Cutting device, control method, and program

Abstract

To prevent deterioration of the appearance of the finished product obtained by cutting the material to be cut. [Solution] When the cutting device (1) cuts the object to be cut (11) along a cutting line (CL2) set on the object to be cut, it stops cutting the object along the cutting line when the blade of the cutter (3) reaches a predetermined position (QE) that is a predetermined distance (U3) away from the corner (Q3) in front of the cutting line, moves the cutter away from the object to be cut, adjusts the direction of the cutter blade to the direction in which cutting of the object to be cut along the cutting line (CL2) from the corner (Q3) begins, positions the cutter at the corner and bites into the object to be cut, and controls a relative position changing means that changes the relative position of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut so that it performs a cutting operation that cuts the object along the cutting line from the corner toward the predetermined position until the distance from the corner to the tip of the cutter (301) is equal to or greater than the distance (U3) from the corner toward the predetermined position.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There is a cutting device that cuts a sheet-like object to be cut (object to be processed) by changing the relative position of a cutter with respect to the object to be cut while pressing the blade of the cutter against the first surface of the object to be cut, thereby cutting out a desired shape from the object to be cut. In this type of cutting device, in order to prevent an extra cut from entering the processed product when cutting a sheet material along a cutting line, the operation of moving the cutter from one end to the other end is stopped before reaching the other end, and then the direction of the blade of the cutter separated from the sheet material is reversed by a drive mechanism and moved from the other end toward the one end, so that the entire cutting line is cut (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described cutting device, there is a device in which the direction of the cutter blade is adjusted and the object to be cut is cut by changing the relative position of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut while pressing the blade of the cutter against the object to be cut. In this type of cutting device, a drive mechanism for changing the direction of the blade of the cutter separated from the object to be cut is omitted, and it is difficult to prevent an extra cut from entering the object to be cut. For this reason, the corners of the product obtained after cutting may be curled or scratched, and the appearance may deteriorate.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and one of its objectives is to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the resulting product obtained by cutting the material to be cut. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cutting apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a cutting apparatus that adjusts the direction of the blade of the cutter and cuts the object to be cut by changing the relative position of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut while the blade of the cutter is embedded in the object to be cut by a relative position changing means, and obtains an output of a predetermined shape from the object to be cut, and is equipped with a control means. When the control means cuts the object to be cut along a cutting line included in a cutting path set for the object to be cut, it stops cutting the object along the cutting line when the blade of the cutter reaches a predetermined position on the cutting line, which is a predetermined distance away from the corner in front of the cutting line towards the blade of the cutter, moves the cutter away from the object to be cut, adjusts the direction of the blade of the cutter to the direction in which cutting of the object along the cutting line from the corner begins, positions the cutter at the corner and engages the blade of the cutter with the object to be cut, and controls the operation of the relative position changing means to perform a cutting operation that cuts the object along the cutting line from the corner toward the predetermined position until the distance from the corner to the tip of the cutter is equal to or greater than the distance from the corner toward the predetermined position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the output obtained by cutting the object to be cut. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figures 1A and 1B illustrate an example of the configuration of a cutting device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a cutting device. [Figure 3]Figures 3A to 3C illustrate the rotational motion of the carriage. [Figure 4] Figures 4A to 4C illustrate the rotational movement of the cutter. [Figure 5] Figures 5A and 5B illustrate the cutting path set for the object to be cut and an example of corner deterioration in the resulting product. [Figure 6] Figures 6A and 6B illustrate an example of a first corner processing mode in a cutting device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates an example of the rotation range of the cutter blade in the first corner processing mode. [Figure 8] Figures 8A to 8C illustrate an example of a second corner processing mode in a cutting device according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 illustrates an example of setting the corner processing mode for the corners of the cutting path. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the corner movement setting process. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a cutting process performed by a cutting device according to one embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 illustrates an example of the timing for initiating control of the cutting operation on a corner. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process in step S210 of Figure 11. [Figure 14] Figures 14A and 14B illustrate modified examples of the cutting operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The X, Y, and Z axes in the referenced drawings are shown for the purpose of identifying the relationships between identical components shown in different drawings, such as their planes and directions. The X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal 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 the X, Y, and Z directions to the directions of the arrows (positive and negative) of the X, Y, and Z axes shown in the drawings, they will be prefixed with "+" or "-", or "positive side" or "negative side". For example, "+X direction" and "-X direction" refer to the direction of travel and the opposite direction of travel of the arrow indicating the X axis, respectively. Furthermore, "positive X-direction" refers to the side that is in the +X direction when viewed from a reference surface, member, position, etc., and "negative X-direction" 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 and down direction. In this specification, "up" or "above" means the positive Z direction relative to a reference surface, member, position, etc., and "down" or "below" means the negative Z direction relative to a reference surface, member, position, etc. For example, when it is stated that "member B is placed on member A," member B is placed on the positive Z direction relative to member A. Also, when it is stated that "the top surface of member A," that surface includes the surface located at the positive Z end of member A and facing the positive Z direction. These directions and the names of the surfaces associated with them are used for the sake of explanation only, and the correspondence with the X, Y, and Z directions may change depending on the mounting position of the cutting device exemplified. For example, the surface referred to as the "top surface" in this specification may be referred to as the "bottom surface" or "side surface," etc., and the names of other surfaces may be changed accordingly.

[0011] The aspect ratios and relative sizes of components in each diagram are purely schematic representations and do not necessarily correspond to the actual relationships in manufactured cutting equipment, etc. For the sake of explanation, the relative sizes of components may be exaggerated in some cases. Underlined symbols in the diagrams indicate that a symbol refers to the entire component when a part of that component is referred to by another symbol.

[0012] Furthermore, in this specification and the referenced drawings, multiple identical components assigned the same numerical code are distinguished by the alphabet following the numerical code. In this specification, multiple identical components distinguished by the alphabet in the code may be distinguished by descriptions such as "first," "second," etc. These descriptions are solely for the purpose of distinguishing multiple identical components, and a component preceded by "first" in this specification may also be referred to as the "second" component. Depending on the context, there may be no "second component," and only "first component" and "third component" may be described. In addition, in this specification, when referring to matters common to multiple identical components, the alphabet in the code and descriptions such as "first," "second," etc. may be omitted. For example, the first drive unit 7A, the second drive unit 7B, and the third drive unit 7C may be described as "drive unit 7," "drive units 7A, 7B, and 7C," etc.

[0013] The cutting device 1 illustrated in Figure 1A includes a holding member 2, a cutter 3, a carriage 4, a carriage support member 5, transport rollers 6A and 6B, drive units 7A, 7B and 7C, and a control panel 8. Note that Figure 1A only illustrates the main components involved in the cutting operation of the object to be cut 11 among the components constituting the cutting device 1 according to one embodiment. From another viewpoint, the cutting device 1 may include a cutting unit 100 and a control panel 8 that controls the operation of the cutting unit 100, as illustrated in Figure 2. The cutting device 1 may be configured such that the cutting unit 100 and the control panel 8 are separate and connected by a cable, or the cutting unit 100 and the control panel 8 are integrated. The control panel 8 may also be called a control device 8 or a control unit 8, etc.

[0014] The cutting unit 100 includes drive units 7A, 7B, and 7C, a holding member moving mechanism 110, and a carriage moving mechanism 120. The carriage moving mechanism 120 includes an X-direction moving mechanism 121 and a rotational moving mechanism 122. The holding member moving mechanism 110 can be a mechanism that moves the holding member 2 in the Y direction by the power of the first drive unit (for example, a stepping motor) 7A. The X-direction moving mechanism 121 can be a mechanism that moves the carriage 4 to which the cutter 3 is attached in the X direction by the power of the second drive unit (for example, a stepping motor) 7B. The first drive unit 7A and the holding member moving mechanism 110, and the second drive unit 7B and the X-direction moving mechanism 121 are an example of relative position changing means for changing the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the XY plane parallel to the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11. The rotational moving mechanism 122 can be a mechanism that rotates the carriage 4 about a first rotation axis parallel to the X axis with the power of the third drive unit (for example, a stepping motor) 7C in order to move the cutter 3 between a separated position and a cutting position. The cutting position is intended to be the position of the cutter 3 when cutting the workpiece 11 (see FIGS. 3B and 3C), and the separated position is intended to be the position of the cutter 3 separated from the workpiece 11 so that the workpiece 11 is not cut (see FIG. 3A). In the cutting device 1 of FIG. 1, the first rotation axis that is the rotation center of the carriage 4 can be the axis R1 of the carriage support member 5. In the following description, the axis R1 of the carriage support member 5 is also referred to as the "first rotation axis R1". The third drive unit 7C and the rotational moving mechanism 122 are an example of pressing load changing means for changing the pressing load applied from the cutter 3 to the workpiece 11. The third drive unit 7C and the rotational moving mechanism 122 are also an example of relative position changing means for changing the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the workpiece 11.

[0015] The carriage 4 is supported by a carriage support member 5 so as to be movable in the X direction at a position where it does not contact the work piece 11 above the holding member 2. The illustrated carriage support member 5 is a round bar and is arranged at a position where it does not contact the work piece 11 above the holding member 2 with the extending direction of the axis R1 being in the X direction. The X-direction position of the carriage 4 along the carriage support member 5 is changed (controlled) by a second drive unit 7B and an X-direction movement mechanism 121. Further, the carriage 4 is supported by the carriage support member 5 so as to be rotatable about the axis R1 of the carriage support member 5, and the rotational position of the carriage 4 about the axis R1 is changed (controlled) by a third drive unit 7C and a rotational movement mechanism 122. In the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, the rotational position of the carriage 4 is changed between a first rotational position where the cutter 3 is at the cutting position and a second rotational position where the cutter 3 is at the separated position. The cutting position of the cutter 3 can be a position where the cutting edge (blade tip) 300 of the cutter 3 bites into the work piece 11 to such an extent that the work piece 11 can be cut, as exemplified in FIGS. 3B and 3C. The first rotational position of the carriage 4 can be a position where the lower surface is parallel to the upper surface 1101 of the work piece 11, as exemplified in FIGS. 3B and 3C. The second rotational position of the carriage 4 can be a position where the cutter 3 at the cutting position is rotated by an angle θ1 in a direction away from the holding member 2 (the upper surface 201 of the plate-like member 200) as exemplified in FIG. 3A, and the cutting edge 300 of the cutter 3 is separated from the work piece 11.

[0016] As described above, the carriage 4 that holds the cutter 3 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the object to be cut 11 above the holding member 2. For this reason, the cutter 3 is mounted on the carriage 4 so that when it is in the cutting position (see Figure 3B), it extends downward from the lower surface of the carriage 4 and the blade 300 at its lower end bites into the object to be cut 11. Furthermore, in the illustrated cutting device 1, the cutter 3 is mounted on the carriage 4 so that the cutting of the object to be cut 11 by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 occurs at a position negative in the Y direction from the first rotation axis R1, which is the rotation center of the carriage 4. In other words, the cutter 3 in the illustrated cutting device 1 is positioned at a predetermined distance away in the -Y direction from the first rotation axis R1 of the carriage 4.

[0017] In the cutting device 1, the cutter 3 is mounted on the carriage 4 so as to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation R2, which is parallel to the normal direction (Z direction) of the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 when it is in the cutting position, as illustrated in Figures 3B and 3C. The cutter 3 is mounted on the carriage 4, for example, in the cutter holder 9 shown in Figure 1B, so as to be rotatable about the second axis of rotation R2. The cutter 3 may be a round bar with a blade (cutting edge) 300 formed by the edges of two planes at one end in the axial direction, and is mounted on the cutter holder 9 so as to the axis of the round bar which is the second axis of rotation R2. The blade 300 of the cutter 3 is formed so that the second axis of rotation R2 passes through the center in the extension direction of the blade 300, and the cutting edge 301 is offset by a predetermined distance (offset amount) from the second axis of rotation R2. The material of the cutter 3 (round bar) may be, for example, a magnetic material such as steel or iron. The cutter holder 9 includes a cylindrical portion 900, a magnet 910, a cap 920, and a bearing 930. The cylindrical portion 900 is a generally cylindrical member having an upper housing portion for housing the magnet 910 and a lower housing portion for housing the bearing 930 that rotatably supports the cutter 3, with the upper housing portion and the lower housing portion communicating through a small-diameter hole. The magnet 910 housed in the upper housing portion is fixed in position within the upper housing portion by fitting the cap 920 onto the upper housing portion. The cutter 3 has the end opposite to the end where the blade 300 is formed in the axial direction (upper end) rotatably inserted into the small-diameter hole of the cylindrical portion 900, and the intermediate portion between the upper end and the end where the blade 300 is provided (lower end) is rotatably supported by the bearing 930. Note that the cutter holder 9 is not limited to the configuration described above.

[0018] The cutter holder 9 is attached to the carriage 4 such that when cutting the object to be cut 11, the cutter 3 extends downward from the lower surface of the carriage 4 facing the upper surface 1101, and the blade 300 of the cutter 3 bites into the object to be cut 11. In this specification, the expression "bites into" means applying a pressing load from the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to the object to be cut 11 in order to cut the object to be cut 11 (pressing the blade 300 against the object to be cut 11). In other words, "bites into," "to make bite into," and other similar expressions in this specification may be synonymous with "to press against," "to make press against," and other similar expressions. Note that making the blade 300 of the cutter 3 bite into the object to be cut 11 may be reinterpreted as piercing the blade 300 of the cutter 3 into the object to be cut 11, or pressing it against the object to be cut 11.

[0019] The holding member 2 is a member that holds the object to be cut (workpiece) 11, and includes a plate-shaped member 200, sometimes called a backing, and an adhesive layer 210 placed on the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200 (see Figure 3A, etc.). The object to be cut 11 may be in the form of a sheet or film, such as paper, resin sheet, or sticker paper. The plate-shaped member 200 may have a thickness and hardness that prevents the object to be cut 11 from warping (bending) when a pressing load is applied to the object to be cut 11 from the blade 300 of the cutter 3. The adhesive layer 210 may be an example of a fixing member that prevents the position of the object to be cut 11 placed on the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200 from shifting. The plate-shaped member 200 has a clamped portion on the outside of the area on the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200 where the object to be cut 11 is placed, which is clamped by the transport rollers 6A and 6B. The plate-shaped member 200 illustrated in Figure 1 has a clamping portion extending along the Y direction at both the positive end and the negative end in the X direction. The first conveyor roller 6A is positioned above the plate-shaped member 200 so as to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the X direction, and has a large-diameter clamping portion that contacts the clamping portion on the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200. The second conveyor roller 6B is positioned below the plate-shaped member 200 so as to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the X direction, and has a large-diameter clamping portion that contacts the clamping portion on the lower surface of the plate-shaped member 200. The first conveyor roller 6A and the second conveyor roller 6B are included in the holding member moving mechanism 110 in the cutting unit 100 illustrated in Figure 2. The first conveyor roller 6A and the second conveyor roller 6B may have one roller as a driving roller connected to the first drive unit 7A, and the other roller as a driven roller. The holding member moving mechanism 110 may be any well-known mechanism and is not limited to a specific mechanism. For example, the holding member moving mechanism 110 may have a stage on which the holding member 2 is placed and move (slide) the stage in the Y direction.

[0020] The holding member 2, used in combination with the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, has an adjustment area 220 for adjusting (changing) the direction of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in an area of ​​the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200 that is different from the area where the object to be cut 11 is placed and the area that becomes the clamped part as described above. The cutting device 1 can, for example, adjust (change) the direction of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the adjustment area 220 in the cutting direction from the cutting start position before moving the cutter 3 to the cutting start position of the cutting path set on the object to be cut 11. In addition, when the cutting device 1 controls the cutting operation for the corners of the cutting path based on the second corner processing mode described later (when cutting in the reverse direction), it adjusts (changes) the direction of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the adjustment area 220.

[0021] The cutter 3 used to cut the workpiece 11 is attached to the carriage 4 so as illustrated in Figures 3A to 3C, that it rotates integrally with the carriage 4 around a first rotation axis R1 and also around a second rotation axis R2. The carriage 4 is supported by a carriage support member 5 so as to be movable in the X direction at a position above the holding member 2 that does not come into contact with the workpiece 11. The illustrated carriage support member 5 is a round bar and is positioned above the holding member 2 that does not come into contact with the workpiece 11, with the extension direction of its axis R1 being in the X direction. The position of the carriage 4 in the X direction along the carriage support member 5 is changed (controlled) by the second drive unit 7B and the X-direction movement mechanism 121. Furthermore, the rotational position of the carriage 4, with respect to the axis (first rotation axis) R1 of the carriage support member 5 as the center of rotation, is changed (controlled) by the third drive unit 7C and the rotational movement mechanism 122 between a first rotational position where the cutter 3 is in the cutting position and a second rotational position where the cutter 3 is in the separated position.

[0022] As described above, the tip 301 of the cutter 3 is offset by a predetermined distance (offset amount) from the second rotation axis R2 of the cutter 3. Therefore, the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment can adjust (change) the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to an orientation corresponding to the direction of change by changing the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 while the cutter 3 is in the cutting position. The orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 can be the direction from the tip 301 to the other end of the blade (cutting edge) 300 in a plane whose normal direction is the extension direction of the second rotation axis R2. For example, the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 shown in Figure 4A is in the +X direction, which is schematically shown by a solid isosceles triangle in the XY plane view of Figure 4B.

[0023] When the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is oriented in the +X direction, for example, if the relative position changing means is operated to change the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the -Y direction, the cutter 3 rotates with its tip 301 as a pivot point, as illustrated in Figure 4B, and the orientation of the blade 300 changes to the -Y direction. At this time, the relative position changing means moves the carriage 4 in the -X direction by the offset amount of the tip 301 of the cutter 3, while moving the holding member 2 in the +Y direction. After the orientation of the blade 300 becomes -Y, if the relative position changing means continues to change the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the -Y direction, the workpiece 11 can be cut in the -Y direction, as shown in Figure 4C. When cutting the workpiece 11 in the -Y direction, the cutting device 1 moves the holding member 2 in the +Y direction while fixing the position of the carriage 4 in the X direction. When the holding member 2 is moved in the +Y direction, the section 12 cut by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the workpiece 11 advances in the -Y direction. Conversely, in the cutting device 1, when the holding member 2 is moved in the -Y direction, the section cut by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the workpiece 11 advances in the +Y direction. In the following description, the direction in which the section cut by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the workpiece 11 advances will be referred to as the "cutting direction". That is, when the blade 300 is oriented in the -Y direction, the cutting direction is the -Y direction, and when the blade 300 is oriented in the +Y direction, the cutting direction is the +Y direction. The cutting direction and the direction in which the cut section advances may also be interpreted as the direction in which the blade 300 of the cutter 3 cuts through the workpiece 11.

[0024] The cutting device 1 according to this embodiment can, for example, set a cutting path C, indicated by the concave hexagonal contour shown in Figure 5A, on the upper surface of the object to be cut 11, and cut the object to be cut 11 along the cutting path C. In this specification, as an example, the procedure for cutting the object to be cut 11 along the cutting path C shown in Figure 5A will be described, but the cutting path C is not limited to a specific shape. The cutting device 1, for example, sets a corner Q1 of the cutting path C as the cutting start position (starting point), and first changes the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the object to be cut 11 so that the tip 301 of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 moves from corner Q1 to corner Q2 along the cutting line CL1 of the cutting path C. Since the extension direction of the cutting line CL1 is the X direction, the cutting device 1 moves the carriage 4 in the +X direction by the second drive unit 7B and the X direction movement mechanism 121 while the position of the holding member 2 in the Y direction is fixed. When the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the corner Q2, the cutting device 1 changes the direction of the blade 300 from the +X direction to the -Y direction while keeping the blade 300 embedded in the workpiece 11, and cuts the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL2 from the corner Q2 (see Figures 6A and 6B).

[0025] When the tip 301 of the cutter 3, which has been cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL1 in the +X direction, reaches corner Q2, the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is located in region T1 on the +X side of corner Q2 in the workpiece 11, as illustrated in Figure 6A. Therefore, when changing the direction of the blade 300 at corner Q2, the cutter 3 rotates so that the blade 300 that has entered region T1 beyond corner Q2 stirs up the portion of the workpiece 11 within region T1. Similarly, at corners Q4, Q5, and Q6, the blade 300 of the cutter 3 rotates within region T1. In contrast, when the tip 301 of the cutter 3, which has been cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL2 in the -Y direction, reaches corner Q3, the blade 300 of the cutter 3 has passed corner Q3 and entered region T2, as illustrated in Figure 7. Therefore, when the blade 300 changes direction at the corner Q3, the cutter 3 rotates so that the blade 300 that has entered the region T1 beyond the corner Q3 stirs up the portion of the workpiece 11 within region T2. ​​Consequently, at the corner Q3 within region T2, the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 may curl up within a sector-shaped region T9 with a radius equal to the length U1 of the blade 300 of the cutter 3, potentially causing deterioration of appearance such as scratches.

[0026] When the region T2 enclosed by the cutting path C in the workpiece 11 illustrated in Figure 5A is used as the deliverable, the deliverable cut with corner Q1 as the starting point may have a deteriorated appearance due to gouging, etc., caused by the blade 300 passing over corner Q3 and entering region T2 when cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL2, as illustrated in Figure 5B, or due to gouging caused by the rotation of the blade 300. Conversely, when region T1 is used as the deliverable, deterioration of appearance such as gouging caused by the rotation of the blade 300 may occur at corners Q2, Q4, Q5, and Q6. In this specification, the term "deliverable" refers to the workpiece 11 after it has been cut along the cutting path C and unnecessary parts have been removed.

[0027] Whether changing the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 at a corner Q of the cutting path C affects the finished product depends on the magnitude of the angle of the corner Q that is inside the area of ​​the finished product (hereinafter referred to as "inner angle θ2"). When the inner angle of the corner Q, which is the point of contact between two cutting lines, is 0 < θ2 < 180, deterioration of the appearance of the corner Q in the finished product, such as curling caused by the rotation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3, is unlikely to occur. On the other hand, when the inner angle θ2 (degrees) of the corner Q is 180 < θ2 < 360, deterioration of the appearance of the corner Q in the finished product, such as curling caused by the rotation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3, is likely to occur. In the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, the cutting operation for the corner Q located between the cutting start position (start point) and the cutting end position (end point) in the cutting path C is controlled based on the relationship between the inner angle θ2 of the corner Q and the deterioration of the appearance of the corner Q in the finished product described above. The cutting device 1 selects either a first corner processing mode or a second corner processing mode according to the size of the interior angle θ2 of the corner Q, and controls the cutting operation on the corner Q based on the selected corner processing mode. The "cutting operation" controlled based on the corner processing mode includes the operation of cutting the workpiece 11 along the first cutting line up to the corner Q, and the subsequent operation of changing the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to make it possible to cut the workpiece 11 from the corner Q along the second cutting line.

[0028] The first corner processing mode is a processing mode in which the cutting operation on the corner Q is performed while the pressing load applied to the cutter 3 is constant. Specifically, the first corner processing mode is a processing mode in which, after cutting the workpiece 11 up to the corner Q while a predetermined pressing load P is applied to the cutter 3, the direction of the blade 300 is changed while the pressing load P is still applied to the cutter 3. The pressing load P is set based on, for example, the pressing load applied from the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to the workpiece 11 necessary to cut along the cutting line, the cutting edge angle and blade thickness angle of the cutter 3, and the moment associated with rotation (rotation) with the first rotation axis R1 as the center of rotation. The first corner processing mode is selected, for example, when the interior angle θ2 (degrees) of the corner Q is 0 < θ2 < 180. When the first corner processing mode is selected, the cutting device 1 maintains a state in which a predetermined pressing load P is applied to the cutter 3 and controls the X-direction position of the carriage 4 to which the cutter 3 is attached and the Y-direction position of the holding member 2 based on the cutting data. The operation performed by the cutting device 1 when the first corner processing mode is selected may be the same as the operation in a well-known cutting device 1 that changes the orientation of the blade 300 while maintaining the state in which a pressing load P is applied to the cutter 3 at the corner Q.

[0029] The second corner processing mode divides the operation of cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line up to corner Q into two parts: an operation to cut in a first direction toward corner Q up to a position QE before corner Q, and an operation to cut from corner Q in a second direction opposite to the first direction up to at least position QE. The second corner processing mode is selected, for example, when the interior angle θ2 (degrees) of corner Q is 180 < θ2 < 360.

[0030] When the second corner processing mode is selected, the operation of cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL2 in the -Y direction (towards corner Q3) ends before corner Q3, as illustrated in Figure 8A. Figure 8A shows an enlarged view of the portion of the cutting path C in the workpiece 11 in Figure 5A that includes corner Q3. The same applies to Figures 8B and 8C. More specifically, the operation of cutting towards corner Q3 ends when the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches a position (cutting stop position) QE that is a predetermined distance U3 before corner Q3 on the cutting line CL2. The distance U3 from corner Q3 to position QE may correspond to the value U4+U5, which is the sum of the distance U4 from the front end to the rear end of the cutter 3 in a plan view of the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 and the distance U5 from the front end of the cutter 3 to corner Q3. Instead of distance U4, the diameter of the cutter 3 (round bar) may be used. Distance U5 may be "0". Note that distances U3 and U5 are intended to be the distance between two points along the cutting line CL2, and when the cutting line is curved, distances U3 and U5 will be longer than the straight-line distance (shortest distance) between two points on the upper surface of the object to be cut 11.

[0031] In the second corner processing mode, after cutting up to position QE of the cutting line CL2, the cutter 3 is moved away from the workpiece 11, and the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 and the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 are changed so that the workpiece 11 is cut from corner Q3 along the cutting line CL2 toward position QE (i.e., in the +Y direction), as illustrated in Figure 8B. After moving the cutter 3 away from the workpiece 11, the cutting device 1 performs an operation to change the orientation of the blade 300 from the -Y direction to the +Y direction by engaging the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with an adjustment area 220 (see Figure 1) provided on the upper surface 201 of the plate-shaped member 200 in the holding member 2. The orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 may be changed in a non-productive area of ​​the workpiece 11 instead of the adjustment area 220. Subsequently, the cutting device 1 changes the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 so that the tip 301 of the cutter 3 can bite into the corner Q3 of the workpiece 11, and moves the cutter 3 from a separated position to a cutting position. These operations may be the same as those performed in a well-known cutting device in which the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 is automatically changed in response to a change in the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11.

[0032] After the cutter 3 is positioned to cut the workpiece 11 from corner Q3 along the cutting line CL2 toward position QE, the cutting device 1 moves the holding member 2 on which the workpiece 11 is placed in the -Y direction to cut the section from corner Q3 to position QE on the cutting line CL2. At this time, the cutting device 1 moves the holding member 2 in the -Y direction until the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches a position U3+U6 from corner Q3 on the cutting line CL2, for example, as shown in Figure 8C. The distance U6 may be, for example, about 0.1 mm to 1 mm, but is not limited to a specific length. The distance U6 may also be "0". Position QE is the position reached by the tip 301 of the cutter 3 that cuts the workpiece 11 from corner Q2 toward corner Q3. Therefore, when the operation to cut the workpiece 11 from corner Q3 toward position QE is started, the cutting line CL2 is in a state where the cutting up to position QE is completed (see Figures 6A and 7). Therefore, by performing the operation of cutting the object to be cut 11 in the +Y direction along the cutting line CL2 from corner Q3 until the tip 301 of the cutter 3 exceeds position QE, the entire cutting line CL2 connecting corners Q2 and Q3 in the cutting path C set on the object to be cut 11 can be reliably cut.

[0033] After the entire cutting of the cutting line CL2 is completed using the procedure described above, the cutting device 1 changes the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 and its relative position to the workpiece 11 in order to cut the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL3 from the corner Q3. In Figure 8C, the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 and its position on the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 when cutting the workpiece 11 in the +X direction along the cutting line CL3 from the corner Q3 is shown by the dotted line cutter 3. The orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 can be changed, for example, in the adjustment region 220. Note that if the cutting line CL3 is to be cut after the cutting line CL2 has been cut using the procedure described above, the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 can be changed from the +Y direction to the +X direction, in other words, so that the blade 300 rotates within region T1. Therefore, if region T1 is not a deliverable, the orientation of the blade 300 may be changed from the +Y direction to the +X direction while the cutter 3 is at the position where the cutting line CL2 is completed, and then the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 may be changed so that the tip 301 coincides with the corner Q3. In this way, after the cutting of the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL2 is completed, by adjusting the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the region outside the region T2 that will be a deliverable on the workpiece 11, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the workpiece 11 due to the rotation of the blade 300 when cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line CL3 from the corner Q3. When adjusting the orientation of the blade 300 in region T1 that will be a non-deliverable on the workpiece 11, the distance the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 moves is shorter compared to when the adjustment region 220 is used, and the time required for the cutting process is prevented from becoming longer. On the other hand, when adjusting the direction of the blade 300 within the adjustment region 220 provided in the holding member 2, for example, when the entire area obtained by cutting the object to be cut 11 is to be used as the final product, it is possible to prevent traces of the blade direction adjustment from appearing on the final product.

[0034] Referring to Figures 8A to 8C, in the second corner processing mode described above, when the workpiece 11 is cut along the cutting path C, the blade 300 of the cutter 3 does not pass over the corner Q3 located in the middle of the cutting path C and enter the region T2 that will become the finished product. Therefore, the corner Q3 of the finished product cut based on the second corner processing mode does not suffer from any deterioration in appearance such as minute cuts caused by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 entering it. In addition, in the second corner processing mode, there is no deterioration in appearance such as scratches caused by changing the direction of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 at corners Q where the interior angle θ2 (degrees) is 180 < θ2 < 360. Therefore, by controlling the cutting operation on the corner Q of the workpiece 11 based on the second corner processing mode, a high-quality finished product can be obtained in which there is no deterioration in appearance at the corner Q. Furthermore, when the cutting operation on the corner Q of the workpiece 11 is controlled based on the second corner processing mode, it is possible to prevent deterioration of appearance in both the two adjacent regions T1 and T2 separated by the cutting line (cutting path C) from occurring due to the change in the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3. For example, when both the two regions T1 and T2 separated by the cutting line are to be used as deliverables, both deliverables can be of high quality with no deterioration of appearance at the corner Q. Also, when region T2 is to be used as a deliverable and region T1 is not to be used as a deliverable, as illustrated in Figure 5B, the rotation of the blade 300 does not affect the appearance of the corners Q2, Q4, Q5, and Q6 in the deliverable. Therefore, when the region T2 obtained by cutting the workpiece 11 exemplified in Figure 5A along the cutting path C is to be used as the output, as exemplified in Figure 9, only the cutting operation for corner Q3 can be controlled based on the second corner processing mode, and the cutting operations for corners Q2, Q4, Q5, and Q6 can be controlled based on the first corner processing mode. By performing such control, it is possible to obtain a high-quality output while suppressing the time required to complete the cutting process of the workpiece 11 along the cutting path C.

[0035] The operations performed by the cutting device 1, including the cutting operation on the corner Q described above, are controlled by the control panel 8. As illustrated in Figure 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 cutting unit 100 by executing a control program for controlling the operation of the cutting unit 100. The functions of the control unit 801 are provided by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the control program stored in the storage unit 802. The storage unit 802 stores the control program for controlling the operation of the cutting unit 100, cutting data including information on the cutting line (cutting path) set on the object to be cut 11, etc. The functions of the storage unit 802 can be provided by ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) as main memory. The storage device that provides the functions of the storage unit 802 may also include auxiliary storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0036] The input unit 803 accepts operations for inputting and selecting control parameters related to the operation of the cutting unit 100. The display unit 804 visualizes and displays information indicating the control parameters and operating status related to the operation of the cutting unit 100. The functions of the input unit 803 and the display unit 804 are provided, for example, by an operation panel that integrates an input device such as a switch or keyboard with a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The operation panel may have a touch panel display that has the functions of both the input unit 803 and the display unit 804. The communication unit 805 communicates with the cutting unit 100 by wire or wireless means, and performs tasks such as acquiring the operating status of the cutting unit 100 and transmitting control signals to the cutting unit 100. The communication unit 805 can communicate with an imaging device (not shown) that captures an image showing the cutting line (cutting path) to be set on the object to be cut 11, and may acquire the image data captured by the imaging device as cutting data or its source data. When the image data captured by the imaging device is acquired as the source data for cutting data, the control unit 801 performs a process to derive the cutting lines from the source data (image).

[0037] Furthermore, the control panel 800 is not limited to being a device designed and manufactured specifically for controlling the cutting unit 100; it may also be a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer that executes a computer-readable control program. The multiple functions shown in multiple blocks in the control panel 8 of Figure 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 integrated circuit devices such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Also, the functions shown in a single block in the control panel 8 of Figure 2 may be provided by multiple separate pieces of hardware. For example, the functions of the memory unit 802 may be provided by ROM and RAM, as well as auxiliary storage devices such as HDDs, as described above. In addition, there may be two or more processors providing the functions of the control unit 801. Furthermore, the operation of the cutting device 1 according to this embodiment may be controlled by a smartphone or personal computer that can communicate with the communication unit 805 of the control panel 8. As described above, the control panel 8 may also be called a control device 8 or a control unit 8, and may be, for example, a small computer built into the device housing of the cutting device 1 together with the cutting unit 100.

[0038] As described above, the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment can control the cutting operation on corner Q of the cutting path C based on either a first corner processing mode or a second corner processing mode. Which corner processing mode to use for control can be related, for example, to the interior angle θ2 (degrees) of corner Q. As described above, the interior angle θ2 is the angle between the two cutting lines extending from corner Q within the output area around corner Q. For example, if one of two adjacent areas T1 and T2 separated by a cutting line of the cutting path C becomes the output, the cutting operation on corner Q with angles 180 < θ2 < 360 can be controlled based on the second corner processing mode, and the cutting operation on corner Q with angles 0 < θ2 < 180 can be controlled based on the first corner processing mode. To perform such control, the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment can perform, for example, the corner operation setting process illustrated in Figure 10. The corner operation setting process in Figure 10 is mainly performed by the control unit 801 of the control panel 8.

[0039] The control unit 801 first acquires the cutting path and the output area based on the cutting data (step S100). In this specification, one cutting path is defined as a cutting path that can be drawn in a single stroke. The cutting path is not limited to a path that separates the object to be cut 11 into two areas, such as cutting path C illustrated in Figure 5A, but may also be a path that starts at a first position on the upper surface 1101 of the object to be cut and ends at a second position different from the first position. The output area may be specified in the cutting data, or the control unit 801 may determine the shape of the cutting path and set it based on the determination result, or the user (operator) of the cutting device 1 may specify it using the input unit 803 and display unit 804 of the control panel 8. In addition, in step S100, the user (operator) of the cutting device 1 may specify and change the cutting start position (start point) and cutting end position (end point) in the cutting path using the input unit 803 and display unit 804 of the control panel 8. After step S100, the control unit 801 selects a cutting path (step S101) and determines whether or not there is a corner in the middle of the selected cutting path (step S102). If it is determined that there is no corner in the middle of the cutting path (step S102; NO), the control unit 801 skips the process of setting the corner processing mode for controlling the cutting operation on the corner (steps S103 to S108) and determines whether or not there is an unselected cutting path (step S109). If there is an unselected cutting path (step S109; YES), the control unit 801 repeats the process from step S101 onwards. If there is no unselected path (step S109; NO), the control unit 801 terminates the corner operation setting process.

[0040] If it is determined that there is a corner in the middle of the selected cutting path (step S102; YES), the control unit 801 selects the corner present in the cutting path (step S103). Subsequently, the control unit 801 derives the angle (interior angle θ2) within the region that will become the output of the selected corner (step S104), and determines whether the derived interior angle θ2 (degrees) is 0 < θ2 < 180 (step S105). In step S104, the control unit 801 derives the interior angle θ2 based on the extension direction of the two cutting lines extending from the selected corner and which of the two adjacent regions separated by the cutting lines is the region that will become the output obtained in step S100. The derived interior angle θ2 may be a specific (exact) angle derived by an arithmetic formula using vectors or trigonometric functions, or it may be a value indicating whether the interior angle θ2 (degrees) is 0 < θ2 < 180 or 180 < θ2 < 360 as described above.

[0041] If it is determined that the derived interior angle θ2 (degrees) is 0 < θ2 < 180 (step S105; YES), the control unit 801 sets the cutting operation for the selected corner to be controlled based on the first corner processing mode (step S106). For example, the interior angle θ2 of corner Q2 in the cutting path C shown in Figure 5A is 0 < θ2 < 180 when region T2 is the output. Therefore, the cutting operation for corner Q2 may be controlled based on the first corner processing mode (see Figures 5B and 9). On the other hand, if it is determined that the derived interior angle θ2 (degrees) is not 0 < θ2 < 180 (step S105; NO), the control unit 801 sets the cutting operation for the selected corner to be controlled based on the second corner processing mode (step S107). For example, the interior angle θ2 of corner Q3 in the cutting path C shown in Figure 5A is 180 < θ2 < 360 when region T2 is the output. Therefore, the cutting operation on the corner Q3 is controlled based on the second corner processing mode as described above, with reference to Figures 8A to 8C.

[0042] After step S106 or S107, the control unit 801 determines whether or not there is an unselected corner in the middle of the currently selected cutting path (step S108). If it is determined that there is an unselected corner (step S108; YES), the control unit 801 repeats the process from step S103 onwards described above. If it is determined that there is no unselected corner (step S108), the control unit 801 determines whether or not there is an unselected cutting path (step S109). If there is an unselected cutting path (step S109; YES), the control unit 801 repeats the process from step S101 onwards. If there is no unselected path (step S109; NO), the control unit 801 terminates the corner operation setting process.

[0043] Referring to Figure 10, the corner operation setting process described above is merely an example of a process that the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment can perform to set a method for controlling the cutting operation at the corners of the cutting path. The corner operation setting process may include additional processing, for example, when both of two adjacent regions separated by a cutting line extending from the selected corner are within the output region, to set the cutting operation at the selected corner to be controlled based on the second corner processing mode, regardless of the size of the interior angle θ2. The corner operation setting process may be performed by a smartphone, tablet computer, or other computer communicating with the control panel 8 of the cutting device 1. In this case, the cutting device 1 can acquire information indicating which corner processing mode to control the cutting operation at the corners, along with or while included in the cutting data, including the cutting path and cutting order set for the workpiece 11.

[0044] The cutting device 1 according to the embodiment controls the cutting operation on the object to be cut 11 by utilizing information that indicates which corner processing mode to control the cutting operation on the corners of the cutting path, which is set by the corner operation setting process described above with reference to Figure 10. When cutting the object to be cut 11, the control panel 8 of the cutting device 1 can perform cutting processing according to the flowchart in Figure 11, for example. The cutting processing in Figure 11 is mainly performed by the control unit 801.

[0045] The control unit 801 first performs an initial adjustment process on the cutting unit 100 (step S200). The initial adjustment process includes several processes that are performed before cutting the workpiece 11 in a well-known cutting device, such as moving the carriage 4 (cutter 3) and the holding member 2 to the home position and performing an initial check on the movement of the carriage 4 and the holding member 2. When step S200 is completed successfully, the control unit 801 selects a cutting path from the cutting data, moves the blade 300 of the cutter 3 to the cutting start position on the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 (step S201), and applies a pressing load P to the cutter 3 (step S202). In steps S201 and S202, the control unit 801 performs the same processes as in a well-known cutting device.

[0046] After steps S201 and S202, the control unit 801 moves the relative position of the cutter 3 to the workpiece 11 based on the selected cutting path to cut the workpiece 11 (step S203), and determines whether or not the end point of the cutting path has been reached (step S204). In step S203, the control unit 801 performs the same processing as in a well-known cutting device. If it is determined that the end point of the cutting path has been reached (step S204; YES), the control unit 801 determines whether or not there is an uncut cutting path (step S211). If it is determined that there is an uncut cutting path (step S211; YES), the control unit 801 performs the processing from step S201 onwards. If it is determined that there is no uncut cutting path (step S211; NO), the control unit 801 terminates the cutting process.

[0047] On the other hand, if it is determined that the end point of the cutting path has not been reached (step S204; NO), the control unit 801 determines, for example, whether there is a corner ahead of the cutting line that is being cut that will be controlled based on the corner processing mode (step S205). If it is determined that there is no such corner (step S205; NO), the control unit 801 repeats the process from step S203 onwards. If it is determined that there is a such corner (step S205; YES), the control unit 801 obtains a corner processing mode for controlling the cutting operation for the corresponding corner (step S206) and determines whether the timing to start controlling the cutting operation for the corner has arrived (step S207). The timing to start controlling the cutting operation for the corner differs depending on whether the cutting operation for the corner to be controlled is controlled based on the first corner processing mode or the second corner processing mode. For example, as shown in Figure 12, when controlling based on the first corner processing mode, the timing to start control is when the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the corner to be controlled. Furthermore, when controlling based on the second corner processing mode, the timing to start control is when the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches a cutting stop position on the cutting line where the distance from the tip 301 of the cutter 3 to the corner to be controlled is a predetermined distance U3 (see Figure 8A). In Figure 12, "constant pressing load" associated with the first corner processing mode indicates adjusting the direction of the blade while keeping the pressing load constant at the corner, and "reverse cutting" associated with the second corner processing mode indicates cutting along the cutting line from the front corner to the cutting stop position, and then cutting the workpiece 11 from the corner towards the cutting stop position (in the opposite direction to before cutting stopped at the cutting stop position). If it is determined that the timing to start control has not arrived (step S207; NO), the control unit 801 repeats the processing from step S203 onwards.

[0048] If the control unit 801 determines that it is time to start control (step S207; YES), it determines whether or not to control the cutting operation on the corner based on the first corner processing mode (step S208). If it determines that it will control based on the first corner processing mode (step S208; YES), the control unit 801 controls the operation of the cutting unit 100 to change the direction of the blade 300 while the pressing load P is applied to the cutter 3 (step S209). If it determines that it will not control based on the first corner processing mode (step S208; NO), the control unit 801 controls the operation of the cutting unit 100 based on the second corner processing mode set for the corner to be controlled for the cutting operation (step S210). After step S209 or S210, the control unit 801 repeats the process from step S203 onwards.

[0049] As the process in step S210, the control unit 801 can, for example, perform processing according to the flowchart in Figure 13. The control unit 801 stops moving the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 before the blade 300 of the cutter 3 reaches the corner Q (S240), and moves the cutter 3 to the separated position illustrated in Figure 3A (step S241). In step S240, the control unit 801 stops moving the relative position of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 when the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches a position QE that is a distance U3 before the corner Q in the cutting line currently being cut (see Figure 8A). The distance U3 is equal to or greater than the length corresponding to the distance U4 from the tip 301 of the cutter 3 to the front end of the blade 300 in a plan view parallel to the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11 (U3 ≥ U4).

[0050] Next, the control unit 801 adjusts the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 outside the area of ​​the workpiece 11 that will become the finished product (step S242). In step S242, the control unit 801 adjusts the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 so that it is the orientation when cutting the workpiece 11 along the cutting line from corner Q to position QE begins. The orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 may be rotated within the adjustment area 220 of the holding member 2, or it may be rotated at a position within the area of ​​the workpiece 11 that will not become the finished product where the rotation of the blade 300 does not affect the deterioration of the appearance of the finished product. After that, the control unit 801 moves the cutter 3 to a position where the tip 301 becomes a corner and applies a pressing load P to the cutter 3 (step S243), and moves the cutter 3 relative to the corner by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction along the cutting line in the middle of the cut (step S244). In the process of step S244, the term "reverse direction" refers to the direction from the corner on the cutting line during cutting toward the cutting stop position. The predetermined distance in step S244 is greater than or equal to the distance U3 from the position QE at which the operation stopped in step S240 to the corner Q.

[0051] After step S244, the control unit 801 adjusts the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 outside the area of ​​the workpiece 11 that will become the finished product (step S245), moves the cutter 3 to a position where the tip 301 becomes a corner, and applies a pressing load P to the cutter 3 (step S246). In step S245, the orientation of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 may be adjusted within the adjustment area 220 of the holding member 2, or it may be adjusted at a position within the area of ​​the workpiece 11 that will not become the finished product where the rotation of the blade 300 does not affect the deterioration of the appearance of the finished product. For example, if the area T1 illustrated in Figure 8C is a non-finished product, the orientation of the cutter 3 may be changed from the +Y direction to the +X direction while the tip 301 is on the cutting line CL2 that has finished cutting, as shown by the solid line cutter 3. When the process in step S210 is carried out according to the flowchart in Figure 13, the control unit 801 returns to the process according to the flowchart in Figure 11 and repeats the process from step S203 onwards.

[0052] If, after the processing from step S203 onward, the relative position of the cutter 3 to the workpiece 11 reaches the end point of the selected cutting path (step S204; YES), the control unit 801 determines whether or not there are any uncut cutting paths (step S211). If it is determined that there are any uncut cutting paths (step S211; YES), the control unit 801 performs the processing from step S201 onward. If it is determined that there are no uncut cutting paths (step S211; NO), the control unit 801 terminates the cutting process.

[0053] In the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, as described above, the cutting operation with respect to the corner Q can be controlled so as not to rotate the blade 300 of the cutter 3 in the area that will become the finished product around the corner Q located in the middle of the cutting path. Specifically, when the blade 300 of the cutter 3, which cuts the workpiece 11 along the first cutting line included in the cutting path, reaches a predetermined cutting stop position on the first cutting line, which is a predetermined distance away from the corner Q located in front of the first cutting line, the cutting of the workpiece 11 along the first cutting line is stopped, and then the workpiece 11 is cut from the corner Q toward the cutting stop position along the first cutting line. This prevents deterioration of the appearance, such as notches, caused by the blade 300 of the cutter 3 penetrating beyond the corner Q into the finished product. Furthermore, by making the relative movement distance of the cutter 3 when cutting the workpiece 11 from the corner Q toward the cutting stop position along the first cutting line greater than or equal to the length U3 from the corner Q to the position QE where the cutting is completed, the entire first cutting line can be reliably cut. Furthermore, since it includes a first corner processing mode in which the orientation of the blade 300 can be changed at the corner Q while the cutting pressure load P is applied to the cutter 3, corner cutting can be performed in a short time when the internal angle θ2 (degrees) is 0 < θ2 < 180 and the rotation of the blade 300 does not degrade the appearance of the finished product.

[0054] Note that the cutting processes described above with reference to Figures 11 to 13 are merely examples of cutting processes that can be executed in the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment. The cutting processes that can be executed in the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment can be modified in terms of the order and content of the processes, as long as no inconsistencies arise. For example, the control unit 801 may read from the storage unit 802 a cutting process program for a cutting mode selected by user operation, from among the separate cutting process programs prepared for each cutting mode, and execute it. The cutting modes may be, for example, a cutting mode in which either a first corner processing mode or a second corner processing mode is set for the cutting operation of each corner according to the interior angle θ2 of the corner, a cutting mode in which the cutting operation of each corner is performed in the first corner processing mode regardless of the interior angle θ2 of the corner, and a cutting mode in which the cutting operation of each corner is performed in the second corner processing mode regardless of the interior angle θ2 of the corner.

[0055] In the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, the cutting path C that can be set on the object to be cut 11 is not limited to a path composed of a combination of multiple straight lines (line segments), such as the cutting lines CL1 to CL6 illustrated in Figure 5A. A cutting path C having corners may be composed of a combination of straight lines and curves, or a combination of curves only. Furthermore, there may be multiple cutting paths C set on the object to be cut 11. Multiple cutting paths C are not limited to separate cutting paths spaced apart from each other, but may include one cutting path and one or more other cutting paths branching off from that cutting path.

[0056] In the cutting device 1 of the object to be cut 11, two adjacent regions separated by the cutting line of the cutting path C may either have only one region as an output, or both regions may be output. If it is possible for both of the two adjacent regions separated by the cutting line of the cutting path C to be output, for example, as shown in Figure 14A, the corner processing mode can be switched depending on whether only one region or both regions are output. In the table in Figure 14A, if only region T1 or only region T2 is output, either the first corner processing mode or the second corner processing mode is set for the cutting operation of each corner according to the interior angle θ2 of the corner as described above. If both region T1 and region T2 are output, the cutting operation of each corner is performed in the second corner processing mode regardless of the interior angle θ2 of the corner. In addition, in the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, even if only one region is output, the cutting operation for all corners Q may be controlled based on the second corner processing mode.

[0057] Furthermore, the second corner processing mode described above is not limited to controlling the cutting operation for corners Q located in the middle of the cutting path C, but can also be applied to controlling the operation at the end of cutting when the corner of the cutting path is the endpoint (cutting end position). For example, when cutting the object to be cut 11 along the cutting path C illustrated in Figure 5A ends at corner Q1, if the cutting is stopped when the tip 301 reaches corner Q1, the blade 300 of the cutter 3 will pass through corner Q1 and enter region T1. Therefore, if region T1 is to be the finished product, a mark (notch) will be left at corner Q1 where the blade 300 of the cutter 3 entered. Accordingly, for example, as shown in Figure 14B, it may be possible to switch the setting of the endpoint corner processing mode for controlling the cutting operation for the endpoint corner depending on whether the region that becomes the finished product is only one of two adjacent regions as the cutting line of the cutting path or both regions. In Figure 14B, "one-way cutting" means that the workpiece 11 is cut in a constant direction toward the endpoint corner Q, and the cutting process ends when the tip 301 of the cutter 3 reaches the corner Q. In Figure 14B, "reverse cutting" means that, similar to the second corner processing mode described above, the workpiece 11 is cut along the cutting line toward the endpoint corner Q up to a cutting stop position before the corner Q, and then cut along the cutting line from the corner Q to the cutting stop position. Furthermore, in the cutting device 1 according to the embodiment, even if the area to be produced is only one area, the cutting operation for all corners Q may be controlled based on the second corner processing mode.

[0058] The first drive unit 7A and holding member moving mechanism 110, and the second drive unit 7B and 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 in a plan view of the upper surface (XY plane) of the workpiece 11. The relative position changing means in the cutting device 1 may be configured such that, instead of the holding member moving mechanism 110, a mechanism is added to the carriage moving mechanism 120 that allows the carriage 4 to move in the Y direction. As a specific example, the cutting device 1 may be configured such that the carriage support member 5 can be moved in the Y direction by the first drive unit 7A, and the transport rollers 6A and 6B may be omitted. The relative position changing means in the cutting device 1 may include, for example, a mechanism that rotates the holding member 2 (workpiece 11) in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 200. Furthermore, the third drive unit 7C and the rotational movement mechanism 122 in the cutting device 1 described above are examples of relative position changing means for changing the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the workpiece 11. The cutting device 1 may also be equipped with a movement mechanism for moving the cutter 3 in the Z direction instead of the rotational movement mechanism 122. That is, the term "relative position changing means" as used herein refers to means that can both change the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the XY plane parallel to the upper surface 1101 of the workpiece 11, and change the relative position of the blade 300 of the cutter 3 with respect to the workpiece 11 in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the workpiece 11. Moreover, the third drive unit 7C and the rotational movement mechanism 122 or the movement mechanism for moving the cutter 3 in the Z direction in the cutting device 1 may be examples of pressing load applying means for applying a pressing load to the cutter 3 in contact with the workpiece 11.

[0059] The embodiments described above are specific examples provided to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The cutting device, control method, and program can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1…Cutting device, 2…Holding member, 220…Adjustment area, 3…Cutter, 300…Blade, 301…Cutting tip, 4…Carriage, 5…Carriage support member, 7A…First drive unit, 7B…Second drive unit, 7C…Third drive unit, 110…Holding member movement mechanism, 121…X-direction movement mechanism, 122…Rotation movement mechanism, 11…Workpiece to be cut, 1101…Top surface, C…Cutting path, CL1~CL6…Cutting line, Q, Q1~Q6…Corner, T1~T3, T9…Region, θ2…Interior angle

Claims

1. A cutting apparatus that, by changing the relative position of the cutter with respect to the workpiece while the cutter blade is embedded in the workpiece using a relative position changing means, adjusts the direction of the cutter blade and cuts the workpiece, thereby obtaining a product of a predetermined shape from the workpiece, When cutting the object to be cut along a cutting line included in the cutting path set for the object to be cut, When the blade of the cutter reaches a predetermined position on the cutting line, which is a predetermined distance away from the corner in front of the cutting line towards the blade of the cutter, the cutting of the object to be cut along the cutting line is stopped. The cutter is moved away from the object to be cut, and the direction of the blade of the cutter is adjusted to the direction in which cutting of the object to be cut begins from the corner along the cutting line, Position the cutter at the corner and insert the blade of the cutter into the object to be cut. A control means controls the operation of the relative position changing means so that, as the cutting operation of the object to be cut, the cutting operation is performed to cut the object to be cut along the cutting line from the corner toward the predetermined position until the distance from the corner toward the tip of the cutter becomes equal to or greater than the distance from the corner toward the predetermined position. A cutting device equipped with the following features.

2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the relative position changing means to perform the cutting operation when the angle of the corner in the region of the object to be cut that will become the output is greater than 180 degrees.

3. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the relative position changing means to perform the cutting operation, then adjusts the orientation of the blade of the cutter to the orientation for cutting the object to be cut along a cutting line other than the cutting line extending from the corner, and further controls the operation of the relative position changing means to perform a cutting operation in which the object to be cut is cut from the corner along the other cutting line.

4. The cutting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means controls the operation of the relative position changing means to adjust the direction of the blade by causing the blade of the cutter to bite into the area outside the area of ​​the object to be cut that will become the output.

5. The cutting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means controls the operation of the relative position changing means to adjust the direction of the blade by causing the blade of the cutter to bite into an adjustment region provided outside the region of the holding member that holds the object to be cut.

6. A control means for a cutting device that, by changing the relative position of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut while the cutter blade is embedded in the object to be cut using a relative position changing means, adjusts the direction of the cutter blade and cuts the object to be cut, thereby obtaining a product of a predetermined shape from the object to be cut, When cutting the object to be cut along a cutting line included in the cutting path set for the object to be cut, When the blade of the cutter reaches a predetermined position on the cutting line, which is a predetermined distance away from the corner in front of the cutting line towards the blade of the cutter, the cutting of the object to be cut along the cutting line is stopped. The cutter is moved away from the object to be cut, and the direction of the blade of the cutter is adjusted to the direction in which cutting of the object to be cut begins from the corner along the cutting line, Position the cutter at the corner and insert the blade of the cutter into the object to be cut. As part of the cutting operation of the object to be cut, the operation of the relative position changing means is controlled to perform a cutting operation that cuts the object to be cut along the cutting line from the corner toward the predetermined position until the distance from the corner toward the tip of the cutter becomes equal to or greater than the distance from the corner toward the predetermined position. Control method.

7. A cutting device control means that, by changing the relative position of the cutter with respect to the object to be cut while the cutter blade is embedded in the object to be cut using a relative position changing means, adjusts the direction of the cutter blade and cuts the object to be cut, thereby obtaining an output of a predetermined shape from the object to be cut, When cutting the object to be cut along a cutting line included in the cutting path set for the object to be cut, When the blade of the cutter reaches a predetermined position on the cutting line, which is a predetermined distance away from the corner in front of the cutting line towards the blade of the cutter, the cutting of the object to be cut along the cutting line is stopped. The cutter is moved away from the object to be cut, and the direction of the blade of the cutter is adjusted to the direction in which cutting of the object to be cut begins from the corner along the cutting line, Position the cutter at the corner and insert the blade of the cutter into the object to be cut. As part of the cutting operation of the object to be cut, the operation of the relative position changing means is controlled to perform a cutting operation that cuts the object to be cut along the cutting line from the corner toward the predetermined position until the distance from the corner toward the tip of the cutter becomes equal to or greater than the distance from the corner toward the predetermined position. A program that executes a process.

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