JP7629841B2 - Media cutter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a media cutting device for cutting long media.

Conventionally, there is known a printing device that prints on a long sheet-like medium (continuous medium) (see Patent Document 1). The printing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a printing section that prints on the medium using an inkjet method, a medium transport section that transports the medium, and a cutter section that cuts the medium. The medium transport section includes a pair of transport rollers consisting of a drive roller and a pinch roller. The cutter section includes a cutter blade that cuts the medium, and a carriage that moves the cutter blade along the width direction of the medium. The cutter blade is rotatably held by the carriage. The cutter blade is rotatable relative to the carriage with the thickness direction of the medium as the axial direction of the rotation, and is rotatable relative to the carriage with the up-and-down direction as the axial direction of the rotation.

The printing device described in Patent Document 1 is capable of cutting the medium in a first mode, in which the medium is cut in a direction inclined to the width direction of the medium, and in a second mode, in which the medium is cut in the width direction of the medium. With this printing device, when the printing process of the medium is completed, the medium is cut in the second mode. Furthermore, with this printing device, when the printing process of the medium is performed, if the type of medium used in the received print job is different from the type of medium set in the printing device and the medium set in the printing device needs to be replaced, the medium set in the printing device is removed from the printing device after cutting in the first mode.

That is, in the printing device described in Patent Document 1, one end of a medium that is removed from the printing device and then set back into the printing device is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium. Therefore, in this printing device, when setting the medium in the printing device, it is possible to easily pass one end of the medium between the pair of transport rollers.

JP 2018-83251 A

In the printing device described in Patent Document 1, the cutter blade is rotatable relative to the carriage with the thickness direction of the medium as the axial direction of rotation, making it possible to cut the medium in the width direction of the medium in the second mode, and to cut the medium in a direction inclined relative to the width direction of the medium in the first mode. However, in this printing device, because the cutter blade is rotatable relative to the carriage even in the second mode, when cutting the medium in the second mode, the state of the cutter blade moving in the width direction of the medium while parallel to the width direction of the medium becomes unstable, and there is a risk that the cutter blade will rotate relative to the carriage for some reason.

The cutter blade that rotates relative to the carriage rotates so that it is parallel to the width of the medium as the medium moves in the width direction, and then returns to its original state. However, when the cutter blade returns to its original state, there is a risk that the cutter blade may be deformed three-dimensionally and damaged. In addition, when the cutter blade returns to its original state, there is a risk that some of the medium may not be cut.

The object of the present invention is to provide a media cutting device for cutting long media that can perform both cutting in a horizontal cutting mode, in which the media is cut in the width direction of the media, and cutting in a diagonal cutting mode, in which the media is cut in a direction inclined to the width direction of the media, and that can stabilize the state of the cutter blade when cutting media in the horizontal cutting mode.

In order to solve the above problems, the media cutting device of the present invention is a media cutting device for cutting long media, and includes a cutter unit having a cutter blade for cutting the media, a movement mechanism for moving the cutter unit relative to the media in the width direction of the media and the longitudinal direction of the media, which are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction of the media, and a control unit for controlling the media cutting device, and the cutter unit includes a cutter holder to which the cutter blade is fixed, a unit frame for rotatably holding the cutter holder, and a rotation restricted state in which the rotation of the cutter holder relative to the unit frame is restricted and a rotation permitted state in which the cutter holder is capable of rotating relative to the unit frame. The cutter holder is rotatable relative to the unit frame with the thickness direction of the medium as the axial direction of rotation, and the control unit cuts the medium in a horizontal cutting mode in which the cutter unit moves relatively to the medium in the width direction of the medium to cut the medium in the width direction of the medium, and in a diagonal cutting mode in which the cutter unit moves relatively to the medium in the longitudinal direction of the medium and in the width direction of the medium to cut the medium in a direction inclined to the width direction of the medium, and in the horizontal cutting mode, the control unit sets the cutter holder in a rotation restricted state, and sets the cutter holder in a rotation enabled state in the diagonal cutting mode.

In the media cutting device of the present invention, the cutter unit is provided with a switching mechanism that switches the state of the cutter holder between a rotation restricted state in which the rotation of the cutter holder to which the cutter blade is fixed relative to the unit frame is restricted, and a rotation permitted state in which the cutter holder is able to rotate relative to the unit frame. In addition, in the present invention, the control unit sets the cutter holder to a rotation permitted state when cutting the medium in an oblique cut mode in which the cutter unit is moved relative to the medium in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the medium to cut the medium in a direction inclined to the width direction of the medium, but sets the cutter holder to a rotation restricted state when cutting the medium in a horizontal cut mode in which the cutter unit is moved relative to the medium in the width direction of the medium to cut the medium in the width direction of the medium.

Therefore, in this invention, even though it is possible to cut the medium in a horizontal cut mode, in which the medium is cut in the width direction of the medium, and in a diagonal cut mode, in which the medium is cut in a direction inclined to the width direction of the medium, it is possible to stabilize the state of the cutter holder when cutting the medium in the horizontal cut mode, and as a result, it is possible to stabilize the state of the cutter blade when cutting the medium in the horizontal cut mode.

In the present invention, for example, the switching mechanism includes a restricting member for restricting the rotation of the cutter holder, and a drive source for moving the restricting member between a restricting position where the restricting member approaches the cutter holder and a release position where the restricting member moves away from the cutter holder, and when the restricting member is placed in the restricting position, the cutter holder is in a rotation restricted state, and when the restricting member is placed in the release position, the cutter holder is in a rotatable state. In this case, it is possible to switch the state of the cutter holder with a relatively simple configuration.

In the present invention, for example, the cutter unit is provided with a rotation range restriction member that restricts the rotation range of the cutter holder in a rotatable state.

In the present invention, the media cutting device is equipped with, for example, a media winding mechanism that rotates a winding paper tube to which an end of the media is fixed, and winds the media onto the paper tube.

In the present invention, for example, the control unit cuts the medium in a first diagonal cut mode, which is a diagonal cut mode that cuts the medium between the middle position of the medium in the width direction of the medium and one end side of the medium in the width direction of the medium, and cuts the medium in a second diagonal cut mode, which is a diagonal cut mode that cuts the medium between the middle position of the medium in the width direction of the medium and the other end side of the medium in the width direction of the medium. In this case, since both side portions in the width direction of the medium at one end of the medium in the longitudinal direction of the medium are inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium, it becomes easier to wind the medium around the paper tube when winding of the medium around the paper tube begins.

In the present invention, for example, the movement mechanism includes a media transport mechanism that transports the medium in the longitudinal direction of the medium, and a cutter unit drive mechanism that moves the cutter unit in the width direction of the medium, and the control unit controls the transport speed of the medium by the media transport mechanism and the movement speed of the cutter unit by the cutter unit drive mechanism in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode according to predetermined data input to the control unit, to cut the medium at a desired angle relative to the width direction of the medium.

In the present invention, for example, the outer diameter of the paper tube is 3 inches or 2 inches. In this case, the medium is preferably made of soft polyvinyl chloride or tarpaulin, and the cut angle of the medium relative to the width direction of the medium in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode is preferably 7° to 13°. According to the inventor's investigation, this configuration makes it possible to properly wind the medium around the paper tube while suppressing tearing of the medium when winding of the medium around the paper tube begins.

In this case, it is more preferable that the cut angle of the medium with respect to the width direction of the medium in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode is 8° to 12°. According to the inventor's study, this configuration makes it possible to more appropriately wind the medium around the paper tube while preventing the medium from tearing when winding of the medium around the paper tube begins.

In the present invention, the media cutting device includes, for example, a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the media before cutting, and the portion of the media that has been processed by the processing mechanism is defined as the processed portion, and the portion of the media that is upstream of the processing mechanism in the media transport direction and has not been processed by the processing mechanism is defined as the non-processed portion. After processing the media by the processing mechanism, the control unit cuts the non-processed portion across the entire width of the media in the horizontal cut mode, and then cuts the media in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode for the non-processed portion that is located upstream in the media transport direction from the cutting position in the horizontal cut mode.

In this case, after the medium is cut in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode for the non-machined portion located upstream in the media transport direction from the cutting position in the horizontal cut mode, both sides in the width direction of the medium at one end of the medium removed from the media cutting device are inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium. Therefore, both sides in the width direction of the medium at one end of the medium that is once removed from the media cutting device and then set back in the media cutting device are inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium. Therefore, even if the medium is not cut after being set in the media cutting device, it becomes easier to wind the medium around the paper tube when winding of the medium around the paper tube begins.

In the present invention, the media cutting device includes a printing mechanism that performs inkjet printing on the medium before cutting, the printing mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the medium and a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, the moving mechanism includes a medium transport mechanism that transports the medium in the longitudinal direction of the medium and a cutter unit drive mechanism that moves the cutter unit in the width direction of the medium, and it is preferable that the cutter unit is mounted on the carriage and the cutter unit drive mechanism moves the carriage in the width direction of the medium. In this configuration, the cutter unit drive mechanism can be used to move the inkjet head in addition to the cutter unit in the width direction of the medium, making it possible to simplify the configuration of the media cutting device compared to a case in which a separate drive mechanism for moving the inkjet head is provided.

As described above, in the present invention, in a media cutting device for cutting long media, even if it is possible to cut the media in a horizontal cutting mode in which the media is cut in the width direction of the media, and in a diagonal cutting mode in which the media is cut in a direction inclined to the width direction of the media, it is possible to stabilize the state of the cutter blade when cutting the media in the horizontal cutting mode.

1 is a side view for explaining a configuration of a media cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the media cutting device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of fixing a medium to the paper tube shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a side view of a tip portion of a cutter blade of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 1 . 5 is a side view for explaining the configuration of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4. 5 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the cutter unit shown in FIG. 4. 4 is a process diagram for explaining a procedure for cutting a medium in the medium cutting device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of cutting a medium in the medium cutting device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram for explaining a method of cutting a medium in the medium cutting device shown in FIG. 1 .

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of the printing device)
Fig. 1 is a side view for explaining the configuration of a printing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the printing device 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of fixing a medium 2 to a cardboard tube 26 shown in Fig. 1.

The printing device 1 of this embodiment is a commercial inkjet printer for printing on a long medium 2. The medium 2 is made of soft polyvinyl chloride or tarpaulin. The printing device 1 also has a cutting function for cutting the medium 2 to separate the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction of the medium 2. The printing device 1 has a printing mechanism 3 that prints on the medium 2 before cutting using an inkjet method, and a support 4 that supports the printing mechanism 3 from below. The printing mechanism 3 has an inkjet head 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "head 6") that ejects ink onto the medium 2, and a carriage 7 on which the head 6 is mounted. The printing device 1 of this embodiment is a medium cutting device for cutting the long medium 2. The printing mechanism 3 of this embodiment is also a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the medium 2 before cutting.

The printing device 1 also includes a cutter unit 9 having a cutter blade 8 (see FIG. 5, etc.) for cutting the medium 2, a medium transport mechanism 10 that transports the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction of the medium 2, a carriage drive mechanism 11 that moves the carriage 7 in the width direction of the medium 2 (main scanning direction, Y direction in FIG. 1, etc.) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the medium 2 and the thickness direction of the medium 2, a medium pay-out mechanism 12 that feeds out the medium 2 before printing toward the printing mechanism 3, and a medium winding mechanism 13 that winds up the medium 2 after printing. The printing device 1 also includes a control unit 14 that controls the printing device 1.

In the following description, the width direction of the medium 2 (Y direction in FIG. 1, etc.) is referred to as the "left-right direction", and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1, etc.) and left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 1, etc.) is referred to as the "front-rear direction". In addition, the Y1 direction side in FIG. 3, etc., which is one side of the left-right direction, is referred to as the "left" side, the Y2 direction side in FIG. 3, etc., which is the opposite side, is referred to as the "right" side, the X1 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is one side of the front-rear direction, is referred to as the "front" side, and the X2 direction side in FIG. 1, etc., which is the opposite side, is referred to as the "rear" side. In addition, in the following description, the transport direction of the medium 2 by the medium transport mechanism 10 is referred to as the "medium transport direction". In addition, the upstream side of the medium transport direction is referred to as the "upstream transport direction side", and the downstream side of the medium transport direction is referred to as the "downstream transport direction side". In this embodiment, the left side (Y1 direction side) is the first direction side, which is one side of the width direction of the medium 2, and the right side (Y2 direction side) is the second direction side, which is the other side of the width direction of the medium 2.

The carriage 7 is supported by a support frame 17 so that it can move left and right. A platen 18 is disposed below the carriage 7. The head 6 ejects ink downward. The carriage drive mechanism 11 includes, for example, a belt that is partially fixed to the carriage 7, a pulley around which the belt is stretched, and a motor for rotating the pulley. The medium 2 to be printed is placed on the platen 18. The thickness direction of the medium 2 placed on the platen 18 coincides with the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the medium 2 before printing is transported from the rear side to the top surface of the platen 18, and the medium 2 after printing is transported from the top surface of the platen 18 to the front side.

The medium transport mechanism 10 includes a transport roller 19 and a pad roller 20 that faces the transport roller 19 and is biased toward the transport roller 19. The transport roller 19 and the pad roller 20 are disposed upstream of the platen 18 in the transport direction. The transport roller 19 and the pad roller 20 are also disposed upstream of the head 6 and the cutter blade 8 in the transport direction. The transport roller 19 is connected to a drive mechanism that rotates the transport roller 19. The drive mechanism includes a motor as a drive source. The medium 2 is transported while sandwiched between the transport roller 19 and the pad roller 20.

The cutter unit 9 is mounted on the carriage 7 and is disposed above the medium 2 placed on the platen 18. The cutter unit 9 is mounted, for example, on the right or left end of the carriage 7. The cutter unit 9 moves left and right together with the carriage 7. The carriage drive mechanism 11 in this embodiment is a cutter unit drive mechanism that moves the cutter unit 9 left and right, which is the width direction of the medium 2, and in this embodiment, the cutter unit drive mechanism moves the carriage 7 in the width direction of the medium 2. In this embodiment, the medium transport mechanism 10 and the carriage drive mechanism 11 form a movement mechanism 21 that moves the cutter unit 9 relative to the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction of the medium 2 and the width direction of the medium 2. The specific configuration of the cutter unit 9 will be described later.

The medium payout mechanism 12 is disposed below the printing mechanism 3. The medium payout mechanism 12 rotatably holds the payout roll 23. The payout roll 23 is composed of a cylindrical paper tube 24 that forms the center of the payout roll 23, and the unprinted medium 2 wound in a roll around the paper tube 24. An end of the medium 2 is fixed to the paper tube 24. Specifically, the upstream end of the medium 2 in the transport direction is fixed to the paper tube 24. The medium payout mechanism 12 has a rotating shaft that is inserted into the inner circumference of the paper tube 24.

The medium take-up mechanism 13 is disposed below the printing mechanism 3. The medium take-up mechanism 13 rotatably holds the take-up roll 25. The take-up roll 25 is composed of a cylindrical paper tube 26 that forms the center of the take-up roll 25, and the printed medium 2 wound in a roll around the paper tube 26. The outer diameter of the paper tube 26 is 3 inches or 2 inches. An end of the medium 2 is fixed to the paper tube 26. Specifically, the downstream end of the medium 2 in the transport direction is fixed to the paper tube 26. In addition, the downstream end of the medium 2 in the transport direction is fixed to the paper tube 26, for example, by a tape 27.

The medium winding mechanism 13 includes a rotating shaft that is inserted into the inner circumference of the paper tube 26, and a drive mechanism that rotates the rotating shaft. The medium winding mechanism 13 also includes a torque limiter that causes the winding roll 25 to rotate idly so that the tension of the medium 2 being wound around the winding roll 25 does not exceed a predetermined tension. The medium winding mechanism 13 rotates the winding paper tube 26 to which the end of the medium 2 is fixed, and winds the medium 2 around the paper tube 26.

The control unit 14 is electrically connected to the medium transport mechanism 10. Specifically, the control unit 14 is electrically connected to a motor and the like that constitute part of the medium transport mechanism 10. The control unit 14 is also electrically connected to the carriage drive mechanism 11. Specifically, the control unit 14 is electrically connected to a motor and the like that constitute part of the carriage drive mechanism 11. The control unit 14 is also electrically connected to the lifting mechanism 33 and the switching mechanism 34, which will be described later and which constitute part of the cutter unit 9. Specifically, the control unit 14 is electrically connected to a solenoid 37, which will be described later and which constitutes part of the lifting mechanism 33, and a solenoid 43, which will be described later and which constitutes part of the switching mechanism 34.

(Configuration of the cutter unit)
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cutter unit 9 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view of a tip of a cutter blade 8 of the cutter unit 9 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side view for explaining the configuration of the cutter unit 9 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a plan view for explaining the configuration of the cutter unit 9 shown in Fig. 4.

The cutter unit 9 includes a cutter holder 31 to which the cutter blade 8 is fixed, and a unit frame 32 that rotatably holds the cutter holder 31. The cutter blade 8 cuts the medium 2 placed on the platen 18. The cutter holder 31 is rotatable relative to the unit frame 32 with the thickness direction of the medium 2 placed on the platen 18 as the axial direction of the rotation. In other words, the cutter holder 31 is rotatable relative to the unit frame 32 with the thickness direction of the medium 2 cut by the cutter blade 8 as the axial direction of the rotation. Specifically, the cutter holder 31 is rotatable relative to the unit frame 32 with the vertical direction as the axial direction of the rotation. Note that the cutter blade 8 is not shown in FIG. 4.

The unit frame 32 holds the cutter holder 31 so that it can be raised and lowered, and the cutter holder 31 can be raised and lowered relative to the unit frame 32. The cutter unit 9 has a lifting mechanism 33 that raises and lowers the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32. The cutter unit 9 also has a switching mechanism 34 that switches the state of the cutter holder 31 between a rotation restricted state in which rotation of the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32 is restricted, and a rotation permitted state in which rotation of the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32 is permitted.

The cutter blade 8 is a double-edged cutter blade with a sharp cutting edge (see FIG. 5). The cutter holder 31 is attached to the front end of the unit frame 32 so that it can move up and down and rotate. The cutter blade 8 is fixed to the front lower end of the cutter holder 31. When the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, the thickness direction of the cutter blade 8 coincides with the front-rear direction, and the width direction of the cutter blade 8 coincides with the left-right direction. The cutter blade 8 may be a single-edged cutter blade.

The unit frame 32 is fixed to the carriage 7. A guide shaft 35 for guiding the cutter holder 31 in the up-down direction is fixed to the unit frame 32. The guide shaft 35 is arranged so that the axial direction of the guide shaft 35 coincides with the up-down direction. A guide hole through which the guide shaft 35 is inserted is formed in the cutter holder 31, and this guide hole penetrates the cutter holder 31 in the up-down direction. The guide shaft 35 serves as the center of rotation of the cutter holder 31, which rotates relative to the unit frame 32 with the up-down direction as the axial direction of the rotation.

The lifting mechanism 33 includes a lever member 36 rotatably held on the unit frame 32, a solenoid 37 for rotating the lever member 36 relative to the unit frame 32, and a compression coil spring 38 for biasing the cutter holder 31 upward relative to the unit frame 32. The lever member 36 is rotatable relative to the unit frame 32 with the left-right direction as the axial direction of the rotation. The rear end of the lever member 36 is rotatably held on the unit frame 32. The front end of the lever member 36 engages with the cutter holder 31. The cutter holder 31 is formed with an engagement recess 31a into which the front end of the lever member 36 is inserted and engaged.

The solenoid 37 is fixed to the unit frame 32 so that the plunger 37a of the solenoid 37 protrudes upward. An engagement pin 39 that engages with the middle part of the lever member 36 in the front-rear direction is fixed to the upper end of the plunger 37a. The guide shaft 35 is inserted into the compression coil spring 38. The upper end of the compression coil spring 38 contacts the cutter holder 31, and the lower end of the compression coil spring 38 contacts the unit frame 32.

When the solenoid 37 is not energized, the cutter holder 31 is raised by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 38. When the cutter holder 31 is raised by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 38, the lower end of the cutter blade 8 is raised to a position where it does not contact the medium 2 placed on the platen 18. When the solenoid 37 is energized, the plunger 37a descends, and the lever member 36 rotates in a direction in which the front end of the lever member 36 descends, and the cutter holder 31 descends. When the cutter holder 31 descends, the cutter blade 8 can cut the medium 2. In other words, when the cutter blade 8 cuts the medium 2, the solenoid 37 is energized.

The switching mechanism 34 is equipped with a regulating member 42 for regulating the rotation of the cutter holder 31 with the vertical direction as the axial direction of rotation. The regulating member 42 is held by the unit frame 32 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. The regulating member 42 is disposed on the rear side of the upper end of the cutter holder 31. The rear surface of the upper end of the cutter holder 31 disposed in front of the regulating member 42 is flat. The front end surface of the regulating member 42 is curved so that its shape is a semicircular arc when viewed from the left-right direction.

The switching mechanism 34 also includes a solenoid 43 that is a drive source for moving the regulating member 42 between a regulating position 42A (see FIG. 6A) where the regulating member 42 approaches the cutter holder 31 and a deregulating position 42B (see FIG. 6B) where the regulating member 42 moves away from the cutter holder 31. That is, the switching mechanism 34 includes a solenoid 43 for moving the regulating member 42 in the front-rear direction relative to the unit frame 32. Furthermore, the switching mechanism 34 includes a tension coil spring 44 that biases the regulating member 42 forward relative to the unit frame 32.

The solenoid 43 is fixed to the unit frame 32 so that the plunger 43a of the solenoid 43 protrudes forward. An engagement pin 45 that engages with the rear end of the regulating member 42 is fixed to the front end of the plunger 43a. The front end of the tension coil spring 44 is attached to the unit frame 32, and the rear end of the tension coil spring 44 is attached to the rear end of the regulating member 42. When the solenoid 43 is in a non-energized state, the regulating member 42 is placed in the regulating position 42A by the biasing force of the tension coil spring 44. When the solenoid 43 is in a powered state, the plunger 43a moves rearward and the regulating member 42 moves rearward, so that the regulating member 42 is placed in the unrestricted position 42B.

The front end surface of the regulating member 42 arranged in the regulating position 42A is in light contact with the rear surface of the upper end of the cutter holder 31, or a small gap is formed between the front end surface of the regulating member 42 arranged in the regulating position 42A and the rear surface of the upper end of the cutter holder 31. Therefore, when the regulating member 42 is arranged in the regulating position 42A, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state in which the rotation of the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32 is restricted.

On the other hand, a large gap is formed between the front end surface of the regulating member 42 arranged in the unrestricted position 42B and the rear surface of the upper end of the cutter holder 31, and when the regulating member 42 is arranged in the unrestricted position 42B, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotatable state in which the cutter holder 31 can rotate relative to the unit frame 32. When the cutter holder 31 is in a rotatable state, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the cutter holder 31 can rotate in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7 (hereinafter, this direction will be referred to as the "counterclockwise direction"), and as shown in FIG. 7(C), the cutter holder 31 can rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 (hereinafter, this direction will be referred to as the "clockwise direction").

The cutter unit 9 is equipped with a rotation range regulating member that regulates the rotation range (rotation angle) of the cutter holder 31 in a rotatable state. This rotation range regulating member is fixed to the unit frame 32. This rotation range regulating member is capable of contacting the rear surface of the cutter holder 31, and regulates the rotation range of the cutter holder 31 in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. For example, this rotation range regulating member regulates the maximum rotation angle in the clockwise direction and the maximum rotation angle in the counterclockwise direction of the cutter holder 31 to about 15° when the thickness direction of the cutter blade 8 coincides with the front-to-rear direction.

(Media cutting method)
Fig. 8 is a process diagram for explaining a procedure for cutting the medium 2 in the printing device 1 shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining a method for cutting the medium 2 in the printing device 1 shown in Fig. 1.

When printing is completed on a certain medium 2 in the printing device 1 and printing is to be performed on a different medium 2 (specifically, a medium 2 having a different material or width), the medium 2 set in the printing device 1 is replaced. Before replacing the medium 2, the medium 2 is cut by the cutter blade 8. The method of cutting the medium 2 performed on the medium 2 before replacement in the printing device 1 is described below.

When replacing the medium 2, the unprinted medium 2 that is located upstream of the cutting position in the transport direction is, for example, wound onto the pay-out roll 23 and removed from the printing device 1, and the printed medium 2 that is located downstream of the cutting position in the transport direction is, for example, wound onto the take-up roll 25 and removed from the printing device 1. After that, when replacing the medium 2, the pay-out roll 23 is attached to the printing device 1. The medium 2 is pulled out from the pay-out roll 23 and passed over the platen 18, and then the downstream end of the medium 2 in the transport direction is fixed to the paper tube 26.

The method for cutting the medium 2 includes a piercing process ST1 in which the cutter blade 8 pierces the medium 2 so as to penetrate the medium 2, and transverse cutting processes ST2 and ST3 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved left and right relative to the medium 2 starting from a piercing point SP1 (see FIG. 9A), which is the point where the cutter blade 8 pierces the medium 2 in the piercing process ST1, to cut the medium 2 left and right.

The method of cutting the medium 2 also includes a piercing process ST4 in which the cutter blade 8 pierces the medium 2 so as to penetrate the medium 2, a transverse cutting process ST5 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved left and right relative to the medium 2 starting from the piercing point SP2 (see FIG. 9C) where the cutter blade 8 was pierced in the piercing process ST4, to cut the medium 2 in the left and right directions, and an oblique cutting process ST6 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved relative to the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction and left and right directions starting from the piercing point SP2, to cut the medium 2 in a direction oblique to the left and right directions.

The method of cutting the medium 2 further includes a piercing step ST7 in which the cutter blade 8 pierces the medium 2 so as to penetrate the medium 2, a transverse cutting step ST8 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved left and right relative to the medium 2 starting from the piercing point SP3 (see FIG. 10B) where the cutter blade 8 was pierced in the piercing step ST7, to cut the medium 2 in the left and right directions, and an oblique cutting step ST9 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved relative to the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction and left and right directions starting from the piercing point SP3, to cut the medium 2 in a direction oblique to the left and right directions.

The piercing process ST1, the horizontal cutting process ST2, the horizontal cutting process ST3, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9 are performed in this order. The cutting process of the medium 2 in this embodiment is composed of the piercing process ST1, the horizontal cutting process ST2, ST3, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9.

If the portion of the medium 2 where printing has been performed by the printing mechanism 3 is designated as the printed section 2a, and the portion of the medium 2 upstream of the printed section 2a in the medium transport direction where printing has not been performed by the printing mechanism 3 is designated as the non-printed section 2b, then the piercing process ST1, the horizontal cutting processes ST2 and ST3, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9 are performed on the non-printed section 2b. In this embodiment, the printed section 2a is the processed section, and the non-printed section 2b is the non-processed section.

In the piercing process ST1, the cutter blade 8 is pierced into the middle position of the medium 2 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 9A). In the piercing process ST1, the cutter unit 9 with the cutter holder 31 raised is moved to a predetermined position, and then the cutter holder 31 is lowered to pierce the medium 2 with the cutter blade 8. In the piercing process ST1, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

In the horizontal cutting step ST2, the cutter blade 8 is moved leftward from the piercing point SP1 to the left end face of the medium 2 to cut the medium 2 (see FIG. 9(A)). That is, in the horizontal cutting step ST2, the cutter unit 9 is moved leftward while the medium 2 is stopped to cut the medium 2. In the horizontal cutting step ST3, the cutter blade 8 is moved rightward from the piercing point ST1 to the right end face of the medium 2 to cut the medium 2 (see FIG. 9(B)). That is, in the horizontal cutting step ST3, the cutter unit 9 is moved rightward while the medium 2 is stopped to cut the medium 2. In the horizontal cutting steps ST2 and ST3, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

The piercing step ST1 in this embodiment is the third piercing step, the horizontal cutting step ST2 is the sixth cutting step, and the horizontal cutting step ST3 is the seventh cutting step. The piercing point SP1 in this embodiment is the third piercing point. In this embodiment, the piercing step ST1 and the horizontal cutting steps ST2 and ST3 constitute a second cutting step ST11 in which the cutter blade 8 is moved left and right relative to the medium 2 to cut the medium 2 over the entire left and right area. In the following description, the medium 2 that is positioned upstream in the transport direction from the cut position of the medium 2 in the second cutting step ST11 is referred to as the upstream medium 2c. In addition, the end face of the upstream medium 2c on the downstream side in the transport direction after the second cutting step ST11 is completed is referred to as the first end face 2d.

In the piercing process ST4, the cutter blade 8 is pierced into the left end of the upstream medium 2c so as to penetrate the upstream medium 2c (see FIG. 9C). In the piercing process ST4, similar to the piercing process ST1, the cutter unit 9 with the cutter holder 31 raised is moved to a predetermined position, and then the cutter holder 31 is lowered to pierce the upstream medium 2c with the cutter blade 8. In the piercing process ST4, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

In the horizontal cutting step ST5, the cutter blade 8 is moved to the left starting from the piercing point SP2 to cut the upstream medium 2c from the piercing point SP2 to the left end face of the upstream medium 2c (see FIG. 9(C)). That is, in the horizontal cutting step ST5, the upstream medium 2c is stopped and the cutter unit 9 is moved to the left to cut the upstream medium 2c. In the horizontal cutting step ST5, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

In the diagonal cutting process ST6, the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the downstream side and to the right side in the transport direction with respect to the upstream medium 2c, starting from the piercing point SP2 to the first end face 2d, to cut the upstream medium 2c from the piercing point SP2 to the first end face 2d (see FIG. 10(A)). That is, in the diagonal cutting process ST6, the upstream medium 2c is cut by moving the cutter unit 9 to the right at a predetermined speed while transporting the upstream medium 2c upstream in the transport direction at a predetermined speed. Also, in the diagonal cutting process ST6, the upstream medium 2c is cut in a straight line from the piercing point SP2 to the first end face 2d.

When the diagonal cutting process ST6 is completed, a second end face 2e that is parallel to the left-right direction and a third end face 2f that is inclined relative to the left-right direction (specifically, inclined toward the downstream side in the transport direction as it moves to the right) are formed at the downstream end in the transport direction of the upstream medium 2c. The second end face 2e is formed between the left end face of the upstream medium 2c and the piercing point SP2. The third end face 2f is formed between the piercing point SP2 and the first end face 2d. The right end of the third end face 2f is located to the left of the left-right center of the first end face 2d.

In the diagonal cutting process ST6, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotatable state, and the cutter blade 8 is in a rotatable state relative to the unit frame 32. In the diagonal cutting process ST6, the cutter blade 8 rotates relative to the unit frame 32 so that the direction of relative movement of the cutter blade 8 with respect to the upstream medium 2c coincides with the width direction of the cutter blade 8, and then moves relative to the upstream medium 2c while maintaining the direction of relative movement of the cutter blade 8 with respect to the upstream medium 2c coincides with the width direction of the cutter blade 8.

The piercing step ST4 in this embodiment is the first piercing step, and the diagonal cutting step ST6 is the first cutting step. Also, the horizontal cutting step ST5 in this embodiment is the fourth cutting step, and the horizontal cutting step ST5, which is the fourth cutting step, is performed after the piercing step ST4, which is the first piercing step, and before the diagonal cutting step ST6, which is the first cutting step. Also, the piercing point SP2 in this embodiment is the first piercing point.

In the piercing process ST7, the cutter blade 8 is pierced into the right end of the upstream medium 2c so as to penetrate the upstream medium 2c (see FIG. 10B). In the piercing process ST7, similar to the piercing process ST1, the cutter unit 9 with the cutter holder 31 raised is moved to a predetermined position, and then the cutter holder 31 is lowered to pierce the upstream medium 2c with the cutter blade 8. In this embodiment, the piercing point SP3 is formed at the same position as the piercing point SP2 in the medium transport direction. Therefore, after the oblique cutting process ST6 and before the piercing process ST7, the upstream medium 2c is transported a predetermined amount downstream in the transport direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the distance (left-right distance) from the left end surface of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP2 is equal to the distance (left-right distance) from the right end surface of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP3. During the piercing process ST7, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

In the horizontal cutting step ST8, the cutter blade 8 is moved to the right starting from the piercing point SP3 to cut the upstream medium 2c from the piercing point SP3 to the right end face of the upstream medium 2c (see FIG. 10B). That is, in the horizontal cutting step ST8, the upstream medium 2c is stopped and the cutter unit 9 is moved to the right to cut the upstream medium 2c. In the horizontal cutting step ST8, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state and the cutter blade 8 does not rotate relative to the unit frame 32.

In the diagonal cutting process ST9, the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the downstream side and to the left in the transport direction with respect to the upstream medium 2c, starting from the piercing point SP3 to the first end face 2d, to cut the upstream medium 2c from the piercing point SP3 to the first end face 2d (see FIG. 10(C)). That is, in the diagonal cutting process ST9, the upstream medium 2c is cut by moving the cutter unit 9 to the left at a predetermined speed while transporting the upstream medium 2c upstream in the transport direction at a predetermined speed. Also, in the diagonal cutting process ST9, the upstream medium 2c is cut in a straight line from the piercing point SP3 to the first end face 2d.

After the diagonal cutting process ST9 is completed, a fourth end face 2g parallel to the left-right direction and a fifth end face 2h inclined relative to the left-right direction (specifically, inclined toward the downstream side in the transport direction as it moves toward the left) are formed at the downstream end of the upstream medium 2c in the transport direction. The fourth end face 2g is formed between the right end face of the upstream medium 2c and the piercing point SP3. The fifth end face 2h is formed between the piercing point SP3 and the first end face 2d. The left end of the fifth end face 2h is located to the right of the center of the first end face 2d in the left-right direction. Therefore, even after the diagonal cutting process ST9 is completed, the center part of the first end face 2d in the left-right direction remains, and the end face on the downstream side in the transport direction of the upstream medium 2c after the diagonal cutting process ST9 is composed of the first end face 2d, the second end face 2e, the third end face 2f, the fourth end face 2g, and the fifth end face 2h.

In the diagonal cutting process ST9, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotatable state, and the cutter blade 8 is in a rotatable state relative to the unit frame 32. In the diagonal cutting process ST9, the cutter blade 8 rotates relative to the unit frame 32 so that the direction of relative movement of the cutter blade 8 with respect to the upstream medium 2c coincides with the width direction of the cutter blade 8, and then moves relative to the upstream medium 2c while maintaining the direction of relative movement of the cutter blade 8 with respect to the upstream medium 2c coincides with the width direction of the cutter blade 8.

The piercing step ST7 in this embodiment is the second piercing step, and the diagonal cutting step ST9 is the third cutting step. Also, the horizontal cutting step ST8 in this embodiment is the fifth cutting step, and the horizontal cutting step ST8, which is the fifth cutting step, is performed after the piercing step ST7, which is the second piercing step, and before the diagonal cutting step ST9, which is the third cutting step. Also, the piercing point SP3 in this embodiment is the second piercing point.

In this embodiment, the cut angle θ1 (see FIG. 10A) of the upstream medium 2c in the left-right direction in the diagonal cutting process ST6 (i.e., the inclination angle of the third end face 2f in the left-right direction) is equal to the cut angle θ2 (see FIG. 10C) of the upstream medium 2c in the left-right direction in the diagonal cutting process ST9 (i.e., the inclination angle of the fifth end face 2h in the left-right direction). The cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 7° to 13°. More specifically, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 8° to 12°. In this embodiment, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 10°.

The cut angles θ1 and θ2 are constant regardless of the width of the medium 2 to be cut. That is, even if the width of the medium 2 to be cut changes, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 10°. Even if the width of the medium 2 to be cut is 1600 mm, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 10°. Even if the width of the medium 2 to be cut is 1000 mm, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 10°. As described above, the piercing point SP2 and the piercing point SP3 are formed at the same position in the medium transport direction, and the distance from the left end face of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP2 is equal to the distance from the right end face of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP3, so the third end face 2f and the fifth end face 2h are arranged symmetrically.

Since the end face on the downstream side in the transport direction of the upstream medium 2c after cutting the medium 2 before replacing the medium 2 is composed of the first end face 2d, the second end face 2e, the third end face 2f, the fourth end face 2g, and the fifth end face 2h, the end face on the downstream side in the transport direction of the medium 2 before printing that is once removed from the printing device 1 and then reattached to the printing device 1 is also composed of the first end face 2d, the second end face 2e, the third end face 2f, the fourth end face 2g, and the fifth end face 2h. Therefore, in the medium 2 replacement work, the end face on the downstream side in the transport direction of the medium 2 fixed to the cardboard tube 26 is composed of the first end face 2d, the second end face 2e, the third end face 2f, the fourth end face 2g, and the fifth end face 2h (see FIG. 3). The central part of the medium 2 in the left-right direction where the first end face 2d is formed is fixed to the cardboard tube 26.

However, when a new medium 2 is attached to the printing device 1, the end face of the medium 2 on the downstream side in the transport direction that is fixed to the paper tube 26 is parallel to the left and right direction. In this case, before the end of the medium 2 on the downstream side in the transport direction is fixed to the paper tube 26, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9 are performed.

The piercing process ST1, the horizontal cutting processes ST2 and ST3, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9 are performed automatically and continuously. That is, in the printing device 1, the control unit 14 stores a control program for continuously executing the piercing process ST1, the horizontal cutting processes ST2 and ST3, the piercing process ST4, the horizontal cutting process ST5, the diagonal cutting process ST6, the piercing process ST7, the horizontal cutting process ST8 and the diagonal cutting process ST9, and the control unit 14 executes these processes continuously based on this control program. For example, when it becomes necessary to replace the medium 2 and the operator of the printing device 1 presses a specified operation button, the control unit 14 executes these processes continuously.

That is, when the operator presses the operation button, the control unit 14 first executes the piercing step ST1 (piercing step S1), then executes the horizontal cutting step ST2 (horizontal cutting step S2), and then executes the horizontal cutting step ST3 (horizontal cutting step S3). The control unit 14 then executes the piercing step ST4 (piercing step S4), then executes the horizontal cutting step ST5 (horizontal cutting step S5), and then executes the diagonal cutting step ST6 (diagonal cutting step S6). The control unit 14 then executes the piercing step ST7 (piercing step S7), then executes the horizontal cutting step ST8 (horizontal cutting step S8), and then executes the diagonal cutting step ST9 (diagonal cutting step S9).

The piercing step S4 in this embodiment is the first piercing step, the diagonal cutting step S6 is the first cutting step, the piercing step S7 is the second piercing step, and the diagonal cutting step S9 is the third cutting step. The horizontal cutting step S5 in this embodiment is the fourth cutting step and is performed before the diagonal cutting step S6, which is the first cutting step. The horizontal cutting step S8 in this embodiment is the fifth cutting step and is performed before the diagonal cutting step S9, which is the third cutting step.

In addition, in the horizontal cutting steps S2, S3, S5, and S8, the control unit 14 controls the medium transport mechanism 10 and the carriage drive mechanism 11 to move the cutter unit 9 in the left-right direction relative to the medium 2 to cut the medium 2 in the left-right direction in a horizontal cutting mode. In the horizontal cutting mode, the control unit 14 controls the switching mechanism 34 to place the cutter holder 31 in a rotation restricted state. In other words, the switching mechanism 34 places the cutter holder 31 in a rotation restricted state in the horizontal cutting mode.

In addition, in the diagonal cutting steps S6 and S9, the control unit 14 controls the medium transport mechanism 10 and the carriage drive mechanism 11 to move the cutter unit 9 relative to the medium 2 in the medium transport direction and the left-right direction to cut the medium 2 in a diagonal cutting mode in which the medium 2 is cut in a direction inclined to the left-right direction.

Specifically, in the diagonal cutting step S6, the control unit 14 cuts the medium 2 in a first diagonal cutting mode, which is a diagonal cutting mode that cuts the medium 2 between the middle position of the medium 2 in the left-right direction and one end side (left end side) of the medium 2 in the left-right direction (specifically, between the middle position of the first end face 2d in the left-right direction and the piercing point SP2), and in the diagonal cutting step S9, the control unit 14 cuts the medium 2 in a second diagonal cutting mode, which is a diagonal cutting mode that cuts the medium 2 between the middle position of the medium 2 in the left-right direction and the other end side (right end side) of the medium 2 in the left-right direction (specifically, between the middle position of the first end face 2d in the left-right direction and the piercing point SP3).

In the diagonal cut mode, the control unit 14 controls the switching mechanism 34 to make the cutter holder 31 rotatable. That is, the switching mechanism 34 makes the cutter holder 31 rotatable in the diagonal cut mode. In addition, the control unit 14 controls the transport speed of the medium 2 by the medium transport mechanism 10 and the movement speed of the cutter unit 9 by the carriage drive mechanism 11 in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode according to predetermined data input to the control unit 14, and cuts the medium 2 at a desired angle in the left-right direction. The data input to the control unit 14 is, for example, transport speed data of the medium 2 in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode, movement speed data of the cutter unit 9, and position data of the cutter blade 8 at the start of cutting.

The cut angle θ1 of the medium 2 in the left-right direction in the first diagonal cut mode and the cut angle θ2 of the medium 2 in the left-right direction in the second diagonal cut mode are 7° to 13° as described above. More specifically, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 8° to 12°, and in this embodiment, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 are 10°. After the printing mechanism 3 prints the medium 2, the control unit 14 cuts the non-printed portion 2b across the entire left-right direction in the horizontal cut mode in the horizontal cut steps S2 and S3, and then cuts the medium 2 in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode in the diagonal cut steps S6 and S9 for the non-printed portion 2b located upstream in the transport direction from the cutting position in the horizontal cut steps S2 and S3.

(Main effects of this embodiment)
As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the cutter unit 9 is provided with a switching mechanism 34 that switches the state of the cutter holder 31 between a rotation restricted state in which rotation of the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32 is restricted, and a rotation enabled state in which rotation of the cutter holder 31 relative to the unit frame 32 is enabled. Also, in this embodiment, the control unit 14 sets the cutter holder 31 to the rotation enabled state when cutting the medium 2 in the diagonal cut mode in which the cutter unit 9 is moved relatively to the medium 2 in the medium transport direction and the left-right direction to cut the medium 2 in a direction inclined to the left-right direction, but sets the cutter holder 31 to the rotation restricted state when cutting the medium 2 in the horizontal cut mode in which the cutter unit 9 is moved relatively to the medium 2 in the left-right direction to cut the medium 2 in the left-right direction.

Therefore, in this embodiment, even though it is possible to cut the medium 2 in the horizontal cut mode, in which the medium 2 is cut in the left-right direction, and in the diagonal cut mode, in which the medium 2 is cut in a direction inclined relative to the left-right direction, it is possible to stabilize the state of the cutter holder 31 when cutting the medium 2 in the horizontal cut mode, and as a result, it is possible to stabilize the state of the cutter blade 8 when cutting the medium 2 in the horizontal cut mode.

In this embodiment, the switching mechanism 34 includes a restricting member 42 for restricting the rotation of the cutter holder 31, and a solenoid 43 for moving the restricting member 42 between a restricting position 42A and a derestricting position 42B. When the restricting member 42 is located at the restricting position 42A, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation restricted state, and when the restricting member 42 is located at the derestricting position 42B, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotatable state. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to switch the state of the cutter holder 31 with a relatively simple configuration.

In this embodiment, the end face downstream in the transport direction of the medium 2 that is once removed from the printing device 1 and then reattached to the printing device 1 is formed with a third end face 2f that slopes toward the downstream side in the transport direction as it approaches the right side, and a fifth end face 2h that slopes toward the downstream side in the transport direction as it approaches the left side, which are formed symmetrically. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the medium 2 that is reattached to the printing device 1 is not cut, when the end downstream in the transport direction of the medium 2 is fixed to the paper tube 26 during the medium 2 replacement operation, it becomes easier to wind the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 when winding of the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 begins.

In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the paper tube 26 is 3 inches or 2 inches, and the medium 2 is formed of soft polyvinyl chloride or tarpaulin, but the cut angles θ1, θ2 of the medium 2 in the left-right direction in the first diagonal cut mode and the second diagonal cut mode are 7° to 13°. Therefore, according to the inventor's study, in this embodiment, when the winding of the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 starts, it is possible to appropriately wind the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 while suppressing tearing of the medium 2. In particular, in this embodiment, the cut angles θ1, θ2 are 8° to 12°, and according to the inventor's study, when the winding of the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 starts, it is possible to more appropriately wind the medium 2 around the paper tube 26 while preventing tearing of the medium 2.

In this embodiment, the cutter unit 9 is mounted on the carriage 7, and the carriage drive mechanism 11 can be used to move the cutter unit 9 in the left-right direction in addition to the head 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the printing device 1 compared to a case in which a separate drive mechanism for moving the cutter unit 9 in the left-right direction is provided.

Other Embodiments
The above-described embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the above-described embodiment, the cutter holder 31 is in a rotation-restricted state in the horizontal cutting steps ST5 and ST8, but the cutter holder 31 may be in a rotatable state in the horizontal cutting steps ST5 and ST8. The cutter holder 31 may also be in a rotatable state in the piercing steps ST1, ST4, and ST7. In the above-described embodiment, the piercing step ST4 may be performed, then the diagonal cutting step ST6, and then the horizontal cutting step ST5. Similarly, in the above-described embodiment, the piercing step ST7 may be performed, then the diagonal cutting step ST9, and then the horizontal cutting step ST8.

In the above-described embodiment, if the medium 2 can be cut appropriately, the piercing steps ST1, ST4, and ST7 may not be performed. In this case, for example, a horizontal cutting step (cutting the medium 2 in the horizontal cutting mode) is performed in which the cutter blade 8 is moved left and right from the right end face of the medium 2 to cut the medium 2 in the entire left and right direction, and then a diagonal cutting step (cutting the medium 2 in the diagonal cutting mode) is performed in which the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the upstream medium 2c downstream and to the right in the conveying direction to cut the upstream medium 2c from the left end face of the upstream medium 2c to the first end face 2d, and a diagonal cutting step (cutting the medium 2 in the diagonal cutting mode) is performed in which the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the upstream medium 2c downstream and to the left in the conveying direction to cut the upstream medium 2c from the right end face of the upstream medium 2c to the first end face 2d.

In the above-described embodiment, only the piercing step ST4, the diagonal cutting step ST6, the piercing step ST7, the diagonal cutting step ST9, and the transverse cutting steps ST2 and ST3 may be performed in this order. In this case, for example, in the piercing step ST4, the cutter blade 8 is pierced into the middle position of the medium 2 in the left-right direction, and in the diagonal cutting step ST6, the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the upstream side in the transport direction and to the left with respect to the medium 2 from the piercing point SP2 to the left end face of the medium 2, and the medium 2 is cut from the piercing point SP2 to the left end face of the medium 2.

In addition, in the piercing process ST7, the cutter blade 8 is pierced at the left-right middle position of the medium 2, and in the diagonal cutting process ST9, the cutter blade 8 is moved relatively to the upstream side in the transport direction and to the right with respect to the medium 2 from the piercing point SP3 to the right end face of the medium 2, cutting the medium 2 from the piercing point SP3 to the right end face of the medium 2. In the horizontal cutting processes ST2 and ST3, the cutter blade 8 is moved from the piercing point SP2 or the piercing point SP3 to both left-right end faces of the medium 2 to cut the medium 2.

In the above-described embodiment, the upstream medium 2c may be cut so that the right end of the third end face 2f and the left end of the fifth end face 2h are connected. In other words, the upstream medium 2c may be cut so that the first end face 2d does not remain after the oblique cutting process ST9 is completed. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 may be less than 7° or may exceed 13°. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cut angles θ1 and θ2 may be different.

In the above-described embodiment, the piercing point SP2 and the piercing point SP3 may be offset in the medium transport direction. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the left-right distance from the left end face of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP2 may be different from the left-right distance from the right end face of the upstream medium 2c to the piercing point SP3. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the cutting angles θ1 and θ2 may change depending on the width of the medium 2 to be cut. For example, the cutting angles θ1 and θ2 may change depending on the width of the medium 2 to be cut so that the distance in the medium transport direction between the second end face 2e, the fourth end face 2g, and the first end face 2d is constant regardless of the width of the medium 2 to be cut.

In the above-described embodiment, the cutter unit 9 does not have to be mounted on the carriage 7. In this case, a carriage on which the cutter unit 9 is mounted and a cutter unit drive mechanism for moving this carriage in the left-right direction are separately provided. Also, in this case, a second cutter unit drive mechanism for moving the carriage on which the cutter unit 9 is mounted in the front-rear direction may be provided. In this case, for example, the cutter unit drive mechanism and the second cutter unit drive mechanism may constitute a movement mechanism for moving the cutter unit 9 relative to the medium 2 in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the medium 2.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the switching mechanism 34 may be provided with a motor as a driving source instead of the solenoid 43. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the medium 2 may be formed of a resin other than polyvinyl chloride, or may be formed of paper. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the printing device 1 may be provided with a media cutting mechanism for cutting the printed medium 2 into a predetermined shape and separating it. This media cutting mechanism is, for example, disposed between the platen 18 and the medium winding mechanism 13 in the vertical direction. Alternatively, this media cutting mechanism may be mounted on the carriage 7. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, instead of the printing mechanism 3, a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the medium 2 before cutting may be provided. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the printing mechanism 3 and the processing mechanism may not be provided. In other words, the media cutting device to which the present invention is applied may be a device that only has a cutting function.

1 Printing device (media cutting device)
2 Media 2a Printing department (processing department)
2b Non-printed part (non-processed part)
3 Printing mechanism (processing mechanism)
6 Head (inkjet head)
7 Carriage 8 Cutter blade 9 Cutter unit 10 Media transport mechanism 11 Carriage drive mechanism (cutter unit drive mechanism)
13 medium winding mechanism 14 control unit 21 moving mechanism 26 paper core 31 cutter holder 32 unit frame 34 switching mechanism 42 regulating member 42A regulating position 42B regulating release position 43 solenoid (driving source)
Y: Width direction of the medium θ1, θ2: Cutting angle

Claims (11)

A media cutting device for cutting a long medium, comprising:
a cutter unit having a cutter blade for cutting the medium, a movement mechanism for moving the cutter unit relative to the medium in a width direction of the medium and in a longitudinal direction of the medium that are perpendicular to a longitudinal direction and a thickness direction of the medium, and a control unit for controlling the medium cutting device,
The cutter unit includes a cutter holder to which the cutter blade is fixed, a unit frame that rotatably holds the cutter holder, and a switching mechanism that switches a state of the cutter holder between a rotation restricted state in which rotation of the cutter holder relative to the unit frame is restricted and a rotation permitted state in which rotation of the cutter holder relative to the unit frame is permitted,
the cutter holder is rotatable with respect to the unit frame with the thickness direction of the medium as the axial direction of the rotation;
The control unit cuts the medium in a horizontal cutting mode, in which the cutter unit moves relative to the medium in the width direction of the medium to cut the medium in the width direction of the medium, and in a diagonal cutting mode, in which the cutter unit moves relative to the medium in the longitudinal direction of the medium and the width direction of the medium to cut the medium in a direction oblique to the width direction of the medium, and is characterized in that in the horizontal cutting mode, the cutter holder is in the rotation restricted state, and in the diagonal cutting mode, the cutter holder is in the rotatable state. the switching mechanism includes a regulating member for regulating rotation of the cutter holder, and a drive source for moving the regulating member between a regulating position where the regulating member approaches the cutter holder and a release position where the regulating member moves away from the cutter holder,
When the regulating member is disposed at the regulating position, the cutter holder is in the rotation-regulated state,
2. The media cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutter holder is in the rotatable state when the regulating member is in the non-regulating position. The media cutting device according to claim 2, characterized in that the cutter unit is provided with a rotation range restriction member that restricts the rotation range of the cutter holder in the rotatable state. A media cutting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a media winding mechanism that rotates a winding paper tube to which an end of the medium is fixed, thereby winding the medium onto the paper tube. The medium cutting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit cuts the medium in a first diagonal cutting mode as the diagonal cutting mode in which the medium is cut between a middle position of the medium in the width direction of the medium and one end side of the medium in the width direction of the medium, and cuts the medium in a second diagonal cutting mode as the diagonal cutting mode in which the medium is cut between a middle position of the medium in the width direction of the medium and the other end side of the medium in the width direction of the medium. the moving mechanism includes a medium transport mechanism that transports the medium in a longitudinal direction of the medium, and a cutter unit drive mechanism that moves the cutter unit in a width direction of the medium,
The media cutting device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control unit controls the medium transport speed by the medium transport mechanism and the movement speed of the cutter unit by the cutter unit drive mechanism in the first diagonal cutting mode and the second diagonal cutting mode in accordance with specified data input to the control unit, thereby cutting the medium at a desired angle relative to the width direction of the medium. The media cutting device according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer diameter of the paper tube is 3 inches or 2 inches. The medium is made of soft polyvinyl chloride or tarpaulin;
8. The medium cutting device according to claim 7, wherein a cutting angle of the medium with respect to a width direction of the medium in the first oblique cutting mode and the second oblique cutting mode is 7° to 13°. The media cutting device according to claim 8, characterized in that the cutting angle of the media in the width direction of the media in the first diagonal cutting mode and the second diagonal cutting mode is 8° to 12°. a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the medium before cutting;
A portion of the medium that has been processed by the processing mechanism is defined as a processed portion, and a portion of the medium that is upstream of the processing portion in the medium transport direction and that has not been processed by the processing mechanism is defined as a non-processed portion.
A media cutting device as described in any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that after the medium is processed by the processing mechanism, the control unit cuts the non-processed portion across the entire width of the medium in the horizontal cutting mode, and then cuts the medium in the first diagonal cutting mode and the second diagonal cutting mode for the non-processed portion that is located upstream in the medium transport direction from the cutting position in the horizontal cutting mode. a printing mechanism that prints on the medium before cutting using an inkjet method;
the printing mechanism includes an inkjet head that ejects ink onto the medium, and a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted;
the moving mechanism includes a medium transport mechanism that transports the medium in a longitudinal direction of the medium, and a cutter unit drive mechanism that moves the cutter unit in a width direction of the medium,
The cutter unit is mounted on the carriage,
11. The media cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the cutter unit drive mechanism moves the carriage in a width direction of the medium.

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