JP2568095B2 - Automatic writing lead feeding device in XY plotter - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an automatic writing lead in an XY plotter that automatically draws an image on a screen using a writing implement having a built-in consumable writing lead such as a lead lead. It relates to a supply device.

[Conventional technology]

In Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-34892, a plurality of writing cores are held in a turret type magazine of a plotter head, and a desired writing core is pressed by a push pin to abut on a screen. A turret type XY plotter for performing line drawing is disclosed. Further, in JP-A-57-138997, a rotary writing instrument stocker, that is, a carousel is provided on the machine body side, and a plurality of pen holders of the carousel hold a lead cartridge with a writing lead inserted therein. There is disclosed an XY plotter in which the lead cartridge can be exchanged between the pen and the pen holding portion of the carousel.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 60-80996 discloses that a writing case provided on a drawing head is provided with a lead case, and one lead in the lead case is supplied to a holder in the writing block and held by the lead holder. An XY plotter that performs a line drawing on a work screen using the writing core described above is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-132394 discloses that a writing implement having an automatic lead-in mechanism is held in a plurality of pen holding parts of a writing implement stocker provided in the machine body, and a pen holding part on the stocker side and a drawing head side are provided. There is disclosed an XY plotter in which a writing instrument can be exchanged with a pen holder.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As mentioned above, in the conventional writing instruments that have a single core,
There is no device for supplying one of a plurality of lead storage units separate from the writing instrument.

Therefore, the present invention provides a shutter below the lead storage unit,
When the shutter is opened, the lead in the lead storage part falls and is guided to the lead insertion hole of the writing implement positioned below the lead storage part so that the writing lead is automatically supplied to the writing implement. The purpose is to provide a device.

Still another object of the present invention is to supply only one core among a plurality of cores in the core storage unit to a writing core below the core storage unit so as to supply the core to the writing core. It is to ensure that it can be done.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lead guide in which one of the writing cores in a lead storage unit that houses a plurality of writing lead is opened at the center of the bottom by a tapered surface provided at the bottom of the lead storage unit. In a device for inserting the writing lead guided into the lead insertion hole of the lead guide into the lead insertion hole of the lead guide, and dropping and inserting the writing lead into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument located directly below the lead guide through a shutter. It is slidably arranged in the vertical direction on the bottom of the lead storage part, and the lead guide is linked with a vertical drive mechanism, and the lead guide is driven upward so that the upper part of the lead guide is from the bottom of the lead storage part. The shutter is opened when a predetermined amount is projected inward of the wick storage section to open the wick drop passage below the wick guide, the wick guide is lowered, and the upper end of the wick guide is the bottom surface of the wick storage section. Same as or lower than Close the shutter when it becomes is obtained so as to cut off the core falling passage of the lead guide downward.

[Action]

In the above structure, one of the writing cores in the core storage unit is guided into the core guide in a lowered state guided by the tapered surface of the bottom of the core storage unit, and inserted into the core guide.

When the lead guide is in the lowered state, the shutter below the lead guide is closed, so that the lead in the lead guide is prevented from falling. When the shutter is opened, the lead in the lead guide falls downward and is guided into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument located below the lead guide. When the shutter is opened, the lead guide projects upward from the bottom of the lead reservoir, preventing the insertion of the writing lead in the lead reservoir into the lead guide. Therefore,
When the shutter is opened, only one lead in the lead guide drops downward through the shutter, and two or more writing wicks do not continuously fall downward.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 11, reference numeral 2 denotes a paper drive type XY plotter body, on which a Y rail 6 is fixed horizontally on a paper mounting plate 4. Both sides of the paper 8 on the mounting plate 4 are supported by a pinch roller mechanism composed of a driving roller and a pressing roller disposed on both sides of the mounting plate 4, and the driving roller driven by an X motor rotates the driving roller. The sheet 8 on the mounting plate 4 is sent back and forth (+ -X direction). The Y rail 6
An image forming head 10 is attached to the so as to move along the rail 6 by driving a Y motor. Reference numeral 12 denotes a writing instrument holding unit provided on the drawing head 10;
Reference numeral 12 is linked to a pen lifting mechanism built in the drawing head 10. A box 14 is provided at one end of the Y rail 6, and a rotary writing tool stocker 16 (carousel) is provided in the box 14, as shown in FIG. The stocker 16 is linked to an output shaft of a motor with a reduction gear (not shown) fixed to the box 14.
This motor is connected to a controller controlled by a computer. Writing implement holders 18 are formed at regular intervals in a lower horizontal portion of the stocker 16 formed by the pair of disks 16a and 16b, and the writing implement P is detachably held by each of the holders 18. The writing implement P can be automatically exchanged between a desired one of the writing implement holders 18 and the writing implement holder 12 of the drawing head 10. The configuration for automatic replacement of the writing implement is known and is not the gist of the present invention, so that the detailed description is omitted. The writing instrument has a lead insertion hole for receiving a consumable writing lead, and the upper end of the hole is opened at the center of the upper end surface of the writing instrument P. The internal structure of the writing instrument P is disclosed in detail in JP-A-61-132394. In the upper horizontal portion 16c of the stocker 16, a cylindrical core storage container 24 is fixedly located immediately above each holding portion 18, and a plurality of core storage containers 24 are provided in the core storage container 24, as shown in FIG. A lead storage portion 24a for storing the writing lead 26 is formed. A hole is formed at the center of the bottom of the wick storage container 24, and the upper end of the hole is at the wick storage part 24.
The opening is formed at the center of the tapered portion 24b formed at the bottom of a. The hole in the bottom of the wick storage container 24 and the wick storage container 24
A pipe-shaped core guide is installed in the hole of the cylinder 27 that is fixedly installed at the lower end of
28 is slidably inserted and arranged. The core guide
The lower surface of the flange portion formed on 28 is in elastic contact with the inner wall surface of the bottom portion of the cylindrical body 27 by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 30. The lower end of the core guide 28 protrudes from the lower surface of the cylindrical body 26 by a predetermined amount. Numeral 32 is a plate-like arm provided immediately above each of the holding parts 28, and one end of the arm is rotatably supported by a disk part 16d integral with the upper horizontal part 16c. . At the open end of the arm 32, a concave portion 36, an inclined surface 38, a lower horizontal portion 40 adjacent to the inclined surface 38, and a protrusion 42 located below the lower horizontal portion 40 are shown in FIG. It is formed as shown in FIG. The arm 32 elastically contacts the stopper 46 projecting from the disk portion 16d by the pulling force of the spring 44, and in this state, the lower horizontal portion 40 of the arm 32 is contacted.
Is located on the lower end surface of the lead guide 28 and closes the lower end opening of the lead guide 28. In this state, the lead guide
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end of 28 is set to be at the same level as or slightly lower than the lowest bottom surface of the core storage section 24a. Reference numeral 48 is a residual core receiver attached to the stocker 16, and is arranged immediately below each of the writing tool holders 18. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 50 denotes a bracket fixed to the bottom wall of the box 14, on which a motor 52 with a speed reducer controlled by the controller is fixed. A plate-shaped rotating arm 56 is fixed to the output shaft 54 of the motor 52 at a right angle to the shaft 54 so that the protrusion 42 of the arm 32 is located in the rotating range. The rotary arm 56 has a recess 58 formed therein.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 60 denotes a bracket fixed to the bottom wall of the box 14, to which a solenoid 62 is fixed, and to an output shaft 64 of the solenoid 62, an optical object detection sensor 66 is attached via a bracket. Have been. The solenoid 62
Is disposed in the vicinity of the motor 52, and when the solenoid 62 is driven and the output shaft 64 protrudes, the sensor 66 is positioned above the writing implement P at the position where the writing core is supplied. The position of the solenoid 62 is set. When the core is located in the recess 68, the sensor 66 detects the core and sends a detection signal to the computer. Normal,
The sensor 66 stands by on the side of the drop path of the writing core 26.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The controller operates the stocker 16
Drives a rotation drive motor. The rotation of the stocker 16 is stopped when the desired writing tool P held by the writing tool holding section 18 of the stocker 16 has passed a little over a predetermined feeding position (block 70). Next, when the desired writing instrument P and the lead storage container 24 thereon are moved to a predetermined feeding position by rotating the stocker 16 in the reverse direction, the reverse rotation of the stocker 16 is stopped (block 72).

Next, the solenoid 62 is energized and its output shaft 64 is moved to the seventh position.
The sensor 66 is protruded as shown in the figure, and the sensor 66 is positioned above the writing implement P at the feeding position (block 74). Next, the controller drives the motor 52 to swing the rotating arm 56 two times clockwise in the figure from the initial state shown in FIG. 3A (block 76). Due to the swing of the turning arm 56, the turning arm 56 collides with the projection 42 of the corresponding arm 32.
Due to this collision, the arm 32 resists the elastic force of the spring 44, and the rotational force of the rotating arm 56 causes the shaft to move in the axial direction in FIG.
It swings counterclockwise as the center of 34. The swing of the arm 32 causes the lead guide 28 to move, as shown in FIG.
Riding on the inclined surface 38 of the arm 32, the lead guide 28 rises against the elasticity of the coil spring 30, and the upper end of the lead guide 28 projects a predetermined length from the bottom surface of the lead storage portion 24a. Thereby, one core in the core guide 28 is completely separated from the other cores in the core storage portion 24a. Further, a plurality of writing cores 26 are gathered at the upper end opening of the lead guide 28, and the openings are provided with a plurality of writing cores 26.
If the lead core 28 is lifted, the writing lead straddling the upper end opening of the lead guide 28 is scattered laterally, and the clogging of the writing lead of the lead guide 28 is eliminated. Next, at decision block 78, the computer determines whether the value of the core drop processing number counter is M times. The counter does not count the first core drop treatment. This lead drop processing is composed of vibration and lead detection operation, which will be described later, N times in the vertical direction of the lead guide 28. If the value of the counter has not reached M times, the calculator determines in a decision block 80 whether the vertical vibration of the lead guide 28 is N times. If NO, the controller drives the motor 52 to
Is rocked 1.8 degrees counterclockwise as shown in FIGS. This swing causes the lower end of the lead guide 28 to move to the arm.
Moving to the lower horizontal part 40 of 32, the lead guide 28 descends (block 82). Next, the rotating arm 56 is controlled by the controller.
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, is rotated clockwise by 1.8 degrees, and the lead guide 28 is raised. One oscillation of the lead guide 28 is completed by this lowering and raising, and the frequency counter of the computer counts 1. The vertical vibration of the lead guide 28 causes the lead storage container 24 to vibrate, and when the lead guide 28 descends, the writing lead 26 can be easily inserted into the upper end opening thereof. Next, the computer determines whether or not the frequency of the lead guide 28 has reached N times. If NO, the computer rotates the motor 52 forward and reverse within a range of 1.8 degrees to repeat the above-described vibration operation (determination block).
80). When the number of vibrations reaches N times, the rotating arm 56
6 is swung clockwise from the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B by about 1.8 degrees as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this state, the shaft hole, that is, the insertion hole of the lead guide 28 is aligned with the recessed portions 36 and 58 of the arm 32 and the rotating arm 56 as shown in FIG. It falls and is inserted into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument P directly below the lead guide 28. When this lead falls, the lead guide 28 projects upward from the bottom surface of the lead storage portion 24a, and the other lead in the lead storage portion 24a cannot enter the lead guide 28. Only the core of the book is recessed
36 That is, it falls down through the shutter hole, and the lead storage unit 24
Other cores in a will not fall continuously.

When the lead guide 28 descends and its upper end is in the same state as or slightly lower than the bottom face of the lead storage portion 24a as shown in FIG. 1, the arm 32 causes the lead drop passage below the lead guide 28. Is cut off. The core 26 inserted into the core insertion hole of the writing tool P is detected by the sensor 66 when passing through the recessed portion 68 of the sensor 66, and the computer recognizes that the core 26 has been inserted into the desired writing tool P ( Decision block
88). As a result, the core dropping process is completed, and the core dropping process counter counts 1. When the computer recognizes that there is no center in the decision block 88, the process returns to the decision block 78 to determine whether or not the number of core dropping processes has reached M times, and if YES, error processing is performed (block 9
4) If NO, the core drop processing operation described above is performed from the beginning. If the computer recognizes that there is a core in the determination block 88, the solenoid 62 is driven, the output shaft 64 is retracted as shown in FIG. 8, and returns to the original position (block 90). After a lapse of 2 seconds, the operation shifts to a core feeding operation to another writing instrument or a drawing operation. Note that the lead 26 dropped and inserted into the lead insertion hole of the writing implement P is projected above the writing implement P as shown in FIG.
A mechanism for pushing the lead 26 deep into the writing implement P may be provided.

As is clear from the above description, the motor 52,
The rotating arm 56 and the arm 32 constitute a vertical drive mechanism that drives the lead guide 28 in the vertical direction.
Constitutes a shutter for opening and closing the lead drop passage below the lead guide 28.

[Effect] As described above, the present invention provides the core guide having the core insertion hole formed at the center of the tapered bottom surface of the core storage container, and the core in the core storage container is guided to the tapered bottom surface. It is designed to be inserted into one of the core insertion holes of the core guide, and this core guide can be freely protruded toward the inside of the core storage container by a predetermined amount with respect to the bottom surface of the core storage container. Is opened so that the lead in the lead guide drops downward, and the shutter is closed when the lead guide is lowered. There is an effect that only one lead in the lead guide can be dropped without continuously dropping, and this lead can be supplied into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument below the lead guide.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a side view, FIG. 2 is a plan view, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view, FIG.
The figure is a side view, FIG. 8 is a side view, FIG. 9 is a plan view, FIG. 10 is a plan view, FIG. 11 is an external view, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart. 2 ... machine body, 4 ... paper loading plate, 6 ... Y rail, 8 ... paper, 10 ... drawing head, 12 ... writing implement holder, 14 ... box, 16 ... stocker, 18 ... Writing implement holding part, 24 ... lead storage container, 24a ... lead storage part, 26 ... writing lead, 27 ... cylindrical body, 2
8 core guide, 30 coil spring, 32 arm, 34
Shaft, 36 …… Recessed part, 38 …… Slope, 40 …… Lower horizontal part, 42…
... projecting part, 44 ... spring, 46 ... stopper, 48 ... residual core receiver, 50 ... bracket, 52 ... motor, 54 ... output shaft,
56 ... Rotating arm, 58 ... Recessed part, 60 ... Box, 62 ...
… Solenoid, 64 …… Output shaft, 66 …… Sensor, 68 …… Recessed part

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A lead core in a lead storage unit for accommodating a plurality of writing leads is guided to a lead insertion hole of a lead guide opening at the center of the bottom by a tapered surface provided at the bottom of the lead storage unit. In a device for dropping and inserting a writing lead, which is guided into a lead insertion hole of the lead guide, into a lead insertion hole of a writing tool located directly below the lead guide through a shutter, the lead guide is provided at the bottom of the lead storage part. Arranged so that it can slide vertically,
A vertical drive mechanism is linked to the lead guide, and when the lead guide is driven upward and the upper portion of the lead guide protrudes from the bottom surface of the lead storage portion toward the inside of the lead storage portion by a predetermined amount, the shutter is opened. Open to open the lead drop passage below the lead guide, the lead guide descends, and close the shutter when the upper end of the lead guide is at the same level as or lower than the bottom surface of the lead storage part. An XY characterized in that the core drop passage below the core guide is blocked.
Automatic writing lead feeder for plotters.