Inkjet printer

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer which prevents interference of communication by noise generated from wiring for signal transmission.SOLUTION: An inkjet printer (1) includes: a housing (10); a first control substrate (100); a carriage (31) reciprocating in a scanning direction; a head (32) having a plurality of nozzles (33); a transmission antenna (110) for transmitting a discharge signal for controlling discharge of the ink by short-range radio communication; and a receiving antenna (30) that is arranged on the carriage (31) and receives the discharge signal from the transmission antenna (110). A communication range of the short-range radio communication is narrower than a size of the housing (10).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to inkjet printers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in an inkjet printer, ejection control data for controlling the ejection of ink from the nozzles is transmitted to the inkjet head from a control board provided in the printer body via wiring such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable).

[0003] For example, in the inkjet printer of Patent Document 1, the control board transmits ejection control data signals to the inkjet head through a signal transmission FFC, while the control board supplies power to the inkjet through another FFC. A tube for supplying ink is placed between the two FFCs to prevent noise emitted from the signal transmission FFC from adversely affecting the other FFC, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-193184 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, for example, when attempting to send large volumes of ejection control data from the control board to the inkjet head at high speed, there is a problem in that the noise generated from the FFC used for signal transmission becomes large, which can cause communication interference.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer that prevents interference with communications due to noise generated from signal transmission wiring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, an inkjet printer according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing, a first control board arranged in the housing, a carriage that reciprocates in a scanning direction intersecting a transport direction of a recording medium, a head mounted on the carriage and having a plurality of nozzles, a transmitting antenna connected to the first control board and transmitting, via short-range wireless communication, a discharge signal that controls the discharge of ink from the plurality of nozzles based on an instruction from the first control board, and a receiving antenna arranged on the carriage and receiving the discharge signal from the transmitting antenna. A communication range of the short-range wireless communication is narrower than the size of the housing.

[0008] According to the inkjet printer having the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to control the ejection of ink from the nozzles by transmitting an ejection signal from the transmitting antenna connected to the first control board to the receiving antenna arranged on the carriage via short-range wireless communication. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for signal transmission wiring for transmitting the ejection signal. This makes it possible to prevent communication interference caused by noise generated from the signal transmission wiring. Furthermore, by making the communication range of the short-range wireless communication narrower than the size of the housing, it is possible to reduce power consumption compared to the case of using an antenna with a wide communication range. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to an inkjet printer according to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent interference with communication caused by noise generated from signal transmission wiring. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment, as viewed from above. [Diagram 3]1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a communication range of a transmission antenna of the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of control by a first control board of the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a timing chart showing an example of the relationship between the paper transport speed, the carriage movement speed, and the amount of ejection data transmitted in the inkjet printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an inkjet printer according to a second embodiment, as viewed from above. [Figure 8] 10 is a timing chart showing an example of the relationship between the paper transport speed, the carriage movement speed, and the amount of ejection data transmitted in an inkjet printer according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [Embodiment 1] An inkjet printer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment as viewed from above. For ease of explanation, the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and left-right direction of the inkjet printer 1 are defined as shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0012] The inkjet printer 1 is a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having multiple functions such as a scan function, a print function, a copy function, and a fax function. The inkjet printer 1 has a print function of an inkjet recording method in which print data is recorded on paper P, which is an example of a recording medium, by ejecting ink. Note that the paper P is not limited to a paper medium, and may also be a resin medium such as an overhead projector sheet. The inkjet printer 1 may also be a printer having only a print function.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inkjet printer 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped housing 10, a feed tray 21, an output tray 22, a feed roller 23, a conveying path R, conveying rollers 60 and 62 which are an example of a conveying section, and an image recording section 3.

[0014] The feed tray 21 is a box-shaped tray with an open top, and is disposed in an opening formed in the front of the inkjet printer 1 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Paper P is stored in the feed tray 21. The paper P is, for example, a standard A4 size paper. The discharge tray 22 is disposed above the feed tray 21. The discharge tray 22 supports the paper P discharged by the transport rollers 62.

[0015] The feed roller 23 is a member for feeding the paper P stored in the feed tray 21 to the transport path R. It is rotatably supported at the tip of the feed arm 24. The feed arm 24 is rotatably supported on a shaft 25 supported on the frame of the inkjet printer 1. The feed arm 24 is urged to rotate toward the feed tray 21 by its own weight or the elastic force of a spring or the like.

[0016] The transport path R refers to a space formed by guide member 51, guide member 52, image recording unit 3, guide member 53, guide member 54, etc. The transport path R extends upward from the rear end of the feed tray 21, curves in the area defined by guide members 51 and 52, passes through the position of the image recording unit 3, extends linearly in the area defined by guide members 53 and 54, and reaches the discharge tray 22.

[0017] A transport roller 60 is disposed on the transport path R upstream of the image recording unit 3 in the transport direction. A pinch roller 61 is disposed at a position facing the lower part of the transport roller 60. The transport roller 60 is driven by a transport motor 108 shown in FIG. 3. The pinch roller 61 rotates with the rotation of the transport roller 60. As the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 rotate forward, the paper P is sandwiched between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 and transported to the image recording unit 3 on the transport path R. The transport direction refers to the direction in which the paper P is discharged.

[0018] 1, a transport roller 62 is disposed downstream of the image recording unit 3 in the transport direction on the transport path R. A spur roller 63 is disposed in a position facing the upper part of the transport roller 62. The transport roller 62 is driven by a transport motor 108. The spur roller 63 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 62. As the transport roller 62 and the spur roller 63 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P is sandwiched between the transport roller 62 and the spur roller 63 and discharged to the discharge tray 22.

[0019] The transport roller 60 is provided with a rotary encoder 111 that detects the rotation of the transport roller 60 (see FIG. 3). The rotary encoder 111 outputs a pulse signal to the first control board 100 in response to the rotation of the transport roller 60.

[0020] 1, a registration sensor 120 is provided between the conveying roller 60 and the image recording unit 3 on the conveying path R. The registration sensor 120 is a sensor that detects that the paper P passes through the contact position between the paper P and the conveying roller 60. As the registration sensor 120, a sensor having an actuator that swings when the paper P comes into contact with it, an optical sensor, or the like can be used. The registration sensor 120 outputs an ON signal when the paper P passes through the contact position between the paper P and the conveying roller 60, and outputs an OFF signal when the paper P does not pass through the contact position between the paper P and the conveying roller 60. The detection signal by the registration sensor 120 is output to the first control board 100.

[0021] 1, the image recording unit 3 is disposed between a transport roller 60 and a transport roller 62 on the transport path R. The image recording unit 3 includes a carriage 31, a head 32, a plurality of nozzles 33, and a platen .

[0022] A head 32 is mounted on the carriage 31. A plurality of nozzles 33 are provided on the bottom surface of the head 32. The head 32 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33 by vibrating a vibration element such as a piezoelectric element. The platen 34 is a rectangular plate-shaped member on which the paper P is placed. The image recording unit 3 selectively ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33 onto the paper P supported by the platen 34, thereby recording an image based on image data on the paper P.

[0023] 2, the carriage 31 moves back and forth in the width direction of the paper P, i.e., in a scanning direction intersecting the transport direction, along two guide rails 13, 14 extending in the left-right direction on the housing 10. Specifically, the carriage 31 moves back and forth between a standby position HP and an ejection end position EP as shown in FIG. 4 by transmitting the driving force of a carriage motor 109 (see FIG. 3).

[0024] Here, the standby position HP refers to a position for keeping the carriage 31 on standby in a standby state in which ink is not being ejected from the nozzles 33 onto the paper P. In the first embodiment, the standby position HP is disposed on the left outer side in the scanning direction than the passing range of the paper P. Also, the ejection end position EP refers to a position where the recording of one pass' worth of image, which will be described later, ends.

[0025] The carriage 31 is provided with a linear encoder 121. The linear encoder 121 outputs an encoder signal corresponding to the displacement of the carriage 31 in the width direction of the paper P to the first control board 100.

[0026] The linear encoder 121 includes a scale and an optical sensor (not shown). The scale is disposed on the upper surface of the guide rails 13 and 14, and extends in the scanning direction over the movable range of the carriage 31. The scale also has a plurality of transmissive and non-transmissive areas arranged alternately along the scanning direction. The optical sensor is mounted on the carriage 31, and has a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element disposed to sandwich the scale. The light-emitting element emits light toward the light-receiving element. The light-receiving element receives the light emitted from the light-emitting element. The linear encoder 121 detects the position of the carriage 31 in the scanning direction by detecting the transmissive and non-transmissive areas.

[0027] The inkjet printer 1 is also provided with four cartridge mounting sections 15 at the right end in the scanning direction of the housing 10. The four cartridge mounting sections 15 are arranged in the scanning direction. An ink cartridge 16 is removably mounted in each of the four cartridge mounting sections 15. The ink cartridges 16 store black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks, in that order from the cartridge mounting section 15 mounted on the right side in the scanning direction.

[0028] The four ink cartridges 16 and the head 32 are connected by four tubes 43. This allows the ink in the ink cartridges 16 to be supplied to the head 32 via the tubes 43.

[0029] A first control board 100, which will be described later, is disposed on the front left side of the housing 10. To the first control board 100, an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) 40, a harness 41, a cable 42, a harness 44, and the like are connected.

[0030] The FFC 40 is made of a flexible band-shaped member, and connects the first control board 100 and the second control board 200 that controls the ejection of ink from the nozzles 33 of the head 32. The FFC 40 is bent from the left end of the head 32 to the downstream side in the transport direction, and is connected to the first control board 100. A plurality of wirings are formed on the FFC 40. The wirings include, for example, wirings for supplying power to the head 32, wirings for transmitting signals from sensors, and the like.

[0031] The harness 41 and the cable 42 are pulled out from the first control board 100 to the right in the scanning direction, and are routed so as not to overlap with the FFC 40 in a plan view when the carriage 31 moves in the scanning direction. The harness 41 is for connecting the first control board 100 and the scanner 11 (see FIG. 9) of the inkjet printer 1, for example. In addition, the cable 42 includes, for example, a LAN cable for connecting the first control board 100 and the LAN port, and a USB cable for connecting the first control board 100 and the USB port, in the case where the inkjet printer 1 is provided with a LAN port and a USB port.

[0032] 2, a transmitting antenna 110 is disposed on the left side in the scanning direction of the housing 10. The transmitting antenna 110 has a rectangular flat plate-like outer shape, and is a device for transmitting ejection signals for controlling the ejection of ink from each nozzle 33 to the receiving antenna 30. The ejection signals correspond to the image data described above.

[0033] In addition, a receiving antenna 30 is disposed on the front side of the upper surface of the carriage 31. The receiving antenna 30 has a rectangular flat plate-like outer shape, and is a device for receiving a discharge signal from the transmitting antenna 110. Note that the outer shapes of the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 are not limited to a flat plate shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0034] The transmitting antenna 110 is disposed at a position facing the receiving antenna 30 when the carriage 31 is at the standby position HP. Here, the position where the receiving antenna 30 faces the transmitting antenna 110 refers to a position where a surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting antenna 110 faces a surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving antenna 30. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the transmitting antenna 110 extends along the direction in which the receiving antenna 30 extends.

[0035] [Inkjet printer electrical configuration] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the inkjet printer 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the first control board 100 has a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, an EEPROM 104 (registered trademark), an ASIC 105, and a communication circuit 107. The CPU 101, the ROM 102, the RAM 103, the EEPROM 104, and the ASIC 105 are connected by an internal bus 106.

[0036] The ROM 102 stores programs and the like for the CPU 101 to control various operations. The RAM 103 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, and the like used when the CPU 101 executes the programs, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 104 stores setting information that should be retained even after the power is turned off. The first control board 100 controls the head 32, the transport motor 108, the carriage motor 109, and the like based on the control programs read from the ROM 102.

[0037] To the ASIC 105, a conveying motor 108, a carriage motor 109, a transmitting antenna 110, a rotary encoder 111, a registration sensor 120, a communication interface (I / F) 122, and a setting unit 123 are connected.

[0038] The ASIC 105 supplies a drive current to the carry motor 108 and the carriage motor 109 via a drive circuit (not shown). The carry motor 108 and the carriage motor 109 are DC motors whose rotation speed increases as the drive current supplied thereto increases and whose rotation speed decreases as the drive current supplied thereto decreases. The first control board 100 controls the rotation of the carry motor 108 and the carriage motor 109 by, for example, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control.

[0039] The first control board 100 also has a communication circuit 107. The communication circuit 107 outputs a discharge signal to the transmitting antenna 110. The receiving antenna 30 receives the discharge signal from the transmitting antenna 110 and outputs the discharge signal to the second control board 200.

[0040] The second control board 200 is disposed on the upper surface of the carriage 31, and has a flat outer shape extending in the transport direction and the scanning direction, i.e., along the upper surface of the carriage 31. The second control board 200 ejects ink droplets from each nozzle 33 by controlling the drive voltage applied to the vibration elements of the head 32 so that an image based on an ejection signal is recorded on the paper P. The image data is stored in a memory provided in the second control board 200.

[0041] The first control board 100 detects the state of the inkjet printer 1 based on signals output from the registration sensor 120, the rotary encoder 111, and the linear encoder 121. Specifically, the first control board 100 estimates the position of the paper P on the transport path R based on a pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 111 after an on signal is output from the registration sensor 120. The first control board 100 also detects the position of the carriage 31 in the width direction of the paper P based on the encoder signal input from the linear encoder 121.

[0042] The communication I / F 122 is connected to a network such as a LAN, and enables connection to an external device incorporating a driver for the inkjet printer 1. The first control board 100 is capable of receiving a print job via the communication I / F 122.

[0043] A setting unit 123 having a display screen is provided on the front surface of the inkjet printer 1. The setting unit 123 is, for example, a touch panel, and is configured to allow a user to perform touch operations to perform various settings related to printing by the inkjet printer 1. Various pieces of information set by the setting unit 123 are input to the first control board 100.

[0044] [Detailed configuration of transmitting and receiving antennas] In the inkjet printer 1 of the first embodiment, ejection signals are transmitted and received between the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 by using Transfer Jet (registered trademark), which is an example of short-distance wireless communication. In communication using Transfer Jet, one device is configured to be able to find another device that approaches within the communication range of the other device. In communication using Transfer Jet, signals are transmitted and received one-to-one between two nearby devices.

[0045] 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a communication range A of the transmitting antenna 110 of the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication range A of the transmitting antenna 110 is set, for example, to a semicircular range with a radius of about 3 cm. Here, the communication range refers to a range in which a signal transmitted from the transmitting antenna 110 can be received by the receiving antenna 30. In other words, the communication distance L, which is a distance over which communication is possible between the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30, is set to about 3 cm. Therefore, in the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the ejection signal can be communicated only when the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 overlap in the left-right direction, i.e., in the scanning direction.

[0046] On the other hand, when the carriage 31 moves away from the standby position HP and the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 no longer overlap in the scanning direction, the ejection signal transmitted from the transmitting antenna 110 is not received by the receiving antenna 30.

[0047] The transmitting antenna 110 can transmit image data at a maximum speed of about 560 Mbps using Transfer Jet. Transfer Jet X may be used instead of Transfer Jet, in which case it is possible to transmit a larger volume of image data at higher speeds than with Transfer Jet.

[0048] [Control flow by the first control board] Next, the flow of control by the first control board 100 in the inkjet printer 1 of embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of control by the first control board 100 of the inkjet printer 1 of embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a timing chart showing an example of the relationship between the transport speed of the paper P, the movement speed of the carriage 31, and the transmission amount of ejection data in the inkjet printer 1 of embodiment 1.

[0049] When the inkjet printer 1 is powered on (see time t=T0 in FIG. 6), the first control board 100 operates. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the first control board 100 first determines whether or not a print job has been received via the communication I / F 122 (S1). If the first control board 100 has not received a print job (S1: NO), it returns to S1.

[0050] When a print job is received (S1: YES), the first control board 100 transports the paper P to the image recording unit 3 and outputs image data for one path to the transmission antenna 110 (S2). Specifically, the first control board 100 drives the transport motor 108 to rotate the feed roller 23 and feed the paper P stored in the feed tray 21 to the transport path R during the time t=T1 to T2 in FIG. 6, and then rotates the transport rollers 60, 62 to transport the paper P to the image recording unit 3.

[0051] Moreover, the first control board 100 outputs image data for one path to the transmitting antenna 110 via the communication circuit 107. In the first embodiment, the first control board 100 starts the communication circuit 107 at the timing when the receiving antenna 30 moves to a position facing the transmitting antenna 110, and instructs the transmitting antenna 110 to transmit a discharge signal to the receiving antenna 30.

[0052] 6 shows a case where the time required to transmit the image data and the time required to transport the paper P are the same, but this is just an example, and the time required to transmit the image data changes depending on the amount of image data. That is, the time required to transmit the image data between the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 becomes longer as the amount of image data increases.

[0053] Upon receiving an instruction from the communication circuit 107, the transmitting antenna 110 uses Transfer Jet to transmit image data for one pass as an ejection signal to the receiving antenna 30. The receiving antenna 30 transmits the received ejection signal to the second control board 200. When the transmission of the ejection signal from the receiving antenna 30 to the second control board 200 is completed, the receiving antenna 30 transmits a notification of completion of signal transmission to the transmitting antenna 110. Here, the image data for one pass refers to the amount of data for one line of an image recorded on the paper P while the carriage 31 moves one way in the scanning direction.

[0054] After S2, the first control board 100 determines whether or not the conveyance of the paper P to the image recording unit 3 and the output of one pass' worth of image data have been completed (S3). Specifically, the first control board 100 determines whether or not the conveyance of the paper P to the image recording unit 3 has been completed based on the detection results of the rotary encoder 111 and the registration sensor 120. The first control board 100 also determines whether or not the output of one pass' worth of image data to the transmitting antenna 110 has been completed by receiving a notification of completion of signal transmission returned from the receiving antenna 30 to the transmitting antenna 110 via the communication circuit 107.

[0055] The first control board 100 proceeds to S4 when the transport of the paper P and the output of the image data for one pass are completed (S3: YES). On the other hand, when the transport of the paper P and the output of the image data for one pass are not completed (S3: NO), the first control board 100 returns to S3.

[0056] In S4, the first control board 100 drives the carriage motor 109 to move the carriage 31 back and forth once in the scanning direction. At this time, the first control board 100 performs an image recording process as described below.

[0057] That is, the first control board 100 drives the carriage motor 109 to move the carriage 31 from the standby position HP to the ejection end position EP (see FIG. 4) during the time t=T2 to T3 shown in FIG. 6, and ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33 onto the paper P, thereby recording an image for one line on the paper P. At this time, the transportation of the paper P is stopped.

[0058] Next, the first control board 100 drives the carriage motor 109 during the time t=T3 to T4 shown in FIG. 6, thereby moving the carriage 31 from the discharge end position EP to the standby position HP.

[0059] Next, the first control board 100 determines whether or not the carriage 31 is at the standby position HP (S5). Specifically, the first control board 100 determines whether or not the carriage 31 is at the standby position HP based on the detection result by the linear encoder 121. If the carriage 31 is at the standby position HP (S5: YES), the first control board 100 proceeds to S6. On the other hand, if the carriage 31 is not at the standby position HP (S5: NO), the first control board 100 returns to S5.

[0060] In S6, the first control board 100 judges whether or not the recording of the image of the final pass is completed (S6). If the recording of the image of the final pass is not completed (S6: NO), the first control board 100 returns to S2, and at time t=T4 to T5 shown in FIG. 6, the first control board 100 rotates the conveying rollers 60, 62 to convey the paper P by one line in the conveying direction, and outputs image data for one pass to the transmitting antenna 110 via the communication circuit 107. Specifically, the first control board 100 instructs the transmitting antenna 110 to transmit a discharge signal to the receiving antenna 30 at the timing when the receiving antenna 30 moves to a position facing the transmitting antenna 110. Thereafter, the first control board 100 repeats S2 to S6 until the recording of the image of the final pass is completed.

[0061] When the recording of the image of the final pass is completed (S6: NO), the first control board 100 rotates the transport rollers 60, 62 to eject the paper P (S7). After S7, the first control board 100 determines whether or not there is a next page (S8). If there is a next page (S8: YES), the process returns to S2, and if there is no next page (S8: NO), the flow shown in FIG. 5 ends.

[0062] According to the inkjet printer 1 of the first embodiment described above, it is possible to control the ejection of ink from the nozzles 33 by transmitting an ejection signal from the transmitting antenna 110 connected to the first control board 100 via the communication circuit 107 to the receiving antenna 30 arranged on the carriage 31 by short-range wireless communication. This makes it possible to eliminate signal transmission wiring for transmitting the ejection signal. This makes it possible to prevent communication interference caused by noise generated from the signal transmission wiring. Furthermore, by making the communication range A of the transmitting antenna 110 narrower than the size of the housing 10, it is possible to reduce power consumption compared to the case of using an antenna with a wide communication range.

[0063] In particular, by using the Transfer Jet communication standard for short-distance wireless communication, a large volume of ejection signals can be transmitted at high speed from the first control board 100 to the head 32 via the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30. Furthermore, the communication distance L of Transfer Jet is shorter than the distance of the reciprocating movement of the carriage 31, specifically set to about 3 cm, so that communication interference can be reliably prevented and the transmitting antenna 110 can be made compact.

[0064] In addition, the flat transmitting antenna 110 is configured to extend in the same direction as the flat receiving antenna 30. This can reduce communication loss when transmitting the ejection signal, compared to when the transmitting antenna 110 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the receiving antenna 30 extends.

[0065] In addition, the communication distance L of the transmitting antenna 110 is set to a distance that allows communication only when the receiving antenna 30 arranged on the carriage 31 overlaps with the transmitting antenna 110 in the scanning direction. This allows the transmitting antenna 110 and the receiving antenna 30 to be made smaller and more energy-efficient.

[0066] Moreover, the first control board 100 can reduce power consumption because the communication circuit 107 is activated only when the receiving antenna 30 comes to a position facing the transmitting antenna 110. Also, by transmitting only the amount of image data for one path from the transmitting antenna 110 to the receiving antenna 30, the amount of image data to be transmitted can be minimized, and the memory capacity mounted on the second control board 200 can be reduced.

[0067] [Embodiment 2] Next, an inkjet printer 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. For ease of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0068] Fig. 7 is a plan view seen from above of the inkjet printer 1A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 8 is a timing chart showing an example of the relationship between the paper transport speed, the movement speed of the carriage 31, and the amount of ejection data transmitted in the inkjet printer 1A according to embodiment 2.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 7, in the inkjet printer 1A of the second embodiment, the transmitting antenna 110 is disposed at a position opposite in the scanning direction to the receiving antenna 30 disposed on the carriage 31 at the standby position HP.

[0070] The first control board 100 is disposed at one of both ends in the left-right direction inside the housing 10, that is, on the left side in FIG. 7. The transmitting antenna 110 is disposed on the left side inside the housing 10, similar to the first control board 100, and is disposed behind the first control board 100. The first control board 100 and the transmitting antenna 110 are connected via a harness 44.

[0071] In the second embodiment, in S4 of Fig. 5, as shown in Fig. 8, after the carriage 31 moves one way from the standby position HP to the discharge end position EP, the paper P is transported a predetermined amount in the transport direction until it returns to the standby position HP, that is, during the time t=T3 to T4'. In other words, the paper P is transported earlier than in the first embodiment. This makes it possible to perform the print process efficiently. In particular, when the time required to transport the paper P is longer than the time required to transmit the image data, the time required for the print process can be shortened.

[0072] In the inkjet printer 1A of the second embodiment described above, the transmitting antenna 110 is disposed on the same side as the first control board 100, that is, on the left side in Fig. 7, of both ends in the left-right direction within the housing 10, and is connected to the first control board 100 via a harness 44. According to this configuration, since the transmitting antenna 110 and the first control board 100 are disposed on the same side in the scanning direction within the housing 10, that is, on the left side in Fig. 7, the length of the harness 44 connecting the first control board 100 and the transmitting antenna 110 can be made shorter than when the transmitting antenna 110 and the first control board 100 are disposed on different sides in the scanning direction.

[0073] [Embodiment 3] Next, an inkjet printer 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. For ease of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0074] 9, in the inkjet printer 1B of the third embodiment, a scanner 11 is disposed on the top of a housing 10. A cover 12 serving as a top plate is rotatably attached to the top of the scanner 11. A transmitting antenna 110 is disposed on the bottom surface of the scanner 11.

[0075] Further, a second control board 200 is disposed on the upper surface of the carriage 31. A receiving antenna 30B formed by a board pattern is disposed on the upper surface of the second control board 200. That is, the receiving antenna 30B is disposed facing the transmitting antenna 110 in the vertical direction with a gap therebetween.

[0076] The inkjet printer 1B of the embodiment 3 described above can also provide the same effects as the inkjet printer 1 of the embodiment 1. In particular, since the receiving antenna 30B is formed by a board pattern arranged on the second control board 200, the second control board 200 and the receiving antenna 30B can be manufactured integrally, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0077] Other embodiments 5, the first control board 100 outputs image data for one path to the transmitting antenna 110. However, this is not limited to this. The first control board 100 may output image data for multiple paths to the transmitting antenna 110.

[0078] For example, the transmitting antenna 110 may transmit image data for two passes as a discharge signal to the receiving antenna 30. In this case, after recording an image for one pass, an image for the second pass may be recorded during the time t=T3 to T4 shown in Fig. 6, that is, while the carriage 31 is moving from the discharge end position EP to the standby position HP. This allows image data for two passes to be transmitted in a single data transmission, thereby speeding up printing.

[0079] Furthermore, the transmitting antenna 110 may transmit image data for two passes to the receiving antenna 30 while the paper P is being transported a predetermined amount in the transport direction, specifically, one line feed amount. In this case, by transmitting image data for two passes during the time t=T4 to T5 shown in FIG. 6, the print processing time can be reduced.

[0080] In the above-described first to third embodiments, Transfer Jet is used as the short-distance wireless communication, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any communication range A of the short-distance wireless communication may be used as long as it is narrower than the size of the housing 10. For example, the communication standard NFC (Near Field Communication) may be used as the short-distance wireless communication. The communication range of NFC is shorter than the distance of reciprocating movement of the carriage 31, and is set to, for example, about 10 cm.

[0081] In the third embodiment described above, the transmitting antenna 110 is arranged on the bottom surface of the scanner 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transmitting antenna 110 may be arranged on the rear surface of the cover 12, for example.

[0082] In addition, in the above-described first to third embodiments, when the carriage 31 is in the standby position HP, the transmitting antenna 110 is disposed in a position facing the receiving antenna 30, but this is not limited thereto. For example, when the carriage 31 is in the standby position HP, a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting antenna 110 may be perpendicular to a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the receiving antenna 30.

[0083] Furthermore, a plurality of transmitting antennas 110 may be arranged at intervals along the scanning direction. In this case, the ejection signal can be transmitted from the plurality of transmitting antennas 110 to the receiving antenna 30, so that the ejection signal can be transmitted to the receiving antenna 30 more reliably.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1, 1A, 1B Inkjet Printer 3. Image Recording Section 10. Chassis 11 Scanner 21 Feeding tray 30, 30B Receiving antenna 31 Carriage 32 Head 33 Nozzle 44 Harness 60, 62 Conveyor roller 100 First control board 107 Communication Circuits 110 Transmitting Antenna 121 Linear Encoder 200 Second control board P Paper A Communication range L Communication distance

Claims

1. A housing and A first control board disposed in the housing; a carriage that reciprocates in a scanning direction that intersects with a conveying direction of the recording medium; a head mounted on the carriage and having a plurality of nozzles; a transmitting antenna connected to the first control board and configured to transmit, via short-range wireless communication, an ejection signal for controlling the ejection of ink from the plurality of nozzles based on an instruction from the first control board; a receiving antenna disposed on the carriage for receiving the ejection signal from the transmitting antenna; a harness connecting the first control board and the transmitting antenna; Equipped with A communication range of the short-range wireless communication is narrower than the size of the housing, The transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna have a flat plate-like outer shape, The transmitting antenna extends in a direction in which the receiving antenna extends, the first control board is disposed at one end of the housing in the scanning direction, The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna is disposed at the one end.

2. A housing and A first control board disposed in the housing; a carriage that reciprocates in a scanning direction that intersects with a conveying direction of the recording medium; a head mounted on the carriage and having a plurality of nozzles; a transmitting antenna connected to the first control board and configured to transmit, via short-range wireless communication, an ejection signal for controlling the ejection of ink from the plurality of nozzles based on an instruction from the first control board; a receiving antenna disposed on the carriage for receiving the ejection signal from the transmitting antenna; a second control board that is disposed on the carriage and that controls the ejection of the ink from the nozzles based on the ejection signal received by the receiving antenna; Equipped with A communication range of the short-range wireless communication is narrower than the size of the housing, The transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna have a flat plate-like outer shape, The transmitting antenna extends in a direction in which the receiving antenna extends, the second control board has a flat plate-like outer shape along a surface extending in the transport direction and the scanning direction, the receiving antenna is formed by a board pattern disposed along the second control board, The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting antenna is disposed at a distance from the receiving antenna in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the scanning direction.

3. 3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein a communication distance of the short-distance wireless communication is shorter than a distance of the reciprocating movement of the carriage.

4. 4. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the communication standard for the short-distance wireless communication is Transfer Jet (registered trademark) or Transfer Jet X.

5. 5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein a communication distance of the short-distance wireless communication is a distance that enables communication only when the carriage overlaps with the transmitting antenna in the scanning direction.

6. The first control board is a communication circuit that communicates with the transmitting antenna and outputs the discharge signal; 6. The ink jet printer according to claim 5, wherein the communication circuit is activated when the receiving antenna moves to a position facing the transmitting antenna.

7. When the image data recorded on the recording medium by one one-way movement of the carriage in the reciprocating movement is image data for one pass, 7. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting antenna transmits image data for a plurality of passes as the ejection signal to the receiving antenna.

8. 8. The inkjet printer according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting antenna transmits image data for two passes as the ejection signal to the receiving antenna while the recording medium is transported a predetermined distance in the transport direction.

9. When the image data recorded on the recording medium by one one-way movement of the carriage in the reciprocating movement is image data for one pass, 7. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein the transmitting antenna transmits image data for one pass as the ejection signal to the receiving antenna.

10. a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium along a conveying direction, a standby position for allowing the carriage to wait in a standby state in which the ink is not being ejected from the nozzles onto the recording medium is provided outside the passing range of the recording medium in the scanning direction; the carriage reciprocates between the standby position and an ejection end position at which ejection of the ink from the nozzles onto the recording medium is ended; the receiving antenna faces the transmitting antenna when the carriage is in the standby position, the first control board instructs the transmitting antenna to transmit the ejection signal to the receiving antenna when the carriage is at the standby position; 10. The inkjet printer according to claim 9, wherein the transport unit transports the recording medium by a predetermined amount along the transport direction while the carriage is moving from the ejection end position to the standby position after the carriage has moved one way from the standby position to the ejection end position.

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