Importance

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Abstract

An end-of-ribbon sensing device for an office machine, which machine includes a printing station for receiving a nonreusable ribbon which is displaceable through the printing station and which has a scannable marking at its trailing end. The device includes: a receiving member mounted at the printing station for receiving the replaceable member; a ribbon scanning unit carried by the receiving member and having scanning elements for scanning the scannable marking disposed at the end of the ribbon and for generating a signal upon scanning of the scannable marking; a control circuit connected to the scanning unit for processing the signal generated by the scanning unit so as to generate a ribbon end signal; a covering element for selectively covering the scanning elements: and a support member supporting the covering element and carried by the receiving member, the support member being maintained in a first position, when a replaceable member is not present at the receiving member, in which the covering element covers the scanning elements, and the support member being movable in response to reception of a replaceable member by the receiving member into a second position in which the covering element is displaced so as to expose the scanning elements to the ribbon, the support member being returned to the first position upon removal of a replaceable member and the covering element being constructed for cleaning the scanning elements during return of the support member from the second position to the first position.

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First Claim