Patent ID: 7303269

Claim:
A recording apparatus which comprises a recording head for performing recording on a recording medium, a carriage which reciprocates in a main scanning direction, and an ink cartridge provided separately from said carriage for supplying ink drops to said recording head, said recording apparatus comprising: ink cartridge retreat means for positioning said ink cartridge in an area in the vicinity of a main scanning area of said carriage or making said ink cartridge retreat from said area in the vicinity of said main scanning area of said carriage, wherein said ink cartridge retreat means makes said ink cartridge unit retreat from said area above said main scanning area of said carriage; and an ink cartridge unit for detachably holding a plurality of said ink cartridges which are arranged along said main scanning direction of said carriage, wherein said ink cartridge unit comprises: a body for mounting said ink cartridge, said body comprising a plurality of tongue pieces which extend in a forward direction of said recording apparatus, each of said tongue pieces comprising an engagement projection on a side surface of an end section of said tongue piece; a cover for covering a top section of said body, said cover comprising a plurality of engagement sections for engagement with said engagement projections; and a cap member for capping front sections of said body and cover, said engagement projections are engaged with said engagement sections by elasticity of said tongue pieces, whereby said cover is held, and said engagement projections are alternately formed on left and right side surfaces of said tongue pieces; wherein said recording medium is transferred along a recording medium transfer path via said recording head.