Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-10-16
Colilla, Daniel J. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C083S614000, C083S678000, C083S660000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302605
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutter apparatus for cutting a sheet member and a printer using the cutter apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A POS register installed at an account counter in a retail shop includes a print unit which is used to issue a receipt for each payment when the payment is completed. A receipt sheet is generally stored as a roll of sheet, and as a mechanism for separating a receipt from the roll of sheet, there have been known a) a mechanism of a tear-bar system in which an operator tears a receipt from the sheet, and b) a mechanism of an automatic cutting system in which a receipt is electrically cut off from the sheet after printing is completed.
When a customer does not request a receipt, in the tear-bar system, receipts issued previously and currently are continuous with each other in a single receipt manner, and therefore, it is easy to deal with unnecessary receipts afterwards. However, in the automatic cutting system, since a receipt is automatically torn or cut each time payment is made, it is very complicated to keep and handle unnecessary receipts.
In view of the above, there has been proposed a mechanism of a partial cutting system which does not entirely cut receipts but cuts receipts in such a manner that receipts are connected with one another only in the parts thereof. In this partial cutting system, a receipt can be cut easily when it is handed to a customer and the cutting surface thereof is clean, and when a receipt is not necessary, it is connected to the remaining receipts in a sheet, which makes it easy to deal with the unnecessary receipts later.
Of partially cut portions in this manner, a cut portion having a fine cutting pitch is also referred to as perforations; and such perforations are used in many fields including not only a receipt but also a flier, an inserted bill in a magazine, a questionnaire, and toilet paper.
As the related prior art, there have been known, for example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei 10-29193, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei 6-238596, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho 62-70170, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho 61-3158, and Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Sho 62-144191.
In Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei 10-29193, there has been proposed a circle cutter in which a disk-shaped movable cutting edge is attached to a timing belt disposed between two pulleys and the movable cutting edge is reciprocatingly moved to cut a long sheet. However, since the circle cutter is of a full-cutting system that cuts all sections of the sheet, it cannot still solve the above-mentioned problems.
Also, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei 6-238596, there has been proposed a cutting apparatus structured such that a rotary cutter with notches formed therein is moved in a reciprocating manner to cut a roll of recording paper in which perforations are to be formed. However, this cutting apparatus is directed to a cutter which is designed specially for forming perforations, and when a user wishes to change this apparatus to a full-cutting system, it is indispensable to replace the rotary cutter with a cutter designed exclusively for full cutting. Further, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho 62-70170 and Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho 61-3158 similarly disclose a cutter which is designed specially for cutting perforations.
Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Sho 62-144191 discloses a cutting apparatus in which a freely rotatable circular cutter is moved linearly along a groove formed in a feed shaft, and perforations can be formed by changing the cutter to a serrated circular cutter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating the drawbacks found in the above-mentioned conventional cutting devices. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a cutting apparatus which, with no need for the operation to replace the rotary cutter, can be changed between a full cutting system for cutting all sections of a sheet and a partial cutting system for cutting part of the sections of the sheet, and a printer using such cutting apparatus.
In attaining the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cutter apparatus, comprising: a rotary cutter supported rotatably and having a cutting edge formed on the circumference thereof; an opposite cutter disposed opposed to the rotary cutter for holding a sheet member between the rotary cutter and itself; a carriage mechanism for moving the rotary cutter reciprocatingly along a cutting line; and cutting range switching means for switching a full cutting mode, in which the cutting point of the rotary cutter is allowed to pass through the side end of the sheet member, to a partial cutting mode in which the cutting point of the rotary cutter is caused to stop before the side end of the sheet member, or vice versa.
According to the first aspect of the invention, by switching the cutting range of the rotary cutter, the full cutting mode for cutting all sections of the sheet member or the partial cutting mode for cutting parts of the sections of the sheet member can be selected simply. That is, in case where the cutting range of the rotary cutter is set such that the cutting point of the rotary cutter is allowed to pass through the side end of the sheet member, there is obtained the full cutting mode for cutting the sheet member over the whole width thereof. On the other hand, in case where the cutting range of the rotary cutter is set such that the cutting point of the rotary cutter is caused to stop before the side end of the sheet member, there is obtained the partial cutting mode in which an uncut portion is produced in the side end of the sheet member. Therefore, by switching the moving range of the rotary cutter, the full cutting mode or partial cutting mode can be set easily, thereby being able to save labor which has been conventionally required to replace two kinds of exclusively designed cutters with each other each time the need arises.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in a cutter apparatus as set forth in the first aspect, the cutting range switching means is composed of a stopper the mounting position of which is variable, and the carriage mechanism comprises a carriage for supporting said rotary cutter, a pair of pulleys respectively disposed at the two ends of the sheet member, an endless belt disposed so as to extend between and over the pulleys, and a clutch mechanism which, each time the carriage is contacted with the stopper, switches the belt section to be engaged by the carriage from the forward-going side belt section of the endless belt to the return side belt section of the endless belt or vice versa.
According to the second aspect of the invention, due to provision of the clutch mechanism, each time the carriage is contacted with the stopper, capable of switching the belt section to be engaged by the carriage from the forward-going side belt section of the endless belt to the return side belt section of the endless belt or vice versa, simply by changing the mounting position of the stopper, the moving range of the rotary cutter can be switched. Therefore, the full cutting mode or partial cutting mode can be set easily according to the mounting position of the stopper.
Also, since the reciprocating motion of the carriage can be realized even if the moving direction of the endless belt is one direction, as the motor for driving the pulleys, there can be used a motor of a one-way rotation type such as a DC brush motor which is inexpensive. This can save the use of an expensive reversible motor such as a pulse motor as well as a reversible gear mechanism, thereby being able to reduce the cost of the cutter apparatus.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a printer comprising:
a sheet delivery mechanism for delivering a sheet member;
a print mechanism for printing the sheet
Colilla Daniel J.
Star Micronics Co. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
LandOfFree
Rotary cutter apparatus for printer with full and partial... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rotary cutter apparatus for printer with full and partial..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotary cutter apparatus for printer with full and partial... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2617249