Recording device and its control method

Abstract

In a recording device that records images onto a medium while simultaneously cutting the medium using a cutter, the reduction in throughput associated with the operation of the cutter is suppressed. [Solution] The system includes a recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, and a cutting means provided in the transport path for cutting the medium. The operation of the recording means and the cutting means is controlled so that at least a portion of the operation of the recording means for pre-ejection to a pre-ejection area provided outside the transport path and at least a portion of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a control method thereof, and particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A recording apparatus can record an image on a medium conveyed along a conveyance path. In particular, a recording apparatus for recording on a long medium is known. As the medium, for example, sheet-like media such as paper, cloth, or labels are known. The recording apparatus can accommodate a roll body in which the sheet-like medium is wound in a roll shape.

[0003] Such a recording apparatus can include a cutter for cutting the medium. The recording apparatus can record an image on the sheet-like medium and generate a cut print by cutting the medium. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording apparatus including a roll paper storage unit, an image forming unit, and a cutter disposed between a feed roller and an intermediate roller for cutting the roll paper between the roll paper storage unit and the image forming unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a recording apparatus having a cutter as described in Patent Document 1, if the sheet-like medium is cut during the image recording operation, ink landing deviation or paper jam may occur due to the vibration generated by the drive of the cutter. Therefore, the image quality may deteriorate. On the other hand, in order to solve this problem, if the recording on the medium is interrupted at the timing of cutting the medium, the throughput decreases.

[0006] The present invention aims to suppress the decrease in throughput associated with the operation of a cutter in a recording device that has the function of recording an image onto a medium while simultaneously cutting the medium with a cutter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A recording device according to one embodiment has the following configuration: A recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, A cutting means is provided in the transport path for cutting the medium, Control means for controlling the operations of the recording means and the cutting means so that at least a portion of the operation of the recording means for pre-discharge to a pre-discharge area provided outside the transport path and at least a portion of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In a recording device that records images onto a medium while simultaneously cutting the medium using a cutter, it is possible to suppress the decrease in throughput associated with the operation of the cutter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of cutter 3. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram showing the preliminary discharge area. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the control of the cutter and pre-discharge in one embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the control of the cutter and pre-discharge in one embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the control of the cutter and pre-discharge in one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] Hereinafter, a printer 100, which is a recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 shows the vertical, horizontal, and left-right directions. As shown in Figure 1, the printer 100 comprises a housing 100a, a feed tray 1, a transport mechanism 2, a cutter 3, a carriage 4, a head 5, a moving mechanism 6, a paper output tray 7, and a control unit 9.

[0012] The feed tray 1 corresponds to the media storage section that houses the media. The feed tray 1 is located below the head 5 within the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a in the front-rear direction through an opening 100p formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. The feed tray 1 can accommodate a roll body R. The feed tray 1 may also accommodate cut paper Kp. The feed tray 1 may be able to accommodate both the roll body R and the cut paper Kp simultaneously. Alternatively, the feed tray 1 may be able to selectively accommodate either the roll body R or the cut paper Kp.

[0013] In the example shown in Figure 1, the feeding tray 1 has a roll support section 11 that supports the roll body R. The feeding tray 1 also has a mounting surface 12 on which the cut paper Kp is placed. The roll body R has a structure in which a sheet-like medium is wound into a roll. For example, in the roll body R, a long sheet-like medium may be wound into a roll on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The cut paper Kp is a sheet of paper that is shorter than the long sheet of paper that makes up the roll body R. The cut paper Kp is a standard size sheet of paper, such as A4 or B5. In one embodiment, A4 size paper is the largest size of cut paper Kp that can be used by the printer 100. The cut paper Kp is placed on the mounting surface 12 in a stacked state.

[0014] The transport mechanism 2 corresponds to the media transport unit and transports the media along the transport path. In the example in Figure 1, the transport mechanism 2 transports the paper P along the transport path (the path along the thick black line representing the paper P in Figure 1) that extends from the feed tray 1 through the head 5 to the output tray 7. In this specification, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the upstream (feed tray 1 side) and downstream (output tray 7 side) of the transport direction of the paper P along the transport path by the transport mechanism 2, respectively.

[0015] The conveying mechanism 2 includes a feeding roller 21, an intermediate roller pair 22, a conveying roller pair 23, a paper discharge roller pair 24, and a guide member 25. These rollers and roller pairs are arranged in the order of the feeding roller 21, the intermediate roller pair 22, the conveying roller pair 23, and the paper discharge roller pair 24 from upstream to downstream along the conveying path. The feeding roller 21 feeds the roll paper Rp unwound from the roll body R supported by the roll body support portion 11 or the cut paper Kp placed on the placement surface 12 from the feeding tray 1. In the following description, the roll paper Rp and the cut paper Kp are collectively referred to as "paper P". The feeding roller 21 rotates by the drive of a feeding motor 21a (see FIG. 2). When the feeding motor 21a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the feeding roller 21 rotates, and a conveying force in the direction from the front to the rear is applied to the paper P in contact with the feeding roller 21. Thereby, the paper P is sent out from the feeding tray 1. The rear wall 15 provided at the rear end of the feeding tray 1 is inclined such that the upper end is located behind the lower end. Therefore, the paper P sent out from the feeding tray 1 goes obliquely upward.

[0016] The intermediate roller pair 22 includes a driving roller that rotates by the drive of an intermediate motor 22a (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates with the driving roller. When the intermediate motor 22a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the intermediate roller pair 22 conveys the paper P by rotating while sandwiching the paper P. The intermediate roller pair 22 is located above the rear end of the feeding tray 1. The intermediate roller pair 22 conveys the paper P obliquely upward while sandwiching the paper P sent out from the feeding tray 1 by the feeding roller 21 upward.

[0017] The guide member 25 is located above the intermediate roller pair 22. The guide member 25 guides the paper P conveyed upward by the intermediate roller pair 22 forward.

[0018] The pair of conveyance rollers 23 includes a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a conveyance motor 23a (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The pair of paper discharge rollers 24 includes a drive roller that rotates by the drive of a paper discharge motor 24a (see FIG. 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. When the conveyance motor 23a and the paper discharge motor 24a are driven under the control of the control unit 9, the pair of conveyance rollers 23 and the pair of paper discharge rollers 24 rotate while sandwiching the paper P and convey the paper P forward in the conveyance direction. The pair of conveyance rollers 23 is located behind the head 5. The pair of paper discharge rollers 24 is located in front of the head 5. The pair of conveyance rollers 23 further conveys the paper P guided forward by the guide member 25 forward toward the pair of paper discharge rollers 24. The pair of paper discharge rollers 24 further conveys the paper P conveyed forward by the pair of conveyance rollers 23 forward while sandwiching it and discharges it onto the paper discharge tray 7.

[0019] A paper sensor 96 for detecting the paper P is provided slightly behind the pair of conveyance rollers 23. When the paper sensor 96 detects the leading edge of the paper P, it outputs the detection result to the control unit 9. The timing at which the paper sensor 96 detects the leading edge of the paper P is adjusted to coincide with, or be substantially coincident with, the timing at which the leading edge of the paper P reaches the pair of conveyance rollers 23. Also, a rotary encoder 97 for detecting the amount of rotation of the pair of conveyance rollers 23 is installed on the pair of conveyance rollers 23. In the example of FIG. 1, the rotary encoder 97 is installed on the driven roller of the pair of conveyance rollers 23 and detects the amount of rotation of the driven roller. The rotary encoder 97 outputs a signal indicating the amount of rotation of the pair of conveyance rollers 23 to the control unit 9. Based on the detection results by the paper sensor 96 and the rotary encoder 97, the control unit 9 obtains the number of rotations of the pair of conveyance rollers 23 after the leading edge of the paper P reaches the pair of conveyance rollers 23. Based on this number of rotations, the control unit 9 can calculate the leading edge position of the paper P in front of the pair of conveyance rollers 23. Also, based on the calculated leading edge position of the paper P, the control unit 9 can adjust the recording position on the paper P by the head 5 and the cutting position of the roll paper Rp by the cutter 3 with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P.

[0020] In this embodiment, the cutter 3 is located upstream of the head 5 along the transport path. In the example in Figure 1, the cutter 3 is positioned between the rear end of the feed tray 1 and the intermediate roller pair 22. Thus, the cutter 3 is located upstream of the intermediate roller pair 22 in the transport path. The cutter 3 is mounted on the cutter carriage 31. The cutter 3 has a blade capable of cutting a medium such as roll paper Rp. The cutter 3 can cut a portion of the roll paper Rp. In this way, the roll paper Rp is separated from the roll body R as individual sheets of paper. The rear end of the separated roll paper Rp is the cut end made by the cutter 3. The separated roll paper Rp is discharged as individual sheets of paper into the output tray 7. On the other hand, the cut end of the roll paper Rp that is still connected to the roll body R becomes the leading edge of the paper used for the next recording.

[0021] Here, with reference to Figure 3, the more detailed configuration and scanning mechanism of the cutter 3 will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the cutter unit 300 cuts a portion of the roll paper Rp as it passes through the passage opening 32. As shown in Figure 3, the cutter unit 300 includes a guide shaft 30 extending in the left-right direction, a cutter carriage 31 that moves along the guide shaft 30, and a cutter 3 mounted on the cutter carriage 31.

[0022] The guide shaft 30 is a rod-shaped member that extends outward beyond both ends of the passage opening 32 in the left-right direction. The cutter carriage 31 is supported by the guide shaft 30. A cutter guide rail (not shown) extending parallel to the guide shaft 30 may also be provided. In this case, the guide shaft 30 and the cutter guide rail can support the cutter carriage 31. Although not shown, a belt mechanism is provided along the guide shaft 30. The cutter carriage 31 is connected to an endless belt of the belt mechanism. The cutter carriage 31 moves left-right along the guide shaft 30 in accordance with the rotation of the endless belt. In other words, the main scanning direction of the cutter carriage 31 is left-right.

[0023] When the cutter carriage 31 is in standby mode, i.e., when the printer 100 is not printing, it is located at standby position H to the left of the guide shaft 30, as shown in Figure 3. Standby position H is located to the left of the passage opening 32 (to the left when viewing the printer 100 from the front).

[0024] The cutter 3 is configured to cut the medium while moving from a standby position. In this embodiment, the cutter 3 has a blade capable of cutting roll paper Rp, etc. The tip of the cutter 3's blade is facing to the right (to the right when viewing the printer 100 from the front). The cutter 3 is mounted on a cutter carriage 31. When the cutter carriage 31 moves to the right from the standby position H, the blade of the cutter 3 comes into contact with a portion of the roll paper Rp and cuts that portion. The position of the cutter carriage 31 after moving is referred to as the moving position (shown by a dashed line in Figure 3) in this specification. After the cutter 3 cuts the roll paper Rp, at a predetermined timing, the cutter carriage 31 moves from the moving position to the left (back direction) to the standby position H. Note that the roll paper Rp is not cut while moving from the moving position to the standby position H. The cutter 3 is connected to the cutter carriage 31 by screws (not shown) or the like. The cutter 3 can be removed from the cutter carriage 31 by removing the screws.

[0025] In the example shown in Figure 3, the cutter 3 is composed of a single fixed blade. However, the configuration of the cutter 3 is not particularly limited. For example, the cutter 3 may be composed of a pair of rotating blades or a single rotating blade. In one embodiment, the cutter 3 has a disc-shaped rotating blade and a driven blade capable of cutting roll paper Rp, etc. In this case, the rotating blade rotates when driven by a cutting motor 3a (see Figure 2). Then, when the cutter carriage 31 moves to the right (Fwd direction) from the standby position H, the blade of the cutter 3 comes into contact with a portion of the roll paper Rp and cuts this portion.

[0026] The head 5 corresponds to the recording unit that ejects ink onto the medium. The head 5 is movable in the main scanning direction. The head 5 can record an image by ejecting ink onto the medium being transported through the transport path. The head 5 includes a plurality of nozzles formed on its lower surface and a driver IC 52 (see Figure 2). When the driver IC 52 is driven by the control unit 9, ink is ejected from the nozzles, and the ejected ink adheres to the paper P, forming dots on the paper P.

[0027] The head 5 is mounted on the carriage 4. The moving mechanism 6 has two guide rails 61 and 62 (see Figure 4) and a carriage motor 63 (see Figure 2). Each of the two guide rails 61 and 62 extends in the left-right direction. The two guide rails 61 and 62 are also spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The carriage 4 is positioned to straddle the two guide rails 61 and 62. The carriage 4 is connected to the carriage motor 63 via a belt (not shown) or the like. When the carriage motor 63 is driven by the control unit 9, the carriage 4 moves along the guide rails 61 and 62 in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). In this way, the head 5 mounted on the carriage 4 can move across the paper P in the main scanning direction.

[0028] A receiving section 51 is positioned below the head 5. The receiving section 51 is a flat plate member that extends in both the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, straddling the area from which ink is ejected from the head 5. The receiving section 51 receives ink ejected from the head 5 to a position outside the area where the paper P is located. The head 5 ejects ink while reciprocating in the main scanning direction as the carriage 4 moves. When the ejected ink reaches the paper P, dots are formed sequentially on the paper P along the main scanning direction. As the transport mechanism 2 transports the paper P in the transport direction (front-to-back direction), a series of such dots along the main scanning direction are formed sequentially. In this way, dots are formed on the recording area of ​​the paper P that are aligned in both the main scanning direction of the carriage 4 and the transport direction of the sheet-like medium. In this way, an image represented by the arrangement of dots is formed on the paper P. In this embodiment, the recording area is a rectangular area corresponding to the size of the image. On the other hand, the head 5 can also eject ink toward the outside of the paper P in the main scanning direction. In this case, the ink reaches the upper surface of the receiving section 51. Note that the recording area does not have to coincide with the entire area from which the ink can be ejected (the image area described later).

[0029] The output tray 7 is located in front of the head 5 and above the feed tray 1 within the housing 100a. The output tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 100a in the front-to-back direction through an opening 100q formed in the front wall of the housing 100a. Paper P on which an image has been recorded by the head 5 is received by the output tray 7. If the paper P originates from a roll of paper Rp, the roll of paper Rp discharged into the output tray 7 may be the roll of paper Rp after it has been cut by the cutter 3. However, the printer 100 may be operated in a way that prevents the cutter 3 from performing the cutting. The roll of paper Rp discharged into the output tray 7 may be the final printed material desired by the user. Alternatively, in order to obtain the final printed material, the roll of paper Rp discharged into the output tray 7 may be cut to an appropriate size by the user. Cutting by the user is mainly performed along the longitudinal direction of the discharged roll of paper Rp (the direction corresponding to the transport direction of the roll of paper Rp). Hereinafter, the printed material obtained in this manner will be referred to as the "final printed material".

[0030] A cartridge mounting section is installed inside the housing 100a. Ink cartridges can be installed in the cartridge mounting section. For example, four ink cartridges, each storing black, yellow, cyan, and magenta ink, may be detachably attached to the cartridge mounting section. Ink is supplied from the ink cartridges installed in the cartridge mounting section to the head 5 via tubes or the like.

[0031] A touch panel display 95 is installed on the front exterior of the housing 100a. The touch panel display 95 displays characters or images on the screen under the control of the control unit 9. The touch panel display 95 also detects the contact position when a finger or other object touches the screen and transmits the detection result to the control unit 9.

[0032] The control unit 9 controls the entire printer 100. For example, the control unit 9 can control the operation of the cutter 3 and the head 5. As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 9 is electrically connected to the feed motor 21a, intermediate motor 22a, transport motor 23a, paper ejection motor 24a, cutting motor 3a, driver IC 52, carriage motor 63, touch panel display 95, and paper sensor 96.

[0033] The control unit 9 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 91 and an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) 94. The control unit 9 also includes Read Only Memory (ROM) 92 and Random Access Memory (RAM) 93, etc. The ROM 92 stores programs executed by the CPU 91 and ASIC 94. The RAM 93 temporarily stores data necessary when a program is executed. This data may include image data transmitted from an external device such as a PC or read from a recording medium. The functions of the control unit 9 may be realized by a processor such as the CPU 91 executing a program stored in memory such as RAM 93 or ROM 92. In addition, in the control unit 9, only the CPU 91 may perform various processes, or only the ASIC 94 may perform various processes. Alternatively, the CPU 91 and ASIC 94 may cooperate to perform various processes. Furthermore, in the control unit 9, one CPU 91 may perform processing independently, or multiple CPUs 91 may share the processing. Furthermore, in the control unit 9, one ASIC 94 may perform the processing independently, or multiple ASIC 94s may share the processing.

[0034] The control unit 9 can perform an information input process that prompts the user to input various information indicating the recording method. The control unit 9 can also perform a recording process that forms an image on paper P according to the information input during the information input process. Furthermore, the control unit 9 can acquire image data indicating the image to be recorded on the medium. For example, the user can input image data into the recording device by operating an information processing device that can communicate with the recording device via a network. In this case, the control unit 9 can store the image data in the RAM 93. The control unit 9 may also acquire various information indicating the recording method via the network.

[0035] The various types of information input during the information input process may include the selection result of the type of paper P used for recording (cut paper Kp or roll paper Rp). This information may also include the selection result of the final printed size when roll paper Rp is used. In the information input process, a screen display including characters or images is provided by the touch panel display 95 to allow the user to input this information. Information is also acquired based on the contact position of the user's finger or other object on the touch panel display 95. The size of the final printed material is input for both the vertical and horizontal directions of the formed image. The vertical direction of the image is the direction along the transport direction of the paper P. The horizontal direction of the image is the direction along the paper P and is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the ratio of the vertical to horizontal dimensions of the final printed material (hereinafter referred to as the aspect ratio) matches the aspect ratio of the image data (an image that has not been enlarged or reduced from the original image data).

[0036] The control unit 9 controls the transport mechanism 2, cutter 3, and head 5 in accordance with the information input during the information input process as follows: Based on the image data stored in RAM 93, the control unit 9 causes the transport mechanism 2 to perform transport operations and the head 5 and moving mechanism 6 to perform recording operations. During transport operations, the transport mechanism 2 transports the paper P along the transport path at predetermined distances. During recording operations, the moving mechanism 6 moves the carriage 4 back and forth in the main scanning direction, while the head 5 ejects ink from multiple nozzles onto the paper P. The control unit 9 repeatedly performs transport operations and recording operations alternately. At this time, the control unit 9 causes the transport mechanism 2 to transport paper P of the type indicated by the information input during the information input process. The control unit 9 also adjusts the image indicated by the image data to an appropriate size in both the vertical and horizontal directions so as to fit the image area set for the paper P. Then, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to eject ink according to the adjusted image. If the paper P is cut paper Kp, the cut paper Kp is transported by the transport mechanism 2 and receives ink ejected from the head 5. As a result, the cut paper Kp becomes recorded paper and is discharged into the output tray 7. If the paper P is roll paper Rp, the roll paper Rp is transported by the transport mechanism 2 and receives ink ejected from the head 5. The roll paper Rp is also cut to the desired length by the cutting operation of the cutter 3 according to the control of the control unit 9. The roll paper Rp that has been cut by the cutting operation of the cutter 3 and has an image formed on it is discharged into the output tray 7 as individual recorded sheets of the desired length.

[0037] (Overview of reserve discharge) If ink has not been ejected from head 5 for a long period of time, ejection failure may occur when the first ink is ejected from the ink ejection port of head 5. This can be caused by the evaporation of volatile components of the ink through the ejection port, which can increase the viscosity of the ink in the nozzle communicating with the ejection port. Depending on the degree of this ink viscosity increase, ink may not be ejected at all or the landing position may be shifted, resulting in a decrease in recording quality. On the other hand, the ink ejection state can be restored by removing the viscous ink near the ejection port. For example, a separate ink ejection called a pre-ejection is performed towards an area not on the recording medium to remove the viscous ink. Head 5 can perform such pre-ejection at regular intervals, separate from the ink ejection for recording. For example, head 5 can perform such pre-ejection at predetermined time intervals.

[0038] The head 5 according to this embodiment performs pre-discharge with respect to a pre-discharge area located outside the transport path of the medium. The configuration for pre-discharge will be described with reference to Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the pre-discharge receiving member 60 is positioned between the guide rails 61 and 62 in the transport direction. A pre-discharge area 60r is provided on the surface of the pre-discharge receiving member 60. The pre-discharge area 60r is located outside the transport area of ​​the paper P by the transport mechanism 2 and is adjacent to the transport area in the main scanning direction of the carriage 4. Thus, the pre-discharge area is outside the transport path of the paper P. Pre-discharge is performed toward the pre-discharge area 60r.

[0039] Pre-discharge processing can be performed to suppress image defects caused by phenomena such as non-discharge or misalignment of the landing position due to ink viscosity increase. The control unit 9 can perform pre-discharge processing at periodic intervals even during image recording. For example, if the elapsed time since the last pre-discharge exceeds a threshold, the control unit 9 can perform pre-discharge processing. The threshold can be set according to the allowable time T, which indicates the time at which non-discharge or misalignment of the landing position occurs due to ink viscosity increase near the discharge port. In pre-discharge processing, the control unit 9 discharges ink from multiple nozzles N of the head 5 into the pre-discharge area 60r based on pre-discharge data different from the image data. Specifically, the control unit 9 moves the head 5 to a pre-discharge position corresponding to directly above the pre-discharge area 60r via the moving mechanism 6. The head 5 performs pre-discharge after moving to the pre-discharge position. At the pre-discharge position, the head 5 discharges ink from the nozzles N. The discharged ink is received in the pre-discharge area 60r and flows to a waste ink tank (not shown).

[0040] Thus, image recording to the medium is interrupted during pre-discharge. Also, as mentioned above, in order to prevent a decrease in image quality due to vibrations associated with the operation of the cutter 3, image recording to the medium on which the cutter 3 operates may be interrupted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the operation of the cutter 3 and pre-discharge are performed at the same timing to suppress a decrease in throughput.

[0041] (Example of controlling the pre-discharge timing) In one embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the operation of the head 5 and the cutter 3 so that at least a portion of the operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge and at least a portion of the operation of the cutter 3 are performed simultaneously. The operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge includes the head 5 moving to the pre-discharge position, the head 5 waiting at the pre-discharge position, the head 5 performing pre-discharge at the pre-discharge position, and the head 5 moving from the pre-discharge position to another position. In the operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge, the head 5 does not record an image onto the roll paper Rp. However, in some embodiments, the operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge may be limited to the head 5 waiting at the pre-discharge position and the head 5 performing pre-discharge at the pre-discharge position. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge may be limited to the head 5 performing pre-discharge.

[0042] Furthermore, the operation of the cutter 3 includes moving the cutter 3 from the standby position H and returning the cutter 3 to the standby position H. The operation of the cutter 3 moving from the standby position H may be the operation of the cutter 3 moving from the standby position H to the moving position. Also, the operation of the cutter 3 returning to the standby position H may be the operation of the cutter 3 returning from the moving position to the standby position H. Thus, the operation of the cutter 3 may include the operation of the cutter moving. However, in some embodiments, the operation of the cutter 3 may be limited to the operation of moving from the standby position H to the moving position, or the operation of the cutter 3 moving from the standby position H to the moving position. Also, in some embodiments, the operation of the cutter 3 may be limited to the operation of cutting the roll paper Rp.

[0043] It is not necessary for the cutter 3 to operate every time the head 5 performs preliminary dispensing. In the following embodiments, both preliminary dispensing by the head 5 with the operation of the cutter 3 and preliminary dispensing by the head 5 without the operation of the cutter 3 are performed. Similarly, it is not necessary for the head 5 to perform preliminary dispensing every time the cutter 3 operates. However, in one embodiment, the head 5 may always perform preliminary dispensing when the cutter 3 operates.

[0044] First, an embodiment will be described in which the control unit 9 causes the cutter 3 to cut the medium and the head 5 to perform pre-discharge when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutter 3. In this embodiment, the head 5 performs pre-discharge at the timing when the cutter 3 cuts the medium. That is, at the timing of cutting the roll paper Rp, the head 5 moves to the pre-discharge position regardless of the elapsed time since pre-discharge. Then, the cutter 3 cuts the roll paper Rp for at least a portion of the period during which pre-discharge is performed. As described above, pre-discharge is performed to a pre-discharge area outside the roll paper Rp. Therefore, even if the roll paper Rp is cut at the timing of pre-discharge, it is possible to suppress the impact of impact misalignment due to vibration during cutting on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp. In addition, since the elapsed time since pre-discharge can be reset by this pre-discharge, the impact of throughput reduction due to the operation of the cutter 3 can be reduced.

[0045] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the timing of cutting and pre-dispensing in this embodiment. In S1001, recording to the roll paper Rp begins. At this time, a time counter indicating the elapsed time since pre-dispensing starts (T=0s). In S1002, the control unit 9 determines whether recording to the paper is complete. If recording is not complete, the process proceeds to S1003.

[0046] In S1003, the control unit 9 determines whether the elapsed time (T) since the preliminary ejection has reached a threshold. The fact that the elapsed time (T) has reached the threshold indicates that the timing for performing the preliminary ejection based on the elapsed time has arrived. The threshold can be set arbitrarily. In this embodiment, 10s is used as the threshold. In this way, the control unit 9 can evaluate the elapsed time since the previous preliminary ejection while recording the image. If it is determined that the elapsed time has reached the threshold, the process proceeds to S1004. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1008.

[0047] In S1004, the control unit 9 determines whether the trailing edge of the paper has been cut. That is, the control unit 9 determines whether the paper on which the head 5 is currently recording an image has already been separated from the roll paper Rp. If it is determined that the trailing edge of the paper has been cut, the process proceeds to S1006. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1005.

[0048] In S1005, the control unit 9 determines whether the cutting position of the roll paper Rp has reached the cutting position of the cutter 3. That is, the control unit 9 can determine whether the portion corresponding to the trailing end of the paper after cutting has been transported to the cutting position. If it is determined that the cutting position of the roll paper Rp has reached the cutting position, the process proceeds to S1010. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1006.

[0049] The processing in S1006-S1007 is performed when the timing for pre-discharge based on elapsed time has arrived, but the timing for cutting the roll paper Rp has not yet arrived. In S1006-S1007, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform an action for pre-discharge. Specifically, in S1006, the control unit 9 moves the head 5 to the pre-discharge position. Also, in S1007, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform pre-discharge. After that, the process proceeds to S1012.

[0050] In S1008, the control unit 9 determines whether the trailing edge of the paper has been cut, similar to S1004. If it is determined that the trailing edge of the paper has been cut, the process returns to S1002 and image recording continues. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1009.

[0051] In S1009, the control unit 9 determines, similar to S1005, whether the cutting position of the roll paper Rp has reached the cutting position of the cutter 3. If it is determined that the cutting position of the roll paper Rp has reached the cutting position, the process proceeds to S1010. Otherwise, the process returns to S1002, and image recording continues.

[0052] The processing in S1010-S1011 is performed when the timing for cutting the roll paper Rp arrives. On the other hand, this processing is performed both when the timing for pre-discharge based on elapsed time has arrived and when it has not. In S1010-S1011, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform an operation for pre-discharge and the cutter 3 to cut the medium. Specifically, in S1010, the control unit 9 moves the head 5 to the pre-discharge position, similar to S1006. Also, in S1011, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform pre-discharge, similar to S1007, and in parallel causes the cutter 3 to cut the medium. As shown in Figure 3, the cutting motor 3a (see Figure 2) drives the rotating blade, and the cutter carriage 31 moves to the right (Fwd direction) from the standby position H, allowing the cutter 3 to cut the roll paper Rp. After that, the process proceeds to S1012.

[0053] When pre-ejection is performed, the process in S1012 is executed. When the head 5 is instructed to perform pre-ejection, the control unit 9 resets the elapsed time. That is, in S1012, the control unit 9 can reset the time counter that indicates the elapsed time since pre-ejection. After that, the process returns to S1002, and image recording continues.

[0054] In S1002, the control unit 9 can determine whether recording has finished up to the trailing end of the cut paper. If recording has not finished, the processes in S1003 to S1012 are repeated. Thus, the processes in S1003 to S1012 can be repeated until recording has finished up to the trailing end of the cut paper. On the other hand, if it is determined in S1002 that recording has finished, the process proceeds to S1013. In S1013, the control unit 9 controls the transport mechanism 2 to discharge the paper that has finished recording into the output tray 7.

[0055] According to the above embodiment, even if the timing for pre-discharge has not yet arrived, pre-discharge is performed if the medium has been transported to the cutting position. That is, in this case, the control unit 9 moves the head 5 to the pre-discharge position and causes the cutter 3 to cut the roll paper Rp in parallel with the pre-discharge. The control unit 9 may also cause the cutter 3 to cut the medium when the head 5 is in the pre-discharge position. This reduces the impact of throughput reduction due to the operation of the cutter 3. On the other hand, it is possible to suppress the impact of impact misalignment due to vibration during cutting on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp.

[0056] In the embodiment described above, pre-discharge and media cutting were performed in parallel. However, the period of pre-discharge and the period of media cutting do not need to completely overlap. For example, at least a portion of the period during which the head 5 is not recording on the media while the carriage 4 and head 5 are moving to the pre-discharge position may overlap with at least a portion of the period during which the cutter 3 is cutting the media. Even with such a configuration, the impact of throughput reduction due to the operation of the cutter 3 can be reduced.

[0057] Furthermore, there is a possibility that the cutting of the medium by the cutter 3 may not be complete when the preliminary ejection of the head 5 is finished. In such a case, the control unit 9 can control the head 5 so as not to start ejecting ink to the medium. In this case, the control unit 9 can control the head 5 and the moving mechanism 6 to wait in the preliminary ejection position. Then, after the cutting of the medium is complete, the control unit 9 can resume the recording operation on the medium by the head 5.

[0058] Furthermore, the control unit 9 can determine the timing of medium cutting in advance based on image data. In this case, the control unit 9 can move the carriage 4 and head 5 to a pre-discharge position in advance of the cutting timing. Then, the control unit 9 can have the cutter 3 cut the medium and, in parallel, have the head 5 perform pre-discharge. With this configuration, the time required for the movement of the carriage 4 and head 5 can reduce the impact on throughput.

[0059] (Another example of controlling the pre-discharge timing) Next, an embodiment will be described in which the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform a preliminary discharge in response to the cutter 3 moving back to the standby position H. In this embodiment, at the timing when the cutter 3 returns to the standby position H, the head 5 moves to the preliminary discharge position regardless of the elapsed time since the preliminary discharge. Then, for at least a portion of the period during which the preliminary discharge is performed, the cutter 3 returns to the standby position H. By moving the cutter 3 to the standby position H at the timing when the preliminary discharge is performed, it is possible to suppress the impact of impact misalignment due to vibration during the movement of the cutter 3 on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp. In addition, since the elapsed time since the preliminary discharge can be reset by this preliminary discharge, the impact of throughput reduction due to the operation of the cutter 3 can be reduced. This embodiment may be used in combination with the above-described embodiment in which the cutter 3 cuts the medium and the head 5 performs a preliminary discharge in response to the cutting position of the medium reaching the cutter 3, or it may be used alone.

[0060] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the timing of the movement of the cutter 3 and the execution of pre-discharge in this embodiment. This process is similar to the process shown in Figure 5. The differences from the process shown in Figure 5 will be explained below. The process shown in Figure 6 differs from the process shown in Figure 5 in that if it is determined in S1008 that the trailing edge of the paper has been cut, the processes S2001 to S2003 are performed.

[0061] The processing in S2001 to S2003 takes place between the time the trailing edge of the paper is cut and the time when recording up to the trailing edge is completed. In S2001, the control unit 9 determines whether the cutter standby position movement flag is ON. The timing of turning this flag ON is not particularly limited. For example, the control unit 9 may turn this flag ON before a time corresponding to the threshold elapsed time from the pre-ejection mentioned above has elapsed after the cutter 3 has performed the cutting operation. In one embodiment, the control unit 9 may turn this flag ON after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, 5 seconds) after the cutter 3 has performed the cutting operation and the head 5 has performed pre-ejection. If it is determined that this flag is ON, the process proceeds to S2002. Otherwise, the process returns to S1002 and image recording continues.

[0062] The processing in S2002-S2003 is performed when the cutter standby position movement flag is ON. On the other hand, this processing is also performed even if the timing for preliminary discharge based on elapsed time has not yet arrived. In S2002-S2003, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform an operation for preliminary discharge and moves the cutter 3 to the standby position H. Specifically, in S2002, the control unit 9 moves the head 5 to the preliminary discharge position, similar to S1006. Also, in S2003, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform preliminary discharge, similar to S1007, and simultaneously moves the cutter 3 to the standby position H. At this time, the control unit 9 can turn OFF the cutter standby position movement flag. In this way, the control unit 9 can move the cutter 3 back to the standby position H after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutter 3 cut the medium, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the head 5 performed preliminary discharge, or in response to a movement instruction such as the cutter standby position movement flag. After that, the process proceeds to S1012.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 9 may move the cutter 3 back to the standby position H at periodic timings for pre-discharge. For example, as described above, in S1007, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform pre-discharge. On the other hand, in S1007, the control unit 9 may also determine whether the cutter standby position movement flag is ON. If it is determined that the cutter standby position movement flag is ON, the control unit 9 may cause the head 5 to perform pre-discharge and, in parallel, move the cutter 3 back to the standby position H. In other words, when the cutter standby position movement flag is ON, the control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform pre-discharge in response to the cutter 3 moving back to the standby position H, regardless of whether the timing for pre-discharge based on elapsed time has arrived.

[0064] According to the above embodiment, even if the timing for pre-discharge has not yet arrived, pre-discharge is performed at the time the cutter 3 is moved to the standby position H. Therefore, the impact of throughput reduction due to the operation of the cutter 3 can be reduced. On the other hand, it is possible to suppress the impact of impact misalignment due to vibration during cutter movement on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp.

[0065] In this embodiment, the preliminary ejection by the head 5 and the movement of the cutter 3 to the standby position H were performed in parallel. However, there is a possibility that the movement of the cutter 3 to the standby position H may not be completed when the preliminary ejection by the head 5 is finished. In such a case, the control unit 9 can make the head 5 wait at the preliminary ejection position after the preliminary ejection is completed. Then, the control unit 9 can resume the recording operation on the medium by the head 5 after the cutter 3 has reached the standby position H.

[0066] (Examples of further control of pre-discharge timing) Next, an embodiment will be described in which the control unit 9 determines whether or not to move the cutter 3 back to the standby position H based on the planned future image recording by the head 5. In the following example, the control unit 9 controls the movement of the cutter 3 to the standby position H depending on whether or not there is a subsequent print job. This determination can be made after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutter 3 cut the medium, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the head 5 performed a preliminary ejection, or in response to a movement instruction such as a cutter standby position move flag. In the following embodiment, this determination is made when the cutter standby position move flag is ON.

[0067] In this embodiment, the control unit 9 checks with the CPU 91 to determine whether or not there are subsequent print jobs. If there are no subsequent print jobs, the control unit 9 moves the cutter 3 to the standby position H after the image recording is completed, rather than during the recording. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the impact of misalignment of the cutter's impact due to vibration during its movement on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp, while also suppressing a decrease in throughput.

[0068] The method for determining whether or not to move the cutter 3 to the standby position H is not limited to the method described below. For example, the control unit 9 may determine whether the printing according to the accepted print job will be completed before the elapsed time (T) from the next pre-ejection reaches a threshold. If it is determined that the recording according to the accepted print job will be completed before the elapsed time (T) from the next pre-ejection reaches a threshold, the control unit 9 may move the cutter 3 to the standby position H after the recording is completed.

[0069] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the timing of cutter 3 movement and pre-discharge in this embodiment. This process is similar to the process shown in Figure 6. The differences from the process shown in Figure 6 will be explained below. The process shown in Figure 7 differs from the process shown in Figure 6 in that the process in S3001 is performed when it is determined in S2001 that the cutter standby position movement flag is ON. Also, the process shown in Figure 7 differs from the process shown in Figure 6 in that the processes in S3011 to S3012 are performed when it is determined in S1002 that recording has finished.

[0070] In S3001, the control unit 9 queries the CPU 91 to determine whether or not there is another print job. That is, the control unit 9 determines whether or not to continue recording on the roll paper Rp after the current recording on the paper detached from the roll paper Rp is completed. If it is determined that there is another print job, the process proceeds to S2002. In S2002-S2003, as described above, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to perform an operation for pre-ejection and moves the cutter 3 to the standby position H. In this way, pre-ejection is performed even if the timing for pre-ejection based on elapsed time has not yet arrived.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is determined in S3001 that there is no next print job, the process returns to S1002 and image recording continues. In this case, although the cutter standby position movement flag is ON, cutter 3 does not move to standby position H. Also, no preliminary ejection is performed. In this case, cutter 3 moves to standby position H after the timing when image recording is completed.

[0072] In S3011, the control unit 9 determines whether the cutter 3 has already moved to the standby position H. If it is determined that the cutter 3 has already moved to the standby position H, the process proceeds to S1013. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S3012. In S3012, the control unit 9 moves the cutter 3 to the standby position H. In this way, if it is determined in S3001 that there is no next print job and the cutter 3 is not moved to the standby position H, the cutter 3 moves to the standby position H in S3012. By moving the cutter 3 after the image recording is completed, the impact of the cutter 3's movement on the image and the decrease in productivity due to interrupting image recording when the cutter 3 moves can be suppressed.

[0073] (Other examples)

[0074] The control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform a pre-ejection at regular intervals. For example, in the above embodiment, a pre-ejection is performed when the elapsed time since the previous pre-ejection reaches a threshold. However, the method for determining the timing of the pre-ejection is not limited to this method. For example, the head 5 may perform a pre-ejection when the dot count since the previous pre-ejection reaches a threshold. Specifically, the control unit 9 can compare the dot count shown in the recorded image with the threshold. If the dot count exceeds the threshold, the control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform a pre-ejection. The dot count corresponds to the number of times ink has been ejected from the head 5. As another example, the head 5 may perform a pre-ejection each time an image of a certain size is recorded. In this way, the control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform a pre-ejection periodically or repeatedly when the count value related to the image recording since the previous pre-ejection reaches a predetermined threshold. This count value can represent, for example, elapsed time or dot count. The control unit 9 can also reset the count value when the head 5 performs a pre-ejection.

[0075] Even in this configuration, the control unit 9 can, regardless of the periodic timing, cause the cutter 3 to cut the medium and the head 5 to perform a preliminary discharge when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutter 3. For example, the control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform a preliminary discharge not only when the count value reaches a predetermined threshold, but also when the cutter 3 is operating. Furthermore, the control unit 9 can cause the head 5 to perform a preliminary discharge both when the count value has reached the threshold and when it has not. In addition, the control unit 9 can reset the count value at this time.

[0076] The control unit 9 may move the cutter 3 to the standby position H at the timing of pre-discharge. For example, if the cutter 3 is not in the standby position H when the timing for periodic pre-discharge based on elapsed time arrives, the control unit 9 may have the head 5 perform pre-discharge and, in parallel, move the cutter 3 to the standby position H. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the impact of impact misalignment due to vibration during cutter movement on the quality of the image recorded on the roll paper Rp.

[0077] Thus, the configuration in which the cutter 3 is moved to the standby position H at the timing of pre-discharge can be used alone or in combination with a configuration in which pre-discharge is performed at the timing when the cutter 3 cuts the medium or moves to the standby position H. For example, in S1007 of the flowchart shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, if the cutter 3 is not in the standby position H, the control unit 9 may cause the head 5 to perform pre-discharge and, in parallel, move the cutter 3 to the standby position H.

[0078] The configuration of the transport mechanism 2 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 1. For example, the guide member 25 does not need to be provided in the transport path. Also, in the example shown in Figure 1, the transport direction reverses between front and back as the roll paper Rp is transported via the feed roller 21, the intermediate roller pair 22, and the transport roller pair 23. That is, the roll paper Rp is transported backward at the position of the feed roller 21, but forward at the position of the transport roller pair 23. On the other hand, the transport direction may also reverse up and down as the roll paper Rp is transported. Furthermore, the transport direction does not need to reverse as the roll paper Rp is transported.

[0079] The location where the cutter 3 is provided is not particularly limited. For example, the cutter 3 may be provided in a curved portion of the transport path rather than in a straight portion of the transport path. Also, the media storage section does not need to be provided in a feed tray that is detachable from the housing 100a. For example, the media storage section may be provided in the housing 100a.

[0080] Alternatively, instead of positioning the cutter 3 upstream of the head 5 along the transport path as shown in Figure 1, the cutter 3 may be positioned downstream of the head 5 along the transport path. In this configuration as well, the control unit 9 can control the operation of the head 5 and the cutter 3 so that at least a portion of the operation of the head 5 for pre-discharge and at least a portion of the operation of the cutter 3 are performed simultaneously. For example, after image recording up to the cutting position of the roll paper Rp is completed, the control unit 9 can cause the transport mechanism 2 to transport the roll paper Rp so that the cutting position of the roll paper Rp moves to the cutter 3. The control unit 9 can then cause the cutter 3 to cut the roll paper Rp and the head 5 to perform pre-discharge. After that, the control unit 9 causes the transport mechanism 2 to transport the roll paper Rp in the opposite direction and then causes the head 5 to start recording images according to the next print job. In another example, after image recording up to the cutting position of the roll paper Rp is completed, the control unit 9 can control the transport mechanism 2 and the head 5 so that image recording according to the next print job continues until the cutting position of the roll paper Rp reaches the cutter 3. When the cutting position of the roll paper Rp reaches the cutter 3, the control unit 9 causes the cutter 3 to cut the roll paper Rp and also causes the head 5 to perform a preliminary ejection. After that, the control unit 9 causes the head 5 to resume recording the image. These configurations also reduce the impact of throughput reduction caused by the operation of the cutter 3.

[0081] The medium is not limited to paper. For example, the medium may be cloth or a resin material. The recording unit, such as head 5, may dispense a liquid other than ink (for example, a processing liquid that coagulates or precipitates components in the ink). Furthermore, the recording device is not limited to a printer. The recording device may be, for example, a facsimile, copier, or multifunction device.

[0082] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0083] The disclosures herein include the following recording devices and methods for controlling them. (Item 1) A recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, A cutting means is provided in the transport path for cutting the medium, Control means for controlling the operations of the recording means and the cutting means so that at least a portion of the operation of the recording means for pre-discharge to a pre-discharge area provided outside the transport path and at least a portion of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously. A recording device characterized by comprising the following features. (Item 2) The recording device according to item 1, characterized in that the cutting means is provided upstream of the recording means along the transport path. (Item 3) The recording device according to any one of items 1 to 2, characterized in that the recording means moves to a preliminary discharge position before performing the preliminary discharge. (Item 4) The operation of the recording means for the preliminary ejection includes moving to the preliminary ejection position without ejecting ink, waiting at the preliminary ejection position, performing preliminary ejection at the preliminary ejection position, and moving from the preliminary ejection position to another position without ejecting ink. The operation of the cutting means includes the cutting means cutting the medium and the cutting means moving. A recording device as described in item 3, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 5) The recording device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means causes the cutting means to cut the medium and the recording means to perform preliminary dispensing when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutting means. (Item 6) The recording apparatus according to item 5, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform pre-discharge at periodic intervals, and regardless of the periodic intervals, when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutting means, causes the cutting means to cut the medium and causes the recording means to perform pre-discharge. (Item 7) The aforementioned periodic timing is the timing when the elapsed time since the previous preliminary discharge reaches a threshold. The recording device according to item 6, characterized in that the control means resets the elapsed time when the recording means is made to perform preliminary discharge, both when the elapsed time has reached the threshold and when it has not reached the threshold. (Item 8) The aforementioned periodic timing is the timing when the dot count since the previous preliminary discharge reaches a threshold. The recording device according to any one of items 6 to 7, characterized in that the control means resets the dot count when the recording means is made to perform preliminary ejection, both when the dot count has reached the threshold and when it has not reached the threshold. (Item 9) The recording device according to any one of items 5 to 8, characterized in that the control means controls the recording means so as not to start discharging ink to the medium if the cutting of the medium is not completed when the preliminary discharging is completed. (Item 10) The recording means moves to the preliminary discharge position and then performs the preliminary discharge. The recording device according to any one of items 5 to 9, characterized in that the control means controls the recording means to wait at the preliminary discharge position if the cutting of the medium is not completed when the preliminary discharge is completed. (Item 11) The recording device according to any one of items 3, 4, and 10, characterized in that the control means causes the cutting means to cut the medium when the recording means is in the pre-discharge position. (Item 12) The cutting means is configured to cut the medium while moving from a standby position, The recording device according to any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge in response to the cutting means moving back to the standby position. (Item 13) The recording apparatus according to item 12, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge at periodic intervals, and causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge in response to the cutting means moving back to the standby position, regardless of the periodic intervals. (Item 14) The recording device according to item 13, characterized in that the control means moves the cutting means back to the standby position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutting means cut the medium, or in response to a move instruction. (Item 15) The recording device according to any one of items 13 to 14, characterized in that the control means determines whether or not to move the cutting means back to the standby position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutting means cut the medium, or when a move instruction is given, based on the schedule for future image recording by the recording means. (Item 16) The cutting means is configured to cut the medium while moving from a standby position, The recording device according to any one of items 1 to 15, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge at periodic intervals, and moves the cutting means back to the standby position at the periodic intervals. (Item 17) A control method performed by a recording device, A recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, includes a step of performing a preliminary ejection to a preliminary ejection area provided outside the transport path, The cutting means provided in the transport path includes the step of cutting the medium, A control method characterized in that at least a part of the operation of the recording means for pre-discharge and at least a part of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously.

[0084] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 2: Transport mechanism, 3: Cutter, 5: Head, 9: Control unit, 100: Printer

Claims

1. A recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, A cutting means is provided in the transport path for cutting the medium, Control means for controlling the operations of the recording means and the cutting means so that at least a portion of the operation of the recording means for pre-discharge to a pre-discharge area provided outside the transport path and at least a portion of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously. A recording device characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting means is provided upstream of the recording means along the transport path.

3. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording means moves to a preliminary discharge position before performing the preliminary discharge.

4. The operation of the recording means for the preliminary ejection includes moving to the preliminary ejection position without ejecting ink, waiting at the preliminary ejection position, performing preliminary ejection at the preliminary ejection position, and moving from the preliminary ejection position to another position without ejecting ink. The operation of the cutting means includes the cutting means cutting the medium and the cutting means moving. The recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means causes the cutting means to cut the medium and the recording means to perform preliminary dispensing when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutting means.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform pre-discharge at periodic intervals, and regardless of the periodic intervals, when the cutting position of the medium reaches the cutting means, causes the cutting means to cut the medium and causes the recording means to perform pre-discharge.

7. The aforementioned periodic timing is the timing when the elapsed time since the previous preliminary discharge reaches a threshold. The recording device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means resets the elapsed time when the recording means performs preliminary discharge, both when the elapsed time has reached the threshold and when it has not reached the threshold.

8. The aforementioned periodic timing is the timing when the dot count since the previous preliminary discharge reaches a threshold. The recording device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means resets the dot count when the recording means is made to perform preliminary ejection, both when the dot count has reached the threshold and when it has not reached the threshold.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means controls the recording means so as not to start discharging ink to the medium if the cutting of the medium is not completed when the preliminary discharging is completed.

10. The recording means moves to the preliminary discharge position and then performs the preliminary discharge. The recording device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control means controls the recording means to wait at the preliminary discharge position if the cutting of the medium is not completed when the preliminary discharge is completed.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the control means causes the cutting means to cut the medium when the recording means is in the pre-discharge position.

12. The cutting means is configured to cut the medium while moving from a standby position, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge in response to the cutting means moving back to the standby position.

13. The recording apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge at periodic intervals, and causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge in response to the cutting means moving back to the standby position, regardless of the periodic intervals.

14. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the control means moves the cutting means back to the standby position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutting means cut the medium, or in response to a move instruction.

15. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the control means determines whether or not to move the cutting means back to the standby position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cutting means cut the medium, or when a move instruction is given, based on the schedule for future image recording by the recording means.

16. The cutting means is configured to cut the medium while moving from a standby position, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means causes the recording means to perform preliminary discharge at periodic intervals, and moves the cutting means back to the standby position at the periodic intervals.

17. A control method performed by a recording device, A recording means that is movable in the main scanning direction and records an image by ejecting ink onto a medium being transported through a transport path, includes a step of performing a preliminary ejection to a preliminary ejection area provided outside the transport path, The cutting means provided in the transport path includes the step of cutting the medium, A control method characterized in that at least a part of the operation of the recording means for pre-discharge and at least a part of the operation of the cutting means are performed simultaneously.

Images