Image recording device

Abstract

To return a movable blade to an original position even when the movable blade runs onto a stationary blade.SOLUTION: An image recording device comprises: a conveyance part which conveys a recording medium; an image recording part which records an image on the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance part; and a cutting part which cuts the recording medium by sandwiching the recording medium between the first blade and the second blade. The cutting part comprises: a cutter unit which moves in the cutting direction being the direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the recording medium and has the first blade; and the second blade which is fixed by extending in the cutting direction. A displacement part which displaces the position of the first blade from the first position to the second position is provided on the end of the second blade.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, printers and the like equipped with a cutter mechanism for cutting paper or the like are known. A general cutter mechanism is composed of, for example, a fixed blade and a movable blade slidable with respect to the fixed blade as disclosed in Patent Document 1. When cutting a recording paper, the movable blade is slid. Thereby, the recording paper can be sandwiched between the cutting edges of both blades and cut.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when cutting a sheet, the movable blade may ride on the fixed blade. Conventionally, once the movable blade rides on the fixed blade, there is a possibility that it cannot return to its original position.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable return to the original position even when the movable blade rides on the fixed blade.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the image recording apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a transport unit for transporting a recording medium, an image recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium transported by the transport unit, and a cutting unit for cutting the recording medium by sandwiching it between a first blade and a second blade, wherein the cutting unit moves in a cutting direction which is intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium, and includes a cutter unit having a first blade and a second blade that extends and is fixed in the cutting direction, and the end of the second blade is provided with a displacement unit that allows the position of the first blade to be displaced from a first position to a second position.

[0007] The image recording device of this disclosure may be configured such that a notch is provided at the end of the second blade as the displacement part.

[0008] The image recording device of the present disclosure further comprises a control unit and a detection unit that detects a signal relating to a motor that supplies driving force for moving the cutter unit, wherein the control unit may determine, based on the signal detected by the detection unit, whether or not the first blade has ridden onto the second blade, and if it determines that the ridden onto the blade has occurred, move the cutter unit to the position where the notch is provided.

[0009] The image recording device of the present disclosure includes a detection unit which includes a rotary encoder having an encoder disk attached to the rotation shaft of the motor, and the control unit which determines whether or not the overrun has occurred based on a signal representing the rotation speed of the motor output from the rotary encoder.

[0010] The image recording device of the present disclosure includes a detection unit which includes a rotary encoder having an encoder disk attached to the rotation shaft of the motor, and the control unit which determines whether or not the overshoot has occurred based on a signal representing the amount of rotation of the motor output from the rotary encoder.

[0011] The image recording device of this disclosure includes a detection unit which includes a voltage acquisition unit which acquires a voltage for driving the motor, and a control unit which may determine whether or not the overshoot has occurred by comparing the voltage with a predetermined threshold.

[0012] In the image recording apparatus of the present disclosure, the first blade is inclined such that, in the cutting direction, the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement, which is the direction in which the cutter unit moves from the third position to the fourth position when cutting the recording medium, is closer to the second blade than the end on the third position side, and the notch may be provided at the end of the second blade on the fourth position side.

[0013] The image recording device of this disclosure may be configured such that the notches are provided at both ends of the second blade in the cutting direction.

[0014] The image recording device disclosed herein may include a chamfered portion in the notch, where the corner is chamfered to an R shape.

[0015] The image recording device of the present disclosure is configured such that the first blade includes a circular blade and a support member that fixes and supports the circular blade, and the displacement portion may be a guide portion that guides the support member on a plane of the second blade parallel to the transport direction of the recording medium.

[0016] In the image recording device of the present disclosure, the first blade is inclined such that, in the cutting direction, the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement, which is the direction in which the cutter unit moves from the third position to the fourth position when cutting the recording medium, is closer to the second blade than the end on the third position side, and the guide portion may be provided at the end of the second blade on the third position side.

[0017] In the image recording device disclosed herein, the guide portion may be formed by bending a part of the second blade. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the above configuration, since the displacement portion is provided at the end of the second blade in the image recording apparatus, when the first blade rides on the second blade, the first blade can be dropped into the notch to return to the original position. That is, even when the movable blade rides on the fixed blade, it can return to the original position.

[0019] According to the above configuration, since the notch is provided in a part of the second blade, when the first blade rides on the second blade, the first blade can be dropped into the notch to return to the original position.

[0020] According to the above configuration, only when the first blade rides on the second blade, the cutter unit can be moved to the notch, so the moving distance when the first blade does not ride on the second blade can be shortened. As a result, the time related to printing can be shortened.

[0021] According to the above configuration, since the riding-up can be detected based on the signal output from the rotary encoder, the function of the detection unit can be realized only by making a slight change to the existing configuration of the image recording apparatus.

[0022] According to the above configuration, since the riding-up can be detected based on the signal output from the rotary encoder, the function of the detection unit can be realized only by making a slight change to the existing configuration of the image recording apparatus.

[0023] According to the above configuration, since the load of the motor can be detected by the signal representing the voltage for driving the motor, the riding-up can be detected more accurately.

[0024] According to the above configuration, by tilting the first blade in this way, when returning the first blade to the original position, it is possible to avoid the state where the cutting edge of the first blade bites into the second blade, and it is possible to avoid damage to the cutting edge of the first blade.

[0025] According to the above configuration, when the first blade rides on the second blade, the first blade can be moved and dropped into the notch closer to the position where the first blade rides on the second blade. Therefore, the distance that the tip of the first blade moves while contacting the second blade can be shortened.

[0026] According to the above configuration, after dropping the first blade into the notch, when returning it to the original position, by chamfering the portion where the tip of the first blade contacts the second blade, it is possible to avoid the tip of the first blade from being damaged.

[0027] According to the above configuration, since a guide portion for guiding the support member is provided on a plane parallel to the sheet conveyance direction of the second blade, when the first blade rides on the second blade, by guiding the support member to drop the first blade, the first blade can be returned to the original position.

[0028] According to the above configuration, by tilting the first blade in this way, the guiding effect of the support member by the guide portion can be further enhanced.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the second blade and the guide portion can be formed by a single member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] [Figure 1] It is an external perspective view of an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the image recording apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the main configuration of the image recording apparatus. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the cutting portion. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the guide rail of the image recording apparatus. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control board. [Figure 7]Figure 7(A) is a view of the fixed blade from above. Figure 7(B) is a view of the fixed blade from either the left or right direction (for example, to the right). [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the travel distance of the circular blade. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the angle of the circular blade and the position of the notches. [Figure 10] Figure 10(A) is a view of the fixed blade from above. Figure 10(B) is a view of the fixed blade from either the left or right direction (for example, to the right). [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the angle of the circular blade and the position of the guide section. [Figure 12] Figure 12(A) is a view of the fixed blade from above. Figure 12(B) is a view of the fixed blade from the front. [Figure 13] This is a view of the fixed blade from the right side in the left-right direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] [Embodiment 1] <Configuration of the image recording device> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the opening 13 faces in the printer unit 11 will be referred to as the forward direction 51, and the opposite direction to the forward direction will be referred to as the rearward direction 52. The front and rear directions together will be referred to as the front-rear direction 51 and 52. The up and down directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction 51 and 52 will be referred to as the up and down direction 53 and 54. The directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction 51 and 52 and the up and down direction 53 and 54 will be referred to as the left-right direction 55 and 56.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the image recording device 10 is a multifunction device that integrates a printer unit 11 located at the bottom and a scanner unit 12 located at the top. The image recording device 10 has printing, scanning, copying, and facsimile functions. However, the image recording device 10 does not necessarily need to have a scanner unit 12; it may be implemented as a single-function printer without scanning or copying functions.

[0033] The image recording device 10 is primarily used in conjunction with external information equipment (not shown), such as a computer. The printer unit 11 records images on the sheet 16 based on print data received from this external information equipment or image data of a document scanned by the scanner unit 12. In other words, the sheet 16 is used as a recording medium for images. An operation panel 19 is provided on the upper front of the image recording device 10. The operation panel 19 is equipped with a display for showing various information and input keys for receiving information input. The image recording device 10 operates based on instruction information input from the operation panel 19 or instruction information transmitted from external information equipment via a printer driver, scanner driver, etc.

[0034] The scanner unit 12 is located above the printer unit 11. The scanner unit 12 is a so-called flatbed scanner. The scanner unit 12 has a scanner body 12a located above the printer unit 11 and a document cover 12b located above the scanner body 12a. The top surface of the scanner body 12a is provided with a platen glass (not shown) on which the document is placed. Inside the scanner body 12a is an image sensor (not shown) capable of optically reading the image of the document on the platen glass. The document cover 12b is provided with an ADF 12c, which is an automatic document feeder (ADF) that picks up and transports multiple documents one by one for which images are read.

[0035] [Printer section 11] The configuration of the printer unit 11 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that in Figure 2, the paper feed cassette 14 is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the printer unit 11 has a housing 20. The housing 20 houses a paper feed cassette 14, a paper feed cassette 15, a recording unit 17 (an example of an image recording unit), a cutting unit 45, a drive mechanism 101, and other functional components. Below the operation panel 19 on the front of the housing 20 is an opening 13. The opening 13 is located approximately in the center of the front of the housing 20 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The opening 13 is formed in a long rectangular shape in the left-right direction 55, 56. The opening 13 extends from the top to the bottom of the front of the housing 20.

[0037] The housing 20 has an internal space 20a extending rearward from the opening 13. The internal space 20a is in communication with the transport path 21, which will be described later. The upper end of the internal space 20a is demarcated by an upper wall portion 71 that extends rearward 52 from the upper end of the opening 13. The internal space 20a extends to the lower end of the housing 20. The upper wall portion 71 separates the internal space 20a from the circuit board housing space 65 located behind the operation panel 19. As will be described in detail later, the circuit board housing space 65 houses a control board 66 on which electronic circuits electrically connected to the operation panel 19, recording head 37, sensor 38, rotary encoder 120, motor drive circuit, etc. are mounted. The control board 66 functions as a control unit that controls the operation of the image recording device 10.

[0038] On the front of the housing 20, an opening / closing cover 41 is attached to the right of the opening 13. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the opening / closing cover 41 is opened, the cartridge mounting space is opened, and the ink cartridge 40 that stores ink can be attached to or removed from the housing 20. The ink cartridge 40 is located in front of the recording unit 17 in the housing 20. In this embodiment, four ink cartridges 40, each holding four different colored inks, can be attached to the housing 20. Each ink cartridge 40 supplies ink to the recording head 37 of the recording unit 17 through a tube 44.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are mounted in the housing 20 with the paper feed cassettes inserted into the opening 13. The paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 20 along the front-rear directions 51 and 52. When mounted in the housing 20, the paper feed cassette 14 is located below the paper feed cassette 15. As shown in Figure 2, the paper feed cassette 15 holds multiple sheets of a standard size 16 (an example of a recording medium) stacked on top of it. The standard size of the sheet 16 is such as A3, A4, or B5 size according to Japanese Industrial Standards. An output tray 18 is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The output tray 18 supports the sheets discharged from the transport path 21. In this embodiment, two types of paper feed cassettes 14 and 15 are provided, but the paper feed cassette 14 may be omitted.

[0040] The paper feed cassette 15 holds multiple sheets 16. The paper feed cassette 15 is formed in a container shape with a portion of the rear side (left side in Figure 2) of the image recording device 10 open. The sheets 16 are held in a stacked state in the internal space of the paper feed cassette 15. The output tray 18 of the paper feed cassette 15 is formed on the front side (right side in Figure 2) of the image recording device 10. Figure 2 shows the paper feed cassette 15 inserted into the housing 20.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 20 is equipped with a transport unit 43 that transports the sheets 16 from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper output tray 18 along a transport path 21. The transport path 21 is a so-called U-turn path that curves upward 53 and forward 51 from the paper feed cassette 15 to the recording head 37, and then extends linearly forward 51 from the recording head 37 to the paper output tray 18. Thus, the image recording device 10 is provided with a transport unit 43 that transports the sheets 16, which are recording media.

[0042] The downstream end of the transport path 21 is in communication with the internal space 20a. The direction from the paper feed cassette 15 to the paper output tray 18 is called the transport direction P1 (see Figure 2, also referred to as the transport direction). In the transport path 21, the following are arranged in order from upstream of the transport direction P1: PF roller pair 25, recording head 37 and platen 36, PF roller pair 25, cutting section 45, and second discharge roller pair 28.

[0043] The paper feed roller 32 is located above the paper feed cassette 15. The paper feed roller 32 is mounted on the tip of the arm 33 so as to be rotatable with the left and right directions 55 and 56 as the axial direction. The base end of the arm 33 is rotatable around the axis 34. As the arm 33 rotates, the paper feed roller 32 moves in a direction toward and toward the paper feed cassette 15. The arm 33 is rotated toward the paper feed cassette 15 due to the weight of the paper feed roller 32. As a result, the paper feed roller 32 comes into contact with the top sheet 16 of the multiple sheets 16 stacked on the paper feed cassette 15. When the paper feed roller 32 rotates in this state, the top sheet 16 is sent from the paper feed cassette 15 to the transport path 21.

[0044] The PF roller pair 25 is located near the downstream end of the curved section of the conveying path 21 in the conveying direction P1 (an example of the conveying direction). The PF roller pair 25 is rotatable with the left and right directions 55 and 56 as its axial direction.

[0045] The first discharge roller pair 27 is located downstream of the PF roller pair 25 and the recording head 37 in the transport direction P1 in the transport path 21. The first discharge roller pair 27 rotates in sync with the PF roller pair 25 by the driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown). The sheet 16 transported by the PF roller pair 25 is caught between the first discharge roller pair and transported in the transport direction P1.

[0046] The second discharge roller pair 28 is located downstream of the cutting section 45 in the transport direction P1 on the transport path 21. The second discharge roller pair 28 rotates when driven by the power of a motor (not shown). The second discharge roller pair 28 transports the sheet 16, which is sandwiched between the first discharge roller pair 27 and transported in the transport direction P1, to the paper output tray 18.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the recording unit 17 is located in the transport path 21 between the PF roller pair 25 and the first discharge roller pair 27. The recording unit 17 includes a carriage 35 located above the transport path 21, a platen 36 located below the transport path 21, and a recording head 37 mounted on the carriage 35.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the recording head 37 is an inkjet type that receives cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) inks from the ink cartridge 40 through tubes 44 and ejects each ink as a tiny ink droplet. As the carriage 35 reciprocates in the left and right directions 55 and 56, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 37, thereby recording an image on the sheet 16 being transported on the platen 36. Thus, the image recording device 10 is equipped with a recording unit 17 that records an image on the recording medium, the sheet 16.

[0049] As shown in Figure 3, the carriage 35 is separated in the front-rear direction 51 and 52 and is supported by guide frames 61 and 62 that extend in the left-right direction 55 and 56, respectively. The carriage 35 is mounted so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction 55 and 56, straddling the guide frames 61 and 62. The rearward-positioned guide frame 61 is a flat plate whose length in the left-right direction 55 and 56 is longer than the reciprocating range of the carriage 35, and the upper surface of the guide frame 61 slidably supports the rear end of the carriage 35.

[0050] A belt drive mechanism 46 is positioned on the upper surface of the guide frame 62. The belt drive mechanism 46 consists of an endless annular belt 49 with teeth on the inside stretched between pulleys 47 and 48, which are provided near both ends 55 and 56 of the conveying path 21, respectively. A driving force is input to the shaft of the pulley 47 from a motor (not shown), which is the drive source, causing the pulley 47 to rotate. The rotation of the pulley 47 causes the belt 49 to move circumferentially, and the pulley 48 is moved in response. In addition to the endless annular belt 49, the belt 49 may also be a belt with ends fixed to the carriage 35 at both ends.

[0051] The carriage 35 is fixed to the belt 49. As the belt 49 moves circumferentially, the carriage 35 reciprocates on the guide frames 61 and 62 with respect to its edge 63. A recording head 37 is mounted on this carriage 35, and the recording head 37 is capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction 55 and 56 of the transport path 21 as its main scanning direction.

[0052] The tubes 44 are made of synthetic resin and are flexible, bending in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the carriage 35. Four tubes 44 are provided, corresponding to four ink cartridges 40. One end of each tube 44 is connected to a case (not shown) that houses the ink cartridges 40. The other end of each tube 44 is connected to the recording head 37 in the carriage 35.

[0053] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cutting section 45 is located in front of the recording section 17 and above the transport path 21. The cutting section 45 is located to the left of the image recording area A1 when stopped. The image recording area A1 is the maximum width over which ink is ejected from the recording head 37, which reciprocates with the carriage 35, and an image is recorded on the sheet 16. If the maximum size that can be recorded by the printer section 11 is A4 size, then the image recording area A1 is slightly wider than the width of A4 size.

[0054] The cutting unit 45 cuts the sheet 16, which is transported by the transport unit 43, along a movement direction P2 (see Figure 3) that intersects the transport direction P1. In this embodiment, the movement direction P2 is parallel to the left-right directions 55 and 56. The cutting unit 45 cuts the sheet 16 by moving to the right 56 ​​from a stopping position to the left of the image recording area A1 (the position of the cutting unit 45 shown by the dashed line in Figure 3). Through the cutting by the cutting unit 45, for example, one A4-sized sheet 16 is cut into two A5-sized sheets 16.

[0055] The cutting section 45 includes a guide rail 81 extending along the left and right directions 55 and 56, a cutter unit 82 that moves guided by the guide rail 81, a circular blade 83 mounted on the cutter unit 82, and a fixed blade 95. Note that in Figure 2, the cutting section 45 is shown in a simplified manner with its detailed configuration omitted.

[0056] The guide rail 81 has a flattened shape that extends along the left-right directions 55 and 56. The guide rail 81 guides the cutter unit 82 in the direction of movement P2. The cutter unit 82 is driven by the drive mechanism 101.

[0057] As will be described later, the drive mechanism 101 includes a rotating shaft 110, a gear 115, a drive pulley 102 and a driven pulley 103, and a belt 90 stretched between the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103. The drive mechanism 101 transmits the driving force of the motor 116 to the cutter unit 82. The lengths of the guide rails 81 in the left-right direction 55, 56 are longer than the lengths of the transport path 21 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The left and right ends of the guide rails 81 extend outward from the image recording area A1.

[0058] Figure 4 shows the configuration of the cutting section 45, and is a view of the cutting section from the rear 52 in the front-rear direction 51, 52. As shown in the figure, the cutter unit 82 holds the circular blade 83. The circular blade 83 is supported in a state where it protrudes downward from the lower end of the cutter unit 82. The circular blade 83 is disc-shaped and is rotatably supported by the cutter unit 82 with the front-rear direction 51, 52 as its axis direction. Since the circular blade 83 is configured to move together with the cutter unit 82, it is also called a movable blade.

[0059] As shown in the figure, a fixed blade 95 is located below the cutter unit 82. The fixed blade 95 is supported by a side frame that supports the rotation axis of the second discharge roller pair 28, and extends in the left-right direction 55, 56 across the image recording area A1. The cutting edge of the fixed blade 95 contacts the circular blade 83 from the rear. The sheet 16 is cut by being sandwiched between the circular blade 83 and the fixed blade 95. Thus, the image recording device 10 is provided with a cutting section 45 that cuts the sheet 16, which is a recording medium, by sandwiching it between the circular blade 83 and the fixed blade 95.

[0060] Furthermore, a portion of the cutter unit 82 is assembled to the guide rail 81. The cutter unit 82 reciprocates in the left-right directions 55 and 56 while sliding against the sliding portion 104 of the guide rail 81 due to the circumferential motion of the belt 90 of the drive mechanism 101. That is, when the sheet 16 is cut by the cutting section 45, the cutter unit 82 moves in the left-right directions 55 and 56, which are directions intersecting the conveying direction P1 of the sheet 16. For this reason, the left-right directions 55 and 56 are also referred to as the cutting directions.

[0061] Thus, the circular blade 83 usually moves parallel to the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95, which extends in the left-right directions 55 and 56. However, when cutting the sheet 16, the circular blade 83 may ride up onto the fixed blade 95. As will be described in detail later, a displacement part is provided on a portion of the fixed blade 95 (for example, the end) to displace the position of the mounted circular blade 83 (the first position described later) back to its original position (the second position described later).

[0062] In other words, the cutting section 45 moves in the cutting direction, which is the direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet 16, and includes a cutter unit 82 having a circular blade 83 and a fixed blade 95 that extends and is fixed in the cutting direction. A displacement section is provided at the end of the fixed blade 95 that allows the position of the circular blade 83 to be displaced from a first position to a second position.

[0063] Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the guide rail 81 of the image recording device 10. The guide rail 81 has a sliding portion 104, a support portion 105, and a connecting portion 106. In this embodiment, the sliding portion 104, the support portion 105, and the connecting portion 106 are formed by bending a single steel plate. Both ends 55 and 56 of the guide rail 81 in the left-right direction are fixed to the side frame that supports the rotation axis of the second discharge roller pair 28.

[0064] As shown in Figure 5, the motor 116 is positioned below the support portion 105. The rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted to the gear 115 via the drive gear 118. The rotation shaft 110 of the motor 116 is positioned on the support portion 105, closer to the coupling portion 106 than to the motor 116. The rotation shaft 110 rotates with the vertical directions 53 and 54 as its axial direction.

[0065] A gear 115 is provided on the rotating shaft 110. The gear 115 meshes with a drive gear 118, and rotates when driving force is transmitted from the motor 116. The diameter of the gear 115 is larger than the diameter of the drive gear 118, so the rotation of the motor 116 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 110 at a reduced speed. Hereafter, in order to distinguish it from motors such as the paper feeding motor and the transport motor, the motor 116 will be referred to as the cutter unit motor 116.

[0066] The drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 are positioned at both ends 55 and 56 in the left-right direction on the guide rail 81. The drive pulley 102 is located above the gear 115 on the rotation axis 110. Therefore, the drive pulley 102 rotates synchronously with the gear 115 around the rotation axis 110. The driven pulley 103 is supported by a pivot shaft 107 parallel to the rotation axis 110. The pivot shaft 107 is supported by bearings (not shown) provided on the guide rail and cover 123. Therefore, the drive pulley 102 and the driven pulley 103 rotate with their axes in the up-down direction 53 and 54, respectively.

[0067] Belt 90 is an annular endless belt stretched between a drive pulley 102 and a driven pulley 103. Belt 90 is connected to a cutter unit 82. When the drive pulley 102 rotates, belt 90 rotates in rotation, and the driven pulley 103 rotates in response.

[0068] [Rotary encoder 120] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the cutting section 45 has a rotary encoder 120 for detecting the amount of movement of the cutter unit 82 in the cutting direction. The rotary encoder 120 outputs a pulse signal as the rotation of the rotation shaft 110 of the motor 116 occurs. The rotary encoder 120 has an encoder disk 121 attached to the rotation shaft 110 of the motor 116 and rotating together with the rotation shaft 110, and an optical sensor 122 provided so as to sandwich the encoder disk 121 from the thickness direction.

[0069] The encoder disk 121 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 110. The encoder disk 121 rotates with the vertical direction 53, 54 as the axial direction. The encoder disk 121 is disc-shaped, with transparent sections that transmit light and non-transparent sections that do not transmit light arranged alternately at equal pitches in the circumferential direction. The optical sensor 122 emits light from its light-emitting section toward the encoder disk 121, and the light that passes through the encoder disk 121 is received by its light-receiving section.

[0070] A cover 123 is positioned above the encoder disk 121 and the optical sensor 122. The cover 123 is fixed to the guide rail 81, covering almost the entire guide rail 81 from above. Thus, the cover 123 completely covers the encoder disk 121 and the optical sensor 122.

[0071] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the control board 66. The control board 66 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 311, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 312, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 313 (an example of a storage unit), an EEPROM (registered trademark) 314, and an ASIC 315, all connected by an internal bus 316. The ROM 312 stores programs and other data for the CPU 311 to control various operations.

[0072] RAM313 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data and signals used by the CPU311 when executing the above program, or as a work area for data processing. EEPROM314 stores setting information that should be retained even after the power is turned off. The control board66 controls the paper feed motor, transport motor, carriage motor, recording head 37, and cutter unit motor 116, etc., based on the control program read from ROM312.

[0073] The ASIC315 is connected to a paper feed motor, a transport motor, a carriage motor, a cutter unit motor 116, and a rotary encoder 120. The ASIC315 supplies drive current or drive voltage to each motor. The control board 66 controls the rotation of each motor, for example, by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The ASIC315 also detects the signal output from the rotary encoder 120. Thus, the image recording device 10 has a detection unit that detects signals related to the motor 116 that supplies the driving force to move the cutter unit 82. Here, the detection unit is composed of, for example, the ASIC315 and the rotary encoder 120.

[0074] Furthermore, the ASIC315 is connected to a recording head 37, a sensor 38, and an operation panel 19. The control board 66 applies a drive voltage to the vibrating element of the recording head 37, causing ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzle. In addition, the ASIC315 detects signals output from the sensor 38, signals output from the operation panel 19, and so on.

[0075] As described above, the circular blade 83 normally moves parallel to the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95, but sometimes the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95. In such cases, the control board 66 determines whether or not the circular blade 83 has ridden up onto the fixed blade 95 based on the signal related to the motor 116 detected by the detection unit.

[0076] For example, it is determined whether or not the circular blade 83 has ridden onto the fixed blade 95 based on the signal output from the rotary encoder 120. For example, it is determined whether or not the circular blade 83 has ridden onto the fixed blade 95 based on a signal output from the rotary encoder 120 that represents the rotational speed or amount of rotation of the cutter unit motor 116.

[0077] For example, if the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95, the movement speed of the cutter unit 82 slows down, causing the rotational speed per unit time of the cutter unit motor 116 to decrease. Therefore, the control board 66 may determine whether or not riding up has occurred based on a signal representing the rotational speed of the motor 116 output from the rotary encoder 120.

[0078] Furthermore, for example, if the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95, the cutter unit 82 becomes almost immobile, resulting in a small change in the rotational amount of the cutter unit motor 116. Therefore, the control board 66 may determine whether or not riding up has occurred based on the signal representing the rotational amount of the motor 116 output from the rotary encoder 120.

[0079] Furthermore, the control board 66 may determine whether the circular blade 83 has ridden up onto the fixed blade 95 based on the drive current or drive voltage of the cutter unit motor 116. For example, if the circular blade 83 ridden up onto the fixed blade 95, the circular blade 83 is pressed firmly against the fixed blade 95, suppressing its movement to the cutter unit, and as a result, the drive current or drive voltage of the cutter unit motor 116 increases. In this case, for example, the ASIC 315 constituting the detection unit acquires the drive voltage of the motor 116 and compares the acquired drive voltage with a threshold value to determine whether the circular blade 83 has ridden up onto the fixed blade 95. That is, the detection unit may include a voltage acquisition unit that acquires the voltage to drive the motor 116, and the control board 66 may determine whether ridden-up has occurred by comparing the voltage with a predetermined threshold value.

[0080] ≪Construction of fixed blades and movement of circular blades≫ [Example of providing a notch in the fixed blade] Next, with reference to Figure 7, an example of a configuration for displacing the circular blade 83 from its original position when it rides up onto the fixed blade 95 will be described. Figure 7(A) is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the upper direction 53 of the vertical directions 53, 54. Figure 7(B) is a view of the fixed blade 95 from either the left-right direction 55, 56 (for example, the right direction 56).

[0081] In Figure 7(A), the lower side of the figure represents the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95. When cutting the sheet 16, the circular blade 83 moves left and right in the figure along the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95. Here, before cutting the sheet 16 begins, the circular blade 83 is positioned on the left in the figure, and as the circular blade moves toward the right in the figure, the sheet 16 is sandwiched between the circular blade 83 and the fixed blade 95 and cut. The position of the circular blade 83 and cutter unit 82 before cutting the sheet 16 begins is also called the home position.

[0082] Furthermore, a notch 95a is provided in a part of the fixed blade 95 (in this example, the rightmost part in the figure). That is, in the image recording device 10, a notch 95a is provided at the end of the fixed blade 95 as a displacement part. At the notch 95a, the width of the fixed blade 95 in the front-rear direction 51, 52 is narrowed. In this way, since a notch 95a is provided in a part of the fixed blade 95, if the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95, the circular blade 83 can be returned to its original position by dropping it into the notch 95a.

[0083] Figure 7(B) shows the positional relationship between the circular blade 83 and the fixed blade 95 in the vertical directions 53 and 54. In Figure 7(B), the normal position of the circular blade 83 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 is shown as the second position, and the position of the circular blade 83 when it rides up is shown as the first position. As shown in Figure 7(B), under normal conditions, the lower end of the circular blade 83 is located slightly below the fixed blade 95. On the other hand, when the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95 (when it rides up), the lower end of the circular blade 83 is located above the fixed blade.

[0084] In Figure 7(A), the circular blade 83 when it is riding up is indicated by (1). As described above, when the control board 66 determines that the circular blade 83 has ridden up onto the fixed blade 95, it moves the cutter unit 82 to the displacement section. In Figure 7(A), the control board 66 controls the movement of the cutter unit 82 so that the circular blade 83 moves from the position indicated by (1) to the right in the figure. When the cutter unit 82 moves to the rightmost part of the fixed blade 95 in the figure, the circular blade 83 falls into the notch 95a. That is, the position of the circular blade 83 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 is displaced from the position when it is riding up in Figure 7(B) to the normal position.

[0085] In Figure 7(A), the position of the circular blade 83 after it has fallen into the notch is indicated by (2). As shown in Figure 7(A), the widths of the front-to-back directions 51 and 52 of the notch 95a of the fixed blade 95 have a shape that narrows from the lower left to the upper right in the figure. After falling into the notch, the circular blade 83 moves to the left in the figure along the shape of the notch 95a. That is, the control board 66 moves the cutter unit 82 to the left in the figure to return it to the home position. In Figure 7(A), the position of the circular blade 83 moving along the shape of the notch 95a is indicated by (3). Then, the circular blade 83 reaches the position indicated by (4) in Figure 7(A), and then returns to the home position.

[0086] Furthermore, as described above, the control board 66 determines whether or not the circular blade 83 has ridden onto the fixed blade 95. If the control board 66 determines that the circular blade 83 has ridden onto the fixed blade 95, it moves the cutter unit 82 to the notch 95a. For example, the control board 66 generates a PWM control signal to control the drive of the cutter unit motor 116, thereby moving the cutter unit 82 to the notch 95a and dropping the circular blade 83 into the notch 95a.

[0087] Figure 8 is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the upper direction 53 of the vertical directions 53, 54, and is a diagram illustrating the travel distance of the circular blade 83. The normal travel distance shown in the figure represents the travel distance of the cutter unit 82 and the circular blade 83 under normal conditions, i.e., when the circular blade 83 does not ride up onto the fixed blade 95. The travel distance when riding up represents the travel distance of the cutter unit 82 and the circular blade 83 when the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95.

[0088] As shown in Figure 8, under normal circumstances, the circular blade 83 moves from its home position near the left end of the fixed blade 95 in the figure toward the right, cutting the sheet 16. In Figure 8, the dotted line indicates the right edge of the sheet 16 in the cutting direction, which is the direction that intersects the transport direction. Thus, under normal circumstances, the circular blade 83 moves from its home position to a position slightly beyond the edge of the paper. On the other hand, when it rides up, the circular blade 83 moves toward the right in the figure to a position corresponding to the notch 95a of the fixed blade 95. This is because when the circular blade 83 rides up on the fixed blade 95, the cutter unit 82 moves to the notch 95a and drops the circular blade 83 into the notch 95a.

[0089] In this way, the cutter unit 82 is moved to the position corresponding to the notch 95a only when the circular blade 83 rides up on the fixed blade 95, thus shortening the travel distance when the circular blade 83 is not riding up on the fixed blade 95. As a result, the time required for printing can be reduced.

[0090] In the example shown in Figure 8, the notch 95a is provided at the right end of the fixed blade 95 in the cutting direction, but the notch 95a may be provided at both ends of the fixed blade 95 in the cutting direction. In this way, if the circular blade 83 rides up on the fixed blade 95, the cutter unit 82 can be moved to the notch closest to the position where the circular blade 83 is riding up on the fixed blade 95, allowing the circular blade 83 to fall into the notch. Therefore, the distance that the cutting edge of the circular blade 83 travels while in contact with the fixed blade 95 can be shortened.

[0091] Alternatively, the circular blade 83 may be mounted at an angle. Figure 9 is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the upper direction 53 of the vertical directions 53, 54, and illustrates the angle of the circular blade 83 and the position of the notch 95a. In the example of Figure 9, the circular blade 83 is mounted at an angle such that its right end in the figure approaches the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95. The notch 95a is provided at the right end of the fixed blade 95 in the figure.

[0092] In the cutting direction, if the position corresponding to the home position of the cutter unit 82 is defined as the third position and the position corresponding to the edge of the paper is defined as the fourth position, then when cutting the sheet 16, the cutter unit 82 moves from the third position to the fourth position. The circular blade 83 is tilted such that the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement of the cutter unit 82 is closer to the fixed blade 95 than the end on the third position side, and the notch 95a is provided on the end of the fixed blade 95 on the fourth position side. By tilting the circular blade 83 in this way, it is possible to avoid the cutting edge of the circular blade 83 biting into the fixed blade 95 when returning the circular blade 83 to its original position, thereby preventing damage to the cutting edge of the circular blade 83.

[0093] Furthermore, in the notch 95a, the portion of the circular blade 83 that contacts the fixed blade 95 may be chamfered. For example, in Figure 7(A), when the circular blade 83 moves from the position indicated by (2) to the position indicated by (3), the cutting edge of the circular blade 83 contacts the fixed blade 95, so this contact portion may be configured as a chamfered portion with the corners chamfered into an R shape. In this way, when the circular blade 83 is dropped into the notch 95a and then returned to its original position, chamfering the portion of the circular blade 83 that contacts the fixed blade 95 can prevent damage to the cutting edge of the circular blade 83.

[0094] [Example of providing a guide section on a fixed blade] Next, with reference to Figure 10, another example of a configuration for displacing the circular blade 83 back to its original position when it rides up onto the fixed blade 95 will be described. For example, instead of a notch, a guide portion may be provided on the fixed blade 95 as a displacement portion. The guide portion is, for example, a member that guides the support portion of the circular blade 83, and the circular blade that has ridden up onto the fixed blade 95 falls off as the support portion of the circular blade 83 moves along the guide portion.

[0095] Figure 10(A) shows the fixed blade 95 viewed from the upper direction 53 in the vertical direction 53, 54. Figure 10(B) shows the fixed blade 95 viewed from either the left-right direction 55 or 56 (for example, the right direction 56). In Figure 10(A), the conveying direction of the sheet 16 corresponds to the vertical direction in the figure. Therefore, the upper surface of the fixed blade 95 shown in Figure 10(A) is a surface parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet 16.

[0096] In Figure 10(A), the lower side of the figure is the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95, and when cutting the sheet 16, the circular blade 83 moves left and right in the figure along the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95. As described above, the circular blade 83 is rotatably mounted and in this example is supported by a support member 83a, which is a bearing. In addition, a guide portion 95b is provided on a part of the fixed blade 95 (in this example, the right end in the figure). The guide portion 95b is provided on the surface of the fixed blade 95 parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet 16.

[0097] Thus, a support member 83a is attached to fix and support the circular blade 83, and a guide portion 95b is provided as a displacement portion on the surface of the fixed blade 95 parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet 16 to guide the support member. Since a guide portion 95b that guides the support member 83a (for example, a bearing) is provided on the surface of the fixed blade 95 parallel to the conveying direction of the sheet 16, if the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95, the support member 83a can be guided to drop the circular blade 83. As a result, the position of the circular blade 83 in the vertical directions 53 and 54 can be displaced from the first position in Figure 10(B) to the second position.

[0098] Alternatively, the circular blade 83 may be mounted at an angle. Figure 11 is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the upper direction 53 of the vertical directions 53, 54, and illustrates the angle of the circular blade 83 and the position of the guide portion 95b. In the example in Figure 11, the circular blade 83 is mounted at an angle such that its right end in the figure approaches the cutting edge of the fixed blade 95. The guide portion 95b is provided near the left end of the fixed blade 95 in the figure.

[0099] In Figure 11, if the position corresponding to the home position of the cutter unit 82 in the cutting direction is defined as the third position and the position corresponding to the edge of the paper is defined as the fourth position, then when cutting the sheet 16, the cutter unit 82 moves from the third position to the fourth position. The circular blade 83 is tilted so that the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement of the cutter unit 82 is closer to the fixed blade 95 than the end on the third position side, and the guide portion 95b is provided on the third position side end of the fixed blade 95. By tilting the circular blade 83 in this way, the support member 83a also tilts, so the guiding effect of the guide portion on the support member can be further enhanced.

[0100] [Example of bending a fixed blade] Next, with reference to Figure 12, yet another example of a configuration for displacing the circular blade 83 back to its original position when it rides up onto the fixed blade 95 will be described. For example, a guide portion that guides the support portion of the circular blade may be formed by bending a portion of the fixed blade 95.

[0101] Figure 12(A) is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the upper direction 53 in the vertical direction 53, 54. Figure 12(B) is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the front direction 51 in the front-rear direction 51, 52. In the example shown in Figure 12(A), the guide portion 95c is formed by bending the left end of the fixed blade 95 in the figure. As shown in Figure 12(B), the guide portion 95c is formed by bending the end of the fixed blade 95 upward. At this time, the end of the fixed blade 95 is bent to a shape that guides the support member 83a of the circular blade 83. In the example shown in Figure 12(A), the left end of the fixed blade is bent so that it slopes from the upper right to the lower left in the figure.

[0102] This allows the position of the circular blade 83 in the vertical direction 53, 54 to be displaced from the first position to the second position. In this way, by bending a part of the fixed blade 95 to form the guide portion 95c, the fixed blade 95 and the guide portion 95c can be formed from a single component.

[0103] [Example of tilting the end of a fixed blade] Next, referring to Figure 13, another example of a configuration for displacing the circular blade 83 back to its original position when it rides up onto the fixed blade 95 will be described. Referring to Figure 7, the above example described a configuration in which a notch 95a is provided at the end of the fixed blade 95. However, even without a notch, it is possible to displace the mounted circular blade 83 back to its original position by tilting the end of the fixed blade 95 so that the cutting edge faces downward.

[0104] Figure 13 is a view of the fixed blade 95 from the right direction 56 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The fixed blade 95 shown in the figure is provided with an inclined surface 95d such that the cutting edge at the right end tilts downward 54. When the circular blade 83 rides up onto the fixed blade 95, moving the cutter unit 82 to the right end of the fixed blade 95 (the end on the fourth position side in Figure 9) causes the cutting edge of the circular blade 83 to slide downward 54 on the inclined surface 95d. This allows the position of the circular blade 83 in the vertical direction 53, 54 to be displaced from the first position to the second position.

[0105] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 10 Image recording device 16 sheets 66 Control board 81 Guide Rail 82 Cutter Unit 83 Round blade 83a Support member 95 Fixed blade 95a Notch 95b Guide section 95c Guide section 95d slope 110 Rotation axis 116 Motor 120 Rotary Encoders

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the recording medium, An image recording unit that records an image on the recording medium transported by the transport unit, A cutting unit comprising a cutter unit having a first blade and a second blade, wherein the cutting unit cuts the recording medium by sandwiching it between the first blade and the second blade, Control unit and The system includes a detection unit that detects a signal related to a motor that supplies driving force for moving the cutter unit, The cutter unit moves in a cutting direction which is a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium. The second blade is fixed in the cutting direction, Displacement parts are provided at both ends of the second blade in the cutting direction, which allow the position of the first blade to be displaced from a first position to a second position. The control unit, Based on the signal detected by the detection unit, it is determined whether or not the first blade has ridden onto the second blade. If it is determined that ridden onto the second blade has occurred, the cutter unit is moved to the position where the displacement part closest to the position where the first blade ridden onto the second blade is located. An image recording device characterized by the following features.

2. The displacement portion is provided by a notch at the end of the second blade. The image recording device according to feature 1.

3. The detection unit includes a rotary encoder having an encoder disk attached to the rotating shaft of the motor. The control unit determines whether or not the motor has rolled over based on a signal representing the rotational speed of the motor output from the rotary encoder. The image recording device according to claim 1.

4. The detection unit includes a rotary encoder having an encoder disk attached to the rotating shaft of the motor. The control unit determines whether or not the motor has rolled over based on a signal representing the amount of rotation of the motor output from the rotary encoder. The image recording device according to claim 3.

5. The detection unit includes a voltage acquisition unit that acquires a voltage for driving the motor. The control unit determines whether or not the overshoot has occurred by comparing the voltage with a predetermined threshold. The image recording device according to claim 1.

6. The first blade is inclined such that, in the cutting direction, the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement, which is the direction in which the cutter unit moves from the third position to the fourth position when cutting the recording medium, is closer to the second blade than the end on the third position side. The notch is provided at the end of the second blade on the fourth position side. The image recording device according to claim 2.

7. The aforementioned notch includes a chamfered portion where the corner is beveled into an R shape. The image recording device according to claim 2.

8. The first blade is composed of a circular blade and a support member that fixes and supports the circular blade, As the displacement portion, a guide portion is provided on the plane of the second blade parallel to the transport direction of the recording medium, which guides the support member. The image recording device according to feature 1.

9. The first blade is inclined such that, in the cutting direction, the end on the fourth position side in the direction of movement, which is the direction in which the cutter unit moves from the third position to the fourth position when cutting the recording medium, is closer to the second blade than the end on the third position side. The guide portion is provided at the end of the second blade on the third position side. The image recording device according to claim 8.

10. The guide portion is formed by bending a part of the second blade. The image recording device according to claim 8.

Images