Cutting device and printer device

Abstract

The invention discloses a cutting device and a printer device. The cutting device and the printer device can efficiently convey cut cloth labels. The cutting device comprises a cutting part which is arranged on a conveying path for conveying a long cloth medium and cuts the cloth medium into a specified length; a placement surface which forms a part of the conveyance path and on which the cloth medium cut by the cutting unit is placed; the rotating shaft is arranged above the conveying path and rotates in the conveying direction of the cloth medium; a paddle unit which is attached to the rotating shaft, and which scrapes the cloth medium placed on the placement surface in the conveying direction by moving in the conveying direction while contacting the placement surface in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft; and a driving mechanism that transmits a driving force to the cutting unit and the rotating shaft, so that the cutting operation of the cutting unit and the rotating operation of the rotating shaft are performed in conjunction with each other.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese patent application No. JP2023-131272, filed on August 10, 2023, and cites the contents of the above application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cutting device and a printer device. Background Art

[0003] Conventionally, there is a known printer device that prints on a long paper medium (hereinafter also referred to as a paper label). In such a printer device, a cutting device having a cutter mechanism is provided in order to cut off the printed medium portion.

[0004] In addition, as a medium other than the above-mentioned paper label, a long cloth medium (hereinafter also referred to as a cloth label) made of a material such as polyester is known. In the above-mentioned printer device, for example, by printing the quality display of a suit or the like on the cloth label and cutting off the printed medium portion and discharging it from the discharge port, a care label attached to the suit or the like can be produced.

[0005] However, cloth labels have different properties from paper labels. Specifically, cloth labels have poor stiffness and are easily charged compared to paper label media. Therefore, for example, the cloth labels may be charged due to friction during cutting after printing, and there is a possibility that the charged cloth labels may stick to the periphery of the cutter, which may easily cause a jam after cutting.

[0006] It should be noted that, conventionally, stacking techniques related to loading and storing care labels have been proposed, but no consideration has been given to the process from cutting to conveying (discharging) of the cloth labels, and it is difficult to directly apply them. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device and a printing device that can efficiently transport the cut cloth labels.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a cutting device of one embodiment includes a cutting part, a loading surface, a rotating shaft, a paddle part and a driving mechanism. The cutting part is arranged on a conveying path for conveying a long cloth medium, and cuts the cloth medium into a predetermined length. The loading surface forms a part of the conveying path, and carries the cloth medium cut by the cutting part. The rotating shaft is arranged above the conveying path, and rotates in the conveying direction of the cloth medium. The paddle part is mounted on the rotating shaft, and moves in the conveying direction while contacting with the loading surface as the rotating shaft rotates, thereby scraping the cloth medium carried on the loading surface in the conveying direction. The driving mechanism transmits driving force to the cutting part and the rotating shaft, so that the cutting action of the cutting part and the rotating action of the rotating shaft are performed in a linked manner.

[0009] According to the above-described cutting device, since the cut cloth medium can be urged in the conveying direction by the scraping action of the paddle portion, it is possible to provide a cutting device that can efficiently convey the cut cloth medium.

[0010] In the above-mentioned cutting device, the driving mechanism transmits the driving force obtained from the same driving source to the cutting portion and the rotating shaft.

[0011] According to the above-mentioned cutting device, the cutting operation and the conveying operation can be performed in conjunction with each other.

[0012] In the above-mentioned cutting device, a plurality of the paddle parts are installed at different installation angles with respect to the rotating shaft.

[0013] According to the above-described cutting device, after the first paddle part among the plurality of paddle parts scrapes out, the second paddle part further scrapes out, so that the cloth medium can be reliably conveyed.

[0014] In the above-mentioned cutting device, the cutting part has a fixed blade and a movable blade, the fixed blade is arranged above the conveying path, and the movable blade is arranged below the conveying path. The upper surface of the movable blade is provided with the loading surface, and the end surface on the upstream side of the conveying direction is provided with a blade surface. The movable blade is rotated around a support shaft arranged on the downstream side of the conveying direction by the driving force transmitted from the driving mechanism, so that the blade surface moves up and down, thereby cutting the cloth medium between the fixed blade and the movable blade.

[0015] According to the above-described cutting device, the cloth medium can be cut by the fixed blade and the movable blade, and the upper surface of the movable blade can be used as a placement surface.

[0016] The above-mentioned cutting device is also provided with a static-eliminating component, which is arranged at a height capable of contacting the cloth medium scraped from the loading surface by the paddle portion and below the loading path on the downstream side of the loading surface in the conveying direction, so as to remove static electricity from the cloth medium in contact. The height of the static-eliminating component is formed to be lower than the height on the downstream side of the loading surface in the conveying direction in the standby state before the movable blade moves upward, and is formed to be higher than the height on the downstream side of the loading surface in the cutting state when the movable blade cuts the cloth medium.

[0017] According to the above-described cutting device, static electricity can be removed, and thus the cloth medium can be efficiently conveyed.

[0018] In the above-mentioned cutting device, the cutting device is detachable from the printer.

[0019] According to the above-described cutting device, the cutting device can be mounted on a desired printer.

[0020] In the above-mentioned cutting device, the upper surface of the movable blade is in a mountain shape.

[0021] According to the above-mentioned cutting device, the cloth medium can be smoothly conveyed.

[0022] In the above-mentioned cutting device, a paddle angle adjustment unit is further provided, and the paddle angle adjustment unit is used to adjust the timing when the first paddle unit and the second paddle unit among the plurality of paddle units reach the placement surface.

[0023] According to the above-mentioned cutting device, the timing at which the paddle reaches the placement surface can be adjusted.

[0024] In the above-mentioned cutting device, the movable blade is a conductive member and is grounded.

[0025] According to the above-described cutting device, it is possible to suppress a potential difference caused by charging of the cloth medium.

[0026] A printer device according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: a printing section that prints on a long strip of cloth medium; a cutting section that is arranged on a conveying path for conveying the printed cloth medium and cuts the cloth medium into a specified length; a loading surface that forms a part of the conveying path and loads the cloth medium cut by the cutting section; a rotating shaft that is arranged above the conveying path and rotates in the conveying direction of the cloth medium; a paddle section that is mounted on the rotating shaft and moves in the conveying direction while contacting the loading surface as the rotating shaft rotates, thereby scraping the cloth medium loaded on the loading surface in the conveying direction; and a driving mechanism that transmits a driving force to the cutting section and the rotating shaft so that the cutting action of the cutting section and the rotation action of the rotating shaft are performed in conjunction.

[0027] According to the above-described printer apparatus, since the cut cloth medium can be urged in the conveying direction by the scraping operation of the paddle portion, it is possible to provide a printer apparatus that can efficiently convey the cut cloth medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printer and cutting device according to the embodiment.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the printer and cutting device of the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a longitudinal sectional right side view which shows the periphery of the cutting device of the embodiment in an enlarged manner.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing a state where the driving mechanism of the embodiment is viewed from the back side of the printer.

[0032] Figure 5 It means from Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the driving mechanism with the cover removed.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing a state of the driving mechanism of the embodiment as viewed from the front side of the printer.

[0034] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving mechanism of the embodiment.

[0035] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving mechanism of the embodiment.

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving mechanism of the embodiment.

[0037] Fig.10 It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the cutting part and the conveyance part of an Example.

[0038] Fig.11 It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the cutting part and the conveyance part of an Example.

[0039] Fig.12 It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the cutting part and the conveyance part of an Example.

[0040] Fig.13 It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the cutting part and the conveyance part of an Example.

[0041] Fig.14 It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the cutting part and the conveyance part of an Example.

[0042] Description of Reference Numerals

[0043] 1 printer; 2 cutting device; 3 driving mechanism; 22 cutting part; 221 fixed blade; 222 movable blade; 223 support shaft; 224 upper surface; 225 blade surface; 23 conveying part; 231 first paddle part; 232 second paddle part; 233 paddle rotating shaft; 24 guide part; 241 upper guide part; 242 lower guide part; 2421 anti-static brush; 2422 supporting part; 31 driving motor; 32 first transmission mechanism; 33 rotating body; 34 first connecting rod; 35 second connecting rod; 36 first frame part; 37 second frame part; 38 paddle angle adjustment plate; 39 cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of the printer and cutting device according to the embodiment. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the printer and cutting device of the embodiment.

[0046] It should be noted that, in the following, the structure of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2 is described using three mutually orthogonal axis directions, namely, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. The X-axis is an axis that runs through the printer 1 from left to right and from the left side of the printer 1 to the right side. The Y-axis is an axis that runs through the printer 1 from front to back and from the front to the back of the printer 1. The Z-axis is an axis that runs through the printer 1 from top to bottom and from the bottom to the top of the printer 1. In the following, the negative direction side of the Y-axis is also referred to as the front side of the printer 1 (cutting device 2). In addition, the positive direction side of the Y-axis is also referred to as the back side of the printer 1 (cutting device 2).

[0047] The printer 1 is an example of a printer device in the present disclosure. The printer 1 is used by being connected to an information processing device such as a PC in a wired or wireless manner so as to be communicable. The printer 1 of this embodiment prints on a cloth label L to issue a care label.

[0048] The printer 1 includes a housing 11 , a medium holding portion 12 , a printing portion 13 , a display portion 14 , and an operation portion 15 .

[0049] The housing 11 has a substantially box-like shape and houses the medium holding unit 12 and the printing unit 13. The housing 11 also houses a control unit (not shown) such as a processor that centrally controls the operations of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2.

[0050] The medium holding unit 12 is a member that holds the cloth tag L wound in a roll shape so that it can be freely released. The cloth tag L is a long cloth medium made of a material such as polyester.

[0051] The printing unit 13 includes a printing head 131 and a platen 132. The cloth tag L released from the medium holding unit 2 is inserted between the printing head 131 and the platen 132 and is conveyed to the first discharge button 133.

[0052] The print head 131 is, for example, a thermal head, and prints on the cloth label L discharged from the medium holding unit 12. For example, the print head 131 can print using an ink ribbon (not shown) inserted between the print head 131 and the platen 132. The cloth label L printed by the print head 131 is transported to the cutting device 2 through the first discharge port 133. It should be noted that the printing method of the printing unit 13 is not particularly limited.

[0053] The display unit 14 has a display device such as an LCD (liquid crystal display). The display unit 14 displays various information such as a screen showing the state of the printer 1 and the state of the cutting device 2 under the control of a control unit (not shown) provided in the printer 1. The operation unit 15 has various buttons related to the operation of the printer 1. For example, the operation unit 15 has a power button, a paper feed button, etc. The power button is an operation button for switching the operation / non-operation of the printer 1. The paper feed button is an operation button for instructing to drive a motor or the like to transport the cloth label L in the transport direction.

[0054] The cutting device 2 is an example of a cutting device. The cutting device 2 cuts the cloth label conveyed through the first discharge port 133 into a predetermined length. Specifically, the cutting device 2 cuts off a portion of the cloth label L printed by the printing unit 13 (hereinafter also referred to as the leading end portion), and issues the cut portion as a care label.

[0055] The cutting device 2 is provided at a position opposite to the first discharge port 133 of the printer 1, and receives the cloth label L printed by the printing unit 13 through the first discharge port 133. It should be noted that the cutting device 2 may be provided integrally with the printer 1 or may be detachably mounted on the printer 1.

[0056] The cutting device 2 includes a cutting unit 22, a conveying unit 23, and a guide unit 24 inside a frame 21. In addition, the cutting device 2 includes a driving mechanism 3 (see FIG. 2 ) described later inside the frame 21. Figures 4 to 6 ).

[0057] The cutting unit 22 has a cutting mechanism for cutting the cloth label printed by the printing unit 13. The conveying unit 23 conveys the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22 as a care label and discharges it from the second discharge port 25 provided in the frame 21. The guide unit 24 guides the conveyance of the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22. Here, the path and direction from the first discharge port 133 toward the second discharge port 25 become the conveyance path and conveyance direction of the cloth label L in the cutting device 2.

[0058] Here, refer to Figure 3 , the internal structure around the cutting device 2 is described. Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a right side view of a longitudinal section showing the periphery of the cutting device 2 in an enlarged manner. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , the conveyance path of the cloth label L is indicated by a dotted line.

[0059] The cutting unit 22 has a mechanism for cutting the cloth label L conveyed from the printing unit 13. Specifically, the cutting unit 22 has a fixed blade 221 and a movable blade 222. Figure 3 , an example is shown in which a guide member 1331 for guiding the conveyance from the printing unit 13 to the cutting device 2 is provided at the first discharge port 13 .

[0060] The fixed blade 221 is arranged at the rear stage of the first discharge port 133 and above the conveying path, and has a blade facing the conveying path at the lower end. On the other hand, the movable blade 222 is arranged below the conveying path. The movable blade 222 is a roughly plate-shaped component extending along the width direction (left-right direction) of the cutting device 2. In the movable blade 222, a support shaft 223 parallel to the width direction of the cutting device 2 is provided at a position eccentric to the downstream side of the conveying direction (the front side of the cutting device 2), and the movable blade 222 can rotate freely around the support shaft 223.

[0061] In addition, the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 becomes a loading surface for loading the cut cloth label L. The loading surface forms a part of the conveying path during the process of cutting the cloth label L. It should be noted that the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 22 may be a flat surface, such as Figure 2 As shown, it may be a mountain shape or the like in consideration of the conveyance of the cloth tag L. It should be noted that in order to realize smooth conveyance, the upper surface of the movable blade 222 is preferably a smooth sliding surface.

[0062] In addition, a blade (hereinafter also referred to as blade surface 225) facing the conveying path is provided on the end surface (e.g., upper end) of the movable blade 222 on the upstream side of the conveying direction (the inner side of the cutting device 2). As the movable blade 222 rotates around the support shaft 223, the blade surface 225 moves from the lower side to the upper side of the conveying path and from the upper side to the lower side, thereby sandwiching the cloth label L between the fixed blade 221 and cutting it. In other words, the configuration position, size, shape, etc. of the movable blade 222 are designed so that the blade surface 225 of the movable blade 222 passes through the position of meshing with the fixed blade 221 by rotating around the support shaft 223.

[0063] The conveying unit 23 is provided on the conveying path downstream of the cutting unit 22. The conveying unit 23 conveys the cloth tag L cut by the cutting unit 22 to the second discharge port 25. Specifically, the conveying unit 23 includes a first paddle unit 231, a second paddle unit 232, and a paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0064] The paddle rotation shaft 233 is an example of a rotation shaft provided over the width direction range of the cutting device 2. The paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure corresponding to the conveyance direction of the cloth tag L.

[0065] The first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 are examples of paddle parts. The first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 are mounted on the paddle rotating shaft 233 so as to rotate in the clockwise direction in the figure as the paddle rotating shaft 233 rotates.

[0066] Here, the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 have different installation angles relative to the paddle rotation shaft 233. Specifically, the installation angles relative to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different in such a manner that the first paddle part 231 enters the conveying path first and then the second paddle part 232 enters the conveying path as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates. It should be noted that the installation angle difference between the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 is not particularly limited, but is preferably adjusted according to the type of the cloth tag L, etc.

[0067] The first paddle part 231 includes a first paddle blade 2311 and a first fixing part 2312 for fixing the first paddle blade 2311 to the paddle rotating shaft 233. In addition, the second paddle part 232 also includes a second paddle blade 2321 and a second fixing part 2322 for fixing the second paddle blade 2321 to the paddle rotating shaft 233. The first fixing part 2312 and the second fixing part 2322 are composed of fixing parts such as screws.

[0068] The first blade 2311 and the second blade 2321 are formed of elastic components such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). In addition, the first blade 2311 and the second blade 2321 have a length that can contact the upper surface of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotating shaft 233 rotates. Here, the length of the blade refers to, for example, the length from the center of the paddle rotating shaft 233 to the front end of the blade, and is not limited to the length of the blade itself. It should be noted that the lengths of the first blade 2311 and the second blade 2321 can be the same or different. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the length of the second blade 2321 is formed to be longer than the first blade 2311. Thus, even if the movable blade 222 is movable and the position of the upper surface of the movable blade 222 changes, the second blade 2321 can reliably discharge the cloth tag L remaining on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0069] In addition, the paddle rotation shaft 233 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the movable blade 222. Figures 4 to 6 In the driving mechanism 3 shown, the vertical rotation of the movable blade 222 is linked to the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233. Figures 4 to 6 The driving mechanism 3 will be described.

[0070] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing the driving mechanism 3 as viewed from the back side of the printer 1 . Figure 5 It means from Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the driving mechanism with the cover removed. Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the driving mechanism 3 as viewed from the front side of the printer 1 .

[0071] The drive mechanism 3 has a drive motor 31 as a drive source and a first transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the rotation of the drive motor 31 to a rotating body 33. The rotating body 33 has, for example, a disc-like shape, and is rotated by the power from the first transmission mechanism 32. The rotating body 33 has a drive motor shaft 331 at a position eccentric from the rotation center. The first connecting rod 34 and the second connecting rod 35 are connected to the drive motor shaft 331 in a manner that allows rotation around the axis. In the following, the expression "connected" used in the description of the drive mechanism 3 can also be replaced by "engaged", "engaged", etc.

[0072] One end side of the first connecting rod 34 is connected to the driving motor shaft 331, and the other end side is connected to the first frame portion 36. The first frame portion 36 supports one end side of the movable blade 222 in the longitudinal direction. The first frame portion 36 supports the movable blade 222 in a manner that allows it to rotate around the support shaft 223. In addition, the first frame portion 36 has a first driving shaft 361 at a position away from the support shaft 223 in the upstream side of the conveying direction. The other end side of the first connecting rod 34 is connected to the first driving shaft 361 in a manner that allows it to rotate around the axis.

[0073] In the above structure, the first link 34 changes the rotational motion of the rotating body 33 into a reciprocating motion, and transmits its power to the first frame portion 36, so that the first frame portion 36 rotates (sways) up and down around the support shaft 223.

[0074] One end of the second link 35 is connected to the drive motor shaft 331, and the other end is connected to the second frame 37. The second frame 37 is a flange-shaped support body that supports one end of the paddle rotation shaft 233, and is integrally connected to the paddle rotation shaft 233 via the paddle angle adjustment plate 38.

[0075] The paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is formed of a semicircular plate-shaped member. The paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is fixed to one end of the paddle rotation shaft 233 by a shaft fixing screw 381 on the surface side of the second frame portion 37 opposite to the second connecting rod 35. Here, the paddle rotation shaft 233 is located at the center of the arc of the paddle angle adjustment plate 38.

[0076] In addition, the propeller angle adjustment plate 38 includes threaded holes 372 and 373 (see Figure 7 ) is provided with an arc-shaped long hole 382 centered on the propeller rotation shaft 233. For the propeller angle adjustment plate 38, the propeller angle adjustment plate 38 is joined to the second frame portion 37 by threading the adjustment plate fixing screws 383 and 384 through the long hole 382 into the threaded holes 372 and 373. That is, the second frame portion 37 and the propeller rotation shaft 233 are joined integrally.

[0077] The arc length of the long hole 382 is formed to be longer than the length between the threaded holes 372 and 373, that is, the arc length between the threaded holes 372 and 373 with the center of the propeller angle adjustment plate 38 as the base point. This is to allow the adjustment plate fixing screws 383 and 384 to be inserted into the threaded holes 372 and 373 through the long hole 382 even if the propeller angle adjustment plate 38 is moved (rotated) around the propeller rotation axis 233.

[0078] In this way, by mounting the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 (paddle angle adjustment portion) on the second frame portion 37 via the long hole 382, ​​the position around the paddle rotation shaft 233 when the paddle rotation shaft 233 is mounted on the second frame portion 37 can be adjusted. In other words, the timing at which the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 reach the upper surface 224 (mounting surface) of the movable blade 222 when the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates can be adjusted.

[0079] The second frame portion 37 has a second drive shaft 371 at a position eccentric from the rotation center. The other end of the second link 35 is rotatably connected to the second drive shaft 371. A convex sliding shaft 351 is provided on the outer surface of the second link 35.

[0080] The sliding shaft 351 of the second link 35 is fitted into a slit 391 provided in the cover 39 covering the first link 34 and the second link 35. The slit 391 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the second link 35 to guide the movement of the sliding shaft 351 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the movement of the second link 35.

[0081] In the above structure, the second link 35 changes the rotational motion of the rotating body 33 into a reciprocating motion, and slides along the slit 391 of the cover 39, thereby transmitting the rotational power around the paddle rotation shaft 233 to the second frame portion 37. As a result, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 rotate in the conveying direction as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, thereby performing a scraping action that applies force to the cloth tag L in the conveying direction.

[0082] Next, use Figure 7 to Figure 9 , cooperative driving of the movable blade 222 of the driving mechanism 3 and the conveying portion 23 will be described. Figure 7 to Figure 9 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the drive mechanism 3, and shows the state of the drive mechanism 3 as viewed from the back side of the printer 1. Figure 7 to Figure 9 In the figure, the shaft fixing screw 381, the adjustment plate fixing screws 383, 384 and the cover 39 are omitted. The slit 391 provided in the cover 39 is shown.

[0083] Figure 7 2 is a diagram showing the drive mechanism 3 in a standby state. Here, the standby state refers to the state before the movable blade 222 moves upward. Specifically, in addition to showing the state before the cloth tag L is conveyed from the printing section 13, it also shows the state after the cloth tag L is cut and before the next cloth tag L is cut. Figure 7 The positions of the components in the standby state shown are also referred to as standby positions.

[0084] It should be noted that the driving motor 31 is driven under the control of a control unit (not shown) included in the printer 1 in synchronization with the conveyance of the cloth label L from the printing unit 13 .

[0085] In the drive mechanism 3 in the standby state, when the cloth label L is conveyed from the printing section 13 and stops at a predetermined conveying amount, the drive motor 31 is driven, so that Figure 8 As shown, the rotating body 33 rotates in the direction of arrow Aa. As the rotating body 33 rotates, its power is transmitted to the first connecting rod 34, so that the first frame part 36 rotates around the support shaft 223, and the movable blade 222 moves in the direction of arrow Ad. In addition, as the rotating body 33 rotates, its power is transmitted to the second connecting rod 35, so that the second connecting rod 35 moves along the slit 391 in the direction of arrow Ac, causing the second frame part 37 to rotate in the direction of arrow Ad. As a result, the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 rotate around the axial direction of the paddle rotating shaft 233, that is, the direction of arrow Ae. It should be noted that each arrow represents the direction and amount of movement starting from the standby position of each part.

[0086] Here, the rear end portion of the cloth tag L between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 is cut off by the movement of the movable blade 222 in the direction of the arrow Ad. In addition, the front end of the first paddle portion 231 (first paddle 2311) contacts the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 22 by the rotation of the paddle rotating shaft 233 in the direction of the arrow Ae.

[0087] Then, the driving motor 31 continues to drive, and when the rotating body 33 rotates to Fig. 9 When the movable blade 222 is at the position of the arrow Ba shown in the figure, the movable blade 222 changes from the movement in the direction of the arrow Bb to the movement in the direction of the arrow Bc. In addition, the second link 35 changes from the movement in the direction of the arrow Bd to the movement in the direction of the arrow Be along the slit 391, so that the second frame part 37 rotates to the position of the arrow Bf. As a result, the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 rotate in the direction of the arrow Bg and continue to rotate around the paddle rotation axis 233.

[0088] Here, by the movement of the movable blade 222 in the direction of arrow Bb → arrow Bc, a part of the cut cloth label L, that is, a part of the care label is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. In addition, by the rotation of the paddle rotating shaft 233 in the direction of arrow Bg, the front end of the first paddle part 231 moves the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction, and then the front end of the second paddle part 232 of the subsequent stage contacts the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0089] And, in Fig. 9 Thereafter, the driving of the driving motor 31 is continued, and each part of the driving mechanism 3 moves to the standby position, whereby the tip of the second paddle part 232 moves the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction.

[0090] In this way, the driving mechanism 3 drives the movable blade 222 to cut off the front end portion of the printed cloth label L. In addition, the driving mechanism 3 is linked to the driving of the movable blade 222 to rotate the paddle rotating shaft 233 in the conveying direction, thereby rotating the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 around the paddle rotating shaft 233.

[0091] return Figure 3 Next, the structure of the cutting device 2 is described. The cutting device 2 includes a guide portion 24 for guiding the conveyance of the cloth tag L cut by the cutting portion 22. Specifically, the guide portion 24 includes an upper guide portion 241 and a lower guide portion 242.

[0092] The upper guide 241 is disposed above the conveying path and downstream of the conveying direction of the conveying unit 23. The upper guide 241 has an inclined surface connected to the second discharge port 25, and guides the cloth tag L conveyed by the conveying unit 23 to the second discharge port 25. It should be noted that the upper guide 241 is disposed in a manner not to hinder the rotation of the conveying unit 23 and is provided with a window for avoiding interference.

[0093] The lower guide portion 242 is provided below the conveying path and below the conveying portion 23. Specifically, the lower guide portion 242 is provided substantially below the paddle rotating shaft 233 in the vertical direction.

[0094] The lower guide 242 includes a static elimination brush 2421 and a support 2422. The static elimination brush 2421 is an example of a static elimination member. The static elimination brush 2421 is disposed upward to eliminate static electricity from the cloth tag L conveyed on the conveying path. The support 2422 is a support member that supports the static elimination brush 2421 from below.

[0095] The lower guide portion 242 supports the cloth label L scraped from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 by the conveying portion 23 from below in the conveying path, thereby guiding the conveyance to the second discharge port 25. Here, the height of the lower guide portion 242, that is, the height of the static removal brush 2421 is designed to be a height that can contact the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232. In addition, as described later, the height of the static removal brush 2421 is designed based on the relationship with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0096] It should be noted that the printer 1 and the cutting device 2 are not limited to the above configuration. For example, the printer 1 includes various sensors, a drive source for rotating the platen 132, etc. The cutting device 2 also includes an interface for electrically connecting to the printer 1, etc.

[0097] Next, refer to Figure 10 to Figure 14 , the operation examples of the above-mentioned cutting unit 22 and conveying unit 23 are described. Figure 10 to Figure 14 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit 22 and the conveying unit 23. Figure 10 to Figure 14 A longitudinal right side view showing parts of the cutting unit 22 and the conveying unit 23 .

[0098] First, when the cloth label L is printed in the printing unit 13, the cloth label L is conveyed into the cutting device 2 through the first discharge port 133. At this time, the front end portion of the cloth label L passes between the fixed blade 21 and the movable blade 222, and is guided by the upper guide 241, thereby being conveyed toward the second discharge port 25. When a predetermined conveying amount is conveyed into the cutting device 2, the conveying of the cloth label L is stopped.

[0099] Fig.10The state in which the cloth label L is conveyed from the printing unit 13 to the cutting device 2 and stops at a predetermined conveying amount is shown. At this time, the movable blade 222, the first paddle unit 231, and the second paddle unit 32 are located at the aforementioned standby position.

[0100] It should be noted that the height of the front end of the lower guide 242 (the destaticizing brush 2421) is designed to be lower than the height of the lower guide 242 side of the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, that is, the height of the downstream side in the conveying direction, at the standby position (standby state) of the movable blade 222. As a result, for the lower guide 242, the cloth tag L passing between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 will not interfere with the lower guide 242, and will pass from above the lower guide 242 and move toward the second discharge port 25. Therefore, in the cutting device 2, the cloth tag L before cutting can be smoothly sent toward the second discharge port 25.

[0101] When the cloth label L is conveyed into the cutting device 2, the movable blade 222 is moved upward ( Fig.11 The movable blade 222 is rotated in the direction of the arrow of the movable blade 221 to cut the cloth tag L by clamping the cloth tag L between the movable blade 221. In addition, at this time, a part of the cut cloth tag L is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0102] Fig.11 FIG. 2 shows the cutting state of the cloth label L immediately after being cut by the cutting portion 22. Fig.11 As shown, a portion of the cut cloth tag L is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 .

[0103] However, the cloth label L used in this embodiment is made of a material such as polyester, and therefore has a lower stiffness and is easily charged compared to a paper label made of paper medium. Therefore, when handling the cloth label L, it is possible that the cloth label L may be charged due to sliding (friction) during cutting and transportation. The charged cloth label L adheres to surrounding components due to electrostatic force, and therefore cannot be discharged normally after cutting.

[0104] Therefore, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the efficient conveyance of the cloth label L is achieved by the rotation of the paddle of the conveying unit 23. Specifically, Fig.11 As shown, the paddle rotation shaft 233 and the movable blade 222 rotate clockwise in the figure in conjunction with the cutting action of the cloth tag L, that is, the upward rotation of the movable blade 222. The first paddle 2311 of the first paddle portion 231 contacts the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, and moves in the conveying direction while maintaining the contact state, thereby starting the scraping action of the cloth tag L existing on the upper surface 224 in the conveying direction.

[0105] Thus, for example, even if the cloth tag L is in a state of being attached to the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 , the cloth tag L can be conveyed (moved) toward the second discharge outlet 25 by the scraping action of the first paddle part 231 .

[0106] In addition, if Fig.11 As shown, the height of the front end of the lower guide 242 (the anti-static brush 2421) is designed to be higher than the height of the lower guide 242 side of the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, that is, the height of the downstream side in the conveying direction in the cutting state. As a result, the cloth tag L conveyed from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 moves toward the second discharge port 25 while contacting the anti-static brush 2421 of the lower guide 242. Therefore, in the cutting device 2, since the charged cloth tag L can be reliably de-staticized, it can be smoothly conveyed toward the second discharge port 25.

[0107] When the cutting of the cloth tag L is completed, the movable blade 222 starts to move downward ( Fig.12 On the other hand, the paddle rotation shaft 233 continues to rotate clockwise in the figure. Therefore, during the period when the first paddle 2311 is in contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, scraping in the conveying direction continues.

[0108] Fig.12 The first paddle 2311 shows a state immediately after it is separated from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. Here, for example, due to the electrostatic force generated in the cloth tag L, the rear end portion of the cloth tag L is attached to the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, and therefore may remain on the upper surface 224 even after the first paddle 2311 is separated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear end portion of the cloth tag L remaining on the upper surface 224 is scraped out by the second paddle portion 232 following the first paddle portion 231.

[0109] Specifically, if Fig.13 As shown, as the paddle rotating shaft 233 rotates clockwise, the second paddle 2321 of the second paddle portion 232 in contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 moves in the conveying direction along the upper surface 224. As a result, the second paddle portion 232 starts scraping the rear end of the cloth tag L remaining on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 22 in the conveying direction.

[0110] Fig.14 2 is a diagram showing a state where the second blade 2321 has just been separated from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. Fig.14As shown, the second paddle 2321 pushes the cloth tag L in the conveying direction from the rear end side of the cloth tag L. Thus, in the conveying section 23, even if the rear end side of the cloth tag L remains on the upper surface 224 after the first paddle 2311 is detached, the cloth tag L can be conveyed in the conveying direction more reliably.

[0111] As described above, the cutting device 2 of this embodiment comprises: a cutting portion 22, which is arranged on the conveying path for conveying the cloth label L and cuts the cloth label L into a specified length; an upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, which forms a part of the conveying path and carries the cloth label L cut by the cutting portion 22; a paddle rotating shaft 233, which is arranged above the conveying path and rotates in the conveying direction of the cloth label L; a first paddle portion 231 and a second paddle portion 232, which are mounted on the paddle rotating shaft 233 and move in the conveying direction while contacting the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotating shaft 233 rotates, thereby scraping the cloth label carried on the upper surface 224 in the conveying direction; and a driving mechanism 3, which transmits driving force to the cutting portion 22 and the paddle rotating shaft 233, so that the cutting action of the cutting portion 22 and the rotation action of the paddle rotating shaft 233 are performed in conjunction.

[0112] Thus, even when the cut cloth tag L is charged, the cutting device 2 can apply force in the conveying direction through the scraping action of the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232, so that the cut cloth tag L can be efficiently conveyed (discharged). In addition, in the cutting device 2, since the cutting action of the cloth tag L and the scraping action of the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 23 can be performed in conjunction, a series of processes from cutting to discharge can be performed efficiently.

[0113] In addition, the cutting device 2 uses the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 installed at different angles, and can scrape out the cloth tag L placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction.

[0114] Thus, the cutting device 2 can apply force in the conveying direction by scraping by the second paddle portion 232, even when the rear end portion of the cloth tag L remains on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 22 after being scraped by the first paddle portion 231, thereby enabling the cut cloth tag L to be conveyed (discharged) more reliably.

[0115] In addition, the cutting device 2 has a destaticizing brush 2421 in a position where the cloth tag L scraped from the upper surface 224 can contact in the conveying path of the rear stage of the movable blade 222. Thus, in the cutting device 2, since static electricity generated in the cloth tag L can be destaticized, it is possible to prevent the cloth tag L from sticking during conveyance, and the cloth tag L can be conveyed (discharged) efficiently.

[0116] It should be noted that the above embodiment can also be implemented by appropriately modifying a part of the structure or function of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2. Therefore, several modified examples of the above embodiment are described below as other embodiments. It should be noted that the following mainly describes the differences from the above embodiment, and the detailed description of the same points as those already described is omitted. In addition, the modified examples described below can be implemented individually or in combination as appropriate.

[0117] (Variant 1)

[0118] In the above embodiment, for example, the movable blade 222 may be formed of a conductive member such as metal and connected to GND (ground) of the frame 21. This can suppress the potential difference caused by the charging of the cloth tag L, so that the cloth tag L can be conveyed more efficiently.

[0119] (Variant 2)

[0120] In the above embodiment, the structure using the first paddle part 231 and the second paddle part 232 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a structure using only the first paddle part 231 (or the second paddle part 232) may also be used. For example, depending on the characteristics of the cloth tag L used, as long as the cloth tag L can be conveyed only by the scraping action of a single paddle part, a structure using a single paddle part may also be used.

[0121] The number of paddle parts is not limited to two, and three or more paddle parts may be provided on the paddle rotation shaft 233 according to the characteristics of the cloth tag L used. It should be noted that the mounting angles of the paddle parts with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different from each other.

[0122] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention, but the above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above new embodiments and modified examples can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the schemes recorded in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cutting device comprising: A cutting unit, which is arranged on a conveying path for conveying a long cloth medium and cuts the cloth medium into a predetermined length; a placing surface which forms a part of the conveying path and on which the cloth medium cut by the cutting unit is placed; a rotating shaft, which is disposed above the conveying path and rotates in a conveying direction of the cloth medium; a paddle portion mounted on the rotating shaft, and moving in the conveying direction while in contact with the placing surface as the rotating shaft rotates, thereby scraping the cloth medium placed on the placing surface in the conveying direction; and A driving mechanism transmits a driving force to the cutting section and the rotating shaft so that a cutting operation of the cutting section and a rotating operation of the rotating shaft are performed in conjunction with each other.

2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving mechanism transmits driving force obtained from the same driving source to the cutting portion and the rotating shaft.

3. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the paddle parts are installed at different installation angles relative to the rotation axis.

4. The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The cutting section includes a fixed blade and a movable blade, wherein the fixed blade is arranged above the conveying path, and the movable blade is arranged below the conveying path. The upper surface of the movable blade is provided with the mounting surface, and the end surface on the upstream side in the conveying direction is provided with a blade surface. The movable blade rotates about a support shaft provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction by the driving force transmitted from the driving mechanism, so that the blade surface moves up and down, thereby cutting the cloth medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade.

5. The cutting device according to claim 4, wherein: The device further comprises a static eliminating member, which is disposed at a height capable of contacting the cloth medium scraped from the loading surface by the paddle portion and below the loading path at a downstream side of the loading surface in the conveying direction, and performs static elimination on the cloth medium in contact. The height of the static eliminating member is lower than the height on the downstream side of the loading surface in the transport direction in a standby state before the movable blade moves upward, and is higher than the height on the downstream side of the loading surface in the cutting state when the movable blade cuts the cloth medium.

6. The cutting device according to claim 5, wherein: The cutting device is detachable from the printer.

7. The cutting device according to claim 5, wherein: The upper surface of the movable blade is in a mountain shape.

8. The cutting device according to claim 3, wherein: A paddle angle adjustment unit is also provided, and the paddle angle adjustment unit is used to adjust the timing when the first paddle unit and the second paddle unit among the plurality of paddle units reach the placement surface.

9. The cutting device according to claim 4, wherein: The movable blade is a conductive member and is grounded.

10. A printer device comprising: A printing unit that prints on a long strip of cloth medium; a cutting unit, which is provided on a conveying path for conveying the printed cloth medium and cuts the cloth medium into a predetermined length; a placing surface which forms a part of the conveying path and on which the cloth medium cut by the cutting unit is placed; a rotating shaft, which is disposed above the conveying path and rotates in a conveying direction of the cloth medium; a paddle portion mounted on the rotating shaft, and moving in the conveying direction while in contact with the placing surface as the rotating shaft rotates, thereby scraping the cloth medium placed on the placing surface in the conveying direction; and A driving mechanism transmits a driving force to the cutting section and the rotating shaft so that a cutting operation of the cutting section and a rotating operation of the rotating shaft are performed in conjunction with each other.

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