DEVICE FOR DETECTING CONDITION OF INK RIBBON IN THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To always detect correctly the remaining quantity of an ink ribbon or the condition of and ink ribbon such as cutting by disposing means for detecting the remaining quantity of an ink ribbon housed in a ribbon cassette by detection signals from ink ribbon-kind-detecting means and angular velocity detecting means. SOLUTION: A firmware 25 is connected to CPU 27 for conducting each kind of controls of a thermal transfer printer, and data of a ribbon cassette 12 mounted on a carriage 5 to use is inputted from CPU 27 to the firmware 25. When a detection signal on the angular velocity of a delivery bobbin from an angular velocity photosensor 24 is inputted under this state, the remaining quantity of an ink ribbon wound around a delivery reel fitted in the delivery bobbin can be detected from data of the ribbon cassette 12 used and data of an angular velocity of the delivery bobbin. A signal or the like of the remaining quantity of the ink ribbon calculated by the firmware 25 is inputted into a driver 26.