Patent ID: 8646995

Claim:
An image recording apparatus for printing on a medium, the image recording apparatus comprising: a print head adapted for printing on the medium; a platen placed opposite the print head; a guide block that protrudes toward the platen; a carriage that carries the print head and the guide block; a carriage shaft, the carriage mounted on the carriage shaft; and a guide portion having a lower part, the guide portion being formed larger than a diameter of the carriage shaft and extending in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to a conveyance direction of the medium, the guide portion supporting the carriage shaft so that the carriage shaft can move in said substantially perpendicular direction relative to the conveyance direction, the carriage shaft being in contact with the lower part and the guide block spaced from the medium when the medium has a first thickness less than a predetermined thickness, wherein when the medium has a second thickness greater than the predetermined thickness, the guide block contacts the conveyed medium having the second thickness and moves in said substantially perpendicular direction relative to the conveyance direction together with the print head, the carriage and the carriage shaft under a guidance of the guide portion.