A printer comprises a frame, a platen supported by the frame for undergoing rotation, and a printing head for printing on a recording medium fed between the platen and the printing head. The printing head is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement into and out of pressure contact with the platen. A biasing member is mounted for movement between a first position in which the biasing member is in a neutral, unstretched state, and a second position in which the biasing member is in stretched state. The biasing member has a first end integrally connected to the printing head and a second end opposite the first end. An operation member is integrally connected to the second end of the biasing member and is supported by the frame for undergoing pivotal movement between a first position and a second position. When the operation member is pivoted to the first position, the biasing member is moved to the first position and the printing head is pivoted out of pressure contact with the platen. When the operation member is pivoted to the second position, the biasing member is moved to the second position and the printing head is pivoted into pressure contact with the platen.
An image forming apparatus has a chassis, a head portion, a platen roller a plurality of elastically deformable support rods, a U-shaped rotary member and a drive mechanism. The head portion is pivotally supported on the chassis. The platen roller is rotatably supported on the chassis opposite the head portion. The support rods are supported on the chassis. The rotary member is pivotally supported to the chassis by unrotatably engaging the support rods. A second side arm of the rotary member is configured to press the head portion against the platen roller with an urging force of the support rods. The drive mechanism is engaged with a first side arm of the rotary member to pivot the rotary member around the support rods. With the image forming apparatus. the head portion can be pressed on with a sufficient amount of pressure.
An image formation apparatus or a sublimation printer includes a main frame, a platen roller, a head assembly, and a press lever. The platen roller is rotatably held between first and second side panels of the main frame. The press lever is pivotably supported on the first side panel of the main frame. The press lever presses the head portion against the platen roller with a predetermined pressing force when the press lever is pivoted. The first side panel has a groove that supports the press lever. The groove has a first wall portion on which the press lever abuts from a direction of the reaction force of the pressing force. The sublimation printer does not get deformed after repeated use, and therefore can generate the predetermined pressing force in a stable manner.
A paper feeding device has a first guide portion through which paper having a preselected width and thickness is introduced, a second guide portion for receiving the paper introduced into the first guide portion, and at least one connecting guide portion disposed between the first and second guide portions. A paper feeding roller mechanism feeds the paper from the first guide portion to the second guide portion through the connecting guide portion of the paper feeding guide. The paper feeding roller mechanism has a clamping portion for clamping the paper when the paper is fed to the second guide portion. The clamping portion of the paper feeding roller mechanism is disposed generally parallel to the connecting guide portion of the paper feeding guide.
