JPH0132134Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] <Industrial application field> This invention is based on the X
- This relates to the pen exchange device in the Y printer, especially the standby pen holder and the
- This relates to a pen exchange device that is equipped with a pen holding head of the same structure as a pen cartridge that is movable in the Y coordinate direction, and that can automatically transfer pens by moving the pen cartridge toward and away from the pen holder. be.

<Prior art> X-Y used to automatically draw figures
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer is equipped with a plurality of pen stockers 1 on one side of the frame F,
In addition, a plurality of standby pen holders 2 are provided on one side edge of the pen holder 2, and a Y-coordinate rail YR that can be moved in the direction of the arrow a←→b, that is, in the X-coordinate direction, is provided, and the arrow c← moves on the Y-coordinate rail YR. →d direction,
That is, the pen cartridge 3 is movable in the Y coordinate direction.
Paint cartridges with 3
The pen 11 is transferred between the pen holder 2 and the pen holder 2, an arbitrary pen 11 is held in the pen cartridge 3, and the pen is moved in the X-Y coordinate direction based on an electric signal to draw a figure.

In such an X-Y plotter, an exchange device for automatically transferring pens was developed by the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
As seen in Japanese Patent No. 56-62198, a pen is held by a pair of elastic clips, and in this known technique, as shown in FIG. are provided with pen holding heads 4, 4' of the same structure, respectively, and each of the holding heads 4, 4' has a pair of clips 5, 4, 4' with the tips biased inwardly.
5', and the pen 11 is provided with the clips 5, 5'.
It is held by the inward bias derived from the elastic force of 5'. When the pen 11 is transferred from the paint cartridge 3 to the pen holder 2, the pen cartridge 3 approaches the pen 2, and the clip 5' on the pen holder 2 side contacts the clip 5 on the open pen cartridge 3 side holding the pen 11. This is done by entering between the pens 11 and clamping the pen 11, and then retracting the pen cartridge 3;
The transfer to is performed by the reverse operation of the above operation.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> In the above-mentioned prior art, since the pen 11 is held by the elastic force of the pair of clips 5 and 5', There is a risk that the pen 11 may shift in the pen axis direction or fall off when the pen 11 is transferred between the pen holder 2 and the pen cartridge 3. There was a problem.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In view of the structural limitations of the pen exchange device based on the above-mentioned prior art, this invention provides a locking protrusion in the middle of a pair of elastic arm-shaped protrusions of the pen holding head. At the same time, horizontal engagement slits are formed in these arm-like protrusions and the locking protrusion, and a locking flange protruding from the pen shaft body of the pen held by the arm-like protrusions is engaged therewith. This is intended to solve the above problem.

<Function> The structure of this invention is such that when the pen is held between the arm-like projection and the locking projection by the inward bias derived from the elastic force of the arm-like projection, the locking flange of the pen is is inserted into the engagement slit of the arm-shaped protrusion and the locking protrusion, and is locked there and guided in the longitudinal direction of the slit, thereby preventing the pen from shifting in its axial direction or falling out. It acts on

<Example> Next, an example of this invention will be described below based on FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, pen holding heads 4, 4' of the same structure are attached to the pen cartridge 3 and the pen holder 2. The pen holding head 4 is provided with a pair of elastic arm-shaped projections 6, 6, the tips of which are curved inward. A locking projection 7 is provided in a central portion between the arm-shaped projections 6, 6, projecting forward from the bottom wall. Engagement slits 8 and 9 that open in the horizontal direction are formed in the slits 8 and 9, respectively. Further, a guide 10 is provided protruding from the lower end of the holding head 4.
The tip of the guide 10 is an arcuate recess 10a for receiving a pen.

On the other hand, the pen shaft main body 12 of the pen 11 has the above-mentioned arm-like protrusions 6, 6 and the engaging slits 8 of the locking protrusions 7,
A locking flange 13 is formed to be fitted into the flange 9 . The pen holding head 4' on the pen holder 2 side also has the same structure.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. The pen 11 is held in the pen holding holder 4 on the side of the pen cartridge 3, and the pen 11 is held by the elastic force of the pair of arm-like protrusions 6, 6. Due to the inward bias derived from the force, the pen shaft body 12 is elastically held in a state in contact with the locking protrusion 7 . At this time, the locking flange 13 of the pen 11 is fitted into the arm-shaped projections 6, 6 and the engaging slits 8, 9 of the locking projection 7 and locked (FIG. 4A), and the pen 1
1, the pen shaft body 12 is connected to the guide 1 shown in FIG.
It is fixed in contact with the arc-shaped recess 10a of 0. In this state, when the pen cartridge 3 approaches the direction of the pen holder 2, the pen 11 held in the pen holder 4 on the pen holder 3 side is moved to the tip of the arm-like protrusions 6', 6' of the pen holder 4' on the pen holder 2 side. (Fig. 4B). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A, the opening size l at the tip of the arm-shaped protrusions 6, 6 on the pen holding holder 4 side is:
Since the pen 11 is held between the arm-like protrusions 6 and 6 and is slightly expanded, the opening size of the tip of the arm-like protrusions 6' and 6' on the pen holding holder 4' side is
It is larger than l′.

Therefore, when the pen holding holder 4 is advanced further,
The tips of the arm-shaped protrusions 6', 6' of the pen holding holder 4' fit between the pen 11 and the arm-shaped protrusions 6, 6,
The pen 11 is held by the arm-like projections 6', 6' while further pushing the arm-like projections 6, 6 apart (4th
Figure C). At this time, the locking flange 13 of the pen 11
are inserted into the arm-shaped protrusions 6', 6' of the pen holding holder 4' and the engagement slits 8', 9' of the locking protrusion 7',
The pen 11 is guided along the locking protrusion 7'.
It is pushed forward until it touches the.

Next, when the pen holding holder 4 is retreated,
With the pen 11 held on the pen holding holder 4' side, the pen holding holder 4 comes out and the pen 1 is removed.
1 is completed (Fig. 4D).

In addition, although the operation of transferring the pen 11 from the pen cartridge 3 to the pen holder 2 has been described above, the transfer from the pen holding head 4' on the pen holder 2 side to the pen holding holder 4 on the pen cartridge 3 side is an operation opposite to that described above. This is done by.

<Effects> As described above, according to this invention, in a pen holding holder having the same structure that is provided in the pen holder and the pen cartridge, respectively, a pair of arm-like protrusions that hold the pen and a lock provided between the arm-like protrusions are provided. By forming horizontal engagement slits on each of the protrusions and fitting them into the locking flanges of the pen shaft body, the pen is activated by the inward bias derived from the elastic force of the arm-like protrusions. When the pen is held between the pen holder and the pen cartridge, the locking flange of the pen is inserted into the engagement slit of the arm-shaped projection and the locking projection and is guided, so that when the pen is transferred between the pen holder and the pen carrier, the pen is This has the excellent effect of allowing accurate transfer without moving up and down or falling off.

In addition, since the pen does not move in the axial direction when recording on paper, uneven recording does not occur.

Furthermore, since the side surface of the pen shaft body is brought into contact with the arcuate recess of the guide, the pen shaft body is fixed at four or more points forming a three-dimensional structure, and the holding force due to the elasticity of the arm-like protrusions is increased. Combined with this, there is no risk that the axis of the pen will tilt during recording.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 show the prior art; Figure 1 is an overall plan view, Figure 2 is a detailed partial view, and Figures 3 and 4 are examples of this invention. 3 is a perspective view, and FIGS. 4A to 4D are explanatory views of the operation. 2...Pen holder, 3...Pen cartridge,
4, 4'... Pen holding head, 6... Arm-shaped process,
7... Locking protrusion, 8... Engaging slit, 9... Engaging slit, 10... Guide, 11... Pen, 1
2... Pen shaft body, 13... Locking flange.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Pen holding heads 4 of the same structure are provided on a plurality of standby pen holders 2 provided on one side edge of the frame F and on a pen cartridge 3 movable in the X-Y coordinate direction, respectively. In the pen exchange device for an X-Y plotter, the pen holding head 4 is provided with a pair of elastic arm-like protrusions 6, 6 whose tips are curved inwardly, and a pair of elastic arm-like protrusions 6, 6 whose tips are curved inwardly are provided at the intermediate center thereof from the bottom wall. A locking protrusion 7 is provided protruding from the front, and the arm-like protrusion 6 and the locking protrusion 7 have horizontal engagement slits 8 and 9, respectively, which are provided protruding from the pen shaft body 12 of the pen 11. A pen exchange device for an X-Y plotter, characterized in that it is formed so as to be able to engage with a locking flange 13.