Abstract: A printhead maintenance facility with a core that mounts in an inkjet printer for movement relative to an inkjet printhead. The core has a plurality of maintenance station mounting sites, each with engagement formations. The core also has a plurality of maintenance structures for operation with the printhead, the plurality of maintenance structures each being mountable to at least one other of the plurality of maintenance station mounting sites.

Abstract: A printhead maintenance facility for an inkjet printhead, having a wiper member for contacting a nozzle face on the inkjet printhead, the wiper member having a resilient blade with the distal edge configured to flex upon contact with the nozzle face, a doctor blade and, a maintenance drive configured to wipe the wiper member over the nozzle face and then past the doctor blade. The resilient blade flexes to pass the doctor blade and, upon disengagement of the resilient blade and the doctor blade, the resilient blade springs back to its quiescent shape thereby projecting contaminants from its surface.

Abstract: A cartridge for a pagewidth printhead assembly is provided. The cartridge includes a body assembly having a lid and main body operatively defining a plurality of fluid chambers when assembled, each chamber comprising a stack of polymer layers with a micro-capillary array of channels formed therein to form an absorbent assembly. The cartridge includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits (IC) each having a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements for ejecting printing fluid onto a printing medium, in use. The cartridge also includes a fluid distribution member operatively arranging each chamber in fluid communication with each IC.

Abstract: A maintenance facility for an inkjet printer has a printhead with an array of nozzles defined in a nozzle face and media feed assembly for moving sheets of print media along a media feed path extending past the printhead in a media feed direction. The printhead maintenance facility has a wiper member having a fibrous pad for wiping the nozzle face and a maintenance drive for moving the wiper member over the printhead in a direction parallel to the media feed direction. During use, the maintenance drive moves the fibrous pad through the media feed path in order to contact the nozzle face.

Abstract: A maintenance facility for an inkjet printer having a pagewidth printhead and a media path for feeding sheets of media substrate in a media feed direction. The pagewidth printhead has an elongate array of nozzles extending the printing width of the media substrate and the maintenance facility has a tubular chassis mounting in the printer such that it can rotate about its longitudinal axis and a plurality of maintenance stations mounted to an exterior surface of the tubular chassis. At least one of the maintenance stations is a wiper member positioned for wiping contact with the elongate array of nozzles.

Abstract: An ink storage module for a printer cartridge includes upper and lower plate members and an ink bag located between the upper and lower plate members to define an ink volume, said lower plate member displaceable towards and away from the upper plate member; a bag constrictor assembly having an upper collar, a lower collar, and a plurality of bowed panels extending between the upper and lower collar, the upper collar being displaceable towards the lower collar; a lid to which the upper plate member is fixedly attached, the lid having a first port and a second port both in fluid communication with the ink bag; and a valve insert located between the lid and the ink bag, said valve insert having an inlet valve and an outlet valve arranged in fluid communication with respective first and second ports in the lid, the inlet valve facilitating refilling of the bag with ink, and the outlet valve to facilitate ink delivery to the printhead.

Abstract: A print engine is provided for a printer unit. The print engine includes a cradle unit and a replaceable cartridge unit received within the cradle unit in a releasable manner. The print engine further includes print media transport means which can transport print media. The cartridge unit includes a body. An ink storage module assembly includes a plurality of ink storage modules and is configured to be received in the body from one side. A printhead assembly is configured to be mounted to the body at an opposite side and is configured to print upon the transported print media.

Abstract: A maintenance assembly for a pagewidth printer, said assembly operatively mounted between posts of a main body of the printer so that the maintenance assembly is positioned adjacent a printhead assembly of the printer. The maintenance assembly includes a maintenance chassis defining tongue portions and having ends which are shaped to fit over the posts of the main body to secure the maintenance assembly in position. The maintenance assembly also includes a retainer element operatively engaging the chassis, and a lower molding and an upper molding operatively fast with each other to sandwich an absorbent insert between them. The moldings are in turn sandwiched between the chassis and retainer element, so that the maintenance assembly is useable to wipe the printhead of the printer.

Abstract: A cradle unit for receiving a print cartridge to form a print engine, the cradle unit includes a main body defining an opening for receiving said cartridge, the main body having a frame structure including end plates with drive and exit rollers mounted therebetween; a printed circuit board (PCB) pivotally mounted between the end plates for housing control electronics for controlling the operation of the print engine; a cover assembly for securing said cartridge in the opening, the cover assembly pivotally mounted between the end plates, the cover assembly configured to pivot the PCB into electrical contact with a printhead controller on the cartridge when in a closed position, and to pivot the PCB out of electrical connection with said printhead controller when in an open position; and a maintenance assembly mounted to the main body, the maintenance assembly movable between a capping state where a printhead of the print cartridge is capped, and a printing stage where a printhead of the print cartridge is unca

Abstract: A dispenser unit for dispensing ink to refill a supply of printing fluid in a printing unit includes a body assembly; a plurality of ink outlets provided on a bottom side of the body assembly, the plurality of ink outlets each for engaging with respective ink inlets of the printing unit; a compressible ink storage volume provided within the body assembly, the compressible ink storage volume having a sealed end and an outlet end connected to no more than one of the plurality of ink outlets; a plunger provided within the housing and abutting the sealed end of the compressible ink storage volume; and a compressing actuator for compressing the plunger against the sealed end of the compressible ink storage volume, thereby facilitating a dispensing of ink from within the compressible ink storage volume into the printing unit via the ink outlet to which the outlet end of the compressible ink storage volume is connected.

Abstract: A printer is provided having a sheet media transport mechanism, a pick-up roller arranged to be rotated so as to contact and pick-up sheet media from a sheet media supply, and a gear assembly for communicating a driving force of a motor to the pick-up roller to rotate the pick-up roller. A first gear of the gear assembly is directly coupled with a second gear of the gear assembly which is concentric with the pick-up roller. The first gear is configured to disengage from the second gear substantially at the point of delivery of a leading edge of the picked sheet media to the sheet media transport mechanism so as to cease communication of the driving force of the motor to the pick-up roller.

Abstract: A printing fluid refill unit for a print engine includes a reservoir having a variable storage volume for holding an amount of printing fluid, the variable storage volume having a plurality of discrete volumetric increments, each of the discrete volumetric increments having equal volumes, the reservoir further having an actuator for reducing the variable storage volume by one or more of the discrete volumetric increments; a ratchet system forming part of the actuator, the ratchet system effecting variation of the storage volume by a minimum increment of one discrete volumetric increment; an information storage element for storing information on the amount of printing fluid contained in the refill unit and for connecting with an information reader incorporated in the print engine for reading the information stored by the storage element when the refill unit is mounted to the print engine; a selector for activating the actuator to dispense a volume of the printing fluid equal to a selected multiple of the discr

Abstract: A printhead cartridge cradle is provided having a frame, a printed circuit board pivotally supported by the frame, a cover pivotally supported by the frame to pivot between a closed position at which a printhead cartridge is secured within the frame and the printed circuit board is pivoted to connect control circuitry on the printed circuit board with a controller of the secured cartridge and an open position at which access for the cartridge with the frame is provided and the printed circuit board is pivoted to disconnect the control circuitry and controller, and a motor operatively connected to a maintenance gear and actuator arrangement and a wiper gear and actuator arrangement for maintaining and wiping a printhead of the secured cartridge under control of the connected control circuitry.

Abstract: Provided is an ink storage module for a printer cartridge having a number of ink storage modules. Each module operatively stores a different colored ink for delivery to a printhead of the printer. The module includes upper and lower plate members having an ink bag located between the plate members to define an ink volume, said plate members displaceable towards and away from each other. The module also includes a bag constrictor assembly engaged with said plate members and configured to act on the bag when the plate members are displaced towards each other to reduce the ink volume, as well as a valve insert having an inlet valve to facilitate refilling of the bag with ink and an outlet valve to facilitate ink delivery to the printhead. The module further has a filter cover positioned between the valve insert and the ink bag to filter contaminants and air bubbles passing between the ink bag and said valve insert.

Abstract: A method of assembling a gear arrangement for a capper of an inkjet printer, the method comprising the steps of: mounting a first gear assembly to the printer so as to cooperate with a motor gear for driving rotation of the first gear assembly, the first gear assembly having a code feature; and mounting a second gear assembly the printer so as to cooperate with the first gear assembly to be rotatable therewith, the second gear assembly, in use, cooperating with a capper for capping a printhead so that the rotation of the second gear assembly moves the capper out of and into its capping position, wherein in the step of mounting the second gear assembly the code feature of the first gear assembly is arranged to cooperate with a holding feature of a mounting arrangement used to mount the second gear assembly to the printer, the code feature being configured so that the cooperation with the holding feature maintains the first gear assembly at a predetermined position during the mounting of the second gear assembl

Abstract: A refillable ink cartridge has an ink port for both supplying ink to a printhead and refilling the cartridge. An ink reservoir has ink absorbent material disposed therein with a main fluid channel extending between the ink port and the ink absorbent material. A bypass fluid channel with a control valve extends between the main fluid channel the said absorbent material. The bypass control valve is configured to allow ink to flow through the bypass fluid channel only when refilling the ink reservoir via the ink port.

Abstract: An ink refill unit for replenishing an ink storage compartment of an inkjet printer is provided. The ink refill unit has a body containing a quantity of refilling ink configured to engage an interface of the storage compartment, and a plurality of actuators defined in the body for actuating a constrictor mechanism of the storage compartment as the ink refill unit engages the interface and deactivating the constrictor mechanism as the ink refill unit disengages the interface. The constrictor mechanism constricts a flexible tubular wall of the storage compartment by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A print engine for a printhead assembly includes a refillable cartridge having a body defining a plurality of fluid chambers, the body having a lid assembly with a plurality of ink refill ports leading to respective fluid chambers, the lid assembly having an actuator to actuate a refill unit; a number of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements configured to operatively eject printing fluid onto a printing medium; and a fluid distribution member operatively arranging the nozzle arrangements in fluid communication with respective fluid chambers. The lid assembly engages with the refill unit to actuate the refill unit. The refill unit includes an outlet adapted to engage with the plurality of ink refill ports, a fluid reservoir, and an ejector assembly configured to incrementally eject fluid from the reservoir when the ejector assembly is actuated by the actuator during operative engagement of the print cartridge by the lid assembly.

Abstract: An ink priming system for a cartridge includes a priming inlet provided on a pagewidth printhead assembly, the priming inlet including a valve incorporating an elastomeric seal; an ink flow passage providing fluid connection between the pagewidth printhead assembly and an ink storage compartment of the cartridge, the ink flow passage terminating at the ink storage compartment to form an ink outlet; an ink filter provided across the ink outlet; a vent hole defined through a surface of the ink storage compartment, the vent hole being defined through a surface opposite the ink outlet; and an ink retaining member provided within the ink storage compartment for receiving and storing ink, the ink retaining member being interposed between the ink outlet and the vent hole. Ink is supplied to the priming inlet of the pagewidth printhead assembly to flow from the pagewidth printhead assembly into the ink storage compartment via the ink flow passage and across the ink filter.

Abstract: The invention provides for a valve assembly for a printhead cartridge. The valve assembly includes a flanged valve stem defining an inlet opening with a skirt engaging portion for operatively engaging an outlet port of the cartridge. The valve assembly also includes a depressible valve member within the stem, and a pressure regulator having a spacer with a central hub, a diaphragm with central inlet opening, and a clip defining an outlet opening. The clip is configured to operatively engage the valve stem to sandwich the valve member, spacer and diaphragm between the valve stem and clip, so that ink from the cartridge is able to flow into the inlet opening and exit via the outlet opening when the valve is open.