Media processing device, printing device, and cutting device

Abstract

The present invention processes media at an appropriate position. A media processing device (100) is provided with a table (10), a head (20), a relative movement mechanism (30), and a control unit (40). When the table (10) and the head (20) are being moved in a relative fashion at a predetermined relative speed in a main scanning direction and media is being processed, the control unit (40) controls a processing parameter of the timing of processing by a processing unit and / or the height of the processing unit on the basis of a gap between the head (20) and either a placement surface or a reference surface that is an upper surface of the media. If a corrected parameter obtained by correcting the processing parameter has been set on the basis of the difference between the actual gap over the reference surface and a reference value for the gap, then processing is controlled so as to be performed with this corrected parameter.

Description

Media processing device, printing device and cutting device

[0001] The present invention relates to a media processing device, a printing device, and a cutting device.

[0002] Known printing devices that print on media include inkjet printing devices that eject droplets from a head onto the media (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such printing devices include, for example, a table on which the media can be placed and a head that ejects droplets toward the surface of the media while moving back and forth in a main scanning direction over the table. This printing device ejects droplets while moving the head in the main scanning direction, then moves the head a predetermined distance in a sub-scanning direction that intersects the main scanning direction, and then again moves back and forth in the main scanning direction and ejects droplets. By repeating this operation, an image is formed across the entire media, one or more rows at a time.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-109360

[0004] In the printing device described above, the head is supported on a table. When the head is moved in the sub-scanning direction, depending on the position of the head in the sub-scanning direction, the table supporting the head's weight may deform downward, causing the distance between the head and the table (head gap) to change in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, droplets ejected from the head may not land in the appropriate position. This is not limited to printing devices; other media processing devices that move a head having a processing unit relative to a table to process media placed on the table using the processing unit may also have the same problem of not being able to process the media in the appropriate position.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above, and has as its object to provide a media processing device, a printing device, and a cutting device that are capable of processing media at an appropriate position.

[0006] a control unit that controls the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism and the operation of the processing unit in the head to perform the processing on the media placed on the mounting surface; and a control unit that controls the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism and the operation of the processing unit in the head to perform the processing on the media placed on the mounting surface.When the table and the head are moved relatively to each other in the main scanning direction at a predetermined relative speed to perform the processing on the media, the control unit controls at least one of processing parameters (the timing of the processing by the processing unit and the height of the processing unit) based on the gap between the head and a reference surface which is either the mounting surface or the top surface of the media; and if a correction parameter that corrects the processing parameter based on the difference between the actual gap on the reference surface and the reference value of the gap has been set, the control unit controls the processing to be performed using the correction parameter.

[0007] The printing device of the present invention comprises a table having a mounting surface on which a medium is placed, a head having a planar nozzle surface facing the mounting surface and having a plurality of nozzles formed thereon, and ejecting droplets from the plurality of nozzles toward the medium, a relative movement mechanism that moves the table and the head relatively in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface, and a control unit that controls the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism and the ejection of the droplets by the head to eject the droplets toward the medium placed on the mounting surface, and the control unit controls the ejection of the droplets at a reference timing based on a reference value of a gap between the head and the mounting surface when the table and the head are moved relatively in the main scanning direction at a predetermined relative speed to eject the droplets, and when a correction timing is set in which the reference timing is corrected based on the difference between the actual gap on the mounting surface and the reference value of the gap, the control unit controls the ejection of the droplets at the corrected timing.

[0008] The cutting device of the present invention comprises a table having a mounting surface on which media is placed, a head facing the mounting surface and having a cutter that cuts the media, a relative movement mechanism that moves the table and the head relatively in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface and also moves the table and the cutter relatively in the vertical direction, and a control unit that controls the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism, the relative movement between the table and the cutter, and the operation of the cutter in the head to cut the media placed on the mounting surface with the cutter, and when the control unit moves the table and the head relatively in the main scanning direction to cut the media, it controls the height position of the cutter based on the gap between the head and a reference surface which is the mounting surface or the top surface of the media, and if a corrected height is set in which the height of the cutter is corrected based on the difference between the actual gap on the reference surface and the reference value of the gap, it controls the cutting to be performed at that corrected height.

[0009] According to the present invention, processing can be performed at an appropriate position on the media.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram (perspective view) showing an example of the schematic configuration of a printing device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram (plan view) showing an example of the schematic configuration of a printing device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram (viewed from the +Y side) showing an example of the schematic configuration of a printing device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram (viewed from the +X side) showing an example of the schematic configuration of a printing device according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the principle of impact adjustment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of setting correction timing. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how droplets ejected from a head impact. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cutting device. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the principle of the cutting operation when the cutter height is not adjusted. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the principle of the cutting operation when the cutter height is adjusted. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically explaining an example of the procedure for setting a correction height when the reference distance is shorter than the target distance. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically explaining an example of the procedure for setting a correction height when the reference distance is longer than the target distance. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a fixing mechanism attached to a head. Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a fixing mechanism detached from a head. Fig. 15 is a side view showing an example of a fixing mechanism attached to a head. Fig. 16 is a view showing an example of a fixing mechanism attached to a head as viewed from below (the cutting edge side of the cutter).

[0011] The following describes embodiments of a media processing device, a printing device, and a cutting device according to the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical.

[0012] In this embodiment, directions in the figures are described using an XYZ coordinate system. In this XYZ coordinate system, a plane parallel to the floor on which the printing device 100 is placed is referred to as the XY plane. In this XY plane, the main scanning direction, which is the direction of head movement, is referred to as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction on the XY plane is referred to as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the XY plane (height direction) is referred to as the Z direction. The X, Y, and Z directions are described assuming that the direction of the arrow in the figure is the + direction and the direction opposite to the arrow is the - direction. In this embodiment, the +X direction may be referred to as the front direction (front side), the -X direction as the rear direction (rear side), the +Y direction as the left (left side), the -Y direction as the right (right side), the +Z direction as the up (upper side), and the -Z direction as the down (lower side).

[0013] A printing device, which is one aspect of a media processing device according to an embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIGS. 1 to 4 show an example of the schematic configuration of a printing device 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2 is a plan view, FIG. 3 is a view from the +Y side, and FIG. 4 is a view from the +X side. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this embodiment will be described using an image forming device that forms an image on a medium M, such as film or plate material, as the printing device 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 100 includes a table 10, a head 20, a head movement mechanism 30, and a control unit 40.

[0014] The table 10 supports the media M and the head moving mechanism 30. The table 10 has a mounting surface 10a on which the media M is placed. The table 10 has a plurality of top plate members 11 and a support portion 12.

[0015] The top panel member 11 is a rectangular plate-shaped member. A plurality of the top panel members 11 are connected and arranged in the X direction. The table 10 is configured such that the length of the table 10 is in the X direction by connecting the plurality of top panel members 11 in the X direction. The plurality of top panel members 11 are arranged so that the mounting surfaces 11a of each are flush with each other.

[0016] The top plate members 11 have positioning portions 13 on opposing surfaces 11f that face each other in the X direction. The positioning portions 13 have, for example, a convex portion 13a provided on one of the top plate members 11 and a concave portion 13b provided on the other top plate member 11. The positioning portions 13 position the top plate members 11 in the Y and Z directions by inserting the convex portion 13a into the concave portion 13b. Furthermore, by positioning the top plate members 11 relative to each other by the positioning portions 13, members that are provided across multiple top plate members 11, such as X guide portions 36a and 36b (described below) provided on the top plate members 11, are also positioned relative to each other.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the support portion 12 supports the tabletop member 11. The support portion 12 has a plurality of legs 12a, 12b. The legs 12a, 12b are arranged side by side in the X direction along both Y-direction edges of the tabletop member 11. The legs 12a are supported by a floor F. The legs 12b may be configured to be supported by the floor F, or may be configured to be supported by connecting members 12c that connect the legs 12a to each other. When the legs 12b are connected to the connecting members 12c, they may be configured to be fixed by welding or may be configured to be fastened with fastening members such as bolts.

[0018] The head 20 has a nozzle surface 21 facing the mounting surface 11a. The nozzle surface 21 is, for example, planar. The nozzle surface 21 is provided with a plurality of nozzles 21a (processing section: see FIG. 5) that eject ink. In the printing device 100, processing of the medium M is performed by ejecting ink onto the medium M. Examples of the ink include ultraviolet-curable ink. Types of ultraviolet-curable ink include white ink, colored inks such as cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), and transparent ink, depending on the color of the image to be formed on the medium M. The head 20 is electrically connected to a control unit 40, and its drive is controlled by the control unit 40. The head 20 is connected to an ink supply device (not shown) and receives a supply of ink from the ink supply device. The head 20 is movable in the main scanning direction together with a carriage 22. The head 20 ejects ink toward the mounting surface 11a while moving back and forth along the main scanning direction. In the case where the head 20 is configured to eject ultraviolet curable ink, the carriage 22 is equipped with an ultraviolet irradiation device (not shown) that irradiates the ultraviolet curable ink with ultraviolet light.

[0019] The head moving mechanism 30 is supported by the table 10, and moves the head 20 in the X and Y directions along the mounting surface 10a of the table 10. The head moving mechanism 30 moves the head 20 in the X and Y directions relative to the table 10, thereby moving the table 10 and the head 20 relatively. The head moving mechanism 30 is an example of a relative movement mechanism, and has a main scanning movement unit 31 and a sub-scanning movement unit 32.

[0020] The main scanning movement unit 31 has a Y bar 33, a Y slider 34, and a Y drive unit 35. The Y bar 33 is arranged parallel to the Y direction. The Y bar 33 guides the carriage 22 in the Y direction. The Y bar 33 is supported by the sub-scanning movement unit 32. The Y slider 34 is provided on the carriage 22 and slides in the Y direction along the Y bar 33. The Y drive unit 35 moves the Y slider 34 along the Y direction. The Y drive unit 35 has a drive source such as a motor, and a transmission mechanism such as a belt that transmits the drive force of the drive source to the Y slider 34.

[0021] The sub-scanning movement unit 32 has an X guide 36, an X slider 37, and an X drive unit 38. The X guides 36 are provided on both side surfaces 11e of the top panel member 11 in the Y direction. The X guides 36 extend in the X direction and are arranged so as to be continuous with both side surfaces of multiple top panel members 11 along the X direction. Specifically, an X guide portion 36a arranged on both side surfaces 11e of one top panel member 11 is connected in the X direction to an X guide portion 36b arranged on both side surfaces 11e of another top panel member 11. The X slider 37 is provided on the carriage 22 and slides in the X direction along the X guide 36. The X drive unit 38 moves the X slider 37 in the X direction. The X drive unit 38 has a drive source such as a motor and a transmission mechanism such as a belt that transmits the drive force of the drive source to the X slider 37.

[0022] The control unit 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that functions as a controller that executes various processes, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as memory that stores various information, and a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0023] The control unit 40 controls the operation of the head 20. Under the control of the control unit 40, ink is ejected from the nozzles 21a of the head 20. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 40, ultraviolet light is emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation device.

[0024] The control unit 40 controls the operation of the head moving mechanism 30. Under the control of the control unit 40, the Y slider 34 is driven by the Y drive unit 35, and the carriage 22 moves in the Y direction, which is the main scanning direction. Also, under the control of the control unit 40, the X slider 37 is driven by the X drive unit 38, and the main scanning movement unit 31 and the carriage 22 move in the X direction, which is the sub-scanning direction. For example, a program or the like that specifies the movement speed, movement direction, movement timing, etc. of the Y slider 34 and the X slider 37 can be created in advance and stored in a storage unit, and the movement of the Y slider 34 and the X slider 37 can be controlled by the head moving mechanism 30 executing the program.

[0025] When the head 20 is moved at a predetermined speed in the Y direction to eject droplets, the control unit 40 controls the ejection of droplets at a reference timing based on a reference value of the head gap G between the head 20 and the mounting surface 10a so that the droplets land at the target position on the medium M (landing adjustment).

[0026] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the principle of droplet landing adjustment. As shown in the unadjusted state ST1 in Fig. 5, when the head gap is G1 and the head 20 is moved at a predetermined speed, if a droplet is ejected from directly above the target position P1, the droplet will land at a position P2 that is shifted forward in the direction of movement of the head 20 relative to the target position P1 due to inertia.

[0027] 5, when the head gap is G1 and the head 20 is moved at a predetermined speed, droplets must be ejected just before the head 20 reaches directly above the target position P1. This timing is a value that depends on the head gap G1, which is the distance between the nozzle surface 21 of the head 20 and the mounting surface 10a of the table 10 (or the surface of the media M).

[0028] In the printing device 100, the head gap G1 is set to a predetermined reference value, so that droplets can be ejected at a timing (reference timing) corresponding to the reference value G1 of the head gap, thereby causing the droplets to land at the target position P1.

[0029] On the other hand, as shown in the head gap fluctuation state ST3 in Figure 5, when the head 20 is moved at a predetermined speed, if the head gap changes from the reference value G1 to G2, when a droplet is ejected at the reference timing, the landing position P3 of the droplet will be shifted, for example, by a distance L forward from the target position P1 in the direction of movement of the head 20.

[0030] For example, if the head gap is changed to be larger than the reference value, when droplets are ejected at the reference timing, the landing position of the droplets will be shifted forward from the target position P1 in the movement direction of the head 20. Also, if the head gap is changed to be smaller than the reference value, when droplets are ejected at the reference timing, the landing position of the droplets will be shifted backward from the target position P1 in the movement direction of the head 20.

[0031] On the other hand, if the head gap changes from the reference value, the reference timing can be corrected to cause the droplets to land on the target position P1. For example, if the head gap changes to be larger than the reference value, the reference timing can be corrected to be earlier. Also, if the head gap changes to be smaller than the reference value, the reference timing can be corrected to be later.

[0032] By determining the correction timing obtained by correcting the reference timing in this manner, even if the head gap changes from the reference value, droplets can be ejected at the corrected timing, causing the droplets to land on the target position P1. The correction timing can be determined based on a measurement value obtained by measuring the head gap using a gap detection unit, for example. The correction timing can also be determined based on the deviation between the target position and the landing position of the droplets when droplets are ejected from the head 20. The determined correction timing can be stored, for example, in the memory unit 50 of the control unit 40. The correction timing may also be stored in an external memory unit.

[0033] 6 is a diagram showing a schematic example of how the correction timing is set. As shown in FIG. 6, the correction timing can be set for each unit area AR that is partitioned in a grid pattern along the X and Y directions on the mounting surface 10a. The pitch in the X direction can be set to the distance traveled by the head 20 when it makes a pass, for example. In FIG. 6, the reference timing is designated as A, and the correction timings are designated as B to D. The difference between the correction timing and the reference timing increases in the order of B, C, and D.

[0034] In this way, by setting the correction timing according to the actual head gap for each position on the mounting surface 10a, when droplets are ejected while the head 20 is moved at a predetermined speed in the Y direction, the ejected droplets can be accurately landed at the target position.

[0035] When ejecting droplets while moving the head 20 in the Y direction at a predetermined speed, the control unit 40 controls the head 20 to eject droplets at a reference timing at positions where no correction timing is set (unit areas AR indicated by "A" in FIG. 6). Furthermore, when ejecting droplets while moving the head 20 in the Y direction at a predetermined speed, the control unit 40 controls the head 20 to eject droplets at the correction timing at positions where correction timing is set (unit areas AR indicated by "B," "C," and "D" in FIG. 6).

[0036] 7 is a diagram showing how droplets ejected from the head 20 land. Corrected state ST4 in FIG. 7 shows a case where droplets are ejected from the head 20 at corrected timing relative to the head gap fluctuation state ST3 shown in FIG. 5. The corrected timing is obtained by correcting the reference timing so that the droplets are shifted backward in the movement direction of the head 20 by a distance L relative to the state of head gap fluctuation state ST3. By ejecting droplets at this corrected corrected timing, the droplets are ejected at a position that is the distance L further backward in the movement direction of the head 20 than in the case of head gap fluctuation state ST3. As a result, the droplets land at target position P1, which is the distance L behind position P3.

[0037] As described above, the printing device 100 according to this embodiment includes the table 10 having the mounting surface 10a on which the medium M is placed, the head 20 having a planar nozzle surface 21 facing the mounting surface 10a and having a plurality of nozzles 21a formed thereon, and ejecting droplets from the plurality of nozzles 21a toward the mounting surface 10a, the head moving mechanism 30 moving the table 10 and the head 20 relatively in the Y direction and the X direction along the mounting surface 10a, and the head moving mechanism 30 controlling the relative movement between the table 10 and the head 20 by the head moving mechanism 30 and the ejection of droplets by the head 20 to print the medium M placed on the mounting surface 10a. The control unit 40 controls the ejection of droplets toward the media M, and when the table 10 and the head 20 are moved relative to each other at a predetermined relative speed in the Y direction to eject droplets, the control unit 40 controls the ejection of droplets at a reference timing based on a reference value of the head gap between the head 20 and the mounting surface 10a so that the droplets land at a target position on the media M, and when a corrected timing is set in which the reference timing is corrected based on the difference between the actual head gap on the mounting surface 10a and the reference value of the head gap, the control unit 40 controls the ejection of droplets at the corrected timing.

[0038] When the table 10 and the head 20 are moved relative to each other in the Y direction at a predetermined relative speed to eject droplets, if a correction timing that corrects the reference timing is set, the droplets are controlled to be ejected at the correction timing, thereby making it possible to make the droplets ejected from the head 20 land at appropriate positions.

[0039] Furthermore, the head moving mechanism 30 of the printing device 100 moves the head 20 relative to the table 10. Thus, according to this embodiment, in a configuration in which the head 20 is moved relative to the table 10, it is possible to cause droplets ejected from the head 20 to land at appropriate positions.

[0040] Furthermore, in the printing device 100 according to this embodiment, the correction timing is set based on the measurement value obtained by measuring the head gap.

[0041] According to this configuration, droplets are ejected from the head at a corrected timing that is set based on the measurement value of the head gap, so that the droplets can be made to land at appropriate positions.

[0042] Furthermore, in the printing device 100 according to this embodiment, the correction timing is set based on the deviation between the target position P1 and the landing position of the droplets when the droplets are ejected from the head 20.

[0043] According to this configuration, when droplets are actually ejected from the head 20, the droplets are ejected from the head at a correction timing set based on the deviation between the target position P1 and the droplet landing position, making it possible to land the droplets at the appropriate position.

[0044] Furthermore, in the printing device 100 according to this embodiment, the correction timing is set for each unit area AR that is partitioned in a grid pattern along the Y and X directions on the placement surface 10a.

[0045] This configuration allows the head gap to be appropriately reflected at each position on the mounting surface 10a.

[0046] Next, a cutting device, another aspect of the media processing device according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a cutting device 200. As shown in FIG. 8 , the cutting device 200 includes a table 110, a head 120, a head movement mechanism 130, and a control unit 140. The table 110 and head movement mechanism 130 are configured similarly to the table 10 and head movement mechanism 30 of the printing device 100 described above. Specifically, the table 110 has a top plate member 111 and supports the media M and the head movement mechanism 130. The table 110 has a mounting surface 110a on which the media M is placed. Felt that supports the cutter 121 is placed on the mounting surface 110a of the table 110. The head movement mechanism 130 also includes a main scanning movement unit 131 and a sub-scanning movement unit 132. The main scanning movement unit 131 has a Y bar 133, a Y slider 134, and a Y drive unit (not shown). The sub scanning movement unit 132 has an X guide 136, an X slider 137, and an X drive unit (not shown).

[0047] The head 120 faces the placement surface 111a. The head 120 has a cutter (processing section) 121 and an elevating mechanism 122. The cutter 121 has a blade section 121a. The cutter 121 cuts the media M with the blade section 121a. In the cutting device 200, the processing performed on the media M is the processing of cutting the media M. The elevating mechanism 122 moves the cutter 121 in the up and down direction. The elevating mechanism 122 has a drive source such as a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force of the drive source.

[0048] The head moving mechanism 130 moves the head 120 relative to the table in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The head moving mechanism 130, together with the lifting mechanism 122, constitutes an example of a relative movement mechanism.

[0049] The control unit 140 controls the operation of the lifting mechanism 122 and the head moving mechanism 130. The control unit 140 controls the operation of the lifting mechanism 122 and the head moving mechanism 130 to cause the cutter 121 to cut the medium M placed on the placement surface 110a.

[0050] When cutting the medium M placed on the placement surface 110a, the control unit 140 moves the head 120 in the main scanning direction at a predetermined movement speed. The control unit 140 has a memory unit 150. In this embodiment, the control unit 140, as will be described later, can adjust the height of the cutter 121 by controlling the lifting mechanism 122. In this embodiment, the height of the cutter 121 is the distance in the vertical direction (Z direction) between the placement surface 110a, which is the reference surface, and the cutting edge of the cutter 121.

[0051] 9 and 10 are diagrams showing the principle of the cutting operation, in which Fig. 9 shows the case where the height of the cutter 121 is not adjusted, and Fig. 10 shows the case where the height of the cutter 121 is adjusted.

[0052] As shown in the unadjusted state ST11 in Figure 9, when the head gap G11 is equal to or larger than the reference gap G10 (when G11 - G10 > 0), if the cutting edge of the cutter 121 is set to a predetermined height position H0 and the head 120 is moved at a predetermined speed, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 will move away from the loading surface 110a, leaving the media M uncut.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in the unadjusted state ST12 in Figure 9, when the head gap G12 is smaller than the reference gap G10 (when G12 - G10 < 0), if the cutting edge of the cutter 121 is placed at a predetermined height position H0 and the head 120 is moved at a predetermined speed, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 will dig too deeply into the mounting surface 110a, accelerating the deterioration of the felt placed on the mounting surface 110a.

[0054] In response to this, the control unit 140 controls the height of the cutter 121 based on the gap between the head 120 and the mounting surface 110a, which is a reference surface. For example, the control unit 140 can set a corrected height by correcting the height of the cutter 121 based on the difference between the actual gap on the mounting surface 110a and the reference value of the gap.

[0055] 10 , when the head gap G11 is equal to or greater than the gap reference value G10 (when G11-G10>0), the control unit 140 sets the cutting edge of the cutter 121 to a height H1 that is equal to or less than a predetermined height H0, and moves the head 120 at a predetermined speed. As a result, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 moves along the mounting surface 110a while in contact with the mounting surface 110a, preventing any media M from remaining uncut.

[0056] 10, when the head gap G12 is smaller than the reference gap G10 (when G12-G10<0), the control unit 140 sets the cutting edge of the cutter 121 to a height H2 that is higher than the predetermined height H0 and moves the head 120 at a predetermined speed. As a result, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 moves along the mounting surface 110a, reducing the amount of penetration of the cutting edge of the cutter 121 into the mounting surface 110a and suppressing deterioration of the felt placed on the mounting surface 110a.

[0057] The lower the position of the cutter 121, the deeper it can cut into the media M. For example, when the position of the cutter 121 is set lower than the placement surface 110a, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 cuts the media M while digging into the felt, so the media M can be cut reliably.

[0058] The higher the position of the cutter 121, the shallower the cutter can cut the media M. For example, when the cutter 121 is set at a position higher than the placement surface 110a, the cutting edge of the cutter 121 cuts the media M while separated from the felt, so some of the media M can remain uncut.

[0059] When the head 120 is moved in the main scanning direction, it accelerates from an initial speed of 0 until it reaches a predetermined moving speed. The predetermined moving speed can be set by the user, for example, in accordance with the cutting conditions of the media. When moving the head 120 in the main scanning direction, the control unit 140 calculates a reference distance, which is the minimum distance at which the head 120 can reach the predetermined moving speed, and sets the correction height based on the calculation result.

[0060] 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of a procedure for setting the correction height. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the control unit 140 calculates the Y-direction distance from the start point P11 of the movement of the head 120 to a point P20 where the head 120 reaches a predetermined movement speed as a reference distance L1. If the calculated reference distance L1 is longer than a target distance L2, which is the distance in the main scanning direction where cutting is performed (L1>L2), the control unit 140 can set correction heights H11 and H12 for the two points, the start point P11 and the end point P12 of the movement of the head 120, based on the difference in the gap between the head 120 and the mounting surface 110a.

[0061] 12 , if the calculated reference distance L1 is shorter than the target distance L2 (L1<L2), the control unit 140 sets one or more intermediate points P13 between the start point P11 and the end point P12 of the movement of the head 120. At this time, the control unit 140 sets the intermediate points P13 so that the distance between the start point P11 and the intermediate point P13 adjacent to the start point P11, the distance between adjacent intermediate points P13, and the distance between the end point P12 and the intermediate point P13 adjacent to the end point P12 are all equal. At this time, the control unit 140 sets the intermediate points P13 so that the distance from the start point P11 to the intermediate point P13 adjacent to the start point P11 is greater than the reference distance L1. The control unit 140 can set the correction heights H11, H13, and H12 based on the difference in the gaps between the start point P11, the intermediate point P13, and the end point P12.

[0062] In this way, by determining the corrected height obtained by correcting the height of the cutter 121, even if the head gap changes from the reference value, the media M can be cut appropriately by performing cutting at the corrected height. The corrected height can be determined based on a measurement value obtained by measuring the gap using, for example, a gap detection unit. The determined corrected height can be stored, for example, in the memory unit 150 of the control unit 140. The corrected height may also be stored in an external memory unit.

[0063] When a corrected height obtained by correcting the height of the cutter 121 as described above is set, the control unit 140 controls the cutter 121 to cut the medium M at that corrected height. The control unit 140 can adjust the height of the cutter 121 so that the cutting edge of the cutter 121 moves along a smooth trajectory from the start point P11 of the movement of the head 120 to the midpoint P13 and the end point P12. Note that the control unit 140 may also adjust the height of the cutter 121 so that the cutting edge of the cutter 121 moves along a linear trajectory from the start point P11 of the movement of the head 120 to the midpoint P13 and the end point P12.

[0064] As described above, the cutting device 200 according to this embodiment comprises the table 110 having the placement surface 110a on which the media M is placed, the head 120 facing the placement surface 110a and having the cutter 121 that cuts the media M, the head moving mechanism 130 that moves the table 110 and the head 120 relatively in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction along the placement surface 110a, the lifting mechanism 122 that moves the table 110 and the cutter 121 relatively in the up and down direction, and the controller 124 that controls the movement of the head 120 and the cutter 121 by the head moving mechanism 130 and the lifting mechanism 122. The control unit 140 controls the height of the cutter 121 based on the gap between the head 120 and the mounting surface 110a when cutting the media M by moving the table 110 and the head 120 relative to each other at a predetermined relative speed in the main scanning direction, and if a corrected height is set by correcting the height of the cutter 121 based on the difference between the actual gap on the mounting surface 110a and a reference gap value, the control unit 140 controls the cutting to be performed at the corrected height.

[0065] By cutting at the corrected height, the height of the cutter 121 can be adjusted to follow the unevenness of the mounting surface 110a. This allows cutting to be performed with the cutter 121 positioned at an appropriate height for the media M.

[0066] Furthermore, in the cutting device 200 according to this embodiment, the control unit 140 calculates a reference distance, which is the minimum distance at which a predetermined relative speed can be reached when the table 110 and the head 120 are moved relative to each other in the main scanning direction, and sets the correction height based on the calculation result.

[0067] By setting the correction height based on the reference distance, which is the minimum distance at which a predetermined relative speed can be reached, the correction height can be set appropriately.

[0068] Furthermore, in the cutting device 200 according to this embodiment, if the calculated reference distance is longer than the target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction for cutting, the control unit 140 sets the correction height based on the difference in the gap between the two points, the start point and end point of the relative movement between the table 110 and the head 120.

[0069] According to this configuration, when the calculated reference distance is longer than the target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction at which cutting is performed, the correction height can be set appropriately.

[0070] Furthermore, in the cutting device 200 according to this embodiment, if the calculated reference distance is shorter than the target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction for processing, the control unit 140 sets one or more intermediate points between the start point and end point of the relative movement between the table 110 and the head 120, and sets a correction height based on the difference in the gaps at the start point, intermediate point, and end point.

[0071] According to this configuration, when the calculated reference distance is shorter than the target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction at which cutting is performed, the correction height can be set appropriately.

[0072] As described above, the media processing device according to this embodiment comprises a table 110 with a mounting surface 110a on which media M can be placed; a head 120 that faces the mounting surface 110a and has a processing unit that processes the media M; a relative movement mechanism that moves the table 110 and head 120 relatively in the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface 110a; and a control unit 140 that controls the relative movement between the table 110 and head 120 by the relative movement mechanism and the operation of the processing unit (e.g., nozzle 21a, cutter 121) in the head 120, thereby causing the processing unit to process the media M placed on the mounting surface 110a. When processing the media M by moving the table 110 and the head 120 relative to each other at a predetermined relative speed in the main scanning direction, the control unit 140 controls at least one of the processing parameters, namely the timing of processing by the processing unit (e.g., nozzle 21a) and the height of the processing unit (e.g., cutter 121), based on the gap between the head 120 and a reference surface which is the loading surface 110a or the top surface of the media M, and controls the processing to be performed using the correction parameter (e.g., correction timing, correction height) if a correction parameter (e.g., correction timing, correction height) is set that corrects the processing parameter based on the difference between the actual gap on the reference surface and the reference value of the gap.

[0073] By performing processing using the above correction parameters, it is possible to perform processing at an appropriate position on the media.

[0074] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the table 10 and the head 20 are moved relative to each other by moving the head 20 relative to the table 10 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration in which the table 10 and the head 20 are moved relative to each other by moving the table 10 relative to the head 20 may also be used.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the nozzle 21a (printing device) and the cutter 121 (cutting device) were used as examples of processing units in the media processing device, but this configuration is not limiting. For example, instead of the cutter 121, a ruling roller, a pen, a V-cutter, a spindle (drill), or the like could be used as the processing unit.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the reference surface for determining the gap between the head and the table is described as an example of the mounting surface of the table, but this is not a limitation. For example, the surface of the media M placed on the mounting surface may be used as the reference surface. With this configuration, when a highly rigid media M such as a wooden board, resin board, or other plate-like member is used, processing can be performed at an appropriate position by following the irregularities on the surface of the media M.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cutting device 200 of the above embodiment, the head 120 may have a fixing mechanism that replaceably fixes the cutter 121. Figures 13 to 16 are diagrams showing an example of the fixing mechanism 160. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the fixing mechanism attached to the head 120, Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the fixing mechanism 160 detached from the head 120, Figure 15 is a side view of the fixing mechanism attached to the head 120, and Figure 16 is a diagram showing the fixing mechanism 160 attached to the head 120 as viewed from below (the cutting edge side of the cutter 121). As shown in Figures 13 to 16, the fixing mechanism 160 has a holder 161, a presser member 162, a presser member fixing screw 163, and a cutter fixing screw 164.

[0078] The holder 161 is attached to the head 120. The holder 161 has a support surface 161a that supports the pressing member 162 and the cutter 121. The support surface 161a is provided with a screw hole 161b into which a pressing member fixing screw 163 is inserted, a screw hole 161c into which a cutter fixing screw 164 is inserted, and a protrusion 161d on which the cutter 121 is disposed. The surface of the protrusion 161d on which the cutter 121 is disposed is flat.

[0079] The pressing member 162 is a separate member from the holder 161. The pressing member 162 is used in a state where it is fixed to the holder 161 by a pressing member fixing screw 163. The pressing member 162 can be removed from the holder 161 by removing the pressing member fixing screw 163.

[0080] When the presser member 162 is attached to the holder 161, the cutter 121 can be placed between the presser member 162 and the holder 161. The presser member 162 has a groove 162a for restricting misalignment of the cutter 121, a through hole 162b into which a presser member fixing screw 163 is inserted, and a through hole 162c into which a cutter fixing screw 164 is inserted. When the cutter 121 is placed between the presser member 162 and the holder 161, by placing it so that it corresponds to the groove 162a of the presser member 162, misalignment can be suppressed, and rattle during use can be prevented.

[0081] When using the fixing mechanism 160, first, the presser member 162 is fixed to the holder 161 with the presser member fixing screw 163. After the presser member 162 is fixed, the cutter 121 is positioned between the holder 161 and the presser member 162. At this time, the cutter 121 is positioned so that it is sandwiched between the protrusion 161d of the holder 161 and the groove 162a of the presser member 162. From this state, the cutter 121 is sandwiched between the holder 161 and the presser member 162 by tightening the cutter fixing screw 164. This fixes the cutter 121 to the fixing mechanism 160. Furthermore, when removing the cutter 121, the force holding the cutter 121 is reduced by loosening the cutter fixing screw 164. This makes the cutter 121 removable. In the fixing mechanism 160, the cutter 121 can be removed by operating the cutter fixing screw 164 without operating the presser member fixing screw 163. This makes it easy to remove the cutter 121. Note that in the fixing mechanism 160, multiple types of pressing members 162 may be prepared according to the thickness, length, etc. of the cutter 121, and different pressing members 162 may be used depending on the cutter 121.

[0082] In this way, the head 120 has a fixing mechanism 160 that fixes the cutter 121, and the fixing mechanism 160 has a holder 161 that is detachable from the head 120, a pressing member 162 that holds the cutter 121 between the holder 161, a pressing member fixing screw 163 that fixes the pressing member 162 to the holder 161, and a cutter fixing screw 164 that clamps the cutter 121 between the holder 161 and the pressing member 162 by fastening the holder 161 and the pressing member 162 at a position different from the pressing member fixing screw 163 while the holder 161 and the pressing member 162 are fixed by the pressing member fixing screw 163.

[0083] According to this configuration, by operating the cutter fixing screw 164, it is possible to fix and remove the cutter 121 without operating the presser member fixing screw 163. Therefore, the work of fixing and removing the cutter 121 can be easily performed.

[0084] AR...unit area, F...floor, G, G11, G12...head gap, G10...reference gap, G1...reference value, H0, H1, H2, H11, H12, H13...height position, L...distance, L1...reference distance, L2...target distance, M...media, P1...target position, P2...position, P3...impact position, P11...start point, P12...end point, P13...midpoint, P20...point, ST1, ST11, ST 12...Unadjusted state, ST2, ST13, ST14...Adjusted state, ST3...Head gap fluctuation state, ST4...Corrected state, 10, 110...Table, 10a, 11a, 110a, 111a...Placement surface, 11, 111...Top plate member, 11e...Side, 11f...Opposite surface, 12...Support portion, 12a, 12b...Leg portion, 12c...Connecting member, 13...Positioning portion, 13a...Concave portion, 13b...Convex portion, 2 0,120...head, 21...nozzle surface, 21a...nozzle, 22...carriage, 30,130...head moving mechanism, 31,131...main scanning moving section, 32,132...sub scanning moving section, 33,133...Y bar, 34,134...Y slider, 35...Y driving section, 36,136...X guide, 36a,36b...X guide portion, 37,137...X slider, 38...X driving section, 40,140... Control unit, 50, 150...storage unit, 100...printing device, 121...cutter, 121a...blade unit, 122...lifting mechanism, 160...fixing mechanism, 161...holder, 161a...support surface, 161b, 161c...screw holes, 161d...protrusion, 162...pressing member, 162a...groove, 162b, 162c...through holes, 163...pressing member fixing screw, 164...cutter fixing screw, 200...cutting device

Claims

1. A media processing device comprising: a table having a mounting surface on which media is placed; a head facing the mounting surface and having a processing unit which processes the media; a relative movement mechanism which moves the table and the head relatively in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface; and a control unit which controls the relative movement of the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism and the operation of the processing unit in the head to perform the processing by the processing unit on the media placed on the mounting surface, wherein when the table and the head are moved relatively at a predetermined relative speed in the main scanning direction to perform the processing on the media, the control unit controls at least one of processing parameters of the timing of the processing by the processing unit and the height of the processing unit based on a gap between the head and a reference surface which is the mounting surface or the top surface of the media, and when a correction parameter which corrects the processing parameter based on the difference between the actual gap on the reference surface and a reference value of the gap is set, controls the processing to be performed using the correction parameter.

2. A printing device comprising: a table having a mounting surface on which a medium is placed; a head having a planar nozzle surface facing the mounting surface and having a plurality of nozzles formed thereon, the head ejecting droplets from the plurality of nozzles toward the medium; a relative movement mechanism for relatively moving the table and the head in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface; and a control unit for controlling the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism and the ejection of the droplets by the head to eject the droplets toward the media placed on the mounting surface, wherein the control unit controls the ejection of the droplets at a reference timing based on a reference value of a gap between the head and the mounting surface so that the droplets land at a target position on the media when the table and the head are moved relatively to each other at a predetermined relative speed in the main scanning direction to eject the droplets, and when a correction timing is set in which the reference timing is corrected based on the difference between the actual gap on the mounting surface and the reference value of the gap, the control unit controls the ejection of the droplets at the corrected timing.

3. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the relative movement mechanism moves the head relative to the table.

4. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the correction timing is set based on a measurement value obtained by measuring the gap.

5. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the correction timing is set based on a deviation between the target position when the droplets are ejected from the head and the landing position of the droplets.

6. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the correction timing is set for each unit area that is partitioned in a grid pattern along the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction on the placement surface.

7. A cutting device comprising: a table having a mounting surface on which media is placed; a head facing the mounting surface and having a cutter that cuts the media; a relative movement mechanism that moves the table and the head relatively in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction along the mounting surface and also moves the table and the cutter relatively in an up and down direction; and a control unit that controls the relative movement between the table and the head by the relative movement mechanism, the relative movement between the table and the cutter, and the operation of the cutter in the head to cut the media placed on the mounting surface with the cutter, wherein the control unit controls the height of the cutter based on a gap between the head and a reference surface which is the mounting surface or the top surface of the media when moving the table and the head relatively in the main scanning direction at a predetermined relative speed to cut the media, and controls the cutter to perform the cut at the corrected height if a corrected height is set in which the height of the cutter is corrected based on the difference between the actual gap on the reference surface and a reference value of the gap.

8. The cutting device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit calculates a reference distance which is the minimum distance at which the specified relative speed can be reached when the table and the head are moved relatively in the main scanning direction, and sets the correction height based on the calculation result.

9. The cutting device described in claim 8, wherein the control unit sets the correction height based on the difference in the gap between two points, the start point and the end point of the relative movement between the table and the head, when the calculated reference distance is longer than a target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction where the cutting is performed.

10. The cutting device described in claim 8, wherein the control unit, when the calculated reference distance is shorter than a target distance, which is the distance in the main scanning direction where the cutting is performed, sets one or more intermediate points between the start point and the end point of the relative movement between the table and the head, and sets the correction height based on the difference in the gap at each of the start point, the intermediate point and the end point.

11. A cutting device as described in claim 7, wherein the head has a fixing mechanism for fixing the cutter, the fixing mechanism comprising: a holder detachable from the head; a pressing member for holding the cutter between the holder; a pressing member fixing screw for fastening the holder and the pressing member and fixing the pressing member to the holder; and a cutter fixing screw for clamping the cutter between the holder and the pressing member by fastening the holder and the pressing member at a position different from the pressing member fixing screw while the holder and the pressing member are fixed by the pressing member fixing screw.

Images