Thermal stencil making unit

A thermal stencil making unit that makes a stencil of a perforated image on a thermal gauze by selectively heating and driving a plurality of heat elements in accordance with image information while moving a thermal print head having the plurality of heat elements relative to the thermal gauze tightly stretched in a gauze frame detachably set in a unit housing, the thermal stencil making unit comprising

• a head-protecting member that moves between a protection position where the thermal print head is protected and a protection release position where a protective state is released, while being urged to a side of the protection position via urging means,
• wherein the thermal stencil making unit:
• moves the head-protecting member to the protection position by the urging means, when the gauze frame is not set in the unit housing;
• and
• moves the head-protecting member against the urging means from the protection position to the protection release position, in conjunction with an operation of setting the gauze frame in the unit housing.