Image forming apparatus

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus for forming an image, in response to an image signal, on a sheet supplied from a wound roll of sheets to a sheet conveyance path, comprising: a body including a first body portion having a head responsive to said image signal, a second body portion rotatable with respect to said first body portion between at least a lowered and a raised position and including a platen, said platen defining at least a portion of said sheet conveyance path, and a third body portion disposed adjacent to said second body portion and secured to the first body portion, the second body portion covering said portion of the conveyance path when at said lowered position and exposing said portion of the conveyance path when rotated away from said first body portion to said raised position, the second portion defining a feeding port for feeding sheets to said portion of the sheet conveyance path and an exhausting port for exhausting sheets from said portion of the sheet conveyance path after said head forms an image thereon; a ribbon cassette including a ribbon impregnated with ink; and a ribbon cassette holder, provided between the first body portion and the second body portion, for detachably supporting the ribbon cassette, said ribbon cassette holder being exposed between the first and second body portions when the second body portion is rotated with respect to the first body portion to said raised position.

Claim 3

An image forming apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said ribbon cassette holder is rotated with respect to the first body portion with rotation of said second body portion, and is slanted with respect to the first body portion when said second body portion is rotated to said raised position.

Claim 4

A printer comprising: a lower casing; means defining a paper conveyance path having an input end and an output end; a rear upper casing, fixed to said lower casing, defining a first substantially planar surface terminating in a front edge, and further defining at least one projection extending from said first surface; a front upper casing defining a second substantially planar surface terminating in a rear edge, said front upper casing journalled to said lower casing and rotatable between at least (a) a lowered position whereat said first and second surfaces are coplanar and said front and rear edges meet one another, and (b) a raised position whereat the planes between in which said first and second surfaces lie intersect at an acute angle, said front upper casing defining first and second slots, said first slot being in registry with said conveyance path input end of said second slot being in registry with said conveyance path output end at least when said front upper casing is at said lowered position, said front upper casing and lower casing enclosing said conveyance path defining means when said front upper casing is at said lowered position, at least a part of said conveyance path being exposed by a space formed between said lower casing and said front upper casing when said upper casing is at said raised position; roll holding means for rotatably retaining the spindle of a roll of paper, said roll holding means including means defining plural flat edges for resting on said first surface under the force of gravity and means defining a recess mating with said projection when said roll holding means is rested on said first surface and; ribbon carriage means, rotatably journalled to said lower casing and coupled to rotate together with said upper casing, said carriage means for retaining a ribbon cartridge.

Claim 5

A printer comprising: a lower casing; means defining a paper conveyance path having an input end and an output end; a rear upper casing, fixed to said lower casing, defining a first substantially planar surface terminating in a front edge, and further defining at least one projection extending from said first surface; a front upper casing defining a second substantially planar surface terminating in a rear edge, said front upper casing journalled to said lower casing and rotatable between at least (a) a lowered position whereat said first and second surfaces are coplanar and said front and rear edges meet one another, and (b) a raised position whereat the planes between in which said first and second surfaces lie intersect at an acute angle, said front upper casing defining first and second slots, said first slot being in registry with said conveyance path input end of said second slot being in registry with said conveyance path output end at least when said front upper casing is at said lowered position, said front upper casing and lower casing enclosing said conveyance path defining means when said front upper casing is at said lowered position, at least a part of said conveyance path being exposed by a space formed between said lower casing and said front upper casing when said upper casing is at said raised position; roll holding means for rotatably retaining the spindle of a roll of paper, said roll holding means including means defining plural flat edges for resting on said first surface under the force of gravity and means defining a recess mating with said projection when said roll holding means is rested on said first surface and; ribbon carriage means, rotatably journalled to said lower casing and coupled to rotate together with said upper casing, said carriage means for retaining a ribbon cartridge.