Slit-cutting device

Abstract

A slit-cutting device includes a first holder, a second holder, a first contactable member a second contactable member, and a protrusion member. The first holder includes a medium faceable area and a first contactable member. The second holder holds a blade and includes a second contactable member. A cutting edge of the blade may cut a medium between the first holder and the blade. The first contactable member and the second contactable member contact each other and defined a closest approach distance between the cutting edge and the first holder. The closest approach distance is longer than zero and below a thickness of the medium. The protrusion member protrudes more than the closest approach distance from a part of the medium faceable area. The cutting edge may make a cut line includes at least a part of a slit-cut and a full-cut in a cutting edge direction in the medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A slit-cutting device comprising:
 a first holder including a surface configured to support a medium having a cross-section described by a thickness direction and a width direction, the first holder including a contactable member;   a blade with a cutting edge configured to contact the medium in a first direction relating to the thickness direction of the medium and across the medium in a second direction relating to the width direction of the medium;   a second holder supporting the blade, wherein the first holder and the second holder move relative to each other, the second holder including a contactable member that is configured to contact the contactable member of the first holder such that, when the contactable member of the second holder contacts the contactable member of the first holder, a distance in the first direction between the cutting edge and the surface is greater than zero and the distance is less than the thickness of the medium in the first direction; and   at least one protrusion member that is a softer material than the cutting edge, wherein the at least one protrusion member is located on the surface and protrudes more than the distance in the first direction from the surface.   
     
     
         2 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one protrusion member extends in the second direction. 
     
     
         3 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the at least one protrusion member includes two protrusion members spaced apart in the second direction.   
     
     
         4 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the at least one protrusion member extends continuously in the second direction between a first point on the surface and a second point on the surface,   wherein the first point is located such that, when the medium is supported by the surface, the first point is between outer edges of the medium in the second direction, and   wherein the second point is located such that, when the medium is supported by the surface, the second point is spaced outside of one of the outer edges of the medium in the second direction.   
     
     
         5 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one protrusion member is positioned on the surface inside of an edge of the medium extends less than the width of the medium in the second direction. 
     
     
         6 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the distance is a value represented by a sum of a first distance and a second distance,   wherein the first distance is a distance from the surface to the contactable member of the first holder in the first direction when contacting the contactable member of the second holder and represented by a positive number or a negative number, and   wherein the second distance is a distance from the cutting edge to the contactable member of the second holder in the first direction when contacting the contactable member of the first holder and represented by a positive number or a negative number.   
     
     
         7 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a support member having an axis about which the first holder and second holder pivot relative to each other, wherein the axis is spaced from the contactable member of the second holder in a direction along a length of the cutting edge of the blade.   
     
     
         8 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the medium is a multi-layered sheet including a first layer and a multi-layered second layer,   wherein the surface is configured to contact the first layer, and   wherein the distance is a thickness of the first layer or less.   
     
     
         9 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 8 , wherein the first layer of the multi-layered sheet is a release material layer and one of the layers of the multi-layered second layer is a base layer. 
     
     
         10 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a support member having an axis about which the first holder and second holder pivot relative to each other,   wherein the medium is a multi-layered sheet including a first layer and a multi-layered second layer,   wherein the axis is spaced from the contactable member of the second holder in a third direction along a length of the cutting edge of the blade,   wherein the contactable member of the first holder is recessed from the cutting edge in the first direction,   wherein the contactable member of the second holder extends past the cutting edge in a direction perpendicular to the third direction,   wherein the contactable member is spaced from the support member in the third direction with the blade located between the support member and the contactable member of the second holder,   wherein a distance in the perpendicular direction between the contactable member of the second holder and the cutting edge is less than or equal to a thickness of the first layer of the medium, and   wherein the at least one protrusion member includes three protrusions spaced from each other in the second direction with a first of the three protrusions positioned to extend on both sides of a first edge of the medium in the second direction when supported by the surface, a second of the three protrusions positioned to extend on both sides of a second edge of the medium in the second direction, and a third of the three protrusions spaced between the first and second protrusions.   
     
     
         11 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the contactable member of the first holder does not extend beyond the surface in the first direction, and   wherein the contactable member of the second holder extends as far as the cutting edge of the blade in the first direction.   
     
     
         12 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the contactable member of the first holder does not extend beyond the surface in the first direction, and   wherein the contactable member of the second holder extends beyond the blade in the first direction.   
     
     
         13 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the contactable member of the first holder extends beyond the surface in the first direction, and   wherein the contactable member of the second holder does not extend beyond the cutting edge of the blade in the first direction.   
     
     
         14 . A slit-cutting device comprising:
 a blade with a cutting edge extending in a cutting edge direction;   a surface positioned to support a medium to be cut by the cutting edge of the blade, the surface including at least one protrusion that extends away from the surface towards the cutting edge; and   at least one projection with a length sufficient to prevent the cutting edge from contacting the surface but permitting the cutting edge to extend into the at least one protrusion,   wherein the at least one protrusion does not extend fully across the surface in the cutting edge direction.   
     
     
         15 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first holder including the surface configured to support the medium having a cross-section described by a thickness direction and a width direction, the first holder including a contactable member, and   a second holder supporting the blade, wherein the first holder and the second holder move relative to each other, the second holder including the at least one projection that is configured to contact the contactable member of the first holder such that, when the at least one projection contacts the contactable member of the first holder, a distance in a first direction relating to the thickness direction of the medium between the cutting edge and the surface is greater than zero and the distance is less than the thickness of the medium in the first direction.   
     
     
         16 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first holder including the surface configured to support a medium having a cross-section described by a thickness direction and a width direction, the first holder including a contactable member, wherein the contactable member of the first holder is flush with the surface in a first direction relating to the thickness direction of the medium, and   a second holder supporting the blade, wherein the first holder and the second holder move relative to each other, the second holder including the at least one projection, wherein the at least one projection extends as far as the cutting edge of the blade in the first direction.   
     
     
         17 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the at least one protrusion member is a softer material than the cutting edge.   
     
     
         18 . A slit-cutting device comprising:
 a first holder including a surface configured to support a medium having a cross-section described by a thickness direction and a width direction, the first holder including a contactable member, wherein the contactable member is flush with the surface;   a blade with a cutting edge extending in a cutting edge direction, wherein the cutting edge configured to contact the medium in a first direction relating to the thickness direction of the medium and across the medium in a second direction relating to the width direction of the medium;   a second holder supporting the blade, wherein the first holder and the second holder move relative to each other, the second holder including a contactable member extends as far as the cutting edge of the blade in the first direction such that, when the contactable member of the second holder contacts the contactable member of the first holder, a distance in the first direction between the cutting edge and the surface is greater than zero and the distance is less than the thickness of the medium in the first direction; and   at least one tape is located on the surface and protrudes more than the distance in the first direction from the surface, wherein the at least one tape does not extend fully across the surface in the cutting edge direction.   
     
     
         19 . The slit-cutting device according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a support member having an axis about which the first holder and second holder pivot relative to each other, wherein the axis is spaced from the contactable member of the second holder in a direction along a length of the cutting edge of the blade;   the contactable member of the first holder is disposed on one side of the surface in the direction along a length of the cutting edge of the blade, and   the at least one tape is located on the other side of the surface in the direction along a length of the cutting edge of the blade.