JPH0320151Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention is a pen changing device for a recording device, in particular, a multi-pen type X-Y plotter, etc., in which pens are always held in the pen stocker and a pen of a specified color is returned to the pen stocker each time according to a recording command. This invention relates to an improvement in a pen changing device for a recording device, in which the pen is moved from the pen to a pen storage for recording, and after the recording operation is completed, the pen is returned to the original pen stocker and held there.

The pen changing device of the recording device of the present invention includes a pen holder on the carriage side having a plate spring for holding the pen;
The pen holder on the pen stocker side has a pen holding plate spring, and the pen holder on the pen stocker side includes a pen guide having a pen insertion groove, a finger having a groove corresponding to the pen insertion groove, and a groove in the finger. a finger moving mechanism for moving the pen in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the pen relative to the pen insertion groove, and the pen holding leaf spring on the carriage side is stronger than the pen holding leaf spring on the pen stocker side. It is characterized by

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A conventional pen exchange device and an embodiment of a pen exchange device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an X-Y plotter, which is a type of recording device equipped with a pen exchange device;
- Y plotter body, 2 is an X-axis drive mechanism, 3 is a Y-axis drive mechanism, 4 is a carriage mounted on the Y-axis drive mechanism and moves in the Y-axis direction, 5-1 is a recording pen attached to the carriage 4; 6 is Penstokka, 5-2
5-4 are other recording pens held in the pen stocker 6, and 7 is recording paper.

The X-Y plotter shown in Figure 1 has an X-axis drive mechanism 2.
The fixed part of the Y-axis drive mechanism 3 is placed on the moving part of the Y-axis drive mechanism 3 and runs in parallel, and the pen attached to the carriage 4 placed on the fixed part of the Y-axis drive mechanism 3 is brought into contact with the recording paper 7 with appropriate pen pressure. , is a device that can draw a planar figure by applying electrical input to each of the X-axis drive mechanism 2 and the Y-axis drive mechanism 3. That is, X- in Figure 1
Although not shown in the figure, the Y-protester is equipped with an electromagnetic pen lifter that moves the pen up and down on the carriage 4 in which the pen is attached, and only when recording is necessary, the pen is lowered and brought into contact with the recording paper to draw interrupted lines. can do.

Also, when it is necessary to divide a drawn figure into many different colors or change the thickness of the lines in order to make it easier to understand, it is necessary to change the number of pens for this purpose and draw complex figures in different ways. I can do it.

In Figure 1, the pen 5-1 is attached to the carriage 4 and is drawing a figure.Next, if you want to draw with the pen 5-2 of a different color or thickness, move the pen with the pen lifter. Move the cartridge 4 away from the paper 7, send signals to the X-axis and Y-axis drive mechanisms, bring the cartridge 4 closer to the post 6-1 of the pen stocker 6, store the pen 5-1 in the post 6-1, and then move the cartridge 4 to the post 6-1 of the pen stocker 6. All operations such as approaching the post 6-2, moving the pen 5-2 to the carriage 4, and drawing the next figure can be performed according to a predetermined program.

Next, a conventional pen changing device used in the X-Y plotter shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, 5 is a pen, 8 is a carriage-side pen holder drive unit, 9 is a pen holder that is controlled to open and close against a spring by this pen holder drive unit 8, and 10 is a pen stock holder. A side pen holder drive unit 11 indicates a pen holder that is controlled to open and close against a spring by this pen stocker side pen holder drive unit 10, and pen holder drive units 8, 10 on the carriage side and pen stocker side. The configuration is such that the pens 5 are transferred by sequentially controlling each of them.

In such a configuration, either the pen holder on the carriage side or the pen stocker side may be formed by a simple leaf spring, and the corresponding pen holder driving section may be omitted. Generally, on the pen stocker side, a number of pen holders and their driving parts are required corresponding to the number of pens to be stored, so it is common to simply form the pen holder on the pen stocker side with a plate spring. be.

However, a mechanism for raising and lowering the pen is required on the pen cartridge side, and when a pen holder driving section is provided on the cartridge side, there are disadvantages in that the structure becomes complicated and the weight of the cartridge increases.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned drawbacks are eliminated by omitting the pen holder driving part on the carriage side as well. In the present invention, the pen holder on the carriage side is fixed to the carriage 4 as shown in Fig. 4. A U-shaped pen guide 12, pen guide rings formed on the upper and lower horizontal parts of the pen guide 12, a receiving groove 13, and a pen insertion groove 14.
and a pen holding plate spring 15 provided close to the upper horizontal portion of the pen guide 12. Also, as shown in Figures 5 to 9, the pen holder on the pen stocker side is connected to the U-shaped pen guide 16.
Grooves 17 for receiving a pen positioning ring are formed in the upper and lower horizontal parts of this pen guide 16, respectively.
and a pen insertion groove 18, and a pen holding plate spring 19 provided in the pen guide 16 between its upper and lower horizontal parts.
and a plate-shaped finger 20, a solenoid 21 and its return spring 22 for horizontally moving the plate-shaped finger 20, and a pen-receiving groove 23 formed in the plate-shaped finger 20, and a pen 5. A guide ring 24 that engages with the groove 13 and a positioning ring 25 that engages with the groove 17 are formed on the upper part of the guide ring 24 .

Since the pen exchange device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, pens can be exchanged as described below.

(1) Moving the pen from the carriage to the pen stocker Normally, the tip of the hook-shaped projection 23' of the plate-like finger 20 on the pen holder on the pen stocker side is formed into a groove as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8 by the action of the return spring 22. 17 and 18, and when the carriage is brought closer to the pen stocker side, the pen 5 on the pen cartridge pushes aside the pen holding plate spring 19 and enters the grooves 17, 18, 23. In this state, if the solenoid 21 is energized and the plate-like finger 20 is slid to the right, the pen 5 is pushed to the right and pressed against the sides of the grooves 17 and 18, causing the hook-shaped protrusion 2
3' and is retained. Therefore, the next time the carriage retreats from the pen stocker, the pen 5 is transferred from the pen holder on the carriage side to the pen holder on the pen stocker side. Next, when the solenoid 21 is deenergized, the finger 20 returns to its original position, but the pen 5 remains supported by the pen holding plate spring 19 on the pen holder on the pen stocker side.

(2) Moving the pen from the pen stocker to the carriage When the carriage is moved forward toward the pen stocker, the pen holding leaf spring 15 on the carriage side moves to the pen 5 held by the pen holding leaf spring 19 on the pen stocker side. Twisted and pushed pen 5
are held together by both pen holding leaf springs 15 and 19. If the pen holding leaf spring 15 on the carriage side is made stronger than the pen holding leaf spring 19 on the pen stocker side, when the carriage is moved back from the pen stocker, the pen will move away from the pen stocker and into the carriage.

It goes without saying that the holding force of the pen holding plate spring 15 on the carriage side is set to a value that does not cause plastic deformation of the plate finger 20 and takes into account the suction force of the solenoid 21. Further, the pen holding leaf spring 19 on the pen stocker side only needs to be such that the pen 5 can stand on its own.

Although the drawings show a case in which the number of pens held in the pen stocker is two, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a case in which there are a large number of pens, for example 8 to 10.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the recording device, Fig. 2 is an explanatory front view of a conventional pen exchange device, Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 4 is a pen holder on the carriage side of the device of the present invention. 5 is a front view of the pen holder on the pen stocker side, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A, and FIGS. 7 to 9 show the pen guide, finger, and pen holder of the pen holder on the pen stocker side, respectively. and a plan view of a pen holding leaf spring. 5...Pen, 12...Pen guide, 13,1
7, 18, 23...groove, 14...pen insertion groove, 1
5, 19...Plate spring, 16...Pen guide, 20
... Plate finger, 21 ... Solenoid, 22
...Return spring, 24...Guide ring, 25...
Positioning ring, 23'... hook-shaped projection.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It consists of a pen holder on the carriage side having a leaf spring for holding a pen, and a pen holder on the pen stocker side having a leaf spring for holding a pen, the pen holder on the pen stocker side having a pen insertion groove, and a pen guide having a pen insertion groove. A finger having a groove corresponding to the pen insertion groove, and a finger moving mechanism for moving the groove of the finger relative to the pen insertion groove in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the pen, for holding the pen on the carriage side. A pen exchange device for a recording device, wherein the leaf spring is stronger than the pen holding leaf spring on the pen stocker side.