Printer and ic chip communication apparatus

Abstract

By rotating an antenna movable screw, an antenna fixing plate is vertically moved through the screw action, whereby the position of the antenna is changed. With this mechanism, the distance between the antenna and a transported label sheet can be adjusted according to a type of a label sheet (RF tag), whereby information can correctly be written to a tag corresponding to the type of various label sheets (RF tags).

1 . A printer comprising:
 a print head that performs printing to a sheet provided with an IC chip;   a transporting device that transports the sheet on a transporting path;   an antenna that comprises an antenna main portion and a support plate supporting the antenna main portion, and provides data communication with the IC chip provided on the sheet transported on the transporting path; and   a mechanism that comprises an antenna fixing plate and a movable screw, and adjusts a distance between the antenna and the transporting path, the antenna fixing plate being fixed to the support plate and comprising a screw hole, the movable screw being screwed to the screw hole so as to be rotated about an axis of the movable screw and to vertically move the antenna fixing plate.   
     
     
         2 . The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the support plate also has the screw hole, and the movable screw is screwed to the screw hole of both the antenna fixing plate and the support plate. 
     
     
         3 . The printer according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first shielding members that are detachably provided between the antenna and the transporting path, each of the shielding members having a different sized through-hole through which an electric wave transmitted from the antenna passes, wherein   each of the first shielding members shields the electric wave transmitted from the antenna, to limit the data communication range of the antenna to the IC chip.   
     
     
         4 . The printer according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of first shielding members that are detachably provided between the antenna and the transporting path, each of the shielding members having a different sized through-hole through which an electric wave transmitted from the antenna passes; and   a second shielding member that is provided between the antenna and a position at a downstream side of the transporting path with respect to the antenna, to shield the electric wave transmitted from the antenna.   
     
     
         5 . The printer according to  claim 4 , further comprising a metallic frame that includes: an upper member, which has an opening through which the electric wave from the antenna passes and forms a part of the transporting path; and a lower member, which is positioned below the upper member via a space into which the antenna is positioned, the metallic frame being arranged at an upstream side of the transporting path with respect to the print head,
 wherein:   the second shielding member is made of a part of the frame.   
     
     
         6 . The printer according to  claim 5 , wherein the lower member has an opening at a position facing the antenna. 
     
     
         7 . The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the print head is a line-type thermal head that is in contact with a platen roller via the transporting path. 
     
     
         8 . The printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the thermal head is arranged at a downstream side of the transporting path with respect to the antenna. 
     
     
         9 . The printer according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the transporting device has a pair of transport rollers that are in contact with each other via the transporting path at an upstream side of the transporting path with respect to the platen roller, at least one of the pair of transport rollers being rotatably driven; and   the antenna is arranged between the transport roller and the platen roller.   
     
     
         10 . The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the sheet is a label sheet comprising a plurality of labels and wound in a rolled fashion. 
     
     
         11 . An IC chip communication apparatus comprising:
 an antenna that comprises an antenna main portion and a support plate supporting the antenna main portion, and provides data communication with an IC chip provided on a sheet;   a transporting device that guides and transports the sheet on a transporting path to the position where the antenna provides the data communication with the IC chip;   a mechanism that comprises an antenna fixing plate and a movable screw, and adjusts a distance between the antenna and the transporting path, the antenna fixing plate being fixed to the support plate and comprising a screw hole, the movable screw being screwed to the screw hole so as to be rotated about an axis of the movable screw and to vertically move the antenna fixing plate.   
     
     
         12 . The printer according to  claim 3 , further comprising a metallic frame that includes: an upper member, which has an opening through which the electric wave from the antenna passes and forms a part of the transporting path; and a lower member, which is positioned below the upper member via a space into which the antenna is positioned, the metallic frame being arranged at an upstream side of the transporting path with respect to the print head,
 wherein:   each of the first shielding members is made of a metal plate that is detachably provided with the upper member.   
     
     
         13 . The printer according to  claim 12 , wherein the lower member has an opening at the position facing the antenna.