Printer with cutting head

Abstract

To ensure the excellent cutting quality in a printer with a cutting head.SOLUTION: A printer 10 with a cutting head comprises: a support table 20 which supports a medium 5; a print head 40 which discharges ink onto the medium 5; a cutting head which has a cutter capable of cutting the medium 5; moving devices 30, 60 which move the position of the medium 5 relative to the print head 40 and the cutting head; heating devices 80, 90 which heat the medium 5 supported on the support table 20; and a control device. The control device includes: a print control unit which performs a printing process that forms an image on the medium 5 with ink; a cutting control unit which performs a cutting process that cuts the medium 5 with the cutter; and a heating control unit which controls the heating devices 80, 90 to heat the medium 5 during the printing process, and to reduce the output of the heating devices 80, 90 during the cutting process compared to during the printing process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A printer with a cutting head that includes both a print head for printing on a medium and a cutting head for cutting the medium has been conventionally known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer with a cutting head that includes a platen for supporting a medium, an inkjet head for discharging ink onto the medium supported by the platen, a cutting head for cutting the medium supported by the platen, and a heater for heating the platen.

[0003] The printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to set a print-cut mode in which a cut process is performed after a printing process. In the print-cut mode, the printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1 heats the heater both during the printing process and during the cut process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the medium is heated even during the cut process in the print-cut mode, as in the printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1, shrinkage, warping, etc. of the medium may occur. When such a change in the state of the medium due to heating occurs, the cut position may shift and the quality of the cut process may deteriorate.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a printer with a cutting head that can ensure good cutting quality.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The printer with a cutting head disclosed herein includes a support base that supports a medium, a print head that is provided so as to face the support base and discharges ink onto the medium supported by the support base, a cutter that can cut the medium, a cutting head that is provided so as to face the support base, a moving device that moves the position of the medium with respect to the print head and the position of the medium with respect to the cutting head, a heating device that heats the medium supported by the support base, and a control device. The control device includes a print control unit, a cutting control unit, and a heating control unit. The print control unit controls the moving device and the print head to perform a printing process of forming an image with the ink on the medium. The cutting control unit controls the moving device to perform a cutting process of cutting the medium with the cutter. The heating control unit is set to control the heating device to heat the medium during the printing process when the printing process and the cutting process are performed in order, and to lower the output of the heating device during the cutting process compared to during the printing process.

[0008] According to the above printer with a cutting head, when the printing process and the cutting process are performed in order, the heating of the medium during the cutting process is suppressed because the output of the heating device is lowered during the cutting process compared to during the printing process. Thereby, the change in the state of the medium due to heating can be suppressed, and good cutting quality can be ensured.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to particularly limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] [Configuration of Printer with Cutting Head] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 10 with a cutting head according to an embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as printer 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is a device that performs a printing process and a cutting process on a sheet-like medium 5. Hereinafter, the process of forming an image with ink on the medium 5 is also referred to as a printing process, and the process of cutting the medium 5 with a cutter 51 (described later) of a cutting head 50 is also referred to as a cutting process. The medium 5 may be, for example, a sealing material composed of a base paper and a release paper laminated on the base paper and coated with an adhesive, or may be recording paper, a resin sheet, or the like. The medium 5 only needs to be a medium capable of performing a printing process and a cutting process, and is not particularly limited.

[0012] In this specification, "cutting" includes both the case of cutting the entire thickness direction of the medium 5 (for example, when cutting both the backing paper and the release paper of the sealing material) and the case of cutting a part of the thickness direction of the medium 5 (for example, when not cutting the backing paper of the sealing material and only cutting the release paper).

[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer 10. FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the printer 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printer 10 includes a main body 11, a platen 20P that supports the medium 5, a downstream apron 20F, and an upstream apron 20Rr, a conveyance device 30 that conveys the medium 5 supported by the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr, a print head 40 that discharges ink onto the medium 5, a print carriage 45 that holds the print head 40, a cutting head 50 that cuts the medium 5, a cut carriage 55 that holds the cutting head 50, a head moving device 60 that moves the print carriage 45 and the cut carriage 55, a connecting mechanism 70 that connects or disconnects the print carriage 45 and the cut carriage 55, a platen heater 80 that heats the platen 20P, an apron heater 90 that heats the medium 5 on the downstream apron 20F, and a control device 100.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the platen 20P is supported by the main body 11. The platen 20P is formed in a flat shape. Printing and cutting on the medium 5 are performed on the platen 20P. In this specification, during the printing process or the cutting process, the direction in which the medium 5 is conveyed on the platen 20P is defined as the front, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear. Left, right, up, and down respectively mean left, right, up, and down as viewed from an operator standing on the front side of the printer 10. The reference signs F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings respectively represent front, rear, left, right, up, and down. The platen 20P extends in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction.

[0015] The conveying device 30 conveys the medium 5 placed on the platen 20P in a predetermined conveying direction X. On the platen 20P, the conveying direction X is the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, among the conveying direction X, the direction in which the medium 5 advances in the printing process and the cutting process is also referred to as the downstream side X1, and the reverse direction of the downstream side X1 is also referred to as the upstream side X2. The downstream side X1 of the conveying direction X on the platen 20P is the front. The upstream side X2 of the conveying direction X on the platen 20P is the rear. That is, in the present embodiment, the medium 5 is conveyed from the rear to the front. However, the printer 10 may be configured to convey the medium 5 from the front to the rear. In that case, the downstream side X1 of the conveying direction X on the platen 20P is the rear, and the upstream side X2 of the conveying direction X on the platen 20P is the front. As will be described later, on the upstream apron 20Rr, the downstream side X1 of the conveying direction X is obliquely forward upward, and the upstream side X2 is obliquely backward downward (see FIG. 3). On the downstream apron 20F, the downstream side X1 of the conveying direction X is obliquely forward downward, and the upstream side X2 is obliquely backward upward (see also FIG. 3).

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 30 includes a grit roller 31, a pinch roller 32, and a feed motor 33 (see FIG. 6) that drives the grit roller 31. The grit roller 31 is embedded in the platen 20P. The pinch roller 32 presses the medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 32 is disposed above the grit roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is provided at a position facing the grit roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. When the feed motor 33 is driven and the grit roller 31 rotates with the medium 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 31 and the pinch roller 32, the medium 5 is conveyed in the front-rear direction on the platen 20P.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the upstream apron 20Rr is disposed behind the platen 20P. The upstream apron 20Rr guides the movement of the medium 5 to the platen 20P. The upstream apron 20Rr slopes upward toward the front. The front end portion of the upstream apron 20Rr is connected to the rear end portion of the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F is disposed in front of the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F guides the movement of the medium 5 from the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F slopes downward toward the front. The rear end portion of the downstream apron 20F is connected to the front end portion of the platen 20P. The medium 5 after ink landing is conveyed on the downstream apron 20F. The platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr are an example of a support base that supports the medium 5. Hereinafter, the reference numeral 20 is used as the reference numeral for the support base including the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr.

[0018] The print head 40 is provided so as to face the platen 20P. Here, the print head 40 is mounted on the print carriage 45 and disposed above the platen 20P. The print head 40 discharges ink onto the medium 5 supported by the platen 20P. As shown in FIG. 2, the print head 40 includes a plurality of ink heads 41. The plurality of ink heads 41 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) for discharging ink are formed on the lower surfaces of the plurality of ink heads 41, respectively. The plurality of nozzles are arranged side by side in the conveyance direction X.

[0019] In this embodiment, the print head 40 discharges aqueous ink onto the medium 5. As the aqueous ink, for example, latex ink can be preferably used. The latex ink contains a solvent, a colorant, and a binder resin. In the latex ink, the binder resin is dispersed or emulsified in the solvent. As the solvent, for example, one or more of water and water-soluble organic solvents (such as lower alcohols and lower ketones) that can be uniformly mixed with water can be appropriately selected and used. As the colorant, conventional colorants contained in the latex ink can be appropriately selected. Examples of the colorant include dyes such as water-soluble dyes and pigments. As the binder resin, conventional binder resins contained in the latex ink can be appropriately selected. However, the type of ink discharged by the print head 40 is not limited to aqueous ink. For example, the ink discharged by the print head 40 may be a thermosetting solvent ink. The color of the ink discharged by the print head 40 is not particularly limited.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting head 50 is also provided so as to face the platen 20P. Here, the cutting head 50 is mounted on the cut carriage 55 and is disposed above the platen 20P. The cutting head 50 includes a cutter 51 capable of cutting the medium 5 and a cutter holding mechanism 52 for holding the cutter 51. The cutter holding mechanism 52 moves the cutter 51 in the vertical direction to bring it into contact with or separate from the medium 5 on the platen 20P. The cutter holding mechanism 52 includes a solenoid 53 (see FIG. 4) for moving the cutter 51 in the vertical direction. When the solenoid 53 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 51 moves in the vertical direction to contact or separate from the medium 5.

[0021] The print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 are connected or disconnected by a connecting mechanism 70. FIG. 4 is a front view of the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 in a connected state. FIG. 5 is a front view of the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 in a separated state. The head moving device 60 moves the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 integrally when they are connected. Also, the head moving device 60 moves only the cutting carriage 55 alone when the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 are separated.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the head moving device 60 includes a guide rail 61, left and right pulleys 62L and 62R, an endless belt 63, and a scan motor 64. The guide rail 61 is disposed above the platen 20P. The guide rail 61 extends in the left - right direction. The print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55 are slidably engaged with the guide rail 61 in the left - right direction. Hereinafter, the moving direction of the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55, which is the left - right direction here, is also referred to as the scanning direction Y. The head moving device 60 moves the print head 40 and the cutting head 50 in the scanning direction Y that intersects the conveyance direction X via the print carriage 45 and the cutting carriage 55, respectively. The scanning direction Y is orthogonal to the conveyance direction X here. The head moving device 60 and the conveyance device 30 constitute a moving device that moves the position of the medium 5 with respect to the print head 40 and the position of the medium 5 with respect to the cutting head 50.

[0023] The left and right pulleys 62L and 62R are respectively provided at the left end portion and the right end portion of the guide rail 61. The belt 63 is wound around the left and right pulleys 62L and 62R. A scan motor 64 is connected to the right pulley 62R. However, the scan motor 64 may be connected to the left pulley 62L. The belt 63 is fixed to the cut carriage 55. When the scan motor 64 is driven and the pulley 62R rotates, the belt 63 travels between the left and right pulleys 62L and 62R. As the belt 63 travels, the cut carriage 55 moves in the scanning direction Y along the guide rail 61. However, the head moving device 60 may be configured to move the print carriage 45 in the scanning direction Y along the guide rail 61.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the coupling mechanism 70 includes a first coupling member 71 provided on the print carriage 45 and a second coupling member 72 provided on the cut carriage 55. The first coupling member 71 is provided on the left side portion of the print carriage 45. The second coupling member 72 is provided on the right side portion of the cut carriage 55. In the present embodiment, the coupling mechanism 70 couples the print carriage 45 and the cut carriage 55 using magnetic force. One of the first coupling member 71 and the second coupling member 72 includes a magnet, and the other includes a magnetic body that is attracted to the magnet. However, the coupling mechanism 70 is not limited to using magnetic force, and may be provided with other configurations such as an engaging member.

[0025] A receiving fitting 75 formed in an L shape is provided on the right side of the print carriage 45. Further, a locking device 76 for fixing the print carriage 45 is provided near the right end of the guide rail 61. The locking device 76 includes a hook 77 that is hooked on the receiving fitting 75 and a locking solenoid 78 (see FIG. 6) that moves the hook 77 between a locked position (see FIG. 5) and an unlocked position (see FIG. 4).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, when performing printing processing, the hook 77 is set to the unlocked position. When the cut carriage 55 moves to the right and the first connecting member 71 and the second connecting member 72 come into contact, the cut carriage 55 and the print carriage 45 are connected. As a result, the print carriage 45 can move in the scanning direction Y together with the cut carriage 55.

[0027] During cutting processing, as shown in FIG. 5, the print carriage 45 is positioned near the right end of the guide rail 61, and the hook 77 of the locking device 76 is set to the locked position. Thereby, the hook 77 engages with the receiving fitting 75, and the movement of the print carriage 45 is blocked. When the cut carriage 55 moves to the left, the first connecting member 71 and the second connecting member 72 separate from each other, and the connection between the cut carriage 55 and the print carriage 45 is released. As a result, the cut carriage 55 can move alone in the scanning direction Y.

[0028] The platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 constitute a heating device that heats the medium 5 supported by the support base 20 (here, the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr). The platen heater 80 heats the portion of the support base 20 that faces the print head 40, here the platen 20P. The platen heater 80 heats the ink immediately after it lands on the medium 5 and initially dries the ink. As shown in FIG. 3, the platen heater 80 is provided below the platen 20P. The platen heater 80 includes a heating element 81 and a temperature measuring unit 82 that measures the temperature of the platen 20P. The heating element 81 is, for example, a surface heater that is adhered to the lower surface of the platen 20P. The temperature measuring unit 82 is, for example, a thermistor. However, the heating element 81 and the temperature measuring unit 82 are not limited to these.

[0029] The apron heater 90 is disposed on the downstream side X1 in the conveyance direction X with respect to the print head 40 and the cutting head 50. Here, the apron heater 90 is provided so as to face the downstream apron 20F. The apron heater 90 is disposed in front of and above the downstream apron 20F. As shown in FIG. 3, a gap G1 through which the medium 5 passes is formed between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F. The apron heater 90 heats the portion of the medium 5 that has been conveyed to the downstream apron 20F after the ink has landed, and completely dries the ink. Note that the heating temperature of the apron heater 90 is preferably higher than the heating temperature of the platen heater 80. That is, the heating temperature of the heating device on the downstream side is preferably higher than the heating temperature of the heating device on the upstream side.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the apron heater 90 includes a box-shaped housing 91, a blower fan 92 provided in the housing 91, a heater 93 provided in the housing 91, and a temperature measurement unit 94. The housing 91 is formed with an intake port 91a through which external air is taken in and an exhaust port 91b through which the air heated in the housing 91 is discharged. The exhaust port 91b is provided so as to face the front surface (upper surface) of the downstream apron 20F. Here, the temperature measurement unit 94 is disposed near the exhaust port 91b. When the blower fan 92 is driven, external air is taken in from the intake port 91a. The taken-in air is heated by the heater 93 via the blower fan 92. The heated air is discharged from the exhaust port 91b toward the front surface (upper surface) of the downstream apron 20F. The apron heater 90 is configured to dry the ink by blowing hot air onto the medium 5.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a control device 100 that controls the operation of each part. The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. For example, it includes a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions of a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the above program and various data.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 100 is connected to a feed motor 33, a print head 40, a solenoid 53 of a cutting head 50, a scan motor 64, a locking solenoid 78, a heating element 81 of a platen heater 80, a blower fan 92 and a heater 93 of an apron heater 90, and controls their operations. Further, the control device 100 is connected to a temperature measurement unit 82 of the platen heater 80 and a temperature measurement unit 94 of the apron heater 90, and receives signals from these.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 100 includes a data reception unit 101, a print control unit 102, a cutting control unit 103, a retraction control unit 104, and a heating control unit 105. The control device 100 may include other processing units, but illustration and description thereof are omitted here.

[0034] The data receiving unit 101 receives data containing at least one of print data and cut data from an external device (for example, a computer that created the data). The data is transmitted sequentially from the beginning. In the data, if the print data exists first and the cut data exists after the print data, the cutting process is performed after the printing process. In the data, if the cut data exists first and the print data exists after the cut data, the printing process is performed after the cutting process. If only print data is included in the data, only the printing process is performed. If only cut data is included in the data, only the cutting process is performed.

[0035] However, the printer 10 may be provided with a mode selection unit that can select either a mode in which the printing process is performed before the cutting process regardless of the data, or a mode in which the cutting process is performed before the printing process.

[0036] The print control unit 102 controls the moving devices (here, the conveying device 30 and the head moving device 60) and the print head 40 to perform a printing process of forming an image with ink on the medium 5. The print control unit 102 controls the head moving device 60 to move the print head 40 in the scanning direction Y while discharging ink from the print head 40 to form an image on the medium 5. The conveying device 30 intermittently moves the medium 5 to the downstream side X1. As a result, images are sequentially formed on the upstream side X2 of the medium 5, and the portions where the images are formed are sequentially sent onto the downstream apron 20F. At the end of the printing process, the portion of the medium 5 where the image is formed (hereinafter also referred to as the image forming portion 5a, see FIG. 3) is conveyed to the downstream side X1 in the conveying direction X beyond the heating region Rt (in FIG. 3, the heating region of the apron heater 90 is Rd, the heating region of the platen heater 80 is Ru, and the combined heating region of both is shown as Rt) heated by the apron heater 90 and the platen heater 80.

[0037] The cutting control unit 103 controls the moving devices (here, the conveying device 30 and the head moving device 60) to perform a cutting process of cutting the medium 5 with the cutter 51. The cutting control unit 103 controls the head moving device 60 and the conveying device 30 in a state where the cutter 51 is in contact with the medium 5, moves the cutting head 50 in the scanning direction Y, and moves the medium 5 in the conveying direction X, thereby cutting the medium 5. In the cutting process, the medium 5 is gradually moved to the downstream side X1 in the conveying direction X. The cutting process is performed based on cutting data consisting of a cutting line of an arbitrary shape.

[0038] The rewinding control unit 104 controls the conveying device 30 between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a rewinding process of returning the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X. When performing the cutting process after the printing process, the rewinding control unit 104 returns the medium 5 to the position where the cutting of the medium 5 starts in the cutting process (hereinafter also referred to as the cutting start position). When performing the printing process after the cutting process, the rewinding control unit 104 returns the medium 5 to the position where the printing on the medium 5 starts in the printing process (hereinafter also referred to as the printing start position). The process to be performed later among the cutting process and the printing process is performed on the medium 5 returned to the cutting start position or the printing start position by the rewinding process. In the present embodiment, the cutting start position is set to a position where the portion of the medium 5 to be cut in the cutting process (hereinafter also referred to as the cutting portion) is on the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X from the platen heater 80. The rewinding control unit 104 is set to return the medium 5 until the cutting portion is located on the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X from the platen heater 80 (see FIG. 9). The printing start position is also set in the same manner as the cutting start position. When the cutting process is performed before the printing process, the medium 5 is set to be returned until the portion where the medium 5 is cut in the cutting process (hereinafter also referred to as the cutting portion unless particularly distinguished) is located on the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X from the platen heater 80. Note that the rewinding control unit 104 may be set to return the medium 5 until the downstream end of the medium 5 is located on the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X from the platen heater 80.

[0039] The heating control unit 105 controls the operations of the heating devices (here, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) during printing, cutting, and rewinding processes. Specifically, when performing the printing process and the cutting process in sequence, the heating control unit 105 controls the heating devices (here, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) to heat the medium 5 during the printing process, and reduces the output of the heating devices during the cutting process compared to that during the printing process. In this embodiment, the heating control unit 105 sets the output of the heating devices to zero during the cutting process, that is, stops heating. Reducing the output of the heating devices may include stopping the heating devices. However, the heating control unit 105 may maintain the output of the heating devices at a predetermined output greater than zero during the cutting process. Alternatively, the heating control unit 105 may control the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 such that the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 (measured by the thermometer units 82 and 94, respectively) reach predetermined temperatures during the cutting process.

[0040] The heating control unit 105 is set to reduce the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the rewinding process compared to those during the printing process. Here, the heating control unit 105 sets the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 to zero during the rewinding process. However, the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the rewinding process are not limited to zero.

[0041] During the printing process, after the ink ejection is completed and before the image forming portion 5a of the medium 5 is conveyed to the downstream side X1 in the conveyance direction X from the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90, the heating control unit 105 reduces the output of the platen heater 80. Here, the heating control unit 105 is set to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 immediately after the image forming portion 5a passes through the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80. Also, during the printing process, after the image forming portion 5a is conveyed to the downstream side X1 in the conveyance direction X from the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90, that is, after the entire printed image is dried by the hot air discharged from the apron heater 90, the heating control unit 105 is set to reduce the output of the apron heater 90. The heating control unit 105 is configured to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 before reducing the output of the apron heater 90.

[0042] When only the printing process is performed, the heating control unit 105 drives the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 to heat the medium 5. When only the cutting process is performed, the heating control unit 105 does not drive the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90.

[0043] In this embodiment, when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the retraction control unit 104 is set to perform the retraction process immediately after the printing process is completed. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the retraction process is completed. However, the cutting control unit 103 may be configured to start the cutting process after the retraction process is completed and the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have become lower than the predetermined temperatures. During this period, the medium 5 waits on the upstream side X2 from the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80.

[0044] [Processes of printing process, retraction process, and cutting process] Hereinafter, the process when the printing process, the rewinding process, and the cutting process are performed in this order will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the printing process, the rewinding process, and the cutting process. As shown in FIG. 7, in step S01 of these series of processes, the printing process is started. At this time, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are driven. When all the images are formed on the platen 20P, in step S02, the platen heater 80 is stopped. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the printer 10 showing the position of the medium 5 when the platen heater 80 is stopped. As shown in FIG. 8, at this time, the image forming portion 5a has been conveyed to slightly downstream side X1 from the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80. However, the platen heater 80 may be stopped before the image forming portion 5a is conveyed to the downstream side X1 from the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80, or may be stopped after being conveyed a certain distance to the downstream side X1 from the heating region Ru. The medium 5 continues to be conveyed after step S02, and the image forming portion 5a is sequentially sent onto the downstream apron 20F.

[0045] When the medium 5 is conveyed until the image forming portion 5a is located on the downstream side X1 from the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90, in step S03, the apron heater 90 is stopped. Also, in step S04, the conveyance of the medium 5 is stopped (the state shown in FIG. 3). At this time, the drying of the ink has been completed. Thereby, the printing process ends. Note that steps S03 and S04 may be in the reverse order or may be performed simultaneously.

[0046] In step S05, the rewinding process is started. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the printer 10 showing the position of the medium 5 at the end of the rewinding process. As shown in FIG. 9, at the end of the rewinding process, the cut portion of the medium 5 (the portion of the medium 5 cut in the cutting process) has been returned to the upstream side X2 in the conveyance direction X from the platen heater 80. In step S06, the conveyance of the medium 5 to the upstream side X2 is stopped, and the count of the standby time is started. The standby time here is the time to wait until the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F sufficiently drop.

[0047] However, the standby time may be any time between the time it takes for the temperature of the platen 20P to sufficiently drop and the time it takes for the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F to sufficiently drop. Since it takes time for the cut portion of the medium 5 to be conveyed to the downstream apron 20F after the start of the cutting process, even if the cutting process is started when the temperature of the platen 20P has sufficiently dropped and the temperature of the downstream apron 20F has not yet sufficiently dropped, the temperature of the downstream apron 20F may sufficiently drop by the time the cut portion of the medium 5 is conveyed to the downstream apron 20F. Further, the standby time may be the time obtained by subtracting the time required for the cut portion of the medium 5 to be conveyed to the downstream apron 20F from the time it takes for the temperature of the downstream apron 20F to sufficiently drop.

[0048] In step S07, the standby time elapses and the cutting process is started. At this time, since the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F are sufficiently low, it is possible to suppress the medium 5 from shrinking (when the medium 5 that has absorbed ink is heated, it tends to shrink) or warping due to the heat of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F. As a result, a decrease in cut quality due to a shift in the cut position is suppressed.

[0049] As the cutting process progresses, the medium 5 reaches the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F. At this time, since the warping of the medium 5 is suppressed, it is difficult for the medium 5 to get caught at the entrance of the upstream side X2 of the gap G1. If the medium 5 gets caught at the entrance of the upstream side X2 of the gap G1, there is a risk that the medium 5 will jam. In the present embodiment, such catching of the medium 5 can be suppressed.

[0050] [Operational Effects of the Embodiment] Hereinafter, the operational effects that can be achieved by the printer 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0051] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes a support base 20 that supports the medium 5 (here, the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr), a print head 40 that is provided to face the platen 20P and discharges ink onto the medium 5 supported by the platen 20P, a cutting head 50 that is provided to face the platen 20P and includes a cutter 51 capable of cutting the medium 5, a transport device 30 and a head movement device 60 as movement devices that move the position of the medium 5 relative to the print head 40 and the position of the medium 5 relative to the cutting head 50, a platen heater 80 and an apron heater 90 as heating devices that heat the medium 5 supported by the support base 20, and a control device 100. The control device 100 includes a print control unit 102 that controls the transport device 30, the head movement device 60, and the print head 40 to perform a printing process, a cutting control unit 103 that controls the transport device 30 and the head movement device 60 to perform a cutting process, and a heating control unit 105 that controls the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 to heat the medium 5 during the printing process and reduces the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the cutting process compared to during the printing process when the printing process and the cutting process are performed in order.

[0052] According to such a printer 10, since the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are reduced during the cutting process compared to during the printing process, heating of the medium 5 during the cutting process is suppressed. Thereby, changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating (for example, shrinkage and warping) can be suppressed, and good cut quality can be ensured. Even when the cutting process is performed prior to the printing process, the output of the heating device during the cutting process is reduced compared to during the printing process. More specifically, in this case, the output of the heating device during the cutting process is preferably zero.

[0053] In this embodiment, the control device 100 includes a pull-back control unit 104 that controls the conveyance device 30 between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a pull-back process of returning the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 in the conveyance direction X. The heating control unit 105 is set to lower the outputs of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the pull-back process than during the printing process. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the medium 5 from being heated during the pull-back process. Therefore, the change in the state of the medium 5 due to heating can be further suppressed, and good cutting quality can be ensured.

[0054] In this embodiment, when performing the cutting process after the printing process, the pull-back control unit 104 is set to return the medium 5 to the position where the cutting of the medium 5 starts in the cutting process. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the pull-back process ends. According to such a configuration, by waiting for a predetermined time before the cutting process, the temperature of the medium 5 and the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 also decrease. Therefore, the change in the state of the medium 5 due to heating can be further suppressed, and good cutting quality can be ensured. Note that the cutting control unit 103 may be configured to start the cutting process after the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have become lower than a predetermined temperature, respectively.

[0055] In this embodiment, the rewinding control unit 104 is set to rewind the medium 5 until the cut portion (here, the portion of the medium 5 cut in the cutting process) is located upstream of the platen heater 80 in the conveyance direction X, i.e., at X2. According to such a configuration, by rewinding the cut portion to upstream of the platen heater 80 in the conveyance direction X up to X2, the cut portion is not heated by the residual heat of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the rewinding process ended. By waiting for the predetermined time, the temperature of the medium 5 and the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 also decrease. Therefore, the change in the state of the medium 5 due to heating can be further suppressed, and good cut quality can be ensured. Note that the cutting control unit 103 may be configured to start the cutting process after the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have each become lower than a predetermined temperature. When the cutting process is performed before the printing process, by rewinding the cut portion (here, the portion of the medium 5 that has been cut in the cutting process) to upstream of the platen heater 80 in the conveyance direction X, it is possible to avoid the cut portion being heated while the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are being heated for the printing process.

[0056] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes, as a part of the heating device, an apron heater 90 that is disposed downstream of the print head 40 in the conveyance direction X, i.e., at X1, and faces the downstream apron 20F. According to such a configuration, the apron heater 90 can dry the ink more completely. On the other hand, during the cutting process, it becomes necessary to insert the medium 5 into the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F. According to the printer 10 according to this embodiment, since warping and the like of the medium 5 during the cutting process can be suppressed, it is easy to insert the medium 5 into the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F.

[0057] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes, as part of the heating device, a platen heater 80 that heats the platen 20P, which is the portion of the support base 20 facing the print head 40. The heating control unit 105 reduces the output of the platen heater 80 after the ink ejection in the printing process is completed and before the image forming portion 5a is conveyed to the downstream side X1 in the conveyance direction X from the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90 (that is, before the drying of the ink by the apron heater 90 is completed). According to such a configuration, before the drying of the ink by the apron heater 90 is completed, by reducing the output of the platen heater 80 that has completed its role in the printing process, it is possible to accelerate the decrease in the temperature of the platen 20P. Thereby, the change in the state of the medium 5 due to heating can be further suppressed.

[0058] [Other Embodiments] As described above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been explained. However, the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a standby time is provided after the rewinding process, but a standby time may be provided before the rewinding process. The heating control unit 105 is set to reduce the output of the heating device (in the above-described embodiment, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) after the printing process compared to during the printing process, and the rewinding control unit 104 may be set to perform the rewinding process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was reduced, or after the temperature of the heating device has become lower than a predetermined temperature. In this case, the standby time may be a time to wait until the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F sufficiently decrease. According to such control, the image forming portion 5a of the medium 5 passes through the heating region Rt of the heating device after the temperature of the heating region Rt has decreased. Therefore, the image forming portion 5a is less likely to be affected by heat.

[0059] Note that according to the mode of rewinding the medium 5 before the standby time described in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the amount of heat applied to the entire medium 5 including the portion on the upstream side X2 from the image forming portion 5a.

[0060] The heating control unit 105 is set to lower the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process. The cutting control unit 103 may be configured to perform a cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device has been lowered, or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature. Since the temperature of the heating device drops during the predetermined standby time, even with such control, it is possible to suppress the change in the state of the medium 5 due to heating and ensure good cutting quality.

[0061] The configuration of the printer with a cutting head is not particularly limited. For example, the moving device of the printer with a cutting head is not limited to those such as the transport device 30 and the head moving device 60 of the embodiment. The moving device may be configured to move, for example, in two directions intersecting the print head and the cutting head. In that case, the medium may not be moved. The device for moving the print head and the device for moving the cutting head may be separate devices. The moving device may be configured to move, for example, in two directions intersecting the medium. In that case, the print head and the cutting head may not be moved. The print head may be configured as a line head, for example, and may only move in one direction with respect to the medium.

[0062] The configuration of the heating device is not limited. The heating device may not include, for example, either a platen heater or an apron heater. The platen heater may be a heating device that blows hot air, and the apron heater may be a heating device that heats in contact with the apron. The heating method is not limited to the two methods described above. The heating method may be, for example, a method of irradiating the medium with infrared rays or the like. Unless otherwise particularly mentioned, the embodiment does not limit the present invention.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the printing process, the retraction process, and the cutting process were performed in this order. However, the processes may be performed in the order of the cutting process, the retraction process, and the printing process. Also, the retraction process may be performed simultaneously with the process that is performed later among the printing process and the cutting process. That is, the cutting process may be performed while retracting the medium 5 after the printing process, or the printing process may be performed while retracting the medium 5 after the cutting process. Also, in these cases, it is preferable to lower the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 or stop the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the cutting process rather than during the printing process.

Explanation of Signs

[0064] 5 Medium 5a Image forming portion 10 Printer with cutting head 20 Support base 20F Downstream apron (support base) 20P Platen (support base) 30 Conveying device (moving device) 40 Print head 50 Cutting head 51 Cutter 60 Head moving device (moving device) 80 Platen heater (second heating device) 90 Apron heater (first heating device) 100 Control device 102 Printing control unit 103 Cutting control unit 104 Retraction control unit 105 Heating control unit

Claims

1. A support base for supporting a medium, a print head provided to face the support base and discharging ink onto the medium supported by the support base, a cutting head provided to face the support base and having a cutter capable of cutting the medium, a moving device for moving the position of the medium relative to the print head and the position of the medium relative to the cutting head, a heating device for heating the medium supported by the support base, and a control device, wherein the control device includes a print control unit that controls the moving device and the print head to perform a printing process of forming an image with the ink on the medium, a cutting control unit that controls the moving device to perform a cutting process of cutting the medium with the cutter, and a heating control unit that, when performing the printing process and the cutting process in sequence, controls the heating device to heat the medium during the printing process and reduces the output of the heating device during the cutting process compared to during the printing process. A printer with a cutting head.

2. The moving device includes a conveying device that moves the medium in a predetermined conveying direction, wherein, among the conveying direction, when the direction in which the medium advances in the printing process and the cutting process is defined as the downstream side and the opposite direction of the downstream side is defined as the upstream side, the control device includes a retracting control unit that controls the conveying device during the period between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a retracting process of returning the medium toward the upstream side in the conveying direction, and the heating control unit is set to reduce the output of the heating device during the retracting process compared to during the printing process. The printer with a cutting head according to Claim 1.

3. When performing the cutting process after the printing process, the retracting control unit is set to return the medium to the position where cutting of the medium starts in the cutting process, and the cutting control unit starts the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the retracting process ended or after the temperature of the heating device has become lower than a predetermined temperature. The printer with a cutting head according to Claim 2.

4. The rewinding control unit is set to rewind the medium until the portion of the medium to be cut in the cutting process is located upstream of the heating device in the conveyance direction, or until the portion where the medium is cut in the cutting process is located upstream of the heating device in the conveyance direction. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 2.

5. At the end of the printing process, the portion of the medium on which an image is formed is conveyed downstream of the heating region heated by the heating device in the conveyance direction. When the cutting process is performed after the printing process, The heating control unit is set to lower the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process. The rewinding control unit performs the rewinding process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was lowered, or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 2.

6. When the cutting process is performed after the printing process, The heating control unit is set to lower the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process. The cutting control unit performs the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was lowered, or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 1.

7. The moving device includes a conveyance device that moves the medium in a predetermined conveyance direction. When, in the conveyance direction, the direction in which the medium advances in the printing process and the cutting process is defined as the downstream side, The heating device includes a first heating device disposed downstream of the print head in the conveyance direction and facing the support base. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 1.

8. The heating device includes a second heating device that heats the portion of the support base facing the print head. At the end of the printing process, the portion of the medium on which an image is formed is conveyed downstream of the region heated by the first heating device in the conveyance direction. The heating control unit, in the printing process, After the ink ejection is completed and before the portion where the image is formed is conveyed to the downstream side in the conveyance direction from the region heated by the first heating device, it is set to lower the output of the second heating device. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 7.

Images