherein a main surface of the stamp material where the stamp face is to be formed protrudes in a direction of thickness from a surface of the stamp material holder where the stamp material is not held.

10. The method of forming a stamp face according to claim 7 ,
wherein a step is present between a main surface of the stamp material and a surface of the stamp material holder on which the stamp material is not being held, and
wherein the support unit supports the stamp material holder in such a way as to cancel out said torque generated due to the step when the stamp material holder moves relative to the stamp face forming unit.

11. The method of forming a stamp face according to claim 10 , wherein the support unit is provided in an exit hole for the stamp material holder in a device case.

12. A non-transitory storage medium storing therein a program to be read by a computer processor included in a stamp face forming device, said stamp face forming device including: said computer processor; a stamp face forming unit configured to press a stamp material held in a stamp material holder to form the stamp face in the stamp material; a conveying unit configured to move the stamp material holder relative to the stamp face forming unit along a conveyance path; and a support unit configured to support the stamp material holder in such a way as to cancel out a torque generated by a force applied by the stamp face forming unit to the stamp material holder that would cause the stamp material holder to tilt with respect to the conveyance path for the stamp material holder, at least when the stamp face is being formed, the program causing the computer processor to control the stamp face forming device so as to perform the following process:
pressing the stamp material held in the stamp material holder using the stamp face forming unit to form the stamp face in the stamp material;
conveying, via the conveying unit, the stamp material holder to move relative to the stamp face forming unit along a conveyance path when pressing the stamp material; and
supporting the stamp material holder by the support unit in such a way as to cancel out the torque generated by the force applied by the stamp face forming unit to the stamp material holder that would cause the stamp material holder to tilt with respect to the conveyance path for the stamp material holder, at least when the stamp face is being formed,
wherein the support unit includes a plurality of support members, and
wherein the plurality of support members are provided along a direction perpendicular to a direction of relative movement of stamp material holder.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 12 ,
wherein, in pressing the stamp material, the stamp face is formed in the stamp material by a thermal head having therein a plurality of heat-generating units arranged in a direction perpendicular t

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oshima Kouji

Classifications

• B41D7/00 Primary

  Shaping elastic or deformable material, e.g. rubber, plastics material, to form printing surfaces (making rubber printing blocks B41C3/04) · CPC title

• B41K1/00

  Portable hand-operated devices without means for supporting or locating the articles to be stamped, i.e. hand stamps; Inking devices or other accessories therefor · CPC title

• B41C1/055

  Thermographic processes for producing printing formes {, e.g. with a thermal print head}(B41C1/02 takes precedence; {fabrication of relief or intaglio plates by ablative recording with a laser beam B41C1/05; production of lithographic forms B41C1/10; producing of screen printing forms or stencils B41C1/14}) · CPC title

• B41C3/06

  to produce printing blocks from plastics · CPC title

• B41K3/00 Primary

  Apparatus for stamping articles having integral means for supporting the articles to be stamped (means for printing on articles of special shape or having a surface of particular configuration B41F17/00) · CPC title