Inkjet printer with maintenance roller mounted on chassis
View Patent ↗An inkjet printer has an inkjet printhead and a printhead maintenance station. The maintenance station includes a maintenance roller which is rotatable and moveable between a first position in which a capping portion is sealingly engaged with the printhead and a second position in which the capping portion is disengaged from the printhead. The maintenance roller is mounted on a chassis which is reciprocally moveable between the first and second positions. The printer includes an engagement mechanism for moving the chassis between the first and second positions by complementary engagement with engagement formations on the chassis.
1. An inkjet printer comprising:
(a) an inkjet printhead;
(b) a printhead maintenance station for maintaining said printhead in an operable condition, said maintenance station comprising:
a maintenance roller having a capping portion for capping engagement with an ink ejection face of said printhead, said maintenance roller being rotatable and moveable between a first position in which said capping portion is sealingly engaged with said face and a second position in which said capping portion is disengaged from said face; and
a chassis on which said maintenance roller is mounted, said chassis being reciprocally moveable between said first and second positions, said chassis comprising at least one engagement formation; and
(c) an engagement mechanism for moving said chassis between said first and second positions, said engagement mechanism comprising at least one engagement arm in complementary engagement with said at least one engagement formation,
wherein said printer comprises a cradle and a replaceable printhead cartridge, and said replaceable printhead cartridge comprises said printhead and said printhead maintenance station.
2. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said cradle comprises said engagement mechanism.
3. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said printhead maintenance station is configured such that said maintenance roller does not rotate when sealingly engaged with said face.
4. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is coupled to a drive motor for rotating said roller.
5. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is moveable substantially perpendicularly with respect to said face.
6. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is substantially coextensive with said printhead.
7. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance roller is biased towards said first position.
8. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said chassis is contained in a housing, said chassis being moveable relative to said housing.
9. The printer of claim 1 , wherein said chassis comprises at least one lug for complementary engagement with said at least one engagement arm.