| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To relieve the operator of labor in monitoring, by a method wherein the amount of an unused part of an ink ribbon is detected by a ribbon amount detecting mechanism, and a printing operation is inhibited when said amount is reduced below a predetermined amount. CONSTITUTION:A detecting bar of th ribbon amount detecting mechanism 22 is brought into contact with a ribbon part of an unused-ribbon spool 5. As a thermal ribbon is taken up from the spool 5 by a used-ribbon spool 6, the thickness of the ribbon part of the spool 5 is decreased, and the bar operates in the direction for depressing a switch part. When the thickness of the ribbon part of the spool 5 is decreased to or below a predetermined value, the switch part of the mechanism 22 operates to detect that the residual amount of the used ribbon part is small. |
