JP7830938B2 - Cutter unit and image recording device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a cutter unit and an image recording device equipped with the cutter unit.

As an image recording device equipped with a cutter unit, for example, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1, when the printed medium on which the image has been formed is cut by the cutter of the cutter unit, the printed medium is held down by a spur roller located downstream of the cutter unit in the direction of transport of the printed medium.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-024283

The cutter unit and spur roller are separately integrated into the image forming apparatus. Therefore, when replacing the cutter and spur roller, for example, they must be removed separately from the image forming apparatus. Since the cutter and spur roller are consumables used simultaneously, maintenance is often required at the same time. Therefore, removing the cutter and spur roller separately from the image forming apparatus makes the replacement process cumbersome. Furthermore, because the spur roller is separated from the cutter unit, if the printing medium curls, the curl may not be adequately suppressed before the medium is transported to the cutter unit. This can lead to jams at the cutter unit and make it difficult to accurately cut the sheet.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cutter unit and an image recording device equipped with the cutter unit that allow for easy replacement of the cutter and rotating body, suppress the occurrence of jams at the cutter position, and enable more accurate cutting of the sheets constituting the roll body.

(1) The cutter unit according to the present invention comprises a cutter holder having a first surface with an opening formed therein through which a sheet passes; a cutter held in the cutter holder for cutting the sheet passing through the opening; a mounting holder attached to the first surface of the cutter holder and detachable from a sheet conveying device for conveying sheets; and a rotating body held in the mounting holder.

According to the present invention, since the mounting holder is detachable from the sheet conveying device, the entire cutter unit is detachable from the sheet conveying device. Therefore, the operator can replace the cutter and rotating body simply by removing the cutter unit from the sheet conveying device and attaching another cutter unit to the sheet conveying device. Thus, the replacement of the cutter and rotating body is easy. Since the rotating body is held by the mounting holder attached to the first surface of the cutter holder, when the mounting holder is attached to the sheet conveying device, the rotating body contacts the sheet at a position close to the cutter. Therefore, curling of the sheet is suppressed at the position close to the cutter, preventing jams at the cutter and resulting in more accurate cutting of the sheet.

(2) The opening may extend in a first direction. The mounting holder may be located on one side of a second direction intersecting the opening in the first direction on the first surface, and may have a holding portion extending in the first direction along the opening, a pair of first mounting portions extending from both ends of the holding portion in the first direction to the other side of the second direction and connected to the cutter holder, and a pair of second mounting portions protruding from the pair of first mounting portions to both sides in the first direction and connected to the sheet conveying device. The holding portion may hold a plurality of the rotating bodies spaced apart in the first direction.

Since the holding portion holds multiple rotating bodies spaced apart in the first direction, sheet curling can be more reliably suppressed when the pair of second mounting portions are attached to the sheet conveying device. Because the pair of first mounting portions extend from both ends of the holding portion in the first direction to one end in the second direction, it is easier to ensure the strength of the pair of first mounting portions.

(3) The pair of second mounting portions described above may each have a positioning pin that protrudes along the second direction.

By inserting a positioning pin into the insertion hole of the sheet conveying device, the operator can more accurately position the mounting holder relative to the cutter.

(4) The cutter may have a fixed blade positioned above the opening and a movable blade that moves relative to the fixed blade. The rotating body may be positioned above the opening. The lowest part of the rotating body may be positioned below the lower end of the fixed blade.

Since the rotating body contacts the sheet at a position below the lower end of the fixed blade, sheet curling can be suppressed more effectively.

(5) The cutter holder may have a guide for guiding the sheet to the fixed blade. The lowest part of the rotating body may be located below the lower end of the guide.

Since the rotating body contacts the sheet at a position below the lower end of the guide, the guide can more reliably suppress sheet curling while guiding the sheet to the fixed blade.

(6) The image recording device according to the present invention comprises the cutter unit and the sheet transport device to which the mounting holder of the cutter unit is connected.

According to the present invention, the operator can replace the cutter and rotating body simply by removing the cutter unit from the sheet conveying device and attaching another cutter unit to the sheet conveying device. Therefore, the replacement of the cutter and rotating body is easy. Since the rotating body is held by a mounting holder attached to the first surface of the cutter holder, the rotating body contacts the sheet at a position close to the cutter. This suppresses jamming at the cutter position and allows for more accurate cutting of the sheet.

(7) The cutter holder of the cutter unit may have a second surface located downstream of the first surface in the sheet transport direction. The second surface may have an outlet formed therefor for the sheet to be discharged.

This makes it easier to discharge the sheet, cut by the cutter, through the discharge port.

(8) The sheet transport device may have a recording unit that ejects ink toward the sheet.

Images are suitably recorded on sheets transported by a sheet transport device.

(9) The sheet transport device described above is located downstream of the recording unit in the sheet transport direction and may further include a fixing unit that fixes ink to the sheet by heating.

The ink can be properly fixed to the sheet.

According to the present invention, the replacement of the cutter and rotating body is easy, jamming at the cutter position can be suppressed, and the sheets constituting the roll can be cut more accurately.

Figure 1 is an external perspective view of an image recording device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the first upper cover 31A of the image recording device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention in an open state. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the side cover 31C of an image recording device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention in an open state. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the side frames 20 and 21 of an image recording device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is an external perspective view of a cutter unit 26 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is an external perspective view of the cutter holder 29 of the cutter unit 26 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 1. Figure 9 is an external perspective view of the mounting holder 76 of the cutter unit 26 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is an external perspective view of a sheet metal 73 to which a mounting holder 76 of a cutter unit 26 according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached. Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the area including the spur 34 and fixed blade 28A shown in Figure 8.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples of how the present invention is concretized, and the embodiments can be modified as appropriate without altering the essence of the invention. In the following description, the direction the discharge port 33 faces is referred to as forward 51, and the opposite direction is referred to as rearward 52. The forward 51 and rearward 52 together are referred to as the front-rear direction 51, 52. The vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction 51, 52 is referred to as the up-down direction 53, 54 (an example of a second direction). The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction 51, 52 and the up-down direction 53, 54 is referred to as the left-right direction 55, 56 (an example of a first direction). The upward direction in the up-down direction 53, 54 is referred to as upward 53, and the downward direction is referred to as downward 54. Viewing the image recording device 100 from the rearward direction 52, the leftward direction in the left-right direction 55, 56 is referred to as leftward 55, and the rightward direction is referred to as rightward 56.

[External configuration of the image recording device 100]
As shown in Figure 1, the image recording device 100 includes a sheet transport device 10 and a cutter unit 26. As shown in Figure 4, the sheet transport device 10 pulls out a sheet S from a roll body 37 and transports the sheet S in the forward direction 51 (an example of the transport direction). The cutter unit 26 cuts the sheet S transported by the sheet transport device 10.

The sheet transport device 10 comprises a housing 30, a transport unit 71, and a recording unit 38. As shown in Figure 1, the housing 30 is generally rectangular in shape and is small enough to be placed on a tabletop. The housing 30 comprises a main body 31 and a front cover 32 attached to the main body 31. When describing the housing 30 hereafter, the description will assume that the main body 31 and the front cover 32 form a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

The housing 30 has a right wall portion 30R and a left wall portion 30L, an upper wall portion 30U and a lower wall portion 30D, a front wall portion 30F and a rear wall portion 30B. The right wall portion 30R and the left wall portion 30L are located apart in the left-right direction 55 and 56. The upper wall portion 30U and the lower wall portion 30D are located apart in the up-down direction 53 and 54. The front wall portion 30F and the rear wall portion 30B are located apart in the front-back direction 51 and 52.

As shown in Figure 3, a first opening 11 is formed in the right wall portion 30R, opening the seat storage space 30C of the housing 30 (described later) to the outside. The first opening 11 is located at the lower rear side of the right wall portion 30R. Specifically, the first opening 11 extends from an intermediate position in the front-rear direction 51, 52 of the right wall portion 30R to the rear wall portion 30B. The first opening 11 extends from the upper part of the right wall portion 30R to the lower wall portion 30D. The rear wall portion 30B is rotatably connected to the rear end of the lower wall portion 30D around a first pivot axis A extending in the left-right direction 55, 56.

The main body 31 comprises a first upper cover 31A, a second upper cover 31B, and a side cover 31C. The first upper cover 31A forms a portion of the rear side of the upper wall portion 30U and the upper rear portion of the right wall portion 30R (see Figure 1). The first upper cover 31A is rotatably connected to the upper end of the rear wall portion 30B around a second pivot axis extending in the left-right directions 55, 56. The first upper cover 31A rotates from the closed position shown in Figure 1 to the open position shown in Figure 2, with a portion of the rear side of the upper wall portion 30U being lifted upward. When the first upper cover 31A rotates to the open position, the internal space 30A of the housing 30 is exposed to the outside.

The second upper cover 31B is located in front of the first upper cover 31A. The second upper cover 31B forms the upper part of the left wall 30L, the upper front part of the right wall 30R, the front part of the upper wall 30U, and a portion of the rear part of the upper wall 30U (see Figure 1). The second upper cover 31B is rotatably connected to the upper end of the rear wall 30B around a third pivot axis extending in the left-right direction 55, 56. From the closed position shown in Figure 1, the second upper cover 31B rotates to the open position, with a portion of the front part of the upper wall 30U being lifted upward. When the second upper cover 31B rotates to the open position, the internal space 30A of the housing 30 is exposed to the outside.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side cover 31C is configured to open and close the first opening 11 of the housing 30. The side cover 31C is formed in a flat plate shape. It forms a portion of the rear side of the right wall portion 30R. The side cover 31C is attached to the right end of the lower wall portion 30D so as to be rotatable around a third pivot axis B extending in the front-rear direction 51, 52. The side cover 31C is rotatable between a closed position that closes the first opening 11 and an open position rotated to the right from the closed position. Opening and closing the side cover 31C opens and closes the seat storage space 30C of the housing 30 to the outside.

The front cover 32 covers the front end of the main body 31. The front cover 32 is detachably attached to the front end of the main body 31. A second opening 17 is formed on the front surface of the front cover 32 to expose the discharge port 33 of the cutter unit 26 (described later) to the outside. The second opening 17 is located slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction 55, 56 on the front surface. The front cover 32 has a bulge 49 that extends forward 51 from the front surface around the second opening 17. The interior of the bulge 49 has a shape that conforms to the external shape of the cutter holder 29 of the cutter unit 26 (described later).

An operation panel 44 is provided above the bulge 49 of the front cover 32. The operation panel 44 receives input from the operator for operating the image recording device 100 and confirming various settings.

As shown in Figure 5, the internal space 30A of the housing 30 is provided with two side frames 20 and 21 and a subframe 22. Each side frame 20 and 21 is a flat plate made of steel, with appropriately shaped notches and through-holes formed to accommodate the supporting members. The two side frames 20 and 21 are positioned apart in the left-right direction 55 and 56. Each side frame 20 and 21 is connected to the lower wall portion 30D of the housing 30. The connection between the side frames 20 and 21 is made by screwing or welding.

Of the two side frames 20 and 21, a notch 20A is formed in the front lower corner of the left-hand side frame 20. Therefore, the front end portion of the side frame 20 is not connected to the lower wall portion 30D, and there is a space corresponding to the notch 20A. A subframe 22 is provided in the space corresponding to the notch 20A. A notch 21A is formed in the rear lower corner of the side frame 21. The notch 21A is an opening for loading the roll body 37 into the sheet storage space 30C (see Figure 4).

The subframe 22 has an upper wall 22U and a left wall 22L. The upper wall 22U connects the upper end of the left wall 22L to the side frame 21. The lower end of the left wall 22L is connected to the lower wall portion 30D. The upper wall 22U is connected to the notch portion 20A of the side frame 20. As a result, the subframe 22 is located below the front portion of the side frame 20, forming an integrated frame.

[Internal configuration of the image recording device 100]
As shown in Figure 4, a roll holder 35, tensioner 45, transport unit 71, recording unit 38, support mechanism 116, fixing unit 39, jam cover 81, support member 46, and contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as "CIS") 25 are arranged between the side frames 20 and 21 in the internal space 30A of the housing 30.

In the internal space 30A of the housing 30, a partition wall 41 is provided between the side frames 20 and 21 in the left-right direction 55 and 56. The partition wall 41 separates the lower rear portion of the internal space 30A, defining the sheet storage space 30C. The sheet storage space 30C is surrounded by the partition wall 41, the rear wall 30B, the lower wall 30D, and the side frames 20, and is isolated from the recording unit 38 and other components.

The sheet storage space 30C houses a roll body 37, a roll body holder 35 that holds the roll body 37, and a slide support section 48 (see Figure 3) that supports the roll body holder 35.

The roll body 37 comprises a core tube and a long sheet S. The sheet S is wound around the core tube in a roll shape in the circumferential direction of the core tube's axis. The sheet S can have a width ranging from the minimum width to the maximum width at which the image recording device 100 can record images. That is, the sheet storage space 30C can accommodate multiple types of roll bodies 37 with different widths. Alternatively, the roll body 37 may not have a core tube, and the sheet S may be wound in a roll shape so as to be mounted on a roll body holder 35.

The roll holder 35 rotatably supports the roll 37 with the axis of the core tube aligned with the left-right directions 55 and 56. The roll holder 35 has a pair of side guides 35A separated in the left-right directions 55 and 56. The distance between the pair of side guides 35A in the left-right directions 55 and 56 is adjustable. The operator can move the pair of side guides 35A to contact the left and right ends of the roll 37, respectively, to match the width of the roll 37 mounted on the roll holder 35 (dimensions along the left-right directions 55 and 56). With the left and right ends of the roll 37 in contact with the pair of side guides 35A, it is positioned so that the widthwise center of the sheet S is the center of the conveying path 43 in the left-right directions 55 and 56.

The slide support portion 48 is attached to the housing 30 so as to be slidable through the first opening 11 between a storage position where it is housed in the seat storage space 30C and an extended position where at least a portion of it is pulled out to the outside of the housing 30.

The sheet storage space 30C opens upward 53 at the rear. Specifically, a gap 42 is formed between the partition wall 41 and the rear wall portion 30B, that is, above the rear end of the roll body 37. The sheet S is pulled upward from the rear end of the roll body 37 by the conveying unit 71 and guided through the gap 42 to the tensioner 45.

The tensioner 45 is located above the bulkhead 41 at the rear of the internal space 30A. The tensioner 45 is a roller rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21. The tensioner 45 is supported by the side frames 20 and 21 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 51 and 52. A rearward biasing force 52 is applied to the tensioner 45 by a biasing member such as a spring.

The conveying unit 71 is configured to convey the sheet S when the slide support unit 48 is in the stored position. The conveying unit 71 pulls the sheet S from the roll body 37 and conveys the sheet S forward 51. The conveying unit 71 has a conveying roller pair 36, a first discharge roller pair 40, and a second discharge roller pair 72.

The conveyor roller pair 36 is located in front of the tensioner 45. The conveyor roller pair 36 comprises a conveyor roller 36B and a pinch roller 36A. The conveyor roller 36B is rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21. The conveyor roller 36B is driven by a motor (not shown) and rotates, conveying the sheet S forward 51 while nipping it between itself and the pinch roller 36A.

The first discharge roller pair 40 is positioned in front of the conveying roller pair 36. The first discharge roller pair 40 includes a discharge roller 40A that contacts the lower surface of the sheet S and a spur 40B that contacts the upper surface of the sheet S. The discharge roller 40A is rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21. The spur 40B is rotatably supported by a first spur holder 74 supported on the inner wall surface of the second upper cover 31B. The discharge roller 40A is driven by a motor (not shown) and rotates, conveying the sheet S forward 51 while nipping it between itself and the spur 40B.

The second discharge roller pair 72 is located in front of the first discharge roller pair 40. The second discharge roller pair 72 has a discharge roller 72A that contacts the lower surface of the sheet S and a spur 72B that contacts the upper surface of the sheet S. The discharge roller 72A is rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21. The spur 72B is rotatably supported by a second spur holder 75 supported on the inner wall surface of the second upper cover 31B. The discharge roller 72A is driven by a motor (not shown) and rotates, conveying the sheet S forward 51 while nipping it between itself and the spur 72B.

The recording unit 38 is located in front of the transport roller pair 36 and behind the first discharge roller pair 40. The recording unit 38 has multiple nozzles 38A. These nozzles 38A discharge ink as droplets downward toward the sheet S supported by the support mechanism 116. This records an image on the upper surface of the sheet S. An ink tank 47, located in the lower front part of the internal space 30A of the housing 30, is connected to the recording unit 38 by a tube (not shown) to supply ink.

As the ink, an aqueous ink containing water, pigment, and thermoplastic resin fine particles is used. The ink in this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it can be fixed to the sheet S by heating. In this embodiment, the ink adhering to the sheet S is heated by the fixing unit 39, melting the thermoplastic resin fine particles. Subsequent cooling causes the melted resin to harden, fixing the pigment contained in the ink to the sheet S.

The support mechanism 116 is located in front of the conveyor roller pair 36. The support mechanism 116 is located below the recording unit 38. The support mechanism 116 faces the recording unit 38 in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The support mechanism 116 includes a conveyor belt 117 and a support part 118 that supports the conveyor belt 117. The conveyor belt 117 is driven by a motor (not shown), and the belt rotates, supporting the lower surface of the sheet S while conveying the sheet S forward 51.

The fixing unit 39 is positioned between the recording unit 38 and the first discharge roller pair 40 in the front-rear direction 51, 52. The fixing unit 39 is fixed to the side frames 20, 21. The fixing unit 39 supports the lower surface of the sheet S, which is conveyed forward 51 by the conveyor belt 117. The fixing unit 39 heats the sheet S. As a result, while the sheet S passes through the fixing unit 39, the thermoplastic resin fine particles contained in the ink melt, and after passing through the fixing unit 39, the melted resin hardens due to cooling by the atmosphere, fixing the pigment to the upper surface of the sheet S.

The jam cover 81 is positioned to cover the upper part of the fixing section 39. The jam cover 81 is attached to the side frames 20 and 21. The jam cover 81 has multiple spurs 81A that contact the upper surface of the sheet S, which is conveyed forward 51 by the conveyor belt 117.

The support member 46 is located in front of the fixing section 39. The front part of the support member 46 faces the spur 72B in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The rear part of the support member 46 faces the spur 40B in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The support member 46 supports the lower surface of the sheet S, which is conveyed forward 51 by the first discharge roller pair 40.

The CIS 25 is located in front of the fixing unit 39. The CIS 25 is located above the support member 46. In the front-rear direction 51, 52, the CIS 25 is located between the first discharge roller pair 40 and the second discharge roller pair 72. The CIS 25 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light received by the line sensor, which is focused by a refractive index distribution lens onto the line sensor after being illuminated by a light source such as an LED and reflected by the sheet S. The CIS 25 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the reflected light from the image on the upper surface of the sheet S. The line sensors of the CIS 25 are aligned in the direction of the reading line, i.e., along the left-right direction 55, 56. The length of the reading line of the CIS 25 is longer than the maximum width of the sheet S that can be image recorded by the image recording device 100.

A circuit board is fixed to the left side frame 20. The circuit board is equipped with a processing element for the control unit, a communication interface chip, and various connectors. The circuit board is connected to the motors that drive the recording unit 38 and cutter 28, as well as the operation panel 44, via flat cables (not shown), enabling the transmission and reception of electrical signals. Power is supplied to the circuit board from a power supply unit (not shown).

As shown in Figure 4, the cutter unit 26 is detachably attached to the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10 inside the bulge 49 of the front cover 32. When attached to the main body 31, the cutter unit 26 is positioned in front of the second discharge roller pair 72. The cutter unit 26 comprises a cutter holder 29, a cutter 28, a mounting holder 76, and a plurality of spurs 34 (an example of a rotating body) as shown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 8, the cutter holder 29 has a passage 77 through which the sheet S passes. The passage 77 extends along the front-rear direction 51, 52. The length of the passage 77 in the left-right direction 55, 56 is longer than the maximum width of the sheet S. The cutter holder 29 has an external shape that conforms to the internal shape of the bulge 49 of the front cover 32.

As shown in Figure 8, a passage opening 66 (an example of an opening) communicating with the passage 77 is formed on the rear surface 29B (an example of the first surface) of the cutter holder 29. As shown in Figure 7, the passage opening 66 is located on the upper part of the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29. The passage opening 66 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction 55, 56. The sheet S can pass through the passage opening 66. The length of the passage opening 66 in the left-right direction 55, 56 is longer than the maximum width of the sheet S.

A first guide surface 67 is formed on the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29, extending backward 52 from the lower end of the passage opening 66. The first guide surface 67 extends from one end 55, 56 of the passage opening 66 to the other end. The first guide surface 67 is inclined downward 54 with respect to the backward direction 52. Two protrusions 68 are formed on the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29, projecting backward 52. The two protrusions 68 are located at both ends of the left-right direction 55, 56 on the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29, and midway between the up-down direction 53, 54. Each protrusion 68 has a female thread (not shown) into which a male thread 122 can be screwed from below.

As shown in Figures 1 and 8, an elongated discharge port 33 is formed on the front surface 29A (an example of the second surface) of the cutter holder 29, extending in the left-right direction 55, 56. The discharge port 33 communicates with a passage 77. The discharge port 33 is exposed to the outside through the second opening 17 of the front cover 32. Through the discharge port 33, the sheet S, which has been image-recorded in the internal space 30A of the housing 30, is discharged to the outside of the housing 30. A second guide surface 78 is formed on the front surface 29A of the cutter holder 29, extending forward 51 from the lower end of the discharge port 33. The second guide surface 78 extends from one end to the other of the discharge port 33 in the left-right direction 55, 56. The second guide surface 78 is inclined downward 54 with respect to the forward direction 51.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cutter holder 29 has a guide 69 that forms the upper part of its rear surface 29B. The lower end 69A of the guide 69 is bent diagonally downward 54 relative to the forward-facing 51. The lower end 69A of the guide 69 defines the upper end of the passage opening 66. The guide 69 guides the sheet S passing through the passage opening 66 to the fixed blade 28A of the cutter 28, which will be described later.

The cutter 28 is held in the cutter holder 29. The cutter 28 has a fixed blade 28A and a movable blade 28B. The fixed blade 28A is positioned above the passage opening 66. The fixed blade 28A is fixed to the upper support wall 79 of the cutter holder 29 in front of the guide 69. The fixed blade 28A is formed in a flat plate shape extending along the vertical directions 53, 54 and the left-right directions 55, 56. The lower end 28AA of the fixed blade 28A is the cutting edge. The lower end 28AA of the fixed blade 28A substantially coincides with the lower end 69A of the guide 69 in the front-rear directions 51, 52. The movable blade 28B is supported by the lower support wall 80 of the cutter holder 29 so as to be vertically movable relative to the fixed blade 28A. The movable blade 28B is formed in a flat plate shape extending along the vertical directions 53, 54 and the left-right directions 55, 56. The upper end of the movable blade 28B is the cutting edge.

As shown in Figure 6, the mounting holder 76 is detachably attached to the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29. The mounting holder 76 has a holding portion 76A, a pair of first mounting portions 76B, and a pair of second mounting portions 76C.

As shown in Figure 8, the holding portion 76A is located above the passage opening 66. The holding portion 76A shown in Figure 6 extends in the left-right direction 55, 56 along the passage opening 66 shown in Figure 7. The left-right ends 55, 56 of the holding portion 76A shown in Figure 6 are located outside the left-right ends 55, 56 of the passage opening 66 shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 6, the holding portion 76A is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a storage space capable of accommodating multiple spurs 34. The holding portion 76A has a main body portion 112 that opens upward 53 to accommodate multiple spurs 34, and a lid portion 113 that closes the opening of the main body portion 112. Multiple slits 114 extending in the front-rear direction 51, 52 are formed in the main body portion 112. The multiple slits 114 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction 55, 56. The number of slits 114 corresponds to the number of spurs 34. In this embodiment, five slits 114 are provided. The lid portion 113 is a flat plate shape that extends in the front-rear direction 51, 52 and the left-right direction 55, 56. The lid portion 113 is fixed to the main body portion 112 by multiple screws.

A pair of first mounting portions 76B extend downward 54 from both ends 55 and 56 in the left-right direction of the holding portion 76A. Each first mounting portion 76B extends to an intermediate position in the vertical direction 53 and 54 on the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29. Each first mounting portion 76B is formed in a rectangular tube shape with both ends 53 and 54 closed in the vertical direction. A screw hole (not shown) is formed in the lower end wall of each first mounting portion 76B, penetrating in the vertical direction 53 and 54. As shown in Figure 9, the lower end of each first mounting portion 76B is open inward in the left-right direction 55 and 56 and forward 51. As a result, an insertion space 83 into which the protrusion 68 of the cutter holder 29 can be inserted is exposed to the outside at the lower end of each first mounting portion 76B. The protrusion 68 of the cutter holder 29 is inserted into the insertion space 83 (see Figure 6). In this state, the male threads 122 inserted through the threaded holes in the lower end walls of each first mounting portion 76B are screwed into the female threads of the protrusions 68.

Each of the pair of second mounting portions 76C is positioned on each of the pair of first mounting portions 76B. Each second mounting portion 76C is formed on the outer surface of each first mounting portion 76B in the left-right direction 55, 56. Each second mounting portion 76C protrudes outward in the left-right direction 55, 56 from approximately the midpoint of the vertical direction 53, 54 of each first mounting portion 76B. The protruding end of each second mounting portion 76C is located outward in the left-right direction 55, 56 beyond the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29 (see Figure 6). Each second mounting portion 76C has a threaded hole (not shown) that penetrates in the vertical direction 53, 54. Each second mounting portion 76C has a positioning pin 70 that protrudes downward 54 from the vicinity of the threaded hole. The positioning pin 70 is cylindrical.

Each second mounting portion 76C is detachably attached to a sheet metal 73 supported by the internal frame (not shown) of the main body 31 of the housing 30. As shown in Figure 10, the sheet metal 73 has two female threads 97 that penetrate vertically 53, 54 and are spaced apart horizontally 55, 56. A male thread 121 inserted into the threaded hole of the second mounting portion 76C engages with the female threads 97 of the sheet metal 73. This allows the second mounting portion 76C to be detachably attached to the main body 31.

Two insertion holes 98 into which positioning pins 70 can be inserted are formed near the two female threads 97 of the sheet metal 73. The two insertion holes 98 penetrate the sheet metal 73 in the vertical directions 53 and 54. The left insertion hole 98 is circular in shape. The inner diameter of the left insertion hole 98 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the positioning pin 70. The right insertion hole 98 is square in shape. The length of one side of the right insertion hole 98 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the positioning pin 70. The positioning pins 70 of the second mounting portion 76C are inserted into the insertion holes 98. As a result, the mounting holder 76 is positioned relative to the cutter 28 of the cutter unit 26 in the front-rear directions 51 and 52, and in the left-right directions 55 and 56.

As shown in Figure 6, multiple spurs 34 are held in the holding section 76A. The multiple spurs 34 are arranged with spacing in the left-right directions 55, 56. In this embodiment, five spurs 34 are arranged. The multiple spurs 34 are supported inside the holding section 76A so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the left-right directions 55, 56. Each spur 34 protrudes downward 54 from the lower end of the holding section 76A through the slit 114. Each spur 34 faces the first guide surface 67 in the vertical directions 53, 54. As shown in Figure 11, the lowest point 34A of each spur 34 is located below the lower end 28AA of the fixed blade 28A by a length L1. The lowest point 34A of each spur 34 is located below the lower end 69AA of the guide 69 by a length L2.

The image recording device 100 configured as described above operates as follows:

When the conveyor roller 36B of the conveyor roller pair 36 rotates, the sheet S is pulled upward 53 through the gap 42 from the roll body 37 in the sheet storage space 30C. The sheet S pulled from the roll body 37 is nipped between the conveyor roller 36B and the pinch roller 36A and conveyed forward 51. The sheet S, conveyed forward 51 by the conveyor roller pair 36, is supported by the support part 118 of the support mechanism 116. At this time, ink is ejected downward from the nozzle 38A of the recording unit 38, recording an image on the upper surface of the sheet S. The sheet S, with the image recorded on its upper surface, is conveyed forward 51 by the conveyor belt 117.

The sheet S, conveyed forward 51 by the conveyor belt 117, is supported on the upper surface of the fixing unit 39. As the sheet S passes over the fixing unit 39, the heat from the fixing unit 39 heats both the sheet S and the ink. This melts the thermoplastic resin particles contained in the ink, which then harden due to cooling by air, fixing the pigment to the upper surface of the sheet S.

The sheet S, heated in the fixing unit 39, is nipped between the discharge roller 40A and spur 40B of the first discharge roller pair 40 and conveyed forward 51. The sheet S, conveyed forward 51 by the first discharge roller pair 40, is supported by the support member 46. Once the sheet S is supported by the support member 46, the CIS 25 irradiates light from a light source onto the upper surface of the sheet S and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light reflected by the sheet S. This allows the CIS 25 to read an image of the upper surface of the sheet S.

The sheet S, whose image has been read by the CIS 25, is conveyed forward 51 by the second discharge roller pair 72. As the sheet S is conveyed forward 51 by the second discharge roller pair 72, it moves along the passage 77, passing through the passage opening 66 while being supported from below by the first guide surface 67. At this time, the sheet S is in contact from above with multiple spurs 34 at a position below the lower end 28AA of the fixed blade 28A and the lower end 69AA of the guide 69, and is guided toward the cutting edge (lower end 28AA) of the fixed blade 28A by the lower end 69A of the guide 69.

Then, when the front portion of the sheet S is exposed to the outside of the housing 30 through the discharge port 33, it is stopped while being held by the second discharge roller pair 72. In this state, the movable blade 28B of the cutter 28 moves upward 53 relative to the fixed blade 28A, cutting the sheet S along the left-right directions 55, 56. The sheet S cut by the cutter unit 26 is discharged from the discharge port 33.

Next, we will explain how to replace the cutter 28 and spur 34 of the cutter unit 26.

First, the worker removes the front cover 32 of the housing 30 from the main body 31, thereby exposing the cutter unit 26 to the outside of the housing 30. Next, the worker removes the male screw 121 (see Figures 6 and 9), which is screwed into the female screw 97 of the sheet metal 73, from the second mounting portion 76C, and removes the positioning pin 70 of the second mounting portion 76C from the insertion hole 98 of the sheet metal 73, thereby removing the cutter unit 26 from the sheet metal 73. Next, the worker attaches the new cutter unit 26 to the sheet metal 73. Specifically, the worker aligns the screw hole of the second mounting portion 76C with the female screw 97 of the sheet metal 73, and inserts the positioning pin 70 into the insertion hole 98 of the sheet metal 73. In this state, the male screw 121 inserted into the screw hole of the second mounting portion 76C is screwed into the female screw 97 of the sheet metal 73. This attaches the new cutter unit 26 to the sheet metal 73. Finally, the operator attaches the front cover 32 to the main body 31. This covers the cutter unit 26 with the front cover 32.

The cutter unit 26 is detachable from the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10. Therefore, the operator can replace the cutter 28 and the multiple spurs 34 simply by removing the cutter unit 26 from the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10 and attaching a new cutter unit 26 to the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10. Thus, the replacement of the cutter 28 and the multiple spurs 34 is easy. Since the spurs 34 are held by the mounting holder 76 attached to the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29, when the mounting holder 76 is attached to the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10, the spurs 34 contact the sheet S at a position close to the cutter 28. Therefore, curling of the sheet S is suppressed at the position close to the cutter 28, preventing jamming at the cutter 28 and allowing the sheet S to be cut more accurately.

In the cutter unit 26, the holding portion 76A holds multiple spurs 34 at intervals in the left-right directions 55, 56. Therefore, when the second mounting portion 76C is attached to the main body 31 of the sheet conveying device 10, curling of the sheet S can be suppressed more reliably. Since the first mounting portion 76B extends downward 54 from both ends 55, 56 of the holding portion 76A, the strength of the first mounting portion 76B can be easily ensured.

In the cutter unit 26, the second mounting portion 76C has a positioning pin 70 that protrudes along the vertical directions 53 and 54. Therefore, by inserting the positioning pin 70 into the insertion hole in the sheet metal 73, the operator can more accurately position the mounting holder 76 relative to the cutter 28.

In the cutter unit 26, multiple spurs 34 contact the sheet S at a position below the lower end 28AA of the fixed blade 28A, thereby more reliably suppressing the curling of the sheet S.

In the cutter unit 26, multiple spurs 34 contact the sheet S at a position below the lower end 69A of the guide 69. Therefore, while the guide 69 guides the sheet S to the fixed blade 28A, curling of the sheet S can be suppressed more reliably.

In the image recording device 100, the replacement of the cutter 28 and the multiple spurs 34 is easy. Jamming at the cutter 28 is suppressed, and the sheet S is cut more accurately.

In the image recording device 100, an outlet 33 for discharging the sheet S is formed on the front surface 29A, which is located in front of the rear surface 29B of the cutter holder 29. Therefore, the sheet S cut by the cutter 28 is easily discharged from the outlet 33.

The image recording device 100 is equipped with a recording unit 38 that ejects ink toward the sheet S, so that the image is suitably recorded on the sheet S.

The image recording device 100 has a fixing unit 39 located in front of the recording unit 38, which fixes the ink to the sheet S by heating, thus enabling the ink to be suitably fixed to the sheet S.

[Differentiation]
In the cutter unit 26 described above, the holding portion 76A is located above the passage opening 66, but it may also be located below the passage opening 66. In this case, the first mounting portion 76B extends upward 53 from both ends 55, 56 in the left-right direction of the holding portion 76A. The first guide surface 67 is formed to extend backward 52 from the upper end of the passage opening 66. The first guide surface 67 may be inclined upward 53 with respect to the backward 52.

In the cutter unit 26 described above, the sheet S was cut along the left-right directions 55 and 56 by the movement of the movable blade 28B of the cutter 28 relative to the fixed blade 28A (53). However, the cutting mechanism of the cutter 28 is not particularly limited as long as it can cut the sheet S along the left-right directions 55 and 56. For example, the sheet S may be cut along the left-right directions 55 and 56 by the movement of the movable blade 28B of the cutter 28 relative to the fixed blade 28A (53 and 56).

In the image recording device 100 described above, the cutter 28 cut the sheet S drawn from the roll 37, but it may also cut standard-sized sheets S such as A3 or A4 size. In this case, the cutter 28 would, for example, cut an A3-sized sheet S into an A4-sized sheet S.

In the image recording device 100 described above, the cutter unit 26 is attached to the main body 31 of the sheet transport device 10. However, when sheets S that do not require cutting, such as standard-sized sheets, or sheets S that can be cut by hand, such as fanfold paper, are transported by the sheet transport device 10, the cutter unit 26 does not need to be attached to the main body 31 of the sheet transport device 10. This allows for a smaller sheet transport device 10 while improving its versatility, compared to the case where the cutter 28 and spur 34 are incorporated into the sheet transport device 10.

In the sheet transport device 10 described above, an aqueous ink containing water, pigment, and thermoplastic resin fine particles was fixed to the sheet S by the heat of the fixing unit 39. However, the ink is not particularly limited as long as it can form an image on the sheet S. For example, an ink that does not require heating may be used. In this case, the fixing unit 39 may be omitted.

The image recording device 100 described above was an inkjet printer equipped with a recording unit 38 that records using an inkjet recording method. However, it is not limited to an inkjet printer as long as it can record an image on a sheet. For example, the image recording device 100 could be a thermal printer or a laser printer. In this case, for example, the recording unit 38 could be a thermal head or a photosensitive drum, etc.

In the sheet conveying device 10 described above, the tensioner 45 was composed of a roller rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21 and subjected to a rearward biasing force 52 by a biasing member such as a spring. However, it is not particularly limited as long as it can guide the sheet S, which is pulled out from the roll body 37 in the sheet storage space 30C, along the conveying path 43 while applying tension to it. For example, the tensioner 45 may be composed of a flap rotatably supported by the side frames 20 and 21. The flap has a shape in which a flat plate extending in the vertical direction 53, 54 and the left-right direction 55, 56 is curved rearward 52. The flap is rotatable around its upper end as a pivot axis between a guide position for guiding the sheet S, a protruding position located behind the guide position, and a retracted position located in front of the guide position.

10...Sheet conveying device 26...Cutter unit 28...Cutter 28A...Fixed blade 28AA...Lower end 28B...Moving blade 29...Cutter holder 29A...Front 29B...Rear 33...Discharge port 34...Spur 34A...Lowest end 38...Recording unit 39...Fixing unit 66...Pass port 69...Guide 69AA...Lower end 70...Positioning pin 76...Mounting holder 76A...Holding unit 76B...First mounting unit 76C...Second mounting unit 100...Image recording device S...Sheet

Claims (7)

A cutter holder having a first surface with an opening formed through which a sheet passes,
A cutter held in the cutter holder above cuts the sheet passing through the opening,
A mounting holder is attached to the first surface of the cutter holder and is detachable from a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets.
It comprises a rotating body held in the above-mentioned mounting holder ,
The above-mentioned opening extends in the first direction,
The above mounting holder is,
A holding portion is located on the first surface described above, in one of the second directions that intersect the first direction of the opening, and extends along the opening in the first direction,
A pair of first mounting portions are provided, which extend from both ends of the holding portion in the first direction to one end in the second direction and are connected to the cutter holder,
It has a pair of second mounting parts that protrude from the pair of first mounting parts described above on both sides in the first direction and are connected to the sheet conveying device,
The above-mentioned holding portion is a cutter unit that holds a plurality of the above-mentioned rotating bodies at intervals in the first direction . The cutter unit according to claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of second mounting portions has a positioning pin that protrudes along the second direction. The cutter described above has a fixed blade positioned above the opening and a movable blade that moves relative to the fixed blade.
The rotating body is located above the opening,
The cutter unit according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the lowest part of the rotating body is located below the lower end of the fixed blade. The cutter holder described above has a guide that guides the sheet to the fixed blade described above.
The cutter unit according to claim 3 , wherein the lowest part of the rotating body is located below the lower end of the guide. A cutter holder having a first surface with an opening formed through which a sheet passes,
A cutter held in the cutter holder above cuts the sheet passing through the opening,
A mounting holder is attached to the first surface of the cutter holder and is detachable from a sheet conveying device that conveys sheets.
A cutter unit comprising a rotating body held in the above-mentioned mounting holder,
The sheet transport device to which the mounting holder of the cutter unit is connected is provided.
The cutter holder of the cutter unit has a second surface located downstream of the first surface in the sheet transport direction,
The image recording device has an outlet formed on the second surface described above from which the sheet is discharged. The image recording device according to claim 5 , wherein the sheet transport device has a recording unit that ejects ink toward a sheet. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the sheet transport device is located downstream of the recording unit in the sheet transport direction, and further comprises a fixing unit for fixing ink to the sheet by heating.