JP3520693B2 - Cutting plotter - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a cutting plotter for cutting out characters and figures from a cutting sheet, and more particularly to a cutting plotter which facilitates separation of a blank of the cutting sheet. It concerns the plotter. 2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a cutting sheet S with release paper on which characters have been cut by a conventional cutting plotter. A lettering sheet L is created by cutting the outline of the character according to the dimensions. When using the lettering sheet L as a display, first, the margin M of the cutting sheet S other than the lettering sheet L is peeled off from the release paper on the back surface, a transparent adhesive application sheet is placed on the surface of the cutting sheet S, and lettering is performed on the application sheet. The sheet L is attached and the release paper is peeled off. Then, the application sheet is stuck on the target place, the surface of the application sheet is rubbed with a squeegee, the lettering sheet L is adhered to the surface to be adhered, and the application sheet is peeled off, so that the lettering sheet L remains on the object surface. [0003] However, when the margin is peeled from the release paper on the back surface after cutting the characters and symbols on the cutting sheet S, if the area of the margin M is large, the force required for the peeling is large, and the peeled margin M is lettered. Sheet L
And the lettering sheet L may be peeled off at the same time, and there is a problem that handling is not easy. [0004] As means for solving the above problems,
Indicates the extra characters and symbols outside the outline in the drawing area.
X direction or Y at a fixed interval or an arbitrary set interval
Scan line data to scan in the direction
Outline cutting of characters and symbols
Scan line cutting in the margin area
A known method is known (Patent Document 1). This allows
4, the margin area of the cutting sheet S
M is divided into a predetermined width by the scanning line sl,
Removal becomes easier. However, cutting professionals
The cutter blade of the cutter is held rotatably in the horizontal direction.
And the tip of the lower end is displaced from the center of rotation of the cutter blade.
And the cutting edge lands on the cutting sheet.
Key when the head starts moving on the XY plane.
The cutter blade moves the cutting blade
The direction is changed according to the moving direction. Therefore,
The cutter blade rotates at the start of
The surface of the setting sheet is scooped out and a small
The problem is that small fan-shaped or semi-circular wounds are formed.
It is known that Therefore, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 describes
In the method described above, by scanning line cutting processing,
Outline at the connection point between the scanning line and outline such as characters
Insufficiently damaged, lettering sheet beauty
The problem of disfigurement arises. So, cutting
To facilitate the separation and handling of the margins of the sheet
In addition, the outline is not damaged by the cutter blade and looks good
To provide good lettering sheets
The technical problem to be solved arises in the present invention.
Aims to solve the above problems. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-297098 [0005] The present invention proposes to achieve the above object, and is based on input drawing data. Generate outline data for characters and symbols
Calculating means for expanding the outline data,
The margin area outside the enlarged outline
Operation to generate scan line data scanned at any set interval
Means based on the outline data and the scanning line data.
Control to control the cutting head based on
Section and cutting head drive,
Outline cutting of letters and symbols on the sheet
Execute the scanning process and the scanning line cutting process, and
Connected scanning lines to outlines such as characters
The present invention provides a cutting plotter characterized in that the cutting plotter is configured not to do so . An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the cutting plotter. The drawing data input to the input / output control device 3 from the data input means such as the keyboard 1 or the host computer through the interface 2 includes a CPU.
4, a cutting control section 7 constituted by a ROM 5 and a RAM 6 is inputted. The input / output control device 3 includes a display unit driving circuit 8,
An X-axis motor drive circuit 9, a Y-axis motor drive circuit 10, and a Z-axis actuator drive circuit 11 are connected.
3. Drive the Y-axis motor 14 and the Z-axis actuator 15. The drawing data such as characters and symbols input from the keyboard 1 to the cutting control unit 7 are transferred to the display unit driving circuit 8 by the cutting control unit 7 and the
Displayed by the display 12 and ROM
5, the stroke data in the coordinate value format is generated based on the outline data calculation program 16 and the blank scanning line data calculation program 17 stored in the memory 5. When character data such as characters and symbols and format setting data such as character spacing, character size, and font designation are input to the cutting control unit 7 in an input standby state, the character data is converted into an outline data calculation program 1.
6 to perform outline development processing. Subsequently, a margin line outside the outline of a character or a symbol developed in the drawing area is scanned at a predetermined interval in the X direction, the Y direction, or the oblique direction by a margin scan line data calculation program 17. And calculates the outline data and the margin scanning line data by 1
The data is stored in the RAM 6 as cutting data for the page, and the processing ends. Here, the margin scanning line data calculation program 17
Is performed by the outline data calculation program 16.
The calculated outline data is enlarged at a predetermined enlargement ratio,
The margin area other than the virtual area surrounded by the enlarged outline
Scanning scan line data is calculated by scanning at regular intervals. A
Regarding the enlargement ratio of the outline data,
Endpoints do not connect to regular outline and are as close as possible
Should be slightly larger than the original size.
Is desirable, and by doing so, it will be described later.
The margin and the lettering sheet are easily split when the margin is peeled off.
Can be made. As the margin scanning algorithm, various general intermittent filling algorithms such as vertical hatching, horizontal hatching, and 45 ° hatching in graphic processing can be applied. In addition, the interval between the scanning lines is not particularly limited, but the interval should be set so that the cutting sheet in the margin can be easily peeled off and easily handled. When a cutting execution code is input from the keyboard 1, the CPU 4 outputs the outline data written in the RAM 6 to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis drive circuits 9, 10, 11, and outputs the X-axis motor 13. , The Y-axis motor 14 and the Z-axis actuator 15 are driven synchronously to perform outline cutting of characters and symbols. Subsequently, the interlaced scanning line data is sequentially transmitted to the driving circuits 9, 10,.
11, the scanning line cutting is performed at a fixed interval on the blank portion, and the cutting process ends. [0013] FIG. 2 shows an example of the cutting result, statement
Character outline is based on regular outline data
The lettering sheet L is formed by cutting.
Skip scanning line s for margin M other than tarling sheet L
l is cut at regular intervals,
Scan line data calculated based on the
The skipped scanning line sl that is printed is a lettering sheet
End near outline without connecting to outline of L
are doing. Therefore, at the start of scanning line cutting
Out of characters etc. by changing the direction of the cutter blade in
The line is not damaged. Then, the blank space divided into strips is cut
When peeled from the edge of the scanning sheet, the end of the interlaced scanning line sl
A narrow non-cut point between the point and the outline such as characters
Margins are removed by tearing, and large area margins can be
Peeling with a lighter force compared to conventional peeling
it can. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope of the present invention, such as setting the direction of a scanning line to be cut in a horizontal direction or an oblique direction. It goes without saying that the present invention extends to those modifications. As described above, the cutting plotter of the present invention automatically cuts the blank portion other than the characters and symbols on the cutting sheet into a band shape when cutting is performed. Reduced and peeled residue
There is also a risk that the white part will stick to the surroundings and the characters and symbols on the release paper
And the cutting sheet becomes easier to handle.
In addition, outlines such as characters are created by margin separation processing
A beautiful finish is obtained without being damaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a cutting plotter. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cutting sheet cut by the cutting plotter of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows cutting with a conventional cutting plotter .
FIG. FIG. 4 is a view of a conventional blank cutting method
The top view of a cutting sheet.

Claims (1)

(57) Claims: An arithmetic means for generating outline data of characters and symbols based on input drawing data ;
Expand the outline data and use this expanded outline
Scans the margin area outside the screen at a fixed interval or at an arbitrary set interval
Calculating means for generating scan line data to be scanned,
Cutting based on in-data and scan line data
Control unit for controlling the head and the cutting head
Equipped with a head drive,
And symbol outline cutting and scanning line cutting
Scan line that has been cut and cut
The cutting plotter is configured not to connect to outlines such as characters.