Cutter unit and cutting device

Abstract

To easily and reliably maintain the state that extention of a cutter blade is adjusted.SOLUTION: A cutter unit 3 comprises a cutter sleeve 32 which holds a cutter blade 31, and a cutter sleeve holder 33 which accommodates the cutter sleeve 32 therein. The cutter unit further comprises a lock cap 35 as a holding part for holding the state that the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter blade 31 are positionally adjusted with respect to the cutter sleeve holder 33 depending on an engagement degree between a male thread part 325 and a female thread part 331 which are thread parts of the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33, and the cutter blade 31 is positionally adjusted by maintaining the engagement degree between the male thread part 325 and the female thread part 331 as the thread parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutter unit and a cutting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a cutter unit having a cutter blade for cutting a medium to be cut (referred to as a "cutting pen of a cutting plotter" in Patent Document 1) has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a cap part configured to be detachable is provided on a holder that supports the cutter blade, and by attaching the cap part to the holder, the cutting edge of the cutter blade that protrudes from the lower end surface can be adjusted to a predetermined protrusion amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-212050 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires the user to adjust the cutting blade extension (protrusion amount), which is troublesome. Furthermore, even if the cutting blade extension is adjusted once, if the adjusted state is not maintained, the cutting blade extension must be checked with a sensor and readjusted, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, providing a sensor or the like to check the cutting blade extension also complicates the device configuration of the cutting device.

[0005] The present invention is made to solve these problems, and provides a cutter unit and a cutting device that can easily and reliably maintain the adjusted cutting blade extension amount of the cutter blade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the cutter unit of the present invention comprises a cutter sleeve that holds a cutter blade, and a cutter sleeve holder that houses the cutter sleeve, and is characterized in that the positions of the cutter sleeve and the cutter blade relative to the cutter sleeve holder are adjusted by the degree of engagement of the threaded portions of the cutter sleeve and the cutter sleeve holder, and further comprises a holding portion that maintains the adjusted position of the cutter blade by maintaining the degree of engagement of the threaded portions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the state in which the cutting blade extension amount of the cutter blade is adjusted can be easily and reliably maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a cutting device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a side view of the carriage holding the cutter unit provided in the cutting device. [Figure 3] (a) is a diagram illustrating the state of the carriage when a half cut is performed, (b) is a diagram illustrating the state of the carriage when a full cut is performed, and (c) is a diagram illustrating the state of the carriage when no cutting is performed. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of the cutter unit with the lock cap removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion VI indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutter unit with the lock cap removed. [Figure 8] 5 is a perspective view of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4, seen obliquely from above. FIG. [Figure 9] 5 is a perspective view of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4, seen obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 10] 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lock cap is attached from above the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cutter unit with the lock cap attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of a cutter unit and a cutting device equipped with the cutter unit according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In this specification, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis refer to the axes shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 100 according to the present invention extends along the X-axis, with the direction along the X-axis being the left-right direction (width direction) of the device. The direction along the Y-axis is the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the device. Furthermore, the Z-axis is perpendicular to the XY plane and is the direction in which the cutter blade 31 (described later) moves up and down relative to the medium S to be cut, such as paper, with the direction along the Z-axis being the height direction of the device. The following embodiments are subject to various technically preferable limitations for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 100 according to the embodiment includes a housing 1 (exterior case) and a device main body 2 housed within the housing 1. A mounting table 5 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 1. A medium S to be cut by the cutting device 100 is placed (set) on the mounting table 5. When using the cutting device 100, paper or the like is placed on the mounting table 5 as the medium S. Note that the medium S is not limited to paper. The medium S may be any of various other media that can be cut with a cutter blade, such as a resin sheet, sticker, or leather.

[0011] The housing 1 is formed in a substantially box shape, and an operation unit 11 is provided on the outer top surface, etc. The operation unit 11 is made up of various operation buttons and the like through which the user performs various inputs. In addition, the housing 1 may also be provided with a display unit, indicators, etc.

[0012] The device main body 2 includes a carriage 21 that holds a cutter unit 3 equipped with a cutter blade 31, and a drive mechanism 22 that moves the cutter unit 3 along with the carriage 21. As shown in FIG. 2 , the carriage 21 has a holder 211 that holds the cutter unit 3 therein and a connecting portion 212 that is continuous with the holder 211. The holder 211 detachably holds the cutter unit 3. For example, when the cutter blade 31 needs to be replaced, such as when it becomes worn, the cutter unit 3 is removed from the carriage 21 and replaced. The connecting portion 212 has a through-hole 213 that penetrates in the X direction. A shaft 221 that constitutes the drive mechanism 22 is inserted through this through-hole 213. A timing belt 222 is wound around the connecting portion 212. When the timing belt 222 is operated by driving an X-direction drive motor (not shown), the carriage 21 can move along the shaft 221 in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the shaft 221, the timing belt 222, the X-direction drive motor, and the like constitute an X-direction drive mechanism.

[0013] The drive mechanism 22 also includes a Z-direction drive mechanism 223 that can adjust the position (height) of the cutter blade 31 in the Z direction. The Z-direction drive mechanism 223 includes a Z-direction drive motor (not shown). In this embodiment, the entire carriage 21 can rotate around the shaft 221 by driving the Z-direction drive motor (see the arrow in FIG. 2). The cutting device 100 in this embodiment can perform a full cut, which cuts the medium S across its entire thickness, as well as a half cut, which cuts the medium S while leaving some layers intact. For example, when a medium S having two layers, with a release paper S2 underneath the main sheet S1, is placed on the mounting table 5, and only the main sheet S1 of the medium S is cut while leaving the release paper S2 intact (half cut), the cutter blade 31 is caused to penetrate the medium S by the thickness of the main sheet S1, cutting only the main sheet S1, as shown in FIG. 3(a). Also, for example, when cutting the entire medium S (when cutting the entire medium), as shown in Figure 3(b), the cutter blade 31 is inserted to the bottom end of the medium S in the thickness direction to cut the entire medium S.

[0014] In the case of FIG. 3(b), in which a full cut is performed, the carriage 21 is rotated so that the front end of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction (the left side of FIG. 2, the front side of the cutting device 100) is lowered compared to the case of FIG. 3(a), in which a half cut is performed. This allows the cutter blade 31 to dig deeper into the medium S. Also, for example, when setting the medium S on the mounting table 5, as shown in FIG. 3(c), the carriage 21 is rotated so that the front end of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction (the left side of FIG. 2, the front side of the cutting device 100) is raised, and work is performed with the cutter blade 31 raised. As shown in FIG. 2, a sensor 224 that detects the presence or absence of the medium S is provided at the rear end of the connecting part 212. The sensor 224 is, for example, a physical sensor.

[0015] The height position of the cutter blade 31 is preferably adjustable in at least three stages as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c). In this embodiment, the height position is switched by rotating the carriage 21 so that the cutter blade 31 descends to the appropriate depth when the user selects the type of cut, such as a full cut or a partial cut. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need to adjust the carriage 21 by detecting the distance between the cutter blade 31 and the surface of the medium S with a height sensor or the like each time a cutting operation is performed. The height position of the cutter blade 31 is not limited to being adjustable in three stages. It may be adjustable in more detailed stages, such as five stages, depending on the type of medium S (e.g., the thickness of the medium S). Furthermore, if the cutting device 100 only performs a full cut and not a partial cut, two height positions may be adjusted: a height position for performing a full cut and a height position for when not cutting.

[0016] In this way, the carriage 21 can be moved along the X-axis direction (the width direction of the device, left and right direction) by an X-axis drive motor (not shown), and along the Z-axis direction (the height direction of the device, up and down direction) by a Z-axis drive motor. Furthermore, the medium S set on the mounting table 5 can be moved along the Y-axis direction (the depth direction of the device, front and back direction) by, for example, rotating the conveying roller 51 by a Y-axis drive motor (not shown). As a result, during the cutting operation, the cutter blade 31 mounted on the carriage 21 moves left and right and up and down as appropriate, and the medium S moves in the front and back direction, allowing the cutter blade 31 to cut the medium S into a specified shape.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cutter unit 3 held by the holding portion 211 of the carriage 21 includes a cutter sleeve 32 and a cutter sleeve holder 33 that houses the cutter sleeve 32. The cutter sleeve 32 holds a cutter blade 31 therein. The cutter blade 31 is a cutting blade made of a conductive material such as metal, and its tip (tip) is obliquely shaped. In this embodiment, the tip of the cutter blade 31 protrudes a predetermined amount from the lower end side of the cutter sleeve 32. The cutter blade 31 is designed so that the blade faces the cutting direction when cutting the medium S. To freely orient the blade in the desired direction, the cutter blade 31 is rotatable about an axis Ct (see FIG. 6) and is preferably held in a state with as little load as possible.

[0018] For example, a ball bearing 321 is provided on the inside and lower end side of the cutter sleeve 32, and the tip side of the cutter blade 31 is supported by the ball bearing 321 in an almost unloaded state, and is locked by an E-ring 322 so as not to come off in the vertical direction. Also, a hole 323 is formed on the inside and upper end side of the cutter sleeve 32. The cutter blade 31 is inserted into the cutter sleeve 32 through the hole 323, and the tail portion is disposed within the hole 323. The inner periphery of the hole 323 forms a sliding bearing structure 3C (see FIG. 5) for the cutter blade 31, and as a result, the rear end side of the cutter blade 31 is also held in an almost unloaded state.

[0019] Furthermore, a magnet 324 is provided inside the cutter sleeve 32 and above the hole 323. The magnet 324 pulls the cutter blade 31 held in the cutter sleeve 32 upward without contact. As a result, the cutter blade 31 stands upright in the cutter sleeve 32 with almost no contact resistance and is held so as to be freely rotatable. In order to adopt such a configuration, the cutter sleeve 32 is preferably formed from a material that generates as little contact resistance as possible, and a slidable material such as polyacetal resin (POM resin) is preferably used.

[0020] The cutter sleeve 32 has a male thread portion 325 as a thread portion on a part of its outer circumferential surface. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 , the male thread portion 325 is formed on the outer circumferential portion on the lower side of the cutter sleeve 32. The cutter sleeve holder 33 has a female thread portion 331 as a thread portion having a shape corresponding to the male thread portion 325 formed on the cutter sleeve 32 on its inner circumferential surface at a position corresponding to the male thread portion 325 formed on the cutter sleeve 32. In this embodiment, by changing the degree of engagement (the amount of screwing) between the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331, the position of the cutter sleeve 32 relative to the cutter sleeve holder 33 in the axial direction of the cutter blade 31 can be adjusted. Adjusting the axial position of the cutter blade 31 refers to adjusting how much the tip of the cutter blade 31 protrudes from the cutter sleeve holder 33 when the cutter sleeve 32 is housed in the cutter sleeve holder 33, which is the adjustment of the blade extension amount α shown in FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 5, the external thread portion 325 of the cutter sleeve 32 and the internal thread portion 331 of the cutter sleeve holder 33 constitute a first position adjustment portion 3A.

[0021] Furthermore, a plurality of adjustment grooves 326 are provided along the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the upper side of the cutter sleeve 32. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, a plurality of vertical grooves serving as the adjustment grooves 326 are provided at equal intervals around the entire outer periphery of the upper part of the cutter sleeve 32. An adjustment protrusion 337, which will be described later, is adapted to engage with one of these adjustment grooves 326. In this embodiment, the adjustment grooves 326 and the adjustment protrusions 337 form a second position adjustment unit 3B (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the cutting edge extension amount α can be adjusted with an accuracy of several tens of μm by adjusting the degree of engagement (threading amount) between the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331 in the first position adjustment unit 3A, and by adjusting the second position adjustment unit 3B using the adjustment grooves 326 of the cutter sleeve 32. The method of adjustment will be described in detail below.

[0022] Furthermore, the cutter sleeve 32 is provided with a sleeve cap 327. After the cutter blade 31, the magnet 324, etc. are arranged inside the cutter sleeve 32, the sleeve cap 327 is fitted from above to close the upper opening.

[0023] The cutter sleeve holder 33 is made of, for example, polycarbonate resin (PC resin). The cutter sleeve holder 33 has a holder main body 330 formed in a hollow, approximately cylindrical shape with an opening 332 at the top. The inside of the holder main body 330 forms a storage space 333 that stores the cutter sleeve 32. The cutter sleeve 32 is inserted into the storage space 333 of the cutter sleeve holder 33 from the opening 332. The aforementioned female thread portion 331 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the lower side of the holder main body 330.

[0024] The cutter sleeve holder 33 has a plurality of protrusions provided at positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the protrusions are elastic arm portions 334 that protrude from the outer peripheral edge of the opening 332 in the holder main body 330 toward the radially outer side of the holder main body 330, and fixing protrusions 338. In the illustrated example, the elastic arm portions 334 and the fixing protrusions 338 are provided at positions that are substantially point-symmetrical with respect to the radial center of the holder main body 330. The fixing protrusions 338 are protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the holder main body 330. The shape of the fixing protrusions 338 is not particularly limited. The fixing protrusions 338 only need to be provided at positions spaced apart in the circumferential direction from the elastic arm portions 334, and do not have to be provided at positions that are point-symmetrical with respect to the elastic arm portions 334.

[0025] The elastic arm portion 334 has a spring-like support portion 335 attached to the outer surface of the cutter sleeve holder 33 and a plate-like portion 336 attached to the free end of the support portion 335. When the cutter sleeve 32 is housed and held in the cutter sleeve holder 33, one end of the plate-like portion 336 is positioned corresponding to the adjustment grooves 326. The plate-like portion 336 is provided with an adjustment protrusion 337 at a position facing the adjustment groove 326, which engages with (is locked to) one of the adjustment grooves 326. Because the plate-like portion 336 is supported by the spring-like support portion 335, the adjustment protrusion 337 is pressed against the adjustment groove 326 and can appropriately overcome the unevenness of the adjustment groove 326. In other words, even after the adjustment protrusion 337 engages with one of the adjustment grooves 326, when the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 are rotated relative to each other, the adjustment protrusion 337 can move while changing the position of the adjustment groove 326 with which it engages.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the cutter unit 3 also has a lock cap 35. The lock cap 35 is a retaining portion that maintains the adjusted position of the cutter blade 31 by maintaining the engagement of the threaded portions (external threaded portion 325 and internal threaded portion 331) provided on the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33. The lock cap 35 is made of, for example, polycarbonate resin (PC resin). The lock cap 35 has a sleeve engaging portion that fits with the cutter sleeve 32 and a holder engaging portion that fits with the cutter sleeve holder 33, and is attached from above to the cutter sleeve holder 33 with the cutter sleeve 32 held therein. When attached, the lock cap 35 fits with both the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33.

[0027] For example, the lock cap 35 has an annular portion 351 as a sleeve engagement portion that is attached from above the sleeve cap 327 of the cutter sleeve 32. A concave-convex portion 355 that fits into the adjustment groove 326 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the annular portion 351 at a position corresponding to the adjustment groove 326. The concave-convex portion 355 is configured to mesh with the adjustment groove 326 in the attached state. Furthermore, a lock arm portion 352 and a lock hook portion 353 are provided on the outer periphery of the annular portion 351 as holder engagement portions. The lock arm portion 352 is shaped so as to be engageable with the plate-shaped portion 336 of the elastic arm portion 334, and is provided at a position corresponding to the plate-shaped portion 336 in the attached state. The lock hook portion 353 is provided at a position corresponding to the fixing protrusion 338 in the attached state, and is engaged with the fixing protrusion 338. The lock cap 35 only needs to have a portion that is locked to the elastic arm portion 334 and a portion that is locked to the fixing protrusion 338, and the specific shape thereof is not limited to the example shown in the drawing.

[0028] Next, the operation of the cutter unit 3 and the cutting device 100 in this embodiment will be described. First, when assembling the cutter unit 3, the cutter blade 31 is inserted into the cutter sleeve 32 through a hole 323 formed on the upper end side of the cutter sleeve 32. The tip side of the cutter blade 31 is supported by a ball bearing 321, and an E-ring 322 is attached to prevent it from falling off. The tail end (rear end) of the cutter blade 31 is placed in the hole 323 and held in a sliding bearing state (see sliding bearing structure 3C in FIG. 5). Furthermore, a magnet 324 is placed above the hole 323, and the tail end of the cutter blade 31 is pulled up in a non-contact state. As a result, the cutter blade 31 is in an upright state within the cutter sleeve 32 and is held without contact resistance. Once the cutter blade 31 is placed, a sleeve cap 327 is attached from above to close the cutter sleeve 32.

[0029] Next, the cutter sleeve 32 incorporating the cutter blade 31 is inserted into the accommodation space 333 of the holder body 330 through the opening 332 of the cutter sleeve holder 33. In the cutting device 100 of this embodiment, the blade extension amount α of the cutter blade 31 is adjusted to a predetermined amount before shipping from the factory. Here, first, the amount of threading between the male thread portion 325 of the cutter sleeve 32 and the female thread portion 331 of the cutter sleeve holder 33 is adjusted. In other words, the number of meshing threads in the first position adjustment portion 3A, which is the meshing portion between the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331, is adjusted. This adjusts the blade extension amount α.

[0030] At this time, to eliminate the need for subsequent adjustment by the user, the blade extension amount α needs to be adjusted with an accuracy of several tens of μm. For this reason, in this embodiment, further adjustment is performed by engaging the adjustment protrusions 337 provided on the cutter sleeve holder 33 side with the adjustment grooves 326 formed in the cutter sleeve 32, one projection at a time, in the second position adjustment unit 3B. That is, when the cutter sleeve 32 is rotated around its axis relative to the cutter sleeve holder 33, the adjustment protrusions 337 provided on the elastic arm portion 334 fit into the groove shape of the adjustment groove 326, and the cutter sleeve 322 is elastically held and positioned in that position. The engagement between the adjustment groove 326 and the adjustment protrusions 337 in the second position adjustment unit 3B allows height adjustment of approximately 10 μm by moving one location (one groove). Therefore, by adjusting the amount of engagement of the screw in the first position adjustment part 3A and adjusting the position of the groove of the adjustment groove 326 with which the adjustment protrusion 337 in the second position adjustment part 3B engages, the blade extension amount α can be adjusted and determined with an accuracy of 10 μm.

[0031] Once the blade extension amount α has been adjusted to an appropriate amount, the lock cap 35 is attached from above the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33. As described above, the inner circumferential surface of the annular portion 351 of the lock cap 35 is formed with a concave-convex portion 355 (see FIG. 10 ) shaped to correspond to the adjustment groove 326. When the lock cap 35 is attached to the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33, the concave-convex portion 355 engages with the adjustment groove 326, restricting their rotational movement. The lock arm portion 352 is fitted over the plate-shaped portion 336 of the elastic arm portion 334, and the lock hook portion 353 is engaged with the fixing protrusion 338. Thus, by attaching the lock cap 35, the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 are fixed together, and the appropriately adjusted blade extension amount α is maintained in the adjusted state. Furthermore, the lock cap 35 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 are both made of polycarbonate resin (PC resin) or the like. For this reason, the lock cap 35 can be adhesively fixed to the cutter sleeve holder 33 using various adhesives. Although adhesive fixation is not essential, if the lock cap 35 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 are adhesively fixed together, the blade extension amount α of the cutter unit 3, which is adjusted at the factory with an accuracy of several tens of μm, is more reliably fixed semi-permanently in the adjusted state.

[0032] As described above, the cutter unit 3 according to this embodiment includes the cutter sleeve 32 that holds the cutter blade 31 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 that houses the cutter sleeve 32. The positions of the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter blade 31 relative to the cutter sleeve holder 33 are adjusted by the degree of engagement between the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331 of the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33. The cutter unit 3 further includes a retaining portion (lock cap 35) that maintains the adjusted position of the cutter blade 31 by maintaining the degree of engagement of the threads (the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331). This prevents the cutter sleeve 32, which is screwed to the cutter sleeve holder 33, from rotating inside the cutter sleeve holder 33 and changing the degree of engagement (misalignment). Therefore, if the blade extension amount α of the cutter blade 31 is adjusted, for example, at the time of shipping from the factory, the adjusted state is maintained, and the user does not need to adjust the blade extension amount α at a later date.

[0033] The retaining portion in this embodiment is the lock cap 35. Therefore, after the cutter sleeve 32 is housed in the cutter sleeve holder 33, the engagement of the threaded portion can be maintained simply by fitting it from above. This allows for easy assembly in a factory, etc. Note that the retaining portion is not limited to the lock cap, and may be configured to maintain the engagement of the threaded portion in a manner other than fitting it from above (for example, fitting it from the side, etc.).

[0034] For example, conventional cutting devices use height sensors to detect the distance between the cutter blade and the medium to be cut and adjust the height of the carriage 21 to control the appropriate cutting depth. This requires the installation of components such as a height sensor, which can lead to increased device size and cost due to the increased number of components. It can also require the user to adjust the height of the carriage 21. In this regard, the present embodiment precisely adjusts the blade extension α of the cutter blade 31 in the cutter unit 3 at the factory and maintains the adjusted state. Therefore, the blade extension α remains constant even after the cutting device 100 is delivered to the user, eliminating the need for user adjustment. This simplifies the work time and operation. Furthermore, the appropriate cutting can be achieved simply by setting the height of the carriage 21 (the height position of the cutting edge of the cutter blade 31) to several levels, such as for a half cut or a full cut, eliminating the need for various sensors and delicate drive control for height control. This also contributes to simplifying the product structure and miniaturization.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutter sleeve 32 is provided with a plurality of adjustment grooves 326 along the circumferential direction, and when the lock cap 35 is attached, the annular portion 351 serving as a sleeve engagement portion fits into the adjustment grooves 326 of the cutter sleeve 32. Therefore, simply attaching the lock cap 35 can restrict rotation of the cutter sleeve 32 within the cutter sleeve holder 33. Furthermore, after the lock cap 35 is attached, even if the user accidentally touches the adjustment grooves 326 or if the cutter sleeve 322 is hit when replacing the cutter unit 3, the adjusted position will not be accidentally rotated out of position, and the adjusted state will be maintained.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cutter sleeve holder 33 is provided with a plurality of protrusions, namely, elastic arm portions 334 and fixing protrusions 338, spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and when the lock cap 35 is attached, the lock arm portions 352 serving as holder engagement portions engage with the elastic arm portions 334 of the cutter sleeve holder 33, and the lock hook portions 353 engage with the fixing protrusions 338. Since the elastic arm portions 334 and the fixing protrusions 338 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, the lock cap 35 reliably engages with the cutter sleeve holder 33, making it difficult for the lock cap 35 to shift about the axis. While it is not essential that the cutter sleeve holder 33 has a plurality of protrusions, having a plurality of portions where the holder engagement portions of the lock cap 35 can be engaged more reliably prevents the lock cap 35 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 from shifting in the circumferential direction.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cutter sleeve 32 is formed of a slidable resin material. Therefore, the cutter blade 31 is held within the cutter sleeve 32 without contact resistance. This allows the cutter blade 31 to be smoothly oriented in the cutting direction. Although it is difficult to adhesively fix a slidable resin material to other resins, in this embodiment, the lock cap 35 is fitted to both the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 in the attached state. Therefore, the lock cap 35 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 can be adhesively fixed to each other. By firmly fixing the lock cap 35 to the cutter sleeve holder 33, the movement of the cutter sleeve 32 can be restricted, and it is possible to easily and reliably prevent the cutter sleeve 32 and the cutter sleeve holder 33 from shifting from their adjusted positions after adjusting the cutting blade extension of the cutter blade 31.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cutter sleeve holder 33 has an opening 332 formed in the upper part, and the cutter sleeve 32 is inserted into the cutter sleeve holder 33 through the opening 332. Therefore, the cutter sleeve 32 can be held in the accommodation space 333 simply by dropping the cutter sleeve 32 into the cutter sleeve holder 33 from above.

[0039] In this embodiment, the cutter sleeve holder 33 is provided with an adjustment protrusion 337 that engages with one of the adjustment grooves 326 at a position corresponding to the adjustment groove 326 when the cutter sleeve 322 is held inside. This allows for easy fine adjustment of the degree of engagement of the screw by moving the adjustment groove 326 that engages with the adjustment protrusion 337 one thread at a time.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the cutter sleeve 32 has a male thread portion 325 on a part of its outer surface, and has a female thread portion 331 of a shape corresponding to the male thread portion 325 on the inner surface of the cutter sleeve holder 33 at a position corresponding to the male thread portion 325, and by changing the degree of engagement between the male thread portion 325 and the female thread portion 331, the position of the cutter sleeve 32 relative to the cutter sleeve holder 33 in the axial direction of the cutter blade 31 can be adjusted.

[0041] Furthermore, the cutting device 100 according to this embodiment cuts the medium S with the cutter blade 31 provided on the cutter unit 3. Therefore, the medium S can be cut appropriately without bothering the user or complicating the device configuration.

[0042] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the sleeve engaging portion is not limited to the annular portion 351 having a substantially ring shape as shown in the embodiment, as long as it fits into the cutter sleeve 32 when the lock cap 35 is attached. For example, it may be a portion that engages with a part of the adjustment groove 326 to restrict rotation of the cutter sleeve 32 around the axis.

[0043] Furthermore, the holder engaging portion may be any portion that fits into the cutter sleeve holder 33 when the lock cap 35 is attached, and is not limited to the lock arm portion 352 and the lock hook portion 353 as shown in the embodiment. For example, the holder engaging portion provided corresponding to the elastic arm portion 334 does not have to cover the plate-shaped portion 336, and may be a fork-shaped member that holds the elastic arm portion 334.

[0044] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the cutter sleeve holder 33 is provided with a plurality of protrusions (i.e., the elastic arm portion 334 and the fixing protrusion 338), but the number of protrusions provided on the cutter sleeve holder 33 is not limited to a plurality of protrusions. The cutter sleeve holder 33 only needs to have a portion where the holder engaging portion (in the embodiment, the lock arm portion 352 and the lock hook portion 353) can fit when the lock cap 35 is attached, and the portion where the holder engaging portion fits may be only one.

[0045] Furthermore, the cutter sleeve holder 33 is not limited to one having the opening 332 formed at the top. For example, it may have an opening on the side or the like, and the cutter sleeve 32 may be inserted into the cutter sleeve holder 33 from the side.

[0046] In addition, the specific contents of the configuration, processing arrangement, order, and numerical values ​​shown in the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 3 cutter unit, 31 cutter blade, 32 cutter sleeve, 33 cutter sleeve holder, threaded portion (male threaded portion 325 and female threaded portion 331), retaining portion (lock cap 35)

Claims

1. a cutter sleeve for holding a cutter blade; a cutter sleeve holder that accommodates the cutter sleeve therein; The positions of the cutter sleeve and the cutter blade relative to the cutter sleeve holder are adjusted by the degree of engagement of threaded portions of the cutter sleeve and the cutter sleeve holder, The cutting blade further includes a holding portion that holds the threaded portion in a state where the position of the cutting blade is adjusted by holding the threaded portion in a state where the threaded portion is engaged. A cutter unit characterized by:

2. the holding portion is a lock cap having a sleeve engaging portion that is fitted with the cutter sleeve in an attached state, and a holder engaging portion that is fitted with the cutter sleeve holder. The cutter unit according to claim 1 .

3. The cutter sleeve is provided with a plurality of adjustment grooves along the circumferential direction, In an attached state, the sleeve engaging portion of the lock cap is fitted into the adjustment groove of the cutter sleeve. The cutter unit according to claim 2 .

4. The cutter sleeve holder is provided with a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction, In an attached state, the holder engaging portion of the lock cap is fitted onto the protruding portion of the cutter sleeve holder. The cutter unit according to claim 2 .

5. The cutter sleeve is formed of a slidable resin member. The cutter unit according to claim 1 .

6. The cutter sleeve holder has an opening formed at an upper portion thereof, The cutter sleeve is inserted into the cutter sleeve holder through the opening. The cutter unit according to claim 1 .

7. The cutter sleeve holder is provided with an adjustment protrusion that engages with one of the adjustment grooves at a position corresponding to the adjustment groove when the cutter sleeve is held therein. The cutter unit according to claim 3 .

8. the cutter sleeve has a male thread portion as the thread portion on a part of an outer peripheral surface thereof, and the cutter sleeve holder has an inner peripheral surface thereof having a female thread portion as the thread portion at a position corresponding to the male thread portion and having a shape corresponding to the male thread portion, By changing the degree of engagement between the male thread portion and the female thread portion, the position of the cutter sleeve relative to the cutter sleeve holder in the axial direction of the cutter blade can be adjusted. The cutter unit according to claim 1 .

9. The medium to be cut is cut by the cutter blade provided in the cutter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A cutting device characterized by:

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