Abstract: In a printer, in which printing is performed on a recording medium which is transported in a first direction, a carriage is reciprocately moved in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. A print head is mounted on the carriage, and provided with a head face. A frame is placed in a first side of the print head. A guide plate extends in the second direction. The guide plate includes a first portion provided as a part of the frame so as to extend in a third direction which is orthogonal to both of the first direction and the second direction, a second portion continued from the first portion so as to extend in the first direction. The second portion supports the carriage so as to define a distance between the head face and the recording medium. The guide plate further includes a third portion continued from the second portion so as to extend in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink cartridge capable of being removably held in an ink cartridge accommodation portion simply by pushing in the cartridge in an insertion direction. The ink cartridge (5) is mounted on a carriage (4) having a cartridge accommodation region. A one-push type fixing member (30) in a position facing a surface parallel to an insertion direction in which the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge accommodation region is engaged with a fixing protrusion (12a) forming another one-push type fixing member and cooperating with the first-mentioned one-push type fixing member, so that the cartridge (5) is held in a predetermined position in a state in which the cartridge is resiliently urged by a spring (24) in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

Abstract: In order to be enable a coupling terminal member of the ink cartridge and a coupling terminal of the printing apparatus to be in certain and increase a degree of freedom on installation position of a coupling terminal member of an ink cartridge, an ink cartridge installed in a printing apparatus for supplying the printing apparatus with ink includes an ink cartridge body for containing ink therein, an ink supply section on which an ink supply opening placed on or near the first sidewall of the ink cartridge body is formed, a memory for storing information on ink contained in the ink cartridge body, a contact terminal member placed on the second sidewall of the ink cartridge body and coupled to the memory and a positioning member, which protrudes from the second sidewall of the ink cartridge body, for positioning the ink cartridge properly with respect to the printing apparatus when the ink cartridge is installed in the printing apparatus.