JPH0583400B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for replacing recording pens in an automatic recording machine that uses a plurality of recording pens interchangeably.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a recording pen exchange method and apparatus that allows easy recording pen exchange control.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for replacing a recording pen, which allows the recording pen to be replaced reliably.

The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 2 is a machine body, 4 is a drive roller, and is linked to an X motor 5. 6
is a pressure roller, and 8 is a Y rail, to which a Y cursor 10 linked to a Y motor 9 is movably attached. A drawing head 12 is fixed to the Y cursor 10, and a pen holder consisting of a fixed arm and a rotating arm for holding a recording pen is provided on the drawing head 12. Reference numeral 16 denotes a pen storage section provided in the body 2, in which a pen stocker to be described later is stored, and the pen stocker is provided with a plurality of pen holders.

Next, the internal structure of the drawing head 12 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a support shaft vertically disposed on the head base plate 22, into which a hole formed through the body of the fixed arm 24 is fitted via a stroke ball bearing so that it can move up and down. The fixed arm 24 engages with a rotation stop pin 26, thereby preventing rotation about the support shaft 20. The fixed arm 2
The protruding piece 28 fixed to the coil spring 3
The output shaft 34 of the solenoid 32 due to the elastic force of 0
It is in ballistic contact with the 36 is a stopper for the output shaft 34, and is fixed to the substrate 22.
38 is a rotating arm, and the upper and lower pen holding pieces 38a and 38b are attached to the body 2 of the fixed arm 24.
A shaft 40 is rotatably supported on 4a'. The fixed arm 24 has pen holding pieces 24a, 2 at the upper and lower ends.
4b is formed protrudingly. The rotating arm 38
is biased by a coil spring 42 in the direction of rotation of the hour hand in FIG. In addition, the rotating arm 38
The rotation is restricted by a pin 39 (see FIG. 13), and an open portion 44 is formed between the arms 24 and 38 even when the pen is not located between the arms 24 and 38. Pen holding pieces 24a, 24b and 38a, 38b of the fixed arm and rotating arm
protrude in a direction parallel to the Y rail 8, and the pen holding pieces 24a, 24b and 38a, 3
An opening 44 formed by 8b faces a stocker, which will be described later.

Next, the stocker will be explained mainly with reference to FIG.

50 is a pulse motor fixed to the base 51 of the pen storage section 16, and the output shaft of this motor has a rotating shaft 5.
2 is fixed. Reference numeral 54 designates a stocker having a tubular portion 54a fitted onto the rotating shaft 52, and a disk 56 is fixed to the lower surface of the stocker with a screw 58. The head of the screw 58 fits into a hole 60 formed through the flange of the rotating shaft 52, thereby connecting the stocker 54 to the flange of the rotating shaft 52 in the rotational direction. A plurality of pen holding portions 54b are provided in the flange portion of the stocker 54 and project radially through a plurality of notches. 62 is a ring, from which a plurality of fixed arms 64 are protruded radially. 66 is a rotating arm, and the fixed arm 6
4 are arranged opposite to each other. A shaft body 68 is fitted into a hole formed through the ring 62 and a hole formed through the intermediate portion of the rotary arm 66. The upper part of the shaft body 68 is connected to the stocker 54.
The shaft body 6
The small diameter portion of the lower end of the disk 8 fits into a semicircular recess 72 formed on the outer periphery of the disk 56 . The lower stepped horizontal surface of the shaft body 68 is in contact with the upper surface of the outer circumference of the disk 56 . The ring 62 is rotationally fixed to the disk 56 by the shaft 68. Each rear end of the rotating arm 66 is connected to an elastic member 74 made of a ring-shaped coil spring, and the elastic member 74 allows the rotating arm 66 to
is biased in the counter-rotational direction of the hour hand about the shaft body 68 in FIG. The amount of rotation of the rotating arm 66 is limited by a pin 71 (see FIG. 13). The arms 64, 66 and the arms 24, 3
8 have a step formed in the vertical direction in their positional relationship with each other so that they can be overlapped. Furthermore, Figure 7,
10 and 11, 80 is the connecting plate 8
2 is connected to the disk 56, and a pen cap device 84 is installed on this board. In the figure, 86 is a cylinder, 88 is a resin holder, and 9
0 is the rubber nib cap, 92 is the holder 8
8, and has a bottom plate portion 92a formed at its lower end. 94 is a coil spring, 96 is a rotating body rotatably supported by the base 51, and an arm 98 and a forked arm 1 are attached to this.
00 is fixed. A protrusion 102 is formed on the bottom of the head substrate 22 in correspondence with the arm 98. In FIG. 19, a controller 104 is configured to drive and control the X motor 5, Y motor 9, pulse motor 50, and solenoid 32 according to instructions from a computer 106. As the motor 50, a servo motor or a combination device of a servo motor and an index mechanism can be used instead of a pulse motor.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the case where the drawing head 12 goes to pick up the pen 116 from the stocker 54 will be described.

The controller 104 drives the pulse motor 50 in response to a pen selection command from the computer 106, and causes a predetermined pen holder 108 to face the pen holder 110 of the drawing head 12. pulse motor 50
After stopping, it is locked by a locking mechanism (not shown). At this time, the pen holding end 112 of the fixed arm 64 is located outside the opening 44 at a predetermined distance in the X coordinate axis direction (a position shifted in the +X direction) with respect to the pen holding end 114 of the fixed arm 24 of the drawing head 12. is set to Next, the Y motor 9 is driven by the controller 104, and the pen holder 110
moves in a straight line towards the pen holder 108 (see Figure 13a). The tip 24a of the fixed arm 24 contacts the pen 116 (FIG. 13b),
When the pen 116 moves in the -Y direction, the pen 116 is moved away from the pen holding portion of the fixed arm 64 by the moving force of the fixed arm 24 against the elasticity of the elastic member 74 (FIG. 13C). Furthermore, when the fixed arm 24 moves in the -Y direction and the pen 116 is tightly fitted and held between the pen holding part of the fixed arm 24 and the pen holding part of the rotating arm 38, the movement of the drawing head in the -Y direction stops. (Figure 14d). At this time, due to the outward displacement of the pen holding end 112 with respect to 114, the pen 116 is separated from the pen holding part of the fixed arm 64 by a predetermined distance. That is, the pen 116 is tightly fitted and held between the fixed arm 24 and the rotating arm 38 with a predetermined elasticity, but between the fixed arm 64 and the rotating arm 66, the rotating arm 6
It is in a state where only one side is held by only 6. At this time, the flange 116a of the pen 116 contacts the upper surface of the fixed and rotary arms 24, 38, and the flange 116b contacts the lower surface of the arms 24, 38. Next, when the fixed arm 24 moves in the +Y direction, the pen holding force between the fixed arm 24 and the rotating arm 38 is greater than the pen holding force between the fixed arm 64 and the rotating arm 66. and the pen holding portion of the rotating arm 38, and move in the +Y direction in conjunction with the fixed arm 24,
The pen 116 moves from the stocker 54 side to the pen holder 110 side of the drawing head (FIG. 14e). Furthermore, when the drawing head 12 moves near the stocker 54, the protrusion 102 moves to the arm before the fixed arm 24 reaches the pen 116. 98, the arm 100 swings in the counterclockwise direction of rotation of the hour hand in FIG.
Push the lifting rod 92 downward. As a result, the nib cap 90 is separated from the tip of the pen 116 for a predetermined period of time.

Next, the operation of transferring the pen 116 from the pen holder 114 side of the drawing head 12 to the pen holder of the stocker 54 will be explained.

The controller 104 drives the pulse motor 50 in response to a pen selection command from the computer 106, and causes a predetermined empty pen holder 108 to face the pen holder 110 of the drawing head 12. pulse motor 5
0 is locked by the lock mechanism after stopping.
At this time, the pen holding end 114 of the fixed arm 24
is a predetermined interval in the +X coordinate axis direction with respect to the pen holding end 112 of the fixed arm 64 on the stocker 54 side,
The pen holder 108 is set at a position shifted toward the outside of the open portion of the pen holder 108. Next, the Y motor 9 is driven by the controller 104, and the pen holder 110
moves in a straight line toward the pen holder 108 (see FIG. 15a). When the pen 116 comes into contact with the tip 64a of the fixed arm 64 (FIG. 15b) and the fixed arm 24 moves in the -Y direction, the pen 116 resists the elasticity of the spring 42 and moves against the fixed arm 24. The moving force causes the fixed arm 24 to separate from the pen holding portion (FIG. 15C). However, when the fixed arm 24 moves in the -Y direction, the pen 116 is tightly fitted between the pen holding part of the fixed arm 64 and the pen holding part of the rotating arm 66 due to the elasticity of the elastic member 74. d), the movement of the fixed arm 24 is stopped. In this state, the flange 116 of the pen 116
The outer circumferential groove formed by a and 116c fits into the edge of the pen holding portion 54b of the stocker 54. At this time, 112 of the pen holding end 114
Due to the outward displacement of the pen 116,
The pen 116 is separated from the pen holding portion of the fixed arm 24 for a predetermined period, and the pen 116 is held on only one side between the fixed arm 24 and the rotating arm 38 by the rotating arm 38 only. Next, when the fixed arm 24 moves in the +Y direction, the fixed arm 24 and the rotating arm 3
Since the pen holding force between the fixed arm 64 and the rotating arm 66 is greater than the pen holding force between the pen 1
The stationary arm 24 and the rotating arm 38 are separated from the stocker 54 side while the stationary arm 24 and the rotating arm 38 are closely fitted and held between the pen holding portion of the stationary arm 64 and the rotating arm 66 (FIG. 16e). This is an explanation of an automatic recording machine driven by a pinch roller consisting of a drive roller 4 and a pressure roller 6. As shown in FIG. The Y rail 136 is movably hung in conjunction with the X motor, and the Y rail 136
Furthermore, the present invention can also be used in an automatic recording machine having a structure in which a drawing head 138 is attached in conjunction with a Y motor. In this case, a rotary stocker shown in FIG. 7 can be used, and a stocker 140 that is long in the linear direction can be used.
The structure of the stocker 140 includes a plurality of pen holding parts 1.
42, and includes a plurality of pen holders consisting of a fixed arm and a rotating arm. The principle of construction is the same as that of the stocker shown in FIG.
An output shaft 146 of a solenoid 144 fixed to the body is connected to one end plate portion 141 of the stocker 140. Reference numeral 150 indicates a return spring, which has a strong elastic force. The stocker 140 is guided by a guide of the aircraft body so as to be movable in a straight line along the Y rail 136.

In the above configuration, in response to a pen selection command from the computer 106, the drawing head 138 is moved to a position facing a predetermined pen holding portion 142 of the stocker 140. Next, when the solenoid 144 is activated and the head 138 goes to pick up the pen,
The stocker 140 moves in the arrow direction a, and the fixed arm on the stocker 140 side and the drawing head 138
The displacement in the Y direction of the positional relationship of the side fixed arms is set as shown in FIG. As a result, the pen of the stocker 140 can be attached to the drawing head 138 simply by linearly reciprocating in the X direction. When storing the pen of drawing head 138 in stocker 140, solenoid 1
44 is in a de-energized state, and the stocker 140 moves in the arrow direction b by the elastic force of the spring 150, and the fixed arm on the stocker 140 side and the drawing head 13
The positional relationship with the fixed arm on the 8 side is as shown in FIG. That is, the fixed arm 64 on the stocker side
The pen holding end 112 of the pen holding end 114 of the fixed arm 24 on the drawing head side is arranged at a predetermined angle in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the drawing head and inward of the pen holding opening of the drawing head. The interval is off. In this state, the drawing head 138 simply reciprocates in a straight line in the X direction, and the pen can be stored in the stocker side, as shown in FIG.

Solenoid 14 controlled by the computer
4 and the pulse motor 50 constitute a position shifting means for shifting the position of the stocker with respect to the fixed arm of the printing head. Incidentally, the position shifting operation of the stocker may be performed by moving the drawing head 138 side using computer software. Further, the pulse motor 50 and the stocker 54 constitute a pen holder selection means, and the mechanism for driving the stocker 140 and the drawing head 138 along the Y rail 136 in the second embodiment constitutes a pen holder selection means.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the effect of being able to achieve the object stated at the beginning.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is an external view, Fig. 2 is an explanatory drawing, Fig. 3 is a sectional view, Fig. 4 is a plan view, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A. , Figure 6 is an external view, Figure 7 is a sectional view, Figure 8 is a plan view, Figure 9 is a plan view.
The figure is a sectional view, Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B, and Fig. 11 is a sectional view.
The figure is a sectional view taken along line C-C, Figure 12 is a sectional view taken along line D-D, Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram, Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram,
5 is an explanatory drawing, FIG. 16 is an explanatory drawing, FIG. 17 is a plan view showing another embodiment, FIG. 18 is a plan view of the same,
FIG. 19 is a block explanatory diagram, and FIG. 20 is a block explanatory diagram. 2... Body, 4... Drive roller, 5... X motor, 6... Pressure roller, 8... Y rail, 9...
Y motor, 10...Y cursor, 12...Drawing head, 13...Recording pen, 14...Pen holder, 20...Spindle, 22...Head board, 24...
... Fixed arm, 32 ... Solenoid, 38 ... Rotating arm, 50 ... Pulse motor, 54 ... Stocker, 54 ... Disk, 116 ... Pen, 1
40...Stocker, 144...Solenoid.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method in which a plurality of pens are held in a pen stocker and the pens are exchanged between the pen stocker and a drawing head, which comprises a fixed arm and a rotating arm on the pen stocker side, A plurality of pen holders are provided in which the pens are held between the fixed arm and the rotary arm by the spring biasing force of the rotary arm, and the drawing head is provided with a plurality of pen holders consisting of a fixed arm and a rotary arm, and the rotary arm has a spring biasing force. A pen holder having a step is provided for the pen holder in which the pen is held between the stationary arm and the rotating arm by force, and the open portions of the pen holder on the pen stocker side and the pen holder on the drawing head side are opposed to each other. At this time, the fixed arm of the pen holder on the stocker side and the fixed arm of the pen holder on the drawing head side are arranged to face each other, and the drawing head is moved back and forth in a straight line relative to the pen stocker, so that the drawing head is attached to the pen on the pen stocker side. When going to pick up the drawing head, make sure that the pen holding end of the drawing head side fixed arm is located a predetermined distance inside the open part of the stocker side pen holder than the pen holding end of the stocker side fixed arm. When storing the pen held by the pen holder of the drawing head in the pen stocker side by shifting the position of the stocker relative to the drawing head and reciprocating the drawing head in a linear direction relative to the pen stocker, First, the position of the stocker is adjusted during the drawing process so that the pen holding end of the stocker side fixed arm is located a predetermined distance inside the opening of the drawing head side pen holder, rather than the pen holding end of the drawing head side fixed arm. A method for replacing a recording pen, characterized by shifting the recording pen relative to the head. 2. In a device that controls the movement of a drawing head relative to paper in the X-Y coordinate axis direction to draw a predetermined drawing on paper, a fixed arm and a rotating arm biased in the rotational direction by a spring force are used. a stocker comprising a plurality of pen holders capable of holding a pen between them; a stocker provided on the drawing head so as to face the stocker-side pen holder with a step in the vertical direction; A pen holder comprising a fixed arm disposed on a side opposite to the fixed arm, a rotary arm disposed on a side opposite to the rotary arm of the pen holder and biased in the pen holding direction, and one of the plurality of pen holders of the stocker. pen holder selection means for positioning the open portion of a desired pen holder on the pen exchange linear movement line of the drawing head;
A recording pen changing device comprising: a position shifting means for shifting the position of the stocker by a predetermined distance laterally with respect to a pen changing linear movement line of the drawing head.