JP2000034050A - Paper storage unit of plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable many plotted sheets of paper to be stably stored even in either case where a printing rate is low and the paper is apt to be rounded and the printing rate is high and the paper is not rounded. SOLUTION: A plotted sheet of paper to be lowered from the platen of a protter is stored in two paper storage parts 52 and 54 formed out of a sheet member in order. Each form of these paper storage parts 52 and 54 is changed into a U-shaped form in the case where many drawings, being low in printing rate and rounded in shape are stored, and in the case where they are high in the printing rate and many flat drawings are superposed on one another and stored, the form is changed into such having a nearly flat plate paper mounting incline 56.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper storage device for a plotter such as an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the case of drawing using roll paper with an ink-jet plotter, there are two types of paper storage devices for storing drawing paper after drawing. One of them is a basket type shown in FIG. 7 (A), which is constituted by sheets. The paper (6) drawn on the platen (4) of the plotter (2) has a frame (one page) cut by a cutter and a U-shaped paper storage unit ( 10).
Another type of the sheet storage device has a flat sheet mounting inclined surface (12) shown in FIG. 7B, and the inclined surface (12) is constituted by a plurality of metal rods. The printed paper (6) on the platen (4) is cut by a cutter and stored in a stack on the paper mounting inclined surface (12) of the paper storage part (14).

[0003]

In the U-shaped basket type paper storage device shown in FIG. 7A, drawing paper having a low stiffness and a low printing rate is curled after drawing is completed and cut. Although many sheets can be stored in the U-shaped paper storage section, on the other hand, paper with stiffness (for example, film) or drawing paper with a high printing rate does not curl after drawing, There is a problem that it is impossible to store many sheets of paper that have already been used. In the inclined-surface-type paper storage device shown in FIG. 7B, since the paper having the stiffness or the paper having a high printing rate does not curl after the drawing is completed and cut, the paper is placed on the inclined surface. However, on the other hand, drawing paper with no stiffness and low printing rate may curl after cutting after finishing drawing, and many sheets may be stably stored on the inclined surface. There is a problem that can not be. An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a sheet storage device for a plotter, in which a printed sheet descending from a platen is stored in a sheet storage portion formed of a sheet-like member. In the above, the shape of the paper storage portion may be a U-shaped shape suitable for storing a large number of round drawings, and a substantially flat sheet mounting inclination suitable for storing a large number of planar drawings in a stack. It can be changed to any shape having a surface.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 5, reference numeral (8) denotes a leg of the plotter (2), which is provided vertically at a predetermined interval on the left and right sides, and between the pair of legs (8) and (8). Two side stays (16) (1
8) is installed. Reference numeral (20) denotes a first storage sheet having a tubular portion (22) formed at one edge thereof, and a shaft (24) inserted into the tubular portion (22). Near the edge of the first storage sheet (20), a stop hook (26) for connection is provided. (28)
Is a second storage sheet, in which a hard core material is disposed inside except for one edge (30).

[0006] On one surface of the second storage sheet (28), a plurality of stop hooks (32) for connection are respectively provided on a plurality of parallel lines. An openable and closable tubular portion is formed at one edge (30) of the second sheet, and the tubular portion can be stopped into a tubular shape by a stopper hook. When the hook is removed, the tubular portion becomes flat. It can be freely deployed.

A lifting member (34) has a hook (36) formed on one side and a stop hook (38) for connection on the other side. The lifting member (3
4), three or four sheets are prepared. (40) is a pair of tray hooks, and a ring portion (42) for slidably receiving the shaft (24) is formed at one end, and the upper and lower side stays (16) are formed at the other end. (1
8), engagement portions (44) and (46) are formed for fixing the position of the tray hook (40).

Next, a method of assembling the sheet storage device will be described. First, a case will be described in which the paper storage device is assembled into a shape suitable for storing printed paper that is curled. First, the edges of the first and second storage sheets (20) and (28) are stopped so that the connection length between them becomes the longest as shown in FIG.
It is combined by (32). On the shaft (24), the ring portion (42) of one of the two tray hooks (40), the cylindrical portion (22) of the first storage sheet (20), and the other one of the two. The book tray hook (40) is passed through the ring portion (42) in this order, and both ends of the shaft (24) are covered with caps (48) to prevent removal.

Next, two side stays (16) (1)
8) Each of the engaging portions (44) of the tray hooks (40)
(46) is hooked, and the tray hook (40) is supported on the leg (8) so as not to swing against a downward load. Next, the edge (30) on the open side of the second storage sheet (28) is wrapped around the lower side stay (18), the retaining hook (50) is fastened on the outside, and the cylindrical portion is closed. 2
Of the storage sheet (28) is connected to the lower side stay (18).

[0010] Thus, the assembling of the sheet storage device is completed, and the sheet storage portion (5) of the sheet (20) (28) having a U-shaped side surface between the legs (8) of the plotter (2).
2) is formed. When drawing for one frame is completed for cut paper or roll paper, in the case of roll paper, the paper is cut to a predetermined size by a cutter,
From the paper storage unit (52). Paper storage unit (5
If the paper dropped in 2) is not stiff and has a low printing rate, the paper curls in the paper storage unit (52),
In this state, a large number of printed papers (6) are sequentially stored in the paper storage unit (52). That is, when the plotter (2) performs printing with a low printing rate (data amount), the U-shaped paper storage unit (20) is selected.

Next, after the drawing is completed, the shape of the paper storage section is changed.
A case where the shape is changed to a shape suitable for storing a non-curled sheet will be described. First, the first storage sheet (20)
The connection between the first storage sheet (20) and the second storage sheet (28) is once removed by hooking between the first storage sheet (20) and the second storage sheet (28) so that they overlap each other in a wide range in the length direction. The positions are shifted, and as shown in FIG. 4D, both are stopped and fastened by hooks (26) and (32). In this combined state, the total length of both sheets (20) (28) is shorter than when the U-shaped paper storage portion (52) is formed.

Next, one of the plurality of lifting members (34) is stopped by the hooks (38) and (32).
The storage sheet (28) is connected at a predetermined distance from one edge (30) of the storage sheet (28), and the hooks (36) of each lifting member (34) are hooked on the upper side stay (16). As a result, the second storage sheet (28) is lifted by the lifting member (34), and is inclined counterclockwise in FIG. 1 around the lower side stay (18), so that the first storage sheet (28) is lifted. The sheet (20) has a V-shaped side paper storage unit (5) having a substantially flat paper mounting inclined surface (56).
4) is formed.

After the drawing is finished, the drawing paper having a stiffness or a high printing rate is lowered from the arrow direction E to the paper storage portion (54) in a state where the paper is not rounded and is kept flat, and the inclined surface (56) And is locked by a V-shaped locking portion (58). The portion of the paper (6) protruding from the inclined surface (56) hangs down from the cylindrical portion (22) of the first storage sheet (20) by its own weight. In such a state, the drawing paper (6) cut to a predetermined size every time the drawing for one frame is completed is stored in an overlapping manner on the inclined surface (56).

In the above-described embodiment, the shape of the paper storage portion is changed by a manual operation according to the level of the printing ratio. As shown in FIG. 6, an arm driving device (60) such as a motor is used. A movable arm (62) is connected to the output side, and a shaft connected to the movable arm (62) has a front and rear edge supported by a tray hook (not shown) and a lower side stay (18). The paper storage section may be arranged opposite to the predetermined position of (64), the amount of data for printing is detected on the plotter side, and the shape of the paper storage section is automatically changed according to the printing rate (data amount). In this embodiment, when the printing rate is low, the movable arm (62) moves to the raised position and the sheet (64)
Constitutes a U-shaped paper storage unit. When the printing rate is large,
The movable arm (62) moves to the lowered position, presses and deforms the sheet (64) by the shaft, and forms a side V-shaped sheet storage portion having a substantially flat sheet mounting inclined surface.

[0015]

According to the present invention, as described above, the shape of the sheet storage portion can be changed depending on whether or not the drawn sheet is likely to be curled, so that a large number of drawings can be stored.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the paper storage device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a paper storage device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the paper storage device.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the paper storage device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Plotter 4 Platen 6 Paper 8 Leg 10 Paper storage unit 12 Paper mounting inclined surface 14 Paper storage unit 16 Side stay 18 Side stay 20 First storage sheet 22 Tubular part 24 Axis 26 Stop hook 28 Second storage sheet 30 Edge 32 Stop Hook 34 Lifting Member 36 Hook 38 Stop Hook 40 Tray Hook 42 Ring 44 Engagement 46 Engagement 48 Cap 50 Stop Hook 52 Paper Storage 54 Paper Storage 56 Paper Slope 58 Stop 60 Arm drive 62 Movable arm 64 Seat

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sheet storage device of a plotter in which a printed sheet descending from a platen is stored in a sheet storage portion formed of a sheet-like member. The U-shaped shape suitable for storing and the shape having a substantially flat sheet mounting inclined surface suitable for storing a large number of planar drawings in a stackable manner can be changed. A paper storage device for a plotter.