Cutting apparatus and printer

Abstract

To provide a cutting apparatus and a printer which can efficiently convey a cut cloth label.SOLUTION: A cutting apparatus comprises: a cutting part which is provided at a conveyance passage for conveying a long-length cloth medium and cuts the cloth medium to a prescribed length; a mounting face which forms a part of the conveyance passage and on which the cloth medium cut in the cutting part is mounted; a rotational shaft which is provided above the conveyance passage and rotates in the conveyance direction of the cloth medium; a paddle part which is fitted to the rotational shaft and scrapes out the cloth medium mounted on the mounting face by moving in the conveyance direction while being in contact with the mounting face in accordance with the rotational operation of the rotational shaft; and a driving mechanism which transmits driving force to the cutting part and the rotational shaft and executes the cutting operation of the cutting part and the rotational operation of the rotational shaft in conjunction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a cutting device and a printer device. [Background technology]

[0002] A printer device that prints on a long paper medium (hereinafter also referred to as a paper label) is known in the art. Such a printer device is provided with a cutting device having a cutter mechanism to cut off the portion of the medium on which printing has been completed.

[0003] As a medium other than the above-mentioned paper label, a long cloth medium (hereinafter also referred to as a cloth label) made of a material such as polyester is known. In the above-mentioned printer device, for example, a quality indication of clothes or the like is printed on the cloth label, and the portion of the medium on which printing has been completed is cut and discharged from the discharge port, thereby making it possible to create a care label to be attached to the clothes or the like.

[0004] However, cloth labels have different properties from paper labels. Specifically, cloth labels are weaker and more likely to become charged than paper label media. For this reason, for example, cloth labels may become charged due to friction when cutting after printing is complete, and there is a problem that a jam may occur after cutting, such as when the charged cloth label sticks to the area around the cutter.

[0005] In addition, stacker technology for loading and storing care labels has been proposed in the past, but it does not take into consideration the process from cutting to transporting (discharging) the cloth labels, making it difficult to apply this technology as is. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device and a printer device that are capable of efficiently transporting cut cloth labels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cutting device of the embodiment includes a cutting unit, a placement surface, a rotating shaft, a paddle unit, and a drive mechanism. The cutting unit is provided in a transport path that transports a long cloth medium, and cuts the cloth medium to a predetermined length. The placement surface forms a part of the transport path, and places the cloth medium cut by the cutting unit on it. The rotating shaft is provided above the transport path, and rotates in the transport direction of the cloth medium. The paddle unit is attached to the rotating shaft, and moves in the transport direction while contacting the placement surface as the rotating shaft rotates, thereby scraping out the cloth medium placed on the placement surface in the transport direction. The drive mechanism transmits a drive force to the cutting unit and the rotating shaft, and performs the cutting operation of the cutting unit in conjunction with the rotation operation of the rotating shaft. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer and a cutting device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the printer and the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional right side view showing the periphery of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the driving mechanism according to the embodiment as viewed from the rear side of the printer. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where a cover is removed from the drive mechanism of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the drive mechanism according to the embodiment as viewed from the front side of the printer. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the drive mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the drive mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the drive mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit and the transport unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit and the transport unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit and the transport unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit and the transport unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting unit and the transport unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a printer and a cutting device according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is a view showing an example of the internal configuration of the printer and the cutting device according to an embodiment.

[0011] In the following, the configuration of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2 will be described using three mutually perpendicular axial directions: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. The X-axis runs horizontally through the printer 1, and runs from the left side to the right side of the printer 1. The Y-axis runs vertically through the printer 1, and runs from the front to the rear of the printer 1. The Z-axis runs vertically through the printer 1, and runs from the bottom to the top of the printer 1. In the following, the negative side of the Y-axis will also be referred to as the front side of the printer 1 (cutting device 2). The positive side of the Y-axis will also be referred to as the back side of the printer 1 (cutting device 2).

[0012] The printer 1 is an example of a printer device in the present disclosure. The printer 1 is used by being connected to an information processing device such as a PC so as to be able to communicate with the information processing device via wired or wireless communication. The printer 1 of the present embodiment prints on a fabric label L to issue a care label.

[0013] The printer 1 includes a housing 11, a medium holding unit 12, a printing unit 13, a display unit 14, and an operation unit 15.

[0014] The housing 11 has a generally box-like shape and houses a medium holding unit 12 and a printing unit 13. The housing 11 also houses a control unit (not shown) such as a processor that controls the overall operation of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2.

[0015] The medium holding unit 12 holds the cloth label L wound in a roll so as to be freely unwound. The cloth label L is a long cloth medium made of a material such as polyester.

[0016] The printing unit 13 includes a print head 131 and a platen 132. The cloth label L fed from the medium holding unit 12 is inserted between the print head 131 and the platen 132, and transported toward the first discharge port 133.

[0017] The print head 131 is, for example, a thermal head, and prints on the cloth label L fed out from the medium holding unit 12. For example, the print head 131 may print using an ink ribbon (not shown) inserted between the print head 131 and a platen 132. The cloth label L printed by the print head 131 is transported to the cutting device 2 through a first discharge port 133. It should be noted that the printing method of the printing unit 13 is not particularly limited.

[0018] The display unit 14 has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Under the control of a control unit (not shown) included in the printer 1, the display unit 14 displays various information such as a screen showing the status of the printer 1 and the status of the cutting device 2. The operation unit 15 has various buttons related to the operation of the printer 1. For example, the operation unit 15 has a power button, a paper feed button, etc. The power button is an operation button for switching between operating and non-operating the printer 1. The paper feed button is an operation button for driving a motor or the like to instruct the feeding of the cloth label L in the transport direction.

[0019] The cutting device 2 is an example of a cutting device. The cutting device 2 cuts the cloth label conveyed through the first discharge port 133 to a predetermined length. Specifically, the cutting device 2 cuts a portion of the cloth label L on which printing has been performed by the printing unit 13 (hereinafter, also referred to as a leading end portion), and issues the cut portion as a care label.

[0020] The cutting device 2 is provided at a position facing the first discharge outlet 133 of the printer 1, and receives the input of the fabric label L printed by the printing unit 13 via the first discharge outlet 133. The cutting device 2 may be configured to be integral with the printer 1, or may be configured to be detachable from the printer 1.

[0021] The cutting device 2 includes a cutting section 22, a conveying section 23, and a guide section 24 inside a housing 21. The cutting device 2 also includes a drive mechanism 3 (see FIGS. 4 to 6) inside the housing 21, which will be described later.

[0022] The cutting unit 22 has a cutting mechanism for cutting the cloth label printed by the printing unit 13. The conveying unit 23 conveys the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22 as a care label and discharges it from a second discharge outlet 25 provided in the housing 21. The guide unit 24 guides the conveyance of the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22. Here, the path and direction from the first discharge outlet 133 to the second discharge outlet 25 become the conveyance path and conveyance direction of the cloth label L in the cutting device 2.

[0023] Here, the internal configuration around the cutting device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional right side view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the cutting device 2. In Fig. 3, the conveying path of the cloth label L is indicated by a dashed line.

[0024] The cutting unit 22 includes a mechanism for cutting the cloth label L transported from the printing unit 13. Specifically, the cutting unit 22 includes a fixed blade 221 and a movable blade 222. Note that Fig. 3 shows an example in which a guide member 1331 for guiding the transport from the printing unit 13 to the cutting device 2 is provided at the first discharge opening 133.

[0025] The fixed blade 221 is installed behind the first discharge opening 133 and above the conveying path, and has a blade at its lower end that faces the conveying path. On the other hand, the movable blade 222 is provided below the conveying path. The movable blade 222 is a substantially plate-shaped member that extends in the width direction (left-right direction) of the cutting device 2. The movable blade 222 has a support shaft 223 that is parallel to the width direction of the cutting device 2 at a position eccentric to the downstream side in the conveying direction (the front side of the cutting device 2), and is freely rotatable around the axis of this support shaft 223.

[0026] Additionally, upper surface 224 of movable blade 222 serves as a placement surface on which to place the cut cloth label L. The placement surface forms part of the transport path during the process of cutting cloth label L. Note that upper surface 224 of movable blade 222 may be flat, or may have a mountain-like shape or the like in consideration of the transport of cloth label L, as shown in Fig. 2. Note that it is preferable that the upper surface of movable blade 222 be a smooth surface to ensure smooth transport.

[0027] Furthermore, a blade (hereinafter also referred to as blade surface 225) facing the conveying path is provided on an end face (for example, an upper end) of the movable blade 222 on the upstream side in the conveying direction (the rear side of the cutting device 2). As the movable blade 222 rotates around the support shaft 223, the blade surface 225 moves from below to above and from above to below the conveying path, thereby sandwiching and cutting the cloth label L between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221. In other words, the position, size, shape, etc. of the movable blade 222 are designed so that the blade surface 225 of the movable blade 222 passes the position where it meshes with the fixed blade 221 as the movable blade 222 rotates around the support shaft 223.

[0028] The conveying unit 23 is provided above the conveying path and downstream in the conveying direction of the cutting unit 22. The conveying unit 23 operates to convey the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22 to the second discharge outlet 25. Specifically, the conveying unit 23 includes a first paddle unit 231, a second paddle unit 232, and a paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0029] The paddle rotation shaft 233 is an example of a rotation shaft provided across the width direction of the cutting device 2. The paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates in a clockwise direction in the figure, which corresponds to the conveyance direction of the cloth label L.

[0030] The first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 are an example of a paddle portion. The first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 are attached to a paddle rotation shaft 233, and rotate in a clockwise direction in the figure as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates.

[0031] Here, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 have different mounting angles with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233. Specifically, the mounting angles with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different so that the first paddle portion 231 enters the conveying path first, followed by the second paddle portion 232, as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates. Note that there is no particular restriction on the difference in mounting angle between the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232, but it is preferable to adjust it depending on the type of the cloth label L, etc.

[0032] The first paddle portion 231 has a first paddle blade 2311 and a first fixing portion 2312 for fixing the first paddle blade 2311 to the paddle rotation shaft 233. Similarly, the second paddle portion 232 has a second paddle blade 2321 and a second fixing portion 2322 for fixing the second paddle blade 2321 to the paddle rotation shaft 233. The first fixing portion 2312 and the second fixing portion 2322 are formed of locking members such as screws.

[0033] The first paddle blade 2311 and the second paddle blade 2321 are formed of an elastic material such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber). The first paddle blade 2311 and the second paddle blade 2321 have a length that allows them to contact the upper surface of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates. Here, the length of the paddle blade means, for example, the length from the center of the paddle rotation shaft 233 to the tip of the paddle blade, and is not limited to the length of the paddle blade itself. The first paddle blade 2311 and the second paddle blade 2321 may have the same length or may have different lengths. In this embodiment, the second paddle blade 2321 is formed to have a length longer than the first paddle blade 2311.

[0034] Further, the paddle rotation shaft 233 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the pivoting movement of the movable blade 222. Specifically, the drive mechanism 3 shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is configured to link the pivoting movement of the movable blade 222 in the vertical direction with the rotational movement of the paddle rotation shaft 233. Hereinafter, the drive mechanism 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism 3 as viewed from the rear side of the printer 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism in Fig. 4 with a cover removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism 3 as viewed from the front side of the printer 1.

[0036] The drive mechanism 3 has a drive motor 31 serving as a drive source, and a first transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the rotation of the drive motor 31 to a rotating body 33. The rotating body 33 has, for example, a disk-like shape, and rotates by receiving power from the first transmission mechanism 32. The rotating body 33 has a drive motor shaft 331 at a position eccentric to the center of rotation. A first link 34 and a second link 35 are connected to the drive motor shaft 331 so as to be rotatable around the axis. Hereinafter, the word "connected" used in the description of the drive mechanism 3 may be replaced with "joined" or "engaged", etc.

[0037] One end of the first link 34 is connected to the drive motor shaft 331, and the other end is connected to the first frame portion 36. The first frame portion 36 supports one end of the movable blade 222 in the longitudinal direction. The first frame portion 36 supports the movable blade 222 rotatably around the axis of the support shaft 223. The first frame portion 36 also has a first drive shaft 361 at a position upstream in the conveying direction away from the support shaft 223. The other end of the first link 34 is connected to the first drive shaft 361 so as to be rotatable around the axis.

[0038] In the above-described configuration, the first link 34 converts the rotational motion of the rotating body 33 into reciprocating motion and transmits the power to the first frame portion 36, thereby causing the first frame portion 36 to rotate (swing) up and down around the axis of the support shaft 223.

[0039] One end of the second link 35 is connected to the drive motor shaft 331, and the other end is connected to the second frame portion 37. The second frame portion 37 is a flange-shaped support body that supports one end of the paddle rotation shaft 233, and is connected integrally with the paddle rotation shaft 233 via a paddle angle adjustment plate 38.

[0040] The paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is formed of a semicircular plate-like member. The paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is fixed to one end side of the paddle rotation shaft 233 by a shaft fixing screw 381 on the surface side of the second frame part 37 facing the second link 35. Here, the paddle rotation shaft 233 is located at the center of the arc of the paddle angle adjustment plate 38.

[0041] Further, the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 has an arc-shaped elongated hole 382 centered on the paddle rotation shaft 233 so as to encompass the screw holes 372, 373 (see FIG. 7) formed in the second frame portion 37. The paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is joined to the second frame portion 37 by screwing adjustment plate fixing screws 383, 384 into the screw holes 372, 373 through the elongated hole 382. That is, the second frame portion 37 and the paddle rotation shaft 233 are joined integrally.

[0042] The arc length of the elongated hole 382 is formed to be larger than the length between the screw holes 372 and 373, that is, the arc length between the screw holes 372 and 373 with the center of the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 as the base point. This is because even if the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 is moved (rotated) around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233, the adjustment plate fixing screws 383 and 384 can be inserted into the screw holes 372 and 373 via the elongated hole 382.

[0043] In this way, by attaching the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 to the second frame portion 37 via the elongated hole 382, ​​it is possible to adjust the position around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233 when the paddle rotation shaft 233 is attached to the second frame portion 37. In other words, it is possible to adjust the timing at which the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 reach the upper surface 224 (mounting surface) of the movable blade 222 when the paddle rotation shaft 233 is rotated.

[0044] The second frame portion 37 has a second drive shaft 371 at a position eccentric to the center of rotation. The other end of the second link 35 is connected to the second drive shaft 371 so as to be rotatable around the axis. A convex slide shaft 351 is provided on the outer surface of the second link 35.

[0045] The slide shaft 351 of the second link 35 fits into a slit 391 provided in a cover 39 that covers the first link 34 and the second link 35. The slit 391 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the second link 35 and guides the movement of the slide shaft 351 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the movement of the second link 35.

[0046] In the above-mentioned configuration, the second link 35 converts the rotational motion of the rotor 33 into a reciprocating motion and slides along the slit 391 of the cover 39, thereby transmitting the rotational power around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233 to the second frame portion 37. As a result, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 rotate in the conveying direction in conjunction with the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233, thereby performing a scraping operation that urges the cloth label L in the conveying direction.

[0047] Next, the coordinated drive of the movable blade 222 and the transport section 23 by the drive mechanism 3 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. Figures 7 to 9 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the drive mechanism 3, and show the drive mechanism 3 as viewed from the rear side of the printer 1. Note that the shaft fixing screw 381, the adjustment plate fixing screws 383 and 384, and the cover 39 are omitted from Figures 7 to 9. A slit 391 provided in the cover 39 is shown.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the drive mechanism 3 in a standby state. Here, the standby state refers to the state before the movable blade 222 moves upward. Specifically, it refers to the state before the cloth label L is transported from the printing unit 13, as well as the state after the cloth label L has been cut and before cutting of the next cloth label L begins. Hereinafter, the positions of the various parts in the standby state shown in Fig. 7 are also referred to as standby positions.

[0049] The drive motor 31 is driven in synchronization with the conveyance of the cloth label L from the printing unit 13 under the control of a control unit (not shown) included in the printer 1.

[0050] In the drive mechanism 3 in the standby state, when the cloth label L is conveyed from the printing unit 13 and stops at a predetermined conveyance distance, the drive motor 31 is driven, and the rotating body 33 rotates in the direction of the arrow Aa as shown in FIG. 8. As the rotating body 33 rotates, its power is transmitted to the first link 34, and the first frame portion 36 rotates around the axis of the support shaft 223, and the movable blade 222 moves in the direction of the arrow Ad. As the rotating body 33 rotates, its power is transmitted to the second link 35, and the second link 35 moves along the slit 391 in the direction of the arrow Ac, and rotates the second frame portion 37 in the direction of the arrow Ad. As a result, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 rotate in the direction around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233, that is, in the direction of the arrow Ae. Note that each arrow indicates the direction and amount of movement of each portion starting from the standby position.

[0051] Here, the movement of the movable blade 222 in the direction of the arrow Ad cuts off the rear end portion of the cloth label L that is between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222. In addition, the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the direction of the arrow Ae brings the tip of the first paddle portion 231 (first paddle blade 2311) into contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0052] Next, as the driving motor 31 continues to be driven and the rotor 33 rotates to the position of the arrow Ba shown in Fig. 9, the movable blade 222 transitions from moving in the direction of the arrow Bb to moving in the direction of the arrow Bc. Also, the second link 35 transitions from moving in the direction of the arrow Bd to moving in the direction of the arrow Be along the slit 391, thereby rotating the second frame portion 37 to the position of the arrow Bf. As a result, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 continue to rotate around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233 by rotating in the direction of the arrow Bg.

[0053] Here, as a result of the movement of movable blade 222 from the direction of arrow Bb to the direction of arrow Bc, a part of the cut fabric label L, i.e., a part of the care label, is placed on upper surface 224 of movable blade 222. Furthermore, as paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates in the direction of arrow Bg, the tip of first paddle portion 231 moves on upper surface 224 of movable blade 222 in the conveying direction, and then the tip of second paddle portion 232 in the rear stage comes into contact with upper surface 224 of movable blade 222.

[0054] Then, after Figure 9, the driving of the drive motor 31 continues and each part of the drive mechanism 3 moves to the standby position, so that the tip of the second paddle portion 232 moves along the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction.

[0055] In this manner, the drive mechanism 3 cuts off the leading end portion of the printed cloth label L by driving the movable blade 222. In addition, in conjunction with the driving of the movable blade 222, the drive mechanism 3 rotates the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the conveyance direction, thereby rotating the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0056] Returning to Fig. 3, we will continue to explain the configuration of the cutting device 2. The cutting device 2 includes a guide unit 24 for guiding the transport of the fabric label L cut by the cutting unit 22. Specifically, the guide unit 24 has an upper guide unit 241 and a lower guide unit 242.

[0057] The upper guide portion 241 is provided above the conveying path and downstream in the conveying direction of the conveying unit 23. The upper guide portion 241 has an inclined surface continuing to the second discharge outlet 25, and guides the cloth label L conveyed by the conveying unit 23 to the second discharge outlet 25. The upper guide portion 241 is disposed with an interference avoidance window so as not to interfere with the rotational operation of the conveying unit 23.

[0058] The lower guide portion 242 is provided below the conveying path and below the conveying portion 23. Specifically, the lower guide portion 242 is provided substantially below the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the vertical direction.

[0059] The lower guide portion 242 includes a charge removing brush 2421 and a support portion 2422. The charge removing brush 2421 is an example of a charge removing member. The charge removing brush 2421 is provided facing upward, and removes charge from the cloth label L transported along the transport path. The support portion 2422 is a support member that supports the charge removing brush 2421 from below.

[0060] The lower guide portion 242 supports from below the cloth label L scraped out from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 by the conveying portion 23 in the conveying path, thereby guiding the conveyance to the second discharge opening 25. Here, the height of the lower guide portion 242, i.e., the height of the static electricity removal brush 2421, is designed to be a height that allows contact with the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232. In addition, the height of the static electricity removal brush 2421 is designed based on its relationship with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, as described later.

[0061] The printer 1 and the cutting device 2 are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations. For example, the printer 1 includes various sensors and a drive source for rotating the platen 132. The cutting device 2 includes an interface for electrically connecting to the printer 1.

[0062] Next, an example of the operation of the above-mentioned cutting unit 22 and transport unit 23 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 14. Here, Fig. 10 to Fig. 14 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the cutting unit 22 and transport unit 23. Fig. 10 to Fig. 14 show longitudinal right side views of the cutting unit 22 and transport unit 23.

[0063] First, after printing is performed on the cloth label L in the printing unit 13, the cloth label L is transported into the cutting device 2 through the first discharge opening 133. At this time, the leading end of the cloth label L passes between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222, and is guided by the upper guide portion 241 so as to be sent out in the direction of the second discharge opening 25. Then, when a predetermined amount of the cloth label L has been sent out into the cutting device 2, the transport of the cloth label L is stopped.

[0064] 10 shows a state in which the fabric label L is conveyed from the printing unit 13 to the cutting device 2 and stopped at a predetermined conveyance distance. At this time, the movable blade 222, the first paddle portion 231, and the second paddle portion 232 are in the standby position described above.

[0065] The height of the tip of the lower guide portion 242 (discharge brush 2421) is designed to be lower than the height of the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 on the lower guide portion 242 side, i.e., the height of the downstream side in the conveying direction, when the movable blade 222 is in the standby position (standby state). As a result, the cloth label L that has passed between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 passes above the lower guide portion 242 and moves toward the second discharge opening 25 without interfering with the lower guide portion 242. Therefore, in the cutting device 2, the cloth label L before being cut can be smoothly sent out in the direction of the second discharge opening 25.

[0066] When the cloth label L is conveyed into the cutting device 2, the movable blade 222 rotates upward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 11) by the drive mechanism 3 described above, and cuts the cloth label L by pinching it between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221. At this time, a part of the cut cloth label L is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0067] 11 shows a state immediately after the cloth label L is cut by the cutting unit 22. As shown in FIG.

[0068] Incidentally, the cloth label L used in this embodiment is made of a material such as polyester, and therefore has a property that it is weaker in stiffness and more easily charged than a paper label made of paper media. Therefore, when handling the cloth label L, there is a possibility that it may become charged due to sliding (friction) during cutting or transport. The charged cloth label L sticks to surrounding members due to electrostatic force, and cannot be discharged normally after cutting.

[0069] Therefore, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, efficient transport of the cloth label L is achieved by the paddle rotation of the transport unit 23. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates clockwise in the figure in conjunction with the cutting operation of the cloth label L by the movable blade 222, that is, the upward rotation of the movable blade 222. The first paddle blade 2311 of the first paddle unit 231 comes into contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, and starts the operation of scraping out the cloth label L present on the upper surface 224 in the transport direction by moving in the transport direction while maintaining this contact state.

[0070] As a result, even if, for example, the cloth label L is stuck to the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, the scraping action of the first paddle portion 231 can transport (move) the cloth label L toward the second discharge outlet 25.

[0071] 11, the height of the tip of the lower guide portion 242 (discharge brush 2421) is designed to be higher than the height of the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 on the lower guide portion 242 side, i.e., the height of the downstream side in the conveying direction, in the cutting state. As a result, the cloth label L conveyed from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 moves toward the second discharge opening 25 while contacting the discharge brush 2421 of the lower guide portion 242. Therefore, in the cutting device 2, the charged cloth label L can be reliably discharged, and therefore the cloth label L can be smoothly conveyed toward the second discharge opening 25.

[0072] When cutting of the cloth label L is completed, the movable blade 222 starts to rotate (move) downward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12) to return to the standby position. Meanwhile, the paddle rotation shaft 233 continues to rotate clockwise in the figure. Therefore, while the first paddle blade 2311 is in contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, scraping in the conveying direction continues.

[0073] 12 shows the state immediately after the first paddle blade 2311 has separated from the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. Here, for example, due to electrostatic force generated in the cloth label L, the rear end portion of the cloth label L may stick to the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, and may remain on the upper surface 224 even after the first paddle blade 2311 has separated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second paddle portion 232 subsequent to the first paddle portion 231 scrapes out the rear end portion of the cloth label L remaining on the upper surface 224.

[0074] 13, as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates clockwise, the second paddle blade 2321 of the second paddle portion 232 in contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 moves in the conveying direction along the upper surface 224. As a result, the second paddle portion 232 starts a scraping operation in the conveying direction from the rear end of the cloth label L remaining on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0075] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the state immediately after the second paddle blade 2321 has left the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. As shown in Fig. 14, the second paddle blade 2321 pushes the cloth label L in the conveying direction from the rear end side of the cloth label L. This allows the conveying section 23 to more reliably convey the cloth label L in the conveying direction even if the rear end side of the cloth label L remains on the upper surface 224 after the first paddle blade 2311 has left.

[0076] As described above, the cutting device 2 of this embodiment comprises: a cutting unit 22 that is provided on the conveying path along which the cloth label L is conveyed and cuts the cloth label L to a predetermined length; an upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 that forms part of the conveying path and on which the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22 is placed; a paddle rotation shaft 233 that is provided above the conveying path and rotates in the conveying direction of the cloth label L; a first paddle unit 231 and a second paddle unit 232 that are attached to the paddle rotation shaft 233 and move in the conveying direction while contacting the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, thereby scraping out the cloth label placed on the upper surface 224 in the conveying direction; and a drive mechanism 3 that transmits driving force to the cutting unit 22 and the paddle rotation shaft 233 and links the cutting operation of the cutting unit 22 with the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0077] As a result, even if the cut cloth label L is electrically charged, the cutting device 2 can urge it in the conveying direction by the scraping action of the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232, thereby efficiently conveying (discharging) the cut cloth label L. Furthermore, in the cutting device 2, the cutting action of the cloth label L and the scraping action of the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 can be performed in conjunction with each other, so that a series of processes from cutting to discharging can be efficiently performed.

[0078] In addition, the cutting device 2 can scrape out the cloth label L placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveyance direction by using the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 attached at different angles.

[0079] As a result, even if the rear end portion of the cloth label L remains on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 after scraping by the first paddle portion 231, the cutting device 2 can be urged in the conveying direction by scraping by the second paddle portion 232, so that the conveying (discharging) of the cut cloth label L can be more reliably performed.

[0080] The cutter 2 also includes a discharging brush 2421 at a position on the conveying path subsequent to the movable blade 222 where the cloth label L scraped off from the upper surface 224 can come into contact with the brush. This allows the cutter 2 to dissipate static electricity generated on the cloth label L, preventing the cloth label L from sticking during conveying and allowing the cloth label L to be conveyed (discharged) efficiently.

[0081] The above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate by changing a portion of the configuration or functions of the printer 1 and the cutting device 2. Therefore, some modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. Note that the following mainly describes the differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of the points in common with the contents already described will be omitted. The modified examples described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0082] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, for example, the movable blade 222 may be formed of a conductive material such as metal, and the movable blade 222 may be connected to the GND of the housing 21, etc. This can suppress the potential difference caused by the static electricity of the cloth label L, and therefore the cloth label L can be transported more efficiently.

[0083] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, a configuration using the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration using only the first paddle portion 231 (or the second paddle portion 232) may be used. For example, if the cloth label L can be transported by only the scraping action of a single paddle portion due to the characteristics of the cloth label L to be used, a configuration using a single paddle portion may be used.

[0084] Furthermore, the number of paddle parts is not limited to two, and three or more paddle parts may be provided on the paddle rotation shaft 233 depending on the characteristics of the cloth label L to be used, etc. The mounting angles of the paddle parts with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different from each other.

[0085] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments and their modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Printer 2 Cutting device 3. Driving mechanism 22 Cut section 221 Fixed blade 222 Movable blade 223 Spindle 224 Top 225 Blade surface 23 Conveyor 231 First Paddle Section 232 Second Paddle Section 233 Paddle Rotation Axis 24 Guide section 241 Upper guide part 242 Lower guide part 2421 Antistatic brush 2422 Support part 31 Drive motor 32 First transmission mechanism 33 Rotating Body 34 First Link 35 Second Link 36 First frame section 37 Second frame section 38 Paddle angle adjustment plate 39 Cover [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0087] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4559647

Claims

1. a cutting section provided in a conveying path along which a long cloth medium is conveyed, the cutting section cutting the long cloth medium to a predetermined length; a placement surface that forms a part of the transport path and on which the fabric medium cut by the cutting section is placed; a rotating shaft provided above the transport path and rotating in a transport direction of the fabric medium; a paddle portion attached to the rotating shaft, the paddle portion moving in the transport direction while in contact with the placement surface in response to a rotational movement of the rotating shaft, thereby scraping out the fabric medium placed on the placement surface in the transport direction; a drive mechanism that transmits a drive force to the cutting unit and the rotating shaft, and performs a cutting operation of the cutting unit and a rotating operation of the rotating shaft in conjunction with each other; A cutting device comprising:

2. The cutting device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism transmits a drive force obtained from a same drive source to the cutting section and the rotation shaft.

3. The cutting device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the paddle portions are attached to the rotation shaft at different angles.

4. the cutting section has a fixed blade disposed above the conveying path, and a movable blade disposed below the conveying path, the placement surface being provided on an upper surface thereof, and a blade surface being provided on an end surface on the upstream side in the conveying direction; The cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movable blade rotates around a support shaft provided downstream in the conveying direction by the driving force transmitted from the driving mechanism, thereby moving the blade surface up and down, thereby cutting the fabric medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade.

5. a static elimination member that is provided downstream of the placement surface in the conveying direction and below the conveying path at a height capable of contacting the cloth medium scraped out from the placement surface by the paddle portion, and that eliminates static electricity from the cloth medium that it comes into contact with; The cutting device according to claim 4, wherein the height of the anti-static member is lower than the height of the downstream side of the loading surface in the transport direction in a standby state before the movable blade moves upward, and is higher than the height of the downstream side of the loading surface in the transport direction in a cutting state in which the movable blade has cut the fabric medium.

6. A printing unit that prints on a long cloth medium; a cutting section provided in a conveying path along which the printed fabric medium is conveyed, the cutting section cutting the printed fabric medium to a predetermined length; a placement surface that forms a part of the transport path and on which the fabric medium cut by the cutting section is placed; a rotating shaft provided above the transport path and rotating in a transport direction of the fabric medium; a paddle portion attached to the rotating shaft, the paddle portion moving in the transport direction while in contact with the placement surface in response to a rotational movement of the rotating shaft, thereby scraping out the fabric medium placed on the placement surface in the transport direction; a drive mechanism that transmits a drive force to the cutting unit and the rotating shaft, and performs a cutting operation of the cutting unit and a rotating operation of the rotating shaft in conjunction with each other; A printer device comprising:

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