Patent ID: 7338155

Claim:
A printing device comprising: a medium conveyance section movable along a linear direction, on which a workpiece can be set for printing; a fixed side structure that supports the medium conveyance section and has a covered space formed therein for accommodating the medium conveyance section, the fixed side structure including a first side, a second side, and a length between the first side and the second side, the length being within the covered space, the fixed side structure including a slide rail, the slide rail being within the length of the fixed side structure, the length of the fixed side structure being substantially equal to length of the medium conveyance section; and a head, provided on the fixed side structure, for forming images on the workpiece; wherein the medium conveyance section moves along the slide rail of the fixed side structure; wherein the medium conveyance section is at a first position so as to be within the length of the fixed side structure, when a power supply to the device is in an off state; wherein the medium conveyance section is at a second position so as to project partially from the slide rail from the first side of the fixed side structure, when the workpiece is set on, or removed from, the medium conveyance section; and wherein during a printing operation onto the workpiece, the medium conveyance section is controlled so as to move along the slide rail from the second position where it projects partially from the slide rail from the first side of the fixed side structure to a third position where it projects partially from the slide rail from the second side, and then returns again to the second position where it projects partially from the slide rail from the first side.