Patent ID: 8011767

Claim:
An ink cartridge loading device, comprising: a casing having a chamber that accommodates an ink cartridge, and a side face having an opening communicated with the chamber for loading and unloading the ink cartridge therethrough, the opening having a lower end and the chamber having a mounting surface for mounting the ink cartridge thereon; a door having a lower end which is pivotable about the lower end of the opening, the door being movable between a first position and a second position, the door closing the opening at the first position, the door opening the opening at the second position; and a pair of guiding members, each of the pair of guiding members is attached and fixed to the lower end of the door to sandwich the ink cartridge therebetween in a horizontal direction when the ink cartridge is in the chamber, each of the pair of guiding members having an L-shaped profile and comprising an extended portion and a bent section extending from the extended portion, the bent section having a guide surface disposed substantially on an extending line extending from the mounting surface of the chamber in an ink cartridge unloading direction when the door is at the second position, the pair of guiding member partially guiding the ink cartridge from the chamber through the opening to outside contact with at least one guide ridge of the door when the door moves from the first position to the second position, the pair of guiding members supporting the ink cartridge positioned on the guide surface of the door when the door is at the second position, and the pair of guiding members guiding the ink cartridge on the guide surface from contact with the at least one guide ridge of the door into the chamber when the door moves from the second position to the first position, wherein the pair of guiding members are configured to engage engaging portions provided in the ink cartridge, respectively.