Label die cutting machine, printing device, and label die cutting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969191-B2
Application number	US-201615351874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A label die cutting device enables easily changing the shape of the die cut made in label paper. A printer 1 has a print unit 7 and a die cutting process unit 8 (label die cutting device). The die cutting process unit 8 has a conveyance path 9 for conveying the label paper 5 , a die cutting unit including wire pins 41 and a wire pin drive mechanism 42 for advancing and retracting the wire pins 41 , and a die cutting controller 68 for driving the wire pin drive mechanism 42 to strike the wire pins 41 against the label paper 5 on the conveyance path 9 and die cut the label paper 5 based on print data. The die cutting unit is a wire dot head 27.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A label die cutting device comprising:
a conveyance path through which label paper is conveyed;
a die cutting unit having wire pins and a wire pin moving mechanism that drives the wire pins forward and back;
a die cutting controller configured to drive the wire pin moving mechanism to advance the wire pins, strike the label paper on the conveyance path with the wire pins, and die cut the label paper based on print data; and
a striking force controller configured to adjust the striking force of the wire pins striking the label paper,
wherein the striking force controller has a gap adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the gap between the die cutting unit and the conveyance path.

2. The label die cutting device described in claim 1 , wherein the die cutting unit is a wire dot head.

3. The label die cutting device described in claim 1 , wherein the wire pins have a rectangular shape when seen from the axial end.

4. The label die cutting device described in claim 1 ,
the wire pin moving mechanism having a drive coil that drives the wire pins;
the die cutting controller drives the wire pin moving mechanism by energizing the drive coil; and
the striking force controller controls energizing the drive coil and adjusts the striking force.

5. The label die cutting device described in claim 1 , wherein the striking force controller sets the striking force of the wire pins against the label paper to a first striking force causing the wire pins to pass through the label, or a second striking force causing the wire pins to pass through the label and the liner.

6. A printing device comprising:
a printhead;
a die cutting unit having wire pins and a wire pin moving mechanism that drives the wire pins forward and back;
a conveyance path through which label paper is conveyed;
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the label paper through the conveyance path;
print control unit configured to drive the printhead based on print data and print on the label paper on the conveyance path;
a die cutting controller configured to drive the wire pin moving mechanism to advance the wire pins, strike the label paper on the conveyance path with the wire pins, and die cut the label paper based on the print data; and
a striking force controller configured to adjust the striking force of the wire pins striking the label paper,
wherein the striking force controller has a gap adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the gap between the die cutting unit and the conveyance path.

7. The printing device described in claim 6 , further comprising:
a first platen defining a first conveyance path part opposite the printhead on the conveyance path; and
a second platen defining a second conveyance path part opposite the die cutting unit on the conveyance path;
the first platen and the second platen being suction platens; and
a suction mechanism including the second platen.

8. The printing device described in claim 6 , further comprising:
a printer module and an auxiliary module that is removably installable to the printer module;
the conveyance path including a first conveyance path part and a second conveyance path part that connect disconnectably;
the printer module including the first conveyance path part and the printhead; and
the auxiliary module including the second conveyance path part and the die cutting unit.

9. The printing device described in claim 6 , further comprising:
a conveyance controller configured to drive the conveyance mechanism based on the print data; and
a correction unit configured to correct offset between the striking position where the die cutting unit strikes the label paper with the wire pins, and a target striking position previously set on the label paper.

10. The printing device described in claim 9 , wherein:
the correction unit controls the conveyance mechanism and adjusts the conveyance distance of the label paper from the printing position to the die cutting position based on the offset between the striking position and the target striking position in the conveyance direction of the label paper.

11. The printing device described in claim 9 , wherein:
the correction unit controls the conveyance mechanism based on the offset in the conveyance direction of the label paper between the striking position and the target striking position, and moves the printing start position where the print control unit starts printing on the label paper in the conveyance direction.

12. The printing device described in claim 9 , further comprising:
a printhead moving mechanism configured to move the printhead transversely to the conveyance direction of the label paper;
the print control unit driving the printhead and printing on the label paper while driving the printhead moving mechanism to move the printhead in the transverse direction, and
the correction unit correcting the timing at which the print control unit drives the printhead based on the offset in the transverse direction between the striking position and the target striking position.

13. The printing device described in claim 9 ,
the correction unit having an input unit to receive the offset amount.

14. A label die cutting method controlling a device including a conveyance path through which label paper is conveyed, wire pins, and a wire pin moving mechanism that drives the wire pins forward and back, the method comprising;
receiving print data;
conveying label paper through the conveyance path;
driving the wire pin moving mechanism to advance the wire pins, strike the label paper on the conveyance path with the wire pins, and die cut the label paper based on the print data; and
adjust the striking force of the wire pins striking the label paper,
wherein adjusting the striking force comprises adjusting a gap between the die cutting unit and the conveyance path.

15. The label die cutting method described in claim 14 , further comprising:
in the die cutting operation, setting the striking force of the wire pins against the label paper to a first striking force causing the wire pins to pass through the label, or a second striking force causing the wire pins to pass through the label and the liner.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Masubuchi Hiroyuki
• Maekawa Hironori

Classifications

• B31D1/027

  involving, marking, printing or coding · CPC title

• B26F2001/388

  controlling the blade orientation along the cutting path · CPC title

• B41J11/663 Primary

  Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image · CPC title

• B31D1/021

  Making adhesive labels having a multilayered structure, e.g. provided on carrier webs · CPC title

• B26F1/24

  Perforating by needles or pins · CPC title