RIBBON SWITCHER FOR PRINTER

PURPOSE:To prevent the stepping-out of a stepping motor by providing a torque limitter for a power transmission mechanism by which the power of the stepping motor is transmitted to a ribbon base. CONSTITUTION:Among gears 6, 7 and 8 to transmit the power of a stepping motor 5 to a gear 9 in order, the gears 7 and 8 make up a torque limitter 18. When the gear is fixed, the gear 7 is turned while being slipped in relation to the gear 8, and however, the torque is set up to a smaller value than the pull-out torque of the motor 5. When the ribbon base 3 is contacted with a stopper 15 during the course of rotation of the motor 5 and the ribbon cassette 10 is stopped at a reference position, the torque limitter 18 is slipped and the motor 5 is operated and stopped without any stepping-out. The position of the ribbon cassette 10 in relation to the platen 1 can thus be easily and exactly set up.