Patent ID: 7265771
Filing Date: 2007-09-04
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printer capable of detecting status of unutilized ribbon, the printer comprising: a ribbon supply end; a ribbon retrieving end; a ribbon wherein two ends of the ribbon are installed on the ribbon supply end and the ribbon retrieving end respectively; a print head for printing dye on the ribbon onto print medium; a print medium fixture installed on the side of the print head; a driving module for driving the ribbon supply end and the ribbon retrieving end, and to move the ribbon from the ribbon supply end to the ribbon retrieving end; a moving shaft for moving from a first position of the ribbon between the print head and the ribbon supply end so as to elongate the ribbon between the print head and the ribbon supply end before the print head transfers the dye on the ribbon onto the print medium and when the print head and the print medium fixture clamp the print medium; and a control module for controlling the printer according to whether the moving shaft can be moved from the first position to a second position, wherein when the moving shaft reaches the second position, the control module controls the moving shaft to return to the first position and then controls the print head to print dye on the ribbon onto the print medium.