| 摘要 |
A printer using a ribbon having an ink layer thermally transferable to a sheet of paper. The printer comprises a thermal print head having plural heat generating elements, and a carriage carrying the print head. The carriage is pivotable between its printing position at which the print head is in contact with the paper, and its release position at which the print head is spaced from the paper. The printer further comprises a ribbon cassette removably mounted on the carriage and accommodating a supply and a take-up spool. The ribbon from the supply spool is fed in contact with the sheet of paper relative to the ribbon cassette while the carriage is moved relative to the sheet of paper. The printer includes a stationary rack extending along the printing line, and a pinion rotatably supported on the carriage. The pinion which is connected to the take-up spool is engageable with the rack while the carriage is in the printing position. Pivotal movement of the carriage to the release position causes the pinion to disengage from the rack. The rack may be formed integrally with a paper guide which partially encircles the circumference of a platen. The ribbon cassette comprises a recess accommodating the print head, a ribbon outlet opening adjacent to the recess, a ribbon guide wall for guiding the ribbon from the supply spool toward the outlet opening, and a biasing member pressing the ribbon against the guide wall.
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