Printing device

Abstract

To provide a printing device configured to solve problems that occur in the printing device with excellent operability.SOLUTION: A printing device includes a panel unit including: a display panel; a capacitive touch sensor in which a position detection sensor and a cover glass are laminated and which includes a first side and a second side located facing each other; and a panel circuit board. The panel unit is rotatably attached so as to take a second attachment state where an angle formed by a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is smaller than an angle formed by a vertical direction and the normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor. The capacitive touch sensor in the second attachment state is disposed so that the first side is lower than the second side, and a size of a first frame area located along the first side in a frame area that does not receive an input of operation information of the capacitive touch sensor in a direction from the first side to the second side is larger than a size of a second frame area located along the second side in the frame area in the direction from the first side to the second side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, printing devices are used in a wide variety of environments, including homes, offices, etc. Therefore, when manufacturing printing devices, there is a demand for the development of printing devices with excellent usability that can be used equally by anyone, regardless of the height, gender, or whether or not the user has a disability.

[0003] Known technologies that focus on providing such printing devices with excellent usability include, for example, a printing device equipped with a mechanism that rotates the operating unit taking into account the height of the user, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a printing device equipped with a large display, as described in Patent Document 3, and a printing device equipped with a capacitive touch panel, as described in Patent Document 4. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-310050 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-251168 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2010-004134 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2016-167819 A [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-199010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 are combined from the viewpoint of providing a printing device with excellent operability, new problems arise due to the combination.

[0006] In recent years, when a touch panel of 8 inches or more, which is recognized as a large screen in electronic devices such as smartphones, is incorporated into a printing device so as to be rotatable as a user interface in the printing device, the screen size of the touch panel increases, and the weight also increases, so that it becomes necessary to make the support part that supports the rotation of the touch panel have a strong configuration. Therefore, the structure of the support part that supports the rotation of the touch panel becomes large, and the printing device itself becomes large. Furthermore, the large size of the printing device causes limitations on the space in which the printing device can be installed. In other words, when a touch panel of 8 inches or more is incorporated into a printing device so as to be rotatable, there is a risk that usability will be impaired in terms of the large space required to install the printing device.

[0007] Also, as described in Patent Document 5, in a printing device, a lot of static electricity is generated due to the transport of a medium, and is discharged through the housing of the printing device. That is, a lot of static electricity is generated in the printing device, and a lot of charge due to the static electricity may be stored. If a capacitive touch panel is used as a user interface for such a printing device that is prone to static electricity, there is a risk that the static electricity generated in the printing device will cause the capacitive touch panel to malfunction, since the capacitive touch panel operates based on changes in the electric field on the panel surface.

[0008] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of providing a printing device with excellent usability, if a large-screen, rotatable capacitive touch panel is applied to a printing device, there is a risk that static electricity generated in the printing device will enter the inside of the capacitive touch panel via the operator operating the capacitive touch panel, thereby increasing the possibility of the capacitive touch panel malfunctioning.

[0009] In other words, from the perspective of providing a printing device with excellent operability by combining the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, simply combining existing technologies is not sufficient, and there is room for further improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One aspect of the printing device according to the present invention is to The printing apparatus includes a printing unit that prints on a medium, and a panel unit into which operation information for operating the printing unit is input, the printing unit includes a printing mechanism that executes a printing operation in response to the operation information, and a main circuit board having a processor that controls the operation of the panel unit and controls the operation of the printing mechanism based on the operation information; the panel unit includes a display panel, a capacitive touch sensor in which a position detection sensor and a cover glass are laminated, a panel circuit board electrically connected to the capacitive touch sensor, and a panel housing that houses the display panel, the capacitive touch sensor, and the panel circuit board; the capacitive touch sensor includes a first side, a second side facing the first side, a third side intersecting both the first side and the second side, and a fourth side facing the third side; the panel unit is attached to the printing unit so as to be rotatable between a first attachment state and a second attachment state; In the first mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is larger than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; In the second mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is smaller than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; When the panel unit is in the second mounting state, the capacitive touch sensor is disposed such that the first side is lower than the second side in a vertical direction, the capacitive touch sensor includes an operation area that accepts input of the operation information, and a frame area that is provided around the operation area and does not accept the input of the operation information; Within the frame region, the size of a first frame region located along the first side in a direction from the first side to the second side is greater than the size of a second frame region located along the second side in a direction from the first side to the second side. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a printing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a panel unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a display panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a position detection sensor and a sensor drive circuit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the external structure of a printing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an internal structure of a housing. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transport path of a medium transported by a printing mechanism. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of an attachment state of a panel unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a panel unit. [Figure 10] This is a diagram of the touch sensor as seen from the -z side. [Figure 11] This is a diagram of the touch sensor as seen from the +z side. [Figure 12] This is a diagram of the panel unit as seen from the -z side. [Figure 13] This is a diagram of the panel unit as seen from the -x side. [Figure 14] This is a diagram of the panel unit as seen from the +y side. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a cross section Aa of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a cross section Bb of FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a view showing a cross section Cc of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings are used for the convenience of explanation. Note that the embodiments described below do not unduly limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described below are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

[0013] In the following, an inkjet printer that prints images by ejecting liquid onto a medium will be used as an example of the printing device according to the present invention; however, the printing device is not limited to inkjet printers and may be a dot impact printer, thermal transfer printer, laser printer, etc.

[0014] 1. Functional configuration of the printing device Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of a printing device 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the printing device 1 includes a printing unit 10, a panel unit 20, and a wireless communication unit 30. The printing device 1 prints a desired image on the medium by causing the printing unit 10 to land ink at a predetermined position on the medium based on information input from the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30. That is, the printing device 1 includes the printing unit 10 that prints on the medium, and the panel unit 20 and wireless communication unit 30 to which operation information for operating the printing unit 10 is input.

[0015] Here, in this embodiment, the medium printed by the printing device 1 is described as being a sheet of paper, but the medium used in the printing device 1 is not limited to being a sheet of paper and may be rolled paper. Furthermore, the medium is not limited to being paper and may be a fibrous material such as a cloth or a resin such as plastic.

[0016] The panel unit 20 receives operation information for operating the printing device 1 through the user's operation, and displays the operating state of the printing device 1. Specifically, the operation of the panel unit 20 is controlled by a panel control signal PNc input from the printing unit 10 via a cable 210, and displays the operating state of the printing device 1 propagated based on the panel control signal PNc. The panel unit 20 also outputs the operation information input by the user as a panel operation signal PNo to the printing unit 10 via the cable 210. Here, the panel control signal PNc input to the panel unit 20 and the panel operation signal PNo output by the panel unit 20 may be, for example, a signal conforming to I2C (I squared C) communication propagated by serial data and a serial clock, or may be a signal conforming to LVDS (Low Voltage Digital Signal Processing) communication propagated by LVDS (Low Voltage Digital Signal Processing). Alternatively, the signal may be a differential signal such as a differential voltage signaling (Voltage Differential Signaling) communication. The functional configuration and structure of the panel unit 20 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The wireless communication unit 30 includes an NFC (Near Field Communication) module 31 that performs wireless communication over a short distance of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters, and a WiFi module 32 that is capable of wireless communication over a longer distance and at higher speed than the NFC module 31.

[0018] The NFC module 31 receives the NFC signal from the printing unit 10 via a cable 310. Operation is controlled based on an FC control signal NCc, and information input to the NFC module 31 as a wireless signal is output as an NFC received signal NCo to the printing unit 10 via the cable 310. The NFC module 31, which performs wireless communication over short distances of several centimeters to several tens of centimeters, is used for an authentication function or the like for correlating the user who performed a printing operation with the medium on which the printing operation is performed when the printing device 1 is shared by multiple users, for example.

[0019] The WiFi module 32, capable of long-distance, high-speed wireless communication, has its operation controlled based on a WiFi control signal WFc input from the printing unit 10 via a cable 320, and outputs information input to the WiFi module 32 as a wireless signal as a WiFi received signal WFo to the printing unit 10 via the cable 320. The WiFi module 32, capable of such long-distance, high-speed wireless communication, also functions as an interface circuit that connects the printing device 1 with an external device, such as a personal computer that outputs image information to be printed on a medium by the printing device 1, via a wireless signal.

[0020] Here, the NFC module 31 and the WiFi module 32 may be communicatively connected via, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication, and thus may be detachable from the printing device 1. That is, the printing device 1 includes a connection terminal to which at least one of the NFC module 31 and the WiFi module 32 can be attached.

[0021] The printing unit 10 includes a relay circuit board 100 , a main circuit board 110 , a head circuit board 120 , a plurality of ejection heads 130 , a medium transport control unit 140 , and a transport motor 150 .

[0022] The main circuit board 110 has a main control circuit 111 that outputs control signals for controlling each part of the printing device 1. The main control circuit 111 is configured to include a SoC (System On a Chip) that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0023] The main control circuit 111 outputs a unit control signal UC that controls the operations of the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30. The unit control signal UC is input to a signal conversion circuit 101 included in the relay circuit board 100 via a cable 191. Based on the unit control signal UC input from the main control circuit 111, the signal conversion circuit 101 generates a panel control signal PNc that controls the panel unit 20, an NFC control signal NCc that controls the NFC module 31, and a WiFi control signal WFc that controls the WiFi module 32, and outputs them to the panel unit 20, the NFC module 31, and the WiFi module 32, respectively.

[0024] The signal conversion circuit 101 also receives as input a panel operation signal PNo output by the panel unit 20, an NFC reception signal NCo output by the NFC module 31, and a WiFi reception signal WFo output by the WiFi module 32. The signal conversion circuit 101 then generates a unit output signal UO based on the input panel operation signal PNo, NFC reception signal NCo, and WiFi reception signal WFo, and outputs the signal to the main control circuit 111.

[0025] Here, the signal conversion circuit 101 may be configured as one integrated circuit device, or may be configured as a plurality of integrated circuit devices corresponding to the panel unit 20, the NFC module 31, and the WiFi module 32. The unit control signal UC and the unit output signal UO propagated between the signal conversion circuit 101 and the main control circuit 111 may be a plurality of signals corresponding to the panel unit 20, the NFC module 31, and the WiFi module 32, respectively. That is, the main control circuit 111 generates a panel control signal PNc, an NFC control signal NCc, and a WiFi control signal WFc as the unit control signal UC. The signal conversion circuit 101 may output a plurality of signals corresponding to the panel operation signal PNo, the NFC reception signal NCo, and the WiFi reception signal WFo to the main control circuit 111 as the unit output signal UO.

[0026] Furthermore, the main control circuit 111 transports the medium on which the printing operation is executed, based on the unit output signal UO input from the signal conversion circuit 101. Specifically, the main control circuit 111 generates a transport control signal PT for transporting the medium on which the printing operation is executed, and outputs it to the medium transport control unit 140 via the cable 194. The medium transport control unit 140 generates a drive control signal for controlling the drive of the transport motor 150, based on the input transport control signal PT, and outputs it to the transport motor 150. This drives the transport motor 150, and as the transport motor 150 is driven, the medium is transported along a predetermined transport direction.

[0027] Furthermore, the main control circuit 111 generates a print control signal PC for printing on a medium based on the unit output signal UO input from the signal conversion circuit 101 , and outputs the signal to the head circuit board 120 via a cable 192 .

[0028] The print control signal PC is input to a head control circuit 121 included in the head circuit board 120. The head control circuit 121 generates print data signals DATA corresponding to each of a plurality of ejection heads 130 having a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto a medium based on the input print control signal PC, and supplies the print data signals DATA to the corresponding ejection heads 130. The head control circuit 121 also generates a basic drive signal dA that is the basis of the drive signal COM based on the print control signal PC input from the signal conversion circuit 101, and outputs the basic drive signal dA to the drive circuit 122. The drive circuit 122 then generates a drive signal COM having a waveform defined by the basic drive signal dA supplied from the head control circuit 121, and outputs the drive signal COM to the plurality of ejection heads 130.

[0029] Each of the ejection heads 130 includes a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the medium, and a plurality of drive elements that correspond to the plurality of nozzles and are driven to eject ink from the corresponding nozzles when a drive signal COM is supplied. Each of the ejection heads 130 is electrically connected to the head circuit board 120 via a cable 193. Based on a print data signal DATA supplied from the head control circuit 121, each of the ejection heads 130 switches whether or not to supply the drive signal COM supplied from the drive circuit 122 to each of the plurality of drive elements, thereby supplying the drive signal COM to the drive elements corresponding to the nozzles that eject ink onto the medium among the plurality of nozzles, and not supplying the drive signal COM to the drive elements corresponding to the nozzles that do not eject ink onto the medium among the plurality of nozzles. As a result, ink is ejected only from the nozzles corresponding to the drive elements to which the drive signal COM is supplied, and ink is not ejected from the nozzles corresponding to the drive elements to which the drive signal COM is not supplied. That is, the multiple ejection heads 130 eject ink from nozzles specified by the print data signal DATA at a timing specified by the print data signal DATA by switching whether or not to supply a drive signal COM to each of the multiple drive elements based on the print data signal DATA output by the head control circuit 121.

[0030] As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the main control circuit 111 controls the transport of the medium via the medium transport control unit 140 and also controls the operation of the head control circuit 121 of the head circuit board 120 based on operation information input from the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30. This selects nozzles that eject ink onto the medium and nozzles that do not eject ink. In other words, the main control circuit 111 controls both the transport of the medium and the timing of ink ejection. This allows the ejection head 130 to land ink at a desired position on the medium. In other words, the ejection head 130 can select nozzles that eject ink onto a desired position on the medium. In this way, the printing device 1 prints a desired image on the medium.

[0031] In the following description, the head circuit board 120 that performs a printing operation on a medium under the control of the main circuit board 110, the multiple ejection heads 130, the medium transport control unit 140, and the transport motor 150 may be collectively referred to as the printing mechanism 160. That is, the printing unit 10 has a printing mechanism 160 that performs a printing operation to print an image on a medium in response to operation information input by a user operating the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30, and a main circuit board 110 having a main control circuit 111 that outputs a unit control signal UC that controls the operation of the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30, and controls the operation of the printing mechanism 160 in response to a unit output signal UO based on a panel operation signal PNo, an NFC reception signal NCo, and a WiFi reception signal WFo output by the panel unit 20 and the wireless communication unit 30.

[0032] The printing device 1 may have a USB port or a LAN port for connecting the printing device 1 to an external device via a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or a USB cable, and the printing device 1 may be capable of reading image information stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory connected to the USB port or the LAN port by a user operating the panel unit 20, and of executing a printing operation based on the read information. The printing device 1 may also include a scanner unit that acquires image information formed on a medium. In other words, the printing device 1 may be a so-called multifunction device that is capable of forming an image on a medium and acquiring the image formed on the medium.

[0033] Here, the main control circuit 111 included in the main circuit board 110 is an example of a processor.

[0034] 2. Panel unit functional configuration Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the panel unit 20. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the panel unit 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the panel unit 20 has a panel circuit board 200, a display panel 220, a position detection sensor 230, a sensor drive circuit 240, a display circuit board 250, and a switch circuit board 260.

[0035] The panel circuit board 200 has a panel control circuit 201. The panel control circuit 201 includes a display control circuit 212 that controls the display panel 220 and a sensor control circuit 214 that controls the position detection sensor 230. The panel control circuit 201 controls the display panel 220, the position detection sensor 230, the sensor drive circuit 240, the display circuit board 250, and the switch circuit board 260 based on a panel control signal PNc input from the printing unit 10, and outputs signals output by the display panel 220, the position detection sensor 230, the sensor drive circuit 240, the display circuit board 250, and the switch circuit board 260 to the printing unit 10 as a panel operation signal PNo. Such a panel control circuit 201 is configured as one or more integrated circuit devices. The display circuit board 250 and the switch circuit board 260 may be electrically connected to the relay circuit board 100 without passing through the panel control circuit 201.

[0036] The display control circuit 212 outputs a control signal Ctr1 that defines the operation of the display panel 220, and an image signal Vid that indicates an image to be displayed on the display panel 220, to the display panel 220 via a cable 291. In this way, the display control circuit 212 controls the display panel 220 so that an image based on the image signal Vid is displayed on the display panel 220. Here, the image signal Vid may be an analog signal or a digital signal.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the display panel 220. As shown in FIG. The pixel 220 includes a pixel section 221 in which a plurality of pixels Px are provided, and a pixel driving section 222 that drives the pixel section 221.

[0038] The pixel section 221 has M rows of scanning lines 225 extending in a first direction, which is the horizontal direction in Fig. 3, and N columns of data lines 226 extending in a second direction, which is the vertical direction in Fig. 3 perpendicular to the first direction. The pixel section 221 includes M x N pixels Px arranged in a matrix of N columns in the first direction and M rows in the second direction, corresponding to the intersections of the M rows of scanning lines 225 and the N columns of data lines 226.

[0039] The pixel driving unit 222 includes a scanning line driving circuit 223 and a data line driving circuit 224. The scanning line driving circuit 223 generates a selection signal Gw[m] for selecting the m-th scanning line 225 based on the control signal Ctr1. The scanning line driving circuit 223 outputs a selection signal Gw[m] (m is a natural number satisfying 1≦m≦M) in the m-th horizontal scanning period among M horizontal scanning periods included in the frame period defined by the control signal Ctr1. This allows the scanning line driving circuit 223 to select the 1st to M-th scanning lines 225 in sequence during the frame period.

[0040] The data line driving circuit 224 generates a grayscale designation signal Vd[n] (n is a natural number satisfying 1≦n≦N) that designates a grayscale to be displayed in the pixel Px based on the image signal Vid, and outputs the grayscale designation signal Vd[n] to the nth column data line 226 during the mth horizontal scanning period in which the scanning line driving circuit 223 selects the mth row scanning line 225. In this embodiment, the image signal Vid is a signal including the grayscale designation signals Vd[1] to Vd[N].

[0041] In this way, the pixel driving unit 222 outputs a selection signal Gw[m] for selecting the m-th row scanning line 225 during the m-th horizontal scanning period, and outputs a gradation designation signal Vd[n] to the n-th column data line 226, thereby allowing the pixel Px in the m-th row and n-th column to display the gradation designated by the gradation designation signal Vd[n]. As such a display panel 220, for example, a thin flat panel such as a liquid crystal panel (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electro Luminescence) panel can be used.

[0042] Returning to FIG. 2, the sensor control circuit 214 outputs a control signal Ctr2 that defines the operation of the sensor drive circuit 240 to the sensor drive circuit 240, which is an integrated circuit device mounted on the cable 292 by COF (Chip On Film). The sensor drive circuit 240 generates a control signal Ctr-S for controlling the drive of the position detection sensor 230 based on the input control signal Ctr2, and outputs the control signal Ctr-S to the position detection sensor 230. That is, the sensor control circuit 214 controls the drive of the position detection sensor 230 via the sensor drive circuit 240. When the position detection sensor 230 is driven by the control signal Ctr-S, the position detection sensor 230 detects the contact of an object such as a finger or a pen with the position detection sensor 230. Then, the position detection sensor 230 generates a detection signal VSS indicating the detection result, and outputs the detection signal VSS to the sensor drive circuit 240. The sensor drive circuit 240 calculates the contact position of the object with respect to the position detection sensor 230 based on the detection signal VSS, and generates a contact position signal ISS indicating the contact position. The sensor drive circuit 240 outputs the generated contact position signal ISS to the sensor control circuit 214.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the position detection sensor 230 and the sensor driving circuit 240. As shown in Fig. 4, the position detection sensor 230 includes Q×R sensors Ts arranged in a matrix of Q columns in a third direction, which is the horizontal direction in Fig. 4, and R rows in a fourth direction, which is the vertical direction in Fig. 4 perpendicular to the third direction, and Q×R detection lines 231 in one-to-one correspondence with the Q×R sensors Ts.

[0044] Each sensor Ts has a capacitance element. When an object comes into contact with the sensor Ts, the potentials of the two electrodes of the capacitance element provided corresponding to the sensor Ts change.

[0045] The sensor driving circuit 240 generates a control signal Ctr-S based on the control signal Ctr2, and outputs the generated control signal Ctr-S to the position detection sensor 230. Here, the control signal Ctr-S is a signal that instructs the sensor Ts[q][r] in the qth row and rth column to output a detection signal Vs[q][r] indicating the potential of one of the two electrodes of each sensor Ts to the detection line 231 provided corresponding to the sensor Ts[q][r]. This allows the sensor driving circuit 240 to receive Q×R detection signals Vs from the Q×R sensors Ts. Note that the above-mentioned detection signal VSS is, for example, a signal including Q×R detection signals Vs. Then, the sensor driving circuit 240 generates a touch position signal ISS based on the Q×R detection signals Vs included in the detection signal VSS, and outputs the generated touch position signal ISS to the panel control circuit 201. That is, the position detection sensor 230 in this embodiment is a so-called capacitance type sensor that calculates the contact position of an object according to a change in the potential of a capacitance element of the sensor Ts.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 2, the display circuit board 250 has a light emitting element 251. The panel control circuit 201 outputs a light emission control signal LC for controlling the light emitting element 251 of the display circuit board 250. The light emitting element 251 turns on, off, or blinks depending on the operating state of the printing device 1. That is, the light emitting element 251 is electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 and displays the operating state of the printing device 1 and the printing unit 10, and the display circuit board 250 has the light emitting element 251 that displays the operating state of the printing device 1 and the printing unit 10. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates only the case where the display circuit board 250 has one light emitting element 251, but the display circuit board 250 may have a plurality of light emitting elements 251. In addition, as such a light emitting element 251, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element can be used.

[0047] The switch circuit board 260 has a switch 261. When this switch 261 is pressed, a switch control signal SU is supplied to the panel control circuit 201. The panel control circuit 201 starts up the printing device 1 or stops the operation of the printing device 1 according to the logical level, time, etc. of the switch control signal SU. That is, the switch 261 is electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 and starts up the printing device 1 and the printing unit 10, and the switch circuit board 260 has the switch 261 that starts up the printing device 1 and the printing unit 10.

[0048] As described above, the panel unit 20 comprises: a display panel 220 that displays various information; a position detection sensor 230 that detects the contact position of an object such as a finger or a pen; a panel circuit board 200 on which a panel control circuit 201 is mounted and which is electrically connected to the position detection sensor 230 and the display panel 220; a cable 292 that electrically connects the position detection sensor 230 and the panel circuit board 200; a display circuit board 250 having a light-emitting element 251 that is electrically connected to the panel control circuit 201 mounted on the panel circuit board 200 and displays the operating state of the printing device 1 including the printing unit 10; and a switch circuit board 260 having a switch 261 that is electrically connected to the panel control circuit 201 mounted on the panel circuit board 200 and which starts up the printing device 1 including the printing unit 10.

[0049] 3. Printing device structure Next, the structure of the printing device 1 will be described. In describing the structure of the printing device 1, the front-to-rear direction of the printing device 1 may be referred to as the X direction, the left-to-right direction of the printing device 1 as the Y direction, and the up-down and vertical direction of the printing device 1 as the Z direction. In addition, when specifying the directions along the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, the tip side of the arrow indicating the X direction in the figure is referred to as the +X side, and the starting point side is referred to as the The tip side of an arrow indicating the Y direction may be referred to as the +Y side and the starting point side as the -Y side, and the tip side of an arrow indicating the Z direction may be referred to as the +Z side and the starting point side as the -Z side.

[0050] 5 is a diagram showing the external structure of the printing device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0051] The printing unit 10 has a medium storage section 141, a medium ejection tray 149, and a housing 170. The medium storage section 141 forms a storage space in which the medium is stored before a printing operation is performed. Specifically, the medium storage section 141 is located on the +Z side of the housing 170, and is attached in a state in which at least a portion of the storage space can be pulled out into the housing 170. The medium ejection tray 149 is located on the -Z side of the housing 170, and ejects the medium after a printing operation is performed.

[0052] In the printer 1 configured as described above, when a user operates the panel unit 20 to execute a printing operation, the medium stored in the medium storage unit 141 is transported inside the housing 170, and a printing operation is executed on the medium while the medium is being transported inside the housing 170. Then, after the printing operation has been executed, the medium is discharged to the medium discharge tray 149.

[0053] Here, the internal structure of the housing 170 of the printing unit 10 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the housing 170. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 170 houses the relay circuit board 100, the main circuit board 110, the printing mechanism 160, and the wireless communication unit 30. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 30 is located along the side surface of the -X side of the housing 170, and the relay circuit board 100 is located on the -Z side of the wireless communication unit 30 along the side surface of the -X side of the housing 170. The main circuit board 110 is located along the side surface of the +X side of the housing 170. The printing mechanism 160 that performs a printing operation on a medium being transported is located between the wireless communication unit 30 and the relay circuit board 100 and the main circuit board 110.

[0054] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a transport path of a medium transported by a printing mechanism 160 provided inside a housing 170. As shown in Fig. 7, transport rollers 142, 143, and 144 are provided inside the housing 170. Each of the transport rollers 142 to 144 is a roller pair including a drive roller and a driven roller. The transport rollers 142 to 144 sandwich the medium between the drive roller and the driven roller, and transport the medium along a predetermined transport direction by the drive roller rotating by the drive of the transport motor 150 described above.

[0055] Specifically, the media contained in the medium container 141 are discharged one by one by the transport roller 142. Since the transport roller 142 discharges the media contained in the medium container 141 one by one, the transport roller 142 may be provided to apply pressure to the medium from the -Z side to the +Z side along the Z direction, for example. The medium discharged from the medium container 141 is conveyed along the conveyance path to the printing area PA facing the ejection head 130 while being sandwiched between the transport rollers 143. When the medium reaches the printing area PA, the ejection head 130 ejects ink onto the medium at a timing based on the print data signal DATA. After that, the medium on which the ink has landed is conveyed along the conveyance path toward the medium ejection tray 149 while being sandwiched between the transport rollers 144, and is ejected from inside the housing 170 to the medium ejection tray 149.

[0056] Returning to FIG. 5, the panel unit 20 is attached to the −X side of the housing 170 in the printing device 1 so as to be rotatable toward the +Z side.

[0057] 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of the mounting state of the panel unit 20 mounted on the housing 170. As shown in FIG. 8, the panel unit 20 is rotatably mounted to the housing 170 via the mounting part AR. Specifically, in this embodiment, the panel unit 20 is mounted to the housing 170 of the printing unit 10 so as to be rotatable about the mounting part AR within the movable range RM so as to take a mounting state α in which the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 extend along a plane formed by the X direction, which is the front-rear direction of the printing device 1, and the Y direction, which is the left-right direction of the printing device 1, and a mounting state β in which the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 extend along a plane formed by the Y direction, which is the left-right direction of the printing device 1, and the Z direction, which is the vertical direction and the up-down direction of the printing device 1.

[0058] In other words, the panel unit 20 is rotatably mounted so as to take an installation state α in which the contents of the display panel 220 are visible when the panel unit 20 is viewed in a direction from above to below the printing device 1, from the -Z side toward the +Z side, within a range in which the user can see the display contents of the display panel 220 of the panel unit 20, and an installation state β in which the contents of the display panel 220 are visible when the panel unit 20 is viewed in a direction from the front to the rear of the printing device 1, from the -X side toward the +X side.

[0059] Here, in consideration of improving the convenience for the user operating the printing device 1, it is preferable that the panel unit 20 rotatably attached to the housing 170 has a wide movable range RM. Specifically, in the mounting state α, it is preferable that the normal direction of the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 is upwardly aligned approximately vertically toward the +Z side of the printing device 1, and in the mounting state β, the normal direction of the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 is horizontally aligned toward the -X side of the printing device 1, which corresponds to the user side on which the user is located on the printing device 1.

[0060] However, the movable range RM of the panel unit 20 rotatably attached to the housing 170 is not limited to the above-mentioned range, and it is sufficient that the panel unit 20 can be rotated within a range in which the user operating the printing device 1 can view the information displayed on the display panel 220 of the rotatably attached panel unit 20. Specifically, in the attachment state α, the angle between the horizontally extending plane formed by the X direction and the Y direction and the direction in which the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 of the panel unit 20 extend is 45 degrees or less, and in the attachment state β, the angle between the horizontally extending plane formed by the X direction and the Y direction and the direction in which the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 of the panel unit 20 extend is 45 degrees or more.

[0061] That is, the panel unit 20 only needs to be rotatably attached to the housing 170 of the printing unit 10 so as to take an attachment state α in which the angle between the horizontal direction and the normal direction of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 is larger than the angle between the vertical direction and the normal direction of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230, and an attachment state β in which the angle between the horizontal direction and the normal direction of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 is smaller than the angle between the vertical direction and the normal direction of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230. Here, the attachment state α is an example of a first attachment state, and the attachment state β is an example of a second attachment state.

[0062] Next, an example of a specific structure of the panel unit 20 rotatably attached to the housing 170 as described above will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the panel unit 20. In the following description of the structure of the panel unit 20, the x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction are used, which are independent of the above-mentioned X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction and are perpendicular to each other. In addition, the direction along the x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction is specified. In this case, the tip side of the arrow indicating the x direction may be referred to as the +x side, and the starting side as the -x side, the tip side of the arrow indicating the y direction may be referred to as the +y side, and the starting side as the -y side, and the tip side of the arrow indicating the z direction may be referred to as the +z side, and the starting side as the -z side.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 9, the panel unit 20 has a cover glass 270 and a panel housing 280 in addition to the panel circuit board 200, the display panel 220, the position detection sensor 230, the display circuit board 250, and the switch circuit board 260 described above.

[0064] The position detection sensor 230 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member extending in a plane formed by the x-direction and the y-direction, and is a so-called capacitance type sensor that calculates the contact position of an object according to the change in the potential of a capacitance element, as described above. A cable 292 on which a sensor driving circuit 240 is mounted by COF is attached to the -x side of the position detection sensor 230.

[0065] A cover glass 270 is located on the -z side of the position detection sensor 230. The cover glass 270 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member that is the same size as the position detection sensor 230 and extends in a plane formed by the x direction and the y direction, and is fixed to the position detection sensor 230 by an adhesive (not shown) so as to be laminated thereon. The cover glass 270 functions as a protective member that protects the position detection sensor 230 from scratches and impacts. In the following description, a configuration in which the position detection sensor 230 and the cover glass 270 are laminated and fixed by an adhesive is referred to as a touch sensor 400. The touch sensor 400 in which the position detection sensor 230 and the cover glass 270 are laminated is an example of a capacitance type touch sensor.

[0066] Here, an example of the structure of touch sensor 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a diagram of touch sensor 400 as viewed from the -z side, and Fig. 11 is a diagram of touch sensor 400 as viewed from the +z side. That is, Fig. 10 corresponds to a diagram of touch sensor 400 as viewed from the surface on the cover glass 270 side, and Fig. 11 corresponds to a diagram of touch sensor 400 as viewed from the position detection sensor 230 side.

[0067] 10 and 11, touch sensor 400 has a substantially rectangular shape including side 401, side 402 located on the +x side of side 401 and facing side 401 along the x direction, side 403 intersecting both sides 401 and 402, and side 404 located on the +y side of side 403 and facing side 403 along the y direction. Here, side 401 is an example of a first side, side 402 is an example of a second side, side 403 is an example of a third side, and side 404 is an example of a fourth side.

[0068] 10 and 11, cable 292 is electrically connected to side 401 of touch sensor 400. Sensor driving circuit 240 is COF-mounted on the -z side surface of cable 292, and metal plate 241 is located on the +z side surface of cable 292 in an area facing COF-mounted sensor driving circuit 240.

[0069] Also, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the touch sensor 400 includes an operation area 410 that accepts input of operation information by the user, and a frame area 420 that is provided around the operation area 410 and does not accept input of operation information by the user.

[0070] In the operation area 410, transparent wiring (not shown) formed of, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is provided, and the above-mentioned Q×R number of sensors Ts are provided in a matrix shape with the x direction as a third direction and the y direction as a fourth direction. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 11, in the frame area 420 of the position detection sensor 230, there are detection circuits that electrically connect each of the Q×R number of sensors Ts provided in the operation area 410 to the sensor drive circuit 240. A line 231 is provided. That is, in the frame region 420, wiring is located that propagates a signal detected in the operation region 410 by a user's operation. Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the frame region 420 of the cover glass 270 is colored, for example, black. This makes it possible to clearly notify the user of the boundary between the operation region 410 and the frame region 420. Note that the frame region 420 of the cover glass 270 does not have to be colored, and may be colored a color other than black.

[0071] In the touch sensor 400 configured as described above, it is generally required to make the frame area 420 as narrow as possible from the viewpoint of ensuring a large operation area 410 where the user operates, and from the viewpoint of the design of the panel unit 20. However, if the area of ​​the frame area 420 provided around the operation area 410 is reduced, there is an increased risk of external disturbance noise such as static electricity entering from the edge of the cover glass 270, and as a result, there is an increased risk of the position detection sensor 230 malfunctioning.

[0072] In response to such a problem, in the touch sensor 400 of the present embodiment, the size of the frame region 421 located along the side 401 in the frame region 420 along the x direction is made larger than the size of the frame region 422 located along the side 402 along the x direction, the size of the frame region 421 located along the side 401 along the x direction is made larger than the size of the frame region 423 located along the side 403 along the y direction, and the size of the frame region 421 located along the side 401 along the x direction is made larger than the size of the frame region 424 located along the side 404 along the y direction. That is, the frame region 420 provided along at least one side of the frame region 420 provided around the operation region 410 and not accepting input of operation information by the user is made larger than the frame regions 420 provided along the other sides. This reduces the risk that the area of ​​operation region 410 will become small, while reducing the risk that external disturbance noise such as static electricity will enter from the vicinity of side 401.

[0073] Here, frame region 421 is an example of a first frame region, frame region 422 is an example of a second frame region, frame region 423 is an example of a third frame region, and frame region 424 is an example of a fourth frame region.

[0074] Returning to FIG. 9, the display panel 220 is located on the +z side of the position detection sensor 230 so that the display surface 227 is on the -z side. Such a display panel 220 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member extending on a plane formed by the x direction and the y direction, and the size of the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 overlaps at least the operation area 410. In addition, in the display panel 220, the entire area of ​​the operation area 410 overlaps with the display surface 227 in the direction along the z direction. That is, the position detection sensor 230 and the display panel 220 are stacked along the z direction. In addition, a cable 291 electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 is electrically connected to the side of the display panel 220 on the -x side.

[0075] In the following description, a configuration in which the touch sensor 400 including the position detection sensor 230 and the display panel 220 are stacked along the z direction is referred to as a touch panel 500. In this embodiment, as described above, the position detection sensor 230 is a capacitance type sensor. That is, the touch sensor 400 in this embodiment is a capacitance type touch sensor, and the touch panel 500 including the touch sensor 400, which is a capacitance type touch sensor, and the display panel 220 is a capacitance type touch panel. That is, the touch sensor 400 of the panel unit 20 of this embodiment is a configuration in which the position detection sensor 230 and the cover glass 270 are stacked, and the touch panel 500 is a configuration in which the position detection sensor 230, the cover glass 270, and the display panel 220 are stacked.

[0076] The panel circuit board 200 is located on the +z side of the display panel 220. A panel control circuit 201 included in the panel circuit board 200 controls the operation of the touch panel 500 including the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230. Specifically, the panel circuit board 200 is electrically connected to the display panel 220 via a cable 291, and is also electrically connected to the position detection sensor 230 via a cable 292. The panel control circuit 201 provided on the panel circuit board 200 controls the operation of the display panel 220 via the cable 291, and also controls the operation of the position detection sensor 230 via the cable 292.

[0077] The display circuit board 250 is located on the -x side of the panel circuit board 200. Three light-emitting elements 251 are provided on the -z side surface of the display circuit board 250. The switch circuit board 260 is located on the -x side of the panel circuit board 200, and on the -y side of the display circuit board 250. A switch 261 is provided on the -z side surface of the switch circuit board 260. The display circuit board 250 is electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 via a cable 293, and the switch circuit board 260 is electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 via a cable 294.

[0078] The panel housing 280 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a storage space 289 with one surface on the -z side being open, and is configured with a forming member molded from, for example, resin or the like. The storage space 289 of the panel housing 280 stores the above-mentioned touch panel 500, panel circuit board 200, display circuit board 250, and switch circuit board 260. In this case, the cover glass 270 of the touch panel 500 is provided so as to cover the open surface of the storage space 289.

[0079] Here, a description will be given of the structure of the panel unit 20 in a state in which the position detection sensor 230, the display panel 220, the panel circuit board 200, the display circuit board 250, and the switch circuit board 260 are stored in the panel housing 280. Fig. 12 is a diagram of the panel unit 20 as viewed from the -z side, Fig. 13 is a diagram of the panel unit 20 as viewed from the -x side, and Fig. 14 is a diagram of the panel unit 20 as viewed from the +y side.

[0080] 12, the touch sensor 400 is stored in the panel housing 280 such that the sides 401 and 402 are positioned opposite each other along the x direction, with the side 401 on the -x side and the side 402 on the +x side, and the sides 403 and 404 are positioned opposite each other along the y direction, with the side 403 on the -y side and the side 404 on the +y side. In other words, the touch sensor 400 is stored in the panel housing 280 such that the frame regions 421 and 422 are positioned opposite each other along the x direction, with the frame region 421 on the -x side and the frame region 422 on the +x side, and the frame regions 423 and 424 are positioned opposite each other along the y direction, with the frame region 423 on the -y side and the frame region 424 on the +y side.

[0081] 12, panel housing 280 includes housing side 281 including a side extending along side 401 of touch sensor 400 to be stored, housing side 282 including a side extending along side 402 of touch sensor 400 to be stored, housing side 283 including a side extending along side 403 of touch sensor 400 to be stored, and housing side 284 including a side extending along side 404 of touch sensor 400 to be stored. In other words, storage space 289 of panel housing 280 is configured to include at least housing sides 281, 282, 283, 284.

[0082] 12, the size of the housing side 281 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 along the x direction is larger than the size of the housing side 282 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 along the x direction. The size of housing side portion 283 in the direction from side 403 to side 404 and along the y direction is smaller than the size of housing side portion 281 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 and along the x direction, and the size of housing side portion 282 in the direction from side 403 to side 404 and along the y direction is smaller than the size of housing side portion 281 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 and along the x direction. In other words, the size of housing side portion 281 located along the largest frame region 421 of frame region 420 of touch sensor 400 is larger than the size of each of housing sides 282, 283, and 284.

[0083] Here, housing side 281 is an example of a first side, housing side 282 is an example of a second side, housing side 283 is an example of a third side, and housing side 284 is an example of a fourth side.

[0084] 13 and 14, in the panel unit 20, an attachment part AR is provided in the center of the bottom surface 285 of the panel housing 280 located opposite the cover glass 270. Specifically, the attachment part AR is a protrusion that is located in the center of the panel housing 280 in the direction along the x direction from the side 401 toward the side 402 in the panel unit 20 having the panel housing 280 in which the touch sensor 400 is stored, and extends along the y direction. This attachment part AR is rotatably attached to the housing 170, so that the panel unit 20 is rotatably attached to the printing unit 10. That is, the panel unit 20 is rotatably attached to the printing unit 10 at the center of the panel housing 280 in the direction from the side 401 toward the side 402.

[0085] Here, the position of the mounting portion AR at the center of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 along the x direction preferably means that, when the panel unit 20 is viewed along the z direction, at least a part of the mounting portion AR is positioned so as to overlap with a point where the distance between the -x side side and the +x side side of the panel housing 280 is equal, but it is sufficient that the mounting portion AR is positioned at least in the area between a first virtual line where the distance between the -x side side and the +x side side of the panel housing 280 is equal and the distance between the -x side side of the panel housing 280 and the +x side side of the panel housing 280 is equal, and a second virtual line where the distance between the -x side side and the +x side side of the panel housing 280 is equal and the distance between the +x side side of the panel housing 280 and the +x side side of the panel housing 280 is equal.

[0086] In other words, the center of panel housing 280 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 along the x direction means the region between the above-mentioned first virtual straight line and the above-mentioned second virtual straight line.

[0087] The panel unit 20 and the printing unit 10 are electrically connected by inserting a cable 210 through the inside of the mounting part AR. That is, the panel circuit board 200 and the main circuit board 110 are electrically connected by the cable 210, which is a wiring that passes through the inside of the mounting part AR where the panel unit 20 is rotatably attached to the printing unit 10.

[0088] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a display window 286 and an operation switch 287 are provided on a housing side portion 281 of the panel housing 280.

[0089] The display window 286 is a light-transmitting resin member, for example, transparent or milky white, and is located on the +y side of the housing side portion 281 so that at least a portion of it is visible when the panel unit 20 is viewed from the -z side along the z direction. A light-emitting element 251 of a display circuit board 250 stored in the panel housing 280 is located in a storage space 289 of the panel housing 280 in which the display window 286 is located. When the light-emitting element 251 turns on, off, or blinks in accordance with the operating state of the printing device 1, the light generated by the light-emitting element 251 passes through the display window 286 and is transmitted to the panel. This is reported to the outside of the unit 20.

[0090] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section of the panel unit 20 when the panel unit 20 is cut through the display window 286 and the light emitting element 251, and is a diagram showing the Aa cross section of FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 15, the display circuit board 250 is located near the side surface on the -x side of the panel housing 280, and at least a part of it is located inside the housing side part 281. The display window 286 is provided on the side surface on the -x side of the housing side part 281, corresponding to the light emitting element 251, and at least a part of it is provided so as to be visible from the -z side. This allows the user to recognize the lighting, extinguishing, or blinking of the light emitting element 251 through the display window 286, and to grasp the operating state of the printing device 1 notified by the lighting, extinguishing, or blinking of the light emitting element 251. That is, when the panel unit 20 is viewed from a direction along the normal direction of the touch sensor 400, the display window 286 and the light emitting element 251 are provided at a position where the display content can be visible. As a result, even if the panel unit 20 is rotatable, the user can grasp the operating state of the printing device 1 based on the lighting, extinguishing, or blinking of the light-emitting element 251. In other words, the display circuit board 250 is electrically connected to the main circuit board 110 of the printing unit 10 via the panel circuit board 200.

[0091] Here, in FIG. 15, it has been described that the display circuit board 250 having the light-emitting element 251 and the panel circuit board 200 are connected by a cable 293, but the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 may be electrically connected by a BtoB (Board to Board) connector, which is a connector that directly connects the circuit boards to each other.

[0092] 15, when the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 are electrically connected by wiring such as a flexible flat cable, the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 can be connected in a space-saving manner, but on the other hand, a positional deviation may occur in the arrangement of the display circuit board 250, and as a result, a sufficient amount of light may not be extracted from the display window 286. In contrast, when the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 are electrically connected by a BtoB connector, the arrangement of the display circuit board 250 provided with the light emitting element 251 is uniquely determined based on the arrangement of the panel circuit board 200, and as a result, the risk of a positional deviation occurring in the arrangement of the display circuit board 250 is reduced.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 are described as being different boards, but the display circuit board 250 and the panel circuit board 200 may be the same board.

[0094] 12 and 13, when the panel unit 20 is viewed from the -z side along the z direction and viewed from a direction along the normal direction of the touch sensor 400, the operation switch 287 is located at an end of the panel housing 280 and on a side of the panel housing 280 extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the display surface 227 of the display panel 220. When the user operates the operation switch 287, the switch 261 of the switch circuit board 260 is operated, and thereby operation information of the user is input to the panel unit 20.

[0095] 16 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section of the panel unit 20 when the panel unit 20 is cut so as to pass the operation switch 287 and the switch 261, and is a diagram showing the Bb cross section of FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 16, the switch circuit board 260 is located near the -x side surface of the panel housing 280, with at least a portion of it located inside the housing side part 281. Also, the operation switch 287 is in contact with the switch 261 inside the housing side part 281. As a result, when the user presses the operation switch 287, the switch 261 is pressed in conjunction with the pressing of the operation switch 287. Then, a switch control signal SU of a logical level generated when the switch 261 is pressed is transmitted to the power supply 210 via the cable 294. The signal is then supplied to the panel control circuit 201. As a result, the printing device 1 starts a predetermined operation in response to the user pressing the operation switch 287.

[0096] In addition, the touch sensor 400 and the panel circuit board 200 are electrically connected by a cable 292 between the display circuit board 250 and the switch circuit board 260, near the housing side part 281, which is the end part of the panel housing 280.

[0097] 17 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section of the panel unit 20 when the panel unit 20 is cut so as to pass through the cable 292, and is a diagram showing the Cc cross section of FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 17, the cable 292 is near the side surface on the -x side of the panel housing 280, and at least a part of the cable 292 is curved inside the housing side part 281, thereby electrically connecting the touch sensor 400 and the panel circuit board 200, which are provided by stacking them. In other words, the cable 292 is located between the light emitting element 251 and the switch 261 in the direction along the side 401 of the panel unit 20, and is curved to electrically connect the touch sensor 400 and the panel circuit board 200.

[0098] In this case, sensor driving circuit 240 mounted on cable 292 by COF is mounted on the outer periphery of curved cable 292, and metal plate 241 is located in an area facing sensor driving circuit 240 mounted on cable 292 by COF, on the inner periphery of curved cable 292. When detection signal VSS generated by an object such as a finger or pen touching touch sensor 400 is input to sensor driving circuit 240, sensor driving circuit 240 generates touch position signal ISS based on detection signal VSS and outputs it to sensor control circuit 214 included in panel control circuit 201.

[0099] As described above, at least a portion of the display circuit board 250 having the light-emitting element 251, the switch circuit board 260 having the switch 261, and the cable 292 electrically connecting the touch sensor 400 and the panel circuit board 200 are provided on the housing side 281 of the panel housing 280, and are positioned in the order of switch circuit board 260, cable 292, and display circuit board 250 along the side 401 of the touch sensor 400, in the y direction that is the direction from side 403 to side 404.

[0100] One side of switch circuit board 260 is located along housing side 283 of panel housing 280, one side of display circuit board 250 is located along housing side 284 of panel housing 280, and cable 292 is located in the center of panel housing 280 in the direction from housing side 283 to housing side 284. In other words, cable 292 is located in the center of panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 to side 404, switch circuit board 260 is located closer to side 403 than cable 292, and display circuit board 250 is located closer to side 404 than cable 292.

[0101] As described above, by arranging the switch circuit board 260, the cable 292, and the display circuit board 250 in the order of switch circuit board 260, cable 292, and display circuit board 250 along the housing side portion 281 of the panel housing 280, it is possible to provide the operation switch 287 operated by the user and the display window 286 for notifying the user of information at a distance. This reduces the risk that the user will mistakenly recognize the operation switch 287 for the display window 286, improving the usability of the printing device 1.

[0102] Furthermore, a cable 292 is disposed between the switch circuit board 260 and the display circuit board 250, the switch circuit board 260 is disposed near the side 403 and near the housing side part 283, the display circuit board 250 is disposed near the side 404 and near the housing side part 284, and the cable 292 is disposed in the center of the panel housing 280 in the direction from the housing side part 283 toward the housing side part 284. Arranging them in the center reduces mutual interference of signals between the switch circuit board 260, the display circuit board 250, and the cable 292. As a result, the risk of malfunction of the panel unit 20 and the printing device 1 is reduced.

[0103] As described above, the panel unit 20 includes the display panel 220, the touch sensor 400 formed by stacking the position detection sensor 230 and the cover glass 270, the panel circuit board 200 electrically connected to the touch sensor 400, a cable 292 electrically connecting the touch sensor 400 and the panel circuit board 200, a light-emitting element 251 electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 and displaying the operating state of the printing unit 10, a switch 261 electrically connected to the panel circuit board 200 and starting up the printing unit 10, and a panel housing 280 that stores the touch sensor 400, the panel circuit board 200, and the cable 292.

[0104] The panel unit 20 configured as above is attached to the printing unit 10 so that the side 401 of the touch sensor 400 is located on the -X side and the side 402 of the touch sensor 400 is located on the +X side in the attachment state α in which the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 extend along a plane formed by the X direction, which is the front-rear direction of the printing device 1, and the Y direction, which is the left-right direction of the printing device 1. Also, in the attachment state β in which the display surface 227 of the display panel 220 and the position detection sensor 230 extend along a plane formed by the Y direction, which is the left-right direction of the printing device 1, and the Z direction, which is the up-down direction of the printing device 1 and the vertical direction, the panel unit 20 is attached to the printing unit 10 so that the side 401 of the touch sensor 400 is located on the +Z side and the side 402 of the touch sensor 400 is located on the -Z side. That is, when the panel unit 20 is in the attachment state β, the touch sensor 400 included in the touch panel 500 is arranged so that the side 401 is lower than the side 402 in the direction along the vertical direction. As a result, of the frame area 420 of the touch sensor 400 that is provided around the operation area 410 and does not accept input of operation information by the user, the widest frame area 421 is located on the -X side in the mounting state α and on the +Z side in the mounting state β.

[0105] 5, when a user operates the panel unit 20, the user usually operates the panel unit 20 while positioned in front of the panel unit 20 and on the -X side of the printing device 1. That is, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, when the panel unit 20 is in the attached state β, the touch sensor 400 included in the touch panel 500 is disposed such that the side 401 is lower than the side 402 in the vertical direction, and thus the widest frame area 421 of the frame area 420 that is provided around the operation area 410 of the touch sensor 400 and does not accept input of operation information by the user is positioned closest to the user.

[0106] When a user operates the panel unit 20, the user's clothing, the ball of the little finger, the ball of the foot, etc., may come into unintentional contact with the panel unit 20 at the end of the panel unit 20 on the user's side, which generates static electricity and other disturbance noise in the panel unit 20. In particular, when the user operates the panel unit 20, there is a high possibility that unintentional contact will occur between the user and the panel unit 20 at the end of the panel unit 20 on the user's side, and therefore the possibility of static electricity and other disturbance noise being generated at the end of the panel unit 20 on the user's side is higher than at other ends. By making the size of the frame area 420 located along the user-side end where external noise such as static electricity is likely to occur larger than the size of the frame area 420 located along the other end, even if static electricity occurs in the panel unit 20 and enters the inside of the panel unit 20 through the gap between the cover glass 270 and the panel housing 280, a sufficient distance can be secured between the gap and the sensor Ts of the position detection sensor 230, thereby reducing the risk of malfunction of the panel unit 20 and the printing device 1 due to external noise such as static electricity.

[0107] In particular, when the diagonal size of the touch sensor 400 of the panel unit 20 is 10 inches or more, the size of the short side of the touch sensor 400 is 120 mm or more, which increases the possibility of unintended contact between the user and the panel unit 20. However, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, by making the size of the frame area 420 located along the end of the panel unit 20 on the user side where disturbance noise such as static electricity is likely to occur larger than the size of the frame area 420 located along the other end, it is possible to reduce the risk of malfunction of the panel unit 20 due to disturbance noise such as static electricity even if the diagonal size of the touch sensor 400 of the panel unit 20 is a large screen of 10 inches or more.

[0108] 4. Effects As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, in the panel unit 20 rotatably attached to the printing unit 10, in an attachment state β in which the angle between the horizontal direction and the normal direction to the touch sensor 400 is smaller than the angle between the vertical direction and the normal direction to the touch sensor 400, the size of the frame region 421 extending along the lower side 401 is made larger than the size of the frame region 422 extending along the upper side 402 in the attachment state β. In other words, the size of the frame region 421 located on the side of the operator who operates the panel unit 20 attached to the printing device 1 is made larger than the size of the frame region 422 located on the side away from the operator.

[0109] When an operator operates the panel unit 20, there is a high possibility that the operator's clothing, the ball of the little finger, the ball of the foot, etc. will unintentionally come into contact with the panel unit 20 in the area of ​​the panel unit 20 on the operator's side, which increases the risk of static electricity and other disturbance noise occurring in the area of ​​the panel unit 20 on the operator's side. In response to this problem, the size of the frame area 421 located on the side of the operator operating the panel unit 20 attached to the printing device 1 is made larger than the size of the frame area 422 located on the side away from the operator, thereby reducing the risk of the printing device 1 malfunctioning due to the influence of static electricity and other disturbance noise, even when a large panel unit 20 is provided, from the perspective of providing a printing device 1 with excellent usability.

[0110] Furthermore, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the size of frame region 423 located along side 403 in frame region 420 in the y direction from side 403 to side 404 is smaller than the size of frame region 421 in the x direction from side 401 to side 402, and the size of frame region 424 located along side 404 in frame region 420 in the y direction from side 403 to side 404 is smaller than the size of frame region 421 in the x direction from side 401 to side 402. That is, the size of frame region 421 located on the operator side, which is susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be made the largest in panel unit 20, and frame regions 422, 423, and 424 located away from the operator side, which is less susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be made smaller. This makes it possible to ensure a large operation area 410 on the panel unit 20 where the user can operate, and also to reduce the risk of malfunction of the printing device 1 due to the influence of external disturbance noise such as static electricity.

[0111] Furthermore, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, by making the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 of housing side portion 281 located along side 401 larger than the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 401 to side 402 of housing side portion 282 located along side 402, the size being in the direction from side 401 to side 402, the size being in the direction of x, it is possible to secure an even larger area on the user side of panel unit 20, and to reduce the risk of disturbance noise such as static electricity. This can further reduce the risk of malfunction of the printing device 1 due to the influence of the noise.

[0112] Furthermore, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 toward side 404 of housing side part 283 located along side 403 is smaller than the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 toward side 404 of housing side part 281 in the x direction, and the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 toward side 404 of housing side part 284 located along side 404 is smaller than the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 toward side 404 of housing side part 281 in the x direction, and the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 403 toward side 404 of housing side part 284 is smaller than the size of the panel housing 280 in the direction from side 401 toward side 402 of housing side part 281 in the x direction. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of the panel unit 20 becoming larger due to the large operation area 410 operated by the user being secured, and This can reduce the risk of malfunction of the printing device 1 due to the influence of external noise such as static electricity.

[0113] Furthermore, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, even if the touch sensor 400 of the panel unit 20 is enlarged, the risk of the printing device 1 malfunctioning due to the influence of external noise such as static electricity can be reduced. Therefore, from the perspective of improving usability, even if the printing device 1 is equipped with a large touch panel 500 in which the diagonal size of the touch sensor 400 is 10 inches or more, the risk of the printing device 1 malfunctioning due to the influence of external noise such as static electricity can be reduced.

[0114] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined.

[0115] The present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations with the same functions, methods and results, or configurations with the same purpose and effect). The present invention also includes configurations in which non-essential parts of the configurations described in the embodiments are replaced. The present invention also includes configurations that achieve the same effects as the configurations described in the embodiments or that can achieve the same purpose. The present invention also includes configurations in which publicly known technology is added to the configurations described in the embodiments.

[0116] The following can be derived from the above-described embodiment.

[0117] One aspect of the printing device is The printing apparatus includes a printing unit that prints on a medium, and a panel unit into which operation information for operating the printing unit is input, the printing unit includes a printing mechanism that executes a printing operation in response to the operation information, and a main circuit board having a processor that controls the operation of the panel unit and controls the operation of the printing mechanism based on the operation information; the panel unit includes a display panel, a capacitive touch sensor in which a position detection sensor and a cover glass are laminated, a panel circuit board electrically connected to the capacitive touch sensor, and a panel housing that houses the display panel, the capacitive touch sensor, and the panel circuit board; the capacitive touch sensor includes a first side, a second side facing the first side, a third side intersecting both the first side and the second side, and a fourth side facing the third side; the panel unit is attached to the printing unit so as to be rotatable between a first attachment state and a second attachment state; In the first mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is larger than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; In the second mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is smaller than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; When the panel unit is in the second mounting state, the capacitive touch sensor is disposed such that the first side is lower than the second side in a vertical direction, the capacitive touch sensor includes an operation area that accepts input of the operation information, and a frame area that is provided around the operation area and does not accept the input of the operation information; Within the frame region, the size of a first frame region located along the first side in a direction from the first side to the second side is greater than the size of a second frame region located along the second side in a direction from the first side to the second side.

[0118] According to this printing device, in the second mounting state in which the angle between the horizontal direction and the normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is smaller than the angle between the vertical direction and the normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor, the size of the first frame area located below in the vertical direction is made larger than the size of the second frame area located above in the vertical direction, so that the frame area located on the operator side, which is susceptible to the influence of external noise such as static electricity, can be secured to be wide. This reduces the risk of external noise such as static electricity penetrating into the panel unit. Therefore, even when a printing device with excellent usability is provided by enlarging the touch sensor of the panel unit, it is possible to reduce the risk of malfunction of the printing device due to external noise such as static electricity.

[0119] In one aspect of the printing device, a size of a third frame region located along the third side in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first frame region in a direction from the first side to the second side; Of the frame regions, a size of a fourth frame region located along the fourth side in a direction from the third side to the fourth side may be smaller than a size of the first frame region in a direction from the first side to the second side.

[0120] According to this printing device, the size of the first frame area located on the operator side, which is susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be secured to be the largest in the panel unit. This allows the second frame area, the third frame area, and the fourth frame area, which are located away from the operator side, which is less susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, to be made smaller. As a result, a large operation area for the user to operate can be secured in the panel unit, and the risk of malfunction of the printing device due to disturbance noise such as static electricity can be reduced. In other words, usability can be further improved, and the risk of malfunction of the printing device due to disturbance noise such as static electricity can be reduced.

[0121] In one aspect of the printing device, the panel housing includes a first side portion located along the first edge and a second side portion located along the second edge, A size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side may be larger than a size of the second side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side.

[0122] According to this printing device, the first side of the panel unit, which is located on the operator side and is susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be made wide. In other words, the area located on the operator side, which is susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be made wide. This further reduces the risk of disturbance noise such as static electricity penetrating into the panel unit.

[0123] In one aspect of the printing device, the panel housing includes a third side portion located along the third edge and a fourth side portion located along the fourth edge, a size of the third side portion in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side; A size of the fourth side portion in a direction from the third side to the fourth side may be smaller than a size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side.

[0124] According to this printing device, the third side portion and the fourth side portion, which are located away from the operator and are less susceptible to disturbance noise such as static electricity, can be made small. This reduces the risk of the panel unit becoming larger due to ensuring a large operation area for the user to operate, and also reduces the risk of the printing device malfunctioning due to disturbance noise such as static electricity.

[0125] In one aspect of the printing device, The diagonal size of the capacitive touch sensor may be 10 inches or more.

[0126] This printing device reduces the risk of malfunction of the printing device due to the effects of external noise disturbances such as static electricity, making it possible to provide a printing device with stable operation and excellent usability, even if the capacitive touch sensor is large, at 10 inches or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1...printing device, 10...printing unit, 20...panel unit, 30...wireless communication unit, 31...NFC module, 32...WiFi module, 100...relay circuit board, 101...signal conversion circuit, 110...main circuit board, 111...main control circuit, 120...head circuit board, 121...head control circuit, 122...drive circuit, 130...ejection head, 140...medium transport control unit, 141...medium storage section, 142, 143, 144...transport roller, 149...medium discharge tray, 150...transport motor, 160...printing mechanism, 170...housing, 191, 192, 193, 194...cable, 200...panel circuit board, 201...panel control circuit, 210...cable, 212...display control circuit, 214...sensor control circuit, 220...display panel, 221...pixel section, 222...pixel drive section, 223...scanning line drive circuit , 224... data line driving circuit, 225... scanning line, 226... data line, 227... display surface, 230... position detection sensor, 231... detection line, 240... sensor driving circuit, 241... metal plate, 250... display circuit board, 251... light emitting element, 260... switch circuit board, 261... switch, 270... cover glass, 280... panel housing, 281, 282, 283, 284... housing side, 285... bottom, 286... front display window, 287...operation switch, 289...storage space, 291, 292, 293, 294, 310, 320...cable, 400...touch sensor, 401, 402, 403, 404...side, 410...operation area, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424...frame area, 500...touch panel, AR...mounting portion, PA...printing area, Px...pixel, RM...movable range, Ts...sensor, α...mounting state, β...mounting state

Claims

1. The printing apparatus includes a printing unit that prints on a medium, and a panel unit into which operation information for operating the printing unit is input, the printing unit includes a printing mechanism that executes a printing operation in response to the operation information, and a main circuit board having a processor that controls the operation of the panel unit and controls the operation of the printing mechanism based on the operation information; the panel unit includes a display panel, a capacitive touch sensor in which a position detection sensor and a cover glass are laminated, a panel circuit board electrically connected to the capacitive touch sensor, and a panel housing that houses the display panel, the capacitive touch sensor, and the panel circuit board; the capacitive touch sensor includes a first side, a second side facing the first side, a third side intersecting both the first side and the second side, and a fourth side facing the third side; the panel unit is attached to the printing unit so as to be rotatable between a first attachment state and a second attachment state; In the first mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is larger than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; In the second mounting state, an angle between a horizontal direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor is smaller than an angle between a vertical direction and a normal direction of the capacitive touch sensor; When the panel unit is in the second mounting state, the capacitive touch sensor is disposed such that the first side is lower than the second side in a vertical direction, the capacitive touch sensor includes an operation area that accepts input of the operation information, and a frame area that is provided around the operation area and does not accept the input of the operation information; a size of a first frame region located along the first side in a direction from the first side to the second side in the frame region is larger than a size of a second frame region located along the second side in the frame region in a direction from the first side to the second side; A printing device comprising:

2. a size of a third frame region located along the third side in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first frame region in a direction from the first side to the second side; a size of a fourth frame region located along the fourth side in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first frame region in a direction from the first side to the second side; 2. The printing device according to claim 1.

3. the panel housing includes a first side portion located along the first edge and a second side portion located along the second edge, a size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side is larger than a size of the second side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side; 2. The printing device according to claim 1.

4. the panel housing includes a third side portion located along the third edge and a fourth side portion located along the fourth edge, a size of the third side portion in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side; a size of the fourth side portion in a direction from the third side to the fourth side is smaller than a size of the first side portion in a direction from the first side to the second side; 4. The printing device according to claim 3.

5. The diagonal size of the capacitive touch sensor is 10 inches or more.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second printing units are arranged in a first direction.

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