Cutter unit selectively performing one of full-cutting and half-cutting, and printer including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11007799-B2
Application number	US-202016830104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A cutter unit includes a cutter holder, a cradle, a cutter lever, a cradle lever, and a transmitting portion. The cradle faces the cutter holder and movable between a full-cut position and a half-cut position. The cutter lever is configured to be contactable with the cutter holder. The cradle lever is configured to be contactable with the cradle. The transmitting portion is configured to move the cutter lever and the cradle lever in interlocking relation therebetween. The transmitting portion is configured to shut off transmission of movement of the cutter lever to the cradle lever in accordance with only operation to the cutter lever out of the cutter lever and the cradle lever while the transmitting portion is configured to transmit movement of the cradle lever to the cutter lever in accordance with only operation to the cradle lever out of the cutter lever and the cradle lever.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cutter unit comprising:
a cutter holder holding a cutter blade for cutting a cut item, the cutter holder being movable in a moving direction;
a cradle facing the cutter holder and movable between a full-cut position where the cut item is subjected to full-cutting with the cutter blade and a half-cut position where the cut item is subjected to half-cutting with the cutter blade;
a cutter lever configured to be operated by a user, and contactable with the cutter holder to move the cutter holder;
a cradle lever configured to be operated by the user, and contactable with the cradle to move the cradle; and
a transmitting portion configured to move the cutter lever and the cradle lever in interlocking relation therebetween;
wherein the transmitting portion is configured to shut off transmission of movement of the cutter lever to the cradle lever in accordance with only operation to the cutter lever out of the cutter lever and the cradle lever, and
wherein the transmitting portion is configured to transmit movement of the cradle lever to the cutter lever in accordance with only operation to the cradle lever out of the cutter lever and the cradle lever.

2. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cradle, the cutter lever, the cradle lever, and the transmitting portion are configured to provide a completion timing at which movement of the cradle from the full-cut position to the half-cut position by user's operation to the cradle lever is completed, and a contacting timing at which the cutter blade contacts the cut item in accordance with movement of the cradle lever, the completion timing being earlier than the contacting timing.

3. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cutter lever is pivotally movable about an axis;
wherein the cradle lever is pivotally movable about the axis.

4. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the full-cutting position and the half-cutting position are arrayed with each other in a conveying direction of the cut item.

5. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a first urging member configured to urge the cradle to one of the full-cut position and the half-cut position.

6. The cutter unit according to claim 5 , further comprising a second urging member configured to urge the cradle in an urging direction opposite to an urging direction of the first urging member as a result of operation to the cradle lever, the second urging member having an urging force smaller than that of the first urging member.

7. The cutter unit according to claim 5 , wherein the cradle is movable in a direction opposite to an urging direction of the first urging member as a result of operation to the cradle lever.

8. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cradle comprises:
a flat surface portion;
a protruding portion protruding from the flat surface portion configured to face the cutter blade in the moving direction, when the cradle is at the half-cut position, the protruding portion protruding from the flat surface portion by a protruding amount of more than 0 μm and not more than 70 μm.

9. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cradle comprises:
a first portion configured to nip the cut item in cooperation with the cutting blade when the cradle is at the full-cut position; and
a second portion configured to nip the cut item in cooperation with the cutting blade when the cradle is at the half-cut position, the second portion being made from a material different from a material of the first portion.

10. The cutter unit according to claim 9 , wherein the material of the first portion is resin, and the material of the second portion is metal.

11. The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the cutter blade extends in a first direction; the cutter unit further comprising:
a pivot member pivotally movable in a first pivot direction and a second pivot direction opposite to the first pivot direction about an axis extending in the first direction, the pivot member comprising a wall portion extending in a direction crossing the first pivot direction;
a spring urging the pivot member in the first pivot direction;
a pin provided at one of the pivot member and the cradle and extending in the first direction; and
a slide portion provided at remaining one of the pivot member and the cradle, the pin being slidably movable relative to the slide portion;
wherein the pin and the slide portion are configured so that pin moves in the first pivot direction while the pin is slidingly moved relative to the slide portion by urging force of the spring when the cradle lever moves away from the wall portion.

12. A printer comprising:
a conveying portion configured to convey a cut item;
a print head configured to perform printing on the cut item conveyed by the conveying portion; and
a cutter unit according to claim 1 and configured to selectively perform one of full-cutting and half-cutting operation with respect to the cut item on which printing is performed by the print head.

13. A printer comprising:
a conveying portion configured to convey an item to be printed;
a print head configured to perform printing on the item to be printed conveyed by the conveying portion; and
a cutter unit configured to selectively perform one of full-cutting and half-cutting operation with respect to the item on which printing is performed by the print head; the cutter unit comprising:
a cutter blade for cutting the item to be printed, the cutter blade being movable;
a cradle positioned to face the cutter blade and movable in a movable direction between a full-cut position where the item to be printed is subjected to full-cutting with the cutter blade and a half-cut position where the item to be printed is subjected to half-cutting with the cutter blade, the cradle being formed with an opening having an inner surface; and
an extension portion positioned in the opening, the extension having an outer surface;

wherein the outer surface of the extension portion and the inner surface of the opening face with each other in the movable direction with a gap therebetween, a dimension of the gap in the movable direction being changed in response to movement of the cradle in the movable direction.

14. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein the extension portion is positioned on an extension line extending from a locus of the cutter blade.

15. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein the cradle is attachable to and detachable from the extension portion.

16. The printer according to claim 13 , further comprising a cutter lever pivotally movable about a pivot shaft;
wherein the pivot shaft and the extension portion are fixed to each other.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Iijima Shota

Classifications

• B26D1/105

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• B41J11/66 Primary

  Applications of cutting devices · CPC title

• B41J11/666 Primary

  Cutting partly, e.g. cutting only the uppermost layer of a multiple-layer printing material · CPC title

• B26D1/045

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• B41J11/70

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title