Cutting device and tape printing apparatus equipped therewith

A cutting device which carries out a cutting operation on a tape-like member in a width direction thereof, comprising:

• a cutter unit having a cutter blade;
• and a cutter operation mechanism which causes the cutter unit to cut all of the tape-like member in a full cutting operation and to cut only a portion of the tape-like member in a half cutting operation, and which causes the cutter unit to carry out a circulatory movement including (i) a cutting preparation operation which causes the cutter unit to advance toward the tape-like member from a cutting stand-by position to a cutting start position, (ii) the cutting operation which causes the cutter unit to move to from the cutting start position to a cutting completion position, (iii) a withdrawal operation which causes the cutter unit to retreat from the cutting completion position to a withdrawal position, which is different for the full cutting operation than for the half cutting operation, and (iv) a return operation which causes the cutter unit to return from the withdrawal position to the cutting stand-by position, wherein
• the cutter operation mechanism includes:
• a movement mechanism that comprises a first portion that causes the cutter unit to move in a front-back direction relative to the tape-like member and a second portion that causes the cutter unit to move in an up-down direction relative to the tape-like member;
• and
• a power transmission mechanism that transmits power to the first and second portions of the movement mechanism so that the first and second portions work together, causing the cutter unit to carry out the circulatory movement,
• wherein the power transmission mechanism, has a rotating circular plate, which rotates by means of power input from a drive portion, and has cam grooves with differing channels formed in the rotating circular plate, carries out the full cutting and half cutting by causing the rotating circular plate to rotate by switching the rotation direction thereof between a forward direction and a backward direction.