JPH0675792U - Pencil plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] In a pencil plotter that uses a knock type pencil tool, when wear of the lead is detected and a new lead is automatically drawn from the lead container to the lead chuck by knocking operation, Detects the feeding state and prevents drawing defects due to insufficient feeding and waste of core due to excessive feeding. [Structure] When the lead is consumed up to the usable limit, the height detecting means of the control unit lowers the pen head to land the lead and detect the height of the pen head. The knocking means raises the pen head to knock. After knocking, the pen head is lowered again to detect the height of the pen head. The storage means stores height detection values before and after knocking. The comparison means compares the front and rear height detection values, and when the detection value after knocking does not increase by a predetermined amount, it is determined that a new lead has not been introduced into the lead chuck, and the knocking operation is performed again. If the height detection value after knocking has increased by a predetermined amount, it is determined that the lead has been introduced into the lead chuck, and the operation returns to the drawing operation.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a pencil plotter, and more particularly to a lead supply detecting device for detecting the supply state of the lead of a knock type pencil tool with a built-in lead container.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, a pencil plotter, which uses a knock-type pencil tool with a built-in lead container, detects wear of the lead from the length of the line segment and the height of the pen head, which can be found from the drawing data. When the lead is worn out, the pen head is raised and the knock pipe of the pencil tool is pressed against the knock plate etc. fixed to the carriage etc. to push down the knock pipe, and after drawing the lead, the pen head is lowered to create an image. It is configured to resume.

Further, when it is detected that the lead has been used up to the use limit, the knock pipe is knocked a preset number of times to guide a new lead from the lead container to the lead chuck. However, when the knock tube of the knock type pencil tool is pushed down to supply a new lead to the lead chuck, the timing at which the lead is introduced from the lead container to the lead chuck is not constant. Therefore, since the lead-out amount of the lead is not stable, the number of times the knock pipe is pushed down is set sufficiently so that the lead-out amount is not insufficient, and the lead protruding excessively from the tip of the pencil tool has a separate lead discharge hole. It is provided with a feeding amount adjusting means such as breaking off by inserting the pen into the pen and moving the pen head.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The conventional pencil plotter is configured to push down the knock tube a predetermined number of times when supplying a new lead from the lead container to the lead chuck. However, since the lead-out amount of the lead at a fixed number of knocks is indefinite, if the feed-out amount is insufficient, the lead does not come into contact with the drawing board surface, resulting in defective printing. On the contrary, in order to prevent the core from breaking when the feeding amount is excessive, a means for breaking the excess portion is required, and the core is wasted.

Therefore, there is a technical problem to be solved in order to stabilize the feeding amount of the lead, eliminate the risk of defective printing, and prevent waste of the lead. This invention solves the above-mentioned problems. With the goal.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 This invention is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problem, and in a pencil plotter using a knock-type pencil tool with a built-in lead container, the height of the pen head on which the knock-type pencil tool is mounted is detected at any time. Means and the means for raising the pen head according to the height of the pen head during printing to knock the knock type pencil tool, and when the height detection value of the pen head during printing is below a certain value It consists of means for lowering the pen heads to the front and back to store the height of the pen head in the landing state of the knock type pencil tool, and means for comparing the stored values before and after the knocking operation. Provided is a pencil plotter, which is characterized in that a control unit is configured to determine whether or not a lead is introduced. It is intended.

[0007]

[Action]

 When it is determined that the core of the knock type pencil tool has been exhausted to the usable limit based on the height of the pen head with the knock type pencil tool and the line segment length of the drawing data, the height detection means of the pen head moves down the pen head. Then, land the lead and detect the height of the pen head. The knocking means raises the pen head to knock it, and guides the lead in the lead container to the lead chuck. After knocking, the pen head height detection means descends the pen head again and lands the core to detect the height of the pen head. A memory device stores the height detection values before and after knocking. The comparing means compares the front and rear height detection values, and if the detection value after knocking does not increase by the predetermined amount, it is determined that a new lead has not been introduced to the lead chuck, and the routine returns to the knock operation routine. Etc. are adopted. If the detected value after knocking has increased by a specified amount, it is determined that the lead has been introduced into the lead chuck, and the drawing operation is enabled.

[0008]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a pencil plotter 1, which drives an X carriage 2 and a Y carriage 3 to move a pen head 5 on a drawing board 4 in XY directions for drawing. A writing implement storage unit 6 is arranged on the left side of the drawing board 4, and the writing implement whose pen head 5 is designated according to the drawing data is automatically mounted as in a general pencil plotter.

On the front side (lower side in FIG. 1) of the writing instrument storage section 6, a supply / discharge core stand 7 is arranged, and the core of the knock type pencil tool 8 attached to the pen head 5 is consumed up to near the end. When the feeding is impossible, a control unit (not shown) moves the pen head 5 to the position of the feed / discharge core stand 7 and executes a feed / discharge core operation to be described later so that the core container of the pencil tool 8 can be stored. Guide the lead to the lead chuck.

Next, for convenience of explanation, the structure of the knock type pencil tool 8 having the lead container built therein will be described. FIG. 2 shows a knock type pencil tool 8 having a known structure, in which a core support plunger 10, a core chuck 11 and a knock tube 12 are slidably mounted in a pencil shaft 9. Coil springs 13, 14, and 15 are provided in the lead support plunger 10, the lead chuck 11, and the knock tube 12, respectively. The lead support plunger 10 is urged downward so that the tip end portion projects from the pencil shaft 9, and the lead chuck 11 The knock pipe 12 is urged upward, and the lead chuck 11 is normally closed.

The inside of the knock pipe 12 is used as a lead container 16, and a lead-out hole 18 for supplying the lead 17 is provided at the center of the lower end. The lead 17 can be refilled into the lead container 16 by removing the cap 19 fitted on the upper end of the knock pipe 12. Further, a flange 20 is provided in the middle portion of the knock pipe 12, and when the flange 20 is pushed down, the lower end of the knock pipe 12 pushes and pushes down the lead chuck 11 to push the lead 17 held by the lead chuck 11. Feed to the wick support plunger 10. A rubber ring 22 having a hole 21 having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the core 17 is attached to the central upper portion of the core support plunger 10. The knock pipe 12 is pushed down to introduce the lead 17 into the lead chuck 11, and the knock type pencil tool 8 is lowered to press the lead support plunger 10 to the feed / exhaust lead base 7 to move the lead support plunger 10 into the pencil shaft 9. By pushing in, the tip of the core 17 held by the core chuck 11 is press-fitted into the hole 21 of the rubber ring 22. When the pushing operation of the knock tube 12 and the pushing operation of the lead support plunger 10 are repeated, the lead 17 is supplied to the tip of the lead support plunger 10.

When the lead support plunger 10 with the lead 17 inserted therein is pressed against the drawing plate 4, the tip end of the lead 17 contacts the drawing plate 4, but since the lead 17 is fixed by the lead chuck 11, the pencil shaft 9 Not pushed in. Then, the pen head 5 is lowered and the lead 17 is pressed against the drawing plate 4 to execute the drawing. With the wear of the lead 17, the pen head 5 and the knock type pencil tool 8 are lowered, and the lead support plunger 10 is interlocked. And is pushed into the pencil shaft 9. When the lead 17 is worn to a certain limit, the control unit detects the time when the lead 17 is fed out from the lowered position of the pen head 5 to raise the pen head 5, and the flange 20 of the knock pipe 12 to the fixed knock plate 23 shown in FIG. Is pressed to push in the knock tube 12, the core 17 is fed out, and the printing is resumed so that the printing can be performed again.

When the lowered position of the pen head 5 after the knocking operation does not return to a predetermined height, the control unit determines that the lead 17 is worn away from the lead chuck 11 and reaches the use limit, In order to feed the new lead 17 in the container 16 to the lead chuck 11, the knock type pencil tool 8 is moved to the feed / discharge core stand 7 to perform the core supply and the discharge of the worn core. As shown in the figure, the supply / exhaust base 7 is provided with a vertical exhaust core hole 24.

Next, the procedure for detecting lead supply will be described with reference to FIG. When the control unit judges that the lead is in the time of core feeding during drawing (Step 101) (Step 102), the knock type pencil tool 8 is moved above the feed / discharge core stand 7 and the pen head 5 is moved. To descend. The height A when the lead support plunger 10 comes into contact with the stand of the supply / discharge core table 7 and is pushed into the pencil shaft 9 and the lowering of the pen head 5 is stopped is read (step 103). Subsequently, the pen head 5 is lifted up, the knock pipe 12 is pushed by the fixed knock plate 23 shown in FIG. 3, and the Y carriage 3 is vibrated in the Y direction a certain number of times in the knocked state (step 104). Of the lead 17 is introduced into the lead chuck 11. Then, the knock type pencil tool 8 is again moved above the supply / discharge core 7 to lower the pen head 5, and the height B when the lowering of the pen head 5 is stopped is read (step 105).

Here, when the lead 17 is introduced into the lead chuck 11 and held by the lead chuck 11 by the knocking and vibration imparting in step 104, the consumable lead remaining in the pushed lead support plunger 10 remains. Then, the height B of the pen head 5 becomes higher than the height A in step 103 by contacting the tip of the new lead 17 held by the lead chuck 11. If a new lead 17 has not yet been introduced into the lead chuck 11, the lead-supporting plunger 10 and the consumable lead in the lead-supporting plunger 10 are pushed until they come into contact with the lead chuck 11, and the height B is determined by step 103. It does not change from the height A at.

Subsequently, the height A in step 103 plus 0.5 mm is compared with the height B (step 106), and a new lead 17 is held by the lead chuck 11 and B ≧ A + 0.5 mm. When the condition of is satisfied, the knock type pencil tool 8 is moved to the position of the core discharge hole 24, and the pen head 5 is set for an arbitrary number of times (a new core 17 is sufficiently inserted into the core support plunger 10). Yes, for example, by moving up and down 3 times to repeat the knocking operation and the pushing operation of the lead supporting plunger 10 (step 107), and sending out a new lead 17 held by the lead chuck 11, the inside of the lead supporting plunger 10 is moved. The wear core of No. 2 is discharged into the core discharge hole 24 to be ready for image formation (step 108).

On the other hand, when the condition of B ≧ A + 0.5 mm is not satisfied in step 106, the process proceeds to step 109, and when the knock history count, that is, when the pass count of step 104 is less than 4, returns to step 104, Steps 104 to 106 are repeated. If the condition of B ≧ A +0.5 mm in step 106 is not satisfied even after passing through step 104 four times, it is determined that the lead 17 is not housed in the lead container 16 and the feeding / discharging core operation is stopped. (Step 110).

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned one embodiment, and the details of the control flow and the like can be variously modified, and it goes without saying that the present invention extends to these modified ones. .

[0019]

[Effect of device]

 As described in detail in the above one embodiment, the present invention detects whether or not the lead is fed from the lead container of the knock type pencil tool to the lead chuck, and controls the lead feeding operation. There is no excess or deficiency, the occurrence of poor printing due to insufficient feeding of the lead is prevented, and waste of the lead due to excessive feeding of the lead can be eliminated, which contributes to improvement of reliability and saving of operating cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a pencil plotter of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a knock type pencil tool.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a pencil plotter.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a lead supply detection operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pencil Plotter 5 Pen Head 7 Supply and Discharge Core Base 8 Knock Type Pencil Tool 9 Pencil Shaft 10 Core Support Plunger 11 Core Chuck 12 Knock Tube 16 Core Container 17 Core 22 Rubber Ring 23 Fixed Knock Plate 24 Core Discharge Hole

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. In a pencil plotter using a knock type pencil tool (8) having a lead container (16), the height of a pen head (5) on which the knock type pencil tool (8) is mounted is detected at any time. Depending on the means and the height of the pen head (5) at the time of drawing, the pen head (5)
And a means for knocking the knock type pencil tool (8), and when the height detection value of the pen head (5) at the time of drawing is below a certain value, the pen head (5) is lowered before and after the knocking operation, respectively. It comprises means for storing the height of the pen head (5) in the landing state of the knock type pencil tool (8) and means for comparing the height stored values before and after the knocking operation. A pencil plotter in which a control unit is configured to determine whether a new lead has been introduced.