Cutter module and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548179-B2
Application number	US-201816603554-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A cutter arrangement for media processing equipment, including a cutter module to be arranged on a shaft via a dedicated one of a number of transmission devices, at least one of the cutter module and the transmission devices comprising a registration feature to guide a user to arrange the cutter module on the dedicated one of the number of transmission devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutter arrangement for media processing equipment, comprising:
a cutter module to be arranged on a shaft via a dedicated transmission device,
the cutter module and the dedicated transmission device comprising a registration feature to guide a user to arrange the cutter module on the dedicated transmission device;
wherein registration feature comprises complementary geometries of the cutter module and the dedicated one of the transmission devices.

2. The cutter arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a number of transmission devices, each transmission device including a transmission ring, wherein the dedicated transmission device is one of the number of transmission devices.

3. The cutter arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the registration feature includes a varying outer diameter along an axial length of the transmission ring of the dedicated transmission device.

4. The cutter arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the registration feature includes a respective varying inner dimension of an inner clamping space the cutter module.

5. The cutter arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the registration feature includes a circumferential protrusion along an axial length the transmission ring of the dedicated transmission device and a recess provided on the cutter module and mating with the protrusion.

6. The cutter arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the registration feature includes a circumferential recess along an axial length of the transmission ring of the dedicated transmission device and a protrusion provided on the cutter module and mating with the recess.

7. The cutter arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the registration feature includes a visual feedback feature, illustrating on the cutter module a contour of the dedicated one of the transmission rings to prompt alignment of the cutter module relative to its dedicated transmission ring.

8. The cutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the cutter module includes an upper half and a lower half, the lower half carrying a cutter blade and the upper half including the registration feature.

9. The cutter arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the upper half and the lower half of the cutter module are pivotally linked at a pivoting axis and are movable relative to each other to latch and unlatch the upper and lower halves of the cutter module around the transmission device.

10. The cutter arrangement of claim 9 , wherein pivoting movement of the upper and lower halves of the cutter module is limited by a stop.

11. A printer comprising:
a shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to a media advance direction of the printer; and
a cutter module slidably arranged on the shaft via a transmission ring;
wherein the cutter module and the transmission ring include mating registration features to guide a user to arrange the cutter module on the transmission ring.

12. The printer of claim 11 , wherein two transmission rings are arranged on the shaft, each transmission ring including a registration feature different from the registration feature of the respective other transmission ring, and further including two cutter modules, the two cutter modules including respective registration features mating with different ones of the registration features of the transmission rings.

13. The printer of claim 12 , wherein the registration features include at least one of:
a visual feedback, illustrating on each of the cutter modules a contour of the dedicated one of the transmission rings to prompt alignment of the cutter module relative to its dedicated transmission ring; and
complementary geometries of an inner clamping space of each one of the cutter modules and of an outer periphery of the respective mating transmission rings.

14. A method of installing a cutter module on a shaft, wherein the cutter module comprises two module halves pivotally connected to each other, the method comprising:
pivoting the two module halves relative to each other to enlarge an inner clamping space;
aligning the cutter module relative to the shaft using a registration feature associated with at least one of the cutter module and the shaft, the registration feature providing feedback to a user to arrange the cutter module at a dedicated position along the length of the shaft;
arranging the cutter module on the shaft, with the shaft extending through the inner clamping space; and
pivoting the two module halves relative to each other to reduce the inner clamping space and latch the cutter module on the shaft.

15. The cutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the cutter module comprises left and right cutters which are independently slidable along the shaft extending perpendicular to a media advance direction.

16. The cutter arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the transmission device comprises a transmission ring for each cutter, each transmission ring to couple a respective cutter to the shaft, wherein rotation of the shaft drives the cutter via the respective transmission ring, each transmission ring having a registration feature to guide engagement with one of the cutters.

17. The cutter arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the registration features on the transmission rings comprise varying diameters with steps of different diameter.

18. The cutter arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the registration features on the transmission rings comprise different colors along a length of each transmission ring.

19. The cutter arrangement of claim 15 , wherein each cutter has an upper and lower half that are pivoted with relative to each other to release the cutter from the shaft.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Ormaechea Saracibar Joseba
• Gistas Perez Angel
• Ruiz Martinez Felix

Classifications

• B41J11/70

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• B65H2403/21

  Timing belts · CPC title

• B41J11/68

  cutting parallel to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• B65H2220/04

  for distinguishing adjusting from controlling, i.e. manual adjustments · CPC title

• B65H35/008

  Arrangements or adaptations of cutting devices · CPC title