JPH1031436A - Electronic information display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic information display device allowing the device to be made thinner. SOLUTION: This electronic information display device is constituted of a magnetic display sheet 10 which is magnetically writable and erasable and formed endless, a recording head 30 for forming a still picture on the magnetic display sheet 10 according to a signal applied from outside, a pair of rollers 50, 60 keeping the magnetic display sheet 10 stretched with a fixed tension, and rollers 51, 52 which drive one of the two facing magnetic display sheet planes to the other plane side for changing the route.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electronic information display device for recording and displaying a still image on a display body based on print information sent from an external host device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a magnetically responsive magnetic display sheet has been known as a display body which develops or erases color in response to the direction and strength of a magnetic field (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 48-48).
56393, JP-A-2-146082).

[0003] Such a magnetic display sheet can draw simple characters and figures by contacting a magnet pen with a built-in magnet on the sheet surface, and can be reused many times by erasing. Has been put to practical use.

In recent years, an electronic information display device has been developed which records and displays a still image on a magnetic display sheet by a recording head forming a dot matrix magnetic field based on print information sent from an external host device. Is being done.
Since the electronic information display device can change the display content arbitrarily by remote control from an external host device, it can be installed at public facilities, stations, retail stores, etc. Can be widely announced and advertised. In addition, poster replacement work is not required, which contributes to resource saving of paper and the like, and is therefore expected to be a future bulletin board.

[0005]

Since such an electronic information display device is expected to spread as a substitute for a bulletin board, it is required to have a shape equivalent to that of a conventional bulletin board. It is important to reduce the thickness of the device.

However, a conventional display device has a structure in which a display sheet is stretched over a pair of holding rollers and a recording head is brought close to the surface of the sheet to perform recording. JP-A-59-166985
Issue).

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic information display device capable of realizing a thin device as a whole.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an endlessly displayable writable and erasable display, and a method for forming a still image on the display based on an external print signal. Recording means, a pair of holding rollers for holding the display body with a predetermined tension, and a path changing roller for displacing one of the two opposing surfaces of the display body stretched between the holding rollers to the other surface side; An electronic information display device comprising: According to the present invention, the pair of holding rollers hold the endless display body, and the path changing roller corresponds to the second display body.
By displacing one of the two opposing surfaces toward the other, the exclusive space surrounded by the display body can be reduced. For this reason, a space is created in the space where the path change roller is located, and the position of various components such as a recording head and a sensor arranged in this space can be shifted inward to reduce the thickness of the apparatus.

Further, according to the present invention, the path changing roller comprises a pair of rollers adjacent to each holding roller, and the recording means or the driving circuit means is arranged in the middle of the conveying path of the display body stretched between the path changing rollers. It is characterized by having been done. According to the present invention, it is possible to hold the display body in a plane on the transport path between the pair of path change rollers, and realize a stable recording operation by arranging recording means such as a recording head in the middle of the display. it can. Further, since the transport path of the display body is displaced inward by the path changing roller, the position of the recording unit can be shifted inward, and the apparatus can be made thinner.

[0010]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an electronic information display device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view thereof. A driven roller 50 is disposed on the inner upper portion of the housing 1, and a driving roller 60 is disposed on the inner lower portion. A flexible and endless magnetic member is provided between the two rollers 50 and 60. The display sheet 10 is suspended. Roller 5
Numeral 0 is urged upward by an elastic member (not shown) such as a spring, and applies a constant tension to the magnetic display sheet 10 to stabilize the running of the sheet and maintain the flatness of the sheet surface. The roller 60 is driven to rotate by a motor 63 via gears 61 and 62. By driving the roller 60, the magnetic display sheet 10 moves from the bottom to the top on the front side (the right side in FIG. 1 and the rear side in FIG. 2) of the housing 1.
On the rear surface side (left side in FIG. 1, front side in FIG. 2), circulation is performed so as to transfer from top to bottom.

A display window 2 made of a transparent material such as acrylic resin or glass is formed on the front surface of the housing 1, and an opaque portion 2a is formed on the upper and lower portions of the display window 2 to hide the internal mechanism. .

The magnetic display sheet 10 is stretched between rollers 50 and 60 to form two opposing surfaces, and the front sheet is close to the display window 2. The rear side sheet is pressed by a pair of rollers 51 and 52 that change the sheet conveyance path, and is displaced toward the front side sheet to the vicinity of an imaginary plane connecting the respective central axes of the rollers 51 and 52. By providing the rollers 51 and 52 for changing the path, the space surrounded by the magnetic display sheet 10 can be reduced, and a space is created in the internal space on the back side of the device, which contributes to the reduction in thickness of the device. .

The magnetic display sheet 10 has rollers 51, 5
2, the recording head 30 of the magnetic display sheet 10 is pressed against the platen 25 facing the recording head 30.
The surface (recording surface) opposing the platen 25 is kept almost the same flatness as the platen 25, the adhesion between the recording head 30 and the magnetic display sheet 10 is improved, and a stable recording operation can be performed.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a drive circuit device such as a control board on which a power supply for supplying power to the display device and a CPU for controlling the display device and a memory are mounted. The drive circuit device 100 has a certain size,
Since the rollers 51 and 52 are arranged in the internal space on the back side of the apparatus created by changing the sheet path, the apparatus is configured to be thin.

The recording head 30 is a sheet on the back side of the magnetic display sheet 10 and is installed below a flat portion on a transport path between the rollers 51 and 52, and prints from an external host device (not shown). A dot-matrix recording magnetic field is generated toward the surface of the magnetic display sheet 10 based on the signal. The recording head 30 has a plurality of electromagnetic coils arranged in a staggered manner, for example, and is mounted on a carriage 31 that reciprocates in the sheet width direction. The carriage 31 is 2
Endless belt 3 suspended between two pulleys 34, 35
3 and a motor 36 that drives the pulley 35 to rotate while being guided by the two guide shafts 32.
Driven by

In order to maintain the flatness of the printing portion of the recording head 30, a plate-like platen 25 having a length about the sheet width is provided so as to sandwich the magnetic display sheet 10, and the platen 25 has a U-shaped cross section. The support member 26 is fixed to the support member 26.
On the surface of the platen 25, a film 2 having a smooth surface
5a is adhered, and the running of the sheet is stabilized while maintaining the close contact with the magnetic display sheet 10. The film 25a is formed of a synthetic resin film such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and is provided with conductivity to prevent triboelectric charging.

If the rollers 51 and 52 for changing the path are not provided, the recording head 30 protrudes from the rear sheet to the rear side, and the depth of the apparatus is required by the thickness of the recording head 30. In the present invention, the magnetic display sheet 10 is provided by providing the rollers 51 and 52 for changing the path.
Is displaced to the front side, the protrusion of the recording head 30 is reduced, and the device is made thinner.

A sensor P for detecting the reference position of the magnetic display sheet 10 is provided near the upstream side of the recording head 30 in the sheet conveyance.
Is provided. The sensor P is composed of, for example, a photo sensor including a light emitting diode and a photodiode,
The initial position of the magnetic display sheet 10 is detected by detecting the presence or absence of a transmission hole (not shown) formed at the end of the magnetic display sheet 10.

The erasing head 20 is formed of a permanent magnet or the like having a length equal to or longer than the sheet width. The erasing head 20 is arranged above the front side sheet of the magnetic display sheet 10 and in close contact with the back side of the magnetic display sheet 10. I have. The erasing head 20 includes a support member 21 having two erasing magnets 20a and 20b each having a U-shaped cross section.
Is configured to be fixed to the flat surface portion of. The erasing magnet 20a on the upstream side of the sheet conveyance has a plurality of magnets having different poles alternately arranged in the sheet conveyance direction, generates a strong magnetic field, and erases a still image on the sheet at a stretch. In the erasing magnet 20b on the downstream side of the sheet conveyance, a plurality of magnets having different poles are alternately arranged at a fine pitch in the sheet width direction, and a weak magnetic field is generated to eliminate erasing unevenness.

A film 20c having a smooth surface is adhered to the surfaces of the erasing magnets 20a and 20b, and the running of the sheet is stabilized while maintaining the close contact with the magnetic display sheet 10. The film 20c is formed of a synthetic resin film such as PET, and is provided with conductivity to prevent triboelectric charging.

Further, the magnetic display sheet 10 is
A pair of pressing rollers 53 and 54 are provided to press to the 0 side, and the adhesion between the magnetic display sheet 10 and the erasing head 20 is enhanced to improve erasing characteristics.

Further, the entire write head 22 composed of a permanent magnet or the like having a length greater than the sheet width is used as the
The magnetic display sheet 10 is provided so as to be in close contact with the front surface side of the magnetic display sheet 10 at the upstream side of the conveyance direction 0, and by forcibly performing full writing before erasing, the fluidity of the magnetic particles in the sheet is increased to improve the erasing characteristics. ing.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic display sheet 10 and the recording head 30. On the magnetic display sheet 10, microcapsules 15 that develop color in response to magnetism are applied and fixed over the entire surface. The microcapsule 15 is composed of a high-viscosity liquid and a spherical shell that holds the liquid tightly, and substantially black magnetic particles and substantially white non-magnetic particles are dispersed in the liquid. For example, black iron oxide (FeO) particles having a particle size of 0.1 to 5 μm are used as magnetic particles, and non-magnetic particles have a particle size of 0.1 μm.
White titanium oxide particles of 1 to 5 μm are used. Also,
As the high-viscosity liquid, an aqueous liquid, an oil or fat, an organic solvent including a surfactant-based solvent, or the like is used. Gelatin is mainly used as a material of the spherical shell, and the particle size of the microcapsules 15 is 1
It is distributed in the range of 00 to 1000 μm.

The microcapsules 15 are kneaded with a binder 14 made of a highly transparent synthetic rubber-based adhesive or the like, and applied to a substrate 11 made of a transparent material such as polyethylene terephthalate.
A μm capsule coating layer 12 is formed.

On the back surface of the capsule coating layer 12, a protective sheet 13 made of, for example, a polypropylene long-fiber nonwoven fabric is adhered so as to have a thickness of, for example, 300 to 1000 μm.
Seat running is facilitated.

On the other hand, the recording head 30 has a box-shaped yoke 39 made of a high-permeability material, a magnetic core 37 erected inside the yoke 39 and made of a high-permeability material, and an electromagnetic core mounted on the magnetic core 37. And a plurality of magnetic cores 37 and electromagnetic coils 38 corresponding to the plurality of print dots. The magnetic core 37 is formed in a columnar shape, the diameter of the tip portion is formed smaller than the diameter of the middle portion, and a tapered portion whose diameter changes linearly is formed on the way.

A large number of circular gap holes are formed in the printing surface 39a of the yoke 39, and the tip of the magnetic core 37 is positioned at the center of each gap hole, and a gap exists between the magnetic core 37 and the gap hole. As a result, a leakage magnetic field is generated. When the electromagnetic coil 38 is selectively energized in response to a print signal, a magnetic field is generated along the axial direction of the magnetic core 37 and passes through a magnetic circuit composed of the magnetic core 37, a gap, and a yoke 39. A recording magnetic field is generated toward the sheet 10.

Next, the principle of magnetic recording / display and erasure will be described. When the recording head 30 is brought close to the surface of the magnetic display sheet 10 where the substrate 11 is located, and a recording magnetic field is generated based on a print signal, the magnetic particles dispersed in the microcapsules 15 are attracted to the substrate 11 and the pressure is reduced. Thereby, the non-magnetic particles move to the protective sheet 13 side.
Then, when viewed from the front side of the magnetic display sheet 10, the portion to which the recording magnetic field is applied is observed to have a substantially black color. By applying the magnetic field in a dot matrix using the recording head 30, characters and symbols can be displayed. Can be recorded.

Next, when the erasing head 20 is brought close to the back side of the magnetic display sheet 10, that is, the side where the protective sheet 13 is located, the magnetic particles dispersed in the microcapsules 15 are attracted to the protective sheet 13 side, and the pressure is reduced. As a result, the non-magnetic particles move toward the base 11. Then, when viewed from the front side of the magnetic display sheet 10, the portion to which the erasing magnetic field is applied becomes substantially white, and the erasing magnetic field is uniformly erased by applying the erasing magnetic field to the entire sheet width.

As the above-mentioned high-viscosity liquid in the microcapsule 15, a liquid having a predetermined viscosity is selected in order to maintain the display state of the magnetic particles moved to the back side or the front side by applying a magnetic field. That is, if the viscosity of the liquid is low, the display state is prevented from being disturbed by the particles that have once moved to the front side or the back side settling or moving due to vibration or the like. Therefore, the above-described recording head 3
The magnetic attraction force in the zero and erasing heads 20 needs to be greater than the yield value due to the viscosity of the liquid, and thereby writing and erasing of a display are performed.

Next, the operation of the entire apparatus will be described. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, first, before printing is started, the magnetic display sheet 10 is circulated at a constant speed and the erase head 20 is rotated.
To erase the entire surface. Next, a print signal is received from an external host device, and each time the development of image data for one print line is completed, the recording head 30 is moved for several milliseconds to several hundred milliseconds while moving in the sheet width direction. The magnetic printing is performed by applying the pulse current described above and applying a dot matrix magnetic field to the surface of the magnetic display sheet 10.

When printing of one line is completed, the magnetic display sheet 10 is transported by a predetermined feed pitch and stopped, and then printing is performed based on the image data developed for the next printing line. Thus, the development of the image data, the recording head 30
The image of one sheet is formed while repeating the serial printing and the intermittent feeding of the magnetic display sheet 10.

Next, when a new image is printed, the magnetic display sheet 10 is circulated at a constant speed to erase the entire surface by the erasing head 20, and then the recording head 3 is printed.
Performs serial printing with 0.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, a pair of holding rollers hold an endless display body,
The path changing roller displaces one of the two opposing surfaces of the display toward the other, so that the exclusive space surrounded by the display can be reduced, and the device can be made thinner.

Further, by arranging the recording means and the drive circuit means in the middle of the transport path between the path changing rollers, a stable recording operation can be realized and the apparatus can be made thinner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an electronic information display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing an internal configuration of the electronic information display device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the structures of a magnetic display sheet 10 and a recording head 30.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 housing 2 display window 10 magnetic display sheet 11 base 12 capsule coating layer 13 protective sheet 14 binder 15 microcapsule 20 erase head 22 full surface write head 30 recording head 31 carriage 32 guide shaft 33 belt 37 magnetic core 38 electromagnetic coil 39 yoke 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 60 rollers

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An endless display body which can be written and erased, a recording means for forming a still image on the display body based on a print signal from the outside, and a predetermined display body. An electronic device comprising: a pair of holding rollers for holding by tension; and a path changing roller for displacing one of two opposing surfaces of the display body stretched between the holding rollers to the other surface. Formula information display device. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path changing roller includes a pair of rollers adjacent to each holding roller, and the recording unit or the driving circuit unit is disposed in the middle of a conveying path of the display body stretched between the path changing rollers. The electronic information display device according to claim 1, wherein