JP2023105696A - Cutting device, cutting method and cutting program - Google Patents

Abstract

A cutting device is provided that suitably performs a cutting process on a sheet medium. A cutting device (1) acquires cutting data including information on a series of cutting operations of a cutter, and, among the series of cutting operations, changes the direction of the cutting operations in the first direction in the conveying direction to the first direction. Editing the cutting data so as to change the direction to a second direction opposite to the first direction, and performing a cutting process based on the edited data are executed. Specifically, a cutting operation directed in a first direction from a reference point in a series of cutting operations is detected, and the distance (cumulative distance) in the conveying direction of the (group) of cutting operations directed in the first direction is the allowable value. is determined, and if it is determined that the distance exceeds the allowable value, the direction of the detected cutting operation is changed from the first direction to the second direction. Then, cut processing is performed from the reference point to a predetermined point based on the edited data. [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting device, a cutting method, and a cutting program, and more particularly to a cutting device, a cutting method, and a cutting program that continuously perform a predetermined cutting process on a rolled sheet medium.

Conventionally, while the tip of the cutter is in contact with or separated from the sheet medium, the carriage holding the cutter is moved, and the sheet medium is conveyed in a conveying direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage, thereby forming a pattern on the sheet medium. There is known a cutting device that cuts an image that has been cut.
There are mainly two types of cutting devices: "grit rolling type" and "flatbed type". In a grit rolling type device, a roll of sheet medium is sandwiched between a drive roller and a pressure roller, and the sheet medium is transported by the rotation of the drive roller, thereby enabling continuous cutting processing (for example, patent Reference 1).

The cutting device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200301 is devised so as to be able to cut a thick sheet medium even when the cutting pressure by the cutter is low.
Specifically, in performing cutting processing along the outline of a figure formed on a sheet medium, the cutting device cuts when conveying the sheet medium in the pull-out direction. Detecting the "pull-in section" of the contour line to be cut when conveying the medium in the pull-in direction, separating the detected "pull-out section" and the "pull-in section", and the separated "pull-in section""Edited cut data" is created by changing the sheet medium so that it is cut when it is conveyed in the pull-out direction, and cutting processing is performed based on the created "edited cut data".
In other words, when forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium, the cutter cuts the sheet medium in one direction (the direction in which the cutter relatively moves when the sheet medium is pulled out) in the sheet conveying direction. It is devised to
By doing so, although the cutting line cannot be completed by a series of cutting operations (single-stroke cutting operation) by the cutter, the cutter always cuts while moving (relatively moving) in one direction in the sheet conveying direction, so the sheet It becomes possible to cut the medium with a constant pressure.

JP 2013-151033 A

By the way, in a cutting device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, there has been a demand for more suitable cutting processing for sheet media.
For example, in order to efficiently cut the sheet medium, instead of uniformly aligning the cutting operation of the cutter for the sheet medium in the sheet conveying direction, the There has been a demand for a technique that enables cutting processing to be performed by a series of cutting operations (single-stroke cutting operations).

In addition, among various sheet media to be cut, for example, there is a thin sheet, and when performing the cutting process on the sheet, even if the cutting pressure of the cutter is the same, the sheet media Since the cutting resistance varies depending on the direction of the cutting operation of the cutter, it has been difficult to perform the cutting process appropriately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device, a cutting method, and a cutting plotter capable of suitably performing a cutting process on a sheet medium. It is in.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting apparatus, a cutting method, and a cutting plotter capable of efficiently cutting a sheet medium without affecting the finish of the cutting process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutting device, a cutting method, and a cutting plotter capable of appropriately performing a cutting process on a particularly thin sheet medium.

According to the cutting apparatus of the present invention, the sheet medium is conveyed in the conveying direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage while moving the carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. A cutting device that performs a cutting process by conveying the sheet medium, wherein the cutting data is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium and includes information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter for the sheet medium. A data acquisition unit that acquires data, and among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, the direction of the cutting operation facing the first direction in the conveying direction is defined as the first direction in the conveying direction. a data editing unit that edits the cutting data so as to change the cutting data to a second direction that is the opposite direction; and a cut execution unit that executes a cutting process based on the cutting data edited by the data editing unit. The data editing unit sequentially detects a cutting motion directed in the first direction from a reference point in the series of cutting motions, and detects a cutting motion directed in the first direction in the series of cutting motions. determining whether or not a distance in the conveying direction in the operation or a cumulative distance in the conveying direction in a group of cutting operations continuously facing the first direction exceeds a predetermined allowable value; changing the direction of the detected cutting motion from the first direction to the second direction when it is determined that the distance exceeds the allowable value, from a point to a predetermined point based on cutting data edited by the data editing unit.
With the above configuration, it is possible to realize a cutting device capable of suitably performing a cutting process on a sheet medium (especially a thin sheet medium).
Specifically, the data editing unit changes the orientation of the detected short vector from the first orientation to the second orientation when it is determined that the predetermined allowable value is exceeded.
By doing so, instead of uniformly aligning the cutting operation of the cutter for the sheet medium in the sheet conveying direction as in the past, the conditions (specifically, the allowable width) within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process allowable value), the cutting process can be performed more efficiently.

At this time, the data editing unit resets the distance or the cumulative distance after the cut processing is executed by the cut execution unit, and resets the predetermined point in the series of cutting operations or a point corresponding to the predetermined point. Therefore, it is preferable to determine whether or not the distance in the transport direction in the cutting operation or the cumulative distance in the transport direction in the group of cutting operations exceeds the allowable value.
As described above, by setting the conditions related to the allowable value in detail, the cutting process can be performed more efficiently within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.

At this time, when it is determined that the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the predetermined allowable value, the data editing unit performs a cutting operation directed in the first direction in the series of cutting operations, and Detecting a switching point at which a cutting operation directed in a second direction is switched, and when the switching point is detected, the conveying direction in the cutting operation directed in the second direction in the series of cutting operations or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations that are continuously oriented in the second direction exceeds the predetermined allowable value; when it is determined that the distance of the cutting motion that is facing the second direction or the cumulative distance of the group of cutting motions that are continuously directed in the second direction exceeds the predetermined allowable value, the direction of the detected cutting motion is changed to A mode in which the first direction is changed to the second direction, and the cut execution unit does not include a cutting motion facing the first direction, but includes a cutting motion facing the second direction. It is preferable to execute the cutting process with .
By setting a plurality of conditions as described above, it is possible to more efficiently perform the cutting process on the sheet medium within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.

At this time, when the distance or the cumulative distance does not exceed the allowable value, the data editing unit performs a cutting operation in the first direction and a cutting operation in the second direction in the series of cutting operations. when a switching point is detected at which a cutting operation that is directed toward the second direction is detected, the distance or the cumulative distance is reset at the switching point, and from the switching point, the series of cutting operations is directed toward the second direction. determining whether or not the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operation that is facing the second direction or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations that are continuously directed in the second direction exceeds the allowable value; If it is determined that the distance of the cutting motion directed in the direction of or the cumulative distance of the group of cutting motions continuously directed in the second direction exceeds the predetermined allowable value, then detected The direction of the cutting motion is not changed from the first direction to the second direction, and the cutting execution unit performs a cutting motion directed in the first direction and a cutting motion directed in the second direction. It is preferable to execute the cutting process in a mode including cutting operation to be performed.
As described above, depending on the conditions, the cut execution unit may perform the cut processing in a mode that includes a cut operation in the first direction and a cut operation in the second direction.
By doing so, it is possible to give priority to performing the cutting process with the simplest possible cutting operation within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.

At this time, a sheet attribute information acquiring unit for acquiring attribute information about properties of the sheet medium to be cut, an allowable value setting unit for setting the predetermined allowable value based on the attribute information of the sheet medium, It is good to have more.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set (automatically set) a permissible value according to the properties of the sheet medium (for example, material, thickness, hardness). By doing so, it is possible to realize a cutting apparatus capable of suitably performing a cutting process on the sheet medium regardless of the properties of the sheet medium.

Further, the above-described problem is to perform the cutting process by transporting the sheet medium in a transport direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage while moving a carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. A cutting method executed by a computer, wherein the computer forms a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium, the cutting data including information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter on the sheet medium. and, among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, setting the direction of the cutting operation facing the first direction in the conveying direction to be opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. Editing the cutting data so as to change it to a second orientation, which is the side orientation, and performing a cutting process based on the edited cutting data, and editing the cutting data, detecting a cutting motion directed in the first direction in order from a reference point in the series of cutting motions, and a distance in the transport direction in the cutting motion directed in the first direction in the series of cutting motions; Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the first direction exceeds a predetermined allowable value, and if the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value. If so, the direction of the detected cutting motion is changed from the first direction to the second direction, and in performing the cutting process, the edited cutting is performed from a reference point in the series of cutting motions. The problem can also be solved by a cutting method in which the cutting process is performed up to a predetermined point based on data.

Further, the above-described problem is to perform the cutting process by transporting the sheet medium in a transport direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage while moving a carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. Data acquisition processing for acquiring, in a computer as a cutting device, cutting data, which is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium and includes information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter for the sheet medium; Among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, the direction of the cutting operation directed in the first direction in the conveying direction is changed to the direction opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. a data editing process for editing the cutting data so as to change the direction of the cutting data to the direction of No. 2; and a cutting execution process for executing a cutting process based on the cutting data edited by the data editing process, and the data editing process. Then, in order from the reference point in the series of cutting operations, the cutting operations directed in the first direction are detected, and in the series of cutting operations, the cutting operations directed in the first direction are detected in the conveying direction. determining whether or not a distance or a cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the first direction exceeds a predetermined allowable value, and the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value; If it is determined that the direction of the detected cutting motion is exceeded, the direction of the detected cutting motion is changed from the first direction to the second direction, and in the cutting execution processing, the data editing is performed from a reference point in the series of cutting motions. It is also solved by a cutting program that performs the cutting process up to a predetermined point based on cutting data edited by the process.

According to the cutting device, cutting method, and cutting program of the present invention, it is possible to suitably cut a sheet medium.
In addition, it is possible to efficiently cut the sheet medium within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.
Moreover, even for a sheet medium having a particularly thin thickness, it is possible to appropriately perform the cutting process while suppressing the bending of the sheet.

1 is an external perspective view of a cutting device of this embodiment; FIG. Fig. 3 is a side view of the cutting device; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main portion of the cutting device, and is a diagram for explaining a sheet conveying mechanism, a carriage moving mechanism, and a cutter moving mechanism; 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the cutting device; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing functions of the cutting device; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of permissible value data for each sheet; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of cutting data; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the process by a data editing part. It is a figure which shows an example of the process by a data editing part. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing by a data editing unit and a cut execution unit; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of processing of the cutting method;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG.
The present embodiment is a cutting device that performs a cutting process by conveying the sheet medium in a conveying direction that intersects the moving direction of the carriage while moving a carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. cutting data to form a predetermined cut line on the sheet media, and perform cutting at any time while editing the cutting data. The present invention relates to an invention mainly characterized in that a cut process is performed with.
Note that, when viewed from the carriage that holds the cutter, the upstream side in the transport direction (sheet transport direction) means the side on which the image before the cutting process is arranged on the sheet medium, and the downstream side in the transport direction is , means the side on which the cut image is arranged.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cutting apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a cutting plotter that accepts user operation input and continuously performs cutting processing of a plurality of images 2a formed on a roll-shaped sheet medium 2. After the sheet medium 2 is placed on a conveying table, a predetermined cut line is formed along the outline of the image 2a formed on the sheet medium 2. FIG.
Although the cutting device 1 is a grit rolling type plotter, it is not particularly limited and can be changed. For example, the cutting device 1 may be a flatbed plotter. Alternatively, without being limited to these, any cutting device capable of cutting the sheet medium 2 can be widely applied.

The sheet medium 2 is, as shown in FIG. 1, a sheet of paper, synthetic paper, pattern paper, plastic film, or the like, and is a roll of paper on which an image 2a is printed in advance.
More specifically, the sheet medium 2 has a plurality of images 2a arranged in the longitudinal direction thereof. The sheet medium 2 may further have a code mark 2b or a registration mark 2c at a predetermined position for each image 2a.
The code mark 2b is a bar code mark for optically reading the image information of the image 2a and the register mark 2c. The register mark 2c is a mark for aligning the cut line of the image 2a.
The sheet medium 2 is classified into a plurality of types according to the mechanical properties of the sheet medium. The details of the types of the sheet medium 2 will be described later.

<Hardware of Cutting Device 1>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cutting apparatus 1 includes a user input mechanism 10 for accepting input of user operations, a display mechanism 20 for displaying the contents of various setting items and messages, and a sheet medium 2. A sheet conveying mechanism 30 for conveying in the conveying direction X, a carriage 40 holding a cutter 41 for cutting the sheet medium 2, a carriage moving mechanism 50 for moving the carriage 40 in a direction crossing the conveying direction X, It is mainly composed of a controller 60 provided inside the cutting apparatus 1 for executing various calculations and controls.

As shown in FIG. 1, the user input mechanism 10 receives operation input for performing various settings by the user and manually operating the sheet conveying mechanism 30, the carriage moving mechanism 50, and the like. , an input by the user is accepted by operating an operation button provided on the upper end of the cutting device 1 .
The display mechanism 20 displays, on a display screen provided at the upper end of the cutting apparatus 1, the contents of various settings made by the user, error messages when an abnormality occurs, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the sheet conveying mechanism 30 has a conveying table 31 for horizontally conveying the roll-shaped sheet medium 2 and can convey the sheet medium 2 placed on the conveying table 31. a driving roller 32 driven to the upper and lower sides, a pressure roller 33 mounted at a position opposed to the driving roller 32 in the vertical direction and sandwiching the sheet medium 2 with the driving roller 32, and an upstream side in the conveying direction X of the conveying table 31 A stock roller 34 positioned (most upstream) for setting the roll-shaped sheet medium 2 before cutting, and a stock roller 34 positioned downstream (most downstream) in the conveying direction X of the conveying table 31 and being cut. and a winding roller 35 for winding the sheet medium 2 .

The conveying table 31 is a plate-like member for supporting the sheet medium 2 from below when the sheet medium 2 is conveyed and when the sheet medium 2 is cut.
The drive roller 32 is driven by rotation of a drive motor (not shown) and is rotatable around a rotation shaft 32a extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction X. As shown in FIG. The driving roller 32 is arranged on the carrier table 31 positioned downstream in the carrying direction X from the carriage 40 holding the cutter 41 .
The pressure roller 33 is a roller rotatable about a rotary shaft 33a, and is configured to sandwich the sheet medium 2 with the driving roller 32. As shown in FIG. A plurality of pressure rollers 33 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the movement direction Y of the carriage 40 , and are arranged at positions corresponding to at least both ends of the sheet medium 2 in the sheet width direction.
The pressure roller 33 can adjust the contact pressure against the sheet medium 2 by adjusting the spring pressure of the compression spring 33b shown in FIG. , the sheet medium 2 can be conveyed.

In the above, for example, when the sheet medium 2 is a hard and thick sheet, three or five sets of pressure rollers 33 are arranged so that the sheet medium 2 can be sandwiched well. It is preferable to adjust the roller 33 to a relatively high contact pressure. Further, it is preferable that the pressure rollers 33 are arranged about 20 mm or more inward from both ends of the sheet medium 2 in the sheet width direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the carriage 40 is a moving body that moves in a direction intersecting the transport direction X by the carriage moving mechanism 50 while holding the cutter 41. They are arranged at opposite positions, and are arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction X of the drive roller 32 and the pressure roller 33 .
Specifically, the carriage 40 includes a cutter 41 capable of cutting the sheet medium 2, a cutter holder 42 capable of moving in the vertical direction Z with respect to the carriage body while holding the cutter 41, and mounted inside the carriage body. , and an actuator 43 (cutter moving mechanism) for vertically moving the cutter holder 42 in the vertical direction Z.
The carriage 40 is attached to the lower end portion of the cutter holder 42, and includes a detection sensor for optically detecting the positions of the code marks 2b and the registration marks 2c formed at predetermined positions for each image 2a on the sheet medium 2, and a code mark 2c. and a reading sensor that optically detects the image information stored in the mark 2b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter 41 is a rod-shaped cutting pen elongated in the vertical direction, and the tip of the cutter 41 is configured to contact the sheet medium 2 in the vertical direction.
The cutter holder 42 consists of a cylindrical plunger that detachably holds the cutter 41 in the vertical direction. More specifically, the cutter holder 42 holds the cutter 41 rotatably around a rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the vertical direction. It is configured.
The cutter 41 is an eccentric cutting pen whose cutting edge is held at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation. The cutter 41 is configured to rotate so that when forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium 2, the cutting edge follows the direction of the least resistance to the sheet medium 2, that is, the cutting direction. .

In the above configuration, the cutter holder 42 is connected to the actuator 43 and can move up and down in the vertical direction Z together with the cutter 41 by being driven by the actuator 43 . Then, the cutter 41 can be brought into contact with or separated from the sheet medium 2 placed on the conveying table 31 by applying pressure.
In other words, the cutter holder 42 and the actuator 43 correspond to a “cutter moving mechanism” that moves the cutter 41 in the direction of contacting or separating from the sheet medium 2 .

The carriage moving mechanism 50 has a mechanism for moving the carriage 40 along the width direction of the cutting device 1, as shown in FIGS.
Specifically, the carriage moving mechanism 50 includes a slide rail 51 extending along the width direction of the cutting device 1 and a slider attached so as to be slidable relative to the slide rail 51 and holding the carriage 40 . 52 and a drive motor (not shown) for driving the slider 52 along the slide rail 51 .
A pair of pressure rollers 33 are attached to both ends of the slide rail 51 in the longitudinal direction, and the slider 52 is sandwiched between the pair of pressure rollers 33 . Therefore, the slider 52 holding the carriage 40 can slide between the pair of pressure rollers 33 .

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the cutter 41 moves the cutter holder 42 in the vertical direction Z, moves the carriage 40 in the movement direction Y, and transports the sheet medium 2 in the transport direction X. Thus, the sheet medium 2 can be moved in three-dimensional directions.
Strictly speaking, the cutter 41 can move in the vertical direction Z and the movement direction Y with respect to the sheet medium 2 and can move in the transport direction X relative to the sheet medium 2 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the control controller 60 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a data arithmetic and control processing device, ROM, RAM and HDD (SSD) as storage devices, and information data through a home network or the Internet. is a computer provided with a communication interface for sending and receiving data (there is no need to provide an HDD). The control controller 60 may be realized by a semiconductor integrated circuit or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) implementing a CPU.
Note that the cutting apparatus 1 may further include an external storage device such as a USB memory or an external hard disk.
As shown in FIG. 5, the storage device of the controller 60 stores a cutting program in addition to a main program that performs necessary functions as a computer. 1 function is exhibited.

Specifically, the controller 60 receives signals from the user input mechanism 10 and various sensors, and transmits control signals to the sheet conveying mechanism 30, the actuator 43 (cutter moving mechanism), and the carriage moving mechanism 50, respectively. , to cut the image formed on the sheet medium 2 . By transmitting a control signal to the display mechanism 20, the contents of various setting items, error messages, and the like are displayed on the display screen.
With the above configuration, the cutting apparatus 1 moves the sheet medium 2 in the transport direction X by the sheet transport mechanism 30, and moves the carriage 40 in the transport direction Y by the carriage moving mechanism 50, so that the cutter 41 cuts the sheet medium. 2 in the conveying direction X and the moving direction Y to form a predetermined cut line.

<Functions of Cutting Device 1>
As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting apparatus 1 is functionally described as a storage unit that stores "permissible value data for each sheet", "graphic data", "cutting data", as well as various programs and various data. 61, a data acquisition unit 62, a sheet selection reception unit 63, a sheet attribute information acquisition unit 64, an allowable value setting unit 65, a data editing unit 66, and a cutting execution unit 67 as main components. ing.
These are composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, communication interface, various programs, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the "permissible value data for each sheet" stored in the storage unit 61 indicates the correspondence relationship between the type of sheet medium, the attribute information (sheet attribute information) relating to the property of the sheet medium, and the allowable value. It is table data and centrally managed in the storage unit 61 .
By referring to the data, it is possible to use the function of automatically setting a suitable allowable value corresponding to the type of sheet medium (attribute information of the sheet medium).
The 'sheet attribute information' includes information on various properties of the sheet medium such as 'material', 'thickness', 'hardness', 'viscosity' and 'specific gravity'.
The “permissible value” is a threshold value of the permissible width preset based on the attribute information of the sheet medium. Although the details will be described later, the threshold value is set so that the cutting process can be performed by a series of cutting operations as much as possible within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.
The "permissible value" has an initial value set in advance, but the initial value can be changed manually by accepting an input from a user's operation.

Looking at this embodiment in FIG. 6, in the "medium A", the "material" of the sheet attribute information is the material a, the "thickness" is thin, and the "hardness" is a soft sheet medium. It can be seen that the "tolerance" is set to 0.0 mm.
On the other hand, in the “medium B”, the “material” of the sheet attribute information is the material a, the “thickness” is thin, the “hardness” is hard, and the “tolerance” is 30.0 mm. It can be seen that it is set as
To explain the above setting, since the medium A is softer in “hardness” than the medium B, it tends to bend during the cutting process, making it difficult to cut appropriately (the finish of the cutting process is likely to be affected). Therefore, the "permissible value" of medium A is set small. By doing so, the cutting operation of the cutter with respect to the medium A can be aligned in the transport direction X as much as possible.
Based on the same concept, the "thickness" of the medium A is thinner than that of the medium C, so the "permissible value" of the medium A is set smaller.
Note that the “permissible value” of 0.0 mm means that the cutting process is performed by a series of (single stroke) cutting operations, that is, the cutting process is always performed in one direction of the sheet conveying direction X. ing. A car film or the like is assumed as such a medium A.

The "permissible value" is set based on the "attribute information of the sheet medium", and is set based on the attribute information of the sheet medium, the cutting processing conditions by the cutter, and the shape of the cut line. can be
"Cutting conditions" include, for example, "cutting speed", "cutting pressure", and "cutting acceleration". "Cutting speed" means the moving speed of the cutter, "cutting pressure" means the pressure of the cutter on the sheet medium, and "cutting acceleration" means the moving acceleration of the cutter. If the cutting speed and cutting acceleration are large, the permissible value should be made smaller. If the cut pressure value is small, the permissible value should be reduced.
As for the "shape of cut line", if the shape of the cut line is relatively simple like a spade mark, for example, the allowable value may be relatively large. On the other hand, if the shape of the cutline is more complicated, the tolerance should be relatively small.

“Graphic data (image data)” is created based on a user's operation and centrally managed in the storage unit 61 .
The graphic data includes "graphic information (image information)" composed of straight line drawing commands and Bezier curve commands.
"Graphic information" is, for example, information about figures and patterns formed in advance on a sheet medium, as shown in FIG. The information of the figures and patterns does not necessarily have to be formed in advance on the sheet medium, and the cutting device 1 equipped with a pen draws figures on the sheet medium and cuts along the figures. Also good.
The data acquisition unit 62 generates "cutting data" based on the "graphic data" and acquires the cutting data.

As shown in FIG. 7, the "cutting data" is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium, and includes "short vector sequence information" indicating a series of cutting operations of the cutter for the sheet medium. It is a thing.
Cutting data is centrally managed in the storage unit 61 .
By referring to the "cutting data", it is possible to use the function of forming a predetermined cut line along the contour of the image formed on the sheet medium.

"Short vector sequence information" is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, information indicating a series of cutting operations of the cutter on the sheet medium for forming cut lines along the contour of the image formed on the sheet medium. (control information), which is information of a set of short vectors.
In other words, the “short vector sequence information” is defined by the XY coordinate system of the cutting device 1 . It can also be said that it is control information for controlling a series of cutting operations of the cutter with respect to the sheet medium set in the cutting device 1 .
A "short vector string" is a collection of line segment vectors when each vertex of a cut line made up of a plurality of line segments is defined by XY coordinates. A "short vector" indicates a quantity that combines the size of a line segment and the direction from the vertex of the line segment to the next vertex. A "short vector" corresponds to a cutting operation (cut element operation) for sheet media.

Looking at the "cutting data" shown in FIG. 7, it can be seen that the data is for forming a cut line along the contour of the image "spade mark" formed on the sheet medium.
For example, when forming a cut line from the data, first, from the origin of coordinates (0, 0) to point A (X1, Y1), which is the cut start position, with the cutter separated from the sheet medium. make it work. After reaching point A, the cutter is brought into pressure contact with the sheet medium to form a cut line of line segment AB from point A toward point B (X2, Y2).
After reaching the point B, the cutter is moved toward the point C (X3, Y3) while being pressed against the sheet medium to form a cut line of the line segment BC.
By forming the cut lines for each line segment in the same manner, the cut lines for the image "spade mark" can be formed.

As described above, by referring to the "cutting data" shown in FIG. 7, the cutting device 1 can cut the sheet medium by a continuous cutting operation (single stroke cutting operation) by the cutter. be.
On the other hand, in this case, the cutter cuts while facing one direction or the other in the sheet conveying direction X at any time. It becomes difficult to cut the medium with a constant pressure.
Therefore, it is necessary to edit the "cutting data" so that the cutter can always cut while moving (relatively moving) in one direction of the sheet conveying direction X. A detailed description will be given below.

<<Obtain cutting data>>
The data acquisition unit 62 acquires the "cutting data" described above.
Specifically, the data acquisition unit 62 acquires "graphic data (image data)" created by an external information terminal (computer) via a communication network or an auxiliary storage device (USB memory, etc.). Then, the acquired "graphic data" is processed to create "cutting data" including "graphic information" and "short vector sequence information (information on a series of cutting operations)".
The data acquisition unit 62 may directly acquire the "cutting data" completed by an external information terminal.

Next, the "cutting data" acquired by the data acquisition unit 62 is edited, and in editing the data, it is necessary to preset the "permissible value". The permissible value is a threshold for efficiently proceeding with the cutting process within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process. In other words, it becomes a predetermined editing condition (detection condition) for data editing.

<<Permissible value setting processing>>
The sheet selection accepting portion 63 accepts a user's selection of the type of sheet medium to be cut.
The sheet attribute information acquisition unit 64 acquires attribute information regarding the properties of the sheet medium.
More specifically, the sheet attribute information acquisition unit 64 refers to the "permissible value data for each sheet" shown in FIG. , to acquire attribute information such as hardness.
Specifically, when "medium A" is selected based on the user's operation, attribute information such as the material "material a", the thickness "thin", and the hardness "soft" of the medium A is acquired.

The permissible value setting unit 65 automatically sets a predetermined permissible value based on the attribute information of the sheet medium by referring to the "permissible value data for each sheet" shown in FIG.
Specifically, when "medium A" is selected based on the user's operation, the allowable value "0.0 mm" is automatically set from the attribute information of medium A. FIG.
It should be noted that the allowable value setting unit 65 can also receive an input of a user's operation to set (manually set) the allowable value. In that case, it is preferable to set in advance an upper limit value and a lower limit value that can be input by the user operation, and accept input of a new allowable value within the range of the upper limit value and the lower limit value.
Through the above process, the "permissible value" is set according to the properties of the sheet medium.

<<Data Editing and Cut Processing>>
The data editing unit 66 selects short vectors (cutting motions) directed in the “first direction” in the transport direction X among the short vector sequences (series of cutting motions) included in the “cutting data” shown in FIG. The cutting data is edited so as to change the direction to the "second direction", which is the direction opposite to the first direction in the transport direction X.
The cutting execution unit 67 refers to the “cutting data” edited by the data editing unit 66 and performs a cutting process of forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium.
Here, the "first direction" is the direction in which the sheet medium is pulled out in the transport direction X. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the transport direction X, the sheet medium is pulled out (sent out) from the stock roller 34 side to the take-up roller 35 side.
The “second direction” is the direction in which the sheet medium is pulled in in the transport direction X. As shown in FIG. Specifically, in the transport direction X, the sheet medium is pulled in (returned) from the take-up roller 35 side to the stock roller 34 side.

More specifically, the data editing unit 66 has a vector detecting unit 66a, a vector changing unit 66b, and an allowable value determining unit 66c as specific functions, and mainly includes a “first detection condition” and a “second detection condition”. Edit the cutting data according to the detection conditions.
First, the "first detection condition (switching point)" will be described.
(1-1) The vector detection unit 66a detects short vectors oriented in the "first direction" in order from the reference point (starting point A) in the short vector sequence. At this time, as the "first detection condition", a "switching point" at which the short vector pointing in the "first direction" and the short vector pointing in the "second direction" in the short vector sequence are switched is also included. To detect. The "switching point" corresponds to point D (X4, Y4) and point N (X14, Y14) shown in FIG. 7, for example.
(1-2) When the “switching point” is detected, the vector changing unit 66b moves from the “reference point (point A)” to the “switching point (point corresponding to the switching point)” in the short vector sequence to “ Change the direction of the short vector pointing in the “first direction” to the “second direction”.
Then, the cut execution unit 67 executes the first cut process from the reference point (point A) to the switching point.
(1-3) After or while the cut execution unit 67 executes the first cut processing, the data editing unit 66 turns from the switching point to the “first direction” again. start detecting short vectors in order.
By repeating the series of processes described above, the cutting device 1 performs the first cutting process, the second cutting process, and the Nth cutting process (where N is 3 or more) in parallel while editing the "cutting data". natural number) can be performed. Since the execution speed of cutting processing is slower than that of data editing, it is possible to control so that cutting processing is performed in real time while apparently editing "cutting data".

Next, the conditions for both the "first detection condition (switching point)" and the "second detection condition (permissible value)" will be described.
(2-1) The permissible value determination unit 66c determines the distance in the transport direction of the short vectors pointing in the “first direction” in the short vector sequence, or the short vectors continuously pointing in the “first direction”. It is determined whether or not the cumulative distance in the transport direction in the group has exceeded a "predetermined allowable value".
(2-2) When it is determined that the distance or cumulative distance exceeds the “permissible value”, the vector detection unit 66a detects the short vector pointing in the “first direction” in the short vector sequence and the “first direction”. A “switching point” at which a short vector pointing in “direction 2” is switched is detected.
(2-3) When the “switching point” is detected, the allowable value determination unit 66c determines the distance in the conveying direction of the short vector pointing in the “second direction” in the short vector sequence, or the “second It is further determined whether or not the cumulative distance in the conveying direction of the group of short vectors that are continuously oriented in the “direction of ” exceeds the “predetermined allowable value”.
(2-4) Determination that the distance of the short vector pointing in the "second direction" or the cumulative distance of the group of short vectors continuously pointing in the "second direction" exceeds the "predetermined allowable value" If so, the vector changing unit 66b changes the orientation of the detected short vector from the "first orientation" to the "second orientation".
Then, the cut execution unit 67 executes the first cut process from the reference point (point A) to the switching point. In this case, the cut execution unit 67 does not include the short vector (cutting motion) directed in the “first direction”, but performs the first cut processing in a manner including the short vector directed in the “second direction”. will be executed.
(2-5) After the first cut processing is executed by the cut execution unit 67, the data editing unit 66 selects the start point of the short vector next to the short vector directed in the “second direction” or the “ From the starting point of the next short vector in the group of short vectors continuously pointing in the "second direction", the detection of the short vectors pointing in the "first direction" is started again in order.
By repeating the series of processes described above, the cutting device 1 can perform the first, second, and N-th cutting processes at any time while editing the "cutting data".

As described above, the data editing unit 66 edits the cutting data according to the "first detection condition" and the "second detection condition", so that the cutting apparatus 1 can cut the sheet medium more efficiently. can. That is, the cutting process can be performed by a simpler cutting operation within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.
Note that the data editing unit 66 can edit the cutting data according to only the "first detection condition". In that case, since the "permissible value" is set to 0.0 mm, the cutting process can be performed with priority given to the finish of the cutting process, although the efficiency is somewhat inferior.

<<Other rules for data editing and cutting>>
In addition, "processing rules" in data editing and cutting processing will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B.
(3) Determining whether or not the "permissible value" is exceeded The cumulative distance of the short vector group continuously facing in the "second direction" or "first direction" is "0mm".
In addition, the cumulative distance of the short vector group is reset to "0 mm" each time the direction of the continuous short vectors in the conveying direction X changes, that is, each time the "switching point" is detected.
Looking at the example in FIG. 8A, the cumulative distance of the group of short vectors continuously pointing in the "second direction" does not exceed the "tolerance", and The cumulative distance of the short vector group that

(4) Mode Switching of Data Editing Processing In data editing processing, as shown in FIG. 8B, three processing modes "non-directional processing mode", "first directional processing mode", and "second directional processing mode" are switched. while progressing.
(4-1) "Non-directional processing mode"
When starting to edit cutting data, the "non-directional processing mode" is started.
The distance in the conveying direction of the short vectors pointing in the "first direction or the second direction" in the short vector sequence, or the short vectors in the group of short vectors continuously pointing in the "first direction or the second direction" The "non-directional processing mode" continues until the cumulative distance in the transport direction exceeds the "permissible value".
When in "non-directional processing mode", each detected short vector is unconditionally stored in memory in turn.
If the data editing process progresses from the reference point (start point A) of the short vector string to the end point (end point A) while remaining in the "non-directional processing mode", the cutting data including the short vector string stored in the memory will be processed. The edited cutting data is used as it is, and the data editing process ends.

(4-2) "First direction processing mode (push direction processing mode)"
When the data editing process is proceeding in the "non-directional processing mode" or the "second direction processing mode", the distance in the conveying direction of the short vector facing the "first direction" or the "first direction" This mode is switched when the cumulative distance in the conveying direction of the group of short vectors continuously directed to the direction exceeds the “permissible value” (corresponding to mode switching 1 and 4 shown in FIG. 8B).
Since the "first direction" in which the cutter cuts is the direction of "push cutting" in which the sheet medium is pressed against the cutter blade and cut, the "first direction processing mode" is also referred to as the push direction processing mode. In the "first direction processing mode", when a short vector pointing in the "first direction" is detected, the distance (magnitude) of the short vector is set to the "first direction". The accumulated distance of the short vector group is counted, and the short vectors are stored in the memory in order.
In addition, when a short vector facing the "second direction" is detected in the "first direction processing mode", the distance of the short vector is calculated as the distance of the short vector facing the "first direction". Count on the cumulative distance of the group and store the corresponding short vectors in memory in order. Then, when the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value, the direction of all the detected short vectors pointing in the "first direction" is changed to the "second direction", and the "first direction processing mode ” to the “second direction processing mode” (corresponding to mode switching 3 shown in FIG. 8B).
When the data editing process is advanced to the end point (end point A) of the short vector string while remaining in the "first direction processing mode", the cutting data containing the short vector group remaining in the memory is used as the edited cutting data, End the data editing process.

(4-3) "Second direction processing mode (pull direction processing mode)"
The distance in the conveying direction of the short vector facing the "second direction" or the "second direction" when the data editing process is proceeding in the "non-directional processing mode" or the "first direction processing mode" This mode is switched when the cumulative distance in the conveying direction of the group of short vectors continuously directed to the direction exceeds the “permissible value” (corresponding to mode switching 2 and 3 shown in FIG. 8B).
Since the "second direction" in which the cutter performs the cutting operation is the direction in which the cutter blade sticks to the sheet medium and pulls the sheet medium, the "second direction processing mode" is also referred to as the pull direction processing mode.
In the "second direction processing mode", when a short vector pointing in the "first direction" is detected, the distance of the short vector is calculated as the distance of the short vector group pointing in the "first direction". Count the cumulative distance and store the corresponding short vectors in memory in order. When the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value, the "second direction processing mode" is switched to the "first direction processing mode" (corresponding to mode switching 4 shown in FIG. 8B).
Also, when a short vector pointing in the "second direction" is detected in the "second direction processing mode", the next short vector is detected as it is. However, when a short vector pointing in the "first direction" is stored in the memory, the direction of the short vector is not changed, and the detection process is continued after outputting the short vector as it is from the memory. The reason is that the short vectors pointing in the "first direction" stored in the memory are short vectors with a distance that does not exceed the allowable value, and are continuously pointing in the "second direction". This is because it is part of the short vector group. Therefore, orientation change processing is not performed.
When the data editing process is advanced to the end point (end point A) of the short vector string while remaining in the "second direction processing mode", the cutting data containing the short vector group remaining in the memory is treated as the edited cutting data, End the data editing process.

(5) Others When switching from the "non-directional processing mode" to the "first directional processing mode" or "second directional processing mode", the data editing process is continued as it is. That is, the short vector group sequentially stored in the memory is not output, but the next short vector is accumulated and stored as it is. In other words, cut processing (intermediate cut processing) from the reference point (point A) of the short vector string to the switching point is not executed.
On the other hand, when switching from the "first direction processing mode" to the "second direction processing mode", or when switching from the "second direction processing mode" to the "first direction processing mode", the short vectors sequentially stored in the memory outputs the group. That is, the direction in the conveying direction of the short vector group stored in the memory is determined. Then, cut processing (intermediate cut processing) from the reference point of the short vector string to the switching point is executed.
Also when the end point of the short vector string is detected, the short vector group sequentially stored in the memory is output. That is, the direction in the conveying direction of the short vector group stored in the memory is determined. Then, cut processing from the reference point (predetermined point) to the end point of the short vector string is executed.

<<Specific example of data editing and cutting process>>
A specific example of data editing and cutting processing will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9F.
In this specific example, the cutting apparatus 1 edits "cutting data" for forming cut lines along the image "spade mark" formed on the sheet medium, and performs cutting processing based on the edited cutting data. This is a specific example of execution.

First, the data editing unit 66 sets the editing mode to "non-directional processing mode", sets the "cumulative distance" to 0 mm, and starts data editing.
In the editing process (1) shown in FIG. 9A, the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V1 from the short vector sequence and stores it in the memory. Since the short vector V1 is a vector that does not have a conveying direction, the "cumulative distance" is set to 0 mm.

In the editing process (2) shown in FIG. 9B, the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V2 pointing in the "first direction". Since a new short vector pointing in the "first direction" is detected, the "cumulative distance" is initialized to 0 mm, and accumulated and stored in the memory. At this point, it remains in "non-directional processing mode".
Then, the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V3 oriented in the “first direction”, counts the “cumulative distance” of the group of short vectors oriented in the “first direction”, and determines that the cumulative distance is the “acceptable value”. " is exceeded. Since the "cumulative distance" exceeds the "allowable value", switch from the "non-directional processing mode" to the "first directional processing mode" according to the above processing rule (4)-1 and processing rule (5), and short Store vector V3 in memory.
If the "cumulative distance" of the short vector group facing the "second direction" exceeds the "allowable value" at this point, the directions of the short vectors V1 to V3 in the memory are not changed, The vectors V1 to V3 are output as they are.

In the editing process (3), the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V4 pointing in the "second direction" and detects the "switching point" at which the direction of the short vector is switched. Since the switching point is detected, the "accumulated distance" is reset to 0 mm.
Then, since it is the "first direction processing mode", the accumulated distance of the short vectors V4 and V5 directed to the "second direction" is counted, and the vectors V4 and V5 are piled up and stored in the memory.
In the edit process (3), the "cumulative distance" of the short vector group facing the "second direction" does not exceed the "permissible value", so the "first direction processing mode" continues.

In the editing process (4) shown in FIG. 9C, the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V6 pointing in the "first direction" and detects the "switching point" at which the direction of the short vector switches. Since the switching point is detected, the "accumulated distance" is reset to 0 mm.
Then, since it is the "first direction processing mode", the distance of the short vector V6 directed in the "first direction" is counted, and the vector V6 is piled up and stored in the memory.
In the editing process (4), the "first direction processing mode" continues.

In the editing process (5), the data editing unit 66 detects the group of short vectors V7 to V13 facing the "first direction" and counts the cumulative distance of the group of short vectors V7 to V13 facing the "first direction." do.
At this time, the data editing unit 66 determines that the “cumulative distance” of the short vector group facing the “first direction” exceeds the “allowable value” when the short vector V7 is detected. On the other hand, according to the processing rule (4)-2, the "first direction processing mode" is continued (mode switching is not performed), and the short vector groups V7 to V13 are accumulated and stored in the memory.

In the editing process (6) shown in FIG. 9D, the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V14 pointing in the "second direction" and detects the "switching point" at which the direction of the short vector switches. Since the switching point is detected, the "accumulated distance" is reset to 0 mm.
Then, when detecting the short vector V15, the data editing unit 66 determines that the "cumulative distance" of the short vector group facing the "second direction" exceeds the "allowable value".
Since the "first direction processing mode" is being executed at this point, the data editing unit 66 stacks and stores the short vector groups V14 and V15 in the memory.

In the editing process (7), when the data editing unit 66 is proceeding in the "first direction processing mode", the cumulative distance in the conveying direction of the short vector group facing the "second direction" is set to the "allowable value , the "first direction processing mode" is switched to the "second direction processing mode" according to the processing rules (4)-2 and (4)-3.
Since the data editing unit 66 has switched from the "first direction processing mode" to the "second direction processing mode", it outputs the short vector groups V1 to V13 sequentially stored in the memory according to the processing rule (5). That is, the direction of the group of short vectors V1 to V13 stored in the memory in the conveying direction is determined (the direction of the short vector directed in the "first direction" is changed to the "second direction").
Then, the cut execution unit 67 executes the first cut processing from the reference point (the start point of the short vector V1) of the short vector string to the switching point (the end point of the short vector V13).
In addition, in the editing process (7) in FIG. 9B, the black arrows of the short vectors mean that they have been "cut". Also, the white arrow of each short vector means that it is "uncut".

In the editing process (8) shown in FIG. 9E, the data editing unit 66 sequentially detects the short vector sequence again from the end point of the short vector V15 after the first cutting process is executed by the cut executing unit 67. Specifically, according to the processing rule (4)-3, the short vector group V16 to V21 directed in the "second direction" is detected in order.
According to the processing rule (4)-3, when the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V16 facing the "second direction" in the "second direction processing mode", (V16 to V21 are output without being stored in memory). Also, if the short vectors V14 and V15 pointing in the "first direction" are stored in the memory, the directions of the short vectors are output from the memory as they are without changing the direction, and the detection process is continued. do.

In the editing process (9), the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V22 pointing in the "first direction" and detects the "switching point" at which the direction of the short vector switches. Since the switching point is detected, the "accumulated distance" is reset to 0 mm.
Then, since it is the "second direction processing mode", the cumulative distance of the short vector groups V22 and V23 directed to the "first direction" is counted, and the vectors V22 and V23 are accumulated and stored in the memory.
In the editing process (9), the "second direction processing mode" continues.

In the editing process (10) shown in FIG. 9F, the data editing unit 66 sets the short vector group in the "second direction" within a range in which the cumulative distance of the short vector group in the "first direction" does not exceed the "permissible value". The directed short vector V24 is detected, and the "switching point" at which the direction of the short vector is switched is detected. Since the switching point is detected, the "accumulated distance" is reset to 0 mm.
According to the processing rule (4)-3, when the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector V24 pointing in the “second direction” in the “second direction processing mode”, (output without storing in memory). In addition, when the short vectors V22 and V23 pointing in the "first direction" are stored in the memory, the directions of the short vectors are output from the memory as they are without changing the direction, and then the detection process is continued. do.

In the editing process (11), the data editing unit 66 detects the last short vector V25 facing the "second direction" in the short vector string, and reaches the end point of the short vector string.
Then, since data editing has been completed up to the end point of the short vector string while still in the "second direction processing mode", the cutting data including the uncut short vector group is edited according to processing rules (4)-3 and (5). The cutting data is used as later cutting data, and the data editing process ends.
Then, the cut execution unit 67 executes a second cut process from the reference point (the start point of the short vector V14) to the end point (the end point of the short vector V25) of the short vector string.

By executing the data editing process and the cutting process, the cutting apparatus 1 can suitably perform the cutting process along the image "spade mark" formed on the sheet medium.
That is, the sheet medium can be efficiently cut within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process. Moreover, even for a sheet medium having a particularly thin thickness, it is possible to appropriately perform the cutting process while suppressing the occurrence of bending of the sheet.
In addition, by editing the cutting data and performing the cutting process as needed, the conventional memory capacity can be reduced by up to half. In this specific example, the cut processing can be performed without storing the short vector sequences V1 to V25 completely in the memory as in the conventional art.

<Cutting method>
Next, the processing of the cutting program (cutting method) executed by the cutting apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The program according to the present embodiment includes the above-described data acquisition unit 62, sheet selection acceptance unit 63, sheet attribute information acquisition unit 64, permission A utility program that integrates various programs for realizing the value setting section 65, the data editing section 66, and the cutting execution section 67, and the CPU of the cutting apparatus 1 executes this cutting program.
The program is executed upon receipt of an operation instruction from a user.

The cutting process shown in FIG. 10 begins with step S1 in which the data acquisition unit 62 acquires "cutting data" shown in FIG.
Specifically, the data acquisition unit 62 acquires “graphic data (image data)” created by an external computer via a communication network, and processes the acquired “graphic data (image data)”. In other words, the graphic data is converted into a short vector string, and "cutting data" including the information of the short vector string is created.

Next, in step S2, the sheet selection reception unit 63 receives user selection of a sheet medium to be cut.
For example, if the sheet medium is "thin paper", the user's selection of "medium E" is accepted.
Then, in step S3, the sheet attribute information acquisition section 64 refers to the "permissible value data for each sheet" shown in FIG. Get attribute information such as
Specifically, when "medium A" is selected, attribute information such as the material "material a", the thickness "thin", and the hardness "soft" of the medium A is acquired.

Next, in step S4, the allowable value setting section 65 automatically sets a predetermined allowable value based on the obtained attribute information of the sheet medium.
Specifically, when "medium E" is selected based on the user's operation, the allowable value "10.0 mm" is automatically set from the attribute information of medium E. FIG.

Next, in step S5, the data editing section 66 receives an operation instruction from the user and starts editing the "cutting data" acquired by the data acquiring section 62. FIG.
First, in step S6, the data editing unit 66 detects the direction of the short vector that is oriented in the "first direction" in the transport direction from among the short vector sequences included in the "cutting data".
Specifically, the data editing unit 66 detects short vectors directed in the “first direction” in order from the reference point in the short vector sequence. In other words, it is determined whether or not a short vector pointing in the "first direction" has been detected.
If a short vector pointing in the "first direction" is detected (step S6: Yes), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the short vector has not been detected and the end point of the short vector string has been reached (step S6: NO), the process proceeds to step S11.

Next, in step S7, the data editing unit 66 determines whether or not a "predetermined detection condition" is satisfied in detecting each short vector.
The "predetermined detection condition" includes (1) the first detection condition (switching point), (2) the second detection condition (allowable value), and (3) determination of whether or not the "allowable value" is exceeded. , (4) mode switching of data editing processing, and (5) other rules.

If it is determined that the "predetermined detection condition" is satisfied (step S7: Yes), the process proceeds to step S8, and the data editing unit 66 detects the short vector group pointing in the "first direction". Change the orientation of to "Second Orientation".
On the other hand, if it is determined that the "predetermined detection condition" is not satisfied (step S7: No), the process proceeds to step S9, and the data editing unit 66 changes the orientation to the detected "first orientation". The direction of the short vector that is For example, in the short vector sequence, the distance in the conveying direction of the short vectors pointing in the “first direction” or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction of the short vectors continuously pointing in the “first direction” is “acceptable”. value”, the direction of the short vector remains unchanged.

Next, in step S10, the data editing unit 66 determines whether or not a "predetermined cut condition" is satisfied in detecting each short vector.
The "predetermined cutting condition" includes (1) the first detection condition, (2) the second detection condition, (3) determination of whether or not the "permissible value" is exceeded, and (4) data editing processing. Mode switching, (5) based on other rules.

If it is determined that the "predetermined cutting condition" is satisfied (step S10: Yes), the process proceeds to step S11, where the cutting data edited by the data editing unit 66 is passed to the cut execution unit 67, and then cut by the cut execution unit. 67 executes cutting processing based on the cutting data edited by the data editing unit 66 . Specifically, the cutting process is performed from the reference point in the short vector string to a predetermined point based on the cutting data edited by the data editing unit 66 .
On the other hand, if it is determined that the "predetermined cut condition" is not satisfied (step S10: NO), the process returns to step S6.

Finally, in step S12, the cut execution unit 67 determines whether or not the cut processing has been completed. When the cutting process is completed (step S12: Yes), the process of FIG. 10 is terminated. On the other hand, if the cutting process has not been completed and an unprocessed cut line remains, the process returns to step S5.

According to the processing flow of the cutting program described above, it is possible to suitably perform the cutting processing on the sheet medium. In addition, it is possible to efficiently cut the sheet medium within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.
That is, the sheet medium can be efficiently cut within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process.
In the cutting device 1 (cutting method), the processing by the data editing unit 66 and the processing by the cutting execution unit 67 may be executed in parallel if the conditions are satisfied. Then, the cutting apparatus 1 can be controlled so as to appear to perform cutting processing in real time while editing the cutting data.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 is a cutting plotter equipped with a cutter, but it may be a cutting plotter equipped with a cutter and a pen.
In the case of a cutting plotter equipped with a cutter and a pen, the technique of the present invention can be applied not only when performing cutting processing but also when performing pen processing. That is, the cutting plotter executes pen processing as needed while editing drawing data for forming a predetermined drawing on a sheet medium, and sets the allowable value within a range that does not affect the finish of pen processing, making it as simple as possible. Pen processing can be executed with a simple pen operation.
Furthermore, the apparatus according to the present invention may be a pen plotter that mounts only a pen, and the technique of the present invention can be applied when pen processing is performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the cutting apparatus 1 executes cutting as needed while editing cutting data for forming cut lines on a sheet medium (function 1), and allows cutting within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process. A value is set, and the cutting process is executed with the simplest possible cutting operation (function 2).
Not limited to the above, for example, the cutting device 1 executes cutting processing as needed while editing cutting data for forming cut lines on a sheet medium, and no particular "permissible value" is set. Also good. That is, the cutting device 1 may have the function 1 and not the function 2.
Also, for example, the cutting device 1 sets a permissible value within a range that does not affect the finish of the cutting process, and executes the cutting process with the simplest possible cutting operation. Processing may not be executed (real-time cut processing may not be executed). That is, the cutting device 1 may have the function 2 and not the function 1.

In the above-described embodiment, the data editing unit 66 edits the cutting data so that the orientation of the short vectors facing the "first orientation" in the conveying direction in the short vector sequence is aligned with the "second orientation." However, it is not particularly limited and can be changed.
Conversely, the data editing unit 66 may edit the cutting data so that the direction of the short vector directed in the "second direction" in the conveying direction is aligned with the "first direction".
In addition, it is preferable to align them in the “second direction”. That is, it is preferable to align the direction in which the sheet medium is pulled in the transport direction. By doing so, the sheet medium is less likely to be bent, and the sheet medium can be suitably cut.

In the above embodiment, the cutting program is stored in a recording medium readable by the cutting device 1, and the cutting device 1 reads out and executes the program to execute the processing. Here, the recording medium readable by the cutting device 1 means a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, and the like.
Alternatively, the cutting program may be distributed to a user terminal (not shown) via a communication line, and the user terminal itself that receives the distribution may function as a video processing device and execute the program.

In this embodiment, the cutting apparatus, cutting method, and cutting program according to the present invention have been mainly described.
However, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

1 cutting device 2 sheet medium 2a image 2b code mark 2c registration mark 10 user input mechanism 20 display mechanism 30 sheet conveying mechanism 31 conveying table 32 driving roller 32a rotary shaft 33 pressure roller 33a rotary shaft 33b compression spring 34 stock roller 35 winding Roller 40 Carriage 41 Cutter
42 cutter holder 43 actuator (cutter movement mechanism)
50 carriage movement mechanism 51 slide rail 52 slider 60 control controller 61 storage unit 62 data acquisition unit 63 sheet selection reception unit 64 sheet attribute information acquisition unit 65 allowable value setting unit 66 data editing unit 66a vector detection unit 66b vector change unit 66c allowable value Determination unit 67 Cut execution unit X Conveying mechanism (sheet conveying direction)
Y movement direction (carriage movement direction)
Z vertical direction

Claims (7)

A cutting device that performs a cutting process by conveying the sheet medium in a conveying direction that intersects the moving direction of the carriage while moving a carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. ,
a data acquisition unit for acquiring cutting data, which is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium and includes information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter for the sheet medium;
Among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, the direction of the cutting operation directed in the first direction in the conveying direction is changed to the direction opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. a data editing unit that edits the cutting data to change the orientation of 2;
a cut executing unit that executes a cutting process based on the cutting data edited by the data editing unit;
The data editing unit
Detecting a cutting motion directed in the first direction in order from a reference point in the series of cutting motions;
In the series of cutting operations, the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operations directed in the first direction or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the first direction is predetermined. Determine whether the allowable value has been exceeded,
changing the orientation of the detected cutting operation from the first orientation to the second orientation when it is determined that the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value;
The cutting apparatus, wherein the cutting execution unit executes the cutting process from a reference point in the series of cutting operations to a predetermined point based on cutting data edited by the data editing unit. The data editing unit
resetting the distance or the cumulative distance after the cut processing is executed by the cut execution unit;
Whether the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operation or the accumulated distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations from the predetermined point in the series of cutting operations or a point corresponding to the predetermined point exceeds the allowable value 2. The cutting device of claim 1, wherein: The data editing unit
When it is determined that the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the predetermined allowable value, a cutting operation directed in the first direction and a cut directed in the second direction in the series of cutting operations Detects the switching point where the action is switched,
When the switching point is detected, the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operations directed in the second direction in the series of cutting operations, or the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the second direction further determining whether or not the cumulative distance in the transport direction in has exceeded the predetermined allowable value;
When it is determined that the distance of the cutting motion directed in the second direction or the cumulative distance of the group of cutting motions continuously directed in the second direction exceeds the predetermined allowable value, changing the direction of the detected cutting motion from the first direction to the second direction;
2. The cutting execution unit executes the cutting process in a manner that does not include a cutting motion directed in the first direction but includes a cutting motion directed in the second direction. Or the cutting device according to 2. The data editing unit
When the distance or the cumulative distance does not exceed the allowable value, the series of cutting operations is switched between the cutting operation in the first direction and the cutting operation in the second direction. when a switching point is detected, resetting the distance or the cumulative distance at the switching point;
From the switching point, the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operation directed in the second direction in the series of cutting operations, or the distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the second direction Determining whether the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value,
if it is determined that the distance of the cutting motion directed in the second direction or the cumulative distance of the group of cutting motions continuously directed in the second direction exceeds the predetermined allowable value; , not changing the direction of the detected cutting motion from the first direction to the second direction;
1 to 1, wherein the cut execution unit executes the cut processing in a mode including a cut operation directed in the first direction and a cut operation directed in the second direction. 4. The cutting device according to any one of 3. a sheet attribute information acquisition unit that acquires attribute information about properties of the sheet medium to be cut;
2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an allowable value setting unit that sets the predetermined allowable value based on attribute information of the sheet medium. It is executed by a computer that performs cutting processing by conveying the sheet medium in a conveying direction that intersects the moving direction of the carriage while moving the carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. A cutting method comprising:
the computer
Acquiring cutting data, which is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium and includes information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter for the sheet medium;
Among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, the direction of the cutting operation directed in the first direction in the conveying direction is changed to the direction opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. editing the cutting data to change orientation 2;
performing cutting processing based on the edited cutting data;
When editing the cutting data,
Detecting a cutting motion directed in the first direction in order from a reference point in the series of cutting motions;
In the series of cutting operations, the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operations directed in the first direction or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the first direction is predetermined. Determine whether the allowable value has been exceeded,
changing the orientation of the detected cutting operation from the first orientation to the second orientation when it is determined that the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value;
A cutting method, wherein in performing the cutting process, the cutting process is performed from a reference point in the series of cutting operations to a predetermined point based on edited cutting data. A computer as a cutting device that performs a cutting process by conveying the sheet medium in a conveying direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage while moving a carriage holding the cutter while the cutter is in contact with the sheet medium. to the
a data acquisition process for acquiring cutting data, which is data for forming a predetermined cut line on the sheet medium and includes information on a series of cutting operations of the cutter with respect to the sheet medium;
Among the series of cutting operations included in the cutting data, the direction of the cutting operation directed in the first direction in the conveying direction is changed to the direction opposite to the first direction in the conveying direction. a data editing process for editing the cutting data to change the orientation of 2;
a cutting execution process for executing a cutting process based on the cutting data edited by the data editing process;
In the data editing process,
Detecting a cutting motion directed in the first direction in order from a reference point in the series of cutting motions;
In the series of cutting operations, the distance in the conveying direction in the cutting operations directed in the first direction or the cumulative distance in the conveying direction in the group of cutting operations continuously directed in the first direction is predetermined. Determine whether the allowable value has been exceeded,
changing the orientation of the detected cutting operation from the first orientation to the second orientation when it is determined that the distance or the cumulative distance exceeds the allowable value;
The cutting program, wherein in the cutting execution processing, the cutting processing is executed from a reference point in the series of cutting operations to a predetermined point based on the cutting data edited by the data editing processing.