JP2018008366A - Cutting apparatus and cutting method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a cutting device and a cutting method capable of achieving both a reduction in cutting time and an improvement in cutting accuracy in a balanced manner. A cutting apparatus according to the present invention prints a plurality of images and a plurality of crop marks C on a medium 50, a cutting control apparatus for cutting the medium 50, and positions of the crop marks C. A crop mark detection device for detecting, and a crop mark position input device for inputting a position for printing the crop mark C on the medium 50. The print control apparatus prints the crop mark C at a position where the crop mark C input to the crop mark position input device is printed. The cutting control device positions the cutting head based on three or more positions of the crop marks C detected by the crop mark detection device at the time of cutting. [Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus and a cutting method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cutting device that cuts a medium made of paper, a resin sheet or the like is known. A cutting device having a function of printing on a medium is also known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes such a cutting apparatus. In such a cutting apparatus, for example, after printing a plurality of images on a medium, a process of cutting the periphery of each image on the medium with a cutter is performed. The position of the cut line with respect to each image is determined in advance, and in order to perform cutting with high accuracy, it is necessary to minimize the positional deviation between the locus followed by the cutter and the predetermined cut line.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes that when an image is printed on a medium, a plurality of crop marks are printed around each image. Then, the positions of these crop marks are detected at the time of cutting, and the cutting head is positioned based on the positions of the crop marks. Thus, by using the crop marks printed around each image, the cutting head can be positioned with high accuracy, and the accuracy of cutting can be increased.

JP 2001-260443 A

  However, printing multiple crop marks around each image and detecting the position of the crop mark for each image during cutting improves the accuracy of cutting, but takes a lot of time for cutting. I need it.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, instead of printing crop marks outside the four corners of each image 200, crop marks C are printed at the four corners of the rectangular region 201 located outside the region including the entire image 200. Can be considered. As a result, the time required to detect the position of the crop mark C can be greatly reduced. However, if the number of crop marks used for positioning of the cutting head is small, the positioning accuracy with respect to each image 200 when the cutting head is cut may be lowered depending on the medium, and an error in the cutting position may occur.

  The following items can be considered as causes of such errors. In the cutting device, the cutting position data is calibrated based on the position detection of the crop mark C, and the positioning of the cutting head with respect to each image 200 is performed based on the calibration value of the cutting position data. However, after the calibration is performed, when the medium 202 moves on the platen, a positional relationship between the medium 202 and the platen is shifted, and a positional shift is generated between the cutting head and each image 200 on the medium 202. May end up. The reason why the position of the medium 202 moving on the platen is displaced includes friction between the platen and the medium 202, slipping of a pinch roller contacting the medium 202, expansion and contraction of the medium 202 due to temperature and humidity, and the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a cutting apparatus and a cutting method capable of achieving both a reduction in cutting time and an improvement in cutting accuracy in a balanced manner.

  A cutting apparatus according to the present invention includes a support base that supports a medium, a print head that performs printing on the medium supported by the support base, a cutting head that cuts the medium supported by the support base, A first moving mechanism that moves the print head in the main scanning direction, which is the width direction of the medium during printing, and moves the cutting head in the main scanning direction during cutting; and the medium supported by the support table during printing Is moved relative to the print head in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the medium supported on the support base is moved relative to the cutting head in the sub-scanning direction during cutting. By controlling the second movement mechanism, the print head, the first movement mechanism, and the second movement mechanism, a plurality of movements are performed on the medium. A printing control device that prints an image and a plurality of crop marks; a cutting control device that cuts the medium by controlling the cutting head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism; and A crop mark detection device for detecting a position; and a crop mark position input device for inputting a position for printing the crop mark on the medium. The print control device prints the crop mark at a position where the crop mark input to the crop mark position input device is printed. The cutting control device includes a positioning control unit that positions the cutting head based on three or more positions of the crop marks detected by the crop mark detection device at the time of cutting. .

  The cutting method according to the present invention includes a step of inputting a position for printing a crop mark on a medium, a step of printing a plurality of images on the medium, and a printing of the input crop mark on the medium. Cutting a crop mark at a position; detecting a position of three or more of the crop marks by a crop mark detection device; and cutting based on the position of the crop mark detected by the crop mark detection device A step of positioning the head, and a step of cutting the medium along a cut line set for each of the plurality of images by the positioned cutting head.

  According to the cutting apparatus and the cutting method described above, an operator can input a position for printing a crop mark on a medium. Therefore, crop marks can be appropriately arranged and printed according to the required cutting time and cutting accuracy. That is, if the number of crop marks is set to be small, the cutting time can be shortened. Conversely, if the number of crop marks is set to be large, the position accuracy of cutting can be improved.

  Another cutting apparatus according to the present invention includes a support base that supports a medium, a print head that performs printing on the medium supported by the support base, and a cutting head that cuts the medium supported by the support base. And a first moving mechanism that moves the print head in the main scanning direction, which is the width direction of the medium during printing, and moves the cutting head in the main scanning direction during cutting, and is supported by the support base during printing The medium is moved relative to the print head in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the medium supported on the support table during cutting is relatively moved relative to the cutting head in the sub-scanning direction. By controlling the second moving mechanism to be moved, the print head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism, a plurality of movements are performed on the medium. A print control device that prints an image and a plurality of crop marks, a crop mark detection device that detects the position of the crop mark, and three of the crop marks detected by the crop mark detection device during cutting A cutting control unit that positions the cutting head based on two or more positions, and that cuts the medium by controlling the cutting head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism. A control device, and a positioning frequency input device for inputting a frequency of positioning the cutting head. The positioning control unit is set to position the cutting head based on the frequency of positioning input to the positioning frequency input device.

  Another cutting method according to the present invention includes a step of printing an image on a medium, a step of printing a crop mark on the medium, and a crop mark detection device to position three or more of the crop marks. A step of detecting, a step of positioning the cutting head based on the position of the crop mark detected by the crop mark detection device, and a step of inputting a frequency of positioning the cutting head. The step of positioning the cutting head is performed based on the frequency of positioning of the input cutting head.

  According to the other cutting device and the cutting method, the operator can input the frequency of positioning the cutting head using the crop mark. Therefore, the frequency of positioning according to the required cutting time and cutting accuracy can be set. That is, if the positioning frequency is set low, the cutting time can be shortened. Conversely, if the positioning frequency is set high, the cutting position accuracy can be improved. According to this method, although the positional accuracy tends to be inferior to the method of printing a large number of crop marks, the number of crop marks is small, and a space for printing an image on the medium can be secured.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cutting device and a cutting method capable of achieving both a reduction in cutting time and an improvement in cutting accuracy in a balanced manner.

It is a perspective view of a cutting device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. (A) And (b) is a front view of a printing head and a cutting head. It is a block diagram of a control system of a cutting device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram of the controller concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the medium on which the image and the crop mark were printed. It is a block diagram of a crop mark position input device. It is an image figure of the input screen of a crop mark position input device. It is an image figure of the input screen of the crop mark position input device in the case of using a 1st input part. It is an image figure of the input screen of the crop mark position input device in the case of using a 2nd input part. It is an image figure of the input screen of the crop mark position input device in the case of using a 3rd input part. It is a block diagram of the control system of the cutting apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is an image figure of the input screen in the positioning frequency input device. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a medium on which crop marks are printed at the vertices of a rectangular area including all images.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a print and cut machine capable of printing and cutting on a medium 50. Although illustration is omitted, the medium 50 according to the present embodiment is a sealing material composed of a mount and release paper laminated on the mount and coated with an adhesive. However, the medium 50 is not particularly limited as long as it can be printed and cut. The medium 50 may be a recording paper, a resin sheet, or the like. In this specification, “cutting” and “cutting” means cutting the entire medium 50 in the thickness direction (for example, cutting both the base material and release paper of the sealing material), and cutting the medium 50 in the thickness direction. The case where a part is cut (for example, the case where the mount of the sealing material is not cut and only the release paper is cut) is included.

  The cutting apparatus 1 includes a platen 2 that supports a medium 50, a print head 10 that performs printing on the medium 50 supported by the platen 2, and a cutting head 20 that cuts the medium 50 supported by the platen 2. Yes. Although details will be described later, the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 are configured to be movable in the Y direction in the figure. Hereinafter, the Y direction is referred to as the main scanning direction or the left-right direction, and the X direction that is perpendicular to the Y direction is referred to as the sub-scanning direction or the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction corresponds to the width direction of the medium 50, and the sub-scanning direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the medium 50. Reference numerals F, Rr, L, and R in FIG. 1 represent front, rear, left, and right, respectively.

  In the present embodiment, the print head 10 is configured by an inkjet head that ejects ink. However, the printing method of the print head 10 is not limited to the ink jet method, and the print head 10 is not limited to the ink jet head. The print head 10 may be, for example, a print head that performs dot impact printing.

  A grid roller 3 is provided on the platen 2. The grid roller 3 is rotated by being driven by a feed motor 61 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3). A guide rail 5 is provided above the platen 2. The guide rail 5 extends in the left-right direction. A pinch roller 4 is provided below the guide rail 5. The pinch roller 4 is disposed above the grid roller 3. The pinch roller 4 is configured to be swingable up and down so that it can approach and separate from the grid roller 3. When the grid roller 3 rotates while the medium 50 is sandwiched between the pinch roller 4 and the grid roller 3, the medium 50 is conveyed forward or backward. In FIG. 1, only three grid rollers 3 and two pinch rollers 4 are shown, but in reality, more grid rollers 3 and pinch rollers 4 are arranged in the main scanning direction. The grid roller 3 and the feed motor 61 constitute a second moving mechanism that moves the medium 50 relative to the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 in the sub-scanning direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the print head 10 is supported on the guide rail 5 via the carriage 11. The cutting head 20 is supported on the guide rail 5 via the carriage 21. The carriage 11 and the carriage 21 are engaged with the guide rail 5 so as to be movable in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, a cutter 23 is attached to the carriage 21 via a solenoid 22. The solenoid 22 is controlled by a controller 60 (see FIG. 3). When the solenoid 22 is turned ON / OFF, the cutter 23 moves in the vertical direction and contacts the medium 50 or moves away from the medium 50. The cutting head 20 is provided with a sensor 25 for detecting a crop mark described later. The type of the sensor 25 is not particularly limited, and various conventionally used sensors such as an optical sensor can be suitably used. A connecting member 24 composed of a magnet is fixed to the right side of the carriage 21.

  A belt 6 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the upper back of the carriage 21. The belt 6 is connected to a scan motor 62 (see FIG. 3). When the scan motor 62 rotates, the belt 6 runs in the left-right direction. As a result, the carriage 21 moves in the left-right direction. The scan motor 62 is controlled by the controller 60. The carriage 21, the guide rail 5, and the scan motor 62 constitute a first moving mechanism that moves the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 in the main scanning direction.

  The carriage 11 of the print head 10 supports a recording head 12 having a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink. Here, five recording heads 12 are supported by the carriage 11. The five recording heads 12 eject five different colors, for example, yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, black ink, and white ink. However, the number of recording heads 12 is not limited to five. Further, the color of ink ejected by the recording head 12 is not limited at all.

  A connecting member 14 made of a magnet is provided on the left side portion of the carriage 11. The connecting member 14 is detachably connected to the connecting member 24 of the cutting head 20. In the present embodiment, the connecting members 14 and 24 utilize magnetic force. However, the connecting members 14 and 24 are not limited to those using magnetic force, and may have other configurations such as an engaging member. On the right side of the carriage 11, a receiving metal 15 formed in an L shape is provided.

  Side frames 7 </ b> L and 7 </ b> R are disposed at the left and right ends of the platen 2. The guide rail 5 is supported by both side frames 7L and 7R. The right side frame 7R is provided with a lock device 30 for locking the print head 10 to the standby position. The locking device 30 is a locking member that is hooked on the receiving member 15, and a locking device that moves the receiving member 31 between a locked position (see FIG. 2B) and an unlocked position (see FIG. 2A). And a solenoid 32 (see FIG. 3). The locking solenoid 32 is controlled by the controller 60.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (a), when printing is performed by the print head 10, the metal fitting 31 is set to the non-lock position. When the carriage 21 of the cutting head 20 moves to the right and the connecting member 24 and the connecting member 14 come into contact with each other, the carriage 21 and the carriage 11 are connected. As a result, the print head 10 can move in the left-right direction together with the cutting head 20. On the other hand, when cutting with the cutting head 20, as shown in FIG. 2B, the print head 10 is positioned at the standby position, and the catch 31 of the lock device 30 is set at the lock position. Thereby, the movement of the print head 10 is prevented. When the carriage 21 moves to the left, the connecting member 24 and the connecting member 14 are separated from each other, and the connection between the carriage 21 and the carriage 11 is released. As a result, the cutting head 20 can move in the left-right direction while the print head 10 is in the standby position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting device 1 includes an upper cover 8 that constitutes an upper casing. Side covers 9L and 9R are provided on the left side of the side frame 7L and on the right side of the side frame 7R (see FIG. 2A), respectively. An operation panel 35 having buttons and a display is disposed on the front surface of the right side cover 9R. Below the platen 2, a stand 36 with casters is provided.

  Although not shown, the cutting apparatus 1 includes a supply roller around which the medium 50 before printing is wound. The supply roller is disposed obliquely below the platen 2. At the time of printing, the medium 50 wound around the supply roller is conveyed forward via the platen 2.

  The controller 60 is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 60 is connected to an external computer 70 via an interface 63 so that wired or wireless communication is possible. Data for printing and cutting is input and stored in the computer 70. The controller 60 receives data from the computer 70 and controls the feed motor 61, the scan motor 62, the lock device 30, the cutting head 20, and the print head 10.

  The computer 70 is configured with a crop mark position input device 100 by installing software for inputting the position of the crop mark. Here, the crop mark position input device 100 is configured by the external computer 70, but a configuration in which the operation panel 35 accesses the crop mark position input device 100 as hardware provided in the cutting device 1 is adopted. May be. The configuration of the crop mark position input device 100 is not limited. In the crop mark position input device 100, a position for printing a crop mark on the medium 50 is designated by a predetermined input operation.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the controller 60. That is, it is a block diagram showing functions that the controller 60 performs when the controller 60 receives data from the computer 70. Each unit of the controller 60 described later is physically configured by one or two or more processors. As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 60 includes a print control device 80 and a cutting control device 90.

  The print control device 80 executes printing. The print control device 80 drives the scan motor 62 to eject the ink from each recording head 12 of the print head 10 while moving the print head 10 in the main scanning direction. Thereby, printing of one scanning line is performed. When the print head 10 is moved in the main scanning direction, the feed motor 61 is driven to transport the medium 50 in the sub scanning direction to the position of the next scanning line. When the conveyance of the medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction is completed, the scan motor 62 is driven again and the print head 10 is driven to print the next scan line. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated until the end of printing.

  The cutting control device 90 performs cutting. The cutting control device 90 drives the scan motor 62 and the feed motor 61 to move the cutting head 20 relative to the medium 50 in a two-dimensional manner. When the solenoid 22 is turned on, the cutter 23 can be pressed against the medium 50. By moving the cutting head 20 relative to the medium 50 while pressing the cutter 23 against the medium 50, the medium 50 can be cut along an arbitrary cut line.

  The print control apparatus 80 includes an image printing unit 81 and a crop mark printing unit 82. The cutting control device 90 includes a positioning control unit 91 and a cutting unit 92. Operations performed by the above-described units will be described later.

  Next, an example of the operation of the cutting apparatus 1 will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, an operation in which the cutting apparatus 1 prints a plurality of images on the medium 50 and further cuts the periphery of each image will be described. The upper and lower parts in FIG. 5 represent the rear and the front, respectively. A broken line indicated by reference numeral 34 is a cut line cut by the cutting head 20. The “image” is an image formed on the medium 50 by the print head 10, and the content thereof is not particularly limited. The image includes characters, symbols, figures, photographs, and the like. Here, it is assumed that four images are printed in the main scanning direction and six images are printed in the sub-scanning direction on one medium 50. In the following, the leftmost rear image is referred to as P11, the one image forward is referred to as P12, and the leftmost front image is referred to as P13, P14, P15, and P16 in this order. The images in the right column of P11 to P16 are called P21 to P26 in order from the rearmost image in the column. Similarly, each time the column moves to the right, they are called images P31 to P36 and P41 to P46, respectively. Further, an image width in the main scanning direction Y is referred to as an image width Ly, and an image length in the sub-scanning direction X is referred to as an image length Lx.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, twelve crop marks C11 to C14, C21 to C24, and C31 to C34 are printed on the medium 50. The crop marks C11, C14, C31, and C34 constitute the vertices of a rectangle (hereinafter referred to as the first rectangular region 40) located outside the region including all images. The outline of the first rectangular region 40 connecting C11 and C14 is parallel to the sub-scanning direction X. Similarly, the outline of the first rectangular area 40 connecting C31 and C34 is also parallel to the sub-scanning direction X. The outline of the first rectangular area 40 connecting C11 and C31 is parallel to the main scanning direction Y. Similarly, the outline of the first rectangular region 40 connecting C14 and C34 is also parallel to the main scanning direction Y. The first rectangular area 40 is divided by a line parallel to the outline of the first rectangular area 40. A line parallel to the sub-scanning direction X that divides the first rectangular area 40 with respect to the main scanning direction Y is referred to as a vertical dividing line 42y, and parallel to the main scanning direction Y that divides the first rectangular area 40 with respect to the sub-scanning direction X. If the straight line is called a horizontal dividing line 42x, the first rectangular area 40 is divided into six by one vertical dividing line 42y and two horizontal dividing lines 42x. All of these divisions are equally divided. Therefore, the first rectangular area 40 is divided into six congruent rectangular areas (hereinafter referred to as second rectangular areas). The crop mark C21 is printed at the intersection of the outline connecting C11 and C31 and the vertical dividing line 42y. The crop mark C24 is printed at the intersection of the outline connecting C14 and C34 and the vertical dividing line 42y. Similarly, the crop marks C12, C22, and C32 are printed at the intersections of the outline and vertical dividing line 42y of the first rectangular area 40 and the horizontal dividing line 42x located on the rear side of the horizontal dividing line 42x. ing. In addition, the crop marks C13, C23, and C33 are printed at the intersections of the outline and vertical dividing line 42y of the first rectangular region 40 and the horizontal dividing line 42x located on the front side of the horizontal dividing line 42x. . That is, the crop marks C11 to C14, C21 to C24, and C31 to C34 are printed at the vertices of the second rectangular area. Hereinafter, among the six second rectangular areas, an area surrounded by the crop marks C11, C12, C21, and C22 is referred to as a rectangular area 41a. Similarly, a region surrounded by C12, C13, C22, and C23 is surrounded by a rectangular region 41b, and a region surrounded by C13, C14, C23, and C24 is surrounded by a rectangular region 41c and C21, C22, C31, and C32. The region is called a rectangular region 41d, a region surrounded by C22, C23, C32, and C33 is called a rectangular region 41e, and a region surrounded by C23, C24, C33, and C34 is called a rectangular region 41f. Note that the outline line, the vertical dividing line 42y, and the horizontal dividing line 42x of the first rectangular area 40 are all virtual lines and are not printed on the medium 50. However, it is also possible to print the outline of the first rectangular region 40, the vertical dividing line 42y, and the horizontal dividing line 42x.

  The position where the crop mark is printed includes a vertex shared by two or more second rectangular areas adjacent to each other. In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, the crop mark C12 is printed on the vertex shared by the second rectangular areas 41a and 41b. Similarly, the crop marks C13, C21, C24, C32, and C33 are printed on vertices shared by two adjacent second rectangular areas. Further, for example, the crop mark C22 is printed on the vertex shared by the second rectangular areas 41a, 41b, 41d, and 41e. Similarly, the crop mark C23 is printed on the vertex shared by the second rectangular areas 41b, 41c, 41e, and 41f.

  The crop mark and image arrangement method will be described later. When image data including crop mark data is transmitted from the computer 70 to the controller 60, the print control apparatus 80 prints the image and also displays the crop mark. C11 to C14, C21 to C24, and C31 to C34 are printed. In the cutting apparatus 1, printing is performed while the medium 50 is conveyed forward. Therefore, printing is performed from the bottom to the top in FIG.

  All of the crop marks are formed by black circles. However, the shape of the crop mark is not limited to a circle, and the color is not limited to black. In the present embodiment, the dimensions of the crop marks C11 to C14, C21 to C24, and C31 to C34 are all the same. However, the shape and dimensions of the crop marks need not be the same.

  The controller 60 functions as the image printing unit 81 when printing the images P11 to P46, and functions as the crop mark printing unit 82 when printing the crop marks C11 to C34. The image is printed by the image printing unit 81, and the crop marks C11 to C34 are printed by the crop mark printing unit 82. In the present embodiment, the images P11 to P46 and the crop marks C11 to C34 are printed in order from the front to the rear of the medium.

  After the printing of the images P11 to P46 and the crop marks C11 to C34 is completed, the medium 50 is cut along the cut line 34. In the present embodiment, in order to sufficiently dry the printed medium 50, after printing is finished, the portion of the medium 50 behind the crop marks C11 and C31 is cut along the main scanning direction. Then, the medium 50 is taken out from the cutting device 1 and dried outside the cutting device 1. After the drying is completed, the medium 50 is rearranged on the platen 2 of the cutting apparatus 1 and cutting is started. However, it is of course possible to start cutting without removing the medium 50 from the cutting apparatus 1 after the printing is completed.

  By the way, the cutting control device 90 is caused by an error in the rotation amount of the feed motor 61, a dimensional error in the grid roller 3, slipping of the grid roller 3 with respect to the medium 50, an error in the position when the medium 50 is rearranged on the platen 2, and so There may be a deviation between the grasped relative position of the cutting head 20 with respect to the medium 50 (hereinafter simply referred to as a position) and the actual position of the cutting head 20. Therefore, when cutting, the cutting head 20 is positioned prior to cutting the cut line 34.

  The cutting head 20 is positioned by using three or more of the crop marks C11 to C34. Specifically, first, the cutting head 20 is positioned using the crop marks C13, C14, C23, and C24. The crop marks C13, C14, C23, and C24 are crop marks corresponding to the four corners of the rectangular area 41c. After the positioning, the cut lines 34 of the images P15, P16, P25, and P26 arranged in the rectangular area 41c are cut. Next, the cutting head 20 is positioned using the crop marks C23, C24, C33, C34, and then the cut lines 34 of the images P35, P36, P45, P46 arranged in the rectangular area 41f are cut. Similarly, cutting proceeds from the front to the rear in the sub-scanning direction X.

  As described above, the cutting head 20 is positioned in units of the second rectangular areas 41a to 41f. The displacement of the cutting head 20 relative to the medium 50 is caused by the sliding of the grid roller 3 with respect to the medium 50 as described above. In other words, the operation of feeding the medium 50 is one of the causes of the positional deviation. Therefore, the positioning operation itself by the crop mark also includes a cause of the positional deviation. The positional deviation caused by feeding the medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction X becomes larger as the feed distance is longer. Therefore, the cutting head 20 is not positioned by using the crop marks C11, C14, C31, C34 at the four corners of the first rectangular area 40, but at the four corners of the second rectangular area (for example, the rectangular area 41a). If the cutting head 20 is positioned using the crop marks (C11, C12, C21, C22 according to the same example), the feed distance is shortened and the positioning accuracy is improved. Of course, the positional deviation can be reduced by performing positioning a plurality of times separately from the feed distance. The positional deviation of the cutting head 20 accumulated by the cutting operation after positioning is reset by performing repositioning. As the first rectangular area 40 is finely divided and more crop marks are printed, the error included in the positioning itself is reduced and the number of times of positioning is increased, so that the positioning accuracy is improved. On the other hand, it takes a lot of cutting time. The operator performs an input operation to the crop mark position input device 100 described later to determine the arrangement of the image and the crop mark, thereby realizing an appropriate balance between the cutting accuracy and the cutting time.

  Since a method for detecting the position of the crop mark by the sensor 25 and positioning the cutting head 20 using the detected four crop marks is well known, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  Next, a method for inputting a position for printing a crop mark on the medium 50 will be described. The cutting device 1 according to this embodiment includes a crop mark position input device 100. The crop mark position input device 100 is input with a position for printing a crop mark on the medium 50. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the crop mark position input device 100 according to the present embodiment. The crop mark position input device 100 includes a first input unit 101, a second input unit 102, a third input unit 103, a correction unit 104, a determination unit 105, a warning unit 106, and a mode selection unit 107.

  The first input unit 101 inputs a distance between lines constituting the second rectangular area in at least one of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. The crop mark printing unit 82 is set to print the crop mark so that the distance between the lines constituting the second rectangular area is the same as the distance input to the first input unit 101. In the present embodiment, the distance between lines constituting the second rectangular area is input in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y.

  The second input unit 102 inputs the number of images positioned between the lines constituting the second rectangular area in at least one of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. The crop mark printing unit 82 prints the crop mark so that the number of images positioned between the lines constituting the second rectangular area is the same as the number of images input to the second input unit 102. Is set to In the present embodiment, the number of images positioned between the lines constituting the second rectangular area in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y is input.

  In the third input unit 103, the number by which the first rectangular area 40 is equally divided by the dividing line 42 is input in at least one of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. In the crop mark printing unit 82, the number of the first rectangular regions 40 equally divided by the dividing line 42 is the same as the number of the first rectangular regions 40 input to the third input unit 103. Is set to print crop marks. In the present embodiment, the number by which the first rectangular area 40 is equally divided in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y is input.

  The first input unit 101, the second input unit 102, and the third input unit 103 are alternatively used because the input parameters are different. For example, the second input unit 102 is used when it is desired to set a position for printing a crop mark according to the number of images located between lines constituting the second rectangular area.

  The correcting unit 104 corrects the position of the image based on the arrangement of the second rectangular area. The mode selection unit 107 selects a correction mode in which correction by the correction unit 104 is performed or a non-correction mode in which correction by the correction unit 104 is not performed. The mode selection unit 107 also selects which of the first input unit 101, the second input unit 102, and the third input unit 103 is used to determine the crop mark printing position.

  The determination unit 105 determines whether or not the arrangement of the second rectangular area satisfies a predetermined nonconformity condition. The warning unit 106 is set to issue a warning when the determination unit 105 determines that the arrangement of the second rectangular area matches the nonconforming condition.

  FIG. 7 is an image diagram of an input screen of the crop mark position input device 100. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an input screen when the position for printing the crop mark has not been set yet. FIG. 8 is an image diagram of an input screen of the crop mark position input device 100 when the first input unit 101 is used. FIG. 8 shows an input screen of the crop mark position input device 100 after the crop mark print position has been set. In FIG. 7, images P11 to P46 and an image of the cut line 34 are displayed on the input screen of the crop mark position input device 100. In FIG. 7, a menu 108 for performing an input operation is displayed. The operator selects a processing method in this menu 108, and inputs a numerical value, thereby specifying a position for printing a crop mark.

  In the present embodiment, the mode is selected by checking the check box of the menu 108. The check box of the menu 108 is the one in which the function of the mode selection unit 107 is displayed on the input screen (in FIGS. 7 and 8, and FIGS. 9 and 10 described later, the check box is denoted by reference numeral 107). Similarly, for the 1 input unit 101 to the correction unit 104, the corresponding display on the input screen is indicated by reference numerals 101 to 104). The mode selection unit 107 uses a check box to select whether to print a crop mark, whether to use a correction mode, and which function of the first input unit 101 to the third input unit 103 to use. To do. However, as a matter of course, the configuration of the input screen is not limited to that according to the present embodiment. For example, the place where the input operation is performed on the screen may not be the menu 108 arranged beside the print image, but may be a pop-up or the like. The mode selection may not be an operation by a check box. For example, a dedicated screen for each mode may be prepared.

  First, an input operation when the correction mode is used and the function of the first input unit 101 is used will be described. In the first input unit 101, the distance between the lines constituting the second rectangular area is input in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. The lines constituting the second rectangular area are the outline and the dividing line 42 of the first rectangular area 40. When the position for printing the crop mark is set using the first input unit 101, the “division size” check box is checked. Further, numerical values are entered in the “width” and “length” fields. “Width” corresponds to the width of the second rectangular area in the main scanning direction Y, and “Length” corresponds to the length of the second rectangular area in the sub-scanning direction X. Of course, “divided size” and other names are related to the present embodiment and are not limited.

In the present embodiment, the vertical dividing lines 42y are arranged on the virtual medium with an interval equal to the “width” in the “divided size”. In addition, the horizontal dividing lines 42x are arranged on the virtual medium with an interval equal to the “length” in the “division size”. Each of the rectangular areas constituted by the vertical dividing lines 42y and the horizontal dividing lines 42x is a second rectangular area. When “width” and “length” are input to the first input unit 101 and the second rectangular area is formed, the correction unit 104 stores an image in the second rectangular area. The position of the image is corrected. Specifically, if the “width” in the “division size” is the division width Dy and the “length” is the division length Dx, the main scanning direction Y and The number of images in the sub-scanning direction X is calculated, and the image is divided for each calculated number. That is, with regard to the main scanning direction Y, if the number of images in one second rectangular area is Ny, Ny is
(Dy-Lb)> Ly · Ny
It is the largest integer among the integers satisfying. Here, Lb is a margin width reserved for printing a crop mark, and is a dimension shown in FIG. If the margin is not secured, there is a possibility that the image and the crop mark are too close to each other and a malfunction occurs. The above relational expression is the same for the number Nx of images that enter one second rectangular area with respect to the sub-scanning direction X. By the above calculation, the entire image is divided into a plurality of blocks each composed of Ny images in the main scanning direction Y × Nx images in the sub-scanning direction X per block. The same number of second rectangular areas as the number of blocks are generated for each of the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. Each block of the image is arranged at the center of the corresponding second rectangular area.

  The correction of the position of the image will be described, for example, when the width Ly of one image is 50 mm, the length Lx of one image is 100 mm, and the width and length Lb of the margin to be secured are 10 mm. . In this case, if 150 mm is input to “width” and “mm” is input to “width” in “division size”, the maximum value of Ny is 2 (“3” is not allowed due to margin width Lb), and Nx The maximum value is 2. Therefore, the correction unit 104 divides the 24 images into 2 blocks in the main scanning direction Y × 2 blocks in the sub-scanning direction X. Since the entire image is four in the main scanning direction Y and six in the sub scanning direction X, the number of blocks into which the image is divided is two in the main scanning direction Y and three in the sub scanning direction X, for a total of six. It becomes a piece. Corresponding to the number of blocks, six second rectangular regions are generated, two in the main scanning direction Y and three in the sub-scanning direction X. The block of six images is arranged at the center of each of the six second rectangular regions 41a to 41f. At the time of printing, the image printing unit 81 prints an image in a divided form. The crop mark printing unit 82 prints crop marks at the four corners of the second rectangular area.

  In the present embodiment, the calculation is started from the lower left of the image image on the input screen, and when the number of images is rounded at the upper end or the right end, the entire outer shape, that is, the first rectangular area 40 is the smallest. The crop mark printing position is adjusted so that For example, assume that the number of images in the sub-scanning direction X is five. Since two images are included in each second rectangular area in the sub-scanning direction X, the image in the uppermost column in the image image is a fraction. In this way, when the image has a fraction, the second rectangular area that accommodates the fractional image is the minimum that can accommodate the fractional image and the margin length Lb for printing the crop mark. It is set to be the size of. However, the fraction processing method is related to the present embodiment, and the fraction processing method is not limited to the above method.

  When the correction mode is not used, the image is not divided, and first the first rectangular area 40 is automatically configured. The first rectangular area 40 in the non-correction mode is a minimum area that accommodates the entire image and has margins for printing crop marks at the four corners. Then, the dividing line 42 is drawn according to the distance input to the first input unit 101, starting from the lower left vertex of the input screen of the first rectangular area 40. Whether or not the dividing line 42 crosses the image is not considered, but the crop mark is set not to be printed when the image and the crop mark printing position overlap. When the image is divided in advance so that the crop mark can be printed, the dividing line 42 can be designated in the non-correction mode.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the print position of the crop mark can be easily designated simply by inputting the distance between the lines constituting the second rectangular area to the first input unit 101. If the correction function by the correction unit 104 is used in combination, the image is divided and rearranged based on the arrangement of the second rectangular area even if the image is not arranged in advance assuming the position where the crop mark is printed. it can.

  Next, an input operation using the correction mode and using the function of the second input unit 102 will be described. In the second input unit 102, the number of images positioned between the lines constituting the second rectangular area is input in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. FIG. 9 is an image diagram of an input screen of the crop mark position input device 100 when the second input unit 102 is used. As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the position for printing the crop mark is set using the second input unit 102, the “number of images” check box is checked. Further, integers are entered in the “row (vertical)” and “column (horizontal)” fields under “number of images”. In the following, when the number of images in the sub-scanning direction X is referred to as the number of rows and the number of images in the main scanning direction Y is referred to as the number of columns, the integer input in the “row (vertical)” column is This is the number of rows of images that fall between the dividing lines 42x or between the horizontal dividing line 42x and the outline of the first rectangular area 40. The integer input in the “column (horizontal)” column is the number of columns of images that fall between the vertical dividing lines 42 y or between the vertical dividing lines 42 y and the outline of the first rectangular area 40. However, as a matter of course, the “number of images” and other names also relate to the present embodiment and are not limited.

  For example, the number of image rows Nx in the sub-scanning direction X input in the “row (vertical)” field is 2, and the number of image columns Ny in the main scanning direction Y input in the “column (horizontal)” field is 2, Is set, the undivided image shown in FIG. 7 is divided into six blocks as shown in FIG. In the case of this example, first, the image is divided into blocks composed of a total of four images of 2 rows in the sub-scanning direction X and 2 columns in the main scanning direction Y. The number of divided blocks is three in the sub-scanning direction X and two in the main scanning direction Y. Next, the sizes of the second rectangular areas 41a to 41f are determined in accordance with the size of each block. As in the previous example, if the image width Ly is 50 mm, the image length Lx is 100 mm, and the margin width and length Lb to be secured are 10 mm, the division width Dy in the main scanning direction Y is Dy. = 2Ly + Lb = 110 mm. Similarly, the division length Dx in the sub-scanning direction X is determined as Dx = 2Lx + Lb = 210 mm. The processing when a fraction is included in the number of images is the same as when “divided size” is designated. Further, according to the non-correction mode, when the dividing line 42 is drawn at the center of the interval between the images and the margin for printing the crop mark overlaps the position where the image is printed, the crop mark is not printed. Is set to

  As described above, the print position of the crop mark can be easily set by the second input unit 102 only by inputting the number of rows and columns of the image arranged between the lines constituting the second rectangular area. Can be specified.

  The third input unit 103 is input with the number of the first rectangular area 40 equally divided by the dividing line 42 in each of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y. FIG. 10 is an image diagram of an input screen of the crop mark position input device 100 when the third input unit 103 is used. As shown in FIG. 10, when the position for printing the crop mark is set using the third input unit 103, the “number of divisions” check box is checked. Further, an integer is entered in the “vertical” and “horizontal” fields under “number of divisions”. The integer input in the “vertical” column is the number by which the first rectangular area 40 is equally divided with respect to the sub-scanning direction X. The integer input in the “horizontal” column is the number by which the first rectangular area 40 is equally divided in the main scanning direction Y. Of course, the “number of divisions” and other names are related to the present embodiment and are not limited here.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, under the correction mode, the division number DNx for the sub-scanning direction X input in the “vertical” column is 3, and the division number DNy for the main scanning direction Y input in the “horizontal” column is 2. Is set, the image before division can be divided into six blocks as shown in FIG. The processing after the image is divided into blocks is the same as the case where the image is divided based on the “number of images”. In the non-correction mode, the automatically generated first rectangular area 40 is equally divided regardless of the image, and the crop mark is set not to be printed when the image and the position where the crop mark is printed overlap. Yes.

  As described above, the print position of the crop mark can be easily specified by inputting the number equally dividing the first rectangular area 40 by the third input unit 103 as well.

  By the way, depending on the mode selected by the mode selection unit 107 and the numerical values input to the first input unit 101 to the third input unit 103, the second rectangular area may not be set appropriately. For example, when the width of the first rectangular area 40 exceeds the width of the medium 50, when the position where the crop mark is printed overlaps with the image, the sub-scanning is performed in spite of using the “number of divisions” in the correction mode. For example, the number of images in the direction X or the main scanning direction Y is not divisible by the input division number. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 105 determines whether or not the arrangement of the second rectangular region satisfies the above-described nonconformity condition. When the determination unit 105 determines that the arrangement of the second rectangular area satisfies the nonconformity condition, the warning unit 106 issues a warning. For example, the warning unit 106 issues a warning with pop-up characters. If a problem that cannot be continued, such as when the number of images is not divisible by the number of divisions entered, despite the use of “number of divisions” in the correction mode, an error is added to the warning. Is displayed, and the input value entered by the operator is rejected.

  According to the above embodiment, when the arrangement of the second rectangular area meets a predetermined nonconformity condition, a warning is issued by the determination unit 105 and the warning unit 106, and the operator can know it. If the nonconformity is caused by an operator's input error, the operator can recognize it and correct it.

  As described above, according to the cutting device 1 according to the first embodiment, the operator can input the position where the crop mark is printed on the medium 50. Therefore, crop marks can be appropriately arranged and printed according to the required cutting time and cutting accuracy. That is, if the number of crop marks is set to be small, the cutting time can be shortened. Conversely, if the number of crop marks is set to be large, the position accuracy of cutting can be improved. The print position of the crop mark can be easily input using the first input unit 101 to the third input unit 103 according to the application. If the function of the correction unit 104 is used, the position of the image is corrected in accordance with the crop mark arrangement method. Further, when the position for printing the crop mark is not appropriate, a warning is issued by the determination unit 105 and the warning unit 106, and the operator can know this.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
Several modifications can be considered in the first embodiment. For example, in the cutting apparatus 1 according to one modification, instead of the second input unit 102 in the first embodiment, another second input unit (hereinafter simply referred to as a second input unit in this paragraph). You may have. The number of images located inside the second rectangular area is input to the second input unit. The crop mark printing unit 82 prints the crop marks so that the number of images located inside the second rectangular area is the same as the number of images input to the second input unit.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
Alternatively, the cutting apparatus 1 according to still another modified example has another third input unit (hereinafter simply referred to as a third input unit in this paragraph) instead of the third input unit 103 in the first embodiment. May be provided. The number of the second rectangular area is input to the third input unit. That is, the number by which the first rectangular area 40 is divided is input. The crop mark printing unit 82 prints the crop marks so that the number of second rectangular areas is the same as the number of images input to the third input unit.

(Second Embodiment)
The cutting device according to the second embodiment includes a positioning frequency input device that inputs the frequency of positioning the cutting head, and the positioning control unit is configured to determine the cutting head based on the frequency of positioning input to the positioning frequency input device. Positioning is performed. Since the cutting device according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the cutting device according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment are used for the same components. Moreover, the description which overlaps with description of 1st Embodiment is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

  In the cutting apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the arrangement of the crop marks is determined in accordance with the requirements for cutting positioning accuracy and cutting time. However, the more crop marks that are to be printed, the smaller the space on the medium 50 where an image can be printed. Depending on the relationship between the medium 50 and the size of the image, it may happen that the number of crop marks to be printed cannot be printed. Therefore, the cutting apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment enables the input of the frequency with which the cutting head 20 is positioned so that a certain degree of cutting accuracy can be secured even with a small number of crop marks.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a control system of the cutting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The cutting device 1 includes a positioning frequency input device 110. The frequency of positioning the cutting head 20 is input to the positioning frequency input device 110. In this embodiment, the positioning frequency input device 110 is configured by an external computer 70. However, the positioning frequency input device 110 as hardware provided in the cutting device 1 is accessed by the operation panel 35. It may be. The configuration of the positioning frequency input device 110 is not limited to that shown in the present embodiment.

  The positioning frequency input device 110 includes an A input unit 111, a B input unit 112, and a C input unit 113. In the A input unit 111, the number of images to be cut between the positioning of the cutting head 20 and the next positioning is input. The positioning control unit 91 positions the cutting head 20 every time the number of images input to the A input unit 111 is cut. In the B input unit 112, the number of images related to at least one of the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y that is cut between the positioning of the cutting head 20 and the next positioning is input. . In the present embodiment, only the number of images (number of rows) in the sub-scanning direction X is input. However, in another embodiment, only the number of images (number of columns) in the main scanning direction Y may be set to be input, and both the sub-scanning direction X and the main scanning direction Y are input. It may be set to be. The positioning control unit 91 positions the cutting head 20 each time an image is cut by the number of rows input to the B input unit 112. In the C input unit 113, a distance by which the medium 50 is moved in the sub-scanning direction X after the cutting head 20 is positioned until the next positioning is input. The positioning control unit 91 positions the cutting head 20 each time the medium 50 is moved by the distance input to the C input unit 113.

  FIG. 12 is an image diagram of an input screen in the positioning frequency input device 110. In FIG. 12, the image of printing and cutting of the image is displayed on the input screen. As in the first embodiment, the first rectangular area 40 is set outside the area including all images, and crop marks C01, C02, C03, and C04 are arranged at the four corners of the first rectangular area 40. Has been. In FIG. 12, a menu 114 for performing an input operation is displayed. The operator selects a menu in the menu 114 and inputs a numerical value to designate a position for printing a crop mark.

  Also in this embodiment, by selecting a check box of the menu 114, it is selected which function of the A input unit 111 to the C input unit 113 is used. When “number of images” is selected, the A input unit 111 can specify the number of images to be cut during the next positioning after the cutting head 20 is positioned. In the case of FIG. 12, if “2” is input as the “number of images”, the cutting apparatus 1 operates as follows at the time of cutting. The cutting apparatus 1 first positions the cutting head 20 using the crop marks C01, C02, C03, and C04 before cutting. Next, the cut lines 34 of the images P16 and P26 are cut. Since the cutting of the two images P16 and P26 is completed, the cutting device 1 positions the cutting head 20 again using the crop marks C01, C02, C03, and C04. Then, the images P36 and P46 are cut. The same applies hereinafter.

  According to the positioning operation, a certain degree of positioning accuracy can be ensured even if only a small number of crop marks are printed. As described above, since the positioning operation itself includes elements that generate errors, the positioning accuracy is inferior to the case where the crop mark is printed and adjusted near the cut position. We can cope with form enough. Conversely, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the crop marks and increase the space for printing an image while ensuring the necessary positioning accuracy. If the A input unit 111 is used, the positioning frequency can be easily input simply by inputting the number of images to be cut between the positioning of the cutting head 20 and the next positioning.

  In the present embodiment, the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20 can also be specified by the B input unit 112 or the C input unit 113. Which of the A input unit 111 to the C input unit 113 is used is an alternative. When “number of rows” is selected in the check box, the function of the B input unit 112 can be used. For example, if “1” is input to the “number of rows”, the cutting head is positioned after the cutting of the first column composed of the images P16, P26, P36, and P46 is completed. If “print length” is selected in the check box, the function of the C input unit 113 can be used. For example, it is assumed that the length Lx of the image is 100 mm as in the example in the first embodiment. If “200 mm” is entered in “Print Length”, after the cutting of the first row of images P16, P26, P36, and P46 and the first row of images P15, P25, P35, and P45 is completed ( After the printing length reaches 200 mm for two rows), the cutting head is positioned. If a “print length” that crosses a column of images is input, it is not preferable to perform positioning by interrupting cutting in the middle of the column, so positioning is performed after the end of cutting of the column. However, the positioning may be performed before cutting the row.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20 can be input also by the B input unit 112 and the C input unit 113. When the B input unit 112 is used, the number of image rows to be cut between one positioning and the next positioning is input. When the C input unit 113 is used, a print length by which the medium 50 is moved between one positioning and the next positioning is input. With either the B input unit 112 or the C input unit 113, the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20 can be easily input.

  As described above, according to the cutting device 1 according to the second embodiment, the operator can input the frequency of positioning the cutting head 20 using the crop marks. Therefore, the frequency of positioning according to the required cutting time and cutting accuracy can be set. That is, if the positioning frequency is set low, the cutting time can be shortened. Conversely, if the positioning frequency is set high, the cutting position accuracy can be improved. According to this method, although the positional accuracy tends to be inferior to the method of printing a large number of crop marks, the number of crop marks is small, and a space for printing an image on the medium 50 can be secured. When inputting the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20, the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20 can be simply input using the A input unit 111, the B input unit 112, and the C input unit 113 provided in the positioning frequency input device 110. It can be carried out.

  Although several embodiments have been described above, the cutting device according to the present invention is not limited to those described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the print position of the crop mark input to the crop mark position input device 100 may be freely set by the operator. For example, an independent rectangular area may be set around each image, and a crop mark may be set for each independent rectangular area. Further, the dividing lines 42 may not be drawn at equal intervals, and the crop mark position input device 100 may be configured to be able to individually input the intervals of the dividing lines 42. According to such an embodiment, for example, when an image includes a plurality of types of images having different sizes, the image can be efficiently divided. Further, the crop mark may not be printed at all printable vertices among the vertices of the second rectangular area. For example, the crop mark may be set so as to be printed on at least three or more vertices in each of the second rectangular areas.

  Alternatively, the cutting device 1 according to the present invention may include both the crop mark position input device 100 and the positioning frequency input device 110. In that case, it is preferable that the positioning frequency of the cutting head 20 can be set in the second rectangular area obtained by dividing the first rectangular area 40. According to this embodiment, the positioning operation similar to the positioning operation in the second embodiment is performed in each of the second rectangular regions. According to such positioning operation, it is possible to perform positioning with higher accuracy than in the case of the operation in the first embodiment.

  Further, in the embodiments described so far, the cutting apparatus 1 includes the print head 10 together with the cutting head 20 and is a cutting apparatus having a printing function. However, the cutting apparatus according to the present invention may be a cutting apparatus that does not have a print head and does not have a printing function. In this case, the image and the crop mark are printed by a printing device different from the cutting device. The cutting device performs cutting on the medium printed by the printing device.

  In the embodiments described so far, the cutting apparatus 1 is configured to move the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 in the main scanning direction and transport the medium 50 in the sub scanning direction. However, the cutting apparatus 1 only needs to be configured so that the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 can be two-dimensionally moved relative to the medium 50. It may be configured to move in the scanning direction. For example, the cutting apparatus 1 has a flat bed that supports the medium 50, a guide rail that supports the print head 10 and the cutting head 20 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction, and drives the printing head 10 and the cutting head 20 in the main scanning direction. And a driving device such as a motor that drives the guide rail in the sub-scanning direction, and a rail that supports the guide rail so as to be movable in the sub-scanning direction.

1 Cutting device 2 Platen (support)
3 Grid roller 4 Pinch roller 5 Guide rail 10 Print head 20 Cutting head 25 Sensor (Crop mark detection device)
34 cut line 40 first rectangular area 41a to 41f second rectangular area 42 dividing line 50 medium 60 controller 80 print control device 81 image printing unit 82 crop mark printing unit 90 cutting control unit 91 positioning control unit 100 crop mark position input Device 101 First input unit 102 Second input unit 103 Third input unit 104 Fourth input unit 105 Correction unit 106 Determination unit 107 Warning unit 110 Positioning frequency input device 111 A input unit 112 B input unit 113 C input unit P11 to P46 Image C11-C34 Crop mark

Claims (18)

A support for supporting the medium;
A print head for printing on the medium supported by the support;
A cutting head for cutting the medium supported by the support base;
A first moving mechanism that moves the print head in a main scanning direction that is the width direction of the medium during printing, and moves the cutting head in the main scanning direction during cutting;
The medium supported by the support table during printing is moved relative to the print head in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the medium supported by the support table during cutting is transferred to the cutting head. A second moving mechanism that moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction;
A print control device for printing a plurality of images and a plurality of crop marks on the medium by controlling the print head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism;
A cutting control device for cutting the medium by controlling the cutting head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism;
A crop mark detection device for detecting the position of the crop mark;
A crop mark position input device for inputting a position for printing the crop mark on the medium,
The print control device prints the crop mark at a position to print the crop mark input to the crop mark position input device,
The cutting control device has a positioning control unit that positions the cutting head based on three or more positions of the crop marks detected by the crop mark detection device when cutting.
Cutting device. The crop mark input to the crop mark position input device is printed at a position where the first rectangular area located outside the area including all of the plurality of images is parallel to the outline of the first rectangular area. Three or more of the vertices of the second rectangular region divided by the dividing line,
The cutting device according to claim 1. The position to print the crop mark input to the crop mark position input device includes the vertex shared by two or more second rectangular areas adjacent to each other.
The cutting device according to claim 2. The crop mark position input device includes a first input unit that inputs a distance between lines constituting the second rectangular region with respect to at least one of the sub-scanning direction and the main-scanning direction,
The crop mark printing unit is set to print the crop mark so that a distance between lines constituting the second rectangular region is the same as a distance input to the first input unit.
The cutting device according to claim 2 or 3. The crop mark position input device includes a second input unit to which the number of images located inside the second rectangular area is input,
The crop mark printing unit is configured to print the crop mark so that the number of images located inside the second rectangular area is the same as the number of images input to the second input unit. Being
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-4. The crop mark position input device includes a second input unit for inputting the number of images positioned between lines constituting the second rectangular region in at least one of the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction. ,
The crop mark printing unit displays the crop mark so that the number of images positioned between the lines constituting the second rectangular area is the same as the number of images input to the second input unit. Set to print,
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-4. The crop mark position input device includes a third input unit to which the number of the second rectangular areas is input.
The crop mark printing unit is set to print the crop mark so that the number of the second rectangular regions is the same as the number of the second rectangular regions input to the third input unit. Yes,
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-6. The crop mark position input device includes a third input unit to which the number of the first rectangular area equally divided by the dividing line is input with respect to at least one of the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction,
In the crop mark printing unit, the number of the first rectangular regions equally divided by the dividing line is the same as the number of the first rectangular regions inputted to the third input unit. Is set to print the crop mark,
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-6. The crop mark position input device includes a correction unit that corrects the position of the image based on the arrangement of the second rectangular area.
The cutting apparatus of Claims 3-8. The crop mark position input device is configured to determine whether or not the arrangement of the second rectangular area satisfies a predetermined nonconformity condition;
A warning unit that issues a warning when it is determined by the determination unit that the arrangement of the second rectangular region satisfies the nonconformity condition,
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 3-9. A support for supporting the medium;
A print head for printing on the medium supported by the support;
A cutting head for cutting the medium supported by the support base;
A first moving mechanism that moves the print head in a main scanning direction that is the width direction of the medium during printing, and moves the cutting head in the main scanning direction during cutting;
The medium supported by the support table during printing is moved relative to the print head in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and the medium supported by the support table during cutting is transferred to the cutting head. A second moving mechanism that moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction;
A print control device for printing a plurality of images and a plurality of crop marks on the medium by controlling the print head, the first moving mechanism, and the second moving mechanism;
A crop mark detection device for detecting the position of the crop mark;
A positioning control unit configured to position the cutting head based on three or more positions of the crop marks detected by the crop mark detection device at the time of cutting, the cutting head and the first moving mechanism; And a cutting control device for cutting the medium by controlling the second moving mechanism;
A positioning frequency input device for inputting the frequency of positioning the cutting head,
The positioning control unit is set to position the cutting head based on the frequency of positioning input to the positioning frequency input device.
Cutting device. A support for supporting a medium on which a plurality of images and crop marks are printed;
A cutting head for cutting the medium supported by the support base;
A first moving mechanism for moving the cutting head in a main scanning direction which is a width direction of the medium;
A second moving mechanism for moving the medium supported by the support base relative to the cutting head in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction;
A crop mark detection device for detecting the position of the crop mark;
A positioning control unit configured to position the cutting head based on three or more positions of the crop marks detected by the crop mark detection device at the time of cutting, the cutting head and the first moving mechanism; And a cutting control device for cutting the medium by controlling the second moving mechanism;
A positioning frequency input device for inputting the frequency of positioning the cutting head,
The positioning control unit is set to position the cutting head based on the frequency of positioning input to the positioning frequency input device.
Cutting device. The positioning frequency input device has an A input unit for inputting the number of images to be cut between the time when the cutting head is positioned and the time when the cutting head is positioned next.
The positioning control unit is set to position the cutting head every time the image is cut by the number input to the A input unit.
The cutting device according to claim 11 or 12. In the positioning frequency input device, a B input to which the number of the images related to at least one of the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction to be cut after the cutting head is positioned until the next positioning is input. Part
The positioning control unit is set to perform positioning of the cutting head every time the number of images input to the B input unit is cut.
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 11-13. The positioning frequency input device has a C input unit for inputting a distance by which the medium is moved in the sub-scanning direction after the cutting head is positioned until the next positioning.
The positioning control unit is set to position the cutting head each time the medium is moved by the distance input to the C input unit.
The cutting apparatus as described in any one of Claims 11-14. Inputting a position for printing the crop mark on the medium;
Printing a plurality of images on the medium;
Printing the crop mark at a position for printing the input crop mark on the medium;
Detecting a position of three or more of the crop marks by a crop mark detection device;
Positioning the cutting head based on the position of the crop mark detected by the crop mark detection device;
Cutting the medium along a cut line set for each of the plurality of images by the positioned cutting head,
Cutting method. The crop mark is printed at a position where a first rectangular area located outside an area including all of the plurality of images is divided by a dividing line parallel to an outline of the first rectangular area. 3 or more of the vertices of the rectangular area,
The cutting method according to claim 16. Printing an image on a medium;
Printing a crop mark on the medium;
Detecting a position of three or more of the crop marks by a crop mark detection device;
Positioning the cutting head based on the position of the crop mark detected by the crop mark detection device;
Inputting the frequency of positioning the cutting head,
The step of positioning the cutting head is performed based on the frequency of positioning the input cutting head.
Cutting method.

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