| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20110279519 | MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING MODULAR SLED - A maintenance system for a printhead, the system having a sled slidably arranged with respect to the printhead a media platen module supported by the sled a capper module supported by the sled a wiper module supported by the sled; and a selection mechanism for selectively sliding the sled to align one of the platen, capper and wiper modules with the printhead, and for moving the aligned module to a position in proximity of the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279520 | PRINTER HAVING MODULAR MAINTENANCE SLED - A printer having a media width printhead a sled slidably arranged with respect to the printhead a media platen module supported by the sled a capper module supported by the sled a wiper module supported by the sled and a selection mechanism for selectively sliding the sled to align one of the platen, capper and wiper modules with the printhead, and for moving the aligned module to a position in proximity of the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279521 | APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PRINTING HAVING OFFSET WICK - A printing assistance apparatus for a media width printhead is provided. The printhead has rows of fluid ejection nozzles extending along the media width, The apparatus has an elongate platen having a surface for supporting media across the media width as the media travels past the printhead along a media travel direction, the platen having an elongate slot along the media width, a wick element positioned within the slot for wicking fluid ejected by the nozzles from the supporting surface, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the platen with the printhead so that the opposed longitudinal edges of the slot are respectively positioned upstream and downstream of the media travel direction with respect to a centerline along the length the nozzle rows with the upstream edge being closer to the centerline than the downstream edge such that the wick element has a smaller upstream surface area. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279522 | METHOD OF MAINTAINING PRINTHEAD - A method of maintaining a printhead having the steps of bringing a porous material within a predetermined distance from fluid ejection nozzles of the printhead at a non-printing phase of the printhead; and holding the porous material at the predetermined distance during the non-printing phase, wherein the predetermined distance is selected to allow a fluid flow path to form between the nozzles and porous material which causes transfer of fluid egested by the nozzles to the porous material and then induces the flow path to break off. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279523 | MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING WICKING CAP FOR PRINTHEAD - A maintenance apparatus for a printhead, the apparatus having a seal for sealing against a surface of the printhead which has fluid ejection nozzles, the seal being configured to form a sealed space about the nozzles; and a porous material positioned within the seal to be in proximity of the nozzles in the sealed space, fluid egested by the nozzles contacting, and being transferred to, the porous material in the sealed space. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279524 | APPARATUS FOR CAPPING PRINTING HAVING OFFSET WICK - A maintenance apparatus for a media width printhead is provided. The printhead has rows of fluid ejection nozzles extending along the media width for ejecting fluid onto media as the media travels past the printhead along a media travel direction. The apparatus has a seal for sealing against the printhead surface having the nozzle rows and forming a sealed space about the nozzle rows, a wick element positioned within the seal for wicking fluid ejected by the nozzles from the sealed space, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the seal with the printhead so that a portion of an outer surface of the wick element sloped in the media travel direction closest to the printhead is positioned upstream with respect to a centerline along the length the nozzle rows and a portion of the sloped outer surface of the wick element furthest from the printhead is positioned downstream. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279526 | MAINTENANCE APPARATUS HAVING ROTATABLE WIPER FOR PRINTHEAD - A maintenance apparatus for a printhead, the apparatus having a rotatable shaft; a porous material about the shaft; and a mechanism for rotating the shaft so that the porous material rotates against the printhead, the porous material being configured to absorb fluid from the printhead during the rotation. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279527 | MAINTENANCE APPARATUS HAVING ROTATABLE PRINTHEAD WIPER WITH SCRAPER - A maintenance apparatus for a printhead, the apparatus having: a porous member for rotatably contacting the printhead to absorb particulates from the printhead; and a scraper for contacting the porous member to remove the absorbed particulates from the porous member during the rotation. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279528 | MAINTENANCE APPARATUS HAVING MULTIPLE FLUID ABSORBERS FOR PRINTHEAD - A maintenance apparatus for a printhead, the apparatus having a first porous member for contacting the printhead to absorb fluid from the printhead; and a second porous member for contacting the first porous member to absorb fluid from the first porous member. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279529 | APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PRINTING HAVING WICK - A method of maintaining a printhead, the method having, when printing with the printhead, translating a modular sled relative to the printhead so as to align a media platen module supported by the sled with the printhead; after printing with the printing, translating the sled relative to the printhead so as to align a wiper module supported by the sled with the printhead and operating a wiper roller of the wiper module so as to wipe a printing face of the printhead; and after the wiping and prior to commencement of printing with the printhead, translating the sled relative to the printhead so as to align a capper module supported by the sled with the printhead so as to cap the printing face of the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279530 | MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING CLEANABLE WIPER FOR PRINTHEAD - An apparatus for maintaining a printhead is provided having a rotatable wiper roller having a shaft and a porous material about the shaft, a rotatable transfer roller in rotatable contact with the wiper roller, and a mechanism for rotating the wiper roller so that the porous material rotates against the printhead such that the porous material absorbs fluid from the printhead during the rotation, and for rotating the transfer roller against the wiper roller so that the fluid absorbed by the porous material is transferred to the transfer roller. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279531 | MAINTENANCE APPARATUS HAVING CLEANER FOR ROTATABLE WIPER - An apparatus for maintaining a printhead is provided having a rotatable porous roller, a rotatable non-porous roller in rotatable contact with the porous roller, a scraper in contact with the non-porous roller, and a mechanism for rotating the porous and non-porous rollers so that the porous roller rotates against the printhead and the non-porous roller is rotated against the porous roller and the scraper. The porous roller is configured to absorb fluid and particulates from the printhead during rotation. The non-porous roller is configured to transfer the absorbed fluid and particulates from the porous roller. The scraper is configured to clean the transferred fluid and particulates from the non-porous roller during rotation. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279532 | WIPING DEVICE HAVING ON-BOARD MECHANISM FOR ROTATING WIPER ROLLER FOR PRINTHEAD - A wiping device for maintaining a printhead is provided having a body supported within a maintenance unit of the printer, a porous roller rotatably mounted to the body, and a mechanism mounted to the body for rotating the porous roller. The body is configured to be lifted from the maintenance unit so as bring the porous roller into contact with a printhead of the printer. The mechanism rotates the porous roller so that the porous roller rotates against the printhead wiping the printhead clean. The mechanism is connectable to a power supply of the printer and is configured to be lifted from the maintenance unit together with the body whilst connected to the power supply. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279533 | MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING TRANSLATABLE AND ROTATABLE WIPER AND CLEANER FOR PRINTHEAD - A maintenance system for a printhead is provided having a sled, a wiper module supported by the sled, a lift mechanism for lifting the wiper module from the sled the wiper module, a rotation mechanism, and a sliding mechanism for sliding the sled relative to the printhead. The wiper module has rotatable porous and non-porous rollers in contact with one another. The rotation mechanism rotates the porous and non-porous rollers so that the porous roller of the lifted wiper module rotates against the printhead and the non-porous roller rotates against the porous roller. The porous roller is configured to absorb fluid from the printhead during rotation and the non-porous roller is configured to clean the absorbed fluid from the porous roller. The sliding mechanism slides the sled so that the rotating porous roller is wiped across the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279534 | PRINTHEAD MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING WIPER MODULE - A maintenance system for a printhead is provided having a support frame, a wiper module supported by the support frame, a lift mechanism for lifting the wiper module from the support frame, and a rotation mechanism. The wiper module has a wiper roller on a rotatable shaft and a porous material about the shaft, and a transfer roller in rotatable contact with the wiper roller. The lift mechanism lifting the wiper module to position the porous material of the wiper roller against the printhead. The rotation mechanism rotates the wiper and transfer rollers so that the porous material of the wiper roller rotates against the printhead. The porous material is configured to absorb fluid from the printhead during rotation, and so that the fluid absorbed by the porous material of the wiper roller is transferred to the transfer roller. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279535 | MAINTENANCE APPARATUS HAVING ROTATABLE WIPER AND TRANSFER ROLLERS FOR PRINTHEAD - An apparatus for maintaining a printhead is provided having a rotatable wiper roller having a shaft and a porous material about the shaft, a rotatable transfer roller in rotatable contact with the wiper roller, and a mechanism for rotating the wiper roller so that the porous material rotates against the printhead such that the porous material absorbs fluid from the printhead during the rotation, and for rotating the transfer roller against the wiper roller so that the fluid absorbed by the porous material is transferred to the transfer roller. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279536 | METHOD OF MAINTAINING PRINTHEAD WITH MODULAR SLED - A method of maintaining a printhead and the method having when printing with the printhea, translating a modular sled relative to the printhead so as to align a media platen module supported by the sled with the printhead after printing with the printing, translating the sled relative to the printhead so as to align a wiper module supported by the sled with the printhead and operating a wiper roller of the wiper module so as to wipe a printing face of the printhead; and after the wiping and prior to commencement of printing with the printhead, translating the sled relative to the printhead so as to align a capper module supported by the sled with the printhead so as to cap the printing face of the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279538 | METHOD OF WIPING PRINTHEAD WITH TRANSLATABLE AND ROTATABLE WIPER - A method of wiping a printhead, the method having: controlling a lift mechanism to lift a wiper module from a supporting sled to position a porous material of the wiper module against the printhead; controlling a rotation mechanism to rotate a shaft of the wiper module about which the porous material is provided so that the porous material rotates against the printhead, the porous material being configured to absorb fluid from the printhead during the rotation; and controlling a sliding mechanism to slide the sled relative to the printhead so that the rotating porous material is wiped across the printhead. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279539 | MAINTENANCE SYSTEM HAVING WASTE CONTAINER FOR PRINTHEAD - A maintenance system for a printhead, the system having an ingestion member for ingesting waste fluid from the printhead; and a container for containing said ingested waste fluid, the container being flexible so as to expand as an amount of contained waste fluid increases. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279540 | PRINTER HAVING WASTE FLUID CONTAINER - A printer having a printhead having a plurality of fluid ejection nozzles; an ingestion member for ingesting waste fluid from the printhead; and a container for containing the ingested waste fluid, the container being flexible so as to expand as an amount of contained waste fluid increases. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279617 | METHOD OF SHAPING MEDIA AT PRINTHEAD - Method of shaping media for printing by a media width printhead, the method having transporting media into a print zone defined by a plurality of fluid ejection nozzles of the printhead with input rollers at an angle to a plane parallel with the print zone; transporting media out of the print zone with output rollers at an angle to said parallel plane; and supporting and shaping the media as the media is transported through the print zone with an elongate platen, the platen having a series of upstream ribs disposed upstream of the print zone with respect to the media transport direction and a series of downstream ribs disposed downstream of the print zone with respect to the media transport direction, wherein the ribs are configured so that the transported media is in contact with the ribs in the print zone and adopts a constrained curved path past the nozzles. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110279618 | SYSTEM FOR SHAPING MEDIA AT PRINTHEAD - A system for shaping media for printing by a media width printhead is provided having a media width printhead of fluid ejection nozzles defining a media width print zone, input rollers disposed for transporting media into the print zone at an angle to a plane parallel with the print zone, output rollers for transporting media out of the print zone at an angle to a plane parallel with the print zone, and an elongate platen for supporting and shaping the media as the media is transported through the print zone. The platen has a series of ribs disposed upstream of the print zone and a series of ribs disposed downstream of the print zone. The ribs are configured so that the transported media adopts a constrained curved path past the nozzles through contact with the ribs in the print zone. | 11-17-2011 |
