JP6258821B2 - Cutter unit and printer - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a cutter unit and a printer.

  Conventionally, a printer that prints on a label without a mount is used. The label without a mount is a label in which a band-shaped sheet having a glue layer on the back surface of the printing surface is wound without a mount. The label without a mount is cut into a predetermined length by the cutter unit after printing.

  The cutter unit is cut by sandwiching a label without a mount between the fixed blade and the movable blade. When the fixed blade is in contact with the printing surface, the movable blade is in contact with the glue layer, and the movable blade is disposed downstream of the fixed blade in the label conveying direction, there are the following problems.

  The movable blade contacts the adhesive layer during the label cutting operation. For this reason, the cut label sticks to the movable blade, the label is drawn into the gap around the movable blade, and the label may be broken or torn. In this case, the label must be discarded, and a replacement label must be printed again, which is complicated.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cutter unit and a printer that are less likely to be broken or torn due to the label sticking to the movable blade of the cutter unit that cuts the label without mount.

A cutter unit for cutting a label in which a belt-like sheet having a glue layer on the back surface of a printing surface of the embodiment is wound without a mount is provided with a fixed blade, a movable blade, and a drive unit. The fixed blade has the cutting edge facing the printing surface side of the label. The movable blade is a single blade having an inclined surface of the cutting edge, which is a portion that gradually becomes thinner from the shirring line to the blade edge, only on the downstream side in the label conveying direction, and is located on the downstream side in the label conveying direction from the fixed blade. A concave-convex shape is provided in a region including the crease on the surface on the downstream side in the label transport direction with the label facing the adhesive layer side of the label. The driving unit moves the movable blade in a direction of coming into contact with and separating from the fixed blade when the label is cut.

  The printer of the embodiment includes a printing unit and the above-described cutter unit. The printing unit prints on a label in which a belt-like sheet having a glue layer on the back surface of the printing surface is wound without a mount. The cutter unit cuts the label printed by the printing unit.

FIG. 1 is a vertical right side view schematically showing the structure of the label printer of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a right side view illustrating the configuration of the cutting unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A is a front view and FIG. 3B is a right side view showing a shape of the movable blade according to the embodiment and a region where the surface roughening process is performed. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a change in the relative position between the fixed blade and the movable blade according to the embodiment, following a label cutting step ((a) before cutting, (b) immediately after starting cutting, (c) when cutting is completed). It is. FIG. 5 is a front view showing two specific examples of the process of roughening the appearance and the surface of the movable blade according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining inconveniences that occur when a movable blade that is not subjected to a roughening process is used. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a movable blade in a modification of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the movable blade in a modification of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the movable blade in the modification of the embodiment.

  Embodiments of a cutter unit and a printer will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical right side view schematically showing a structure of a label printer 1 which is an embodiment of a printer. The label printer 1 prints on the label L without mount, and issues the label L without mount after printing into a predetermined length. The mountless label L is obtained by winding a belt-like sheet having a paste layer on the back side of the printing surface without the mount. Hereinafter, for convenience, the label L without the mount is simply referred to as a label L.

  The label printer 1 includes a housing 2, a label holding unit 3, a printing unit 4, and a cutting unit 5. The cutting part 5 is an embodiment of a cutter unit.

  The housing 2 includes a main body portion 21 and a lid portion 22. The main body 21 is an opening on the upper surface, and houses the above-described parts (the label holding part 3, the printing part 4, and the cutting part 5). The lid portion 22 is rotatably attached to the main body portion 21 on the back side (back side), and opens and closes the opening of the main body portion 21 according to the rotation.

  The label holding unit 3 rotatably holds a label roll R that is a portion around which the label L is wound. The printing unit 4 includes a thermal head 41 and a platen roller 42, and prints the label L drawn from the label roll R. The platen roller 42 rotates in contact with the adhesive layer of the label L and gives a conveying force to the label L. The thermal head 41 prints on the label L supported by the platen roller 42.

  FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the configuration of the cutting part 5. The cutting unit 5 includes a fixed blade 51, a movable blade 52, and a driving unit (not shown), and cuts the label L after printing by the printing unit 4. The fixed blade 51 has the blade edge 511 facing the printing surface side of the label L. The movable blade 52 is located downstream of the fixed blade 51 in the label conveying direction, and the blade edge 521 is directed to the adhesive layer s side of the label L. When the label L is cut, the driving unit moves the movable blade 52 in a direction in which the movable blade 52 is in contact with or separated from the fixed blade 51 by a driving force such as a motor.

  The fixed blade 51 has a cutting blade 512. The cutting blade 512 is a portion that gradually becomes thinner from the strainer 513 to the blade edge 511 of the fixed blade 51. The fixed blade 51 is a single blade having the inclined surface of the cutting blade 512 only on the upstream side in the label conveying direction.

  Similarly, the movable blade 52 has a cutting blade 522. The cutting edge 522 is a portion that gradually becomes thinner from the crease line 523 of the movable blade 52 to the blade edge 521. The movable blade 52 is a single blade having the inclined surface of the cutting blade 522 only on the downstream side in the label conveying direction.

  The cutting unit 5 further includes a stage 53. The stage 53 is located downstream of the movable blade 52 in the label conveyance direction, and is adjacent to the movable blade 52 with a predetermined gap. The stage 53 is a table-like member having an upward surface, and supports the label L after cutting from the side of the adhesive layer s from the time of cutting.

  The movable blade 52 is processed to roughen the surface. The process of roughening the surface is a process of adding irregular or regular uneven shapes to the surface by spraying a paint on the surface, cutting the surface, or finishing the surface. The processing is performed on a predetermined region A in the present embodiment. 3A is a front view and FIG. 3B is a right side view showing a region A where the shape and surface of the movable blade 52 are roughened.

  The setting of the area A will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the change in the relative position between the fixed blade 51 and the movable blade 52, step by step of cutting the label L. 4A, 4B, and 4C show the positions of the fixed blade 51 and the movable blade 52 before cutting, immediately after the start of cutting, and when cutting is completed, respectively.

  The area A is set based on the maximum distance d1 from the blade edge 511 to the blade edge 521 when the fixed blade 51 and the movable blade 52 overlap each other most. FIG. 3 shows the state where the region A is set with the width d2 from the sinus bar 523 toward the root of the movable blade 52 over the entire width of the barb 523. For example, the width d2 is substantially equal to the distance d1.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B are front views showing the appearance of the movable blade 52, and show two specific examples of the processing for roughening the surface described above. FIG. 5A shows an example in which an irregular uneven shape 524 is applied to the region A by a technique such as spraying paint mixed with particles. FIG. 5B shows an example in which line grooves and scratches 525 are formed in the region A.

  In this embodiment, the movable blade 52 is further subjected to non-adhesive processing (not shown) from above the uneven shape 524, the line groove and the scratch 525. Non-adhesive processing is, for example, coating with a fluorine-based or silicone-based resin.

  In such a configuration, the label printer 1 cuts the label L drawn and printed from the label roll R into a predetermined size by the cutting unit 5. At the time of cutting, the movable blade 52 is applied with a driving force from the driving unit, and moves in a direction in which the movable blade 52 is in contact with and away from the fixed blade 51. That is, the movable blade 52 rises and lowers during cutting.

  Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining inconveniences that occur when the movable blade 152 that is not subjected to the process of roughening the surface is used. If the movable blade 152 that has not been subjected to the process of roughening the surface is used as in the prior art, the inconvenience as in the illustrated example may occur.

  In other words, the glue layer of the label L lifted by the movable blade sticks to the movable blade 152 that has been raised when the label L is cut (see FIG. 6A). Then, as the movable blade 152 is lowered, the label L is drawn into the gap with the stage 53 (see FIG. 6B). In this case, the label L is broken or torn.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the process which roughens the surface is performed to the area | region A, the area to which a paste layer adheres is small. For this reason, the adhesive force acting between the adhesive layer and the region A is weaker than before. Therefore, there is not enough adhesive force to pull the label L into the gap between the movable blade 52 and the stage 53 as the movable blade 52 descends. Therefore, even if the adhesive layer of the label L touches the cutting blade 522 or the region A of the movable blade 52 that has been raised during the cutting operation, the label L is not drawn into the moving blade 52 that is lowered and remains on the stage 53.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconvenience that the label L sticks to the movable blade 52 and is pulled along with the movable blade 52 to be broken or torn.

(Modification of the embodiment)
A modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7-9 is a figure which shows the external appearance of the movable blade in a modification. In the above embodiment, the example in which the movable blade 52 is processed as shown in FIG. 5 has been described. However, the movable blade may be processed as shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the region for roughening the surface is set only by biasing to the side where the stroke that interferes with the fixed blade 51 is long. In the movable blade 61 shown in FIG. 7A, a process 611 for roughening the surface is applied to a region B1 having a long stroke that interferes with the fixed blade 51. The movable blade 62 shown in FIG. 7B has a V-shaped cutting blade 621 that is recessed at the center. For this reason, in the movable blade 62, regions B <b> 2 and B <b> 3 are provided at both end portions of the cutting blade 621 to perform a process 622 for roughening the surface.

  In this way, by setting the regions B1, B2, and B3 by deviating to the side where the stroke that interferes with the fixed blade 51 is long, a desired effect can be obtained even if the regions are provided small.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram more specifically showing the example of FIG. The movable blades 71 and 72 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are examples in which a plurality of parallel cutting lines 711 and 721 are provided in the region B1. Further, in the movable blade 71 of FIG. 8A, the region B1 is set so as to be applied to the sword muscle 712.

  The movable blades 73 and 74 shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D are examples in which depressions 731 and 741 are provided in the region B1. Further, in the movable blade 73 of FIG. 8C, the region B <b> 1 is set so as to be applied to the sword line 732. The movable blade 75 shown in FIG. 8E is an example in which a plurality of linear protrusions 751 are provided in the region B1.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the surface roughening process is performed by pressing or knurling. The movable blade 81 shown in FIG. 9A is an example in which the surface of the entire region that overlaps the fixed blade 51 at the time of completion of cutting is roughened and the streaks 811 are provided. The movable blade 82 shown in FIG. 9B is an example in which the entire surface on the downstream side in the label conveying direction of the movable blade 82 is subjected to processing for roughening the surface, and the streak 821 is provided. The movable blade 83 shown in FIG. 9C is an example in which the entire surface on the downstream side in the label conveying direction of the movable blade 83 is subjected to a process for roughening the surface, thereby providing unevenness 831.

  Also by the modification of the above embodiment, generation | occurrence | production of the inconvenience which a label L sticks to the movable blade 52 and is pulled by accompanying with the movable blade 52 can be suppressed.

  In addition, as shown to the said embodiment and modification, the process which roughens the surface given to a movable blade may be provided partially or entirely.

  Further, the process for roughening the surface may be a process of recessing the basic plane before the process, a process of providing a protrusion on the basic plane, or a combination of both processes.

  As mentioned above, although some embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

1 ... label printer,
2 ... Case, 21 ... Body part, 22 ... Cover part,
3 ... label holding part,
4 ... printing section, 41 ... thermal head, 42 ... platen roller,
5 ... cutting part,
51 ... Fixed blade, 511 ... Cutting edge, 512 ... Cutting blade, 513 ... Shinogi,
52 ... movable blade, 521 ... cutting edge, 522 ... cutting blade, 523 ... shinoki,
524 ... uneven shape, 525 ... scratches,
53 ... Stage,
61, 62 ... movable blade,
71-75 ... movable blade,
81-83 ... A movable blade.

JP 2012-30445 A

Claims (4)

A cutter unit for cutting a label in which a strip-shaped paper having a glue layer on the back side of a printing surface is wound without a mount,
A fixed blade with the cutting edge facing the printing surface side of the label,
A single-edged blade having an inclined surface of the cutting edge, which is a portion that gradually becomes thinner from the shingle streak to the cutting edge, only on the downstream side in the label conveying direction, and is positioned downstream of the fixed blade in the label conveying direction, and the cutting edge is attached to the label glue To the layer side, a movable blade provided with a concavo-convex shape in a region including the above-mentioned stencil lines on the downstream surface in the label conveyance direction
A drive unit that moves the movable blade in a direction of contacting and separating with respect to the fixed blade when cutting the label;
A cutter unit comprising The cutter unit according to claim 1, further comprising a stage having an upward surface that is adjacent to the movable blade via a predetermined gap and supports the cut label from the adhesive layer side. The movable blade, the a predetermined area set to bias the fixed blade and interferes long stroke side, the cutter unit according to claim 1 or 2 processing is given to roughen the surface. A printing section for printing on a label in which a belt-like paper having a glue layer on the back side of the printing surface is wound without a mount;
The cutter unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the label printed by the printing unit is cut.
Printer with.

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