Display creation device

Abstract

To provide a display article creation device which can create a display article having a larger size than that of a conventional display article by performing printing and cutting on a large-sized printing medium, and can suppress deterioration in work efficiency at the time of creation.SOLUTION: A display article creation device includes: a printing part for performing printing on a printing medium by a printing head; a cutting part for cutting a printing part or its periphery in the printing medium into an arbitrary shape by a cutting head; a first motor; a second motor having rotation speed higher than rotation speed of the first motor; a first rotor opposite to the printing part; and a second rotor opposite to the cutting part. The first motor rotates the first rotor and the second rotor and conveys the printing medium in a predetermined direction at the time of printing of the printing medium, the second motor rotates the second rotor and conveys the printing medium in a predetermined direction and its opposite direction at the time of cutting of the printing medium, and transmission of power to the second rotor from the first motor is blocked at the time of cutting of the printing medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for creating displayed objects, and more particularly to an apparatus for creating displayed objects by printing any characters, figures, images, etc. on a print medium and cutting the resulting printout into any shape. [Background technology]

[0002] The applicant has developed and proposed various sign printers, printing machines, cutting machines, free-cut label printers, etc., as display object creation devices for creating display objects such as labels and signs. For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 by the applicant disclose a so-called cut-and-print machine that integrates a function for printing any characters, images, etc. on a print medium such as an adhesive sheet and a function for cutting out the contours of the print object thus obtained into any shape to obtain a display object. Such a cut-and-print machine is usually configured to press an ink ribbon against a print medium such as a sheet using a print head (printer head), print the sheet while transporting it, and cut the printed area or its surroundings with a cutout head (cutting head). In addition, the sheet is usually transported using a method in which a platen arranged opposite the print head and a sprocket arranged opposite the cutout head are rotated and driven by a single motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-52156 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-198424 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Such cut-and-print machines are suitable for producing relatively large display items, and recently, there has been an increasing demand for producing even larger display items using wider sheets. To achieve this, it is necessary to make the print head larger than that of conventional devices, but this increases the load (applied pressure) on the sheet pressed by the print head during printing, and also increases the weight of the printing medium itself supplied by the sheet roll, so the force required to transport the sheet also increases. Therefore, in this case, in order to transport the sheet during printing, it is necessary to adopt a motor that generates a larger torque corresponding to the load applied to the sheet. Therefore, if a conventional device is to be used with wider sheets, the motor for driving the platen and sprocket must be changed to a high-torque motor.

[0005] However, since the rotation speed of the high torque motor is inevitably slower than that of the low torque motor, the sheet feed speed when cutting with the cut-out head is also reduced, which can result in a problem of reduced work efficiency. In particular, when creating a display by cutting out a print area with a complex outline, the sheet may have to travel a long distance, which can lead to a more significant decrease in work efficiency.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an object creation device that can print on and cut large print media (e.g., wide sheets) to create larger objects than conventional methods, while preventing a decrease in work efficiency during the process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0008] [1] An example of a display object creation device according to the present disclosure includes a printing unit that prints on a printing medium such as a sheet using a printing head, a cutting unit that cuts a printed portion of the printing medium or the periphery of the printed portion into an arbitrary shape using a cutting head, a first motor, a second motor that has a rotation speed higher than that of the first motor, a first rotating body (such as a platen) that faces the printing unit across the printing medium, and a second rotating body (such as a sprocket) that faces the cutting unit across the printing medium. In addition, the first motor rotates the first and second rotating bodies to transport the printing medium in a predetermined direction when printing the printing medium, and the second motor rotates the second rotating body to transport the printing medium in the predetermined direction and in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction when cutting the printing medium, and the second rotating body is cut off from the transmission of power from the first motor when cutting the printing medium.

[0009] In this configuration, the first motor, which functions as a printing motor, rotates the first rotating body to transport the printing medium in a predetermined direction, and any characters, figures, images, etc. can be printed on the printing medium from above or on the first rotating body. Therefore, by using a motor with a higher torque than usual as the first motor, even if the print head that presses the printing medium while printing is enlarged, and even if the weight of the printing medium itself supplied by a sheet roll increases due to the enlargement of the printing medium, printing can be performed reliably while the printing medium is properly transported. In addition, at that time, the printing medium sent out by the first rotating body is transported while being lightly pulled by the second rotating body rotated by the first motor, and an appropriate tension (back tension) is applied to the printing medium. This prevents the printing medium from being displaced from the first rotating body or being damaged.

[0010] Also, the second motor, which functions as a cutting motor, rotates the second rotor to transport the print medium in a predetermined direction and the opposite direction, and the print medium can be cut on or from above the second rotor. At this time, the second rotor is cut off from the transmission of power from the first motor, so that the power of the second motor is not transmitted to the first motor via the second rotor while the print medium is being cut. This prevents the first motor from rotating together with the second motor when the second motor is driven, and thus prevents the first motor from becoming a load on the second motor. Therefore, by using a second motor having a rotation speed higher than the rotation speed of the first motor, it is possible to appropriately transport the print medium at high speed when cutting it, and a decrease in the feed speed of the print medium can be prevented, allowing the display object to be cut out at high speed.

[0011] [2] In addition, in the above configuration, more specifically, a first power transmission unit may be provided that transmits power from the first motor to the first rotating body and the second rotating body when printing the printing medium, and that blocks the transmission of power from the first motor to the second rotating body when cutting the printing medium, and a second power transmission unit that transmits power from the second motor to the second rotating body when cutting the printing medium.

[0012] With this configuration, the first power transmission unit can effectively transmit power from the first motor to the first and second rotating bodies when printing on the print medium, and can effectively cut off the transmission of power from the first motor to the second rotating body when cutting the print medium. Also, the second power transmission unit can effectively transmit power from the second motor to the second rotating body when cutting the print medium.

[0013] [3] In the above configuration, the first power transmission unit may be configured to cut off power from the first motor when the second rotating body detects a load equal to or greater than a tolerable load. Since the second rotating body can be rotated by the second motor having a higher rotation speed, the second rotating body can rotate faster than the first rotating body. In this case, it is preferable to set a "load" value as the "tolerable load" such that the rotation speeds of the first rotating body and the second rotating body are equal.

[0014] Furthermore, such a configuration is particularly useful in the configuration of the present disclosure in which the first motor drives both the first and second rotating bodies. That is, when the print medium sent out by the first rotating body is transported while being lightly pulled by the second rotating body, if the tension applied to the print medium by the second rotating body exceeds the allowable amount and the rotation speed of the second rotating body significantly exceeds the rotation speed of the first rotating body, the print medium may be damaged. In response to this, when the second rotating body detects a load exceeding the allowable amount, the first power transmission unit cuts off the power from the first motor, causing the second rotating body to rotate idly (in other words, the speed difference between the first rotating body and the second rotating body is absorbed), and the first rotating body and the second rotating body can maintain a constant speed. This prevents the second rotating body from pulling the print medium excessively, and effectively prevents damage to the print medium.

[0015] [4] In the above configuration, a transport distance measuring unit (e.g., an encoder) may be provided on the second motor (the rotating shaft) or the second rotating body (the rotating shaft) to measure the transport distance of the print medium. This allows the transport distance of the print medium to be accurately measured, enabling proper printing and cutting of the print medium.

[0016] In addition, the first motor, whose power transmission to the second rotating body is interrupted by the first power transmission unit, may slip, causing a discrepancy in the relationship between the actual movement of the print medium and the actual amount of rotation (number of steps) of the first motor. Therefore, even if a transport distance measuring unit that measures the transport distance of the print medium is attached to the first motor, it may not be possible to accurately measure the transport distance of the print medium. On the other hand, the second motor does not interrupt the transmission of power to the second rotating body, so there is no concern that the second motor itself may slip, and the rotation of the second rotating body that transports the print medium and the rotation of the second motor are reliably linked. Therefore, by providing a transport distance measuring unit to the second motor or the second rotating body and measuring the number of steps, the amount of rotation of the second rotating body, i.e., the transport distance of the print medium, can be accurately measured.

[0017] In the present disclosure, the functions of one "part," "machine," "mechanism," or "apparatus," and their constituent parts or components, may be realized by two or more physical means, devices, etc., or the functions of two or more "parts," "machine," "mechanism," or "apparatus," and their constituent parts or components, may be realized by one physical means, device, etc. Furthermore, "part," "machine," "mechanism," and "apparatus" are concepts that can also be rephrased as, for example, "means" or "system," etc. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present disclosure, by using a motor with a higher torque than usual as the first motor, even if the print head is enlarged or the weight of the print medium itself increases due to the enlargement, the print medium can be properly transported and printed reliably. In addition, since the print medium is transported and cut by the second rotor connected to the second motor, which has a rotation speed faster than the first motor, the feed speed of the print medium during cutting is prevented from decreasing, and the display object can be cut out at high speed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the work efficiency when creating a large display object. In particular, when cutting out the printed portion of the display object with a complex outline, the travel distance of the print medium becomes long, and there is a risk that the deterioration of the work efficiency becomes even more significant, but according to the present disclosure, such a complex shape can be cut out at high speed. In addition, when creating a display object of the same size as before, the print medium can be cut out faster, so the efficiency of creating the display object can be significantly improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (with a printer cover open); [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic plan view conceptually illustrating a portion of a configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of a more practical configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the inside of the printer as viewed toward the sheet roll side along the line VV in FIG. 1. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a sprocket; [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control system in an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to an example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications and application of technologies not specified below. That is, an example of the present disclosure can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, in the description of the drawings below, the same or similar parts are given the same or similar symbols, and the drawings are schematic and do not necessarily match the actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Furthermore, there may be parts in which the dimensional relationships and ratios differ between the drawings. In addition, it goes without saying that the embodiments described below are some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not all of the embodiments. Furthermore, other embodiments that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art without the need for creative acts based on the embodiments of the present disclosure are all included in the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Example of display creation device configuration] 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an example of a display object creating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The printer (display object creating device) 1 includes a printer body 110 having side walls 110a and 110b, and a cover 120 provided in an openable and closable manner in an upper portion between the side walls 110a and 110b. A long and wide (e.g., 300 mm wide) printing sheet S is detachably stored in a lower portion between the side walls 110a and 110b. The printing sheet S may be, for example, a long sheet attached to a long release paper, and may be provided as a sheet roll R wound in a form called an outward winding in which the printing surface of the printing sheet S faces outward. In addition, a plurality of through holes (not shown) called sprocket holes are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction at both ends of the width direction of the printing sheet S. The printing sheet S and the sheet roll R on which it is wound correspond to an example of a printing medium.

[0022] With the above-described external configuration, the printer 1 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole when the cover 120 is closed. Furthermore, an operation panel P that receives operations such as conveying the printing sheet S from the user is provided on, for example, one side wall portion 110a of the printer body 110. The printer 1 is also configured so that an ink ribbon cassette 130 is detachably stored inside the cover 120.

[0023] Here, FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view conceptually showing a part of the configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a part of a more practical configuration of an example of a display object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that FIG. 3 is a view of the internal structure of the printer body 110 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 viewed from the side wall portion 110a side, and FIG. 4 is a view of the internal structure of the printer body 110 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 viewed from the side wall portion 110b side on the opposite side. Also, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which the inside of the printer 1 is viewed toward the sheet roll R side along the line VV in FIG. 1. As shown in these FIGS. 3 and 4, the printer 1 includes, as its main functions, a printing unit 10, a cutting unit 20, a printing motor (first motor) M1, a cutting motor (second motor) M2, a platen (first rotating body) 31, and a sprocket (second rotating body) 32.

[0024] (Print section 10) The printing unit 10 is provided inside the cover 120, and mainly has a function of printing any characters, figures, images, etc. on the printing sheet S by the print head 11, and includes a print head drive unit 12 connected to the print head 11. In addition, with the ink ribbon cassette 130 stored in the cover 120, the ink ribbon B pulled out from the ink ribbon cassette 130 is disposed below the print head 11 in the drawing. The ink ribbon B is stored in a roll in the payout core 131 of the ink ribbon cassette 130, and is configured to be paid out from there and taken up on the take-up core 132 of the ink ribbon cassette 130. In addition, as an example of the ink ribbon B, there can be mentioned one configured by applying a thin film of ink that can be transferred to the printing sheet S by heat and pressure to a long medium.

[0025] Here, the print head 11 is, as one example, configured as a thermal head (thermal transfer type), and configured such that its longitudinal length is approximately the same as the printable width of the printing sheet S, or is longer than the width of the printing sheet S. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the print head 11 is attached to a support member (not shown) having a first guide roller 131g provided on the pay-out side of the ink ribbon B (close to the pay-out core part 131) with respect to the print head 11, and a second guide roller 132g provided on the take-up side of the ink ribbon B (close to the take-up core part 132).

[0026] Furthermore, the print head drive unit 12 has, for example, an elevation solenoid or motor (neither shown) that performs the elevation operation of the print head 11, i.e., the operation of pressing the print head 11 against the printing sheet S and the operation of retracting (separating) the print head 11 from the printing sheet S, and an ink ribbon transport motor 133 connected to a winding core part 132 for pulling out the ink ribbon B from the ink ribbon cassette 130. The print head drive unit 12 positions the print head 11, first guide roller 131g, and second guide roller 132g at appropriate positions relative to a platen 31, which will be described later. The print head 11 and platen 31 are disposed opposite each other with the ink ribbon B and the printing sheet S sandwiched between them.

[0027] (cutting section 20) The cutting unit 20 is provided inside the side walls 110a, 110b of the printer body 110 and across both side walls 110a, 110b, and has the function of using a cutting head 21 to cut out the printed area or its surroundings on the printing sheet S into any shape, for example, as a label for an indicative object having a desired contour while leaving the release paper behind (called half cutting, etc.), and is equipped with a cutting head drive unit 22 connected to the cutting head 21.

[0028] The cutting head 21 is attached to a guide rail 23 extending in the width direction of the printing sheet S, downstream of the print head 11 in the transport direction (arrow Ya in FIG. 3), so as to be freely movable. This guide rail 23 may be a flat rail or may be one using a plurality of wires (a flat rail is shown in FIG. 3). Furthermore, the cutting head 21 has, for example, a pen-tip-shaped cutter that is approximately perpendicular to the peripheral surface of a sprocket 32, which will be described later.

[0029] The cutting head drive unit 22 has, for example, a stepping motor and a feed mechanism (neither shown) built into or connected to one end of the guide rail 23, and, for example, a lifting solenoid or motor (neither shown) for lifting and lowering the cutter of the cutting head 21, i.e., for pressing the cutter against the printing sheet S and for retracting (moving away) the cutter from the printing sheet S. Cutting out characters, figures, images, etc. printed on the printing sheet S can be performed by cooperation between the cutting head drive unit 22 controlling the cutting head 21 to move forward and backward along the guide rail 23 and controlling the cutting motor M2, described later, to rotate the sprocket 32 ​​forward and backward. The cutting head 21 and the sprocket 32 ​​are disposed opposite each other with the printing sheet S in between.

[0030] (Printing sheet S transport system) The transport of the printing sheet S in the printer 1 is mainly performed by a printing motor M1, a cutting motor M2, a platen 31, and a sprocket 32. Each of these components is also provided inside the side walls 110a and 110b of the printer body 110 and across both side walls 110a and 110b.

[0031] When printing the printing sheet S, the printing motor M1, such as a stepping motor, rotates the roller-shaped platen 31 and roller-shaped sprocket 32 ​​to transport the printing sheet S in the forward direction (feed direction, discharge direction, specified direction) indicated by the arrow Ya in Fig. 3. When cutting the printing sheet S, the cutting motor M2, such as a stepping motor, rotates the sprocket 32 ​​to transport the printing sheet S in the forward direction indicated by the arrow Ya in Fig. 3 and in the reverse direction (predetermined direction and the opposite direction). An encoder (transport distance measuring unit) 60 for measuring the transport distance of the printing sheet S is coaxially provided on the rotation shaft M2a of the cutting motor M2.

[0032] Here, the rotational torque and rotational speed of the printing motor M1 and the cutting motor M2 have the relationship expressed by the following formula (1) and formula (2), respectively. · Rotational torque M1t of printing motor M1> Rotational torque M2t of cutting motor M2…(1) · Rotational speed M1v of printing motor M1 < rotational speed M2v of cutting motor M2…(2) As a result, the printing sheet S during printing is transported at a relatively high torque and low speed, and the printing sheet S during cutting is transported at a relatively low torque and high speed.

[0033] More specifically, the platen 31 has a platen driving pulley 31b provided at one end of the rotation shaft 31a on the side wall portion 110a side, and an endless belt EB1 is stretched between the rotation shaft M1a of the printing motor M1 and the platen driving pulley 31b. As a result, when printing the printing sheet S, the power of the printing motor M1 is transmitted to the platen 31, and the platen 31 rotates at a predetermined low speed. In addition, the sprocket 32 ​​has a torque limiter 50, which will be described later, on its rotation shaft 32a, and an endless belt EB3 is stretched between the rotation shaft M1a of the printing motor M1 and the torque limiter 50. As a result, when printing the printing sheet S, the power of the printing motor M1 is transmitted to not only the platen 31 but also the sprocket 32, and the sprocket 32 ​​rotates together with the platen 31 at a predetermined speed. When the printing sheet S is cut, the printing motor M1 and the endless belt EB3 are stopped, and the transmission of power from the printing motor M1 to the sprocket 32 ​​is interrupted. In this manner, the endless belts EB1 and EB3 correspond to an example of a "first power transmission section" in the present disclosure.

[0034] The sprocket 32 ​​also has a sprocket drive pulley 32b provided on the inner side of its rotation shaft 31a, and an endless belt EB2 is stretched between the rotation shaft M2a of the cutting motor M2 and the sprocket drive pulley 32b. As a result, when the printing sheet S is cut, the power of the cutting motor M2 is transmitted to the sprocket 32, causing the sprocket 32 ​​to rotate at a predetermined high speed. In this way, the endless belt EB2 corresponds to an example of a "second power transmission section" in this disclosure.

[0035] Here, FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the sprocket 32, and FIG. 6B is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 6A. As shown in FIG. 5, 6A, and 6B, the torque limiter 50 (generally called an "overload protection mechanism" or the like) is coaxially provided at one end of the rotating shaft 32a of the sprocket 32 ​​on the side wall portion 110a side. This torque limiter 50 is configured not to transmit the power of the printing motor M1 to the sprocket 32 ​​in excess of the torque limiter 50's capacity when a load (rotation load) exceeding the capacity of the torque limiter 50 is detected from the printing motor M1. In addition, a torque diode (registered trademark: omitted below, generally called a "reverse input prevention mechanism" or the like) 40 is also coaxially provided on the sprocket 32. This torque diode 40 has a power transmission section 41 and a power non-transmission section 42 that are integrated coaxially with each other. The power of the printing motor M1 is transmitted to the sprocket 32 ​​by a power transmission section 41, while the power of the cutting motor M2 is configured not to be transmitted to the printing motor M1 by a power non-transmission section .

[0036] Incidentally, a plurality of pins 32t are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the sprocket 32 ​​at the same intervals as the sprocket holes, which protrude from sprocket holes provided at both ends in the width direction of the printing sheet S as described above and engage with the printing sheet S, and the printing sheet S is transported during printing and cutting by being fed by the platen 31 and guided by the sprocket 32. Also, a pair of pressure rollers 34, 35 shown in Fig. 4 are disposed above the sprocket 32 ​​and on the upstream and downstream sides of the printing sheet S so that the pins 32t of the sprocket 32 ​​do not come out of engagement with the sprocket holes of the printing sheet S when the printing sheet S is fed. The pressure rollers 34, 35 are disposed on a pair of rotating shafts, and both shaft ends are held by appropriate holders so as to be movable up and down.

[0037] [Control system hardware configuration example] 7 is a plan view showing a schematic example of a hardware configuration of a control system in an example of an object creation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The printer 1 mainly includes a control unit 70 connected to a printing unit 10, a cutting unit 20, a printing motor M1, and a cutting motor M2. The control unit 70 includes a control calculation unit 71, a communication interface (I / F) unit 72, a storage unit 73, an input unit 74, and an output unit 75, and each unit can be connected to each other via a bus line 76 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0038] The control calculation unit 71 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like, and controls each component and performs various calculations required for printing, cutting, and conveying the printing sheet S in accordance with information processing. The communication I / F unit 72 is, for example, a communication module for communicating with other components, i.e., "units" and "devices," via wire or wirelessly. Any communication method may be used by the communication I / F unit 72 for communication, and examples of such methods include a LAN (Local Area Network) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus), and an appropriate communication line equivalent to the bus line 76 may also be used. Both the printing unit 10 and the cutting unit 20 may be configured to be able to communicate with the control calculation unit 71 and the like via the communication I / F unit 72.

[0039] The memory unit 73 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs executed by the control and calculation unit 71 (such as calculation programs for executing the printing, cutting, and transporting processes of the printing sheet S, as well as monitoring programs using various sensors, control programs for controlling the operations of these, etc.), coordinate information and color information of objects to be printed on the printing sheet S, etc.

[0040] The input unit 74 is an interface device for accepting various input operations from a user who uses the printer 1, and may be realized, for example, by a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, an operation panel P (FIGS. 1 and 2) having touch buttons, an audio microphone, an external memory, etc. The output unit 75 is an interface device for notifying the user who uses the printer 1 of various information by displaying, outputting audio, printing, etc., and may be realized, for example, by a display, a speaker, the printer 1 itself, etc.

[0041] With the above configuration, the control unit 70 acquires drawing data of an object to be displayed, for example, from an information processing device externally connected to the communication I / F unit 72, the storage unit 73, or the input unit 74, drives the print head 11, the printing motor M1, the ink ribbon transport motor 133, and a solenoid or motor for lifting and lowering the print head 11, and prints on the print sheet S while transporting the print sheet S with the platen 31 and sprocket 32. The control unit 70 also drives the cutting head 21, the cutting motor M2, the sprocket 32, and a solenoid or motor for lifting and lowering the print head 11 to cut the printed print sheet S into a predetermined shape, and also cuts the print sheet S across its entire width at a specified position as necessary.

[0042] [Example of display creation device in action] An example of the operation of the printer 1 having the above configuration will be described below. First, when the cover 120 is opened as shown in FIG. 2 in order to load the printing sheet S into the printer 1, the ink ribbon cassette 130 and the printing unit 10 housed inside the cover 120 are retracted upward, exposing the transport path of the printing sheet S. In this state, as shown in FIG. 2, the sheet roll R is loaded and the printing sheet S is inserted between the sprocket 32 ​​and the pressure rollers 34, 35 from above the platen 31, so that the pins 32t of the sprocket 32 ​​fit into and engage with the sprocket holes formed in the printing sheet S. Then, when the cover 120 is closed, the printing sheet S is ready to be transported by the sprocket 32.

[0043] (Printing of printing sheet S) Next, when the printer 1 starts operating, the control unit 70 of the printer 1 acquires drawing data of the display object and cutout shape data of the printing portion of the display object from an information processing device externally connected to the communication I / F unit 72, the memory unit 73, or the input unit 74, and transfers or inputs the drawing data, cutout shape data, etc. to the control calculation unit 71. The control calculation unit 71 first transmits print commands to the printing unit 10, the cutting unit 20, and the printing motor M1 based on the drawing data.

[0044] The print head drive unit 12 of the printing unit 10, which has received a command from the control calculation unit 71, drives a solenoid or motor for lifting the print head 11 to move the print head 11 from a retracted position where it is not in contact with the platen 31 to a printing position where it is in contact with the platen 31, and positions the first guide roller 131g and the second guide roller 132g at predetermined positions. As a result, the print head 11 and the platen 31 sandwich the printing sheet S and the ink ribbon B, and the ink ribbon B is pressed against the printing sheet S. At the same time, the print head drive unit 12 of the printing unit 10 moves the pressure roller 34 downward, and positions it from the retracted position where it is not in contact with the sprocket 32 ​​to a position where it is in contact with the sprocket 32. Meanwhile, the cutting head drive unit 22 of the cutting unit 20 drives a solenoid or motor for lifting the cutting head 21 to position the cutting head 21 at a retracted position (separated position) where it is not in contact with the printing sheet S.

[0045] In this state, the control calculation unit 71 drives the printing motor M1, and the power is transmitted to the platen 31 and the sprocket 32 ​​via the endless belts EB1 and EB3 and the torque diode 40, respectively. As a result, the platen 31 and the sprocket 32 ​​rotate in the forward direction so that the printing sheet S is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow Ya, and the pressure rollers 34, 35 come into contact with the printing sheet S and rotate following the movement of the printing sheet S. At this time, the platen 31 and the sprocket 32 ​​rotate at a speed according to the rotation torque M1t and rotation speed M1v of the printing motor M1. At that time, if a load from the printing motor M1 to the sprocket 32 ​​that is greater than the allowable amount of the torque limiter 50 is detected, the torque limiter 50 adjusts the torque so that the transport speeds of the platen 31 and the sprocket 32 ​​are equal, and as a result, the printing sheet S is also transported at a relatively low speed.

[0046] During printing, the control calculation unit 71 does not drive the cutting motor M2, but the cutting motor M2 rotates via the endless belt EB2 by the rotational power of the sprocket 32. Therefore, by measuring the number of rotation steps of the cutting motor M2 with the encoder 60, the amount of rotation of the sprocket 32 ​​during printing, i.e., the transport distance of the printing sheet S during printing, is measured.

[0047] At the same time, the print head drive unit 12 drives the ink ribbon transport motor 133 to rotate the take-up core unit 132, transporting the ink ribbon B in accordance with the transport of the printing sheet S. As a result, characters, figures, images, etc. according to the drawing data are thermally transferred and printed on the printing sheet S by the print head 11 while the printing sheet S and the ink ribbon B are supplied and transported in an overlapping state in the forward direction indicated by the arrow Ya onto the platen 31.

[0048] (Cutting the printing sheet S) When printing is completed, the control calculation unit 71 transmits a cutting command to the printing unit 10, the cutting unit 20, and the cutting motor M2 based on the cutout shape data. The print head driving unit 12 of the printing unit 10, which has received the command from the control calculation unit 71, drives the solenoid or motor for raising and lowering the print head 11 to move the print head 11 from the printing position where it abuts against the platen 31 to a retracted position (separated position) where it is not in contact with the platen 31, and accordingly positions the first guide roller 131g and the second guide roller 132g to predetermined positions. This releases the printing sheet S and the ink ribbon B that were sandwiched between the print head 11 and the platen 31. At the same time, the print head driving unit 12 of the printing unit 10 moves the pressure roller 34 upward, and positions it from the position where it abuts against the sprocket 32 ​​to the retracted position (separated position) where it is not in contact with the sprocket 32.

[0049] Meanwhile, the cutting head drive unit 22 of the cutting unit 20 drives a solenoid or motor for lifting the cutting head 21, and positions the cutting head 21 from a retracted position where it is out of contact with the sprocket 32 ​​to a cutting position where it abuts against the sprocket 32. This brings the cutter of the cutting head 21 into contact with the printing sheet S. Furthermore, the cutting head drive unit 22 moves the cutting head 21 forward and backward in the width direction of the printing sheet S along the guide rails 23 in accordance with the cutout shape data.

[0050] The control calculation unit 71 also drives the cutting motor M2, and the power is transmitted to the sprocket 32 ​​via the endless belt EB2. As a result, the sprocket 32 ​​rotates in the forward and reverse directions so that the printing sheet S is transported in the forward and reverse directions indicated by the arrow Ya in accordance with the cut-out shape of the printed portion of the display object. At this time, the sprocket 32 ​​is rotated at a relatively high speed according to the rotational torque M2t and rotational speed M2v of the cutting motor M2, and as a result, the printing sheet S is also transported at a relatively high speed.

[0051] In this way, the cutting of printed portions such as letters, figures, images, etc. printed on the printing sheet S is performed at high speed by cooperation between the cutting head drive unit 22, which controls the cutting head 21 to move forward and backward along the guide rail 23, and the cutting motor M2, which controls the sprocket 32 ​​to rotate forward and backward.

[0052] During cutting, the control calculation unit 71 does not drive the printing motor M1 (endless belts EB1, EB3 are also stopped), and the rotational power of the sprocket 32 ​​rotated by the cutting motor M2 is blocked by the torque diode 40 and is not transmitted to the printing motor M1. In other words, the printing motor M1 is dynamically disconnected from the sprocket 32 ​​and the cutting motor. As a result, during cutting of the printing sheet S, the printing motor M1 does not become a load resistance for the rotation of the sprocket 32 ​​by the cutting motor M2. Furthermore, the amount of rotation of the cutting motor M2 is measured by the encoder 60, and it is also possible to measure the transport distance of the printing sheet S during cutting.

[0053] Then, after cutting of the display object has been completed, the control calculation unit 71 will, if necessary, repeatedly print and cut another display object, and / or, with the cutting motor M2 stopped, cut the printing sheet S across its entire width at a specified position using the cutting means 24 shown in Figure 4, for example, and then terminate operation of the printer 1.

[0054] With the printer 1 configured in this manner, any characters, figures, images, etc. can be printed by the print head 11, ink ribbon B, and platen 31 while the print sheet S is transported in the forward direction by the platen 31 connected via the endless belt EB1 to the print motor M1, which rotates at a higher torque and slower speed than usual. As a result, even if the print head 11 is made larger than before, or even if a larger (longer and wider) print sheet S than before is used and the weight of the sheet roll R itself increases, it is possible to reliably print while properly transporting the print sheet S.

[0055] Furthermore, the printing sheet S is conveyed at high speed in the forward and reverse directions by the sprocket 32 ​​connected to the printing motor M2, which rotates at a lower torque and higher speed than the printing motor M1, via the endless belt EB2, and cut by the cutting head 21 on the sprocket 32. This prevents the feed speed of the printing sheet S from decreasing during cutting, and allows the display object to be cut out at high speed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of work efficiency when creating a large display object. In particular, when cutting out the printed portion of the display object with a complex outline, the moving distance of the printing sheet S becomes long, and the deterioration of work efficiency becomes even more noticeable in the conventional method, but according to the printer 1 of the present disclosure, even such a complex shape can be cut out at high speed. In addition, when creating a display object of the same size as the conventional one, the printing sheet S can be cut out faster, so the efficiency of creating the display object can be significantly improved.

[0056] In addition, because the sprocket 32 ​​is connected to the printing motor M1 via the endless belt EB3, during printing, the printing sheet S sent out by the platen 31 is transported while being lightly pulled by the sprocket 32. This applies an appropriate tension (back tension) to the printing sheet S between the platen 31 and the sprocket 32, preventing the printing sheet S from coming off the sprocket 32 ​​due to the sprocket holes in the printing sheet S being disengaged from the pins 32t of the sprocket 32.

[0057] Furthermore, a torque diode 40 is provided on the rotating shaft 32a of the sprocket 32, and while the printing sheet S is being printed, the driving force from the printing motor M1 can be reliably transmitted to the sprocket 32 ​​by a power transmission section 41, while while the printing sheet S is being cut, the power of the cutting motor M2 is not transmitted to the printing motor M1 by a power non-transmission section 42. This makes it possible to prevent the printing motor M1 from co-rotating when the cutting motor M2 is driven. As a result, the printing motor M1 does not become a load resistance for the cutting motor M2, so that the printing sheet S can be properly and reliably transported at high speed when being cut.

[0058] Furthermore, because an endless belt EB3 is stretched between the printing motor M1 and the torque limiter 50 provided on the sprocket 32, even when a load exceeding the allowable amount is input or detected from the printing motor M1, the overload is not transmitted to the sprocket 32. Therefore, in that case, the sprocket 32 ​​rotates freely, and the platen 31 and the sprocket 32 ​​can maintain a constant speed. This prevents the pin 32t of the sprocket 32 ​​from excessively pulling the sprocket hole area of ​​the printing sheet S, effectively preventing damage to the printing sheet S.

[0059] In addition, since the printing motor M1 is connected to a "slippery part" such as the torque limiter 50, slippage may occur in the printing motor M1 itself, causing a discrepancy in the relationship between the actual movement of the printing sheet S and the actual amount of rotation (number of steps) of the printing motor M1, which may make it difficult to accurately measure the conveying distance of the printing sheet S. On the other hand, since the cutting motor M2 is not connected to such a "slippery part," there is no concern that slippage may occur in the cutting motor itself, and the rotation of the sprocket 32 ​​that conveys the printing sheet S and the rotation of the cutting motor M2 are reliably linked. Therefore, in the printer 1, an encoder 60 is provided on the cutting motor M2 to measure the number of steps, thereby accurately measuring the amount of rotation of the sprocket 32, i.e., the conveying distance of the printing sheet S, and the printing and cutting of the printing sheet S can be performed appropriately.

[0060] The above embodiment has been described in detail as an example of the present disclosure. However, as mentioned above, the above description merely shows an example of the present disclosure in every respect, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the above embodiment can be partially replaced, deleted, or combined, and further, modifications such as those mentioned above are possible. For example, the print head 11 may be an inkjet type instead of a thermal head used together with the ink ribbon B. The encoder 60 may be provided on the sprocket 32. In addition, since the rotation of the sprocket 32 ​​and the rotation of the cutting motor M2 are reliably linked, the encoder 60 may be provided on the rotating shaft 32a of the sprocket 32. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1... printer (display generating device), 10... printing unit, 11... print head, 12... print head drive unit, 20... cutting unit, 21... cutting head, 22... cutting head drive unit, 23... guide rail, 24... cutting means, 31... platen (first rotating body), 31a... rotating shaft, 31b... platen drive pulley, 32... sprocket (second rotating body), 32a... rotating shaft, 32b... sprocket drive pulley, 32t... pin, 34... pressure roller, 40... torque diode, 41... power transmission unit, 42... power non-transmission unit, 50... torque limiter, 60... encoder (transport distance measuring unit), 70... control unit, 71... control calculation unit, 72... communication interface (I / F) unit, 73... memory section, 74...input section, 75...output section, 76...bus line, 110...printer body, 110a, 110b...side wall sections, 120...cover, 130...ink ribbon cassette, 131...feed-out core section, 131g...first guide roller, 132...take-up core section, 132g...second guide roller, 133...ink ribbon transport motor, B...ink ribbon, EB1, EB3...endless belt (first power transmission section), EB2...endless belt (second power transmission section), M1...printing motor (first motor), M1a...rotating shaft, M2...cutting motor (second motor), M2a...rotating shaft, P...operation panel, R...sheet roll (printing medium), S...printing sheet (printing medium), Ya...arrow (positive direction).

Claims

1. a printing unit that prints on a print medium using a print head; a cutting unit that cuts the printed portion of the print medium or the periphery of the printed portion into an arbitrary shape using a cutting head; A first motor; a second motor having a rotational speed greater than a rotational speed of the first motor; a first rotating body that faces the printing unit via the printing medium; a second rotating body that faces the cutting unit across the print medium; Equipped with the first motor rotates the first rotating body and the second rotating body to transport the printing medium in a predetermined direction during printing on the printing medium; the second motor rotates the second rotating body to transport the printing medium in the predetermined direction and in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction when the printing medium is cut; When the print medium is cut, the second rotating body is cut off from the power transmission from the first motor. Display creation device.

2. a first power transmission unit that transmits power from the first motor to the first rotating body and the second rotating body when printing on the print medium, and that cuts off the transmission of power from the first motor to the second rotating body when cutting the print medium; a second power transmission unit that transmits power from the second motor to the second rotating body when the print medium is cut; Equipped 2. The display object creating device according to claim 1.

3. The first power transmission unit cuts off power from the first motor when the second rotating body detects a load equal to or greater than a tolerable load.

3. The display object creating device according to claim 2.

4. a conveyance distance measuring unit provided on the second motor or the second rotating body, the conveyance distance measuring unit measuring the conveyance distance of the print medium; 4. The display object creating device according to claim 1.

Images