JPH0152770B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for selectively driving a tape to recall to a predetermined location a desired item or items on a tape storing a large number of items.

The present invention is particularly applicable to input devices for specifying a desired input item from among a large number of input items and performing input through a predetermined operation, such as a keyboard input device for a pen-touch type word processor, a microreader, a computer addresser, and a telephone exchange system. It can be embodied as an input device such as. Therefore, the present invention will be described below with reference to a multi-item input device.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional multi-item input device has an input section 1 for inputting information, and the item names of input items 3 divided into predetermined sizes are displayed, and the input section 1 is moved in the direction of arrow A. Film (tape) moving to
The film 2 is moved by a film moving device (not shown) built into the input device 4.
Using the width B of input section 1 as the feeding unit (page),
Do this for each page. Note that for each input item 3, an address is specified in a memory of a control unit (not shown) in the input unit 1 that stores an input signal indicating that an input has been made for each input item. . In the operation of this conventional input device, when a desired item is designated from among the input items 3 displayed within the page of the film 2 located on the input unit 1 by a predetermined item designation operation such as a pentouch or push button, The control section reads out the input signal stored at the address corresponding to the specified item from the storage section and outputs it. If the desired input item is on another page, the film 2 is moved by the film moving device to set the desired page on the input unit 1, and then the item designation operation as described above is carried out.

However, in this conventional input device, the film is moved page by page.
When changing pages, if the page width is B and the film movement speed is V, it will take at least B/V time per page, especially when changing the page at one end of film 2. When changing to the page at the other end, if the total number of pages of the film is N, at least the B/V (N-
1) It took twice as long to change the page, which resulted in a large amount of time, resulting in a decrease in overall input efficiency.

The above disadvantages can be alleviated to some extent by increasing the film movement speed, but the faster the film movement speed, the more difficult it becomes to control the position to stop the film on a desired page, so there is a limit to the film movement speed. , therefore, the above drawbacks cannot be completely eliminated.

In order to eliminate such conventional drawbacks, the present inventor divided the conventional column of items included in one page (referred to as column M) into one or several columns, and displayed each column on multiple films. , developed a technology to move these multiple films simultaneously. In this way, if one column of items on each page is displayed on each film, the page movement speed will be lower than that of the conventional M/
The page movement speed when displaying two columns of items is only 2M/B. As one of the inventions related to this technology, the present inventor previously proposed a device for specifying and inputting one or more input items from a plurality of input items by a predetermined operation, including a guide plate and a an input section in which a plurality of display sections are arranged, each having a film on which the input item to be moved is displayed, and a film holding and moving means around which the film is wound from one end of the film;
An input device comprising: a film centrally holding and moving means in which the respective films are wound together from the other end of the film; and a drive control device for driving and controlling the film holding and moving means and the film centrally holding and moving means. created a device. As shown in FIG. 2, in this input device, films 7 corresponding to a plurality of film scanning shafts 6 arranged in parallel are wound from one end thereof, the films 7 pass over corresponding guide plates 8, and these films are are collectively wound around a common scanning shaft 9 (film concentration holding and moving means) from the other end. The film 7 is moved by bevel gears 10 and 11 provided on the scanning shafts 6 and 9, respectively.
This is done by rotating a synchronous rotating shaft 14, to which bevel gears 12 and 13 are fixedly engaged, with a step motor 15 either to the left or right.

However, in the drive device of this input device,
Bevel gears 12 and 13 arranged in series are connected to a rotating shaft 14.
In order to simultaneously rotate the step motor 15
The closer you get to the rotation axis, the more stress is placed on the rotating shaft, which causes problems such as damage and misalignment due to twisting, and there is also the problem of noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tape selection drive device that eliminates all of the drawbacks of the conventional input devices described above and that can quickly recall a desired item on a tape.

To achieve this purpose, the tape selection drive device of the present invention has a configuration including a guide plate, a plurality of tapes each storing a large number of items while moving on the guide plate, and winding the tape from one end of each tape. a plurality of tape holding means attached to the tape holding means, and a tape concentrated holding means in which a plurality of tapes are wound together from the other end of the tape wound around the tape holding means,
A drive for arranging the plurality of tape holding means in a substantially annular shape, arranging the tape concentrated holding means substantially at the center of the annular body, and selectively driving the tape holding means or the tape concentrated holding means. It comes from having the means.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings. 3A and 3B illustrate the principle of the invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a first scanning axis such as a roller constituting the tape holding means, and these first scanning axes 20
are arranged in a ring shape and at substantially equal intervals. 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes a second scanning axis constituting tape central holding means, which is located substantially at the center of the annular body defined by the first scanning axis 20 and parallel to the first scanning axis. Reference numeral 22 denotes a tape storing predetermined items, which is wound around the corresponding first scanning shaft 20 from one end, passes over the corresponding guide plate 23, and is wrapped together around the second scanning shaft 21 at the other end. ing. On each guide plate 23, 1 is stored on the tape.
Position a column of one or more items. The total number of item rows on all guide plates corresponds to the number of item rows for one page of conventional film. Therefore, in the case of the present invention, pages can be changed simply by simultaneously moving each tape by the width of the guide plate. 3A and 3B merely illustrate the principle of the present invention, and although six first scanning axes 20 (FIG. 3A) are shown, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to this.
In fact, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, 12 first scanning axes are provided.

4 and 5 show a tape selection drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is applied as an input device. The first scanning axis 20 is arranged in an annular shape, and the second scanning axis 21 is arranged approximately at the center of this annular body. The scanning axes 20, 21 extend parallel to each other.
As described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a tape 22 storing a large number of input items is wound around each first scanning axis 20 from one end.
pass over the guide plate 23 corresponding to each first scanning axis, and join together from the other end to the central second scanning axis 2.
It is wrapped around 1. Preferably, the first scanning axes have the same diameter, and the first scanning axis and the second scanning axis also have the same diameter. Therefore, if the second scanning shaft 21 is rotated by a predetermined amount (a distance corresponding to the width of the guide plate 23) in the sheet winding direction, the tape 22 on each first scanning shaft 20 is unwound by the predetermined amount. , the input items are eventually changed. Conversely, if each first scanning axis is simultaneously rotated by a predetermined amount in the sheet winding direction, each tape 22 is unwound from the second scanning axis 21, and input items can be changed in the opposite direction. It is done.

One example of a driving means for rotating the first scanning shaft 20 and the second scanning shaft 21 is a shaft 2 provided at one end of each first scanning shaft 20, as shown in FIGS.
4 (preferably, these gears have the same diameter), a first ring gear 26 that is internally engaged with all of these gears, and a second scanning shaft 2
Gear 2 fixed to a shaft 27 provided at one end of 1
8 and a second ring gear 30 that interlocks with the gear 28 via an intermediate idler gear 29. The shafts 24, 27 and the shaft 36 of the idler gear 29 are rotatably mounted on a suitable right end plate 37. Second
The ring gear 30 has a cylindrical shaft extension 32 rotatably mounted on a shaft extension 31 of the second scanning shaft 21, and the shaft extension 31 has a first
A shaft extension 33 of the ring gear 26 is rotatably mounted. Cylindrical shaft extension 32,3
3 is connected to a power transmission means 35 such as a belt via a two-way clutch 34, and this power transmission means 35
is reversibly driven in a step-by-step manner by a power source (not shown) such as a step motor.

By rotating the second scanning axis 21, the arrow F
When moving each tape 22 in the direction of (the direction of winding the tape toward the second scanning axis) to change the input items, for example, by one column, the clutch element 34 of the two-way clutch 34
A is energized to connect the shaft extension 32 of the second ring gear 30 and the belt 35, and the belt is moved one step clockwise (as viewed from the right end in FIG. 5) by a step motor (not shown). . Then,
The second ring gear 30 rotates clockwise (Fig. 4), and the second
The gear 28 of the scanning shaft 21 rotates counterclockwise by a predetermined amount (fourth rotation).
As a result, the second scanning axis also rotates to the left by a predetermined amount, and each tape 22 is rotated by a predetermined amount (width of the guide 23).
Just roll it up together. This completes changing the input items for one column. If it is desired to change input items for five columns at once, for example, the belt 35 can be moved five consecutive steps. On the other hand, when the tape 22 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow F (FIG. 5) by rotating the first scanning shaft 20 to change, for example, one column of input items, the clutch element of the two-way clutch 34 34B to connect the shaft extension 33 of the first ring gear 26 and the belt 35, and move the belt one step clockwise by the step motor, the first ring gear 26
rotates clockwise by a predetermined amount (FIG. 4), causing all of the gears 25 meshed with this ring gear 26 to simultaneously rotate clockwise by a predetermined amount, and eventually the corresponding first scanning shaft 20
At the same time, a predetermined amount of each tape is wound around the screen, and the change of input items for one column is completed. If it is desired to change input items for a plurality of columns at once, the belt 35 may be moved by a plurality of corresponding steps. Note that when the first ring gear is rotationally driven, the second ring gear freely rotates, and when the second ring gear is driven and rotated, the first ring gear freely rotates. Also,
The gears 25, 28, 29 and the ring gear 26,
The diameter of 30 and the number of teeth are appropriately selected. Furthermore,
If several idler gears at the corners are used instead of the single idler gear 29 shown, a reversible type step motor is used.

The above is the basic idea of the present invention, but the present invention also employs the concept of blocking. That is, as is clear from the principle of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the total number of items in the tape portions on all guide plates corresponding to all the first scanning axes can be set as the total number of items for one page; The first scan axis is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the total number of items in the tape on all guide plates associated with the first scan axis included in each block is treated as one page.

Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the twelve first scan axes 20 are divided into four blocks of three each. 6th
As shown in the figure, each block B1 to B4 has 3
Three first scanning axes 20 and three corresponding guide plates 2
3 and three tapes 22. In FIG. 6, block B1 is located within the operator's field of view VF.

The present invention includes a block rotation drive device for moving a desired block into the operator's field of view VF. In the illustrated embodiment (FIG. 7), this block rotation drive device 50 is provided at the left end of the tape selection drive device. As shown in FIG. 7, this device 50 includes a first scan shaft 20 having a cylindrical extension 41 splined or keyed to a central hole 40 in a left end plate 39 that carries a left end shaft 38 of a first scanning axis 20. An outer crown gear 42, a first inner crown gear 45 having a cylindrical extension 44 fixed to the gear 42 and surrounding and supporting the left end shaft 43 of the second scanning shaft 21, and fixed to a fixed frame 46 of the tape drive device. First outer crown gear 42
a second outer crown gear 47 rotatable with respect to the gear 47 and splined or keyed with the shaft 43 of the second scan shaft 21 and slidable along the shaft 43; a second inner crown gear 48 that can selectively engage with the first inner crown gear 45;
and an electromagnetic device 49 which operates in response to a block signal and moves the second inner crown gear 48 to the right (FIG. 7) to mesh with the first inner crown gear 45. 50 is a return spring for separating the inner crown gears 45 and 48, and 51 is a spring that normally engages the first outer crown gear 42 with the second outer crown gear 47. Note that each guide plate 23 is preferably fixed to left and right end plates 39, 37 (FIGS. 7 and 5).

Next, the operation of the block rotation drive device will be explained.

If there is no need for block rotation (i.e., the tape 22 containing the desired item and its associated first
Scanning axis 20 is in block B1 within the operator's field of view.
), as shown in Figure 7,
Since the outer crown gears 42 and 47 are engaged with each other by the spring 51, and the electromagnetic device 49 is in an inactive state, the inner crown gears 45 and 48 are disconnected from each other. In this state, the fixed frame 4
The left end plate 39 does not rotate because the second outer crown gear 47 fixed to the left end plate 6 and the first outer crown gear 42 engaged with the end plate by spline are engaged with each other.
Therefore, the first scanning shaft 20 supported on the end plate also does not revolve. In this state, only the tape 22 is moved by the tape drive means at the right end of the apparatus, and a desired item can be moved onto the guide plate in the manner described above.

Next, when moving a block, it can be roughly divided into two types.
Divided into seed operations. That is, (a) the operation of rotating the block without causing any movement of the tape since the desired item is already located on the guide plate, and (b) the movement of the tape in order to recall the desired item and the operation of rotating the block. , and block rotation operations. First, to explain the former case (a), for example,
Block B2 (Fig. 6) is placed in the operator's field of view VF.
If the second inner ring gear 48 is to be rotated to the right (to the current position of block B1), an appropriate control circuit (not shown) sends a block signal to the electromagnetic device 49 to rotate the second inner ring gear 48 to the right (FIG. 7). It is moved and engaged with the first inner crown gear 45 against the spring 50. At this time, the first outer crown gear 42
is the force of spring 50 and second inner crown gear 48
Due to the pressing force, it is separated from the second outer crown gear 47 against the force of the spring 51. This state is shown in FIG. In this state, the inner crown gears 45, 4
8 are in mesh with each other, the gear 48 is in spline engagement with the shaft 43 of the second scanning shaft 21, and the first gears 42, 4 are engaged with each other.
5 is integrally engaged with the end plate 39 by spline, so when the second scanning shaft 21 rotates, the end plate 39 also rotates by the same angle, resulting in a block rotation.
Now, in this state, when the ring gear 30 is driven by the step motor via the belt 35 (FIG. 5) and the clutch 34, the second scanning shaft 21 rotates via the gears 29 and 28, which causes the left end plate 39 to rotate.
(Fig. 7) also rotates at the same time. In this example, since block B2 is moved into the visual field VF, end plate 3
9. Therefore, it is only necessary to rotate the second scanning axis 21 by 90 degrees. Therefore, if the step motor is stopped and the electromagnetic device 49 is energized when the second scanning shaft 21 is rotated 90 degrees, the block rotation of block B2 is completed. Note that since the second scanning shaft 21 and the end plate 39 rotate simultaneously, there is no relative rotation between them, and therefore,
No movement of the tape 22 (winding or unwinding with respect to the scanning axis) occurs. Furthermore, when blocks B3 and B4 are moved, they may be rotated by 180 degrees and 270 degrees, respectively. In addition, if the step motor is made reversible and the second scanning axis is rotated in the reverse direction, block B4
The rotation is only 90°.

Next, in the case of the latter operation (b), it is further divided into two types of operations. That is, (c) an operation involving moving the tape by driving the second scanning axis 21; and (d) an operation involving moving the tape by driving the second scanning axis 20.
It is divided into operations that involve moving the tape by driving. In the case of operation (c), it is almost the same as the operation in (a) above, but with the electromagnetic device 49 not activated,
Only the operation of driving and rotating the second scanning shaft 21 necessary for tape movement is added. In the case of operation (d), the tape winding movement to the first scanning shaft 20 is performed via the ring gear 26 as described above, but during this time the second scanning shaft 21 is rotated via the tape 22. The block rotation is based on this second scanning axis 2.
This can be done using one rotation. Of course, it goes without saying that the block rotation may be performed by actively driving the second scanning shaft 21 by the ring gear 30 as described above, separately from the tape movement.

Furthermore, it is also possible to operate by considering each first scanning axis 20 as one block. for example,
Middle first scanning axis 2 in block B2 of FIG.
1' to the position of the first scanning axis 21'' at the upper end of the block B1, the number of first scanning axes is 12 in this embodiment, and the movement is 2 steps, so the rotation angle is 360°. /12, that is, by rotating the end plate 39 by 60 degrees in the manner described above, the first scanning axis 2
1' block movement is completed.

Of course, instead of the illustrated block drive device 50, for example, a ratchet mechanism may be used, or the end plate 39 may be rotated by a gear mechanism or the like that does not have an interlocking relationship with the second scanning shaft 21 to perform block rotation. It's okay to get old. In any case, synchronization means is provided to drive the step motor and block drive at appropriate timing.

As described above, in the present invention, the tape drive selection device can perform not only tape selection drive for calling up a desired item onto the guide plate, but also block rotation drive for moving a desired tape to a desired position. Therefore, necessary items can be called up to a predetermined position extremely quickly, the overall size can be made compact (for example, a cylindrical body with a diameter of about 10 cm), and the drive mechanism is simple and less prone to failure.

Although the tape drive device of the present invention has been mainly described as being applied to an input device, it goes without saying that it is not limited to such an input device. For example, if the tape is a magnetic tape or a memory, one or more magnetic heads are provided in contact with a guide plate, and the head and the guide plate are moved relative to each other, a recording/reproducing device such as a tape recorder or a memory device It can be applied to Furthermore, if the tape is made of microfilm, a corresponding reading head is provided, and the head is connected to a computer or projector, it can be applied to computer input/output devices and display devices. Furthermore, the person's name is displayed as an item,
If a telephone number is memorized in response to this, it will be more convenient as it can replace the telephone dial or pushbutton. Furthermore, if this device is used as one unit and a plurality of units are arranged in a cylindrical shape, the capacity for items can be greatly increased, so it can be applied to, for example, a telephone exchange system or a central control system. The range of applications is extremely wide.

Finally, although the tape drive means (FIG. 5) is shown as comprising a ring gear, it goes without saying that various mechanisms such as a gear train, a ratchet mechanism, a belt mechanism, etc. can be used. Further, the guide plate is not necessarily necessary.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional input device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an improved input device previously developed by the present inventor. FIG. 3A is a schematic end view showing the principle of the invention.
FIG. 3B is a partial perspective view showing the relationship between a second scanning axis, one first scanning axis, and a tape. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 5, showing the tape drive means in the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial vertical sectional view showing details of the tape drive means of FIG. 4. Figure 6 shows
This is a diagram showing the concept of a block, with a part of the guide plate omitted for simplicity. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the block drive device in an inoperative state. FIG. 8 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the block drive in the operating state. 20: first scanning axis, 21: second scanning axis, 22:
Tape, 25, 28: Gear, 26, 30: Ring gear, 34: Clutch, 35: Belt, 42, 4
5, 47, 48: Crown gear.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device for selectively driving a tape in order to recall one or more desired items from a tape storing a large number of items to a predetermined position, which includes a guide plate and a plurality of items that move on the guide plate. a plurality of tapes each storing a plurality of tapes, a plurality of tape holding means around which the tape is wound from one end of each tape, and a plurality of tapes wound together from the other end of the tape wound around the tape holding means. said plurality of tape holding means are arranged substantially in an annular shape, and said tape holding means is arranged substantially at the center of said ring, said tape holding means or said tape holding means being arranged substantially in the center of said ring; 1. A tape selection drive device comprising drive means for selectively driving tape central holding means. 2. The tape selection drive device according to claim 1, wherein the drive means comprises synchronous drive means for synchronously driving the plurality of tape holding means. 3. The tape selection drive device according to claim 2, wherein the synchronous drive means comprises gears provided on each tape holding means, and a ring gear meshing with these gears and connected to a drive source. . 4. A tape selection drive device according to claim 1, comprising a block rotation drive device that rotates several first scanning axes together as a block. 5. The tape selection drive device according to claim 4, wherein the blog rotation drive device is operated based on the rotational movement of the second scanning axis.