Mounting structure and printing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a mounting structure and a printing apparatus having a simple structure and excellent operational reliability.SOLUTION: A mounting structure comprises: a cutting unit 100 that half-cuts a tape 20 inserted between a blade receiving member 36 and a cutting blade 37; and a first mounting portion 210 and a second mounting portion 220 for mounting the cutting unit 100 on a base chassis 14. The first mounting portion 210 is provided at a position closer to the arrangement position of the blade receiving member 36 than the arrangement position of the cutting blade 37 in a first direction, and the second mounting portion 220 is provided at a position closer to the arrangement position of the cutting blade 37 than the arrangement position of the blade receiving member 36 in the first direction. The first mounting portion 210 has a play that allows displacement of the cutting unit 100 at the first mounting portion 210 due to distortion of the cutting unit 100 generated during execution of half-cutting in both a second direction and a third direction. In contrast, the second mounting portion 220 has no play in both the second direction and the third direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mounting structure and a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Printing devices such as label printers that print on strip-shaped tape often have a cutting mechanism that cuts the tape after printing. Printing devices that print on laminated tape that has a release paper layer behind the print layer may have a cutting mechanism that includes a full cutter that cuts both the print layer and the release paper layer, or a half cutter that cuts only one of the print layer and the release paper layer. Full cutters often use a scissors structure that crosses a pair of opposing blades to cut the tape. Half cutters often use a push-cut structure that presses a blade with a stopper against a blade receiving member, and cuts the tape while maintaining a predetermined gap between the blade receiving member and the blade using the stopper.

[0003] A known issue with cutters with a push-cutting structure, such as half cutters, is that they are prone to bending moments due to the strong loads applied during cutting. To address this issue, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique in which the cutting unit of the half cutter is fixed to the cutter fixing part only near the cutting position where the printing tape is cut. Patent Document 2 proposes a technique in which the blade receiving member that constitutes the half cutter is fixed to the fixed blade that constitutes the full cutter, so that the load applied to the blade receiving member during half cutting can be borne by the fixed blade and fixed blade support part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-136301 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-059183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The solutions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 may cause problems due to changes to existing cutting mechanisms. For example, in Patent Document 1, the overall structure may become complicated and it may become difficult to ensure the operating accuracy of the half cutter. In Patent Document 2, the full cutter and half cutter are arranged side by side with no gaps between them, which increases the difficulty of controlling the accuracy to operate the full cutter and half cutter without interfering with each other.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure and a printing device that are simple in structure and have excellent operational reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The mounting structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cutting unit that half-cuts the tape in the thickness direction along the width direction by pressing the cutting blade against the blade receiving member, which is a fixed member, through a tape inserted from a predetermined direction between the blade receiving member that is a fixed member and the cutting blade that is a movable member, from the thickness direction of the tape, and a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion for mounting the cutting unit to a predetermined base chassis at one end of the cutting unit in a third direction that is a direction along the width direction, the other end of the cutting unit in the third direction being a free end, and the first mounting portion is provided at a position closer to the position of the blade receiving member than to the position of the cutting blade in a first direction which is a direction along the thickness direction, and the second mounting portion is provided at a position closer to the position of the cutting blade than to the position of the blade receiving member in the first direction, and the first mounting portion has play in both the second direction and the third direction which are directions along the predetermined direction to allow for misalignment of the cutting unit at the first mounting portion due to distortion of the cutting unit that occurs when the half cut is performed, while the second mounting portion does not have the play in both the second direction and the third direction.

[0008] A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the mounting structure and a printing unit that prints on the tape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above aspects, it is possible to obtain a mounting structure and a printing device that are simple in structure and have excellent operational reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the printing device of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the attachment of the cutting unit to the bottom plate. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of the printing device of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of a cutting mechanism of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a half cutter. [Figure 7A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7D] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7E] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7F] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 7G] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process in which gaps occur in a printed image. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The printer 10 is completed by attaching exterior components to the outside of the internal structure of the printer 10 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4. The printer 10 is a label printer that creates labels by printing on tape 20, which is a strip-shaped printing medium.

[0012] The tape 20 is housed in a tape cartridge 25. The tape cartridge 25 is mounted in a cartridge mounting section 11 within the printing device 10, and printing is performed on the tape 20 pulled out from the tape cartridge 25. Printing in the printing device 10 is performed by a thermal transfer method in which ink from an ink ribbon (not shown) is attached to the tape 20 by heating. The cartridge mounting section 11 is provided with a thermal head 12 (printing section), which is a print head that heats the ink ribbon during printing. As shown in FIG. 6, the tape 20 is configured by laminating a release paper layer 21, an adhesive layer 22, and a printing layer 23. The ink ribbon housed in the tape cartridge 25 is transported over the printing layer 23 side, and during printing, the ink contained in the ink ribbon is melted by the heat of the thermal head 12 and adheres to the printing layer 23. Note that the printing method in the printing device 10 is not limited to a thermal transfer method. For example, thermal printing may be performed in which a color developer contained in the printing layer 23 is developed by the heat of the thermal head 12.

[0013] A platen roller 13 is provided in the printing device 10 at a position facing the thermal head 12. The platen roller 13 is movable between a position separated from the thermal head 12 and a position in contact with the thermal head 12. The tape 20 and ink ribbon pulled out from the tape cartridge 25 are passed between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13. By moving the platen roller 13 to a position in contact with the thermal head 12, the tape 20 and ink ribbon are sandwiched between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13. During printing, the thermal head 12 is heated in this sandwiched state. Furthermore, by rotating the platen roller 13 in this sandwiched state, the tape 20 is fed in the longitudinal direction. After printing, the tape 20 is fed by the rotation of the platen roller 13 and ejected to the outside of the printing device 10.

[0014] The printing device 10 includes a base chassis 14. The base chassis 14 constitutes the main body of the printing device 10 and is made of a highly durable material such as metal. Each component of the printing device 10 is attached directly or indirectly to the base chassis 14. The base chassis 14 includes a bottom plate 14a and multiple side walls protruding from the bottom plate 14a. The bottom plate 14a is generally rectangular, with the X-axis direction representing the direction connecting one pair of the four sides of the bottom plate 14a and the Y-axis direction representing the direction connecting another pair of sides of the bottom plate 14a. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is the Z-axis direction.

[0015] The cutting unit 100 is attached to the bottom plate 14a by a first attachment portion 210 and a second attachment portion 220 (see FIG. 2). In other words, the printing device 10 includes the first attachment portion 210 and the second attachment portion 220 for attaching the cutting unit 100 to the base chassis 14 at one end (the end in the negative Z-axis direction) of the cutting unit 100 in the Z-axis direction (the third direction, which is the direction along the width direction of the tape 20). Meanwhile, the other end (the end in the positive Z-axis direction) of the cutting unit 100 in the Z-axis direction is a free end that is not fixed to other components of the printing device 10. The cutting unit 100 includes a support wall 15 (support member) provided along one of the four sides of the bottom plate 14a that extends in the Y-axis direction. The support wall 15 is a wall portion that protrudes in the Z-axis direction from a proximal portion 15b that contacts the bottom plate 14a, and has a predetermined thickness in the X-axis direction. The support wall 15 has a pair of side surfaces facing the X-axis direction. Support wall 15 extends in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction and has irregularities and steps along the way. Specifically, support wall 15 has a first surface 15c extending from proximity portion 15b in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction and substantially parallel to the YZ plane, a second surface 15d located on the X-axis positive direction (the conveyance direction of tape 20) side of first surface 15c and provided adjacent to supported portion 36a of blade receiving member 36 (described later) and substantially parallel to the YZ plane, and a step portion 15e located between first surface 15c and second surface 15d and substantially parallel to the XZ plane connecting first surface 15c and second surface 15d.

[0016] As the platen roller 13 rotates, the tape 20 is transported generally in the X-axis direction. That is, the X-axis direction is the transport direction of the tape 20. The Y-axis direction is the thickness direction of the tape 20, and the Z-axis direction is the width direction of the tape 20. The support wall 15 is a standing wall provided in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the tape 20 (substantially perpendicular to the transport direction). With the support wall 15 as the boundary, the inside side of the printing device 10 (left side in FIG. 1) is the inside in the transport direction, and the outside side of the printing device 10 (right side in FIG. 1) is the outside in the transport direction. After printing, the tape 20 crosses the position where the support wall 15 is provided and is discharged to the outside of the printing device 10. The support wall 15 is shaped so as not to obstruct the transport path of the tape 20, and an edge 15a facing the transport path of the tape 20 is formed at the end of the support wall 15 on the negative Y-axis side (see FIG. 5). A pair of edge portions 15a are provided near both ends of the support wall 15 in the Z-axis direction (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The distance between the pair of edge portions 15a is wider than the maximum width of the tape 20 expected to be used in the printing device 10, and the edge portions 15a are arranged at two locations across the area where the tape 20 passes in the Z-axis direction.

[0017] A tape guide 17 is provided near the support wall 15 to guide the tape 20 and determine the feeding path. The tape guide 17 is disposed inside the support wall 15 in the feeding direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the tape guide 17 has a guide portion 17a and a support portion 17b, which are disposed on either side of the feeding path of the tape 20 in the Y-axis direction. The guide portion 17a is disposed at a predetermined distance in the Y-axis direction from the edge portion 15a of the support wall 15 and is located slightly inside the support wall 15 in the feeding direction. The support portion 17b is located next to the support wall 15 on the inside in the feeding direction. There is a gap between the support portion 17b and the support wall 15, the gap being equal to the thickness of the blade receiving member 36 of the half cutter 35 (described later). After printing, the tape 20 passes between the guide portion 17a and the support portion 17b and advances outward in the feeding direction. The tip of the guide portion 17a is provided with an inclined portion 17c that reduces the distance between the tape 20 and the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction as the tape 20 advances from the inside to the outside in the conveying direction. The inclined portion 17c guides the tape 20 so that it advances in the appropriate direction.

[0018] The cutting unit 100 is provided with a cutting mechanism 30 located midway along the transport path of the tape 20, and the printed tape 20 is cut by the cutting mechanism 30 to complete the label. When cutting the tape 20 by the cutting mechanism 30, it is possible to select between full cutting by a full cutter 31 and half cutting by a half cutter 35. The cutting mechanism 30 will be described below.

[0019] In the cutting mechanism 30, the full cutter 31 and half cutter 35 are arranged at different positions in the transport direction, with the full cutter 31 located upstream in the transport direction (closer to the thermal head 12 and platen roller 13) and the half cutter 35 located downstream in the transport direction (farther from the thermal head 12 and platen roller 13). Each component of the cutting mechanism 30 is supported by a support wall 15, which constitutes a support member that supports the cutting mechanism 30. In the printing device 10, of the full cutter 31 and half cutter 35 that are aligned in the transport direction, the half cutter 35 is located adjacent to the support wall 15, and the full cutter 31 is located inside the half cutter 35 in the transport direction (farther from the support wall 15).

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the full cutter 31 is disposed inside the tape guide 17 in the feeding direction. The full cutter 31 has a fixed blade 32 and a movable blade 33. The fixed blade 32 is located adjacent to the support portion 17b in the X-axis direction, and the movable blade 33 is located adjacent to the guide portion 17a in the X-axis direction. The fixed blade 32 is fixed to the support portion 17b. The movable blade 33 is supported on the support wall 15 so as to be rotatable about an axis (not shown) facing the X-axis direction. The movable blade 33 is biased by a spring (not shown) in a direction away from the fixed blade 32. This separated state is the basic state of the full cutter 31, and when fully cutting the tape 20, the movable blade 33 operates against the biasing force of the spring. The full cutter 31 has a scissors structure and cuts the entire thickness of the tape 20 (from the release liner layer 21 to the printed layer 23). The movable blade 33 approaches the fixed blade 32, and the cutting edge of the fixed blade 32 and the cutting edge of the movable blade 33 intersect in the Y-axis direction, thereby cutting the tape 20 between the cutting edges.

[0021] 5, the half cutter 35 is disposed on the outer side in the transport direction relative to the tape guide 17. The half cutter 35 has a blade receiving member 36 and a cutting blade 37. When performing a half cut, the tape 20 is inserted from the X-axis direction between the blade receiving member 36, which is a fixed member, and the cutting blade 37, which is a movable member, and the cutting blade 37 is pressed against the blade receiving member 36 from the thickness direction of the tape 20 (Y-axis direction), thereby half-cutting the tape 20 in the thickness direction (Y-axis direction) along the width direction.

[0022] The blade receiving member 36 is a plate-shaped component disposed between the support portion 17b of the tape guide 17 and the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction, and is fixed with its side surface in close contact with the inner surface of the support wall 15. In other words, the blade receiving member 36 is fixed adjacent to the support wall 15 in the feed direction of the tape 20. The support portion 17b of the tape guide 17 is fixed in contact with the inner side of the blade receiving member 36 in the feed direction (the side opposite to the side fixed to the support wall 15). Furthermore, the fixed blade 32 of the full cutter 31 is fixed in contact with the inner side of the support portion 17b in the feed direction (the side opposite to the side fixed to the blade receiving member 36). In other words, the fixed blade 32 of the full cutter 31, the support portion 17b of the tape guide 17, the blade receiving member 36 of the half cutter 35, and the support wall 15 are arranged in this order from the inside to the outside in the feed direction, and these components are fixed to each other. The method for fixing these members is not limited, but as an example, the blade receiving member 36 can be fixed to the support wall 15 by any method such as screwing, gluing, welding, etc. Also, a co-fastening structure may be employed in which the support part 17b of the tape guide 17 and the fixed blade 32 of the full cutter 31 are all screwed together to the support wall 15 in addition to the blade receiving member 36.

[0023] The blade receiving member 36 has a supported portion 36a that runs along the side surface of the support wall 15, and the supported portion 36a is fixed to the support wall 15. The tip of the supported portion 36a on the negative Y-axis side is provided with a receiving portion 36b that is bent outward in the conveyance direction relative to the supported portion 36a. The receiving portion 36b is in contact with an edge portion 15a of the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction and extends longitudinally in the Z-axis direction (see FIG. 3). Because the receiving portion 36b is supported by a pair of edge portions 15a provided near both ends of the support wall 15 in the Z-axis direction, the position of the receiving portion 36b can be determined with high precision. For example, in a structure in which the receiving portion 36b is supported by the entire long end surface of the support wall 15 extending in the Z-axis direction, rather than by a pair of edge portions 15a as in this embodiment, there is a risk that the receiving portion 36b will tilt if there is a shape defect (such as an irregularity) in part of the end surface of the support wall 15. Therefore, it is necessary to control the precision of the entire end surface of the support wall 15. In contrast, in the configuration of this embodiment, only the pair of edges 15a require high-level precision control, and the area between the pair of edges 15a has a recessed (concave) shape that does not contact the receiving portion 36b, making it easy to control the precision of the support wall 15 while supporting the receiving portion 36b with high precision.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cutting blade 37 is composed of a blade portion 37a and a stopper 37b. The blade portion 37a and the stopper 37b are overlapped and joined in the X-axis direction. The blade portion 37a has a sharp cutting edge shape for cutting, and the stopper 37b does not have a sharp cutting edge shape like the blade portion 37a. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper 37b has a larger protrusion amount in the Y-axis direction than the blade portion 37a near both ends in the Z-axis direction, and there is a difference S1 in the protrusion amount between the tip of the blade portion 37a and the tip of the stopper 37b. The difference S1 is set to a value smaller than the thickness T1 of the release paper layer 21 in the tape 20 (S1 < T1). As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting blade 37 is located on the extension of the support wall 15 in the Y-axis direction, and the tip of the cutting blade 37 faces the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36 in the Y-axis direction. The distance between the cutting blade 37 and the receiving portion 36b is changed by a drive structure described later. (A) in FIG. 6 shows a state where the cutting blade 37 is separated from the receiving portion 36b, and (B) in FIG. 6 shows a half-cut state where the cutting blade 37 is closest to the receiving portion 36b.

[0025] In the half-cut state, the tip of the stopper 37b abuts against the receiving portion 36b from the side opposite to the edge portion 15a of the support wall 15, and further approach is restricted. The blade portion 37a cuts into the tape 20 halfway, but stops in a state of being separated from the receiving portion 36b by the amount of difference S1 from the protrusion amount of the stopper 37b. The difference S1 on the cutting blade 37 side and the thickness T1 of the release paper layer 21 are set to values that allow the blade portion 37a to penetrate halfway into the release paper layer 21. Therefore, in the half-cut state, the blade portion 37a cuts the adhesive layer 22 and the printing layer 23, and the blade portion 37a is cut halfway into the release paper layer 21. In the portion where the blade portion 37a is not cut, the release paper layer 21 is continuous in the X-axis direction without being cut. As described above, the half-cutter 35 is a pushing cut structure that presses the cutting blade 37 with a stopper 37b against the blade receiving member 36 and cuts a part of the thickness of the tape 20 (the adhesive layer 22 and the printing layer 23) while receiving the force from the cutting blade 37 by the blade receiving member 36.

[0026] The cutting blade 37 is attached to a movable member 40. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the movable member 40 is a plate-shaped component that can rotate around a rotation axis 40a that faces the X-axis direction, and the rotation axis 40a is connected to and supported by the support wall 15. The area of ​​the movable member 40 near the rotation axis 40a is disposed along the outer side surface of the support wall 15 in the conveyance direction. As described above, the blade receiving member 36 of the half cutter 35 is supported on the inner side surface of the support wall 15 in the conveyance direction, so that the blade receiving member 36 is supported on one side surface of the support wall 15, and the movable member 40 is supported on the other side surface of the support wall 15 (the side opposite the blade receiving member 36 across the support wall 15). In this way, by distributing and arranging the blade receiving member 36, which is the fixed part of the half cutter 35, and the movable member 40 to which the cutting blade 37, which is the movable part of the half cutter 35, is attached, on both sides of the support wall 15, the components of the half cutter 35 can be stored in an area close to the support wall 15 with efficient space utilization.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the movable member 40 is substantially L-shaped in a side view along the X-axis direction, and a portion near the bend of the L shape is pivotally supported by a rotation shaft 40a. A cutting blade 37 is attached to a first arm 40b of the L-shaped movable member 40. The cutting blade 37 is fixed to the first arm 40b with a fixing screw 42. As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting blade 37 is attached to the surface of the first arm 40b facing inward in the conveying direction. Therefore, while the first arm 40b is positioned outward of the support wall 15 in the conveying direction, the cutting blade 37 is positioned at the same position as the support wall 15 in the X-axis direction (aligned in the Y-axis direction). The distance between the tip of the cutting blade 37 and the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36 can be changed by rotating (swinging) the movable member 40. The cutting blade 37 moves by swinging the movable member 40 around the rotation axis 40a, and when the cutting blade 37 abuts against the receiving portion 36b, the tip of the cutting blade 37 is generally parallel to the receiving portion 36b (extending in the Z-axis direction). Therefore, the cutting force applied from the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 during half-cutting is mainly in the Y-axis direction.

[0028] A tension spring 41 connects the first arm 40b of the movable member 40 and the spring hook 14b of the base chassis 14. The tension spring 41 applies a biasing force to the movable member 40 in a direction that separates the cutting blade 37 from the blade receiving member 36. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a state in which the cutting blade 37 is separated from the blade receiving member 36 by the biasing force of the tension spring 41. This separated state is the basic state of the half cutter 35, and when half-cutting the tape 20, the movable member 40 is operated against the biasing force of the tension spring 41. The second arm 40c of the L-shaped movable member 40 has a crank shape that is bent midway in the X-axis direction. The tip of the second arm 40c is located inside the support wall 15 in the conveyance direction, and has a cam follower 40d protruding from the second arm 40c (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0029] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a motor 43 is attached to the outside of the support wall 15, and the rotation of the output shaft of the motor 43 is transmitted while being reduced in speed by a reduction gear train 44. The reduction gear train 44 has a cam member 45 that rotates integrally with the final gear, and a cutter control cam 45a is formed on the cam member 45. The output shaft of the motor 43 extends in the Y-axis direction. The axes of the rotation shafts of the gears and cam member 45 that make up the reduction gear train 44 extend in the Z-axis direction. The direction of rotation transmission is changed via a bevel gear provided on the outer surface of the output shaft of the motor 43, and driving force is transmitted from the motor 43 to the reduction gear train 44.

[0030] 3, the movable blade 33 of the full cutter 31 has a cam follower 33a located near the cutter control cam 45a. The cam follower 40d of the movable member 40 is also located near the cutter control cam 45a. The cam follower 33a and the cam follower 40d are arranged on either side of the cutter control cam 45a in the rotation direction of the cam member 45.

[0031] The motor 43 is a DC motor, and the rotation direction of the cam member 45 is changed by switching the rotation direction of the output shaft of the motor 43. The drive direction of the motor 43 that rotates the cam member 45 in a first direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) is called forward rotation, and the drive direction of the motor 43 that rotates the cam member 45 in a second direction (clockwise in FIG. 3) is called reverse rotation. When the cam member 45 is rotated in the first direction by the forward rotation of the motor 43, the cutter control cam 45a presses the cam follower 33a. Then, the movable blade 33 moves in the direction approaching the fixed blade 32 (clockwise in FIG. 3) against the force of the spring that biases the movable blade 33, and a full cut is made on the tape 20. When the cam member 45 is rotated in the second direction by the reverse rotation of the motor 43, the cutter control cam 45a presses the cam follower 40d. Then, the cutting blade 37 moves in the direction approaching the blade receiving member 36 (clockwise in FIG. 3) against the force of the tension spring 41 that biases the movable member 40, and the tape 20 is half-cut.

[0032] A pair of cam position detection switches 46 are provided around the cam member 45 to detect the rotational position of the cam member 45. Each of the pair of cam position detection switches 46 has a protrusion that contacts the peripheral cam 45b of the cam member 45. The protrusion changes between a protruding state and a retracted state in response to the change in shape of the peripheral cam 45b caused by the rotation of the cam member 45. Depending on the relative positions of the protrusions of the pair of cam position detection switches 46, it is possible to detect the initial state in which none of the cutters are operating, the full cut state in which the full cutter 31 is performing the cutting operation, and the half cut state in which the half cutter 35 is performing the cutting operation. Figure 3 shows the initial state, in which the protrusion of one cam position detection switch 46 is protruding and the protrusion of the other cam position detection switch 46 is retracted. In the full cut state, the protrusions of both of the pair of cam position detection switches 46 are protruding. In the half cut state, the protrusions of both of the pair of cam position detection switches 46 are retracted.

[0033] During a full cut, the control unit of the printing device 10 rotates the motor 43 in the forward direction until the aforementioned full cut state is detected, and when the full cut state is detected, stops the motor 43 and then rotates the motor 43 in the reverse direction to return it to its initial state. During a partial cut, the control unit of the printing device 10 rotates the motor 43 in the reverse direction until the aforementioned partial cut state is detected, stops the motor 43 when the partial cut state is detected, and then rotates the motor 43 in the forward direction to return it to its initial state. The torque generated when the partial cut state is detected and the motor 43 is stopped is transmitted to the cutting blade 37 via the reduction gear train 44, cam member 45, and movable member 40, and a load is applied to the blade receiving member 36 from the stopper 37b.

[0034] Of the cutting mechanism 30 that operates as described above, the full cutter 31 cuts (full cuts) the tape 20 using a scissors structure in which the cutting edges of the fixed blade 32 and movable blade 33 intersect, so that no strong force is applied from the movable blade 33 to the fixed blade 32 in the Y-axis direction during cutting. In contrast, the half cutter 35 cuts (half cuts) the tape 20 using a push-cut structure in which the cutting blade 37 with stopper 37b abuts against the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36, so that a force is input from the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 in the Y-axis direction during cutting. The force applied to the blade receiving member 36 during half cutting varies depending on the model of the printing device 10, but as an example, a load of about 40 kg is applied.

[0035] When a force in the Y-axis direction is applied to the blade receiving member 36 during half-cutting, the blade receiving member 36 is pressed against the support wall 15 with a high load. As a result, the proximal portion 15b of the support wall 15 serves as a fulcrum, and a pulling force in the negative X-axis direction is applied to the first surface 15c, and a pulling force in the positive X-axis direction is applied to the second surface 15d. Because the end of the cutting unit 100 facing the positive Z-axis is a free end and only the end facing the negative Z-axis is attached to the bottom plate 14a, and the support wall 15 has a step in the X-axis direction as described above, the support wall 15 is prone to deformation in the X-axis direction. Therefore, during half-cutting, the support wall 15 is subjected to pulling forces in both the positive and negative X-axis directions, causing twisting (deformation). Deformation of the support wall 15 may cause the position of the half cutter 35 supported by the support wall 15 to deviate from its designed position.

[0036] The following describes the flow of the half-cutting operation when the position of the half cutter 35 deviates from the designed position. In the examples shown in FIGS. 7A to 7G, the dashed line indicates the position of the heating element that heats the thermal head 12. The dashed line A1 indicates the position of the full cutter 31. The dashed line A2 indicates the designed position of the half cutter 35. The dotted line A3 indicates the position where the tape 20 is half-cut by the half cutter 35. First, as shown in FIG. 7A, printing is started by the thermal head 12, and at the same time, the platen roller 13 starts feeding the tape 20. At this time, no image is printed on the printing surface P of the tape 20. Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, an image M is printed on the printing surface P by the thermal head 12. After that, when the tape 20 reaches the cutting position by the half cutter 35, feeding of the tape 20 and printing by the thermal head 12 are stopped. The cutting blade 37 of the half cutter 35 is moved toward the receiving portion 36b of the blade receiving member 36.

[0037] Next, as shown in FIG. 7C , the cutting blade 37 of the half cutter 35 is brought closest to the receiving portion 36b, and the tape 20 begins to be half-cut. This causes the blade receiving member 36 to be pressed against the support wall 15 with a high load. This causes the support wall 15 to deform, and the position of the half cutter 35 supported by the support wall 15 shifts by a deviation amount d toward the tape 20 feed direction from its designed position. Accordingly, a force pulling the tape 20 toward the tape 20 feed direction is applied. As a result, the tape 20 also shifts by the deviation amount d toward the feed direction, and the rear end of the image M on the printing surface P also shifts by the deviation amount d toward the feed direction from the position of the heating element. Next, as shown in FIG. 7D , the half cut of the tape 20 is completed, and the cutting blade 37 of the half cutter 35 moves away from the receiving portion 36b. At this time, the position of the tape 20 remains as shown in FIG. 7C . That is, the rear end of the image M on the printing surface P also remains shifted by the deviation amount d toward the feed direction from the position of the heating element. Meanwhile, the position of the half cutter 35 returns to its designed position.

[0038] Next, as shown in Fig. 7E, when printing by the thermal head 12 and feeding of the tape 20 are resumed, the rear end position of the image M on the printing surface P remains shifted by the amount of shift d in the feeding direction from the position of the heating element in Fig. 7D, so a gap of the amount of shift d occurs in the image M on the printing surface P. Next, as shown in Fig. 7F, when printing by the thermal head 12 is completed, the tape 20 is fully cut by the full cutter 31. Next, as shown in Fig. 7G, the fully cut tape 20 is ejected outside the printing device 10.

[0039] The printing device 10 of this embodiment has an attachment structure for attaching the cutting unit 100 to the bottom plate 14a by the first attachment portion 210 and the second attachment portion 220, which makes it possible to suppress deformation of the support wall 15 to an extent that prevents gaps from occurring in the image M on the printing surface P of the tape 20 while maintaining the configuration in which the end of the cutting unit 100 in the positive Z-axis direction is a free end. This makes it possible to prevent gaps from occurring in the image M on the printing surface P. The attachment structure for attaching the cutting unit 100 to the bottom plate 14a by the first attachment portion 210 and the second attachment portion 220 will be described below.

[0040] The second attachment portion 220 is provided at a position closer to the arrangement position of the cutting blade 37 than the arrangement position of the blade receiving member 36 in the Y-axis direction (first direction that is a direction along the thickness direction of the tape 20). As shown in Fig. 8, the second mounting portion 220 includes a second plate member 120, which is a plate-shaped member whose cross section parallel to the XZ plane is bent into a substantially L-shape. The second plate member 120 is connected to the cutting unit 100. A bent portion 120a of the second plate member 120 is provided at a position overlapping a bent portion 141c of the bottom plate 14a. Screws 121 are inserted from the positive direction of the X axis to the negative direction of the X axis through screw holes 120b of the second plate member 120 and 141d of the bottom plate 14a. Furthermore, screws 122 are inserted from the negative direction of the Z axis to the positive direction of the Z axis through screw holes 120c of the second plate member 120 and 141e of the bottom plate 14a. This fixes the second plate member 120 to the bottom plate 14a. In other words, the second mounting portion 220 does not have any play to allow for positional deviation of the cutting unit 100 (positional deviation of the half cutter 35) due to distortion of the cutting unit 100 (deformation of the support wall 15) that occurs when performing a half cut in both the second and third directions. The screw 121 is a second mounting member that the second mounting portion 220 has. The screw 122 is a first mounting member that the second mounting portion 220 has. Note that the method of fixing the second plate member 120 to the bottom plate 14a may be any method other than screwing with the screw 122, such as adhesive bonding or welding.

[0041] On the one hand, the first mounting portion 210 is provided at a position closer to the position of the blade receiving member 36 than the position of the cutting blade 37 in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the first mounting portion 210 includes a first plate member 110 which is a plate-shaped member having a cross-section parallel to the XZ plane bent into a substantially L shape. The first plate member 110 is connected to the cutting unit 100. The bent portion 110a of the first plate member 110 is provided at a position overlapping the bent portion 141a of the bottom plate 14a. A screw 111 is inserted into the screw hole 110b of the first plate member 110 and the screw hole 141b of the bottom plate 14a from the negative Z-axis direction toward the positive Z-axis direction. Thereby, the first plate member 110 is attached to the bottom plate 14a. The screw 111 is a first attachment member of the first attachment portion 210. The screw 111 is a stepped screw and has a head portion 111a, a body portion 111b, and a screw portion 111c. The screw portion 111c is fixed to the first plate member 110 by being fitted into the screw hole 110b. The body portion 111b is provided between the head portion 111a and the screw portion 111c. The shape of the screw 111 satisfies the following shape conditions. Specifically, the length L of the body portion 111b in the Z-axis direction is longer than the thickness T2 of the bottom plate 14a in the Z-axis direction (T2 < L). And the outer diameter Φd of the body portion 111b is not less than the outer diameter ΦD of the screw portion 111c (ΦD ≦ Φd). The shape of the cross-section of the screw hole 141b parallel to the XY plane is an ellipse elongated in the X-axis direction in this embodiment, but it may be circular. However, it is preferable that it is an ellipse elongated in the X-axis direction.

[0042] The first mounting portion 210 has a gap W1 of a predetermined distance between the surface of the head portion 111a on the positive side of the Z axis and the surface of the bottom plate 14a on the negative side of the Z axis. This allows the first plate member 110 and the screw 111 to move in the Z axis direction by the gap W1 relative to the bottom plate 14a. The first mounting portion 210 also has a gap W2 of a predetermined distance between the surface of the body portion 111b on the positive side of the X axis and the surface of the screw hole 141b on the negative side of the X axis, and between the surface of the body portion 111b on the negative side of the X axis and the surface of the screw hole 141b on the positive side of the X axis. This allows the first plate member 110 and the screw 111 to move in the X axis direction by the gap W2 relative to the bottom plate 14a. The gap W1 in the first mounting portion 210 allows the first plate member 110 and the screw 111 to move in the X axis direction relative to the bottom plate 14a. Furthermore, since the first attachment portion 210 has the gap W2, it is possible to distribute the load in the X-axis direction applied to the support wall 15 during half-cutting. In other words, the load applied to the support wall 15 during half-cutting is distributed, and deformation of the support wall 15 can be suppressed to an extent that it is possible to prevent gaps from occurring in the image M on the printing surface P of the tape 20 due to shifting of the tape 20 toward the feed direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent gaps from occurring in the image M on the printing surface P of the tape 20. In other words, the first attachment portion 210 has play (gaps W1, W2) in both the X-axis direction (second direction that is a direction along the predetermined direction) and the Z-axis direction (third direction that is a direction along the width direction of the tape 20) to allow for positional deviation of the cutting unit 100 on the first attachment portion 210 (positional deviation of the half cutter 35) associated with distortion of the cutting unit 100 (deformation of the support wall 15) that occurs during half-cutting.

[0043] If the screw 111 does not satisfy the above-described shape conditions, the first mounting portion 210 will have a configuration without gaps W1 and W2. In this configuration, the first plate member 110 and the screw 111 are fixed and cannot move relative to the bottom plate 14a, so the load applied to the support wall 15 during half-cutting cannot be distributed. This causes distortion of the cutting unit 100 (deformation of the support wall 15), resulting in a gap in the image M on the printing surface P of the tape 20.

[0044] As described above, the mounting structure of the printing device 10 of this embodiment includes the cutting unit 100, which half-cuts the tape 20 in the thickness direction of the tape 20 by pressing the cutting blade 37 against the blade receiving member 36 from the thickness direction of the tape 20 via the tape 20 inserted from a predetermined direction between the blade receiving member 36, which is a fixed member, and the cutting blade 37, which is a movable member, and the first mounting portion 210 and the second mounting portion 220 for mounting the cutting unit 100 to a predetermined base chassis 14 at one of the ends of the cutting unit in the third direction (Z-axis direction), which is the direction along the width direction. The other end of the cutting unit 100 in the third direction is a free end. The first mounting portion 210 is located closer to the position of the blade receiving member 36 than to the position of the cutting blade 37 in the first direction (Y-axis direction), which is the direction along the thickness direction of the tape 20. The second mounting portion 220 is located closer to the position of the cutting blade 37 than to the position of the blade receiving member 36 in the first direction. The first mounting portion 210 has play in both a second direction (X-axis direction) and a third direction, which are directions along predetermined directions, to allow for positional deviation of the cutting unit 100 on the first mounting portion 210 due to distortion of the cutting unit 100 that occurs when performing a half-cut, while the second mounting portion 220 has no play in either the second direction or the third direction. Therefore, even if a strong force is applied from the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 during a half-cut, deformation of the support wall 15 is suppressed, preventing gaps from occurring in the image M on the printing surface P of the tape 20. In other words, the printing device 10 has a simple structure and a structure that provides excellent operational reliability for the half cutter 35.

[0045] Furthermore, in the mounting structure of the printing device 10 of this embodiment, the second mounting portion 220 has both a first mounting member (screw 122) inserted along the third direction (Z-axis direction) and a second mounting member (screw 121) inserted along the second direction (X-axis direction), while the first mounting portion 210 has only the first mounting member (screw 111) of the first and second mounting members. Therefore, screws can be inserted from two directions into the second mounting portion 220 to fix the second plate member 120 to the bottom plate 14a. This allows the bottom plate 14a and the second plate member 120 to be securely fixed together.

[0046] In the mounting structure of the printing device 10 of this embodiment, the first mounting member (screw 111) of the first mounting portion 210 is a shoulder screw. The shoulder screw has a head 111a, a threaded portion 111c that fits into a screw hole 110b of the cutting unit 100, and a body 111b that has a diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the threaded portion 111c and is provided between the head 111a and the threaded portion 111c. The length of the body 111b in the third direction (Z-axis direction) is longer than the length of the base chassis 14 in the third direction. Therefore, in the mounting structure of the printing device 10, a gap W1 can be provided between the surface of the head 111a of the screw 111 on the positive side of the Z axis and the surface of the bottom plate 14a on the negative side of the Z axis, and a gap W2 can be provided between the surface of the body 111b of the screw 111 on the positive side of the X axis and the surface of the screw hole 141b in the bottom plate 14a on the negative side of the X axis, and between the surface of the body 111b on the negative side of the X axis and the surface of the screw hole 141b on the positive side of the X axis. This prevents deformation of the cutting unit 100 even if a strong force is applied from the cutting blade 37 to the blade receiving member 36 during half-cutting.

[0047] Furthermore, in the mounting structure of the printing device 10 of this embodiment, the cutting unit 100 includes a support member (support wall 15) that supports the blade receiving member 36. The support member includes a first surface 15c that is parallel to a plane defined by the first direction (Y-axis direction) and the third direction (Z-axis direction), a second surface 15d that is located closer to the tape 20 feed direction in the second direction (X-axis direction) than the first surface 15c and that is parallel to the plane defined by the first and third directions, and a step portion 15e that is located between the first surface 15c and the second surface 15d and connects the first surface 15c and the second surface 15d. Therefore, even in a printing device 10 in which the cutting unit 100 including the support wall 15 that is easily deformed in the X-axis direction is mounted on the base chassis 14, a simple structure can be achieved that provides excellent reliability in the operation of the half cutter 35.

[0048] The printing device 10 of this embodiment also includes the above-described mounting structure and a printing unit (thermal head 12) that prints on the tape 20. This makes it possible to provide a printing device with a simple structure and excellent operational reliability.

[0049] The above embodiments are specific examples shown to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0050] As a modified example, it is also possible to arrange the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 next to each other in the X-axis direction without locating the tape guide 17 between them. However, if the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 are adjacent to each other, there is a risk of interference occurring when the movable blade 33 of the full cutter 31 and the cutting blade 37 of the half cutter 35 operate. Therefore, it is desirable to ensure a predetermined clearance between the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 in order to absorb precision errors.

[0051] In addition to guiding the tape 20 with the guide portion 17a and supporting the fixed blade 32 with the support portion 17b, the tape guide 17 of this embodiment also functions as a spacer to ensure clearance between the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35. Because there are significant advantages to disposing the tape guide 17 between the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 in this way, the printing device 10 of this embodiment employs this configuration.

[0052] As another variation, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the half cutter 35 follows the configuration of this embodiment, but the full cutter 31 is arranged further outward in the conveyance direction than the support wall 15. In other words, the positional relationship between the full cutter 31 and the half cutter 35 in the X-axis direction is reversed, and the half cutter 35 and the full cutter 31 are arranged on either side of the support wall 15. However, cutting devices are often designed based on the position of the full cutter, and if the full cutter 31 were arranged further outward in the conveyance direction than the support wall 15, the distance from the thermal head 12 to the full cutter 31 would be longer, which could reduce the utilization efficiency of the tape 20 (increasing the area unused for printing).

[0053] From this perspective, the printing device 10 of this embodiment employs a configuration in which the full cutter 31 and half cutter 35 are arranged in this order from the upstream side in the transport direction. This configuration improves the utilization efficiency of the tape 20. Furthermore, by not arranging the full cutter 31 on the outer side of the support wall 15 in the transport direction, it is possible to prevent the printing device 10 from becoming larger, and in particular, to prevent the transport path in the X-axis direction from becoming longer.

[0054] In the printing device 10 of this embodiment, the cutter having the cutting blade 37 and blade receiving member 36 is a half cutter 35, but cutters having a push-cutting structure such as the cutting blade 37 and blade receiving member 36 are not limited to half cutters. For example, a cutter with a push-cutting structure (i.e., having a cutting blade and blade receiving member) to which the present invention is applied may be a full cutter that cuts the entire thickness of the tape. The issue of a bending moment being easily applied due to a strong load applied during cutting is due to the push-cutting structure, and therefore the technical concept of the present invention is useful for cutters with a push-cutting structure in general. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10...printing device, 12...thermal head (printing unit), 14...base chassis, 15...support wall (support member), 15c...first surface, 15d...second surface, 15e...step portion, 20...tape, 36...blade receiving member, 37...cutting blade, 100...cutting unit, 111, 122...screw (first mounting member), 111a...head, 111b...body, 111c...threaded portion, 121...screw (second mounting member), 210...first mounting portion, 220...second mounting portion

Claims

1. a cutting unit that half-cuts the tape in the thickness direction along the width direction by pressing the cutting blade against the blade receiving member, which is a fixed member, through a tape inserted in a predetermined direction between the blade receiving member, which is a fixed member, and the cutting blade, which is a movable member, in the thickness direction of the tape; a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion for mounting the cutting unit to a predetermined base chassis at one end of the cutting unit in a third direction, which is a direction along the width direction; Equipped with the other end of the cutting unit in the third direction is a free end; the first attachment portion is provided at a position closer to the arrangement position of the blade receiving member than to the arrangement position of the cutting blade in a first direction that is a direction along the thickness direction, the second attachment portion is provided at a position closer to an arrangement position of the cutting blade than to an arrangement position of the blade receiving member in the first direction, An attachment structure in which the first attachment portion has play in both a second direction and a third direction, which are directions along the specified direction, to allow for misalignment of the cutting unit at the first attachment portion due to distortion of the cutting unit that occurs when the half cut is performed, while the second attachment portion does not have the play in both the second direction and the third direction.

2. 2. The mounting structure of claim 1, wherein the second mounting portion has both a first mounting member inserted along the third direction and a second mounting member inserted along the second direction, while the first mounting portion has only the first mounting member of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

3. the first mounting member of the first mounting portion is a shoulder screw, the shoulder screw has a head, a threaded portion that fits into a screw hole of the cutting unit, and a body portion that has a diameter equal to or greater than the diameter of the threaded portion and is provided between the head and the threaded portion; The mounting structure according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the body in the third direction is longer than the length of the base chassis in the third direction.

4. the cutting unit includes a support member that supports the blade receiving member; 2. The mounting structure of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises: a first surface parallel to a plane defined by the first direction and the third direction; a second surface located on the tape feed direction side of the first surface in the second direction and parallel to the plane defined by the first direction and the third direction; and a step portion located between the first surface and the second surface and connecting the first surface and the second surface.

5. The mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a printing unit that prints on the tape.

Images