Cutting mechanism in printing device

Abstract

A cutting mechanism in a printing apparatus includes: a cutter (35) configured to cut a part or all of a thickness of a medium (20) to be printed; a protrusion (50) provided on the cutter; a gear train (44) including a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the motor (43); and a driving unit (51) provided on one gear (48) of the gear train and configured to drive the cutter by rotation of the gear. The drive unit (51) operates the cutter (35) by abutting against a protrusion (50) provided on the cutter (35) by rotation of the gear (48).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cutting mechanism in a printing device. Background Art

[0002] Many printing devices that print on strips, such as label printers, include a cutting mechanism that cuts the strip after printing. In the case of an electric cutting mechanism, the force generated by a motor as a driving source is transmitted to a cutter, and the strip is cut by the operation of the cutter. As a structure for transmitting force to the cutter in the cutting mechanism, a structure using a cam mechanism (side cam protrusion) provided on a rotating circular plate is known (for example, JP2011-131316A). Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cutting mechanism in a printing device includes: a cutter configured to cut a part or all of the thickness of a printed medium; a protrusion provided on the cutter; a gear train including a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of a motor; and a driving unit provided on one gear of the gear train and configured to drive the cutter by rotation of the gear, the driving unit operating the cutter by abutting against a protrusion provided on the cutter due to the rotation of the gear.

[0004] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0005] According to the above aspect, a cutting mechanism in a printing device capable of operating a cutter can be obtained with a low-cost structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 : is a front view showing the internal structure of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0008] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the printing device according to the present embodiment.

[0009] Figure 4 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the cutting mechanism in the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0010] Figure 5 It is an enlarged front view of a part of the printing device including the cutting mechanism.

[0011] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C and Fig.6D It is a diagram showing the operation of the cutting mechanism. Fig. 6AThis is the initial state where the belt has not been cut by the cutting mechanism.

[0012] Figure 6B A state is shown in which the motor is rotating forward from an initial state to rotate the final gear and the rotating member in the first direction.

[0013] Figure 6C The motor is shown Figure 6B The state shown is further forwardly rotated to rotate the final gear and the rotating member in the first direction to a state where full cutting is completed by the full cutter.

[0014] Fig.6D A state in which the motor is reversed from an initial state to rotate the final gear and the rotating member in the second direction is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 3 FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the printing device 10 according to the present embodiment. Figures 1 to 3 The external components are attached to the outside of the internal structure shown to complete the printing device 10. The printing device 10 is a belt 20 ( Figure 1 ) to produce labels.

[0016] The tape 20 is contained in the tape box 21 ( Figure 1 The tape cassette 21 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 11 in the printing device 10, and printing is performed on the tape 20 pulled out from the tape cassette 21.

[0017] Printing by the printing device 10 is performed by a thermal transfer method in which ink from an ink ribbon (not shown) is applied to the tape 20 by heating. The cassette mounting portion 11 is provided with a thermal head 12 which is a printing head that heats the ink ribbon when printing.

[0018] The tape 20 has a structure in which a release paper layer (not shown), an adhesive layer (not shown), and a printing layer (not shown) are stacked. An ink ribbon (not shown) accommodated in a tape cassette 21 is conveyed to overlap the printing layer side, and during printing, the ink contained in the ink ribbon is melted and attached to the printing layer due to heating by the thermal head 12.

[0019] The printing method in the printing device 10 is not limited to the thermal transfer method. For example, the printing may be a thermal type printing in which the color former contained in the printing layer is developed by heating with the thermal head 12.

[0020] In the printing device 10, the platen roller 13 is provided at a position facing the thermal head 12. The platen roller 13 is movable between a position spaced apart from the thermal head 12 and a position in contact with the thermal head 12.

[0021] The tape 20 and the ink ribbon pulled out from the tape cassette 21 pass between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13. The tape 20 and the ink ribbon are sandwiched between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13 by moving the platen roller 13 to a position in contact with the thermal head 12. During printing, the thermal head 12 is heated in this sandwiched state. When the platen roller 13 rotates in this sandwiched state, the tape 20 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction. The printed tape 20 is conveyed by the rotation of the platen roller 13 and is discharged to the outside of the printing device 10.

[0022] The printing device 10 includes a chassis 14. The chassis 14 constitutes the main body of the printing device 10 and is made of a material with excellent strength such as metal. The various components constituting the printing device 10 are directly or indirectly attached to the chassis 14. The chassis 14 includes a bottom plate 14a and a plurality of side walls protruding from the bottom plate 14a. The bottom plate 14a has a substantially rectangular shape, and the direction of connecting one pair of sides among the four sides of the bottom plate 14a is set as the X-axis direction, and the direction of connecting the other pair of sides of the bottom plate 14a is set as the Y-axis direction. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is set as the Z-axis direction.

[0023] The support wall 15 (support member) is provided along one side extending in the Y-axis direction among the four sides of the bottom plate 14a. The support wall 15 is a wall portion protruding from the bottom plate 14a in the Z-axis direction, has a predetermined thickness in the X-axis direction, and has a pair of side surfaces facing the X-axis direction. The support wall 15 may be a part of the chassis 14, or may be formed as a component separate from the chassis 14 and fixed to the chassis 14.

[0024] The belt 20 is conveyed substantially in the X-axis direction by the rotation of the platen roller 13. That is, the X-axis direction is the conveying direction of the belt 20. The Y-axis direction is the thickness direction of the belt 20, and the Z-axis direction is the width direction of the belt 20. The support wall 15 is a vertical wall provided in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the belt 20 (substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction). The support wall 15 is defined as a boundary, and the inner side ( Figure 1 , Figure 5 The left side of the printing device 10 is defined as the inner side in the conveying direction, and the outer side ( Figure 1 , Figure 5 The right side of the belt 20 is defined as the outer side in the conveying direction. The printed belt 20 is discharged to the outside of the printing device 10 across the position where the support wall 15 is provided. The support wall 15 is set in a shape that does not block the conveying path of the belt 20, and an edge portion 15a facing the conveying path of the belt 20 is formed at the end of the support wall 15 facing the Y-axis direction.

[0025] A pair of edge portions 15a (see Figure 2 and Figure 3The interval between the pair of edge portions 15a is wider than the maximum width of the belt 20 to be used in the printing device 10, and the edge portions 15a are provided at two positions across the passing area of ​​the belt 20 in the Z-axis direction.

[0026] A belt guide for guiding the belt 20 to determine the conveying path is provided near the support wall 15. The belt guide is provided on the inner side of the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. Figure 5 As shown, the belt guide has a lower guide portion 17 and an upper guide portion 18 which are respectively provided on both sides of the conveying path of the belt 20 in the Y-axis direction.

[0027] The lower guide portion 17 is provided at a predetermined interval relative to the edge portion 15a of the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction, and is located slightly inside the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. The upper guide portion 18 is located inside the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. There is a gap between the upper guide portion 18 and the support wall 15 corresponding to the thickness of a blade receiving member 36 of a half cutter 35 described later.

[0028] The printed belt 20 passes between the lower guide 17 and the upper guide 18 and advances outward in the conveying direction. The distal end of the lower guide 17 is provided with an inclined portion, and the belt 20 is guided to advance in an appropriate direction, wherein the interval between the inclined portion and the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction becomes smaller as it advances from the inside to the outside in the conveying direction.

[0029] The printing device 10 includes a cutting mechanism 30 in the middle of the conveying path of the tape 20, wherein the printed tape 20 is cut by the cutting mechanism 30 to complete the label. The cutting mechanism 30 can select the cutting of the tape 20 from the full cutting device 31 and the half cutting device 35. The cutting mechanism 30 is described in detail below.

[0030] In the cutting mechanism 30, the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 are arranged at different positions in the conveying direction, the full cutter 31 is located on the upstream side in the conveying direction (the side close to the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13), and the half cutter 35 is located on the downstream side in the conveying direction (the side away from the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13).

[0031] The components of the cutting mechanism 30 are supported by the support wall 15, and the support wall 15 constitutes a support member that supports the cutting mechanism 30. In the printing device 10, of the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 arranged in the conveying direction, the half cutter 35 is provided at a position adjacent to the support wall 15, and the full cutter 31 is provided at the inner side (a position away from the support wall 15) relative to the half cutter 35 in the conveying direction.

[0032] like Figure 5As shown, the full cutter 31 includes a fixed blade 32 and a movable blade 33, wherein the fixed blade 32 is positioned adjacent to the upper guide portion 18 in the X-axis direction, and the movable blade 33 is positioned adjacent to the lower guide portion 17 in the X-axis direction. The fixed blade 32 is fixed to the upper guide portion 18. The movable member 34 (see Figure 2 , Figure 5 ) is supported on the support wall 15 so as to be rotatable about an axis (not shown) facing the X-axis direction, and a movable blade 33 is provided on the movable member 34. The movable member 34 is tensioned by a spring 29 (see Figure 5 ) in the direction in which the movable blade 33 and the fixed blade 32 are separated ( Figure 2 This separation state is the basic state of the full cutter 31. When the belt 20 is to be completely cut, the movable member 34 overcomes the biasing force of the tension spring 29 and rotates.

[0033] The full cutter 31 cuts the entire thickness of the tape 20 (the entire thickness from the release paper layer to the printed layer) in a scissor structure. The movable blade 33 approaches the fixed blade 32 by the rotation of the movable member 34, and the blade of the fixed blade 32 intersects with the blade of the movable blade 33 in the Y-axis direction, thereby cutting the tape 20 between the blades.

[0034] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the half cutter 35 includes a blade receiving member 36 and a cutting blade 37. The blade receiving member 36 is a plate-like member provided between the upper guide portion 18 and the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction, and is fixed in a state where the side surface of the blade receiving member 36 is in close contact with the inner surface of the support wall 15. In other words, the blade receiving member 36 is fixed adjacent to the support wall 15 in the conveying direction of the tape 20.

[0035] The upper guide 18 is fixed in contact with the inner side surface of the blade receiving member 36 (the side surface opposite to the side fixed to the support wall 15) in the conveying direction. The fixed blade 32 of the full cutter 31 is fixed in contact with the inner side surface of the upper guide 18 (the side surface opposite to the side fixed to the blade receiving member 36) in the conveying direction. That is, the fixed blade 32 of the full cutter 31, the upper guide 18, the blade receiving member 36 of the half cutter 35, and the support wall 15 are arranged in this order from the inside to the outside in the conveying direction, and these members are fixed to each other.

[0036] The blade receiving member 36 includes a supported portion 36a along the side surface of the supporting wall 15, and the supported portion 36a is fixed to the supporting wall 15. A receiving portion 36b having a curved shape that is bent outwardly in the conveying direction relative to the supported portion 36a is provided at the distal end in the Y-axis direction of the supported portion 36a. The receiving portion 36b is in contact with the edge portion 15a in the Y-axis direction of the supporting wall 15 and extends longer in the Z-axis direction. Since the receiving portion 36b is supported by a pair of edge portions 15a provided near both ends in the Z-axis direction of the supporting wall 15, the position of the receiving portion 36b can be determined with high accuracy.

[0037] The cutting blade 37 is located on the extension of the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction, and the distal end of the cutting blade 37 faces the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36 in the Y-axis direction. The cutting blade 37 changes the distance from the receiving portion 36b by a drive mechanism described later. Figure 2 and Figure 3 A state in which the cutting blade 37 is separated from the receiving portion 36b is shown.

[0038] In the half-cut state where the cutting blade 37 is closest to the receiving portion 36b, the stopper 37a ( Figure 4 ) abuts against the receiving portion 36b from the side opposite to the edge portion 15a of the support wall 15 to restrict further approach. The blade portion of the cutting blade 37 cuts into the tape 20 halfway, but stops in a state where the blade portion and the receiving portion 36b are separated by an amount corresponding to the difference in the protrusion amount of the stopper 37a and the blade portion. Therefore, in the half-cut state, the blade portion of the cutting blade 37 cuts the adhesive layer and the printed layer of the tape 20 and reaches the halfway of the release paper layer. In the portion not cut by the blade portion of the cutting blade 37, the release paper layer is continuous in the X-axis direction without being cut.

[0039] As described above, the half cutter 35 has a push-cut structure in which the cutting blade 37 with the stopper 37a is pressed against the blade receiving member 36 and cuts a portion of the thickness of the tape 20 (adhesive layer and printed layer) while receiving the force from the cutting blade 37 through the blade receiving member 36.

[0040] The cutting blade 37 is attached to the movable member 40. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the movable member 40 is a plate-shaped component that can rotate around a rotation axis 40a facing the X-axis direction, and the rotation axis 40a is connected to and supported by the support wall 15. The movable member 40 is set at a position along the outer side surface of the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. As described above, since the blade receiving member 36 of the half cutter 35 is supported on the inner side surface of the support wall 15 in the conveying direction, the blade receiving member 36 is supported on one side surface of the support wall 15, and the movable member 40 is supported on the other side surface of the support wall 15 (the side opposite to the blade receiving member 36, with the support wall 15 interposed therebetween).

[0041] In this manner, by separately arranging the blade receiving member 36 and the movable member 40 to which the cutting blade 37 is attached on both sides of the support wall 15, the constituent components of the half cutter 35 can be accommodated in an area close to the support wall 15 with high space efficiency. The blade receiving member 36 is a fixed part in the half cutter 35, and the cutting blade 37 is a movable part in the half cutter 35.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the movable member 40 is substantially L-shaped in a side view along the X-axis direction, and the vicinity of the curved portion of the L-shape is pivotally supported by the rotating shaft 40a. Figure 4 As shown, the movable member 40 has a shaft hole 40b pivotally supported by a rotating shaft 40a, and includes a first arm portion 40c and a second arm portion 40d extending in different directions from a position where the shaft hole 40b is formed. Each of the first arm portion 40c and the second arm portion 40d is a plate-shaped portion having a thickness in the X-axis direction.

[0043] The cutting blade 37 is attached to the surface of the first arm 40c facing the inner side in the conveying direction. The cutting blade 37 is fixed to the first arm portion 40c by a fixing screw 42. Although the first arm portion 40c is located at a position further outward in the conveying direction than the support wall 15, the cutting blade 37 is arranged at the same position as the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction (in a relationship of being aligned in the Y-axis direction), and the distance between the distal end of the cutting blade 37 and the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36 can be changed by the rotation (swing) of the movable member 40.

[0044] The cutter blade 37 is moved by the swing of the movable member 40 around the rotation axis 40a, but when the cutter blade 37 is in contact with the receiving portion 36b, the distal end of the cutter blade 37 is substantially parallel to the receiving portion 36b (in the direction extending along the Z-axis direction). Therefore, the pushing force applied from the cutter blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 during half cutting mainly includes a component in the Y-axis direction.

[0045] The tension spring 41 connects the first arm portion 40c of the movable member 40 and the spring hook portion 14b of the chassis 14. The tension spring 41 is arranged in a direction in which the cutting blade 37 is separated from the blade receiving member 36 ( Figure 2 A biasing force is applied to the movable member 40 in the counterclockwise direction (in the direction of FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 and Figure 3 The state in which the cutting blade 37 is separated from the blade receiving member 36 by the biasing force of the tension spring 41 is shown. This separated state is the basic state of the half cutter 35, and when the tape 20 is to be half cut, the movable member 40 operates against the biasing force of the tension spring 41.

[0046] The second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 extends along the support wall 15 and has a crank shape that is slightly bent from the support wall 15 toward the outside in the conveying direction. The second arm portion 40d is a flat plate portion parallel to the support wall 15 near the distal end and includes a protrusion 50 (see FIG. 5 ) protruding from the side surface of the second arm portion 40d toward the X-axis direction (outside in the conveying direction). Figure 4 ).

[0047] The chassis 14 includes a support plate portion 14c, which is located outside the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the motor 43 is attached to the support plate 14c. The support plate 14c has a flat plate shape extending in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the motor 43 is supported on the support plate 14c with the output shaft 43a facing the Y-axis direction.

[0048] The rotation of the output shaft 43a of the motor 43 is transmitted while being decelerated by the gear train 44. More specifically, the gear train 44 includes a first gear 45, a second gear 46, a third gear 47 and a final gear 48, and the rotation is transmitted to the first gear 45, the second gear 46, the third gear 47 and the final gear 48 in this order.

[0049] Each of the gears 45, 46, 47, 48 constituting the gear train 44 is supported on the chassis 14 or the support wall 15 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the X-axis direction. The first gear 45 meshes with a bevel gear 43b provided on the output shaft 43a of the motor 43, and converts the rotation of the output shaft 43a extending in the Y-axis direction into the rotation of the first gear 45 around an axis in the X-axis direction. The second gear 46 and the third gear 47 are both two-stage gears including a large-diameter gear and a small-diameter gear. The final gear 48 has an outer peripheral gear portion 48a meshing with the small-diameter gear of the third gear 47 on its outer peripheral surface, and the rotation is transmitted from the third gear 47 to the outer peripheral gear portion 48a.

[0050] The final gear 48 is disposed adjacent to the second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 on the outside in the conveying direction. Figure 4 As shown, an assembly hole 48b is formed at the center of the final gear 48. An assembly portion 49b provided on the shaft portion 49a of the rotating member 49 is assembled in the assembly hole 48b. The assembly portion 49b and the assembly hole 48b have a non-circular cross-sectional shape, and through this assembly, the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 are connected in a manner of rotating as one. The axis (shaft portion 49a) as the rotation center of the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 is parallel to the axis (rotation axis 40a) as the rotation center of the movable member 40 and the axis (not shown) as the rotation center of the movable member 34.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, the rotating member 49 is located on the inner side of the support wall 15 in the conveying direction. That is, the rotating member 49, the support wall 15, the second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 and the final gear 48 are arranged in this order from the inner side to the outer side in the conveying direction. An axial hole (not shown) is formed in the support wall 15 for inserting the shaft portion 49a.

[0052] like Figure 4 As shown, the shaft portion 49a has a cylindrical portion 49c on the base end side of the fitting portion 49b, and finally the gear 48 and the rotating member 49 are rotatably supported by the cylindrical portion 49c passing through the shaft hole of the support wall 15. The second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 has a long hole 40e through which the shaft portion 49a is inserted. The long hole 40e is an arc-shaped hole centered on the rotating shaft 40a, and serves as an escape hole to prevent the movable member 40 from interfering with the shaft portion 49a when the movable member 40 rotates around the rotating shaft 40a (refer to Fig. 6A ).

[0053] A recess 48c is formed in the final gear 48. The recess 48c opens on a side surface of the final gear 48 facing the second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 (a side surface facing the inside in the conveying direction), and is formed in a fan-shaped area centered on the fitting hole 48b when viewed in the X-axis direction.

[0054] The cam 51 is formed on the inner surface of the recess 48c. The cam 51 is provided at one end of the recess 48c in the rotation direction of the final gear 48, and extends from the center side where the fitting hole 48b is formed toward the outer peripheral side of the final gear 48 in a predetermined cam surface shape. The protrusion 50 protruding from the second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 is inserted into the recess 48c, and the final gear 48 rotates in a predetermined direction so that the cam 51 abuts against the protrusion 50. The cam 51 constitutes a driving unit that drives the half cutter 35 by the rotation of the final gear 48.

[0055] like Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the rotating member 49 is provided with a cam protrusion 52 protruding in the X-axis direction (inward in the conveying direction) at a position eccentric to the shaft portion 49a. The movable member 34 has a cam surface 53 located near the cam protrusion 52, and the cam protrusion 52 can abut against the cam surface 53 according to the rotation of the rotating member 49.

[0056] The motor 43 is a DC motor, and the rotation direction of the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 is changed by switching the rotation direction of the output shaft 43a of the motor 43. The final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 are rotated in the first direction ( Figure 2 and Fig. 6A The driving direction of the motor 43 rotating in the counterclockwise direction (in the forward direction) is defined as the forward rotation, which will cause the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 to rotate in the second direction ( Figure 2 and Fig. 6A The driving direction of the motor 43 rotating (clockwise in FIG. 1 ) is defined as reverse.

[0057] Fig. 6A This is an initial state in which the tape 20 is not cut by the cutting mechanism 30. In the initial state, the cam protrusion 52 is separated from the cam surface 53, and the movable member 34 is held at a position where the movable blade 33 is separated from the fixed blade 32 by the biasing force of the tension spring 29. In the initial state, the cam 51 is separated from the protrusion 50, and the movable member 40 is held at a position where the cutting blade 37 is separated from the blade receiving member 36 by the biasing force of the tension spring 41. Therefore, neither the full cutter 31 nor the half cutter 35 performs a cutting operation on the tape 20.

[0058] Figure 6B The motor 43 is shown rotating forward from the initial state, causing the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 to rotate halfway in the first direction. The cam protrusion 52 provided on the rotating member 49 presses the cam surface 53 by the rotation in the first direction. Then, the movable member 34 rotates against the force of the tension spring 29, and the movable blade 33 moves in a direction close to the fixed blade 32 ( Figure 2 ) and starts the cutting operation on the belt 20.

[0059] Figure 6C The motor 43 is shown Figure 6B The state shown is further forwardly rotated to rotate the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 in the first direction to a state where complete cutting by the full cutter 31 is completed. In this state, the movable blade 33 completely crosses the fixed blade 32, and the belt 20 is completely cut.

[0060] Fig.6DThe state in which the motor 43 is reversed from the initial state to rotate the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 in the second direction is shown. By rotating in the second direction, the cam 51 provided on the final gear 48 presses the protrusion 50. Then, the movable member 40 rotates against the force of the tension spring 41, and the cutting blade 37 moves in a direction close to the blade receiving member 36 ( Figure 2 The belt 20 is operated in a clockwise direction in the middle, and the belt 20 is cut in half.

[0061] The first detection switch 54 and the second detection switch 55 for detecting the rotational position of the rotating member 49 are provided around the rotating member 49. Each of the first detection switch 54 and the second detection switch 55 includes a protrusion that contacts a peripheral surface cam 49d provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating member 49, and the protrusion changes between a protruding state and a pressed state in response to a change in the shape of the peripheral surface cam 49d caused by the rotation of the rotating member 49.

[0062] The operating state of the cut-off mechanism 30 can be detected based on the positional relationship between the protrusion of the first detection switch 54 and the protrusion of the second detection switch 55. Fig. 6A In the initial state shown, the protrusion of the first detection switch 54 is protruding, and the protrusion of the second detection switch 55 is pressed in. Figure 6B In the state during the complete cutoff shown, both the protrusion of the first detection switch 54 and the protrusion of the second detection switch 55 are protruding. Figure 6C In the fully cut-off state shown, the protrusion of the first detection switch 54 is pressed in, and the protrusion of the second detection switch 55 is protruding. Fig.6D In the half-cut state shown, both the protrusion of the first detection switch 54 and the protrusion of the second detection switch 55 are pressed in.

[0063] In the case of full cutting, the control unit of the printing device 10 rotates the motor 43 forward until the full cutting completion state is detected, stops the motor 43 when the full cutting completion state is detected, and then reverses the motor 43 to return to the initial state. In the case of half cutting, the control unit of the printing device 10 reverses the motor 43 until the half cutting state is detected, stops the motor 43 when the half cutting state is detected, and then rotates the motor 43 forward to return to the initial state.

[0064] In the cutting mechanism 30 operating as described above, the full cutter 31 cuts (completely cuts) the tape 20 with a scissor structure in which the blades of the fixed blade 32 and the movable blade 33 cross each other, so that a strong force in the Y-axis direction is not applied from the movable blade 33 to the fixed blade 32 at the time of cutting. On the other hand, the half cutter 35 cuts (half-cuts) the tape 20 by a push-cut structure in which the stopper 37a of the cutting blade 37 is pressed against the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36, so that a force in the Y-axis direction is input from the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 at the time of cutting. The force applied to the blade receiving member 36 at the time of half-cutting differs depending on the model of the printing device 10, etc., and a load of about 40 kg is applied as an example.

[0065] In the printing device 10 according to the present embodiment, the cam 51 as a driving unit that drives the movable member 40 constituting the half cutter 35 is provided in the final gear 48 of the gear train 44 that transmits the driving force of the motor 43. That is, the final gear 48 itself causes the movable member 40 to operate without interposing another member from the final gear 48.

[0066] At the time of half-cutting, the torque when the half-cutting state is detected and the motor 43 stops is transmitted to the cutting blade 37 via the gears 45, 46, 47 of the gear train 44, the final gear 48 and the movable member 40, and the load is applied from the stopper 37a of the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36. In this load transmission path, the final gear 48 directly operates the movable member 40, so there is no weak part, and excellent load-bearing performance can be obtained.

[0067] For example, as a comparative example different from the present embodiment, it is assumed that the movable member 40 of the half cutter 35 is operated via the rotating member 49 instead of the final gear 48. In this comparative example, the strength of the portion where the assembly hole 48b and the shaft portion 49a are assembled with each other needs to be quite high so as to withstand a large torque at the time of half cutting. In particular, since the shaft portion 49a and the assembly hole 48b provided at the rotation center position of the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 are assembled with each other, the torque applied to the shaft portion 49a per unit rotation angle of the final gear 48 and the rotating member 49 at the time of half cutting is quite large. Moreover, it is necessary to take measures such as forming the rotating member 49 including the shaft portion 49a from a special material with high hardness.

[0068] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the movable member 34 constituting the full cutter 31 is operated via the rotating member 49, and the full cutter 31 has a lower load than the half cutter 35 when operating. Since the full cutter 31 has a structure that does not press the movable blade 33 against the fixed blade 32 when fully cutting, it is not easy to act a large force on the supporting portion of the movable blade 33 or the fixed blade 32 compared with the half cutter 35. Therefore, compared with the above-mentioned comparative example in which the half cutter 35 is operated via the rotating member 49, the strength required for the shaft portion 49a of the rotating member 49 can be reduced. That is, the cost of obtaining the rotating member 49 is low.

[0069] The shaft portion 49a of the rotating member 49 passes through the shaft hole of the support wall 15 and the long hole 40e of the second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 and is fitted into the fitting hole 48b, thereby enabling the final gear 48 to be coupled to the rotating member 49 without interfering with the operation of the movable member 40.

[0070] The final gear 48 for operating the half cutter 35 has a structure in which the outer peripheral gear portion 48a receives the force from the third gear 47. In the rotation transmission of the outer peripheral gear portion 48a of the outermost peripheral portion of the final gear 48, the load acting on the final gear 48 per unit rotation angle is reduced compared to the rotation transmission at the rotation center position such as the shaft portion 49a and the assembly hole 48b. Therefore, when the half cutter 35 is operated, the maximum value of the load applied to the rotation transmission portion of the final gear 48 is reduced. Therefore, the strength required for the final gear 48 can be reduced, and the cost of obtaining the final gear 48 is low.

[0071] The cam 51 of the final gear 48 is provided as the inner surface of the recess 48c that is recessed relative to the side surface of the final gear 48, and the protrusion 50 provided on the movable member 40 of the half cutter 35 is inserted into the recess 48c. Therefore, when the cam 51 presses the protrusion 50 to operate the movable member 40, the cam 51 and the protrusion 50 abut against each other at a position where it is difficult to generate a moment that tilts the movable member 40 relative to the rotation direction of the final gear 48, and the force can be effectively transmitted from the final gear 48 to the movable member 40 with high precision. Since the cam 51 and the protrusion 50 abut in the recess 48c of the final gear 48, there is no structure that protrudes to the outside of the final gear 48 in order to transmit the force to the movable member 40, and the space efficiency is also excellent.

[0072] The movable member 40 is disposed adjacent to the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction (the conveying direction of the belt 20). Since the distance between the movable member 40 and the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction is short, the movable member 40 can operate with excellent stability.

[0073] The second arm portion 40d of the movable member 40 is located between the support wall 15 and the final gear 48 in the X-axis direction, and in the second arm portion 40d, the protrusion 50 is provided on the side surface (side surface on the outer side in the conveying direction) opposite to the side surface facing the support wall 15. According to this configuration, as Figure 5 As shown, the second arm portion 40 d of the movable member 40 is accommodated in the space between the support wall 15 and the final gear 48 in the X-axis direction, achieving a space-efficient arrangement and an operation excellent in stability.

[0074] Furthermore, in the half cutter 35, the movable member 40 and the blade receiving member 36 are provided on both sides of the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction, and the blade receiving member 36 is also adjacent to the support wall 15 in the conveying direction (X-axis direction) similarly to the movable member 40. Since the distance between the blade receiving member 36 and the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction is short, when the blade receiving member 36 receives the load in the Y-axis direction from the cutting blade 37, the moment with a tilting tendency relative to the input direction of the load is not so easy to act.

[0075] The blade receiving member 36 includes a receiving portion 36b having a shape that is bent outward (toward the support wall 15) in the conveying direction, and the receiving portion 36b is located at a position that contacts the edge portion 15a of the support wall 15. Therefore, the cutting blade 37, the receiving portion 36b, and the support wall 15 are in a positional relationship aligned in the Y-axis direction, and at the time of half-cutting, the load from the cutting blade 37 is linearly input to the support wall 15 via the receiving portion 36b. Since the support wall 15 has a high strength to resist the load (compression load) linearly input in the Y-axis direction, it is quite advantageous to receive the load at the edge portion 15a in terms of strength. Since the force from the receiving portion 36b is directly received by the edge portion 15a, it is not easy to generate a shear load between the supported portion 36a of the blade receiving member 36 and the support wall 15.

[0076] As described above, the cutting mechanism 30 can transmit the driving force of the motor 43 to the movable member 40 when half-cutting is performed by the half cutter 35 by means of the driving force transmission structure that can be obtained at low cost with a simple structure. In particular, since the movable member 40 of the half cutter 35 is operated by the cam 51 of the final gear 48 of the gear train 44, the driving force of the motor 43 can be transmitted to the movable member 40 without using a special component that is high in hardness and high in cost.

[0077] The cutter mechanism 30 has a structure that uses the support wall 15 to reinforce the strength of the movable member 40 and the blade receiving member 36 , and is excellent in reliability and durability of the operation of the half cutter 35 that receives the force from the final gear 48 .

[0078] The above-mentioned embodiment shows a specific example to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0079] As described above, the structure in which the force is transmitted to the protrusion 50 of the movable member 40 via the cam 51 as the inner surface of the recess 48c of the final gear 48 can efficiently transmit the power in a space-saving manner. However, a structure other than the cam 51 can also be selected as the driving unit provided in the final gear 48. For example, a protrusion such as the protrusion 50 can also be provided on the side surface of the final gear 48, and a recess or hole in which the protrusion can be inserted can be formed in the movable member 40, so that the power is transmitted from the protrusion on the side of the final gear 48 to the recess or hole on the side of the movable member 40.

[0080] Generally, since the load applied to the half cutter is large at the time of cutting, the object driven by the cam 51 provided on the final gear 48 of the gear train 44 is preferably the half cutter 35, as in the above-mentioned embodiment. However, the same structure can also be applied to the drive of the full cutter. That is, the cutting mechanism according to the present invention can be applied to general cutters including half cutters and full cutters.

[0081] For example, in a printing device of a type including only a full cutter and not including a half cutter, the cutting mechanism according to the present invention is applied to the full cutter.

[0082] In the cutting mechanism of the printing device including both the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 as in the above-described embodiment, another cam for operating the full cutter 31 may be provided in the final gear 48 separately from the cam 51 for operating the half cutter 35. In this case, both the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 are directly operated by a single cam of the final gear 48.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, the cam 51 is provided on the final gear 48 of the gear train 44 , and the cam as a driving unit for driving the cutter may be provided on a gear other than the final gear 48 .

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 50 has a cylindrical / columnar (columnar) shape, but the shape of the protrusion is not limited thereto.

[0085] This application is based on the Japanese patent application (JP2022-146966) filed on September 15, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0086] Industrial Applicability

[0087] According to the present invention, a cutting mechanism in a printing device capable of operating a cutter with a low-cost structure can be provided.

[0088] Reference numerals list

[0089] 10: Printing device

[0090] 11: Box installation part

[0091] 12: Thermal head

[0092] 13: Embossing roller

[0093] 14: Chassis

[0094] 15: Support wall (support member)

[0095] 17: Lower guide

[0096] 18: Upper guide

[0097] 20: tape (printed medium)

[0098] 21: With box

[0099] 29: Extension spring

[0100] 30: Cutting off mechanism

[0101] 31: Full cutter (cutter)

[0102] 32: Fixed blade

[0103] 33: Movable blade

[0104] 34: Movable components

[0105] 35: Half cutter (cutter)

[0106] 36: Blade receiving member

[0107] 36a: supported portion

[0108] 36b: Receiving unit

[0109] 37: Cutting blade

[0110] 37a: Stopper

[0111] 40: Movable components

[0112] 40a: Rotation axis (axis of movable member)

[0113] 40b: Axle hole

[0114] 40c: First arm

[0115] 40d: Second arm part (plate-shaped part)

[0116] 40e: Long hole

[0117] 41: Extension spring

[0118] 43: Motor

[0119] 44: Gear train

[0120] 45: First Gear

[0121] 46: Second Gear

[0122] 47: Third Gear

[0123] 48: Final Gear

[0124] 48a: Outer gear part

[0125] 48b: Mounting hole

[0126] 48c: Concave

[0127] 49: Rotating component

[0128] 49a: shaft (gear shaft)

[0129] 49b: Assembly Department

[0130] 49c: cylindrical part

[0131] 49d: Circumferential surface cam

[0132] 50: Protrusion

[0133] 51: Cam (driving unit)

[0134] 52: Cam protrusion

[0135] 53: Cam surface

[0136] 54: First detection switch

[0137] 55: Second detection switch

Claims

1. A cutting mechanism in a printing device, the cutting mechanism comprising: a cutter configured to cut a portion or all of the thickness of the printed medium; a protrusion disposed on the cutter; a gear train including a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the motor; and a driving unit provided on one gear of the gear train and configured to drive the cutter by rotation of the gear; The driving unit operates the cutter by causing the rotation of the gear to cause the protrusion provided on the cutter to abut against the protrusion.

2. The cutting mechanism in the printing device according to claim 1, in, The cutter is a half cutter including a blade receiving member fixed to a supporting member and a cutter blade provided on a movable member rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the gear. The supporting member is a supporting wall arranged in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the printed medium. wherein, in a case where a portion of the thickness of the printed medium is cut off, a stopper provided on the cutting blade abuts against the blade receiving member, and The movable member includes a plate-shaped portion, the plate-shaped portion is located between the support wall and the gear in the conveying direction of the printed medium, and the protrusion is provided on a side surface of the plate-shaped portion.

3. The cutting mechanism in the printing device according to claim 2, The driving unit has a recessed portion on a side surface of the plate-shaped portion facing the movable member, and a cam is formed on an inner surface of the recessed portion.

4. The cutting mechanism in the printing device according to claim 3, further comprising a full cutter configured to cut through the entire thickness of the printed medium, in, A rotating member configured to operate the full cutter is coupled to the gear through a shaft portion penetrating the support wall and the plate-shaped portion.

5. The cutting mechanism in the printing device according to claim 4, in, When the gear rotates in a first direction, the cam abuts against the protrusion to operate the half cutter, and Wherein, when the gear rotates in the second direction, the rotating member operates the full cutter.

6. A cutting mechanism in a printing device, the cutting mechanism comprising: a cutter configured to cut a portion or all of the thickness of the printed medium; a recess formed on the cutter; a gear train including a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the motor; and a driving unit provided on one gear of the gear train and configured to drive the cutter by rotation of the gear; The driving unit includes a protrusion configured to operate the cutter by abutting against the recess formed on the cutter due to the rotation of the gear.

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