Diasywheel printer with improved adjustable carriage assembly and cartridge latching member

Claim 1

A carriage assembly for a printing device having a print mechanism to be translated along a linear print path, said carriage assembly comprising: upper carriage means for supporting said print mechanism; lower carriage means for supporting said upper carriage means, said lower carriage means comprising a unitary member having a pair of laterally spaced arm members each having an open pivot slot and a support ramp portion located rearwardly of said slot, a rear tube portion joining said arm members at the rear, a front cross brace joining said arm members at the front, said rear tube portion being dimensioned to accommodate a first carriage support rod, and front bearing means carried by said front cross brace and dimensioned to accommodate a second carriage support rod so that said lower carriage means is carried by said first and second carriage support rods; said upper carriage means including a pair of laterally opposed laterally extending support studs, each received in a different one of said pivot slots and removably supported thereby, and a pair of laterally opposed adjustable guide members, each located rearwardly of the respective one of said support studs, said guide members normally engaging corresponding support ramp portions when said carriage assembly is in a first operative position to establish the relative positions of said upper and lower carriage means; and spring means coupled between said upper and lower carriage means in the region adjacent the pivot portions and arranged to provide a spring detent for said upper carriage means with respect to said lower carriage means in said first operative position and in a second inoperative position.