Processing device with sheet material cutter

Abstract

The processing apparatus (10) includes: a support table (12) for supporting a sheet-like medium (5); a sheet cutter (100A) for cutting the medium supported on the support table; a cutter holding device (100B) for moving the sheet cutter in an approach or distance direction (Z) relative to the support table; and a cutter moving device (40) for moving the cutter holding device in a cutting direction (Y) orthogonal to the transport direction (X) of the medium. The cutter holding device includes: a bracket (120) configured to move in the approach or distance direction (Z) to hold the sheet cutter; an actuator (140) having a telescopic rod (141); a connecting rod member (150) connected to the rod and the bracket; and a rotating shaft (171b) for supporting the connecting rod member so that it can rotate, allowing the bracket to move in the approach or distance direction (Z) according to the telescopic movement of the rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a processing apparatus with a sheet cutter. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, devices with sheet cutters were known to cut sheet-shaped media after processing such as printing. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that includes a sheet transport unit for transporting rolled media such as roll paper, a recording head for forming an image on the media, and a sheet cutter for cutting the image-formed media into a predetermined length.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer sheet cutter comprising a pair of circular blades that rotate and travel in the width direction of the medium, configured to cut the medium by rotating the pair of blades. The pair of circular blades are arranged opposite each other with the medium in between.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-2479 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In the sheet cutter described in Patent Document 1, which rotates a circular cutter, for example, in the case of intermittent sheet cutting (so-called perforated wire cutting), it is necessary to change the circular cutter to a cutter with an intermittent edge along the circumference. As mentioned above, the sheet cutter with the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not configured to flexibly handle various types of cutting.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a processing apparatus with a sheet cutter that can flexibly handle various types of cutting.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] The processing apparatus disclosed herein, comprising: a support table for supporting a sheet-shaped medium; a medium conveying device for conveying the medium supported on the support table in a predetermined conveying direction; a processing head for processing the medium supported on the support table; a sheet cutter having a cutting edge at its tip for cutting the medium; a cutter holding device for holding the sheet cutter and moving it in a predetermined approach or departure direction to bring the cutting edge of the sheet cutter into contact with or away from the medium supported on the support table; and a cutter moving device for moving the cutter holding device in a cutting direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. The cutter holding device comprises: a bracket configured to move in the approach or departure direction to hold the sheet cutter; an actuator having a telescopic rod; a connecting rod member having a first connecting portion connected to the rod and a second connecting portion connected to the bracket; and a rotating shaft for supporting the connecting rod member so that it is rotatable, allowing the bracket to move in the approach or departure direction according to the telescopic movement of the rod.

[0012] According to the aforementioned processing apparatus with a sheet cutter, the sheet cutter can be freely contacted and moved away from the medium using a cutter holding device equipped with an actuator and a connecting rod member. Furthermore, the sheet cutter can be moved in the cutting direction using a cutter moving device. Therefore, by combining the movement of the cutter holding device and the movement of the cutter moving device, various types of cutting can be flexibly addressed. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a printer with a cutting head according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic partial cross-sectional right view of the main part of a printer with a cutting head.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a front view of the print head and cutter head in the connected state of the first and second carriages.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a front view of the print head and cutter head with the first and second carriages separated.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a 3D view of the sheet cutter unit.

[0018] Figure 6 This is the left view of the sheet cutter unit.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the sheet cutter unit without the cover installed, viewed from an obliquely upward angle.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional view of the cover when viewed from a right-angled side.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the sheet cutter unit with the cover installed, viewed from an obliquely upward angle.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a left view of the sheet cutter unit after the support has been raised.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a graph showing the driving force characteristics of the actuator.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a block diagram of a printer with a cutting head.

[0025] Figure 13 It is a schematic top view of the medium after the wire cutting is completed.

[0026] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the movement of the sheet cutter during wire cutting.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a left view of a sheet cutter unit in the state where the sheet cutter is in contact with the medium.

[0028] Figure 16 It is a schematic top view showing the medium after the perforation lines around the image have been cut.

[0029] Figure 17 This is a schematic top view of the medium after the completion of the perforated wire cutting involved in the first variation.

[0030] Figure 18 This is a block diagram of a printer with a cutting head involved in the second variation.

[0031] Figure 19 This is a block diagram of a printer with a cutting head involved in the third variation.

[0032] Figure 20 This is a schematic top view of the medium after it has been perforated and wire-cut by a printer with a cutting head, as described in the third variation. Detailed Implementation

[0033] [Structure of an inkjet printer with a cutting head]

[0034] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an inkjet printer 10 with a cutting head (hereinafter referred to as printer 10) according to this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a schematic partial sectional right view of the main part of printer 10. (Example) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the printer 10 of this embodiment is an apparatus for printing and cutting sheet-shaped media 5. The media 5 may be, for example, a sticker consisting of a backing paper and a release liner coated with adhesive, or recording paper, resin sheet, etc. The media 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is a medium capable of at least one of printing and cutting.

[0035] In this specification, "cutting" includes cutting the entire thickness of the medium 5 (e.g., cutting both the backing paper and the release liner of the sticker) and cutting a portion of the thickness of the medium 5 (e.g., cutting only the release liner without cutting the backing paper). Furthermore, in this specification, "cutting" includes cutting the medium 5 continuously (hereinafter also referred to as continuous cutting) and cutting the medium 5 intermittently (hereinafter also referred to as perforation line cutting).

[0036] Printer 10 includes a main body 11 and a supply roller 20 for supplying sheet-like media 5. Figure 1 The diagram in the image is omitted; please refer to the original image. Figure 2 ), a platform 12 set on the main body 11 and supporting the medium 5, a conveying device 30 for conveying the medium 5 supported on the platform 12 in a specified conveying direction, a print head 60 for printing on the medium 5, a cutting head 70 for cutting the medium 5, a head moving device 40 for moving the print head 60 and the cutting head 70, and a take-up roller 90 for taking up the medium 5 (in Figure 1 The diagram in the image is omitted; please refer to the original image. Figure 2 The sheet cutter unit 100, which cuts the medium 5 after printing and cutting, and the control device 200.

[0037] As detailed later, the print head 60 and the cutting head 70 are configured to move in the Y direction as shown in the figure. Additionally, the medium 5 is transported in the X direction as shown in the figure. Hereinafter, the Y direction will also be referred to as the main scanning direction, and the X direction as the secondary scanning direction. Here, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The main scanning direction Y is also the cutting direction in which the sheet cutter unit 100 cuts the medium 5. Here, the secondary scanning direction X is the front-back direction. The secondary scanning direction X is the transport direction in which the transport device 30 transports the medium 5. The main scanning direction Y (cutting direction) and the secondary scanning direction X (transport direction) are orthogonal. Here, "front" refers to the front of the printer 10. "Rear" refers to the rear of the printer 10. It should be noted that the main scanning direction Y corresponds to the width direction of the medium 5, and the secondary scanning direction X corresponds to the length direction of the medium 5. The reference numerals F, Rr, L, R, U, and D represent front, back, left, right, up, and down, respectively.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, the conveying device 30 includes a sanding roller 31, a pinch roller 32, and a feed motor 33 (see reference). Figure 12 A sanding roller 31 is mounted on the table 12. The sanding roller 31 is rotated by a feed motor 33. A pinch roller 32 is positioned above the sanding roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is positioned opposite the sanding roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is configured to swing freely up and down relative to the sanding roller 31, moving closer to and further away from it. When the sanding roller 31 rotates while the medium 5 is sandwiched between the pinch roller 32 and the sanding roller 31, the medium 5 is transported forward or backward. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The diagram only shows three sanding rollers 31 and two pinch rollers 32, but in reality, more sanding rollers 31 and pinch rollers 32 can be arranged in the main scanning direction Y. The feed motor 33 is electrically connected to the control device 200 and is controlled by the control device 200.

[0039] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a front view of the print head 60 and the cutting head 70. Figure 3 The state of connection between the first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 is shown. Figure 4 The first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 are shown in their separated state. The head moving device 40 is configured to move the first carriage 51, which holds the print head 60, and the second carriage 52, which holds the cutting head 70, in the main scanning direction Y. When the first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 are connected, the head moving device 40 moves both of them as a single unit. Alternatively, when the first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 are separated, the head moving device 40 moves only the second carriage 52. It should be noted that, although details will be described later, the sheet cutter unit 100 is mounted on the second carriage 52. The head moving device 40 is not only a moving device for moving the print head 60 and the cutting head 70 in the main scanning direction Y, but also a cutting device for moving the sheet cutter unit 100 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0040] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the head moving device 40 includes a guide rail 41, a belt 42, and a scanning motor 43 (see reference). Figure 12 A guide rail 41 is positioned above the table 12. The guide rail 41 extends in the main scanning direction Y. A first carriage 51 and a second carriage 52 are engaged with the guide rail 41 in a freely sliding manner. A belt 42 extending in the main scanning direction Y is fixed to the upper back of the second carriage 52. The belt 42 is connected to a scanning motor 43. When the scanning motor 43 rotates, the belt 42 travels in the main scanning direction Y. Thus, the second carriage 52 moves in the main scanning direction Y. The scanning motor 43 is electrically connected to and controlled by a control device 200.

[0041] The first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 are connected by connecting members 51a and 52a, or can be separated. Figure 3and Figure 4 As shown, the connecting members 51a and 52a have a first connecting member 51a disposed on the first carriage 51 and a second connecting member 52a disposed on the second carriage 52. The first connecting member 51a is disposed on the left side of the first carriage 51. The second connecting member 52a is disposed on the right side of the second carriage 52. In this embodiment, the connecting members 51a and 52a connect the first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 using magnetic force. One of the first connecting member 51a and the second connecting member 52a has a magnet, and the other has a magnetic body that attracts to the magnet. However, the connecting members 51a and 52a are not limited to using magnetic force, and may also have other structures such as a locking member. The first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 are connected by contact between the first connecting member 51a and the second connecting member 52a.

[0042] An L-shaped receiving accessory 51b is provided on the right side of the first carriage 51. Additionally, a locking device 80 for securing the first carriage 51 is provided near the right end of the guide rail 41. The locking device 80 includes a hook 81 for engaging the receiving accessory 51b and a mechanism for locking the hook 81 in a locked position (see reference). Figure 4 ) and unlocked position (refer to) Figure 3 Locking solenoid 82 (refer to) that moves between ) Figure 12 The locking solenoid 82 is electrically connected to the control device 200 and is controlled by the control device 200.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, during printing by printhead 60, hook 81 is set to the unlocked position. If the second carriage 52 moves to the right and the first connecting member 51a and the second connecting member 52a come into contact, the second carriage 52 and the first carriage 51 are connected. As a result, the first carriage 51 can move together with the second carriage 52 in the main scanning direction Y. With the first carriage 51 and the second carriage 52 connected, the head moving device 40 moves the printhead 60 and the cutting head 70 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0044] When cutting with cutting head 70, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first slide 51 is positioned in a standby position at the right end of its movable range, and the hook 81 of the locking device 80 is set to the locked position. This prevents movement of the first slide 51. If the second slide 52 moves to the left in this state, the first connecting member 51a and the second connecting member 52a move away from each other, and the connection between the second slide 52 and the first slide 51 is released. As a result, with the first slide 51 in the standby position, the second slide 52 can move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0045] The first carriage 51 holds the print head 60. The print head 60 prints onto the medium 5 by ejecting ink toward the medium 5 supported on the platform 12. Printing is an example of processing the medium 5, and the print head 60 is an example of a processing head for processing the medium 5. The print head 60 has multiple ink heads 61. Multiple nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink are formed on the lower surface of each of the multiple ink heads 61. The number of ink heads 61 is not particularly limited, and the type and color of the ink ejected by the ink heads 61 are not limited in any way.

[0046] The second carriage 52 holds the cutting head 70 and the sheet cutter unit 100. Cutting is an example of processing the medium 5, and the cutting head 70 is also an example of a processing head that processes the medium 5. The cutting head 70 includes a processing cutter 71 and a processing cutter holding device 72. The processing cutter 71 is a cutter that cuts the medium 5 supported on the table 12 based on cutting data included in the processing data. The processing data includes at least one of printing data and cutting data. The processing cutter holding device 72 moves the processing cutter 71 in the vertical direction Z to contact or move away from the medium 5 on the table 12. Here, the vertical direction Z is the direction in which the processing cutter 71 approaches or moves away from the table 12. The lower part of the vertical direction Z is the approach direction of the processing cutter 71 towards the medium 5. The upper part of the vertical direction Z is the moving away direction of the processing cutter 71 from the medium 5. The vertical direction Z is orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. However, the direction of the processing cutter 71 to approach or move away can be any direction that intersects the main scanning direction Y and the secondary scanning direction X, and it does not have to be the up-down direction Z.

[0047] The processing cutter holding device 72 includes a solenoid 72a that moves the processing cutter 71 in the vertical direction Z. When the solenoid 72a is energized / de-energized (ON / OFF), the processing cutter 71 moves in the vertical direction Z to contact or move away from the medium 5. By contacting the medium 5, the processing cutter 71 can cut the medium 5. The solenoid 72a is electrically connected to and controlled by the control device 200.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the printer 10 includes a supply roller 20 wound with a medium 5 to be printed. The supply roller 20 is positioned at the rearward and slightly below the table 12. During printing or cutting, the medium 5 wound on the supply roller 20 moves along the table 12 in the sub-scanning direction X. The take-up roller 90 is configured to take the printed and cut medium 5 in a roll. Figure 2 As shown, the take-up roller 90 is positioned at the front oblique lower part of the table 12.

[0049] The sheet cutter unit 100 performs perforated wire cutting or continuous cutting on the printed and cut medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the sheet cutter unit 100 is mounted on the second carriage 52 and moves in the main scanning direction Y via the head moving device 40, which serves as a cutter moving device. In the second carriage 52, the sheet cutter unit 100 is positioned upstream of the cutting head 70 in the secondary scanning direction X (here, rearward Rr).

[0050] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the sheet cutter unit 100 when viewed from the left at an angle. Figure 6 This is a left view of the sheet cutter unit 100. Furthermore, Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the sheet cutter unit 100 viewed from an obliquely upward angle. Figures 5-7 This shows the cover 172 with the housing 170 removed (described later, see reference). Figure 8 A diagram showing the state of ). For example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the sheet cutter unit 100 includes a sheet cutter 100A that cuts the medium 5 supported on the table 12, and a sheet cutter holding device 100B that holds the sheet cutter 100A. The sheet cutter holding device 100B is configured to hold the sheet cutter 100A and move the sheet cutter 100A in an approach or departure direction relative to the table 12. Here, the approach or departure direction of the sheet cutter 100A is the vertical direction Z. The lower direction in the vertical direction Z is the approach direction in which the sheet cutter 100A approaches the medium 5. The upper direction in the vertical direction Z is the departure direction in which the sheet cutter 100A moves away from the medium 5. However, the approach or departure direction of the sheet cutter 100A can be any direction that intersects the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X, and may not be the vertical direction Z. In addition, in this embodiment, the approach or departure direction of the sheet cutter 100A is the same as the approach or departure direction of the processing cutter 71, but the two may not be the same. It should be noted that, Figures 5-7 This is a diagram showing the sheet cutter unit 100 in its lowest position, with the sheet cutter 100A lowered to the lowest position.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the sheet cutter 100A is a plate-shaped cutter extending in the vertical direction Z. The sheet cutter 100A has a blade 101 at its top end, which is used to cut the medium 5. The sheet cutter 100A itself is fixed to the sheet cutter holding device 100B in a manner that prevents it from rotating or moving. The sheet cutter 100A is located upstream (in this case, rearward Rr) of the print head 60 and the cutting head 70 in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0052] The sheet cutter holding device 100B holds the sheet cutter 100A and moves it in an approaching or moving direction (vertical direction Z), thereby bringing the blade 101 of the sheet cutter 100A into contact with or away from the medium 5 supported on the table 12. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the sheet cutter holding device 100B includes a frame member 110, a bracket 120 for holding the sheet cutter 100A, a sliding guide 130 for supporting the bracket 120 in a vertical Z-direction, an actuator 140 for generating a driving force that causes the bracket 120 to slide, a connecting rod member 150 for transmitting the driving force of the actuator 140 to the bracket 120, a spring 160 for pulling up the bracket 120, and a housing 170 mounted on the frame member 110. Figures 5-7 The diagram shows the side plate 171 of the housing 170 installed on the frame member 110.

[0053] Frame member 110 is fixed to the second carriage 52 and supports the sliding guide 130 and the side plate 171 of the housing 170. Details will be described later. Frame member 110 directly or indirectly supports all other components of the sheet cutter holder 100B. (See below for details.) Figure 5 As shown, the frame member 110 is formed as a flat plate extending in the vertical direction Z and the main scanning direction Y. A sliding guide 130 is provided on the lower part of the front surface of the frame member 110. Here, the sliding guide 130 is a pair of guide rails extending in the vertical direction Z. The frame member 110 includes a spring locking portion 111 for locking with a spring 160 and a housing mounting portion 112 for mounting a side plate 171 of the housing 170. The spring locking portion 111 is provided above the sliding guide 130. The housing mounting portion 112 is provided in the right edge of the frame member 110, above the sliding guide 130. The side plate 171 of the housing 170 is mounted to the housing mounting portion 112 in a position further forward than the frame member 110.

[0054] The bracket 120 is a component that holds the sheet cutter 100A and is configured to move along the sliding guide 130 in the vertical direction Z. The bracket 120 engages with the sliding guide 130 in a manner that allows it to slide freely in the vertical direction. Figure 5As shown, the bracket 120 includes a cutter bracket 121, a slider 122, a spring retaining part 123, and a connecting rod connecting part 124. The slider 122 is engaged with the sliding guide 130 in a manner that allows it to slide freely in the vertical direction Z. The cutter bracket 121 is configured to hold the sheet cutter 100A and to be detached from the slider 122. The cutter bracket 121 is configured to be detached from the lower end of the slider 122 and is positioned below the slider 122. The cutter bracket 121 forms the lower end of the bracket 120. The user can easily replace the sheet cutter 100A by removing the cutter bracket 121 from the slider 122. The cutter bracket 121 includes a cutter fixing part 121a and a roller 121b. The cutter fixing part 121a is configured to fix the sheet cutter 100A by tightening and release the sheet cutter 100A by loosening. The roller 121b is positioned such that its lower end is slightly higher than the top of the sheet cutter 100A. The roller 121b has a rotating shaft extending in the sub-scanning direction X and is rotatable in the main scanning direction Y. The roller 121b is a component that abuts against the medium 5 when the sheet cutter unit 100 moves in the main scanning direction Y to prevent the medium 5 from floating.

[0055] A spring retaining portion 123 is provided at the upper end of the slider 122. A connecting rod connecting portion 124 is provided in the slider 122 at a position lower than the spring retaining portion 123. Here, the connecting rod connecting portion 124 is configured as a C-shape that opens forward. The connecting rod groove 124a forming the C-shape in the connecting rod connecting portion 124 is inserted into one end of the connecting rod member 150 (the second connecting portion 152 described later).

[0056] Spring 160 is held in a stretched state between the spring retainer 111 of frame member 110 and the spring retainer 123 of slider 122. The upper hook 161 of spring 160 is hooked onto the spring retainer 111 of frame member 110. The lower hook 162 of spring 160 is hooked onto the spring retainer 123 of bracket 120. Spring 160 exerts an upward force on bracket 120 through its restoring force. Spring 160 is a component that exerts force on bracket 120 in the direction away from the platform 12. When actuator 140 is not activated, spring 160 suspends bracket 120 such that sheet cutter 100A is positioned above platform 12.

[0057] like Figure 5As shown, the housing 170 includes a side plate 171 supported on the frame member 110. The side plate 171 is formed of resin, for example. The side plate 171 is mounted on the housing mounting portion 112 of the frame member 110. The side plate 171 is located to the right of most of the frame member 110 and the bracket 120. The side plate 171 is a flat plate extending in the sub-scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z. The side plate 171 extends forward from the frame member 110. An actuator mounting portion 171a for mounting the actuator 140 is provided on the side plate 171 (see reference). Figure 6 The rotation axis 171b of the connecting rod member 150. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 As shown, the side plate 171 has an arm 171c that extends from its left side to the left and further downward.

[0058] like Figure 6 As shown, an actuator mounting portion 171a is provided at the front portion of the side plate 171. The actuator mounting portion 171a includes an elongated hole 171a1 extending in the vertical direction Z and a fixing member 171a2 inserted into the elongated hole 171a1. The elongated hole 171a1 passes through the side plate 171 in the main scanning direction Y. The fixing member 171a2 is, for example, a screw fastened to the actuator 140. By loosening the fixing member 171a2, the actuator 140 can move vertically along the elongated hole 171a1. The elongated hole 171a1 is an example of a sliding portion capable of adjusting the vertical position Z of the actuator 140. The fixing member 171a2 is an example of a fixing portion that fixes the position of the actuator 140 in the side plate 171 after adjustment by the elongated hole 171a1, which is the sliding portion. The actuator mounting portion 171a is configured to adjust the vertical position Z of the actuator 140. When the actuator 140 is installed onto the side plate 171, the actuator 140 is adjusted to its vertical Z-position by the actuator mounting part 171a, which serves as a position adjustment part, and then fixed to the side plate 171. The adjustment operation of the vertical position of the actuator 140 will be described later. It should be noted that the structure used to adjust the vertical Z-position of the actuator 140 is not limited to elongated holes and screws.

[0059] The rotation axis 171b of the connecting rod member 150 is located on the left side of the side plate 171. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the rotating shaft 171b is positioned below the actuator mounting portion 171a and close to the frame member 110. The rotating shaft 171b extends to the left from the left side of the side plate 171. The bearing portion 153 of the connecting rod member 150 is mounted on the rotating shaft 171b. The rotating shaft 171b supports the connecting rod member 150 in a manner that allows it to rotate about the rotating shaft 171b.

[0060] like Figure 5As shown, actuator 140 is mounted on side plate 171 such that it abuts against the left side surface of side plate 171. Linkage member 150 is mounted on rotation shaft 171b below actuator 140. Actuator 140, linkage member 150, bracket 120, and spring 160 are all positioned to the left of the left side surface of side plate 171. The left side of side plate 171, as viewed from side plate 171, is the inner side of housing 170. The left side surface of side plate 171 is the inner surface surface of housing 170.

[0061] With the cover 172 not attached to the side plate 171, the arm 171c is positioned above the bracket 120 and abuts against the upper surface of the bracket 120. For example... Figure 7 As shown, arm 171c extends to the left from the left side of side plate 171 and bends rearward from there. Arm 171c further bends downward from there. The lower surface of the downwardly extending portion of arm 171c abuts against the upper surface of bracket 120. With cover 172 not fitted to side plate 171, arm 171c restricts bracket 120 from moving upward due to the force of spring 160. Hereinafter, Figures 5-7 The vertical Z-position of the bracket 120 when it is abutting the arm 171c is also called the lowered position P1. Details will be provided later. The lowered position P1 is the lowest position of the bracket 120 when the printer 10 is in use. The arm 171c is a component that holds the bracket 120 in the lowered position P1 against the force of the spring 160 when the cover 172 is not attached to the side plate 171. When the cover 172 is not attached to the side plate 171 and the bracket 120 is in the lowered position P1, the arm 171c abuts against the bracket 120.

[0062] like Figure 5 As shown, when the cover 172 is not attached to the side plate 171, the support 120 is restricted from upward movement by the arm 171c, and therefore cannot move upward relative to the lowered position P1. However, if the cover 172 is attached to the side plate 171, the arm 171c disengages from the support 120. Thus, the support 120 can move upward relative to the lowered position P1. The following explanation, regarding the arm 171c disengaging from the support 120 when the cover 172 is attached to the side plate 171, will be provided together with the structure of the cover 172.

[0063] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional view of cover 172 when viewed from the right oblique side. Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the sheet cutter unit 100, equipped with cover 172, viewed from an obliquely upward angle. (As shown...) Figure 9 As shown, the cover 172 is assembled from the left side panel 171. Figure 9 As shown, the side plate 171 and the cover 172 are assembled to the side plate 171 via the cover 172 to form the housing 170. The housing 170 is configured to house the actuator 140 and the connecting rod member 150 (see reference). Figure 5), the rotating shaft 171b of the connecting rod component 150 (refer to) Figure 5 ) and spring 160.

[0064] like Figure 8 As shown, the cover 172 has a pressing portion 172a extending from the inner side (right side) of the cover 172 toward the inside (right side) of the housing 170. The pressing portion 172a presses the arm 171c by being fitted from the cover 172 to the side plate 171, thereby deforming the arm 171c by disengaging it from the bracket 120. Figure 9 As shown, with the cover 172 assembled to the side plate 171, the pressing part 172a faces the horizontal portion of the arm 171c, pushing the arm 171c to the right, thereby deforming the arm 171c to the right. As a result, the vertical portion of the arm 171c retracts from above the bracket 120. Therefore, the restriction on the upward movement of the bracket 120 by the arm 171c is released. The bracket 120 and the sheet cutter 100A become movable in the vertical direction Z by the arm 171c moving away from the bracket 120. Figure 10 The left view shows the sheet cutter unit in its raised state. Figure 10 In the state shown, the cover 172 is assembled onto the side plate 171, but... Figure 10 The illustration of cover 172 is omitted so that the interior of housing 170 is visible.

[0065] like Figure 6 and Figure 10 As shown, the actuator 140 includes a rod 141 that extends and retracts in the vertical direction Z and a drive unit 142 that drives the rod 141. Here, the extension and retraction direction of the rod 141 is the vertical direction Z. The structure of the actuator 140 is not limited, but here, the actuator 140 is an electromagnetic actuator. The drive unit 142 is a solenoid coil. The drive unit 142 is electrically connected to the control device 200 and is controlled by the control device 200. The rod 141 is equipped with, for example, an iron core, and extends and retracts in the vertical direction Z by energizing / de-energizing the drive unit 142. A portion of the lower side of the rod 141 protrudes downwards beyond the drive unit 142. When the drive unit 142 is energized, the solenoid coil of the drive unit 142 contracts, and the rod 141 is pulled upwards. When the drive unit 142 is de-energized, the solenoid coil of the drive unit 142 extends, and the rod 141 descends by its own weight. A connecting rod connection portion 141a is provided at the lower end (top end) of the rod 141, which connects to one end of the connecting rod member 150 (the first connecting portion 151 described later). The connecting rod connection portion 141a is cylindrical and extends to the left.

[0066] Actuator 140 is an actuator in which the axial force of rod 141 varies depending on the position of rod 141. Here, actuator 140 is an actuator in which the axial force increases as it approaches the end of the stroke on the contraction side (upper side). Figure 11It is a graph showing the driving force characteristics of actuator 140. Figure 11 The horizontal axis represents the travel of lever 141. The horizontal axis "0" is the end point of the travel on the upper side of lever 141. Figure 11 The longitudinal axis represents the axial force of rod 141 (more specifically, the axial force at which rod 141 contracts). The smaller the distance between rod 141 and drive unit 142, the greater the electromagnetic force driving rod 141. Figure 11 As shown, the closer the lever 141 is to the end of its stroke on the upper side, the greater the driving force exerted by the actuator 140.

[0067] Linkage member 150 is a component connecting the rod 141 of actuator 140 and support 120, transmitting the driving force of rod 141 to support 120. Support 120 moves vertically along sliding guide 130 by the driving force of rod 141 transmitted via linkage member 150. Figure 6 As shown, the connecting rod member 150 is a rod-shaped member having a first connecting portion 151 connected to the rod 141, a second connecting portion 152 connected to the bracket 120, and a bearing portion 153 connected to a rotating shaft 171b disposed in the housing 170. The first connecting portion 151 is disposed at the front end of the connecting rod member 150. The second connecting portion 152 is disposed at the rear end of the connecting rod member 150. The bearing portion 153 is disposed between the first connecting portion 151 and the second connecting portion 152. The connecting rod member 150 is configured to rotate about the rotating shaft 171b disposed in the housing 170. The connecting rod member 150 is, for example, formed of resin.

[0068] The first connecting portion 151 is located on the side closer to the actuator 140 (in this case, in front) than the bearing portion 153. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the first connecting portion 151 is configured in a C-shape that opens forward. The first connecting portion 151 has a connecting rod groove 151a forming a C-shaped recess. The connecting rod groove 151a extends from the front end of the connecting rod member 150 toward the bearing portion 153. The connecting rod connection portion 141a of the rod 141 of the actuator 140 is inserted into the connecting rod groove 151a. When the rod 141 extends or retracts, the connecting rod connection portion 141a of the rod 141 and the connecting rod groove 151a slide relative to each other, thereby causing the connecting rod member 150 to rotate about the rotation axis 171b.

[0069] The second connecting part 152 is located on the side of the bracket 120 closer to the bearing part 153 (in this case, rearward). For example... Figure 6 As shown, the second connecting portion 152 is configured as a cylinder extending in the left-right direction. The second connecting portion 152 is inserted into the connecting rod groove 124a of the bracket 120. If the rod 141 extends or retracts, the connecting rod member 150 rotates about the rotation axis 171b, thereby pressing the second connecting portion 152 against the upper or lower wall of the connecting rod groove 124a. As a result, the bracket 120 moves in the vertical direction Z. Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the support 120 descends as the rod 141 retracts and approaches the end of its upward stroke. Figure 10 As shown, the support 120 rises as the rod 141 extends downwards towards its travel endpoint. However, it is the spring 160 that pulls the support 120 up at this time. The rotating shaft 171b supports the connecting rod member 150 in a rotatable manner so that the support 120 moves vertically in the Z direction according to the extension and retraction of the rod 141. The connecting rod member 150 and the rotating shaft 171b of the connecting rod member 150 are configured such that if the rod 141 moves upwards, the support 120 approaches the platform 12; if the rod 141 moves in the opposite direction, i.e., downwards, the support 120 moves away from the platform 12. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the actuator 140 is an actuator whose axial force increases as it approaches the travel endpoint on the upward side. Therefore, the lower the sheet cutter 100A held on the support 120 is located, the greater the downward pushing force of the sheet cutter 100A.

[0070] like Figure 10 As shown, in this embodiment, the distance D2 between the rotating shaft 171b and the second connecting portion 152 is configured to be larger than the distance D1 between the rotating shaft 171b and the first connecting portion 151. This allows the range of motion of the support 120 in the vertical Z direction to be greater than the stroke of the rod 141. For example, the distance D2 can be twice the length of the distance D1. In this case, the range of motion of the support 120 becomes twice the stroke of the rod 141. However, the ratio of distance D1 to distance D2 is not particularly limited.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, the portion 150Rr between the bearing portion 153 and the second connecting portion 152 of the connecting rod member 150 is configured such that its thickness in the vertical direction Z is thinner than that of the portion 150F between the bearing portion 153 and the first connecting portion 151. Therefore, the portion 150Rr between the bearing portion 153 and the second connecting portion 152 of the connecting rod member 150 is easily elastically deformed when subjected to force. Details will be described later. The portion 150Rr between the bearing portion 153 and the second connecting portion 152 of the connecting rod member 150 is configured such that, when the actuator 140 is driven to move the rod 141 upwards and the medium 5 prevents the sheet cutter 100A from penetrating the medium 5, it elastically deforms due to the driving force of the actuator 140 (see reference). Figure 15 Hereinafter, the portion 150Rr between the bearing portion 153 and the second connecting portion 152 of the connecting rod member 150 will also be referred to as the deformable portion 150Rr. The reason for deforming the deformable portion 150Rr will be explained later.

[0072] The vertical Z-position of the actuator 140 in the side plate 171 is adjusted to the position where the sheet cutter 100A exerts maximum thrust when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. Specifically, the position of the actuator 140 in the side plate 171 is adjusted so that the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the upper side when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. As mentioned above, the actuator 140 is configured to drive with maximum axial force when the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the upper side. Therefore, if the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the upper side when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1, the sheet cutter 100A exerts maximum thrust when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1.

[0073] As previously stated, here, the lowered position P1 is the lowest position of the support 120 when the printer 10 is in use. When the support 120 is in the lowered position P1, the lower end of the sheet cutter 100A is located below the medium 5 on the table 12. When the support 120 is above the medium 5 supported on the table 12, the lowered position P1 is the position of the support 120 where the sheet cutter 100A penetrates the medium 5. The thrust of the sheet cutter 100A is most needed when the sheet cutter 100A penetrates the medium 5. Therefore, the position of the actuator 140 is adjusted in a manner that maximizes the thrust of the sheet cutter 100A when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1.

[0074] The actuator 140 is threadedly fastened to the actuator mounting portion 171a of the side plate 171 in a state accepting its own weight (the solenoid coil of the drive unit 142 and the rod 141 in their most retracted state). It should be noted that the side plate 171 has the actuator mounting portion 171a, which allows adjustment of the position of the actuator 140, thus enabling vertical adjustment of the actuator 140. However, the actuator mounting portion 171a is not necessary as long as it can be fixed to the side plate 171 in a state accepting its own weight. The support 120 is moved downwards against the restoring force of the spring 160, causing the lower end of the arm 171c of the side plate 171 to abut against the upper surface of the support 120, thereby positioning the support 120 (sheet cutter 100A) in the lowered position P1. Then, the support 120 is moved downwards against the restoring force of the spring 160, connecting the connecting rod member 150 to the rod 141 and the support 120. After connection, the support 120 moves upward due to the restoring force of the spring 160, and the lower end of the arm 171c of the side plate 171 abuts against the upper surface of the support 120. Thus, the support 120 (sheet cutter 100A) is repositioned in the lowered position P1. It should be noted that the support 120 can also be moved downward against the restoring force of the spring 160. After connecting the connecting rod 150 to the rod 141 and the support 120, the lower end of the arm 171c of the side plate 171 abuts against the upper surface of the support 120, thereby positioning the support 120 (sheet cutter 100A) in the lowered position P1. As described above, here, the actuator 140 is positioned and fixed to the side plate 171 in a state where it bears its own weight, i.e., the state least likely to produce stroke error (the state of reaching the upper stroke end). This prevents deviation in the stroke of the solenoid in the lowered position of the cutter. Therefore, even without enlarging the solenoid of the actuator 140, the sheet cutter 100A can reliably penetrate the sheet. After adjusting the position of the actuator 140, the cover 172 is assembled onto the side plate 171. As a result, the pressing part 172a of the cover 172 presses down on the arm 171c. Consequently, the arm 171c disengages from the bracket 120, allowing the bracket 120 to move in the vertical direction Z.

[0075] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, a first groove 13a is provided in the portion of the table 12 located below the moving path of the processing cutter 71. The first groove 13a is recessed from the surface of the table 12 at a position slightly below the lower end of the processing cutter 71 when it is descending. The first groove 13a extends in the main scanning direction Y. A cutter pad (not shown) capable of being cut by the processing cutter 71 is embedded in the first groove 13a. A second groove 13b is provided in the portion of the table 12 located below the moving path of the sheet cutter 100A. The second groove 13b is recessed from the surface of the table 12 at a position slightly below the lower end of the sheet cutter 100A when it is descending. The second groove 13b extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0076] Figure 12 This is a block diagram of printer 10. (For example...) Figure 12 As shown, the control device 200 is electrically connected to the feed motor 33 of the conveying device 30, the scanning motor 43 of the head moving device 40, the ink head 61 of the print head 60, the solenoid 72a of the cutting head 70, the locking solenoid 82 of the locking device 80, the take-up roller 90, and the drive unit 142 of the actuator 140 of the sheet cutter unit 100, and controls their operation. The structure of the control device 200 is not particularly limited, but it may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes commands for the control program, a ROM (read-only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) that serves as a working area for unfolding the program, and a memory that stores the aforementioned program and various data.

[0077] like Figure 12 As shown, the control device 200 includes a sheet cutting control unit 210 that controls the cutting action of the sheet cutting unit 100 on the medium 5 after printing and cutting, and a cutting control unit 220 that controls the cutting action based on cutting data. The control device 200 may also include other control units such as a control unit that controls the printing action, but descriptions and illustrations are omitted here.

[0078] like Figure 12 As shown, the sheet cutting control unit 210 includes a continuous cutting control unit 211 and an intermittent cutting control unit 212. The continuous cutting control unit 211 is configured to control the sheet cutter holding device 100B and the head moving device 40, which serves as a cutter moving device, to continuously cut the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y (continuous cutting). The intermittent cutting control unit 212 is configured to control the sheet cutter holding device 100B and the head moving device 40, which serves as a cutter moving device, to intermittently cut the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y (drilling wire cutting).

[0079] like Figure 12 As shown, the intermittent cutting control unit 212 further includes a large-aperture cutting unit 212A and a small-aperture cutting unit 212B, which control two different perforation wire cutting operations with different ratios of the length of the cut portion to the length of the non-cut portion (details of the cut portion and the non-cut portion will be described later). The small-aperture cutting unit 212B is configured such that the ratio of the length of the cut portion to the length of the non-cut portion is smaller than that of the large-aperture cutting unit 212A. That is, in perforation wire cutting based on the control of the small-aperture cutting unit 212B, compared with the large-aperture cutting unit 212A, the proportion of the cut portion to the overall processing length is smaller, and the proportion of the non-cut portion is larger. Hereinafter, the perforation wire cutting performed by the large-aperture cutting unit 212A will also be referred to as large-aperture cutting, and the perforation wire cutting performed by the small-aperture cutting unit 212B will also be referred to as small-aperture cutting. Here, the small-aperture cutting unit 212B is configured to control the first end region A1 (see reference) with a predetermined width extending from the left end of the medium 5 toward the center. Figure 13 ) and the second end region A2 (refer to) is set with a specified width from the right end of medium 5 toward the center. Figure 13 The small hole cutting section 212A is configured to perform a large hole cutting on the central region A3 between the first end region A1 and the second end region A2.

[0080] The cutting control unit 220 is configured to cut the medium 5 based on the cutting data in the processing data. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the cutting control unit 220 includes a processing cutter control unit 221 and a sheet cutter control unit 222. The processing cutter control unit 221 controls the solenoid 72a of the transport device 30, the processing cutter holding device 72, and the head moving device 40, and causes the processing cutter 71 to cut the medium 5 based on the cutting data in the processing data. The sheet cutter control unit 222 is configured to control the actuator 140 and the head moving device 40 when the cutting data includes cutting in the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, so that the sheet cutter 100A performs at least a portion of the cutting in the main scanning direction Y. Based on the cutting data, the processing cutter control unit 221 and the sheet cutter control unit 222 sometimes perform continuous cutting and sometimes perform perforated wire cutting.

[0081] The following describes the continuous cutting and perforated wire cutting processes performed by the printer 10 according to this embodiment, especially the perforated wire cutting process. First, the continuous cutting process will be briefly described.

[0082] [Continuous cutting process]

[0083] Continuous cutting is a cutting method used to separate a portion of the medium 5 from the roll of medium 5 on the supply roller 20. The continuous cutting control unit 211 of the control device 200 is configured to perform multiple steps including the following approach step and continuous cutting step. In the approach step, the continuous cutting control unit 211 controls the sheet cutter holding device 100B, and the blade 101 of the sheet cutter 100A moves to a position in the vertical direction Z that can cut the medium 5. The continuous cutting step is performed after the approach step, in which the control head moving device 40 moves the sheet cutter holding device 100B at least from one end of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 to the other end.

[0084] In one example of continuous cutting shown here, in the initial approach step, the sheet cutter 100A descends to the left (outside the medium 5) of the left end of the medium 5. The height of the descended sheet cutter 100A is the height at which the blade 101 overlaps with the medium 5. In the subsequent continuous cutting step, the sheet cutter 100A moves from the outside of the left side of the medium 5 to the outside of the right side. Thus, the medium 5 is continuously cut along the movement path of the sheet cutter 100A in the main scanning direction Y.

[0085] [Wire Cutting Process]

[0086] Wire cutting with perforations is a cutting method that intermittently cuts the medium 5 to separate the finished product later. In the printer 10, the medium 5, after printing and cutting, is wound up by the take-up roller 90. Even with wire cutting with perforations, the medium 5 is not cut off from the take-up roller, so the medium 5 can be wound onto the take-up roller 90. After the medium 5 is released from the take-up roller 90, the user separates the finished product by tearing the perforations.

[0087] Here, use Figure 13 This section explains the meanings of "cut-off portion", "non-cut-off portion", "cut-off length" and "remaining cutting length" in wire EDM. Figure 13 This is a top view schematically showing an example of media 5 after the wire drilling is completed. The cut portion is the part of media 5 that has been cut (in...). Figure 13 The middle section consists of multiple cut parts C1 to C3. Figure 13 The uncut portion is represented by a solid line. The remaining portion that is not cut is the non-cut part. Figure 13 In the diagram, solid lines are not drawn for the non-cut sections. The cut length is the length of the cut section in the main scanning direction Y. Figure 13 In the diagram, L1 and L2 are used to indicate the reference numerals. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the cutting length is the length of each cut portion (e.g., one cut portion C1). The remaining cutting length is the length of the non-cut portion in the main scanning direction Y. Figure 13In the diagram, L3 represents the hole. As mentioned earlier, a perforation line cut with a large ratio of the cut length to the remaining cut length is a large-aperture cut, and a perforation line cut with a small ratio of the cut length to the remaining cut length is a small-aperture cut. Large-aperture cuts are relatively easy to break because the cut portion is large in proportion to the overall processed portion. Small-aperture cuts are relatively difficult to break because the cut portion is small in proportion to the overall processed portion. It should be noted that, hereinafter, the repeating pattern of the cut portion and the non-cut portion will also be referred to as a "perforation line cutting line" or simply a "cutting line".

[0088] In the example shown here, firstly, the first end region A1 is cut using a small-hole cutting section 212B. The width of the main scanning direction Y of the first end region A1 is preferably 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing the movement of the sheet cutter 100A during small-aperture cutting. Figure 14 The diagram illustrates the movement of the sheet cutter 100A when forming one cut section. To form multiple cut sections, this process is repeated. Figure 14 The steps are shown. (As indicated) Figure 14 As shown, in the small hole cutting, multiple steps including the through step S01, the cut step S02, the return step S03, the departure step S04, and the movement step S05 are repeatedly executed.

[0089] like Figure 14 As shown, in the initial state of the step of forming the cut portion, the sheet cutter 100A is positioned above the medium 5. In the penetration step S01, the sheet cutter holding device 100B is controlled to lower the sheet cutter 100A, causing the blade 101 to penetrate the medium 5. In this embodiment, the small-aperture cutting portion 212B is configured to perform the reciprocating motion and the abutting motion described below in parallel during the penetration step S01. Figure 14 As shown in step S01, the reciprocating motion is the action of controlling the head moving device 40 to make the sheet cutter holding device 100B reciprocate a predetermined number of times in the main scanning direction Y. The abutting motion is the action of controlling the sheet cutter holding device 100B to abut the blade 101 against the medium 5.

[0090] In wire cutting with perforation, it is necessary for the sheet cutter 100A to penetrate the medium 5 (in continuous cutting, the sheet cutter unit 100 can be moved after the sheet cutter 100A is lowered to a position lower than the medium 5 outside the medium 5, so it is not necessary for the sheet cutter 100A to penetrate the medium 5). However, since a second groove 13b is provided below the moving path of the sheet cutter 100A, if the sheet cutter 100A is pressed against the medium 5, the medium 5 will retract into the second groove 13b. Therefore, it is difficult to penetrate the medium 5 by simply pressing the sheet cutter 100A against the medium 5. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in step S02, the sheet cutter 100A is pressed downward while the sheet cutter unit 100 is reciprocated a predetermined number of times in the main scanning direction Y. As a result, it is easy for the sheet cutter 100A to penetrate the medium 5.

[0091] Figure 15 This is a left view of the sheet cutter unit 100 with the sheet cutter 100A in contact with the medium 5. More specifically, Figure 15 This is a diagram showing a sheet cutter unit 100 in a state where the sheet cutter 100A is in contact with the medium 5 but not penetrating the medium 5. (See diagram below.) Figure 15 As shown, when the actuator 140 is driven to lower the sheet cutter 100A and the sheet cutter 100A is prevented from passing through the medium 5, the connecting rod member 150 elastically deforms under the driving force of the actuator 140. Specifically, the deformable portion 150Rr elastically deforms and flexes upward. The deformable portion 150Rr receives the reaction force of the medium 5 relative to the force of the connecting rod member 150 pressing down the sheet cutter 100A. Due to this reaction force, the deformable portion 150Rr flexes upward. This flexing of the deformable portion 150Rr is to increase the thrust of the sheet cutter 100A. The reason for the increased thrust of the sheet cutter 100A due to the elastic deformation of the deformable portion 150Rr will be explained below.

[0092] exist Figure 11 The diagram shows the minimum axial force (hereinafter also referred to as the penetration axial force F1) required in the rod 141 for the sheet cutter 100A to penetrate the medium 5. When the rod 141 is driven with an axial force greater than or equal to the penetration axial force F1, the sheet cutter 100A can penetrate the medium 5. When the rod 141 can only exert a force less than the penetration axial force F1, the sheet cutter 100A cannot penetrate the medium 5 due to insufficient thrust. Furthermore, in Figure 11 The diagram shows the stroke St1 of rod 141 at the instant the sheet cutter 100A reaches the medium 5. (See diagram for reference.) Figure 11 As shown, the axial force on rod 141 at this time is axial force F2. Figure 11As shown, the axial force F2 is smaller than the penetrating axial force F1. Therefore, under these conditions, the sheet cutter 100A cannot penetrate the medium 5. It should be noted that... Figure 15 In the diagram, the stroke St1 of lever 141 is also shown with a double-dotted line.

[0093] exist Figure 11 and Figure 15 The stroke St2 of rod 141 after deformation of the deformable portion 150Rr due to the resistance of medium 5 is further shown. Figure 15 As shown, due to the elastic deformation of the deformable portion 150Rr, the stroke St2 is closer to the end point of the stroke on the upper side than the stroke St1. Therefore, the axial force of the rod 141 is greater than that before the elastic deformation of the deformable portion 150Rr. Figure 11 As shown, the axial force of rod 141 at this time is axial force F3, which is greater than the penetrating axial force F1. Therefore, the sheet cutter 100A can penetrate the medium 5.

[0094] If we assume that the connecting rod member 150 does not elastically deform when the sheet cutter 100A is in contact with the medium 5, then the axial force of the rod 141 remains at axial force F2, and therefore the sheet cutter 100A cannot penetrate the medium 5. However, in this embodiment, through the elastic deformation of the connecting rod member 150, the stroke of the rod 141 changes to a stroke St2 closer to the end point of the stroke on the upper side. As a result, the axial force of the rod 141 changes to an axial force F3 that is greater than the penetrating axial force F1. Therefore, in the printer 10 according to this embodiment, the sheet cutter 100A can penetrate the medium 5.

[0095] In this embodiment, in order to increase the stroke of the sheet cutter 100A to obtain the required stroke, the distance D2 between the rotating shaft 171b and the second connecting portion 152 is set to be larger than the distance D1 between the rotating shaft 171b and the first connecting portion 151 (see reference). Figure 10 With this configuration, the required stroke can be achieved even using a small actuator with a short stroke. However, the axial force of a small actuator is small. Moreover, inversely proportional to the increased stroke of the sheet cutter 100A, the thrust that presses down the sheet cutter 100A becomes smaller than the axial force of the rod 141. In this embodiment, to compensate for this, the deformable portion 150Rr of the connecting rod member 150 is configured to be elastically deformable.

[0096] return Figure 14 After the penetration step S01, the cutting step S02 is performed. In the cutting step S02, the head moving device 40 is controlled by the small hole cutting part 212B, and the sheet cutter holding device 100B moves to the right a distance L1 (refer to...) Figure 13The distance L1 is the cutting length in the small-aperture cutting. The cut portion C1 is formed through the cutting step S02. The distance L1 is shorter than the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, and also shorter than the cutting length L2 in the large-aperture cutting.

[0097] After the cutting step S02, a return step S03 is performed. In the return step S03, the head moving device 40 is controlled by the small hole cutting part 212B, and the sheet cutter holding device 100B moves to the right (opposite to the direction of travel of the perforated wire cutting) by a distance Lb. The return distance Lb is set to less than or equal to the cutting length in the small hole cutting. By performing the return action in step S03, it is possible to prevent the sheet cutter 100A from getting caught on the medium 5 and breaking it when the sheet cutter 100A moves upward in the subsequent departure step S04. It should be noted that in this embodiment, in the return step S03, the sheet cutter unit 100 moves a predetermined distance Lb backward in the cutting direction, but it can also move forward and backward in the cutting direction a predetermined number of times. Thus, it is also possible to prevent the sheet cutter 100A from getting caught on the medium 5 in the departure step S04 in the same way as in the return step S03.

[0098] After the cutting step S02 and the return step S03, the departure step S04 is performed. In the departure step S04, the sheet cutter holding device 100B is controlled by the small-hole cutting part 212B, and the sheet cutter 100A rises. As a result, the blade 101 leaves the medium 5.

[0099] After leaving step S04, the moving step S05 is executed. In moving step S05, the head moving device 40 is controlled by the small hole cutting part 212B to move the sheet cutter holding device 100B to the right by a predetermined distance L3 (see reference). Figure 13 The distance L3 is the remaining cutting length in the pinhole cutting. The distance L3 is also shorter than the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. The remaining cutting length L3 is preferably 5 mm or less. If the remaining cutting length L3 is 5 mm or less, the user can easily and neatly tear the perforation line. By repeating steps S01 to S05, pinhole cutting is performed on the first end region A1 of the medium 5.

[0100] For the central region A3 of medium 5, large-hole cutting is performed under the control of the large-hole cutting unit 212A. The large-hole cutting is performed by cutting a distance L2 that is longer than the distance L1 (see reference). Figure 13Apart from the small-hole cut, the process is the same as the small-hole cut. Therefore, a large-hole cut is formed in the central region A3, which is easier to break than the small-hole cut. In this embodiment, the remaining cutting length in the large-hole cut is the same as the remaining cutting length L3 in the small-hole cut. However, the remaining cutting length in the large-hole cut may differ from the remaining cutting length L3 in the small-hole cut. The ratio of the cutting length to the remaining cutting length in the small-hole cut is smaller than the ratio of the cutting length to the remaining cutting length in the large-hole cut, but the cutting length and remaining cutting length in both the small-hole and large-hole cuts are not particularly limited.

[0101] In the subsequent wire cutting operation relative to the second end region A2, a small hole cut is performed. Here, the second end region A2 is configured to be symmetrical to the first end region A1. The width of the main scanning direction Y of the second end region A2 is the same as the width of the main scanning direction Y of the first end region A1. However, the width of the main scanning direction Y of the first end region A1 and the width of the main scanning direction Y of the second end region A2 may be different.

[0102] [The cutting lines of the cutting data are cut using a sheet cutter]

[0103] The printer 10 according to this embodiment can cut part or all of the cutting lines extending in the main scanning direction Y of the cutting data using the sheet cutter 100A. Here, as an example, the case where the formation of the perforation lines set around the image is performed by the sheet cutter 100A will be described. Figure 16 This is a schematic top view of medium 5 after the perforation lines around the image have been cut. Figure 16 In the example shown, multiple image objects I1 are printed on medium 5, and each image object I1 is surrounded by a punch line cut line C4, which is rectangular when viewed from above. The data of the punch line cut line C4 is contained in the cutting data. The user can separate each image object I1 from medium 5 by tearing open each punch line cut line C4.

[0104] like Figure 16 As shown, the perforated cutting line C4 includes two cutting lines C4Y extending in the main scanning direction Y and two cutting lines C4X extending in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, the printer 10 forms the two cutting lines C4X using a processing cutter 71, as in the conventional method. On the other hand, the printer 10 forms the two cutting lines C4Y using a sheet cutter 100A. It should be noted that the cutting lines formed by the sheet cutter 100A can be continuous cutting lines, or a mixture of continuous cutting lines and perforated cutting lines.

[0105] [Effects of the Implementation Method]

[0106] The effects of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0107] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes: a sheet cutter holding device 100B that holds a sheet cutter 100A capable of cutting a medium 5 and moves the sheet cutter 100A in an approach or departure direction (here, the vertical direction Z) relative to the table 12; and a head moving device 40 that acts as a cutter moving device, moving the sheet cutter holding device 100B in the main scanning direction Y. According to this structure, the sheet cutter holding device 100B can be used to freely contact or move away from the medium 5, and the head moving device 40 can be used to move the sheet cutter 100A in the cutting direction, i.e., the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, by combining the movement of the sheet cutter holding device 100B and the movement of the head moving device 40, various types of cutting can be flexibly handled.

[0108] In particular, in this embodiment, the printer 10 includes a continuous cutting control unit 211 that continuously cuts (continuous cutting) the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y, and an intermittent cutting control unit 212 that intermittently cuts (perforated wire cutting) the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y. The continuous cutting control unit 211 is configured to perform the following set of steps, which includes: an approach step, controlling the sheet cutter holding device 100B to move the blade 101 toward a position in the vertical direction Z in which the medium 5 can be cut; and a cutting step, after the approach step, controlling the sheet cutter holding device 100B to move the sheet cutter holding device 100B at least from one end of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y to the other end. That is, according to the execution of the above set of steps, the medium 5 is continuously cut from one end of the main scanning direction Y to the other end.

[0109] On the other hand, the intermittent cut-off control unit 212 is configured to repeatedly execute the following set of steps, which includes: the through-run step S01 (refer to...) Figure 14The following steps are also the same: Control the sheet cutter holding device 100B to allow the blade 101 to penetrate the medium 5; in the cutting step S02, after the penetration step S01, move the sheet cutter holding device 100B by a cutting length shorter than the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 (L1 for small-aperture cutting, L2 for large-aperture cutting); in the departure step S04, after the cutting step S02, control the sheet cutter holding device 100B to allow the blade 101 to leave the medium 5; and in the movement step S05, after the departure step S04, move the sheet cutter holding device 100B by a remaining cutting length L3 shorter than the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. That is, by executing the above set of steps, it is possible to perform wire cutting with a cutting length of L1 or L2 and a remaining cutting length of L3. Therefore, unlike conventional sheet cutting devices (e.g., printers, cutting machines, printers with cutting heads) that use a circular cutter to rotate and move in the main scanning direction to cut sheet material, this device can perform perforated wire cutting and continuous cutting without changing the cutter. Similarly, according to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the cutting length and remaining cutting length of the perforated wire cutting can be changed without changing the cutter of the sheet cutter 100A.

[0110] In this embodiment, the sheet cutter holding device 100B includes a connecting rod 141 connected to the actuator 140 and a support 120, configured such that the connecting rod 150 rotates and the support 120 moves in the approach or away direction according to the extension and retraction of the rod 141. With this structure, the stroke or axial force of the rod 141 can be increased using the connecting rod 150, thus allowing the sheet cutter holding device 100B to be constructed using a small actuator. This enables miniaturization of the sheet cutter holding device 100B. Furthermore, by using a small actuator, the sheet cutter holding device 100B can be constructed inexpensively.

[0111] In this embodiment, the distance D2 between the rotation axis 171b of the connecting rod member 150 and the second connecting portion 152 (the connecting portion with the bracket 120) is (refer to...) Figure 10 The distance D1 between the rotation axis 171b and the first connecting part 151 (the connecting part with the rod 141) is also referred to. Figure 10 The structure allows the travel of the sheet cutter 100A to be greater than that of the rod 141 by utilizing the connecting rod member 150.

[0112] The actuator 140 in this embodiment increases the axial force as the rod 141 approaches one end of its stroke (in this case, the end of its stroke on the contraction side). The sheet cutter holding device 100B is configured such that if the rod 141 moves toward the end of its stroke on the contraction side, the support 120 approaches the platform 12. When the actuator 140 is driven to move the rod 141 toward the end of its stroke on the contraction side, and the sheet cutter 100A is prevented from passing through the medium 5, the connecting rod member 150 elastically deforms under the driving force of the actuator 140. According to this structure, the thrust of the sheet cutter 100A can be increased for the reasons described above. Therefore, even using a small actuator with low axial force, the sheet cutter 100A can pass through the medium 5.

[0113] In this embodiment, the sheet cutter holding device 100B includes a spring 160 that applies force to the support 120 in a direction away from the table 12 (in this case, upwards), a side plate 171 that holds the support 120 and the actuator 140, and a cover 172 fitted to the side plate 171. The side plate 171 has an arm 171c that abuts against the support 120 in the lowered position P1 when the cover 172 is not fitted, holding the support 120 in the lowered position P1 against the force of the spring 160. The cover 172 has a pressing part 172a that presses the arm 171c by fitting the cover 172 to the side plate 171, deforming the arm 171c so that it moves away from the support 120. The support 120 and the sheet cutter 100A become movable in the vertical direction by the arm 171c moving away from the support 120. According to this structure, even with the force of the spring 160, the arm 171c can hold the support 120 in the lowered position P1. Therefore, the driving force of the actuator 140 can be set such that the sheet cutter 100A exerts its maximum thrust when the support 120 is held in the lowered position P1, i.e., when the sheet cutter 100A is in the medium 5. Moreover, by simply attaching the cover 172 to the side plate 171, the arm 171c can be released from holding the support 120, allowing the support 120 and the sheet cutter 100A to move in the approach or away direction.

[0114] In this embodiment, the fixed position of the actuator 140 in the side plate 171 is adjusted so that the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the contraction side when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. Therefore, the actuator 140 can exert maximum axial force when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. Since the sheet cutter 100A penetrates the medium 5 near the lowered position P1, this structure maximizes the thrust of the sheet cutter 100A when the medium 5 is penetrated. Because there are individual variations in the stroke of the actuator 140, it is difficult to determine the position of the actuator 140 in a way that maximizes the thrust of the sheet cutter 100A when the medium 5 is penetrated without physically matching the lowered position P1 of the support 120 with the end of the stroke of the rod 141. According to the above structure, the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the contraction side when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. Therefore, the thrust error is smaller compared to the case where the rod 141 is at the end of its stroke on the extended side when the support 120 is in the lowered position P1. As a result, such physical matching can be easily performed.

[0115] In this embodiment, the extension direction of the rod 141 is vertical, and the end point of the stroke on the side of the rod 141 with the greater axial force is the upper end point of the stroke. The elongated hole 171a1 for adjusting the vertical position of the actuator 140 is configured such that, with the support 120 in the lowered position P1, the actuator 140 can descend to the upper end point of the stroke of the rod 141 by its own weight. According to this structure, the actuator 140 naturally descends to the position where the rod 141 reaches the upper end point of the stroke by its own weight. Therefore, the position adjustment of the actuator 140 can be easily performed.

[0116] In this embodiment, the side plate 171 and the cover 172 are assembled to the side plate 171 via the cover 172 to form a housing 170 that at least accommodates the actuator 140, the connecting rod member 150, and the rotating shaft 171b of the connecting rod member 150. According to this structure, the position adjustment of the actuator 140 as described above can be performed by attaching and removing the cover 172, which is a necessary element for covering the movable parts, namely the actuator 140 and the connecting rod member 150. Therefore, the assembly operation of the sheet cutter holding device 100B can be simplified, and components of the sheet cutter holding device 100B can be saved.

[0117] Regarding the control of the movement of the sheet cutter 100A, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is configured to, in the through-cutting step S01, simultaneously perform a reciprocating motion of the sheet cutter holding device 100B reciprocating a predetermined number of times in the main scanning direction Y and a contacting motion of the blade 101 against the medium 5. Through this action, the sheet cutter 100A easily penetrates the medium 5.

[0118] Furthermore, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is configured to perform the following return step S03: after the cutting step S02 and before the departure step S04, the sheet cutter holding device 100B is moved a predetermined return distance Lb to the rearward side in the cutting direction. According to this operation, it is possible to prevent the sheet cutter 100A from snagging with the medium 5 and causing damage to the medium 5 during the departure step S04. It should be noted that the sheet cutter unit 100 may repeat the return step a predetermined number of times in both the forward and rearward directions in the cutting direction. "Moving the sheet cutter holding device 100B a predetermined return distance to the rearward side in the cutting direction" is an element included in this reciprocating motion, and the forward movement of the sheet cutter unit 100 in the cutting direction is an element that can be arbitrarily added to the rearward movement of the sheet cutter unit 100 in the cutting direction.

[0119] In the printer 10 of this embodiment, if the ratio of the cut portion to the remaining portion at the end of the medium 5 is compared with the ratio of the cut portion to the remaining portion at the center, the proportion of the cut portion at the end is smaller (the proportion of the remaining portion is larger). The printer 10 is configured to perform small-aperture cutting on the ends of the medium 5, namely, a first end region A1 with a predetermined width extending from one end of the medium 5 related to the main scanning direction Y toward the center, and a second end region A2 with a predetermined width extending from the other end of the medium 5 related to the main scanning direction Y toward the center. Furthermore, the printer 10 is configured to perform large-aperture cutting on the center of the medium 5, namely, the central region A3 between the first end region A1 and the second end region A2. Here, small-aperture cutting involves cutting a remaining length L3 equal to that of large-aperture cutting, and cutting a length L1 shorter than that of large-aperture cutting (e.g., ...). Figure 13 As shown, the cutting length L2 of the large-aperture cutting is longer than the cutting length L1 of the small-aperture cutting. As a result, in the small-aperture cutting, the ratio of the cutting length to the remaining cutting length and the overall ratio of the cutting length to the processing length are smaller than in the large-aperture cutting. Based on this control, the perforated wire is less likely to break when the medium 5 is wound up using the take-up roller 90, and the perforated wire is easier to tear when the user tears it.

[0120] In the medium 5 after sheet cutting by perforation wire cutting, if the perforation wires at both ends of the medium 5 in the width direction (main scanning direction Y) break, defects such as shrinkage of the medium 5 from that point are likely to occur. In particular, when the medium 5 is wound using the take-up roller 90, tension in the winding direction is applied to the medium 5, so the possibility of the perforation wire breaking is high. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the first end region A1 and the second end region A2 at both ends of the medium 5 in the width direction (main scanning direction Y), small-hole cutting with a large proportion of non-cut portions is performed in a manner that makes it less likely for the perforation wires to break. On the other hand, in the central region A3 located in the center of the medium 5 in the width direction (main scanning direction Y), there is no problem even if the perforation wire breaks. Therefore, in the central region A3, large-hole cutting with a large proportion of cut portions (small proportion of non-cut portions) is performed in a manner that makes it easy for the user to tear the perforation wires. Thus, it is possible to make it less likely for the perforation wires to break when the medium 5 is wound using the take-up roller 90, and to make it easy for the user to tear the perforation wires.

[0121] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the length of the main scanning direction Y of the first end region A1 and the second end region A2 is the same, and the cutting length and the remaining cutting length are the same in both the first end region A1 and the second end region A2. Therefore, the formed perforation line is symmetrical about the main scanning direction Y. When winding the medium 5 using the take-up roller 90, it is more advantageous to have symmetrical tension in the width direction of the medium 5 for straight winding. Therefore, the formed perforation line is preferably symmetrical about the main scanning direction Y. Thus, in this embodiment, the perforation line is formed symmetrically about the main scanning direction Y. However, the length of the main scanning direction Y of the first end region A1 and the second end region A2 may also be different, and the cutting length and the remaining cutting length may also be different in both the first end region A1 and the second end region A2.

[0122] It should be noted that the types of wire cutting with perforation are not limited to large-aperture cutting and small-aperture cutting; there can be three or more types. The number of regions on the medium 5, depending on the type of wire cutting performed, may not be three regions. The number of regions on the medium 5, depending on the type of wire cutting performed, can be two or fewer regions, or even four or more regions.

[0123] In this embodiment, the cutter moving device that moves the sheet cutter 100A in the cutting direction is the head moving device 40 that moves the cutting head 70 in the main scanning direction Y. The sheet cutter holding device 100B is held together with the cutting head 70 by the second carriage 52. With this structure, there is no need to provide a cutter moving device different from the head moving device 40, thus simplifying the structure of the printer 10. The cost of the printer 10 can also be reduced.

[0124] The printer 10 according to this embodiment is configured such that, even when the cutting data includes cutting in the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, the sheet cutter 100A can still cut at least a portion of the material in the main scanning direction Y. Based on this control, the amount of material cutter 71 used can be reduced, and the replacement frequency of the material cutter 71 can be decreased.

[0125] Such control is particularly effective when the cutting line extending in the main scanning direction Y is a perforated cutting line. Typically, most of the continuous cutting in the cutting data involves cutting where the medium 5 is a sticker, only the release liner is cut, and the backing paper is not. In such cases, the processing cutter 71 does not penetrate the medium 5. Therefore, the processing cutter 71 does not cut the cutter pad embedded in the first groove 13a. However, in the case of perforated cutting, the processing cutter 71 penetrates the medium 5 and cuts the cutter pad embedded in the first groove 13a. Consequently, in perforated cutting, the degradation of the processing cutter 71 is more significant than in continuous cutting. In this embodiment, part or all of the cutting lines extending in the main scanning direction Y in the cutting data are cut using the sheet cutter 100A. Therefore, the frequency of using the processing cutter 71 in perforated cutting, where the degradation of the processing cutter 71 is significant, can be reduced, resulting in a reduction in the replacement frequency of the processing cutter 71.

[0126] [First Variation]

[0127] The above-described embodiments can also be implemented through some modifications. In a first modification, in order to prevent the perforation lines at both ends in the width direction of the medium from breaking, the perforation lines are formed by cutting off the remaining portion at both ends. It should be noted that in the following description of the first modification, components that perform the same functions as in the above-described embodiments are referred to by the same reference numerals as in the above-described embodiments. In addition, repeated descriptions are appropriately omitted or simplified. The same applies to other modifications.

[0128] Figure 17 This is a schematic top view of the medium 5 after the completion of the wire cutting process involved in the first modified example. (See attached image.) Figure 17 As shown, in this modified example, the cutting length of the cut portion C5 does not change due to the region of the medium 5. Figure 17 In the example shown, the cutting length is set to L2, the cutting length for large-aperture cutting, to make it easy for the user to tear the perforation line. However, the cutting length is not limited to L2.

[0129] In this modified example, the intermittent cutting control unit 212 performs an initial penetration step by causing the blade 101 to penetrate beyond the two ends of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, and performs a final cutting step by ending at the portion beyond the two ends of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. Therefore, as... Figure 17 As shown, in the medium 5 that has undergone perforation line cutting using the printer 10 according to this modification, the two ends of the medium 5 related to the main scanning direction Y become non-cut portions. This control also suppresses the undesirable situation where the perforation lines at both ends of the medium 5 in the width direction (main scanning direction Y) break, or the medium 5 curls up from that point. If the positional accuracy of the sheet cutter unit 100, which can perform such control over the remaining cutting at both ends, can be achieved cheaply or easily, then this modification can also be used. However, if it is difficult to achieve the positional accuracy of the sheet cutter unit 100 cheaply or easily, then, for example, the method of the initial embodiment can also be used. It should be noted that the control of this modification and the control of the initial embodiment can also be combined. For example, it is also possible to perform small-hole cutting of the remaining cutting at both ends of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y in the end region, and large-hole cutting in the central region.

[0130] [Second variation]

[0131] In the second variation, the printer 10 uses both the sheet cutter 100A and the processing cutter 71 to cut the sheet of media 5. Figure 18 This is a block diagram of the printer 10 involved in the second variation. For example... Figure 18 As shown, the control device 200 involved in this modification includes a half-cutting control unit 230. The half-cutting control unit 230 controls the processing cutter holding device 72 and the head moving device 40. The half-cutting control unit 230 is configured to perform: an approach step, controlling the processing cutter holding device 72 to move the processing cutter 71 in the vertical direction Z towards a position where a portion of the medium 5 can be cut; and a partial cutting step, after the approach step, controlling the head moving device 40 to move the processing cutter holding device 72 at least from one end of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y to the other end. The vertical direction Z position of the processing cutter 71 that cuts a portion of the medium 5 can be, for example, a position that only cuts the release liner of the sticker and not the backing paper. However, the vertical direction Z position of the processing cutter 71 is not particularly limited. Under the control of the half-cutting control unit 230, only the upper portion of the medium 5 is cut in the main scanning direction Y. The intermittent cutting control unit 212 is configured to perform perforation line cutting along the line after the partial cutting step performed by the half-cutting control unit 230. Along the aforementioned line, the thickness of the uncut portion of medium 5 is thinner than the original thickness of medium 5. Therefore, it is easier to penetrate and cut medium 5 using the sheet cutter 100A.

[0132] It should be noted that in this modified example, the partial cutting of the medium 5 is performed by the processing cutter 71, but it can also be performed by the sheet cutter 100A. That is, the upper part of the medium 5 can be cut off in the main scanning direction Y first using the sheet cutter 100A, and then the sheet cutter 100A can be used to perform perforation wire cutting on the same line.

[0133] [Third variation]

[0134] In the third variation, the printer 10 sets the cutting length of the perforation line based on the width of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. Figure 19 This is a block diagram of the printer 10 involved in the third variation. Figure 20 This is a schematic top view of the medium 5 after it has been perforated and wire-cut by the printer 10 involved in the third variation. Figure 20 In the figure, the cut portion obtained by the perforation wire is indicated by reference numeral C, and the remaining non-cut portion obtained by the perforation wire is indicated by reference numeral NC. For example... Figure 19 As shown, the control device 200 involved in this modification includes a first registration unit 235, a second registration unit 236, a media information input unit 240, and a cutting length setting unit 250.

[0135] The number and length (remaining length after cutting) of the non-cut portion NC are registered in the first registration section 235 (see reference). Figure 20 The total length of the multiple non-cut portions NC is a predetermined length. In this embodiment, the length LN of the multiple non-cut portions NC registered in the first registration unit 235 is the same. Therefore, the total length of the non-cut portions NC is equal to the length obtained by multiplying the length LN of one non-cut portion NC by the number of non-cut portions NC. However, the lengths of the multiple non-cut portions NC registered in the first registration unit 235 may be partially or completely different.

[0136] The second registration section 236 registers the cut portions CL and CR at both ends of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y (reference numeral CL indicates the cut portion C at the left end of the medium 5, and reference numeral CR indicates the cut portion C at the right end of the medium 5). Figure 20 The lengths LL and LR of the cut portion CL at the left end of the medium 5 are the same. In this embodiment, the registered length LL of the cut portion CL at the left end and the registered length LR of the cut portion CR at the right end are the same. However, the lengths LL and LR can also be different.

[0137] The length (medium width) of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 is input to the medium information input unit 240. For example, the medium information input unit 240 can be configured to select the medium 5 from a variety of media with different widths. However, the method of setting the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 using the medium information input unit 240 is not limited. For example, as Figure 19 As shown, the printer 10 may also include a sensor 95 that detects the width of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y. In this case, the sensor 95 may, for example, detect the width of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y by detecting the boundary between the medium 5 and the table 12 while moving together with the second carriage 52 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0138] The cutting length setting unit 250 is configured to set the cutting length of the punch wire cutting based on the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. Specifically, the cutting length setting unit 250 sets the number and length of the cutting portions C based on the width of the medium 5 input to the medium information input unit 240, such that the number of non-cut portions NC and the remaining cutting length are the number and length LN registered in the first registration unit 235. The remaining cutting length LN registered in the first registration unit 235 does not depend on the width of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5. More specifically, the cutting length setting unit 250 calculates the number and length LC of multiple cutting portions CC other than the cutting portions CL and CR at both ends of the main scanning direction Y, such that the cutting portions CL and CR at both ends of the main scanning direction Y are formed with lengths LL and LR registered in the second registration unit 236 (see reference). Figure 20 Here, the cutting length setting unit 250 is set so that the lengths of the cutting portions CL and CR at both ends of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 are the same. Therefore, in the portion between the cutting portion CL at the left end and the cutting portion CR at the right end of the medium 5, multiple cutting portions CC of the same length are arranged at equal intervals. According to this method, the shorter the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, the shorter the length LC of one cutting portion CC is set. Conversely, the longer the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, the longer the length LC of one cutting portion CC is set.

[0139] like Figure 20 As shown, the medium 5 after being cut by the perforated wire forms a cut portion CL at the left end, multiple cut portions CC in the center, and a cut portion CR at the right end. Assume the number of non-cut portions NC is set to M (in... Figure 20(The diagram shows 5). Since the remaining cutting length of the non-cutting portion NC is LN, the total remaining cutting length is LN×M. Assume the width of the main scanning direction Y of medium 5 is length Lm. In this case, in this embodiment, since the non-cutting portion NC is formed equally between the cutting portions CL and CR at both ends (therefore, the multiple cutting portions CC in the central portion are also equally arranged), the lengths LC of the multiple cutting portions CC in the central portion become...

[0140] LC=(Lm-LL-LR-M×LN) / (M-1).

[0141] In conventional sheet cutting, the spacing between the cut and uncut portions of the perforation wire is predetermined. Therefore, when the medium is narrow, the total length of the uncut portion is short, making the perforation wire prone to breakage. This ease of breakage leads to problems such as wire breakage during medium winding. Conversely, when the medium is wide, the total length of the uncut portion is long, making it difficult to tear the perforation wire. Thus, in conventional sheet cutting, the ease of tearing the perforation wire depends on the width of the medium. Furthermore, in wide mediums, a longer total length of the uncut portion usually means an increase in the number of both uncut and cut portions. Therefore, if the total length of the uncut portion in a wide medium becomes excessively long, the number of both uncut and cut portions increases excessively, increasing the sheet cutting time.

[0142] In contrast, according to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the total length of the uncut portions NC becomes a predetermined length (in the example above, LN×M) determined based on the number and length LN of the uncut portions NC registered in the first registration section 235. If the medium 5 is the same, the breakability of the perforated line depends primarily on the total length of the uncut portions NC. Therefore, according to the printer 10 of this embodiment, regardless of the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, a perforated line with a moderate breakability can be formed. Furthermore, since the number of uncut portions NC does not increase even in a wide medium 5, the increase in the time required for sheet cutting can be suppressed. In particular, when the medium 5 is wound using the take-up roller 90, the same tension is applied to the medium 5 regardless of its width. Therefore, in the case of a printer where the cutting length of the perforated line does not change due to the width of the medium 5, the narrower the medium 5, the easier it is for the perforated line to break during take-up. According to the printer 10 of this modified example, the difference in the breakability of the perforated line caused by the width of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5 can be suppressed.

[0143] It should be noted that in the first registration unit 235, the number and length of multiple uncut portions NC can be registered for each type of medium 5. Preferably, when the medium 5 is a medium that is easily broken, the total length of the uncut portions NC registered in the first registration unit 235 is long; when the medium 5 is a medium that is not easily broken, the total length of the uncut portions NC registered in the first registration unit 235 is short. In this case, the medium information input unit 240 can also be configured to input the type of medium 5.

[0144] The method by which the cutting length setting unit 250 sets the cutting length is not limited to a range where the shorter the length of the main scanning direction Y of the medium 5, the shorter the length of the cutting portion C will be. For example, the cutting length setting unit 250 may also be configured to set a portion or all of the lengths of the multiple cutting portions C to different lengths. In addition, the cutting length setting unit 250 may also be configured to set a portion or all of the lengths of the multiple non-cutting portions NC to different lengths.

[0145] The above describes some preferred embodiments. However, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various other ways.

[0146] For example, in the above embodiments, the device equipped with a sheet cutter is a printer with a cutting head, but it is not limited to this. The device equipped with a sheet cutter can be any processing apparatus that performs some kind of processing on sheet-like media. The processing apparatus may, for example, be a printer equipped with a print head for printing on sheet-like media but without a cutting head, or a cutting machine equipped with a cutting head for cutting sheet-like media but without a print head, etc. Even when the processing apparatus is a printer with a cutting head, its structure is not limited to the structure shown in the embodiments.

[0147] The processing apparatus described above includes a take-up roller for winding the processed medium, but the processing apparatus is not limited to having a take-up roller. Furthermore, the processing apparatus is not limited to processing media wound into a roll.

[0148] In the above embodiments, the cutter moving device that moves the sheet cutter unit in the cutting direction is a head moving device that moves the processing head, but it is not limited to this. The processing apparatus may also have a cutter moving device that moves the sheet cutter unit in the cutting direction independently of the head moving device that moves the processing head.

[0149] In the above embodiments, the sheet cutter unit includes a linkage member connected to the actuator and the support, which transmits the driving force of the actuator to the support; however, it may also omit the linkage member. The sheet cutter unit is not further limited as long as it includes a sheet cutter holding device that holds the sheet cutter and moves it in an approaching or moving direction, causing the cutting edge of the sheet cutter to contact or move away from the medium supported on the support table. For example, the sheet cutter holding device may also utilize a structure where the actuator directly moves the support.

[0150] Even when the sheet cutter unit includes a linkage member, the structure of the actuator and the linkage member is not limited to the structure shown in the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the extension direction of the actuator rod is opposite to the movement direction of the sheet cutter, but the extension direction of the actuator rod and the movement direction of the sheet cutter can also be in the same direction. Alternatively, the extension direction of the actuator rod and the movement direction of the sheet cutter can deviate from each other by an angle other than 0 degrees or 180 degrees. The driving method of the actuator is not limited to electromagnetic; for example, it can also be pneumatically driven. The linkage member can also be configured such that the stroke of the sheet cutter is less than or equal to the stroke of the rod. In this case, the thrust of the sheet cutter is greater than or equal to the axial force of the actuator, which is advantageous for the sheet cutter to penetrate the medium.

[0151] The structure of other components of the sheet cutter holding device is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the constituent components of the sheet cutter holding device shown in the embodiments may not be required.

[0152] The control of the sheet cutter unit shown in the embodiment is one example, and the control of the sheet cutter unit is not limited to this. The operation control of the sheet cutter unit is arbitrary, provided that it can at least combine moving the sheet cutter in the approach or departure direction with moving the sheet cutter unit in the cutting direction to cut the medium. It should be noted that, as mentioned above, "cutting" can be either wire cutting or continuous cutting. Furthermore, "cutting" can be through the medium or without penetrating the medium.

[0153] Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the invention.

[0154] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0155] 5 media

[0156] 10 inkjet printers

[0157] 12 support platforms

[0158] 40-head moving device (cutter moving device)

[0159] 60 printheads

[0160] 70 cutting head

[0161] 71 machining cutter

[0162] 72 Processing cutter holding device

[0163] 95 Sensor (Measuring Device)

[0164] 100-sheet cutter unit

[0165] 100A Sheet Cutter

[0166] 100B Sheet Cutter Holding Device (Cutter Holding Device)

[0167] 101 blade

[0168] 120 support

[0169] 140 actuator

[0170] 141 strokes

[0171] 150 connecting rod component

[0172] 150Rr Deformation Section

[0173] 151 First Connecting Part

[0174] 152 Second Connecting Part

[0175] 160 spring (force-applying component)

[0176] 170 housing

[0177] 171 Side plate (first component)

[0178] 171a1 elongated hole (sliding part)

[0179] 171a2 Fixing Component (Fixing Part)

[0180] 171b Rotary Axis

[0181] 171c arm (holding section)

[0182] 172 Cover (Second Component)

[0183] 172a Pressing Part

[0184] 200 control device

[0185] 210 Sheet Cutting Control Unit

[0186] 211 Continuous Cutting Control Unit (First Sheet Cutting Control Unit)

[0187] 212 Intermittent Cut-off Control Unit

[0188] 212A Large Hole Cutting Section (Second Sheet Cutting Control Section)

[0189] 212B Small Hole Cutting Section (Third Sheet Cutting Control Section)

[0190] 220 Cutting Control Unit

[0191] 221 Machining and Cutting Control Unit (First Cutting Control Unit)

[0192] 222 Sheet Cutter Control Unit (Second Cutting Control Unit)

[0193] 230 Half-Cutting Control Unit (Fourth Sheet Cutting Control Unit)

[0194] 235 First Registration Department

[0195] 236 Second Registration Department

[0196] 240 Media Information Input Section

[0197] 250 Cutting Length Setting Unit (First Distance Setting Unit)

[0198] A1 First End Region

[0199] A2 Second End Region

[0200] A3 Central Area

[0201] Cutting length (first distance) for L1 large-hole cutting

[0202] Cutting length (fourth distance) for L2 small hole cutting

[0203] L3 cuts the remaining length (second distance, fifth distance).

[0204] Lb returns the distance (third distance).

[0205] P1 descending position (first position)

[0206] X-axis scanning direction (transportation direction)

[0207] Y-axis main scan direction (cut-off direction)

[0208] Z represents the up and down direction (approaching or moving away from the direction).

Claims

1. A processing apparatus with a sheet cutter, comprising: Support platform, used to support sheet-like media; A medium conveying device conveys the medium supported on the support platform in a predetermined conveying direction; The processing head processes the medium supported on the support platform; A sheet cutter has a blade at its lower end, which is used to cut the medium. A cutter holding device, by holding the sheet cutter and moving the sheet cutter in a predetermined approach or departure direction, thereby causing the cutting edge of the sheet cutter to contact or move away from the medium supported on the support table; and The cutter moving device moves the cutter holding device in a cutting direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The cutter holding device includes: The support is configured to move in the approach or departure direction to hold the sheet cutter. An actuator, equipped with a telescopic rod; The linkage member has a first connecting portion connected to the rod and a second connecting portion connected to the bracket; and The link member is supported so as to be rotatable by rotating the axis so that the bracket moves in the approach or away direction according to the extension or retraction of the rod.

2. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1, The distance between the rotating shaft and the second connecting part is greater than the distance between the rotating shaft and the first connecting part.

3. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1 or 2, The connecting rod and the rotating shaft are configured such that if the rod moves in a predetermined direction, the bracket approaches the support platform; if the rod moves in the opposite direction, the bracket moves away from the support platform. The actuator is one in which the axial force increases as the rod approaches the end of its stroke in the specified direction. When the actuator is driven in a manner that moves the rod in the specified direction and the medium prevents the sheet cutter from penetrating the medium, the linkage member is elastically deformed by the driving force of the actuator.

4. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1 or 2, The cutter holding device also includes: The force-applying component applies a force to the support in a direction away from the support platform; The first component holds the bracket and the actuator; and The second component is assembled into the first component. The first component has a retaining portion that counteracts the force exerted by the force-applying component and holds the bracket in a first position in the approach or departure direction. The second component has a pressing part that presses the retaining part by fitting the second component onto the first component, thereby deforming the retaining part to disengage it from the bracket. The first position is the position where the sheet cutter passes through the support of the medium supported on the support platform. The support and the sheet cutter are configured to move in the approach or departure direction by means of the retaining portion, thus separating from the support.

5. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 4, The connecting rod and the rotating shaft are configured such that if the rod moves in a predetermined direction, the bracket approaches the support platform; if the rod moves in the opposite direction, the bracket moves away from the support platform. The actuator is one in which the axial force increases as the rod approaches the end of its stroke in the specified direction. The rod is located at the end of its stroke in the specified direction when the support is in the first position.

6. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 5, The extension and retraction direction of the rod is vertical. The end point of travel in the specified direction of the rod is the end point of travel above. The cutter holding device includes: The sliding part is capable of adjusting the vertical position of the actuator in the first component; and The fixing part secures the position of the actuator after it has been adjusted by the sliding part. The sliding part is configured to allow the actuator to descend by its own weight to the end point of the stroke when the support is in the first position. The fixing part is configured to fix the position of the actuator in the first member with the bracket in the first position and the rod at the end of its stroke.

7. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 4, The first component and the second component are assembled onto the first component by the second component to form a housing that at least accommodates the actuator, the connecting rod component and the rotating shaft.

8. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1 or 2, It also includes a control device for controlling the media conveying device, the processing head, the cutter holding device, and the cutter moving device. The control device includes: The first sheet cutting control unit continuously cuts the medium in the cutting direction; and The second sheet cutting control unit intermittently cuts the medium in the cutting direction. The first sheet cutting control unit is configured to execute a first set of steps, which includes: In the approach step, the cutter holding device is controlled to move the blade toward a position in the approach or away direction that is capable of cutting the medium; and In the first cutting step, after the approach step, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the cutter holding device from at least one end of the cutting direction of the medium to the other end. The second sheet cutting control unit is configured to repeatedly execute a second set of steps, which includes: In the penetration step, the cutter holding device is controlled to allow the blade to penetrate the medium; In the second cutting step, after the penetration step, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the cutter holding device a first distance shorter than the length of the cutting direction of the medium in one direction. In the departure step, after the second cutting step, the cutter holding device is controlled to allow the blade to leave the medium; and In the moving step, after the leaving step, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the cutter holding device a second distance in the direction of the cutting direction that is shorter than the length of the cutting direction of the medium.

9. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 8, The second sheet cutting control unit is configured to perform the following return step: after the second cutting step and before the departure step, control the cutter moving device to move the cutter holding device a third distance less than the first distance in the opposite direction of the cutting direction.

10. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 8, The control device includes a third sheet cutting control unit that repeatedly executes the third step group, the third step group including: The connecting step; In the third cutting step, after the penetration step, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the cutter holding device a predetermined fourth distance in one direction of the cutting direction. The departure step; and In the other moving steps, after the departure step, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the cutter holding device a predetermined fifth distance in the direction of the cutting direction. The ratio of the fourth distance to the fifth distance is less than the ratio of the first distance to the second distance. The third sheet cutting control unit is configured to repeatedly execute the third set of steps on a first end region with a predetermined width extending from one end of the medium related to the cutting direction toward the center, and on a second end region with a predetermined width extending from the other end of the medium related to the cutting direction toward the center. The second sheet cutting control unit is configured to repeatedly execute the second set of steps over the central region between the first end region and the second end region.

11. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 8, The second sheet cutting control unit repeats the initial penetration step in the second step group in such a way that the blade penetrates the portion of the medium other than both ends in the cutting direction. The second sheet cutting control unit performs the last second cutting step in the repetition of the second step group in such a way that it ends at a location other than both ends of the cutting direction of the medium.

12. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 8, The control device includes: The medium information input unit inputs the length of the cutting direction of the medium, i.e., the medium width; and The first distance setting unit sets the first distance based on the width of the medium. The shorter the width of the medium, the shorter the distance set by the first distance setting unit.

13. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 12, The second distance does not depend on the width of the medium.

14. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 12, The control device includes a first registration unit that registers the number of uncut portions remaining after the second step group cuts and the second distance. The first distance setting unit sets the number of cut portions cut by the second step group and the first distance based on the medium width input to the medium information input unit, such that the number of non-cut portions becomes the number registered in the first registration unit and the second distance becomes the length registered in the first registration unit.

15. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 14, The media information input unit is configured to input the type of media. In the first registration section, the number of the plurality of uncut portions and the second distance are registered for each type of the medium.

16. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 14, The control device includes a second registration section that registers the lengths of the cut portions at both ends of the cutting direction of the medium. The second sheet cutting control unit is configured to repeatedly execute the second set of steps in the region between the cut portions at both ends of the cutting direction in the medium. The first distance setting unit calculates the number of the plurality of cut portions other than the cut portions at both ends of the cutting direction and the first distance by forming the cut portions at both ends of the cutting direction with the length registered in the second registration unit.

17. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 16, The lengths of the cut portions at both ends of the cutting direction registered in the second registration section are the same.

18. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 12, It also includes a measuring device for measuring the width of the medium. The medium width, measured by the measuring device, is input into the medium information input unit.

19. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 8, The processing head is a cutting head, which includes a processing cutter for cutting the medium and a processing cutter holding device for contacting or moving the processing cutter relative to the medium on the support table by holding the processing cutter and moving the processing cutter in the approach or away direction. The cutter moving device is configured to move the cutting head in the cutting direction. The control device includes a fourth sheet cutting control unit that controls the processing cutter holding device and the cutter moving device. The fourth sheet cutting control unit is configured to perform: Other approach steps include controlling the processing cutter holding device or the cutter holding device to move the processing cutter or the sheet cutter toward the approaching or moving away direction capable of cutting a portion of the thickness direction of the medium; and In the partial cutting step, following the other approach steps, the cutter moving device is controlled to move the processing cutter holding device or the cutter holding device at least from one end of the cutting direction of the medium to the other end. The second sheet cutting control unit is configured to repeatedly execute the second set of steps along the line after the partial cutting step has been performed by the fourth sheet cutting control unit.

20. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1 or 2, The processing head is a cutting head, which includes a processing cutter for cutting the medium supported on the support table and a processing cutter holding device for holding the processing cutter and moving the processing cutter in the approach or departure direction. The processing device with a sheet cutter also includes: The carriage holds the processing head and the cutter holding device; and The control device controls the media conveying device, the processing cutter holding device, the actuator, and the cutter moving device. The cutter moving device is configured to move the carriage in the cutting direction. The control device includes a first cutting control unit, which controls the medium transport device, the processing cutter holding device, and the cutter moving device to cut the medium based on the cutting data in the processing data.

21. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 20, The control device includes a second cutting control unit that, when the cutting data includes cutting in the cutting direction of the medium, controls the actuator and the cutter moving device to cause the sheet cutter to cut at least a portion of the cutting direction.

22. The processing apparatus with a sheet cutter according to claim 1 or 2, The processing head is a printhead that ejects ink toward the medium supported on the support platform.

Images