A recording apparatus includes: a guide that includes a convex portion formed along a transport direction and guides a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and a pressing member that presses the recording medium against the guide.
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7. A transport method comprising:
preparing a guide having a convex portion formed along a transport direction;
guiding a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and
pressing the recording medium against the guide.
1. A recording apparatus comprising:
a guide that includes a convex portion formed along a transport direction and guides a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and
a pressing member that presses the recording medium against the guide.
2. The recording apparatus according to
3. The recording apparatus according to
4. The recording apparatus according to
wherein the guide is provided with a plurality of the convex portions,
the pressing member is provided with a convex portion, and
the convex portion of the pressing member is provided at a position opposed to a location between the convex portions of the guide.
5. The recording apparatus according to
6. The recording apparatus according to
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Priority is claimed under 25 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Application No. 2009-075119 filed on Mar. 25, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a transport method.
2. Related Art
There is known a technique of disposing images on a rear side of a lenticular lens for obtaining a stereoscopic image or an image that changes its picture depending on a viewing angle. When such an image is to be obtained, the image is stuck to the rear side of the lenticular lens. However, directly recording the image on the rear side of the lenticular lens has been also performed.
The image (lenticular image) on the rear side of the lenticular lens needs to be fitted to a lens arrangement of the lenticular lens with good precision. Accordingly, even in the case where the image is recorded to the rear side of the lenticular lens, position adjustment between the lenticular lens and the image with good precision is needed.
In Japanese Patent No. 3,471,930, there is disclosed a technique of detecting a position of a lenticular lens using a sensor and performing recording at a predetermined position on the basis of the detection result. In JP-A-2007-130769, there is disclosed a technique of implementing a countermeasure against a position deviation on a tray of a recording medium placed on the transport tray for enhancing precision of a recording position.
In Japanese Patent No. 3,471,930, a sensor for detecting the position of the lenticular lens is needed, so that costs for the apparatus increase. In JP-A-2007-130769, even the position deviation of the recording medium with respect to the transport tray is suppressed, when the transport tray is transported while being inclined with respect to a transport direction, the precision of the image recording position on the recording medium is degraded.
An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it enhances precision of a recording position with a simple configuration.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording apparatus including: a guide that includes a convex portion formed along a transport direction and guides a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and a pressing member that presses the recording medium against the guide.
Other features of the invention will be clarified by the specification and the accompanying drawings.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.
At least, the following features are clarified by the specification and the accompanying drawings.
A recording apparatus includes: a guide that includes a convex portion formed along a transport direction and guides a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and a pressing member that presses the recording medium against the guide. In the recording apparatus, it is possible to enhance precision in a recording position with a simple configuration.
The pressing member may exert the pressing force on the recording medium which is being transported in the transport direction. Accordingly, even though the recording medium is inclined with respect to the guide, it is possible to prevent a skew.
The pressing member may be provided at a position opposed to the convex portion of the guide. Accordingly, even though the recording medium is inclined with respect to the guide, it is possible to prevent a skew.
The guide may be provided with a plurality of the convex portions, the pressing member may be provided with a convex portion, and the convex portion of the pressing member may be provided at a position opposed to a location between the convex portions of the guide. Accordingly, it is possible to easily correct a skew.
When a recording medium without a lenticular lens is recorded, the pressing member may not press the recording medium to the guide. Accordingly, a mark from the convex portion does not remain on the recording medium.
The pressing member may be provided so that recording medium is rotatable on the guide. Accordingly, it is possible to easily correct a skew.
A transport method includes: preparing a guide having a convex portion formed along a transport direction; guiding a recording medium in the transport direction by allowing the convex portion to come in contact with a lenticular lens of the recording medium having the lenticular lens; and pressing the recording medium against the guide. In the transport method, it is possible to enhance precision in a recording position with a simple configuration.
Lens Sheet
First, a lens sheet which is a recording medium having a lenticular lens will be described.
The lens sheet L includes a lenticular lens 7 and an image formation layer 8.
The lenticular lens 7 is an optical member (cylindrical lens array) made of resin, which is formed by arranging a number of cylindrical lenses 13 in a sheet surface direction. In the following description, a generatrix direction of the cylindrical lens 13 is referred to as the “x direction”, and a direction in which the cylindrical lens 13 extends is referred to as the “y direction” (x and y are lowercase letters). In addition, a portion of each cylindrical lens 13 which protrudes most may be called a “peak”, a convex portion between the cylindrical lenses may be called a “valley”, a line connecting the peaks may be called a “ridge”, and the direction parallel to the ridge may be called the “generatrix direction”.
The image formation layer 8 includes an ink transmission layer 8A and an ink absorption layer 8B. The ink transmission layer 8A is positioned on an outside of the lens sheet L, and the ink absorption ink 8B is interposed between the ink transmission layer 8A and the lenticular lens 7. When an image is recorded from a side of the image formation layer 8 of the lens sheet L in an ink jet recording method, ink transmits the ink transmission layer 8A and is absorbed by the ink absorption layer 8B, so that the image is recognizable through the lenticular lens 7.
The image formation layer 8 of the lens sheet L may not be included. For example, when an ultraviolet curable ink is used, an image can be directly recorded on the rear side of the lenticular lens 7 without the ink transmission layer 8A or the ink absorption layer 8B.
A recording apparatus according to this embodiment described later transports the lens sheet L along the generatrix direction (x direction) of the lenticular lens 7 using a shape of the lenticular lens 7. Specifically, convex portions are provided on a guide (described later) along a transport direction, and the lens sheet L is transported to slide as the convex portions are engaged with the valleys between the cylindrical lenses, so that the transport direction of the recording apparatus and the generatrix direction (x direction) of the lens are aligned with each other.
Accordingly, with regard to a recording position (a position at which a head ejects ink to form an image) of the recording apparatus, the position of each cylindrical lens 13 of the lenticular lens 7 is determined to a predetermined position. As a result, it is possible to record an image with good precision in a lens array of the lenticular lens 7.
In
Even in the case as illustrated in
Embodiment
Overview of Recording Apparatus
A computer 110 which is an external apparatus generates an image to be recorded by the recording apparatus 100 and transmits data for recording to the recording apparatus 100. In a case where recording is performed on the lens sheet L, the computer 110 generates an image for recording by processing and synthesizing a plurality of images designated by a user according to a lens pitch or the like and transmits data for recording to perform recording on the image to the recording apparatus 100. Otherwise, the recording apparatus 100 may have a function of generating the data for recording.
The recording apparatus 100 performs recording on a medium on the basis of the data for recording which is received from the computer 110. In the case where recording is performed on the lens sheet L, the image is recorded on a rear side of the lens sheet L on the basis of the data for recording which is generated according to the lens pitch.
The recording apparatus 100 includes a housing 2, a guide 3, a transport roller 4, a discharge roller 5, a head 6, and the like. The housing 2 is an outercasing member of the recording apparatus 100. The guide 3 supports the lens sheet L and guide the lens sheet L in the transport direction. The transport roller 4 and the discharge roller 5 transport the lens sheet L placed on the guide 3 in the transport direction. The head 6 performs records on the lens sheet L.
The housing 2 is provided with a feed opening portion 9 and a discharge opening portion 10. The lens sheet L supplied from the feed opening portion 9 is transported by the transport roller 4 and the discharge roller 5 in the transport direction, is subjected to the recording by the head 6, and is discharged from the recording apparatus 100 through the discharge opening portion 10.
The guide 3 is placed under the transport roller 4 and the discharge roller 5, and the overall shape thereof shows a rectangular plate shape. The guide 3 has a length extending from a position protruding from the feed opening portion 9 to a position between the discharge opening portion 10 and the discharge roller 5 with respect to the transport direction. In addition, the guide 3 has a width for supporting the entire width of the lens sheet L with respect to the Y direction (or the width direction of the lens sheet L).
The transport roller 4 and the discharge roller 5 are disposed in the front and in the rear of the head 6, respectively. The transport roller 4 is a roller for transporting the lens sheet L supplied from the feed opening portion 9 to a recording position (a position at which the head 6 performs recording). The discharge roller 5 is a roller for discharging the lens sheet L subjected to the recording at the recording position to the discharge opening portion 10. The transport roller 4 is rotated by a transport motor 16, and the discharge roller 5 is rotated by a discharge motor 17.
The head 6 is a recording head in an ink jet type for ejecting ink and mounted to a lower surface of a carriage 18. The carriage 18 is supported to move in the Y direction by a carriage guide 19 provided along the Y direction and is fixed to a timing belt 21 driven by a carriage motor 20. Accordingly, when the timing belt 21 is rotated by the carriage motor 20, the head 6 is reciprocated in the Y direction along with the carriage 18.
A controller controls transportation of the lens sheet L in the transport direction by controlling the transport motor 16 and the discharge motor 17. In addition, the controller controls movement of the head 6 by controlling the carriage motor 20. In addition, the controller controls ejection of ink from the head 6. Accordingly, the controller can record an image on the lens sheet L at a desired position. In addition, when recording is to be performed on the lens sheet L, the lens sheet L is placed on the guide 3 so that a side of the image formation layer 8 is opposed to the head 6 and a side of the lenticular lens 7 comes in contact with the guide 3. Accordingly, the head 6 performs recording on the image formation layer 8 such that the image recorded on the image formation layer 8 is recognizable from the side of the lenticular lens 7, thereby manufacturing a recorded product.
Configuration of Guide
The guide 3 includes a plate-shaped substrate 11 and an engagement portion 12. The engagement portion 12 has the same shape as the lenticular lens 7 and is provided on the substrate 11. That is, convex portions 14 striated in the same pattern as that of the cylindrical lenses 13 extend at the same pitch as the lens pitch. For this reason, the engagement portion 12 may be formed by turning the lenticular lens 7 over. Since the shape of the engagement portion 12 is the same as the lenticular lens 7, here, a portion of the convex portion 14 of the engagement portion 12 which protrudes most may be called a “peak”, a concave portion between the convex portions 14 may be called a “valley”, a line connecting the peaks may be called a “ridge”, and a direction parallel to the ridge may be called a “generatrix direction”.
The guide 3 is mounted in the recording apparatus 100 so that a position thereof is adjusted to align the generatrix direction of the striated convex portion 14 with the transport direction (X direction) of the recording apparatus 100. In addition, the striated convex portions 14 are arranged side by side across the width greater than the width of the lens sheet L.
Since the engagement portion 12 has the same shape as the lenticular lens 7, when the lens sheet L is placed on the guide 3 so that the side of the lenticular lens 7 faces down, the cylindrical lenses 13 of the lenticular lens 7 are engaged with the convex portions 14 of the guide 3. Therefore, the convex portion 14 of the guide 3 is positioned between the peaks of the cylindrical lenses 13, and the peak of the cylindrical lenses 13 is positioned between the convex portions 14 of the guide 3. As a result, the movement of the lens sheet L in the Y direction is limited with respect to the guide 3, so that the position thereof is determined in the Y direction. On the other hand, there is no limitation to the movement of the convex portion 14 in the generatrix direction (a direction perpendicular to the plane of
Skew Prevention by Pressing Force
There may be a case where the lens sheet L is placed on the guide 3 obliquely. That is, there may be a case where the lens sheet L is placed on the guide 3 in a state where the transport direction (X direction) of the recording apparatus 100 and the generatrix direction (x direction) of the lens of the lens sheet L are not aligned with each other. In this state, the position of the lens sheet L is not determined in the Y direction. However, even in this case, the lens sheet L is transported while pressing the guide 3, so that it is possible prevent the lens sheet L from skewing while being transported.
Two lens sheets are prepared, and at first, lens faces thereof are overlapped to face each other in a state (in a state where peaks of lenses are not engaged with each other) where generatrix directions of the two lens sheets are disposed to intersect with each other. Then, in this state, when the two lens sheets are slipped (rubbed together), the generatrix directions of the two lens sheets are aligned with each other, and thus the peaks of the lenses are engaged with each other. By using this phenomenon, skew prevention is performed as the recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment transports the lens sheet L while pressing it on the guide 3 is achieved.
When the lens sheet L is disposed obliquely with respect to the guide 3 as illustrated in
When the lens sheet L is transported in the transport direction in this state, a position where the pressing force is exerted deviates from the position of the VC-VC cross-section. As a result, even at the position deviating from the VC-VC cross-section, as illustrated in
When skewing is corrected and the peak of the lens sheet L and the peak of the guide 3 are engaged with each other once, the rotational movement of the lens sheet L is already restricted, and a force exerted in a rotation direction relative to the lens sheet L does not occur. In addition, when a pressing force is exerted on the lens sheet L in the state where the peak of the lens sheet L and the peak of the guide 3 are engaged with each other, the gap between the lens sheet L and the guide 3 does not become empty, and the movement of the lens sheet L with respect to the guide 3 is limited only to the X direction, thereby continuously preventing skewing.
In this embodiment, the transport roller 4 transports the lens sheet L while pressing it on the guide 3 with a spring element (a spring element 4A of
Modified Examples of Guide
About Displacement
However, the arrangement of the guide 3 is not limited to this configuration. Hereinafter, modified examples of the arrangement of the guide 3 will be described.
In addition, in
In addition, in the configuration of
About Shape of Engagement Portion (1)
Here, the engagement portion 12 of the guide 3 is not limited to the shape. Hereinafter, modified examples of the shape of the engagement portion 12 of the guide 3 will be described. In addition, any engagement portion 12 described later has the convex portion 14 along the transport direction as illustrated in
About Shape of Engagement Portion (2)
In addition, as described above with reference to
About Shape of Engagement Portion (3)
Therefore, as illustrated in
In addition, as described above with reference to
About Shape of Engagement Portion (4)
The above-mentioned convex portions 14 have shapes striated along the X direction (transport direction). However, the shape of the convex portion 14 is not limited to the striation.
In addition, the shape of the protrusion 34 in this modified example is hemispherical, however, may be conical or pyramidal. In addition, the interval between the protrusions in the Y direction may not necessarily be the same as the lens pitch p of the lenticular lens 7 and may be an integer multiple of the lens pitch. In addition, the protrusions 34 may not be aligned in the Y direction.
About The Number of Convex Portions
In the above-mentioned guide 3, a number of the convex portions 14 are sequentially provided in the Y direction at the same pitch as the lens pitch of the lenticular lens 7. However, the guide 3 may not have the shape.
In addition, in
Formation Position of Convex Portion (1)
In addition, in a configuration in which the recording apparatus 100 transports the lens sheet L so that a position of a right end of the lens sheet L with any size is the same, the convex portion 14 is formed at the position as illustrated in
Formation Position of Convex Portion (2)
The recording apparatus 100 may perform recording on a paper in addition to the lens sheet L. When the recording apparatus 100 applies a pressing force to the paper on the guide 3, there is a concern that a mark from the convex portion 14 may remain on the paper. Particularly, in a case where the convex portion 14 is formed only on a part of the guide 3 (for example, in the case of the guide 3 illustrated in
Therefore, the position in the Y direction of the lens sheet L during the recording on the lens sheet L and the position in the Y direction of the paper during the recording on the paper may be changed.
As illustrated in the figure, when the position in the Y direction of the lens sheet L during the recording on the lens sheet L and the position in the Y direction of the paper during the recording on the paper S are changed, the mark from the convex portion 14 does not remain on the paper S. In other words, the convex portion 14 of the guide 3 is provided at a position at which the lens sheet L passes through and the paper S does not pass through.
In addition, in order to change the position in the Y direction of the lens sheet L or the paper S during the transportation, a transport position switching mechanism may be provided in a transport mechanism. Otherwise, a feed tray may be configured to switch between accommodation positions in the Y direction of media (the lens sheet L or the paper S) in the feed tray when the lens sheet L or the paper S is accommodated in the feed tray (for example, see
Modified Examples of Pressing Roller
About Configuration
In the embodiment described above, the transport roller 4 or the roller 24 other than the transport roller 4 is configured as the pressing roller for pressing the lens sheet L against the guide 3 (in the following description, both the transport roller 4 and the pressing roller 24 may be called a “pressing roller”). Here, a pressing element for pressing the lens sheet L against the guide 3 may not be rotatable like a roller. For example, the pressing element may be made of a low-friction member so that the pressing element does not rotate and the lens sheet L slides between the pressing element and the guide 3. In addition, the pressing element may not have a shape like the roller.
About Arrangement
In the recording apparatus 100 of
Since the pressing roller presses the lens sheet L against the guide 3 in order to prevent skewing of the lens sheet L, the pressing roller may be opposed to at least the position where the convex portion 14 of the guide 3 is formed.
About Surface Shape
Concaves and Convexes may be formed on a surface of the above-mentioned pressing roller.
In addition, in the case where the pressing roller is provided with the convex portion 44, an elastic member such as roller may be used so that the convex portion 44 of the pressing roller is deformable.
About Pressing Force of Pressing Roller
The recording apparatus 100 may perform recording on a paper as well as on the lens sheet L. In the recording apparatus 100, when a pressing force is exerted to the paper on the guide 3, there is a concern that a mark from the convex portion 14 may remain on the paper.
Therefore, when recording is performed on the lens sheet L, the pressing force of the pressing roller may be strengthened, and when recording is performed on the paper, the pressing force of the pressing roller may be weakened. In this case, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the shaft of the pressing roller is provided, and a controller may control the adjustment mechanism depending on the type of the medium to be recorded.
In addition, rather than to adjust the strength of the pressing force, in the case of recording on the lens sheet L, the pressing roller may be used, and in the case of recording on the paper, the pressing roller may not be used. In this case, a transferring mechanism for controlling the transfer (use/nonuse) of the pressing roller is provided, so that the controller may control the transferring mechanism of the pressing roller depending on the type of the recording medium.
About Permission of Rotation of Lens Sheet by Pressing Roller
As described above with reference to
In addition, the configuration of the pressing roller for facilitating the rotation of the lens sheet L is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration as long as the surface of the lens sheet L is made of a low-friction member.
Position Adjustment of Guide
The guide 3 may need to be mounted in the recording apparatus 100 by adjusting the direction of the convex portion 14 to be in the transport direction. Here, an adjust method used for mounting the guide 3 will be described.
An image CM for inspection is an image having a plurality of lines Ln. The central line LA of the plurality of lines Ln is a line along the transport direction on the image data. The lines Ln on the left and on the right of the line LA of the image CM for inspection are lines formed by sequentially accumulating inclinations thereof by a predetermined angle. For example, the lines Ln on the right side of the line LA are set to sequentially increase the inclination angles at every 0.01 degrees clockwise toward the transport direction on the image data. In addition, the lines Ln on the left side of the line LA are set to sequentially increase the inclination angles at every 0.01 degrees counterclockwise toward the transport direction on the image data.
After the guide 3 is mounted in the recording apparatus 100, in order to inspect whether or not the generatrix direction of the convex portion 14 of the guide 3 is aligned with the transport direction, the recording apparatus 100 records the image CM for inspection on the lens sheet L. If the recording apparatus 100 is assembled in an ideal state, the line LA is recorded on the lens sheet L while being aligned with the transport direction. That is, if the recording apparatus 100 is assembled in the ideal state, the line LA will be recorded along the generatrix direction of the lens sheet L. After the recording apparatus 100 records the image for inspection on the lens sheet L, an inspector inspects the image for inspection from the side of the lenticular lens 7.
Therefore, the inspector specifies a line that can be recognized as a single line and adjusts a mounting angle of the guide 3 by the angle corresponding to the line. For example, in this case, with regard to the mounting angle of the current guide 3, the mounting angle of the guide 3 is adjusted to be inclined at 0.03 degrees. Accordingly, the guide 3 is mounted in the recording apparatus 100 so that the convex portion 14 of the guide 3 is aligned with the transport direction.
In addition, in the description above, the inspector recognizes the image for inspection which is recorded on the lens sheet L, however, the description is not limited thereto. For example, a scanner may read the image for inspection which is recorded on the lens sheet L and determine the mounting angle of the guide 3 on the basis of the reading result.
Modified Example of Feeding
In the embodiment described above, the lens sheet L is supplied from the rear side of the recording apparatus 100. However, the configuration is not limited thereto.
In any case, since the lens sheet L is transported while being pressed on the guide 3 before the head 6 performs recording on the lens sheet L, the lens sheet L can be transported in the transport direction with good precision.
Other Embodiments
While the recording apparatus using the head has been described above according to the embodiment, the embodiment is provided for easy understanding of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and Improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and needless to say that equivalent matters are included in the invention.
About Pressing Member
In the embodiment described above, the transport roller 4 or the pressing roller 24 other than the transport roller 4 is used as the pressing member for pressing the lens sheet L against the guide 3. However, when the lens sheet L is supplied to the recording apparatus while the lens sheet L is pressed against the guide 3 by, for example, a finger, skewing of the lens sheet L can be prevented and corrected even through the pressing roller is not provided.
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