CUTTING APPARATUS AND CUTTING METHOD OF SOFT OBJECT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve cutting precision of a soft object.SOLUTION: A control unit controls cutting blade operation for cutting a soft object from an upper surface toward a bottom surface, and operation of a pair of push-in members for pushing both sides of a target cutting position out of the upper surface toward the bottom surface. The control unit detects and compares (S1004) each of the slide amounts of the upper surface slid with respect to the pair of push-in members due to deformation of a conductive gasket caused by pushing of the pair of push-in members, and in the case that the slide amounts are determined to have the same code or different magnitudes, the push-in member having a larger slide amount is further depressed (S1005 to S1007) so that a position contacted on the upper surface when depressing the cutting blade becomes the target cutting position. On the other hand, in the case that the slide amounts are determined to have different codes and substantially the same magnitude, cutting of the soft object by depressing the cutting blade is started (S1009) under the condition (S1008) that the pair of push-in members are pushed until the soft object has a cuttable rigidity. 【課題】柔軟物の切断精度を向上させる。【解決手段】柔軟物を上面から底面に向けて切断する切断刃の動作、及び、上面のうち目標切断位置の両側を底面に向けて押し込む一対の押込部材の動作、を制御するコントロールユニットは、一対の押込部材の押し込みによる導電性ガスケットの変形により一対の押込部材に対してすべる上面の各すべり量を検出して比較し（Ｓ１００４）、各すべり量が、同符号、又は、異なる大きさであると判定された場合には、切断刃を下降させたときに上面と接触する位置が目標切断位置となるように、すべり量の大きさが大きい方の押込部材を更に下降させる（Ｓ１００５〜Ｓ１００７）。一方、各すべり量が、異符号、かつ、ほぼ等しい大きさであると判定された場合には、柔軟物が切断可能な剛性になるまで一対の押込部材が押し込まれていることを条件に（Ｓ１００８）、切断刃を下降させて柔軟物の切断を開始する（Ｓ１００９）。【選択図】図２