Abstract: A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system for inkjet printer incorporating a wiper for wiping the printhead including a treatment fluid applicator configured for placing treatment fluid onto at least one element of the printhead and wiper elements involved in wiping the printhead orifice plate surface, the treatment fluid being placed on said at least one element by direct contact of the applicator, subsequently the wiper wipes the printhead, the treatment being available to enhance cleaning effectiveness, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render unwanted accumulations on the printhead more removable by wiping.

Abstract: A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system for inkjet printer incorporating a wiper for wiping the printhead including a treatment fluid applicator configured for placing treatment fluid onto at least one element of the printhead and wiper elements involved in wiping the printhead orifice plate surface, the treatment fluid being placed on said at least one element by direct contact of the applicator, subsequently the wiper wipes the printhead, the treatment being available to enhance cleaning effectiveness, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render unwanted accumulations on the printhead more removable by wiping.

Abstract: An ink-jet cartridge is formed by a rigid outer protective case and an inner ink reservoir having a flexible wall portion and a rigid wall portion which together form a sealed compartment. The flexible wall portion includes two opposing membranes sealed at their periphery to an inner loop-like frame which is integrated with a portion of the outer case. The outer protective case also covers a snout having a shortened length in the media advance direction to allow media positioning rollers closely adjacent to the print zone. The snout includes internal filters in an ink passageway from the reservoir to print nozzles at the end of the snout.

Abstract: A wet-wiping printhead cleaning system for inkjet printer incorporating a wiper for wiping the printhead including a treatment fluid applicator configured for placing treatment fluid onto at least one element of the printhead and wiper elements involved in wiping the printhead orifice plate surface, the treatment fluid being placed on said at least one element by direct contact of the applicator, subsequently the wiper wipes the printhead, the treatment being available to enhance cleaning effectiveness, the treatment fluid lubricating the wiper so as to lengthen wiper service life and enhance wiping performance, as well as acting to render unwanted accumulations on the printhead more removable by wiping.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a printhead mounted in a carriage which periodically moves in a carriage scan direction to a stop position in a service station where an actuation device causes a wiper blade to move back and forth across ink orifices on a nozzle surface of the printhead during a wiping operation. The actuation device incorporates a rotating lead screw to impart transtlational motion to the wiper blade in a wiping direction orthogonal to the carriage scan direction. A clutching action prevents further movement of the wiper blade after completion of each wiping step. The actuation device is driven through a gear train from a motor such as a media advance motor. An ink spittoon is incorporated in the same service station for receiving ink generated during a spitting operation, and a scraper in the ink spittoon removes residual ink from the wiper blade.

Abstract: An ink-jet print cartridge is formed by a rigid outer protective case and an inner ink reservoir having a flexible wall portion and a rigid wall portion which together form a sealed compartment. The flexible wall portion includes two opposing membranes sealed at their periphery to an inner loop-like frame which is integrated with a portion of the outer case. The outer protective case also covers a snout having a shortened length in the media advance direction to allow media positioning rollers closely adjacent to the print zone. The snout includes internal filters in an ink passageway from the reservoir to print nozzles at the end of the snout.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a movable carriage supported above an ink-receiving medium by a rail defining a carriage axis, with a cartridge holder mounted on said carriage having a plurality of cartridge compartments each receiving a respective thermal ink jet printer cartridge. Each cartridge is provided with three datum surfaces located on the perimeter of a sidewall of the cartridge, and sufficiently spaced apart from each other and from the center of gravity of the cartridge to provide accurate and stable alignment. More particularly, the nozzle plate of the cartridge is attached to a lower surface of snout portion such that the Y axis of the nozzle plate is substantially parallel to the first sidewall, with the first and second datum surfaces at the front and rear of a lower end of the ink reservoir portion straddling the snout and the third datum surface at an upper end of the ink reservoir portion.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a movable carriage supported above an ink-receiving medium by a rail defining a carriage axis, with a cartridge holder mounted on said carriage having a plurality of cartridge compartments each receiving a respective thermal ink jet printer cartridge. A unitary latch assembly secures all four cartridges inside their respective cartridge compartments of cartridge holder. The latch assembly comprises a metallic spring and four forwardly facing latch ends separated by five respective forwardly facing supporting ends. Each latch end is connected to its two adjacent supporting ends by a serpentine arm defined by suitable radiused cutouts in the stamped spring to provide a shape that approximates a constant stress geometry. Each supporting end is terminated by a straight edge which is inserted into a corresponding slot at the upper rear of cartridge holder; because the latch assembly is a single unit, only one assembly operation is required for all four cartridge compartments.

Abstract: Precise alignment between two or more nozzle plates affixed to print cartridges installed in a single carriage of an ink printer is achieved by machining datum projections on each print cartridge after its nozzle plate has been permanently secured to the print cartridge. The machined datum projections on the print cartridge contact surfaces on the carriage when the print cartridge is installed in the carriage such that the dimensions of the datums affect the position of the cartridge, and hence the nozzle plate, within the carriage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing proper electrical contact between corresponding interconnect pads of a print cartridge and a print carriage are disclosed. One end of a flex circuit having interconnect pads of the print carriage is attached to one side of the print carriage while the other end of the flex circuit may be substantially free or attached to an opposing side of the print carriage. When the print cartridge is initially inserted into the print carriage, a gimbal spring causes the flex circuit interconnect pads to preliminarily come in contact with the print cartridge interconnect pads before the print cartridge is completely inserted. As the print cartridge is further inserted, the print cartridge pushes out any excess slack in the flex circuit while providing a wiping action between the interconnect pads of the print cartridge and the flex circuit. This wiping action between the interconnect pads scrapes away any contaminants and corrosion, thus ensuring reliable electrical contact.

Abstract: A carriage support system for a computer driven printer/plotter employs a slider rod and a slider bar mounted parallel to each other on a printer chassis wherein the bar supports the front side of a printer carriage and the rod supports the rear side of the carriage thus eliminating expensive centerless ground carriage support rods. The slider bar also has a plurality of dual edge paper pinch wheels supported thereon which are biased into engagement with the paper or other medium on which printing takes place by a plurality of springs integrally formed from a single member affixed to the slider bar.

Abstract: An improved modular carriage assembly for an inkjet printer including: a carriage with at least two stalls molded therein for holding a plurality of inkjet pens; and a removable frame insertable in a compartment in the carriage adjacent to the stall for holding an electrical circuit. In a specific embodiment the improved modular carriage assembly includes at least two extensions molded onto the removable frame. When the removable frame is inserted into the compartment each of the extensions is inserted into a respective stall. A method of assembling a carriage assembly for an inkjet printer with inkjet pens includes the steps of: attaching an electrical circuit to a frame; positioning a unitary clamp on a carriage; and installing the frame with attached electrical circuit to the carriage. Installing the frame on the carriage holds the unitary clamp in place on the carriage.

Abstract: A molded plastic printer carriage mountable in the printer on a slider rod uses a pair of spaced sintered bronze bushings and a spring biased preload pad intermediate the bushings which engages the slider rod to compensate for and minimize rocking of the carriage during rapid movement thereof during printing without requiring expensively machined slider rods or close tolerance bushings.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing proper electrical contact between corresponding interconnect pads of a print cartridge and a print carriage are disclosed. A flexible insulating tape with interconnect pads is supported by an elastomeric compensator that has columns with hemispherical domes on the side of the elastomeric compensator facing the tape and a flat surface on the other side. The flat surface of the elastomeric compensator is supported by a gimbal plate which, in turn, is supported by a spring.

Abstract: Color inkjet printers commonly employ a plurality of print cartridges, usually either two or four, mounted in the printer carriage to produce a full spectrum of colors. In order to optimize print quality, it is desirable to minimize the distance between a thermal inkjet printhead and the media that is being printed on. In a multiple printhead printer only one printhead can be the closest one to the media due to the various mechanical tolerances of the printer. Since black text print quality is more sensitive to printhead-to-media distance than is color graphics quality, the overall print quality of both black text and color graphics is optimized by assuring that the black print cartridge is closest to the media.

Abstract: A carriage support system for a computer driven printer/plotter employs a slider rod and a slider bar mounted parallel to each other on a printer chassis wherein the bar supports the front side of a printer carriage and the rod supports the rear side of the carriage thus eliminating expensive centerless ground carriage support rods. The slider bar also has a plurality of dual edge paper pinch wheels supported thereon which are biased into engagement with the paper or other medium on which printing takes place by a plurality of springs integrally formed from a single member affixed to the slider bar.

Abstract: In order to optimize print quality, it is desirable to minimize the distance between a inkjet printhead and the media that is being printed on. Color inkjet printers commonly employ a plurality of print cartridges, usually either two or four, mounted in the printer carriage to produce a full spectrum of colors. In a multiple printhead printer, it is advantageous if the black print cartridge is closer to the print media when printing text than is the color cartridge when printing color graphics. Accordingly, a pen pen carriage with adjustable printhead-to-media spacing is disclosed. A controller tells the printer to decrease the printhead-to-media spacing when text printing is being performed and to increase the printhead-to-media spacing to the appropriate printhead-to-media distance when printing color graphics or large black area fills based on the density of ink being deposited.

Abstract: A unitary latch assembly secures all four cartridges of an inkjet printer inside their respective cartridge compartments of cartridge holder by means of a metallic spring and four forwardly facing latch ends separated by five respective forwardly facing supporting ends. Each latch end is connected to its two adjacent supporting ends by a serpentine arm defined by suitable radiused cutouts in the stamped spring to provide a shape that approximates a constant stress geometry. Each supporting end is terminated by a straight edge which is inserted into a corresponding slot at the upper rear of cartridge holder; because the latch assembly is a single unit, only one assembly operation is required for all four cartridge compartments. Each latch end is provided with a cam molded of a low friction material and shaped in the form of a horizontal section of an inclined cylinder.

Abstract: A carriage support system for a computer driven printer/plotter employs a slider rod and a slider bar mounted parallel to each other on a printer chassis wherein the bar supports the front side of a printer carriage and the rod supports the rear side of the carriage thus eliminating expensive centerless ground carriage support rods. The slider bar also has a plurality of dual edge paper pinch wheels supported thereon which are biased into engagement with the paper or other medium on which printing takes place by a plurality of springs integrally formed from a single member affixed to the slider bar.

Abstract: A molded plastic printer carriage mountable in the printer on a slider rod uses a pair of spaced sintered bronze bushings and a spring biased preload pad intermediate the bushings which engages the slider rod to compensate for and minimize rocking of the carriage during rapid movement thereof during printing without requiring expensively machined slider rods or close tolerance bushings.