Guide and cover arrangement for printers

In a printer of the type comprising a body structure having a front portion and a rear portion capable of accommodating a platen roller, a typing device and advance means for advancing individual and continuous forms, a guide and cover arrangement for said printer, said arrangement comprising:

• a front cover positioned substantially parallel to and supported on said front portion;
• a rear cover movable from a first operating position in which it is substantially parallel to and supported on said rear portion to a second operating position in which it is substantially inclined with respect to the rear portion and wherein the forms are supported on and guided by an outside surface of said rear cover in both the operating positions;
• two hinge elements interconnected with the rear portion and the rear cover to permit said rear cover to rotate from the first operating position to the second operating position and to a third operating position in which the rear cover is substantially turned over onto the front cover to permit access to said advance means;
• wherein the body structure comprises a transverse portion positioned between the front cover and the rear cover;
• wherein said rear cover comprises two seats of predetermined width positioned at the ends and adjacent to the transverse portion, each seat comprising at least one shoulder;
• and
• wherein each of said two hinge elements is formed from a single portion of plastic material of elongated shape comprising a first portion fixed to said transverse portion, a second portion accommodated and removably fixed to a corresponding seat of said two seats, and an intermediate portion having a thin portion which is flexible, integral with the first and second portions and bendable to permit said rear cover to rotate from the first operating position, to the second operating position, and to the third operating position.

In a printer of the type comprising a body structure having a front portion and rear portion capable of accommodating a platen roller, a typing device and advance means for advancing individual and continuous forms, a guide and cover arrangement for said printer, said arrangement comprising:

• a front cover positioned substantially parallel to and supported on said front portion;
• a rear cover movable from a first operating position in which it is substantially parallel to and supported on said rear portion to a second operating position in which it is substantially inclined with respect to the rear portion and wherein the forms are supported on and guided by an outside surface of said rear cover in both the operating positions;
• two hinge elements interconnected with the front portion and the front cover to permit said front cover to rotate from a first operating position in which it is substantially parallel to and supported on the front portion to a second operating position in which it is substantially turned over onto the rear cover to permit access to said platen roller and to said typing device;
• wherein the body structure comprises a transverse portion positioned between the front cover and the rear cover;
• wherein said front cover comprises two seats of predetermined width positioned at the ends and adjacent to the transverse portion, and each seat comprises a shoulder;
• wherein each of said two hinge elements is formed from a single portion of plastic material of elongated shape comprising a first portion fixed to the transverse portion, a second portion accommodated and removably fixed to a corresponding seat of said two seats of the front cover, and an intermediate portion having a thin portion which is flexible, integral with the first and second portions, and bendable to permit said front cover to rotate from the first operating position to the second operating position.