Patent ID: 7695101

Claim:
An image recording apparatus comprising: a carriage that carries a recording head capable of recording an image on a recording medium and reciprocates in a main scanning direction; a substantially box-shaped main frame having an open upper side and a pair of side plates extending in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and first and second guide members over which the carriage extends and by which the carriage is guided, the first and second guide members being disposed to be apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the sub-scanning direction, and each of the first and second guide members including a flat plate which has an upper surface and a lower surface opposing the upper surface and which extends horizontally in the main scanning direction at the upper side of the main frame and fixed to the pair of side plates; wherein engagement pawls are integrally formed to protrude upward on upper end surfaces of the pair of side plates, and the engagement pawls are fitted in locking holes respectively provided in the flat plates of the first and second guide members such that upper end portions of the engagement pawls protrude upward from the upper surfaces of the flat plates, and at least a part of each engagement pawl is deflected toward the main scanning direction with respect to a corresponding locking hole; wherein positioning convex parts to regulate horizontal setting height positions of the first and second guide members are formed on the upper end surfaces of the pair of side plates, and an upper end portion of each positioning convex part abuts the lower surface of a corresponding flat plate to regulate horizontal setting height position of the corresponding guide member; and wherein the positioning convex parts are positioned at a lower position than the corresponding flat plate, and the engagement pawls are positioned at a higher position than the corresponding flat plate.