Cutting device and printer device

Abstract

To provide a cutting device and a printer device that are capable of efficiently conveying a cloth label.SOLUTION: The cutting device includes: a cutter including a fixed blade above a conveyance path along which a long cloth medium is conveyed and a movable blade provided below the conveyance path, where moving the movable blade upward cuts the cloth medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade; and a guide disposed above the conveyance path and downstream of the cutter, the guide guiding the cloth medium having passed between the fixed blade and the movable blade in a conveyance direction of the conveyance path. The guide is movable in a vertical direction in conjunction with the movable blade.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 can sometimes curl when printed. For example, in a printer device that uses a thermal head and a platen roller for printing, when the cloth label passes between the thermal head and the platen roller, the cloth label is squeezed by the thermal head, causing curling. Furthermore, cloth labels have a property of being weaker than paper labels. Therefore, if the leading edge of a curled cloth label gets caught in the transport path, the cloth label is more likely to curl up than a paper label medium, and a jam may occur during transport.

[0005] In addition, stacker technology related to the loading and storing of care labels has been proposed in the past, but no consideration is given to the transportation of curled cloth labels, making it difficult to solve the above problem. 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 conveying fabric labels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cutting device of the embodiment includes a cutting unit and a guide unit. The cutting unit has a fixed blade provided above a transport path along which a long cloth medium is transported, and a movable blade provided below the transport path, and the movable blade moves upward to cut the cloth medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade. The guide unit is provided above the transport path and after the cutting unit, and guides the cloth medium that has passed between the fixed blade and the movable blade in the transport direction of the transport path. The guide unit is provided to be movable in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movable blade. [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 device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the cutting device 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 a thermal head, and prints on the cloth label L fed out from the medium holding unit 12. The print head 131 may be of a thermal transfer type that performs printing using an ink ribbon (not shown) inserted between the print head 131 and the platen 132, or may be of a thermal type. The print head 131 may be a flat-edge type thermal head that contacts the cloth label L at a flat portion, or a near-edge type thermal head that contacts the cloth label L at a corner. The cloth label L printed by the print head 131 is transported to the cutting device 2 through a first discharge port 133.

[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 is an example of a cutting unit, and 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, an upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 serves as a placement surface on which the cut cloth label L is placed. The upper surface 224 forms part of the transport path during the process of cutting the cloth label L. The upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 may be flat, or may have a mountain-like shape or the like in consideration of the transport of the cloth label L, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper surface of the movable blade 222 is preferably 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 on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the cutting unit 22. The conveying unit 23 performs an operation for conveying the cloth label L cut by the cutting unit 22 to the second discharge port 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 second rotation shaft provided across the width direction of the cutting device 2. The paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure corresponding to the conveying direction of the cloth label L.

[0030] The first paddle unit 231 and the second paddle unit 232 are examples of paddle units. The first paddle unit 231 and the second paddle unit 232 are attached to the paddle rotation shaft 233 and rotate in the clockwise direction in the figure as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates.

[0031] Here, the attachment angles of the first paddle unit 231 and the second paddle unit 232 with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different. Specifically, the attachment angles with respect to the paddle rotation shaft 233 are different such that as the paddle rotation shaft 233 rotates, the first paddle unit 231 enters the conveying path first, and subsequently the second paddle unit 232 enters the conveying path. Although the attachment angle difference between the first paddle unit 231 and the second paddle unit 232 is not particularly limited, it is preferably adjusted according to the type of the cloth label L and the like.

[0032] The first paddle unit 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 unit 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 composed 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 is an example of the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism, and has a drive motor 31 as a drive source and a first transmission mechanism 32 that transmits the rotation of the drive motor 31 to the 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. Although not shown in the figure, a guide link 2413 (described later) is 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 in the longitudinal direction of the movable blade 222. The first frame portion 36 supports the movable blade 222 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the support shaft 223. Further, the first frame portion 36 has a first drive shaft 361 at a position on the upstream side in the transport direction away from the support shaft 223. The other end of the first link 34 is rotatably connected to the first drive shaft 361 about the axis.

[0038] In the above-described configuration, the first link 34 changes the rotational motion of the rotating body 33 into a reciprocating motion and transmits the power to the first frame portion 36, thereby rotating (swinging) the first frame portion 36 up and down about 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 that supports one end of the paddle rotation shaft 233 and is integrally connected to the paddle rotation shaft 233 via the 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 of the paddle rotation shaft 233 by a shaft fixing screw 381 on the surface side of the second frame portion 37 facing the second link 35. Here, the paddle rotation shaft 233 is located at the arc center of the paddle angle adjustment plate 38.

[0041] Further, an arc-shaped long hole 382 centered on the paddle rotation shaft 233 is formed in the paddle angle adjustment plate 38 so as to include screw holes 372 and 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 and 384 into the screw holes 372 and 373 through the long hole 382. That is, the second frame portion 37 and the paddle rotation shaft 233 are integrally joined.

[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, due to the movement of the movable blade 222 in the direction of arrow Ad, the rear end portion of the cloth label L existing between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 is cut. Also, due to the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the direction of arrow Ae, the tip of the first paddle portion 231 (first paddle blade 2311) comes into contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0052] Subsequently, when the driving of the drive motor 31 is continued and the rotating body 33 rotates to the position of arrow Ba shown in FIG. 9, the movable blade 222 transitions from the movement in the direction of arrow Bb to the movement in the direction of arrow Bc. Also, the second link 35 transitions from the movement in the direction of arrow Bd to the movement in the direction of arrow Be along the slit 391, thereby rotating the second frame portion 37 to the position of arrow Bf. As a result, the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232 rotate in the direction of arrow Bg, thereby continuing the rotation around the axis of the paddle rotation shaft 233.

[0053] Here, due to the movement of the movable blade 222 from the direction of arrow Bb to the direction of arrow Bc, a part of the cut cloth label L, that is, a part of the care label, is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. Also, due to the rotation of the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the direction of arrow Bg, after the tip of the first paddle portion 231 moves the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction, the tip of the subsequent second paddle portion 232 comes into contact with the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222.

[0054] Then, after FIG. 9, when the driving of the drive motor 31 is continued and each part of the drive mechanism 3 moves to the standby position, the tip of the second paddle portion 232 will move the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction.

[0055] In this way, the drive mechanism 3 drives the movable blade 222 to cut the tip portion of the printed cloth label L. Also, the drive mechanism 3 rotationally drives the paddle rotation shaft 233 in the conveying direction in conjunction with the driving of the movable blade 222, 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 an example of a guide portion in this embodiment. The upper guide portion 241 is provided above the conveying path and at the rear of the cutting portion 22. More specifically, the upper guide portion 241 is provided between the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222 and the paddle rotation shaft 233. Moreover, the upper guide portion 241 is provided to be movable in the up and down direction in conjunction with the movable blade 222.

[0058] Specifically, the upper guide portion 241 includes a first guide 2411 , a rotation support portion 2412 , a guide link 2413 , a drive shaft 2414 , and a support portion 2415 .

[0059] The first guide 2411 is a plate-like member provided across the conveying direction of the conveying path. Specifically, the first guide 2411 is provided from the rear of the fixed blade 221 to the second discharge port 25. The downstream end of the first guide 2411 in the conveying direction is supported by a rotation support part 2412, and the upstream end in the conveying direction is a free end. The first guide 2411 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the rotation axis of the rotation support part 2412 as described below.

[0060] The first guide 2411 is formed of a conductive material such as metal. In addition, a window for preventing interference is provided on the surface of the first guide 2411 so as not to impede the rotational operation of the paddle part of the conveying part 23.

[0061] Further, a drive shaft 2414 is provided on a side surface of the first guide 2411, and a guide link 2413 is connected via the drive shaft 2414. Note that, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 2414 is provided on one of the two side surfaces of the first guide 2411, but this is not limiting, and a configuration in which the drive shaft 2414 is provided on both side surfaces may also be used.

[0062] The pivoting support portion 2412 is an example of the first rotation axis. The pivoting support portion 2412 is provided, for example, in the vicinity of the second discharge port 25. The pivoting support portion 2412 has a support shaft parallel to the width direction of the cutting device 2, and rotatably supports the first guide 2411 about this support shaft. For example, the pivoting support portion 2412 is formed of a hinge or the like.

[0063] The guide link 2413 is a link mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism 3 to the first guide 2411. Specifically, one end side (lower end side) of the guide link 2413 is connected to the first guide 2411 via a drive shaft 2414 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the drive shaft 2414. Also, the other end side (upper end side) of the guide link 2413 is connected to the drive motor shaft 331 of the driving mechanism 3 described above. Note that the guide link 2413 functions as an example of the first driving mechanism together with the driving mechanism 3.

[0064] The support portion 2415 is a support member for supporting the pivoting support portion 2412. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the support portion 2415 has a shape in which a part of the region is joined to the inner wall surface of the housing 21 above the second discharge port 25, and the lower end side is bent inward of the housing 21. The pivoting support portion 2412 is joined to the lower end of the support portion 2415, and is supported by the support portion 2415 above the conveyance path and in the vicinity of the second discharge port 25. Note that the configuration of the support portion 2415 is not limited to this.

[0065] In the configuration of the upper guide portion 241 described above, the guide link 2413 changes the rotational movement of the rotating body 33 into a reciprocating movement in the vertical direction. Then, the guide link 2413 transmits the driving force in the vertical direction to the first guide 2411. Since one end side on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the first guide 2411 is supported by the pivoting support portion 2412 as described above, the other end side on the upstream side in the conveyance direction pivots up and down in accordance with the movement of the guide link 2413 with the pivoting support portion 2412 as a fulcrum. That is, the first guide 2411 pivots the first guide 2411 in the vertical direction in conjunction with the cutting operation of the cloth label L by the cutting portion 22 and the conveyance operation of the cloth label L by the conveyance portion 23.

[0066] On the other hand, 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Next, an example of the operation of the cutting device 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 14. Here, Figs. 10 to 14 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the cutting device 2. Figs. 10 to 14 show vertical right side views of the cutting section 22, the conveying section 23, and the guide section 24. Also, in Figs. 10 to 14, the guide link 2413 and the drive shaft 2414 are not shown.

[0071] 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 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.

[0072] 10 shows a state in which the cloth 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 positions described above. Also, the guide link 2413 is adjusted so that the upstream end of the first guide 2411 in the conveyance direction is positioned at an initial position at a height near the bottom end of the fixed blade 221.

[0073] Here, it is preferable that the installation angle of the first guide 2411 in the initial position, that is, the angle formed with the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) with the rotation support part 2412 as the base point, is approximately equal to the approach angle of the cloth label L conveyed from the first discharge outlet 133. Also, it is preferable that the gap between the end of the first guide 2411 on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the fixed blade 221 in the initial position is very small.

[0074] Incidentally, in the printing method using the print head 131 and platen 132 described above, curling such as warping or curving may occur in the cloth label L during printing on the cloth label L. Specifically, when the cloth label L passes between the print head 131 and the platen 132, the cloth label L is squeezed by the print head 131, causing curling in the cloth label L. The type of curling also differs depending on the head type of the print head 131, and the near-edge type tends to curl more due to the concentrated pressure force per unit area being higher and being squeezed more strongly than the flat-edge type.

[0075] When the cloth label L that has passed between the printing head 131 and the platen 132 is conveyed from the first discharge port 133, as shown in FIG. 10, the cloth label L with its tip curled upward enters the cutting device 2. Further, since the cloth label L used in this embodiment is formed of a material such as polyester, it has the property of being less stiff compared to a paper label of a paper medium. Therefore, if the curled tip gets caught in the conveyance path, the phenomenon of the cloth label L curling up is more likely to occur than with a paper label, and there is a possibility of clogging during conveyance.

[0076] Therefore, in the cutting device 2 of this embodiment, in the state immediately after the cloth label L enters the cutting device 2, the first guide 2411 is arranged at the initial position shown in FIG. 10. Thereby, when the tip of the curled cloth label L contacts the first guide 2411, the angle formed between the first guide 2411 and the tip of the cloth label L (hereinafter also referred to as the contact angle) can be made small. By making the contact angle small, the tip of the cloth label L is smoothly guided in the conveyance direction along the first guide 2411 without getting caught on the first guide 2411. Therefore, even when the cloth label L has curls in the cutting device 2, the cloth label L before cutting can be smoothly sent out in the direction of the second discharge port 25.

[0077] In addition, the cloth label L also has the property of being easily charged compared to a paper label of a paper medium. For example, in the above-described configuration, the cloth label L may be charged due to sliding (friction) during cutting or conveyance. The charged cloth label L may stick to the members around the conveyance path due to electrostatic force, which may interfere with conveyance.

[0078] Therefore, it is preferable that the first guide 2411 is GND-connected to the housing 21 or the like via a guide link 2413, a support portion 2415, or the like. Thereby, the influence due to charging can be suppressed, and the phenomenon such as the cloth label L sticking to the first guide 2411 can be suppressed, so that the conveyance of the cloth label L can be performed more efficiently.

[0079] In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, the height of the tip of the lower guide portion 242 (discharge brush 2421) is designed to be lower than the height of the lower guide portion 242 side of the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222, i.e., the height of the downstream side in the conveying direction, when the movable blade 222 is in the standby position (standby state).

[0080] 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 part 242 without interfering with the lower guide part 242 and moves toward the second discharge opening 25. Therefore, the cutting device 2 can smoothly send out the cloth label L before being cut in the direction of the second discharge opening 25.

[0081] When the cloth label L is conveyed into the cutting device 2, the movable blade 222 moves (rotates) upward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 11) by the drive mechanism 3 described above, and the cloth label L is sandwiched between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221 to cut the cloth label L. A part of the cut cloth label L is placed on the upper surface 224 of the movable blade 222. At this time, the guide link 2413 moves upward by the drive mechanism 3, and the free end side of the first guide 2411 moves upward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 11).

[0082] Fig. 11 shows a cutting state immediately after the cloth label L is cut by the cutting unit 22. As shown in Fig. 11, when the movable blade 222 moves upward to cut the cloth label L, the free end side of the first guide 2411 moves upward in conjunction with the movement. This allows the cutting unit 22 to move upward without interfering with the first guide 2411. Therefore, in the cutting device 2 of this embodiment, it is possible to ensure a movable range of the cutting unit 22.

[0083] As described above, the fabric label L is weaker in stiffness than a paper label, and is more likely to become charged. The charged fabric label L sticks to surrounding materials due to static electricity, which may make it difficult to smoothly discharge the fabric label L after cutting.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] After cutting of the cloth label L, the movable blade 222 starts to move (rotate) downward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12) to return to the standby position. As the movable blade 222 starts to move downward, the guide link 2413 starts to move downward by the drive mechanism 3, and the free end side of the first guide 2411 moves downward (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 12).

[0088] 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 transport direction continues.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] As described above, the cutting device 2 of this embodiment has a fixed blade 221 provided above the conveying path along which the cloth label L is conveyed, and a movable blade 222 provided below the conveying path, and is equipped with a cutting section 22 that cuts the cloth label L between the movable blade 222 and the fixed blade 221 as the movable blade 222 moves upward, and an upper guide section 241 that is provided above the conveying path and after the cutting section 22 and guides the cloth label L that has passed between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222 in the conveying direction of the conveying path, and the upper guide section 241 is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movable blade 222.

[0093] As a result, the cutting device 2 can move the height of the upper guide portion 241 (first guide 2411) up and down in conjunction with the movement of the movable blade 222. Specifically, when the cloth label L conveyed from the printer 1 passes between the fixed blade 221 and the movable blade 222, that is, when the movable blade 222 is at the lower position, the cutting device 2 lowers the first guide 2411 in conjunction with the first guide 2411, thereby reducing the contact angle at which the tip of the curled cloth label L contacts the first guide 2411. Therefore, the cutting device 2 can efficiently convey the cloth label L even if the cloth label L is curled. In addition, when the cloth label L is cut by the cutting unit 22, that is, when the movable blade 222 moves upward, the cutting device 2 can ensure the movable range of the cutting unit 22 by moving the first guide 2411 upward in conjunction with the first guide 2411.

[0094] Moreover, the cutting device 2 can be biased in the conveying direction by the scraping action of the first paddle portion 231 and the second paddle portion 232, so that it can efficiently convey (discharge) 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 discharge can be efficiently performed.

[0095] 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.

[0096] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, the driving mechanism for driving the movable blade 222 and the driving mechanism for driving the first guide 2411 are the same driving mechanism 3, but this is not limited thereto, and the movable blade 222 and the first guide 2411 may be driven by different driving mechanisms.

[0097] (Variation 2) 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.

[0098] (Variation 3) 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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]

[0101] 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 2411 First Guide 2412 Rotation support part 2413 Guide Link 2414 Drive shaft 2415 Support 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]

[0102] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4559647

Claims

1. a cutting section including a fixed blade provided above a conveying path along which a long cloth medium is conveyed and a movable blade provided below the conveying path, the movable blade moving upward to cut the cloth medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade; a guide section provided above the conveying path and behind the cutting section, the guide section configured to guide the fabric medium that has passed between the fixed blade and the movable blade in a conveying direction of the conveying path; Equipped with The guide portion is provided so as to be movable in the up and down direction in conjunction with the movable blade. Cutting device.

2. The guide portion has a plate-like member provided across the conveying direction of the conveying path, and a downstream end of the plate-like member in the conveying direction is supported by a first rotating shaft and is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction around the first rotating shaft.

2. The cutting device of claim 1.

3. a first drive mechanism that rotates the guide unit in a vertical direction around the first rotation shaft; The first driving mechanism rotates the guide portion in a vertical direction in conjunction with the movable blade.

3. The cutting device of claim 2.

4. 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 second rotation shaft provided above the transport path and rotating in a transport direction of the fabric medium; a paddle portion attached to the second rotating shaft and moving in the transport direction while contacting the placement surface in response to a rotational movement of the second rotating shaft, thereby scraping out the fabric medium placed on the placement surface in the transport direction; Equipped with The guide portion is provided between the placement surface and the second rotation shaft. A cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Further, a second drive mechanism is provided which transmits a drive force to the cutting unit and the second rotating shaft and performs a cutting operation of the cutting unit and a rotating operation of the second rotating shaft in cooperation with each other.

5. The cutting device according to claim 4.

6. A printing unit that prints on a long cloth medium; a cutting section including a fixed blade provided above a transport path along which the printed fabric medium is transported and a movable blade provided below the transport path, the movable blade moving upward to cut the fabric medium between the movable blade and the fixed blade; a guide section provided above the conveying path and behind the cutting section, the guide section configured to guide the fabric medium that has passed between the fixed blade and the movable blade in a conveying direction of the conveying path; Equipped with The guide portion is provided so as to be movable in the up and down direction in conjunction with the movable blade. Printer device.

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