Nail print apparatus including perfume application device and print control method

Abstract

A nail print apparatus includes a first finger insertion section in which a finger is inserted; a print head which prints a nail design on a nail of the finger inserted in the first finger insertion section; and a perfume application device which applies perfume to at least one of the finger and the nail inserted in the first finger insertion section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nail print apparatus comprising:
 a first finger insertion section in which a finger is inserted;   a print head which prints a nail design on a nail of the finger inserted in the first finger insertion section; and   a perfume application device which applies perfume to at least one of the finger and the nail inserted in the first finger insertion section.   
     
     
         2 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a design-perfume selection section which performs at least one of selecting a perfume among a plurality of perfumes when a nail design is selected among a plurality of nail designs, the perfume being associated with the selected nail design; and selecting a nail design among the nail designs when a perfume is selected among the perfumes, the nail design being associated with the selected perfume. 
     
     
         3 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a storage section which stores the nail designs such that each of the nail designs is associated with at least one of the perfumes, or stores the perfumes such that each of the perfumes is associated with at least one of the nail designs; and   a selection section which selects at least one of a category of nail design and a category of perfume stored in the storage section.   
     
     
         4 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein associating the nail design with the perfume means associating the nail design with at least one of a type of perfume and a name of perfume which belongs to the type of perfume. 
     
     
         5 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the perfume application device includes a perfume holder holding the perfume which is one of liquid and gel. 
     
     
         6 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the perfume application device includes a perfume absorber which absorbs the perfume held in the perfume holder and holds the absorbed perfume; and   wherein the nail print apparatus further comprises an up-and-down mechanism which raises and lowers one of the inserted finger and the perfume holder between a contact position and a separate position, the contact position being a position where the inserted finger and the perfume absorber are in contact with each other, and the separate position being a position where the inserted finger and the perfume absorber are not in contact with each other.   
     
     
         7 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein a print section including the print head is attached to a guide rod in such a way as to move along the guide rod in a direction perpendicular to an insertion direction of the finger; and   wherein a perfume unit including the perfume application device is attached to the guide rod in such a way as to move along the guide rod in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the finger.   
     
     
         8 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the perfume absorber includes one of a sponge and a felt; and   wherein the perfume absorber comes into contact with an upper surface of the finger when the perfume absorber changes in shape.   
     
     
         9 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the perfume application device includes a perfume holder holding the perfume, and includes a perfume spraying mechanism which sprays the perfume held in the perfume holder onto at least one of the finger and the nail inserted in the first finger insertion section. 
     
     
         10 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the perfume application device includes a perfume holder holding liquid containing microcapsules which contain perfume; and   wherein the perfume application device includes a perfume print head which ejects the liquid held in the perfume holder onto at least one of the finger and the nail inserted in the first finger insertion section.   
     
     
         11 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a heating unit to dry the nail on which printing has been performed by the print head. 
     
     
         12 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the heating unit includes a heater and a fan to send air, which is heated by the heater, into the first finger insertion section. 
     
     
         13 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a display section and a speaker to notify a result of selection made by the design-perfume selection section. 
     
     
         14 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the perfume application device includes a plurality of perfume holders holding different kinds of perfumes; and   wherein the perfume held in one of the perfume holders is selected to be applied.   
     
     
         15 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cover provided at a finger insertion opening of the first finger insertion section, the cover having a hole through which the finger is inserted,
 wherein a plurality of slits are provided along an edge of the hole.   
     
     
         16 . The nail print apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second finger insertion section in which a finger except the finger with the nail to be printed is inserted,
 wherein the first finger insertion section is disposed on one side of a partition on which the finger inserted in the first finger insertion section is placed; and   wherein the second finger insertion section is disposed on the other side of the partition.   
     
     
         17 . A print control method for a nail print apparatus, the method comprising:
 printing a nail design on a nail of a finger inserted in a first finger insertion section using a print head; and   applying perfume to at least one of the finger and the nail inserted in the first finger insertion section using a perfume application device.   
     
     
         18 . The print control method according to  claim 17 , wherein a design-perfume selection section performs at least one of selecting a perfume among a plurality of perfumes when a nail design is selected among a plurality of nail designs, the perfume being associated with the selected nail design; and selecting a nail design among the nail designs when a perfume is selected among the perfumes, the nail design being associated with the selected perfume.