To date, a device that performs a cutting process on a target medium by carrying out a combination of an operation moving a cutting head left to right and back again with respect to a target medium supported by a platen and an operation feeding the target medium front and back has been known as an example of the heretofore described kind of cutting device. Meanwhile, there is also known a printer device configured so as to print an image on a surface of a target medium, using a printer head that ejects ink from an ejection nozzle instead of the cutting head.
In recent years, however, there is a demand to, as well as print an image on a target medium, perform a cutting process corresponding with the printed image. In order to respond to this demand, a cutting device in which a cutting head and printer head are mounted has been developed, and it is possible to consecutively carry out a printing and a cutting process using the cutting device. For example, a configuration wherein a carriage 2 on which an inkjet head 26 is mounted and a carriage 24 on which a cutting head 28 is mounted are movable along a guide rail 18 is disclosed in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1. With this configuration, it is possible to perform a printing and a cutting process on a sheet 100 mounted on a base member 12.
With the heretofore described cutting device, firstly, an image and, for example, four reference marks (hereafter called Trim marks) surrounding the image are printed using the printer head. Then, when carrying out a cutting process using the cutting head, it is possible to ascertain a printing position of the image with respect to the Trim marks by detecting the positions of the Trim marks, and it is thus possible to perform the cutting process in a position corresponding to the image. When performing a printing and a cutting process on a sheet-like target medium, for example, the printing is performed over the whole of a printing region of the target medium while feeding the target medium forward, and the target medium is rolled up into a roll form.
After the printing is finished, and before starting the cutting process, the target medium rolled into a roll form is back-fed in a backward direction, and a portion of the target medium printed first (a print starting position) is positioned on the platen. Then, the position of a first reference mark, of the four reference marks corresponding to an image printed on a front end of the target medium, is detected using a Trim mark detection portion, the target medium is fed from front to back and the position of a second reference mark detected, the Trim mark detection portion is moved left to right and a third reference mark detected, and the target medium is fed from front to back again, and the position of a fourth reference mark detected.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds