Printer with cutting head

Abstract

A printer 10 with a cutting head according to the present disclosure includes: a print head 40 that discharges ink to a medium 5; a cutting head including a cutter capable of cutting the medium 5; moving devices 30, 60 that move the position of the medium 5 with respect to the print head 40 and the cutting head; heating devices 80, 90 that heat the medium 5; and a control device. The control device includes: a print control unit that causes print processing for forming an image on the medium 5 with ink to be performed; a cutting control unit that causes cutting processing for cutting the medium 5 with the cutter to be performed; and a heating control unit that controls the heating devices 80, 90 to heat the medium 5 during the print processing and lowers the output of the heating devices 80, 90 during the cutting processing to a level lower than that during the print processing.

Description

Cutting head printer

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2023-215650 and 2023-215550, filed on December 21, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to a printer with a cutting head.

[0002] Printers with a cutting head that include both a print head that prints on a medium and a cutting head that cuts the medium have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer with a cutting head that includes a platen that supports the medium, an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the medium supported by the platen, a cutting head that cuts the medium supported by the platen, and a heater that heats the platen.

[0003] The printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to set a print-cut mode in which cutting processing is performed after printing processing. In the print-cut mode, the printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1 heats the heater during both printing processing and cutting processing.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-172053

[0005] As with the printer with a cutting head described in Patent Document 1, if the medium is heated during the cutting process in print-cut mode, the medium may shrink or warp. If the state of the medium changes due to such heating, the cutting position may shift, and the quality of the cutting process may decrease.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a printer with a cutting head that can ensure good cutting quality.

[0007] The printer with a cutting head disclosed herein includes a print head that ejects ink onto the medium, a cutting head equipped with a cutter capable of cutting the medium, a moving device that moves the position of the medium relative to the print head and the position of the medium relative to the cutting head, a heating device that heats the medium, and a control device. The control device includes a print control unit, a cutting control unit, and a heating control unit. The print control unit controls the moving device and the print head to perform a printing process in which an image is formed on the medium using the ink. The cutting control unit controls the moving device to perform a cutting process in which the medium is cut with the cutter. When the printing process and the cutting process are performed sequentially, the heating control unit is configured to control the heating device to heat the medium during the printing process and to reduce the output of the heating device during the cutting process compared to during the printing process.

[0008] With the above-described cutting head printer, when printing and cutting are performed in sequence, the output of the heating device is lowered during cutting than during printing, which reduces heating of the medium during cutting. This reduces changes in the state of the medium due to heating and ensures good cutting quality.

[0009] 1 is a perspective view of a printer with a cutting head according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer; FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the printer; FIG. 4 is a front view of the print carriage and cut carriage in a connected state; FIG. 5 is a front view of the print carriage and cut carriage in a separated state; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the printer; FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the printing process, the retraction process, and the cutting process; FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the printer showing the position of the medium when the platen heater is stopped; FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the printer showing the position of the medium at the end of the retraction process; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the cutting process, the retraction process, and the printing process; FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after the cutting process and before the printing process; FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium immediately after the printing process; FIG. 11C is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after drying; FIG. 12A to FIG. 12C are explanatory diagrams of a comparative example; FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium immediately after the printing process; FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after drying; and FIG. 12C is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after the cutting process.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described here is not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] [Configuration of Printer with Cutting Head] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 10 with a cutting head (hereinafter simply referred to as printer 10) according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs printing and cutting processes on a sheet-like medium 5. Hereinafter, the process of forming an image on the medium 5 using ink will be referred to as the printing process, and the process of cutting the medium 5 with a cutter 51 (described below) of the cutting head 50 will be referred to as the cutting process. The medium 5 may be, for example, a seal material made of a backing paper and a release paper laminated on the backing paper and coated with an adhesive, or it may be recording paper, a resin sheet, or the like. The medium 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is a medium that can be printed and cut.

[0012] In this specification, "cutting" includes cutting the entire thickness of the medium 5 (for example, cutting both the backing paper and release paper of the sealing material) and cutting only a portion of the thickness of the medium 5 (for example, cutting only the release paper without cutting the backing paper of the sealing material).

[0013] 2 is a front view of the printer 10. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the printer 10. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the printer 10 includes a main body 11, a platen 20P, a downstream apron 20F, and an upstream apron 20Rr that support the medium 5, a transport device 30 that transports the medium 5 supported by the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr, a print head 40 that ejects ink onto the medium 5, a print carriage 45 that holds the print head 40, a cutting head 50 that cuts the medium 5, a cut carriage 55 that holds the cutting head 50, a head moving device 60 that moves the print carriage 45 and the cut carriage 55, a coupling mechanism 70 that couples or uncouples the print carriage 45 and the cut carriage 55, a platen heater 80 that heats the platen 20P, an apron heater 90 that heats the medium 5 on the downstream apron 20F, and a control device 100.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3 , the platen 20P is supported by the main body 11. The platen 20P is formed flat. Printing and cutting of the medium 5 are performed on the platen 20P. In this specification, the direction in which the medium 5 is transported on the platen 20P during the printing process or cutting process is referred to as the front, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear. The terms left, right, top, and bottom refer to the left, right, top, and bottom as seen from the operator standing in front of the printer 10. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The platen 20P extends in the left-right and front-to-back directions.

[0015] The transport device 30 transports the medium 5 placed on the platen 20P in a predetermined transport direction X. On the platen 20P, the transport direction X is the front-to-rear direction. Hereinafter, the direction in the transport direction X in which the medium 5 advances during printing and cutting is referred to as the downstream side X1, and the opposite direction of the downstream side X1 is referred to as the upstream side X2. The downstream side X1 of the transport direction X on the platen 20P is the front. The upstream side X2 of the transport direction X on the platen 20P is the rear. That is, in this embodiment, the medium 5 is transported from rear to front. However, the printer 10 may also be configured to transport the medium 5 from front to rear. In that case, the downstream side X1 of the transport direction X on the platen 20P is the rear, and the upstream side X2 of the transport direction X on the platen 20P is the front. As will be described later, on the upstream apron 20Rr, the downstream side X1 of the transport direction X is diagonally upward and forward, and the upstream side X2 is diagonally downward and rearward (see FIG. 3 ). On the downstream apron 20F, the downstream side X1 of the transport direction X is diagonally downward and forward, and the upstream side X2 is diagonally upward and backward (see also FIG. 3 ). The transport device 30 transports the medium from above the platen 20P (the area facing the print head 40) toward the downstream apron 20F (the area heated by the apron heater 90) so that the medium bends downward.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 30 has a grit roller 31, a pinch roller 32, and a feed motor 33 (see FIG. 6) that drives the grit roller 31. The grit roller 31 is embedded in the platen 20P. The pinch roller 32 presses down on the medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 32 is disposed above the grit roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is disposed opposite the grit roller 31. The pinch roller 32 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. When the feed motor 33 is driven to rotate the grit roller 31 with the medium 5 sandwiched between the grit roller 31 and the pinch roller 32, the medium 5 is conveyed in the front-to-back direction on the platen 20P.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3 , the upstream apron 20Rr is disposed behind the platen 20P. The upstream apron 20Rr guides the movement of the medium 5 to the platen 20P. The upstream apron 20Rr is inclined upward toward the front. The front end of the upstream apron 20Rr is connected to the rear end of the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F is disposed in front of the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F guides the movement of the medium 5 from the platen 20P. The downstream apron 20F is inclined downward toward the front. The rear end of the downstream apron 20F is connected to the front end of the platen 20P. After ink lands on the medium 5, it is transported over the downstream apron 20F. The platen 20P, downstream apron 20F, and upstream apron 20Rr are an example of a support platform that supports the medium 5. Hereinafter, the reference numeral 20 will be used to denote the support base including the platen 20P, the downstream apron 20F, and the upstream apron 20Rr.

[0018] The print head 40 is disposed opposite the platen 20P. Here, the print head 40 is mounted on a print carriage 45 and disposed above the platen 20P. The print head 40 ejects ink onto the medium 5 supported by the platen 20P. As shown in FIG. 2 , the print head 40 includes a plurality of ink heads 41. The plurality of ink heads 41 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink are formed on the bottom surface of each of the plurality of ink heads 41. The plurality of nozzles are arranged side by side in the transport direction X.

[0019] In this embodiment, the print head 40 ejects aqueous ink onto the medium 5. For example, latex ink is preferably used as the aqueous ink. Latex ink contains a solvent, a colorant, and a binder resin. In latex ink, the binder resin is dispersed or emulsified in the solvent. The solvent can be, for example, one or more water-soluble organic solvents (such as lower alcohols and lower ketones) that are uniformly miscible with water. The colorant can be selected from conventional colorants contained in latex ink. Examples of colorants include dyes such as water-soluble dyes and pigments. The binder resin can be selected from conventional binder resins contained in latex ink. However, the type of ink ejected by the print head 40 is not limited to aqueous ink. For example, the ink ejected by the print head 40 may be a thermosetting solvent ink. The color of the ink ejected by the print head 40 is not particularly limited.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting head 50 is also disposed opposite the platen 20P. Here, the cutting head 50 is mounted on a cutting carriage 55 and positioned above the platen 20P. The cutting head 50 includes a cutter 51 capable of cutting the medium 5 and a cutter holding mechanism 52 that holds the cutter 51. The cutter holding mechanism 52 moves the cutter 51 up and down to bring it into contact with or separate from the medium 5 on the platen 20P. The cutter holding mechanism 52 includes a solenoid 53 (see FIG. 4) that moves the cutter 51 up and down. When the solenoid 53 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 51 moves up and down to bring it into contact with or separate from the medium 5.

[0021] The print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 are connected or disconnected by a connection mechanism 70. FIG. 4 is a front view of the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 in a connected state. FIG. 5 is a front view of the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 in a separated state. When the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 are connected, the head moving device 60 moves them together. When the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 are separated, the head moving device 60 moves only the cutter carriage 55 independently.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , the head moving device 60 includes a guide rail 61, left and right pulleys 62L and 62R, an endless belt 63, and a scan motor 64. The guide rail 61 is disposed above the platen 20P. The guide rail 61 extends in the left-right direction. The print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55 are engaged with the guide rail 61 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the movement direction of the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55, that is, the left-right direction, will also be referred to as the scanning direction Y. The head moving device 60 moves the print head 40 and the cutting head 50 via the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55, respectively, in the scanning direction Y, which intersects with the transport direction X. In this case, the scanning direction Y is perpendicular to the transport direction X. The head moving device 60 and the transport device 30 constitute a moving device that moves the position of the medium 5 relative to the print head 40 and the position of the medium 5 relative to the cutting head 50.

[0023] The left and right pulleys 62L, 62R are provided at the left and right end portions of the guide rail 61, respectively. A belt 63 is wound around the left and right pulleys 62L, 62R. A scan motor 64 is connected to the right pulley 62R. However, the scan motor 64 may also be connected to the left pulley 62L. The belt 63 is fixed to the cutter carriage 55. When the scan motor 64 is driven to rotate the pulley 62R, the belt 63 runs between the left and right pulleys 62L, 62R. As the belt 63 runs, the cutter carriage 55 moves in the scanning direction Y along the guide rail 61. However, the head moving device 60 may also be configured to move the print carriage 45 in the scanning direction Y along the guide rail 61.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the coupling mechanism 70 has a first coupling member 71 provided on the print carriage 45 and a second coupling member 72 provided on the cutter carriage 55. The first coupling member 71 is provided on the left side of the print carriage 45. The second coupling member 72 is provided on the right side of the cutter carriage 55. In this embodiment, the coupling mechanism 70 uses magnetic force to couple the print carriage 45 and the cutter carriage 55. One of the first coupling member 71 and the second coupling member 72 includes a magnet, and the other includes a magnetic material that is attracted to the magnet. However, the coupling mechanism 70 is not limited to one that uses magnetic force, and may include other components such as an engaging member.

[0025] An L-shaped metal receiving bracket 75 is provided on the right side of the print carriage 45. A locking device 76 for fixing the print carriage 45 is also provided near the right end of the guide rail 61. The locking device 76 includes a hook 77 that hooks onto the metal receiving bracket 75, and a locking solenoid 78 (see FIG. 6) that moves the hook 77 between a locked position (see FIG. 5) and an unlocked position (see FIG. 4).

[0026] 4, when printing is performed, the hook 77 is set to the unlocked position. When the cutter carriage 55 moves to the right and the first connecting member 71 and the second connecting member 72 come into contact with each other, the cutter carriage 55 and the print carriage 45 are connected. As a result, the print carriage 45 can move in the scanning direction Y together with the cutter carriage 55.

[0027] During the cutting process, as shown in Figure 5, the print carriage 45 is positioned near the right end of the guide rail 61, and the hook 77 of the locking device 76 is set to the lock position. This causes the hook 77 to engage with the receiving bracket 75, preventing the print carriage 45 from moving. When the cutter carriage 55 moves to the left, the first connecting member 71 and the second connecting member 72 move away from each other, and the cutter carriage 55 is disconnected from the print carriage 45. As a result, the cutter carriage 55 becomes able to move independently in the scanning direction Y.

[0028] The platen heater 80 and apron heater 90 constitute a heating device that heats the medium 5 supported on the support base 20 (here, the platen 20P, downstream apron 20F, and upstream apron 20Rr). The platen heater 80 heats the portion of the support base 20 that faces the print head 40, in this case the platen 20P. The platen heater 80 heats the ink immediately after it lands on the medium 5, causing the ink to initially dry. As shown in FIG. 3 , the platen heater 80 is provided below the platen 20P. The platen heater 80 includes a heating element 81 and a temperature measuring unit 82 that measures the temperature of the platen 20P. The heating element 81 is, for example, a surface heater that is in close contact with the underside of the platen 20P. The temperature measuring unit 82 is, for example, a thermistor. However, the heating element 81 and the temperature measuring unit 82 are not limited to these.

[0029] The apron heater 90 is disposed downstream X1 of the print head 40 and the cutting head 50 in the transport direction X. In this example, the apron heater 90 is disposed facing the downstream apron 20F. The apron heater 90 is disposed in front of and above the downstream apron 20F. As shown in FIG. 3 , a gap G1 is formed between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F, allowing the medium 5 to pass through. The apron heater 90 heats the portion of the medium 5 that is transported to the downstream apron 20F after ink has landed on it, thereby completely drying the ink. The heating temperature of the apron heater 90 is preferably higher than that of the platen heater 80. In other words, the heating temperature of a downstream heating device is preferably higher than that of an upstream heating device.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3 , the apron heater 90 includes a box-shaped housing 91, a blower fan 92 provided within the housing 91, a heater 93 provided within the housing 91, and a temperature measurement unit 94. The housing 91 is formed with an intake port 91a through which external air is taken in and an exhaust port 91b through which heated air within the housing 91 is discharged. The exhaust port 91b is disposed facing the front surface (top surface) of the downstream apron 20F. In this example, the temperature measurement unit 94 is located near the exhaust port 91b. When the blower fan 92 is driven, external air is taken in through the intake port 91a. The taken-in air passes through the blower fan 92 and is heated by the heater 93. The heated air is discharged from the exhaust port 91b toward the front surface (top surface) of the downstream apron 20F. The apron heater 90 is configured to dry ink by blowing hot air onto the medium 5.

[0031] 2, the printer 10 includes a control device 100 that controls the operation of each unit. The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes instructions from a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores the program executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) that is used as a working area for expanding the program, and a storage device such as a memory that stores the program and various data.

[0032] Figure 6 is a block diagram of the printer 10. As shown in Figure 6, the control device 100 is connected to and controls the operation of the feed motor 33, the print head 40, the solenoid 53 of the cutting head 50, the scan motor 64, the locking solenoid 78, the heating element 81 of the platen heater 80, and the blower fan 92 and heater 93 of the apron heater 90. The control device 100 is also connected to and receives signals from the temperature measurement unit 82 of the platen heater 80 and the temperature measurement unit 94 of the apron heater 90.

[0033] 6, the control device 100 includes a data receiving unit 101, a printing control unit 102, a cutting control unit 103, a pullback control unit 104, and a heating control unit 105. The control device 100 may include other processing units, but these will not be shown or described here.

[0034] The data receiving unit 101 receives data including at least one of print data and cut data from an external device (for example, a computer that created the data). The data is transmitted sequentially from the beginning. If the print data exists first in the data and the cut data exists after the print data, the cut process is performed after the print process. If the cut data exists first in the data and the print data exists after the cut data, the print process is performed after the cut process. If the data includes only print data, only the print process is performed. If the data includes only cut data, only the cut process is performed.

[0035] However, the printer 10 may also be provided with a mode selection unit that can select either a mode in which printing processing is performed before cutting processing regardless of the data, or a mode in which cutting processing is performed before printing processing.

[0036] The print control unit 102 controls the moving devices (here, the transport device 30 and the head moving device 60) and the print head 40 to perform a printing process that forms an image with ink on the medium 5. The print control unit 102 controls the head moving device 60 to move the print head 40 in the scanning direction Y, while causing the print head 40 to eject ink, thereby forming an image on the medium 5. The transport device 30 intermittently moves the medium 5 to the downstream side X1. As a result, images are sequentially formed on the upstream side X2 of the medium 5, and the portions on which the images are formed are sequentially sent onto the downstream apron 20F. At the end of the printing process, the portion of the medium 5 on which the image is formed (hereinafter also referred to as the image-formed portion 5a, see Figure 3) is transported to a position X1 downstream in the transport direction X from the heating region Rt heated by the apron heater 90 and the platen heater 80 (in Figure 3, the heating region of the apron heater 90 is indicated as Rd, the heating region of the platen heater 80 is indicated as Ru, and the combined heating region of both is indicated as Rt).

[0037] The cutting control unit 103 controls the moving devices (here, the transport device 30 and the head moving device 60) to perform a cutting process in which the medium 5 is cut by the cutter 51. With the cutter 51 in contact with the medium 5, the cutting control unit 103 controls the head moving device 60 and the transport device 30 to move the cutting head 50 in the scanning direction Y and move the medium 5 in the transport direction X, thereby cutting the medium 5. In the cutting process, the medium 5 is gradually moved downstream X1 in the transport direction X. The cutting process is performed based on cutting data consisting of a cut line of any shape.

[0038] The return control unit 104 controls the conveying device 30 between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a return process that returns the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X. When the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the return control unit 104 returns the medium 5 to a position where cutting of the medium 5 begins in the cutting process (hereinafter also referred to as the cutting start position). When the printing process is performed after the cutting process, the return control unit 104 returns the medium 5 to a position where printing on the medium 5 begins in the printing process (hereinafter also referred to as the printing start position). The later process, either the cutting process or the printing process, is performed on the medium 5 returned to the cutting start position or the printing start position by the return process. In this embodiment, the cutting start position is set to a position such that the portion of the medium 5 to be cut in the cutting process (hereinafter also referred to as the cut portion) is located upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the conveying direction X. The return control unit 104 is set to return the medium 5 until the cut portion is located upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the conveying direction X (see FIG. 9 ). The printing start position is set in the same way as the cutting start position. When the cutting process is performed before the printing process, the medium 5 is set to be returned until the portion of the medium 5 cut in the cutting process (also referred to as the cut portion unless there is a need to distinguish between them) is located upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the transport direction X. The return control unit 104 may also be set to return the medium 5 until the downstream end of the medium 5 is located upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the transport direction X.

[0039] The heating control unit 105 controls the operation of the heating devices (here, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) during the printing process, the cutting process, and the retraction process. Specifically, when the printing process and the cutting process are performed sequentially, the heating control unit 105 controls the heating devices (here, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) to heat the medium 5 during the printing process, and reduces the output of the heating devices during the cutting process compared to the printing process. In this embodiment, the heating control unit 105 reduces the output of the heating devices to zero during the cutting process, i.e., stops heating. Reducing the output of the heating devices can also include stopping the heating devices. However, the heating control unit 105 may maintain the output of the heating devices at a predetermined output greater than zero during the cutting process. Alternatively, the heating control unit 105 may control the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the cutting process so that the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 (measured by the temperature measurement units 82 and 94, respectively) reach predetermined temperatures. Here, stopping the heating device will be described as one example of reducing the output of the heating device, but reducing the output of the heating device is not limited to stopping the heating device.

[0040] The heating device includes a blower fan 92 and a heater 93, and the heating control unit 105 may perform at least one of the following control operations when reducing the output of the heating device: reducing the heat generation amount of the heater 93 and reducing the airflow rate of the blower fan 92. When reducing the heat generation amount of the heater 93 when reducing the output of the heating device, the heat generation amount of the heater 93 during the cutting process is reduced compared to the heat generation amount of the heater 93 during the printing process. While the heater 93 may be stopped from generating heat, it takes time for the heater 93 to reach a predetermined temperature, so reducing the heat generation amount of the heater 93 is preferable to stopping the heater 93. When reducing the airflow rate of the blower fan 92 when reducing the output of the heating device, the airflow rate of the blower fan 92 during the cutting process is reduced compared to the airflow rate of the blower fan 92 during the printing process. By reducing the airflow rate of the blower fan 92, the total amount of heat carried by the wind to the medium 5 is reduced, thereby preventing the medium 5 from being overheated. Note that the air blown by the blower fan 92 may be stopped, but stopping the blower fan 92 may cause the temperature of the heater 93 to become too high. For this reason, when stopping the blower fan 92, it is necessary to finely control the blower fan 92, for example by repeatedly turning it on and off, so that the temperature of the heater 93 does not become too high. For this reason, rather than stopping the blower fan 92, it is preferable to reduce the amount of air blown by the blower fan 92 so that the heater 93 does not become too high. Note that the heating control unit 105 may reduce the output of the heating device by reducing only the heat generation amount of the heater (platen heater 80 or heater 93) without changing the control of the blower fan 92.

[0041] The heating control unit 105 is set to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the pullback process as compared to during the printing process. Here, the heating control unit 105 sets the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 to zero even during the pullback process. However, the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the pullback process is not limited to zero. During the pullback process, the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 may be set to the same level as during the printing process.

[0042] In the printing process, the heating control unit 105 reduces the output of the platen heater 80 after ink ejection is completed and before the image forming portion 5a of the medium 5 is transported to the downstream side X1 in the transport direction X of the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90. Here, the heating control unit 105 is configured to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 immediately after the image forming portion 5a passes the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80. In addition, in the printing process, the heating control unit 105 is configured to reduce the output of the apron heater 90 after the image forming portion 5a is transported to the downstream side X1 in the transport direction X of the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90, that is, after the entire printed image has been dried by hot air discharged from the apron heater 90. The heating control unit 105 is configured to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 before the output of the apron heater 90.

[0043] When only the printing process is performed, the heating control unit 105 drives the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 to heat the medium 5. When only the cutting process is performed, the heating control unit 105 does not drive the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the retraction control unit 104 is configured to perform the retraction process immediately after the printing process is completed. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process a predetermined time after the retraction process is completed. However, the cutting control unit 103 may also be configured to start the cutting process after the retraction process is completed and the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have dropped below their respective predetermined temperatures. During this time, the medium 5 waits upstream X2 of the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80.

[0045] [Printing, Retraction, and Cutting Processes] The following describes a process in which the printing, retraction, and cutting processes are performed in this order. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the printing, retraction, and cutting processes. As shown in FIG. 7 , the printing process begins in step S01 of this series of processes. At this time, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are driven. Once the entire image is formed on the platen 20P, the platen heater 80 is stopped in step S02. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the printer 10 showing the position of the medium 5 when the platen heater 80 is stopped. As shown in FIG. 8 , at this point, the image forming area 5a has been transported to a position X1 slightly downstream of the heating area Ru of the platen heater 80. However, the platen heater 80 may be stopped before the image forming area 5a is transported to the position X1 downstream of the heating area Ru of the platen heater 80, or may be stopped after the image forming area 5a has been transported a certain distance downstream of the heating area Ru. The medium 5 continues to be transported after step S02, and the image forming portions 5a are sequentially fed onto the downstream apron 20F.

[0046] When the medium 5 is transported until the image formation portion 5a is located downstream X1 of the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90, the apron heater 90 is stopped in step S03. Furthermore, transport of the medium 5 is stopped in step S04 (the state shown in FIG. 3). At this point, the ink has finished drying. This completes the printing process. Note that steps S03 and S04 may be performed in reverse order or simultaneously.

[0047] In step S05, the retraction process begins. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the printer 10 showing the position of the medium 5 at the end of the retraction process. As shown in FIG. 9, at the end of the retraction process, the cut portion of the medium 5 (the portion of the medium 5 that will be cut in the cutting process) has been returned to X2, upstream of the platen heater 80, in the transport direction X. In step S06, transport of the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 is stopped, and counting of the standby time is started. Here, the standby time is the time required to wait until the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F (apron heater 90) have sufficiently dropped. In step S06, counting of the standby time is started after transport of the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 is stopped. However, instead of counting the standby time, the control device may start determining the temperature of either the platen 20P or the downstream apron 20F (apron heater 90), or whether these temperatures have dropped to a predetermined temperature. That is, instead of waiting until a predetermined time has elapsed, it is also possible to wait until the platen 20P or the downstream apron 20F (apron heater 90) has dropped to a predetermined temperature.

[0048] However, the waiting time may be any time between the time required for the temperature of the platen 20P to drop sufficiently and the time required for the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F to drop sufficiently. Because it takes time for the cut portion of the medium 5 to be transported to the downstream apron 20F after the start of the cutting process, even if the cutting process is started when the temperature of the platen 20P has dropped sufficiently but the temperature of the downstream apron 20F has not yet dropped sufficiently, the temperature of the downstream apron 20F may also have dropped sufficiently by the time the cut portion of the medium 5 is transported to the downstream apron 20F. Alternatively, the waiting time may be the time required for the temperature of the downstream apron 20F to drop sufficiently minus the time required for the cut portion of the medium 5 to be transported to the downstream apron 20F. Instead of determining that the waiting time has elapsed, it may be possible to directly determine the temperature of either the platen 20P or the downstream apron 20F (apron heater 90) or whether these temperatures have dropped to a predetermined temperature.

[0049] In step S07, the waiting time has elapsed and the cutting process begins. At this time, the temperatures of the platen 20P and downstream apron 20F are sufficiently low, preventing the medium 5 from shrinking or warping due to the heat from the platen 20P and downstream apron 20F (heating a medium 5 that has absorbed ink tends to cause shrinkage). As a result, deterioration in cutting quality due to misalignment of the cutting position is prevented.

[0050] As the cutting process progresses, the medium 5 reaches the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F. At this time, because warping of the medium 5 is suppressed, the medium 5 is less likely to get caught at the entrance on the upstream side X2 of the gap G1. If the medium 5 gets caught at the entrance on the upstream side X2 of the gap G1, there is a risk of the medium 5 jamming. In this embodiment, it is possible to suppress such getting of the medium 5 caught.

[0051] [Cutting, Retraction, and Printing Processes] The following describes the process when the cutting, retraction, and printing processes are performed in this order. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the cutting, retraction, and printing processes. As shown in FIG. 10, the cutting process begins in step S11. At this time, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are stopped. Note that by stopping the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90, which serve as heating devices, the output of the heating devices during the cutting process is reduced compared to during the printing process. However, as already explained, reducing the output of the heating devices is not limited to stopping the heating devices. During the cutting process, the medium 5 moves downstream X1 in the transport direction X. Therefore, during the cutting process, the cut portion of the medium 5 (the portion of the medium 5 cut during the cutting process) is transported to the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80 or to the downstream side X1 of the heating region Ru of the platen heater 80.

[0052] In step S12, the cutting process ends and transport of the medium 5 is stopped. In step S13, the return process begins and ends in step S14. In the return process, the medium 5 is returned to the print start position (the position where printing on the medium 5 begins in the printing process). Furthermore, when the return process ends, the cut portion has been returned to X2, which is upstream of the platen heater 80 in the transport direction X.

[0053] In step S15, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are driven, and the counting of the standby time begins. The standby time is the time to wait until the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F are sufficiently increased.

[0054] However, the standby time may be any time between the time required for the temperature of the platen 20P to rise sufficiently and the time required for the temperature of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F to rise sufficiently. Because it takes time for the image-formed portion of the medium 5 to be transported to the downstream apron 20F after the start of the printing process, even if the printing process is started when the temperature of the platen 20P has risen sufficiently but the temperature of the downstream apron 20F has not yet risen sufficiently, the temperature of the downstream apron 20F may also be sufficiently raised by the time the image-formed portion of the medium 5 is transported to the downstream apron 20F. Alternatively, the standby time may be the time required for the temperature of the downstream apron 20F to rise sufficiently minus the time required for the image-formed portion of the medium 5 to be transported to the downstream apron 20F. Instead of determining that the standby time has elapsed, the temperature of either the platen 20P or the downstream apron 20F (apron heater 90) or whether these temperatures have reached a predetermined temperature may be directly determined.

[0055] In step S16, the standby time elapses and the printing process starts. At this time, the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F are sufficiently high, so the ink dries due to the heat of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F.

[0056] FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium 5 after the cutting process and before the printing process. The dotted lines in the diagram indicate the cut lines formed on the medium 5 during the cutting process. FIG. 11B is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium 5 immediately after the printing process. The hatched areas in the diagram indicate the images formed on the medium 5 during the printing process. FIG. 11C is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium 5 after drying. During the cutting process, the platen heater 80 and apron heater 90 are stopped, so the temperatures of the platen 20P and downstream apron 20F are sufficiently low. This prevents the medium 5 from shrinking due to the heat of the platen 20P and downstream apron 20F, thereby preventing misalignment between the cut portion (dotted line in the diagram) and the image-formed portion (hatched portion in the diagram). Even if the medium 5 shrinks due to the heat of the platen 20P and downstream apron 20F during the printing process, the cut portion and the image-formed portion shrink together, preventing misalignment between the cut portion and the image-formed portion. Therefore, when the output of the heating device is to be lowered during the cutting process than during the printing process, it is effective to perform the processes in the order of the cutting process, the pull-back process, and the printing process.

[0057] 12A to 12C are explanatory diagrams of a comparative example. FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium immediately after the printing process. FIG. 12B is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after drying. FIG. 12C is an explanatory diagram of the state of the medium after the cutting process. In FIGS. 12A to 12C, the hatched areas indicate images formed on the medium 5 during the printing process, and the dotted lines indicate cut lines formed on the medium 5 during the cutting process. In the comparative example, the processes are performed in the order of the printing process, the pullback process, and the cutting process. In the comparative example, the medium 5 shrinks when it is heated to dry the ink after the printing process, and then the cutting process is performed. If the medium 5 shrinks after the printing process and before the cutting process, as shown in FIG. 12C, there is a risk of misalignment between the cut portion (dotted line in the figure) and the image-formed portion (hatched portion in the figure).

[0058] In printers using aqueous resin ink, etc., high temperatures are necessary to dry the ink, so the heating temperature of the apron heater 90 is set higher than the heating temperature of the platen heater 80. In such a situation, when the processes are performed in the order of printing, retraction, and cutting, as in the comparative example, the medium 5 retracted for cutting is heated to a high temperature by the apron heater 90, resulting in a greater shrinkage of the medium 5 than when heated only by the platen heater 80. Furthermore, when the thermal shrinkage of the medium 5 is large, a large deviation occurs between the cutting line set during the printing process (when the ink is ejected) and the cutting line after the printing process (after drying). This deviation must be corrected to match the shrinkage of the medium. In other words, when the processes are performed in the order of printing, retraction, and cutting, as in the comparative example, resulting in large thermal shrinkage of the medium 5, the deviation of the cutting line must be corrected to match the shrinkage of the medium. In contrast, when the processes are performed in the order of cutting, retraction, and printing, the medium 5 can be cut without thermal shrinkage. As described above, even if the medium 5 shrinks due to the heat of the apron heater 90 when the ink dries after the printing process, the cut portion and the image-formed portion shrink together, so misalignment between the cut portion and the image-formed portion can be suppressed. Therefore, when the processes are performed in the order of cutting, pull-back, and printing, there is no need to correct the misalignment of the cut line to match the shrinkage of the medium, as is the case when the processes are performed in the order of printing, pull-back, and cutting.

[0059] [Operations and Effects of the Embodiment] The operations and effects that can be achieved by the printer 10 according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0060] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes a print head 40 that ejects ink onto the medium 5, a cutting head 50 equipped with a cutter 51 that can cut the medium 5, a transport device 30 and a head moving device 60 that act as moving devices that move the position of the medium 5 relative to the print head 40 and the position of the medium 5 relative to the cutting head 50, a platen heater 80 and an apron heater 90 that act as heating devices that heat the medium 5, and a control device 100. The control device 100 includes a print control unit 102 that controls the transport device 30, the head moving device 60, and the print head 40 to perform a printing process, a cutting control unit 103 that controls the transport device 30 and the head moving device 60 to perform a cutting process, and a heating control unit 105 that, when the printing process and the cutting process are performed sequentially, controls the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the printing process to heat the medium 5, and reduces the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the cutting process compared to during the printing process.

[0061] According to this printer 10, the output of the platen heater 80 and apron heater 90 is lowered during the cutting process than during the printing process, thereby suppressing heating of the medium 5 during the cutting process. This suppresses changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating (e.g., shrinkage or warping), ensuring good cutting quality. Note that even when the cutting process is performed before the printing process, the output of the heating device during the cutting process is lowered than during the printing process. More specifically, in this case, it is preferable that the output of the heating device during the cutting process be zero.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control device 100 includes a return control unit 104 that controls the conveying device 30 to perform a return process between the printing process and the cutting process, returning the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X. The heating control unit 105 is configured to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 during the return process compared to during the printing process. This configuration also prevents the medium 5 from being heated during the return process. This further reduces changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating, ensuring good cutting quality.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the return control unit 104 is configured to return the medium 5 to a position where cutting of the medium 5 begins in the cutting process. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process a predetermined time after the return process is completed. With this configuration, by waiting a predetermined time before the cutting process, the temperature of the medium 5, the platen heater 80, and the apron heater 90 all drop. This further reduces changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating, ensuring good cutting quality. Note that the cutting control unit 103 may also be configured to start the cutting process after the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have each dropped below a predetermined temperature.

[0064] In this embodiment, the return control unit 104 is configured to return the medium 5 until the cutting portion (here, the portion of the medium 5 to be cut during the cutting process) is located upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the conveying direction X. With this configuration, by returning the cutting portion to the upstream X2 of the platen heater 80 in the conveying direction X, the cutting portion is not heated by residual heat from the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90. The cutting control unit 103 starts the cutting process a predetermined time after the return process is completed. By waiting for the predetermined time, the temperature of the medium 5, the platen heater 80, and the apron heater 90 all decrease. This further reduces changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating, ensuring good cutting quality. The cutting control unit 103 may also be configured to start the cutting process after the temperatures of the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 have each dropped below a predetermined temperature. When the cutting process is performed before the printing process, the cut portion (here, the portion of the medium 5 that has already been cut in the cutting process) is returned to the upstream side X2 in the conveying direction X from the platen heater 80, thereby preventing the cut portion from being heated while the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90 are being heated in preparation for the printing process.

[0065] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes, as part of the heating device, an apron heater 90 that is located downstream X1 of the print head 40 in the transport direction X and faces the downstream apron 20F. This configuration allows the apron heater 90 to dry the ink more completely. However, during the cutting process, the medium 5 must be inserted into the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F. The printer 10 according to this embodiment can suppress warping of the medium 5 during the cutting process, making it easier to insert the medium 5 into the gap G1 between the apron heater 90 and the downstream apron 20F.

[0066] The printer 10 according to this embodiment includes, as part of the heating device, a platen heater 80 that heats the portion of the medium 5 facing the print head 40, in this case the platen 20P. During the printing process, the heating control unit 105 reduces the output of the platen heater 80 after ink ejection has finished and before the image formation area 5a is transported downstream X1 in the transport direction X from the heating region Rd of the apron heater 90 (i.e., before the ink has finished drying by the apron heater 90). This configuration reduces the output of the platen heater 80, which has completed its role in the printing process, before the ink has finished drying by the apron heater 90, thereby hastening the temperature drop of the platen 20P. This further suppresses changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating.

[0067] In this embodiment, the control device 100 includes a return control unit 104 that controls the transport device 30 to perform a return process between the printing process and the cutting process, returning the medium 5 toward the upstream side X2 in the transport direction X. The transport device 30 transports the medium 5 so that the medium bends downward from the printing area (the area facing the print head 40) where the printing process is performed by the print head 40 toward the heating area Rd where the medium is heated by the apron heater 90 (first heating device). The downward bending of the transport direction of the medium 5 makes it easier to secure space for the transport path compared to when the medium 5 is transported straight horizontally. This also makes it easier to position the apron heater 90 downstream X1 in the transport direction X from the printing area. According to this embodiment, heating of the medium 5 during the cutting process is suppressed, making the medium 5 less likely to harden and more likely to bend.

[0068] In this embodiment, the heating device includes a blower fan 92 and a heater 93, and when lowering the output of the heating device, the heating control unit 105 executes control to at least one of reducing the heat output of the heater 93 and reducing the airflow rate of the blower fan 92. This prevents the medium 5 from being excessively heated and prevents the cutting position of the medium from shifting during the cutting process.

[0069] When reducing the output of the heating device, the heating control unit 105 may execute control to reduce the heat generation amount of the heater (platen heater 80 or heater 93). In this way, it is possible to reduce the output of the heating device without changing the control of the blower fan 92.

[0070] In this embodiment, the control device 100 performs the cutting process, the retraction process, and the printing process in this order (see FIG. 10). This prevents misalignment between the cut portion and the image-formed portion even if the medium 5 shrinks due to heat from the heating device (see FIG. 11).

[0071] When printing is performed after the cutting process, the printing process begins a predetermined time after the retraction process is completed (see FIG. 10). By waiting for the predetermined time, printing can be performed after the temperature of the platen 20P has reached the predetermined temperature, ensuring good print quality. The print control unit 102 may also be configured to start the printing process after the temperatures of the heating devices have each reached a predetermined temperature.

[0072] Other Embodiments The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, the above embodiment is merely illustrative, and the present invention can be embodied in various other forms. For example, while a waiting period is provided after the pullback process in the above embodiment, a waiting period may be provided before the pullback process. The heating control unit 105 may be configured to reduce the output of the heating device (in the above embodiment, the platen heater 80 and the apron heater 90) after the printing process compared to during the printing process, and the pullback control unit 104 may be configured to perform the pullback process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was reduced, or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature. In this case, the waiting period may be a time period required to wait until the temperatures of the platen 20P and the downstream apron 20F have sufficiently decreased. With this control, the image-forming portion 5a of the medium 5 passes through the heating region Rt of the heating device after the temperature of the heating region Rt has decreased. Therefore, the image-forming portion 5a is less susceptible to thermal effects.

[0073] In addition, according to the aspect of pulling back the medium 5 before the waiting time, as described in the first embodiment, the amount of heat applied to the entire medium 5, including the portion X2 upstream of the image forming portion 5a, can be reduced.

[0074] The heating control unit 105 may be configured to lower the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process, and the cutting control unit 103 may be configured to perform the cutting process after a predetermined time has passed since the output of the heating device was lowered or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature. Because the temperature of the heating device drops during the predetermined waiting time, such control can also suppress changes in the state of the medium 5 due to heating, ensuring good cutting quality.

[0075] The configuration of the printer with a cutting head is not particularly limited. For example, the moving device of the printer with a cutting head is not limited to the transport device 30 and head moving device 60 of the embodiment. The moving device may, for example, move the print head and the cutting head in two intersecting directions. In this case, the medium does not need to be moved. The device that moves the print head and the device that moves the cutting head may be separate devices. The moving device may, for example, move the medium in two intersecting directions. In this case, the print head and the cutting head do not need to be moved. The print head may, for example, be configured as a line head and may move in only one direction relative to the medium.

[0076] The configuration of the heating device is not limited. For example, the heating device may not include one of the platen heater and the apron heater. The platen heater may be a heating device that blows out hot air, and the apron heater may be a heating device that heats by contacting the apron. The heating method is not limited to the two methods described above. For example, the heating method may be a method that irradiates the medium with infrared rays or the like. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments do not limit the present invention.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the printing process, the retraction process, and the cutting process were performed in this order. However, the processes may also be performed in the order of cutting, retraction, and printing. The retraction process may also be performed simultaneously with the later of the printing and cutting processes. That is, the cutting process may be performed while retracting the medium 5 after the printing process, or the printing process may be performed while retracting the medium 5 after the cutting process. In these cases, too, it is preferable to reduce the output of the platen heater 80 and apron heater 90 during the cutting process compared to during the printing process, or to stop the platen heater 80 and apron heater 90.

[0078] 5 Medium 5a Image forming section 10 Printer with cutting head 20 Support table 20F Downstream apron (support table) 20P Platen (support table) 30 Conveying device (moving device) 40 Print head 50 Cutting head 51 Cutter 60 Head moving device (moving device) 80 Platen heater (second heating device) 90 Apron heater (first heating device) 100 Control device 102 Printing control unit 103 Cutting control unit 104 Pull-back control unit 105 Heating control unit

Claims

1. A printer with a cutting head comprising: a print head which ejects ink onto a medium; a cutting head equipped with a cutter capable of cutting the medium; a moving device which moves the position of the medium relative to the print head and the position of the medium relative to the cutting head; a heating device which heats the medium; and a control device, wherein the control device comprises: a print control unit which controls the moving device and the print head to perform a printing process which forms an image on the medium using the ink; a cutting control unit which controls the moving device to perform a cutting process which cuts the medium with the cutter; and a heating control unit which, when the printing process and the cutting process are performed in sequence, controls the heating device to heat the medium during the printing process and reduces the output of the heating device during the cutting process compared to during the printing process.

2. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 1, wherein the moving device includes a transport device which moves the medium in a predetermined transport direction, and wherein, in the transport direction, the direction in which the medium advances during the printing process and the cutting process is defined as the downstream side, and the opposite direction to the downstream side is defined as the upstream side, the control device is provided with a pull-back control unit which controls the transport device between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a pull-back process which returns the medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and the heating control unit is set to reduce the output of the heating device during the pull-back process compared to during the printing process.

3. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 2, wherein, when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the retraction control unit is set to return the medium to a position where cutting of the medium begins in the cutting process, and the cutting control unit starts the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed after the retraction process is completed or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature.

4. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 2, wherein the pull-back control unit is configured to return the medium until the portion of the medium to be cut in the cutting process is located upstream of the heating device in the transport direction, or until the portion of the medium cut in the cutting process is located upstream of the heating device in the transport direction.

5. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 2, wherein, at the end of the printing process, the portion of the medium on which an image is formed has been transported downstream in the transport direction of the heating area heated by the heating device, and when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the heating control unit is set to reduce the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process, and the pullback control unit performs the pullback process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was reduced or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature.

6. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 1, wherein, when the cutting process is performed after the printing process, the heating control unit is set to reduce the output of the heating device after the printing process compared to during the printing process, and the cutting control unit performs the cutting process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output of the heating device was reduced or after the temperature of the heating device has dropped below a predetermined temperature.

7. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 1, wherein the moving device includes a transport device that moves the medium in a predetermined transport direction, and when the direction in the transport direction in which the medium advances during the printing process and the cutting process is defined as the downstream side, the heating device includes a first heating device that is positioned downstream of the print head in the transport direction.

8. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 7, wherein the heating device includes a second heating device which heats a portion facing the print head, and when the printing process is completed, the portion of the medium on which an image is formed has been transported downstream in the transport direction from the area heated by the first heating device, and the heating control unit is configured during the printing process to reduce the output of the second heating device after ink ejection is completed and before the portion on which the image is formed is transported downstream in the transport direction from the area heated by the first heating device.

9. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 7, wherein the control device is provided with a pull-back control unit that controls the transport device to perform a pull-back process between the printing process and the cutting process to return the medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and the transport device transports the medium so that the medium bends downward from a printing area where the printing process is performed by the print head toward a heating area where the medium is heated by the first heating device.

10. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 1, wherein the heating device is equipped with a heater and a blower fan, and the heating control unit performs at least one of the following controls when lowering the output of the heating device: reducing the amount of heat generated by the heater; or reducing the amount of air blown by the blower fan.

11. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is equipped with a heater, and the heating control unit executes control to reduce the amount of heat generated by the heater when lowering the output of the heating device.

12. A printer with a cutting head as described in claim 1, wherein the moving device includes a transport device that moves the medium in a predetermined transport direction, and when the direction in which the medium advances in the printing process and the cutting process is defined as the downstream side and the opposite direction to the downstream side is defined as the upstream side, the control device is provided with a pull-back control unit that controls the transport device between the printing process and the cutting process to perform a pull-back process that returns the medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and the control device performs the processes in the order of the cutting process, the pull-back process and the printing process.

13. The printer with a cutting head according to claim 12, wherein the print control unit starts the print process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the end of the pullback process or after the temperature of the heating device has reached a predetermined temperature.

Images