Abstract: An automatic start-up for a continuous ink jet printer provides a dyeless flush fluid to the printhead to remove any particles or ink residue from the printhead and to wet the orifice plate before jets form. The pressure of the flush fluid is then raised to cause the flush fluid to begin jetting from the drop generator. Once jets are established, ink is supplied to the drop generator at the pressure of the jetting flush fluid. The flow of flush fluid is stopped. Since the printhead is being supplied with ink, ink replaces the flush fluid as the fluid being jetted from the drop generator. An ink heater is then turned on, increasing evaporation of solvent from the ink jetted from the drop generator. The solvent vapors condense on the relatively cool charge plate and catcher face. The condensate forming on these surfaces provides one final rinse of these surfaces to remove conductive ink from the charge leads and catcher face.

Abstract: A printhead servicing mechanism comprises a gear assembly actuated by a printhead carriage to move between an engaged position and a disengaged position, and a printhead servicing device actuated by the gear assembly in the engaged position.

Abstract: A printhead servicing mechanism comprises a printhead capping device that moves between a storage position and a printhead capping position, and a crank arm assembly that moves the printhead capping device between the storage and capping positions.

Abstract: A lubricating system includes a flexible, nominally planar lubricating structure including first and second end regions and a central region positioned therebetween. The lubricating structure is impregnated with a lubricating fluid and is adapted for securement to a printhead carriage only at said first and second end regions.

Abstract: An inkjet waste ink handling system embodiment of the present invention includes a spittoon reservoir for collecting waste ink dropped from an inkjet printhead, and a ramp within the spittoon reservoir having an upper end that receives any ink dropped in and a lower end to which gravity conveys such ink. In this way, pillars of dried ink are prevented from accumulating.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an optical sensor carried by a print carriage. An optical guide has an input end in optical alignment with a maintenance item and has an output end in optical alignment with a location to which the optical sensor may be moved by the print carriage.

Abstract: In an aspect, the invention features an apparatus and method for cleaning with a flow of gas. In embodiments, a gas cleaning assembly is provided that includes a nozzle outlet that directs cleaning gas, e.g., toward a work piece, and a sheath gas jacket surrounding at least a portion of the nozzle that directs a sheath gas into contact with the nozzle.

Abstract: A cap holder on which a cap member is formed is mounted on a slider which constitutes a capping device. This slider is driven along vertical direction by receiving driving force executed by moving a carriage, so that an interval between the cap member and a nozzle forming surface of a recording head is adjusted. As a result, since a stopping position of the carriage is controlled in response to an adjustment amount of a platen gap, a distance between the recording head and the capping device when a flushing operation is carried out can be controlled under proper condition. Also, even when the control operation is advanced to a capping condition, the capping device can cap the nozzle forming surface under proper pressure.

Abstract: The apparatus has a cap member to internally form a closed space when it makes contact with a nozzle forming face of a liquid ejecting head, a negative pressure generating unit for ejecting a fluid in the closed space and generating negative pressure in the same, and a filter member arranged so that at least a part thereof is positioned in the cap member. On the downstream side of the filter member in the liquid flow direction during suction, a common negative pressure chamber to apply almost uniform negative pressure on almost overall the filter member is formed. The negative pressure generating unit ejects fluid in the common negative pressure chamber. The filter function of the filter member installed on the cap member can be used sufficiently overall the filter member.

Abstract: A platen assembly for a printer includes a chassis to which there is mounted a printhead and a pair of bearing moldings supported by the chassis and movable toward and away from the printhead. A platen body (83) is rotatably mounted between the bearing moldings and includes a platen surface (78) extending therealong, a capping device (80) extending therealong and a blotting device (81) also extending therealong. Each device is selectively aligned with the printhead upon a rotation of the body between respective angular orientation. The body includes end caps having cam surfaces engageable with a projection affixed to the chassis to cause movement of the bearing members toward and away from the printhead during rotation of the body so that the body does not damage the printhead.

Abstract: An ink collection assembly includes an ink collection chimney defined, at least in part, by a tubular. The tubular structure has a proximal end and a distal end. The tubular structure extends from the proximal end a first distance to the distal end. The distal end defines an opening for receiving waste ink. A hydrophobic foam is positioned in the tubular structure. With the hydrophobic foam positioned in the tubular structure, the tubular structure includes a hollow portion located between the hydrophobic foam and the proximal end.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a platen defining the position of printing medium P during image printing and an ink receiver formed in the platen to be opposite to nozzle arrays of a print head. In the inkjet printer, the print head ejects ink from the nozzle arrays for pigment ink and dye ink in accordance with print data. When borderless printing is executed on the edges of printing medium, ink is ejected to lie off printing medium and then received in the ink receiver. Then, the print head ejects dye ink to pigment ink received in the ink receiver of the platen during borderless printing using pigment ink.

Abstract: A simple configuration is used to prevent a gas-liquid separating membrane which allows a gas to pass through while hindering the passage of a liquid, from undergoing a pressure equal to or higher than the withstanding pressure of the membrane, thus enabling a liquid to be stably fed into a container. To achieve this, in one preferred mode, a buffer is provided in a suction path connected to a suction pump. The buffer serves to prevent a gas-liquid separating membrane which allows a gas to pass through while hindering the passage of a liquid, from undergoing a pressure equal to or higher than the withstanding pressure of the membrane.

Abstract: A fluid ejection head is disclosed, wherein the fluid ejection head includes an orifice layer disposed on top of a substrate layer. The fluid ejection head includes a first group of fluid ejection orifices and a second group of fluid ejection orifices formed in the fluid ejection head, wherein the first group of fluid ejection orifices and the second group of fluid ejection orifices are configured to eject two different fluids, and an elongate channel formed in the fluid ejection head, wherein the channel is positioned between the first group of fluid ejection orifices and the second group of fluid ejection orifices in such a location as to inhibit cross-contamination of fluids ejected from the first group of fluid ejection orifices and second group of fluid ejection orifices.

Abstract: A maintenance apparatus of an inkjet printer includes a control unit to control a drive motor for a wiping member convey unit to be in contact with a stopper two or more times in order to prevent a wiping member and a wiper disposed therein from being erroneously positioned due to an abnormal repulsive force occurring in the wiping member convey unit when the wiping member convey unit comes in contact with the stopper, due to outer impact and changes in load of the motor. The wiper-positioning method includes a first contact operation of driving the motor for the wiping member convey device to come in contact with the stopper, and a re-contact operation of controlling the motor for the wiping member convey unit to be in contact with the stopper one or more times again.

Abstract: A printhead capping assembly includes a cap holder, a printhead cap and a pin. The pin includes a head and a shaft. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal end being adjacent to the head. The head has an outer periphery, and a bottom surface extending outwardly from the shaft toward the outer periphery. The pin has a channel including a first channel portion and a second channel portion. The first channel portion extends from the outer periphery of the head to the shaft. The first channel portion is connected to the second channel portion. The pin is inserted through the second hole and into the first hole to place the head in contact with the second base of the printhead cap. The second base of the printhead cap seals along the first channel portion to define a first vent path portion.

Abstract: An ink jet printer of the present invention includes at least one ink head which jets ink to a recording medium surface of a recording medium. This ink head has a nozzle plate in which a nozzle for jetting ink is formed and at least one rib which is formed so as to project toward the side of the recording medium rather than the nozzle. The ribs are gradually tapered toward the side of the recording medium.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a printing device includes a plurality of print cartridges arranged in an array. The printing device also includes a plurality of modular cleaning units for servicing the plurality of print cartridges, the modular cleaning units being arranged to allow the plurality of print cartridges to be serviced simultaneously.

Abstract: A maintenance apparatus of an inkjet printer includes a housing, a capping member disposed in the housing and having two caps closing up surfaces of ink injection nozzles of two printing heads, respectively, a wiping member disposed in the housing and having a wiper wiping the surfaces of the ink injection nozzles, a transmission disposed on the housing reducing a rotation force from a driving source, a capping member mover changing the rotation force of the transmission into a vertical force to move the capping member in a capping position in a capping operation, and a wiping member mover changing the rotation force of the transmission into a horizontal force to move the wiping member in a wiping position in a wiping operation, wherein the wiping operation of the wiping member and the capping operation of the capping member, or an capping-release operation of the capping member and the wiping operation of the wiping member are successively performed in response to the rotation force of the transmission.

Abstract: A method of servicing a pen comprising a printhead, having a plurality of nozzles, mounted in an inkjet printing device, comprising a servicing area and a drop detector comprising the following steps performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any of the nozzles of the printhead are malfunctioning; storing the result of the more recent drop detection operation, together with the results of the previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle; deciding whether or not to execute a recovery service in the servicing area to attempt to recover the current malfunctioning nozzles, based on the more recent status of the nozzles and on the history of the health status of the nozzles.