Thermal printer having carriage and holder for multiple ink tape cassettes

摘要

A thermal printer includes a carriage having a first holding device for detachably holding a cassette that incorporates an ink ribbon and a thermal printing head for effecting printing on a recording sheet through the ink ribbon; a guide track for guiding the carriage in a direction perpendicular to a feed direction of the recording sheet; a carriage driver for reciprocating the carriage along the guide track; a cassette holder having a plurality of second holding devices arranged in line each for detachably holding one cassette, one of the first and second holding devices having a pair of rigid holding members for detachably holding the cassette by relative movements in directions of gripping and releasing the cassette, and the other having a pair of elastic holding members for elastically holding the cassette by gripping it in between so that the cassette can be inserted into or pulled out from the elastic holding members; first mechanism for reciprocating the cassette holder between a waiting position and a delivering position while supporting the cassette holder so that an array of the second holding devices are parallel with and opposed to the guide track; second mechanism capable of causing the relative movements of the rigid holding members and a power source for continuously driving the first and second mechanisms.