Cutting – With receptacle or support for cut product
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-02
2001-07-17
Rachuba, M. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
With receptacle or support for cut product
C083S455000, C083S614000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260457
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutter device in which after a broad continuous printing sheet drawn from a horizontally placed roll is printed, the printed sheet is cut with a reciprocating cutter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case where a continuous printing sheet drawn from a horizontally placed roll is printed and subsequently cut with a reciprocating cutter, the printed sheet cannot be cut clear if it moves. Moreover, when a broad sheet is used, a cut portion hangs down by the sheet's own weight during the cutting operation and an uncut portion is wrinkled or surged.
Therefore, since the sheet cannot be cut straight, a cut edge is curved, or the sheet may be torn at the vicinity of a terminal end of the cut edge. To solve the problem, a conventional printer is provided with a press bar for pressing the printing sheet over the entire width of the printing sheet, and the press bar is pressed against the sheet to fix the sheet immediately before the sheet is cut with the cutter.
In the conventional device, however, since the press bar usually transverses the entire width above the sheet, the device is large-sized including its operation mechanism. Especially, when the sheet has a large width, not only the press bar should be lengthened, but also the weight of the printed sheet must be increased, so that it is difficult to press the sheet uniformly over the entire length. Moreover, when the sheet is set, a front edge of the sheet has to be passed through a small gap under the press bar, and sheet charging operation is also laborious.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished in consideration of circumstances described above, and an object thereof is to provide a cutter device which can achieve compactness to facilitate the sheet charging operation and which is suitable especially for a printer using a broad sheet.
To attain this and other objects, the present invention provides a cutter device for use in a printer in which a broad continuous printing sheet drawn from a horizontally placed roll is printed and the printed sheet is cut along its width direction, dropped downward and received by a tray. The cutter device is provided with a cutter which reciprocates to cut the printed sheet in its width direction, holding means interposed between the cutter and the tray for holding the sheet to prevent the sheet from dropping in the vicinity of a cutting start side of the cutter, and a controller for allowing the holding means to hold a cutting start end of the printing sheet substantially in synchronism with start of cutting by the cutter and for detaching the holding means from the printing sheet substantially synchronously with completion of the cutting by the cutter.
The holding means is provided with a guide plate for guiding the cut printing sheet to the tray, and a pressing member for pressing the printing sheet on a top surface in the vicinity of the cutting start side of the cutter against the guide plate. The controller allows the pressing member to press the printed sheet substantially synchronously with the start of the cutting by the cutter and hold the printing sheet between the pressing member and the guide plate, and detaches the pressing member from the printed sheet substantially synchronously with the completion of the cutting by the cutter.
Here, the controller preferably prevents the cutter from abutting on a cut edge of the sheet by feeding in reverse the printing sheet by a predetermined amount in the rewinding direction before the cutter finishes cutting to return to its original position. Moreover, the cutter includes a rotating blade which rotates at a high speed, and has a good sharpness, so that the entire width of the sheet can be cut at once at a high speed. The cutter preferably moves at a speed of about 0.5 to 2.0 m/sec. If cutting is performed at a high speed, by using the inertia of the sheet and the frictional resistance between the sheet and the guide member during cutting, cutting can be completed before the load of the sheet applied to the pressing member increases. Thus, the pressing force of the pressing member can be reduced.
After printing is completed, the sheet is fed by the predetermined amount to align a cutting position with a cutter position. Upon receipt of a cutting command, the controller presses the pressing member on the sheet to press an end of the printed sheet on the cutting start side. Substantially simultaneously or slightly late the cutter starts cutting the sheet, and moves at a high speed.
The controller detaches the pressing member from the sheet substantially synchronously with a time at which the cutter finishes cutting the sheet. Therefore, the entire width of the cut edge of the printed sheet starts dropping substantially simultaneously. Consequently, the edge cut by the cutter can be straight and clear without being curved.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3463040 (1969-08-01), Pouilloux
patent: 3733951 (1973-05-01), Fujimoto
patent: 4353274 (1982-10-01), Shimizu
patent: 4397203 (1983-08-01), Brack et al.
patent: 4943270 (1990-07-01), Fleckenstein
patent: 4981059 (1991-01-01), Kobayashi
patent: 5379668 (1995-01-01), Standing
patent: 5442983 (1995-08-01), D'Angelo et al.
patent: 5503053 (1996-04-01), Onishi et al.
patent: 5611253 (1997-03-01), Saito et al.
patent: 5613415 (1997-03-01), Sanpei
patent: 5791218 (1998-08-01), Saito et al.
patent: 5881623 (1999-03-01), Otani et al.
patent: 2 289 430 (1995-11-01), None
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rachuba M.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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