Printer including cutting head

Abstract

To connect a print carriage with a cut carriage in a more stable manner.SOLUTION: In a printer including a cutting head, a coupling mechanism includes a magnet 81, a support member 82 provided on a print carriage and supporting the magnet 81, and an adsorption body which is provided on the cut carriage and attracted to the magnet 81. The support member 82 includes: a support portion 82a supporting the magnet 81; an attachment portion 82b attachable to the print carriage; and reinforcing portion 82c, 82d connected with the support portion 82a and the attachment portion 82b, and is rotatable around a first axial line L1 extending in a first orthogonal direction orthogonal to a main scanning direction Y with respect to the print carriage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer with a cutting head. [Background technology]

[0002] Printers with cutting heads, which include both a print head for printing on a recording medium and a cutting head for cutting the recording medium, have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer with cutting heads, which includes a print head (ink head), a cutting head, a connecting device for connecting the print head and the cutting head, a guide rail with which the print head and the cutting head are slidably engaged, and a device for moving the cutting head along the guide rail. The connecting device described in Patent Document 1 includes a magnet provided on the print head and a metal plate provided on the cutting head that is attracted to the magnet. The print head becomes movable by a moving device by being connected to the cutting head.

[0003] The connecting device described in Patent Document 1 further includes a rubber member inserted on the side opposite to the magnet's attracting surface. According to Patent Document 1, when the magnet and the metal plate are connected, the rubber member deforms so that the attracting surface of the magnet and the attracting surface of the metal plate become parallel. This increases the contact area between the magnet and the metal plate, and strengthens the connecting force between the print head and the cutting head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-030393 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When connecting or disconnecting the ink head and the cutting head, a relatively large impact load is applied to the member that holds the magnet. Therefore, if the member that holds the magnet has low rigidity, it may bend. In the case of the configuration described in the cited document 1, the adhesive surface of the magnet cannot be made parallel to the adhesive surface of the metal plate even due to deformation of the rubber member, and the adhesive force becomes weak, resulting in a case where a stable connecting force cannot be exerted.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its object is to provide a printer with a cutting head that has a connecting mechanism that connects a print carriage carrying a print head and a cut carriage carrying a cutting head, and that can exert a more stable connecting force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer with a cutting head disclosed herein comprises a print head that ejects ink, a print carriage that holds the print head, a cutting head having a cutter capable of cutting a recording medium, a cut carriage that holds the cutting head, a guide rail that extends in a main scanning direction and with which the print carriage and the cut carriage are engaged so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction, a moving device that moves the print carriage or the cut carriage along the guide rail, and a connecting mechanism that is provided on the print carriage and the cut carriage and connects the print carriage and the cut carriage. The connecting mechanism comprises a magnet, a support member that is provided on one of the print carriage and the cut carriage and supports the magnet, and an attractant that is provided on the other of the print carriage and the cut carriage and attracts the magnet. The support member includes a support portion that supports the magnet, an attachment portion that is attached to one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage, and a reinforcement portion connected to the support portion and the attachment portion, and is configured to be rotatable relative to the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage about a first axis extending in a first orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the main scanning direction.

[0008] According to the printer with a cutting head, the support member supporting the magnet can be rotated around a first axis perpendicular to the main scanning direction, so that the orientation of the magnet can be aligned with the orientation of the attraction body. The support member also includes a support section supporting the magnet, an attachment section attached to the print carriage or the cutter carriage, and a reinforcing section connected thereto. The reinforcing section improves the rigidity of the support section by connecting the support section to the attachment section. This makes it difficult for the support section to bend, and the orientation of the magnet can be maintained even when the print carriage and the cutter carriage are connected to or disconnected from each other. This makes it possible to stabilize the connection between the print carriage and the cutter carriage by the connection mechanism. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a printer with a cutting head according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the print carriage and the cut carriage. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base plate of the print carriage. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the base plate with the magnet holder attached. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a front view of the suction plate of the cutting carriage. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a base plate of a print carriage according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a front view of the base plate with the magnet holder and the mounting member attached thereto. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First embodiment] [Printer configuration with cutting head] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 10 with a cutting head according to this embodiment (hereinafter, printer 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is a device that performs printing and cutting on a sheet-like recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 may be, for example, a seal material made of a mount and a release paper laminated on the mount and coated with an adhesive, or may be recording paper or a resin sheet. The recording medium 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is a recording medium capable of at least one of printing and cutting.

[0011] In this specification, "cutting" includes cutting the entire thickness of the recording medium 5 (for example, cutting both the backing paper and release paper of the sealing material) and cutting only a portion of the thickness of the recording medium 5 (for example, cutting only the release paper without cutting the backing paper of the sealing material).

[0012] The printer 10 comprises a main body 11, a platen 12 provided on the main body 11 and supporting the recording medium 5, a transport device 20 that transports the recording medium 5 supported by the platen 12, a print head 30 that ejects ink onto the recording medium 5, a print carriage 40 that holds the print head 30, a cutting head 50 that cuts the recording medium 5, a cut carriage 60 that holds the cutting head 50, a carriage moving device 70 that moves the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60, a connecting mechanism 80 that connects the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60, and a separation device 90 (see Figure 2) that disconnects and separates the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60.

[0013] Although details will be described later, the movement direction of the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 by the carriage moving device 70 is the Y direction in the figure. The recording medium 5 is transported in the X direction in the figure by the transport device 20. Hereinafter, the Y direction is also referred to as the main scanning direction, and the X direction is also referred to as the sub-scanning direction. Hereinafter, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the up-down direction Z are mutually orthogonal. The up-down direction Z is an example of a first orthogonal direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y. The sub-scanning direction X is an example of a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 20 includes a grit roller 21, a pinch roller 22, and a feed motor 23. The grit roller 21 is provided on the platen 12. The grit roller 21 is rotated by being driven by the feed motor 23. The pinch roller 22 is disposed above the grit roller 21. The pinch roller 22 is provided so as to face the grit roller 21. The pinch roller 22 is configured to be able to swing up and down so as to be able to approach and move away from the grit roller 21. When the grit roller 21 rotates with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 22 and the grit roller 21, the recording medium 5 is conveyed forward or backward. Note that, although only three grit rollers 21 and two pinch rollers 22 are illustrated in FIG. 1, more grit rollers 21 and pinch rollers 22 may be arranged in the main scanning direction Y in practice.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a front view of the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60. Fig. 2 shows the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 in a connected state. When the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 are connected, the carriage moving device 70 moves them together. When the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 are separated, the carriage moving device 70 moves only the cut carriage 60 independently.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage moving device 70 includes a guide rail 71, a belt 72, and a scan motor 73. The guide rail 71 is provided above the platen 12. The guide rail 71 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 are engaged with the guide rail 71 so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the cutting head 50 is disposed to the left of the print head 30. A belt 72 extending in the main scanning direction Y is fixed to the upper rear surface of the cut carriage 60. The belt 72 is connected to the scan motor 73. The scan motor 73 and the belt 72 are an example of a moving device that moves the cut carriage 60 along the guide rail 71. When the scan motor 73 rotates, the belt 72 runs in the main scanning direction Y. As a result, the cut carriage 60 moves in the main scanning direction Y. However, the carriage moving device 70 may be configured to move the print head 30 in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 71. In this case, when the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 are separated, the carriage moving device 70 moves only the print carriage 40 alone.

[0017] The print head 30 is mounted on a print carriage 40 and disposed above the platen 12. The print head 30 ejects ink toward a recording medium 5 supported by the platen 12. The print head 30 includes a plurality of ink heads 31. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) for ejecting ink are formed on the bottom surface of each of the plurality of ink heads 31. Here, the ink heads 31 are inkjet type heads. There is no particular limit to the number of ink heads 31, and there is no particular limit to the type or color of ink ejected by the ink heads 31. Furthermore, there is no particular limit to the ink ejection method of the ink heads 31.

[0018] The cutting head 50 is mounted on a cutting carriage 60 and is disposed above the platen 12. The cutting head 50 includes a cutter 51 capable of cutting the recording medium 5, and a cutter holding device 52. The cutter holding device 52 moves the cutter 51 in the vertical direction Z to bring it into contact with or away from the recording medium 5 on the platen 12. The cutter holding device 52 includes a solenoid (not shown) that moves the cutter 51 in the vertical direction Z. When the solenoid is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 51 moves in the vertical direction Z to bring it into contact with or away from the recording medium 5.

[0019] The connecting mechanism 80 is provided on the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60, and connects the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60. When printing is performed by the print head 30, the cut carriage 60 and the print carriage 40 are connected. This allows the print carriage 40 to move together with the cut carriage 60 in the main scanning direction Y. The configurations of the connecting mechanism 80 and the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 related to the connecting mechanism 80 will be described later.

[0020] The separating device 90 separates the print carriage 40 from the cut carriage 60 by locking the print carriage 40 so that it cannot move in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the separating device 90 has a hook 91 that is hooked onto the print carriage 40. The hook 91 is provided at the right end of the movable range of the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60. When cutting is performed by the cutting head 50, the print carriage 40 is positioned at the standby position at the right end of the movable range. In this state, the hook 91 is hooked onto the print carriage 40 by an actuator (not shown). This prevents the print carriage 40 from moving. When the cut carriage 60 moves to the left in this state, the cut carriage 60 and the print carriage 40 are separated. This makes it possible to move only the cut carriage 60 in the main scanning direction Y while the print carriage 40 is waiting at the standby position.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the printer 10 includes a control device 100. The control device 100 controls the operation of the feed motor 23 of the conveying device 20, the scan motor 73 of the carriage moving device 70, the ink head 31 of the print head 30, a solenoid (not shown) of the cutting head 50, and an actuator (not shown) of the separating device 90. The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the program and various data.

[0022] [Configuration of the connecting mechanism] The following describes the configuration of the connecting mechanism 80 and the print carriage 40 and the cut carriage 60 related to the connecting mechanism 80. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the print carriage 40. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the print carriage 40, in which the left side, i.e., the side facing the cut carriage 60, is shown. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cut carriage 60. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cut carriage 60, in which the right side, i.e., the side facing the print carriage 40, is shown. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the connecting mechanism 80 includes a magnet 81, a magnet holder 82 that supports the magnet 81, and an adsorption plate 83 that is provided so that a part of the magnet 81 faces the magnet 81 (see also FIG. 2). The magnet 81 and the magnet holder 82 are provided on the print carriage 40. The adsorption plate 83 is provided on the cut carriage 60. The adsorption plate 83 is formed of a magnetic material so as to be adsorbed to the magnet 81. The adsorption plate 83 is an example of an adsorption body that is adsorbed to the magnet 81.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the print carriage 40 includes a case 41 that houses the print head 30 (see Figure 2), a base plate 42 that supports the case 41, and a linear guide 43 (see Figure 2) that is fixed to the base plate 42 and slidably engaged with the guide rail 71.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base plate 42 of the print carriage 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the base plate 42 is a plate-shaped member. The base plate 42 extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The base plate 42 has a mount portion 42a to which the magnet holder 82 is attached. The mount portion 42a is provided at the left end of the base plate 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the mount portion 42a is formed by cutting a part of the surface 42b of the base plate 42 extending in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z and bending it so as to face the vertical direction Z. In detail, the surface 42b of the base plate 42 has a horizontal cut portion 42c that extends in the primary scanning direction Y and cuts through to the left edge, and a vertical cut portion 42d that extends downward from the right end of the horizontal cut portion 42c. A part of the surface 42b is bent forward along a bent portion 42e that extends in the primary scanning direction Y from the lower end of the vertical cut portion 42d. The forward bent portion forms the mounting portion 42a which faces upward. The upper surface of the mounting portion 42a constitutes a mounting surface 42a1 to which the magnet holder 82 is attached.

[0025] The mounting surface 42a1 is formed with screw holes 42fL, 42fR into which screws 84L, 84R (described later, see FIG. 8 for both) for fixing the magnet holder 82 are screwed. The screw holes 42fL, 42fR are arranged side by side in the primary scanning direction Y. However, the arrangement direction of the screw holes 42fL, 42fR is not limited to the primary scanning direction Y. The screw holes 42fL, 42fR extend in the vertical direction Z. The left screw hole 42fL is an example of a first screw hole. The right screw hole 42fR is an example of a second screw hole. Here, the screw holes 42fL, 42fR each penetrate the mount portion 42a. However, the screw holes 42fL, 42fR do not have to be through screw holes that penetrate the mount portion 42a.

[0026] 6 and 7 are perspective views of the magnet holder 82. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the base plate 42 with the magnet holder 82 attached. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the magnet holder 82 includes a support wall 82a that supports the magnet 81, a bottom wall 82b connected to the support wall 82a, a first reinforcing wall 82c connected to the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b, and a second reinforcing wall 82d connected to the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b. The first reinforcing wall 82c and the second reinforcing wall 82d are connected to the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b, and constitute a reinforcing portion that improves the rigidity of the support wall 82a.

[0027] The support wall 82a extends in the up-down direction Z and the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the support wall 82a is the left side wall of the magnet holder 82, i.e., the side wall on the cutting carriage 60 side. The magnet 81 here has a bottomed, hollow cylindrical shape. However, the shape of the magnet 81 is not particularly limited. The magnet 81 only needs to have a flat surface facing the cutting carriage 60 (leftward in this case). The bottom of the magnet 81 is fixed to the support wall 82a by a screw 85 fastened to the support wall 82a. However, the configuration in which the support wall 82a supports the magnet 81 is not particularly limited.

[0028] The bottom wall 82b is connected to the lower edge of the support wall 82a. The bottom wall 82b extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the secondary scanning direction X. The bottom wall 82b is a wall portion that is fixed to the print carriage 40 (more specifically, the mounting surface 42a1 of the base plate 42) by screws 84L, 84R. However, the bottom wall 82b is configured to rotate in the front-rear direction relative to the print carriage 40 (mounting surface 42a1) when the screws 84L, 84R are loosened. The bottom wall 82b is an example of a mounting portion that is attached to the print carriage 40.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom wall 82b has a left through hole 82eL and a right through hole 82eR that penetrate in the up-down direction Z. The left through hole 82eL and the right through hole 82eR are aligned in the main scanning direction Y. The left screw hole 42fL and the right screw hole 42fR of the mounting surface 42a1 are formed at positions facing the left through hole 82eL and the right through hole 82eR, respectively (see FIG. 8). The left screw 84L is inserted into the left through hole 82eL and is screwed into the left screw hole 42fL. The right screw 84R is inserted into the right through hole 82eR and is screwed into the right screw hole 42fR. The left screw 84L and the right screw 84R are an example of a first fixing member that fixes the magnet holder 82 to the print carriage 40.

[0030] The left through hole 82eL has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the left screw 84L. The left through hole 82eL is configured so that there is almost no backlash when the left screw 84L is inserted into the left through hole 82eL and screwed into the left screw hole 42fL, so that the position of the left through hole 82eL is determined above the left screw hole 42fL.

[0031] The right through hole 82eR is formed to be larger than the diameter of the right screw 84R so that the magnet holder 82 can rotate around the left through hole 82eL and the left screw hole 42fL. Here, the right through hole 82eR is configured as an elongated hole with a long length in the sub-scanning direction X. However, the right through hole 82eR may be configured to be circular or rectangular, for example, so long as the magnet holder 82 can rotate around the left through hole 82eL and the left screw hole 42fL as much as necessary. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, hereinafter, an axis that passes through the left through hole 82eL and the left screw hole 42fL and extends in the vertical direction Z is also referred to as a first axis L1. The first axis L1 is a rotation axis when the magnet holder 82 rotates. The magnet holder 82 is configured to be rotatable around the first axis L1 when the screws 84L and 84R are loosened. When the screws 84L and 84R are tightened, the magnet holder 82 is fixed and cannot rotate around the first axis L1.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, the first reinforcing wall 82c is connected to one edge of the support wall 82a in the sub-scanning direction X, here the front edge. The first reinforcing wall 82c is also connected to the front edge of the bottom wall 82b. The first reinforcing wall 82c extends in the main scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. Here, the first reinforcing wall 82c etc. "extend in the main scanning direction Y" also includes a case where the magnet holder 82 is rotated within a rotatable range and the extension direction of the first reinforcing wall 82c etc. is slightly changed. The same applies to the orientation of the suction plate 83 described later, and even if the orientation is slightly changed by adjustment, it is said that "the suction plate 83 extends in the vertical direction Z". The first reinforcing wall 82c improves the rigidity of the support wall 82a by connecting the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b.

[0033] The second reinforcing wall 82d is connected to the other edge of the support wall 82a in the sub-scanning direction X, here the rear edge. The second reinforcing wall 82d is also connected to the rear edge of the bottom wall 82b. The second reinforcing wall 82d extends in the main scanning direction Y and the up-down direction Z. The second reinforcing wall 82d extends substantially parallel to the first reinforcing wall 82c. The second reinforcing wall 82d faces the first reinforcing wall 82c across the bottom wall 82b. The second reinforcing wall 82d also improves the rigidity of the support wall 82a by connecting the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b. These walls 82a to 82d form the magnet holder 82 in a box shape that has no lid, has a bottom, and the opposing surface of the support wall 82a is open.

[0034] 3, the magnet holder 82 places the magnet 81 on the side surface of the print carriage 40 in the main scanning direction Y. Here, the magnet 81 is placed on the left side surface (the side surface on the cutter carriage 60 side) of the print carriage 40 by the magnet holder 82. As a result, the magnet 81 faces the cutter carriage 60.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the cut carriage 60 includes a case 61 that houses the cutting head 50 (see FIG. 2) and a linear guide 62 that is slidably engaged with the guide rail 71. In this embodiment, the suction plate 83 supports the case 61 and is fixed to the linear guide 62. The suction plate 83 also serves as a base plate for the cut carriage 60. As shown in FIG. 4, the suction plate 83 includes a base plate portion 83a that extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z and functions as a base plate, and an suction portion 83b that extends in the secondary scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z and is attracted to the magnet 81. A part of the suction plate 83, here the suction portion 83b, is provided on the cut carriage 60 so as to face the magnet 81 and is attracted to the magnet 81. The base plate portion 83a and the suction portion 83b are formed by bending the suction plate 83. The suction plate 83 is made of a flat plate of magnetic metal, for example, an iron plate.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a front view of the adsorption plate 83 (base plate) of the cutting carriage 60. As shown in FIG. 9, the adsorption plate 83 has an upper through hole 83cU and a lower through hole 83cD that penetrate in the sub-scanning direction X. The upper through hole 83cU and the lower through hole 83cD are aligned in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. 2, the linear guide 62 has an upper screw hole 62aU and a lower screw hole 62aD formed at positions corresponding to the upper through hole 83cU and the lower through hole 83cD, respectively. An upper screw 86U is inserted into the upper through hole 83cU of the adsorption plate 83. The upper screw 86U is screwed into the upper screw hole 62aU of the linear guide 62. A lower screw 86D is inserted into the lower through hole 83cD of the adsorption plate 83. The lower screw 86D is screwed into the lower screw hole 62aD of the linear guide 62. The upper screw 86U and the lower screw 86D are an example of a second fixing member that fixes the attraction plate 83 to the cutting carriage 60.

[0037] The upper through hole 83cU has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the upper screw 86U. The upper through hole 83cU is configured to have almost no backlash with respect to the upper screw 86U. By inserting the upper screw 86U into the upper through hole 83cU and screwing it into the upper screw hole 62aU, the position of the upper through hole 83cU is determined to be a position overlapping with the upper screw hole 62aU (here, forward).

[0038] The lower through hole 83cD is formed to have a larger diameter than the lower screw 86D so that the suction plate 83 can rotate around the upper through hole 83cU and the upper screw hole 62aU. Here, the lower through hole 83cD is configured to have a circular shape with a larger diameter than the lower screw 86D. However, the shape of the lower through hole 83cD is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 9, hereinafter, an axis that passes through the upper through hole 83cU and the upper screw hole 62aU and extends in the sub-scanning direction X is also referred to as the second axis L2. The second axis L2 is a rotation axis when the suction plate 83 rotates. The suction plate 83 is configured to be rotatable around the second axis L2 when the screws 86U and 86D are loosened. When the screws 86U and 86D are tightened, the suction plate 83 is fixed and cannot rotate around the second axis L2.

[0039] [Magnet and suction plate orientation adjustment procedure] In the manufacturing process of printer 10, the orientation of magnet 81 about first axis L1 and the orientation of attraction plate 83 about second axis L2 are adjusted to accurately align magnet 81 and attraction plate 83. This ensures that the contact area between magnet 81 and attraction plate 83 is as designed, and as a result, the attraction force between magnet 81 and attraction plate 83 is ensured.

[0040] The orientation of the magnet 81 and the attraction plate 83 is adjusted in the following procedure. First, the magnet holder 82 is attached to the base plate 42 with the screws 84L and 84R loosely fastened. In this state, the magnet holder 82 can rotate in the front-rear direction around the first axis L1 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 8. Also, the attraction plate 83 is attached to the linear guide 62 with the screws 86U and 86D loosely fastened. In this state, the attraction plate 83 can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise in front view around the second axis L2 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 9.

[0041] When the magnet 81 and the attraction plate 83 are attracted to each other in the above-mentioned state, the magnet 81 and the magnet holder 82 rotate to match the orientation of the attraction plate 83 in a plan view (front-back inclination). At the same time, the attraction plate 83 rotates to match the orientation of the magnet 81 in a front view (up-down inclination). As a result, the magnet 81 and the attraction plate 83 face each other with high accuracy, and the orientation of the magnet 81 and the orientation of the attraction plate 83 match. In other words, the orientation of the magnet 81 and the orientation of the attraction plate 83 are parallel. In this state, when the screws 84L, 84R, 86U, and 86D are tightly tightened, the magnet 81 and the attraction plate 83 are fixed in a state in which the entire attraction surface of the magnet 81 can contact the attraction plate 83.

[0042] [Effects of the first embodiment] The following describes the effects that can be achieved by the printer 10 according to this embodiment.

[0043] In the printer 10 according to this embodiment, the connecting mechanism 80 includes a magnet 81, a magnet holder 82 that is provided on the print carriage 40 and supports the magnet 81, and an attraction plate 83 that is provided on the cutter carriage 60 and attracts the magnet 81. The magnet holder 82 includes a support wall 82a that supports the magnet 81, a bottom wall 82b that is attached to the print carriage 40, and first and second reinforcing walls 82c, 82d (reinforcing parts) that are connected to the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b. The magnet holder 82 is configured to be rotatable about a first axis L1 that extends in the up-down direction Z relative to the print carriage 40.

[0044] According to the printer 10, the magnet holder 82 supporting the magnet 81 can be rotated around a first axis L1 extending in the vertical direction Z, so that the orientation of the magnet 81 can be aligned with the orientation of the attraction plate 83. The magnet holder 82 also includes reinforcing parts 82c and 82d that connect the support wall 82a supporting the magnet 81 to the bottom wall 82b, thereby improving the rigidity of the support wall 82a. This makes the support wall 82a less likely to bend, and the orientation of the magnet 81 can be maintained even when the print carriage 40 and the cutter carriage 60 are connected or disconnected. This makes it possible to stabilize the connection between the print carriage 40 and the cutter carriage 60 by the connection mechanism 80.

[0045] In this embodiment, the suction plate 83 is configured to be rotatable around the second axis L2 extending in the sub-scanning direction X with respect to the cutting carriage 60. With this configuration, the magnet holder 82 supporting the magnet 81 is rotated around the first axis L1 to change the orientation of the magnet 81 around the first axis L1, and the suction plate 83 is rotated around the second axis L2 to change the orientation of the suction plate 83 around the second axis L2. With these functions, the orientation of the magnet 81 around the first axis L1 can be aligned with the suction plate 83, and the orientation of the suction plate 83 around the second axis L2 can be aligned with the magnet 81. As a result, the orientation of the magnet 81 and the orientation of the suction plate 83 are aligned with each other both around the vertical direction Z and around the sub-scanning direction X. This increases the coupling force of the coupling mechanism 80.

[0046] In this embodiment, the connecting mechanism 80 includes screws 84L and 84R as first fixing members for fixing the magnet holder 82 to the print carriage 40, and screws 86U and 86D as second fixing members for fixing the attraction plate 83 to the cutter carriage 60. The magnet holder 82 is configured to be rotatable around the first axis L1 when the fixing by the screws 84L and 84R is loosened. The attraction plate 83 is configured to be rotatable around the second axis L2 when the fixing by the screws 86U and 86D is loosened. With this configuration, the fixing of the screws 84L, 84R, 86U, and 86D is loosened to match the orientation of the magnet 81 with the orientation of the attraction plate 83, and then the screws 84L, 84R, 86U, and 86D are tightened to fix the orientation of the magnet 81 and the attraction plate 83, thereby making the connecting force of the connecting mechanism 80 more stable.

[0047] In this embodiment, the bottom wall 82b of the magnet holder 82 has a left through hole 82eL and a right through hole 82eR that penetrate in the up-down direction Z. The print carriage 40 has a left screw hole 42fL and a right screw hole 42fR that are formed at positions facing the left through hole 82eL and the right through hole 82eR and extend in the up-down direction Z. The left screw 84L is inserted into the left through hole 82eL and is screwed into the left screw hole 42fL. The right screw 84R is inserted into the right through hole 82eR and is screwed into the right screw hole 42fR. The left through hole 82eL has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the left screw 84L. The right through hole 82eR is formed to be larger than the diameter of the right screw 84R so that the magnet holder 82 can rotate around the left through hole 82eL. According to this printer 10, a configuration in which the magnet holder 82 rotates around the first axis L1 extending in the vertical direction Z can be realized by a simple configuration in which the right through hole 82eR is made larger in diameter than the right screw 84R.

[0048] In this embodiment, the print carriage 40 includes a case 41 that houses the print head 30, and a base plate 42 that extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z and supports the case 41. The base plate 42 has an upwardly facing mounting surface 42a1 that is formed by cutting and bending a part of a surface 42b that extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The left screw hole 42fL and the right screw hole 42fR are formed in the mounting surface 42a1. With this configuration, by cutting and bending the base plate 42 that supports the print head 30 and the case 41, the mounting surface 42a1 in which the left screw hole 42fL and the right screw hole 42fR are formed can be provided without increasing the number of parts.

[0049] In this embodiment, the reinforcing portion of the magnet holder 82 includes a pair of reinforcing walls 82c and 82d that face each other across the bottom wall 82b and are connected to the support wall 82a and the bottom wall 82b, respectively. With this configuration, the pair of reinforcing walls 82c and 82d make the magnet holder 82 box-shaped, and the rigidity of the support wall 82a can be further improved.

[0050] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the magnet 81 rotates around an axis extending in the up-down direction Z and an axis extending in the sub-scanning direction X. In the following description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are used for members having the same functions as in the first embodiment. Also, duplicated descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0051] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the base plate 42 of the print carriage 40 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, the base plate 42 is not provided with a mount portion 42a (see Fig. 5). Although not shown, the suction plate 83 is fixed to the linear guide 62 so as not to rotate.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mount member 87 corresponding to the mount portion 42a in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the mount member 87 is configured in an L-shape when viewed in the primary scanning direction Y. The mount member 87 is formed by bending a flat plate into an L-shape. The upper surface of the mount member 87 constitutes a mounting surface 87a of the magnet holder 82. The mounting surface 87a extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the secondary scanning direction X. A surface 87b of the mount member 87 that is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface 87a extends in the primary scanning direction Y and the vertical direction Z. The surface 87b of the mount member 87 constitutes a movable surface 87b that is rotatable with respect to the base plate 42 around an axis (also referred to as the second axis L2 in this embodiment) extending in the secondary scanning direction X.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 11, screw holes 87cL, 87cR into which screws 84L, 84R (see Fig. 8) for fixing the magnet holder 82 are screwed are formed on the attachment surface 87a of the mount member 87. The screw holes 87cL, 87cR are arranged side by side in the primary scanning direction Y. The screw holes 87cL, 87cR are formed at positions facing the left through hole 82eL and the right through hole 82eR (see Fig. 7) of the magnet holder 82, respectively. The screw holes 87cL, 87cR each extend in the up-down direction Z.

[0054] The mount member 87 has a left through hole 87dL and a right through hole 87dR that penetrate in the sub-scanning direction X. The left through hole 87dL and the right through hole 87dR are formed in the movable surface 87b. The left through hole 87dL and the right through hole 87dR are examples of a third through hole and a fourth through hole, respectively. As shown in FIG. 10, the base plate 42 of the print carriage 40 has a left screw hole 42gL and a right screw hole 42gR that are formed at positions facing the left through hole 87dL and the right through hole 87dR, respectively. The left screw hole 42gL and the right screw hole 42gR extend in the sub-scanning direction X. The left screw hole 42gL and the right screw hole 42gR are examples of a third screw hole and a fourth screw hole, respectively.

[0055] FIG. 12 is a front view of the base plate 42 with the magnet holder 82 and the mount member 87 attached. As shown in FIG. 12, the left screw 88L is inserted into the left through hole 87dL of the mount member 87 and is screwed into the left screw hole 42gL of the base plate 42. The right screw 88R is inserted into the right through hole 87dR of the mount member 87 and is screwed into the right screw hole 42gR of the base plate 42. The left screw 88L and the right screw 88R are examples of other fixing members. The mount member 87 is provided on the print carriage 40 and supports the magnet holder 82. The mount member 87 places the magnet 81 supported by the magnet holder 82 on a side surface (here, the left side surface) of the print carriage 40 in the main scanning direction Y.

[0056] The left through-hole 87dL of the mount member 87 has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the left screw 88L. The right through-hole 87dR is formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the right screw 88R so that the mount member 87 can rotate around the left through-hole 87dL. With this configuration, the mount member 87 can rotate around the second axis L2 extending in the sub-scanning direction X when the fixation by the screws 88L and 88R is loosened.

[0057] The magnet holder 82 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. When the fixing by the screws 84L, 84R is loosened, the magnet holder 82 is rotatable relative to the mount member 87 about a first axis L1 extending in the vertical direction Z. The mount member 87 is interposed between the print carriage 40 and the magnet holder 82, and supports the magnet holder 82 rotatably about the first axis L1. In addition, the mount member 87 is configured to be rotatable relative to the print carriage 40 about a second axis L2.

[0058] The printer 10 according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the printer 10 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the orientation of the magnet 81 around the first axis L1 and the orientation of the magnet 81 around the second axis L2 can be aligned with the attraction plate 83. As a result, the orientation of the magnet 81 and the orientation of the attraction plate 83 match both around the vertical direction Z and around the sub-scanning direction X. This can increase the connecting force of the connecting mechanism 80.

[0059] In addition, by using a structure similar to that in which the magnet holder 82 rotates relative to the mount member 87 (by forming the right through hole 87dR larger than the diameter of the right-side screw 88R), a configuration in which the mount member 87 rotates around the second axis L2 extending in the sub-scanning direction X can be easily realized.

[0060] [Other embodiments] Although some preferred embodiments have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the technology disclosed herein can be embodied in various other forms.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the magnet 81 is provided on the print carriage 40, and the attraction plate 83 is provided on the cutting carriage 60. However, the magnet 81 may be provided on the cutting carriage 60, and the attraction plate 83 may be provided on the print carriage 40.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the magnet holder 82 includes the first reinforcing wall 82c and the second reinforcing wall 82d. However, the magnet holder 82 may include only one reinforcing portion. The reinforcing portion does not have to be connected to the edge of the support wall 82a that supports the magnet 81. For example, the reinforcing portion may be provided in the center of the support wall 82a in the sub-scanning direction X. There are no particular limitations on the number, arrangement, shape, etc. of the members that constitute the reinforcing portion.

[0063] In the first embodiment described above, the orientation of the magnet 81 around the first axis L1 (orientation around the axis extending in the vertical direction Z) and the orientation of the attraction plate 83 around the second axis L2 (orientation around the axis extending in the sub-scanning direction X) are adjusted. However, the orientation of the magnet 81 around the axis extending in the sub-scanning direction X and the orientation of the attraction plate 83 around the axis extending in the vertical direction Z may be adjusted.

[0064] In the second embodiment described above, the orientation of the magnet 81 around the first axis L1 and the orientation of the magnet 81 around the second axis L2 are adjusted. However, the orientation of the attraction plate 83 around the axis extending in the vertical direction Z and the axis extending in the sub-scanning direction X may be adjusted.

[0065] In the above embodiment, a connecting mechanism that connects a print carriage that holds a print head and a cut carriage that holds a cutting head has been described. However, the connecting mechanism is not limited to connecting a print carriage and a cut carriage, as long as it is a mechanism that connects two carriages.

[0066] Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments described herein do not limit the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 5 Recording media 10 Printer with cutting head 30 Print Head 40 Print Carriage 41 cases 42 Base plate (mounting plate) 42a1 Mounting surface 42fL Left screw hole (first screw hole) 42fR Right screw hole (second screw hole) 42gL Left screw hole (third screw hole) 42gR Right screw hole (4th screw hole) 50 Cutting Head 60 Cutting carriage 71 Guide rail 73 Scan motor (moving device) 80 Connection mechanism 81 Magnet 82 Magnet holder (support member) 82a Support wall (support part) 82b Bottom wall (mounting part) 82c First reinforcing wall (reinforcing portion, reinforcing member) 82d Second reinforcing wall (reinforcing part, reinforcing member) 82eL Left through hole (1st through hole) 82eR Right through hole (2nd through hole) 83 Adsorption plate (adsorption body) 84L Left side screw (first fixing part, first screw) 84R Right side screw (first fixing part, second screw) 86D Lower screw (second fixing part) 86U Upper screw (second fixing part) 87 Mounting members (other supporting members) 87cL Left screw hole (first screw hole) 87cR Right screw hole (second screw hole) 87dL left through hole (3rd through hole) 87dR Right through hole (4th through hole) 88L Left side screw (third screw) 88R Right side screw (4th screw) L1 First axis L2 Second axis X Sub-scanning direction (second orthogonal direction) Y Main scanning direction Z Up / Down direction (first orthogonal direction)

Claims

1. A print head that ejects ink; a print carriage for holding the print head; a cutting head having a cutter capable of cutting the recording medium; a cutting carriage for holding the cutting head; a guide rail extending in a main scanning direction, the print carriage and the cutter carriage being engaged with each other so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction; a moving device for moving the print carriage or the cut carriage along the guide rail; a coupling mechanism provided on the print carriage and the cutter carriage for coupling the print carriage and the cutter carriage; The connecting mechanism includes: A magnet and a support member provided on one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage and supporting the magnet; an attracting member provided on the other of the print carriage and the cutter carriage and attracted to the magnet; the support member includes a support portion that supports the magnet, an attachment portion that is attached to one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage, and a reinforcing portion that is connected to the support portion and the attachment portion, and is configured to be rotatable relative to the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage about a first axis that extends in a first orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the main scanning direction; Printer with cutting head.

2. the attraction body is configured to be rotatable about a second axis extending in a second orthogonal direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the first orthogonal direction with respect to the other of the print carriage and the cutter carriage; A printer with a cutting head according to claim 1.

3. The connecting mechanism includes: a first fixing member for fixing the support member to the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage; a second fixing member that fixes the attraction body to the other of the print carriage and the cutter carriage, the support member is configured to be rotatable about the first axis when the support member is loosened from the first fixing member, The attraction body is configured to be rotatable around the second axis when the attraction body is loosened from the second fixing member. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 2.

4. The mounting portion includes a first through hole and a second through hole that respectively penetrate in the first orthogonal direction, the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage includes a first screw hole and a second screw hole formed at a position facing the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively, and extending in the first perpendicular direction; The first fixing member is a first screw that is inserted through the first through hole and screwed into the first screw hole; a second screw that is inserted through the second through hole and screwed into the second screw hole, The first through hole has a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the first screw, The second through hole is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the second screw so that the support member can rotate around the first through hole. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 3.

5. The one of the print carriage and the cut carriage is a case for housing the print head or the cutting head; a mounting plate extending in the main scanning direction and the first orthogonal direction and supporting the case; the mounting plate is formed by cutting and bending a part of a surface extending in the main scanning direction and the first orthogonal direction, and has a mounting surface facing the first orthogonal direction; The first screw hole and the second screw hole are formed in the mounting surface. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 4.

6. A direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction and the first perpendicular direction is defined as a second perpendicular direction, the coupling mechanism is interposed between the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage and the support member, supports the support member rotatably about the first axis, and includes another support member rotatable about a second axis extending in the second orthogonal direction relative to the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 1.

7. The connecting mechanism includes: a fixing member for fixing the support member to the other support member; and another fixing member for fixing the other support member to the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage, the support member is configured to be rotatable about the first axis when the fixing member is loosened, The other support member is configured to be rotatable around the second axis when the fixing by the other fixing member is loosened. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 6.

8. The mounting portion includes a first through hole and a second through hole that respectively penetrate in the first orthogonal direction, the other support member includes a first screw hole and a second screw hole that are formed in positions facing the first through hole and the second through hole, respectively, and extend in the first perpendicular direction; The fixing member is a first screw that is inserted through the first through hole and screwed into the first screw hole; a second screw that is inserted through the second through hole and screwed into the second screw hole, The first through hole has a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the first screw, The second through hole is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the second screw so that the support member can rotate around the first through hole. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 6.

9. the other support member includes a third through hole and a fourth through hole that penetrate in the second orthogonal direction, the one of the print carriage and the cutter carriage includes a third screw hole and a fourth screw hole formed at a position facing the third through hole and the fourth through hole, respectively, and extending in the second perpendicular direction; The other fixing member is a third screw that is inserted into the third through hole and screwed into the third screw hole; a fourth screw that is inserted through the fourth through hole and screwed into the fourth screw hole, the third through hole has a diameter corresponding to a diameter of the third screw, The fourth through hole is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the fourth screw so that the other support member can rotate around the third through hole. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 8.

10. The reinforcing portion includes a pair of reinforcing members that face each other across the mounting portion, and each reinforcing member is connected to the support portion and the mounting portion. A printer with a cutting head according to claim 1.

Images