Abstract: An on-page inkjet printhead spitting system purges the printhead nozzles across the printed page, and occasionally in the conventional service station spittoon. In addition to the image-forming droplets, extra purging droplets are fired to maintain pen health. To determine when to purge each nozzle, the number of times each nozzle is fired to print the image is counted or estimated, or printhead characteristics are monitored. The purging dots may be located on the page, in the spittoon, or both. On the page, the purging dots may be hidden from view, in the image background or over the image dots, or hidden in plain sight adjacent image dots, in speed bars, in a watermark type design, or in a repeating pattern. Use of this on-page spitting system conserves ink and improves throughput of the printing mechanism, without requiring any sacrifice in the print quality appearance to the naked eye.

Abstract: A wet capping system is provided for inkjet printheads used in various inkjet printing mechanisms, such as printers, facsimile machines, scanners, plotters and the like. A wicking cap has an elastomeric body with an ink wicking area surrounded by a sealing lip to seal a region of the pen face surrounding the printhead nozzles. Optionally, the wicking area is lined with an elastomer or a compliant thin film, such as a sheet of mylar film, to define a wicking surface. The wicking surface draws ink from the pen through capillary action. While the pen is capped, the extracted ink dissolves any ink solids or residue accumulated around the nozzles. While useful with conventional dye based inks, this wet capping system is especially useful to remove the tough residue left on a printhead by pigment based inks.

Abstract: A service station for an inkjet printing mechanism has a moveable platform that receives waste ink which is occasionally discharged from an inkjet printhead. The printing mechanism has a drive mechanism which moves the platform between a first position for receiving the purged ink, and a second position for discharging the purged ink. The moveable platform may be configured as a rotating annular wheel, with a scraper positioned adjacent thereto for removing the discharged ink from the wheel. The platform may be provided by an endless belt conveyed over two or more rollers. At least one of the rollers may be located substantially under the printhead, and another roller may be located either near or remote from the printhead. Ink may be discharged from the belt using a scraper, and/or using specially contoured rollers. A method is also provided for cleaning an inkjet pen mounted for use in an inkjet printing mechanism.

Abstract: A rotary self-cleaning servicing system services inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism. A rotary service station has a wiper supporting tumbler that rotates about an axis parallel to the printhead scanning direction to wipe the printhead orthogonally along the length of a linear nozzle array. A dual blade wiper has a forked wiping tip with wiping surfaces separated by recessed land portions. The wiper wicks ink from one nozzle and drags it along the linear array to other nozzles to lubricate the pen face and to dissolve any accumulated ink residue. Any ink rolls escape through the wiping tip recessed lands and move away from the nozzles. An optional wiper scraping system pivots through cammed engagement with the tumbler to selectively engage and scrape the wipers. A method is also provided of cleaning an inkjet printhead to maintain pen health, particularly for pens using fast drying pigment based inks.

Abstract: A matrix arrangement for inkjet pens used in inkjet printing mechanisms provides increased throughput and a narrower product than the traditional pen arrangements laying side-by-side along the scanning axis. The matrix inkjet cartridge has at least two chambers perpendicular to the scanning axis. For example, a two-by-two matrix arrangement in a four pen cartridge system requires less distance for all of the nozzles to traverse the entire print zone. Thus, throughput, often measured in pages per minute, is increased. Moreover, the overall product width may be decreased to provide a more compact product for consumers. A method is also provided of dispensing ink using an inkjet printing mechanism, as well as a method of delivering ink through an inkjet cartridge where ink is extracted from storage chambers through ports located on opposing sides of a plane parallel to the scanning axis.

Abstract: A manually actuated, spring biased, unidirectional piston pump assembly is provided for purging ink from the lines and/or nozzles of an inkjet printing mechanism. The pump's piston plunger may be stroked several times by an operator's finger to generate a pressure profile that effectively primes an ink cartridge after periods of primer inactivity. A series of baffles, comprising fingers located in an entrapment chamber of the pump, separates the ink from air being purged from the lines. The collected ink droplets fall onto an absorbent diaper material, which captures the purged ink. The pump may also be constructed as a stand-alone priming apparatus for priming a pen cartridge before installation in an inkjet printing mechanism. Preferably the pump components are constructed for snap interfits which facilitate ease of assembly and decrease costs associated with manufacturing.

Abstract: A cleaner or replenishing cartridge and a method of cleaning an inkjet printing mechanism using such a cartridge is disclosed. An inkjet pen within the printing mechanism is replaced by a cleaner cartridge which is then positioned over or adjacent to a location of the printing mechanism to be cleaned. Power is applied to the cartridge either by coupling an on-board battery via a signal from the carriage interconnect, or through pulses applied through the interconnect. The cartridge may be fashioned for dispensing a fluid, such as an ink solvent, a lubricant, or a staticide to various printer components. The fluid may also be supplied to replenish a printer reservoir. The cartridge may be used for extracting ink sludge from the printer's ink lines, or for applying a vacuum suction force to draw particles into the cartridge. The cartridge may propel a strip of cleaning media across an area to be cleaned, or refurbish worn printhead wipers.

Abstract: A custom profiled flexible conduit system conveys a fluid therethrough between two locations, which may be moving relative to one another. The conduit profile includes a wall with a nonuniform thickness selected to control a diffusion rate of the fluid when conveyed through, or when standing within the conduit. The conduit profile defines a main chamber and optional auxiliary chambers. During a collapse of the conduit, caused by a kink for instance, restricted fluid flow may be sustained through a constricted passageway formed in the main chamber, through the auxiliary chambers, or both. The profile may include a protuberance into the main chamber to maintain flow during collapse. The profile may also be customized to minimize the bend radius before collapse of the conduit, and to promote bending in a particular direction. A method is also provided of conveying fluid between two locations.

Abstract: An indexing double planetary gear train forms a portion of a feed system for accurately advancing a print media sheet through a printer. The planetary gear train has primary and secondary rings coupled to a sun gear by a series of planet gear clusters. Each planet gear cluster has primary and secondary planet gears which engage the respective primary and secondary rings. By assembling at least two of the gear train components to be fully indexing, and through the use of the identical planet gear clusters formed in a single mold, imperfections in the planet clusters and the rings, such as tooth-to-tooth defects or eccentricity, are canceled and have no effect on the accuracy of the line feed increments. Thus, more accurate and uniform media advance is achieved using plastic molded gears which are also relatively low in cost to manufacture and easy to assemble.