Printing mechanism with a rotating platen assembly
View Patent ↗An inkjet printing mechanism includes an elongate chassis which spans a print area. A printhead assembly is mounted on the elongate chassis. The printhead assembly includes an ink distribution assembly and an array of printhead chips mounted on the ink distribution assembly to span the print area. An elongate platen assembly is mounted on the chassis such that the platen assembly spans the print area. The platen assembly includes an elongate body that defines a longitudinal platen surface for supporting a print medium during a printing operation carried out on the print medium. An elongate ink blotting member is arranged on the body. A rotating mechanism rotates the elongate body such that either the platen surface or the ink blotting member is aligned with the array of printhead chips. A lateral displacement mechanism displaces the body towards the printhead chips when the blotting member is aligned with the printhead chips and displaces the body away from the printhead when the platen surface is aligned with the printhead chips.
1. An inkjet printing mechanism which comprises
an elongate chassis which spans a print area;
a printhead assembly that is mounted on the elongate chassis, the printhead assembly including an ink distribution assembly and an array of printhead chips mounted on the ink distribution assembly to span the print area; and
an elongate platen assembly mounted on the chassis such that the platen assembly spans the print area, the platen assembly comprising
an elongate body that defines a longitudinal platen surface for supporting a print medium during a printing operation carried out on the print medium;
an elongate ink blotting member arranged on the body;
a rotating mechanism to rotate the elongate body such that either the platen surface or the ink blotting member is aligned with the array of printhead chips; and
a lateral displacement mechanism to displace the body towards the printhead chips when the blotting member is aligned with the printhead chips and to displace the body away from the printhead when the platen surface is aligned with the printhead chips.
2. An inkjet printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , in which the elongate body is hollow and defines a longitudinally extending slot, the elongate blotting member being received in the body with a portion extending from the slot.
3. An inkjet printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , in which the platen assembly includes a longitudinally extending capping assembly arranged on the body, the rotating and lateral displacement mechanisms being configured to displace the body towards the printhead chips when the capping assembly is aligned with the printhead chips.
4. An inkjet printing mechanism as claimed in claim 3 , in which the capping assembly includes a capper housing, a peripheral capper member positioned on the housing and a foam member positioned in the housing to bear against the printhead chips when the body is displaced towards the printhead chips.
5. An inkjet printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , in which the rotating and lateral displacement mechanisms include a pair of cams on respective ends of the body and a pair of complementary cam follower formations on the chassis to provide necessary lateral movement as the body is rotated into operative positions.
6. An inkjet printing mechanism as claimed in 5 in which a pair of opposed rail assemblies are arranged on the chassis and engage the platen assembly to maintain linear lateral displacement of the platen assembly.