JPH01288499A - Automatic lead feeder in x-y plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To feed automatically a piece of lead into the lead insertion hole of a writing instrument, by arranging a lead guide slidably in vertical direction on the bottom of a lead storage container and positioning the protrusion of the lead guide in the rotary locus at the upper horizontal section of a rotary cam then interlocking the rotary cam with a rotary direction drive mechanism. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of leads are contained in the lead storage section 24a of a lead storage container 24, and a piece of lead is inserted into a lead guide 28. The projecting end at the lower end of the lead guide 28 is positioned at the lower horizontal section L of a cam 32 while the upper end of the lead guide 28 is positioned flush to the bottom face of the lead storage container 24. Then a controller drives a motor 44 to collide a rotary arm 50 against the corresponding lever 57 of the cam 32. At this time, the lead guide 28 rides through an inclining face K over the upper horizontal section H, and the lead guide 28 lifts up while resisting against the resiliency of a coil spring 30 to project the upper end thereof by a predetermined length from the bottom face of the lead storage container 24. When the lead drop hole 34 of the cam 34 matches with the center of the lead guide 28, the lead 30 drops from the lead guide 28 and inserted into the lead insertion hole of a writing instrument P.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic writing tip in an Regarding the supply device.

[Conventional technology]

Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-34892 discloses that a plurality of writing leads are held in a turret-type magazine of a plotter head, a desired writing lead is pressed with a push pin and brought into contact with the drawing surface, and the writing lead is placed on the drawing surface using the writing lead. Turret type X-Y for line drawing
A plotter is disclosed. Also, JP-A-57-138
No. 997 discloses that a rotary writing instrument stocker, ie, a carousel, is provided on the body side, a lead cartridge in which a writing lead is inserted is held in a plurality of pen holding parts of the carousel, and a pen on the drawing head side and a pen on the carousel are held. An X-Y plotter is disclosed in which the lead cartridge can be exchanged between the cartridge and the holder.

Further, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-80996, a writing block provided on a drawing head is provided with a lead case.

An XY plotter is disclosed in which a single lead in the lead case is supplied to a holder in a writing block and a line drawing is performed on a drawing surface using the writing lead held by the lead holder.

Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-132394, a plurality of pen holding sections of a writing instrument stocker provided in the machine body hold a writing instrument with a built-in lead automatic feeding mechanism, and the pen holding section on the stocker side and the drawing head side. An X-Y plotter is disclosed in which writing instruments can be exchanged with a pen holder.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As described above, when a drawing head is provided with a lead case and one of the plurality of leads in the lead case is guided to the thin chuck hole of the lead holder by a tapered surface, one of the leads in the lead case The lead may stay at the upper end of the chuck hole and not be guided into the narrow chuck hole, making it impossible to reliably feed the leads one by one into the narrow chuck hole of the lead holder. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic writing instrument core feeding device that eliminates the above-mentioned defects.

[Means to solve problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a writing instrument stocker with an upright lead storage container for storing a plurality of writing leads, and one of the writing leads in the lead storage container is installed at the bottom of the lead storage container. The writing lead is guided into the lead insertion hole of the pipe-shaped lead guide opened at the center of the bottom by the tapered surface, and the writing lead guided into the lead insertion hole of the lead guide is inserted into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument located below the lead guide. In the drop-insertion device, the core guide is disposed at the bottom of the core storage container so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the lead guide protrudes downward by a predetermined amount from the lower end of the core storage container, Upper horizontal parts and lower horizontal parts are alternately formed in the circumferential direction below the container via inclined surfaces, and a rotary cam is rotatably arranged in which a core drop hole is bored in the axial direction in the upper horizontal part. The protruding portion of the core guide is positioned within the rotation locus of the upper horizontal portion of the rotary cam, and a rotational direction drive mechanism is linked to the rotary cam.

[Effect]

In the above configuration, when the rotary cam is driven in the rotational direction, the upper horizontal part moves to the protruding part of the core guide,
Push up the protrusion. A plurality of leads are simultaneously located in a cluster at the upper end opening of the lead insertion hole of the lead guide located at the bottom of the lead storage container, and the lead insertion hole of the lead guide is clogged with writing lead, resulting in a - book writing lead. Even if it is difficult to insert the lead into the lead insertion hole of the lead guide, when the lead guide is driven upward by the upper horizontal part of the rotary cam, the lead guide protrudes a predetermined amount from the bottom of the lead storage container and the lead is removed. The writing lead can be scattered through the lead insertion hole of the guide, thereby making it possible to unclog the upper end of the lead insertion hole. By repeating this operation several times, the - book of writing leads will be reliably guided into the lead insertion hole of the lead guide, and one writing lead will be released from the lead guide through the lead drop hole in the upper horizontal part of the rotary cam. It is inserted into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument below.

〔Example〕

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

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 2 denotes the body of a paper-driven X-Y plotter, and a Y-rail 6 is fixed horizontally on a paper mounting plate 4. As shown in FIG. Both sides of the paper 8 on the mounting plate 4 are supported by a pinch roller mechanism consisting of a drive roller and a presser roller arranged on both sides of the mounting plate 4, and rotation of the drive rollers driven by an X motor is performed. As a result, the paper 8 on the mounting plate 4 is fed back and forth (in the X direction). Five drawing heads 10 are attached to the Y rail 6 so as to be moved along the Y rail 6 by driving of a Y motor. 12
is a writing implement holding section provided in the drawing head 10, and the holding section 12 is linked to a pen lifting mechanism built into the drawing head 10. A box 14 is disposed at one end of the Y-rail 6, and a rotary writing instrument stocker 16 (carousel) shown in FIG. 2 is disposed in the box 14. The stocker 16 is removably fitted onto the output shaft of a motor 18 with a speed reducer that is fixed to the box 14 . A pair of discs 16a, 16 of the stocker 16
Writing instrument holders 20 are formed at regular intervals in the lower horizontal portion consisting of b, and writing instruments can be mutually exchanged between a desired one in the holder 20 and the writing instrument holder 12 of the drawing head 10. It is configured so that it can be done automatically. Incidentally, since the configuration for automatically exchanging writing instruments is well known, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. A cylindrical core storage container 24 is fixed to the upper horizontal part 22 of the stocker 16, located directly above each of the holding parts 20. The writing instrument P is detachably held in the holding part 20.

The writing instrument P has a lead insertion hole into which a consumable writing lead 3o is inserted, and has a known lead chuck and lead automatic feeding mechanism built therein. The internal structure of the writing instrument P is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1986-
Since it is disclosed in detail in Japanese Patent No. 132394, illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the core storage container 24 is formed with a core storage portion 24a for storing a plurality of cores 30. A hole is formed at the center of the bottom of the core storage container 24, and the upper end of the hole opens at the center of a tapered portion 24b formed at the bottom of the core storage portion 24a. A pipe-shaped core guide 28 is slidably inserted into a hole at the bottom of the core storage container 24 and a hole in a cylindrical body 27 fixed to the lower end of the core storage container 24. The lower surface of the flange formed on the core guide 28 is in elastic contact with the bottom inner wall surface of the cylindrical body 27 due to the elastic force of the compression coil spring 31. The lower end portion of the core guide 28 protrudes from the lower surface of the cylindrical body 27 by a predetermined amount.

Reference numeral 32 designates a rotary cam, the center of which is pivotally supported on the lower surface of the upper horizontal portion 22 of the stocker 16 so as to be able to rotate once for each core storage container 24. The cam 32
On the upper surface, as shown in FIG. 8 drop holes 34 are open and are in contact with. The upper horizontal part H
The lower end protrusion of the core guide 28 is located within the rotational trajectory of the core guide 28, and the center of the core guide 28 is positioned on the rotational trajectory of the center of the eight drop holes 34.

42 is a bracket fixed to the bottom wall of the body 2, and a motor 44 with a reduction gear is fixed to this bracket. 46 is a cylindrical cam, and the center part of the top wall of this cam is connected to the motor 4.
It is fixed to a guide shaft 48 fixed to the output shaft of No. 4. 50 is a plate-shaped arm, and a hole formed at one end of the arm is slidably inserted into the guide shaft 48. The arm 50 is located in an arm regulating groove 52 formed on the peripheral wall of the cam 46 and is pushed against the top wall of the cam 46 by the elastic force of a coil spring 54 which is compressed and fitted into the guide shaft 48. It is pressed against the bottom surface. It is in pressure contact with the lower surface of the ceiling wall. Groove 52 at the same level as the lower surface of the ceiling wall
On the lower surface of the cam peripheral wall between one end of the wall surface and the other end of the wall surface of the groove 52, the amount of protrusion gradually increases from a starting point S to a surface slightly protruding downward from the horizontal wall surface of 1152, An elevation control cam surface 56 is formed with a maximum protrusion amount at the terminal end e. The cam 4 is attached to the tip of the arm 50.
A guide groove 58 is formed at a position where it engages with a lever 57 protruding from 6 and at a position which coincides with the 8 drop hole 34. 60, each of the core storage containers 2 is attached to the upper horizontal portion 22;
4 stoppers are fixed adjacent to each other, and 62 stoppers are fixedly fixed to the bracket 42. The motor 44. Cam 46. The stopper 62 and the arm 50 constitute a core supply actuating device 63.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

1 and 4 show the initial state, in which the stocker 16 is rotationally controlled under the control of a controller (not shown),
A writing instrument P to which a lead is to be supplied is opposed to a lead supply actuating device 63. The arm 50 is connected to the arm regulating groove 52 of the cam 46.
, and both side surfaces of the arm 50 are in contact with vertical surfaces at both ends of the arm regulating groove 52. The vertical surface of one end of the arm regulating groove 52 is set to a width that allows the arm 50 to easily overcome the rotational load applied to the arm 50 . A plurality of cores are stored in the core storage portion 24a of the core storage container 24, and one of the cores is inserted into the core guide 28.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the protruding tip of the lower end of the lead guide 28 is located at the lower horizontal portion of the cam 32, and the upper end of the lead guide 28 is located on the same plane as the bottom surface of the lead storage container 24. There is. Next, the controller drives the motor 44 to rotate the rotating arm 50 clockwise from the initial state shown in FIG. 4. Due to this rotation, the first rotation arm 50 moves to the cam 32.
collides with the corresponding lever 57. Due to this collision,
The cam 32 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the core guide 28 rides on the upper horizontal part H via the inclined surface K, and the core guide 28 rises against the elasticity of the coil spring 30. ,
The upper end of the core guide 28 is.

It protrudes from the bottom surface of the core storage container 24 by a predetermined length. As a result, one wick in the wick guide 28 is completely separated from the other wicks in the wick storage container 24. Further, the plurality of cores 30 are concentrated at the upper end opening of the core guide 28, and the plurality of cores 30 are concentrated at the upper end opening of the core guide 28.
0, the writing lead straddling the upper end opening of the lead guide 28 is scattered laterally by the rise of the lead guide 28, and the state of the writing lead clogging in the lead guide 28 is resolved. . The core drop hole 34 of the cam 32 is the seventh
As shown in the figure, when the lead 30 of the lead guide 28 coincides with the center of the lead guide 28, the lead 30 of the lead guide 28 falls and is inserted into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument P.

When the arm 50 further rotates clockwise due to the drive of the motor 44, the arm 50 collides with the stopper 60.

At this time, the lower end opening of the core guide 28 is closed by the upper surface of the cam 32. Furthermore, when the motor 44 is driven, the clockwise rotation of the cam 46 causes the arm 5o to
The arm 50 is removed from the arm regulating groove 52 of the cam 46, and the arm 50 descends vertically under the guidance of the elevation control cam surface 56 of the cam 46, pushing the lead inserted into the writing instrument P further into the back, and removing the remaining part of the writing instrument P. Push the lead out of the writing instrument P. When the arm 50 descends until it comes into contact with the upper end surface of the writing instrument P and the pushing of the lead into the writing instrument P by the arm 50 is completed, the arm 50 is removed from the stopper 60. As a result, the arm 50 is locked to the cam surface 56 of the cam 46 and moves clockwise in conjunction with the cam 46, and the arm 50 is locked to the stopper 62 on the motor side.

Furthermore, when the motor 44 is driven, only the cam 46 rotates clockwise, and the arm 50 moves out of the maximum protruding position of the cam surface 56 and returns to the upward position due to the elastic force of the coil spring 54. It is fitted into the arm regulating groove 52 of the cam 46 . Next, the motor 44 is rotated clockwise to move the arm 50 to the initial state shown in FIG. 1 in preparation for the next core supply operation. The automatic lead supply operation described above is performed while the drawing head 10 is drawing. When the writing instrument P used by the head 10 for drawing runs out of lead, a known writing instrument exchange program built into the controller replaces the holding part 20 holding the writing instrument P containing the lead on the stocker 16 side. , the writing instrument P is automatically exchanged between the writing instrument P and the writing instrument holder 12 on the head XO side under the control of the controller.

〔effect〕

As described above, the present invention provides a core guide in which a core insertion hole is formed at the center of the tapered bottom surface of a core storage container, and the core inside the core storage container is guided by the tapered bottom surface of the core guide. The lead guide is inserted into the lead insertion hole, and the lead guide can protrude a predetermined amount inward from the bottom of the lead storage container, so that the upper end of the lead insertion hole of the lead guide It is possible to eliminate the clogging of the lead, to ensure that one lead is inserted into the lead insertion hole, and to feed and drop this lead into the lead insertion hole of the writing instrument directly below the lead guide. Since a rotary cam is used as the lifting guide means, there is no need to apply a return spring to the cam, and the core guide can be moved up and down with a small driving force.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 is a side view, Figure 3 is an external view, Figure 4 is a plan view, Figure 5 is a sectional view, Figure 6 is a side view, Figure 7 is a side view.
The figure is an explanatory drawing, FIG. 8 is an external view, and FIG. 9 is an external view. 2...Machine body, 4...Paper placement plate, 6...
・Y rail, 8...paper, 10...drawing head. 12... Writing instrument holding part, 14... Box. 16... Writing instrument stocker, 16a, 1.6b...
... Disk, 18 ... Motor, 20 ... Writing instrument holding part, 22 ... Horizontal part, 24 ... Lead storage container. 30...Core, 27...Cylinder, 28...
Core guide, 32...cam 44...motor,
46...cam, 48...guide shaft, 50...
...Arm, 52...Arm regulation groove, 5
4...Coil spring, 56...Elevation control cam surface, 58...Guide groove, 60...Stopper. Patent applicant: Muto Kogyo Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Aya Nishijima Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A lead storage container for storing a plurality of writing leads is installed upright in a writing instrument stocker, and one of the writing leads in the lead storage container is attached to the center of the bottom by a tapered surface provided at the bottom of the lead storage container. In the device, the writing lead is guided into a lead insertion hole of a pipe-shaped lead guide that is opened at A guide is disposed at the bottom of the core storage container so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the core guide protrudes downward by a predetermined amount from the lower end of the core storage container, and extends circumferentially below the core storage container. A rotary cam is rotatably disposed in which an upper horizontal part and a lower horizontal part are formed alternately through inclined surfaces and a core drop hole is bored in the axial direction in the upper horizontal part. An automatic writing lead supply device for an X-Y plotter, characterized in that the protruding part of the lead guide is positioned within the rotation locus of the horizontal part, and a rotational direction drive mechanism is linked to the rotary cam.