Cutting device and image recording device
The cutting device stabilizes sheet-like media cutting by using a guided first and second cutter configuration with a clamping section and guide surface to prevent bending, ensuring precise cuts.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BROTHER KOGYO KK
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing cutting devices for sheet-like media, such as recording paper, are prone to instability and defects due to bending of the paper during cutting, particularly when a movable blade member pushes the paper towards a fixed blade member, leading to unstable cutting.
A cutting device with a first cutter and a second cutter, guided by a first and second guide, where the first cutter has a protruding tip that contacts the second cutter and a clamping section to stabilize the sheet-like medium, and a guide surface that prevents bending by applying a reaction force to the paper.
The solution ensures stable cutting of sheet-like media by preventing bending during the cutting process, even when the paper is pushed by the first cutter, thereby maintaining cutting precision.
Smart Images
Figure 2026114593000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cutting device and an image recording device including a first cutter and a second cutter for cutting a sheet-like medium.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a cutter mechanism including a movable blade member that can contact one surface of a recording paper, a fixed blade member that can contact the other surface of the recording paper, and a paper guide plate disposed on a side facing the movable blade member with a paper path interposed therebetween.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the cutter mechanism described in Patent Document 1 above, when cutting the recording paper at the cutting position where the movable blade member contacts the fixed blade member, the movable blade member cuts the recording paper while pushing the recording paper toward the fixed blade member. The paper guide plate has a portion disposed in the direction in which the fixed blade member is disposed with respect to the movable blade member, but this portion is disposed away from the tip of the movable blade member when cutting the recording paper in a region near the cutting position. In this case, the recording paper is likely to bend in the direction from the movable blade member toward the fixed blade member in the vicinity of the cutting position. Therefore, cutting defects are likely to occur in the recording paper, and the cutting of the recording paper becomes unstable.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a cutting device and an image recording device capable of stably cutting a sheet-like medium.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The cutting apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a conveying unit that conveys a sheet-like medium along a conveying path in the conveying direction, a first cutter capable of contacting one side of the sheet-like medium conveyed by the conveying unit, a second cutter capable of contacting the other side of the sheet-like medium, and a moving mechanism for moving one or both of the first cutter and the second cutter, and a cutting unit capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in a first direction intersecting the conveying direction at a cutting position in the conveying path by the cooperation of the first cutter and the second cutter, and a first guide having a first guide surface that guides the other side of the sheet-like medium, wherein the first cutter comprises a first base and the first base The conveying section has a first tip that protrudes from the section in a second direction intersecting both the conveying direction and the first direction, and when cutting a sheet-like medium, the first tip contacts the tip of the second cutter, the conveying section has a clamping section capable of clamping the sheet-like medium at a clamping position downstream of the cutting position in the conveying direction, and the first guide surface has a portion located upstream in the second direction from a first imaginary line that extends in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions through the first tip when cutting the sheet-like medium, in the region of the conveying path between the cutting position and an intermediate position between the clamping position and the cutting position.
[0007] The image recording apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a transport unit for transporting a sheet-like medium along a transport path in the transport direction, a recording unit for recording an image on the sheet-like medium transported by the transport unit, a first cutter capable of contacting one side of the sheet-like medium transported by the transport unit, a second cutter capable of contacting the other side of the sheet-like medium, and a moving mechanism for moving one or both of the first cutter and the second cutter, and a cutting unit capable of cutting the sheet-like medium in a first direction intersecting the transport direction at a cutting position in the transport path by the cooperation of the first cutter and the second cutter, and a first guide having a first guide surface for guiding the other side of the sheet-like medium, wherein the first cutter has a first base The first base has a first tip that protrudes from the first base in a second direction intersecting both the transport direction and the first direction, and when cutting a sheet-like medium, the first tip contacts the tip of the second cutter, the transport section has a clamping section capable of clamping the sheet-like medium at a clamping position located upstream of the recording section in the transport direction and downstream of the cutting position in the transport direction, and the first guide surface has a portion located upstream of the second direction from a first imaginary line that extends in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions through the first tip when cutting the sheet-like medium, in the region of the transport path between the cutting position and an intermediate position between the clamping position and the cutting position. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to the cutting apparatus and image recording apparatus of this disclosure, when cutting a sheet-like medium at the cutting section, even if the sheet-like medium is pushed downstream in the second direction by the first cutter, the vicinity of the pushed portion of the sheet-like medium comes into contact with the portion of the first guide surface, making it difficult for the sheet-like medium to bend. Therefore, it becomes possible to cut the sheet-like medium stably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a printer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]This is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of the printer. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view corresponding to Figure 2, which shows the state in which cut sheets of paper are stored in the paper tray of a printer. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the cutter unit and scanning mechanism included in the printer. [Figure 5] (a) is a magnified view of the cutter unit and its vicinity, and (b) is a magnified view of region E in Figure 5(a). [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the guide rails 52X, 52Y, cutters 60, 70, first guide 7, and second guide 8 as viewed from direction D2. [Figure 7] (a) is a cross-sectional view along VIIa-VIIa shown in Figure 5(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view along VIIb-VIIb shown in Figure 5(b). [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] <Overall printer configuration> A printer 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a housing 1A, a paper feed tray 10 that is detachable from the housing 1A, and a paper output tray 90.
[0011] Printer 1 further comprises a transport unit 3, a head 4, a cutting unit 5, a first guide 7, a second guide 8, and a control unit 100, as shown in Figure 2. The elements of the transport unit 3, excluding the rollers 31 and 32 described later, the head 4, the cutting unit 5, the first guide 7, the second guide 8, and the control unit 100 are supported by the housing 1A. The rollers 31 and 32 are supported by the paper feed tray 10. Printer 1 corresponds to the "image recording device" and "cutting device" of this disclosure.
[0012] The transport unit 3 is configured to transport paper S along the transport path T in the transport direction and includes rollers 31, 32, roller 13 and arm 14, guide member 16, separation member 3F, roller pairs 3A to 3C, a pair of guide members 3G, and a transport motor 3X (see Figure 4) for driving each of the rollers.
[0013] Of the transport unit 3, rollers 31, 32, roller 13, and arm 14 constitute a feed unit 2 capable of feeding paper S contained in the paper tray 10 toward the transport path T.
[0014] The transport path T is the path through which paper S fed from the paper feed tray 10 passes between a pair of guide members 3G, under the head 4, and toward the paper output tray 90. The transport path T has a U-shaped section T1 on the upstream side in the transport direction relative to the head 4. The separation member 3F, cutting section 5, first guide 7, second guide 8, roller pair 3A, and the pair of guide members 3G are arranged in the U-shaped section T1. The cutting section 5, first guide 7, second guide 8, and roller pair 3A are located at the bottom of the U-shaped section T1. The cutting section 5, first guide 7, and second guide 8 are located downstream in the transport direction relative to the separation member 3F and upstream in the transport direction relative to the roller pair 3A.
[0015] The paper feed tray 10 includes a roll paper storage section 11 capable of accommodating a roll of paper R (see Figure 2) and a cut paper storage section 12 capable of accommodating multiple cut sheets SC (see Figure 3) stacked vertically. The cut sheets SC stored in the cut paper storage section 12 are supported on the upper surface of a support plate 19 positioned along the bottom plate 18 of the paper feed tray 10.
[0016] In the paper feed tray 10, when using roll paper R, the cut paper SC is removed from the cut paper storage section 12 (see Figure 2), and when using cut paper SC, the roll paper R is removed from the roll paper storage section 11 (see Figure 3). The paper feed tray 10 has the cut paper storage section 12 behind the roll paper storage section 11.
[0017] The paper S is a general term for the paper unwound from the roll paper R and the cut paper SC, and corresponds to the "sheet-like medium" of the present disclosure. The cut paper SC refers to a paper whose length along the conveyance path T is shorter than that of the paper constituting the roll paper R.
[0018] The roll paper R is formed by winding a long paper S around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical core member RC in a roll shape. The roll paper R is accommodated in the roll paper accommodating portion 11 with its rotation axis RX (the central axis of the core member RC) along the left-right direction. The left-right direction is parallel to the paper S along the conveyance path T and intersects the conveyance direction. The left-right direction in the present embodiment is parallel to the width direction of the paper S and corresponds to the "first direction" of the present disclosure.
[0019] Rollers 31 and 32 are arranged at the bottom of the roll paper accommodating portion 11. The rollers 31 and 32 are rotatable about an axis along the left-right direction. When the roll paper R is accommodated in the roll paper accommodating portion 11, the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the roll paper R is supported by the rollers 31 and 32. When the roller 13 is to be in a state where it can feed the roll paper R, the user manually rotates the roll paper R in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 2. The paper S unwound from the roll paper R passes through the gap between the lower surface of the support plate 19 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 18 and is sandwiched between the roller 13 and the roller 15. When the user confirms that the leading end of the paper S is sandwiched between the roller 13 and the roller 15, the user finishes the operation of manually rotating the roll paper R. In this state, the conveyance motor 3X (see FIG. 4) is driven under the control of the control unit 100, and the roller 13 rotates, so that the paper S unwound from the roll paper R is conveyed backward.
[0020] The roller 13 is supported at one end 14A of the arm 14 and is rotatable about an axis 13X along the left-right direction. The other end 14B of the arm 14 is supported by the housing 1A via an axis 14X along the left-right direction. The arm 14 is pivotable about the axis 14X with the other end 14B as a fulcrum (see FIGS. 2 and 3).
[0021] When the paper feed tray 10 is mounted on the housing 1A and no cut paper SC is stored in the cut paper storage section 12, the roller 13 contacts the upper surface of the support plate 19 (see Figure 2). When the paper feed tray 10 is mounted on the housing 1A and cut paper SC is stored in the cut paper storage section 12, the roller 13 contacts the uppermost layer of cut paper SC stored in the cut paper storage section 12 (see Figure 3). At this time, the transport motor 3X (see Figure 4) is driven by the control unit 100, and the roller 13 rotates, feeding the cut paper SC backward.
[0022] The paper S fed from the paper tray 10 by the roller 13, that is, the paper S unwound from the roll paper R stored in the roll paper storage section 11, or the cut paper SC stored in the cut paper storage section 12, enters the transport path T. The paper S that enters the transport path T comes into contact with the separation member 3F and moves along the separation member 3F, and is guided to the first guide 7, the second guide 8, and the cutting section 5.
[0023] The separating member 3F and the guide member 16 define the transport path T at the rear of the paper feed tray 10. The separating member 3F is positioned behind the roller 13 and extends diagonally, intersecting both the vertical and horizontal directions. Fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the separating member 3F, repeating along the transport path T. These irregularities suppress double feeding (a phenomenon in which multiple cut sheets SC are transported overlapping each other). In other words, the separating member 3F has the function of separating the cut sheets SC that come into contact with the roller 13 from the other cut sheets SC.
[0024] The guide member 16 has a bent shape and has one end with a pivot shaft 16X that runs in the left-right direction and the other end with an elongated hole 16Y. A protrusion 14Y formed near one end 14A of the arm 14 is inserted into the elongated hole 16Y. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the guide member 16 rotates around the pivot shaft 16X as the protrusion 14Y moves along the elongated hole 16Y in conjunction with the rotation of the arm 14. The pivot shaft 16X is provided between the paper feed tray 10 and the cutting section 5 in the transport path T.
[0025] The print head 4 includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) formed on its lower surface and a driver IC (not shown). In this embodiment, the print head 4 corresponds to the "recording unit" of this disclosure. When the paper S transported by the transport unit 3 passes a position facing the lower surface of the print head 4, the driver IC is driven by the control unit 100, causing ink to be ejected from the nozzles, the ink to land on the paper S, and an image to be recorded on the paper S. The print head 4 may be either a line type, which ejects ink from nozzles while its position is fixed, or a serial type, which ejects ink from nozzles while moving in the left-right direction.
[0026] The cutting section 5 includes a cutter unit 51, a scanning mechanism 52, a guide rail 52Y, and a cutter 70. The cutter unit 51 is configured to cut the paper S unwound from the roll paper R between the separating member 3F and the roller pair 3A in the transport path T, and includes a cutter 60 and a holder 61 that rotatably holds the cutter 60. The cutter unit 6 is detachably attached to a carriage 9 supported by a housing 1A. In this embodiment, the cutter 60 corresponds to the "first cutter" of this disclosure. The scanning mechanism 52 corresponds to the "moving mechanism" of this disclosure.
[0027] The scanning mechanism 52, as shown in Figure 4, includes a carriage 9, a guide rail 52X, a pair of pulleys 53 (only one of the pair of pulleys 53 is shown in Figure 4), a belt 54, and a cutting motor 52M. The guide rail 52X extends lengthwise in the left-right direction. The belt 54 is wound around the pair of pulleys 53. The carriage 9 is fixed to the belt 54. The pair of pulleys 53, the belt 54, and the cutting motor 52M are mounted on the guide rail 52X. The guide rail 52X supports the carriage 9 fixed to the belt 54, and the cutter unit 51 mounted on the carriage 9.
[0028] The belt 9 moves when the cutting motor 52M is driven. The carriage 9 moves left and right as the belt 9 moves. The guide rail 52X guides the carriage 9 as it moves left and right. In this way, the scanning mechanism 52 moves the cutter unit 51 attached to the carriage 9 in the left and right direction by moving the carriage 9 in the left and right direction. In other words, the scanning mechanism 52 moves the cutter 60 in the left and right direction.
[0029] Guide rail 52Y is positioned in front of guide rail 52X, facing guide rail 52X across the transport path T (see Figure 2). Guide rail 52Y extends in the left-right direction and is separated from guide rail 52X in the front-rear direction. The transport path T is formed between guide rail 52X and guide rail 52Y in the front-rear direction.
[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the guide rails 52X and 52Y are fixed to two side frames 1S via screws or the like. The two side frames 1S are part of the housing 1A and are made of metal or the like. The two side frames 1S are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and support the left and right ends of the guide rails 52X and 52Y.
[0031] The guide rail 52Y supports the cutter 70. In this embodiment, the cutter 70 corresponds to the "second cutter" of this disclosure, and the guide rail 52Y corresponds to the "support portion" of this disclosure.
[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the cutter 70 is L-shaped and has a first portion 71 that covers the lower surface 52Y1 of the guide rail 52Y and a second portion 72 that covers the side surface 52Y2 of the guide rail 52Y that faces the guide rail 52X. The cutter 70 is fixed to the guide rail 52Y by attaching the first portion 71 of the cutter 70 to the guide rail 52Y with screws 52N. As shown in Figure 6, the cutter 70 extends along the guide rail 52Y in a long length.
[0033] The second part 72, as shown in Figure 5(b), has a blade portion 70A and a base portion 70B. The base portion 70B extends along the transport path T and defines a part of the transport path T. More specifically, the base portion 70B extends along direction D1. Direction D1 is the same direction as the transport direction near the cutting portion 5 and is perpendicular to both the left-right direction and the direction D2 described later. Direction D1 in this embodiment corresponds to the "third direction" of this disclosure. The blade portion 70A is provided at the upper end of the base portion 70B, which is the downstream end of the base portion 70B in direction D1. The second part 72, i.e., the cutter 70, comes into contact with the paper S being transported through the transport path T defined by the separating member 3F and the guide member 16, and guides the paper S downstream in the transport direction.
[0034] As shown in Figure 7, the cutter 60 has a blade portion 60A and a base portion 60B. The base portion 60B has a disc shape. The blade portion 60A is formed in an annular shape on the periphery of the base portion 60B. In other words, the blade portion 60A is formed to protrude radially from the periphery of the base portion 60B. As a result, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the portion 60A1 of the blade portion 60A closest to the cutter 70 protrudes from the portion 60B1 of the base portion 60B closest to the cutter 70 in the direction D2 from the cutter 60 toward the cutter 70. Direction D2 is parallel to the radial direction and intersects both direction D1 and the left-right direction. Direction D2 in this embodiment corresponds to the "second direction" of this disclosure. The base portion 60B corresponds to the "first base" of this disclosure, and the blade portion 60A corresponds to the "first tip" of this disclosure.
[0035] The cutter 70 is fixed, while the cutter 60 is rotatable. Furthermore, the cutter 70 is supported by the housing 1A, while the cutter 60, together with the holder 61, is detachable from the carriage 9, i.e., the housing 1A. The cutter unit 51, including the cutter 60, can be in a mounted state (see Figure 4) where it is mounted at the mounting position X of the housing 1A, and in a detached state where it is removed from the mounting position X.
[0036] The cutter 60 may contact one side S1 (see Figure 7) of the paper S being transported by the transport unit 3. On the other hand, the cutter 70 contacts the other side S2 (see Figure 7) of the paper S being transported by the transport unit 3. When mounted, the cutter 60 works in cooperation with the cutter 70 to cut the paper S being transported by the transport unit 3. The paper S cut by the cutter 60 and cutter 70 is held between the roller 13 and roller 15 upstream of the cutter 60 and cutter 70 in the transport direction, and between the roller pair 3A downstream of the cutter 60 and cutter 70 in the transport direction. In this embodiment, the cutter 60 and cutter 70 are used to cut the paper S being unwound from the roll paper R, and are not used to cut the cut paper SC. Both cutter 60 and 70 are made of metal, but they may be made of other materials as long as they can cut sheet-like media.
[0037] When cutting the paper S, the blade portion 60A of the cutter 60 is positioned downstream of the blade portion 70A of the cutter 70 in direction D1, as shown in Figure 5, and overlaps with the blade portion 70A of the cutter 70 in direction D1. As shown in Figure 6, the cutter 60 is mounted on the holder 61 in a position that is not parallel to the left and right directions, but is tilted diagonally downward to the right. Therefore, when the cutter 60 is mounted in the housing 1A, the right end of the cutter 60 contacts the tip of the blade portion 70A of the cutter 70. The paper S placed in the transport path T is cut at the corner on the transport path T side of the contact portion between the cutter 60 and the cutter 70. In other words, the cutting position P1 of the paper S in this embodiment is the upper end corner on the upstream side of the blade portion 70A in direction D2, as shown in Figures 5 and 7(a). Note that in Figure 7(a), the cutting position P1 is indicated by a dashed line.
[0038] Furthermore, when cutting the paper S, the cutter 60 protrudes downstream of the cutting position P1 in direction D2. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5(b), the portion 60A1 of the blade 60A of the cutter 60 that is closest to the cutter 70 protrudes downstream of the cutter 70 in direction D2.
[0039] When the cutting motor 52M (see Figure 4) is driven by the control unit 100, the belt 54 travels in the left-right direction, and the carriage 9 and the cutter unit 51 mounted on the carriage 9 are moved from their mounting position X outside the transport path T into the transport path T.
[0040] As shown in Figure 4, mounting position X is located at the left end of the guide rails 52X and 52Y, and serves as the home position for the start and end of the carriage 9's movement, as well as the position for attaching and detaching the holder 61 to the carriage 9.
[0041] As the carriage 9 moves, the cutter 60 receives a rotational moment from the paper S unwound from the roll paper S and the cutter 70, causing it to rotate in a driven motion. As a result, the cutter 60 and the cutter 70 work together to cut the paper S unwound from the roll paper R in the left-right direction, which is the width direction of the paper S, at the cutting position P1.
[0042] An opening 1X (see Figure 2) is formed in the rear wall of the housing 1A. The opening 1X connects the housing space 1Y, which accommodates the cut portion 5 of the housing 1A, to the outside. In other words, the carriage 9, located at mounting position X in the housing space 1Y, is exposed to the outside of the housing 1A through the opening 1X. The opening 1X is formed in the housing 1A in the portion opposite to the bottom of the U-shaped portion T1 described above.
[0043] A cover 20 is attached to the rear wall of the housing 1A to cover the opening 1X. The cover 20 is rotatable about an axis 20X that runs in the left-right direction and is provided at the lower end of the opening 1X. By rotating about the axis 20X, it can selectively take on a closed position that closes the opening 1X (see solid line in Figure 2) and an open position that opens the opening 1X (see dashed line in Figure 2).
[0044] By positioning the cover 20 in the open position (see the dashed line in Figure 2), the cutter unit 51 can be attached to and detached from the carriage 9 at the mounting position X through the opening 1X. The cutter 60 is positioned closer to the opening 1X than the cutter 70 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the cutter unit 51 is closer to the opening 1X than the cutter 70. This makes it easier to replace the cutter 60 through the opening 1X of the housing 1A.
[0045] As shown in Figure 5(a), the first guide 7 is positioned opposite the holder 61 in direction D2. The first guide 7 is L-shaped and has a first portion 7A that covers the bottom surface 52Y3 of the guide rail 52Y and a second portion 7B that covers the inner surface 52Y4 of the guide rail 52Y. The first guide 7 is fixed to the housing 1A by fixing the first portion 7A to the guide rail 52Y with a screw 52N. In other words, the first guide 7 and the cutter 70 are fixed to the guide rail 52Y with a common screw 52N. This simplifies the configuration for fixing the first guide 7 and the cutter 70 to the guide rail 52Y.
[0046] As shown in Figure 6, the first guide 7 extends lengthwise in the left-right direction along the guide rail 52Y. The first guide 7 is longer than the transport path T in the left-right direction, and its left and right ends are positioned further outward than the transport path T in the left-right direction.
[0047] The second portion 7B extends along the transport path T, as shown in Figure 5(a). More specifically, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the second portion 7B extends in direction D1 from upstream of the cutting position P1 to downstream of the cutting position P1 and has a guide surface 7C that defines a portion of the transport path T. The guide surface 7C corresponds to the “first guide surface” of this disclosure.
[0048] The first guide 7 is positioned within the guide rail 52Y. The second portion 7B of the first guide 7 is positioned in direction D2, with the guide rail 52Y in between, alongside the second portion 72 of the cutter 70. Both the second portion 72 of the cutter 70 and the second portion 7B of the first guide 7 extend in direction D1. Therefore, the first guide 7 can be positioned with the second portion 7B aligned with the second portion 72. This makes it easier to position the first guide 7.
[0049] The guide surface 7C is formed in direction D1 above the inner surface 52Y4 of the second portion 7B and guides the other side S2 of the paper S being transported along the transport path T. The guide surface 7C has a pressing surface 7C1 and a recess 7C2. The recess 7C2 is a recess that curves inward in direction D2 and is composed of an upper inclined surface 7C3 and a lower inclined surface 7C4. The recess 7C2 is located upstream of the pressing surface 7C1 in direction D1. The recess 7C2 is located opposite the cutter 60 in direction D2. The recess 7C2 is located opposite the cutting position P1 in direction D2. Furthermore, the recess 7C2 is recessed downstream in direction D2 so as to be away from the downstream end of the blade portion 60A of the cutter 60.
[0050] The pressing surface 7C1 extends in direction D1 from the downstream end of the recess 7C2 to the downstream end of the first guide 7 along direction D1. The pressing surface 7C1 is located in the transport path T in the region between the cutting position P1 and the intermediate position P3 between the clamping position P2, where the paper S is clamped by the roller pair 3A, and the cutting position P1. The clamping position P2 is downstream of the cutting position P1 in direction D1. The pressing surface 7C1 is located upstream of the imaginary line K1 in direction D2. The imaginary line K1 is a line that extends in direction D1 through the downstream end in direction D2 of the blade portion 60A of the cutter 60 when cutting the paper S, as shown in Figure 5(b). The imaginary line K1 corresponds to the "first imaginary line" in this disclosure. The pressing surface 7C1 also corresponds to the "portion located upstream in the second direction" in this disclosure. The roller pair 3A also corresponds to the "clamping portion" in this disclosure.
[0051] Furthermore, the pressing surface 7C1 is positioned on a virtual line K2, as shown in Figure 5. The virtual line K2 is a straight line along the transport path T, connecting the cutting position P1 and the clamping position P2. The virtual line K2 corresponds to the "second virtual line" of this disclosure.
[0052] Here, we will explain the situation when cutting paper S with cutters 60 and 70, referring to Figure 7. As shown in Figures 5(b) and 7(a), the blade portion 60A of cutter 60 is located downstream of the cutting position P1 in direction D2, so a force F1 in direction D2 acts on the part of paper S that comes into contact with cutter 60. In other words, when cutting paper S, especially when cutting paper S that is not very stiff, the part of paper S that comes into contact with cutter 60 is pushed in direction D2, causing it to curve and try to escape from cutter 60. However, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 7(b), the pressing surface 7C1 of the first guide 7 is located near the cutting position P1 and on the imaginary line K2. Therefore, even if a force F1 in direction D2 acts on paper S, the pressing surface 7C1 applies a reaction force F2 to paper S in the opposite direction to direction D2. As a result, even when the paper S is pressed in direction D2 by the cutter 60, it is less likely to bulge in direction D2, and the paper S can be smoothly cut by the cutter 60 and the cutter 70. Furthermore, when the paper S is cut by the cutter 60 and the cutter 70, a force in the rightward direction is also applied to the part of the paper S that comes into contact with the cutter 60.
[0053] As shown in Figure 5(a), the second guide 8 is positioned opposite the second portion 72 of the cutter 70 in direction D2. The second guide 8 is also roughly L-shaped and has a first portion 8A that covers the bottom surface 52X1 of the guide rail 52X and a second portion 8B that covers the side surface 52X2 of the guide rail 52X that faces the guide rail 52Y. The second guide 8 is fixed to the guide rail 52X by attaching the first portion 8A to the bottom surface 52X1 of the guide rail 52X with double-sided tape (not shown). The second guide 8 may be fixed to the guide rail 52X with screws or the like instead of double-sided tape, if possible.
[0054] In this embodiment, the second guide 8 is a thin plate member made of a resin material such as polyethylene terephthalate. The second guide 8 is flexible. As shown in Figure 6, the second guide 8 extends along the guide rail 52X in a long length. In the left-right direction, the second guide 8 is longer than the transport path T, and its left and right ends are positioned outside the transport path T in the left-right direction.
[0055] As shown in Figure 5(a), the second part 8B extends upward from the downstream end of the first part 8A in direction D2 and has a guide surface 8C that defines a portion of the transport path T. The guide surface 8C corresponds to the “second guide surface” of this disclosure.
[0056] The guide surface 8C faces the second portion 72 of the cutter 70 in direction D2. A transport path T is defined between the guide surface 8C and the second portion 72. The guide surface 8C guides one side S1 of the paper S. Furthermore, the guide surface 8C is positioned so that it moves downstream in direction D2 as it moves downstream in direction D1. This makes it possible to smoothly guide the paper S, which has been transported by the transport unit 3, to the cutting position P1.
[0057] The second part 8B of the second guide 8 is flexible and configured to be displaceable in a direction intersecting the guide surface 8C. This allows the second part 8B, which displaces according to the thickness of the paper S, to smoothly guide the paper S to the cutting position P1, even when paper S of different thicknesses are transported.
[0058] As described above, with the printer 1 of this embodiment, when cutting the paper S with the cutting section 5, even if the paper S is pushed downstream in the direction D2 by the cutter 60, the vicinity of the pushed portion of the paper S comes into contact with the pressing surface 7C1 of the guide surface 7C, making it difficult for the paper S to bend. Therefore, it becomes possible to cut the paper S stably.
[0059] The scanning mechanism 52 moves the cutter 60 in the left-right direction. This makes it possible for the scanning mechanism 52 to cut the paper S simply by moving the cutter 60 to the right from its home position. Therefore, the cutter 60 can be made smaller in the left-right direction. For example, in a guillotine-type configuration in which a cutter 60 that extends long in the left-right direction is moved in direction D2 toward the cutter 70 to cut the paper S in the left-right direction, the cutter 60 becomes large in the left-right direction. However, in this configuration, the cutter 60 can be made smaller.
[0060] The guide surface 7C has a recess 7C2. This prevents the tip of the cutter 60 from contacting the guide surface 7C when cutting the paper S at the cutting section 5. Furthermore, because the guide surface 7C is positioned far downstream of the cutter 70 in direction D2, there is no need to provide extra space between the cutter 70 and the guide surface 7C. This contributes to miniaturization of the device in direction D2.
[0061] The pressing surface 7C1 of the guide surface 7C lies on the imaginary line K2. This allows the pressing surface 7C1 and the paper S to come into contact when the paper S is cut at the cutting position P1, making the paper S less likely to bend. As a result, the paper S can be cut more stably.
[0062] While preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they are within the scope of the claims.
[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the cutter 60 is configured to move in the left-right direction by the scanning mechanism 52. However, the cutting section may also be composed of two circular blade cutters with overlapping blades in direction D1 and a scanning mechanism that moves these circular blade cutters in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the cutting section 5 may be a guillotine-type cutting section in which a cutter extending in the left-right direction is moved in direction D2 toward the cutter 70 to cut the paper S in the left-right direction, instead of the cutter 60. In these cutting sections as well, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained by providing a first guide 7 having a guide surface 7C.
[0064] In the above embodiment, the clamping portion that holds the paper S at the clamping position P2 was a pair of rollers 3A, but it is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to clamp the paper S. In other words, the clamping portion may consist of a roller on one side and a guide surface that defines the transport path T on the other side, or it may consist of a pair of guide surfaces that clamp the paper S in the thickness direction of the paper S.
[0065] In the above embodiment, the pressing surface 7C1 of the guide surface 7C was positioned on the imaginary line K2, but the pressing surface 7C1 only needs to be positioned upstream of the imaginary line K1 in direction D2. In other words, the pressing surface 7C1 may be positioned upstream of the imaginary line K2 in direction D2. Alternatively, the pressing surface 7C1 may be positioned upstream of the imaginary line K1 and downstream of the imaginary line K2 in direction D2.
[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the printer 1 as a cutting device includes a head 4 and the like, but the cutting device may not include a head 4 and may consist of a housing 1A, a transport unit 3, a cutting unit 5, a first guide 7, and a second guide 8. Furthermore, the transport unit 3 may have any configuration as long as it can transport the paper S along the transport path.
[0067] The first guide 7 may have only a pressing surface 7C1 as a guide surface. Also, the guide surface 7C does not have to have a recess 7C2. The first guide 7 may be fixed to the guide rail 52Y with a material other than a screw 52N, such as double-sided tape.
[0068] The second guide 8 is not required. Furthermore, the second guide 8 does not need to be flexible. The housing 1A does not need to have an opening 1X. Also, the cutter unit 51 does not need to be configured to be detachably attached to the carriage 9.
[0069] The sheet-like medium is not limited to paper; it may also be cloth or plastic film. In other words, the sheet-like medium may be composed of any material.
[0070] The head 4, acting as the recording unit, may eject liquids other than ink (for example, processing liquids that cause components in the ink to coagulate or precipitate). Furthermore, the recording unit is not limited to a liquid ejection method, but may also use a laser method, a thermal transfer method, or the like.
[0071] This disclosure is not limited to printers, but is also applicable to facsimile machines, copiers, multifunction devices, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0072] 1. Printer 3. Conveying section 3A Laura vs. 4 heads 5 Cut section 7. Guide 1 7C guide surface 7C1 Pressing surface 7C2 recess 8. Guide 2 8C guide surface 52 Scanning mechanism 52Y Guide Rail 52N Screw 60 Cutter 60A Blade 60B base 70 Cutter D1,D2 direction K1, K2 virtual lines P1 cutting position P2 clamping position P3 intermediate position S paper S1 One side S2 Other side T Transport Route
Claims
1. A conveying unit that conveys a sheet-like medium along a conveying path in the conveying direction, A cutting unit comprising a first cutter capable of contacting one side of a sheet-like medium being transported by the transport unit, a second cutter capable of contacting the other side of the sheet-like medium, and a moving mechanism for moving one or both of the first and second cutters, wherein the first and second cutters work together to cut the sheet-like medium in a first direction intersecting the transport direction at the cutting position in the transport path, A first guide having a first guide surface that guides the other surface of the sheet-like medium, The first cutter has a first base and a first tip that protrudes from the first base in a second direction intersecting both the conveying direction and the first direction, and when cutting a sheet-like medium, the first tip comes into contact with the tip of the second cutter. The transport unit has a clamping portion capable of clamping a sheet-like medium at a clamping position located downstream of the cutting position in the transport direction, The cutting device is characterized in that the first guide surface has a portion located upstream in the second direction from a first imaginary line that extends in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, passing through the first tip when cutting the sheet-like medium, in a region of the transport path between the cutting position and an intermediate position between the clamping position and the cutting position.
2. It is further equipped with a support section, The second cutter is a blade that extends in the first direction and is fixed to the support portion. The cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving mechanism moves the first cutter in the first direction.
3. The second cutter extends in the third direction and defines a part of the transport path, The cutting apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the first guide extends in the third direction and is arranged in the second direction alongside the second cutter.
4. The cutting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first guide is fixed to the support portion.
5. The cutting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the first guide is fixed to the support portion with a screw that fixes the second cutter to the support portion.
6. The cutting apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the first guide surface has a recess that is recessed downstream in the second direction at a position opposite to the cutting position in the second direction.
7. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first guide surface lies on a second imaginary line connecting the cutting position and the clamping position along the transport path.
8. The system further includes a second guide having a second guide surface that guides one of the sheet-like media upstream of the cutting position in the conveying direction, The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second guide surface is directed downstream in the second direction as it moves downstream in the conveying direction.
9. The cutting apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the second guide is flexible and displaceable in a direction intersecting the second guide surface.
10. The housing further comprises a housing having a housing space for accommodating the cut portion and an opening that connects the housing space to the outside, The cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cutter is positioned closer to the opening than the second cutter.
11. A conveying unit that conveys a sheet-like medium along a conveying path in the conveying direction, A recording unit that records an image on a sheet-like medium transported by the transport unit, A cutting unit comprising a first cutter capable of contacting one side of a sheet-like medium being transported by the transport unit, a second cutter capable of contacting the other side of the sheet-like medium, and a moving mechanism for moving one or both of the first and second cutters, wherein the first and second cutters work together to cut the sheet-like medium in a first direction intersecting the transport direction at the cutting position in the transport path, A first guide having a first guide surface that guides the other surface of the sheet-like medium, The first cutter has a first base and a first tip that protrudes from the first base in a second direction intersecting both the conveying direction and the first direction, and when cutting a sheet-like medium, the first tip comes into contact with the tip of the second cutter. The transport unit has a clamping unit capable of clamping a sheet-like medium at a clamping position located upstream of the recording unit in the transport direction and downstream of the cutting position in the transport direction. The image recording device is characterized in that the first guide surface has a portion located upstream in the second direction from a first imaginary line that extends in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions, passing through the first tip when cutting the sheet-like medium, in a region of the transport path between the cutting position and an intermediate position between the clamping position and the cutting position.