Recording device

Abstract

To provide a recording device that can suppress a recording medium from being cut poorly.SOLUTION: A recording device is provided with: a conveying part that conveys a recording medium; a recording part that records an image on a recording surface of the recording medium; a heating part that heats the recording medium having the image recorded thereon by the recording part; a cutting part that cuts the recording medium heated by the heating part; temperature obtaining means that obtains a medium temperature as a temperature of the recording medium; and determining means that determines whether the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting, on the basis of the medium temperature obtained by the temperature obtaining means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a recording apparatus that pulls out a recording medium from a roll around which a sheet-like recording medium is wound, and performs recording, drying, and cutting on the recording medium, after the recording operation is completed, heat is applied by a fixing unit to fix ink on the recording medium and dry the recorded matter. Such a configuration is known. And in such a recording apparatus, a cutting process of the recording medium may be performed by a cutting unit such as a cutter provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording medium with respect to the fixing unit.

[0003] As the sheet-like recording medium used in the recording apparatus, for example, various types such as plain paper, coated paper, and film can be adopted. Patent Document 1 discloses a cutting method of heating and cutting a hard coat film.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] While there is a recording medium that is preferably heated and cut like a hard coat film, a recording medium such as a clear film or vinyl that becomes soft when heated deteriorates in cutability when heated. When such a recording medium is cut immediately after passing through the fixing unit, the recording medium bends and it is difficult to cut it in a straight line. Also, when the recording medium is soft, there is a possibility that the blade of the cutting unit may not penetrate the recording medium and cutting cannot be performed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a recording apparatus that suppresses cutting defects of a recording medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, a recording apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium, a recording unit that records an image on a recording surface of the recording medium, a heating unit that heats the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, a cutting unit that cuts the recording medium heated by the heating unit, temperature acquisition means for acquiring a medium temperature as the temperature of the recording medium, determination means for determining whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means, and is characterized by comprising Also, to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyance unit that conveys a recording medium, a recording unit that records an image on a recording surface of the recording medium, a heating unit that heats the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, a cutting unit that cuts the recording medium heated by the heating unit, and is provided with wherein a standby time from the end of heating by the heating unit to the start of cutting by the cutting unit varies according to the type of the recording medium heated by the heating unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus that suppresses cutting defects of a recording medium.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be illustratively and specifically described based on examples. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the invention is applied and various conditions. That is, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] In this specification, "printing" (which may also be referred to as "recording" or "printing") refers not only to the case of forming significant information such as characters and figures, but also regardless of whether it is significant or not. Further, it represents the case of forming an image, pattern, pattern, etc. on a recording medium widely, or performing processing on the medium, regardless of whether it is made manifest so that it can be visually perceived by humans.

[0012] Also, the "recording medium" represents not only paper used in general printing apparatuses, but also widely, cloth, plastic film, leather, etc., which can receive ink.

[0013] <First Embodiment> The recording apparatus 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the processing system 5 of an external connection device will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing system 5 showing the relationship between the recording apparatus 4 and an external connection device. The recording apparatus 4 is a printing apparatus that performs a recording operation, a fixing operation (drying operation), and a cutting operation on a sheet-like recording medium.

[0014] In the first embodiment, the recording apparatus 4 and the external connection device are connected via the LAN unit 3. The LAN unit 3 is connected to a server via an interface with an external device and a network. and is connected to the server.

[0015] The external connection devices are, for example, a personal computer 1 and a smartphone 2. When transferring image data from such external connection devices to the recording device 4, the image data is transferred to the recording device 4 via the LAN unit 3. The LAN unit 3 is not limited as long as it is a communication method capable of transmitting and receiving data, regardless of whether it is wired or wireless.

[0016] (Recording device) Next, the configuration of the recording device 4 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recording device 4 according to the first embodiment. The recording device 4 includes a CPU 11 which is a control unit for controlling various operations, and a printer unit 10 for performing printing and drying. The printer unit 10 includes an input / output unit 109 having a user interface such as an LCD, an LED, keys, and a touch panel, a recording unit 100 for performing printing, and a fixing unit 108 for performing drying.

[0017] The recording device 4 also includes a ROM 6, a RAM 7, an NVRAM 8, and a hard disk 9. The ROM 6 stores the control execution code (program) of the recording device 4. The RAM 7 temporarily stores the image data for printing during the control execution of the recording device 4. The NVRAM 8 is a non-volatile memory and stores various data necessary for the maintenance of the recording device 4 and information regarding the image to be printed. The hard disk 9 stores the image data to be printed by the printer unit 10.

[0018] The recording device 4 also includes a LAN unit 14 for connecting to a server via an interface with an external connection device and a network. The recording device 4 exchanges execution commands and data with an external connection device or a server via the network driver 13 and the LAN unit 14. For example, when printing by the printer unit 10, image data is transferred from an external connection device via the network driver 13.

[0019] (Recording unit) Next, the configuration of the recording unit 100 will be described. FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are perspective views showing the configuration of the recording unit 100. FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view showing the appearance of the recording unit 100. FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view showing the state in which the upper cover 110 of the recording unit 100 is open and showing the internal structure of the recording unit 100. FIG. 3(b) shows a state in which the medium 105 is being conveyed by the recording unit 100 as a recording medium. As the medium 105, paper such as roll paper or cut paper can be used, and the type of medium is not limited to plain paper, and coated paper, clear film, etc. are assumed.

[0020] The recording unit 100 according to the first embodiment is a device that performs recording by applying ink droplets as a recording material onto a recording medium such as paper by an inkjet recording method. The recording unit 100 includes a recording head 102 and a carriage 101 on which the recording head 102 is mounted. Inside the recording unit 100, the medium 105 is conveyed in a conveyance direction approximately parallel to the Y direction. The recording head 102 held by the carriage 101 is a so-called serial type recording head that reciprocates in the X direction intersecting the Y direction to perform recording.

[0021] Note that the recording unit 100 (recording device 4) according to the first embodiment is an inkjet recording device including a serial type recording head as a liquid ejection head. However, the recording unit 100 may be an inkjet recording device including a so-called line type recording head in which a nozzle row is configured over the recording width in the Y direction. Also, it may be a multi-functional peripheral device (MFP) in which not only the recording function but also the scan function, FAX function, transmission function, etc. are integrated. Further, it may be an electrophotographic recording device using powder toner as a recording material. In the first embodiment, the function of the information processing device for performing the determination process of the medium to be used is mounted on the recording unit 100 The details of the information processing device will be described later.

[0022] An input / output unit 109 is provided above the recording unit 100. The input / output unit 109 according to the first embodiment is an operation panel, which displays the ink remaining amount and candidates for the type of the medium 105 on the display. The user can select the type of the medium 105 or set the recording by operating the keys of the input / output unit 109.

[0023] The carriage 101 is provided with an optical sensor, and a recording head 102 is connected to the surface provided with nozzles for discharging the ink supplied from the ink tank 111. The carriage 101 is configured to be reciprocally movable in the X direction (the moving direction of the carriage 101) along the shaft 104 via a carriage belt 103 by driving a CR motor. In the first embodiment, the recording unit 100 can detect the density of the surface of the medium 105 by the optical sensor.

[0024] The medium 105 is conveyed in the Y direction on the platen 106 by a conveyance roller (not shown). When the medium 105 is a roll paper, when printing a plurality of jobs, since they are continuously printed on the medium 105, image recording and drying are continuously repeated. On the other hand, when the medium 105 is a cut paper, since one job is printed on one cut paper, image recording and drying are each performed only once.

[0025] While the carriage 101 moves in the X direction on the medium 105 conveyed onto the platen 106 by the conveyance roller, ink droplets are discharged from the recording head 102 to perform a recording operation. When the carriage 101 moves to the end of the recording area on the medium 105, the conveyance roller conveys the medium 105 by a certain amount, and moves the area for the next recording scan to a position where the recording head 102 can record. Image recording is performed by repeating the above operations.

[0026] In the first embodiment, the ink used for image recording is latex ink. By applying heat to the ink, moisture evaporates, the latex resin melts and mixes with the pigment, and a film is formed and cured on the media surface. Therefore, while a general aqueous inkjet requires an ink receiving layer to catch the ink and prevent bleeding, a latex printer can record on media without an ink receiving layer.

[0027] In the first embodiment, the media 105 after image recording is conveyed to the fixing unit 108, heat is applied to the media 105 within the fixing unit 108, the ink is cured, and it is discharged from the fixing unit 108 in a state where it is fixed on the media 105 (finished state). After being discharged from the fixing unit 108, if a cutting process is required, the media 105 is cut by the cutter 211.

[0028] (Conveying mechanism) Next, the conveying mechanism that constitutes the conveying unit of the media 105 of the recording device 4, which is an image processing device, will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the conveying mechanism of the recording device 4 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a state where the media 105 is attached to the recording device 4, taking the case where the media 105 is roll paper as an example. The media 105 is held by the recording device 4 in a wound roll state, and the tip of the portion pulled out from the roll portion 105a is attached to the take-up device 210.

[0029] The conveying mechanism of the recording device 4 according to the first embodiment includes conveying rollers 205 and 206. The media 105 is sandwiched between the conveying roller 205 and the conveying roller 206, and as the conveying rollers 205 and 206 rotate, it is conveyed along the conveying path formed within the recording device 4 in the conveying direction shown in FIG. 4. Hereinafter, among the conveying path of the media 105, the side closer to the roll portion 105a of the media 105 in the conveying direction is referred to as the upstream side, and the paper discharge port side (take-up device 210 side) is referred to as the downstream side for explanation.

[0030] On the conveyance path of the medium 105, a measurement sensor 212 is provided upstream of the conveyance rollers 205 and 206. The medium 105 conveyed by the paper feeding operation passes through the measurement sensor 212. Then, the measurement sensor 212 acquires a sensor value for grasping the physical properties of the passed medium 105. The measurement sensor 212 can be constituted by, for example, a line sensor composed of an LED and a CMOS sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, and is configured to be able to detect the surface property and basis weight of the medium 105.

[0031] Also, the medium 105 is supported from below by the platen 208. The placement surface of the medium 105 on the platen 208 is arranged to face the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 102 held by the carriage 101.

[0032] In the recording apparatus 4, recording (printing) is performed by discharging ink from the nozzles mounted on the recording head 102 held by the carriage 101. A plurality of nozzles are provided in the recording head 102. Hereinafter, among the nozzles provided in the recording head 102, the nozzle arranged on the most upstream side is referred to as the most upstream nozzle 204, and the nozzle arranged on the most downstream side is referred to as the most downstream nozzle 202. Both the most upstream nozzle 204 and the most downstream nozzle 202 are provided to face the placement surface of the medium 105 on the platen 208.

[0033] The medium 105 on which recording has been performed by discharging ink on the surface by the carriage 101 is heated by the fixing unit 108 arranged downstream of the carriage 101, and the ink is fixed. After fixing, the medium 105 is wound up by the winding device 210. Also, when a cutting process is required, after fixing, a cutting process is performed by a cutter 211 constituting a cutting unit. The cutter 211 constitutes a cutting unit arranged downstream of the fixing unit 108 and upstream of the winding device 210.

[0034] (Fixing unit) Next, the configuration of the fixing unit 108 will be described. The fixing unit 108 is a fixing device (fixer) that dries the medium 105 by heating and fixes the ink on the surface of the medium 105. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the fixing unit 108. In FIG. 5, the conveyance direction of the medium 105 is the right direction, and it is assumed that the medium 105 is fed from the left side and discharged to the right side.

[0035] The fixing unit 108 according to the first embodiment includes a chamber 401 that is an exterior part, and a heating unit that includes a blower fan 402 and a heater 403 provided in the chamber. The blower fan 402 is an axial-flow type blower unit that takes in outside air and blows it. The heater 403 is a heating unit (heat source) that heats the air blown from the blower fan 402 to make drying air. By blowing the drying air from the opening of the chamber 401, it contributes to the fixing of the ink to the medium 105. The heater 403 is provided with a temperature sensor 404, and stable heater temperature control is possible by temperature feedback from the temperature sensor 404. In the first embodiment, the fixing unit has a non-contact ink fixing configuration using drying air by a combination of a fan and a heater, but a configuration using a contact heater or a radiation heater may also be used. That is, the fixing operation is not limited to the drying operation of blowing and drying the drying air, and heating operations using various heaters can be executed.

[0036] (Cut preparation operation) Next, when performing the cutting operation (cutting operation) after the drying operation of the medium 105 by the recording device 4, the cut preparation operation (cutting preparation operation) performed before the cutting operation will be described. Here, the cut preparation operation and the cutting operation are described separately, but the cut preparation operation may be regarded as a process constituting a series of operations of the cutting operation.

[0037] In the first embodiment, basically, the cutting of the medium 105 is not automatically performed after the drying is completed (after the heating is completed). The cutting of the medium 105 is performed when the user presses the print button to perform the cutting or when cutting is necessary for maintenance or the like. That is, in the first embodiment, the cutting operation is performed when the user desires or when maintenance is performed.

[0038] The cutting preparation operation and the cutting operation of the medium 105 are executed after the drying is completed. When the drying is completed at the fixing unit 108 after printing, the drying completion process is performed. The drying completion process is performed, for example, when the recording head 102 finishes printing based on the job received by the recording device 4, the drying operation is performed based on the printed content, and the CPU 11 determines that the drying is completed. However, the drying completion process is not limited to such a process.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the cutting preparation operation performed prior to the cutting operation of the medium 105 in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, when it is determined that the cutting process can be executed without problems by this cutting preparation operation, or when it is determined to execute the cutting process in consideration of the possibility of cutting failure, the cut permission flag is set to ON. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the cutting preparation operation of the medium 105 will be described in detail according to the flowchart.

[0040] The cutting preparation operation starts at S400 when the drying of the medium 105 is completed. In the cutting preparation operation, first, in process S401, the cut permission flag is set to OFF. When a cut command comes, if the cut permission flag is not ON, the cutting of the medium 105 is not performed in principle. After process S401, the process proceeds to determination S402.

[0041] In determination S402, the CPU 11 determines whether the ejected medium 105 is a heat-sensitive medium type. That is, the CPU 11, which is a control unit that controls the operations of each part, also functions as a determination means for performing various determinations in determination S402 and determination S404 described later. In determination S402, a temperature table in which the maximum temperature at which cutting is allowed for each medium type is recorded is referred to. FIG. 8 is a temperature table in which the maximum temperature at which cutting is allowed for each medium type is recorded. In column 601 of the table, all the medium types corresponding to the recording device 4 are registered. In column 602 of the table, the cutting appropriate temperature Ta, which is the maximum temperature at which cutting is allowed for each medium type, is registered. When the temperature of the medium 105 is lower than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta, it can be cut normally. However, when the temperature of the medium 105 is equal to or higher than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta, there is a high possibility that cutting defects such as being unable to be cut into the intended shape or being unable to be completely cut occur, for example, due to the medium 105 being soft. Note that the medium types and the cutting appropriate temperature Ta in the temperature table shown in FIG. 8 are merely examples and can be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the cutting part and the like.

[0042] In the temperature table, for heat-resistant medium types, the cutting appropriate temperature Ta is not set. Therefore, the CPU 11 refers to the table and determines that the medium types for which the cutting appropriate temperature Ta is set are heat-sensitive medium types, and the medium types for which the cutting appropriate temperature Ta is not set are heat-resistant medium types. Note that the determination method by determination S402 is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the cutting appropriate temperature Ta in the table, information on whether it is a heat-sensitive medium type may be independently stored, and the CPU 11 may refer to the information for determination. If the result of determination S402 is YES, that is, if the ejected medium is a heat-sensitive medium type, the process proceeds to process S403. If the result of determination S402 is NO, that is, if the ejected medium is not a heat-sensitive medium type, the process proceeds to process S409.

[0043] In process S403, the medium temperature Tt, which is the latest temperature information of the medium 105 (medium temperature It calculates and obtains (degrees). For example, let the internal temperature of the recording device 4 be A °C, the room temperature B °C as the ambient temperature of the recording device 4, the cooling rate coefficient C of the medium 105, the time t seconds after being discharged, and the temperature of the immediately previous media Tt be X °C. At this time, the latest media temperature Tt can be calculated as A [°C] when t = 0, and X−(X−B)C / t [°C] when t>0. After the calculation by the CPU 11 is completed, it proceeds to determination S404. Note that the internal temperature A °C and the room temperature B °C can be obtained by, for example, a temperature sensor or the like. In the first embodiment, the temperature acquisition means for the medium 105 is constituted by these temperature sensors and the CPU 11 as the calculation means. Here, an example of calculating and estimating the temperature of the medium 105 from the internal temperature and the room temperature has been described, but a configuration may be adopted in which the temperature of the medium 105 is directly measured using a sensor or the like to obtain the media temperature Tt.

[0044] In determination S404, it is determined whether the media temperature Tt calculated in process S403 is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta. Determination S404 is performed by the CPU 11 referring to and comparing the cut appropriate temperature Ta recorded in the temperature table as a threshold value with the media temperature Tt calculated in process S403. Then, based on the comparison result, the CPU 11 determines whether the medium 105 is in a state suitable for cutting. If the result of determination S404 is YES, that is, if the media temperature Tt is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, it proceeds to process S409. If the result of determination S404 is NO, that is, if the media temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, it proceeds to determination S405.

[0045] In determination S405, it is determined whether the user desires a cutting operation. In determination S405, for example, the CPU 11 determines whether the user has pressed the cut button on the screen. The cut button may be configured to be pressed before the start of the cut preparation operation or may be configured to be pressed again after the start. Also, this determination method is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a setting where the cutting operation is automatically performed after paper ejection, determination S405 is always YES. If it is YES in determination S405, that is, if the user desires a cutting operation, the process proceeds to process S406. If it is NO in determination S405, that is, if the user does not desire a cutting operation, the process returns to process S403.

[0046] In process S406, the CPU 11 displays a warning screen. The warning screen can be displayed, for example, on the display of the recording device 4 or on an external device. When the latest media temperature Tt is higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, there is a possibility that the media 105 cannot be cut properly. Therefore, in process S406, a warning screen is displayed to the user. FIG. 10 is an example of a warning screen. On the screen 801 of the warning screen, the sentence "There is a possibility that it cannot be cut neatly. Do you want to cut?" the YES button 802, and the NO button 803 are displayed. That is, in the first embodiment, when the media temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the user is allowed to select whether to perform the cut, and based on the selection result, the cutter 211 is driven. After displaying the warning screen in process S406, the process proceeds to determination S407.

[0047] Note that in the first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the user is warned by screen display, but a configuration in which a buzzer sound or the like is used for warning may also be used. Also, in a state where the media temperature Tt is higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, so as not to perform the cut, in process S406, the CPU 11 displays a warning screen as shown in FIG. 11, and instead of proceeding to determination S407, it may be configured to forcibly return to process S403. FIG. 11 is an example of a warning screen. On the screen 901 of the warning screen, the sentence "Since the temperature of the media has not dropped, it cannot be cut yet." is displayed.

[0048] In determination S407, it is determined whether the user who has checked the warning screen wishes to perform a cut. Determination S407 is made based on whether the user has pressed the YES button 802 or the NO button 803 on screen 801. Note that this determination does not necessarily have to be performed. If the result of determination S407 is YES, that is, even though the warning screen is displayed, the user wishes to perform a cut, the process proceeds to process S408. If the result of determination S407 is NO, that is, the user does not wish to perform a cut, the process returns to process S403.

[0049] In process S408, the cutting operation of the medium 105 is performed. In the recording device 4, basically, after the completion of this cut preparation operation, the cutting operation of the medium 105 is performed with the cut permission flag being ON, but in process S408, the cutting operation is executed exceptionally. In process S408, since the user wishes to perform a cut, even if the medium temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the appropriate cutting temperature Ta and there is a high risk of cutting failure, the cutting operation is executed.

[0050] As described above, in process S408, the cutting operation is executed with the latest medium temperature Tt being equal to or higher than the appropriate cutting temperature Ta. Therefore, when performing the cutting operation in process S408, the parameters (cutting conditions) of the cutting operation such as the speed of the cutter 211 may be changed according to the state of the soft medium. For example, normally, cutting is performed at 15 ips, but in the above case, by performing the cutting operation at 20 ips, which is faster than normal, the possibility of the cutter 211 being able to penetrate the softened medium 105 normally is increased. After the completion of the cutting operation, the process proceeds to process S409.

[0051] In process S409, the cut permission flag is set to ON. Thereafter, when a cut command comes, the cut can be performed without performing the pre-cut preparation operation again. That is, after performing a cut once in process S408, it is also possible to convey the medium 105 again and perform a cut. Then, the process proceeds to S410 and the cut preparation operation ends.

[0052] On the other hand, when the medium temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta (NO in determination S404) and the user does not desire a forced cutting operation (NO in determination S405 or determination S407), the latest medium temperature Tt is acquired again in process S403. With such a configuration, the recording device 4 is made to standby until the medium temperature Tt falls below the cutting appropriate temperature Ta over time, and the cutting operation can be executed in a state where the risk of cutting failure is low.

[0053] As described above, in the first embodiment, the cutting appropriate temperature Ta, which is a threshold value, is set for each medium type, and the latest medium temperature Tt is acquired each time. Then, based on the medium temperature Tt and the cutting appropriate temperature Ta, the CPU 11 determines whether the medium 105 after the fixing operation is in a state suitable for cutting, and further drives the cutter 211 based on the determination result. Therefore, it can also be considered that the CPU 11 changes the standby time from the end of the drying (end of heating) to the start of cutting (start of cutting) according to the medium type, fixing conditions, etc. As a result, it is possible to prevent the standby time from becoming excessively long and optimize the standby time according to the medium type, medium temperature Tt, etc., thus suppressing a decrease in productivity.

[0054] From the above, according to the cutting preparation operation along the above flowchart, even in a configuration where the medium 105 is heated to a high temperature by a fixing operation or the like, the risk of cutting failure can be suppressed. Also, the cutting conditions can be configured to be changed depending on whether the medium temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta (above the threshold value) or lower than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta (below the threshold value). Therefore, even when it is necessary to quickly cut the medium 105, the cutting conditions can be changed to the conditions for a hot medium 105, further suppressing the risk of cutting failure.

[0055] Note that the flowchart of FIG. 6 is merely an example of the cut preparation operation, and it is not necessary to execute all of the above-described operations in the above-described order. Various modifications are possible. For example, in the first embodiment, when the determination in S407 is YES, the cut of the medium 105 is executed in the process S408. However, the configuration is not limited to this. Even when the determination in S407 is YES, the cut permission flag may be set to ON as in other cases, and the cut process may be executed after the sequence of the cut preparation operation is completed. After the cut process is executed, the cut process may be executed.

[0056] Further, for example, when the determination in S407 is NO, the configuration may be such that the system waits until Ta>Tt. The configuration may be such that the cut operation is immediately terminated without cutting. Further, when the determination in S404 is NO, the processes S403 and S404 may be repeated until the determination in S404 becomes YES, that is, until the medium temperature Tt falls below the cut appropriate temperature Ta, and the process may proceed to the process S409 when the determination in S404 becomes YES. Further, when the determination in S404 is NO, the conveyance of the medium 105 may be continuously performed until the medium temperature Tt falls below the cut appropriate temperature Ta, and the cooling of the medium 105 may be promoted.

[0057] Further, for example, the cut preparation operation may be started before the drying is completed, and the determination as to whether the medium type is heat-sensitive may be executed before the drying is completed. Further, for example, as soon as the drying operation is completed and the medium 105 is discharged from the fixing unit 209, the medium temperature Tt may be first acquired. By adopting such a configuration, the time from the end of the fixing operation to the start of the cutting operation can be shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

[0058] Also, in determination S407, it is not necessarily required to directly compare the media temperature Tt and the cutting appropriate temperature Ta for determination. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a warning is issued to the user when the media temperature Tt is equal to or lower than the cutting appropriate temperature Ta + α °C, and the media 105 is cut. More specifically, this is because when α is about 5 and Tt is about Ta + 5 °C or lower, the risk of cutting failure is not very high. α is not limited to this, and in this embodiment, α is a numerical value from 3 to 5. However, since the value of the cutting appropriate temperature Ta + α °C varies depending on environmental conditions such as room temperature, α may be set according to the conditions.

[0059] Next, another example of the cutting preparation operation of the media 105 in the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the cutting preparation operation performed prior to the cutting operation of the media 105 in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, the cutting preparation operation of the media 105 will be described in detail along the flowchart.

[0060] This cutting preparation operation also starts at S500 when the drying of the media 105 is completed, similar to the cutting preparation operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6. In the cutting preparation operation, first, in process S501, the cut permission flag is turned off. When a cut command comes, if the cut permission flag is not ON, the cut of the media 105 is not performed in principle. After process S501, the process proceeds to determination S502.

[0061] In determination S502, the CPU 11 determines whether the discharged media 105 is a media type that is heat-sensitive. In determination S502, for example, a table in which the cutting appropriate temperature Ta as shown in FIG. 8 is recorded is referred to. If the result of determination S502 is YES, that is, if the discharged media 105 is a heat-sensitive media type, the process proceeds to determination S503. If the result of determination S502 is NO, that is, if the discharged media 105 is not a heat-sensitive media type, the process proceeds to process S508. For media types that can be cut at any temperature, no threshold value is set, and the determination in determination S502 is NO.

[0062] In determination S503, the CPU 11 determines whether it is necessary to perform a cut for maintenance or the like. This determination is assumed to be made by the CPU 11 based on, for example, whether a processing instruction such as a recovery operation or cleaning of the recording head 102 has been received, but is not limited to this. When performing a head recovery operation or cleaning of the recording head 102, it is necessary to retract the medium 105 from above the platen 208 for ink ejection or the like, so a cut is performed. If the determination in S503 is YES, that is, the purpose of the cut is maintenance or the like and the cut operation is essential, the process proceeds to process S506. If the determination in S503 is NO, that is, if the purpose of the cut is not maintenance or the like and there is little immediate need to perform a cut, the process proceeds to process S504.

[0063] In process S504, the media temperature Tt, which is the latest temperature information of the media 105, is calculated and obtained. Similar to process S403 in FIG. 6, the media temperature Tt can be obtained from a calculation formula such as X - (X - B)C / t, where B is the room temperature in degrees Celsius, C is the cooling rate coefficient of the media 105, t is the time in seconds since paper ejection, and the previous media temperature Tt is X degrees Celsius. After the calculation by the CPU 11 is completed, the process proceeds to determination S505.

[0064] In determination S505, it is determined whether the media temperature Tt calculated in process S504 is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta. Determination S505 is made by the CPU 11 referring to and comparing the media temperature Tt calculated in process S504 with the cut appropriate temperature Ta recorded in the temperature table, using the cut appropriate temperature Ta as a threshold value. If the determination in S505 is YES, that is, if the media temperature Tt is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the process proceeds to process S508. If the determination in S505 is NO, that is, if the media temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the process returns to determination S503.

[0065] In process S506, a screen is displayed to inform the user that the medium 105 will be cut. Although the cutting operation may not be able to be carried out properly when the medium temperature Tt is higher than the appropriate cutting temperature Ta, it is necessary to cut for maintenance etc., so it is displayed that the cut will be forced. FIG. 9 is an example of the notification screen. Here, a configuration is adopted to notify the user by screen display, but the user may be warned by other notification means such as a buzzer sound. After the screen display, the process proceeds to S507.

[0066] In process S507, the cutting operation of the medium 105 is performed. In the recording device 4, basically, after the completion of this cutting preparation operation, the cutting operation of the medium 105 is carried out with the cut permission flag being ON, but in process S507, the cutting operation is executed exceptionally. In process S507, since it is necessary to cut for the purpose of maintenance etc., the cutting operation is executed even when the medium temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the appropriate cutting temperature Ta and there is a high possibility of cutting failure.

[0067] As described above, in process S507, the cutting operation is executed when the latest medium temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the appropriate cutting temperature Ta. Therefore, when performing the cutting operation in process S507, the parameters (cutting conditions) of the cutting operation such as the speed of the cutter 211 may be changed according to the medium in a soft state. For example, usually cut at 15 ips, but in the above case, by cutting at 20 ips which is faster than usual, it is more likely that the cutter 211 can normally penetrate into the softened medium 105. After the cutting operation is completed, the process proceeds to S508.

[0068] In process S508, the cut permission flag is turned ON. Thereafter, when a cut command comes, the cut can be carried out without performing the pre-cut preparation operation again. Then, the process proceeds to S509 and the cut preparation operation ends.

[0069] From the above, according to the cut preparation operation along the above flowchart, even in a configuration where the medium 105 is heated to a high temperature by a fixing operation or the like, the risk of cut failure can be suppressed. Also, even when it is necessary to quickly cut the medium 105, since the cutting conditions can be changed to those for the high-temperature medium 105, the risk of cut failure can be further suppressed.

[0070] Note that the flowchart in FIG. 7 is merely an example of the cut preparation operation, and it is not necessarily required that all of the above operations be executed in the above order, and various changes are possible. For example, although the configuration is such that when YES is determined in determination S503, the cutting of the medium 105 is executed in process S507, it may also be configured such that the cut permission flag is set to ON in process S508 and the cutting process is executed after the sequence of the cut preparation operation ends. Also, for example, when NO is determined in determination S505, the configuration may be such that the process returns not to determination S503 but to process S504.

[0071] From the above, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, after determining whether the temperature of the medium 105 is appropriate for the cutting operation, the cutting operation is executed, so that cut failure can be suppressed. Also, since it is determined whether the cutting operation can be executed according to the type of the medium 105, it is possible to suppress a decrease in productivity by minimizing the waiting time for cooling the medium 105.

[0072] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the following description, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted, and the characteristic parts of the second embodiment will be mainly described. In the recording apparatus 4 according to the first embodiment, cutting is performed only when the user desires or during maintenance or the like after image fixing. In the second embodiment, cutting is always automatically performed after image fixing.

[0073] (Recording Apparatus) FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the transport mechanism of the recording apparatus 4 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, since the media 105 is automatically cut, the take-up device 210 is not provided in the recording apparatus 4. Other configurations of the recording apparatus 4 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0074] (Cut Preparation Operation) Next, the cut preparation operation of the media 105 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the cut preparation operation in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, after the drying operation is completed, the cut preparation operation is executed before the cut operation. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 13, the cut preparation operation of the media 105 will be described in detail along the flowchart.

[0075] The cut preparation operation according to the second embodiment starts at S1000 when the drying of the media 105 is completed, similar to that of the first embodiment. In the cut preparation operation, first, in process S1001, the cut permission flag is set to OFF. When a cut command comes, if the cut permission flag is not ON, the cut of the media 105 is not performed in principle. After process S1001, the process proceeds to determination S1002.

[0076] In determination S1002, the CPU 11 determines whether the ejected media 105 is a heat-sensitive media type. In determination S1002, for example, a table in which the cut appropriate temperature Ta as shown in FIG. 8 is recorded is referred to. If the result of determination S1002 is YES, that is, if the ejected media 105 is a heat-sensitive media type, the process proceeds to process S1003. If the result of determination S1002 by the CPU 11 is NO, that is, if the ejected media 105 is not a heat-sensitive media type, the process proceeds to process S1005. For media types that can be cut at any temperature, no threshold value is set, and the result of determination S1002 is NO.

[0077] In process S1003, the media temperature Tt, which is the latest temperature information of the media 105, is calculated and obtained. The media temperature Tt is the same as in process S403 of FIG. 6, the room temperature B ° C, the media The cooling rate coefficient C of 105, the time t seconds after being discharged, and the previous media temperature Tt are set as X °C, and can be obtained from calculation formulas such as X−(X−B)C / t. After the calculation by the CPU 11 is completed, the process proceeds to determination S1004.

[0078] In determination S1004, it is determined whether the media temperature Tt calculated in process S1003 is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta. Determination S1004 is performed by the CPU 11 referring to and comparing the media temperature Tt calculated in process S1003 with the cut appropriate temperature Ta using the cut appropriate temperature Ta recorded in the temperature table as a threshold value. If YES in determination S1004, that is, if the media temperature Tt is lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the process proceeds to process S508. If NO in determination S1004, that is, if the media temperature Tt is equal to or higher than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the process returns to process S1003.

[0079] In process S1005, the cutting operation of the media 105 is performed. After the cutting operation, the process proceeds to process S1006, and the cut permission flag is turned ON in process S1006. After this, when a cut command comes, the cut can be performed without performing the pre-cut preparation operation again. Then, the process proceeds to S1007 and the cut preparation operation ends.

[0080] As described above, according to the cut preparation operation along the above flowchart, even in a configuration where the media 105 is heated to a high temperature by a fixing operation or the like, the possibility of cut failure can be suppressed. Also, since the cut is automatically performed in a state where the media temperature Tt is always lower than the cut appropriate temperature Ta, the cut of the media 105 can be stably performed without bothering the user.

[0081] In the second embodiment, without requiring a decision by the user, the waiting time from the end of drying to the start of the cutting operation varies according to the appropriate cutting temperature Ta and the media temperature Tt, which are set in advance for each type of media. As a result, it is possible to prevent the waiting time from becoming excessively long and optimize the waiting time according to the type of media, the media temperature Tt, etc., thereby suppressing a decrease in productivity.

[0082] Note that the flowchart in FIG. 8 is merely an example of the cutting preparation operation, and it is not necessary to execute all of the above operations in the above order, and various modifications are possible. For example, although the configuration is such that when the determination in S1004 is YES, the cutting of the medium 105 is executed in the process S1005, the cutting permission flag may be set to ON in the process S1006, and the cutting process may be executed after the sequence of the cutting preparation operation is completed.

[0083] As described above, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, the cutting operation is executed after determining whether the temperature of the medium 105 is appropriate for the cutting operation, so that cutting defects can be suppressed. In addition, since it is determined whether the cutting operation can be executed according to the type of the medium 105, it is possible to suppress a decrease in productivity by minimizing the waiting time for cooling the medium 105.

[0084] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, among the configurations of the third embodiment, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted, and the characteristic parts of the third embodiment will be mainly described.

[0085] In the third embodiment, there is no temperature table in which the appropriate cutting temperature Ta as shown in FIG. 8 is recorded, and it is determined whether to perform cutting based on the information on the surface properties and basis weight of the medium 105 obtained by the measurement sensor 212. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the result of machine learning is used to determine whether to perform cutting.

[0086] (Measurement Sensor) The measurement sensor 212 attached to the recording apparatus 4 according to the third embodiment will be described. The measurement sensor 212 is a physical property acquisition means for acquiring physical properties such as the surface property and basis weight of the medium 105. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the measurement sensor 212 in the third embodiment. When the recording apparatus 4 recognizes the medium 105, surface property data 1005 and basis weight data 1006 are acquired as physical property data of the medium 105 using the measurement sensor 212. The measurement sensor 212, which is the physical property acquisition means according to the third embodiment, includes a line sensor 1001 and an ultrasonic sensor 1002.

[0087] The acquisition of the surface property data 1005 of the medium 105 is performed by the line sensor 1001 composed of a white LED 1001a and a CMOS sensor 1001B. The light irradiated from the white LED 1001a is reflected by the medium 105, and the reflected light is received by the CMOS sensor 1001B to obtain a sensor value. The line sensor 1001 detects the height and length of the unevenness and the fiber orientation of the medium 105 as the surface property.

[0088] The acquisition of the basis weight data 1006 of the medium 105 is performed by the ultrasonic sensor 1002. The ultrasonic sensor 1002 is composed of an ultrasonic wave generation unit 1002b and an ultrasonic wave reception unit 1002a. The ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic wave generation unit 1002b is received by the ultrasonic wave reception unit 1002a, and the basis weight data 1006 of the medium 105 is measured from the attenuation degree of the ultrasonic wave before and after passing through the medium.

[0089] In the third embodiment, identification is performed by detecting the surface property and basis weight of the medium 105 by the measurement sensor 212, but the sensors used are not limited to this. Other sensors such as a scanner, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a tactile sensor may be combined to form the measurement sensor 212 (physical property acquisition means).

[0090] The measurement sensor 212 according to the third embodiment divides the recording surface of the medium 105 into a plurality of regions, and acquires surface property data 1005 and basis weight data 1006 for each region. FIG. 15 is an example of the surface property data 1005 acquired by the measurement sensor 212, and shows an 864×300 region that is a part of the recording surface of the medium 105. Although FIG. 15 shows the surface property data 1005 as an example, the basis weight data 1006 is acquired in the same manner.

[0091] Both the surface property data 1005 and the basis weight data 1006 are acquired as two-dimensional data as shown in FIG. 15. In one measurement using the measurement sensor 212, data 1101 for one line is acquired in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the medium 105. FIG. 15 shows an example where the data for one line is 864 data. By performing this measurement for 300 lines, data of the size shown in FIG. 15 is acquired. The surface property data 1005 and the basis weight data 1006 thus acquired are stored in the NVRAM 8.

[0092] In the third embodiment, although the data configuration in FIG. 15 is common for the surface property data 1005 and the basis weight data 1006, they may be different from each other. Also, the surface property data 1005 and the basis weight data 1006 may have different data sizes, and processing (such as smoothing processing and noise removal) may be performed on each data. Further, these data may be stored in another location such as the hard disk 9.

[0093] (Software Configuration) Next, the software configuration of the processing system 5 according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the software configuration of the processing system 5. In FIG. 16, only the parts related to the learning and inference processes in the third embodiment are described in the software configuration, and other software modules are not shown. For example, the illustration of the operating system, various middleware, applications for maintenance, etc. that operate on each device and server is omitted.

[0094] The cloud server 1201 includes a learning data generation unit 1202, a learning unit 1203, and a learning model 1204. The learning data generation unit 1202 is a module that generates learning data processable by the learning unit 1203 from the data received from the outside. The learning data is a pair of input data X of the learning unit 1203 and teacher data T indicating the correct answer of the learning result. The learning unit 1203 is a program module that performs learning on the learning model 1204 using the learning data received from the learning data generation unit 1202. The learning model 1204 accumulates the results of the learning performed by the learning unit 1203.

[0095] Here, an example of implementing the learning model 1204 as a neural network will be described. By optimizing the weighted parameters between the nodes of the neural network, it is possible to classify input data or determine an evaluation value. The accumulated learning model 1204 is distributed as a learned model to the edge server 1211 and used for inference processing in the edge server 1211.

[0096] The edge server 1211 includes a data collection / providing unit 1212, an inference unit 1213, and a learned model 1214. The data collection / providing unit 1212 is a module that transmits the data received from the device 1221 or the data collected by the edge server 1211 itself as a data group for use in learning to the cloud server 1201. Here, the device 1221 includes various devices capable of network connection. Specifically, for example, client terminals such as smartphones 2, recording devices 4 (printers), personal computers 1, and workstations can be mentioned.

[0097] The inference unit 1213 is a program module that performs inference using the learned model 1214 based on the data sent from the device 1221 and returns the result to the device 1221. The data sent from the device 1221 is the data that becomes the input data X of the inference unit 1213.

[0098] The learned model 1214 is used for inference performed on the edge server 1211. Assume that the learned model 1214 is also implemented as a neural network, similar to the learning model 1204. However, as will be described later, the learned model 1214 may be the same as the learning model 1204, or it may extract and utilize a part of the learning model 1204. The learned model 1214 stores the learning model 1204 accumulated and distributed by the cloud server 1201. The learned model 1214 may distribute all of the learning model 1204, or it may extract and distribute only a part of the learning model 1204 that is necessary for inference on the edge server 1211.

[0099] The device 1221 includes an application unit 1222 and a data transmission / reception unit 1223. The application unit 1222 is a module that realizes various functions executed on the device 1221 and is a module that utilizes the mechanism of learning and inference by machine learning.

[0100] The data transmission / reception unit 1223 is a module that requests learning or inference from the edge server 1211. During learning, it transmits the data used for learning to the data collection / providing unit 1212 of the edge server 1211 according to a request from the application unit 1222. Also, during inference, it transmits the data used for inference to the edge server 1211 according to a request from the application unit 1222, receives the result, and returns it to the application unit 1222.

[0101] In the third embodiment, the learned model 1204 learned by the cloud server 1201 is distributed to the edge server 1211 as the learned model 1214 and used for inference. However, the present invention is not limited to this form. For example, learning and inference may be performed within the device 1221. Where learning and inference are executed, respectively, on the cloud server 1201, the edge server 1211, or the device 1221 may be determined according to the allocation of hardware resources, the amount of calculation, and the amount of data communication. Alternatively, it may be configured to dynamically change according to the increase or decrease in the allocation of these resources, the amount of calculation, and the amount of data communication. When the entities performing learning and inference are different, the inference side can reduce the logic used only for inference and the capacity of the learned model 1214, or configure it to be executed more quickly.

[0102] FIGS. 17(a) and (b) are conceptual diagrams showing the input / output structures when using the learned model 1204 and the learned model 1214. Hereinafter, the details of the input / output data at the time of learning and inference will be described in detail.

[0103] FIG. 17(a) shows the relationship between the learned model 1204 and its input / output data during learning. The input data X (1301) is the data of the input layer of the learned model 1204. The details of the input data X in the present embodiment will be described later. As a result of recognizing the input data X using the learned model 1204, which is a machine learning model, output data Y (1303) is output. During learning, since the teacher data T (1302) is given as the correct data of the recognition result of the input data X, by giving the output data Y and the teacher data T to the loss function 1304, the deviation amount L (1305) from the correct answer of the recognition result can be obtained. The coupling weight coefficients between the nodes of the neural network in the learned model 1204 are updated so that the deviation amount L becomes small for a large number of learning data. In the third embodiment, the error backpropagation method for adjusting the coupling weight coefficients between the nodes of each neural network so that the above error becomes small is used.

[0104] Specific algorithms for machine learning include the nearest neighbor method, the naive Bayes method, decision trees, support vector machines, and the like. In addition, deep learning (deep learning), which uses a neural network to generate its own feature quantities and coupling weight coefficients for learning, can also be mentioned. Appropriately, those of the above algorithms that can be used can be applied to the third embodiment.

[0105] FIG. 17(b) shows the relationship between the learned model 1214 and its input / output data during inference. The input data X (1301) is the data of the input layer of the learned model 1214. Details of the input data X in this embodiment will be described later. As a result of recognizing the input data X using the learning model 1204, which is a machine learning model, output data Y (1303) is output. During inference, this output data Y is used as the inference result. Note that although the learned model 1214 during inference has been described as having a neural network equivalent to the learning model 1204 during learning, it is also possible to prepare, as the learned model 1214, a model obtained by extracting only the necessary parts for inference. This makes it possible to reduce the data volume of the learned model 1214 and shorten the neural network processing time during inference.

[0106] Next, the input / output structure of the learning model 1204 during learning according to the third embodiment will be described in more detail. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the input / output structure of the learning model 1204 during learning. As shown in FIG. 18, as the input data X for learning, surface property data 1005, basis weight data 1006, and the media temperature Tt obtained from the measurement sensor 212 are used. In the third embodiment, the media temperature Tt used for the input data X for learning is the actual temperature obtained using a temperature acquisition means such as a temperature sensor that can acquire the temperature (paper surface temperature) on the surface of the media 105. However, the media temperature Tt obtained by calculation as in the process S403 of the first embodiment may be used for the input data X.

[0107] In the third embodiment, as output data Y, a cut success prediction probability (cut success probability) 1401 is output. And as teacher data T, the cut success probability 1402 when actually cutting a medium that is surface property data 1005 and basis weight data 1006 is used. The cut success probability 1402 is, for example, a success probability obtained as a result of performing cutting a plurality of times under the same conditions in advance. Learning is performed so that the deviation amount L between the cut success prediction probability 1401 that is the output data and the cut success probability 1402 when actually performing cutting that is the teacher data becomes minimum, and the learning model 1204 is updated.

[0108] Next, the input / output structure of the learned model 1214 during inference according to the third embodiment will be described in more detail. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the input / output structure of the learned model 1214 during inference. As shown in FIG. 19, as the input data X for inference, surface property data 1005, basis weight data 1006, and medium temperature Tt obtained from the measurement sensor 212 are used. The output data Y obtained as a result of inference by the learned model 1214 is the cut success prediction probability 1401, and based on this, the behavior of the cutter 211 of the recording device 4 is controlled.

[0109] (Cut preparation operation) Next, the cut operation of the medium 105 according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the cut operation in the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the change of the cut permission flag by the cut preparation operation is not performed, and the cut execution determination and the cut execution are performed by this cut operation.

[0110] The cutting operation according to the third embodiment starts at S600 when the drying of the medium 105 is completed, similar to the cutting preparation operation of the first embodiment. When the cutting operation is started, first, in determination S601, the CPU 11 determines whether the user desires the cutting operation. The processing here is the same as determination S405 of the first embodiment. If the result of determination S601 is YES, that is, if the user desires to cut the medium 105, the process proceeds to process S602. If the result of determination S601 by the CPU 11 is NO, that is, if the user does not desire to cut the medium 105, the process proceeds to S612, and the cutting operation ends without performing the cutting. When the process proceeds to process S602, then processes S603, S604, and S605 are sequentially executed.

[0111] In process S602, the CPU 11 acquires the medium information acquired by the measurement sensor 212 stored in the NVRAM 8. In process S603, the CPU 11 acquires the medium temperature Tt. In process S604, the CPU 11 acquires the cutter speed as the cutting speed of the cutter 211 set in the recording device 4. Although it is assumed in S604 that the cutter speed is acquired from those pre-stored in the RAM 7, NVRAM 8, etc., the user may be prompted to set the cutter speed at this timing.

[0112] In process S605, using the information acquired in processes S602 and S603, the CPU 11 infers the cutting success probability p. In process S605, the inference unit 1213 is used. In the third embodiment, the inference unit 1213 is held in the edge server 1211, and the inference of the cutting success probability p is performed by accessing the edge server 1211. However, the parameters constituting the inference unit 1213 may be stored in the recording device 4, and the inference may be performed only within the recording device 4. When the cutting success probability p is inferred in process S605, the process proceeds to determination S606.

[0113] In determination S606, the CPU 11 determines whether the cut success probability p is greater than 0.99. Note that the cut success probability p being 0.99 means that there is a risk of one cut defect in 100 sheets. The maximum value of the cut success probability p is 1. When p > 0.99, it is considered that there is almost no risk of cut defects occurring. When the result of determination S606 is YES, that is, when p > 0.99, the process proceeds to process S610. When the result of determination S606 by the CPU 11 is NO, that is, when p ≤ 0.99, the process proceeds to determination S607.

[0114] In determination S607, the CPU 11 determines whether the cut success probability p is greater than 0.7. When the result of determination S607 is YES, that is, when p > 0.7, the process proceeds to process S608. When the result of determination S607 by the CPU 11 is NO, that is, when p ≤ 0.7, the process proceeds to process S611.

[0115] In process S608, a warning screen is displayed to the user. When the cut success probability p satisfies 0.7 < p ≤ 0.99, there is a risk of cut defects occurring about once in 4 or 5 sheets. Therefore, in process S608, the CPU 11 performs a process of showing the user a screen 801 as shown in FIG. 10, and allows the user to select whether to perform the cut of the medium 105. After displaying the warning screen in process S608, the process proceeds to determination S609.

[0116] In determination S609, it is determined whether the user who has confirmed the warning screen wishes to perform the cut. The determination method here is the same as determination S407 in the first embodiment. When the result of determination S609 is YES, that is, even though the warning screen is displayed and the user still wishes to perform the cut, the process proceeds to process S610. When the result of determination S609 is NO, that is, when the user does not wish to perform the cut, the process proceeds to process S611.

[0117] In process S610, the cutting operation of the medium 105 is performed. That is, when there is almost no possibility of a cutting defect occurring at p > 0.99, or when the user wishes to perform the cutting at 0.7 < p ≤ 0.99, the cutting by the cutter 211 is performed. After the completion of the cutting operation in process S611, the process proceeds to S612 and the cutting operation ends.

[0118] In process S611, a message indicating that the cutting will not be performed is displayed on the display screen to notify the user, and then the process proceeds to S612 and the cutting operation ends without performing the cutting. That is, when p ≤ 0.7 and there is a high possibility of a cutting defect occurring, the cutting is not performed.

[0119] As described above, in the third embodiment, when the cutting success probability p is greater than 0.7 and less than or equal to 0.99, the decision to perform the cutting is left to the user's judgment, and when the cutting success probability p is less than or equal to 0.7, the cutting is not performed. That is, the first threshold value used for the cutting execution determination is 0.99, and the second threshold value is 0.7, but it is not limited to such values, and other values may be used. Also, in the third embodiment, the first threshold value and the second threshold value are configured to be held in the recording device 4 as default values in advance, but they may be configured to be freely set by the user as user set values.

[0120] From the above, according to the cutting preparation operation along the above flowchart, even in a configuration where the medium 105 is heated to a high temperature by a fixing operation or the like, the possibility of a cutting defect occurring can be suppressed. Also, even when the user feeds the medium 105 of a medium type not registered in the recording device 4, since the learned model 1214 learned by machine learning infers the cutting success probability p, highly accurate cutting determination becomes possible.

[0121] Note that in the third embodiment, the surface property data 1005 and the basis weight data 1006 are used for the cutting operation determination, but other physical property values may be used to infer the cutting success probability p.

[0122] As described above, according to the configuration of the third embodiment, the cutting operation is executed after determining whether the temperature of the medium 105 is appropriate for the cutting operation, so that cutting defects can be suppressed. In addition, since it is determined whether or not to execute the cutting operation according to the type of the medium 105, it is possible to suppress a decrease in productivity by minimizing the waiting time for cooling the medium 105.

[0123] In the application of the present invention, the processes described as being performed by one device in the above-described embodiments may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, how each function is realized by a hardware configuration can be flexibly changed.

[0124] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following configurations. (Configuration 1) A transport unit that transports a recording medium, A recording unit that records an image on a recording surface of the recording medium, A heating unit that heats the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit, A cutting unit that cuts the recording medium heated by the heating unit, Temperature acquisition means for acquiring a medium temperature as the temperature of the recording medium, Determination means for determining whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means, A recording apparatus comprising the same. (Configuration 2) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 1, wherein when the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting, the cutting unit cuts the recording medium. (Configuration 3) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein when the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, the recording medium is not cut. (Configuration 4) When the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, the recording apparatus according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the user is allowed to select whether to cut the recording medium. (Configuration 5) The determination means compares a threshold value set in advance according to the type of the recording medium with the medium temperature, and determines whether the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the comparison result. The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4. (Configuration 6) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 5, characterized in that the threshold value is the maximum temperature at which cutting of the recording medium is allowed. (Configuration 7) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 6, characterized in that the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting when the medium temperature is lower than the threshold value. (Configuration 8) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 6 or 7, characterized in that when the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the user is warned that there is a risk of cutting failure if the recording medium is cut. (Configuration 9) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 6 or 7, characterized in that when the medium temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold value + 5 ° C, the recording medium is cut by the cutting unit. (Configuration 10) The cutting unit changes the cutting conditions depending on whether the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value and whether the medium temperature is lower than the threshold value. Any one of Configurations 7 to 9 The recording apparatus described. (Configuration 11) The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 6 to 10, characterized in that when the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the conveyance unit continues to convey the recording medium. (Configuration 12) The temperature acquisition means acquires the medium temperature based on at least one of the internal temperature of the recording apparatus, the ambient temperature of the recording apparatus, and the cooling rate coefficient of the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 11. (Configuration 13) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 12, wherein the temperature acquisition means starts calculating the medium temperature as soon as the recording medium is discharged from the heating unit. (Configuration 14) Comprising physical property acquisition means for acquiring the physical properties of the recording medium, The determination means has an inference unit that uses a machine learning result with the physical properties and the medium temperature as input data and the cutting success probability of the recording medium as output data, and outputs output data using the physical properties acquired by the physical property acquisition means and the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means as input data, and determines whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the cutting success probability. The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 13. (Configuration 15) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 14, wherein the physical properties include the surface property and basis weight of the recording medium. (Configuration 16) When the cutting success probability is greater than a first threshold value, the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting, and the cutting of the recording medium by the cutting unit is performed. When the cutting success probability is less than or equal to the first threshold value and greater than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the user is allowed to select whether or not to cut the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to Configuration 14 or 15, wherein when the cutting success probability is less than or equal to the second threshold value, the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, and the cutting of the recording medium by the cutting unit is not performed. (Configuration 17) A transport unit for transporting a recording medium, A recording unit for recording an image on the recording surface of the recording medium, A heating unit for heating the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit, A cutting unit for cutting the recording medium heated by the heating unit, Comprising, A recording apparatus, characterized in that a standby time from the end of heating by the heating unit to the start of cutting by the cutting unit is determined based on the type of the recording medium heated by the heating unit. (Configuration 18) Temperature acquisition means for acquiring a medium temperature as the temperature of the recording medium; Determination means for determining whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means; and comprising The recording apparatus according to Configuration 17, characterized in that cutting by the cutting unit is started based on the determination result of the determination means. (Configuration 19) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 18, characterized in that the standby time changes based on a threshold value set in advance according to the type of the recording medium and the medium temperature. (Configuration 20) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 19, characterized in that the threshold value is the maximum temperature at which cutting of the recording medium is allowed. (Configuration 21) The recording apparatus according to Configuration 20, characterized in that the cutting unit changes cutting conditions depending on whether the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value or lower than the threshold value. (Configuration 22) The recording apparatus according to any one of Configurations 18 to 21, characterized in that the temperature acquisition means acquires the temperature of the recording medium based on at least one of the internal temperature of the recording apparatus, the environmental temperature in which the recording apparatus is disposed, and the cooling rate coefficient of the recording medium.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0125] 4... Recording apparatus, 100... Recording unit, 209... Fixing unit (heating unit), 211... Cutter (cutting unit)

Claims

1. A conveying unit for conveying a recording medium, A recording unit for recording an image on a recording surface of the recording medium, A heating unit for heating the recording medium on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, A cutting unit for cutting the recording medium heated by the heating unit, Temperature acquisition means for acquiring a medium temperature as the temperature of the recording medium, Determination means for determining whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means, A recording apparatus comprising the same.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting, the cutting unit cuts the recording medium.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, the recording medium is not cut.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, the user is allowed to select whether or not to cut the recording medium.

5. The determination means compares the medium temperature with a threshold value set in advance according to the type of the recording medium, and determines whether or not the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the comparison result. The recording apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the threshold value is the maximum temperature at which cutting of the recording medium is allowed.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting when the medium temperature is lower than the threshold value.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the user is warned that there is a risk of cutting failure if the recording medium is cut.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the medium temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold value + 5°C, the recording medium is cut by the cutting unit.

10. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cutting unit changes cutting conditions depending on whether the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value or lower than the threshold value.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the conveying unit continues to convey the recording medium.

12. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature acquisition means acquires the medium temperature based on at least one of the internal temperature of the recording apparatus, the ambient temperature of the recording apparatus, and the cooling rate coefficient of the recording medium.

13. The recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the temperature acquisition means starts calculating the medium temperature as soon as the recording medium is discharged from the heating unit.

14. comprising physical property acquisition means for acquiring the physical properties of the recording medium, the determination means has an inference unit that uses the physical properties and the medium temperature as input data and the machine learning result with the cutting success probability of the recording medium as output data to output output data using the physical properties acquired by the physical property acquisition means and the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means as input data, and determines whether the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the cutting success probability. The recording apparatus according to claim 1.

15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the physical properties include the surface property and the basis weight of the recording medium.

16. When the cutting success probability is greater than a first threshold value, the determination means determines that the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting, and the cutting of the recording medium by the cutting unit is performed. When the cutting success probability is less than or equal to the first threshold value and greater than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the user is allowed to select whether to cut the recording medium. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the cutting success probability is less than or equal to the second threshold value, the determination means determines that the recording medium is not in a state suitable for cutting, and the cutting of the recording medium by the cutting unit is not performed.

17. a conveyance unit for conveying a recording medium; a recording unit for recording an image on a recording surface of the recording medium; a heating unit for heating the recording medium on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit; a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium heated by the heating unit; comprising A recording apparatus, characterized in that a standby time from the end of heating by the heating unit to the start of cutting by the cutting unit is determined based on the type of the recording medium heated by the heating unit.

18. temperature acquisition means for acquiring a medium temperature as the temperature of the recording medium; determination means for determining whether the recording medium is in a state suitable for cutting based on the medium temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means; comprising The recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein cutting by the cutting unit is started based on the determination result of the determination means.

19. The recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the standby time changes based on a threshold value set in advance according to the type of the recording medium and the medium temperature.

20. The recording apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the threshold value is the maximum temperature at which cutting of the recording medium is allowed.

21. The recording apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the cutting unit changes the cutting conditions when the medium temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value and when the medium temperature is lower than the threshold value.

22. The recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the temperature acquisition means acquires the temperature of the recording medium based on at least one of the internal temperature of the recording apparatus, the environmental temperature where the recording apparatus is disposed, and the cooling rate coefficient of the recording medium.

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