Cutting device, cutting control method and program

Abstract

To remove an unnecessary area at the inner side of a cut area easily and smoothly.SOLUTION: A cut device 10 comprises: a cutting part 17 which cuts a sheet of paper (a cut medium) 60 based on cut data (predetermined design information); and an MPU (a control unit) 11. When the cut data (the predetermined design information) includes unnecessary area information indicating an unnecessary area to be removed after cutting, the MPU (the control unit) 11 controls the cutting part 17 to perform scrap removal cutting (special cutting) in which curling of the paper occurs at the inner side of the unnecessary area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, cutting devices that cut a medium to be cut are known. With regard to such cutting devices, Patent Document 1 below discloses an adhesive sheet forming device that cuts the outer periphery of a cut area and cuts off unnecessary areas inside the cut area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-98505 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the adhesive sheet forming device disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the shape of the unnecessary area inside the cut area is irregular, a removal device (extrusion device) cannot be used to remove the unnecessary area. Therefore, in such cases, the unnecessary area inside the cut area must be removed manually, which takes time and may damage the necessary area.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to easily and smoothly remove the unnecessary area inside the cut area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the cutting device of the present invention comprises a cutting unit that performs cutting on the medium to be cut based on predetermined design information, and a control unit, and when the design information includes unnecessary area information that indicates unnecessary areas that should be removed after the cutting, the control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a special cut that causes curling inside the unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the unnecessary area inside the cut area can be easily and smoothly removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a cutting system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cutting device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounting table on which a mount with paper attached thereto is placed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the terminal device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for scrap cutting processing. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of scrap removal cutting. [Figure 7] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing the cross section of paper when scrap cutting is performed, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing the movement of the cutter blade when scrap cutting is performed. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for setting a scraping cut width and a scraping cut length. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for setting a scraping cut width and a scraping cut length. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of scrap removal cutting. [Figure 11] 10(a) to 10(d) are diagrams showing examples of scrap removal cutting. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a cut data generation process. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a necessity selection acceptance screen. [Figure 14] 10(a) to 10(d) are diagrams showing examples of a necessity selection acceptance screen. [Figure 15] 10(a), (b), and (d) are diagrams showing examples of a necessity selection acceptance screen, and (c) is a diagram showing an example of a symbol mark. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for a modified scrap cutting process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. As shown in FIG. 1, a cutting system 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a cutting device 10 and a terminal device 50.

[0010] The cutting device 10 is a device that cuts a planar medium to be cut, such as a rectangle, attached to a backing sheet 32 ​​(described later) placed (set) on a mounting table 31 (described later), into any planar shape. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which paper 60 (see FIG. 3), such as A4 paper, is used as the medium to be cut, but this is not limiting. The medium to be cut may also be other media that can be cut with a cutter blade, such as a sheet of resin, a sticker, or leather.

[0011] The terminal device (cut data generating device) 50 is a PC (Personal Computer) or server that generates and edits cut data that indicates the planar shape and position to be cut by the cutting device 10. The terminal device 50 also receives input of operation information related to the cutting device 10 and displays display information related to the cutting device 10. The terminal device 50 is used by being connected to the cutting device 10 via wireless communication. The terminal device 50 communicatively connected to the cutting device 10 is not limited to a PC, but may be another terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet PC. The wireless communication method between the cutting device 10 and the terminal device 50 is Bluetooth (registered trademark). However, the wireless communication method is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be another communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication connection between the cutting device 10 and the terminal device 50 is not limited to wireless communication, but may be wired communication. The wired communication is, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) wired communication via a communication cable.

[0012] 2, the cutting device 10 includes an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) 11 as a control unit, an operation unit 12, a memory unit 13, an indicator unit 14, a wired communication unit 15, a wireless communication unit 16, a cutting unit 17, an origin position detection unit 18, a paper feed unit 19, and a paper feed detection unit 20. The various units of the cutting device 10 are connected via a bus 21.

[0013] The MPU 11 controls each part of the cutting device 10. The MPU 11 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU reads out a specified program from the various programs stored in the storage unit 13, loads it into the RAM, and executes various processes in cooperation with the loaded program. The RAM is a volatile semiconductor memory, and forms a work area for temporarily storing various data and programs. The operation unit 12 has various buttons, accepts input from the user when the buttons are pressed, and outputs the operation information to the MPU 11. The various buttons on the operation unit 12 include a position key for moving the position of the paper 60, a button for pausing cutting, a button for setting the paper 60, and a button for removing the paper 60.

[0014] The memory unit 13 is a memory unit such as a flash memory that can read and write information. The memory unit 13 stores various data such as cutting data and various programs. In particular, the memory unit 13 stores a scrap cutting program 131 for executing a scrap cutting process described below. The indicator unit 14 has a light-emitting unit such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that indicates various states of the cutting device 10 by turning on or off. The indicator unit 14 has, for example, a power lamp that indicates whether the power is on or off. The indicator unit 14 turns on or off the light emission of the light-emitting unit in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11.

[0015] The wired communication unit 15 is an interface for wired communication conforming to a communication standard such as USB. The MPU 11 transmits and receives information to and from external devices such as the terminal device 50 via the wired communication unit 15 and a communication cable. The wireless communication unit 16 has an antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a signal processing circuit, etc., and is an interface for Bluetooth wireless communication with external devices such as the terminal device 50. The MPU 11 transmits and receives information to and from external devices such as the terminal device 50 via the wireless communication unit 16.

[0016] The cutting unit 17 has an X-axis motor 171, a Z-axis motor 172, a carriage 173, and a cutter blade 174. In accordance with instructions from the MPU 11, the cutting unit 17 moves a cutter blade 174 mounted on the carriage 173 in the X-axis and Z-axis directions by driving the X-axis motor 171 and the Z-axis motor 172. The cutting unit 17 cuts the paper 60 attached to the backing paper 32 placed (set) on the placement table 31 into any planar shape by moving the cutter blade 174. The cutter blade 174 is mounted on the carriage 173 in a state in which a shaft (drive shaft) 174c (see FIG. 7(a)) of the cutter blade 174 is rotatable about its axis. In other words, the cutter blade 174 is designed so that the blade faces the cutting direction when the paper (medium to be cut) 60 is cut. To orient the blade in the cutting direction, the carriage 173 and / or paper feed unit 19 are driven while the tip (edge) of the cutter blade 174 is slightly touching the paper 60, thereby enabling the blade to be oriented in the desired direction. Here, with reference to Figure 3, the paper 60 attached to the backing paper 32 placed on the mounting table 31, and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis will be described.

[0017] The backing paper 32 is used to prevent the cutter blade 174 from damaging the mounting table 31 and to place the paper 60 in the correct position. The backing paper 32 has a flat rectangular shape. Since the backing paper 32 is placed on the mounting table 31, it has a shape that fits within the planar shape of the mounting table 31. The backing paper 32 is made of a soft material that does not damage the cutter blade 174 when cutting the paper 60, and an adhesive is applied to the upper surface of the backing paper 32 for attaching the paper 60. The mounting table 31 mounts the backing paper 32 with the paper 60 attached to it. The X-axis is taken as the main scanning direction when transporting the mounting table 31 (backing paper 32, paper 60). The Y-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis and is taken as the transport direction (paper feed direction, sub-scanning direction) of the mounting table 31 (backing paper 32, paper 60). The Z-axis is perpendicular to the XY plane and is taken as the direction in which the cutter blade 174 moves up and down relative to the paper 60.

[0018] Returning to FIG. 2, the X-axis motor 171 is a motor that drives the carriage 173 in the X-axis direction in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11. The Z-axis motor 172 is a motor that drives the cutter blade 174 in the Z-axis direction in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11. The carriage 173 is a movable part in the X-axis direction that carries the cutter blade 174. The cutter blade 174 is a blade made of a conductive material such as metal and having, for example, an oblique cutting edge at its tip, for cutting the paper 60.

[0019] The origin position detection unit 18 is a position detection unit such as an optical sensor that detects whether or not the cutter blade 174 is at the origin position in the X-axis direction in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11. The origin position detection unit 18 outputs the detection result of whether or not the cutter blade 174 is at the origin position to the MPU 11. The MPU 11 controls the position of the cutter blade 174 of the cutting unit 17 in the X-axis direction using the detection result of whether or not the cutter blade 174 is at the origin position.

[0020] The paper feed unit 19 has a Y-axis motor 191. The paper feed unit 19 is a transport unit that transports the mounting table 31, on which the backing sheet 32 ​​with the paper 60 pasted thereon, in the Y-axis direction by driving the Y-axis motor 191 in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11. The paper feed detection unit 20 is a detection unit such as an optical sensor that detects whether the mounting table 31, on which the backing sheet 32 ​​with the paper 60 pasted thereon is placed, has been fed (set) into the paper feed opening of the paper feed unit 19 in accordance with instructions from the MPU 11. The paper feed detection unit 20 outputs the detection result of the setting of the paper 60 to the MPU 11.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal device 50 includes a CPU 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, a display unit 54, an operation unit 55, and a communication unit 56. The various units of the terminal device 50 are connected via a bus 57. The CPU (display control means, reception means, auxiliary means) 51 is a processor that reads and executes a program 531 stored in the storage unit 53 and performs various arithmetic processing, thereby controlling the operation of the various units of the terminal device 50. The RAM 52 provides a working memory space for the CPU 51 and stores temporary data. The storage unit 53 is a non-temporary recording medium readable by the CPU 51 as a computer, and stores the program 531 and various data (e.g., cutting data).

[0022] The display unit 54 is composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like, and performs various displays according to display information instructed by the CPU 51. The operation unit 55 has a key input unit such as a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse, and receives key operation inputs and position operation inputs from the user and outputs the operation information to the CPU 51. The CPU 51 receives input operations from the user based on the information transmitted from the operation unit 55. The communication unit 56 is, for example, a communication unit that employs a wireless standard such as Bluetooth, or a wired communication unit such as a USB terminal.

[0023] Furthermore, in the cutting device 10, scrap removal cutting is performed in the scrap removal cutting process (see FIG. 5). This scrap removal cutting (special cutting) is a cutting that makes it easier to identify unnecessary areas (scrap areas) when cutting paper 60 into an arbitrary shape, and generates so-called curling that makes it easier to remove these unnecessary areas. Here, the mode of scrap removal cutting will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 6 , the outer periphery (cut line) 62 of a necessary area 61, which has an octagonal outer shape, is cut on a paper 60, and the outer periphery (cut line) 64 of an unnecessary area 63, which is a vertically elongated oval inside the necessary area 61, is cut. The scrap-removal cut described above is performed inside the unnecessary area 63, forming zigzag cuts C. In other words, multiple wedge-shaped cuts are made. The cuts C are formed by driving the cutter blade 174 in a zigzag pattern. At this time, the cutting edge of the cutter blade 174 does not follow the movement of the axis of the cutter blade 174, so that disturbances such as curling of the paper 60 occur at the corners of the cuts C (the mountain-shaped tips). Here, with reference to FIG. 7 , the movement of the cutter blade 174 during the scrap-removal cut will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figure 7(a), when scrap-removing cutting is being performed, the cutter blade 174 is set so that the cutting edge 174a of the cutter blade 174 penetrates the paper 60 and the cutting base 174b does not penetrate the paper 60. As shown in Figure 7(b), when the shaft (drive shaft) 174c of the cutter blade 174 reaches the corner CN during scrap-removing cutting, the shaft 174c is at position c1 in the figure, the cutting edge 174a is at position a1 in the figure, and the cutting base 174b is at position b1 in the figure. Then, when the shaft 174c moves from position c1 to position c2 in a wedge-shaped (V-shaped) trajectory, the cutting edge 174a moves to position a2 in the figure, and the cutting base 174b moves to position b2 in the figure. Because the cutter blade 174 is cut into the paper 60 from the cutting edge 174a to the base 174b, when the cutting edge 174a moves from position a1 to position a2 and the base 174b moves from position b1 to position b2 in this state, the cutting edge 174a and the base 174b do not follow the movement of the shaft 174c, and the paper 60 curls up near the area surrounded by a1, b1, a2, and b2. Therefore, when a scraping cut is performed, the wedge-shaped (V-shaped) movement of the shaft 174c of the cutter blade 174 is repeated, resulting in a cluster of curls in the unnecessary area (e.g., the unnecessary area 63 (see FIG. 6)). This makes the unnecessary area stand out due to the curls, making it easy to identify. Furthermore, the unnecessary area can be easily and smoothly removed by pinching the curls with tweezers or hooking a finger.

[0026] 5, when the scrapping cutting process is started, first, the MPU 11 acquires unnecessary area information indicating the shape and position of the unnecessary area (scratch area) from the cut data (step S1). Here, before the scrapping cutting process is performed, it is assumed that a cutting process (contour cutting process) for cutting out the necessary area (e.g., necessary area 61; see FIG. 6) and the unnecessary area (e.g., unnecessary area 63; see FIG. 6) has been performed in advance based on the cut data (design information) indicating the shape and position of the necessary area and the unnecessary area.

[0027] Next, based on the unnecessary region information acquired in step S1, the MPU 11 derives an inscribed rectangle A that maximizes the area of ​​the unnecessary region (step S2). If there are multiple unnecessary regions in step S2, the inscribed rectangle A that maximizes the area is derived for each unnecessary region. Then, the processing from step S3 onward is performed for each unnecessary region. In this embodiment, the inscribed rectangle A is a rectangle as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, but it may also be a trapezoid, parallelogram, or rhombus. Here, the shorter of the two pairs of sides of the derived inscribed rectangle A is defined as the width WA, and the longer of the two pairs of sides is defined as the height HA. Furthermore, since the inscribed rectangle A is derived based on the unnecessary region information as described above, i.e., it depends on the shape of the unnecessary region, the direction of the width WA and the direction of the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A are not necessarily along the X-axis or Y-axis direction of the cutting device 10. If the derived inscribed quadrilateral A is a square, the inscribed quadrilateral A is derived so that, for example, one set of sides is parallel to the X-axis direction and the other set of sides is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The length of the sides parallel to the X-axis direction is the width WA, and the length of the sides parallel to the Y-axis direction is the height HA.

[0028] Next, the MPU 11 determines whether the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A derived in step S2 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) is greater than the scraping cut reference width (step S3). Here, the scraping cut reference width is a default value of the scraping cut width, and is set to a predetermined length (approximately 1 mm to 3 mm). As shown in FIG. 8, the scraping cut width indicates the stroke length from one corner CN1 of the zigzag-shaped cut C until the axis 174c of the cutter blade 174 reaches the next corner CN2 adjacent to the corner CN1. The scraping cut angle is the angle of the corner of the cut C, and is set to a predetermined angle (an angle of 90 degrees or less). The scraping cut length indicates the length of the cut C in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the scraping cut width.

[0029] If it is determined in step S3 that the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is greater than the scraping cut reference width (step S3; YES), the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut width to the scraping cut reference width (step S4), as shown in FIG. 8 . Next, the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut position so that one end (e.g., the left end in the figure) of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with the corner of the scraping cut (cut C) closest to that end (e.g., the left end in the figure) (step S5). Thus, when the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is greater than the scraping cut reference width, the scraping cut width may be adjusted to match the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A. However, since curling occurs only at the corners of the scraping cut (cut C), it is preferable to shorten the time required for cutting (scraping cut) other than the corners. Therefore, when the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is greater than the scraping cut reference width, setting the scraping cut width to the scraping cut reference width prevents the time required for the scraping cut from becoming too long. Furthermore, by setting the scraping cut position on one end side of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A, it is possible to cause the unnecessary region 63 to turn over around the edge, which makes it easier to remove the unnecessary region 63 compared to when the unnecessary region 63 is turned over in the center. Note that in step S5, the scraping cut position may be set so that the other end of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A (e.g., the right end in the drawing) coincides with a corner of the scraping cut (notch C) closer to the other end (e.g., the right end in the drawing). Also, in step S5, the scraping cut position is set so that one end of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with a corner of the scraping cut (notch C) closer to the one end. However, for example, the scraping cut position may be set so that the corner closer to the one end of the scraping cut is spaced about 0.5 mm inside the one end.

[0030] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut length to the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A (step S8). Note that the scraping cut length does not necessarily have to be set to the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A. For example, if the value (length) of the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A is equal to or greater than a predetermined value that is the minimum required for the scraping cut, the scraping cut length may be set to that predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, a value that corresponds to the scraping cut length when the scraping cut is performed so that 1 to 10 corners are formed.

[0031] Next, the MPU 11 adds a cut line (design for special cut) for performing special cut to the cut data based on the scrapping cut width set in step S4, the scrapping cut position set in step S5, and the scrapping cut length set in step S8, and causes the cutting unit 17 to perform scrapping cut (step S9). Then, the MPU 11 ends the scrapping cut process.

[0032] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S3 that the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is not greater than the scraping cut reference width (step S3; NO), the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut width to the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A (step S6), as shown in FIG. 9. Next, the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut position so that the corners of the scraping cut (notch C) fit within the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A (step S7). Next, the MPU 11 sets the scraping cut length to the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A (step S8). Note that even if it is determined that the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is not greater than the scraping cut reference width, the scraping cut length does not necessarily have to be set to the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A. For example, if the value (length) of the height HA of the inscribed rectangle A is equal to or greater than a predetermined value that is minimum required for the scraping cut, the scraping cut length may be set to that predetermined value.

[0033] Next, the MPU 11 adds a cut line (design for special cut) for performing special cut to the cut data based on the scrapping cut width set in step S6, the scrapping cut position set in step S7, and the scrapping cut length set in step S8, and causes the cutting unit 17 to perform scrapping cut (step S9). Then, the MPU 11 ends the scrapping cut process.

[0034] As described above, according to this embodiment, the cutting device 10 includes a cutting unit 17 that cuts paper (medium to be cut) 60 based on cutting data (predetermined design information), and an MPU (control unit) 11. When the cutting data (predetermined design information) includes unnecessary area information indicating unnecessary areas to be removed after cutting, the MPU (control unit) 11 controls the cutting unit 17 to perform a scrap-removing cut (special cut) that causes curling inside the unnecessary area. This results in a scrap-removing cut that causes curling inside the unnecessary area, so that the unnecessary area can be easily and smoothly removed by pinching the curling with tweezers or hooking a finger over the curling. Furthermore, the curling makes the unnecessary area more noticeable, making it easier to identify the unnecessary area.

[0035] In addition, the scraping cut (special cut) is a cut in which a wedge-shaped cut is made once or multiple times by moving the drive shaft 174c of the cutter blade 174, which constitutes the cutting section 17, while the cutter blade 174 is cut into the paper (medium to be cut) 60, and changing the direction of the cutting edge of the cutter blade 174. As a result, when cutting a bent line in which lines of different directions are connected, such as a wedge shape, one of the wedge-shaped lines is usually cut from the beginning to the end, and then the cutter blade 174 is temporarily retracted from the paper 60, and the direction of the cutting edge is changed while the cutter blade 174 has not penetrated the paper 60, and then the other wedge-shaped line is cut (first cutting method).However, in scrap cutting, the cutter blade 174 is cut into the paper 60 (the cutter blade 174 has penetrated the paper 60), and the drive shaft 174c of the cutter blade 174 is moved to change the direction of the cutting edge (second cutting method), thereby making a wedge-shaped cut, and curling can be preferably generated.

[0036] Furthermore, the MPU 11 sets the width (scraping cut width), length (scraping cut length), and position (scraping cut position) of the cut C when scraping cut (special cut) is performed based on the width and shape of the unnecessary area, so that scraping cut can be performed appropriately inside the unnecessary area.

[0037] Furthermore, if the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is larger than the reference width (scraping cut reference width) of the notch C when the scraping cut (special cut) is performed, the MPU 11 sets the width of the notch C to the reference width of the notch C. If the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is equal to or smaller than the reference width of the notch C when the scraping cut (special cut) is performed, the MPU 11 sets the width of the notch C to the width of the inscribed rectangle A. This allows the width of the notch C when the scraping cut is performed (scraping cut width) to be set according to the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area, so that the scraping cut can be performed appropriately inside the unnecessary area. Furthermore, if the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is larger than the reference width (scraping cut reference width) of the notch C when the scraping cut is performed, setting the width of the notch C (scraping cut width) to the reference width of the notch C can prevent the time required for the scraping cut from becoming longer.

[0038] Furthermore, if the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is larger than the reference width (scraping cut reference width) of the notch C when scraping cut (special cut) is performed, the MPU 11 sets the position of the notch C so that one end of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with the corner of the notch C that is closer to that end, and if the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is equal to or smaller than the reference width (scraping cut reference width) of the notch C when scraping cut (special cut) is performed, the MPU 11 sets the position of the notch C so that the corner of the notch C fits within the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A. As a result, the position of the notch C when scraping cut (scraping cut position) is set according to the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area, so that scraping cut can be performed appropriately inside the unnecessary area. Furthermore, if the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area is larger than the reference width of the notch C when scraping cutting is performed (reference width for scraping cutting), the position of the notch C can be set so that one end of the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with the corner of the notch C that is closer to that end, thereby causing curling around the edge of the unnecessary area, making it possible to remove the unnecessary area more easily than if curling were to occur in the center of the unnecessary area.

[0039] Furthermore, the MPU 11 sets the length of the cut C when scraping cutting is performed to be equal to or less than the height of the inscribed rectangle A of the unnecessary area, so that scraping cutting can be performed appropriately inside the unnecessary area.

[0040] Furthermore, the scraping cut is performed using a second cutting method that is different from the first cutting method, which is the way cutter blade 174 is moved when cutting based on cut data (predetermined design information). This allows for favorable curling when a wedge-shaped cut is made, so that unnecessary areas can be easily and smoothly removed by pinching the curling with tweezers or hooking a finger over it.

[0041] The above description of the embodiment is merely an example of the cutting device, cutting control method, and program according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, the scrap-removing cut (special cut) may be a half cut that does not completely cut the medium to be cut. For example, if the medium to be cut is a sticker paper that is composed of at least two layers, a base material and a sticker, the scrap-removing cut may be performed using the second cutting method described above, targeting only the sticker portion. Note that when the above sticker paper is cut using the first cutting method described above, the two layers, the base material and the sticker, are completely cut.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the scraping cut is performed to form continuous zigzag-shaped notches C (see FIG. 6). However, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, the scraping cut may be performed so that multiple wedge-shaped (V-shaped) notches C are formed at positions spaced apart from each other.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pressure and cutting speed when the cutter blade 174 makes a cut into the paper (medium to be cut) 60 are not specified for normal cutting and scrap-removing cutting, but these may be changed to favorably cause curling. For example, in scrap-removing cutting, the pressure when the cutter blade 174 makes a cut into the paper 60 may be greater (or less), or the cutting speed may be faster (or slower) than in normal cutting.

[0044] In the above embodiment, in step S2 of the scraping cut process (see FIG. 5 ), the inscribed rectangle A may be derived so that the width WA of the inscribed rectangle A is aligned with the X-axis or Y-axis direction of the cutting device 10. In such a case, the scraping cut (notch C) may be made along a pre-specified one of the four sides of the inscribed rectangle A. For example, if the left side of the four sides of the inscribed rectangle A is pre-specified, the scraping cut position is set so that the left side of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with the corner of the scraping cut (notch C) closest to the left side, as shown in FIG. 11( a), and the notch C is made. Furthermore, if the right side of the four sides of the inscribed rectangle A is pre-specified, the scraping cut position is set so that the right side of the inscribed rectangle A coincides with the corner of the scraping cut (notch C) closest to the right side, as shown in FIG. 11( b), and the notch C is made. Furthermore, when the upper side of the four sides of the inscribed quadrilateral A is specified in advance, the scraping cut position is set so that the upper side of the inscribed quadrilateral A coincides with the corner of the scraping cut (cut C) that is closer to the upper side, as shown in Fig. 11(c), and cut C is inserted. When the lower side of the four sides of the inscribed quadrilateral A is specified in advance, the scraping cut position is set so that the lower side of the inscribed quadrilateral A coincides with the corner of the scraping cut (cut C) that is closer to the lower side, as shown in Fig. 11(d), and cut C is inserted.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0046] In the scraping cut process (see FIG. 5 ) of the above embodiment, scraping cut is automatically performed on unnecessary areas (e.g., unnecessary area 63; see FIG. 6 ) even when the user does not want to do so. This can lead to problems, such as the occurrence of peeling due to the scraping cut, making the unnecessary area unusable for other purposes (e.g., masking, etc.). Furthermore, if the unnecessary area is too small to be scraped, an error in the drive position of cutter blade 174 can affect the necessary area adjacent to the unnecessary area. Therefore, in this modified example, when a cut data generation process (described later) is performed to generate cut data, a selection of whether or not scraping cut is required is accepted for each unnecessary area, and necessity identification information indicating whether or not the selected scraping cut is required is attached to the cut data (unnecessary area information). Then, in the scraping cut process (described later) of this modified example, scraping cut is performed only on unnecessary areas that require scraping cut based on the necessity identification information.

[0047] First, referring to FIG. 12, a cut data generation process executed by the terminal device 50 will be described. When the cut data generation process starts, the CPU 51 of the terminal device 50 generates cut data based on a user operation and determines whether the generation of the cut data has been completed (step S101). If it is determined in step S101 that the generation of the cut data has not been completed (step S101; NO), the CPU 51 repeats the determination process of step S101 until the generation of the cut data is completed. Then, if it is determined that the generation of the cut data has been completed (step S101; YES), the CPU 51 displays a necessity / non-necessity selection receiving screen G1 on the display unit 54, which receives a selection of whether or not to perform scraping for each unnecessary region (step S102). Note that if cut data has been generated in advance and stored in the storage unit 53, the necessity / non-necessity selection receiving screen G1 may be displayed on the display unit 54 when the cut data is acquired from the storage unit 53.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 13, the necessity selection reception screen G1 displays a cutting image G11 based on the generated cutting data, and also displays message information G12 prompting the user to select whether or not to perform scraping cuts (for example, "Please specify the area where the scraping cuts will be performed"). The cutting image G11 is displayed in such a manner that the necessary area G111 and the unnecessary area G112 can be distinguished from each other. For example, the necessary area G111 is displayed in a hatched state, and the unnecessary area G112 is displayed in a blank state. Furthermore, an operation to specify each unnecessary area G112 (for example, a touch operation on the unnecessary area G112) can be performed via the operation unit 55. As shown in Fig. 13, when an operation to designate one unnecessary region G112 is performed, the unnecessary region G112 is designated as a region where a scraping cut is to be made (a region where a scraping cut is required), and the display mode of the unnecessary region G112 is changed from a white background to a predetermined display color (for example, gray) and displayed, as shown in Fig. 14(a). On the other hand, when the display mode of the unnecessary region G112 is a predetermined display color, when an operation to designate the unnecessary region G112 is performed, the unnecessary region G112 is designated as a region where a scraping cut is not to be made (a region where a scraping cut is not required), and the display mode of the unnecessary region G112 is changed from the predetermined display color to a white background and displayed.

[0049] In addition, in the necessity selection reception screen G1, the necessary area G111 and the unnecessary area G112 may be distinguishable from each other by, for example, using different display colors or different color intensities. Furthermore, in the necessity selection reception screen G1, when the cutting image G11 is initially displayed, the display mode of each unnecessary area G112 is not limited to being displayed in white, but may be displayed in the above-mentioned predetermined display color. That is, each unnecessary area G112 may be displayed in a state designated (selected) as an area where a scraping cut is to be made. Furthermore, the cutting image G11 may display only a cut line G113 for cutting these areas, as shown in FIG. 14(b), without distinguishing between the necessary area G111 and the unnecessary area G112.

[0050] Furthermore, the method of accepting the selection of whether or not to perform the weeding cut is not limited to the operation of directly specifying the unnecessary region G112 as described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 14(c), an input form G13 may be provided for inputting the number of the region where the weeding cut is to be placed (the region where the weeding cut is required), and the selection of whether or not to perform the weeding cut may be accepted by inputting the number of the region where the weeding cut is to be placed into the input form G13 based on a user operation. In such a case, the cutting image G11 is assigned a number (1 to 4) to identify each unnecessary region G112. In the example of FIG. 14(c), the unnecessary region G112 corresponding to the number "2" is designated (selected) as the region where the weeding cut is to be placed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14(d), a selection form G14 may be provided for selecting whether or not to perform the weeding cut for each unnecessary region G112, and the selection of whether or not to perform the weeding cut may be accepted in the selection form G14. In such a case, the cutting image G11 is assigned a number (1 to 4) to identify each unnecessary region G112. In the example of FIG. 14(d), the unnecessary area G112 corresponding to the number "2" is designated (selected) as the area where the scraping cut is to be made.

[0051] Furthermore, when a region where a scraping cut is to be made is designated (selected) on the necessity selection reception screen G1, the designated unnecessary region G112 may be displayed in a predetermined display color, and a symbol mark M indicating the position where the scraping cut will be made may be displayed, as shown in FIG. 15(a). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the designated unnecessary region G112 may not be displayed in a predetermined display color, and the symbol mark M may be displayed to make the region where the scraping cut will be made identifiable. Furthermore, the symbol mark M may be displayed in the form of a circumscribed rectangle of the scraping cut (cut C) to be actually made, as shown in FIG. 15(c)(i). Alternatively, the symbol mark M may be displayed in the form of a center line of the scraping cut (cut C) to be actually made, as shown in FIG. 15(c)(ii). Alternatively, instead of the symbol mark M, a cut line CL indicating the scraping cut (cut C) to be actually made may be displayed, as shown in FIG. 15(d). In such a case, the cut line CL may be displayed in red or flashing to make the cut line CL easier to identify.

[0052] Returning to FIG. 12, the CPU 51 then determines whether the selection of whether scrap cutting is required has been completed on the necessity selection receiving screen G1 (step S103). If it is determined in step S103 that the selection of whether scrap cutting is required has not been completed (step S103; NO), the CPU 51 repeats the determination process of step S103 until it determines that the selection has been completed. If it is determined in step S103 that the selection of whether scrap cutting is required has been completed (step S103; YES), the CPU 51 associates necessity identification information regarding scrap cutting with each unnecessary region based on the selection result of whether scrap cutting is required on the necessity selection receiving screen G1, and attaches the information to the cut data (unnecessary region information) (step S104). The CPU 51 then terminates the cut data generation process. The above-mentioned necessity identification information may be attached to the cut data in a manner that the necessity identification information is added to the cut data itself, or in a manner that the necessity identification information is provided separately from the cut data.

[0053] Next, with reference to FIG. 16, a modified example of the scraping cutting process will be described. When the scraping cutting process of this modified example is started, the MPU 11 acquires unnecessary area information from the cut data (step S1), similarly to the scraping cutting process of the above embodiment (see FIG. 5). Next, the MPU 11 determines whether or not there is an unnecessary area that requires scraping cutting, based on the necessity identification information attached to the unnecessary area information (step S201). If it is determined in step S201 that there is no unnecessary area that requires scraping cutting (step S201; NO), the MPU 11 ends the scraping cutting process. If it is determined in step S201 that there is an unnecessary area that requires scraping cutting (step S201; YES), the MPU 11 performs the processes from step S2 onward on the unnecessary area that requires scraping cutting, and ends the scraping cutting process. Note that the processes from step S2 onward are the same as the scraping cutting process described in the above embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0054] As described above, according to this modification, the CPU 51 of the terminal device 50 displays on the display unit 54 an unnecessary area (cutting image G11) of the paper (medium to be cut) 60 that will become unnecessary after cutting is performed by the cutting device 10 based on predetermined cutting data. The CPU 51 also receives from the user a selection as to whether scrap-removing cutting (special cutting) is required, which involves curling inside the unnecessary area (cutting image G11) performed by the cutting device 10, for the unnecessary area (cutting image G11) displayed on the display unit 54. The CPU 51 also attaches, to the cut data, necessity identification information indicating whether scrap-removing cutting is required. This allows the scrap-removing cutting to be performed only on the unnecessary area desired by the user when cutting is performed by the cutting device 10 based on the cut data, thereby enabling flexible scrap-removing cutting.

[0055] Furthermore, when the CPU 51 receives a selection of whether or not to perform scraping cut, it displays the unnecessary area that requires scraping cut in a manner that is recognizable to the user. This allows the unnecessary area that will be subjected to scraping cut to be checked in advance, thereby preventing the unnecessary area that the user does not want to be scraped cut from being subjected to scraping cut.

[0056] Furthermore, when the CPU 51 receives a selection of whether scraping cutting is necessary or not, it displays a predetermined mark (symbol mark M) at the position where the scraping cutting will be performed within the unnecessary area where the scraping cutting is necessary. This allows the unnecessary area where the scraping cutting will be performed to be confirmed in advance, and also makes it easier to imagine the position where the scraping cutting will actually be performed.

[0057] Although modifications of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above modifications, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 cutting system, 10 cutting device, 11 MPU, 17 cutting section, 174 cutter blade, 50 terminal device (cut data generating device), 51 CPU, 54 display section, 60 paper (medium to be cut)

Claims

1. a cutting unit that cuts the medium to be cut based on predetermined design information; a control unit, When the design information includes unnecessary area information indicating an unnecessary area to be removed after the cutting, the control unit controls the cutting unit to perform a special cut in which a turn-up occurs inside the unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information. A cutting device characterized by:

2. The special cut is a cut in which a wedge-shaped cut is made one or more times by moving a drive shaft of the cutter blade that constitutes the cutting unit while the cutter blade is cut into the medium to be cut and changing the direction of the cutting edge of the cutter blade.

2. The cutting device according to claim 1.

3. the control unit sets the width, length, and position of the cut when the special cut is performed based on the size and shape of the unnecessary area.

3. The cutting device according to claim 2.

4. When the width of the inscribed rectangle of the unnecessary region is larger than the reference width of the notch, the control unit sets the width of the notch to the reference width of the notch, and when the width of the inscribed rectangle of the unnecessary region is equal to or smaller than the reference width of the notch, sets the width of the notch to the width of the inscribed rectangle.

4. The cutting device according to claim 3.

5. When the width of the inscribed rectangle of the unnecessary region is larger than the reference width of the notch, the control unit sets the position of the notch so that one end of the width of the inscribed rectangle coincides with a corner of the notch that is closer to the one end, and when the width of the inscribed rectangle of the unnecessary region is equal to or smaller than the reference width of the notch, the control unit sets the position of the notch so that the corner of the notch falls within the width of the inscribed rectangle.

5. The cutting device according to claim 4.

6. the control unit sets the length of the cut to be equal to or less than the height of an inscribed rectangle of the unnecessary region.

4. The cutting device according to claim 3.

7. A cutting control method for a cutting device having a cutting unit that cuts a medium to be cut based on predetermined design information, a step of controlling the cutting unit to perform a special cut in which a turn-up occurs inside the unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information when the design information includes unnecessary area information indicating an unnecessary area to be removed after the cutting. A cutting control method characterized by:

8. a computer of a cutting device having a cutting unit that cuts a medium to be cut based on predetermined design information; a control means for controlling the cutting unit to perform a special cut in which a turn-up occurs inside the unnecessary area indicated by the unnecessary area information when the design information includes unnecessary area information indicating an unnecessary area to be removed after the cutting; A program characterized by functioning as

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