Printhead maintenance assembly comprising maintenance roller and cleaning mechanism
View Patent ↗A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance assembly comprises: (a) a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead; (b) an engagement mechanism for moving the roller between a first position in which the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face, and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from the face; and (c) a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the contact surface. The cleaning mechanism comprises a motor for rotating the maintenance roller, and an ink removal system for removing ink from the contact surface when the maintenance roller is rotated.
1. A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition, said maintenance assembly comprising:
a maintenance roller having an elastically-deformable non-absorbent contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of said printhead;
an engagement mechanism for moving said roller between a first position in which said contact surface is sealingly engaged with said face, and a second position in which said contact surface is disengaged from said face; and
a cleaning mechanism for cleaning said contact surface, said cleaning mechanism comprising:
a motor for rotating said maintenance roller; and
an ink removal system for removing ink from said contact surface when said maintenance roller is rotated.
2. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said engagement mechanism moves said maintenance roller substantially perpendicularly with respect to said face.
3. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is substantially coextensive with said printhead.
4. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said contact surface is substantially uniform.
5. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller comprises a rigid core having an elastically deformable shell, said contact surface being an outer surface of said shell.
6. The maintenance assembly of claim 5 , wherein said shell is comprised of silicone, polyurethane, Neoprene®, Santoprene® or Kraton®.
7. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is offset from said printhead.
8. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein a peel zone between said contact surface and said ink ejection face advances and retreats transversely across said face during engagement and disengagement.
9. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is biased towards said first position.
10. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said peeling disengagement draws ink from said printhead onto said contact surface.
11. The maintenance assembly of claim 1 , wherein said ink removal system comprises a transfer roller engaged with said maintenance roller.
12. The maintenance assembly of claim 11 , wherein said transfer roller has a wetting surface for receiving ink from said contact surface.
13. The maintenance assembly of claim 12 , wherein said transfer roller is a metal roller.
14. The maintenance assembly of claim 11 , wherein said transfer roller is positioned distal from said printhead.
15. The maintenance assembly of claim 11 , wherein a cleaning pad is in contact with said transfer roller.
16. The maintenance assembly of claim 15 , wherein said transfer roller and said cleaning pad are substantially coextensive with said maintenance roller.
17. The maintenance assembly of claim 15 , wherein said maintenance roller, said transfer roller and said cleaning pad are mounted on a chassis, said chassis being reciprocally moveable between said first and second positions.
18. The maintenance assembly of claim 17 , wherein said chassis is contained in a housing, said chassis being moveable relative to said housing.
19. The maintenance assembly of claim 18 , wherein said engagement mechanism comprises at least one engagement arm, a first end of said at least one arm being engageable with a complementary engagement formation of said chassis.
20. The maintenance assembly of claim 19 , wherein said chassis comprises at least one lug for complementary engagement with said first end of said at least one engagement arm.