Abstract: A rotary priming service station system is provided for priming inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism. A platform pivoted to a rotatable tumbler supports a plunger-actuated rolling diaphragm cap. A trigger mechanism is pivoted to the sled to actuate the cap plunger, which pulls down on the cap to draw a negative priming pressure on the nozzles when the cap is sealed against the printhead. A retractable stand-off finger project through the sled to separate the diaphragm cap from the printhead until the cap begin to draw the negative priming pressure. Through tumbler rotation and printhead motion, the trigger mechanism is cocked and activated. The platform supports a wiper that performs a fast post-prime wipe of the printhead. The tumbler rotates the cap and wiper against a blotting mechanism to blot away any primed ink residue. A method is also provided for priming inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism.

Abstract: A rotary capping system services inkjet printheads in an inkjet printing mechanism. A rotary service station has a tumbler with a dual pivoting link that supports a cap platform. The cap platform is gimbal mounted to the link and spring-biased away from the tumbler. The platform has an extending arm that contacts the printhead carriage to align the cap and printhead. When the printhead is positioned for capping, rotation of the tumbler around an axis parallel to the printhead scanning direction brings the platform arm into contact with the carriage. Continued rotation of the tumbler pivots the link and the platform to sweep the cap through a non-linear, generally arcuate path into a capping position at the printhead. The illustrated cap has a multi-ridge lip for sealing over surface irregularities on the printhead nozzle face. A method of sealing inkier printhead nozzles is also provided.

Abstract: A service station for use with an inkjet printer is described. The service station includes a sled that is mounted to the printer's chassis. Caps and wipers can be mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis, and the sled and carriage, are each cam-coupled so that movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of a nominal position to automatically place the sled in one of three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. According to the invention, wipers are biased against corresponding print cartridges such that the wipers that wipe the printhead of a print cartridge dispensing pigmented ink are biased against the printhead in a different manner, e.g.

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: Wiping and capping method and apparatus for use with an inkjet printer are described. The apparatus includes a sled that is mounted to a printer's chassis. Caps and wipers can be mounted on the sled for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis are cam-coupled for controlled, relative movement therebetween. The sled and the carriage are also cam-coupled for controlled, relative movement therebetween. Movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of its nominal position to place it in three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers. The sled is mounted to ensure constant capping force between the caps and their corresponding printheads.

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: Wiping and capping method and apparatus for use with an ink-jet printer are described. Preferably the apparatus includes a sled that is gimbal-mounted, and preferably spring-mounted, to a printer's chassis, the sled mounting plural pairs of caps and wipers for each of the printer's movable carriage-mounted printheads. The sled and the chassis are cam-coupled for controlled, relative movement therebetween. The sled and the carriage are also cam-coupled for controlled, relative movement therebetween. Movement of the carriage produces slight vertical and lateral movement of the sled out of its nominal position to place it in three primary positions relative to the carriage: an elevated position for capping the printheads, an intermediate position for wiping the printheads and a lowered position for free reciprocal movement of the carriage without interference between the printheads and either the caps or the wipers.

Abstract: Tubeless printhead-priming cap and system for ink-jet printers are described. The system is preferably implemented, using the existing printer carriage drive motor, by the use of a printhead-sealing cap having a rolling diaphragm in a lower region thereof that defines a chamber within the priming cap, with the diaphragm being reciprocated, by a spring-returned lever having a piston on one end thereof, in synchronism with lateral and differential vertical movement of a cap-carrying sled. Priming is performed uni-directionally to avoid reverse priming of the printhead. The chamber may be emptied by reversing the operation of the priming cap to pump accumulated ink into a blotter by positioning the priming cap against an ink blotter provided in a rotatable member defining a multi-service station.

Abstract: An improved ink-jet printhead cap is described. In its preferred embodiment, the cap has a sealing lip, which extends peripherally around the generally planar expanse of the cap, the lip being suspended by a horizontal, resiliently deflectable, elastomer span that is supported on either end by vertical supports that define a channel dimensioned to receive partway therein the annular boss of a cap mount mounted on a sled. In cross section, the lip is centered above the channel, protrudes upwardly from an upper surface of the horizontal span, and tapers inwardly and upwardly substantially to a point, thus providing a conformable, focal impact point for sealingly engaging a printhead. The amount of force required to deflect the lip may be controlled by varying the thickness of the horizontal span and the distance between vertical supports.

Abstract: A fully automatic failure recovery method and system are described. The method and system achieve selected priming and flushing of one of plural capped printheads in response to an ink drop detector that indicates the need therefor. The priming duration and pressure are adjustable in accordance with the automatically determined extent of the failure of the selected printhead reliably to fire ink droplets. In its preferred embodiment, the system uses a plural cam and cam follower valve subsystem that has few moving parts the cams of which selectively are rotated via a one-way clutch with the ink-jet printer's paper feed drive motor to open a selected vacuum tube leading to an ink accumulator.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining inter-pen offsets in a multiple pen ink jet printer including a drop detector for measuring flight time of ink drops, an aperture plate disposed in the print media plane, and a carriage position sensor for determining carriage position when ink drop flight time exceeds a predetermined value, which indicates that an ink jet is at the edge of the aperture plate. The sensed carriage positions for the respective pens provides information indicative of inter-pen offset in the scan axis direction. In a further embodiment of the invention, the aperture plate can have a stair-shaped boundary to facilitate the calibration of a plurality of nozzles in one scan. For determination of inter-pen offset in the media scan direction, the aperture includes a comb-like boundary that is utilized to produce detect/no detect pattern for a nozzle array in each of the pens, whereby the pattern for each of the pens provides information indicative of the offset between pens.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining inter-pen offsets in a multiple pen ink jet printer including a piezoelectric ink drop detector having a piezoelectric detector film having one or more openings formed therein. A carriage position sensor indicates the position of the carriage at the time a first ink drop is detected from each of the ink jet pens as the pens are scanned across an opening, whereby the sensed positions for the respective pens provides information indicative of inter-pen offset in the scan direction. For determination of inter-pen offset in the media scan direction, the piezoelectric film includes a plurality of openings, whereby the detect/no detect patterns for each of the pens provides information indicative of the inter-pen offsets.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining inter-pen offsets in a multiple pen ink jet printer including a piezoelectric ink drop detector having a piezoelectric detector film having one or more openings formed therein. A carriage position sensor indicates the position of the carriage at the time a first ink drop is detected from each of the ink jet pens as the pens are scanned across an opening, whereby the sensed positions for the respective pens provides information indicative of inter-pen offset in the scan direction. For determination of inter-pen offset in the media scan direction, the piezoelectric film includes a plurality of openings, whereby the detect/no detect patterns for each of the pens provides information indicative of the inter-pen offsets.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining inter-pen offsets in a multiple pen ink jet printer including a drop detector for measuring flight time of ink drops, an aperture plate disposed in the print media plane, and a carriage position sensor for determining carriage position when ink drop flight time exceeds a predetermined value, which indicates that an ink jet is at the edge of the aperture plate. The sensed carriage positions for the respective pens provides information indicative of inter-pen offset in the scan axis direction. In a further embodiment of the invention, the aperture plate can have a stair-shaped boundary to facilitate the calibration of a plurality of nozzles in one scan. For determination of inter-pen offset in the media scan direction, the aperture includes a comb-like boundary that is utilized to produce the detect/no detect pattern for a nozzle array in each of the pens, whereby the pattern for each of the pens provides information indicative of the offset between pens.