Printer

Abstract

A printer with a slitting section having a small setting space is provided. The printer (1) has a slitting section (25), which includes: a motor (57); a pinion (67) fixed to a rotating shaft (57A) and rotating integrally with the rotating shaft (57A); a reduction gear (69) that reduces and transmits the rotation of the pinion (67); a drive gear (71) that passes through the rotating shaft (57A) without directly transmitting the rotation of the rotating shaft (57A) and rotates on the rotating shaft (57A) in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion (67) and the reduction gear (69); a drive rotating blade (61A) integrally formed with the drive gear (71) and rotating coaxially with the drive gear (71); and a driven rotating blade (61B) that rotates by the drive rotating blade (61A). The slitting section (25) cuts the paper (12A, 14A) passing between the drive rotating blade (61A) and the driven rotating blade (61B).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a printer. Background Technology

[0002] In order to obtain print outputs of different widths without having to prepare multiple types of paper, there exists a printer with a slitting function that prints on paper with a large width and then cuts the paper to adjust it to the desired small width.

[0003] For example, the printer described in Patent Document 1 has a rotating blade for cutting paper on the same shaft as the paper transport roller. When cutting paper, the rotating blade is moved to a predetermined cutting position, and the rotating blade is rotated by the rotation of the transport roller to cut the paper passing through the transport path.

[0004] The printers described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have rotating blades mounted on the rotating shaft of a motor. When cutting paper, the rotating blades are moved to a predetermined cutting position, and the motor is rotated to rotate the rotating blades, cutting the paper passing through the transport path.

[0005] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-105383 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6074990 Patent Document 3: Chinese Utility Model No. 213140873 Specification Summary of the Invention The problem the invention aims to solve However, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, the mechanism for moving the rotating blade to the cutting position requires a setting space exceeding the width of the paper, resulting in an enlarged printer.

[0006] Furthermore, the printers described in Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3 have a smaller installation space compared to the structure in Patent Document 1, but require a large motor to obtain the torque needed to cut the paper. Therefore, it is difficult to install them within the limited space of the paper discharge port.

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a printer with a slitting section having a smaller setting space.

[0008] means for solving problems To achieve the aforementioned objective, the printer of the present invention has a slitting section comprising: a motor having a rotating shaft; a pinion fixed to the rotating shaft and rotating integrally with the rotating shaft; a reduction gear that reduces and transmits the rotation of the pinion; a drive gear passing through the rotating shaft in a state that does not directly transmit the rotation of the rotating shaft, and rotating on the rotating shaft in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion and the reduction gear; a drive rotating blade integrally formed with the drive gear and rotating coaxially with the drive gear; and a driven rotating blade that rotates by partially contacting the drive rotating blade. The slitting section cuts the paper passing between the drive rotating blade and the driven rotating blade in a transport direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft.

[0009] Invention Effects By rotating the drive blade via a reduction gear, the torque generated on the drive blade is increased compared to the case where the drive blade is fixed to the output shaft of the motor. Therefore, even using a small motor with low torque generated on the output shaft, sufficient torque can be generated on the drive blade to cut the paper through both the drive blade and the driven blade. Consequently, compared to inventions using large motors that generate greater torque, this invention reduces the space required for the slitting section.

[0010] Furthermore, by mounting the drive rotating blade on the motor's rotating shaft, the motor and drive rotating blade can be coaxially configured, allowing the space occupied by the drive rotating blade in the radial direction centered on the rotating shaft to overlap with the space occupied by the motor, thereby reducing the installation space. Moreover, by fixing the drive rotating blade to the motor's rotating shaft, compared to a structure where the motor's rotating shaft and the drive rotating blade's shaft are separately configured coaxially, no core misalignment between the shafts occurs. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printer according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a vertical plane passing through the center of the printer's width direction and along the front-to-back direction.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view showing the state of the slitting units removed from the main body.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional view of the cut section.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the motor's rotating shaft passing through the cutting section and along the vertical plane in the left-right direction.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a left view of the slitting section used to illustrate the situation of paper passing through the slitting unit.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the printer according to the second embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view formed by a vertical plane passing through the center of the printer's width direction and including the front and back directions.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing the upper unit, which integrates the cutting unit, slitting unit, discharge path, and a portion of the printing standby path.

[0020] Figure 10 It shows that Figure 9 The cross-sectional view of the upper unit shown, approximately at the center of the width direction W, cut off by a vertical plane including the front and rear directions.

[0021] Figure 11 It shows along Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of the surface along line AA in the upper unit.

[0022] Figure 12 It is shown Figure 11 A three-dimensional view of the slitting portion in the slitting unit shown.

[0023] Figure 13 It is a cross-sectional view showing the vertical plane of the shaft of the cutting motor, including the cutting section.

[0024] Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 A magnified view of the details of area B shown.

[0025] Figure 15 This is a top-down view showing the cutting lines and starting points of the cutting lines that divide the paper sections on both sides and the central section.

[0026] Figure 16 Viewed from the front to the back of the transport direction Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the state.

[0027] Figure 17 The cutting unit at which the present invention is not applied in the comparative example Figure 15 The corresponding diagram.

[0028] Figure 18 The cutting unit at which the present invention is not applied in the comparative example Figure 16 The corresponding diagram.

[0029] Figure 19This is a top view diagram showing the cut line when the paper is skewed.

[0030] Figure 20 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the cutting line when the slitting section (slitting blade assembly) is moved in a manner that counteracts the amount of skew. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the printer of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings.

[0032] <First Implementation> [Overall Structure] use Figures 1 to 6 The first embodiment of the printer will be described. Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the appearance of printer 1. Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a vertical plane passing through the center of the width direction W of printer 1 and along the front-back direction L.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, printer 1 is generally rectangular in shape, having a main body 3 and a trash can 5. In this embodiment, as... Figure 1 As shown, the left-right direction (width direction) W, the front-back direction (length direction) L, and the up-down direction (height direction) H are defined.

[0034] The main body 3 is formed by covering the outside of the metal frame with a metal outer cover 7, a resin upper front shell 9, and a lower front shell 11. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the interior of the main body 3 has a roll paper receiving chamber 13 for receiving roll paper 12, a single sheet paper receiving chamber 15 for receiving single sheet paper 14, and an ink ribbon receiving chamber 17 for receiving ink ribbon unit 16.

[0035] The toilet paper receiving chamber 13 contains a roll of paper 12, which is formed by winding a long strip of paper 12A into a roll. The roll of paper 12 can be replaced by pulling the main body 3 out of the outer cover 7, popping up the upper front part of the main body 3 with the upper front housing 9, and removing the trash can 5.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the sheet-fed receiving chamber 15 is located at the bottom of the printer 1, below the roll paper receiving chamber 13. The sheet-fed receiving chamber 15 accommodates and feeds sheets 14 cut to a predetermined size in the thickness direction.

[0037] The single-sheet receiving chamber 15 is covered by the lower front housing 11. It is configured to be able to be pulled forward independently of the main body 3 by placing a finger on the finger placement portion 11a formed on the upper part of the lower front housing 11 and pulling it forward in the front-rear direction L. The single-sheet receiving chamber 15 opens at the top when it is pulled forward, allowing the single sheet of paper 14 stored inside to be taken out and put in from the top of the opening.

[0038] The upper front housing 9 is disposed on the upper front part of the main body 3. The upper front housing 9 is disposed opposite to the cutting unit 19 and the slitting unit 21 disposed on the upper front part of the main body 3, and covers the cutting unit 19 and the slitting unit 21.

[0039] A discharge port 23 is formed on the front surface of the upper front housing 9 to discharge the papers 12A and 14A transported from the interior of the main body 3 to the outside. The discharge port 23 is formed to be longer than the width of the papers 12A and 14A. A recess 23A is formed in the discharge port 23, exposing a portion 29 of the cutting portion 25 described below. The exposed portion 29 can move in the left-right direction within the recess 23A. When the paper is not being cut, the exposed portion 29 is located at the left end of the recess 23A, and when the paper is being cut, the exposed portion 29 is located at the right end of the recess 23A.

[0040] In addition to the roll paper storage chamber 13, sheet paper storage chamber 15 and ink ribbon storage chamber 17, the main body 3 also includes a power supply, a paper handling unit, an ink ribbon handling unit, a cutting unit 19, a slitting unit 21 and a control unit 22.

[0041] The trash can 5 is detachably mounted on the main body 3 by blocking the opening on the front surface of the main body 3. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the trash can 5 is locked in the closed state and remains closed by engaging with the main body 3. By pulling it forward, the engagement is released, and it can be detached from the main body 3. Alternatively, by pressing the trash can 5 backward (R) from the detached state, the trash can 5 engages with the main body 3 and is installed on the main body 3, maintaining the installed state.

[0042] The trash can 5 is box-shaped with an opening at the top and an internal space 5a. The opening 5b at the top of the trash can 5 is open relative to the cutting unit 19.

[0043] If the blank portions of the papers 12A and 14A are cut into thin strips in the width direction W of the papers 12A and 14A by the cutting unit 19, the paper strips fall down and are placed in the internal space 5a of the trash can 5 through the opening 5b.

[0044] The main body 3 is provided with an ink ribbon section IR for transporting the ink ribbon T of the ink ribbon unit 16 housed in the ink ribbon housing 17. The ink ribbon T is a strip-shaped sheet in which the ink areas of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) and the outer coating area (OP) are arranged alternately and repeatedly in the long side direction. The ink ribbon unit 16 can be replaced by pulling out the main body 3 from the outer cover 7.

[0045] The main body 3 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 31 that conveys paper 12A from the roll paper receiving chamber 13 along the conveying path PP and paper 14A from the single sheet paper receiving chamber 15 along the conveying path PP. The conveying path PP is... Figure 2 The path is shown by a single-dot line. In this embodiment, the direction of transport from the paper supply position (roll paper receiving chamber 13 and single sheet paper receiving chamber 15) to the discharge port 23 is defined as the forward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the reverse direction. Papers 12A and 14A are transported in the forward and reverse directions on the transport path PP by the transport mechanism 31, and finally discharged from the discharge port 23.

[0046] The transport path PP has a roll paper feeding path P1, a sheet paper feeding path P2, a paper feeding path P3, a flipping path P4, a printing path P5, and a paper discharge path P6. The transport mechanism 31, along the transport path PP, has a roll paper feed roller 33, a sheet paper feed roller 35, a sheet paper feeding roller 37, a clamping roller 39, a pressure roller 41, a reversing roller 43, a cutting section roller 45, and a slitting section roller 47.

[0047] The roll paper feed roller 33 clamps the paper 12A extending from the roll paper 12 and transports it to the clamping roller 39. The sheet paper feed roller 35 contacts the topmost sheet paper 14 and feeds it out by rotation. The sheet paper feed roller 37 is positioned near the sheet paper feed roller 35 and transports the paper 14A to be fed out via the feed path P3 to the clamping roller 39. The clamping roller 39 clamps the papers 12A and 14A and moves them forward and transports them to the printing path P5. During printing, the clamping roller 39 moves the papers 12A and 14A in the reverse direction. In addition, when printing on both sides of the paper 14A (sheet paper), the paper 14A is moved forward to the flipping path P4. The pressure roller 41 is positioned opposite the thermal head described below and supports the paper 12A and 14A pressed by the ink ribbon.

[0048] The reversing roller 43 is driven when printing on both sides of the paper 14A (sheet paper). When printing on the reverse side, the paper 14A is transported by the clamping roller 39 to the reversing path RP of the transport path PP, and then advanced by the reversing roller 43 to the paper feed path P3.

[0049] The cutting roller 45 is provided in the cutting unit 19. When cutting blanks of the paper 12A and 14A or when cutting the paper 12A from the roll 12, it advances the paper 12A and 14A to a predetermined position and presses them to prevent them from deviating during the cutting process.

[0050] The slitting roller 47 is provided in the slitting unit 21, which moves the papers 12A and 14A toward the discharge port 23. As described below, when cutting the papers 12A and 14A, the slitting section 25 moves to the transport path and discharges the papers 12A and 14A while cutting them.

[0051] A thermal head 49 is positioned opposite to the pressure roller 41. The thermal head 49 is located on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon T, which is tensioned by the guide section 51. The ink ribbon T, which is tensioned by the guide section and fed synchronously with the papers 12A and 14A, is pressed against the papers 12A and 14A being transported on the transport path PP. The ink on the transfer surface is transferred to the papers 12A and 14A by heat to form a print.

[0052] [Segmentation Unit] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the state where the cutting unit 21 has been removed from the main body 3. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the slit section 25. Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the vertical plane along the left-right direction, passing through the rotating shaft of the motor of the cutting section 25. Figure 6 This is a left view of the cutting section 25 used to illustrate the paper passing through the cutting unit 21. Figure 5 The internal structure of motor 57 is omitted from the illustration.

[0053] The slitting unit 21 includes a unit frame 53, a slitting section 25, a slitting section moving unit 27, and a slitting section roller 47.

[0054] The unit frame 53 is a metal frame. The unit frame 53 is equipped with a slitting section 25, a slitting section moving unit 27, and a slitting section roller 47. The slitting unit 21 can be removed from the main body 3 by removing the unit frame 53.

[0055] The slitting roller 47 has a drive roller 47A and a driven roller 47B. When the slitting unit 21 is installed in the main body 3, the papers 12A and 14A transported by the cutting roller 45 are held by the drive roller 47A and the driven roller 47B and move toward the discharge outlet 23.

[0056] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cut section 25 is shown with the outer casing 25B removed. (See diagram.) Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the slitting section 25 has a slitting frame 55, a motor 57, a gear train 59, and a set of rotating blades 61 (driving rotating blade 61A and driven rotating blade 61B).

[0057] The slitting frame 55 is composed of a base portion (passage member) 63 and an assembly wall portion 65. The assembly wall portion 65 has a fixing portion 65A fixed to the edge of the base portion 63, a flat portion 65B extending along the base portion 63, and an assembly portion 65C extending vertically from the edge of the flat portion 65B. The motor 57 and the gear train 59 are assembled in the assembly portion 65C. A hole 65D is partially formed in the flat portion 65B, and a cutting portion of a set of rotating blades 61 is disposed in the hole 65D.

[0058] A gap G is provided between the base portion 63 and the flat portion 65B of the assembly wall portion 65, through which unwanted portions (papers 12A″, 14A″) of the papers 12A, 14A cut by a set of rotating blades 61 can pass.

[0059] The motor 57 has a rotating shaft 57A as an output shaft, and the outer peripheral surface of the housing (the surface covering the rotating shaft 57A from the outer side in the radial direction) has a pair of flat surfaces 57B, 57B. In this embodiment, as... Figure 6 As shown, the motor 57 is set at a predetermined angle θ relative to the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6) with the rotation axis 57A as the center, so that the gap G between the papers 12A, 14A advancing on the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6) and the flat surface 57B gradually narrows.

[0060] This is to prevent the paper sheets 12A and 14A from touching the housing of motor 57, thereby preventing the motor from obstructing the paper handling and cutting. Additionally, this is to ensure that after the paper is cut, the unwanted portions of the cut paper sheets 12A and 14A (paper sheets 12A″ and 14A″) touch the housing of motor 57, and are discharged in a drooping state as paper portions (paper sheets 12A´ and 14A´) adjusted to their width dimensions (see reference). Figure 6 The specified angle θ is, for example, 5° to 10°. In addition, in accordance with the tilt angle of the motor 57, the base part (passage member) 63 is formed to be approximately parallel to the flat surface 57B and inclined relative to the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6).

[0061] The gear train 59 includes a pinion 67, a reduction gear 69, and a drive gear 71. The pinion 67 is fixed to the rotating shaft 57A and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 57A. The reduction gear 69 is integrally formed by a large-diameter gear 69a (larger in diameter than the pinion 67) and a small-diameter gear 69b (smaller in diameter than the large-diameter gear 69a) sharing a common shaft. The pinion 67 meshes with the large-diameter gear 69a of the reduction gear 69, transmitting the rotation of the pinion 67. The small-diameter gear 69b rotates integrally with the large-diameter gear 69a.

[0062] The drive gear 71 passes through the rotating shaft 57A without directly transmitting its rotation, and rotates freely around the rotating shaft 57A. The drive gear 71 meshes with the small-diameter gear 69b of the reduction gear 69. Thus, the reduction gear 69 slows down the rotation of the pinion 67 and transmits this speed to the drive gear 71. The rotations of the drive gear 71, the pinion 67, and the reduction gear 69 are linked and rotate on the rotating shaft 57A (around the rotating shaft 57A).

[0063] In this embodiment, the drive gear 71 and the drive rotating blade 61A are integrated. The drive gear 71 and the drive rotating blade 61A rotate coaxially. The drive rotating blade 61A is mounted on the rotating shaft 57A via a bearing 73. The outer ring of the bearing 73 is fixed to the drive rotating blade 61A, and the inner ring is fixed to the rotating shaft 57A. According to this structure, compared with the case where the drive rotating blade 61A is fixed to the rotating shaft 57A of the motor 57 and rotated, the drive rotating blade 61A can be rotated with a larger torque.

[0064] The rotating shaft of the driven rotating blade 61B is mounted between the base part 63 and the fixed part 65A.

[0065] A spring 75 is disposed between the fixed part 65A and the driven rotating blade 61B, and the driven rotating blade 61B applies force to the driving rotating blade 61A. As a result, the driven rotating blade 61B rotates by the rotation of the driving rotating blade 61A, cutting the paper 12A and 14A passing between the driving rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B.

[0066] The slitting section moving unit 27 moves the slitting section 25 so that the driving rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B are positioned at predetermined positions on the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6) of the papers 12A and 14A. In this embodiment, the slitting section moving unit 27 is composed of a linear stepper motor 27.

[0067] In the slitting section 25, a protrusion 63A (see reference) is provided on the lower surface of the base section 63. Figure 5The slidable portion 25A is slidably fitted into the groove (not shown) formed in the unit frame 53, and the protrusion 25C formed in the outer shell 25B of the slidable portion 25 is slidably fitted into the groove 53A formed in the unit frame 53. Therefore, the slidable portion 25 can move in the left-right direction without rotation. Thus, if a command to cut the papers 12A and 14A is issued from the control unit 22, the linear stepper motor 27 rotates according to the command, and the slidable portion 25 moves from the standby position to the cutting position.

[0068] Without cutting the 12A and 14A papers, the slitting section 25 is in the standby position. Figure 3 (In the state of the paper), paper 12A and 14A are discharged from the discharge port 23 by the slitting roller 47.

[0069] When cutting papers 12A and 14A, according to the command from the control unit 22, the slitting unit 25 moves from the standby position to the right to the predetermined cutting position, driving the rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B to rotate at that position. In this state, if papers 12A and 14A advance with the help of the slitting unit roller 47, then... Figure 6 As shown, papers 12A and 14A are cut by the driven rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B, adjusted to the desired width, and then discharged from the discharge port 23. Unwanted portions (papers 12A″, 14A″) are also discharged from the discharge port 23 along with the paper 12A and 14A whose widths have been adjusted (papers 12A´, 14A´). In this embodiment, the width of papers 12A and 14A is 8 inches (approximately 20.32 cm), and the width of papers 12A´ and 14A´ cut by the slitting section is 6 inches (approximately 15.24 cm) or 7 inches (approximately 17.78 cm). Once paper discharge is complete, the slitting section 25 moves to the left and returns to the standby position according to the command from the control unit 22.

[0070] (The function of a printer) The function of printer 1 is explained below.

[0071] The printer 1 is characterized by having a slitting section 25, which includes: a motor 57 having a rotating shaft 57A; a pinion 67 fixed to the rotating shaft 57A and rotating integrally with the rotating shaft 57A; a reduction gear 69 that reduces and transmits the rotation of the pinion 67; a drive gear 71 that passes through the rotating shaft 57A without directly transmitting the rotation of the rotating shaft 57A, and rotates on the rotating shaft 57A in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 67 and the reduction gear 69; a drive rotating blade 61A integrally formed with the drive gear 71 and rotating coaxially with the drive gear 71; and a driven rotating blade 61B that rotates by partially contacting the drive rotating blade 61A. The slitting section 25 cuts the paper 12A and 14A passing between the drive rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B in a transport direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft 57A.

[0072] Thus, in this invention, by rotating the drive blade via a reduction gear, the torque generated on the drive blade is increased compared to the case where the drive blade is fixed to the output shaft of the motor. Therefore, even using a small motor with low torque generated on the output shaft, sufficient torque can be generated on the drive blade to cut the paper through both the drive blade and the driven blade. Consequently, compared to inventions using large motors that generate greater torque, this invention reduces the space required for the slitting section.

[0073] Furthermore, by mounting the drive rotary blade on the motor's rotating shaft, the motor and drive rotary blade can be coaxially configured, allowing the space occupied by the drive rotary blade in the radial direction centered on the rotating shaft to overlap with the space occupied by the motor, thus reducing the installation space. Moreover, by fixing the drive rotary blade to the motor's rotating shaft, compared to a structure where the motor's rotating shaft and the drive rotary blade's shaft are separately configured coaxially, no core misalignment between the shafts occurs.

[0074] In printer 1, at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the motor 57 housing has a flat surface 57B, which is positioned to face the paper 12A, 14A that is advancing on the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6). The motor 57 can also be set at a predetermined angle (θ) relative to the transport path with the rotation axis 57A as the center, so that the gap between the paper 12A, 14A advancing on the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6) and the flat surface 57B gradually narrows.

[0075] Therefore, since the papers 12A and 14A do not touch the motor 57, the motor 57 will not obstruct the handling and cutting of the papers 12A and 14A. In addition, after the papers are cut, the unwanted parts of the cut papers 12A and 14A (papers 12A″ and 14A″) touch the housing of the motor 57, and are discharged in a hanging state with the paper parts (papers 12A´ and 14A´) adjusted according to their width dimensions.

[0076] It may have a passage member (base portion) 63, the opposing surface of the passage member (base portion) 63 opposite to the flat surface 57B of the motor 57 is substantially parallel to the flat surface 57B and is formed to be inclined relative to the transport path PP (paper discharge path P6). As a result, it will not hinder the transport and cutting of the papers 12A and 14A.

[0077] The drive rotating blade 61A can be fixed to the rotating shaft 57A via a bearing 73 whose outer ring is fixed to the drive rotating blade 61A and whose inner ring is fixed to the rotating shaft 57A. Thus, the drive rotating blade 61A can be rotated on the rotating shaft 57A with a simple structure.

[0078] The device may also include a slitting section moving unit 27 that moves the slitting section 25 to position the driving rotating blade 61A and the driven rotating blade 61B at predetermined positions on the transport paths of the papers 12A and 14A. The slitting section moving unit 27 allows the slitting section 25 to move from a position where it does not cut the paper to a position where it cuts the paper. The paper-cutting position can be any position within the movable range of the slitting section moving unit 27.

[0079] The width of the paper or the width of the cut paper is arbitrary. For example, the width of the paper is 8 inches (about 20.32 cm), and it can be cut into any width such as 6 inches (about 15.24 cm) or 7 inches (about 17.78 cm) by the cutting section 25.

[0080] <Second Implementation> use Figures 7 to 20 The second embodiment of the printer will now be described. The printer 100 of the second embodiment is, for example, a printer as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-136750 or Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-129001, which can cut a sheet of paper with two images printed side-by-side in the width direction into two paper portions, thereby obtaining two images. The printer 100 of the second embodiment uses a slitting section to cut the paper.

[0081] Furthermore, the printer 100 of the second embodiment has the same or equivalent parts as the printer 1 of the first embodiment, which will be described again below.

[0082] [Overall Structure] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of printer 100. Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of a vertical plane passing through the center of the width direction W of the printer 100 and including the front-to-back direction L.

[0083] Figure 7 , 8 The printer 100 shown is one embodiment of the printer of the present invention. As an example, printer 100 is a sublimation thermal printer 100 (hereinafter referred to as printer 100). Figure 7 As shown, the printer 100 is defined by width W, front-to-back direction L, and height H, and is generally formed into a cuboid shape. The printer 100 includes a main body 110, a printing unit 120, a crease unit 130, a cutting unit 140, a slitting unit 150, a paper handling unit 160, and a control unit 190.

[0084] [Main Body] The main body 110 is formed by covering the outside of the metal frame with a metal outer cover 111, a resin upper front shell 112, a middle front shell 113, and a lower front shell 114.

[0085] like Figure 8 As shown, a roll paper holding chamber 115, a sheet paper holding chamber 116, and an ink ribbon holding chamber 117 are formed inside the main body 110. In addition, a printing unit 120, a crease unit 130, a cutting unit 140, a slitting unit 150, a paper transport unit 160, a control unit 190, and a power supply are arranged inside the main body 110. The printing unit 120 has a thermal head 121, a paper pressure roller 122, and an ink ribbon unit 123.

[0086] Here, a portion of the transport path PP of the paper pressure roller 122, ink ribbon unit 123, cutting unit 140, slitting unit 150 and paper transport section 160 (part or all of the single sheet feeding path P11, single sheet feeding path P12, roll paper feeding path P18, printing standby path P14, discharge path P17, etc.) can be pulled forward in the forward-backward direction L as an integrated pull-out unit 170.

[0087] (Toilet paper storage room) The roll receiving chamber 115 is a cylindrical space having an axis along the width direction W, for receiving a roll of paper R (hereinafter referred to as paper R) rolled into a cylindrical shape from a strip of paper. Paper R is, for example, a thick paper that has been diffusely transferred with sublimation dye. In such cases... Figure 8 With the upper front housing 112 in a state where it is springing upwards as shown by the arrow, the pull-out unit 170 connected to the middle front housing 113 is pulled out as follows: Figure 8Pull it forward as shown by the arrow, thus exposing the paper roll receiving chamber 115. The paper roll receiving chamber 115 can be used to receive and remove the paper roll R while it is exposed.

[0088] (Single sheet storage room) like Figure 8 As shown, the sheet-fed receiving chamber 116 is located at the bottom of the printer 100, below the pull-out unit 170. The sheet-fed receiving chamber 116 is a rectangular space formed as a tray, in which multiple sheets of paper S (hereinafter referred to as paper S) cut into rectangles of a predetermined size are held in a stacked state in the thickness direction. The paper S is, for example, a thick paper with sublimation dye diffuse-transfer printed on both sides. Furthermore, the paper S and R are not limited to paper with sublimation dye diffuse-transfer printed on them.

[0089] The front surface of the single-sheet receiving chamber 116 is covered by a lower front housing 114. A finger placement portion 114a is formed on the upper part of the lower front housing 114. By placing a finger on this finger placement portion 114a, as... Figure 8 Pull the tray forward as indicated by the arrow to expose the single-sheet receiving chamber 116. With the tray of the single-sheet receiving chamber 116 exposed, single sheets of paper S can be received and removed.

[0090] The upper front housing 112 is disposed on the upper front part of the main body 110. The upper front housing 112 covers the cutting unit 140 and the slitting unit 150 disposed on the upper front part of the main body 110.

[0091] An outlet 112a is formed on the front surface of the upper front housing 112 to discharge the papers S and R that are transported from the interior of the main body 110 to the outside. The outlet 112a is longer than the width of the papers S and R.

[0092] [Control Department] The control unit 190 controls the operation of the printing unit 120, the crease unit 130, the cutting unit 140, the slitting unit 150, the paper handling unit 160, and the power supply.

[0093] [Paper Handling Department] The paper transport unit 160 transports papers S and R along the transport path PP. The paper transport unit 160 includes a motor, a drive roller driven by the motor, a driven roller that is not driven but rotated, and a switching member for switching the transport path PP. The transport path PP includes a single-sheet feed path P11, a single-sheet delivery path P12, a printing path P13, a printing standby path P14, a downstream printing path P15, a creasing path P16, an ejection path P17, and a roll paper delivery path P18.

[0094] The paper transport unit 160 delivers the topmost sheet of paper (single sheet) S contained in the single sheet receiving chamber 116 to the single sheet delivery path P11, and then to the printing standby path P14 via the single sheet feeding path P12 and the printing path P13. At this time, the paper S passes through the printing path P13, but no printing is performed on the paper S.

[0095] The paper transport unit 160 transports the paper S, which has been sent to the printing standby path P14, back to the printing path P13. Furthermore, during the transport of the paper S on the printing path P13, the thermal head 121 prints on the front side of the paper S, as described below.

[0096] The paper transport unit 160 transports the paper S printed on the printing path P13 to the downstream printing path P15. If the paper S is being creasing, the paper transport unit 160 transports the paper S from the downstream printing path P15 to the creasing path P16, where creases are formed on the paper S by crease units 130 provided on the creasing path P16. The paper transport unit 160 then pulls the creased (crimped) paper S back from the creasing path P16 to the downstream printing path P15.

[0097] The paper transport unit 160 delivers the paper S from the downstream printing path P15 to the sheet feed path P12. The paper S delivered from the downstream printing path P15 to the sheet feed path P12 is in a flipped-over state compared to its initial state when it was first delivered from the sheet receiving chamber 116 via the sheet feed path P11. In other words, the downstream printing path P15 and the sheet feed path P12 form a flipping path that flips the paper S.

[0098] The paper transport unit 160 flips the paper S and sends it through the single-sheet paper feed path P12 to the printing path P13 and then to the printing standby path P14, and pulls it back to the printing path P13. In the printing path P13, the thermal head 121 prints on the reverse side of the paper S.

[0099] The paper transport unit 160 causes the paper S printed on the reverse side and sent to the downstream printing path P15 to pass sequentially through the single-sheet paper feed path P12, the printing path P13, and the discharge path P17, and be discharged from the discharge port 112a to the outside of the printer 100.

[0100] According to the output conditions of the paper S, in the discharge path P17, a portion of the paper S is cut off by the cutting unit 140 along the width direction, and in addition, it is cut to a specified width by the slitting unit 150.

[0101] The paper transport unit 160 transports the paper (roll paper) R contained in the roll paper receiving chamber 115 from its front end side from the roll paper feed path P18 through the printing path P13 to the printing standby path P14. At this time, although the paper R passes through the printing path P13, no printing is performed on the paper R.

[0102] Then, the paper transport unit 160 transports the paper R, which was sent to the printing standby path P14, back to the printing path P13 in the same manner as paper S. Then, while the paper R is being transported on the printing path P13, the thermal head 121 prints on the paper R. Through the action of the paper transport unit 160 pulling the paper R back on the printing path P13, the printed portion of the paper R is pulled back to the roll paper feed path P18.

[0103] The paper transport unit 160 causes the paper R, which has been pulled back to the paper feed path P18, to pass through the printing path P13 and the discharge path P17 in sequence, and be discharged from the discharge outlet 112a to the outside of the printer 100.

[0104] According to the output conditions of paper R, in the discharge path P17, the cutting unit 140 cuts the paper R along the width direction W, removing it from the part connected to the roller. In addition, the slitting unit 150 cuts the paper R to a specified width.

[0105] [Printing Department] The ink ribbon unit 123 is housed in the ink ribbon receiving chamber 117. The ink ribbon unit 123 transports the long strip of ink ribbon wound on the feed roller 123a by winding it onto the winding roller 123b. The ink ribbon is coated with sublimation dye.

[0106] The thermal head 121 generates heat under the control of the control unit 190. Between the thermal head 121 and the pressure roller 122, the paper S and R passing through the printing path P13 and the ink ribbon tensioned between the feed roller 123a and the winding roller 123b are sandwiched in an overlapping state.

[0107] Furthermore, the thermal printhead 121 heats up, thereby diffusing and transferring the sublimation dye coated on the ink ribbon onto the papers S and R. The control unit 190 performs the prescribed printing on the papers S and R by simultaneously transporting the papers S and R and the ink ribbon along the printing path P13 and causing the thermal printhead 121 to perform the aforementioned diffusion transfer.

[0108] [Folding unit] The crease unit 130 is positioned behind the roll receiving chamber 115 in the front-to-back direction L, and between the winding roller 123b of the ink ribbon unit 123 and the sheet-fed receiving chamber 116 in the height direction H. The crease unit 130 forms a crease extending in the width direction W on the paper S being transported along the crease path P16 extending in the front-to-back direction L below the roll receiving chamber 115. The crease unit 130 forms a crease on the paper S, thereby facilitating the bending of the paper S along the crease.

[0109] [Cutting Unit] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing an upper unit 180 in which a portion of the cutting unit 140, the slitting unit 150, the discharge path P17, and the printing standby path P14 are integrated. Figure 10 This illustrates the use of a vertical plane including the front-to-back direction L to... Figure 9 The cross-sectional view shown is a section cut approximately at the center of the width direction W of the upper unit 180. Figure 11 It shows along Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the surface along line AA in the upper unit 180.

[0110] A cutting unit 140 is provided on the discharge path P17. The cutting unit 140 has a rotating blade that moves along the width direction W. While rotating around its center, the rotating blade moves relative to the papers S and R passing through the discharge path P17 in the width direction W, thereby cutting the papers S and R along the width direction W. When cutting a single sheet of paper S, the cutting unit 140 removes unwanted blank portions, etc., along the length of the single sheet of paper S. When cutting a roll of paper R, the cutting unit 140 removes the printed portion of paper from the portion connected to the roller of the roll paper receiving chamber 115. The cutting unit 140 is also capable of removing unwanted blank portions, etc., along the length of the roll of paper R. Furthermore, the removed blank portions, etc., are collected in a trash can (not shown) provided in the printer 100.

[0111] [Segmentation Unit] Similar to the cutting unit 140, the slitting unit 150 is provided on the discharge path P17 and is located downstream of the cutting unit 140 in the transport direction closer to the discharge outlet 112a.

[0112] The slitting unit 150 has a slitting blade assembly 154 disposed at a predetermined position in the width direction W. While conveying the papers S and R downstream in the transport direction along the discharge path P17, the slitting unit 150 contacts the slitting blade assembly 154 with the predetermined position in the width direction W of the papers S and R, thereby cutting the papers S and R in the transport direction at the predetermined position in the width direction W.

[0113] Here, images are printed separately on paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides of the width direction W. The paper portion S3 in the center of the width direction W is the portion with the adjacent boundary lines of the images printed on paper portion S1 and the images printed on paper portion S2.

[0114] If the slicing unit 150 cuts a sheet of paper S into two parts in the width direction W in order to divide a sheet of paper S into two images arranged in the width direction W, then the slicing unit 150 needs to cut along the boundary line between the image printed on one part of the sheet and the image printed on the other part of the sheet with good accuracy.

[0115] However, in the transport path PP of printer 100, sometimes the paper S is transported on one side of the width direction W, or sometimes the paper S is transported at an angle relative to the transport direction and becomes skewed, making it difficult for the cutting unit 150 to cut along the boundary line with good accuracy. Furthermore, if the cut line deviates from the boundary line, it becomes a situation where, in addition to the image printed on that paper portion, part of an image printed on another paper portion appears, resulting in a decrease in the quality of the cut paper portion.

[0116] Therefore, in order to cut off the paper portion S3 of a predetermined width, including the boundary line of the two images, in a strip shape, the cutting unit 150 of this embodiment discards the paper portion S3 as intermediate waste and cuts it into three paper portions S1, S2, and S3 as described above.

[0117] Furthermore, when the printer 100 prints with a blank of a predetermined width between the image printed on the paper portion S1 and the image printed on the paper portion S2, the cutting unit 150 may also cut the paper portion S3, which includes the blank portion, as intermediate waste material.

[0118] like Figure 9 , 10 As shown, the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment cuts a sheet of paper S into three paper portions S1, S2, and S3 in the width direction W. As an example, the slitting blade group 154 ​​in the slitting section 151 of the slitting unit 150 is positioned where the width of the paper portion S1 is equal to the width of the paper portion S2. However, the slitting blade group 154 ​​may also be positioned where the widths of the paper portion S1 and the paper portion S2 are different from each other.

[0119] Furthermore, since the central paper portion S3, which becomes intermediate waste, is discarded as intermediate waste, its width is extremely narrow (e.g., about 5 mm) compared to the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides where the image is printed.

[0120] In the following detailed description of the cutting unit 150, although paper S is used as the cutting object, not only paper S, but also paper R can be used as the cutting object.

[0121] Figure 12 It is shown Figure 11 A perspective view of the slitting portion 151 in the slitting unit 150 shown. Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional view showing a section formed by a vertical plane including the rotating shaft 155a of the cutting motor 155 in the cutting section 151. Figure 14 It is shown Figure 13 A magnified view showing the details of area B. (See attached image.) Figure 11 As shown, the slitting unit 150 has a unit base 159 (base), a slitting portion 151, and a slitting portion moving unit 158.

[0122] The unit base 159 is a skeleton including a metal frame. A slitting section 151 and a slitting section moving unit 158 ​​are mounted on the unit base 159. The unit base 159 is a structure in which the slitting unit 150 is mounted on the upper unit 180, and the slitting unit 150 can be removed by removing the unit base 159 from the upper unit 180.

[0123] The slitting section moving unit 158 ​​moves the slitting section 151 along the width direction W. The slitting section moving unit includes, for example, a rotating moving motor, a guide rail extending in a straight line along the width direction W, and a transmission mechanism that, in response to the rotation of the moving motor, moves the slitting section 151 in a straight line along the extension direction (width direction W) of the guide rail. The moving motor is preferably, for example, a linear stepper motor suitable for feedforward control.

[0124] The operation of the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​is controlled by the control unit 190. The slitting section 151 can be moved to any position along the width direction W by the slitting section moving unit 158, thereby enabling the slitting section 151 to be positioned at any position in the width direction W of the paper S.

[0125] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the slitting section 151 includes a slitting motor 155, a slitting blade assembly 154, and a gear train 156. The slitting blade assembly 154 includes an outer blade body 153 and an inner blade body 152. The driving and stopping actions of the slitting motor 155 are controlled by the control unit 190. Furthermore, in... Figure 13 For simplicity, gear train 156 is omitted in the diagram.

[0126] The outer blade body 153 has two rotating blades 153a and 153b and a friction body 153c, which are integrated into one piece. The two rotating blades 153a and 153b are formed with the same shape. Both rotating blades 153a and 153b have a cutting edge formed on their circular outer periphery.

[0127] like Figure 14 As shown, the gear train 156 includes a pinion 156A, a reduction gear 156B, and a drive gear 156C. The pinion 156A is fixed to the rotating shaft 155a (first shaft) of the splitting motor 155 and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 155a. The reduction gear 156B is integrally formed by a large-diameter gear 156Ba (larger than the pinion 156A) and a small-diameter gear 156Bb (smaller than the large-diameter gear 156Ba) sharing a common shaft. The pinion 156A meshes with the large-diameter gear 156Ba of the reduction gear 156B, transmitting the rotation of the pinion 156A. The small-diameter gear 156Bb rotates integrally with the large-diameter gear 156Ba.

[0128] The drive gear 156C passes through the rotating shaft 155a without directly transmitting its rotation, and rotates freely around the rotating shaft 155a. The drive gear 156C meshes with the small-diameter gear 156Bb of the reduction gear 156B. Thus, the reduction gear 156B slows down the rotation of the pinion 156A and transmits this speed to the drive gear 156C. The drive gear 156C rotates in conjunction with the rotations of the pinion 156A and the reduction gear 156B on the rotating shaft 155a (around the rotating shaft 155a).

[0129] In this embodiment, the drive gear 156C and the outer blade body 153 are integrally formed. The drive gear 156C and the outer blade body 153 rotate coaxially. The outer blade body 153 is mounted on the rotating shaft 155a via a bearing 157. Specifically, the rotating blade 153a is mounted on the rotating shaft 155a via a bearing 157a, and the rotating blade 153b is mounted on the rotating shaft 155a via a bearing 157b. The outer ring of the bearing 157a is fixed to the rotating blade 153a, and the inner ring is fixed to the rotating shaft 155a. The outer ring of the bearing 157b is fixed to the rotating blade 153b, and the inner ring is fixed to the rotating shaft 155a. According to this structure, compared with the case where the outer blade body 153 is fixed to the rotating shaft 155a of the cutting motor 155 and rotated, the outer blade body 153 can be rotated with a greater torque. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 155a extends along the width direction W of the paper S.

[0130] Two rotating blades 153a and 153b are arranged at a predetermined interval along the rotation axis 155a. Both rotating blades 153a and 153b have a cutting edge formed on the outer periphery of the circle, and the cutting tips of the two rotating blades 153a and 153b formed on the inner surfaces of the two rotating blades 153a and 153b facing each other.

[0131] The friction element 153c is, for example, an elastic component such as an O-ring. The friction element 153c is configured to be mounted between the two rotating blades 153a and 153b of the outer blade body 153. When the two rotating blades 153a and 153b rotate, the friction element 153c rotates integrally with these rotating blades 153a and 153b.

[0132] The outer periphery of the friction body 153c is not in the shape and configuration of the cutting edges formed at the front ends of the two rotating blades 153a and 153b in the radial direction, which protrude outwards. When the friction body 153c comes into contact with the paper S, it generates a considerable degree of friction between itself and the paper S, so that when the friction body 153c rotates, the paper S will not slip relative to the friction body 153c, but will be transported in the tangential direction of the friction body 153c.

[0133] The inner blade body 152 has two rotating blades 152a and 152b and a driven shaft 152c (second shaft). The two rotating blades 152a and 152b are formed with the same shape. Both rotating blades 152a and 152b have a cutting edge formed on their circular outer periphery.

[0134] The driven shaft 152c is fitted into a through hole located at the center of the rotating blades 152a and 152b, and the two rotating blades 152a and 152b are arranged coaxially. The two rotating blades 152a and 152b rotate integrally with the driven shaft 152c. Furthermore, since the driven shaft 152c is arranged parallel to the rotating shaft 155a, it extends along the width direction W of the paper S in the same way as the rotating shaft 155a.

[0135] The driven shaft 152c is positioned below the rotating shaft 155a in the height direction H. That is, the rotating blades 153a and 153b of the outer blade body 153 are positioned above the paper S passing through the slitting section 151, and the rotating blades 152a and 152b of the inner blade body 152 are positioned below the paper S passing through the slitting section 151.

[0136] Two rotating blades 152a and 152b are arranged at a predetermined interval along the driven shaft 152c. Both rotating blades 152a and 152b have cutting edges formed on their circular outer periphery, and the cutting tips of the two rotating blades 152a and 152b are formed on their outer surfaces, which are opposite to the inner surfaces of the two rotating blades 152a and 152b.

[0137] Here, as Figure 13 As shown, the two rotating blades 152a and 152b are arranged in such a position that the blade formed on the outer side of the rotating blade 152a contacts the blade formed on the inner side of the rotating blade 153a of the outer blade body 153, and the paper S held is cut by shearing performed by the two rotating blades 152a and 153a; the blade formed on the outer side of the rotating blade 152b contacts the blade formed on the inner side of the rotating blade 153b of the outer blade body 153, and the paper S held is cut by shearing performed by the two rotating blades 152b and 153b.

[0138] Furthermore, in the slitting section 151, the rotating blade 152a rotates in contact with the rotating blade 153a of the outer blade body 153, which is rotated by the slitting motor 155. The paper S is cut by the shearing action of the blades of the two rotating blades 152a and 153a. Additionally, in the slitting section 151, the rotating blade 152b rotates in contact with the rotating blade 153b of the outer blade body 153, which is rotated by the slitting motor 155. The paper S is cut by the shearing action of the blades of the two rotating blades 152b and 153b.

[0139] Thus, as Figure 9 As shown, the slitting unit 150 transports the paper S in the transport direction indicated by the hollow arrow, as... Figure 13 As shown, the paper S passes between the outer blade 153, which is positioned above the inner blade 152, which is positioned below the inner blade 152, in the same height direction H. Thus, as... Figure 9 As shown, the paper S is cut into three paper parts S1, S2, and S3 in the width direction W.

[0140] Figure 15 This is a top-view diagram showing the cutting line N3 that divides the paper sections S1 and S2 on both sides and the paper section S3 in the center, and the starting point M of the cutting line N3. Figure 16 Viewed from the front to the back of the transport direction Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the state. Furthermore, Figure 15 , 16 and the following Figure 17 , 18 The reference numeral N1 in the figure shows a line along the width direction W on the upper surface of the paper S, which is the starting point M of the cut line N3.

[0141] Specifically, such as Figure 15As shown, the slitting section 151 cuts the paper S into a right-side paper portion S1 and a central paper portion S3 that becomes intermediate waste by the cutting of the rotating blades 153a and 152a arranged on the right side of the width direction W. The cutting of the paper S into a left-side paper portion S2 and a central paper portion S3 that becomes intermediate waste by the cutting of the rotating blades 153b and 152b arranged on the left side of the width direction W.

[0142] Here, when the cutting section 151 cuts the paper S into three paper parts S1, S2, and S3, as follows: Figure 15 As shown, the position of the inner side surface of the rotating blades 153a and 153b of the outer blade body 153 in the width direction W becomes the starting point M of the cutting line N3 that cuts into paper portions S1, S2, and S3.

[0143] In the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment, since the outer blade body 153 is disposed on the upper side of the height direction H relative to the inner blade body 152, the portions of paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides of the cutting line N3 that are outside the starting point M are pressed downward by the thickness area of ​​each rotating blade 153a and 153b constituting the outer blade body 153. In addition, the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides also droop downward due to gravity.

[0144] That is, the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides, which are located on the outer side of the starting point M, will not cross over the rotating blades 153a and 153b of the outer blade body 153, and will not be pressed outward in the width direction W by the thickness of the rotating blades 153a and 153b.

[0145] Therefore, even if the paper S is thick, the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment and the printer 100 having the slitting unit 150 can make the side edges S1a and S2a corresponding to the cutting line N3 in the areas where the image is printed, i.e. the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides, neatly arranged into straight lines, instead of becoming jagged and producing fine wrinkles.

[0146] <Comparative example segmentation unit> Here, in order to make the function and effect of the slitting unit based on the above-described embodiments easy to understand, a slitting unit of a comparative example that does not apply the present invention will be described. Figure 17 The slitting unit of the comparative example that does not apply the present invention is the same as... Figure 15 The corresponding diagram, Figure 18 The slitting unit of the comparative example that does not apply the present invention is the same as... Figure 16 The corresponding diagram.

[0147] like Figure 17 , 18As shown, in the comparative example slitting unit, the inner blade body 152 is positioned above the outer blade body 153 in the height direction H. Therefore, the portion of the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides cut by the cutting line N3 that is further outward than the starting point M is pressed upward by the thickness region of each rotating blade 153a and 153b constituting the outer blade body 153, which is positioned below the paper S.

[0148] However, due to the downward gravity acting on the paper portions S1 and S2 that are pressed upward by each rotating blade 153a and 153b, the side edges S1a and S2a of the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides, corresponding to the cutting line N3, escape to the outside of the thickness of each rotating blade 153a and 153b.

[0149] That is, the side edges S1a and S2a of the paper portions S1 and S2 corresponding to the cutting line N3 are located in front of the starting point M in the transport direction. They are displaced from the two side edges S3a corresponding to the cutting line N3 on both sides of the paper portion S3, which becomes intermediate waste, to the outside in the width direction W. At the starting point M of the cut, due to the outward displacement of the side edges S1a and S2a, stress similar to pulling the cutting edge is generated at the cutting starting point where the cutting blades of the slitting device in each paper portion on both sides come into contact.

[0150] Furthermore, the stress generated at the starting point M in the comparative example's slitting unit adversely affects the formation of the side edges S1a and S2a of the paper portions S1 and S2 corresponding to the cutting line N3 formed from the starting point M. In particular, when the paper S is a thick paper used in the sublimation thermal printer 100, the side edges S1a and S2a of the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides will not become serrated undulations and produce fine wrinkles, and will not be neatly formed into a straight line.

[0151] As a result, in the comparative example printer, the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides do not align neatly in a straight line, leading to a decrease in appearance quality (aesthetics).

[0152] In contrast, the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment does not cause the side edges S1a and S2a of the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides of the printed image to become serrated and slightly undulating, resulting in fine wrinkles, as in the slitting unit of the comparative example. Instead, it is able to form neat straight lines.

[0153] Furthermore, in the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment, the inner blade 52 pushes the central paper portion S3 of the intermediate waste upwards, and the paper portion S3 hangs downwards at its front end. Therefore, although the two side edges S3a, S3a corresponding to the cutting line N3 of the paper portion S3 may become serrated and slightly undulating, resulting in small wrinkles, since the paper portion S3 is discarded as intermediate waste, even if the side edges S3a, S3a are undulating or messy, it will not affect the quality of the output paper portions S1, S2.

[0154] In addition, such as Figure 13 As shown, in the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment, the paper portion S3, which becomes intermediate waste, is pushed upward in the height direction H by the inner blade body 152 disposed on the lower side of the paper S, and is pressed by the friction body 153c of the outer blade body 153. Since the outer blade body 153 rotates when started by the slitting motor 155, the friction body 153c also rotates. Furthermore, since the paper portion S3 is pressed by the friction body 153c, it does not slip relative to the friction body 153c.

[0155] Furthermore, although the paper portion S3 may have pressure marks or scratches on its surface due to being pressed by the friction body 153c, since the paper portion S3 is discarded as intermediate waste, it will not affect the quality of the output paper portions S1 and S2.

[0156] Therefore, the slitting unit 150 can guide the paper portion S3 in the central part, which is separated from the paper portions S1 and S2 on both sides, forward in the discharge direction while in contact with the friction body 153c, and can prevent the paper portion S3 from being swept out in an unexpected direction or wrapped around the outer blade body 153.

[0157] Figure 19 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the cutting line N3 when the paper S is skewed. Figure 20 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the cutting line N3 when the slitting section 151 (slitting blade group 154) is moved in a manner that counteracts the amount of skew.

[0158] Here, due to the accumulation of individual differences in the structural components of the printer 100, the paper S passing through the transport path PP may sometimes be slightly skewed. Furthermore, the amount of skew varies depending on the printer 100. Also, when the paper S passes through the discharge path P17, if it is cut by the slitting section 151 in a skewed state, the side edges Sa and Sb of the two sides N0 of the paper S before cutting and the side edges S1a and S2a corresponding to the cutting line N3 cut by the slitting section 151 will not be parallel, potentially leading to a decrease in the quality of the paper portions S1 and S2.

[0159] However, the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment has a slitting section moving unit 158, such as Figure 19 As shown, the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​can move the slitting section 151 along the width direction W. Furthermore, in the printer 100 of this embodiment, the control unit 190 stores pre-measured skew amounts caused by individual differences in each printer 100. While transporting the paper S in the transport direction (front-back direction L), the control unit 190 controls the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​to move the slitting section 151 in a direction that counteracts the skew based on the stored skew amounts.

[0160] Therefore, as Figure 20 As shown, even if there is a skew in the paper S, the printer 100 of this embodiment can move the slitting section 151 to cut the paper S while transporting the paper S in the transport direction (front-back direction L) to offset the amount of skew. This allows the side edges S1a and S2a that are cut by the slitting section 151 and correspond to the cutting line N3 to be parallel to the side edges Sa and Sb of the two sides N0 of the paper S before cutting, thus enabling skew-free cutting.

[0161] In other words, even if the paper S is transported at an angle, the printer 100 can still output a paper portion S1 with parallel side edges Sa and S1a, and a paper portion S2 with parallel side edges Sb and S2a.

[0162] In addition, such as Figure 19 As shown, the skew caused by the individual differences of each printer 100 can be measured in the following way: In each printer 100, the paper S is cut in advance by the non-moving cutting section 151 (cutting blade group 154) for measurement. The size of the end edge S1c (or end edge S2c in the case of paper part S2) corresponding to the front end N2 and the size of the end edge S1d (or end edge S2d in the case of paper part S2) corresponding to the rear end N4 are compared and the difference between the size of end edge S1c and the size of end edge S1d (or the difference between the size of end edge S2c and the size of end edge S2d) is calculated.

[0163] Then, as Figure 20 As shown, the control unit 190 of the printer 100 controls the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​in such a way that, during the conveying of a length (from the end edge Sc of the front end N2 to the end edge Sd of the rear end N4) along the transport direction of the paper S (corresponding to the front-back direction L), the slitting section 151 (slitting blade assembly 154) is moved at a certain speed along the width direction W by a size equivalent to the amount of skew pre-measured by the method described in the example above.

[0164] In the slitting unit 150 of this embodiment, although it is described that the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​is a unit that moves the slitting section 151 to compensate for the skewness of the paper S, the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​may also be a unit that moves the slitting section 151 along the width direction W to change the width ratio of the paper portion S1 and the paper portion S2.

[0165] Thus, when the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​is activated to change the width ratio of paper section S1 and paper section S2, the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​moves the slitting section 151 in the width direction W before the edge Sc of the front end N2 of the paper S reaches the slitting section 151. Then, during the period from the edge Sc of the front end N2 of the paper S passing through the slitting section 151 to the edge Sc of the rear end N4 passing through the slitting section 151, the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​does not move the slitting section 151 and remains fixed in a certain position.

[0166] However, even in this case, as described above, when the slitting section 151 is moved to counteract the skewing of the paper S, the slitting section moving unit 158 ​​is able to move the slitting section 151 from the end edge Sc of the front end N2 of the paper S through the slitting section 151 until the end edge Sd of the rear end N4 passes through the slitting section 151.

[0167] The slitting unit 150 of this embodiment has a slitting section moving unit 158, but the slitting device and printer of the present invention may not have a slitting section moving unit.

[0168] In this embodiment, the slitting unit 150 is configured such that the rotating shaft 155a of the slitting motor 155 is inserted into the rotating blades 153a and 153b of the outer blade body 153, but the rotating shaft 155a of the slitting motor 155 may also be inserted into the rotating blades 152a and 152b of the inner blade body 152.

[0169] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but of course the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and changes can be made within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0170] For example, in the first embodiment described above, the slitting section is moved by a slitting section moving unit controlled by the control unit, but of course, the slitting section can also be manually moved from the standby position to the cutting position.

[0171] In addition, in the second embodiment described above, the outer blade body is rotated by a slitting motor via a gear train. However, the rotating shaft (first shaft) of the slitting motor can also be fitted into a through hole provided at the center of the two rotating blades, thereby arranging them coaxially. In this case, the two rotating blades rotate integrally with the rotating shaft a in response to the rotation of the slitting motor.

[0172] Furthermore, the following content is further disclosed regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0173] (1) A slitting device, comprising: Matrix; and Installed on the slit portion of the substrate; The slitting section includes: an outer blade body having two rotating blades spaced apart on a first axis extending along the width direction of the paper; an inner blade body having two rotating blades spaced apart on a second axis extending along the width direction; and a motor for rotating the first axis or the second axis about the axis; the outer blade body is disposed outside the inner blade body in the width direction such that the outer blade and the inner blade body clamp the paper and cut the paper by the rotating blades of one side of the outer blade body and the rotating blades of one side of the inner blade body, and clamp the paper and cut the paper by the rotating blades of the other side of the outer blade body and the rotating blades of the other side of the inner blade body. The outer blade is disposed on the upper side of the paper, and the inner blade is disposed on the lower side of the paper.

[0174] (2) According to the cutting device described in (1), A friction element is provided between the two rotating blades of the outer blade body. The friction body makes non-slip contact with the central portion of the paper in the width direction, which is pushed upward by the inner blade body between the two rotating blades of the inner blade body among the three paper portions obtained by cutting the paper.

[0175] (3) According to the cutting device described in (2), The slitting device has a slitting section moving unit, which moves the slitting section along the width direction; In order to counteract the amount of paper skewing when the paper is cut by the slitting section, the slitting section moving unit moves the slitting section in the width direction according to the amount of skewing.

[0176] (4) A printer having: A printing unit for printing on paper; and The slitting device that cuts the paper printed by the printing unit at a predetermined position in the width direction of the paper (1) to (3).

[0177] Cross-referencing of related applications This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-176250 filed with the Japan Patent Office on November 2, 2022, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-118020 filed with the Japan Patent Office on July 20, 2023, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Claims

1. A printer, characterized in that, It has a slit section: The slitting portion has: A motor, having a rotating shaft; A small gear is fixed to the rotating shaft and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft; A reduction gear reduces and transmits the rotational speed of the pinion; The drive gear passes through the rotating shaft without directly transmitting the rotation of the rotating shaft, and rotates on the rotating shaft in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion and the reduction gear; The drive blade is integrated with the drive gear and rotates coaxially with the drive gear; as well as The driven rotating blade rotates by making partial contact with the driving rotating blade. The slitting section cuts the paper passing between the driving rotating blade and the driven rotating blade in a transport direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.

2. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing has a flat surface. The flat surface is positioned opposite the paper as it travels along the transport path. The motor is set at a predetermined angle relative to the transport path with the rotation axis as the center, so that the gap between the paper advancing on the transport path and the flat surface gradually narrows.

3. The printer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The printer has a passage member, the opposing surface of which is substantially parallel to the flat surface of the motor and is formed to be inclined relative to the transport path.

4. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive rotating blade is fixed to the rotating shaft via a bearing whose outer ring is fixed to the drive rotating blade and whose inner ring is fixed to the rotating shaft.

5. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The printer also has a slitting section moving unit that moves the slitting section so that the driving rotating blade and the driven rotating blade are positioned at predetermined positions on the paper transport path.

6. The printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The width of the paper is 8 inches, or approximately 20.32 centimeters. The slitting section can be moved by the slitting section moving unit from a position where the paper is not cut to a position where the width is cut to 6 inches, or approximately 15.24 centimeters.

7. The printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving rotary blade is an outer blade body having two rotary blades spaced apart on the rotary axis extending along the width direction of the paper. The driven rotating blade is an inner blade body having two rotating blades arranged at a distance from each other in the width direction. The outer blade is positioned relative to the inner blade in the width direction, such that the outer blade and the inner blade clamp and cut the paper using rotating blades on one side of the outer blade and one side of the inner blade, and also clamp and cut the paper using rotating blades on the other side of the outer blade and the other side of the inner blade. The outer blade is disposed on the upper side of the paper, and the inner blade is disposed on the lower side of the paper.

8. The printer according to claim 7, characterized in that, A friction element is provided between the two rotating blades of the outer blade body. The friction body makes non-slip contact with the central portion of the paper in the width direction, which is pushed upward by the inner blade body between the two rotating blades of the inner blade body among the three paper portions obtained by cutting the paper.

9. The printer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The printer has a slitting section moving unit that moves the slitting section along the width direction; In order to counteract the amount of paper skewing when the paper is cut by the slitting section, the slitting section moving unit moves the slitting section in the width direction according to the amount of skewing.

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