JPH0122673B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an improvement in a counter used as an integration counter.

[Prior art]

For example, in electrical equipment such as copying machines, machine tools, and other various equipment and devices, it is common practice to display numerical values such as the number of times the equipment is used and the operating time using an integration counter.
It plays an important role in determining usage costs, maintenance, and inspection timing for the equipment.

By the way, the most important specification for this type of integration counter is that it should display a "0" value when the main device starts operating, and be able to start counting in response to the operation of the main device. . In addition, in such integration counters, the zero return mechanism that is attached to normal counters is generally not used to prevent the consumer from intentionally or mistakenly canceling the counted value during counting. .

For this reason, the manufacturer of the above-mentioned integration counter, when delivering the counter to the manufacturer of the main equipment, makes sure that the displayed value of this counter is ``99980'' in the case of a 5-digit display, for example. Generally, the remaining 20 counts are left for testing, inspection, etc. by the main equipment manufacturer. Therefore, the main equipment manufacturer would conduct a test using these 20 counts and hand the counter to the customer with the displayed value as "00000".

However, with this method, it is not only difficult for the counter manufacturer to manufacture and assemble the counter, but also makes it difficult to achieve automatic assembly.
Even the manufacturer of the main equipment had to set the value of each counter to "00000" for all the main equipment equipped with counters, which was a time-consuming process.

Therefore, even in this type of integration counter,
It is being considered to add a zero return mechanism, but
If such a return-to-zero mechanism is provided, it will be necessary to take measures such as installing a protective cover to prevent erroneous operation on the customer side, requiring design changes on the main equipment side, and the external appearance of the main equipment. There was a problem that caused damage to the equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and the zero return push button of the zero return mechanism is pressed only when the highest digit number wheel in a group of multi-digit number wheels displays a specific value. This simple structure has a locking area that allows for the release of the numeric value and a locking means that prevents the pressing operation when other values are displayed, making it easier for manufacturers of counters and main equipment to manufacture and assemble them. etc. are simplified, and
To provide a counter that can reliably perform a "0" start when starting the operation of a main device, and does not cause problems such as erroneous operation on the customer side.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail using embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a counter used as an integration counter according to the present invention, and in these figures, the general structure of the counter is as conventionally known.

To explain this simply, reference numeral 1 in the figure is a counter frame having an upward U-shape and consisting of a pair of side plates 1a, 1b and a bottom plate 1c.
The numeric axle 2 supported between 1b has multiple digits (7
A ratchet gear 4 having a counting wheel 3 (digits) and a transmission gear 4a are each rotatably mounted on a shaft. The ratchet gear 4 engages with a pawl 7a of a pole 7 that is engaged with a armature 6 that is oscillated by an electromagnet 5 attached to the bottom plate of the frame, thereby responding to the counting pulses input to the electromagnet 5. The carry pinion 8 interposed between the number wheels 3 and between the lowest digit number wheel 3 and the transmission gear 4a is sequentially rotated accordingly.
This is a well-known method in which each digit number wheel 3 is sequentially run and rotated to display the counted value, and only the main part thereof is shown.

Now, according to the present invention, in the counter having the above-described configuration, the number wheel 3 of the highest digit operates only when a specific number, for example, "9" is displayed, and becomes inactive when the number other than that is displayed. It is characterized by the addition of a zero return mechanism that is regulated by That is, the frame side plates 1a, 1
A support shaft 10 is supported between b and parallel to the numerical axle 2, and a zero return lever 11 is rotatably supported on this support shaft 10. A pinion shaft 12 on which the pinion 8 is mounted is supported between a pair of arm portions 11a, 11a of the zero return lever 11 extending horizontally in FIG.
A heart cam pressing piece 12 extending upward from the heart cam 13 provided on one side of each digit number wheel 3
It is configured to face and engage with the.

Further, on the one frame side plate 1a, a frame is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction between the side plate 1a and the highest digit number wheel 3 of the multi-digit number wheels 3, and is pressed downward. A zero return push button 14 is assembled which engages with the zero return lever 11 and rotates it counterclockwise in FIG. 2. Of course, when this push button 14 is operated, the zero return lever 11 releases the pinion 8 from the number wheel 3 side, and its heart cam pressing piece 12 supports the heart cam 13 of each digit number wheel 3 to return them to zero all at once. It is configured to be restored. In addition, 14a in the figure
is a long groove into which the numerical axle 2 is fitted.

What should be noted here is that, as is clear from FIG. 3, a cam cylinder 15 having a notch 15a in a part is protruded from the side surface of the highest digit number wheel 3 on the side plate 1a side, and The side part of the zero return push button 14 engages with the outer circumference of this cam cylinder 15, and when it corresponds to the notch part 15a, the cam cylinder 1 is inserted through this notch part 15a.
5, an elastic engagement piece 16 that can move within the body is integrally formed. That is, according to this embodiment, the elastic engagement piece 16 is integrally formed on the zero return push button 14 side as a locking means, and the elastic engagement piece 16 is integrally formed as a locking means on the highest digit number wheel 3 side that engages with the elastic engagement piece 16. A cam cylinder 15 having an outer periphery that can prevent the pressing operation of the push button 14 is protruded from the side surface of the highest digit number wheel 3, and the elastic engagement piece 16 and the outer periphery of the cam cylinder 15 A notch 15a is formed in a part of the circumferential direction of this cam cylinder 15 as a lock release area of the locking means, and only when the elastic engagement piece 16 corresponds to this notch 15a It is configured to allow the pressing operation of the push button 14. Note that the reading position of the number wheel 3 of the counter is at the top in FIG. 1 and in the same direction as the moving direction of the push button 14. Cam tube 15
A notch 15a is formed at the location.

According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 4a, the displayed value of the highest digit number wheel 3 is "9".
If the value is other than 0, for example, the engagement piece 16 will not work even if you try to press the push button 14.
is engaged with the outer circumferential portion of the cam cylinder 15 to restrict its movement, resulting in a locked state. Moreover, when the displayed value becomes "9", as shown in FIG.
Since 6 corresponds to the notch 15a of the cam cylinder 15, its lowering operation is not hindered, and thereby each digit wheel 3 can be returned to zero via the zero return lever 11. When the push button 14 returns after the return to zero is completed, the engagement piece 16 engages with the inner edge of the cam cylinder 15 and is elastically displaced in a direction away from the cam cylinder 15, as shown in FIG. Therefore, no trouble occurs during this recovery operation, and the lock state as shown in FIG.

Therefore, according to such a configuration, the zero return operation is possible only when the highest digit number wheel 3 displays "9", and in the case of other display values, it is in an inactive state. Due to restrictions, zero return operation cannot be performed.
It functions as a normal integration counter, and can be reset to zero only once before starting to use the main equipment.
As a result, the counter can be reliably started with a value of "0".

According to such a configuration, the main equipment manufacturer does not have to perform a 100% inspection only to start the counter from "0", which is a cumbersome operation, and the work such as inspection can be reduced. It is something.

In addition, counter manufacturers also change the displayed value when assembling the counter to, for example, "88888" (5
(in the case of digits), etc., thereby making it possible to adopt automatic assembly and greatly improve the ease of assembling the counter. This is because, in order to perform automatic assembly, it has traditionally been common practice to provide positioning holes on the side of the number wheel and use positioning pins for assembly. This can be easily understood from the fact that the conventional method of displaying different numerical values could not be used in practice, as described above.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the structure of the embodiment described above, and the shape, structure, etc. of each part may be modified or changed as appropriate. For example, the numerical value of the highest digit number wheel that can be reset to zero is:
It is not limited to "9", any specific number is fine.
Further, the formation position of the notch portion of the cam cylinder is also changed as appropriate depending on the moving direction of the push button and the reading position of the number wheel. Furthermore, the locking means for regulating the movement of the push button is not limited to the above-mentioned engagement piece and the cam cylinder having a notch as a lock release area, but they may be provided in the opposite manner, or the locking means may be provided in the opposite manner. Using a ratchet mechanism consisting of a pawl and a spring as a joint, etc.
Various modifications are possible. In short, a locking means is provided at opposing positions of the zero return push button and the highest digit number wheel, and this locking means cooperates with each other to prevent the pressing operation of the push button.
It is only necessary to provide an unlocking area that allows the push button to be pressed only when the highest digit number wheel displays a specific value.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a zero return mechanism is attached, and the push button is allowed to be pressed only when the highest digit number wheel among a group of multi-digit number wheels displays a specific number. Since it has a locking release area and is equipped with a locking means that prevents the pressing operation when other numbers are displayed, manufacturing and assembly work on the manufacturer's side is easy despite the simple configuration. In addition, it has the necessary functions as an integration counter to easily and reliably perform a "0" start when starting main equipment operation, and there are no problems such as malfunctions on the customer side. It has excellent effects.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure shows an embodiment of the counter according to the present invention,
Figure 1 is a front view of the whole, Figure 2 is a side sectional view,
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main part, and FIGS. 4a, b, and c are explanatory diagrams of its operation. 1... Counter frame, 3... Number wheel, 8...
...Pinion, 11...Zero return lever, 12...Heart cam pressing piece, 13...Heart cam, 14...
Zero return push button, 15...cam cylinder, 15a...notch, 16...elastic engagement piece.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A zero return lever having a multi-digit number wheel group having a heart cam, a carry pinion group interposed between these number wheels, and a heart cam pressing piece that rotatably supports these pinion groups and engages with the heart cam. and a zero-return push button that engages with and rotates the zero-return lever, wherein the zero-return push button and the highest digit numeral wheel are provided with push buttons that cooperate with each other at opposing positions, respectively. The locking means is provided with a locking means for preventing the pressing operation of the push button, and the locking means is provided with a locking release area that allows the pressing operation of the push button only when the highest digit number wheel displays a specific numerical value. A counter featuring: