JP2791690B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly to a recording sheet for recording an intermittent visual image on a first side and a second side of a recording sheet in response to a command from a host computer. The present invention relates to a recording device such as a pen plotter with an automatic reversing mechanism.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a double-sided drawing recording apparatus that forms a visual image on a first surface and a second surface of a recording sheet in accordance with a recording command input from a host computer has been proposed. By inputting a recording paper reversal command of the format specified by the host computer, the plotted recording paper is conveyed to the recording paper automatic reversing mechanism, where the recording paper is reversed, and the recording software is turned over to the application software functioning on the host computer. When the recording paper inversion command is not included, the operator of the apparatus operates the switch for the recording paper inversion command provided on the operation panel to perform the inversion. Therefore, when a conventional recording apparatus is used together with such application software, the operator confirms the completion of plotting each time one plotting is completed, and operates the recording paper reversal command switch to reverse the recording paper. .

FIG. 2 shows a conventional recording apparatus, 1 is a main body of the recording apparatus, 2 is an operation panel provided with a switch group to which various functions are assigned and for manually controlling the recording apparatus,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a recording surface on which a recording paper (not shown) is supported. Reference numeral 4 denotes a pen carriage which grips a recording pen (not shown) and moves according to a command of an internal control circuit to constitute a first axis. Reference numeral 7 denotes a recording paper. Is a pinch roller I which rotates and clamps together with a driving roller and moves the recording paper in accordance with a command from an internal control circuit to form a second shaft. In this recording apparatus, the desired movement of the first axis and the second axis and the on / off operation of the recording means are performed on the first surface of the recording paper on the recording surface 3 using the drawing data input from the host computer. Is recorded. When this recording is completed, the recording paper on the recording surface 3 is moved to the recording device 1.
The recording paper is conveyed to a recording paper automatic reversing mechanism provided therein, and the recording paper is reversed, returned to the recording surface 3 again, and the next recording is started.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (d) are explanatory views for explaining the process of reversing the recording paper, wherein 5a is the first surface of the same recording paper 5, 5b is the second surface of the same recording paper 5, and 6 is the same. A driving roller for moving the recording paper 5 guided on the recording surface 3, a pinch roller I for holding the recording paper 5 together with the driving roller 6, and a reference numeral 8 for the driving roller 6 and the pinch roller I (7). Recording paper guides III and 9 for guiding between them are shutters for feeding the recording paper 5 to the recording paper reversing mechanism, 10 is a reversing roller for winding and reversing the recording paper 5, and 11 is a pinch roller for nipping the recording paper 5 together with the reversing roller 10. Reference numerals II and 12 denote pinch rollers III and 13 for holding the recording paper 5 together with the reversing roller 10 similarly to the pinch roller II. Recording paper guides for guiding the recording paper 5 to be nipped between the reversing roller 10 and the pinch roller II in the recording paper reversing process. I and 14 guide the recording paper 5 similarly to the recording paper guide I. The recording paper guide II, 15
Denotes a heater for drying ink used for forming a visual image on the recording paper 5. In FIG. 3A, the first surface 5a of the recording paper 5
When the predetermined drawing is completed and the recording paper reversal command is generated by the predetermined command means, the shutter 9 is opened as shown in FIG. 3B, and the recording paper 5 is rotated by the rotation of the drive roller 6 in the direction of the arrow. Is sent to the recording paper reversing mechanism. After the recording paper 5 sent to the recording paper reversing mechanism advances along the recording paper guide I (13) as shown in FIG. 3C, the reversing roller 10 and the pinch roller II (11) rotate in the direction of the arrow. And follow the recording paper guide II (14). When the recording paper 5 further advances, the leading end of the recording paper 5 is turned by a reversing roller 10 and a pinch roller
It is sandwiched between I (12) and sent out between the recording surface 3 and the recording paper guide III (8) as shown in FIG. 3 (d). At this time, the driving roller 6 has been rotated in the direction of the arrow in advance contrary to the case of FIG. 3 (b), and the recording paper 5 is nipped and rotated between the driving roller 6 and the pinch roller I (7) to a predetermined position. And is pulled out from the recording paper reversing mechanism onto the recording surface 3, and the shutter 9 is closed. In this state, the recording paper 5 is placed on the second side of the recording surface.
With the surface 5b facing upward, both sides of the recording paper 5 can be printed. Further, if the ink of the recording pen (not shown) used for plotting the first surface of the recording paper 5 is not dried, the drawing end surface may be stained by the rubbing of the undried ink and the recording surface 3. Further, an ink drying means by the heater 15 is also provided in the process of reversing the recording paper.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit of a recording apparatus provided with such a recording paper automatic reversing mechanism, 16 is a host computer, 17 is an input buffer memory, 18 is a recording control circuit, 21 is a recording pen driving mechanism, 22 Is a recording paper automatic reversing mechanism,
23 indicates a control circuit. A continuous recording command input from a host computer 16 through an interface (not shown) is stored in an input buffer memory 17, and is sequentially taken out by a recording control circuit 18, and after the content of the recording command is analyzed and processed, Output to the recording pen drive mechanism 21. The recording pen drive mechanism 21 receives this output signal and draws a predetermined trajectory on recording paper to form a visual image.
Generally, the speed at which the recording pen driving mechanism 21 processes the recording command is lower than the speed at which the host computer 16 sends the recording command to the recording device 1, and therefore, the input buffer memory 17 is used.
Stores an unprocessed recording command. When the transmission of the recording command from the host computer 16 is completed, the recording commands remaining in the input buffer memory 17 are sequentially taken out and processed by the recording control circuit 18, and finally the recording command is lost in the input buffer memory 17 and becomes empty. State.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In a field where a recording device such as a plotter is used in recent years, simplicity in operation of the device is required in order to improve the use efficiency. In spite of the fact that a recording apparatus such as the conventional example has an automatic reversing function as described above, depending on the application software used, the operator needs to manually input a paper feed command every time one drawing is completed. This is extremely inconvenient in terms of the operability of the device.

An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of a double-sided drawing recording apparatus provided with such a recording paper automatic reversing mechanism.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The recording apparatus of the present invention is provided with a reversing means for the recording paper so that a visual image can be formed on the first surface and the second surface of the recording paper. In a recording apparatus that moves in one axis direction and moves a recording unit in a second axis direction to form a visual image on recording paper by intermittent ON / OFF operations of the recording unit, a recording command from a host computer is temporarily transmitted. An input buffer memory for storing, a monitoring means for monitoring whether a recording instruction is stored in the input buffer memory, and a control circuit for taking out the recording instruction from the input buffer memory and processing the recording instruction. When the input buffer memory is idle for a predetermined time, the first side of the recording paper is automatically reversed, and a visual image can be formed on the second side of the same recording paper. It is characterized by having.

Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention further has a selection unit for selecting whether to enable or disable the monitoring unit, and determines whether or not to execute automatic paper feeding after the predetermined time has elapsed. Can be selected by the selection means.

(Operation) In the recording apparatus of the present invention, when the input of the recording command from the host computer is completed and no new recording command is input for a predetermined time, the current recording paper is automatically changed to the recording paper reversing mechanism. And the recording paper is turned over, and the next printing is enabled on the other surface of the same recording paper.

Further, by making the monitoring function of the monitoring means unusable by causing the selection means to function, automatic operation is performed even after the predetermined time has elapsed so that another visual image can be formed on the same recording paper. The recording paper is not reversed.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the recording apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a buffer memory monitoring means 19 for monitoring the amount of a recording instruction from the host computer 16 remaining stored in the input buffer memory 17, A recording paper reversal command generating means 20 for generating a paper reversal command using the signal output of the buffer memory monitoring means 19 when the recording command is left empty for a predetermined time; When the input of the command is completed and a new recording command is not input for a predetermined time, the current recording paper is automatically conveyed to the recording paper automatic reversing mechanism 22, and
The recording paper is reversed so that the next drawing can be performed on the other surface of the same recording paper.

Since the recording apparatus of the present invention has the above-described configuration, the buffer memory monitoring means 19 sends a signal to the recording control circuit 18 when the empty state of the input buffer memory 17 continues for a predetermined time (about 1 minute in this embodiment). The recording control circuit 18 which has received this signal outputs a signal to the recording paper reversal command generating means 20. When the recording paper reversal command generation means 20 outputs a recording paper reversal command signal to the recording paper automatic reversing mechanism 22 based on this signal, the above-described recording paper reversal operation is performed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the buffer memory monitoring means 19 is enabled or disabled in order to enable overwriting to form another visual image on the same surface of the same recording paper on which printing has been completed. Monitoring function selection means for selecting
24 will be provided. The monitoring function selection means 24 is provided to the operation panel 2 shown in FIG. 2 so that the operator of the recording apparatus 1 can easily access the data, or to the setting means (not shown) for setting the apparatus initial value at power-on. Provide.

According to this embodiment, when the operator of the recording apparatus 1 selects the above-mentioned state monitoring function of the input buffer memory 17 to be in the disabled state by the monitoring function selecting means 24, the recording control circuit 18 makes the input buffer memory 17 empty. In the state, the signal generated from the buffer memory monitoring means 19 is ignored and the recording paper inversion operation is not performed. That is, it is possible to prevent the recording paper from being automatically inverted even after the predetermined time has elapsed so that another visual image can be formed on the same surface of the recording paper.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, when a recording apparatus is used together with application software that does not include a recording sheet reversal command, the recording apparatus is manually reversed every time an operator of the recording apparatus completes one drawing. It is possible to automatically reverse the recording paper without having to input a command, and it is not necessary for the operator to confirm the completion of drawing one by one, which is advantageous in improving the use efficiency of the recording apparatus.

Furthermore, overwriting for forming another visual image on the same recording sheet after drawing can be easily performed by the operator's selection, and a recording apparatus with good operability can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the printing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional printing apparatus, and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (d).
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a process of automatically reversing recording paper, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit of a conventional recording apparatus. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body of a recording apparatus, 2 ... Operation panel, 3 ... Recording surface, 4 ... Pen carriage, 5 ... Recording paper, 5a ... 1st
Surface 5b Second surface 6, Drive roller 7, Pinch roller I, 8 Recording paper guide III, 9 Shutter 10,
... Reversing rollers, 11 pinch rollers II, 12 pinch rollers III, 13 recording paper guides I, 14 recording paper guides II, 15 heaters, 16 host computer, 17
... Input buffer memory, 18 ... Recording control circuit, 19
... Buffer memory monitoring means, 20 recording paper reversal command generation means, 21 recording pen driving mechanism, 22 automatic recording paper reversal mechanism, 23 control circuit, 24 monitoring function selection means.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording paper reversing means which is capable of forming a visual image on a first surface and a second surface of the recording paper, moves the recording paper in a first axial direction, and controls the recording means. An input buffer memory for temporarily storing a recording command from a host computer in a recording apparatus which moves in the second axis direction to form a visual image on recording paper by intermittent on / off operations of recording means; Monitoring means for monitoring whether a recording instruction is stored in the memory; and a control circuit for taking out the recording instruction from the input buffer memory and processing the input instruction. A recording apparatus, wherein the first surface of the recording paper is automatically reversed when in the state, so that a visual image can be formed on the second surface of the same recording paper. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting whether to enable or disable the monitoring unit, and to determine whether or not to execute automatic paper feeding after the predetermined time has elapsed. 2. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the recording device can be selected by a selection unit.