Printing apparatus having head GAP adjusting device.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a printing head which prints on a recording medium;
• a platen disposed opposite said printing head;
• first shift means for moving said platen toward or away from said printing head;
• detecting means for detecting a thickness of the recording medium which is between said printing head and said platen, said detecting means including:
• a gap setting member having a contact portion to press the recording medium against said printing head during an operating mode;
• and
• a sensor having a sensing portion and a sensed portion, one of the sensing portion and the sensed portion of said sensor being fixed to said platen and the other of the sensing portion and the sensed portion being fixed to said gap setting member, and the sensing portion outputting a detection signal when the sensing portion senses the sensed portion, said sensor being disposed at a predetermined position where a gap between said printing head and said platen becomes a predetermined value when the detection signal is output from the sensing portion;
• second shift means for moving said gap setting member to pinch the recording medium between said printing head and the contact portion and to separate from the recording medium during the operating mode;
• and
• control means for controlling said first and second shift means to move said gap setting member toward said printing head until the recording medium is pinched between the contact portion of said gap setting member and said printing head, to move said platen toward said printing head to stop said platen when the detecting signal is output from the sensed portion of said sensor, and to retract said gap setting member until the contact portion is removed from the surface of said platen, during an adjusting mode.

A printing apparatus comprising:

• a carriage having a printing head which prints on a recording medium, the printing head including a contact area;
• a platen having a surface disposed opposite the contact area;
• first shift means for relatively moving the contact area and said platen toward or away from each other to form a predetermined gap between the contact area and a surface of the recording medium on the surface of said platen;
• detecting means for detecting a thickness of the recording medium adjacent a printing position which is between the contact area and said platen, and for producing an output signal, said detecting means having a contact portion which contacts the surface of the recording medium between the contact area and said platen;
• second shift means for moving the contact portion of said detecting means toward or away from the contact area;
• and
• control means, operatively connected to said detecting means, for controlling said second shift means to move the contact portion of said detecting means away from the surface of the recording medium after it is determined that the predetermined gap between the contact area and the surface of the recording medium has been formed in accordance with the output signal from said detecting means.