Cutting apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storing medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10071492-B2
Application number	US-201514813844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A cutting apparatus includes a cut mechanism configured to cut a workpiece; and a control device configured to: judge whether or not each of plural patterns to be cut by the cut mechanism is a test pattern used for evaluating a cut quality of the workpiece cut by the cut mechanism; determine a cut sequence, the cut sequence indicating a sequence in which the plural patterns are cut from the workpiece by the cut mechanism, the cut sequence being determined so that a pattern judged as the test pattern is cut before a normal pattern judged to not be the test pattern; and control the cut mechanism to cut the plural patterns from the workpiece according to the cut sequence.

First claim

I claim:

1. A cutting apparatus comprising:
a cut mechanism configured to cut a workpiece; and
a control device configured to:
judge whether or not each of plural patterns to be cut by the cut mechanism is a test pattern used for evaluating a cut quality of the workpiece cut by the cut mechanism;
determine a cut sequence, the cut sequence indicating a sequence in which the plural patterns are cut from the workpiece by the cut mechanism, the cut sequence being determined so that a pattern judged as the test pattern is cut before a normal pattern is cut, the normal pattern being a pattern judged to not be the test pattern; and
control the cut mechanism to cut the plural patterns from the workpiece according to the cut sequence.

2. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
receive instructions to select whether or not to continue cutting after cutting the test pattern according to the cut sequence; and
control the cut mechanism to cut the normal pattern when receiving instructions to select continuation of cutting.

3. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the cut mechanism is provided with a cut blade and a carriage configured to transfer the cut blade along a first direction, and wherein the cut mechanism is configured to cut the workpiece using the cut blade.

4. The cutting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the carriage to transfer the cut blade toward a first end of the first direction after cutting the test pattern by the cut blade and configured to control the carriage to transfer the cut blade toward a second end of the first direction opposite the first end when receiving instructions to select continuation of cutting.

5. The cutting apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the workpiece along a second direction,
wherein the control device is further configured to control the transfer mechanism to transfer the workpiece toward a third end of the second direction after cutting the test pattern and configured to control the transfer mechanism to transfer the workpiece toward a fourth end of the second direction opposite the third end when receiving instructions to select continuation of cutting.

6. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
receive instructions to select plural patterns to be cut by the cut mechanism;
associate first information identifying the plural patterns selected to be cut by the cut mechanism with second information pertaining to a sequence in which said plural patterns have been selected;
store the first and the second information to a storage device;
judge whether or not each of the patterns identified by the first information stored in the storage device is the test pattern; and
determine the cut sequence so that a pattern judged as the test pattern is cut before any normal pattern, and plural normal patterns are cut according to the sequence in which the plural patterns have been selected.

7. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the test pattern is smaller than the normal pattern.

8. The cutting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to display a message informing that the test pattern is cut by the cut mechanism before the normal pattern is cut by the cut mechanism.

9. A cutting apparatus comprising:
a cut mechanism configured to cut a workpiece; and
a control device configured to:
acquire plural patterns including a test pattern used for evaluating a cut quality of the workpiece cut by the cut mechanism and a normal pattern which is not the test pattern; and
control the cut mechanism to cut the test pattern before the normal pattern when the normal pattern is acquired before the test pattern.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Daisuke

Classifications

• B26F1/3813

  wherein the tool head is moved in a plane parallel to the work in a coordinate system fixed with respect to the work · CPC title

• B26D2005/002

  Performing a pattern matching operation · CPC title

• B26D5/005 Primary

  Computer numerical control means · CPC title

• B26D5/06

  by electrical means · CPC title

• B26D2007/2678

  for cutting pens mounting in a cutting plotter · CPC title