| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To enable effective usage of an ink ribbon corresponding to using conditions, by providing a mark for discriminating whether the ink ribbon is a used one or not on the ink ribbon, then detecting the mark and controlling a driving section. CONSTITUTION:A thermal printer comprises a punch 17 for making punch holes which are used for descriminating whether an ink ribbon is a used one or not, a solenoid 18 for driving the punch, and a pin 19 arranged at the end of a platen 2 in order to feed an ink ribbon 7 through utilization of the punched holes 20, where a sensor 11a has a C-shaped notch for passing the end of the ink ribbon 7 while a light emission diode 21 and a light receiving diode 22 are arranged respectively at the opposite sides of a notch space so as to detect color marks 10(a, b, c) of the ink ribbon passing between the diodes 21, 22. The sensor 11a has a first electrical contact 23 fixed to the upper face of the notch and holds/slides the ink ribbon 7 and a second electrical contact 24 fixed to the lower face of the notch connectably with the first contact 23, so as to detect punched holes 20 made through the ink ribbon 7 by means of the punch 17. |
