Cutter blade moving mechanism, cutter, and printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731524-B2
Application number	US-201614988429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Jan 5, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A cutter blade moving mechanism moves a cutter blade to a forward position by a low output drive motor without an urging member urging the cutter blade to the forward position where media is cut. The first cutter blade moving mechanism has a drive gear that moves the first cutter blade forward and back; a drive motor; and a compound gear to which rotation of the drive motor is transferred. The intermittent teeth part of the compound gear meshes with a transfer gear after turning the compound gear is started by drive power from the drive motor, completing a rotation transfer path. Because there is a delay between when driving the drive motor starts and when the path transferring rotation from the drive motor to the drive gear is completed, rotational kinetic energy is stored in the compound gear during this delay. The transfer gear can therefore be turned with greater drive power (rotational kinetic energy) when the compound gear and transfer gear mesh.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cutter blade moving mechanism configured to move a cutter blade reciprocally between a forward position cutting a sheet medium and a retracted position separated from the forward position, comprising:
a first gear;
a second gear;
a rotation conversion mechanism configured to move a cutter blade forward and back by rotation of the first gear;
a drive motor;
an intermittent gear;
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer rotation from the drive motor through the intermittent gear to the first gear;
wherein a toothed part of the intermittent gear engages the second gear after the drive motor starts turning the intermittent gear; and
while the toothed part of the intermittent gear is engaged with the second gear and rotation from the drive motor is transferred to the first gear, the cutter blade is moved by the rotation conversion mechanism from the retracted position to the forward position; and
the intermittent gear rotates about an axis substantially parallel to axes about which the first and second gears rotate.

2. The cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:
the second gear of the transfer mechanism is on a downstream side of the rotational path of the intermittent gear.

3. The cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 2 , wherein:
the transfer mechanism has a third gear,
the third gear is located between the first gear and the second gear,
the third gear meshes with the first gear, and
the third gear meshes with the second gear.

4. The cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotation conversion mechanism is a rack and pinion mechanism.

5. The cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:
an urging member configured to urge the cutter blade, wherein the urging force of the urging member moves the cutter blade from the forward position to the retracted position when the toothed part of the intermittent gear and the second gear disengage.

6. The cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 1 , wherein:
the drive motor is a DC motor.

7. A cutter, comprising:
the cutter blade moving mechanism of claim 1 ;
a first cutter blade that is moved between the forward position and the retracted position by the cutter blade moving mechanism; and
a second cutter blade configured to contact the first cutter blade when the first cutter blade moves from the retracted position to the forward position.

8. The cutter described in claim 7 , further comprising:
a support mechanism configured to support the second cutter blade parallel to a travel plane of bidirectionally movement of the first cutter blade, and pivotably on an axis of rotation perpendicular to a direction of travel of the first cutter blade; and
an urging member configured to urge the second cutter blade to a contact position where the cutting edge of the second cutter blade can slide against the first cutter blade;
wherein the second cutter blade contacts the first cutter blade at the contact position with an imaginary line between the axis of rotation and the cutting edge of the second cutter blade at an incline to the travel plane of the first cutter blade.

9. The cutter described in claim 8 , further comprising:
a second cutter blade moving mechanism configured to rock the second cutter blade on its axis of rotation between a release position where the cutting edge is separated from the travel plane, and the contact position;
the second cutter blade moving mechanism setting the second cutter blade to the release position before the cutter blade moving mechanism moves the first cutter blade from the forward position to the retracted position.

10. A printer comprising:
the cutter described in claim 7 ;
a printhead; and
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey sheet media through a conveyance path passing a printing position of the printhead and a cutting position of the cutter.

11. A cutter comprising:
a cutter blade moving mechanism configured to move a cutter blade reciprocally between a forward position cutting a sheet medium and a retracted position separated from the forward position, said cutter blade moving mechanism comprising:
a first gear;
a second gear;
a rotation conversion mechanism configured to move a cutter blade forward and back by rotation of the first gear;
a drive motor;
an intermittent gear;
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer rotation from the drive motor through the intermittent gear to the first gear, wherein a toothed part of the intermittent gear engages the second gear after the drive motor starts turning the intermittent gear, and while the toothed part of the intermittent gear is engaged with the second gear and rotation from the drive motor is transferred to the first gear, the cutter blade is moved by the rotation conversion mechanism from the retracted position to the forward position;
a first cutter blade that is moved between the forward position and the retracted position by the cutter blade moving mechanism; and
a second cutter blade configured to contact the first cutter blade when the first cutter blade moves from the retracted position to the forward position.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nishijima Hideaki
• Ishida Tetsugo
• Narita Hiroshi
• Yamada Rikuo

Classifications

• B26D1/08

  of the guillotine type · CPC title

• F16H19/04

  comprising a rack · CPC title

• B41J11/70 Primary

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• F16H19/02

  for interconverting rotary {or oscillating} motion and reciprocating motion · CPC title