JP6046998B2 - Pinch roller mechanism and plotter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pinch roller mechanism that moves a pinch roller to and away from a drive roller, and a plotter including the pinch roller mechanism.

  Conventionally, some plotters such as a cutting plotter and a pen plotter perform drawing or cutting by moving a sheet-like medium in the front-rear direction and moving the pen or cutter in the left-right direction. This type of plotter includes a driving roller and a pinch roller that sandwich a sheet-like medium. The sheet-like medium is sent to the front or rear of the plotter by rotating the driving roller while being pressed against the driving roller by the pinch roller.

Also, in this type of conventional plotter, the pinch roller is driven as necessary so that the sheet-like medium can be easily switched between the state where it is sandwiched between the driving roller and the pinch roller and the state where it is released. Some have a pinch roller mechanism for separating them from the roller.
The conventional pinch roller mechanism includes, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, an arm provided with a pinch roller at one end thereof, and a support member that swingably supports an intermediate portion of the arm. And.

The arm is biased by a spring member in a direction in which the pinch roller approaches the drive roller. A cam member is provided between the other end of the arm and the support member to press and swing the arm in the direction in which the medium is released.
The plotter disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes three pinch rollers. Each of these pinch rollers is attached to the rail member of the plotter via the pinch roller mechanism described above. The rail member supports the pen block so as to be movable.

The cam members of the three sets of pinch roller mechanisms are connected by a single drive shaft. That is, by rotating the cam member together with the drive shaft, the three pinch rollers come into pressure contact with the drive roller at the same time or are separated from the drive roller at the same time.
Of the three sets of pinch roller mechanisms, the pinch roller mechanism located at the center is provided with a stopper mechanism that fixes the pinch roller at a position away from the drive roller as necessary. The stopper mechanism is configured so that the shaft of the pinch roller can be selectively engaged with the support member. That is, the support member of the pinch roller mechanism located at the center is formed in a shape different from the support members of the pinch roller mechanisms on both sides.

  Thus, in the plotter provided with three sets of pinch roller mechanisms, it is possible to switch between an operation mode using the pinch roller located in the center and an operation mode not using this pinch roller. By using the center pinch roller, even a wide and relatively thick sheet-like medium can be reliably fed. Also, when cutting a wide and relatively thin medium such as a film seal, for example, by adopting an operation mode that does not use the center pinch roller, a pressure contact mark of the pinch roller or the drive roller is formed on the finished product. Can be prevented.

  The pinch roller mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured by providing one support member and one pinch roller support arm and one cam member. For this reason, in order to switch the pressure contact and separation of the pinch roller, it is necessary to operate the cam member for each pinch roller mechanism.

Japanese Patent No. 3585268 JP-A-6-199094

  Of the three pinch roller mechanisms disclosed in Patent Document 1, the structure of the pinch roller mechanism located at the center is different from that of the pinch roller mechanisms on both sides. Since the support member of the pinch roller mechanism located at the central portion is different from the support members of the pinch roller mechanisms on both sides, a unique mold must be prepared and manufactured. The mold is expensive. For this reason, when the pinch roller mechanism described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the entire apparatus increases.

  The pinch roller mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2 switches the pressure contact and separation of the pinch roller individually. For this reason, when the pinch roller mechanism described in Patent Document 2 is applied to a plotter in which a plurality of pinch rollers are used, there is a problem that the operation of switching between the press contact and separation of the pinch rollers becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and can simultaneously switch the pressure contact and separation of a plurality of pinch rollers, while keeping the manufacturing cost low, and in the width direction of the sheet-like medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pinch roller mechanism and a plotter that can individually switch between use and non-use of a pinch roller located at the center.

In order to achieve this object, a pinch roller mechanism according to the present invention includes an arm having a pinch roller for pressing a sheet-like medium against a rotary drive roller, and an intermediate portion of the arm. a support member pressing direction and the pinch roller is pivotably supported to a retracted direction away from the rotary drive rollers of this arm the pinch roller approaches the rotary driving roller as a fulcrum, the pressing of said arm A spring member biasing in the direction, a cam member rotatably inserted between the other end of the arm and the support member so that a rotation axis is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller, The cam member passes through the rotation center portion of the cam member and is connected to the cam member so as to rotate integrally. The cam member extends along the rotation axis at least near both ends of the sheet-like medium. A drive shaft, an operating lever attached to the drive shaft, the said arm being swingably supported by a dedicated support shaft to the support member are formed separately, in the movement path of the arm A use state switching lever that selectively restricts swinging of the arm swinging in the pressing direction by the spring force of the spring member by entering or exiting the moving path, and the cam member includes: The pressing position for pressing the arm in the retracting direction and the pressing state for pressing the arm are eliminated so that a gap into which the sheet-like medium can be inserted is formed between the pinch roller and the rotary drive roller. The use state switching lever is configured to rotate between a retreat position and a swing restriction position for restricting the swing of the arm in the pressing direction so that the gap is secured. Shaking released It is characterized in that between a permitting position in which swings.

  According to the present invention, in the above invention, the use state switching lever is swingably supported at the end of the support member opposite to the pinch roller so that the swing axis is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller. And a knob portion protruding to the opposite side of the pinch roller.

  According to the present invention, in the above invention, the use state switching lever includes a U-shaped section or a U-shaped section that surrounds the end portion of the support member from both ends of the swing axis and the side opposite to the pinch roller. In either one of the two side portions of the use state switching lever facing each other and the side portion of the support member facing the two side portions, the direction parallel to the swing axis is formed. A projection is formed on the other side, and on the other side, the projection is engaged and a recess is formed which cooperates with the projection to form an engagement portion. The engagement portion is provided with the use state switching lever. The protrusion is formed so as to be engaged with the concave portion in the state of swinging to the swing restriction position and in the state of swinging the use state switching lever to the swing allowable position. To do.

  In the present invention, the cam member is connected to the drive shaft so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft.

  A plotter according to the present invention includes a rail member to which the pinch roller mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is attached, and a pen block movably provided on the rail member. At least three sets of the pinch roller mechanisms are attached to the rail member, and one camshaft passes through the cam member of these pinch roller mechanisms. The pinch roller mechanism located on both sides in the longitudinal direction is characterized in that the use state switching lever is removed.

According to the present invention, the cam member rotates to the retracted position with the use state switching lever positioned at the swing allowable position, whereby the arm swings in the pressing direction by the spring force of the spring member, and the pinch roller Is pressed against the drive roller. In this state, when the cam member rotates to the pressing position, the arm swings in the retracting direction against the spring force of the spring member, and the pinch roller separates from the drive roller.
For this reason, by connecting the cam member of another pinch roller mechanism to the drive shaft connected to the cam member, it is possible to simultaneously switch the pressure contact and separation of the pinch rollers in the plurality of pinch roller mechanisms.

  On the other hand, if the use state switching lever is moved to the swing restriction position while the cam member is in the pressing position and the cam member is turned to the retracted position, the arm swing is restricted by the use state switching lever. The In this case, the pinch roller is held at a position away from the driving roller even though the cam member is located at the retracted position. For this reason, for example, when three sets of pinch roller mechanisms are connected via a drive shaft, it is possible to switch between an operation mode that uses a pinch roller located in the center and an operation mode that does not use this pinch roller. become.

  The pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides can be configured using the same components as the pinch roller mechanisms located in the center. For this reason, since the mold which manufactures each component of these pinch roller mechanisms may be one kind for every component, manufacturing cost can be held down low. The pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides do not require a use state switching lever. For this reason, by not attaching the use state switching levers to the pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, a plurality of pinch rollers can be switched between pressure contact and separation at the same time, and the use of the pinch roller located at the center in the width direction of the sheet-like medium while keeping the manufacturing cost low. In addition, it is possible to provide a pinch roller mechanism that can switch non-use individually.

In addition, since the plotter according to the present invention includes at least three sets of pinch roller mechanisms, a sheet-like medium having a wide width and a relatively large thickness can be used. In this plotter, the pinch roller can be switched between pressure contact and separation simultaneously by rotating the drive shaft connected to each pinch roller mechanism.
When using a sheet-like medium that is wide and relatively thin as the sheet-like medium, the use state switching lever of the pinch roller mechanism located at the center is positioned at the swing restricting position, so that the pinch roller mechanism An operation mode that does not use a pinch roller can be adopted.

Of at least three sets of pinch roller mechanisms, the pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides can be configured using the same components as the pinch roller mechanisms located in the center. For this reason, since the mold which manufactures each component of these pinch roller mechanisms may be one kind for every component, manufacturing cost can be held down low. Since the pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides are not equipped with a use state switching lever, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.
Therefore, according to the present invention, at least three pairs of pinch rollers can be simultaneously switched between pressure contact and separation, and the pinch roller located at the center in the width direction of the sheet-like medium can be manufactured at a low cost. It is possible to provide a plotter capable of switching between use and non-use individually.

It is a top view of the cutting plotter provided with the pinch roller mechanism concerning the present invention. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line in FIG. In the figure, the structure for supporting the drive roller is omitted. It is a disassembled perspective view of a pinch roller mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view of a pinch roller mechanism. FIG. 3 is a side view of the pinch roller mechanism, and shows a state in which a use state switching lever is positioned at a swing allowable position. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pinch roller mechanism, and shows the state in which the pinch roller is pressed against the drive roller. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pinch roller mechanism, and shows the state in which the pinch roller is separated from the drive roller. In the longitudinal sectional view of the pinch roller mechanism, this figure shows a state in which the operating state switching lever is positioned at the swing restricting position and the operating lever is moved to the pressing side. In the side view of the pinch roller mechanism, the figure shows a state in which the use state switching lever is positioned at the swing restriction position. It is sectional drawing of the principal part of a pinch roller mechanism, The figure is the XX sectional view taken on the line in FIG. The side view which expands and shows an engaging part, the figure (A) shows the state which the lever for use condition switching is located in the rocking | fluctuation permissible position, and the figure (B) shows the lever for use condition switch Shows a state in which is positioned at the swing restriction position.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a pinch roller mechanism and a plotter according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, an example in which the pinch roller mechanism according to the present invention is applied to a cutting plotter will be described.
A cutting plotter 1 shown in FIG. 1 is for cutting figures, characters, and the like from a medium 2 to be cut as a sheet-like medium. As the medium 2 to be cut, a sheet-like paper, a film, a cutting film, a roll-like cutting film, or the like can be used.

In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the medium 2 to be cut, that is, the vertical direction in FIG. 1 and the direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIG. A direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the medium 2 to be cut, that is, a direction indicated by an arrow X in FIG.
The cutting plotter 1 according to this embodiment is formed by assembling functional parts, which will be described later, to the cutting plotter body 3 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cutting plotter body 3 includes a base part 4 on which the medium 2 to be cut is placed, a guide frame part 5 extending in the left-right direction above the base part 4, and the guide frame. And a cover 6 that covers the portion 5 from above.
A rectangular work surface 4 a that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from above is formed at the upper end of the base portion 4, and a drive roller 7 is provided.
The drive roller 7 is formed in a columnar shape extending in the left-right direction of the cutting plotter body 3 and is rotatably supported by the base portion 4 while being exposed to the work surface 4a. Although not shown, the drive roller 7 is connected to a motor, and is rotated in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction by driving by the motor.

The guide frame portion 5 is disposed at a position spaced upward from the work surface 4a with a predetermined interval. In this embodiment, the guide frame portion 5 constitutes a “rail member” according to the fifth aspect of the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide frame unit 5 includes a pen block 8 for cutting the medium to be cut 2, and first to third for pressing the medium to be cut 2 against the drive roller 7. Pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are provided.

The pen block 8 includes a cutting pen 14, and is supported by a front guide rail 15 provided at a front end portion (left end portion in FIG. 2) of the guide frame portion 5 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. Yes.
The cutting pen 14 is attached to the pen block 8 through a linear actuator (not shown) so as to be movable up and down. The linear actuator raises and lowers the cutting pen 14 at a predetermined time.

As the cutting pen 14 moves downward, the blade provided at the lower end of the cutting pen 14 is pressed against the medium 2 to be cut and stuck.
The pen block 8 is connected to a left-right direction driving device (not shown). Although not shown in the drawing, the left-right direction driving device has a structure in which a belt extending in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the guide frame portion 5 is moved in the X direction by a motor. The pen block 8 is connected to the belt, and is translated in the X direction along the front guide rail together with the belt by driving by a left and right direction driving device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 include a support member 21 attached to the lower guide rail 16 of the guide frame portion 5. The lower guide rail 16 has a cross-sectional shape into which a runner 22 (see FIG. 5) protruding from the upper portion of the support member 21 can be inserted, and extends from one end in the X direction to the other end of the guide frame portion 5. Is formed.
As shown in FIG. 5, the runner 22 has a front convex piece 22 a that protrudes toward the front of the cutting plotter 1 and a rear convex piece 22 b that protrudes toward the rear of the cutting plotter 1. The cross-sectional shape of the lower guide rail 16 is such that the front convex piece 22a is surrounded from the front and the lower side and the rear convex piece 22b is surrounded from the rear and the lower side.

The support member 21 is molded into a predetermined shape using a mold (not shown) made of engineering plastic. As shown in FIG. 10, the support member 21 according to this embodiment has a pair of side walls 23, 24 extending in the vertical direction and an upper wall 25 connecting the upper ends of the side walls 23, 24. It is formed in a U-shaped cross section that opens toward the top.
The runner 22 is provided in an intermediate portion of the upper wall 25 in the front-rear direction (Y direction).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a light shielding plate 26 extending upward is provided at the front end of the upper wall 25. The light shielding plate 26 is detected by a position detecting optical sensor (not shown) provided in the pen block 8. The positions in the X direction of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are detected when the pen block 8 moves in the X direction and the light shielding plate 26 crosses the optical path of the sensor.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of bearing portions 28 and 29 for supporting a use state switching lever 27 described later are provided at the rear end portion of the upper wall 25. Of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13, the bearing portions 28 and 29 of the first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12 located at both ends in the X direction are as shown in FIG. The use state switching lever 27 is not attached. A use state switching lever 27 is attached to the bearing portions 28 and 29 of the third pinch roller mechanism 13.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hole 31 is formed between the pair of bearing portions 28 and 29 so as to be hooked on the support member 21 through an upper end portion of a tension coil spring 30 described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an arm 33 is swingably attached to the front end portions of the side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21 via a first support shaft 32. The first support shaft 32 is passed through the shaft holes 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) of the both side walls 23 and 24 so as to extend in the X direction, and E-rings 35 are attached to both end portions, respectively. 24.
6 to 8, the arm 33 is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the cutting plotter 1, and is vertically moved to the support member 21 by the first support shaft 32 at an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction. It is supported so as to be swingable in the direction. The first support shaft 32 is inserted into a shaft hole 33 a formed in the middle portion of the arm 33. The arm 33 is formed into a predetermined shape by a mold (not shown) using the same engineering plastic as the material forming the support member 21 as a material.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of support pieces 33 b and 33 c arranged in the X direction are provided at the front end of the arm 33. A pinch roller 36 is inserted between the support pieces 33b and 33c. The pinch roller 36 is for pressing the medium 2 to be cut against the drive roller 7, and is rotatably supported by the both support pieces 33 b and 33 c via a second support shaft 37. The axial direction of the pinch roller 36 and the second support shaft 37 is a direction parallel to the X direction.

  The second support shaft 37 is passed through the shaft holes 38 of both support pieces 33b and 33c, and passes through both support pieces 33b and 33c and the pinch roller 36. Moreover, the E-ring 39 is attached to both ends of the second support shaft 37, and is held by both support pieces 33b and 33c. That is, the support member 21 described above has the intermediate portion of the arm 33 as a fulcrum and the arm 33 is pushed in the pressing direction in which the pinch roller 36 approaches the drive roller 7 and the retraction in which the pinch roller 36 is separated from the drive roller 7. It is swingably supported in the direction.

The pressing direction is a direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. The retreat direction is a direction indicated by an arrow B in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hole 40 is formed in the rear end portion of the arm 33 through the lower end portion of the tension coil spring 30, and a recessed portion 41 is formed. The tension coil spring 30 is provided between the rear end portion of the support member 21 and the rear end portion of the arm 33, and biases the arm 33 in the pressing direction. In this embodiment, the tension coil spring 30 constitutes a “spring member” in the present invention.

  The recessed portion 41 is formed at the rear end of the arm 33 so as to open upward near the front side of the hole 40. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the bottom of the recessed portion 41 has one peak portion 42 as viewed from the X direction, a front valley portion 43 positioned on the front side of the peak portion 42, and a rear portion of the peak portion 42. It is formed by the rear valley part 44 located in the side. These peak portions 42 and the two valley portions 43 and 44 are formed so as to extend at the same height from one end to the other end of the recessed portion 41 in the X direction. These peak portions 42 and valley portions 43 and 44 constitute a cam follower to which a cam member 45 described later is attached.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cam member 45 includes a rotation shaft portion 45a having an arcuate peripheral surface when viewed from the X direction, and a direction orthogonal to the X direction from the rotation shaft portion 45a. It is comprised from the convex part 45b extended, and the through-hole 45c formed so that the inside of both these parts might be penetrated to a X direction. The rotation shaft portion 45a is formed such that the rotation axis is located at the center of an arc constituting the peripheral surface.
The cam member 45 is molded into a predetermined shape by a mold (not shown) using the same engineering plastic as the support member 21 and the arm 33 as a material.

The convex portion 45b is formed so as to become gradually thinner as it is separated from the rotation shaft portion 45a when viewed from the X direction. The formation width in the X direction of the rotation shaft portion 45 a and the convex portion 45 b is formed to be slightly smaller than the width between the pair of side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21.
The through hole 45c is formed on the rotation axis of the rotation shaft portion 45a. The opening shape of the through hole 45c is a quadrangle. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, a drive shaft 46 having a square cross section is fitted in the through hole 45 c so as to be movable in the X direction. That is, the drive shaft 46 is connected to the cam member 45 so as to penetrate the rotation center portion and rotate integrally with the cam member 45. The cam member 45 is connected to the drive shaft 46 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft 46.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the cam member 45 is rotatably inserted between the rear portion of the support member 21 and the rear end portion of the arm 33 with the drive shaft 46 passing therethrough. The rotation axis of the cam member 45 is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller 36. The convex portion 45 b of the cam member 45 is inserted into the recessed portion 41 from above. The cam member 45 according to this embodiment is inserted into a cam chamber 47 (see FIGS. 6 to 8) formed in the rear portion of the support member 21 in a state where movement in the upper direction and the X direction is restricted. . The cam chamber 47 is formed between the pair of side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21. The upward movement of the cam member 45 is restricted by a plurality of vertical walls 48 extending downward from the upper wall 25 of the support member 21. The movement of the cam member 45 in the X direction is restricted by the pair of side walls 23 and 24.

  The length of the drive shaft 46 is formed so as to pass through the cam members 45 of the three sets of pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 and to extend to at least the vicinity of both ends of the cut medium 2 in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive shaft 46 according to this embodiment is formed so as to extend from one end of the cutting plotter 1 in the X direction to the other end. Both ends of the drive shaft 46 are rotatably supported by both ends of the cutting plotter main body 3, respectively. As the drive shaft 46 is rotated, the cam members 45 of the three sets of pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are simultaneously rotated around the drive shaft 46.

  An operation lever 51 is attached to one end of the drive shaft 46 (the right end in FIG. 1). The operation lever 51 is for rotating the cam member 45 together with the drive shaft 46. The operation lever 51 according to this embodiment is formed so as to extend from the drive shaft 46 to the rear of the cutting plotter 1 as shown in FIG. The rear end portion of the operation lever 51 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the cover 6. A grip 51a is provided at the rear end of the operation lever 51 so that a user (not shown) can grasp it by hand and pull it up or down.

  When the operating lever 51 is pulled up and swings to the raised position shown in FIG. 6, the cam member 45 rotates to a retracted position, which will be described later. The retracted position is a position where the convex portion 45b of the cam member 45 enters the rear trough portion 44 of the arm 33 and the arm 33 is allowed to swing in the pressing direction. When the cam member 45 is rotated to the retracted position, the arm 33 swings in the pressing direction by the spring force of the tension coil spring 30 and the pinch roller 36 is pressed against the driving roller 7 from above.

When the operating lever 51 is pushed down from the raised position and swings to the lowered position shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 45 b of the cam member 45 pushes the front inclined surface 44 a (see FIG. 7) of the rear trough 44 while moving the cam member. 45 rotates clockwise in FIG. That is, the cam member 45 swings the arm 33 in the retracting direction against the spring force of the tension coil spring 30.
When the operating lever 51 is further pushed down, the convex portion 45b passes the peak portion 42 and enters the front trough portion 43, and the cam member 45 is positioned at the pressing position shown in FIG.

Thus, when the convex portion 45 b enters the front trough portion 43, even if the operation lever 51 is further pushed down, the arm 33 does not further swing in the retracting direction, and the pinch roller 36 and the driving roller 7 A gap d into which the medium 2 to be cut can be inserted is formed between them.
In this embodiment, when the convex portion 45 b exceeds the peak portion 42, the convex portion 45 b is pressed forward (in the direction opposite to the rear valley portion 44) by the arm 33.

That is, even if the hand holding the operation lever 51 is released in this state, the cam member 45 does not return.
That is, the cam member 45 has a pressing position (see FIG. 7) that pushes the arm 33 in the retracting direction so that the gap d is formed between the pinch roller 36 and the driving roller 7, and a pressing state that pushes the arm 33. It is rotated between the retracted position (see FIG. 6) where the problem is solved.
In the cutting plotter 1 according to this embodiment, the cutting work 2 is attached or detached while the cam members 45 of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are located at the pressing positions. Work is done.

Of the three sets of pinch roller mechanisms, the third pinch roller mechanism 13 located at the center in the X direction includes a use state switching lever 27 as shown in FIG.
The use state switching lever 27 is for selectively restricting the swing of the arm 33 that swings in the pressing direction by the spring force of the tension coil spring 30. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the use state switching lever 27 has a third support shaft 52 at the rear end of the support member 21 (the end of the support member 21 opposite to the pinch roller 36). Therefore, the swing axis is supported so as to be swingable so that the swing axis is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller 36. The third support shaft 52 passes through the bearing portions 28 and 29 in the X direction, and E-rings 53 are attached to both end portions and are held by the bearing portions 28 and 29.

  The use state switching lever 27 according to this embodiment includes a lever main body portion 54 having a U-shaped cross section that opens forward as viewed from above, and a knob portion 55 that protrudes rearward from the lever main body portion 54. Yes. The lever main body portion 54 includes a pair of side walls 56 and 57 facing the rear end portions of the side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21, and a rear wall 58 facing the rear surface of the support member 21. That is, the lever main body 54 surrounds the rear end portion of the support member 21 from both ends of the swing axis of the use state switching lever 27 and the rear side (opposite the pinch roller 36). Is formed. The third support shaft 52 is inserted into through holes 56 a and 57 a formed in the upper end portions of the pair of left and right side walls 56 and 57 of the lever main body 54.

The use state switching lever 27 is formed into a predetermined shape by a mold (not shown) using the same engineering plastic as the support member 21 and the arm 33 as a material. This material has rigidity and elasticity necessary for the use state switching lever 27.
The pair of side walls 56 and 57 of the lever main body portion 54 are each constituted by a flat plate 59 located at the upper part and a frame body 60 located at the lower part. The flat plate 59 is formed so that the length in the vertical direction of the rear end portion of the support member 21 is substantially equal to the outer surface of the rear end portion of the support member 21.

The frame 60 includes a front vertical portion 60a that protrudes downward from the front end portion of the flat plate 59, a rear vertical portion 60b that protrudes downward from the rear end portion of the flat plate 59, and lower ends of these vertical portions 60a and 60b. It is comprised by the connection part 60c which connects mutually.
The thickness (width in the X direction) of the frame body 60 is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the flat plate 59. The outer side surface in the X direction of the frame body 60 is located on the same plane as the outer side surface of the flat plate 59. That is, the frame body 60 is formed so as to protrude from the flat plate 59 to the inside of the U-shape. As shown in FIG. 10, the inner side surface of the frame body 60 in the X direction has the side walls 23, 24 of the support member 21 in a state where the use state switching lever 27 swings so that the flat plate 59 faces the support member 21. It is formed so that the position in the X direction is substantially equal to the inner side surface of the.

The reason why the thickness of the frame body 60 is formed thicker than the flat plate 59 and faces below the support member 21 is that each part of the frame body 60 has a function.
The front vertical portion 60a of the frame 60 has a function of determining a swing range when the use state switching lever 27 swings rearward as shown in FIGS. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the front side vertical portion 60 a abuts against the stopper piece 61 of the support member 21 from the front when the use state switching lever 27 swings rearward, and the use state switching lever 27. The rearward swing of the is regulated. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stopper piece 61 is formed on the rear end portions of the side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21 so as to protrude downward. In this way, the position of the use state switching lever 27 when the front vertical portion 60a abuts against the stopper piece 61 is hereinafter simply referred to as “swing allowable position”.

  The rear vertical portion 60b of the frame 60 has a function of determining a swing range when the use state switching lever 27 swings forward as shown in FIGS. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the rear vertical portion 60 b abuts against the stopper piece 61 from the rear side when the usage state switching lever 27 swings forward, and moves forward to the usage state switching lever 27. The swing of the is regulated. In this way, the position of the use state switching lever 27 when the rear vertical portion 60b abuts against the stopper piece 61 is simply referred to as a “swing restriction position”.

  The connecting portion 60c of the frame 60 has a function of restricting the swing of the arm 33 in the pressing direction in a state where the use state switching lever 27 is located at the swing restriction position. That is, the connecting portion 60c is configured to enter the swing path of the arm 33 in a state where the use state switching lever 27 is located at the swing restriction position. Further, the connecting portion 60c is configured to come out of the swing path when the use state switching lever 27 is located at the swing allowable position.

  The connecting portion 60c is configured to swing the use state switching lever 27 to the swing restriction position in a state where the rear end of the arm 33 is pushed down by the cam member 45 as shown in FIG. The arm 33 enters the swing path of the arm 33. In this state, when the cam member 45 is rotated to the retracted position and the arm 33 is swung in the pressing direction by the spring force of the tension coil spring 30, the rear end of the arm 33 is raised as shown in FIG. It abuts on the portion 60c from below and cannot be raised any further. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the connecting portion 60 c is in contact with the upper surface 62 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) of the rear end portion of the arm 33 and serving as both side walls of the recessed portion 41.

As shown in FIG. 8, the vertical position of the connecting portion 60 c is cut between the pinch roller 36 and the drive roller 7 in a state where the swing of the arm 33 in the pressing direction is restricted by the connecting portion 60 c. The position is set such that a gap d1 into which the medium 2 can be inserted is secured.
That is, the use state switching lever 27 has a swing restriction position that restricts the swing of the arm 33 in the pressing direction so that the gap d1 is secured, and a swing permission position that releases the restriction. It swings between.

The knob 55 of the use state switching lever 27 is for a user (not shown) to put a finger when swinging the use state switching lever 27. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the knob 55 according to this embodiment protrudes rearward (opposite to the pinch roller 36) from the rear vertical portion 60b, and faces forward as viewed from above. It is formed in a U-shaped cross section that opens.
As shown in FIG. 2, the knob 55 according to this embodiment is provided at a position lower than the rear end of the cover 6. For this reason, the knob | pick part 55 comes to be exposed under the cover 6 seeing from back. Since the knob portion 55 is positioned in this manner, the user can easily operate the knob portion 55 by reaching out from the front of the cutting plotter 1. The reason for this is that the user can put his hand in the space formed under the cover 6 and the fingertip can be hung on the knob 55 having a U-shaped cross section. By pulling the knob 55 rearward and upward, the use state switching lever 27 swings to the swing allowable position. Further, when the knob 55 is pushed downward, the use state switching lever 27 swings to the swing restriction position.

  In the support member 21 and the use state switching lever 27 according to this embodiment, the engaging portion 63 (FIG. 5) is arranged so that the use state switching lever 27 is held at the swing restriction position or the swing allowable position. , 9). As shown in FIG. 11, the engaging portion 63 according to this embodiment includes projections 64 provided on the side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21, and circular holes 65 and notches 66 formed in the flat plate 59. It is configured.

The protrusion 64 is formed in a shape in which a part of the outer surface of the side walls 23, 24 is projected into a spherical shape. The direction in which the protrusion 64 protrudes is a direction parallel to the swing axis of the use state switching lever 27.
The circular hole 65 is formed so as to penetrate the flat plate 59. The diameter of the circular hole 65 is formed such that the protrusion 64 can be engaged. The notch 66 is formed in a shape in which a part of the lower end edge of the flat plate 59 is notched upward in a semicircular shape. The opening width of the notch 66 is formed such that the protrusion 64 can be engaged. In this embodiment, the notch 66 and the circular hole 65 constitute a “concave portion that forms an engaging portion in cooperation with the protrusion” according to the third aspect of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the positions of the protrusions 64 and the circular holes 65 are such that the protrusions 64 engage with the circular holes 65 in a state where the use state switching lever 27 is located at the swing allowable position. It is positioned as follows. Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, the positions of the protrusion 64 and the notch 66 are engaged with the notch 66 in a state where the use state switching lever 27 is located at the swing restricting position. It is positioned as follows.

That is, the engaging portion 63 according to this embodiment is in a state where the use state switching lever 27 is swung to the swing restriction position and a state where the use state switching lever 27 is swung to the swing allowable position. The protrusion 64 is formed so as to engage with the recess (circular hole 65 or notch 66).
Since the use state switching lever 27 is formed of an engineering plastic having elasticity, when the protrusion 64 enters or exits the circular hole 65 or the notch 66, the U-shaped opening portion opens in the X direction. Elastically deforms.

Next, operations of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 configured as described above will be described.
In loading the cutting medium 2 into the cutting plotter 1, first, the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are brought to a predetermined position in a state where the operation lever 51 is pushed down to the lowered position shown in FIG. Position. At this time, the first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12 are positioned so that the pinch roller 36 pushes both ends of the medium 2 to be cut. When it is necessary to push the center part in the X direction of the medium to be cut 2 with the pinch roller 36, the third pinch roller mechanism 13 is arranged at a position where the pinch roller 36 pushes the center part of the medium 2 to be cut. .

In order to move the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 in the X direction, the support member 21 is slid with respect to the lower guide rail 16 and the cam member 45 is slid with respect to the drive shaft 46. Do.
After the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are arranged at predetermined positions, the leading end of the cutting medium 2 in the feeding direction is placed on the driving roller 7 and the operating lever 51 is moved to the raised position. Move. By positioning the operation lever 51 at the raised position, as shown in FIG. 6, the cam members 45 of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are simultaneously turned to the retracted position. When the pinch roller 36 of the third pinch roller mechanism 13 is used, the use state switching lever 27 is swung to a swing allowable position in advance.

Thus, when the cam member 45 is turned to the retracted position, the arms 33 of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are swung in the pressing direction by the spring force of the tension coil spring 30, respectively. 36 presses the medium 2 to be cut against the driving roller 7.
When the medium 2 to be cut is removed from the cutting plotter 1, the operating lever 51 is pushed down to the lowered position as shown in FIG. 7, and the cam member 45 is turned to the pressed position. When the cam member 45 is turned to the pressing position, the arm 33 swings in the retracting direction against the spring force of the tension coil spring 30, and the pinch rollers 36 of the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 are moved. They all move away from the drive roller 7 all at once.
Therefore, in the cutting plotter according to this embodiment, the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 can simultaneously switch the pressure contact and separation of the pinch roller 36.

  The pinch roller of the third pinch roller mechanism 13 located in the center is formed when the thickness of the medium to be cut 2 is relatively thin and the product is formed with a pressure contact mark of the pinch roller 36 or the drive roller 7. It is necessary to perform cutting without using 36. In the cutting plotter 1 according to this embodiment, the pinch roller 36 of the pinch roller mechanism 13 is retracted near the upper side of the medium 2 to be cut without removing the third pinch roller mechanism 13 from the cutting plotter body 3. Can do. If the pinch roller 36 is present in the vicinity of the upper side of the medium 2 to be cut, the center portion of the medium 2 to be cut can be prevented from being bent and floating upward, so that the cutting pen 2 is unnecessarily cut. Will not be cut.

  When the pinch roller 36 of the third pinch roller mechanism 13 is not used, first, as shown in FIG. 7, the operating lever 51 is swung to the lowered position and the cam member 45 is turned to the pressing position. The use state switching lever 27 is swung to the swing restriction position. Next, the operating lever 51 is swung to the raised position and the cam member 45 is turned to the retracted position. Thus, when the cam member 45 rotates to the retracted position, the pinch roller 36 presses the medium 2 to be cut against the drive roller 7 in the first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12. In the third pinch roller mechanism 13, as shown in FIG. 8, the swing of the arm 33 is restricted by the use state switching lever 27. As a result, the pinch roller 36 is held at a position away from the drive roller 7 even though the cam member 45 is located at the retracted position. As described above, the cutting plotter 1 according to this embodiment switches between an operation mode in which the pinch roller 36 located at the center of the three pinch rollers 36 is used and an operation mode in which the pinch roller 36 is not used. Is possible.

The first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12 located on both sides can be configured using the same components as the third pinch roller mechanism 13 located in the center. For this reason, since the mold which manufactures each component of these pinch roller mechanisms 11-13 may be one kind for every component, it can hold down manufacturing cost low.
The first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12 located on both sides do not require the use state switching lever 27. For this reason, by not attaching the use state switching lever 27 to the first and second pinch roller mechanisms 11 and 12, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, the plurality of pinch rollers 36 can be switched between pressure contact and separation at the same time, and the manufacturing cost can be kept low, while the cutting medium 2 (sheet-like medium) in the width direction can be reduced. It is possible to provide the pinch roller mechanism and the cutting plotter 1 capable of individually switching between use and non-use of the pinch roller 36 located at the center.

The use state switching lever 27 according to this embodiment is supported at the end of the support member 21 opposite to the pinch roller 36 so that the swing axis is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller 36. Yes. The use state switching lever 27 includes a knob 55 that protrudes on the opposite side of the pinch roller 36.
For this reason, according to this embodiment, the user can operate the use state switching lever 27 by putting the knob 55 on the finger, so that the use or non-use of the pinch roller 36 can be easily switched. It is possible to provide a pinch roller mechanism capable of achieving the above.

  The use state switching lever 27 according to this embodiment is formed in a U-shaped cross section that surrounds the end of the support member 21 from both ends of the swing axis and the side opposite to the pinch roller 36. On the side walls 23 and 24 of the support member 21, protrusions 64 that protrude in a direction parallel to the swing axis are formed. On the side walls 56 and 57 of the use state switching lever 27, the projection 64 is engaged, and a circular hole 65 and a notch 66 constituting the engaging portion 63 in cooperation with the projection 64 are formed. Hereinafter, the circular hole 65 and the notch 66 are simply referred to as a recess. In the engaging portion 63, the protrusion 64 has the concave portion in the state where the use state switching lever 27 is swung to the swing restriction position and the use state switching lever 27 is swung to the swing allowable position. It is formed so that it may engage with.

Since the protrusion 64 is engaged with the recess, the swing of the use state switching lever 27 is restricted, and therefore the use state switching lever 27 is prevented from unnecessarily swinging due to, for example, gravity or vibration. be able to.
When the use state switching lever 27 is swung with respect to the support member 21 in a state where the protrusion 64 is engaged with the recess, the protrusion 64 rides on the opening edge of the recess, thereby forming a U-shaped cross section. The use state switching lever 27 formed in is elastically deformed and slightly opens. Then, the usage state switching lever 27 swings in a state where the projection 64 passes over the opening edge of the concave portion and is in contact with the flat plate 59 of the usage state switching lever 27, and then the projection 64 is engaged with another concave portion. Enter.

  For this reason, it is possible to provide a moderation when changing the position by swinging the use state switching lever 27. As a result, the user can know that the use state switching lever 27 has moved to the swing restriction position or the swing permission position based on the sense of the fingertip. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even though the use state switching lever 27 is provided at the lower rear side which is difficult to visually recognize, the use state switching lever 27 can be operated relying on the sense of the fingertip. A pinch roller mechanism with high operability can be provided.

  The cam member 45 according to this embodiment is connected to the drive shaft 46 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft 46. Therefore, according to this embodiment, since the first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13 can be moved in the axial direction with respect to the drive shaft 46, the position where the pinch roller 36 is installed can be freely set. A pinch roller mechanism having a high degree can be provided.

  The use state switching lever 27 shown in the above-described embodiment is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and the knob 55 is formed in a U-shaped cross section. However, the cross-sectional shapes of these members are not limited to the shapes shown in this embodiment. The use state switching lever 27 can be formed in a U-shaped cross section that is released forward. The knob 55 can be formed in a U-shaped cross section that is released toward the front.

  The cutting plotter 1 shown in the embodiment described above includes first to third pinch roller mechanisms 11 to 13. However, the number of pinch roller mechanisms can be changed as long as it is at least three or more.

In the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 64 of the engaging portion 63 is provided on the support member 21, and the recess (the circular hole 65 and the notch 66) is provided on the use state switching lever 27. However, even if the protrusion 64 is provided on the use state switching lever 27 and the recess is provided on the support member 21, the same effect as that obtained when this embodiment is adopted can be obtained.
In the embodiment described above, an example in which the present invention is applied to the cutting plotter 1 has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to such a limitation. That is, the present invention can also be applied to a pen plotter for drawing figures and characters on a sheet-like paper with a pen.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cutting plotter, 2 ... Medium to be cut (sheet-like medium), 5 ... Guide frame part (rail member), 7 ... Driving roller, 8 ... Pen block, 11 ... First pinch roller mechanism, 12 ... Second Pinch roller mechanism, 13 ... third pinch roller mechanism, 21 ... support member, 27 ... use state switching lever, 30 ... tension coil spring (spring member), 33 ... arm, 36 ... pinch roller, 45 ... cam member, 46 ... Drive shaft 51 ... Operating lever 54 ... Lever body part 55 ... Picking part 59 ... Flat plate 60 ... Frame body 63 ... engaging part 64 ... protrusion 65 ... circular hole 66 ... notch , D, d1 ... gaps.

Claims (5)

An arm in which a pinch roller for pressing the sheet-like medium against the rotary drive roller is rotatably provided at one end;
A support member pressing direction and the pinch roller arm the pinch roller approaches the rotary driving roller and an intermediate portion of the arm as a fulcrum is swingably supported to a retracted direction away from the rotary drive roller ,
A spring member for urging the arm in the pressing direction;
A cam member rotatably inserted between the other end of the arm and the support member so that a rotation axis is parallel to the axis of the pinch roller;
A drive shaft that passes through the rotation center of the cam member and is connected to the cam member so as to rotate integrally, and extends to at least the vicinity of both ends of the sheet-like medium along the rotation axis;
An operating lever attached to the drive shaft;
The spring member is formed separately from the arm and supported by the support member in a swingable manner by a dedicated support shaft , and enters the movement path of the arm or moves out of the movement path . A use state switching lever that selectively restricts swinging of the arm swinging in the pressing direction by a spring force;
The cam member has a pressing position for pressing the arm in the retracting direction and a pressing for pressing the arm so that a gap into which the sheet-like medium can be inserted is formed between the pinch roller and the rotary drive roller. It rotates between the retreat position where the state is canceled,
The use state switching lever swings between a swing restriction position that restricts the swing of the arm in the pressing direction so that the clearance is secured and a swing permission position that releases the restriction. A pinch roller mechanism characterized by that.   2. The pinch roller mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the use state switching lever is swingable at an end portion of the support member opposite to the pinch roller so that a swing axis is parallel to an axis of the pinch roller. And a pinch roller mechanism that includes a knob that protrudes on the opposite side of the pinch roller. 3. The pinch roller mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the use state switching lever includes a U-shaped section or a U-shaped section that surrounds the end of the support member from both ends of the swing axis and the side opposite to the pinch roller. Formed in a letter shape,
A protrusion protruding in a direction parallel to the swing axis on either one of the two side portions of the use state switching lever facing each other and the side portion of the support member facing the two side portions On the other side, the protrusion is engaged and a recess that forms an engaging portion in cooperation with the protrusion is formed.
The engaging portion is configured such that the protrusion is formed into a recess when the use state switching lever is swung to the swing restriction position and when the use state switching lever is swung to the swing allowable position. A pinch roller mechanism characterized by being configured to engage.   4. The pinch roller mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cam member is connected to the drive shaft so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the drive shaft. 5. mechanism. A rail member to which the pinch roller mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is attached;
A pen block movably provided on the rail member,
At least three sets of the pinch roller mechanisms are attached to the rail member,
One camshaft penetrates the cam member of these pinch roller mechanisms,
Of these pinch roller mechanisms, the pinch roller mechanisms located on both sides of the rail member in the longitudinal direction are such that the use state switching lever is removed.

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