EP0807525A2 - Cutting device - Google Patents

Abstract

The mechanism includes first (102) and second (104) cutting blades. The first cutting blade is arranged to cut through all layers of the multi-layer tape. The second cutting blade is arranged to cut through one or more layers of the multi-layer tape, but leaving at least one layer intact and spaced at a location lengthwise of the tape with respect to the first cutting blade. An anvil holder carries first (106) and second (108) anvils arranged to cooperate respectively with the first and second cutting blades. The holder is mounted for rolling motion so that as the rolling motion widthwise of the tape occurs, the cutting operations are carried out. The first and second cutting blades are mounted on a common blade holder.

Description

The invention relates to a cutting device, in particular but not exclusively for use in a printing device, for cutting printed tape.

Electronic printing devices that work with a supply of multilayer tape contained in a cassette housed in the printing device are known. The multilayer tape has an image receiving layer and a back layer attached thereto by means of an adhesive layer. After the image-receiving layer has been printed with an image, the back layer can be removed so that the image-receiving layer can be attached to an object with the aid of the adhesive layer. Printing devices of this type have a cutting device for cutting off a section of the tape after the image-receiving layer has been printed with an image, so that this section of tape can be used as a label. For this purpose, the cutting device has a blade which is used to cut through all layers of the multilayer tape. There are also printing devices in which the cutting device has a so-called tab cutting blade, which serves to cut through only one of the layers of the multilayer tape, either the image-receiving layer or the backing layer, the other layer remaining intact. For example, a device is manufactured and sold by the applicant under the designation DYMO 6000, in which a tabular cutting blade is provided which cuts through the top image-receiving layer while the back-side layer remains intact. With one It is possible to easily separate the image-receiving layer from the back layer by tabulation.

In the DYMO 6000 device, the tabular cutting blade is a ceramic blade that is inserted as a mold insert in a tabular cutting blade carrier, whereby it protrudes by approximately 100 µm. When a tab cut is to be made, a force is applied to the blade carrier so that the blade cuts through the image-receiving layer of the tape while the tape is supported on a flat anvil surface. Since the amount by which the blade protrudes from the blade carrier is set precisely, a reliable tab cut is ensured in which the blade always cuts through the image-receiving tape, but leaves the back layer intact.

With this arrangement, however, there is the problem that a high expenditure of force is required, in particular when cutting larger bandwidths. These printing devices can work with tapes whose width is 6 mm, 12 mm and 19 mm. If a tab cut is made on a 19 mm wide band, the required force can be up to 80 to 100 N. With smaller pressure devices, it proves to be very difficult to apply the required high forces. A cutting device that solves this problem is described in our copending European Patent Application No. 0711637, published after the claimed priority date of the present application. The content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference. In this cutting device, an anvil is mounted such that it can roll against a cutting blade, so that the anvil is rolled down against the blade in order to make a cut is, whereby a cut is gradually made across the width of the tape. In this way, the tape is not cut at the same time, so that the actuating force required for the cut is significantly lower.

In EP 0711637, in which the roller anvil is used to make a tabular cut, a full cut is carried out with the aid of a separate cutting device which is mechanically connected to the roller anvil. An improvement of this solution is achieved with the present invention.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cutting device for performing cutting operations on a multi-layer tape, the cutting device having a first and a second cutting blade, the first cutting blade being arranged to cut through all layers of the multi-layer tape, and the second cutting blade so is arranged so that it cuts through one or more layers of the multilayer tape, but leaves at least one layer intact, and is spaced in the longitudinal direction of the tape from the first cutting blade; and an anvil holder carrying first and second anvils which are arranged to cooperate with the first and second cutting blades, respectively, and are mounted so as to be rollable that the cutting operations are carried out while the rolling movement is being carried out across the width of the belt.

The first and second cutting blades are preferably attached to a common blade carrier.

In this way, a simple cutting device is obtained with which a tabular cut as well as a full cut through Multi-layer tape can be carried out. The cutting device is particularly suitable for use in printing devices of the type described above. The invention thus also specifies a printing device which uses a cutting device of the type described above. Such a printing device may include an input device in the form of a keyboard or the like for entering user-defined information such as characters to be printed, length and format of the label and the like. Such a printing device also has a printing unit with a print head and a counter-pressure roller for carrying out printing processes. In one type of printing device, an image receiving tape is guided through the printing unit in overlap with a thermal transfer tape, the image receiving tape being a multilayer tape. The tape is transported through the printing zone by means of a motor that drives the platen roller or a set of transport rollers to pull the tape through the printing zone. Printing devices of this type have a controller in the form of a microprocessor which controls the time of printing in relation to the tape movement and in accordance with the data entered by the user via the input device. The thermal print head contains a column of printing elements, so that the ribbon is printed with an image column by column as it is guided past the printing unit.

In such printing devices, a label is generally drawn up, printed, and then a portion of the tape is cut to form this label. However, it can also be expedient to set up a cutting device in such a way that only a tab cut is made at intervals along the length of the tape in order to define the respective labels, which can then be detached from a common back without that part of the tape has been cut off completely. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is achieved by a component contained in the cutting device, by means of which the first cutting blade is optionally put out of operation. This can be controlled depending on the distance the anvil holder has traveled.

• Vermeidung eines direkten Kontakts zwischen Klinge und Amboß schließt schaden- und abnutzungsbedingte Probleme aus;
• der Betrag, um den die Klinge über ihren Klingenträger herausragt, muß nicht so präzise wie beim älteren Vorschlag eingestellt sein. Daraus ergibt sich der zusätzliche Vorteil, daß die Anforderungen hinsichtlich der Herstellung einer geraden Klinge weniger streng sein können.

Preferably, the anvil or the anvils have a circumferential slot which is aligned with the blade assigned to them, thereby avoiding direct contact between the blade and the anvil surface. This has the following advantages:

• Avoiding direct contact between the blade and anvil eliminates damage and wear related problems;
• the amount by which the blade protrudes over its blade carrier need not be set as precisely as in the older proposal. This has the added advantage that the requirements for making a straight blade can be less stringent.

If the slots are provided, the only decisive factor in distinguishing between a tabular cutting blade and a full cutting blade is the extent to which the blade protrudes from the blade carrier. This means that a common blade holder can be used for the tabular cutting blade and the full cutting blade.

According to a further feature of the invention, a cutting device is provided for performing cutting operations on a multi-layer belt, the cutting device comprising: a guide arrangement extending across the width of the belt and substantially parallel to the belt plane; and a cutting component that is movably supported under the guidance of this guide arrangement, whereby a cutting process is accomplished by moving the cutting component over the width of the belt.

• Figur 1 eine Draufsicht auf eine Schneidvorrichtung in einem Druckgerät mit eingelegter Kassette;
• Figur 2 einen Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II gemäß Figur 1, wobei der Rollamboß in einer Ausgangsposition dargestellt ist;
• Figur 3 eine schematische Darstellung der Bauteile einer zweiten Schneidvorrichtung;
• Figuren 4A und 4B eine Seitenansicht bzw. eine Draufsicht auf eine andere Kassettenanordnung;
• Figur 5A eine Ansicht der zweiten Schneidvorrichtung;
• Figur 5B einen Schnitt durch den Schlitten;
• Figur 5C eine schematische Darstellung des Schlittenblocks als Formteil;
• Figur 6 Bauteile einer Schneidvorrichtung, mit der die Vollschnittklinge wahlweise außer Betrieb gesetzt werden kann;
• Figuren 7A bis 7C Stirnansichten der Schneidvorrichtung gemäß Figur 6;
• Figur 8 eine schematische Darstellung der einzelnen Anschlagpositionen der Amboßhalterung;
• Figur 9 eine Darstellung der Antriebs- und Fühlerbauteile der Schneidvorrichtung gemäß Figur 6;
• Figur 10 eine Darstellung der vom Fühlerbauteil gemäß Figur 9 ausgehenden Signale;
• Figur 11 ein Blockdiagramm der Steuerschaltung;
• Figur 12 ein Ablaufdiagramm zur Darstellung der Arbeitsweise des wahlweisen Schneidvorgangs;
• Figur 13 ein Ablaufdiagramm zur Darstellung der Arbeitsweise im Streifenetikett-Modus;
• Figur 14 ein Ablaufdiagramm zur Darstellung der von einem Benutzer wählbaren Optionen;
• Figur 15 die Anzeigemöglichkeiten im Sondermodus; und
• Figur 16 die Anzeigemöglichkeiten im Installationsmodus.

For a better understanding of the invention and to illustrate its practical feasibility, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing. Show it:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of a cutting device in a printing device with an inserted cassette;
• FIG. 2 shows a section along the line II-II according to FIG. 1, the roller anvil being shown in a starting position;
• Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the components of a second cutting device;
• Figures 4A and 4B are a side view and a plan view of another cartridge assembly;
• Figure 5A is a view of the second cutter;
• FIG. 5B shows a section through the carriage;
• FIG. 5C shows a schematic illustration of the slide block as a molded part;
• FIG. 6 components of a cutting device with which the full-cutting blade can optionally be put out of operation;
• FIGS. 7A to 7C end views of the cutting device according to FIG. 6;
• Figure 8 is a schematic representation of the individual stop positions of the anvil holder;
• FIG. 9 shows the drive and sensor components of the cutting device according to FIG. 6;
• FIG. 10 shows the signals coming from the sensor component according to FIG. 9;
• Figure 11 is a block diagram of the control circuit;
• Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the optional cutting operation;
• Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation in the strip label mode;
• FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the options that can be selected by a user;
• FIG. 15 the display options in special mode; and
• Figure 16 shows the display options in installation mode.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a cutting device, as was described in our older European application with the publication number 0711637, in a printing device which has a printing device and in which a cassette is inserted. The reference number 2 denotes a housing of the printing device which has a cassette receiving space. In the interior of the housing 2 there is a base plate 4 with an upstanding part 6 which serves to receive a return spring 8. The printing device has a print head 10 and a counter-pressure roller 12 which is operatively connected to the print head in order to print on an image receiving tape T. The print head 10 and the counter-pressure roller 12 are mounted on the base plate 4 in the interior of the housing 2. The print head 10 can be moved from the operating position shown in FIG. 1 to a non-operating position in which it is spaced apart from the counter-pressure roller 12 in order to be able to easily remove and insert a cassette. Reference numeral 14 denotes a cassette inserted in the cassette accommodating space. The cassette 14 contains a supply of ink ribbon and image receiving tape, which are passed in mutual overlap between the platen roller and the printhead. The ribbon is then rewound into the cassette 14, while the image receiving tape is being transported out of the printer. Reference numeral 16 designates the printing zone through which the image receiving tape and ink ribbon are guided in mutual overlap, and reference numeral 18 designates the zone in which the tape exits the printer. Between zones 16 and 18 is an area in which the cutting process takes place, as will be described in more detail later.

The cutter consists of two main parts. The first part has a cutting body 20 on which a blade 22 is attached. The blade 22 serves to cut through the tape T in its entire thickness, whereby it enters a slot 24, which is located in the cassette 14 at a first cutting location C1. The cutting body 20 moves on supports 56, 58. On its surface adjacent to the tape T, the cutting body 20 has a tape holding clamp 28 in order to hold the tape T against a support surface of the cassette 14 during the cutting process. The reference number 26 denotes one of two strap holding springs assigned to the respective support 56, 58. The operation of this part of the cutting device is disclosed in our European patent application publication number 0634275, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

With the second part of the cutting device, a so-called tab cut is performed through the tape at a second cutting location C2, which is spaced from the fixed first cutting location. The tape is a tape made up of several layers with at least an upper layer, an adhesive layer and a backing layer which can be removed from the adhesive layer in such a way that the upper one Layer can be attached to an object by means of the adhesive layer. The top layer of the tape is printed with an image or information. In Fig. 1, the upper layer of the tape T is on the right in the picture on the side facing the print head. The second part of the cutting device has a blade carrier 30 which carries a so-called tab cutting blade 32. The carrier 30 for the tab cut blade is mounted in a tab cut spring body 34, which in turn is resiliently biased against a tab cut support part 36 of the printer. This part of the cutting device also has a so-called roller anvil 38. The roller anvil 38 is rolled down against the tab cutting blade 32, a cut being made gradually over the width of the band T. The depth of cut is controlled so that the cut runs only through the upper band layer, while the back layer remains intact.

The roller anvil 38 can be seen more clearly from FIG. 2, which represents a section along the line II-II according to FIG. 1. The anvil has an arcuate surface 3 and an actuating part 38a. Figures 1 and 2 show the roller anvil in its starting position. The movement of the roller anvil 38 is controlled by two guides, namely a first guide 40 facing the housing 2 of the printer and a second guide 42 facing inward of the cassette receiving space. The guides 40, 42 are provided with guideways for the movement of the Rollambosses 38 to control. To guide it, the anvil has two projections, for example in the form of balls or pins, which are arranged in the vicinity of the respective ends of its arcuate surface 3. The pens are not apparent from Fig. 2 because they are on the viewer opposite side of the roller anvil. The corresponding pins arranged on the side of the anvil facing the viewer and which cooperate with corresponding guideways in the guide 40 are not shown in FIG. 2 for reasons of clarity. Of course, it is not absolutely necessary to form-fit the anvil on both sides. A single guide on one side can be sufficient. An actuating pin 48 for the cutting body is also mounted on the roller anvil. This pin is located on the side of the anvil 38 which faces away from the viewer in FIG. 2. The cutting body 20 has a guide path 50 shown in FIG. 2, in which the actuating pin 48 attached to the anvil 38 is guided. The guideway 50 extends at an angle, as shown in FIG. 2.

The operation of the older cutter is described below. Fig. 2 shows the starting position. In this position, the return spring 8, which is arranged between the upstanding part 6 around the deflection roller 52 and the actuating pin 48 for the cutting body, is in a relaxed state. The guide pins are held in an upper part of the guideway. The cutting body 20 is in a position in which it holds the blade 22 at a distance from the band T. In order to make a cut, the actuating part 38a of the roller anvil 38 moves in the direction of arrow A according to FIG. 2. The movement of the anvil is controlled by the movement of the guide pins in the guideway. The movement is controlled in such a way that the arch-shaped anvil surface is unrolled along the surface of the tab cut blade carrier 30, the tape being gradually provided with a tab cut, while passing the second cutting location C2. Guide pins and guideway are positioned to ensure accurate, reproducible roll motion.

When the roller anvil 38 is moved, the actuating pin for the cutting body is guided along the guideway 50 in the cutting body 20. As a result, the cutting body 20 is moved to the right in FIG. 2. The downward movement of the actuating pin for the cutting body also causes the return spring 8 to expand, which is thereby set in a tensioned state. When the cutting body 20 moves to the right in FIG. 2, the blade 22 held in the cutting body 20 makes a full cut through the band T at the cutting location C1.

3 shows a practical embodiment of a cutting device according to an embodiment of the invention. This cutting device is provided for those cases in which a cassette such as the cassette 14 shown in FIG. 1 does not have a support wall for the tape with a slot 24, but instead closes with a guide part behind the printing location. The cutting device is thus arranged completely outside the cassette boundary, where the tape comes out of the cassette. In addition, the cassette is not required to contain both an image receiving tape and a thermal transfer tape. The thermal transfer belt could be accommodated in a separate cassette, or it could be dispensed with entirely.

Such an arrangement is shown in Figures 4A and 4B. In Fig. 4B, the base plate of the printing device is omitted for the sake of clarity, although the cassettes are of course in a cassette receiving space of a printing device are included. The printing device has a printing device, which consists of a print head 210 and a counter-pressure roller 212, as described above. FIG. 4B shows an ink ribbon cassette 214, in which there is a supply of ink ribbon or thermal transfer ribbon, and a substrate cassette 216, in which a supply of image receiving tape is located. The image receiving tape and the ink ribbon are passed through each other in registration between the print head 210 and the platen roller 212 to perform a printing operation. The ribbon is then fed back into the ribbon cassette 214, while the image receiving ribbon, which is now printed with an image, is fed from the printing zone to the left in Fig. 4B. This feed is accomplished by the rotation of the backing roller 212. At a tape exit point EL, the substrate cassette 216 has a guide part 218. Downstream of the exit point EL is a cutting device 220, which is described in more detail below. FIG. 4A is a view from the side of FIG. 4B in the direction of arrow IV. It can thus be seen that the base plate 222 of the printing device carries the ink ribbon cassette 214 and the carrier cassette 216. FIG. 4A also shows how the tape T emerges from the device in the direction of the viewer. The cutting device 220 itself will now be described in more detail below.

In Fig. 3, the cutting device has a blade carrier 100, in which a full cut blade 102 and a tab cut blade 103 are held, the former serving to make a cut extending through the total thickness of all layers of a multi-layer tape, while the latter cuts through just one or more Layers of a multi-layer tape is to be carried out, with the back layer remaining intact. The cutting device also has an anvil holder 104 which carries two "roller anvils" 106, 108. The first roller anvil 106 has the function of interacting with the full cut blade 102, while the second roller anvil 108 serves to interact with the tabular cutting blade 103. The anvil holder 104 is in the form of a central shaft rotatable about an axis AA. The roll anvils each have a narrow circumferential slot 106a and 108a. The slots are aligned with the blade assigned to them in such a way that there is no direct contact between the blade and the anvil. Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the tape T when leaving the cassette and during its further transport to the cutting device in the direction of arrow B. As in Fig. 1, the cutting locations C1 and C2 are arranged at a distance from one another in order to make a full cut at the cutting location C1 and perform a tab cut at the cutting location C2, the desired cutting mode being selected in the manner described below.

5A shows the cutting device from its front side. This view is obtained by looking at the tape T along its way out of the cassette. The blade carrier 100 can thus be viewed in section, the full-cutting blade 102 being visible. In Fig. 5A the width of the band is designated w. This value is variable depending on the width of the tape inserted. The anvil holder 104 is mounted on a carriage 110 and is biased against the blade carrier 100 by the action of a spring 112 under constant force. The downward force is indicated by the arrow F. Under the action of a motor-driven one Guide spindle 114, the carriage can be moved back and forth across the width of the belt T. When the carriage is driven by the lead screw, the roller anvils 106 and 108 are rotated, thereby cutting the tape T against the action of the blades at the cutting locations C1 and C2.

5B shows a section through the carriage 110, the mode of operation of which can be seen more clearly. The guide spindle 114 extends through an opening 115 in the slide 110 and is received in threaded nuts 117 at both ends of the opening. Rotation of the lead screw 114 thus causes the carriage 110 to move laterally in FIG. 5B.

The carriage 110 consists of a main part 110a and a pivotable part 110b. The pivotable part 110b has a recess 119 for receiving the holder or shaft 104 of the roller anvil. The pivotable part 110b is hinged to the main part 110a by means of a hinge 110c. Thus, spring 112 acts between main body 110a and pivotable body 110b to apply downward force F, as set forth above with reference to FIG. 5A.

To simplify production, the slide is made in one piece, the pivotable part 110b being open to the main part 110a. This is shown in more detail in Fig. 5C. Because the carriage is made in one piece, the spring can be attached to the carriage and the pivotable part 110b can be folded back in the direction of the arrow Y, which simplifies production.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the full-cut blade can either be put into or out of operation, so that the cutting device either carries out a full cut with a tabular cut or only a tabular cut. A cutting device that offers this possibility is shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, the roller anvils 106 and 108 being shown attached to the anvil holder 104. The full cut blade 102 is mounted on a cutting blade pin 116 which is actuated by a slide 118. The slide 118 is an essentially flat component with an elongated part which is guided in a guide groove 120 formed in the blade carrier 100. 7A shows an end view of the cutting device, the slide being shown in more detail. 7A shows the slider in its retracted position. On its right side in FIG. 7A, the slide 118 has a cam part 122, against which the cutting blade pin 116 bears. On its left side in FIG. 7A, the slider 118 has an actuating part 124 which extends upwards from the elongated part of the slider.
The actuating part 124 carries an actuating element 126 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the blade carrier, ie in the direction in which the carriage 110 moves. There is a stop 128 at its end. The arrangement of the stop 128 is as described below.

Figure 7A shows the anvil holder 104 in its home position, at the far left end of its path, as shown in Figure 7A. In this position, it holds the actuating part 124 of the slider 118 so that the cam part 122 holds the cutting blade pin 116 down, the full cutting blade 102 disengaging. Now roll the anvil holder 104 from its starting position to the right in Fig. 7A in the direction of arrow C, only a tab cut is made on the tape. The anvil bracket 104 has two stop positions, an inner stop position as shown in FIG. 7B and an outer stop position as shown in FIG. 7C. In the inner stop position, the shaft of the anvil holder abuts the stop 128 of the actuator 126 and thus does not cause the slide 118 to move. The full-cut blade thus remains disengaged and when the anvil holder returns to its original position on its return stroke from the inner stop position also not a full cut on the label.

However, if the anvil holder 104 rolls to the outer stop position according to FIG. 7C, it becomes clear that it has now come into contact with the stop 128 of the actuating element 126 and has thus pulled the slide 118 to the right. The cam part has now released the cutting blade pin 116, so that the full cutting blade 102 returns to its cutting position. When the anvil holder 104 is returned to its starting position, a full cut is thus made through the band. If a full cut is made, the anvil holder 104, in the final phase of the return stroke, moves the actuating part 124 of the slider 118 back to the left when the anvil holder reaches its starting position. Thus, the slider 118, through its cam portion 122, causes the cutting blade pin 116 to move downward so that the full cutting blade 102 is in its inactive position. The next extension stroke of the anvil holder 104 does not result in a full cut. In other words, the present embodiment only allows a full cut to be made during the return stroke of the anvil holder 104.

Fig. 8 shows the starting position, the inner stop position and the outer stop position with respect to the maximum width of the tape T. This arrangement enables a user to choose whether a full cut with tabular cut or only a tabular cut should be carried out. This can be done automatically with the aid of the arrangement according to FIG. 9. The blade carrier is not shown in FIG. 9, but the carriage 110 with the roller anvil 106. As described above in connection with FIG. 5A, the carriage 110 runs on a guide spindle 114. The reference number 200 denotes a DC motor with which the Leading spindle is driven via a reduction gear pair 202. A first leaf spring switch 204 is provided, which detects the starting position of the anvil holder 104. The detection of the inner and outer stop position is achieved by a second leaf spring switch 206, which detects the revolutions of a second gear wheel of the reduction gear pair 202. This can be done, for example, with the help of a front cam on the second gear wheel. With each revolution of the guide spindle 114, a pulse is thus generated at the second leaf spring switch 206, as a result of which a simple rising rotary encoder is formed. 10 shows the respective signals from the leaf spring switches 204 and 206. The leaf spring switches 204 and 206 are referred to here as diagnostic switches.

11 shows a block diagram of a circuit arrangement for a printing device for carrying out the above-mentioned feature. FIG. 11 shows a central controller 300 for the printing device, which has a microprocessor with a read-only memory ROM 302 and a random access memory RAM 304. The controller 300 is with an LCD driver 309 connected to control a display device 308 of the printing device. As indicated by the jagged line across the connection between the controller 300 and the LCD driver 309, the display device and associated driver may be located away from the printing device. The controller 300 also communicates with a keyboard or other input device 306 to obtain information about data to be printed, cutting operations, and the like. For this purpose, a large number of keys are provided, which are shown, for example, as keys 320, 310, 312 and 316. As again indicated by the jagged line across the connection between the controller 300 and the keyboard 306, there is also the possibility here that the keyboard is placed away from the printing device. There is also a connection between the controller 300 and the printhead 210 and a ribbon drive motor 307 which drives the platen roller to feed the ribbon out of the printing device. The print head and the tape drive motor carry out the printing and feed processes, controlled by the control, in a manner known per se. The controller 300 is also connected to a two-way motor control circuit 317 which controls the operation of the cutting drive motor 200 in a manner to be described in more detail below.

The controller 300 receives information from the cutting diagnostic switches 204, 206 shown in FIG. 9. The controller 300 is also connected to cartridge diagnostic switches 301, which are located in the cartridge receiving space of the printing device and provide parameters relating to the cartridge to the controller 300 for Example of the type of tape, its width, etc.

The operation of the control circuit for performing the cutting operation described above is explained below in connection with FIG. 12. In short, the control circuit 300 receives corresponding signals from the cutting diagnostic switches 204, 206, by means of which it can determine the position of the carriage. It can therefore cause the direction of movement of the anvil holder to be reversed either at the inner or outer stop position.

A more detailed illustration is shown in FIG. 12, in which the start of a cutting process is shown at step 400. A cutting operation can be triggered by the user pressing a cutting key on the keyboard 306 or automatically by the device itself after it has printed a certain length of labels. In step 402, control checks whether a full cut is required. This must be set by the user at the time the label is formatted or when a cutting operation is initiated. Depending on the result of the test, a number N is set which is equal to the number of switching pulses to be expected from the diagnostic leaf spring switch 206. If a full cut is required, the number N is set to N2, while for a tabular cut alone, the number N is set to N1. N1 is logically smaller than N2, since the extension stroke of the carriage 110 is shorter in the case of a tab cut than in the case of a full cut on the return stroke.

At step 404, the carriage 110 is moved outward by starting the engine 200. Diagnostic leaf spring switch 204 determines when the carriage has passed the home position, as indicated by transition 405 in FIG. 10. This transition is recognized in step 406, and the The controller then counts the increasing switching pulses derived from the diagnostic leaf spring switch 206. If N is equal to the preset number (N1 or N2, depending on the determination in steps 403a, 403b), the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed in step 407 to drive the carriage 110 inwards. If the signal for the starting position is reached (step 408), the sequence of steps is ended (step 409). The diagnostic leaf spring switch 204 (see Figure 9) is used to turn off the DC motor 200 when the anvil bracket 104 returns to its home position. This is not caused directly, but rather by the software of the controller 300.

A user can thus request labels with or without a full cut via a user interface of the printing device. In addition, a sequence of labels can also be produced in the strip mode, and after the last of these labels the control circuit can cause the cutting device to carry out a full cut with the last tab cut in order to separate the label strip from the printing device. Further details on the manner in which labels can be produced in the so-called "strip mode" are disclosed in our older European patent application with the publication number 0578372. The content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference.

The flow chart in Fig. 13 shows how a sequence of labels can be produced in the strip mode, the strip being cut off at the end with a full cut. The flowchart in Fig. 13 begins at the point where a user has requested a sequence of p labels, the single label only from its neighboring label is separated by a tab cut, but the labels remain attached to a common strip of backing tape. This is identified in the flowchart by step 500.

Before printing the first label, the processor sets p to 0 in step 502. In step 504, the processor then prints the first label in the sequence. In step 506, p is increased by 1 and compared in step 507 with P. It is clear that p is not equal to P on the first label, and consequently the full cut blade is put out of order as explained above. Thus, only a tab cut is performed, as shown in step 510.

, ist die Vollschnittklinge nicht mehr außer Betrieb, so daß beim nächsten Schnitt der Etikettenstreifen abgeschnitten wird, wobei gleichzeitig am letzten Etikett ein Tabenschnitt stattfindet. Dies ist in Schritt 512 dargestellt.
Im Ablaufdiagramm von Fig. 14 ist dargestellt, wie ein Benutzer an der Benutzerschnittstelle eine geeignete Option auswählt. Wie in unserer gleichzeitig anhängigen Anmeldung GB 9614144.5 mit dem Titel "Printing Apparatus" näher beschrieben, weist das Druckgerät eine Benutzerschnittstelle mit einer Anzeigevorrichtung und diversen Eingabetasten auf. Diese Eingabetasten umfassen eine Drucktaste (PRINT), einen Satz Funktionstasten (FUNCTION), eine Wähltaste (SELECT) und einen Satz Dateneingabetasten (DATA INPUT). Zu den Funktionstasten zählt eine Installationstaste (SET UP) und eine Sondertaste (SPECIAL), mit denen ein Benutzer die verschiedenen hier erörterten Schneidmöglichkeiten auswählen kann. Wie in Schritt 600 angegeben, wird durch Betätigen der Drucktaste PRINT durch einen Benutzer ein Druckvorgang ausgewählt. Durch Drücken der Sondertaste SPECIAL erscheint im Anzeigefeld ein Menü an Etikettenwahlmöglichkeiten, wie in Fig. 15 dargestellt. Durch die Verwendung von Cursortasten kann der Benutzer eine der folgenden angezeigten Optionen auswählen:

• Kopien
• ansteigende Kopien
• Farbe
• Vorschau
• Umkehrdruck
• Seriendruck

Is $\text{p = P}$

, the full-cut blade is no longer out of operation, so that the next time the label is cut, the label strip is cut off, a tab cut being made at the same time on the last label. This is shown in step 512.
The flowchart of FIG. 14 shows how a user selects a suitable option on the user interface. As described in more detail in our copending application GB 9614144.5 entitled "Printing Apparatus", the printing device has a user interface with a display device and various input keys. These input keys include a PRINT key, a set of function keys (FUNCTION), a dial key (SELECT), and a set of data input keys (DATA INPUT). The function keys include an installation key (SET UP) and a special key (SPECIAL) with which a user can select the various cutting options discussed here. As indicated in step 600, a user selects a print operation by pressing the PRINT button. By pressing the Special key SPECIAL appears in the display field a menu of label selection options, as shown in Fig. 15. By using cursor keys, the user can select one of the following displayed options:

• Copies
• increasing copies
• colour
• preview
• Reverse pressure
• Mail merge

The user can also use the data entry keys to enter a number which then appears on the display in block 601 next to the selected option. The processor then determines in step 602 whether one or more copies have been requested. If it is only a single label, the label is printed at step 604, whereupon the cutting process at step 606 includes a full-cut tab cut.

• nur Tabenschnitt
• Voll- und Tabenschnitt

By pressing the following function keys in installation mode, the user can display the selection menu shown in Fig. 16, the following cutting options being available:

• only tab cut
• Full and tabular cut

If the user has only selected the tab cut, the processor recognizes this at step 608. If a full cut is selected, a sequence of copies of a label is printed and individually cut with a full cut as shown in a series of steps 610, 612 and 614.

If only one tab cut was selected by the user, the program sequence identified by block 616 in FIG. 14 and shown in detail in FIG. 13 is executed.

In contrast to a full cut, the processor must also take the lead length of a label into account when working in strip mode. This can be done in the manner described in EP 578372.

As stated above, the user can request multiple copies of the same label. The printer can count the number of copies and, if desired, display this to a user. The display shows how many copies have been printed or are still to be printed. In addition, the printing device can be set up so that it delivers so-called increasing copies. This means that the printer can print a series of labels with each label assigned a number, with subsequent labels having that number plus 1. Alternatively, the user can select the number of labels that will be printed with the same increasing number. For example, he could select 3 copies of labels that have the same increasing number.

As a further possibility, the lead length of a label can be reduced by starting a printing process so that a part of the label is printed, the printing process is then stopped to make a tab cut after the tape has been fed a predetermined length, and then the full label is printed. This enables shorter labels to be produced, which means that tape consumption is reduced to a minimum.

Claims (18)

Cutting device for performing cutting operations on a multilayer belt (T), the cutting device having a first cutting blade (102) and a second cutting blade (103), the first cutting blade (102) being arranged such that it passes through all layers of the multilayer belt (T) cuts, and the second cutting blade (103) is arranged so that it cuts through one or more layers of the multi-layer tape (T), but leaves at least one layer intact, and is spaced in the longitudinal direction of the tape from the first cutting blade (102); characterized by an anvil holder (104) which carries a first anvil (106) and a second anvil (108) which are arranged so that they cooperate with the first cutting blade (102) and the second cutting blade (103) and are mounted so as to be rollable are that during the exercise of the rolling movement across the width of the multilayer belt (T) the cutting operations are carried out. Cutting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first (102) and the second cutting blade (103) are fastened on a common blade carrier (100). Cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the anvil or the anvils (106, 108) has or have a circumferential slot (106a, 108a) which is aligned with the blade (102, 103) assigned to it. Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a motor (200) is provided for causing the rolling movement. Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anvil holder (104) is rotatably mounted relative to a slide (110), the slide (110) being mounted such that it carries out a linear movement over the width of the band (T) . Cutting device according to claim 5, characterized in that the carriage (110) is mounted on a guide spindle (114), the rotation of the guide spindle (114) causing the linear movement of the carriage (110). Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anvil holder (104) is biased relative to the first (102) and second cutting blade (103). Cutting device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that a pivotably articulated part (110b) of the slide (110) carries the anvil holder (104) and is biased against a main part (110a) of the slide (110). Cutting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first cutting blade (102) can optionally be put out of operation. Cutting device according to claim 9, characterized in that the optional decommissioning of the first Cutting blade (102) depends on the path that the anvil holder (104) has traveled. Cutting device for performing cutting processes on a multi-layer belt (T), characterized by: a guide arrangement extending across the width of the belt and substantially parallel to the plane of the belt (T); and a cutting component which is movably supported under the guidance of this guide arrangement, whereby a cutting operation is accomplished by moving the cutting component over the width (w) of the band (T). Cutting device according to Claim 11, characterized in that the cutting device has a fixed blade (103) which extends across the width of the band, and the cutting component contains an anvil (106) which is movably mounted under the guidance of the guide arrangement so that the band (T) is cut against the blade (103). Cutting device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the guide arrangement includes a guide spindle (114) on which a carriage (110) is mounted, and wherein the cutting component has an anvil (106) rotatably mounted relative to the carriage (110), whereby the linear movement of the carriage (110) guided by the guide arrangement causes the anvil (106) to roll. Cutting device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the guide spindle (114) is set in rotation by a motor (200). Cutting device according to one of Claims 11 to 14, characterized in that two anvils (106, 108) are mounted on the slide (110) in such a way that they can roll against the slide (110), and the cutting device has a first cutting blade (102 ) and a second cutting blade (103), the first cutting blade (102) being arranged to cut through all layers of the multilayer tape, and the second cutting blade (103) being arranged to pass through one or more layers of the multilayer tape (T) cuts, but leaves at least one layer intact, and is spaced in the longitudinal direction of the band (T) from the first cutting blade (102). Cutting device according to claim 15, characterized in that means are provided with which the first cutting blade (102) is optionally put out of operation. Cutting device according to claim 16, characterized in that the optional decommissioning of the first cutting blade (102) depends on the distance that the cutting component has traveled over the width (w) of the band (T). Printing device having an input device (306) for entering user-defined information; a printing unit with a print head (10, 210) and a counter-pressure roller (12, 212) for carrying out printing processes in a printing zone (16); Means for transporting the tape (T) through the pressure zone (16); a cutting device according to one of the preceding claims; and a control circuit (300) for controlling the printing and cutting operations.

Images