JPS61235199A - Method of controlling automatic drawing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention controls a consumable writing lead to move up and down with respect to a drawing surface, and at the same time, moves the writing lead in parallel in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface. The present invention relates to a method for controlling an automatic drafting machine for drawing.

[Conventional technology]

In an automatic drawing machine that uses a consumable writing lead such as a lead lead, it is conventional to feed the lead onto the drawing surface as it wears down during drawing operations.

As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-54677, a push shaft movably disposed on the printing head is pressed against the core, and the core is pushed onto the printing surface according to the amount of wear.

In such a configuration, if the lead decreases to the point where it is no longer suitable for drawing, the protrusion that interlocks with the push shaft collides with the limit switch provided on the printing head board, and the lead is turned off by the limit switch's input signal. It is configured to detect a state of wear that is unsuitable for drawing, that is, a state of no core.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, automatic drawing machines perform operations such as checking various conditions at each drawing command break, so even if a coreless state is detected during the execution of a certain drawing command, it will not be displayed after the command finishes executing. Otherwise, it will not be recognized that there is no lead. Therefore, 1. For example, if the lead runs out while executing a command to draw a 50 cm straight line, the line will become blurred or broken in the middle of the straight line. It will end up being put away.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned defects.

[Means to solve problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an automatic method that controls the raising and lowering of a consumable writing lead with respect to the drawing surface, and at the same time moves the writing lead in parallel in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface to perform drawing. In the drafting machine, the point just before the consumable writing lead runs out is detected, and based on the detection signal, the writing lead is replaced.

[Effect]

Therefore, when a certain drawing command is being executed, when the lead is running low, this is detected and output as a detection signal, so that the lead will not completely run out during the execution of one drawing command, and the above drawing command There are no blurred or broken lines during execution.

〔Example〕

The structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 9, 2 is the body of an X-Y plotter, and a Y rail 6 is disposed on a table 4 so as to be movable along the X coordinate axis direction, and a plotting head 8 is movably disposed on the Y rail 6. installed on. As shown in FIG. 3, the printing head 8 includes a pen holding frame 12 fixed to an elevating body 10 made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum, and one end of which is attached to the elevating body 10 against the table 4 surface. A pen holder 16 is provided with a pen holder arm 14 which is rotatably supported in a plane parallel to the pen holder 16 and is biased in a direction toward which the open end side approaches the pen holder frame 12. A recording pen 18 with a built-in feeding mechanism is detachably held. The elevating body 10 is slidably inserted into a guide shaft 20 fixed to the base plate of the head 8, and the elevating body 10 is urged upward by a coil spring 22. A solenoid 24 is fixed to the base plate of the head 8, and its output shaft faces a protrusion 10a formed on the elevating body 10. The solenoid 24 is connected to a solenoid driver 32 of a controller consisting of a personal computer crty 30 (see FIG. 10). 3
Reference numeral 3 denotes a pen holding detector disposed on the elevating body 10, which is composed of a limit switch. Said Y rail 6
and the print head 8 is controlled by the controller.
It is linked to the motors 34 and 36, and is sent to a predetermined position on the table 4 by these drives. 38 is a pen stocker in which a plurality of recording pens 18 are held. The drawing head 8 is moved to the empty holding part 38a of the pen stocker 38, and the pen holder 16 is moved to the holding part 3.
8a, and then, when the printing head 8 is separated from the holding portion 38a, a known pen exchange mechanism (not shown) built in the pen stocker 38 removes the recording pen 18 held in the pen holder 16. The pen is moved to the holding portion 38a, and the pen is exchanged. In addition, the drawing head 8 that does not hold the recording pen
is moved to the holding part 38b of the pen stocker 38 holding the recording pen, and the pen holder 16 is moved to the holding part 38b of the pen stocker 38 holding the recording pen.
b, and then move the one-line head 8 to the holding part 3.
When the recording pen is separated from the printing head 8b, the recording pen held in the holding portion 38b is held in the pen holder 16 of the printing head 8 by the pen exchange mechanism, and the pen is exchanged. 39 is a coreless front-end detector consisting of a magnetic flux detector, and the projection piece 1 is attached to the substrate of the head 8
It is fixedly provided opposite to the permanent magnet 41 fixed to the yoke (iron core) 61 fixed to the rising portion of 0a.

Next, the internal structure of the recording pen will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

40 is a holder cylinder, and a guide cylinder 42 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the holder cylinder. A head block 44 has an annular collar 44a formed on its outer periphery, and the lower part of the block 44 is fixed to the upper part of the guide tube 42. At the center of the block 44 is a consumable writing lead 4 made of lead.
A shaft hole for slidably holding 6 is provided through the shaft hole. A tapered surface 42a whose diameter increases downward is formed on the lower inner wall surface of the guide tube 42. 48.50 is a pair of lead chucks, and a curved surface 4 is provided at the bottom of these so that the width of the lead chucks 48.50 increases downward.
8a and 50a are formed. The tapered surface 42a
A plurality of steel balls 52 are provided between the curved surfaces 48a and 50a.
is located. The pair of core chucks 48 and 50 are urged upward by the elastic force of the coil spring. Reference numeral 54 denotes a bottomed cylinder fixed to the lower part of the holder cylinder 40, and the outer peripheral surface of the flange of the core holding tube 56 is slidably fitted into the inner peripheral surface of this cylinder. The holding tube 5
The lower half of the cylinder 54 protrudes downward from a hole formed in the bottom of the cylinder 54. A coil spring is compressed and disposed between the upper surface of the flange of the holding tube 56 and the lower surface of the core chuck 48.50. Reference numeral 57 denotes an annular rubber body, which is fixed to the upper end of the holding tube 56 , and the diameter of the shaft hole of the rubber body 57 is formed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the core 46 .

A single core 46 is inserted into the shaft hole of the block 44, the core chucks 48 and 50, the shaft hole of the rubber body 57, and the holding tube 56. In FIG. 10, 60 is a manual operation panel of the controller, 62 is a motor driver, and 64 is a count circuit, in which a predetermined preset value is set.
It is set to output a pen-up signal when the number of pulses is counted until the preset value is reached. The pen-up timing is determined by this preset value. 66.68.70 is an OR circuit. The head block 44 and other constituent parts of the recording pen 18 are made of a transparent body, so that whether or not the lead 46 is placed inside the recording pen 18 can be confirmed from the outside. The controller includes a remote switch 80 for outputting a drawing start signal, and a local switch 8 for moving the Y rail 6 to a predetermined position where it is removed from the paper placement surface.
2 is connected.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, a new lead 46 is set in the recording pen 18. The protrusion amount of the lead 46 is set so that its lower end exactly matches the lower end of the lead holding tube 56.Next, when the controller is powered on, initial settings are performed (step 1.2).
).

The drawing information from the host computer 84 is input to the buffer of the controller, and when the level of the mode terminal of the buffer is set to remote mode (step 6.7),
The above drawing information is supplied to the motor control means of the controller.

As a result, the motor control means outputs forward and reverse drive pulses for driving the XY motors 34 and 36. On the other hand, the pen up/down signal is supplied from the buffer to the solenoid control means of the controller, which outputs a signal for energizing or de-energizing the solenoid 24. When a pen down signal is output from the CPU 30 of the controller, the driver 32 is driven, the solenoid 24 is energized, and the rod of the solenoid 24 is lowered. Due to this.

The elevating body 10 descends, the recording pen 18 held in the pen holder 16 descends, and the tip of the lead 46 comes into elastic contact with both paper surfaces on the table 4 with a predetermined pressure due to the excitation force of the solenoid 24. When the core 46 is brought into pressure contact with both papers, the core 46 tends to rise relative to the core chuck 48, 50 due to the pressure from both papers. When the core chuck 48, 50 tries to rise, the steel ball 52 bites tightly between the curved surface 48a and the tapered surface 42a, and the chucks 48, 48a are pressurized by the steel ball 52 in the direction of approaching each other. . Due to this pressure, the core 46 is moved by the chuck pieces 48, 48
Movement in the upward direction with respect to a is prevented. When the lower end of the core 46 comes into pressure contact with both sheets of paper on the table 4, that is, the drawing surface, the descent of the elevating body 10 is stopped. In the state where the core 46 is in pressure contact with both papers, the holding tube 56 is moved to the cylindrical body 5 as shown in FIG.
4, and the lower surface of the flange of the holding tube 56 is in elastic contact with the upper surface of the bottom wall of the cylinder 54.
When a pulse is supplied from U30 to the motor driver 62 and the X and Y motors 34 and 36 are driven, the printing head 8 moves in a predetermined direction in a plane parallel to the table 4 surface, and prints the images on both sheets of paper. A predetermined drawing is performed (step 10).
) During plotting, the lead 46 is fixed to the lead chuck 48, 50, and its tip is worn away. As the tip of the lead 46 wears out, the elevating body 10 and the pen holder 16 become solenoid 2.
4, and the pressure between the lower end of the core 46 and the cutting surface is maintained constant. Due to the wear and tear of the lower end of the core 46,
The holding tube 56 rises relative to the cylindrical body 54 by the same amount as the amount of wear of the core 46 against the elasticity of the coil spring, and the lower surface of the flange of the holding tube 56 touches the bottom wall of the cylindrical body 54. separated from the top surface. The amount of wear on the lead 46, which determines the pen-up timing, is converted into the number of pulses, and the number of pulses is preset in the counting circuit 64 in advance. When the lead 46 has worn out by a predetermined amount, the count circuit 64 outputs a pen-up signal.

At this time, the permanent magnet 41 is located above the detection part of the detector 39 with a predetermined interval, and the permanent magnet 41 is detected [! 39 is set so as not to detect magnetic flux. That is, if the initial setting interval between the permanent magnet 41 and the detector 30 is X, and the decreasing length of the core 46 corresponding to the preset value is y, then the relationship x>y is established. Driver 3 by the above pen-up signal
2 is driven and the power supply to the solenoid 24 is cut off, the elevating body 10 is raised to a predetermined position by the elastic force of the coil spring 22. As the elevating body 10 rises, the recording pen 18 rises, and the tip of the lead 46 separates from the drawing surface. When this recording pen 18 rises, the holding tube 56
The holding tube 5 is moved by the elastic force of the coil spring S1.
The cylinder body 54 until the collar part 6 is locked to the bottom wall of the cylinder body 54.
decreases relative to The cylindrical body 54 of this holding tube 56
The core 46, which tightly fits into the rubber body 57,
Due to the frictional force with the rubber body 57, it descends in conjunction with the holding tube 56. This lowering of the core 46 causes the core 46 to.

The core 46 is pulled in the downward direction relative to the chuck 48, 50, and the direction of the pulling force on the core 46 is
Since the clamping forces of 8 and 50 act in the direction of loosening, the core 46 moves in conjunction with the holding tube 56 and tightens the chuck 4 by the amount of wear.
It will slide between 8.50 and pay out downward. Note that when the count circuit 64 outputs a pen-up signal, this signal passes through the OR circuit 68 and is sent to the count circuit 6.
4, and the count circuit 64 is reset. In this way, each pen-up operation causes the lead 46 to be drawn downward by the amount of wear. As the lead 46 becomes shorter, the lead 46 is pulled into the chuck 48 as shown in FIG.
and 50, and the chucks 48 and 50 are brought into contact with each other by the mutual guiding action of the tapered surface 42a, the curved surfaces 48a and 50a, the steel ball 52, and the coil spring, and the chucks 48 and 50 are in contact with each other. When one drawing process in which the upper end of the core 46 is locked by the lower end surface of 48.50 is completed, a Y-rail removal signal is input from the host computer 84 to the controller in order to resheet the paper, and the buffer moves to local mode, that is, to a state where data is received but not output (step 3)
.

On the other hand, a pen-up signal is input to the input end of the solenoid control means of the controller. As a result, the solenoid control means outputs a pen-up signal (zero current) to the solenoid 24, causing the pen holder 16 of the one-stroke head 8 to rise and enter the pen-up state.Next, the host computer 84 sends the Y rail 6 removal signal As a result, the pulse signal of the unidirectional high-speed pulse oscillation means of the controller is transmitted to the X, Y motors 34,
36, the x and y motors 34 and 36 rotate at high speed in the forward direction, and the Y rail 6 is rotated as shown in FIG.

The one-line head 6 moves in the +xg@ direction at high speed along the moving rail 4 in the +Y shelf direction.

When the Y-rail 6 moves to a predetermined position separated from the paper placement surface on the table 4 in the +X direction and the printing head 8 moves to the right end of the Y-rail 6 in FIG. 9, the X and Y motors 34, 36 stops. In the state where the moving rail 6 is waiting at the set position separated from the paper placement surface.

The operator replaces the paper on the table 4.

Next, when a remote command signal is input from the host computer 84 (step 6), the controller
The motors 34 and 36 are driven to move the two-line head 8 to the origin position, and then, based on various drawing commands supplied from the host computer 84, the controller controls the X and Y motors 34 and 36 and the solenoid 24. If the lead 46 wears out while drawing a predetermined drawing, the lead 4
The amount of descent of the elevating body 10 required for the lower ends of the recording pen 6 to come into pressure contact with both papers on the table 4 increases, and the permanent magnet 41 approaches the detector 39 even more when the recording pen descends. Core 4
As shown in FIG. 8, the total length of the core 46 is slightly longer than the total length of the core holding tube 56 including the rubber body 57, that is, it is shortened to just before there is no core, and the upper end of the core 46 protrudes slightly from the upper end of the rubber body 57. In this state, when the elevating body 10 is lowered by the excitation force of the solenoid 24 in response to the pen down signal until the lower end of the core 46 comes into contact with both paper surfaces, the permanent magnet 41 is lowered to a position where its magnetic flux is detected by the detector 39. , the detector 39 operates and outputs a coreless signal (step 11);
The pen-less signal from the detector 39 is sent to the CPU,
Upon receiving this signal, the CPU executes one drawing command according to a pre-stored program, stops the drawing head 8, and then outputs an automatic pen exchange signal. Based on this pen exchange signal, the recording pen 18 of the printing head 8
is automatically replaced with a desired recording pen in the pen stocker 38 (step 12), and after the pen replacement, the one-time printing operation is continued (step 8). Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 2, based on the signal from the detector 39 just before the pen is out, the CPU lights up the lead-out alarm lamp (step 13), and the recording pen 1 is turned on.
In step 14), the mode of the controller may be automatically switched to the local state. In this local state, the operator can manually replace the pen or refill the lead. Then, press the remote switch 80 (step 17) to continue the drawing operation. Also.

The detector 39 detects when the recording pen 18 is lowered to a predetermined position.
It may also be configured by a limit switch that is turned on. Further, the automatic drafting machine may be configured such that the drawing surface is perpendicular to the floor surface, that is, the configuration in which FIG. 9 is a front view.

Therefore, in the above specification, the expressions "ascending" and "descending" used are based on the drawing surface, and if one drawing surface is set vertically, movement approaching the one drawing surface perpendicularly means descending.
Movement in the direction away from the object is upward movement.

〔effect〕

As described above, the present invention detects when the recording pen is about to run out of lead and shifts to automatic or manual replacement of the recording pen, so there is no chance of the lead running out while executing a single drawing command. There is an effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing another embodiment, FIG. 3 is a sectional view, and FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view.
5 is a partial side view, FIG. 6 is a sectional view, FIG. 7 is a sectional view, FIG. 8 is a sectional view, FIG. 9 is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram. 2... Aircraft, 4... Table, 6...
Y rail, 8... Print head, 10...
・・Elevating body, 12・・Pen holding frame, 14・
...Pen holding arm, 16...Pen holder. 18...Recording pen, 20...Guide shaft. 22...Coil spring, 24...Solenoid. 30...CPU, 32...Solenoid driver, 33...Pen holding detector, 34°36.
...Motor, 38...Pen stocker. 39... Coreless front detector, 40... Holder tube, 44... Head block, 42... Guide tube, 46... Core, 48.50... Core chuck, 56... Core holding tube patent applicant Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Automatic drafting in which a consumable writing lead is controlled to move up and down with respect to the drawing surface, while drawing is performed by moving the lead in parallel in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface. 1. A control method comprising: detecting when the consumable writing lead is about to run out, and proceeding to a writing lead replacement operation based on the detection signal.