Printing apparatus

Abstract

To improve convenience of a printing device that uses a touch pen.SOLUTION: A printing device includes: a case for encapsulating a print mechanism; and an electrostatic type touch panel installed to the case. The touch panel is installed while being angled from a horizontal surface. A wall having a height from a surface of the touch panel which is higher than the height from the surface of the touch panel from at least any side of a right side, a left side, and an upper side is installed on a lower side of the touch panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A printing apparatus provided with a touch panel as an input means is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a multifunction device including a touch panel and a light-shielding panel on which buttons are arranged.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a printing apparatus provided with a capacitive touch panel, for example, when operated with gloves on, the reaction is slow and a touch pen may be used. In recent years, the opportunity to use such a touch pen has been increasing, and it is desired to improve the convenience of a printing apparatus using a touch pen.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In view of the above problems, a printing apparatus is a printing apparatus including a case surrounding a printing mechanism and an electrostatic touch panel provided on the case, the touch panel is provided at an angle from the horizontal, and a wall having a height higher than the touch panel surface is provided on at least one of the left, right, and upper sides below the touch panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is an external view showing a part of the case. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the touch panel and a portion of the pen holder. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the curved surface of the pen holder. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the recess in the pen holder section. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing a touch panel unit. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the right edge. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the notch on the right edge. [Figure 9] This diagram shows a stylus pen placed in the notch on the right edge. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example where a mechanical switch and light-emitting part are located on the right edge. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example where a mechanical switch and light-emitting part are positioned on the front edge. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example where a mechanical switch and light-emitting part are located at the rear edge. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the cutout on the front edge. [Figure 14] This diagram shows a touch panel located on the front of the user. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus 1 comprises a UI unit 10, a printing mechanism 11, a processor 12, a communication unit 13, and a non-volatile memory 14. The UI unit 10 includes a touch panel display (hereinafter referred to as the touch panel) 101. The UI unit 10 further includes various keys and switches. The touch panel 101 includes a display panel that displays various information, such as the status of the printing apparatus 1 and the remaining ink level, and a touch detection panel superimposed on the display panel, which detects touch operations by a person's finger or stylus. The touch panel 101 is a capacitive LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). User operations on the UI unit 10 are sent to the processor 12.

[0008] The printing mechanism 11 performs printing. The printing method used by the printing mechanism 11 is not particularly limited, and for example, an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method may be employed. In addition to the paper feeding unit 111, the printing mechanism 11 is equipped with actuators, various devices, sensors, drive circuits, mechanical parts, etc. for performing printing on various media.

[0009] The processor 12 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and controls various parts of the printing device 1 by executing various programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 14. The communication unit 13 includes a communication interface for communicating with external devices according to various wired or wireless communication protocols. The printing device 1 communicates with other devices via the communication unit 13. The communication unit 13 also includes an interface for communicating with various removable memories installed in the printing device 1.

[0010] Figure 2 is an external view showing a part of the case 20 of the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The printing mechanism 11 and processor 12 are covered by the case 20. In the cubic coordinate system shown in Figure 2, the X-axis direction is the horizontal direction of the printing apparatus 1, the Y-axis direction (vertical direction of the paper) is the height direction of the printing apparatus 1, and the Z-axis direction is the depth direction of the printing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the positive direction of the X-axis is referred to as right, the negative direction of the X-axis as left, the positive direction of the Z-axis as back, and the negative direction of the Z-axis as front.

[0011] The top surface 21 of the case 20 is the upper surface of the printing device 1. The front surface 22 is the surface facing the user of the printing device 1 when the printing device 1 is installed. The right side surface 23 is the right side surface when facing the printing device 1. A touch panel 101 is provided on the top surface 21. The touch panel 101 is a rectangular panel, and its lower edge 1011 and upper edge 1012 are positioned parallel to the front surface 22.

[0012] In this embodiment, the touch panel 101 is provided so as to be inclined vertically downward (in the negative Y-axis direction) from the back to the front of the printing apparatus 1 with respect to the top surface 21. Further, on the lower side 1011 side of the touch panel 101, a pen receiving portion 201 is continuously formed from the surface of the touch panel 101. The pen receiving portion 201 is a space for placing the touch pen 2. The pen receiving portion 201 is a plane extending to the front side edge portion 211 that connects to the front surface 22 among the top surfaces 21, and is an example of a lower side surface. The front side edge portion 211 is an example of a wall. A non-contact charging mechanism 202 is provided in the pen receiving portion 201. Thereby, the touch pen 2 can be charged in the pen receiving portion 201. Note that the touch pen 2 may be an accessory of the printing apparatus 1, or may be one purchased by the user as a general commercially available product.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the touch panel 101 and the pen receiving portion 201. As shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the touch panel 101 and the pen receiving portion 201 are provided continuously so as to form the same plane. That is, the pen receiving portion 201 is provided on a plane including the surface of the touch panel 101 and is formed to be inclined vertically downward with respect to the top surface 21. Thus, by arranging the touch panel 101 with an inclination, the visibility of the touch panel 101 can be improved. Hereinafter, the surface of the touch panel 101, the pen receiving portion 201, and their extended surfaces are referred to as the touch panel surface.

[0014] Further, as described above, the pen receiving portion 201 is provided on the lower side 1011 side of the touch panel 101, and further the front side edge portion 211 is provided. The front side edge portion 211 is provided in the same plane as the top surface 21. That is, the height in the vertical direction (Y' axis direction) of the touch panel surface is the largest among the edges around the touch panel 101. Thus, since the front side edge portion 211 protrudes from the pen receiving portion 201, the touch pen 2 used for operating the touch panel 101 can be placed in the pen receiving portion 201. Also, when the user places the touch pen 2 on the touch panel 101, the touch pen 2 rolls down and stops at the front side edge portion 211 and fits into the pen receiving portion 201.

[0015] The inclination of the touch panel 101 and the pen receiving part 201 with respect to the top surface 21 is preferably about 2°, for example. If the inclination of the touch panel 101 and the pen receiving part 201 from the top surface 21 becomes large, when the touch pen 2 rolls, it may gain momentum and fall beyond the front edge part 211, which is not preferable.

[0016] From the viewpoint of placing the touch pen 2, the width W in the depth direction (Z'-axis direction) of the pen receiving part 201 on the touch panel surface is preferably 15 mm or more. Thereby, when the user picks up the touch pen 2 placed in the pen receiving part 201, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation caused by accidentally touching the touch panel 101.

[0017] In addition, when the touch pen 2 attached to the printing apparatus 1 is provided together with the printing apparatus 1, the pen receiving part 201 may be formed such that its depth D is deeper than half of the thickness of the touch pen 2. Further, the depth D of the pen receiving part 201 is preferably deeper than 2 mm. Here, the depth D of the pen receiving part 201 is the distance in the Y-axis direction from the position where the vertical direction position (Y-axis direction position) in the pen receiving part 201 is the lowest to the position where the vertical direction of the front edge part 211 is the highest. Thus, by making the depth D of the pen receiving part 201 deeper than 2 mm, it is possible to prevent the touch pen 2 placed in the pen receiving part 201 from falling beyond the front edge part 211. Note that the depth D corresponds to the height of the wall from the pen receiving part 201 as the lower side surface.

[0018] Also, as another example, the front edge part 211 may be formed to extend upward in the vertical direction from the top surface 21. That is, the front edge part 211 may be provided to be higher than the height of the top surface 21. The higher the front edge part 211 is, the more advantageous it is to catch the touch pen 2 that has rolled down forcefully.

[0019] Furthermore, the left and right edges of the touch panel 101 are provided with a left edge 213 and a right edge 214, respectively. In addition, a rear edge 212 is provided on the upper edge 1012 side of the touch panel 101. The left edge 213, the right edge 214, and the rear edge 212 are all provided on the same plane as the top surface 21.

[0020] The left edge 213 is provided with mechanical switches, a first switch 221 and a second switch 222. The first switch 221 is a power switch, and the second switch is a home switch. The home switch is an operation unit that receives instructions to return the display of the touch panel 101 to the basic screen.

[0021] The second switch 222, located further back (in the positive Z-axis direction) than the first switch 221, is positioned lower in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) compared to the first switch 221 because it is located at the bottom of the recess. In other words, the first switch 221 is located deeper than the second switch 222. By positioning the second switch 222 deeper than the first switch 221 in this way, accidental operation of the second switch 222 can be prevented. Furthermore, when comparing the touch panel surface at the same position in the Z-axis direction, both the first switch 221 and the second switch 222 are located higher than the touch panel surface in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction). This further reduces the likelihood of user error.

[0022] The printing device 1 may be equipped with multiple mechanical switches, and the number and types of mechanical switches are not limited to the embodiment. The multiple mechanical switches may include at least one of a power switch, a power saving switch, a print stop switch, and a home switch.

[0023] Furthermore, a light-emitting section 223 is provided extending from the left edge 213 to the front surface 22. The light-emitting section 223 is implemented using an LED or the like and notifies the status of the printing device 1. Since the light-emitting section 223 is provided on two surfaces, it is visible from a wide range of angles. The first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting section 223 are arranged along a straight line extending in the Z-axis direction. That is, the light-emitting section 223 is arranged in the direction in which the mechanical switches are lined up. This improves visibility and aesthetics.

[0024] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the positional relationship between the touch panel 101 and the other components will be described. The printing mechanism 11 and other components are covered by the case 20. The paper feeding unit 111 of the printing mechanism 11 is positioned so that the insertion direction is in the depth direction (Z direction) of the printing device 1. Furthermore, the sub-scanning direction in the printing mechanism 11 corresponds to the depth direction (Z direction). That is, the insertion direction of the paper feeding unit 111 and the sub-scanning direction of the printing mechanism 11 are perpendicular to the horizontal and vertical sides of the touch panel 101.

[0025] As another example, the printing mechanism 11 may be positioned so that its main scanning direction is perpendicular to the horizontal and vertical edges of the touch panel 101.

[0026] Furthermore, a connector 131 for connecting removable memory is provided on the front surface 22. The connector 131 is located on the front surface 22 in the lateral direction (X direction) within the range where the touch panel 101 is positioned. In this way, the components that the user operates, such as the touch panel 101 and the connector 131, are arranged together, which improves usability.

[0027] As described above, in the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the touch panel 101 is installed at an angle downward in the vertical direction, a pen holder portion 201 is provided on the lower side of the touch panel 101, and a front edge portion 211 is also provided. This allows the touch pen 2 used to operate the touch panel 101 to be placed on the pen holder portion 201.

[0028] The embodiments described above are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as described in the claims, such as applying one modification to another.

[0029] In this first example of a modification, although a printing apparatus for printing on paper was described as an example, the medium on which printing is performed is not limited to paper, but may be a medium such as cloth.

[0030] As a second modification, as shown in Figure 4, the pen holder portion 201 may have a curved surface portion 2011 in at least a part thereof, such that its cross-section is curved. This allows the stylus 2 to move along the curved surface when the user grasps the stylus 2 placed on the pen holder portion 201, thus enabling a smooth grasp. As another example, the pen holder portion 201 may be formed to form a curve from the lower edge 1011 of the touch panel 101 to the front edge portion 211. As yet another example, as shown in Figure 5, the pen holder portion 201 may be formed in a curved shape such that its cross-section forms a recess 2012 from the lower edge 1011 to the front edge portion 211. This prevents the stylus 2 from moving towards the touch panel 101.

[0031] As a third modification, as shown in Figure 6, the touch panel 101, pen holder 201, front edge 211, rear edge 212, left edge 213, and right edge 214 may be integrally formed as a touch panel unit 30. The touch panel unit 30 may be tilted vertically upward by a tilt mechanism, with the front surface 22 side (front edge 211 side) as the axis, so that the rear edge 212 is indicated by arrow A.

[0032] As a fourth variation, as shown in Figure 7, the right edge portion 214 may be provided on a plane that includes the surface of the touch panel 101. That is, the right edge portion 214 may be provided at an inclination downward vertically from the back to the front of the printing device 1. Alternatively, the right edge portion 214 may not exist at all. In this case, since there is no edge at the right end of the pen holder portion 201, the touch pen 2 can be placed on the pen holder portion 201 even if the length of the touch pen 2 is longer than the lateral length of the pen holder portion 201. In addition, dust and other debris accumulated on the touch panel 101 and the pen holder portion 201 can be discharged from the right edge portion 214.

[0033] In this embodiment, the touch panel 101 is positioned at the right end of the top surface 21, but the touch panel 101 may also be positioned at the left end of the top surface 21. In this case, the left edge portion 213 may be provided on a plane that includes the surface of the touch panel 101. Thus, it is preferable that the edges connected to the sides (right side 23, left side not shown) are provided on a plane that includes the surface of the touch panel 101. Furthermore, not only the edges connected to the sides, but also the rear edge portion 212, the left edge portion 213, and the right edge portion 214 may also be provided on a plane that includes the surface of the touch panel 101. The rear edge portion 212, the left edge portion 213, and the right edge portion 214 may not be present at all.

[0034] When the left edge portion 213 is provided on the same plane as the touch panel 101, it is preferable that the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting portion 223 are provided on the right edge portion 214. Thus, it is preferable that of the left edge portion 213 and the right edge portion 214, the edge portion connected to the side is provided on the same plane as the touch panel 101, and the mechanical switch and light-emitting portion are arranged on the other edge portion.

[0035] As a fifth modification, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a notch 2141 may be formed on the right edge 214 at a position corresponding to the pen holder 201. Figure 8 shows the notch 2141 when the stylus 2 is not placed, and Figure 9 shows the notch 2141 when the stylus 2 is placed. By forming the notch 2141, the stylus 2 can be placed on the pen holder 201 even if its length is longer than the lateral length of the pen holder 201. Preferably, the notch 2141 is cut out to the same plane as the pen holder 201. Also, preferably, the notch 2141 is formed with a width greater than the thickness of the stylus 2.

[0036] Furthermore, as described above, if the touch panel 101 is positioned at the left edge of the top surface 21, a notch may be formed on the left edge 213 at a position corresponding to the pen receiving portion 201. In this way, it is preferable that the notch be provided on the edge that connects to the side surface at a position corresponding to the pen receiving portion 201.

[0037] Furthermore, if the notch is formed on the left edge 213, it is preferable that the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting unit 223 are provided on the right edge 214. Thus, it is preferable that the notch is formed on the edge connected to the side of the left edge 213 and the right edge 214, and that the mechanical switch and light-emitting unit are arranged on the other edge. This prevents dust and other debris from getting on the mechanical switch and other components when dust and other debris are discharged from the notch.

[0038] As a sixth variation, the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting unit 223 may be arranged around the touch panel 101, and their placement is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting unit 223 may be arranged on the right edge 214. Another example is shown in Figure 11, where the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting unit 223 may be arranged on the front edge 211. Yet another example is shown in Figure 12, where the first switch 221, the second switch 222, and the light-emitting unit 223 may be arranged on the back edge 212.

[0039] As a seventh modification, as shown in Figure 13, a notch 2111 may be formed in at least a portion of the front edge 211. The notch 2111 is formed to be large enough for a finger to fit into. This allows the user to grasp the stylus 2 placed on the pen holder 201 by placing their finger on the notch 2111. Specifically, the user can grasp the stylus by placing their thumb in the notch 2111 and their index finger on the touch panel 101 side of the stylus 2. Therefore, the short-arm distance of the pen holder 201 required to grasp the stylus 2 is reduced. Consequently, accidental contact with the touch panel 101 can be prevented.

[0040] As an eighth variation, as shown in Figure 14, the touch panel 101 may be positioned on the front surface 22. In this case as well, the touch panel 101 is positioned so that the front side is tilted vertically downward, and a pen holder portion 201 is provided on the lower edge 1011 side of the touch panel 101, and a front edge portion 211 is also provided. Furthermore, the touch panel 101 may be positioned as a touch panel unit 30, and when not in use, the touch panel 101 may be housed so that it is parallel to the front surface 22. In this case, the touch panel unit 30 is tilted around the upper edge 1012 side of the touch panel 101 as an axis.

[0041] A ninth variation is that the left edge 213 of the touch panel may have a protrusion that is higher than the front edge 211. Even in this case, the touch pen 2 can be stopped by making the front edge 211 particularly high, specifically by making it higher than either the rear edge 212 or the right edge 214 of the touch panel. The same applies to other directions as well, and it can be said that the front edge 211 is higher from the touch panel surface than at least one of the rear edge 212, the left edge 213, or the right edge 214.

[0042] Furthermore, the above embodiments do not limit the invention. Since the embodiments include multiple inventions with different effects, one problem or effect that can be inferred from an embodiment is not necessarily a problem or effect that applies to all inventions included in the embodiment. For example, of course, the first switch 221 and the second switch 222 may be in the same position in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction). At least one of the first switch 221 and the second switch 222 may be at the same height as the touch panel surface. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1…Printing device, 2…Stylus pen, 10…UI unit, 11…Printing mechanism, 12…Processor, 13…Communication unit, 14…Non-volatile memory, 20…Case, 101…Touch panel, 111…Paper feed unit, 131…Connector, 201…Pen holder, 202…Contactless charging mechanism, 211…Front edge, 212…Rear edge, 213…Left edge, 214…Right edge, 221…First switch, 222…Second switch, 223…Light-emitting unit, 1011…Bottom edge, 1012…Top edge

Claims

1. The case surrounding the printing mechanism, The case includes an electrostatic touch panel, A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned touch panel is mounted at an angle from the horizontal. A wall is provided below the aforementioned touch panel. The height of the wall from the surface of the touch panel is greater than the height of at least one of the edges located on the upper side, left side, and right side of the touch panel from the surface of the touch panel. A printing apparatus further comprising a lower side surface between the lower edge of the touch panel and the wall.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower side surface is a surface extending from the lower edge to the wall, and at least a portion of it is curved.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the width of the lower side surface, and the width of the touch panel in the vertical direction, is 15 mm or more.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower side surface is a curved surface that is recessed from the lower edge toward the wall.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the wall from the lower side surface is greater than 2 mm.

6. The system further comprises a stylus used for input to the aforementioned touch panel, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the wall from the lower side surface is greater than half the thickness of the stylus pen.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the left and right edges of the touch panel is provided on a plane including the surface of the touch panel.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the left and right sides of the lower side surface communicates with the outside at the same height as the lower side surface.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper, left, and right sides of the touch panel do not have edges that are higher than the surface of the touch panel.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the wall is greater than the height of the top surface of the case.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wall has a notch formed in it that is large enough to allow a finger to fit inside.

12. The touch panel, the lower side surface, and the wall are integrally formed as a touch panel unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel unit is tilted by a tilt mechanism.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a mechanical switch is provided at any of the top, bottom, left, or right positions of the touch panel.

14. The printing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the mechanical switch includes at least one of a power switch, a power saving switch, a print cancellation switch, and a home switch that returns the display of the touch panel to the basic screen.

15. The system includes multiple of the aforementioned mechanical switches, The printing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second switch, among the mechanical switches, is positioned further back than the first switch, is located at a lower position in the vertical direction compared to the first switch.

16. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a light-emitting section extending toward the front from the right edge provided on the right side of the touch panel or from the left edge provided on the left side.

17. The touch panel is equipped with a light-emitting section that extends forward from the right edge provided on the right side or the left edge provided on the left side, The system includes multiple of the aforementioned mechanical switches, The printing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the light-emitting section is arranged in the direction in which the plurality of mechanical switches are aligned.

18. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a paper feeding unit whose insertion direction is from the front to the back.

19. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main scanning direction or sub-scanning direction of the printing mechanism corresponds to the horizontal direction of the touch panel.

20. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connector on the front surface of the case, in the lateral direction, at a position within the range in which the touch panel is located.

21. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a contactless charging mechanism is provided on the lower side surface.

22. A case enclosing the printing mechanism, The case includes an electrostatic touch panel, A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned touch panel is mounted at an angle from the horizontal. A wall is provided below the aforementioned touch panel. The height of the wall from the surface of the touch panel is greater than the height of at least one of the edges located on the upper side, left side, and right side of the touch panel from the surface of the touch panel. A printing apparatus in which the height of the aforementioned wall is greater than the height of the top surface of the aforementioned case.

23. A case enclosing the printing mechanism, The case includes an electrostatic touch panel, A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned touch panel is mounted at an angle from the horizontal. A wall is provided below the aforementioned touch panel. The height of the wall from the surface of the touch panel is greater than the height of at least one of the edges located on the upper side, left side, and right side of the touch panel from the surface of the touch panel. A printing apparatus in which a mechanical switch is provided at one of the positions (up, down, left, or right) of the touch panel.

24. A case enclosing the printing mechanism, The case includes an electrostatic touch panel, A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned touch panel is mounted at an angle from the horizontal. A wall is provided below the aforementioned touch panel. The height of the wall from the surface of the touch panel is greater than the height of at least one of the edges located on the upper side, left side, and right side of the touch panel from the surface of the touch panel. A printing apparatus comprising a light-emitting section extending forward from the right edge provided on the right side of the touch panel or from the left edge provided on the left side.

25. A case enclosing the printing mechanism, The case includes an electrostatic touch panel, A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned touch panel is mounted at an angle from the horizontal. A wall is provided below the aforementioned touch panel. The height of the wall from the surface of the touch panel is greater than the height of at least one of the edges located on the upper side, left side, and right side of the touch panel from the surface of the touch panel. A printing apparatus further comprising a connector on the front surface of the case, in the lateral direction, within the range in which the touch panel is located.

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