JPH0872490A - Plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize a compact plotter as a whole by a method wherein the housing spaces of machine glazed papers are made small. CONSTITUTION: The widths of respective machine glazed papers 28 and 30 on a roll shaft 26 are detected by a form detecting censor 74 so as to recognize the form types of the respective machine glazed papers by a controller. The controller selects one of the machine glazed papers 28 and 30 on the roll shaft 26 on the basis of the drawing range data (or form size data) in transferred drawing data sent from a host computer so as to turn ON one of clutches 66 and 68 corresponding to the selected one of the machine glazed papers 28 and 30. The driving force of a driving motor 62 is transmitted to one of upstream side carrying rollers R1 and R2 corresponding to the selected one of the machine glazed papers 28 and 30. The pulled-out part of the selected one of the machine glazed papers 28 and 30 is carried to a drawing executing area on a platen 20 so as to draw figures with a drawing head 18.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to plotters such as thermal plotters, ink jet plotters, pen plotters or cutting plotters, and more specifically,
The present invention relates to a plotter having a multi-roll paper transport mechanism that supplies a plurality of roll paper drawers to a printing unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a plotter, a mechanism for supporting a plurality of roll papers includes a plurality of roll shafts 4 and 6 provided in a plotter main body 2 in parallel vertically with a step as shown in FIG. One roll of paper for every 4, 6
10 was set. In this type of plotter, the roll paper 8 or 10 corresponding to each drawing data is selected, and only the selected roll paper 8 or 10 is used for the platen 1.
It is conveyed to the drawing execution area on the upper part 2 and is drawn by the drawing head 14.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention Like the above-mentioned conventional plotter, one roll paper is set on one roll shaft, and a plurality of roll shafts are moved up and down to set a plurality of roll papers. If the steps are arranged in parallel with each other, a large space is required in the plotter main body, particularly in the roll paper conveying device, for setting a plurality of roll papers. The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a roll shaft supported by a plotter body is provided with a roll portion of roll paper, and a drawer portion of the roll paper is fed to the plotter body. A platen for guiding in the direction is arranged, an image forming head is arranged above the transport path of the roll paper drawer, and the roll paper drawer on the roll shaft is transported to the drawing execution area of the transport path. Then, the drawing head is used to draw the roll paper on the drawing execution area, and at the time of drawing, the leading end side of the roll paper is inserted between the drive roller and the driven pressure roller of the downstream side conveyance roller, The drawing section of the roll paper is conveyed in a predetermined direction by the downstream side conveyance roller, and after drawing on the roll paper, the boundary between the drawn area and the unprinted area of the drawing section of the roll paper. In a plotter designed to be cut by a cutter, a means for rotatably supporting a plurality of types of roll paper coaxially with the roll shaft and a roll portion of the plurality of types of roll paper coaxially arranged are opposed to each other. An upstream-side transport roller that holds the opposing roll-paper pull-out portion between a drive roller and a pressure roller and transports the opposing roll-paper pull-out portion onto the drawing execution area of the platen, a drive motor, and A power transmission mechanism that connects the output shaft of the drive motor and the drive rollers of the plurality of upstream-side conveyance rollers, and a power transmission mechanism that is provided for each of the drive rollers in the power transmission mechanism and between the corresponding drive roller and the motor. A clutch for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission path of the roll paper, and a paper support for detecting the width size of a plurality of roll papers coaxially supported by the roll shaft. Of the upstream side conveying roller facing the selected roll paper by selecting the roll paper corresponding to the drawing range data of the transferred drawing data from among the plurality of roll papers and the roll detecting means. A drive roller is connected to the drive motor, and a controller for controlling the drive motor and the drawing head for drawing the transferred drawing data is provided on the selected roll paper drawer.

[0005]

A plurality of roll paper drawers, which are rotatably supported on the roll shaft coaxially, are held in advance by upstream conveying rollers corresponding to the rolls of the roll papers.
Further, the lateral width of each roll paper on the roll shaft is detected by the paper size detecting means, and the controller recognizes the paper type of each roll paper. The controller selects the roll paper on the roll shaft based on the drawing range data (paper size data) of the drawing data transferred from the host computer, and turns on the clutch corresponding to the selected roll paper. With this clutch on, the drive force of the drive motor is
It is transmitted to the upstream-side transport roller corresponding to the selected roll paper, the pull-out portion of the selected roll paper is transported to the drawing execution area on the platen, and the drawing head prints the image.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The structure of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 16 is a thermal plotter, which draws characters or figures on a sheet on the platen 20 by the drawing head 18. In the present invention, the plotter is not particularly limited to the thermal plotter, and an inkjet plotter, a pen plotter or a cutter plotter can be used.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a rail which is installed on a plotter body (not shown) in the Y-axis direction, and the drawing head 18 is attached to one side of the rail so as to be movable along the rail 22. A cutter unit 24 is provided on the other side of the rail 22 so as not to collide with the drawing head 18.
Is movably attached along the rail 22.

Reference numeral 26 is a roll shaft fixedly arranged in the plotter main body in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the rail 22, and as shown in FIG.
Roll papers 28 for 0 and A1 (see FIG. 5) and roll papers 30 for A2 and A3 are fitted and arranged. At both ends of each roll paper 28, 30, flanges 32, 34 and 36,
38 is inserted and these flanges 32, 34 and 36, 3
8 is via bearings 40, 42, 44 and 46,
It is rotatably fitted on the roll shaft 26.

Driven pressure rollers 48 and 50 are arranged in front of the roll papers 28 and 30 in parallel with the rail 22. The driven pressure rollers 48 and 50 are rotatably mounted on the plotter body. It is supported so that it can be displaced vertically. Reference numerals 54 and 54 denote drive rollers disposed in contact with the driven pressure rollers 48 and 50.
4 are fixed to shafts 56 and 58, respectively, as shown in FIG.

One ends of the shafts 56 and 58 facing each other on a coaxial line are rotatably supported by the plotter body via a bearing 60, and the other ends of the shafts 56 and 58 are bearings (not shown). ) Is rotatably supported by the plotter body. The pair of rollers 48, 52 and the pair of rollers 5
0 and 54 constitute the upstream side transport rollers R1 and R2, and the upstream side transport rollers R1 and R2 are opposed to the roll paper 28,
The length is set to fit the width of 30. Reference numeral 62 denotes a drive motor fixed to the plotter body, and its output shaft is connected to a shaft body 64 rotatably supported by the plotter body.

As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 64 has electromagnetic clutches 66, 6 each having a stationary portion fixed to the plotter body.
8 is mounted and arranged, and the rotating portion of the clutch 66 and the shaft 56
Are connected by an endless belt 70, and the clutch 68
The rotating part and the shaft body 58 are connected by an endless belt 72.

When the electromagnetic clutch 66 is energized (turned on), the rotating portion of the electromagnetic clutch 66 is connected to the shaft body 64 by a magnetic force, and the rotating force of the shaft body 64 is transmitted through the belt 70. 56 is transmitted. When the electromagnetic clutch 66 is off, the rotating portion of the electromagnetic clutch 66 is configured to freely rotate with respect to the shaft body 64, and the rotational force of the shaft body 64 is not transmitted to the shaft body 56.

The electromagnetic clutch 68 is also the electromagnetic clutch 6 described above.
6 is configured to perform the same operation. In FIG. 1, 74 is a sheet detection sensor, which is attached to the image forming head 18. R3 is a downstream side conveyance roller composed of a drive roller 76 and a driven pressure roller 78 which is in contact with the drive roller 76, and is arranged on the downstream side of the roll paper conveyance path with respect to the rail 22. .

The drive roller 76 is connected to the drive motor 62 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The data processing internal electronic circuit of the drawing head 18 and the paper detection sensor 74 are connected to a data input / output section of a controller (not shown) provided in the plotter body. Further, the drawing head carrying motor 80 (see FIG. 6) for driving the drawing head 18 along the rail 22 in the Y-axis direction, and the drive motor 62 are connected to the control end of the controller via the carrying driver 82. ing.

Further, a cutter unit transfer motor 84 for driving the cutter unit 24 along the rail 22.
And a lifting drive device 86 such as a moving coil for driving the cutter held by the cutter unit 24 in the vertical direction,
It is connected to the controller via a driver. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In order to prepare the plotter for drawing, the operator first uses two types of roll papers 28 and 30 for the roll shaft 26.
Set to the upstream side transport roller R
It is developed on the platen 20 via 1 and R2 (step 1). Next, the operator operates the panel switch to shift the plotter to the drawing mode. The controller moves the drawing head 18 from one end of the rail 22 to the other end, and causes the paper detection sensor 74 to scan the drawn-out portions of the roll papers 28 and 30 on the platen 20 in the Y-axis direction.
The controller calculates the lateral size of the roll papers 28 and 30 based on the output of the paper detection sensor 74, and stores it in the storage device as roll paper size or paper type data (step 2). Next, the CAD host computer connected to the controller of the plotter transfers drawing data for one frame such as characters, figures, and paper size to the controller (step 3).

Next, the controller confirms the size of the transferred paper (step 4). Next, the controller selects the roll paper that matches the confirmed paper size, for example, if the drawing size of the transfer drawing data is the paper size of A3, selects the roll paper 30 and turns on the electromagnetic clutch 68 corresponding to the roll paper 30. (Step 5). Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the controller sets the origin 0 of the drawing data in the area E1 corresponding to the paper size to be drawn on the roll paper 30 and performs the required axis correction (step 6).

Next, the drive motor 62 is driven to rotate the drive roller 54 in the roll paper transport direction and the drive roller 76 of the transport roller R3. The rotation of the drive roller 54 causes the drive roller 54 and the driven pressure roller 5 to rotate.
The pull-out portion of the roll paper 30 held between 0s is conveyed on the platen 20 in the roll paper conveyance direction. On the other hand, in parallel with the conveyance of the roll paper 30, the drawing head 18 is sent in the Y-axis reciprocating direction along the rail 22 on the drawer portion of the roll paper 30, and the drawing head 18 selects the selected roll paper 30. Is drawn (step 7).

Selected roll paper 30 on platen 20
When the drawing operation is started and the sheet is conveyed in a predetermined direction by a predetermined amount, the sheet is inserted between the pair of rollers 76 and 78 of the conveyance roller R3, and is conveyed in the predetermined direction by the conveyance roller R3. Next, the controller determines whether or not the output of the drawing head 18 is completed (step 8), and if the determination is affirmative, the cutter unit 24 is driven along the rail 22 and the portion of the roll paper 30 on which the drawing has been completed is drawn. The predetermined cutting position is cut (step 9). Next, the controller determines whether or not the drawing data is transferred from the host computer, and when the drawing data is not transferred, the drawing operation is ended. It should be noted that, if a negative decision is made in step 8, the process returns to step 7, and if a positive decision is made in step 10, the process returns to step 3.

When the roll paper 28 is selected in step 4, the clutch 66 is turned on in step 5, the roll paper 28 is conveyed in a predetermined direction, and drawing is performed on the drawer portion of the roll paper 28. . In the above-described embodiment, the drawing is executed on one kind of roll paper selected from the plural kinds of set roll paper, but the drawing data of plural kinds is simultaneously drawn on the corresponding plural kinds of roll paper. You may do it. This embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory block diagram of the internal configuration of the controller 86 for simultaneously outputting a plurality of types of drawing data to a plurality of types of roll paper and performing drawing on a plurality of types of roll paper at the same time. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 88 is a transfer data buffer memory for temporarily storing the drawing data transferred from the CAD host computer 90. Reference numeral 92 is a data analysis recognition unit, which is C
Under the control of the PU 94, this is for performing various analyzes of the drawing data stored in the buffer memory 88.
Reference numeral 96 denotes a data priority buffer memory, which is a CPU
Under the control of 94, the data analyzed by the data analysis recognition unit 92 is temporarily stored in accordance with the priority order.

Reference numeral 98 denotes a simultaneous output data processing unit, which is 2
Two kinds of roll paper 2 for drawing data D1 and D2 of two kinds
8 and 30 so that the two types of drawing data D1 and D2 can be simultaneously drawn on the two types of roll papers 28 and 30, respectively. It is supplied to the head driver 100 in response to the movement in the Y-axis direction and the conveyance of the roll papers 28 and 30. In the case of a raster plotter such as a thermal printer or an inkjet printer, the data to be handled is raster data. In this case, the simultaneous output data processing unit 98, as shown in FIG. 102 is provided.

Two types of raster drawing data D1 and D2 are
The two types of drawing data D1 and D2 are developed in the virtual bitmap area 102 of the bitmap so that the two types of roll papers 28 and 30 can be simultaneously drawn, and the drawing head 1
8 in the Y-axis direction and the roll papers 28 and 30 are conveyed, data on the bit map is transferred to the head driver 100.
Is to be supplied to

The CPU 94, the simultaneous output data processing section 98, the data analysis recognition section 92, the transfer data buffer memory 88, and the data priority order buffer memory 96 constitute a controller 86 of the plotter. Except for the internal configuration of the controller, the configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the above, and in FIG. It's revealed.

Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG.
The operation of the plotter will be described. Since steps 1 and 2 in FIG. 9 are the same as those in the first embodiment, their description will be omitted. When the plotter shifts to the drawing mode, two types of drawing data D1 and D2 including characters, figures, paper sizes, etc. are transferred from the host computer 90 to the transfer data buffer memory 88 (step 3). Next, the data analysis recognition unit 92 determines that the two types of transferred drawing data D
The paper sizes of 1 and D2 are recognized (step 4).

Next, the data analysis and recognition section 92 determines that the two types of drawing data D1 and D2 correspond to the corresponding two types of roll paper 2
It is determined whether the types can be simultaneously output to 8 and 30 (step 5). When the determination is affirmative, both electromagnetic clutches 66 and 68 are turned on (step 6). Next, the data analysis recognition unit 92 sets the origins of the drawing data D1 and D2 corresponding to the respective paper sizes to be drawn on the two types of roll papers 28 and 30, and performs the required axis correction ( Step 7).

Next, the CPU 94 uses two types of roll paper 2
By driving the drive motor 62, 8 and 30 are conveyed in a predetermined direction. On the other hand, in parallel with the transportation of the roll papers 28 and 30, the imaging head transport motor 80 is driven, and the imaging head 18 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction along the rail 22 on the drawer portion of the roll papers 28 and 30. Move. On the other hand, the simultaneous output data processing unit 98 supplies the two types of drawing data D1 and D2 to the head driver 100, and the drawing data D1 and D2 supplied to the head driver 100.
(Actually converted for plotter) is visualized by the drawing head 18 on the two types of roll papers 28 and 30 in parallel. Next, the CPU 94 determines whether or not the output of the two types of drawing data D1 and D2 is completed, and when affirmative is determined, according to the paper size of the image-printed area,
The cutter unit 24 cuts the pull-out portions of the roll papers 28 and 30 (step 10).

Next, the CPU 94 judges whether or not there is data transfer in the transfer data buffer memory 88, and if the judgment is negative, the drawing operation is ended. If it is determined in step 5 that the transfer plotting data D1 and D2 are not of the type capable of plotting on the roll papers 28 and 30 at the same time, the priority order of the plotting data D1 and D2 is determined, and the plotting data, for example, the data D2 in the subsequent order is determined. Data priority buffer memory 9
It is temporarily stored in step 6 (step 12).

Next, the roll paper 28 corresponding to the priority data D1 is selected, a drawing process is performed on this roll paper 28, and the boundary between the printed area and the unprinted area of the roll paper 28 is cut. (Step 13). Next, the posterior data D2 is called from the buffer memory 96, the roll paper 30 corresponding to the data D2 is selected, the roll paper 30 is drawn, and the cutting process is performed (step 1
4) and shifts to step 11.

When the present embodiment is applied to a pen plotter, the drive roller 76 shown in FIG. 1 is controlled to rotate forward and backward in order to feed the roll paper in the front-rear direction. It is desirable to form a large number of granular protrusions on the surface of the drive roller 76 in order to increase the frictional force between them. Further, in this case, the driving roller 5 shown in FIG.
2, 54 are used as supply rollers for supplying roll paper onto the platen 20.

In carrying out the present invention, a roll shaft is provided separately from the roll shaft 26 in the vertical direction, and a roll shaft is provided separately. The roll paper is supported on this roll shaft, and an image is formed on this roll paper. You may be able to. The roll paper transporting device in this case may have the same configuration as the conventional device.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of types of roll paper are coaxially set on one roll shaft as described above, and the paper types of these roll papers are detected in advance, so that the roll paper suitable for the drawing data can be obtained. Since the pull-out portion of this roll paper is selected and conveyed to the drawing execution area, the entire plotter can be made compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall external view of a plotter.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a roll shaft.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a power transmission mechanism that connects a transport roller and a drive roller.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an external view of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Plotter body 4 Roll shaft 6 Roll shaft 8 Roll paper 10 Roll paper 12 Platen 14 Screening head 16 Thermal plotter 18 Screening head 20 Platen 22 Rail 24 Cutter unit 26 Roll shaft 28 Roll paper 30 Roll paper 32 Flange 34 Flange 36 Flange 38 Flange 38 Flange 40 bearing 42 bearing 44 bearing 46 bearing 48 pressure roller 50 pressure roller 52 drive roller 54 drive roller 56 shaft body 58 shaft body 60 bearing 62 drive motor 64 shaft body 66 power clutch 68 power clutch 70 endless belt 72 endless belt 74 paper Detection sensor 76 Drive roller 78 Pressure roller 80 Motor 86 Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A roll shaft for supporting roll paper is mounted on a roll shaft supported by a plotter main body, and a platen for guiding a roll paper drawer in a paper transport direction is provided on the plotter main body. The drawing head is arranged above the transport path of the drawer, and the roll paper drawer on the roll shaft is transported to the drawing execution area of the transport path, and the roll paper drawer is located on the drawing execution area. The drawing head is used for drawing, and at the time of drawing, the leading end side of the roll paper is inserted between the drive roller and the driven pressure roller of the downstream side transport roller, and the downstream side transport roller pulls out the roll paper pulling portion in a predetermined direction. The plotter is configured to be conveyed to the roll paper, and after the drawing on the roll paper is completed, the boundary between the printed area and the unprinted area of the drawing section of the roll paper is cut by a cutter. In, the means for rotatably supporting a plurality of types of roll paper on the same axis of the roll shaft, and the roll portions of the plurality of types of roll paper on the same axis are arranged to face each other, and a pull-out portion of the opposing roll paper An upstream side conveyance roller that holds the pull-out portion of the opposed roll paper between the drive roller and the pressure roller and conveys it to the drawing execution area of the platen, a drive motor, an output shaft of the drive motor, and the plurality of drive rollers. A power transmission mechanism that connects each drive roller of the upstream side conveyance roller, and a power transmission mechanism that is provided for each drive roller in the power transmission mechanism and connects and disconnects the power transmission path between the corresponding drive roller and the motor. And a paper size detecting unit that detects the lateral width size of a plurality of roll papers that are coaxially supported by the roll shaft, and transfer among the plurality of roll papers. The roll paper corresponding to the plotting range data of the selected plotting data is selected, the clutch is switching-controlled, and the drive roller of the upstream side conveying roller facing the selected roll paper is connected to the drive motor and the selected roll is selected. A plotter having a controller for controlling the drive motor and the drawing head in order to draw the transferred drawing data in a paper drawer. 2. A plurality of types of drawing data are transferred to the controller, a plurality of rolls of paper are selected from a plurality of rolls of paper on the roll shaft corresponding to the plurality of types of drawing data, and the plurality of rolls of paper are selected. Is simultaneously conveyed in a predetermined direction by the upstream side conveyance roller and the downstream side conveyance roller, and the plural types of plotting data are simultaneously plotted on the selected plural roll paper pullout portions. The plotter according to claim 1.