Electronic Cutting Apparatus and Methods for Cutting

• US 20120048086A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Provo Craft and Novelty
• Original Assignee: Provo Craft and Novelty
• Inventors: Workman, Robert, Youse, William Craig, Brinkerhoff, Jason B., Johnson, Jonathan Aaron, Gunter, James R., Stock, Rodney, Beffrey, Phil
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/76.3
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/005 Computer numerical control means
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/086 Electric, magnetic, piezoelectric, electro-magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 1/3813 wherein the tool head is moved in a plane parallel to the work in a coordinate system fixed with respect to the work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/166 Removable element carries program
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/18 With operator input means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/546 Interrelated tool actuating and work guide moving means

Abstract

An electronic sheet cutting machine includes a housing to which a drive roller is coupled for moving a sheet to be cut in a first direction and a cutter assembly coupled to the housing and moveable in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. A user interface is incorporated into the housing for allowing a user to select via the user interface at least one shape to be cut by the cutter assembly wherein controlled movement of the drive roller and the cutter assembly causes a shape to be cut in the sheet.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A sheet cutting apparatus, comprising:

a housing including one or more sides having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a cavity, wherein the one or more sides further defines an access opening to the cavity, wherein said housing further comprises one or more doors including an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the one or more doors are pivotably-joined to the one or more sides at least proximate the access opening in order to arrange the one or more doors in one of a closed orientation and an open orientation, wherein said outer surface of said one or more doors is substantially aligned with the outer surface of the one or more sides of the housing when the one or more doors are arranged in the closed orientation;

a drive roller arranged within the cavity and coupled to the inner surface of said one or more sides of the housing;

a cutter assembly arranged within the cavity and movably-disposed upon a rail that is coupled to said housing; and

a user interface supported by said one or more sides of said housing.

24. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein said user interface comprises

a keyboard;

and

an overlay removably-coupled to the keyboard, wherein the overlay corresponds to a shape of the keyboard, wherein the overlay includes a base surface including a plurality of raised keys that extend away from the base surface, wherein each raised key forms a recess that permits reception of a key of the keyboard upon removably-coupling the overlay to the keyboard, wherein each raised key of the plurality of raised keys includes a character printed thereon, wherein the each character printed on each raised key corresponds to a cutting instruction for a corresponding character contained within a removable memory cartridge.

25. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein the overlay is formed of a flexible material that provides

means for permitting depression of a particular key of the keyboard responsive to depression of a corresponding raised key of the overlay that receives the particular key within recess.

26. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein the overlay is formed of a translucent material to provide

means for permitting light emitted from one or more keys of the keyboard to propagate through the overlay.

27. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the overlay and the memory cartridge includes

an indicia, wherein the indicia provides means for establishing a corresponding relationship of the overlay and the memory cartridge, wherein the indicia printed upon each of the overlay and the memory cartridge is similar.

28. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the overlay and the memory cartridge include a similar color in order to provide

means for chromatically establishing a corresponding relationship of the overlay and the memory cartridge.

29. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein the reception of each key of the keyboard within a corresponding recess formed by each raised key of the overlay provides

means for self-aligning the overlay with the keyboard upon removably-connecting the overlay with the keyboard.

30. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein the overlay further includes an outer rim that seats with the keyboard to provide

means for ensuring that the overlay is not misaligned with the keyboard.

31. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 24, wherein the an inner surface of the housing includes at least a substantially planar first workpiece support surface, wherein the inner surface of one of the one or more doors provides a substantially planar second workpiece support surface, wherein said substantially planar second workpiece support surface of said inner door surface is arrangable in a substantially co-planar orientation with said substantially planar first workpiece support surface when the one door of the one or more doors is pivotably-arranged relative to said housing in the open orientation.

32. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein the drive roller provides

means for moving a workpiece in a first direction, wherein the rail provides

mean for movement of the cutter assembly in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, whereby combined movement of said drive roller and said cutter assembly permits a shape to be cut into said workpiece, wherein the cutting apparatus further comprises a processor, wherein the processor provides means for:

controlling movement of said cutter assembly, controlling movement of said drive roller, and receiving instructions from a user by way of said user interface that is indicative of the shape to be cut into said workpiece.

33. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 32, further comprising

a memory device communicatively-coupled to said processor, wherein said memory device includes a library of shapes, wherein at least one shape from the library of shapes is selectable by way of said user interface, wherein the selected shape from the library of shapes includes movement instructions of one or more of the drive roller and cutter assembly for cutting the shape into the workpiece.

34. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein said user interface provides

means for allowing a user to select a size of a shape to be cut into a workpiece, wherein said size of the shape to be cut into the workpiece is scalable.

35. The sheet cutting apparatus of claim 23, wherein said user interface includes

at least one control, wherein the at least one control provides

means for selecting a feature to be added to said at least one shape.