Patent ID: 8215854

Claim:
A printer apparatus for detachably attaching a cartridge with an ink ribbon for printing characters and images on a recording media, said printer apparatus comprising: a detection sensor for detecting an installation of the cartridge; a locking member for locking the cartridge; a target member detected by the detection sensor when the locking member is locked to the cartridge, and integrally moving with the locking member; driving means for moving the locking member and the target member; and determining means for determining the installation of the cartridge according to output of the detection sensor, wherein, when the cartridge is pulled from the printer apparatus, the locking member is unlocked from the cartridge, and the target member is moved from a first position where it is detected by the detection sensor to a second position where it is undetected by the sensor, the target member stays in the second position, and the locking member is not locked to the cartridge when the cartridge is being installed in the printer apparatus, the determining means determines that the cartridge has not been pulled out when the target member at the first position is detected by the detection sensor, and that the cartridge has been pulled out when the target member is not detected by the detection sensor, and when the determining means is operated and determines that the cartridge has been pulled out, the driving means is operated to move the locking member to lock the cartridge being installed in the printer apparatus and the target member from the second position to the first position.