Patent attributes
An image reading and recording apparatus is provided with a carriage having the drive switching gear, which transmits driving power to a reading drive gear train only in a drive switching position. Then, when a reading command is issued, the carriage moves to this drive switching position. For this operation, a driving motor that serves as one driving source is arranged to transmit the driving power thereof to the recording drive gear train and the reading drive gear train. Also, there is no need for an original and a recording sheet to pass different passages of transportation by shearing a common passage of transportation for use by both of them, hence making it possible to materialize downsizing the apparatus, and reducing the cost of manufacture as well.