Cutting apparatus, cutting method, and program

Abstract

To suppress the occurrence of cutting failure at the start of cutting in a cutting device for cutting a sheet-like object to be cut with a cutter.SOLUTION: The cutting device (1) includes a holding member (2) for holding an object to be cut (11), a cutter (3) for cutting the object to be cut by changing a relative position of a blade (300) in contact with the object to be cut with respect to the object to be cut, a pressing force applying means (7C and 122) for applying a pressing force to the cutter, a relative position changing means (7A and 110, 7B and 121) for changing the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut, and a control unit (801) for controlling the pressing force applying means so that the pressing force applied to the cutter by the pressing force applying means becomes smaller as the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut is changed by a predetermined distance or a predetermined time after the pressing force is applied to the cutter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device, a cutting method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Some cutting devices cut sheet-like objects (objects to be processed) by moving the blade of the cutter relative to the object while pressing the cutting edge of the cutter against the object, thereby cutting out a desired shape from the object. Some cutting devices of this type change the pressure of the cutter on the object depending on the direction of relative movement between the object and the cutter (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-8557 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described cutting device, when cutting starts, the position of the cutter blade relative to the workpiece in the thickness direction (direction of pressing force) may fluctuate, resulting in poor cutting.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of its objects is to suppress the occurrence of poor cutting at the start of cutting in a cutting device that cuts a sheet-like material with a cutter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cutting device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a holding member for holding a sheet-shaped material to be cut; a cutter for cutting the material by changing the relative position of a blade that is inserted into the material to be cut; a pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the cutter when it comes into contact with the material to be cut; a relative position changing means for changing the relative position of the blade of the cutter to the material to be cut held by the holding member; and a control unit for controlling the pressing force applying means so that the pressing force applied to the cutter by the pressing force applying means decreases as the relative position of the blade of the cutter to the material to be cut is changed by a predetermined distance or a predetermined time after a pressing force is applied to the cutter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above aspect, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor cutting at the start of cutting in a cutting device that cuts a sheet-like object with a cutter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a cutting device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a cutting device. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the pressing force applied to the cutter. [Figure 4] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a first example of a cutting failure. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a second example of a cutting failure. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph illustrating the relationship between the pressing force of the cutter and the position of the cutting edge in a second example of poor cutting. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation of the cutting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of control parameters, and FIGS. 8B and 8C are diagrams showing an example of a method for cutting a multi-layered object. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by a cutting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a graph illustrating another example of a method for controlling the pressing force applied to the cutter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the referenced drawings are shown for the purpose of identifying the relationship between the planes, directions, etc., of the same components illustrated in different drawings. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other and form a right-handed system. In the following description, the direction parallel to the X-axis will be referred to as the X-direction, the direction parallel to the Y-axis will be referred to as the Y-direction, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis will be referred to as the Z-direction. Furthermore, when relating each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions to the directions of the arrows (positive and negative) of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions will be marked with "+" or "-" or "positive side" or "negative side." For example, the "+X direction" and "-X direction" refer to the direction of travel and the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the arrow indicating the X-axis, respectively. Additionally, the "positive X-direction side" refers to the side that is in the +X-direction when viewed from a reference surface, member, position, etc., and the "negative X-direction side" refers to the side that is in the -X-direction when viewed from a reference surface, member, position, etc.

[0010] In this specification, the Z direction may be referred to as the up-down direction. In this specification, "up" and "above" refer to the positive side of the Z direction relative to a reference surface, component, position, etc., and "down" and "below" refer to the negative side of the Z direction relative to a reference surface, component, position, etc. For example, when describing "component B being placed on component A," component B is placed on the positive side of component A in the Z direction. Furthermore, when describing "the top surface of component A," this surface includes the surface located at the end of component A on the positive side of the Z direction and facing the positive side of the Z direction. The names of these directions and the surfaces associated with these directions are used merely for convenience of explanation. The correspondence between these directions and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions may change depending on the installation orientation of the cutting device, as exemplified. For example, a surface referred to as the "top surface" in this specification may be referred to as the "bottom surface" or "side surface," and the names of other surfaces may be changed accordingly.

[0011] Furthermore, in this specification and the drawings referred to, multiple identical components assigned the same numerical reference symbol are distinguished by an alphabet following the numerical reference symbol. In this specification, multiple identical components distinguished by an alphabet in the reference symbol may be distinguished by notations such as "first" or "second." These notations are intended only to distinguish multiple identical components, and a component prefixed with "first" in this specification may also be referred to as a "second" component. Furthermore, in this specification, when referring to matters common to multiple identical components, the alphabet in the reference symbol and notations such as "first" or "second" are omitted.

[0012] The cutting device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a holding member 2, a cutter 3, a carriage 4, a carriage support member 5, conveying rollers 6A and 6B, drive units 7A, 7B, and 7C, and a control panel 8. From another perspective, the cutting device 1 may include a sheet cutting unit 100 and a control panel 8 that controls the operation of the sheet cutting unit 100, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The sheet cutting unit 100 includes drive units 7A, 7B, and 7C, a holding member moving mechanism 110, and a carriage moving mechanism 120, and the carriage moving mechanism 120 includes an X-direction moving mechanism 121 and a Z-direction moving mechanism 122. Note that the holding member 2 and the carriage 4 including the cutter 3 illustrated in FIG. 1 are omitted from the sheet cutting unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0013] The holding member 2 is a member that holds a sheet-like object to be cut (object to be processed) 11, and includes a plate-shaped member 200, sometimes called a backing sheet, and an adhesive layer 210 disposed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 200 (see FIG. 3A ). The adhesive layer 210 can be an example of a fixing member that prevents the object to be cut 11 from shifting position on the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 200. The plate-shaped member 200 of the holding member 2 has a clamped portion that is clamped by the conveying rollers 6A and 6B outside the area where the object to be cut 11 is placed in a plan view of the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 200. The plate-shaped member 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a clamped portion that extends along the Y direction at each of the end on the positive side in the X direction and the end on the negative side in the X direction. The first conveying roller 6A comes into contact with the upper surface of the clamped portion of the plate-shaped member 200 and rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the X direction. The second conveying roller 6B comes into contact with the underside of the clamped portion of the plate-like member 200 and rotates about a rotation axis parallel to the X direction as a rotation fulcrum. The first conveying roller 6A and the second conveying roller 6B are included in the holding member moving mechanism 110 in the sheet cutting unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 2. The holding member moving mechanism 110 is a mechanism that moves the holding member 2 in the Y direction, and is configured so that the first conveying roller 6A and the second conveying roller 6B rotate in opposite directions to each other by the power of a first driving unit (e.g., a DC motor) 8A. The holding member moving mechanism 110 may be any well-known mechanism and is not limited to a specific mechanism.

[0014] The cutter 3 is a cutting means that cuts the object 11 by changing the relative position of a blade 300 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) that bites into the object 11 with respect to the object 11. The cutter 3 is attached to a carriage 4 so that the orientation of the blade 300 when cutting the object 11 can be changed based on cutting data. The carriage 4 is supported by a carriage support member 5 so that the cutter 3 can be moved in the X direction. The carriage support member 5 in the cutting device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a rod-shaped member (cylindrical member) with a circular cross section, sometimes called a round bar, and is arranged so that its axis extends in the X direction. The carriage 4 of the illustrated cutting device 1 is supported by the carriage support member 5 so that it can rotate around the axis (X axis) of the carriage support member 5 as a rotation fulcrum. That is, the cutter 3 in the illustrated cutting device 1 can be rotated around the axis (X-axis) of the carriage support member 5 as a rotation fulcrum, and moved between a position where it cuts the workpiece 11 (a position where it is embedded in the workpiece 11) and a position away from the workpiece 11.

[0015] The carriage 4 is coupled to an X-direction movement mechanism 121 and a Z-direction movement mechanism 122 of the carriage movement mechanism 120 illustrated in FIG. 2. The X-direction movement mechanism 121 is configured to move the carriage 4 in the X direction using the power of a second drive unit (e.g., a DC motor) 8B. The Z-direction movement mechanism 122 is configured to move the cutting edge 301 (see FIG. 3A) of the cutter 3 in the Z direction using the power of a third drive unit (e.g., a DC motor) 8C. The Z-direction movement mechanism 122 in the cutting device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is configured so that the Z-direction position of the cutting edge of the cutter 3 is changed by the cutter 3 rotating about the axis of the carriage support member 5 as described above. The X-direction movement mechanism 121 and the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 may be any known mechanism and are not limited to a specific mechanism. For example, the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 may be a mechanism that translates part or all of the carriage 4 in the Z direction so that the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 moves along the Z direction (i.e., parallel to the Z direction).

[0016] The first driving unit 7A and the holding member moving mechanism 110, as well as the second driving unit 7B and the X-direction moving mechanism 121 in the cutting device 1 described above, are examples of relative position changing means that change the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 held by the holding member 2. For example, the cutting device 1 may be configured so that the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 can be changed without the holding member moving mechanism 110 by making the carriage moving mechanism 120 a mechanism that can move in the Y direction. In another example, the cutting device 1 may be configured so that the holding member 2 can rotate within the XY plane. Furthermore, the third driving unit 7C and the Z-direction moving mechanism 122 in the cutting device 1 described above are examples of pressing force applying means that apply a pressing force to the cutter 3 that comes into contact with the workpiece 11.

[0017] The operation of the cutting device 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is controlled by a control panel 8. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control panel 8 includes a control unit 801, a storage unit 802, an input unit 803, a display unit 804, and a communication unit 805, and these components are interconnected by a bus 806. The control unit 801 controls the operation of the sheet cutting unit 100 by executing a control program including processes described later with reference to FIG. 9 and other figures. The functions of the control unit 801 are provided by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a control program stored in the storage unit 802. The storage unit 802 stores the control program for controlling the operation of the sheet cutting unit 100, cutting data including information about the cutting path set for the workpiece 11, and the like. The functions of the storage unit 802 can be provided by a read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM) as main storage devices. The storage device that provides the functions of the storage unit 802 may include an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The input unit 803 accepts operations for inputting and selecting control parameters related to the operation of the sheet cutting unit 100. The display unit 804 visualizes and displays information indicating the control parameters related to the operation of the sheet cutting unit 100 and the operating status. The functions of the input unit 803 and the display unit 804 are provided by, for example, an operation panel in which input devices such as switches and a keyboard are integrated with a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The operation panel may have a touch panel display that functions as both the input unit 803 and the display unit 804. The communication unit 805 communicates with the sheet cutting unit 100 via wired or wireless communication, acquires the operating status of the sheet cutting unit 100, and transmits control signals to the sheet cutting unit 100. The communication unit 805 can communicate with, for example, an imaging device 15 that captures an image indicating a cutting path to be set on the workpiece 11, and may acquire the image captured by the imaging device 15 as cutting data.

[0018] The control panel 800 is not limited to a device designed and manufactured specifically for controlling the sheet cutting unit 100, but may also be a device that causes a general-purpose computer, such as a personal computer, to execute a computer-readable control program. The functions shown as separate blocks in the control panel 800 of FIG. 2 may be provided by a single piece of hardware. For example, the functions of the control unit 801 and the memory unit 802 may be provided by an integrated circuit device, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the functions shown as a single block in the control panel 800 of FIG. 2 may be provided by multiple separate pieces of hardware. For example, the functions of the memory unit 802 may be provided by a ROM, a RAM, and an auxiliary storage device, such as a HDD, as described above. Furthermore, the functions of the control unit 801 may be provided by two or more processors.

[0019] When cutting the workpiece 11 using the above-described cutting device 1, first, as illustrated in FIG. 3A , the Y-direction position of the holding member 2 and the X-direction position of the carriage 4 are controlled so that the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 is above the cutting start position on the top surface of the workpiece 11. Then, the third driving unit 7C drives the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 to move the cutter 3 so that the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 penetrates (pierces) the workpiece 11 to a target position ZT on the negative side (downward) of the Z-direction in the Z direction relative to the interface between the adhesive layer 201 of the holding member 2 and the workpiece 11. At this time, the third driving unit 7C applies a pressing force to the cutter 3 via the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 that is sufficient to cause the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 to penetrate (pierce) the workpiece 11 to the target position ZT. That is, as described above, the third driving unit 7C and the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 can be pressing force applying means that applies a pressing force to the blade 300 of the cutter 3 that is in contact with the workpiece 11.

[0020] In conventional cutting devices, the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 when the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 is caused to dig into the target position ZT at the cutting start position (hereinafter referred to as the "initial pressing force") may be the same as the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 subsequently cuts into the workpiece 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "steady pressing force"). However, when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is caused to dig into the thickness direction (-Z direction) of the workpiece 11 at the cutting start position, a resistance force from the workpiece 11 acts on the cutter 3, as illustrated in FIG. 3B. For this reason, the pressing force required to cause the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 to dig into the target position ZT at the cutting start position is greater than the pressing force required when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 cuts into the workpiece 11. Therefore, if the initial pressing force and the steady pressing force are the same, a cutting failure may occur in which the workpiece 11 is not cut according to the cutting data.

[0021] For example, if the pressing force P0 required when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 cuts through the workpiece 11 is defined as the initial pressing force and the steady pressing force, as illustrated in Fig. 4A, the cutting may start when the Z-direction position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 is at position ZS, which is higher than the Z-direction position ZB of the interface between the adhesive layer 210 and the workpiece 11. In this case, when cutting is performed with the steady pressing force P0, the Z-direction position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 changes as shown in Fig. 4B and Fig. 4C, for example. That is, the Z-direction position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 gradually approaches the target position ZT and reaches the target position ZT at position X2, which is a distance L2 away from the cutting start position XS. Therefore, in the section from the cutting start position XS to position X2 (more specifically, the section up to position X1 where the position in the Z direction of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 reaches position ZB of the interface between the adhesive layer 210 and the object to be cut 11), cutting of the object to be cut 11 is incomplete, which may result in poor cutting. In this specification, for convenience, the cutting direction of the cutter 3 is assumed to be the +X direction as exemplified in Figures 4B and 4C, but the cutting direction (i.e., cutting path) may be the -X direction or any direction including an X-direction component and a Y-direction component in a plan view of the top surface of the object to be cut 11.

[0022] On the contrary, for example, when the pressing force P1 (> P0) required to penetrate the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 to the target position ZT is used as the initial pressing force and the steady pressing force, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, the cutting can start in a state where the position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 in the Z direction is the target position ZT. However, the initial pressing force P1 is greater than the pressing force P0 required to continue cutting in a state where the position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 in the Z direction is the target position ZT. Therefore, when cutting is continued with the same steady pressing force P1 as the initial pressing force P1, as described above with reference to FIGS. 4B and 4C, the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 is displaced downward. For example, the cutting edge 301 may contact the upper surface of the plate-like member 200, and problems such as damage to the cutting edge 301 and peeling of the cut adhesive layer 210 from the plate-like member 200 may occur. Further, such an event may lead to cutting the lowermost layer when, for example, the object to be cut 11 is a laminate and the lowermost layer is set not to be cut. Furthermore, when the cutting edge 300 of the cutter 3 is penetrated with the initial pressing force P1 and then the cutting is started after changing the pressing force to P0 (< P1), a force is generated to raise the cutter 3 along the interface between the cutting edge 300 of the cutter 3 and the object to be cut 11, as indicated by an arrow in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 5A. Therefore, when cutting, as illustrated in FIG. 5B, the position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 in the Z direction may become higher than the position ZB in the Z direction of the interface between the adhesive layer 210 and the object to be cut 11. That is, when the cutting edge 300 of the cutter 3 is penetrated with the initial pressing force P1 (> P0) and then the cutting is started with the steady pressing force P0, as illustrated in FIG. 6, cutting defects may occur in the section from the cutting start position XS to the position X12 moved by the distance L12.

[0023] In the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, taking the above-mentioned phenomenon into consideration, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is driven into the workpiece 11 with an initial pressure P1 (>P0). Then, the cutting proceeds while gradually decreasing the pressure from P1 to P0 until the cutting proceeds to a position X12, which is a distance L12 from the cutting start position XS. The cutting then proceeds from the position X12 to the cutting end position XE with a steady pressure P0. When the cutter 3 starts cutting with the initial pressure P1 applied, a force that moves the cutter 3 downward is generated. However, this force is offset by the force that moves the cutter 3 upward from the cutting start position XS to position X11, as illustrated in FIG. 6 . Furthermore, by gradually decreasing the pressure applied to the cutter 3 from P1 to P0, it is possible to prevent cutting defects and other problems caused by the downward movement of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 due to the difference between the initial pressure P1 and the steady pressure P0.

[0024] The appropriate combination of the initial pressing force P1 and the steady pressing force P0 varies depending on the thickness and configuration of the object 11. The table in FIG. 8A illustrates combinations of the initial pressing force P1 and the steady pressing force P0 for several objects 11. The label in the table in FIG. 8A may be an example of the multi-layered object 11 illustrated in FIG. 8B, in which an adhesive layer 1101 and a release paper 1102 are laminated in this order on the lower surface of a base material 1100. The base material 1100 is paper, a resin sheet, or the like, and may be printable on the upper surface using an inkjet printer, a laser printer, or the like. The illustrated object 11 can be attached to a desired article as an adhesive sheet by peeling off the release paper 1102. When cutting this type of object 11 using the cutting device 1, for example, it may be possible to select between a process (full cut) in which the base material 1100, adhesive layer 1101, and release paper 1102 are all cut as shown in FIG. 8B, and a process (half cut) in which only the base material 1100 and adhesive layer 1101 are cut as shown in FIG. 8C. The table in FIG. 8A also shows the pressing force fluctuation length L12 and cutting speed for each object 11. The pressing force fluctuation length L12 may be the distance from the cutting start position XS to the position X12 where the pressing force becomes the steady pressing force P0 in the cutting path set for the object 11. Note that the values ​​exemplified in the table in FIG. 8A are merely examples, and values ​​different from the exemplified values ​​may be set. The information exemplified in the table of Figure 8A is stored in the memory unit 802 of the control panel 8, and is read out by the control unit 801 of the control panel 8, for example, when an operator (worker) of the cutting device 1 specifies the type of workpiece 11 to be cut, and is used to control the pressing force applying means (third drive unit 7C).

[0025] An example of a cutting process of the workpiece 11 by the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, including the control of the pressing force applied to the cutter 3, will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . The cutting device 1 first performs initialization, which includes a process of moving the positions of the holding member 2 and the cutter 3 to their initial positions (home positions) (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 801 of the control panel 8 transmits control signals to each of the first drive unit 7A, the second drive unit 7B, and the third drive unit 7C. The initialization in step S1 may include, for example, a process of reading setting information on the type (cardboard, plain paper, label, etc.) and size of the workpiece 11, position information of the workpiece 11 on the upper surface of the holding member 2, cutting data, etc. After step S1, the control unit 801 of the control panel 8 accesses the storage unit 802 and acquires control parameters corresponding to the type of workpiece 11 (step S2). In step S2, the control unit 801 acquires, as control parameters, for example, the initial pressure P1, the steady pressure P0, the pressure fluctuation length L12, the cutting speed, and the like shown in the table of FIG. 8A.

[0026] Next, the cutting device 1 moves the workpiece 11 (holding member 2) and the cutter 3 to a cutting start position and trims the cutting edge of the cutter 3 (step S3). Subsequently, the cutting device 1 causes the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to bite into the workpiece 11 with an initial pressing force P1 (step S4). In step S3, the control unit 801 of the control panel 8 determines, based on the cutting data, the Y-direction position of the holding member 2 and the X-direction position of the carriage 4 where the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 is located above the cutting start position on the top surface of the workpiece 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3A. Then, the control unit 801 drives the first driving unit 7A and the second driving unit 7B based on the difference between the determined position and the current Y-direction position of the holding member 2 and the X-direction position of the carriage 4, thereby moving the workpiece 11 (holding member 2) and the cutter 3 to the cutting start position. In step S3, the control unit 801 performs cutting edge trimming to orient the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the cutting direction derived based on the cutting data. In step S4, the control unit 801 drives the third driving unit 7C so that the blade 300 of the cutter 3 bites into (pierces) the workpiece 11 with the initial pressing force P1.

[0027] After step S4, the cutting device 1 reduces the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 while changing the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11, and continues to cut the workpiece 11 (step S5). In step S5, the control unit 801 of the control panel 8 drives the third driving unit 7C to reduce the pressing force applied to the cutter 3, for example, based on the relationship between the pressing force and the amount of change (movement distance) in the position of the blade tip 301 of the cutter 3 in a planar view of the top surface of the workpiece 11, which is derived from the control parameters acquired in step S2. Also in step S5, the control unit 801 drives the first driving unit 7A and the second driving unit 7B based on the cutting data to control the position of the holding member 2 in the Y direction and the position of the blade tip 301 of the cutter 3 in the X direction, thereby changing the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11. The control unit 801 continues the process of step S5 until the pressing force of the cutter 3 reaches the steady pressing force P0 or the movement distance of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 becomes equal to or greater than the pressing force fluctuation length L12 (step S6; NO).

[0028] When the pressing force of the cutter 3 reaches the steady pressing force P0 or the movement distance of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 becomes equal to or greater than the pressing force fluctuation length L12 (step S6; YES), the control unit 801 changes the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 while applying the steady pressing force P0 to the cutter 3, and cuts the workpiece 11 (step S7). In step S7, the control unit 801 controls the operation of the third drive unit 7C, which drives the Z-direction movement mechanism 122 of the carriage movement mechanism 120, so that the position of the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 in the Z direction does not change. The control unit 801 continues the process of step S7 until the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the cutting end position (step S8; NO). When the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the cutting end position (step S8; YES), the control unit 801 ends the process of step S7, in which the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 continues cutting the workpiece 11 with the steady pressing force P0, and determines whether there is any cutting path that has not yet been cut (step S9). If it is determined that there are no cutting paths that have not been cut (step S9; NO), the control unit 801 pulls out the blade 300 of the cutter 3 from the workpiece 11, moves the holding member 2 and the cutter 3 to their initial positions (home positions) (step S13), and ends the cutting process.

[0029] If it is determined that there is an uncompleted cutting path (step S9; YES), the control unit 801 determines whether continuous cutting is possible based on the cutting data (step S10). In step S10, the control unit 801 determines whether cutting of the object 11 can be continued without pulling the blade 300 of the cutter 3 out of the object 11. That is, "continuous cutting" in step S10 means that the blade 300 of the cutter 3 will further cut the object 11, with the current cutting end position set as the cutting start position of the uncompleted cutting path. If continuous cutting is possible (step S10; YES), the control unit 801 performs blade edge trimming, changing the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to the cutting direction when cutting the object 11 further, with the current cutting end position set as the cutting start position of the next cut (step S11). Thereafter, the cutting device 1 performs the processes from step S7 onwards. If continuous cutting is not possible (step S10; NO), the control unit 801 pulls out the blade 300 of the cutter 3 from the object 11 (step S12). After that, the cutting device 1 performs the processes from step S3 onwards.

[0030] The cutting process described above with reference to FIG. 9 is merely an example of a cutting process that can be performed by the cutting device 1 of this embodiment. The cutting process in the cutting device 1 of this embodiment can be changed, for example, depending on the configurations of the holding member movement mechanism 110 and the X-direction movement mechanism 121 and Z-direction movement mechanism 122 of the carriage movement mechanism 120. The cutting process in the cutting device 1 of this embodiment can also be changed depending on the cutting procedure for the workpiece 11 based on the cutting data. For example, steps S5 to S9 illustrated in FIG. 9 may be changed depending on the magnitude relationship between the length of the cutting path to be cut and the pressure fluctuation length L12 illustrated in FIG. 8A. For example, when perforating the workpiece 11, the length of one cutting path may be shorter than the pressure fluctuation length L12 (e.g., 1.0 mm), and the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 may reach the cutting end position before the pressure of the cutter 3 reaches the steady pressure force P0 and before the movement distance of the cutting edge 301 reaches the pressure fluctuation length L12. Therefore, in the cutting process performed by the cutting device 1, if the length of one cutting path to be cut is shorter than the pressure force fluctuation length L12 (e.g., 1.0 mm), the judgment in step S9 may be made when the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the cutting end position. Also, for example, if continuous cutting is to be performed using the cutting end position as the next cutting start position, after trimming the cutting edge in step S11, the process may return to step S4 and change the pressure force from the steady pressure force P0 to the initial pressure force P1 (>P0). Furthermore, in the flowchart of FIG. 9, a process shown by one block may be performed as multiple processes, or processes shown by multiple blocks may be performed as a single integrated process.

[0031] As described above, in the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the pressing force (initial pressing force P1) applied to the cutter 3 when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 bites into the workpiece 11 is set to be greater than the pressing force (steady pressing force P0) required for the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to cut the workpiece 11. This prevents poor cutting due to an insufficient amount of penetration of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 at the cutting start position of the workpiece 11 (the position of the cutting edge 301 in the Z direction not reaching the target position ZT). In addition, the third drive unit 7C, which is pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the cutter 3 when cutting the workpiece 11, is controlled so that the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 bites into the workpiece 11 with the initial pressing force P1 and then moves the cutter 3 a predetermined distance L12 becomes a steady pressing force P0, which is smaller than the initial pressing force P1. That is, the control unit 801 controls the third drive unit 7C (pressing force applying means) so that the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 by the third drive unit 7C decreases as the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 is changed by a predetermined distance after the pressing force is applied to the cutter 3. This prevents poor cutting caused by a change in the amount of penetration of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 when the workpiece 11 is cut from the cutting start position. Specifically, by cutting the workpiece 11 while an initial pressing force P1 larger than the steady pressing force P0 is applied to the cutter 3, a fluctuation occurs in the amount of penetration of the blade 300 of the cutter 3, which increases. This prevents poor cutting, for example, by cutting a layer that should not be cut in a multi-layered workpiece 11. Furthermore, for example, by reducing the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 from the initial pressing force P1 to the steady pressing force P0 at the cutting start position and then cutting into the workpiece 11, fluctuations in the amount of penetration of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 occur, and it is possible to prevent poor cutting, in which the cutting is incomplete due to insufficient penetration. In particular, as described above with reference to Figure 7, by cutting while gradually reducing the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 from the cutting start position to position X12 where the pressing force is set to the steady pressing force P0, it is possible to reduce the range of fluctuations in the amount of penetration of the blade 300 of the cutter 3, and it is possible to stably cut into the workpiece 11 from the cutting start position.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 is controlled to be the steady pressing force P0 when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is moved relatively a predetermined distance L12 after the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is inserted into the workpiece 11 at the cutting start position. However, the cutting device 1 of the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 may be controlled to be the steady pressing force P0 when the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is moved relatively a predetermined time after the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is inserted into the workpiece 11 at the cutting start position. For example, the position X12 illustrated in FIG. 7 at which the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 from the cutting start position XS becomes the steady pressing force P0 can be easily derived when the cutting path in a plan view of the upper surface of the workpiece 11 is straight. However, when the cutting path in a plan view of the upper surface of the workpiece 11 includes a curve, it may be difficult to derive the position X12 moved the distance L12 from the cutting start position XS. In response to this, for example, the timing at which the pressure applied to the cutter 3 becomes the steady pressure force P0 can be identified by deriving the time required for the cutting edge 301 of the cutter 3 to move the distance L12 from the cutting start position XS based on the pressure force fluctuation length L12 and the cutting speed shown in Fig. 8A. Therefore, regardless of the cutting path from the cutting start position XS to the cutting end position XE, the pressure applied to the cutter 3 at the appropriate position X12 can be controlled to become the steady pressure force P0.

[0033] In the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the control of reducing the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 along the cutting path from the cutting start position XS to the position X12 is not limited to linear control in which the pressing force decreases in proportion to the distance from the cutting start position XS, but may be nonlinear control. The pressing force applied to the cutter 3 along the cutting path from the cutting start position XS to the position X12 may be controlled so as to decrease stepwise every time the cutting advances a predetermined distance ΔL, as shown in Fig. 10. Furthermore, the pressing force applied to the cutter 3 along the cutting path from the cutting start position XS to the position X12 may be controlled so as to be represented by a monotonically decreasing curve.

[0034] The above-described embodiment is a specific example shown to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The cutting device, cutting method, and program can be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...Cutting device, 2...Holding member, 3...Cutter, 300...Blade, 7A...First driving unit, 7B...Second driving unit, 7C...Third driving unit, 110...Holding member moving mechanism, 121...X-direction moving mechanism, 122...Z-direction moving mechanism, 8...Control panel, 801...Control unit, 11...Object to be cut

Claims

1. a holding member for holding a sheet-shaped object to be cut; a cutter that cuts the object by changing the relative position of a blade that is inserted into the object with respect to the object; a pressing force applying means for applying a pressing force to the cutter in contact with the object to be cut; a relative position changing means for changing a relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut held by the holding member; a control unit that controls the pressing force applying means so that the pressing force applied to the cutter by the pressing force applying means decreases as the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the workpiece is changed by a predetermined distance or for a predetermined time after the pressing force is applied to the cutter; A cutting device comprising:

2. At least one cutting path is set for cutting the object by the cutter, The control unit A first pressing force is applied to the blade of the cutter that bites into the workpiece at the start of cutting along the cutting path; controlling the pressing force applying means so that a second pressing force smaller than the first pressing force is applied to the cutter when the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the workpiece is changed by the predetermined distance or for the predetermined time after the blade of the cutter has bitten into the workpiece; 2. The cutting device of claim 1.

3. the control unit controls the pressing force applying means so that a pressing force applied to the cutter in a cutting section from a first position to a second position in a cutting path set for the workpiece decreases monotonically according to a distance from the first position or an elapsed time since movement from the first position to the second position is started.

3. A cutting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A control unit that controls the operation of a cutting device that includes a holding member that holds a sheet-shaped object to be cut and a cutter that cuts the object to be cut, a first step of applying a pressing force to the cutter in contact with the object to be cut held by the holding member to cause the blade of the cutter to bite into the object to be cut; a second step of cutting the object by changing the relative position of the blade of the cutter that has been inserted into the object, with respect to the object; In the second step, the pressing force applied to the cutter is controlled so that the pressing force applied to the cutter decreases as the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the workpiece is changed by a predetermined distance or for a predetermined time after the pressing force is applied to the cutter in the first step. Cutting method.

5. A control unit for controlling the operation of a cutting device including a holding member for holding a sheet-shaped object to be cut and a cutter for cutting the object to be cut, a first step of applying a pressing force to the cutter in contact with the object to be cut held by the holding member to cause the blade of the cutter to bite into the object to be cut; a second step of cutting the object by changing a relative position of the blade of the cutter that has been caused to bite into the object with respect to the object; In the second step, the pressing force applied to the cutter is controlled so that the pressing force applied to the cutter decreases as the relative position of the blade of the cutter with respect to the workpiece is changed by a predetermined distance or for a predetermined time after the pressing force is applied to the cutter in the first step. program.

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