Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. A flexible blade is positioned to contact the printhead when the printhead is not in contact with the cap. The flexible blade is adapted to fold over to spread a liquid solution on the nozzles in a first direction, and the flexible blade is adapted to remove excess amounts of the liquid solution from the nozzles in a second direction. A humidifier is connected to the cap and adapted to supply a moisture form of the liquid solution to the sealed space. A moisture sensor is connected to the cap. The humidifier is adapted to vary supply of the moisture to the sealed space based on the amount of moisture detected by the moisture sensor.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. A heated evaporator is connected to the cap and is adapted to evaporate an ink-compatible liquid to form a water and/or solvent vapor and supply the water and/or solvent vapor to the sealed space to protect the liquid ink in the nozzles. An insulator thermally insulates the heated evaporator from the printhead. This prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying and prevents the nozzles from clogging.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. A heated evaporator is connected to the cap and is adapted to evaporate an ink-compatible liquid to form a water and/or solvent vapor and supply the water and/or solvent vapor to the sealed space to protect the liquid ink in the nozzles. An insulator thermally insulates the heated evaporator from the printhead. This prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying and prevents the nozzles from clogging.

Abstract: Ink stabilizing material is applied to rotatable panels within a cap of an inkjet cartridge resting structure. The rotatable panels then rotate to contact an inkjet printhead when the printhead contacts the cap. Continuous periodic flushing of the printhead is performed while the rotatable panels are contacting the printhead by periodically and repeatedly alternating between ejecting a mixture of the ink stabilizing material and ink from the nozzles, and drawing the mixture of the ink stabilizing material and the ink back into the nozzles.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. An evaporator is connected to the cap and is adapted to control evaporation a water-incompatible or solvent-incompatible liquid into the sealed space to condense an ink-blocking film on the surface of the liquid ink in the nozzles to protect the liquid ink in the nozzles. This prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying and prevents the nozzles from clogging.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured with capping stations for storing printheads in the printer during periods of printer inactivity so the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles of the inkjets of the printheads does not increase significantly. Each capping station has a printhead receptacle that encloses a volume, a planar member configured to move between a first position at which the planar member is located within the printhead receptacle and a second position at which the planar member is external of the printhead receptacle, a first actuator operatively connected to the planar member, the first actuator being configured to move the planar member from the first position to the second position, and a controller configured to operate the first actuator to move the planar member from the first position to the second position to mate the planar member with a face of a printhead.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. A heated evaporator is connected to the cap and is adapted to evaporate an ink-compatible liquid to form a water and/or solvent vapor and supply the water and/or solvent vapor to the sealed space to protect the liquid ink in the nozzles. An insulator thermally insulates the heated evaporator from the printhead. This prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying and prevents the nozzles from clogging.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. A flexible blade is positioned to contact the printhead when the printhead is not in contact with the cap. The flexible blade is adapted to fold over to spread a liquid solution on the nozzles in a first direction, and the flexible blade is adapted to remove excess amounts of the liquid solution from the nozzles in a second direction. A humidifier is connected to the cap and adapted to supply a moisture form of the liquid solution to the sealed space. A moisture sensor is connected to the cap. The humidifier is adapted to vary supply of the moisture to the sealed space based on the amount of moisture detected by the moisture sensor.

Abstract: Ink stabilizing material is applied to rotatable panels within a cap of an inkjet cartridge resting structure. The rotatable panels then rotate to contact an inkjet printhead when the printhead contacts the cap. Continuous periodic flushing of the printhead is performed while the rotatable panels are contacting the printhead by periodically and repeatedly alternating between ejecting a mixture of the ink stabilizing material and ink from the nozzles, and drawing the mixture of the ink stabilizing material and the ink back into the nozzles.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink. The cap and the printhead create a sealed space adjacent printhead nozzles when contacting each other. An evaporator is connected to the cap and is adapted to control evaporation a water-incompatible or solvent-incompatible liquid into the sealed space to condense an ink-blocking film on the surface of the liquid ink in the nozzles to protect the liquid ink in the nozzles. This prevents the ink in the nozzles from drying and prevents the nozzles from clogging.

Abstract: A printer includes a printhead assembly and a dryer. A transport mechanism conveys the printed media in a downstream direction between the printhead assembly and a dryer and between the dryer and an output device. The transport mechanism includes an electric field-generating transport member. The transport member includes a continuous belt supported by rollers. The belt is driven to transport the printed media on an upper surface of the belt. The belt includes an electrically-insulating inner layer and an electrically-insulating outer layer. First and second sets of electrical conductors are positioned intermediate the inner and outer layers. Electrical conductors in the second set are grounded and alternate with electrical conductors in the first set, A charging unit selectively applies a voltage to only a subset of the electrical conductors in the first set at a time, to electrostatically attract the printed media to the upper surface of the belt.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for in-situ cleaning comprises a shower configured to dispense cleaning solution on a belt in a rendering device a dryer configured down line from the shower; a cleaning roller configured to engage a transport roller associated with the belt and a control system for controlling operations thereof.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured with capping stations for storing printheads in the printer during periods of printer inactivity so the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles of the inkjets of the printheads does not increase significantly. Each capping station has a printhead receptacle that encloses a volume, a planar member configured to move between a first position at which the planar member is located within the printhead receptacle and a second position at which the planar member is external of the printhead receptacle, a first actuator operatively connected to the planar member, the first actuator being configured to move the planar member from the first position to the second position, and a controller configured to operate the first actuator to move the planar member from the first position to the second position to mate the planar member with a face of a printhead.

Abstract: A cap is positioned to contact a printhead when the printhead is not ejecting liquid ink onto print media. A dispenser dispenses an ink stabilizing material into the cap. A blocking structure is positioned in the cap to contact vent openings of the inkjet printhead when the inkjet printhead is in the cap and is in a location to submerge the nozzles in the ink stabilizing material in the cap. An ink control device draws the ink stabilizing material into nozzles of the inkjet printhead when the vent openings are blocked by the blocking structure. The ink control device subsequently draws the ink stabilizing material into the vent openings when the vent openings are separated from the blocking structure.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a substrate cooler that reduces the temperature of substrates bearing dried ink images. The substrate cooler has a plurality of rollers, at least one actuator operatively connected to the plurality of rollers, and a controller operatively connected to the least one actuator. The controller is configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the rollers relative to one another to vary the length of the path along which the substrates move through the substrate cooler.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured with capping stations for storing printheads in the printer during periods of printer inactivity so the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles of the inkjets of the printheads does not increase significantly. Each capping station has a printhead receptacle that encloses a volume, a planar member configured to move between a first position at which the planar member is located within the printhead receptacle and a second position at which the planar member is external of the printhead receptacle, a first actuator operatively connected to the planar member, the first actuator being configured to move the planar member from the first position to the second position, and a controller configured to operate the first actuator to move the planar member from the first position to the second position to mate the planar member with a face of a printhead.

Abstract: An ink delivery system of an inkjet printer selectively injects flushing fluid into a supply tube for ink into a printhead to form a mixture of flushing fluid and ink prior to a period of inactivity for the printhead. The ratio of the flushing fluid to the ink is determined by a controller using environmental conditions, ink characteristics, and a duration for the period of inactivity.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a substrate cooler that reduces the temperature of substrates bearing dried ink images. The substrate cooler has a plurality of rollers, at least one actuator operatively connected to the plurality of rollers, and a controller operatively connected to the least one actuator. The controller is configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the rollers relative to one another to vary the length of the path along which the substrates move through the substrate cooler.

Abstract: A printer includes a printhead assembly and a dryer. A transport mechanism conveys the printed media in a downstream direction between the printhead assembly and a dryer and between the dryer and an output device. The transport mechanism includes an electric field-generating transport member. The transport member includes a continuous belt supported by rollers. The belt is driven to transport the printed media on an upper surface of the belt. The belt includes an electrically-insulating inner layer and an electrically-insulating outer layer. First and second sets of electrical conductors are positioned intermediate the inner and outer layers. Electrical conductors in the second set are grounded and alternate with electrical conductors in the first set, A charging unit selectively applies a voltage to only a subset of the electrical conductors in the first set at a time, to electrostatically attract the printed media to the upper surface of the belt.

Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured with capping stations for storing printheads in the printer during periods of printer inactivity so the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles of the inkjets of the printheads does not increase significantly. Each capping station has a printhead receptacle with an opening corresponding to a perimeter of a printhead, a pair of members pivotably mounted to the printhead receptacle so the members can move between a first position where the members expose the opening of the printhead receptacle and a second position where the members cover the opening of the printhead receptacle, and an actuator operatively connected to the pair of members to move the members between the first position and the second position. A controller is operatively connected to the actuator to operate the first actuator to move the members between the first position and the second position.