Printhead maintenance assembly with film transport of ink
View Patent ↗A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance assembly comprises (i) a printhead assembly comprising a printhead having an ink ejection face and a film guide sealingly bonded to the face, the film guide being positioned to guide a film through a transfer zone defined by a plane spaced apart from the face; and (ii) an ink transport assembly comprising a film and a transport mechanism for feeding the film through the transfer zone and away from the printhead. In use, the film sealingly contacts with the film guide thereby forming a cavity defined at least partially by the film, the film guide and the face.
1. A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition, said maintenance assembly comprising:
(i) a printhead assembly comprising:
a printhead having an ink ejection face, said face having a first edge portion and a second edge portion opposite said first edge portion; and
a film guide sealingly bonded to said first edge portion, said film guide being positioned to guide a film through a transfer zone, said transfer zone being defined by a plane spaced apart from said face; and
(ii) an ink transport assembly comprising:
a film for transporting ink away from said printhead; and
a transport mechanism for feeding said film through said transfer zone and away from said printhead, said transport mechanism feeding said film in a directional sense which is from said first edge portion to said second edge portion;
wherein, in use, said film contacts with said film guide thereby forming a cavity defined at least partially by said film, said film guide and said face.
2. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said printhead is a pagewidth inkjet printhead.
3. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first and second edge portions are longitudinal edge portions.
4. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said film guide is comprised of a solid polymeric material.
5. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said film guide encapsulates wire bonds extending from said first edge portion of said printhead.
6. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said transfer zone is substantially parallel with said ink ejection face.
7. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said transfer zone is less than 1 mm from said face.
8. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said film is wetting.
9. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said film is an endless loop.
10. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein a width of said film is substantially coextensive with a length of said printhead.
11. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said ink transport assembly further comprises a film cleaner, said transport mechanism being configured to feed said film past said film cleaner.
12. The maintenance assembly of claim 11 , wherein said film cleaner is an absorbent pad positioned remotely from said printhead.
13. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said cavity is open-ended at said second edge portion.
14. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said ink transport assembly is moveable between a first position in which said film is positioned in said transfer zone and a second position in which said film is positioned remotely from said transfer zone.
15. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
(iii) a face flooding system for flooding ink from said printhead onto said ink ejection face.
16. The maintenance assembly of claim 15 , wherein said face flooding system comprises a pressure system for positively pressurizing an ink reservoir supplying ink to said printhead.
17. The maintenance assembly of claim 16 , wherein said pressure system comprises a control system for controlling an amount and/or a period of pressure applied to said ink reservoir.
18. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said printhead assembly further comprises a print media guide for guiding print media past said printhead.
19. The maintenance assembly of claim 18 , wherein said print media guide is moveable between a media-guiding position and a retracted position.
20. The maintenance assembly of claim 18 , wherein said print media guide is positioned on an opposite side of said printhead to said film guide.