Patent ID: 8277017
Filing Date: 2012-10-02
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An image forming and cutting apparatus comprising: a guide rail; an inkjet head mounted to undergo movement along the guide rail to print an image on a recording medium; a cutting head mounted to undergo movement along the guide rail to cut the recording medium on which an image has been printed; a first coupling member mounted on the inkjet head; a second coupling member mounted on the cutting head; and a coupling pin mounted for undergoing movement in a first direction to couple the first coupling member to the second coupling member and in a second direction to de-couple the first coupling member from the second coupling member, each of the first and second coupling members having a hole configured to receive the coupling pin when the coupling pin undergoes movement in the first direction to couple the first and second coupling members to one another; wherein the coupling pin has a first tapered portion, a second tapered portion, and a columnar portion disposed between the first and second tapered portions; wherein the hole of the first coupling member has a tapered surface for receiving the first tapered portion of the coupling pin, and the hole of the second coupling member has a tapered surface portion and a columnar surface portion for receiving the second tapered portion and the columnar portion, respectively, of the coupling pin; and wherein the first coupling member is made of an elastic material and is configured to be pressed and deflected by the coupling pin due to elasticity of the elastic material when the coupling pin is moved in the first direction and is received by the holes of the first and second coupling members so that the first and second coupling members are coupled to one another with a gap therebetween while the columnar portion of the coupling pin protrudes from the hole of the second coupling member.