Cutter mechanism and image recording device equipped therewith

Abstract

To detect whether or not a cutter unit is attached.SOLUTION: A cutter mechanism 5 comprises: a cutter unit 55 which stores a rotary blade 54 therein; an attachment part 56 to which the cutter unit 55 is detachably attached; a movement part 57 which moves the attachment part 56 along a left-right direction; a side frame 51; and a stopper 58. The side frame 51 is arranged at a first position located on a movement locus of the attachment part 56 moved by the movement part 57 on the outer side of a conveyance path relative to an end on one side in the left-right direction in the conveyance path of a sheet P. The stopper 58 is arranged at a second position on the movement locus of the cutter unit 55 attached to the attachment part 56 moved by the movement part 57 and deviating from the movement locus of the attachment part 56 between the first position and the end on the one side in the left-right direction in the conveyance path regarding the left-right direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutter mechanism for cutting a recording medium and an image recording apparatus including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium unwound from a roll and conveyed in a conveyance direction is known. Generally, such an image recording apparatus is provided with a cutter mechanism for cutting the recording medium into a predetermined length.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet cutting device (cutter mechanism) having a cutter holder (cutter unit) that houses a cutter therein, and a cutter base (mounting portion) that holds the cutter holder and is configured to be movable in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The cutter holder is configured to be removable from the cutter base. Thereby, it is possible to replace the cutter whose cutting performance has deteriorated due to wear or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a cutter mechanism in which a cutter unit can be removed as in Patent Document 1, when replacing the cutter unit, it is possible to forget to attach a new cutter unit. When recording an image in a state where the cutter unit is not attached, the recording medium cannot be cut.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cutter mechanism capable of detecting whether a cutter unit is attached or not and an image recording apparatus including the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cutter mechanism of the present invention is a cutter mechanism for cutting a recording medium being transported in a transport direction, comprising: a cutter unit housing a cutter inside; a mounting portion on which the cutter unit is detachably mounted; a moving portion for moving the mounting portion along a direction of movement intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium; a first contact member positioned at a first position located outside the transport path beyond one end of the transport path in the direction of movement of the recording medium, and on the movement trajectory of the mounting portion moved by the moving portion; and a second contact member positioned at a second position between the first position and the one end of the transport path in the direction of movement of the transport path, on the movement trajectory of the cutter unit mounted on the mounting portion moved by the moving portion, and off the movement trajectory of the mounting portion.

[0008] Furthermore, the image recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a transport unit for transporting a recording medium in a transport direction, a cutter mechanism for cutting the recording medium transported by the transport unit, a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium transported by the transport unit, and a control unit. The cutter mechanism comprises a cutter unit housing a cutter inside, a mounting unit on which the cutter unit is detachably mounted, a moving unit for moving the mounting unit along a direction of movement intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium, a first contact member positioned at a first position located outside the transport path beyond one end of the transport path in the direction of movement of the recording medium and on the movement trajectory of the mounting unit moved by the moving unit, and a second contact member positioned between the first position and the one end of the transport path in the direction of movement of the transport path with respect to the direction of movement, on the movement trajectory of the cutter unit mounted on the mounting unit moved by the moving unit, and off the movement trajectory of the mounting unit. The control unit controls the moving unit to perform an inspection movement process in which the mounting unit moves within a movable range from the other side of the movement direction toward the one side, and a determination process in which it determines whether the mounting unit has moved to the first position or to the second position in the inspection movement process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the cutter mechanism and image recording device of the present invention, when the mounting part is moved by the moving part from one side to the other in the direction of movement, if a cutter unit is mounted on the mounting part, the cutter unit will come into contact with the second contact member, and the mounting part can only move up to the second position. On the other hand, if a cutter unit is not mounted on the mounting part, the mounting part will not come into contact with the second contact member at the second position, and will come into contact with the first contact member at the first position. Therefore, the mounting part can move up to the first position. Thus, if the mounting part has moved to the second position, it can be determined that a cutter unit is mounted. Also, if the mounting part has moved to the first position, it can be determined that a cutter unit is not mounted. In this way, it is possible to detect whether or not a cutter unit is mounted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing the internal structure of a printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows the electrical configuration of the printer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a view of the vicinity of the cutter mechanism from a second direction. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the vicinity of the cutter mechanism viewed from the left and right directions. [Figure 5] (a) shows the position of the mounting part after the inspection movement process is performed when the cutter unit is installed, and (b) shows the position of the mounting part after the inspection movement process is performed when the cutter unit is not installed. [Figure 6] (a) is a diagram showing the distance from the attachment point in the second position back to the home position, and (b) is a diagram showing the distance from the attachment point in the first position back to the home position. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the control flow performed by the control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a printer according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows the control flow performed by the control unit in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> A printer 100 (corresponding to the "image recording device" of the present invention) according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions shown in Figure 1 refer to the vertical, front-to-back, and left-to-right directions of the printer 100.

[0012] (Overall configuration of printer 100) As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 mainly includes a housing 1, a feeding tray 2, a conveying unit 4, a cutter mechanism 5, a recording unit 6, a paper discharge tray 7, a cover 8, and a control unit 9.

[0013] An opening 11a and an opening 11b are formed in the front wall 11 of the housing 1. The opening 11a and the opening 11b are arranged vertically. The opening 11a is located below the opening 11b. The opening 11a serves as an entrance and exit for inserting and removing the feeding tray 2 into and from the housing 1. The opening 11b serves as an entrance and exit for inserting and removing the paper discharge tray 7 into and from the housing 1. Further, an opening 11c is formed in the rear wall 12 of the housing 1. The opening 11c is formed in the lower half of the rear wall 12.

[0014] The feeding tray 2 is detachably supported at the lower part of the housing 1. The feeding tray 2 is insertable and removable along the front - rear direction with respect to the housing 1 through the opening 11a formed in the housing 1. The feeding tray 2 is located below the recording unit 6 when mounted on the housing 1.

[0015] The feeding tray 2 has a roll body accommodating portion 25 capable of accommodating a roll body R. Note that the feeding tray 2 may be configured to be capable of accommodating cut paper in addition to the roll body R. The roll body R is formed by winding a long sheet P (corresponding to the "recording medium" of the present invention) in a roll shape around the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical core member Rc. The roll body accommodating portion 25 accommodates the roll body R in a posture in which its axial direction coincides with the left - right direction.

[0016] The roll body accommodating portion 25 has a support base 26 and two rollers 27a, 27b. The support base 26 extends along the left - right direction. Both the rollers 27a, 27b extend along the left - right direction and are arranged at intervals in the front - rear direction. Both the rollers 27a, 27b are rotatably supported at the upper end portion of the support base 26 around a rotation axis extending along the left - right direction. The rollers 27a, 27b support the roll body R from below in a state of being in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the roll body R.

[0017] The paper P unwound from the roll body R accommodated in the roll body accommodating portion 25 is drawn from the front side to the rear side of the support base 26 through the gap between the lower surface of the support base 26 and the bottom surface 21a of the feeding tray 2.

[0018] The conveying unit 4 conveys the paper P unwound from the roll body R accommodated in the feeding tray 2 in the conveying direction. Here, the "conveying direction" is the direction in which the paper P is unwound from the roll body R. The conveying unit 4 mainly includes a feeding roller 3, an intermediate roller pair 41, a conveying roller pair 42, a paper discharging roller pair 43, and a guide member 44.

[0019] The feeding roller 3 feeds out the paper P unwound from the roll body R accommodated in the roll body accommodating portion 25 from the feeding tray 2. The feeding roller 3 conveys the paper P in the feeding tray 2 in the direction from the front to the rear.

[0020] The feeding roller 3 rotates about a rotation axis along the left - right direction by the drive of the feeding motor 3a (see FIG. 2). The feeding roller 3 is pivotally supported at the tip of an arm 31. The arm 31 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 32. The support shaft 32 is supported by the housing 1. The arm 31 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) so that the feeding roller 3 approaches the bottom surface 21a of the feeding tray 2. The arm 31 is configured to be retractable to a position where it does not interfere with the moving feeding tray 2 in conjunction with the movement of the feeding tray 2 from the inside of the housing 1 to the outside of the housing 1.

[0021] When the feeding motor 3a is driven under the control of the control unit 9, the feeding roller 3 rotates, and a conveying force in the direction from the front to the rear is applied to the paper P in contact with the feeding roller 3. As a result, the paper P is fed out from the feeding tray 2. In the feeding tray 2 mounted on the housing 1, the rear wall 22 located at the rear - end side is inclined such that the upper end is located behind the lower end. Therefore, the paper P fed out from the feeding tray 2 is guided obliquely upward by the rear wall 22 of the feeding tray 2.

[0022] The intermediate roller pair 41 consists of a drive roller 46a that rotates by the drive of an intermediate motor 41a (see Figure 2) and a driven roller 47a that rotates along with the drive roller 46a. The drive roller 46a is held in a drive roller holder 46 (see Figure 4). The driven roller 47a is held in a driven roller holder 47 (see Figure 4). Both the drive roller 46a and the driven roller 47a are rotatable around a rotation axis that extends along the left-right direction. The driven roller 47a is located behind the drive roller 46a.

[0023] When the intermediate motor 41a is driven by the control unit 9, the intermediate roller pair 41 rotates while gripping the paper P, transporting the paper P in the transport direction. The intermediate roller pair 41 is located above the rear wall 22 of the feed tray 2. The intermediate roller pair 41 grips the paper P that is fed diagonally upward from the feed tray 2 and transports it upward.

[0024] The guide member 44 is located above the intermediate roller pair 41. The guide member 44 guides the paper P, which is being transported upward by the intermediate roller pair 41, forward.

[0025] The transport roller pair 42 consists of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of the transport motor 42a (see Figure 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The paper discharge roller pair 43 consists of a drive roller that rotates by the drive of the paper discharge motor 43a (see Figure 2) and a driven roller that rotates along with the drive roller. The rollers constituting the transport roller pair 42 and the paper discharge roller pair 43 are all rotatable around a rotation axis that extends along the left-right direction.

[0026] When the transport motor 42a and the paper discharge motor 43a are driven by the control unit 9, the transport roller pair 42 and the paper discharge roller pair 43 rotate while gripping the paper P, transporting the paper P in the transport direction. The transport roller pair 42 is located behind the recording unit 6, and the paper discharge roller pair 43 is located in front of the recording unit 6. The transport roller pair 42 transports the paper P forward while gripping the paper P that has been guided forward by the guide member 44. The paper discharge roller pair 43 transports the paper P forward while gripping the paper P that has been transported forward by the transport roller pair 42.

[0027] The cutter mechanism 5 is located between the rear wall 22 of the feed tray 2 and the intermediate roller pair 41. The cutter mechanism 5 includes a fixed blade 53, a disc-shaped rotating blade 54, and a cutting motor 5a (see Figure 2) that rotates the rotating blade 54 and moves it back and forth in the left-right direction. The paper P, unwound from the roll body R and transported, is cut along the width direction of the paper P by the fixed blade 53 and the rotating blade 54 when the cutting motor 5a is driven by the control unit 9. The detailed configuration of the cutter mechanism 5 will be described later. The amount of rotation of the cutting motor 5a can be detected by the encoder 81 (see Figure 2).

[0028] The recording unit 6 includes a head (not shown) with multiple nozzles formed on its lower surface and a driver IC (not shown). The recording unit 6 records an image on the paper P transported by the transport unit 4. When the driver IC is driven by the control unit 9, ink is ejected from the nozzles of the head, and an image is formed on the paper P as the paper P transported by the transport unit 4 passes an image recording position facing the lower surface of the head. The recording unit 6 may be either a line type, which ejects ink from nozzles of a head in a fixed position, or a serial type, which ejects ink from nozzles of a head that moves in the left-right direction.

[0029] The output tray 7 is located in front of the recording unit 6 within the housing 1 and above the feed tray 2. The output tray 7 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 1 in the front-to-back direction through an opening 11b formed in the housing 1. The output tray 7 receives the paper P on which an image has been formed by the recording unit 6 and which has been transported forward by the pair of output rollers 43.

[0030] The cover 8 is attached to an opening 11c formed in the rear wall 12 of the housing 1. The cover 8 is rotatable around an axis 8a that extends in the left-right direction. The axis 8a is located at the lower end of the cover 8. By rotating the cover 8 around the axis 8a, it can be opened and closed relative to the housing 1.

[0031] When the cover 8 is closed, it covers the cutter mechanism 5. That is, when the cover 8 is closed, it is in a covering position. When the cover 8 is open, it exposes the cutter mechanism 5. That is, when the cover 8 is open, it is in an exposed position. The opening and closing of the cover 8 can be detected by the opening / closing detection sensor 82 (see Figure 2).

[0032] The control unit 9 controls the entire printer 100. As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 9 is electrically connected to the feed motor 3a, intermediate motor 41a, transport motor 42a, paper ejection motor 43a, cutting motor 5a, recording unit 6, display 10, etc. The control unit 9 is also connected to the encoder 81 and the open / close detection sensor 82.

[0033] The display 10 is located on the outer surface of the housing 1. The display 10 displays various information about the printer 100 to inform the user.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 9 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91, ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, RAM (Random Access Memory) 93, and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 94. The ROM 92 stores programs executed by the CPU 91 and ASIC 94, as well as various fixed data. The RAM 93 temporarily stores data necessary when the program is executed. These components work together to control the operation of the feed motor 3a, intermediate motor 41a, transport motor 42a, paper discharge motor 43a, cutting motor 5a, recording unit 6, display 10, and other components.

[0035] (Configuration of cutter mechanism 5) Next, the configuration of the cutter mechanism 5 will be explained with further reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is a view of the vicinity of the cutter mechanism 5 from a second direction, which will be described later, but the driven roller 47a and driven roller holder 47 are not shown.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cutter mechanism 5 mainly comprises a main frame 50, two side frames 51 and 52, a fixed blade 53, a cutter unit 55, a mounting section 56, a moving section 57, and a stopper 58.

[0037] The main frame 50 extends along the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 3. The main frame 50 is a roughly plate-shaped member. As shown in Figure 4, the main frame 50 is positioned at an incline such that its rear end is located below its front end. In the following description, the inclination direction of the main frame 50 (the direction from the rear lower side to the front upper side in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction) will be referred to as the first direction. The direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the left-right direction, and extending from the rear upper side to the front lower side in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, will be referred to as the second direction.

[0038] The side frames 51 and 52 are supported by the housing 1. The two side frames 51 and 52 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 3. The two side frames 51 and 52 are located outside the paper transport path (shown by the dashed line in Figure 3) in the left-right direction. The two side frames 51 and 52 support both ends of the main frame 50 in the left-right direction, respectively. Of the two side frames 51 and 52, the side frame 51 located on one side in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3) corresponds to the "first contact member" of the present invention.

[0039] The fixed blade 53 is supported by the main frame 50. The fixed blade 53 extends along the left-right direction. The cutter unit 55 houses the aforementioned rotating blade 54 inside. The cutter unit 55 is removably mounted on the mounting section 56. When the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting section 56, the rotating blade 54, which is partially exposed outside the cutter unit 55 at its front end, comes into contact with or close proximity to the fixed blade 53.

[0040] The mounting section 56 has a base 61 and a lever 62. The base 61 has a support surface 61a that supports the cutter unit 55 and a pair of side walls 61b. The support surface 61a is a surface perpendicular to the second direction. The pair of side walls 61b are provided at both ends of the support surface 61a in the left-right direction. The lever 62 is rotatable about an axis (not shown) that extends along the left-right direction. By rotating the lever 62, it can take on a covering position that covers the upper surface of the cutter unit 55 supported on the support surface 61a of the base 61, and an exposed position that exposes the upper surface of the cutter unit 55.

[0041] When the lever 62 is in the covering position, as shown in Figure 4, it clamps and fixes the cutter unit 55, which is supported on the support surface 61a of the base 61, between itself and the base 61 in a second direction. By moving the lever 62 from the covering position to the exposed position, the cutter unit 55 can be removed from the base 61.

[0042] The moving unit 57 moves the mounting unit 56 along the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction: corresponding to the "direction of movement" in this invention). The moving unit 57 includes a guide rail 50a, two pulleys 71 and 72, a timing belt 73, and the aforementioned cutting motor 5a.

[0043] The guide rail 50a extends along the left-right direction. The guide rail 50a is formed by bending the rear end of the main frame 50. The guide rail 50a supports the mounting portion 56 so that it can move along the left-right direction.

[0044] The two pulleys 71 and 72 are mounted on the upper surface of the main frame 50, respectively, as shown in Figure 3. The two pulleys 71 and 72 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The two pulleys 71 and 72 are located outside the two side frames 51 and 52 in the left-right direction. That is, pulley 71 is located on one side of side frame 51 in the left-right direction, and pulley 72 is located on the other side of side frame 52 in the left-right direction. Also, the pulleys 71 and 72 and the side frames 51 and 52 are aligned along the left-right direction. Of the two pulleys 71 and 72, the pulley 72 located on the other side in the left-right direction (right side in Figure 3) is driven by the cutting motor 5a.

[0045] The timing belt 73 is wrapped around two pulleys 71 and 72. The base 61 of the mounting part 56 is fixed to a part of the timing belt 73. When the cutting motor 5a is driven, the timing belt 73 moves, and the mounting part 56 moves back and forth along the left-right direction. As described above, the amount of rotation of the cutting motor 5a can be detected by the encoder 81. By detecting the amount of rotation of the cutting motor 5a with the encoder 81, the distance traveled by the moving part 57 to the mounting part 56 can be detected. In other words, the encoder 81 corresponds to the "distance detection sensor" of the present invention.

[0046] The two side frames 51 and 52 are positioned on the movement trajectory of the mounting portion 56, which is moved by the moving portion 57. Here, the position of the side frame 51 located on one side in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3) of the two side frames 51 and 52 is defined as the first position in the left-right direction. More specifically, the position of the side surface 51a on the other side in the left-right direction (right side in Figure 3) of the side frame 51 is defined as the first position in the left-right direction. The mounting portion 56's home position is the position (shown in Figure 3) where it contacts the side frame 52 located on the other side in the left-right direction (right side in Figure 3) of the two side frames 51 and 52.

[0047] The home position of the mounting unit 56 is outside the transport path beyond the other end (right side in Figure 3) in the left-right direction of the transport path of the paper P. More specifically, when the mounting unit 56 is in the home position, the rotating blade 54 of the cutter unit 55 mounted on the mounting unit 56 is located outside the transport path beyond the other end of the transport path. The moving unit 57 moves the mounting unit 56 between the home position and outside the transport path beyond the one end (left side in Figure 3) in the left-right direction of the transport path of the paper P.

[0048] The stopper 58 is provided on the drive roller holder 46 that holds the drive roller 46a of the intermediate roller pair 41. The stopper 58 is located in a second position between a first position and one end of the paper P transport path in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3). More specifically, the second position is the position of the other side (right side in Figure 3) of the stopper 58 in the left-right direction (right side in Figure 3). As shown in Figure 4, the stopper 58 is located on the movement trajectory of the cutter unit 55 mounted on the mounting part 56 which is moved by the moving part 57, but outside the movement trajectory of the mounting part 56. That is, the stopper 58 corresponds to the "second contact member" of the present invention.

[0049] Here, we will describe the case in which the mounting part 56 is moved by the movable part 57 from one side to the other in the left-right direction, within the range of movement.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5(a), when the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting portion 56, the mounting portion 56 moves to a position where the cutter unit 55 and the stopper 58 come into contact. More specifically, one side of the cutter unit 55 in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3), side 55a, comes into contact with the side 58a of the stopper 58. That is, at this time, the mounting portion 56 moves to a position where the side 55a of the cutter unit 55 is in the second position. In the following description, the position of the mounting portion 56 when the cutter unit 55 and the stopper 58 come into contact will be referred to as the "second position".

[0051] As shown in Figure 5(a), when the mounting portion 56 is in the second position, the mounting portion 56 does not contact the side frame 51. That is, there is a gap between the side surface 61b1 of one side wall 61b on one side (left side in Figure 5(a)) of the base 61 of the mounting portion 56 and the side surface 51a of the side frame 51. Here, let L3 be the length in the left-right direction between the first position and the second position. Also, let L4 be the length in the left-right direction between the side surface 55a of the cutter unit 55 and the side surface 61b1 of one side wall 61b. In this case, L3 > L4.

[0052] Here, as shown in Figure 6(a), L2 is the distance traveled by the mounting unit 56, which is located in the second position, until it returns to the home position. Note that, as shown in Figure 6(a), when the mounting unit 56 is in the second position, the rotating blade 54 of the cutter unit 55 mounted on the mounting unit 56 is located outside the transport path beyond one end (the left side in Figure 6(a)) of the transport path of the paper P.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5(b), when the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting portion 56, the mounting portion 56 moves to a position where the side wall 61b on one side in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3) of the base 61 and the side frame 51 come into contact. More specifically, the side surface 61b1 on one side in the left-right direction (left side in Figure 3) of the side wall 61b comes into contact with the side surface 51a of the side frame 51. That is, at this time, the mounting portion 56 moves to a position where the side surface 61b1 of the side wall 61b of the base 61 is in the first position. In the following description, the position of the mounting portion 56 when the side wall 61b on one side in the left-right direction of the base 61 comes into contact with the side frame 51 will be referred to as the "first position".

[0054] Here, as shown in Figure 6(b), L1 is the distance traveled by the mounting portion 56, which is located at the point where one side wall 61b of the base 61 and the side frame 51 come into contact, until it returns to the home position.

[0055] (Overview of control by the control unit 9) Next, an overview of the control by the control unit 9 will be described.

[0056] When the control unit 9 determines that the user has replaced the cutter unit 55, it performs a process to determine whether the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting section 56. When the user replaces the cutter unit 55, they first move the cover 8 from the covered position to the exposed position. Then, when the replacement work is completed, the user returns the cover 8 from the exposed position to the covered position. At this point, when the opening / closing detection sensor 82 detects the opening or closing of the cover 8, the control unit 9 determines that the user has replaced the cutter unit 55.

[0057] The control unit 9 determines whether the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting unit 56 by performing an inspection movement process and a judgment process. In the inspection movement process, the control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to move the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction within a movable range. The control unit 9 controls the movement speed of the mounting unit 56 in the inspection movement process to be slower than the movement speed of the mounting unit 56 when cutting a normal sheet of paper P. In the judgment process, the control unit 9 determines whether the mounting unit 56 has moved to the first position or the second position in the inspection movement process.

[0058] The control unit 9 performs a re-movement process and a detection process in the decision process. In the re-movement process, after performing the inspection movement process, the control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to move the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction to the home position. In the detection process, the control unit 9 detects the distance the mounting unit 56 moved by the movement unit 57 in the re-movement process based on the output signal from the encoder 81.

[0059] If the detected movement distance of the mounting part 56 during the detection process is L1, it indicates that the mounting part 56 has moved to the first position during the inspection movement process. In other words, if the detected movement distance of the mounting part 56 during the detection process is L1, the control unit 9 determines that the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting part 56. When the control unit 9 determines that the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting part 56, it displays a message to that effect on the display 10.

[0060] On the other hand, if the distance traveled by the mounting portion 56 detected in the detection process is L2, it indicates that the mounting portion 56 has moved to the second position during the inspection movement process. In other words, the control unit 9 determines that the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting portion 56 if the distance traveled by the mounting portion 56 detected in the detection process is L2.

[0061] (Control flow by control unit 9) Next, we will explain an example of the control flow performed by the control unit 9, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 7.

[0062] First, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the user has replaced the cutter unit 55 based on the output signal from the open / close detection sensor 82 (S1). The determination in S1 is repeated until it is determined that the cutter unit 55 has been replaced. If it is determined that the cutter unit 55 has been replaced (S1: YES), the control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to move the mounting part 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction within the range of movement (S2: inspection movement process).

[0063] Subsequently, the control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to move the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction to the home position (reversal process). Furthermore, the control unit 9 detects the distance the mounting unit 56 has been moved by the moving unit 57 during the reversal process based on the output signal from the encoder 81 (S3: detection process).

[0064] Next, the control unit 9 determines whether the mounting unit 56 has moved to the first position during the inspection movement process based on the distance the mounting unit 56 has moved as detected in S3 (S4: determination process). That is, if the distance the mounting unit 56 has moved as detected in the detection process is L1, it is determined that the mounting unit 56 has moved to the first position during the inspection movement process. If the distance the mounting unit 56 has moved as detected in the detection process is L2, it is determined that the mounting unit 56 has not moved to the first position during the inspection movement process.

[0065] If the inspection movement process determines that the mounting unit 56 has not moved to the first position (S4: NO), the process is terminated. On the other hand, if the inspection movement process determines that the mounting unit 56 has moved to the first position (S4: YES), the control unit 9 controls the display 10 to display a message indicating that the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting unit 56 (S5), and then terminates the process.

[0066] (Characteristics of the first embodiment) As described above, the printer 100 of this embodiment includes a cutter mechanism 5 having a cutter unit 55 housing a rotary blade 54 inside, a mounting part 56 on which the cutter unit 55 is detachably mounted, a moving part 57 that moves the mounting part 56 along the left-right direction, a side frame 51 positioned at a first position located outside the transport path beyond one end of the transport path in the left-right direction of the paper P transport path and on the movement trajectory of the mounting part 56 moved by the moving part 57, and a stopper 58 positioned at a second position between the first position and one end of the transport path in the left-right direction, on the movement trajectory of the cutter unit 55 mounted on the mounting part 56 moved by the moving part 57 and off the movement trajectory of the mounting part 56, and a control unit 9. The control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to perform an inspection movement process that moves the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction within a movable range, and a determination process that determines whether the mounting unit 56 has moved to a first position or a second position during the inspection movement process.

[0067] According to the above configuration, when the inspection movement process is executed and the moving unit 57 moves the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction, if the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting unit 56, the cutter unit 55 will come into contact with the stopper 58, and the mounting unit 56 can only move up to the second position. On the other hand, if the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting unit 56, the mounting unit 56 will not come into contact with the stopper 58 at the second position, and will come into contact with the side frame 51 at the first position. Therefore, the mounting unit 56 can move up to the first position. Accordingly, if the judgment process determines that the mounting unit 56 has moved up to the second position, it can be determined that the cutter unit 55 is mounted. Also, if the judgment process determines that the mounting unit 56 has moved up to the first position, it can be determined that the cutter unit 55 is not mounted. In this way, it is possible to detect whether or not the cutter unit 55 is mounted.

[0068] Furthermore, the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment is equipped with an encoder 81 that can detect the distance the mounting unit 56 is moved by the moving unit 57 by detecting the amount of rotation of the cutting motor 5a.The control unit 9, in the decision processing, controls the cutting motor 5a after performing the inspection movement processing to move the mounting unit 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction to the home position, and performs a detection processing that detects the distance the mounting unit 56 is moved by the moving unit 57 in the reversal processing using the encoder 81.

[0069] According to the above configuration, when the cutter unit 55 is mounted on the mounting portion 56, the mounting portion 56 moves from the second position to the home position during the re-movement process. On the other hand, when the cutter unit 55 is not mounted on the mounting portion 56, the mounting portion 56 moves from the first position to the home position during the re-movement process. Therefore, by detecting the distance the mounting portion 56 moves during the re-movement process in the detection process, it is possible to determine whether the mounting portion 56 has moved to the first position or the second position during the inspection movement process. This makes it possible to detect whether or not the cutter unit 55 is mounted.

[0070] Furthermore, the encoder 81 is conventionally provided to confirm whether the mounting unit 56 has returned to the home position. That is, the mounting unit 56 is basically in the home position except when it is being moved by the moving unit 57. However, it may get caught on a piece of paper or the like and stop in a position other than the home position. Therefore, the encoder 81 is provided to detect the distance the mounting unit 56 has traveled and to determine whether the mounting unit 56 has returned to the home position. Consequently, there is no need for a new sensor to determine whether the cutter unit 55 is mounted or not. Thus, costs are reduced.

[0071] Furthermore, the printer 100 of the above-described embodiment includes a cover 8 that can be opened and closed between a covering position that covers the cutter mechanism 5 and an exposed position that exposes the cutter mechanism 5, and an open / close detection sensor 82 that can detect the opening and closing of the cover 8. The control unit 9 then performs an inspection movement process and a judgment process when the opening and closing of the cover 8 is detected by the open / close detection sensor 82. When the cover 8 is opened or closed, it is possible that the user has performed the work of replacing the cutter unit 55, so by performing the inspection movement process and the judgment process, it is possible to detect whether or not the cutter unit 55 is installed and to determine whether or not the cutter unit 55 has been forgotten to be installed.

[0072] <Second Embodiment> Next, a printer 100a according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The printer 100a of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment mainly in the content of the decision-making process. Hereinafter, components common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0073] As shown in Figure 8, the printer 100a of this embodiment is equipped with a first position detection sensor 181 and a second position detection sensor 182. The first position detection sensor 181 and the second position detection sensor 182 are, for example, photosensors having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element (not shown). The first position detection sensor 181 can detect whether or not the mounting portion 56 is in a first position. The second position detection sensor 182 can detect whether or not the mounting portion 56 is in a second position.

[0074] Next, with reference to Figure 9, an example of the control flow performed by the control unit 9 of this embodiment will be described. The control flow of this embodiment is the same as the control flow of the first embodiment, except for S13 and S16. The same processes as in the first embodiment will be omitted from explanation as appropriate.

[0075] After performing the inspection movement process in S12, the control unit 9 determines whether the mounting unit 56 is in the first position or the second position based on the output signals from the first position detection sensor 181 and the second position detection sensor 182.

[0076] More specifically, after the inspection movement process is executed, the control unit 9 determines that the mounting part 56 is in the first position if it is detected by the first position detection sensor 181. At this point, the control unit 9 can determine that the mounting part 56 has moved to the first position during the inspection movement process. On the other hand, after the inspection movement process is executed, the control unit 9 determines that the mounting part 56 is in the second position if it is detected by the second position detection sensor 182. At this point, the control unit 9 can determine that the mounting part 56 has moved to the second position during the inspection movement process.

[0077] Furthermore, after determining in S14 that the mounting unit 56 has not moved to the first position during the inspection movement process (S14: NO), and after displaying a message on the display 10 indicating that the cutter unit 55 is not mounted in S15, the control unit 9 controls the cutting motor 5a to return the mounting unit 56 to the home position (S16).

[0078] (Features of the second embodiment) As described above, in the printer 100a of this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the mounting unit 56 has moved to the first position or to the second position during the inspection movement process, and to detect whether or not the cutter unit 55 is mounted.

[0079] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description of embodiments, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, the case in which the moving unit 57 moves the mounting unit 56 along the left-right direction (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction) was explained, but the invention is not limited to this. That is, the moving unit 57 only needs to move the mounting unit 56 along a direction intersecting the transport direction.

[0081] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case in which the side frame 51 is located outside the transport path beyond one end in the left-right direction of the transport path of the paper P, and on the movement trajectory of the mounting part 56 moved by the moving part 57, was described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. That is, for example, the side frame 51 may be located to one side of the first position in the left-right direction, and a member other than the side frame 51 may be located at the first position.

[0082] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a case in which the stopper 58 is provided on the drive roller holder 46, the member on which the stopper 58 is provided is not limited to this. That is, for example, the stopper 58 may be a projection that protrudes from the other side surface 51a in the left-right direction of the side frame 51 to the other side in the left-right direction.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the case in which an inspection movement process is performed to move the mounting part 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction within a range of movement, and then a return movement process is performed to move the mounting part 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction back to the home position was described, but the invention is not limited to this. That is, the mounting part 56 may be moved from one side to the other in the left-right direction within a range of movement, and then an inspection movement process may be performed to move the mounting part 56 from the other side to the one side in the left-right direction within a range of movement. As described above, the mounting part 56 may get caught on a piece of paper or the like and stop at a position other than the home position. Therefore, by moving the mounting part 56 from one side to the other in the left-right direction within a range of movement, the mounting part 56 can be returned to the home position. Accordingly, by performing an inspection movement process thereafter and detecting the distance moved in the inspection movement process, it is possible to determine whether the mounting part 56 has moved to the first position or the second position in the inspection movement process.

[0084] Furthermore, while the first embodiment described above describes a case in which the mounting portion 56 is moved to the home position during the re-movement process, it is not limited to this. That is, for example, during the re-movement process, the mounting portion 56 may be moved to a predetermined position on one side of the home position in the left-right direction.

[0085] In addition, the second embodiment described above includes a first position detection sensor 181 capable of detecting whether the mounting portion 56 is in a first position and a second position detection sensor 182 capable of detecting whether the mounting portion 56 is in a second position. However, it is sufficient to provide only one of the first position detection sensor 181 and the second position detection sensor 182. That is, for example, if only the first position detection sensor 181 is provided, and the mounting portion 56 is detected by the first position detection sensor 181 after the inspection movement process is executed, it can be determined that the mounting portion 56 is in the first position. Also, if the mounting portion 56 is not detected by the first position detection sensor 181 after the inspection movement process is executed, it can be determined that the mounting portion 56 is in the second position.

[0086] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described a case in which the inspection movement process and the decision process are executed when the opening / closing detection sensor 82 detects the opening or closing of the cover 8, the system is not limited to this. That is, for example, a rotation detection sensor capable of detecting the rotation of the lever 62 may be provided, and the inspection movement process and the decision process may be executed when the rotation of the lever 62 is detected by the rotation detection sensor and the opening / closing detection sensor 82 detects the opening or closing of the cover 8.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cutter mechanism 5 has a fixed blade 53 and a disc-shaped rotating blade 54, and the case in which the rotating blade 54 is housed in the cutter unit 55 has been described, but it is not limited to this. The cutter mechanism 5 may have a disc-shaped rotating blade and a driven blade, and the rotating blade and the driven blade may be housed in the cutter unit 55.

[0088] The present invention can be applied to image recording devices in general that record images on a recording medium. That is, for example, the present invention can be applied not only to inkjet printers that have a head that ejects ink from a nozzle as the recording unit, but also to electrophotographic printers that have a laser recording unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoreceptor with a laser, or an LED recording unit in which an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing a photoreceptor with an LED. Furthermore, the recording medium is not limited to paper, but may be cloth, film or other resin materials, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 4. Conveying section 5. Cutter mechanism 6. Records Section 8 Covers 9. Control Unit 51 Side frame (first contact member) 54 Rotary blade (cutter) 55 Cutter Unit 56 Mounting part 57 Mobile section 58 Stopper (second contact member) 81 Encoder (distance detection sensor) 82 Open / Close Detection Sensor 100 Printers (image recording devices) 181 First position detection sensor 182 Second position detection sensor P Paper (recording medium)

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the recording medium in the transport direction, A cutter mechanism for cutting the recording medium being transported by the transport unit, A recording unit that records an image on a recording medium transported by the transport unit, It includes a control unit, The cutter mechanism is A cutter unit with a cutter housed inside, The mounting portion to which the cutter unit is detachably attached, A moving part moves the mounting part along a movement direction that intersects the transport direction of the recording medium, A first contact member is positioned at a first position located outside the transport path of the recording medium, beyond one end in the direction of movement, and on the movement trajectory of the mounting portion moved by the moving portion, A second contact member is positioned between the first position and the end of the transport path in the direction of movement, on the movement trajectory of the cutter unit mounted on the mounting part that is moved by the moving part, and off the movement trajectory of the mounting part, with respect to the direction of movement, It includes a distance detection sensor capable of detecting the distance the mounting part moves due to the moving part, The control unit, An inspection movement process that controls the moving part to move the mounting part from the other side of the movement direction toward the one side within a movable range, The inspection movement process includes a determination process to determine whether the mounting part has moved to the first position or to the second position, In the aforementioned decision process, After the inspection movement process is performed, a return movement process is performed to control the moving part and move the mounting part from one side in the direction of movement to the other side to a predetermined position, The distance detection sensor performs a detection process to detect the distance traveled by the moving part in the re-movement process, An image recording device characterized by determining whether the mounting part has moved to a first position or a second position in the inspection movement process based on the distance the mounting part has moved detected in the detection process.

2. A cover that can be opened and closed between a covering position that covers the cutter mechanism and an exposed position that exposes the cutter mechanism, The system further includes an opening / closing detection sensor capable of detecting the opening and closing of the aforementioned cover, The image recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit executes the inspection movement process and the judgment process when the opening / closing detection sensor detects the opening or closing of the cover.

3. The control unit is Based on the distance the mounting portion has moved as detected in the detection process, when it is determined in the inspection movement process that the mounting portion has moved to the first position, it is determined that the cutter unit is not mounted on the mounting portion. The image recording device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, based on the distance the mounting portion has moved in the detection process, when it is determined in the inspection movement process that the mounting portion has moved to the second position, it is determined that the cutter unit is mounted on the mounting portion.

Images