Printer and paper cut detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789710-B2
Application number	US-201615221177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A printer detects when printing paper S is cut by a head cover 32 , and includes a vibration detector 71 for detecting vibration, a cut decision mechanism 72 for determining based on output from the vibration detector 71 if the printing paper S was cut by the head cover 32 , and a cut report transmitter that reports that the printing paper S was cut.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing device comprising:
a print mechanism configured to print on paper;
a cutter configured to cut paper;
a vibration detector configured to detect vibration of the printing device during cutting of the paper; and
a cut decision mechanism configured to determine if the paper was cut with the cutter based on output from the vibration detector.

2. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the cut decision mechanism is configured to determine if the paper was cut with the cutter based on whether or not a frequency of vibration detected by the vibration detector is within a predefined frequency range.

3. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration detector is configured to detect vibration on three axes, an X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis; and
the cut decision mechanism is configured to determine if the paper was cut with the cutter based on whether or not the frequency of a composite wave of vibration detected on the three axes is within a predefined frequency range.

4. The printing device described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a cut report transmitter configured to transmit a cut report when the cut decision mechanism determines the paper was cut.

5. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the cutter is a manual cutter affixed in a stationary manner to a device frame.

6. The printing device described in claim 5 , wherein:
the cutter has a serrated cutting edge.

7. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration detector is mounted on a control board.

8. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration detector includes an acceleration sensor, and is configured to detect the vibration by acceleration.

9. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration detector includes an angular velocity sensor, and is configured to detect the vibration based on angular velocity.

10. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration detector includes a sound sensor, and is configured to detect the vibration based on sound.

11. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein the vibration detector is configured to detect vibration of the cutter during the cutting of paper.

12. A cut detection method comprising:
a vibration detection step of detecting vibration of a printing device during cutting of paper;
a cut decision step of determining if the paper was cut using a cutter based on the output from the vibration detection step; and
a cut report transmission step of sending a cut report when the cut decision step determines that paper was cut.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sugimoto Takuya

Classifications

• B26D1/025

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

• B26D1/02

  having a stationary cutting member (B26D1/547 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J11/66

  Applications of cutting devices · CPC title

• B41J11/70 Primary

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• B41J29/387 Primary

  Automatic cut-off devices · CPC title