Combination pinch roller and carriage guide for printer

摘要

A printer in which a single pinch roller serves the dual function of a pinch roller cooperating with the drive roller to feed paper to the printing zone, and a carriage guide to guide movement of the printhead carriage. This roller automatically properly references the printhead to the printing surface, regardless of paper thickness. The printhead carriage, which is pivotally mounted to a carriage guide rod, rests in contact with and rides along the roller. Preferably, the center of gravity of the printhead carriage is spaced from the carriage guide rod and is disposed above the pinch roller, and the pinch roller is spaced from the carriage guide rod, so that the printhead carriage is preloaded into continual contact with the carriage guide rod. The carriage guide rod may be disposed either on the same side of the printhead carriage as the pinch roller, or on the opposite side of the carriage from the pinch roller.