IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20200130389A1
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Koichiro
• Application Number:
  US16/170,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20200130389A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 19/02 with embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0036 Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/38 for embossing, e.g. for making matrices for stereotypes
• CPC Class Codes: B41K 3/36 with means for deforming or punching the copy matter
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/24 combined with embossing printing machines for carrying out printing operations combined with embossing B41F19/02
• CPC Class Codes: B44B 5/0076 having a series of embossing tools each of which can be brought into working position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a printing section and an unleveling section. The printing section forms an image on a sheet-like medium based on image data indicating a color component corresponding to a coordinate indicating a position on the medium. The unleveling section has a protrusion capable of abutting against the medium, and forms at least either a convex portion or a concave portion on the medium by enabling the protrusion to abut against or move away from the medium on which the printing section forms an image, the convex or concave portion formed based on height data indicating a height of each coordinate indicating the position on the medium.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a printing section configured to form an image on a medium based on image data indicating a color component corresponding to a coordinate indicating a position on the medium; and

an unleveling section, which has a protrusion capable of abutting against the medium, configured to format least either a convex portion or a concave portion on the medium by enabling the protrusion to abut against or move away from the medium on which the printing section forms an image, the convex or concave portion formed based on height data indicating a height of each coordinate indicating the position on the medium.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the unleveling section includes a plurality of types of protrusions with different strokes, the unleveling section configured to form at least either concave portions or convex portions having different heights on the medium with the protrusions having respective different strokes based on height indicated by the height data.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the unleveling section includes a plurality of types of protrusions having different lengths, and the unleveling section configured to form at least either concave portions or convex portions having different heights on the medium with the protrusions having respective different lengths based on height indicated by the height data.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the unleveling section includes an elastic plate at a position facing the protrusion across a conveyance path of the medium.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the unleveling section includes an actuator configured to drive the protrusion into the medium and elastic plate.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator configured to acquire an image, to generate the image data based on the image, and to generate the height data based on the image.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the generator is configured to generate the height data based on a density of a specific color of regions of the image.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the generator is configured to generate the height data based on a luminance, brightness or saturation of regions of the image.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the generator is configured to generate the height data to be higher when a luminance, brightness or saturation of regions of the image is higher.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator configured to generate the image data based on 3D data and generate the height data based on the 3D data.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the unleveling section is configured to form concave portions and convex portions on the medium by enabling the protrusion to abut against or move away from both surfaces of the medium.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acquisition section configured to acquire an image;

a first generator configured to generate the image data based on the image;

a display configured to display the image;

a designation section configured to designate a coordinate on the image displayed on the display; and

a second generator configured to generate the height data based on the coordinate designated by the designation section.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, where the display includes a pen tablet and the designation section includes a touch pen.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reader configured to read an image and unevenness from an object; and

a generator configured to generate the height data based on the unevenness and to generate the image data based on the image read.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a printing device comprising the printing section; and

a processing apparatus comprising the unleveling section and connected to the printing device, wherein

the printing device is configured to input height data to the processing apparatus and to convey the medium printed by the printing section into the processing apparatus.

16. A method of forming an image, comprising:

forming an image on a sheet-like medium based on image data indicating a color component corresponding to a coordinate indicating a position on the medium; and

forming, via a protrusion, at least either a convex portion or a concave portion on the medium by enabling the protrusion to abut against or move away from the medium, the convex or concave portion formed based on height data indicating a height of each coordinate indicating the position on the medium.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising forming at least either concave portions or convex portions having different heights on the medium with protrusions having respective different strokes based on height indicated by the height data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising

forming at least either concave portions or convex portions having different heights on the medium with protrusions having respective different lengths based on height indicated by the height data.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

acquiring an image and generating the image data based on the acquired image to generate the height data based on the image.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating the image data based on 3D data and generating the height data based on the 3D data.