JPH0118393Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a pen-type multicolor recording device suitable for X-Y plotters, graphic printers, alphanumeric printers, etc. The purpose of the invention is to , to provide a lightweight pen-type recording device.

Conventional pen-type multicolor recording devices of this type, such as X-
In the Y printer, as shown in the first diagram, a carriage 2 holding a single pen is mounted on a slide arm 1 so as to be slidable in the X direction.
Slide this slide arm 1 along the fixed arm 4,
It is installed so that it can slide freely in the Y direction. In order to perform the color change operation in this configuration, slide arm 1
and drives carriage 2, and now carriage 2
After returning the pen 3a held by the user to a predetermined pen holding portion of the fixed arm 4, the slide arm 1 and the carriage 2 are driven to cause the carriage 2 to hold a pen of another color, for example, a pen 3b. Ta.

However, with this configuration, it is necessary to attach and detach the pen, the mechanism is complicated and the control is complicated, and the space factor is also poor.

Therefore, as shown in the second figure, the slide arm 7 carrying the carriage 6 that moves in the X direction is
It was also considered to transport the pens in the Y direction along the fixed arm 8 and attach a plurality of pens 5a, 5b, 5c to the carriage 6, eliminating the need for attaching and detaching (switching) the pens. In this case, there is no need to change the pen, but in order to make the desired pen protrude from the carriage 6 in the direction of the paper, a drive source dedicated to each pen, such as an electromagnet, must be mounted on the carriage 6. In addition to being an obstacle to reducing the size and weight of the carriage 6, there are also drawbacks such as the need for a control function for the carriage 6 that corresponds to changes in the pen position, since each pen is positioned at a different position on the carriage 6.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and the details of the present invention will be explained below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 6.

This embodiment shows a small-sized graphic printer capable of printing alphanumeric characters. In the figure, reference numerals 11 and 12 are side frames of the printer. Guide shaft 1
A carriage 15 is mounted on the recording paper 3 and 14 so as to be slidable across the surface of the recording paper 16. Both ends of a rope 17 are connected to both sides of the carriage 15, and the rope 17 is guided by pulleys 18 and its intermediate portion is wound around a drive pulley 20 of a pulse motor 19 that rotates in forward and reverse directions. There is. That is, as the pulse motor 19 rotates forward or backward, the carriage 15 is transferred on the guide shafts 13 and 14.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a platen that serves both as a marking stand and a paper feeder. Although the illustration is simplified, a gear fixed to the end of a shaft 22 that rotates integrally with the platen 21 is connected to a pulse motor 23 that can rotate in forward and reverse directions for feeding the paper. The drive gear 24 is gear-coupled via a suitable intermediate gear. Further, as the pulse motor 23 rotates, the recording paper 16 held between the platen 21 and the auxiliary roller 25 (see FIG. 4) pressed against the platen 21 is moved perpendicularly to the transport direction of the carriage 15. It is transported in the direction of

26 is a rotating drum made of synthetic resin;
A central shaft 27 that rotates integrally with the rotating drum 26,
Front side plate 28 and rear side plate 29 of the carriage 15
It is rotatably held between the two parts, and a part of its circumferential surface is held by the rotation support part 30 of the carriage 15. Reference numeral 31 denotes a concave and convex portion formed on a part of the circumferential surface of the rotating drum 226, and the rotational direction of the rotating drum 26 is positioned by cooperating with a leaf spring 32 (see Fig. 6) that can be fitted into the concave portion. constitutes a means. Further, the moderation stop position per rotation of the positioning means corresponds to the number of teeth of the ratchet 33 described later. 33 is the rotating drum 26
A ratchet (cam means) is fixed to the end face of the pen means or formed integrally with the rotating drum 26, and the number of teeth formed at equal intervals is n times the number of pen means 34 (n is a natural number) to be described later. (In this embodiment, the ratchet 33 is provided on the end surface of the rotating drum 26, but in some cases, the ratchet 33 is provided on the end surface of the rotating drum 26.
It is sometimes provided on the circumferential surface of the ) 34... is an appropriate pen means made of an inexpensive and lightweight material, such as a refill for a ballpoint pen or a small-diameter felt pen impregnated with non-volatile ink, to record data in different colors with its pen tip 34a. Lines can be drawn on the paper 16. The pen means 34
... are arranged at equal intervals on a circle centered on the central axis 27 of the rotating drum 26, and
6, it is held so that it can protrude by a predetermined amount in a direction parallel to its central axis 27 (that is, in the direction of the recording paper 16). 35 is a petal-shaped spring plate;
5 has its center fixed to the center shaft 27 of the rotating drum 26, and each elastic arm 35a projects radially from the center, and the pen means 3
The pen tip 34a of No. 4 is held, and each pen means 34 is always pressed toward the left in FIG.

The pen tips 34a pass through the elastic arms 35a, and by pressing the pen means 34 in the direction of the recording paper 16 against the elastic arms 35a, the pen tips 34a...
4a can come into contact with the recording paper 16.

36 is a hammer (pen extrusion means) for pressing the pen means 34, and is spline-coupled (slidable in the axial direction) to a hammer shaft 37 (extrusion means drive shaft) pivotally supported between the side frames 11 and 12. However, it has a structure that rotates integrally with the shaft. A portion of the hammer 36 is always engaged with a groove 38 in the front plate 28 of the carriage 15, and as the carriage 15 is transferred, the hammer 36 is also transferred together. Further, the pressing surface 36a of the hammer 36 is connected to the pen means 3 whose rear end protrudes from the ratchet 33.
4...The rear end of the pen means 34, which is located at a position facing only the pen means 34 at the middle printing position, and which is located at the printing position, that is, the topmost stage in the figure, is pressed as the hammer shaft 37 rotates, and as shown in the fourth figure. As shown in FIG.
6. Reference numeral 39 denotes an electromagnetic plunger (electromagnet) which is a rotational drive source for the hammer shaft 37, and a lever 40 attached to its operating rod 39a.
An end portion of the hammer shaft 37 is attached to. Although not shown, the operating rod 39a is always pressed in the projecting direction by a spring, and when the electromagnetic plunger 39 is in a non-excited state, the hammer 36 is separated from the rear end of the pen means 34. The hammer 36 presses the pen means 34 via the hammer shaft 37 only when the electromagnetic plunger 39 is in an energized state.

Therefore, when the electromagnetic plunger 39 is energized,
That is, if the pulse motors 19 and 23 are driven based on the print command to convey the carriage 15 and/or the recording paper 16 while the pen tip 34a of the pen means 34 is in contact with the recording paper 16 with an appropriate contact pressure, Desired characters, diagrams, etc. are drawn on the recording paper 16.

Reference numeral 41 denotes a feeding protrusion (cam feeding means) made of a leaf spring attached to the side frame 11, and is capable of coming into contact with the ratchet 33. That is, the entire moving area S of the carriage 15 is converted into a printing area as shown in FIG.
Divided into S ₂ and pen selection (color change) area S ₁ , the side frame 11
Ratchet 3 only in pen selection area S ₁ close to
3 and the feed protrusion 41, and by moving the carriage 15 in the direction of the arrow A in _FIG . It is designed to be rotated in the C direction.

Therefore, after the carriage 15 is pulled back in the direction of arrow B, the carriage 15 is driven again in the direction of arrow A and the latch 33, that is, the rotating drum 26 is rotated until the desired pen means 34 is at the printing position. The means 34 can be switched and selected. The driving source for switching and selecting the pen means 34 is the pulse motor 1 for transporting the carriage 15.
9 and by rotating it forward and backward by a predetermined amount, there is no need for a separate drive source for switching the pen means 34, and the switching means is extremely simple and compact.

In the figure, reference numeral 42 denotes a reversal prevention pawl that is pressed and engaged with the latch 3 by a spring 43, and after the feed protrusion 41 engages with the latch 33, the carriage 15 is transferred in the direction of arrow B in Fig. 5. The resistance generated when the feed projection 41 elastically deforms and overcomes the teeth of the ratchet 33 prevents the ratchet 33 from being reversed.

As described above, according to the present invention, a rotating drum having a plurality of pen means arranged thereon is held on a carriage, and by rotating the rotating drum, a desired pen means is positioned at a position facing the pen ejecting means. The selected pen means is pressed against the recording paper surface by the pen ejecting means to perform recording, and the pen ejecting means is transported together with the carriage, and the pen ejecting means is moved horizontally over the entire transport area of the carriage. Since the extrusion means is driven by rotating the drive shaft, it is easy to select the pen means, the pen switching mechanism is simple, and the carriage does not require a heavy pen drive source such as an electromagnet. Since there is no need to mount the cartridge, the carriage becomes lighter and smaller, which not only makes it possible to feed the carriage at higher speeds, but also makes it possible to downsize the carriage transport motor. It can be made smaller and lighter, and its practical value is great.

In the embodiment described above, the rotating drum 26 is rotated using the transfer operation of the carriage 15, but for example, the driving force of an electromagnet, a motor, etc. may be transmitted to the rotating drum using a rope or the like. Alternatively, the means for positioning the rotary drum 26 in the rotational direction may be modified in addition to the so-called detent mechanism, such as a lock pin mechanism that engages and disengages in accordance with the multi-feed area of the carriage 15. These transformations without departing from the spirit of
Of course, all of these fall within the scope of the present registration claim.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the first conventional example, and Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the second conventional example.
3 to 6 are explanatory diagrams of the conventional example of 1 of the present invention.
The pen-type multicolor recording device according to the embodiment is shown, FIG. 3 is a partially simplified perspective view of the main parts, FIG. 4 is a side view of the main parts showing the printing state, and FIG. 5 is the rotating state of the rotating drum. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the means for positioning the rotary drum in the rotational direction. 11, 12... Side frame, 13, 14... Guide shaft, 15
...carriage, 16...recording paper, 17...rope, 1
9...Pulse motor for transporting the carriage, 21...Platen, 23...Pulse motor for transporting the recording paper, 2
6... Rotating drum, 27... Central axis of rotating drum, 3
1... uneven portion, plate spring (rotational direction positioning means),
33... Ratchet (cam means), 34... Pen means,
35... Spring plate, 35a... Elastic arm, 36... Hammer (pen extrusion means), 37... Hammer shaft (extrusion means drive shaft), 39... Electromagnetic plunger (electromagnet), 41
...Feeding protrusion (cam feeding means).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) (a) A carriage slidably mounted on a guide shaft spanned between both side frames, and (b) A carriage transport means for transporting the carriage. , (c) paper feeding means for transporting recording paper in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the carriage; (d) a rotating drum rotatably held on the carriage; and (e) a central axis of the rotating drum. (f) a plurality of pen means arranged at equal intervals on a circle centered at and held so as to protrude in a direction parallel to the central axis of the rotating drum; (f) rotating the rotating drum to cause the rotation; drum rotating means for selectively transporting a desired pen means in the drum to a printing position; (g) positioning means for positioning the rotary drum rotated by the drum rotating means in the rotational direction; (h) a pen pushing means that is transported together with the carriage and pushes out only the pen means at the printing position toward the recording paper; (i) the pen pushing means is spline-coupled and all of the carriage is moved; (j) a rotational drive source that rotates the pen ejection means drive shaft; and (j) a rotational drive source that rotates the pen ejection means drive shaft. Pen type multicolor recording device. (2) The pen-type multicolor recording device according to claim 1, wherein the carriage feeding means is a pulse motor capable of forward and reverse rotation, and the rotational drive source is an electromagnet.