Abstract: An ink cartridge insertion mechanism for an ink jet printer capable of absorbing ink leaking from an ink supply needle after insertion thereof to an ink cartridge is provided. The ink supply unit of an ink jet printer has an ink absorption and needle protection mechanism 70 in which there is an ink absorption material 74 for absorbing ink leaking from the ink supply needle 31 and waste ink needle 35 of the ink supply unit when an ink cartridge is not installed. The ink absorption material 74 also protects the needles 31 and 35. When an ink cartridge is inserted, a pivot plate 73 causes the entire ink absorption and needle protection mechanism 70 to pivot away from the needles 31 and 35 to a retracted position, thus exposing the needles and preventing any interference with ink cartridge loading. When the ink cartridge is subsequently removed, torsion springs 75 and 76 urge the pivot plate 73 back to the original horizontal, ink absorption position.

Abstract: To propose an ink-jet recording apparatus having a small-sized compact driving mechanism for driving an ink suction pump, an elastic blade for wiping a recording head, and a locking arm for locking a carriage. An ink suction pump 8, a locking arm for locking a carriage, and an elastic blade for wiping a recording head are driven by a driving mechanism for common use. The driving mechanism transmits the torque of a single motor via a driving gear to the ink suction pump. Moreover, the driving mechanism also converts the rotary motion into the locking movement of the elastic blade via a rotary cam plate frictionally engaging with the driving gear and further converts the locking movement of the elastic blade to the locking movement of the locking arm. The ink-jet recording apparatus can be made small-sized and compact by driving each driven portion using the driving mechanism for common use.

Abstract: A printing apparatus mainly comprises a first cover for, provided on a body frame including a print head 5, covering the print head 5; a second cover 39 for, disposed on the body frame opposing to the first cover by means of the transport path for transporting the recording medium 8, mounting an auto cutter 36. The auto cutter 36 comprises; a cutter frame 43 for fixing the auto cutter to the second cover 39; a cutter blade 26 for, movably supported on the cutter frame 43, cutting the recording medium 8 printed by the print head 5; and an auto cutter drive source 37 for, fixed on the cutter frame 43, driving the cutter blade 26 to cut the recording medium 8.