Image cutting apparatus

Abstract

The application provides an image cutting device. The image cutting device comprises a printing end, a cutting end and a controller. The printing end is used for printing an image and a position mark on a paper. The cutting end is used for cutting the paper, and the cutting end is provided with an image sensor and a cutting assembly. The image sensor is used for identifying the position mark. The controller detects the boundary of the paper through the image sensor, and then controls the cutting assembly. The application introduces the image sensor into the cutting end to identify the position mark. The controller can detect the boundary of the paper in the X axis and the Y axis based on the position mark, so as to re-determine the orthogonal coordinate system of the image printing, improve the alignment accuracy between the printing end and the cutting end, and realize high-precision image cutting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of image cutting technology, and more particularly to an image cutting device. Background Technology

[0002] In modern office and printing industries, printing and cutting images are an integral and crucial process. This process typically involves the printer printing an image onto paper, and then the paper being transferred to the cutter for image cutting. However, mechanical errors can cause inconsistencies between the printed and cut positions, affecting the overall image quality and accuracy.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to design an image cutting device that can solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an image cutting device capable of achieving high-precision image cutting.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this specification, an image cutting device is provided, including a printing end, a cutting end, and a controller; the printing end is used to print an image and a position mark on paper; the cutting end is used to cut the paper, and the cutting end is provided with an image sensor and a cutting component; the image sensor is used to identify the position mark, and the controller detects the boundary of the paper through the image sensor, thereby controlling the cutting component.

[0006] Furthermore, the position mark includes three marker points, which form a rectangular coordinate system; the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system are parallel to the short side and the long side of the paper, respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, the three marking points are respectively set in the corner areas of the paper.

[0008] Furthermore, each of the marked points adopts a rectangle with right-angled boundaries, a circle with central symmetry, or a coordinate system calibration symbol composed of orthogonal straight lines.

[0009] Furthermore, the color of each of the marked dots is darker than the color of the paper.

[0010] Furthermore, a driving mechanism is provided on the cutting end, and the image sensor is mounted on the driving mechanism and located at the input port of the cutting end; the acquisition resolution of the image sensor is not less than 1200 dpi.

[0011] Furthermore, the cutting component is disposed on the drive mechanism and located at the output port of the cutting end; the cutting component employs laser cutting and moves along two directions parallel to the short and long sides of the paper.

[0012] Furthermore, the cutting end is also provided with a guide shaft; the guide shaft is arranged perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and the driving mechanism is mounted on the guide shaft and moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction.

[0013] Furthermore, the cutting end is also provided with a positioning shaft; the positioning shaft is arranged parallel to the guide shaft, and the positioning shaft abuts against the upper surface of the paper.

[0014] Furthermore, the cutting end is also provided with a conveying mechanism for moving the paper, and the conveying mechanism reciprocates between the input port and the output port of the cutting end.

[0015] This application has the following beneficial effects: By introducing an image sensor at the cutting end to identify position marks, the position mark controller can detect the boundaries of the paper on the X and Y axes, thereby redetermining the Cartesian coordinate system for image printing, improving the alignment accuracy between the printing end and the cutting end, and achieving high-precision image cutting.

[0016] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this specification. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this specification and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this specification.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the image cutting device of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the paper used in this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the paper at the cutting end of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the paper in this application at the cutting end;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the image cutting method of this application.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0024] 10 - Printer end;

[0025] 20-Cutting end; 21-Image sensor; 22-Cutting assembly; 23-Drive mechanism; 24-Guide shaft; 25-Positioning shaft; 26-Conveying mechanism;

[0026] 30 - Paper; 31 - Image; 32a, 32b, 32c - Marker points. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments (or "implementations") of this application will be clearly and completely described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0028] If the embodiments of this application contain terms relating to directional indications or positional relationships (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, outside, top, bottom, center, vertical, horizontal, longitudinal, transverse, length, width, counterclockwise, clockwise, axial, radial, circumferential, etc.), such terms are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movements between components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached figures); if the specific posture changes, the directional indications or positional relationships will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" used in the embodiments of this application are only for descriptive convenience and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] The embodiments described in this specification will now be described in detail.

[0030] Reference Figure 1-4 As shown, this application discloses an image cutting device, which includes a printing end 10, a cutting end 20, and a controller (not shown in the figure). The printing end 10 prints an image 31 and position marks on a piece of paper 30, and then transmits the paper 30 to the cutting end 20, which cuts the image 31 according to the instructions of the controller.

[0031] The print end 10 is equipped with a printer used for printing the image 31 and position marks. In some cases, the printer is an inkjet printer or a laser printer. The cutting end 20 is located at the output port of the print end 10, allowing the printed paper 30 to directly enter the cutting end 20, thus shortening the paper 30's travel path.

[0032] The cutting end 20 is equipped with an image sensor 21, a cutting assembly 22, a drive mechanism 23, a guide shaft 24, a positioning shaft 25, and a conveying mechanism 26.

[0033] In this application, an image sensor 21 is provided, which is arranged at the output port of the cutting end 20 and is used to identify the position marks on the image 31. The image sensor 21 has an acquisition resolution of not less than 1200 dpi, which meets the requirements of high-precision image 31 recognition and makes the cutting of image 31 more accurate.

[0034] The cutting component 22 is arranged at the input port of the cutting end 20. In this application, the cutting component 22 uses laser cutting, and the laser cutting spot diameter can be as small as 0.01mm, avoiding the deformation or displacement of the paper 30 caused by the physical pressure of traditional die-cutting molds, thus achieving ultra-fine cutting. The cutting component 22 can move in two directions parallel to the short and long sides of the paper 30, ensuring that the entire plane of the paper 30 can be perfectly cut.

[0035] An image sensor 21 and a cutting assembly 22 are mounted on the drive mechanism 23. The drive mechanism 23 moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction, synchronously driving the image sensor 21 and the cutting assembly 22 to move, thus simplifying the number of drive mechanisms 23.

[0036] The guide shaft 24 is set perpendicular to the paper feeding direction of the paper 30, and the drive mechanism 23 is mounted on the guide shaft 24 and moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction. By setting the guide shaft 24 as a linear guide, the complexity of the equipment is reduced and the operational stability of the drive mechanism 23 is ensured.

[0037] The positioning shaft 25 is arranged parallel to the guide shaft 24. The positioning shaft 25 abuts against the upper surface of the paper 30 to fix the paper 30 and guide the movement direction of the paper 30 to prevent the paper 30 from becoming skewed during cutting and movement.

[0038] The conveying mechanism 26 reciprocates between the input and output ports of the cutting end 20. When the conveying mechanism 26 conveys the paper 30 to the input port of the cutting end 20, the cutting assembly 22 performs a cutting operation on the image 31. When the conveying mechanism 26 conveys the paper 30 to the output port of the cutting end 20, the image sensor 21 identifies the position markers. In some cases, the conveying mechanism 26 can transport the paper 30 using rollers or a belt.

[0039] Image 31 is composed of several pixels. Once a rectangular coordinate system is formed on the paper 30, the distances of these pixels to the X and Y axes can be determined. For example... Figure 2 The distance of the pixel shown is 'a' from the X-axis and 'b' from the Y-axis. Since the distance of the pixel relative to the coordinate axes is fixed, after the paper 30 is shifted, the position of the image 31 can still be constructed based on the unchanged distance after the image sensor 21 scans the markers 32a, 32b, and 33c to establish a new Cartesian coordinate system.

[0040] Position markers are used to determine the position in a Cartesian coordinate system. Figure 2The position markers shown include three marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c. These three marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c have the same shape and are all rectangles with right-angled boundaries. In other cases, marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c may also be centrally symmetric circles or have coordinate system calibration symbols composed of orthogonal straight lines.

[0041] To improve the recognition rate of markers 32a, 32b, and 33c, the color of each marker 32a, 32b, and 33c is darker than the color of the paper 30. For example, when the background color of the paper 30 is white, markers 32a, 32b, and 33c can be black, gray, or other light colors. In other cases, when the background color of the paper 30 is red, white, yellow, or black can be used, etc.

[0042] The two markers 32b and 33c on the short side of paper 30 form the X-axis, and the two markers 32a and 32b on the long side of paper 30 form the Y-axis. The shared marker 32b is the origin. Thus, the three markers 32a, 32b, and 33c form a rectangular coordinate system. The coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system are parallel to the short and long sides of paper 30, respectively.

[0043] Three marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c are respectively placed in the corner areas of the paper 30 to avoid overlapping with the image 31 in the middle area of ​​the paper 30. In addition, the marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c in the corner areas form a larger triangular area, providing a longer baseline distance, which can more accurately calculate the position, rotation angle, and scaling ratio of the paper 30, and reduce the amplification effect of small errors.

[0044] Reference Figure 5 As shown, this application also discloses an image cutting method implemented using the above-mentioned image cutting device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0045] S100: The paper 30 with image 31 is fed to the image sensor 21 at the cutting end 20.

[0046] After the paper 30 with image 31 is printed at the printing end 10, it is output through the output port of the printing end 10. The conveying mechanism 26 of the synchronous cutting end 20 moves the paper 30 from the input port of the cutting end 20 to the output port of the cutting end 20 for scanning.

[0047] S200: The image sensor 21 identifies three preset marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c on the surface of the paper 30.

[0048] The scanning ends when the image sensor 21 has scanned all three preset marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c. The conveying mechanism 26 of the synchronous cutting end 20 moves in the reverse direction, moving the paper 30 to the input port of the cutting end 20 for cutting.

[0049] In some cases, an alarm is also installed on the cutting end 20. When the image sensor 21 finishes scanning the paper 30 and cannot identify all the position marks on the paper 30, the alarm will sound and the next step will be suspended.

[0050] S300: Establish a rectangular coordinate system based on the spatial coordinates of the three marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c, and determine the relative position of image 31 on paper 30 based on the rectangular coordinate system.

[0051] Of the three marker points 32a, 32b, and 33c, the two marker points 32b and 33c on the shorter side of the paper 30 form the X-axis, and the two marker points 32a and 32b on the longer side of the paper 30 form the Y-axis. The shared marker point 32b is the origin, thus forming a Cartesian coordinate system. Then, based on the printed position of image 31 on the paper 30, the relative position of image 31 on the paper 30 is determined.

[0052] It should be noted that the printing position refers to the position of image 31 on paper 30 when the paper is at the printing end 10. The relative position refers to the position of image 31 on paper 30 when the paper is at the cutting end 20. When the paper 30 does not shift during its movement from the printing end 10 to the cutting end 20, the printing position and the relative position are the same, and the cutting component 22 cuts according to the preset track. Otherwise, the cutting component 22 needs to adjust the cutting path.

[0053] S400: The paper 30 is retracted to the cutting assembly 22, and the cutting path of the cutting assembly 22 is controlled according to the relative position controller.

[0054] The following steps are included before step S100:

[0055] Establish a rectangular coordinate system based on the spatial coordinates of the three marked points 32a, 32b, and 33c.

[0056] A rectangular coordinate system is established by forming the X-axis from the two markers 32b and 33c on the short side of paper 30, and the Y-axis from the two markers 32a and 32b on the long side of paper 30, with the shared marker 32b as the origin.

[0057] Determine the printing position of image 31 on paper 30, including the distance of image 31 from the X-axis and Y-axis.

[0058] This application employs a novel image cutting method that aligns the printing end 10 and the cutting end 20 at the cutting end 20 using a position correction origin, thereby improving the cutting accuracy of the image 31. The redefined Cartesian coordinate system and the method of position correction origin make the alignment between the printing end 10 and the cutting end 20 more accurate, thus improving the cutting accuracy of the image 31.

[0059] The image 31 cutting method described above only requires one image sensor 21 to be installed at the cutting end 20, which greatly reduces the complexity and cost of the image 31 cutting equipment. At the same time, due to the reduction in the number of image sensors 21, the maintenance difficulty of the image processing system is also reduced accordingly, thereby improving the reliability and availability of the image system.

[0060] This application introduces an image sensor 21 between the printing end 10 and the cutting end 20 to detect the boundary of the paper 30, thereby aligning the Cartesian coordinate system of the printing end 10 and the cutting end 20, simplifying the image processing and cutting process of the image 31, improving work efficiency, reducing the difficulty of operation, and thus improving production efficiency.

[0061] This application identifies position marks by introducing an image sensor 21 into the cutting end 20. Based on the position mark controller, the paper 30 can be detected at the boundaries of the X and Y axes, thereby redetermining the Cartesian coordinate system for printing the image 31, improving the alignment accuracy between the printing end 10 and the cutting end 20, and achieving high-precision image 31 cutting.

[0062] It should be noted that the technical solutions or features described in the above embodiments can be combined or supplemented with each other without conflict. The scope of protection of this application is not limited to the precise structures described in the above embodiments and shown in the accompanying drawings; all modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An image cutting device, characterized in that, It includes a printing end, a cutting end, and a controller; the printing end is used to print images and position marks on paper; the cutting end is used to cut the paper, and the cutting end is equipped with an image sensor and a cutting component; the image sensor is used to identify the position marks, and the controller detects the boundary of the paper through the image sensor, thereby controlling the cutting component.

2. The image cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position marker includes three marker points, which form a rectangular coordinate system; the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system are parallel to the short and long sides of the paper, respectively.

3. The image cutting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The three marking points are respectively set in the corner areas of the paper.

4. The image cutting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the marked points is a rectangle with right-angled boundaries, a circle with central symmetry, or a coordinate system calibration symbol composed of orthogonal straight lines.

5. The image cutting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the marked dots is a darker color than the paper.

6. The image cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cutting end is also provided with a driving mechanism, and the image sensor is mounted on the driving mechanism and located at the input port of the cutting end; the acquisition resolution of the image sensor is not less than 1200 dpi.

7. The image cutting device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cutting component is mounted on the drive mechanism and located at the output port of the cutting end; the cutting component uses laser cutting and moves along two directions parallel to the short and long sides of the paper.

8. The image cutting device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cutting end is also provided with a guide shaft; the guide shaft is set perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and the driving mechanism is mounted on the guide shaft and moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction.

9. The image cutting device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cutting end is also provided with a positioning shaft; the positioning shaft is arranged parallel to the guide shaft and abuts against the upper surface of the paper.

10. The image cutting device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cutting end is also provided with a conveying mechanism for moving the paper, and the conveying mechanism reciprocates between the input port and the output port of the cutting end.

Images